Home Cinema Choice – September 2019

(Sean Pound) #1
SEPTEMBER 2019 HOME CINEMA CHOICE

DALI Katch, £330
Portable Bluetooth speaker
(aptX-capable) with stereo
driver array and gorgeous design.
Excellent blend of low-end
punch and mid-range/treble
detail. Rechargeable battery life
is rated at 24 hours


Bluesound Pulse Mini 2i,
£500
Hi-res-capable wireless speaker
that proves equally impressive
when used as a TV soundbar
alternative. A largescale stereo
sound with mid-range muscle
and HF sparkle

Dynaudio Music 7, £875
Top-of-the-range multiroom
option from Dynaudio, this
sizable speaker creates a
full-range, detailed soundstage.
Music App off ers useful
adjustments and EQ modes.
Inputs include HDMI (ARC)

Edifi er S3000PRO, £580
Wireless (Bluetooth 5.0)
active stereo pair employing
ribbon tweeters and 6.5in
midbass drivers for a
performance that excels across
the frequency range. Optical
input allows TV hookup

Libratone Zipp 2, £280
Well-priced do-it-all portable
speaker adds voice interaction,
Wi-Fi streaming, Spotify
Connect, 3.5mm hookup and
auto Room EQ to its Bluetooth
spec. Solid sound quality,
albeit monophonic

« In the next issue


Home cinema heroics Where does Avengers:
Endgame rank in the Marvel franchise?
Dolby Atmos Five years of object audio
EISA Awards 2019/2020 Celebrating the best
AV gear you can buy

« Reviews
KEF R Series 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos system
Pioneer VSX-934 AV receiver Panasonic DP-UB450
4K player Sony KD-65XG9505 Ultra HD TV
PLUS News, software, opinion, comps and more

Manhattan T3 Freeview
Play 4K, £80
Do you need an HDD PVR in the
streaming era? This Freeview
Play box loads up catchup via
a responsive UI, off ers welcome
Watchlist functionality, and is
ready for 4K HLG HDR


Sky Q, £subscription
Sky's new top-tier product
off ering dazzles with its
image-rich user interface,
wireless multiroom skills and
recording fl exibility delivered by
the PVR's 12 tuners. Now
supports 4K content

Humax FVP-5000T
Revamped menus, faster
operation and tweaks to its
triple-tuner engine make this the
most advanced Freeview Play
PVR around – and it doubles
admirably as a DLNA player/
media jukebox. 500GB/1TB/2TB

Humax DTR-T4000,
£subscription
This YouView-based PVR is
required to get BT Sport's new
Ultra HD channel – available
to those with BT fast fi bre
and a BT TV sub. Easy to use
and with 1TB of storage

Manhattan T2-R,
£120
The 500GB HDD and twin-tuner
spec of this Freeview HD PVR
is basic, but Manhattan's new
hardware design, user interface
(and the price tag) are
appealing. Easy to use.

JBL Tune600BTNC, £85
A commendable budget option
from JBL, with closed-back,
comfortable ear-cups,
reasonably eff ective noise-
cancelling, Bluetooth hookup,
and a presentation with a good
sense of scale and impact


Nuraphones, £350
Unusual over-ear/in-ear hybrid
cans that measure the acoustic
response of your inner ear to
fi ne-tune performance. It's a
highly impressive trick, but the
design can make these a bit
uncomfortable to wear

Audio Technica
ATH-Mx50BT, £180
Cable-free Bluetooth update
of a wired design, with 45mm
drivers and lengthy battery life
(claimed to hit 40 hours). Sturdy
and comfortable, and a great
sound for the money

Bowers & Wilkins PX, £330
B&W adds noise-cancelling to
the general spec of its previous
P7 wireless cans, a welcome
update for those seeking
uninterrupted listening. Off ers a
neutral, balanced sound suited
to both movies and music

Sony WH-1000XM3, £330
Third-gen noise-cancelling
wired/wireless 'phones are
deliciously comfortable and
deliver an intimate performance
with strong spatial imaging and
nuanced bass. Compatible with
LDAC source gear

CONTENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE – BUT ONLY FOR THE BETTER

SELECT 113


TOP 5 PVRs


TOP 5 Headphones


TOP 5 Wireless speakers


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