It is finally July, which as well as a heatwave in our native shores, also brings a fresh entry into our regular Pick of the Month column.
Here, we once again detail all the products to earn five-star ratings from our team of hi-fi and home cinema experts over the past month.
It was another incredibly busy period for the team, which reviewed more products than they care to count including top-end TVs, affordable headphones, premium turntables and more.
But, in this frenzy of testing, only six products emerged with a five-star rating. Here’s everything you need to know about them.
1. BenQ W2720i
The home cinema in a box, or coffee table projector as it’s sometimes called, is a growing category. And while many home cinema aficionados still sniff at the idea of using one, favouring much more expensive long throw units paired with an AVR and proper surround-sound package, we found plenty to like about the BenQ W2720i.
Though our checks revealed its inbuilt sound system to be distinctly middling, the unit more than makes up for it with its stellar app support and excellent, all-round picture quality – which our reviewers described as more than good enough to power a “proper” home cinema experience.
Score: 5/5
Read our BenQ W2720i review
2. Ruark Audio R610
After weeks of testing, we’re pleased to report Ruark Audio’s latest R610 is a fantastic example why just-add-speakers systems are becoming such an enticing option for music fans.
Featuring the firm’s iconic retro, wooden design, the amp is otherwise a stellar piece of modern hi-fi with excellent connectivity, cutting edge streaming support and, most importantly, stellar sound quality.
We were especially delighted with how well it paired with its four-star Sabre-R bookshelf speaker siblings, which helped it deliver an engaging dynamic sound across every genre we threw at it.
Score: 5/5
Read our Ruark Audio R610 review
3. Sony Bravia 8 II (K55XR8M2)
The Sony Bravia 8 II is the Japanese tech giant’s latest flagship OLED. That means, despite the confusing naming, it’s actually a successor to the A95L, not the Award-winning original Bravia 8 sitting at the top of our best OLED TV buying guide.
Running the two models head-to-head, there’s no denying the Bravia 8 II is an incredible OLED. Brighter than its predecessor, but retaining wonderfully controlled colours and true-to-life three dimensionality the Bravia 8 II is one of the best flagships we’ve tested this year.
But be warned, with the Samsung S95F sneaking into our test rooms soon, that verdict may change in the not too distant future…
Score: 5/5
Read our Sony Bravia 8 II (K55XR8M2) review
4. PMC Prophecy 7
The PMC Prophecy 7 are a pair of surprisingly compact floorstanding speakers designed for enthusiasts who are short on space.
Despite their dimensions, PMC’s loaded the speakers with a number of impressive features. Highlights include the latest version of PMC’s Laminair vent, which aims to reduce harmonic distortion, and an atypical 55mm midrange dome that uses a petal-shaped waveguide to control dispersion.
As well as proving remarkably unfussy with their placement, during testing they delivered a solid performance. Matched with price appropriate hardware they offer music fans exceptional clarity and impressive low-end heft for their size.
Score: 5/5
Read our PMC Prophecy 7 review
5. Lindemann Limetree Bridge II
The Lindemann Limetree Bridge II is a bit of hi-fi from a category we don’t see in our listening rooms that often. Specifically, it is a network bridge, sometimes referred to as a streaming transport. This is a fancy term for a streamer that doesn’t have a DAC included.
Does that make it a niche product? Yes. But, after putting it through its paces we can confirm, for its target audience, it is a fantastic piece of hardware. Pairing it with a Chord Qutest DAC, the unit delivered stellar results, offering a precise, clean and crisp presentation regardless of what genre we threw at it.
Score: 5/5
Read our Lindemann Limetree Bridge II review
6. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation)
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) is a video streamer designed for buyers on a budget.
The idea behind is simple; plug the tiny stick into any screen with an HDMI and you’ll be able to access Fire OS, which includes pretty much every streaming service under the sun.
Based on our testing, while it won’t dethrone the Apple TV 4K as our recommended single box solution at the top end of the market, for its intended audience it’s a fantastic option thanks to its consistent picture quality and robust HDR support.
Score: 5/5
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation) review
MORE:
These are the best floorstanding speakers we’ve reviewed
We rate the best TVs money can buy
Our picks of the best projectors