If you struggled to keep up with all the headlines last week, you’re not alone. Amazon’s four day Prime Day sale saw a tide of hi-fi and home cinema deals flood the airwaves, drowning out pretty much everything else.
But between the sea of deals there were some pretty important developments in the world of hi-fi and home cinema. Here’s what you need to know.
KEF’s first soundbar is great
Last week hi-fi heavyweight KEF unveiled its first ever Dolby Atmos soundbar, the XIO. On top of that, we managed to get one into our review rooms and properly test it ahead of its launch and are pleased to report it’s an excellent option for any movie fan.
Offering buyers a 5.1.2-channel configuration and housing 12 Class-D amplifiers, the unit is a direct rival to big, established players including the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbar Max.
Thankfully, when we ran it head-to-head with the competition it delivered the goods and rapidly became an easy five-star recommendation. As we said in our full KEF XIO review:
“The KEF XIO is a soundbar of rare all-round ability that delivers movies and music with spectacle and finesse.”
Read our full KEF XIO review
Focal has new speakers
Last week Focal unveiled its new Diva Mezza active speaker system, claiming it will push “the boundaries of wireless hi-fi”.
What that means precisely remains a mystery, but the speakers do look very cool, featuring a distinctly sci-fi design that’s packed with cutting edge features and hardware.
Highlights include a “completely re-engineered” Naim Audio electronics package with a dual-stage power supply for “exceptional dynamics and precision power management” across the frequency range.
On top of that, there are three separate Class A/B amplifiers powering the drivers which offer a staggering 500W of power per speaker. For those that don’t know, that’s a lot of muscle.
We’ll hopefully be able to give them a listen and full review treatment in the not too distant future. But if you’d rather not wait, you can buy the Diva Mezza from authorised stores for £55,000 / €65,000 / $69,000.
Read the full story: Focal’s high-end Diva Mezza active speaker system aims to push “the boundaries of wireless hi-fi”
There’s plenty to like about Q Acoustics’ affordable new speakers
Last week we continued our ongoing search for a perfect pair of sub-£500 stereo speakers, testing Q Acoustics’ dinky new 5010s.
And they came oh so close to achieving that lofty goal. The well-made, tiny standmounts offer a lot of perks, especially considering their very reasonable sub-£500 price tag, including the firm’s patented Continuous Curved Cone driver design.
When matched appropriately they also manage to deliver a well-integrated and cohesive sound with oodles of clarity and detail. But comparing them to their arch rivals, the Bowers & Wilkins 607 S3, they lacked the magic “fun” factor we always look for, meaning they fell just short of a five-star rating.
Read our full Q Acoustics 5010 review
MORE:
These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars we’ve tested
We rate the best bookshelf speakers
Our picks of the best floorstanding speakers