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What Hi-Fi UK

November 2024

Each of the elements in our selection of AV systems puts in a performance worthy of top billing

Now that you have been inspired to put together the stereo system that’s right for you (see p30), it’s time for us to take you by the hand and lead you into a world where your eyes as well as your ears can enjoy the best of today’s top entertainment tech. Welcome to our selection of ready-made audio-visual systems.

It is a matter of no little sadness to us here at What Hi-Fi? that so many people who love watching films at home seem simply to snap up a half-decent-looking telly (very often one on which they can get a good deal) and leave it at that when, with a bit of research, they could significantly raise the quality of their viewing entertainment without breaking their budget.

We appreciate that the number and variety of AV products on the market can be overwhelming, so we have done the research for you and put together six systems of varying types and cost to help you find the one that suits your circumstances and budget.

We have done our best to cover all bases, including some TV-based systems, some that use a projector and one that is fully portable. Three of our combos include games consoles too – and one is based entirely around gaming.

Not all of us enjoy the luxury of large lounges or are blessed with dedicated cinema rooms, so we have included systems with space-saving soundbars as well as those with AV amps and full speaker packages. And for those with big bank balances (or those who just want to dream that they have a big bank balance), we feature a top-end premium set-up that represents the best in home-cinema hardware. Take your pick.

SOUNDBAR SUPERSTAR The benefits of a surround set-up, without the fuss

THE SYSTEM

QD-OLED TV SAMSUNG QE65S95D £2799 O GAMES CONSOLE: SONY PLAYSTATION 5 £379 O BLU-RAY PLAYER PANASONIC UB820EB £349 O SOUNDBAR PACKAGE SAMSUNG Q990 D ₤1699

TOTAL PRICE £5136

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