TEAMING WITH TALENT

With so many great hi-fi products on sale, matching them up can be tough. So we have done it for you

In a time before stereo sound was widely available, former Prime Minister Harold Macmillan told the British public “You have never had it so good.” His words could equally well be directed to buyers of hi-fi equipment today; not only has our industry seen phenomenal technological advances since Harold delivered his famous verdict, it has also achieved an unprecedented level of diversity.

The market is flush with great turntables, CD players and streamers, while amplifier and speaker design is also at a peak. And once you take inflation into account, it is all now available for far less than its equivalent kit would have been in Harold’s day.

Wonderful though this may be, it also presents the serious hi-fi buyer with a bit of a problem: how on earth do I put together a system from all the great stuff that is available? That, as ever, is where we come in.

Fresh from completing the task of choosing the winners of our 2023 Awards, we have created 10 systems – five hi-fi-and five AV – in each case taking an Award-winner as our starting point to help you do your choosing.

A key rule of thumb here is that products that are the best of their kind do not always work best with each other. That is why not all of the products featured on the following pages are Award-winners – they do all, however, complement each other beautifully.

First up, then, our hi-fi systems. From affordable CD and streamer combos to a premium turntable-based set-up, we think we have covered all bases. Just remember; if you are looking for great talent, look for great teamwork.

SYSTEM 1 A DISCREET ALL-ROUNDER LG OLED42C3