Best Buys – Audio & AV

Best Buys Audio & AV is loaded to the gills with authoritative reviews on all types of hi-fi and home theatre products, from wireless speakers to valve amplifiers, AV projectors and streaming computer audio – it’s a must-read for those looking to assemble or upgrade their home entertainment systems. By publishing easy-to-read, well researched reviews, Best Buys Audio & AV provides at-a-glance summaries together with detailed reviews by Australia’s most experienced hi-fi and AV teams from Sound+Image and Australian Hi-Fi magazines.

Best Buys – Audio & AV • BEST BUYS AUDIO & AV • ISSUE 2023-#2, SPRING

The Hi-Fi Headlines NEWSLETTER NO.266 • At Len Wallis Audio, we’re continuously fueled by an invigorating rush of innovative products surging through our doors—and this month proves to be just as exhilarating!

HOW TO CHOOSE… HI-FI & HOME CINEMA • Welcome to a magazine packed with some of the world’s most awesome audio and AV equipment. But how do you choose what to buy?

DENON DNP-2000NE STREAMER WITH HEOS • It’s a high-resolution audio streamer with HEOS. But it’s actually a whole lot more, while also showing the advantages of having a full-size component-width product.

LENCO LBT-225 TURNTABLE WITH BLUETOOTH & USB • Not only is Lenco’s affordable turntable impressively built and loaded, it comes with a built-in phono stage, Bluetooth output, and USB recording.

REGA PLANAR 3: 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION TURNTABLE • When a turntable makes LP after LP sound like you’re listening to the best album in the world, you know it’s doing something very right.

TRANSROTOR PHONO MC 8.2 SYM PHONO STAGE • Turntables produce smaller signals than digital sources, so they need additional amplification. And that amplification becomes critical to vinyl performance. This relatively high-end example of the breed proves a stunning performer.

THE FUTURE OF MAGAZINES

TAGA HARMONY TWA-10B WIRELESS STREAMING ADAPTER • Designed to bring streaming to an existing audio system, this tiny little box combines easy set-up with wide-ranging streaming abilities at an attractive price.

YAMAHA R-N2000A STREAMING STEREO AMPLIFIER • Excellent performance and classic looks that disguise a full wireless and multiroom streaming platform: this is a magnificent release from Yamaha.

REVIVAL SPRINT 3 STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKERS • The first range from a new French company blew us away and went on to become award winners. Can a second lower range pull off the same trick?

MARANTZ MODEL 40n + BOWERS & WILKINS 705 S3 PACKAGE: INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER + STANDMOUNT SPEAKERS + CABLES • Package deals can take the worry out of hi-fi component matching — and they can save you money too. With brands like these on offer, it’s a win-win.

BENQ W4000i HOME CINEMA PROJECTOR • First-class image quality, and a superfast gaming mode which knocked 10 seconds off our correspondent’s Gran Turismo lap times. Say no more.

EPSON EH-TW6250 + EH-LS12000B AV PROJECTORS • Epson scored two Sound+Image Awards this year for its projectors — with two very different designs, one with excellent ease of use and a smart Android TV interface, the other for full-on dedicated home theatre performance.

OPTOMA L1+ 4K ULTRA-SHORT-THROW PROJECTOR WITH ANDROID TV • Optoma delivers the smallest ultra-short-throw 4K projector we’ve yet seen, and its compact size doesn’t limit its performance.

SCREEN DREAMS A LESSON IN HOME CINEMA IMAGING • This super-widescreen home cinema in the Mornington Peninsula provides a lesson in how to consider a complete imaging system for a home theatre.

JBL BAR 1300 SOUNDBAR SYSTEM • Pull off the ends of JBL’s Bar 1300 and they work as battery-powered rears — or standalone wireless speakers. And the performance here is...