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• Volume 27 issue 11
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3
 06 The Hot Five
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
Sorry, your iPhone 14 Pro is
suddenly a pile of old junk
Polaroid I-2
The instant camera that’s not
as instant as it used to be
Apple Watch Series 9
Sorry, your Watch Series 8 is
suddenly a pile of old junk
B&O Beolab 8
A speaker that follows you
around the room (not literally)
LG StanbyME Go
This screen is so secure it wants
to go on holiday without you
14 Vital stats Ruark R410
Yay, a page all about Cliff Richard
16 Stream
Latest talking mongoose news
18 Icon Atari 2600+
Will it cause a teenage riot?
20 Games
Play these, miss dinner
22 Wheels Automibili Pininfarina
At last, they invented the e-LUV
24 Stuff meets Ferdinand Wolf
Story of the incredible flying boy
THE LEGENDARY STUFF TOP TENS P83
4
29 First test 32 Upvoted Editor-in-Chief
GoPro Hero12 Black Tech organisers Dan Grabham
Deputy Editor
Flagship action cam that’s sort of Pack up your fiddly bits before Tom Morgan-Freelander
like the last one but less geeky venturing out of the nerd cave Commissioning Editor
54 Tested 34 Cover feature Rachael Sharpe
Asus TUF Gaming A15 Home audio Contributors
Jennifer Allen,
A normal laptop but more geeky The running headline theme is Rob Clymo,
58 Tested rock bands who’ve made better Esat Dedezade,
Fairphone 5 albums than any of the ones we Craig Grannell,
Sam Kieldsen,
It’s out to save consumerism recommend on p45 Basil Kronfli,
59 Tested 53 Mini meme Simon Lucas,
Sonos Move 2 Weather warning apps Ross Presly,
Richard Purvis,
It’s out to play Phil Collins In case you’ve got a sore neck Chris Rowlands,
62 Tested and can’t look at the sky Michael Sawh,
Sennheiser Ambeo Mini 56 Beta yourself Alan Wen,
Tom Wiggins
It’s out to slip under your TV Android 14
64 Group test Google, your operating system Contact us
Fitness watches is pretty good now – how about stuff.ed@kelsey.co.uk
UK subscription and back issue
They’ll tell you more than how you just stop changing it? orderline: 01959 543747
long since your last Yorkie 70 Tech titans Overseas subscription orderline:
0044 (0)1959 543747
75 3 of the best Sega Toll-free USA subscription
orderline: 1-888-777-0275
Down jackets Hedgehoggy consoles ranked in UK customer service team:
Bring on the brass monkeys! order of speed and spikiness 01959 543747
Customer service email address:
76 Long-term test 72 Instant upgrades subs@kelsey.co.uk
Customer service and
Sony Xperia 5 V Google Pixel Tablet subscription postal address:
Not only for photography spods How to not wish you had an iPad Stuff Customer Service Team,
Kelsey Publishing Ltd,
78 Games 98 Random access memories The Granary, Downs Court,
Starfield, Armored Core VI, Microsoft Word (1983) Yalding Hill, Yalding,
Maidstone,
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Yep, it used to be even worse Kent ME18 6AL
Profile USB microphone
Tell your story. Share your world.
At Sennheiser, we believe in the power of sound. We believe
that your voice should break the barrier between you and your
audience, so we designed the Profile USB Microphone; a product
as reliable as it is accessible. Utilizing our expertise and premium
components, we built a dynamic tool that would adapt to your
needs as a storyteller.

sennheiser.com/profile-mic-story
 Hopelessly
devoted to view
The 15 Pro’s camera will be
able to record spatial video,
which you’ll need Apple’s
Vision Pro mixed-reality
headset to watch. That’s
not due out until next
year, though.

HOT
FIVE
#1
CEASED
LIGHTNING
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
The British Medical Journal reckons your
chances of being hit by lightning are about
one in 10 million, but Apple has just reduced
that to zero. Its entire iPhone 15 range
has ditched the proprietary Lightning
connector in favour of the more widely
used USB-C… and the pick of the bunch
is most definitely the Pro.
Its new aerospace-grade titanium chassis
is a poor conductor of electricity, reducing
your risk even further; but just a bit more
importantly than that, under your thumb
you’ll find a new Action button that can be
customised to do things like activate silent
mode, launch a particular app, or fire up Look at me,
the new 48MP main camera (the Pro Max I’m USB
model also gets a new 5x zoom). Power
comes from a speedier, more efficient A17 The switch to USB-C
Pro chip, with an improved Neural Engine doesn’t just mean fewer
and six-core GPU. cables in your house – it’ll also
Apple says the battery is capable of transfer data at up to 10Gbps,
playing video for up to 23hrs on the 6.1in so you can offload those
2000-nit Super Retina XDR screen before hefty video files much
you’ll need to plug it in using that new more quickly.
USB-C port. The chances of you wanting
one? Much higher than being struck by
lightning – and you don’t need the BMJ
to tell you that.
As hot as… the smouldering black mark
on the ground left by a bolt of USB-C
from £999 / apple.com

6
 ALL THE
BIGGEST
STORIES FROM
PLANET TECH

We Pro
together
The bigger Pro Max model
(from £1199) has a 6.7in
screen, so it’s a little over 30g
heavier than the standard
Pro shown here. But the
battery does last up
to 6hrs longer.

7
 The warmth
of the gun
If the built-in flash isn’t
sufficient, there’s a 2.5mm
port for syncing to an external
flash gun, and a 1/4in thread
on the bottom lets you
mount the I-2 on
a tripod.

Girl don’t
quell me
The I-2’s battery is beefy
enough to snap through
a whopping 15 packs of
Polaroid’s i-Type, 600 or
SX-70 film before you’ll
need to recharge it
via USB-C.

8
 Help me
wander
The camera is made of
tough ABS and PMMA plastic,
but for £65 you can buy
a shoulder holster or a
premium case. Both have
space for two packs
of film.

HOT
FIVE
#2
WHEN I GROW UP
TO BE A MANUAL
Polaroid I-2
Expecting any serious photographer to get
pro results from an instant camera is like
asking Max Verstappen to win an F1 race
in a VW Beetle, but the I-2 is the camera
equivalent of fitting Herbie with a jet
engine. Blending classic Polaroid styling
with modern tech, it has a Lidar sensor for
continuous autofocus even in tricky lighting
conditions, and Bluetooth for connecting it
to Polaroid’s remote app. But best of all, it’s
got proper manual controls.
You can fiddle with the shutter speed and
aperture size, both of which are displayed
inside the integrated viewfinder along
with a light meter, the distance to your
subject, remaining battery life and how
many shots you’ve taken. There’s also
a panel on top that shows the shooting
mode: auto, shutter priority, aperture
priority, manual, self-timer, or extra-arty
multi-exposure mode.
That aperture goes from f8 right down
to f64, and the lens’s barrel is threaded to
allow the attachment of 49mm filters. Pro
snappers Coco Capitan, Kotori Kawashima
and Max Siedentopf were the first to take
the I-2 for a spin – you can see the results
on Polaroid’s website. Presumably Max
was busy in the garage with his Beetle.
As hot as… a jet-powered barbecue
£600 / polaroid.com

9
 The grey
before you came
The Series 9 comes in gold,
silver, graphite, starlight,
midnight and Product Red plus
this pink aluminium option,
which is carbon-neutral
if you buy it with a
textile strap.

Knowing me,
knowing two
If you’ve got enough cash
HOT you can use B&O’s Powerlink
tech to connect two together
FIVE for stereo sound, or use them
as a pair of satellites in a
#3 surround-sound
system.

FRAY ALL YOUR

GLOVE ON ME
Apple Watch Series 9
Controlling gadgets with gestures often
makes you look like you’re performing
some sort of minimalist interpretive
dance, or trying to swat away a particularly
persistent wasp; but to interact with
Apple’s new Watch Series 9 all you have
to do is double-tap your thumb and index
finger together. You can use it to do stuff
like answer a call, pause a podcast, or
silence an alarm without even having to
tap the 2000-nit screen – handy if you’re
busy cooking, running or trying to teach
your new pet wasp to dance.
You can choose from two sizes, 41mm or
45mm, with the same more powerful S9
processor inside both. Apple has also
added an ultra-wideband chip, which can
be used to direct you towards your iPhone
when you can’t find it, and also allows
you to control the music playing on a Summer
nearby HomePod. night sitty
When it comes to its eco credentials, your It comes on a plinth
Watch will also be certified carbon-neutral carved from a single slab
if you choose certain combinations of of aluminium, but you can
strap and case material – the former come also buy mounts for the
in rubber, textile or stainless steel, with wall and ceiling, plus floor
aluminium or stainless steel for the latter. stands that lift it up
Now that’s more than just a gesture. to waist height.
As hot as… wasp sting sauce
from £399 / apple.com

10
 I have
a team
Got more than one person
listening? Beam width control
lets you swap between the
best sound for a single
person, or a wider
soundstage for a party
atmosphere.

HOT
FIVE
#4
I LET THE
MUSIC SEEK
B&O Beolab 8
If you visit the Louvre in Paris and admire
Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa,
you’ll notice that her eyes seem to follow
you around the room. It’s an effect that’s
achieved through light, shadow and
perspective (and being really good
at painting), but B&O has achieved
something similar with the Beolab 8
by using the same ultra-wideband tech
found in Apple’s AirTags.
If you have a similarly equipped iPhone in
your pocket while you’re listening to this
shoebox-sized speaker, B&O’s Fluid
Sweet Spot feature ensures it sounds its
best no matter where you move. And that
should be pretty good, because there’s
a 0.6in tweeter, 3in midrange driver and
5.25in woofer inside, along with Wi-Fi 6
for hi-res streaming, Bluetooth 5.3, and
300W of Class D amplification.
The chassis has three aluminium looks to
choose from, with another three colour
options for the oak grille if grey and brown
just doesn’t do it for you – but the speaker
will automatically fine-tune the EQ so the
different materials don’t colour the sound.
All of which makes the Beolab 8 something
of a work of art.
As hot as… Leonardo in full flow (the turtle,
not the artist)
from £2199 / bang-olufsen.com

11

Addicted
to shove
The whole thing weighs
around 13kg, which means
some airlines will make you
check it in, but it’s passed US
military durability tests so
should survive the trip
in the hold.
HOT
FIVE
#5
RAD CASE OF LUGGING YOU
LG StanbyME Go
If you turned up at airport security carrying
your TV, you’d at best get a lot of funny
looks from your fellow passengers and
at worst be ushered aside for ‘a chat’ by
somebody wearing rubber gloves. Arrive
with LG’s StanbyME Go, however, and your
in-flight entertainment will be the envy of
everyone else on board.
Rather than a week’s worth of socks
and pants, this suitcase is filled with a fully
adjustable 27in Full HD screen that runs
LG’s webOS, so you can use the plane’s
Wi-Fi to stream Top Boy on Netflix, while
the 20W four-channel speaker system
means it doesn’t matter if you leave your
12
I did mean
to turn you on
You get a remote that can
be stashed inside the case,
and there’s also the option
of voice control. The screen
automatically turns on and
off when you open and
close the lid.
headphones in the departure lounge by
accident (don’t do that, though).
There’s also AirPlay 2 and an HDMI port,
so if you’ve brought your PS5 you can hook
that up too, although you’ll need to ask
a member of the cabin crew to plug
it in for you. That’s not an issue for the
screen, which has a built-in battery that
LG reckons should last long enough for
a flight from London to Greece, or three
episodes of Hijack on Apple TV+. Then
again, you might be better off saving that
one for after you land.
As hot as… your best socks and pants
$1000 / lg.com
V I T A L S T A T S
THE MILLENNIUM
PLAYER
Ruark R410
£1299 / ruarkaudio.com
Ruark’s new one-box hi-fi
system looks like it belongs
in the ’70s, but it’s crammed
with up-to-date hardware
OInspired for sound
When it comes to transcending
eras, nobody does it better
than Sir Cliff Richard. The human
ventriloquist’s dummy was the
first artist to have top-five albums
across eight different decades,
from 1959’s Cliff Sings to 2020’s
Music... The Air That I Breathe.
Ruark’s new R410 might look like
something designed when Cliff
was recording I’m Nearly Famous
in 1975, but it brings together old
14
and new tech in one do-it-all box.
The only thing that really gives it
away is the undeniably modern 4in
TFT display.
OAll plays guaranteed
Behind that screen and grille, inside
a cabinet that’s handcrafted from
recomposed sustainable woods,
the R410 is about as current as
hi-fi gets. Spotify Connect, Tidal
Connect, AirPlay 2, Chromecast
and aptX HD Bluetooth are all
on board, with Burr-Brown DACs
that support hi-res playback. USB,
digital optical and analogue phono
inputs, plus a built-in phono stage,
mean you can also go old-skool
and connect a turntable or CD
If you’d prefer
something that looks
a bit more modern than
Cliff, you can also select
a grey cabinet option,
which brings the
styling a little more
up to date.
player, and there’s DAB+, FM and
internet radio too. It even has an
HDMI port with eARC for your TV. INSIDE IT’S AS
OSize up
CURRENT AS
This is the first entry in Ruark’s
new 100 Series, so apart from the
HI-FI GETS, BUT
twin 20mm silk-dome tweeters YOU CAN ALSO
(also found in the excellent MR1
bookshelf speakers), everything
GO OLD-SKOOL
inside is new – including the
100mm mid/bass drivers and
AND CONNECT
120W Class D amp. The RotoDial A TURNTABLE
on top will be as familiar as Cliff
at Wimbledon, though, with a
matching Bluetooth remote for
when you’ve got so comfortable
listening to Summer Holiday that
you can’t be bothered to get up.

MORE NEW
MUSIC MAKERS
OSonos Move 2
With stereo sound, 24hr battery
life and better touch controls
on the top, this Sonos sequel
looks to improve on a winning
formula. Does it succeed? Read
our full review on p59.
£449 / sonos.com
Pairless whisper
SONY PLAYSTATION PULSE EXPLORE
Connecting a pair of Bluetooth headphones to your PS5 should be
almost as easy as turning on the controller, but unfortunately Sony has
other ideas. Even these new earbuds need a separate USB dongle to
work, which uses Sony’s PlayStation Link tech to send low-latency
lossless audio to your ears while you lose yourself in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Inside are custom-designed planar magnetic drivers, the kind that
are normally found in high-end cans. There’s no full-on ANC, just
AI-enhanced noise rejection that’ll filter out anything that might
distract you while you’re trying to do battle with Malus Thorm and the
Sisters Of Healing – but you’ll need more than a dongle to pull that off.
£200 / playstation.com

OJBL Authentics 500

The Quadrex grille on this 270W
smart speaker is straight off
JBL’s classic L100 loudspeakers
(see p40), but there’s modern
tech behind it – like Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth and Dolby Atmos.
£580 / uk.jbl.com

OB&O Beosound 2
Ferrari Edition
Inside, this is the same 360°
wireless speaker that would
already set you back £2649; but
B&O has turned it red and stuck
a Ferrari badge on it, and now it
costs nearly two grand more.
£4449 / bang-olufsen.com

Splay the game

SAMSUNG THE FREESTYLE 2ND GEN
This pivoting projector might look identical to the original Freestyle,
but Samsung has actually turned it into a portable games console
with a 100in screen. Beefier innards mean its Tizen OS can now run
Samsung’s Gaming Hub, so with a Bluetooth controller connected you
can fire up cloud services including Xbox Game Pass, Nvidia’s GeForce
Now and Amazon’s Luna, point the lens at the nearest wall, and
carry on playing. There are speakers built in too, and if you add the
32,000mAh battery base (£159) you don’t even need to find a socket
to plug it into. Of course, you can use it to catch up on The Bear with the
Disney+ app too, but you could do that with the old one.
£899 / samsung.com

15
16
 Television is bad. It rots your brain, gives
you square eyes and stops you becoming an
outdoorsy superbeing. But if you really must…

Bosch: Legacy Reptile Totally Killer

Seven-season police procedural
Bosch was quietly Prime Video’s
best original series. So, while
Amazon has technically ‘relegated’
this spin-off (which could be
called Yes, It’s More Bosch) to
its ad-supported Freevee platform,
that means we can all watch Harry
Bosch catching bad guys without
having to pay for Prime.
S2 / Amazon Freevee, 20 Oct
In the course of a tricky murder
investigation where nothing is
what is seems (is it ever in films?),
a grizzled detective (are they ever
ungrizzled in films?) stumbles upon
truths that threaten to devastate
his own life. Benicio Del Toro stars in
and co-writes a brooding neo-noir
thriller with Justin Timberlake, Alicia
Silverstone and Michael Pitt.
Film / Netflix, 6 Oct
With Spooky Season well and truly
upon us and the evenings drawing
in, this high-school slasher – in
which Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka
jumps back to 1987 to help her own
teenage mother stop a masked
murderer getting stabby – sounds
like the perfect undemanding
comedy horror flick for a dark,
silent night.
Film / Prime Video, 6 Oct

The Fall of the Lessons in Chemistry Nandor Fodor and the

House of Usher
Speaking of horror, Midnight Mass
and The Haunting of Hill House
creator Mike Flanagan is back with
another chilling Netflix original
series, this time based on Edgar
Allan Poe’s beloved short story.
Expect a huge cast of familiar
faces – including Mark Hamill
and Henry Thomas.
S1 / Netflix, 12 Oct
Based on Bonnie Garmus’s
bestselling novel, this miniseries
stars Brie Larson as a budding
scientist forced to defer her dream
job because it’s the 1950s and,
y’know, women and all that. So,
swapping the lab for a TV studio,
she becomes a cooking show host
dispensing more than just recipes
to a nation ripe for change.
S1 / Apple TV+, 13 Oct
Talking Mongoose
This one’s adapted from a true
story – yes, the true story of the
Isle of Man family with a mongoose
called Gef that lived in the walls of
their house and had conversations
with them. A dark comedy, it
stars Simon Pegg as a renowned
parapsychologist brought in to
uncover the truth.
Film / Prime Video, 20 Oct

Loki
TH ISS T
M ON’

Tom Hiddleston’s Asgardian trickster god returns for a second season of time-skipping
multiverse adventures – one that comicbook fans will be hoping bucks the recent trend
D

of plodding, low-stakes Marvel series in which very little bar a load of bad CGI happens
IS

(Secret Invasion, we’re mostly looking at you). The art direction and cinematography, at
least, look spot-on. Could this be the series to make Marvel likeable again?
S2 / Disney+, 6 Oct

17
 Looks like I picked up a back issue
by mistake…
Or perhaps you walked down
an alleyway and ended up back
in 1978, like a real-life sequel to
time-travelling adultery-com
Goodnight Sweetheart starring
you instead of Nicholas Lyndhurst?
Nah, don’t worry, it’s still 2023:
the sea is full of turds, schools are
falling down and the trains only run
once a month. OK, maybe worry
a little bit. Don’t you just wish we
18
could go back to a different era?
This console might not literally
transport you back in time, but
it’ll give you a taste of what gaming
was like in its early years.
Veneer-panelled and chunky?
Not as chunky as it used to be,
actually: it’s only 80% of the size
of the original 2600. There are
some concessions to modernity
too: it works on USB-C power,
the logo lights up, and there’s a
widescreen mode so it doesn’t look
silly hooked up to your giant OLED
TV via HDMI. But everything else
has been beamed in from the ’70s,
so it’ll play original 2600 cartridges
(plus 7800 ones), and you can even
plug in the old controllers.
What if I don’t have a copy of
Space Invaders?
There’s no need to start trawling
eBay, or go digging through landfill
sites in New Mexico looking for
buried copies of Pac-Man,
because it comes with a 10-in-1
cartridge that includes Adventure,
Combat, Dodge ’Em, Haunted
House, Maze Craze, Missile
Command, RealSports Volleyball,
Surround, Video Pinball and Yars’
Revenge, plus a replica CX40+
joystick. More combo cartridges
will be available to buy separately.
This could hardly be more retro if
it came with a brown cardigan and
a 7in copy of Super Trouper.
 NEWS FEED
Dive talkin’ SONY OPENS ITS PORTAL
TO GAMING ON THE TOILET
BLANCPAIN X SWATCH BIOCERAMIC Sony’s PlayStation Portal – the
SCUBA FIFTY FATHOMS handheld device that lets you stream
PS5 games over Wi-Fi to its 8in
Blancpain’s original Fifty Fathoms, first launched in 1953, is widely Full HD LCD display – will go on sale
considered to be the world’s first diving watch, but the people who own on 15 November for a pretty reasonable
them tend to have private-yacht kind of money. If you’re on more of £200. It features haptic feedback
a pedalo budget, you can get one of these bioceramic Swatch models, and adaptive triggers; pre-orders at
which are water-resistant down to 91m (the equivalent of 50 fathoms, direct.playstation.com are open now.
measurement fans) and come with a strap made from recycled fishing
nets. The anti-magnetic mechanical movement is visible through the
back of the case, which comes in five different sea-themed finishes… ANKER CHARGES AHEAD WITH
but we won’t tell anyone if you just wear it to go snorkelling in the bath. Qi2 MAGNETIC POWER BANK
£340 / swatch.com Anker has unveiled its first portable
Home charger that uses Qi2 – a new standard
audio that has MagSafe-style magnets to
special hold your phone in place. The MagGo
p34 Power Bank Qi2 10,000mAh has a
built-in kickstand and LCD display.
Now we just need someone to launch
a non-Apple phone to go with it.

CLUBHOUSE LETS YOU TALK

TO PEOPLE WITH YOUR MOUTH
Do you remember Clubhouse? The
voice-based social media app that was
very briefly the next big thing in 2020
has been redesigned and refocused
around voice-only group chats that
work a bit like communal Instagram
Stories (but without the pictures and
videos). It’s out now on iOS and Android.
Wi can’t this be love?
PRO-JECT T2 W NINTENDO GETS REDDY
TO LAUNCH ‘NEW’ SWITCH
To most serious audiophiles, the idea of adding Wi-Fi to a record player Nintendo has got a new handheld on
is about as welcome as worms in a spaghetti bolognese… but if anyone the way… sort of. The Switch OLED
can convince them that going wireless isn’t sacrilege, it’s Pro-Ject. Mario Red Edition (£310) comes with
The belt-driven T2 W can be connected cable-free to any similarly an OLED screen and a silhouette of
equipped amp, streamer or active speakers, and beam your tunes the famous plumber on the dock. It’s
through the air at lossless 24-bit/48kHz quality. The 9in aluminium available to buy from 6 October… but
tonearm comes fitted with a Sumiko Rainier MM cartridge, so you if you were hoping for a Switch 2 then
can have a record spinning on its zero-resonance glass platter in a unfortunately the wait continues.
matter of minutes – and in case you’re feeling bad for your old cables,
it also has analogue RCA outputs.
£899 / project-audio.com

19
 G A M E S
FIRST PLAY LORDS OF THE FALLEN PC, PS5, XSX
Remember Lords of the Fallen,
a fantasy action role-playing
game that tried and failed to
replicate Dark Souls back in
2014? Well, its publisher hopes
you don’t remember, since its
reboot goes by the exact same
title – but this time it might be
a more memorable pretender to
FromSoftware’s throne.
It certainly looks the part in
Unreal 5, while adopting familiar
[ Words Alan Wen ]
dark fantasy overtones with
a plot involving an evil god’s
return, friends and foes with
equally tragic backstories…
and of course all manner of
20
OUT
13 OCT
things trying their very best
to kill you.
But while this game from
HexWorks has the labyrnthine
feel of Dark Souls, one aspect
that sets it apart is that you
navigate two parallel worlds,
Axiom and Umbral. Not that
you’ll really want to be in the
latter, as it’s the realm of the
dead – where a swig of your
potion doesn’t fully heal you
and staying too long may have
an effect on your sanity.
Then again, Umbral is where
you end up when you die – so if
you’re felled by a tough boss, you
can continue the fight with the
chance to return to the land of
the living. You’ll also find that
certain doors and paths are
deviously designed so that
you have to enter this cursed
realm to progress.
Lords of the Fallen will allow
you to co-op with another
player for the whole game,
rather than having to summon
them in very limited capacities
like a boss fight. So compared
to the masochistic quirks of the
Souls games, when this game
launches on Friday the 13th you
might not feel so unlucky.
 FIRST LOOK L IS FOR HEROES

PROJECT L to the acclaimed Netflix

PC
In what’s already something of
a new golden age for fighting
games, a new competitor is
entering the ring – and it may
shake things right up.
Project L is not merely
a scrapping spin-off of Riot
Games’ League of Legends
(with an art style similar
animation series Arcane);
this one comes from brothers
Tom and Tony Cannon,
co-founders of Evo, the
Super Bowl of fighting game
tournaments.
Designed to appeal to
players of all skill levels, it
has a simpler input system
much like Super Smash Bros,
but still with three buttons for
light, medium, and heavy
attacks like Street Fighter.
Given the team-based nature
of League games, it’s no
surprise that Project L
is a 2v2 tag-team fighter.
But instead of just swapping
characters, Duo Play actually
lets two players fight on the
same team. That’s right, a
co-operative fighting game.
And as with other Riot titles,
Project L is also going to be
free to play, though whether
that’s going to mean a regular
rotation of a select portion of
the roster like in League is not
yet confirmed.
Hardcore fighting game
fans already got their first
hands-on at this year’s Evo
in Las Vegas, so let’s hope
an online beta is just around
the corner.

BEST OF NEW GAMES ANNOUNCED AT GAMESCOM

THANK GOODNESS YOU’RE HERE!
PC, Switch, PS5
This comedy ‘slapformer’ set in the
fictional town of Barnsworth has you
playing a travelling salesman getting into
all kinds of shenanigans with the locals.
It blends the look of a rude and surreal
Beano cartoon with the mischievous
energy of Panic’s Untitled Goose Game.
LITTLE NIGHTMARES III
PC, PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1, Switch
The creepy puzzle platformer is back, this
time with two new protagonists and a new
developer in Supermassive Games – an
interesting new direction away from its
usual cinematic horror releases. And this
time you’ll be able to play with a friend in
online co-op.
GRANBLUE FANTASY: RELINK
PS5, PS4, PC
With Final Fantasy veterans involved,
Granblue Fantasy is one of the biggest
role-playing games on mobile… except it
never got an official release here (though
it can be played in English via browser).
This action spin-off with a standalone
story should make an ideal entry point.

Game
INCOMING reviews
p78-81
NOVEMBER
OCALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3
OLIKE A DRAGON GAIDEN
OSUPER MARIO RPG
OTHIRSTY SUITORS
OFASHION DREAMER
DECEMBER
OAVATAR: FRONTIERS OF PANDORA
ODRAGON QUEST MONSTERS:
THE DARK PRINCE

21
W H E E L S
Automobili Pininfarina Pura Vision
BOLD AS LUV
It’s huge and
sits on 23in wheels…
but pillarless doors,
low-key headlights and
short overhangs make
it look aerodynamic
from any angle.

£N/A (concept) / automobili-pininfarina.com NEWS DASHBOARD

That couldn’t be any more Italian. Is that a panoramic roof?

Not unless it had actual pizzas for Yes – and it plays a major part in
wheel trims, no. This is Automobili making this thing feel surprisingly
Pininfarina showcasing its vision light and airy despite its imposing
for a new era of EVs. An all-electric size. Some might say the Bianco
luxury utility vehicle (or e-LUV, Sestriere Gloss exterior finish
which sounds more Tadcaster (translation: white) doesn’t do
than Turin), it comes from the as much justice to the shape as DESOLATION RO STANG LOOSE GOD IS A LANZA
same design house that produced it might; but with the contrasting The Ronin Super GT Ford might be Lamborghini’s
the equally dazzling Battista GT. carbon-fibre body parts and those is the latest addition pushing towards Lanzador is an
enormous matt black wheels, the to Fisker’s electric an electric future, electric ‘ultra GT’
But what sort of car is it? look is memorable to say the least. portfolio… and it but one of its most designed to offer
Well, at nearly 6m long, 2m wide claims some quite iconic gas-guzzlers SUV space with
and 1.7m tall this is a sizeable Presumably it’s packed with tech? startling specs. lives on. The new saloon-car appeal.
creation, with four seats and Jammed with the stuff. There’s Arriving in 2025, Mustang GTD is a Power comes
rear-hinged doors… but its a central touchscreen that offers this sleek sportster beast that features from twin electric
makers are keeping tight-lipped up everything you need when it’s is rumoured to have a carbon-fibre body motors, providing
about the powertrain. called on, then moves out of the a $385k price tag. and is powered by a total of 1350bhp
way when you don’t. The driver Performance from a 5.2L V8 good for with a delivery
And the interior? gets a full head-up display and the 1000bhp-plus over 800bhp. Lots setup that’s
While those looks are certainly everything can be personalised. powertrain should of track-focused variable depending
wild on the outside, it’s the innards The minimalist dash benefits include a 2-second suspension tweaks on conditions.
that bring the full-on luxury from state-of-the art digital 0-60mph time, a and carbon ceramic Expect chunky
appeal. There are four individual instruments, while clever LED 170mph top speed… discs should make 23in wheels and
cockpit chairs and, while there’s lighting gives the interior a lift. and a range of this limited edition a typically fancy
naturally lots of leather, you get This is basically a luxury yacht 600 miles. handle like a dream. Lambo interior.
plenty of recycled materials too. on wheels.

22
 Grainy day people
TCL 40 NXTPAPER
We’ll happily try anything that promises to relieve the strain on our
peepers… well, apart from not spending all day staring hypnotised
at our phones, of course. TCL’s Android-powered 40 NxtPaper
has a matt layer covering its 6.78in FHD+ screen that reduces the
amount of blue light it beams out and minimises reflections, while
a textured finish makes it look like – you guessed it – paper. You can
even switch to monochrome for when you’re reading, although the
trio of rear cameras (led by a 50MP main snapper) will still take
photos in colour. Inside there’s a MediaTek Helio G88 CPU and 8GB
of RAM, with a long-lasting 5010mAh battery that’ll make putting
it down for any length of time that little bit harder.
£180 / tcl.com

Rock the float

ULTIMATE EARS EPICBOOM
A sonic boom is what happens when an object travels faster than
the speed of sound, but an Epicboom is what happens when
Ultimate Ears wants to give the Sonos Move 2 (reviewed on p59)
a run for its money. About the size of a two-slice toaster, though
with a much happier result when you drop it in the bath, the
IP67-rated Epicboom isn’t just waterproof – it floats, with giant
rubber buttons on the front so you can still control the volume
when it’s all wet. There’s a 4.7in woofer and two high-frequency
drivers inside its rugged recycled plastic shell, and with 17hrs
of battery life it’ll keep playing tunes long after you’ve turned
into a prune.
£330 / ultimateears.com
 STUFF MEETS

Ferdinand Wolf
THE PRO DRONE PILOT – AND understand the script, but you
have to get all your equipment

CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR DJI

there and your team too.

You could say I was DJI’s

EUROPE – ON HIS SKYWARD RISE earliest influencer.

I started
building and
piloting RC
helicopters at
the age of 10.
So I started
very early with RC, and I still
have some of my first aerial
photography. I think I must
have been one of the first
people to attach a disposable
camera to my RC helicopter
and take a dronie! That photo
of me still exists, and the one
after is of a crashed helicopter…
I was fascinated by flying
anything remotely – and
attaching a camera blew
my mind.
I remember the day I saw
the first video of drones with
cameras attached – I was so
hyped that I couldn’t sleep for
two days. My career has been
a natural progression: I studied
IT, became a professional
photographer, then with the
drones all three things just
came together.
I’m able to keep calm under
intense pressure.
The amount of pressure
depends on the production;
but when you get to a high
level, everyone on set is
watching what you do.
Most shots need you to
be super-precise, which
comes with experience.
I flew a drone live on ABC’s
Good Morning America,
where there was absolutely
no room for mistakes as it
was streamed to millions of
viewers. The more pressure
there is, the calmer I get – I go
into my own world and don’t let
it touch me.
A high five from a director
means a lot.
There are so many variables
that can’t be controlled
when you’re flying drones
professionally – the biggest
risk, obviously, being if you
crash. But if you nail the shot
and the director gives you a
high five, it’s very rewarding.
I’ve been working as the drone
pilot for an upcoming Apple
TV+ show called Constellation,
directed by Michelle MacLaren.
She was demanding but I did
get a high five after I got the
shot – these are the moments
I live for.
Travelling is one of the worst
parts of my job.
I’ve been to 70 countries for
work, and often in extreme
environments. For example,
for one film I was piloting in 30°
heat in Morocco and then we
had to head straight to Finland,
where it was -30°. Not only
do you have to work and
“I FLEW A DRONE LIVE ON GOOD
MORNING AMERICA, STREAMING
TO MILLIONS OF VIEWERS”
I have been using DJI products
since the beginning. I looked
at the market back then and
thought DJI was the best, but
also saw some ways their
drones could be improved.
I shared my suggestions with
them, and I suppose I became
an early influencer. DJI then
invited me to China in 2014
to test the prototype of the
Inspire 1.
I was involved from the start
with the Inspire 2… and then
DJI hired me.
I was very much involved in the
development of the Inspire 3
[below]. It took seven years
from when I submitted my
blueprint of what I wanted to
see, but the feedback has been
amazing. In 2014 you had to
really know what you were
doing; the Inspire 3 simplifies
complex technology.

Photography knowledge is
important as a drone pilot.
I was a pro photographer for 10
years. Wedding photography
was good training as you have
to get the right shot. Having
a good background in artistic
photography – knowing what
ISO, aperture and shutter
speed to use, as well as which
lens – certainly helped me.
The DJI Mavic 3 Pro has three
cameras – wide, telephoto
and super-telephoto – and
you need to understand
when to use which. When
you’re working at a high
[ Interview Rachael Sharpe ]

level for Hollywood DPs

[directors of photography],
they expect that you know
the camera. They expect
that you are at a level where
you know the shutter speed
required, for example – it’s not
even discussed.

24
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VALUE
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Quick Keys accessory plus a medium drawing 4 Prizes are non-transferable. 5 Only one entry per person.
glove, a pen case containing two digital pens, a Full Ts & Cs: kelsey.co.uk/competition-terms-conditions/
Promoter: Kelsey Publishing Ltd, The Granary, Downs Court,
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25
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 CHAT TO US LIKE US
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Everywhere you are

Read it, like it, share it

Black
whole fun
GoPro’s latest promises to be the most accessible action cam yet, combining the
guts of last year’s model with new mounting options, simpler software and more
hen you hear ‘action
W camera’, you think
GoPro – and the
Hero12 Black is the
new flagship, poised to clip onto
helmets and handlebars the
[ Words Basil Kronfli ]
world over while also serving
as a compact vlogging system
and kid-proof family cam.
GoPro has brought back the
same sensor first introduced on
£400 / go.stuff.tv/Hero12
the Hero11 Black but made it
even easier to use, adding HDR
video, a 1/4in tripod thread and
Bluetooth mic recording to the
mix. So for the first time you can
hook up your wireless buds to a
GoPro, and it’ll pick up what you
say even if you’re away tearing
down a ravine.
Recording 5.3K video at 60fps
for long periods could send older
FIRST TEST GOPRO HERO12 BLACK
GoPros into a heat-induced
tailspin, especially in hot
weather; but run times at
maxed-out resolutions are
improved, and the interface
has been refined.
Getting started is simpler
than ever with a levelled-up
Easy Mode – and at the other
end of the scale GoPro has
added pro tools like log capture,
perfect for editors splicing clips
together. You can also shoot
vertical video for the first time,
and 8:7 recording has been
added to all modes.
But with the same camera
hardware and very similar photo
and video quality to last year’s
Hero, is this the GoPro to skip?
Or do its new features add up to
something unmissably new?
29
 FIRST TEST GOPRO HERO12 BLACK

1 Black eye
Twist off the lens and you can
expand your field of view to 177º
with a Max Lens Mod 2.0 (a £100
add-on) – that’s the widest
single-camera FOV available
in a Hero. It also supports the
original Max Lens Mod, which
is still available for £90.

2 Black see 3 Black tie

On the front of the Hero12 Black
is a 1.4in vlogging screen, while
around the back is the main
2.3in touchscreen. If you’ve
used a Hero9, 10 or 11 Black
before, nothing’s changed this
time around – so you’ll know
exactly what to expect.
GoPro has added a 1/4in tripod
thread between the camera’s
flip-out feet. So in addition to
the standard mounting offered
by previous GoPros, you can
screw your Hero12 onto an
old-school tripod plate or a
Gorilla Pod.

4 Black out 5 Black current

Just like the Hero11 Black, this
camera can be dunked in up
to 10m of water without any
special housing. The rubberised
corners also make it relatively
scuff-proof, and slapping on the
Max Lens Mod 2.0 means the
camera’s own glass is protected.
Slide open the battery door 5
to switch out the battery and
microSD card. While the camera
comes fitted with GoPro’s
higher-capacity Enduro battery,
it will support the older SPBL1B
type, which also works with the
Hero9, 10 and 11 models.

24 hours with
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3mins 5mins 10mins 1hr 2hrs 4hrs 6hrs 7hrs 8hrs

30
 FIRST TEST GOPRO HERO12 BLACK

Tech specs
Sensor 1/1.9in CMOS Video 5.3K@60fps,
4K@120fps (16:9); 5.3K@30fps, 4K@60fps
(8:7) Stills 27MP Displays 2.3in rear
touchscreen, 1.4in front Storage microSD
Durability 10m waterproof Battery 1720mAh
Dimensions 72x51x34mm, 154g

Supermassive Black role

There are more ways to get your video fix than ever,
courtesy of new shooting modes and cropping options:

Q Lock on Q Rock on
Connecting to multiple The camera fires up in
Bluetooth devices Easy Mode. Once a basic
means the Hero12 can option for novices, now
be controlled by a remote it’s a user-friendly and
shutter, pick up audio capable way to grab
from your wireless incredible-looking footage
earbuds, and pair up at maxed-out quality in a
with your smartphone. range of formats.

Q Switch on Q Log on
It’s easier than ever to The new GP-Log captures
change between portrait, super-flat, low-contrast
landscape and 8:7 video; footage. Sounds awful,
and thanks to the almost but when you splice it
3 square sensor, the Hero12 in with video shot on
Black’s 8:7 5.3K footage other cams it makes
can be losslessly cropped it much easier to create
into tall or wide 4K. your perfect look.

4
The Hero12 Black is a fantastic first
action camera and a solid upgrade
for anyone with a Hero9 or earlier.
The new features refine a solid
system – and while GoPro hasn’t
made a low-light champ like DJI’s Action 4,
is. s
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An iteration rather than a

revolution, this is a seriously
powerful and intuitive camera
16hrs 17hrs 18hrs 22hrs 24hrs

31
 UPVOTED
FOR SMALL ACCESSORIES
The wieldy wallet
Bellroy Tech Kit Compact
Travel light and tidy with this streamlined
stash, whose soft shell is padded just
enough to protect your tech. Opening
out flat for an overview of your gear,
elasticated loops and sleeves inside
give it sorting skills that belie those
petite proportions.
£49 / bellroy.com
FOR BIGGER BUNDLES
The recycled receptacle
Groundtruth RIKR Tech Pouch
Don’t be fooled by its Batman hues: this
technical tote is completely green. From the
durable jacket to the orderly lining, every
part is recycled. Even the zips! But there’s
nothing cast-off about its construction:
rip-proof and water-repellent, it’ll keep
your gadgets cosier than you are.
£56 / groundtruth.global
FOR EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
The premium pouch
Harber Tech Dopp Kit
Rifling through your carry-on is a challenge
when legroom is limited. Upgrade your
in-flight logistics with this leather number:
perfectly sized for seat-back stowage,
it offers ordered access to your jet-set
necessities using loops and pockets. It even
comes with a magnetic key-fob.
£119 / harberlondon.com
1 Measure up
Before buying, decide exactly what needs to go
HOW TO in it and what doesn’t. Naturally, larger bags let
you lug more stuff, but the best strike a balance
DECIDE between capacity and portability.
32
The greener grabber
OneNine5 Eco Essentials Pouch
Tired of rummaging around in a bag for your
bits? Get this neat pocket. Clad in vegan
leather and lined with recycled plastic, its
divided clamshell design keeps your stuff
easily reachable. It ships in compostable
packaging, and OneNine5 will repurpose its
materials once you’ve worn it out.
£25 / onenine5.com
TECH
ORGANISERS
Keen to declutter his
everyday baggage, Chris
Rowlands selects the best
ways to keep gadgetry
safely stowed
The conscientious cache
Urth Zeolite Tech Organiser
Urth’s spelling might be questionable,
but its eco credentials aren’t in doubt.
Lightweight at 100g, this organiser goes
easy on the planet with recycled nylon
construction, while 11 zones keep your
kit partitioned. Five trees are planted
for every pouch purchased.
£55 / uk.urth.co
The pint-sized pocket
Mujjo Tech Kit
Being organised means nothing if access
is a faff. Thanks to an exterior pocket with
a magnetic lip, this bijou solution lets you
get quickly at the kit you need to hand. The
rest stays safely zipped away within the
waterproof compartment, where pockets
and straps keep everything in place.
£55 / mujjo.com
The flexible folio
Herschel Burrard
Bottles are great for transporting water; not
so much for tech. Unless you transform
used bottles into tough fabric, that is, in
which case you get the EcoSystem material
that clads this caddy. A zipped front sleeve
complements the main section, while the
dimensions make it spacious yet grabbable.
£50 / herschelsupplyco.co.uk
The sturdy storer
Hightide Nahe Hard-Shell Case (L)
If you’re carrying delicate tech, try this
hardy holder. Polycarbonate sides shield
your gear from bumps and tumbles,
without adding kilos to your payload. Mesh
netting stretches to secure your cargo,
whether it’s your laptop charger or the
hard drive where you hoard crypto.
£39 / notabledesigns.co.uk
2 Cover up
If you need to stay organised beyond the
boardroom, pick a pouch that can survive
a shower. Some are resistant to surface
splashes; the hardiest are fully waterproof.
 UPVOTED

The holed holder

Thule Subterra
PowerShuttle Plus
Sometimes a humble hole is
the route to power. Take this
grab-and-go gear bag: big
enough to harbour a pair of
over-ear headphones, it has
a slot in the back that lets
you run a cable from a
powerbank stashed inside
to the smartphone in your
hand. So you can save your
mobile from going into the
red without letting fellow
commuters see exactly
what you’re packing.
£35 / thule.com

3 Stitch up
Reinforced fabrics offer superior protection,
while soft sides adapt better to backpack
crannies. The most versatile find a middle way,
combining flexibility with structured support.
4 Step up
Actually, Kermit, being green is a lot easier than
it used to be. Most of the organisers above use
‘eco’ components to one degree or another; the
greenest are carbon-neutral and 100% recycled.

33
 HOME AUDIO

[ Words Esat Dedezade, Sam Kieldsen, Simon Lucas ]

When was the last time you really listened to music?

No office chatter, no train announcements – just you,
at home, with an infinite universe of auditory creativity
awaiting your exploration. Can’t remember? Over the
next 18 pages, you’ll find the remedy. Happy listening!

HARMAN KARDON AURA STUDIO 4

£299 / go.stuff.tv/Studio4
wenty-three with the former, because it’s probably do during the day with EQ controls might put off

T years ago, Harman

Kardon and Apple
introduced the
iSub — an icon that blended
form and function so well
we could happily call it a
technological sculpture.
The Aura range has always
respectfully paid homage
to the iSub, and this latest
iteration carries the torch
forward with pride.
Lyrical waxing aside, this is,
at its core, a simple Bluetooth
speaker. There’s no Wi-Fi
streaming, no built-in smart
assistant, or even an aux-in.
Instead, the Studio 4 presents
itself on two key merits: its
incomparable design, and
sound quality. We’ll start off
clearly the main draw.
Featuring fabric, aluminium
and plastic, the Studio 4 is a
beautifully well-made device
of reassuring heft. The plastic
dome, coupled with the inner
3D pattern, almost resembles
a futuristic upturned acorn.
This is a good thing. It stands
out from the crowd, and once
the LEDs start flashing from
its core in time to the music,
the effect is mesmerising. It
won’t light up the room like a
disco ball, but for background
ambience it’s a very pleasant
feature to have.
There are five preset colour
combinations – and you can
turn them off completely,
which is something we’d
to save our already distracted
minds from another slice of
tech stimulation. Controls are
simple enough, with a range
of touch-sensitive buttons
equally spaced out along the
front edge.
Now then. The sound. You
might expect more style than
substance, given its flashy
nature and the fact that it’s
stuck on Bluetooth 4.2. You’ll
forget all that, however, when
you finally open up Spotify and
fire off some tunes.
Considering the Studio 4’s
compact dimensions, you’d
be forgiven for hunting around
the room for a hidden sub,
such is its low-end prowess.
Granted, the lack of an app
pure audiophiles who demand
a more neutral sound, but
for most people’s needs the
balance of this speaker will
keep the party going well into
the early hours. And that’s all
without mentioning the vast,
room-filling, multi-directional
clarity, which really defies its
small footprint.
In short, the Aura Studio 4
is a fun, energetic listen that
will make your body move
whether you want it to or not.
And if that’s not a win, then
we don’t know what is.
Key specs
O 100W O 6x 1.6in drivers,
1x 5.2in sub O Bluetooth 4.2
O 284x232x232mm, 3.6kg

STUFF SAYS Not the most accurate or feature-packed speaker, but a whole lot of fun +++++

34
 Soy division
HOME AUDIO
The Aura Studio 4 is made
with 100% recycled fabric
and aluminium, along with
85% recycled plastic. The
packaging is FSC-certified
paper, printed with
soy-based inks.

Hüsker don’t
This is a mains-powered
speaker, which means
no portable larks. Given
its form factor, though,
it was clearly never
intended for chucking
about in the park.

Black swag
For now the Studio 4
is only available in black,
so fans of white tech
will have to hope for a
follow-up release. At least
you can switch up the
colours on the inside.

35
 HOME AUDIO

HI-FI AMPS
Love and sockets Plain’s addiction
Even though you’re sure It may not be much to look
to want everyone around at, but that’s not why you
to hear just what a buy an amp like this. And
glorious-sounding besides, when you turn
amplifier this Rega is, that big volume control
there’s also a headphone you’ll know you’re in
socket on the front. charge of a classy item.

REGA ELICIT M
Mk5
£2000 / go.stuff.tv/Elicit5
ega is not the sort Wolfson DAC on board that’s and ‘robust’ while we’re at its dynamism and tonality are

R of company to rush
things. So the fact
that the latest
version of its extraordinarily
accomplished Elicit stereo
amplifier includes some
(whisper it) digital elements
can mean only one thing:
non-analogue audio might
just have what it takes to
stick around.
But just because everyone
else acknowledged this
before Rega, that doesn’t
mean the company has
abandoned its principles.
Sure, there’s a 24-bit/192kHz
accessible via the digital
optical and digital coaxial
inputs on the rear panel; but
there are also four line-level
inputs and a moving-magnet
phono stage for turntables.
Rega has not forgotten where
it’s coming from.
And no matter which of the
inputs you use to feed music
into the Elicit, what comes
out is exactly the sort of thing
Rega has spent 50 years and
more perfecting. Think of
words like ‘direct’, ‘revealing’
and ‘eloquent’… and perhaps
we should chuck in ‘insightful’
it. If you insist on getting the
complete sonic picture, the
Elicit Mk5 is exactly the sort
of listen you’re after.
You need to do the right
thing where partnering
equipment is concerned,
of course – a high-class
turntable is the perfect
start, and the loudspeakers
you connect will need to be
similarly talented. But once
that’s taken care of, this
amp’s bold and assertive
voice never stops being
engrossing. Its rhythmic
expression is instinctive,
impeccable – and this is true
no matter what sort of music
you like to listen to, or which
input it’s being served to. It
attacks with determination
when the music demands it,
and it can soothe when the
need arises.
‘Multi-talented’ just about
covers it. The Rega Elicit Mk5
has the sort of ability that
could make it the only stereo
amplifier you’ll ever need.
Key specs
O 2x 105W O 24-bit/192kHz
O 432x340x82mm, 12.5kg

STUFF SAYS New functionality + established Rega sound quality = a massive win +++++

36

NOW ADD THIS…
Norstone Esse HiFi
If you’re spending two
grand on an amplifier
alone, you’re clearly taking
hi-fi seriously… and that
means you need a proper
rack to put your hefty
separates on. Made
of lacquered steel and
tempered glass, this one
looks a bit more sharp
than the usual wooden
shelving lumps.
£219 /
norstone-design.com
ALTERNATIVELY…
NAD C3050 MARANTZ PM6007
‘Modern retro’ is becoming Marantz has been ruling the
an established thing in hi-fi affordable amplifier market
circles – but the products for longer than Manchester
that move the game on, City have been dominating
rather than simply being the Premier League – and
pastiches of models from just like Pep’s all-stars, it’s
deep in the last century, showing no signs of letting
remain scarce. Happily, the up. The PM6007 is a frankly
C3050 is no mere tribute act: extraordinarily accomplished
yes, it’s got the wood-effect and well-specified device
vinyl wrap and the illuminated considering its modest
VU meters we all remember asking price – and it doesn’t
from childhood (or from TV ask you to make any real
programmes about older compromises. You get a
people’s childhoods, maybe); stack of analogue and digital
but on the inside it’s all inputs, sound that’s punchy
business. A hi-res DAC, and convincing no matter
wireless connectivity, a if you’re listening to hi-res
turntable-friendly phono digital audio or vinyl, and
stage and an HDMI socket build quality similar to that
are just the start. of a bank vault. Champion.
£1299 / nadelectronics.com £399 / marantz.com
NOW SPIN THESE… METAL
AUTONOESIS CHEMICIDE KINGS
MOON OF COMMON NEVER DIE
FOUL MAGICS SENSE ALL THE RATS
You can attach This is proper A supergroup with
any label you like ‘everything faster deep roots in the
(‘blackened technical than everything else’ hardcore scene,
prog thrash’ is a good action from Costa Kings Never Die
one) to Canada’s Rica’s Chemicide, do their throwback
Autonoesis, or you with the sort thing with absolute
could just listen of attack and commitment. The
to their subtle aggression that music-streaming
subversions of makes the simple equivalent of
thrash metal for act of listening being picked on
their own sake. seem exhausting. at boot camp.
HOME AUDIO
MISSION 778X
It’s been a while since Mission
had a new stereo amplifier for
sale – 40 years, in fact. But
just because the company
decided to brand all its amps
‘Cyrus’ after 1983, that
doesn’t mean the 778X
hasn’t been worth the wait
(as much as any hi-fi amp
can be worth waiting four
decades for, anyway).
Mission has poured a mixture
of digital, analogue and
turntable-friendly smarts
into one of those half-width
boxes it’s always liked, and
has liberated big, punchy
and politely attacking sound
that’s always just about on
the right side of ‘controlled’.
Welcome back, Mission.
£549 / mission.co.uk
MEGADETH
THE SICK, THE
DYING… AND
THE DEAD!
Despite this being
their 16th album,
the thrash overlords
show no signs of
quietening down
or slowing up.
Cue monstrously
technical riffs and
a preoccupation with
plagues of all kinds.
37
 HOME AUDIO

ALTERNATIVELY…

BLUESOUND NODE LINN SELEKT DSM IFI ZEN STREAM

Bluesound got in on the
ground floor of hi-res music
streaming, and the current
Node is the company’s most
appealing pound-for-pound
streamer so far – which
is saying something.
Functionality extends
to wireless and wired
connectivity options,
from 24-bit/192kHz hi-res
streaming to HDMI eARC
compatibility, and the
exemplary BluOS control
app makes getting what
you want absolute child’s
play. Add in sound that’s a
combination of scrupulous
and entertaining, and it’s
obvious that Bluesound has
still got what it takes.
£549 / bluesound.com
Because this is Linn we’re
talking about, you can buy
the superb Selekt DSM
as anything from a simple
preamp/streamer to a
full-on just-add-speakers
5.1 surround-sound system.
There are currently 124
variations available, in fact,
and for a stereo setup it’ll
cost you anything from the
‘entry-level’ £4900 we’re
quoting here to £16,950 if
you decide to really go for it.
Incredibly, though, whichever
variant of the Selekt DSM
you specify sounds like it’s
worth every penny – you’ve
never heard such taut,
detailed and spectacularly
musical presentation.
from £4900 / linn.co.uk
Never judge a book by its
cover, as the cliché goes…
and you should certainly not
judge the iFi Zen Stream by
the way it looks. Get beyond
its rather toy-like aesthetic
and the Zen Stream is a
thoughtful and sophisticated
product that puts just a little
twist on the whole ‘music
streaming’ notion. It’s packed
with all the usual smarts,
from UPnP and Spotify
Connect to AirPlay 2 and
Roon, with wired and wireless
connectivity. But it’s a purely
digital device, so conversion
to analogue takes place
elsewhere in your system.
Purity of purpose, then, if
not purity of looks.
£399 / ifi-audio.com

NOW SPIN THESE… AVANT-POP

NOW ADD THIS…

Tidal Hi-Fi Plus
ANIMAL ARCA JENNY HVAL SHYGIRL The good people at Qobuz
COLLECTIVE KICK CLASSIC NYMPH will raise an eyebrow, but
TIME SKIFFS After a couple of OBJECTS Quite how Shygirl the fact is this: Tidal is still
Typically weird and years in which Arca By Hval’s standards, manages to imbue the best-sounding music
avant-garde, and released five albums, Classic Objects is her fast-rhyming streaming service around.
yet typically melodic all called some kind direct, structured and exploratory The switch to FLAC for
and accessible at the of variation on Kick, and sweetly grime/industrial/ its hi-res content makes
same time, Animal 2022’s Kick rounded ’80s-flavoured. hip-hop/garage sense, the catalogue
Collective’s 11th up the best of By anyone else’s collisions with such is huge, it makes solid
album (which these casually standards, it’s intensity without recommendations, and
came out last year) confrontational, obtuse, unsettling, ever seeming to the amount of Dolby
shows they haven’t remarkably inventive and clever without raise her voice is just Atmos content is getting
finished pushing the recordings into a being in any way one of this album’s bigger every day.
envelope yet. single collection. smart-arsed. fascinations. £19.99/m / tidal.com

38

STREAMERS
Sonic truth
The MXN10’s DAC can
handle digital audio files of
up to 32-bit/784kHz and
DSD512 resolution. It will
deal with all the popular
file types (plus a few
unpopular ones).
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MXN10
£449 / go.stuff.tv/MXN10
ambridge Audio
C knows all about
delivering big sonic
performance for
a relatively small asking price.
And with the MXN10 music
streamer, it’s also managed to
deliver big sonic performance
in a relatively small box.
Here’s a streamer that’s all
about nailing the essentials
and forgetting everything
else. So the MXN10 is a
compact, almost featureless
box in the company’s usual
‘lunar’ grey… but it’s got it
where it counts. If you’re
looking to introduce some
STUFF SAYS There’s no easier way to turn your hi-fi system into a streaming system +++++
streaming smarts to your
cherished system without
breaking the bank or adding
another shelf to your kit-rack,
you can’t go wrong here.
The feature-set is bigger
than the product, or so it
seems. Dual-band Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth 5.0 (with SBC
and AAC compatibility),
an Ethernet socket and
a USB-A slot are your input
options, while analogue
stereo RCA, digital optical and
digital coaxial cover outputs.
The StreamMagic control app
makes using internet radio,
Spotify Connect, Deezer,
Qobuz and Tidal Connect
simple, while Chromecast
and AirPlay 2 are built in.
Oh, and it’s Roon Ready and
UPnP-compatible.
Digital audio content is
dealt with by an extremely
capable (and, to be honest,
somewhat overspecified)
ESS Sabre ES9033Q DAC.
And if you give it the right
stuff to work with (which
means chunky hi-res content
rather than Spotify’s free
tier), the sonic results are
big-time impressive.
It’s an energetic and robust
listen, with plenty of controlled
HOME AUDIO
Shebang of four
There’s no display on the
front – but that’s what
the control app is for. The
four ‘preset’ buttons can
take you to favourite
playlists, radio stations
and more.
low-frequency presence but
just as much poise and insight
to go along with it. Rhythmic
expression is really good,
vocals project nicely, and
the top of the frequency
range has a polite amount
of shine. There’s enough
dynamic headroom to make
big changes in a recording
absolutely obvious, and it
always sounds entertaining.
For the money, this is a gem.
Key specs:
O Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, USB-A,
Ethernet O SBC, AAC
O 215x191x 52mm, 1.2kg
39
 HOME AUDIO
JBL L100 CLASSIC MkII
M II
£3995 (pair) / go.stuff.tv/L100
he JBL L100 holds a
T special place in the
hearts of seasoned
audiophiles.
Propelled to mainstream
fame with a special blend
of ace performance, standout
looks and an appearance in
an iconic Maxell cassette ad,
it was one of the best-selling
speakers of its era — a time
that lasted from its 1970
conception all the way up
to the mid-’80s.
Revived in recent years as
the L100 Classic, the modern
version now has a MkII – and
this latest successor to the
STUFF SAYS A more than fitting 21st-century tribute to its iconic ancestor +++++
40
PASSIVE SPEAKERS
waffle-foam-covered speaker
that won over so many music
fans still rocks.
Available in a trio of panel
finishes (namely orange, black
and blue), the L100 Classic
MKII, like the original, is a
large, hulking box that makes
no effort to hide. And why
would it need to? Its retro
aesthetic is timeless, and
even with the grilles off the
raw display of its components
makes for a wonderfully
utilitarian centrepiece. At
over 28kg each these things
take some shifting, but they
do look their best perched
atop JBL’s official floor-stands
(another £300-ish).
Paired with an amp that
does them justice, the overall
experience is wonderfully
wide. Expansive. Precise. Just
plain fun. The control knobs
drastically change the end
result, to the extent that they
transform them into new
speakers at a twist of your
fingers. Mind, the default
levels are pretty spot-on,
even if we found ourselves
cranking up the lows a little
higher than recommended.
You might be surprised, given
their size, but the low end is
surprisingly subtle. So much
so that hardcore bass-heads
might want to add a sub.
Their basic neutrality is
flecked with a dab of warmth
and a sense of weight. Every
genre we tried was nectar, but
it’s the often tricky rendition
of piano keys that sealed
the deal. We could practically
smell the ebony and ivory,
sparking emotion that not
many speakers can ignite.
Key specs
O 1x 12in bass, 1x 5.25in mid,
1x 1in treble driver O 637x390
x371mm, 28.6kg each
 HOME AUDIO

New model charmy

If you fancy mixing things
up (or have a destructive
dog wreaking mischief),
you can opt to buy
replacement foam
grilles in any of the three
available colours.
ALTERNATIVELY…

Q ACOUSTICS 5010 WHARFEDALE BOWERS &

Finer threat
Driver improvements
for MkII include a more
powerful woofer magnet
system, while an
off-centre mid-range
unit leaves more room
for the bass port.
Producing a punchy, weighty
sound that belies their size,
the 5010 bookshelf speakers
are an ideal choice for those
of us who’d rather not have
their abode dominated by
giant cabinets. The firm’s
C3 Continuous Curved Cone
design in the mid/bass driver
means a smoother blend
between high and low ends,
with hermetically sealed
and isolated components
to reduce interference and
maximise clarity. Available
in black, white, rosewood and
oak (with a contemporary
yet considered design),
this is a solid choice for most
people that won’t blow their
budget to smithereens.
£499 / qacoustics.co.uk
DOVEDALE
Designed, engineered and
made in the UK, this modern
take on the 1965 Dovedale
pays homage to its past,
while blessing your ears
with exquisite sound in the
process. Able to move more
air than its ancestor due to
a slightly larger build, it has
midrange and bass driver
units made from the same
woven Kevlar material used
in Wharfedale’s best. Strong
and stiff to reduce warping
(with extra internal isolation),
it offers supreme clarity and
precision – and with acoustic
foam, a rear chamber and
other tweaks, it certainly
lives up to its heritage.
£5000 / wharfedale.co.uk
WILKINS 805 D4
The smallest model in
Bowers & Wilkins’ Diamond
range houses some of the
company’s most advanced
tech, including the iconic
Solid Body Tweeter-on-Top
with a diamond dome. The
latter has been hailed as
a marvel of engineering
that combines low mass,
exceptional stiffness and
impeccable accuracy. We
can see why they haven’t
replaced it for the past 15
years, then. The speakers
themselves are veritable
works of art in their own
right, and provide a surprising
amount of oomph and scale
for their size.
£7000 / bowerswilkins.com

NOW SPIN THESE… DISCO

NOW ADD THIS…

WiiM Pro Plus
Way cheaper than any
of the ‘serious’ streamers
on the previous spread,
WiiM’s little box is still
audiophile-grade in
quality. It’s the brain
to JBL’s brawn, bestowing
the Classic MkII speakers
with the ability to stream
up to 192 kHz/24-bit
hi-res audio – with
support for all the major
streaming services.
£149 / wiimhome.com
DAFT PUNK BEE GEES DONNA CHIC
RANDOM AND VARIOUS SUMMER C’EST CHIC
ACCESS ARTISTS BAD GIRLS Nile Rodgers’ guitar
MEMORIES SATURDAY A disco masterpiece, riffs aren’t the only
The fourth and last NIGHT FEVER Bad Girls showcases reason for Chic’s
studio album by our It’s no exaggeration Summer’s versatile second studio album
favourite French duo to say this movie vocals, which shine being one of the
fuses electronica defined the disco in hits like Hot Stuff best of all time, but
and disco, with some era. Powered by the and the title track. they certainly help.
notable collabs to unmistakable vocals This masterful blend On classics like Le
boot. We defy you of the Brothers Gibb, of dance, funk and Freak and I Want
to resist Get Lucky’s it features Stayin’ rock solidified her Your Love, this
funky charms on Alive, Night Fever status as the Queen record’s influence
your home setup. and more. of Disco. remains obvious.

41
 HOME AUDIO

ALTERNATIVELY…
Napalm deaf
If you fancy even more
oomph in the low end,
Klipsch has provided an
RCA line-level output
so that you can easily
pair it with a dedicated
subwoofer.

RUARK R1S ANTELOPE AUDIO TRIANGLE BOREA

Video never did get round to
killing the radio star, and the
Ruark R1S is tangible proof.
A seriously compact music
system capable of Wi-Fi
streaming, Bluetooth
playback and more, this
attractive little number also
features DAB and internet
radio smarts for those who
enjoy listening to DJs and
newsreaders in between
their tunes. Tactile curves
and a sustainable composite
wood grille imbue it with
elegance, while Ruark’s
iconic RotoDial controller
and colour display make
for a slick user experience.
Oh, and it sounds great too,
despite its diminutive stature.
£299 / ruarkaudio.com
ATLAS i8
Antelope’s first ever studio
monitor isn’t messing about,
aiming for the high-end
market with a three-way
speaker design. The clever
driver setup sees two 8in
woofers sealed in an isobaric
design (one in front of the
other, with air either side),
which means that when one
fires, the other synchronises
to match. This ingenuity
means that the cabinet size
can be drastically reduced,
while still producing ultra-low
frequencies without boosts
or distortion. With advanced
signal processing and a
400W Class D amp, there’s
plenty to love here.
£4290 / antelopeaudio.com
ACTIVE BR03 BT
Available in a range of
handsome finishes, this
speaker pair is packed with
all the tech you need for an
enjoyable listen without the
need to fiddle around with
external amps. Notable
connectivity options include
a phono input for turntable Green gone red
lovers, along with Bluetooth
The left speaker’s LED
5.0 aptX HD for crisp, clear,
indicates the input mode
lag-free streaming up to
while providing feedback
24-bit/48kHz. And while
on remote button
there’s no HDMI eARC, you
presses. If you’d rather
can still make use of the
keep things simple, you
optical or coaxial inputs for
can disable it.
livening up your TV, adding
depth and space that no
tinny telly speakers could
hope to match.
£449 / trianglehifi.com

NOW SPIN THESE… ELECTRONICA

NOW ADD THIS…

Klipsch R-121SW
APHEX TWIN, OCEANLAB OVERSEER FAITHLESS While the R-50PM prides
SELECTED SIRENS OF THE WRECKAGE FOREVER itself on punchy bass for
AMBIENT SEA REMIXED A great gym album, FAITHLESS its size, Klipsch has also
WORKS 85–92 Above & Beyond’s this 2003 release The best-selling included an RCA line-level
Blending odd synths original OceanLab by British artist dance album of 2005 output, letting you easily
with hard-hitting project was an Overseer is an curates Faithless’s add a sub for some truly
drum beats, Aphex otherworldly unapologetic, seminal works, ground-shaking whump.
Twin’s debut album representation heart-pounding with heavy hitters So how about the brand’s
is a seminal work in of the transcendent dive into the world including Insomnia, own matching R-121SW?
electronica, made all beauty that melodic of aggressive big Salva Mea and God It has a 12in driver for deep
the more impressive and vocal trance can beat, breakbeat and Is a DJ, to provide an rumbles that will add an
by the lack of any offer. This remixed electro-rock. You’ll all-round listening extra dimension to music
of today’s hi-tech release builds on recognise some of experience that no and films.
digital tools. it further. the tracks from ads. other group could. £419 / klipsch.com

42

ACTIVE SPEAKERS
KLIPSCH R-50PM
£599 / go.stuff.tv/R50PM
e’re the first to
W admit that the
dopamine rush
of upgrading and
tweaking your hi-fi setup is
hard to beat. From replacing
amps to sourcing custom
cables, swapping out valves
and more, it’s all too easy to
get lost chasing that elusive
setup dragon.
But some people would
rather do away with all that.
Life’s hard enough as it is.
Wages aren’t keeping up with
inflation. You’re constantly
tired. You just want a pair of
plug-in-and-play speakers
STUFF SAYS Don’t be fooled by their simplicity – these will hit you with blissful sound +++++
that sound great, damn it. Is
that too much to ask?
Enter the Klipsch R-50PM.
Being an active speaker, it has
its own custom-tuned built-in
amp, promising to do your
tunes justice without the faff
of any additional equipment.
There’s no shortage of
connectivity options either:
Bluetooth, phono, 3.5mm,
USB and optical connections
are all present, letting you
enjoy practically any form
of music bar Wi-Fi streaming
with instant ease.
Whatever method you
choose, Klipsch has included
plenty of hardware tweaks
for this latest model. There’s
a larger edge-to-edge Tractrix
horn for a start, paired with
a 1in aluminium LTS tweeter
for a wider listening area. And
then there’s the copper-spun
woofer, which makes for a
shockingly handsome pairing
with the all-black exterior.
Klipsch has also increased
the depth of the cabinet for
a better bass response.
It all works beautifully. The
tweeters attacked anything
we threw at them, producing
a wide, crisp soundstage.
Some purists might argue
HOME AUDIO
that they’re a little too bright,
but we felt no fatigue. The
bass also delivers on its
promise — it’s rich without
overpowering the high end.
We could have done with a
tad more bass at low volumes,
but that’s subjective.
The included remote lets
you tweak levels, and the
overall result is a hassle-free
package that sounds every
bit as good as it looks.
Key specs
O 2x 60W O 1x 5.25in bass,
1 x1in treble driver O 356
x274x178mm, 11.2kg each
43
 HOME AUDIO
REGA PLANAR 3 50TH
ANNIVERSARY EDITION
£899 / go.stuff.tv/Planar50
f you’re reading
I these words in
2024, hello. We
hope the future
panned out better than
expected. Hopefully you’re
not in a dentist’s waiting room
wincing. Oh, and if you fancy
buying the Planar 3 50th
Anniversary Edition after
reading this review, tough.
It was only sold until the end
of 2023.
Back to the present – and
with the superb Planar 3 at
its core, this edition has some
key differences that’ll have
vinyl buffs drooling. The lush
STUFF SAYS A spectacular tribute that nails everything it sets out to achieve +++++
44
walnut finish for a start,
combined with the sturdy
glass platter, lend it a timeless
elegance. Like the sweeping
lines of a classic car, this
iteration of the Planar 3 will
elevate its surroundings for
years to come.
But more important is the
inclusion of the separate Neo
PSU Mk2 power supply, which
also includes electronic speed
adjustment. Not only does
this remove all chances of
interference from the main
unit, but it also allows the
turntable to retain a clean,
ultra-minimalist look that
TURNTABLES
we’ve fallen head over heels
for. Throw in a higher-spec
motor pulley and Rega’s
fine Exact moving-magnet
cartridge (worth £295 on
its own), and you have all the
makings of a GOAT.
As for the performance?
Well, we’ve never experienced
a vinyl ritual quite as raw and
beautiful in its simplicity as
this. Handling everything from
pristine LPs to the old ones
uncovered from the depths
of our collection, it nurtures
everything with grace.
Built like a tank with the
elegance of a dandelion caught
in a warm spring breeze, this
is a piece of kit that performs
without a hitch, flooding your
ears with confident warmth
and expression.
From the moment you put
it together (a process that’s
as easy as any we’ve ever
seen), you’ll want to block out
plenty of time to rediscover
all your favourite records
without any interruptions.
This is a triumph.
Key specs
O RB330 tonearm, Exact MM
cartridge O Belt drive O RCA
out O 447x360x117mm, 6kg
 HOME AUDIO

ALTERNATIVELY…
The pure
The Planar 3 50th
Anniversary Edition has
such a clean design, you
might miss the power
button entirely (hint: it’s
on the included external
power supply).

TONE TURNTABLE HOUSE OF MARLEY PRO-JECT AUDIO

Snobbish audiophiles may
snarl in the presence of this
modern deck, but it’s their
loss. For this price, you’re
getting a rather slick-looking
Dinosaur tunier piece of equipment… which
The cartridge is built to might be better for those
the tightest achievable who aren’t fans of traditional
tolerances, letting you walnut veneer. Connecting
extract new details from to speakers via either RCA or
your collection while Bluetooth, it’s impossible to
tracking the grooves with argue against its practicality,
reliable accuracy. especially with its built-in
phono preamp. The high-end
Ortofon cartridge is far from
shabby either, while the
counterweight is cleverly
integrated into the one-piece
tonearm. Overall, we love its
pared-back simplicity. Snobs
be damned.
£349 / tone-factory.co.uk
STIR IT UP LUX
Want the convenience
of Bluetooth with a more
traditional wood-infused
aesthetic? Then the Stir
It Up Lux is worthy of your
shortlist. Its solid bamboo
plinth is not only durable but
also sustainably sourced,
while Bluetooth 5.3 should
make for solid streaming.
A built-in preamp makes
playback a breeze, 3.5mm
and RCA give you output
options, and the AT-95E
stylus is more than decent…
but it’s the contrast of
the glass platter against
the wood that makes the
whole package shine.
£350 /
thehouseofmarley.co.uk
AUTOMAT A2
The Automat A2 is a fully
mechanical turntable that
can automatically move
its tonearm to the lead-in
groove of your record at the
touch of a button — a rather
welcome, if not decadent,
feature. Rest assured that,
once the music begins, all
mechanisms are disengaged,
removing the risk of rogue
movements interfering
with playback. Naturally,
the tonearm lifts and returns
to its home at the end of
each record, while a precise
tracking force system
ensures the perfect level
of pressure for crisp and
clear results.
€1199 / project-audio.com

NOW SPIN THESE… ROCK

NOW ADD THIS…

Spin-Clean
Record Washer HEART WOLF PEOPLE TOOL RAM JAM
Pops and hisses are LITTLE QUEEN RUINS LATERALUS RAM JAM
the bane of every record Ann Wilson’s vocals Wolf People’s unique Nothing before or They’re firmly slotted
enthusiast, and it doesn’t are some of the blend of psychedelia since has captivated into the one-hit
take much dust to sully most powerful in and folk rock takes our ears in quite wonder category
a hallowed vinyl ritual. rock history, and her effect in seconds, the same way as with Black Betty,
Don’t spend hundreds range is showcased with captivating, our first listen of but Ram Jam’s
on an automated record throughout Heart’s often haunting Lateralus. Infused self-titled 1977
cleaner when this manual 1977 long-player. vocal harmonies with Tool’s intricate album is full of
alternative washes both Barracuda and Kick and intricate guitar magic, this was as lively classic rock
sides of a record and It Out are among the arrangements, non-commercial goodness, and is
removes static in three fan favourites that flute lines and more. as a chart-topping arguably one of
quick spins. feature on this feast Kingfisher is the album could get the more underrated
£75 / spinclean.com of hard riffage. standout track. in 2001. ’70s rock records.

45
 HOME AUDIO
Minute zen
KEF deserves praise for
its ingenious packaging
method, which sees both
speaker boxes unclip and
unfold in an instant,
revealing the fully
assembled towers within.

ALTERNATIVELY…

SONOS ERA 300 BANG & AMAZON ECHO POP

The Era 300 is one of the
newest speakers in the
multiroom king’s lineup,
and it’s gone all-in on creating
an immersive experience.
It achieves this feat by using
six drivers, all of which face
in different directions. The
woofers point towards the
left and right (alongside a
pair of side-firing tweeters),
while the remaining tweeters
fire upwards and forwards
respectively. This unlocks
a world of spatial audio via
Dolby Atmos Music through
Amazon Music Unlimited, and
you can also pair two of them
with a Sonos Arc or Beam
(Gen 2) for an immersive
home cinema experience.
£449 / sonos.com
OLUFSEN A9
B&O has never been one to
go along with cookie-cutter
design, and the stunning
A9 is no exception to the
company’s philosophy.
Ultimately, this is a circle
that defies gravity with three
carefully placed wooden legs.
It’s a timeless design that
will draw as much admiration
today as it will in 20 years,
and the fabric cover can
easily be replaced to match
your mood. Naturally, it’s
packing premium streaming
audio chops to match, and
you can grab a pair of them
for true stereo or multiroom
sound if you’ve got pockets
deep enough.
£2899 / bang-olufsen.com
Cheap as audio chips, the
Echo Pop clearly isn’t going
to give you the awe-inspiring,
house-filling, tear-inducing
sound of systems that cost
hundreds of pounds more.
And that’s OK. If you just
want some background
music while you’re peeling
potatoes, this is an affordable
multiroom-capable speaker
that has the benefit of
built-in Alexa smarts for
additional voice assistant
functionality. Available in
a range of colours, this is
a perfect choice to spread
music throughout your home
without worrying about
damage from children, pets
or merry adults.
£45 / amazon.co.uk

NOW SPIN THESE… JAZZ FUSION

SNARKY PUPPY BILLY COBHAM WEATHER MAHAVISHNU

WE LIKE IT HERE SPECTRUM REPORT ORCHESTRA
Snarky Puppy’s This album is BLACK MARKET THE INNER
energetic fusion of a foundational Often featuring on MOUNTING
jazz, funk and world landmark for jazz recommendation FLAME
music is an assault fusion, filled to the lists for beginners Brimming with
on the senses in the brim with intricate, entering the crazy otherworldly talent,
best possible way. hand-twisting world of jazz fusion, The Inner Mounting
This album was drumming and Weather Report’s Flame is a breakneck
recorded live (watch multi-layered, 1976 effort is a go-to ride into the world
it on YouTube), and ultra-complex showcase for those of fusion, with John
showcases the compositions. Don’t on the hunt for McLaughlin’s guitar
band’s prowess even try to absorb it a masterpiece work impressing
at improvisation. all in one listen. of the genre. from start to finish.

46
 HOME AUDIO

MULTIROOM
Telly vision
The svelte nature of these
speakers, along with their
HDMI eARC connection,
make them an ideal choice
for flanking your TV,
hugely upgrading its
audio output.

KEF LS60
WIRELESS
LOTUS EDITION
£7000 (pair) / go.stuff.tv/LS60Lotus
dentical to KEF’s driver arrays, which are

I regular LS60
Wireless, this
British Racing
Green variant (courtesy of
a collaboration with Lotus),
is one of the most unique
speaker setups you’re likely
to lay eyes on. Hell, even
the non-Lotus models are
a super-slim sight to behold:
each speaker measures in at
a crazily thin 13cm.
That means they’ll fit just
about anywhere – making
these ideal living-room
speakers in a multiroom
setup using services including
Spotify Connect, AirPlay,
Chromecast and Roon.
The slim profile is made
possible by the smallest
Uni-Q driver the company
has made, combining a 10cm
aluminium midrange cone
with a 19mm tweeter. This,
paired with KEF’s clever
Metamaterial Absorption
Technology, makes for a
formidable foundation.
But what of the bass? Well,
it’s handled by KEF’s Uni-Core
mounted back to back
to deliver the maximum
bass achievable.
Two pairs of Uni-Core
drivers live in each speaker,
and they’ve been positioned
so that everything from
thumping basslines to
ethereal vocals appears
to radiate from a single point.
The real-world results are
remarkable, with precise
sound covering even larger
rooms with plenty of bass
impact, and without the layers
getting muddy.
This being an active setup,
there’s no need for an amp,
and every connectivity option
under the sun is covered.
Better yet, Wi-Fi streaming
is also on the cards, letting
you unlock the door to your
vast library of tunes without
any hassle.
Key specs
O 500+100+100W each
O 4x 5.25in bass, 1x 4in mid,
1x 0.75in treble driver O 1042
x321x130mm, 31.2kg each

STUFF SAYS A remarkable feat of audio

engineering and considered design +++++

NOW ADD THIS…

Qobuz
While Tidal is often the default hi-res choice,
there’s plenty to love about Qobuz’s service
too – including the world’s largest hi-res
catalogue, and the ability to purchase and
download albums without a sub.
£12.99/m / qobuz.com

47
 HOME AUDIO

PREMIUM BLUETOOTH

The threading present

The Orange Box-L comes
bundled with a quality
3.5mm aux cable, in case
you’d rather listen via a
direct line-in connection.
It’ll be easier on your
phone’s battery.

ORANGE AMPS ORANGE BOX-L

£315 / go.stuff.tv/BoxL
range’s debut orange (naturally we went toggle power switch for and this is reflected in their

O guitar amp was

brought to life in
the back room of
a London tobacconist. Today,
the brand’s distinctive orange
vinyl and basketweave cloth
are instantly recognisable,
with no shortage of rock
legends having used Orange
gear, from Jimmy Page to Jim
Root. So releasing a Bluetooth
speaker with the full glow-up
is a risky move. Get it wrong,
and it’ll be viewed as a mere
costumed cash-grab.
Thankfully, this is far from
the case. Available in black or
for the classic choice), it really
does feel like a proper Orange
amp has met with a shrink ray.
The build quality is superb:
from the textured leather-like
covering to the delightfully
tactile grille, it’s a pleasure to
hold. Of course, being a 4.3kg
mains-powered speaker, it
won’t be in your hands very
often – but that’s not to say
you won’t be interacting with
your Box-L.
The top, you see, houses
the most satisfying controls
of any Bluetooth speaker
we’ve seen. There’s a classic
starters, which flips across
with a gratifying click. This,
in turn, produces a cosy warm
glow from a protruding LED.
And then there are the dials
for bass, treble and volume.
There’s even a handy light
that flashes to warn you that
you’re pushing it too hard.
Which brings us to…
The sound! Loud and warm,
it’s a rush, and no wonder: the
Orange Box-L and its portable
Box sibling (£275) are the only
Bluetooth speakers on the
market that use both Class D
and A/B analogue amplifiers,
tightness and balance.
We found ourselves dialling
in our perfect EQ levels with
total ease – though there
is a temptation to do this for
each track, which could be
distracting for some. While
it doesn’t provide the wide
sense of scale that a stereo
setup naturally manages, the
in-your-face experience of
the Box-L makes up for that.
Key specs
O 50W O 1x 5in bass,
2x 2in treble drivers
O 350x200x195mm, 4.3kg

STUFF SAYS A literal blast from the past that oozes style and has a powerful presence +++++

48
 HOME AUDIO

The replacement
Orange has pledged
to make spare parts for
its Bluetooth speakers
available into the 2030s,
with cables and other bits
on hand should anything
untoward happen.
ALTERNATIVELY…

DEVIALET MANIA SONY HT-AX7 SHARP SUMOBOX

If you’re an avid gamer, the
Mania might remind you of
a couple of characters from
the Halo and Portal universes,
but you can rest assured
that there isn’t a single scrap
of murderous sentience to
be found within its deluxe
spherical shell. Instead, it’s
a water-resistant smart
speaker, capable of pumping
out high-fidelity 360°
audio with a soundstage
that promises to adapt to
whatever space it’s in. That’s
thanks to Devialet’s Active
Stereo Calibration tech, which
uses built-in mics to map its
acoustic surroundings. Clever
stuff… but not ‘flying AI robot’
levels of clever, thankfully.
£690 / devialet.com
Sony’s unique Bluetooth
speaker is one of the more
exciting concepts we’ve
seen of late. At its core lies
a miniature soundbar with
two puck-like mini speakers
resting on top, which can be
removed and placed around
your surroundings for a truly
physical surround-sound
experience. The HT-AX7
uses the same 360 Spatial
Sound Mapping tech found
in Sony’s top-tier soundbars,
and can split stereo signals
into multiple channels. Pop
the main unit in front of you
and the satellites on either
side behind you, and boom:
you’re inside a bubble of
portable audio nirvana.
£499 / sony.co.uk
Despite its name, the
SumoBox is actually
quite portable, weighing
a manageable (in short stints)
9.7kg. But why the heft?
Well, there’s the two 2in
tweeters and two 8in
woofers, capable of blasting
out 120W of sound. And true
to its no-nonsense amp-like
design, it has two TRS/XLR
combo inputs for plugging
in mics and instruments.
A 10hr rechargeable battery
isn’t earth-shatteringly
impressive, but it wins
major bonus points for
being removable, letting
you swap in a freshly
charged one for an instant
second wind.
£399 / sharpconsumer.uk

NOW SPIN THESE… HIP-HOP

NOW ADD THIS…

Native Union Green
Heritage Valet THE PHARCYDE NAS WU-TANG CLAN LAURYN HILL
Wireless Charger BIZARRE RIDE II ILLMATIC ENTER THE THE
Bluetooth streaming is THE PHARCYDE This is a masterclass WU-TANG (36 MISEDUCATION
hard on phones, so leaving Known for its bold in raw storytelling, CHAMBERS) OF LAURYN HILL
them on charge is a good production, playful and a quintessential With its gritty Hill’s only solo album
idea. But what’s that? lyrics and intricate representation of production has sold 20 million
You’d rather not wrestle sampling, the debut East Coast hip-hop’s and relentlessly copies since its 1998
with tangly old cables? by the Pharcyde has golden era. While you unapologetic lyrical release. Praised for
And an ugly bl–ack brick influenced countless might feel like you’ve prowess, this was a its artistic range
will ruin your carefully generations of later heard albums like major leap forward in and portrayal of
curated ’70s vibe? Try artists. Passin’ Me it a thousand times the genre – and each her views on love
this smart green leather By encapsulates over, that’s only member’s unique and life, it propelled
wireless charger, then. the spirit of the ’90s because this one style contributed the ex-Fugee to
£153 / artysan.co West Coast scene. inspired the rest. to its greatness. major stardom.

49
 HOME AUDIO

ALTERNATIVELY…
The psychedelic furze
The cloth handle isn’t just
for lugging the Woodland
around (although it’s
obviously great for that).
It’s also handy for hanging
it off a tree branch, fence
post or similar.

EDIFIER QD35 SOUNDCORE HARMAN KARDON

Some will find the QD35’s
bold industrial styling and
dancing lights too OTT for
comfort; others will dig
the sense of fun and enjoy
customising the LED show.
Either way, setting the
aesthetics aside, there’s
much to admire: the USB-A
port at the back lets you
connect it directly to a PC
as an audio source, while
two more USBs (A and C)
on the side can handle
charging duties for other
tech products. Two small
drivers and a bass reflex
system deliver fairly
understated performance,
but the EQ can be tweaked
to your tastes.
£190 / edifier.com
MOTION X600
Don’t let its dinky size fool
you: battery-powered,
IPX7-rated and portable,
this sci-fi-styled miniature
boombox is constructed
of classy, hard-wearing
aluminium and serves up
a sumptuous sonic banquet
courtesy of a 50W amplifier
and five drivers. The Motion
X600 has no problems going
loud when called upon and its
sound never collapses into a
muddy mess even at higher
volumes. Despite its picnic
portability (and 12hr battery
life) it saves its finest work
for indoors, where the spatial
nature of its soundfield is
much more effective.
£200 / uk.soundcore.com
LUNA
The side profile of the tiniest
model in HK’s range is curved
to fit in the palm of your hand, Spilling joke
but the Luna’s two-way
speaker, sealed-dome As befits its outdoorsy
tweeter and twin passive nature, the Woodland is
radiators promise sound that clad in a soft fabric that
punches above its weight. If shrugs off dust, mud,
you’re really demanding, you sand and water. It’s
can even combine two for designed to be wiped off
a wider stereo soundstage. at the end of the day.
The built-in battery offers
12hrs of playback, while the
IP67-rated build (which
includes a fetching anodised
aluminium top plate as well
as a 100% recycled fabric
wrap) is more than capable
of contending with the
capricious UK climate.
£150 / harmankardon.co.uk

NOW SPIN THESE… INDIE POP

NOW ADD THIS…

GoView Zoomr HD
BELLE AND DIRTY JAPANESE LANA DEL REY Lean into the Woodland’s
SEBASTIAN PROJECTORS BREAKFAST DID YOU KNOW outdoorsy vibes with this
IF YOU’RE BITTE ORCA JUBILEE THAT THERE’S pocket monocular. Its
FEELING Incorporating No less infectious A TUNNEL 8x magnification is ideal
SINISTER elements of pretty than anything by the UNDER OCEAN for scoping out distant
The second album much any and all Taylors, Mileys and BLVD pigeons, while the nitrogen
from Glasgow’s genres around, this Justins of this world, Lana Del Rey has filling prevents fogging
titans of twee is a is one of the few Jubilee gets dubbed always felt both in tricky conditions. The
fine showcase of the standouts of the indie pop simply relevant and out best part? Pure sells it
band’s bookish lyrics late noughties that because its lyrics of time – a millennial in a discount bundle with
and lush, slightly still feels worthy of and sounds are more trapped in an the Woodland: you get
rickety sound. They the hype. It’s weird oblique than theirs. imagined past. Her both products for £219,
were never just a and inventive, but It’s still supremely latest pushes in bold a saving of £36.
Britpop band. still earwormy. likeable stuff. new directions. £115 / go-view.com

50

BUDGET BLUETOOTH
PURE WOODLAND
£140 / go.stuff.tv/Woodland
ith its handsome
W dark green livery,
fabric/rubber-clad
frame and fetching
cloth handle, the Woodland
cuts a cute figure – and this
speaker’s trim size and light
weight make it one of the
more practical portable
models we’ve seen.
Its wide base and grippy
feet afford it good, solid
purchase on most surfaces;
the rugged IP67-rated build
means it’s able to withstand
a high-pressure soaking
for up to 30 minutes – great
news if you’re looking for
STUFF SAYS If the garden is a key part of your home, this is a handy speaker to have ++++,
musical accompaniment
to your boisterous garden
hose sessions; and the 14hr
rechargeable battery makes
it perfect for straying far from
the patio doors.
Now, 10W of amplification
may not seem like much, but
for its price and portability
we think this speaker – with
a single 3in driver alongside a
passive radiator – serves up
a more than acceptable sound.
OK, it’s more like a warm hug
than an energising electric
jolt, and you’ll ideally want
to keep your garden disco
sessions fairly low-volume
to avoid overloading the treble
and mids as they attempt
to keep up with the bass.
Nudge it to too far and they
stray over the line marked
‘harshness’, which isn’t
something you or your
neighbours will enjoy.
But if you do keep those
levels sensible, the audio feels
tonally natural and pleasant,
whether you’re listening to
lively, full-bodied music or
less demanding voice-based
material such as podcasts
or audiobooks.
It isn’t just a Bluetooth
speaker either: the Woodland
HOME AUDIO
leans into Pure’s radio-making
heritage, squeezing FM and
DAB+ tuners (and an antenna)
into the compact body. So
even if your phone conks out,
the party can live on.
A backlit 128x32 display
keeps you appraised of what
you’re listening to, and you
can store up to six radio
station presets to ensure
your favourites are no more
than a button-press away.
Key specs
O 10W O 14hr battery
O DAB+, FM O IP67
O 174x130x106mm, 900g
51
 DIGITAL EDITION

Available from shop.kelsey.co.uk/stuff

plus Readly, Pocketmags & Apple News+
 APPS

Mini meme

ONLY APPY
OMet Office
We found this app the most
accurate of them all in the UK… WHEN IT OTomorrow.io
Delve into the Alerts tab and this
app gives you a list of weather

RAINS
and yet it’s properly old-school,
giving you a forecast provided by
an actual live human. So batten
down the hatches if they scream
“RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!” at the
camera. Elsewhere, alerts are
provided as lists and also in map
form, so you can see by way of
massive yellow and orange blobs
when there’s no escape from an
oncoming storm.
£free / Android, iOS
badness for the coming day.
Really nasty warnings get a
tiny map. But for the personal
touch, visit the suitably named
Personalize tab. Its switches let
Don’t get zapped by lightning or trapped you decide if your phone should
in a blizzard: use these weather alert nudge you when anything from
freezing temperatures to high
apps to warn you when things are winds are imminent – or when
about to turn a little bit British severe weather will affect any
defined location.
£free / Android, iOS

OCarrot Weather OWeatherPro OHello Weather OMy Lightning

Forget the Android app, which
is so old it’s covered in cobwebs.
But on iPhone and iPad, Carrot
is a marvel – if you pay. With
a sub you can create custom
layouts, placing maps and rainfall
predictions front and centre.
Alerts include an ‘air raid’ sound
for life-threatening conditions.
And if that isn’t terrifying
enough, the app is helmed
by a human-hating AI dedicated
to humanity’s eradication.
£free (IAP) / iOS
Weirdly, this app differs wildly on
each platform – but all versions
provide fast access to alerts. On
Android, they’re splashed across
the top of the screen in boxes
you can only avoid if you make
a real effort; on iPhone, you get
alert symbols that display a
timeline pop-up when tapped.
Handy to know when inclement
weather is due – and when it’ll
be safe to emerge from under
the covers.
£free (IAP) / Android O 99p / iOS
This app’s design means you can
read its forecasts from across
the street. And it makes alerts
prominent too. When naughty
storms are due, Hello Weather
adds a chunky banner beneath
the current conditions; tap it
and you can read the warning
in its full glory. There are no push
notifications, mind – although
that’s fine if you don’t want
devices buzzing away with
every passing shower.
£free (IAP) / Android, iOS
Tracker & Alerts
For some folks, lightning is a
chance to snap dazzling photos
of electricity blazing through the
sky. For others (and many pets)
it’s terrifying. Whether you’re
a chaser or a hider, this app lets
you track recent strikes and
peruse radar and colour-coded
‘hotspot’ map overlays. You
can also set an alerts zone so
you know when strikes happen
nearby – or up to 199 miles away.
£free / Android, iOS

53
 TESTED ASUS TUF GAMING A15

A play in the life

Some artfully cherrypicked hardware makes the Asus
TUF Gaming A15 quite the rare beast: a mainstream 1
laptop for everyday use that can also satisfy gamers

£1050/ go.stuff.tv/Gaming15
As the latest GPU generation
pushes prices to stratospheric 3
levels, most gaming laptop
makers have focused on beefy
desktop replacements rather
than more portable all-rounders.
But Asus is still there for those of
us on realistic budgets. Play sleeper
The TUF Gaming A15 is built
around a mid-range AMD Ryzen The graphic
CPU and Nvidia RTX 4060 declaring the A15 a
graphics – a combo with more ‘high framerate zone’ is
than enough oomph for 1080p cheesy, but otherwise
play, even in the latest releases. the styling is pretty
A high refresh rate and a snappy subtle for a gaming
SSD add even more appeal, while laptop.
the promise of all-day battery life
and ‘military-grade’ toughness
suggests it’ll also make a fine
travel companion. Elsewhere
the spec sheet is kept in check
[ Words Tom Morgan-Freelander ]

to hit a more wallet-friendly price

than most rivals.
It might not have luxuries like 2
a 4K display or the most powerful
processor, but you won’t need to
sell a vital organ to buy one either.
When it comes to gaming laptops, 5
what matters most?

Hero of the play The living play-lights Dancing plays

The stamped steel lid (1) isn’t
just for show: all TUF Gaming
machines are tested for shocks,
drops and extreme temperatures,
so the A15 should easily cope
with daily desktop life. It all feels
reassuringly sturdy, but isn’t
so rugged it’ll look out of place
anywhere but a building site.
A semi-transparent RGB-backlit
keyboard (2) continues the theme
inside, but Asus still found room
for a work-friendly numerical
keypad. The keys are springy
and – unlike the mech boards
on pricier models – quiet enough
that you won’t get thrown out of
the library for typing too hard.
The single-piece touchpad isn’t
gigantic (3) but has a smooth
enough surface for friction-free
finger gliding, and always detects
multi-touch gestures correctly.
Clicks are practically silent; and
if you plan to use a mouse for
gaming, the pad can be disabled
using one of the function keys.

Good for Convincing Screen Plentiful,

1080p desktop has a high well-placed
gaming battery life refresh rate ports
GOOD The CPU
MEH isn’t a
heavyweight
EVIL Can get
loud and
toasty

54
 TESTED ASUS TUF GAMING A15
Starfield
review
p78

Tech specs
Screen 15.6in 1920x1080 144Hz IPS LCD CPU AMD Ryzen
4 7 7735HS RAM 16GB GPU Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB
Storage 512GB OS Windows 11 Connectivity 2x USB-A, 1x
USB-C, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm, Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
Battery 90Whrs Dimensions 354x251x22.4mm, 2.2kg

Another play in paradise

The TUF Gaming A15’s hardware hits the 1080p
sweet spot – here’s how it performs in the real world

Q Graphics: wahey! Q CPU: okay

Nvidia’s DLSS tech helps
the GeForce RTX 4060
to run Cyberpunk 2077
with ray-tracing at max
settings; Starfield topped
60fps with no upscaling
2 assistance. It demolishes
easier e-sports titles, but
expect some fan noise.
A Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU
with eight cores and 16
threads sounds beefy, but
it’s only moderately quick.
Creative pros may benefit
from Intel internals, though
everyone else should find
it handles most desktop
tasks with little fuss.

Q Stamina: all day Q Storage: spare bay

Glory plays
Expect accurate but not hugely
impactful colours from the 15.6in
screen (4). Brightness is decent,
so games will have plenty of
punch in a dimly lit room; and
while there’s no HDR, the 144Hz
panel does have Nvidia G-Sync,
almost guaranteeing stutter-free
gameplay even below 60fps.
Independence play
Most ports are found at the left
side (5), leaving things clear on
the right for a mouse. There’s a
decent enough selection, but no
SD card reader to please creative
types. The 720p camera is also
functional at best, so wannabe
Twitch stars will still need an
external webcam.
AMD’s silicon is efficient:
we saw over 9hrs of
looping video, better
than some ultraportables.
Gaming will massively
dent that figure, but
abstain during the day
and you shouldn’t need
to pack the power brick.
A 512GB SSD feels a little
miserly even at this price,
as new games often
demand 100GB (or more)
each. Happily, the second
M.2 slot is easily accessed
by removing a couple of
screws and popping off
the chassis cover.

Its AMD CPU might not break any performance STUFF SAYS +++++
records, but the TUF Gaming A15 still delivers Fantastic performance
a serious amount of gaming bang for very little
buck. You also get a decent display and all-day
from gamer-friendly
battery life (when sticking to desktop duties), in hardware that just stays
a chassis sturdy enough for life on the road. For 1080p play, on the right side of the
there’s little better for the cash. @TomMorgan3 affordability line

55
 BETA YOURSELF
ANDROID 14
It’s time for millions of Android smartphones to get a fresh
lick of paint. Craig Grannell digs into the best new features
that will help your handset feel rejuvenated all over again…
THE BASICS
QHit and hope
You’re at the mercy of your
device’s maker regarding
when/if you’ll actually get
Android 14, and which goodies
will end up on your blower.
The tips here are for vanilla
Android – your options might
differ. If you have a Pixel 4a
or newer, head to ‘System
update’ in the settings to
check if the revamped OS
is waiting for you.
QLock it down
Security is a major part of
Android 14. It’ll block ancient
apps built for Android 5.1 or
older – although anything
already on your phone will
still run. Passkey support is
improved, and there are new
PIN input options. In ‘Security
and privacy’ > ‘Device unlock’
> ‘Screen lock’, you can disable
Face to space
In Settings > ‘About
phone’ > ‘Android version’,
tap quickly three times on
‘Android version’. Press
the badge until you’re
inside an old-school
space game.
56
animations to thwart people
nosing over your shoulder as
you type to unlock.
QShare the love
Android has a default share
sheet, but some apps override
it to add custom components.
Android 14 seeks to stop
this by giving app creators
‘ChooserAction’ slots that
surface key commands within
the standard share sheet. The
redesign also makes it clearer
what your action will do, such
as sharing a link or an image.
QCheck your battery
Android 14 is optimised for
battery life, and tracking
options are improved. In
Settings > Battery > ‘Battery
usage’, there’s a welcome
return for ‘Screen time since
last full charge’, which helps
you understand phone use.
For background drainage, dig
into ‘View by systems’ to see
what’s eating your battery.
QTake up a tab
Google has had an on/off
relationship with tablets, but
the new Pixel Tablet suggests
the company is taking them
seriously again. In May it
claimed it would optimise
50 apps for larger displays;
by the time you read this,
the fruits of that effort should
already be clear.
ADJUST ALERTS
QSplash the flash
In Settings, go to Notifications
> ‘Flash notifications’. Toggle
and preview options to flash
your camera and/or screen
when a notification arrives.
This feature is designed for
the hard of hearing, but can
benefit anyone surrounded
by noise.
QFine-tune volumes
In the ‘Sound and vibration’
section of Settings, you
now have the means to
define separate volume
levels for your ringtone and
notifications. So you can make
alerts more subtle but still be
sure to never miss a call.

READ MORE EASILY
QGo (really) large
You could already scale fonts
in Android (Settings > Display
> ‘Display size and text’). But
now you can go all the way up
to a whopping 200%. Smartly,
the scaling is non-linear,
which stops headings from
becoming too gigantic.
QAccess quick settings
When you only want to
change your system font
size temporarily, digging into
Settings is annoying. Handily,
then, you can use the ‘Font
size’ tile in Quick Settings,
which gives you the same
font-resizing slider as found
in Settings.
MAKE IT
YOUR OWN
QRock the lock screen
In Settings, head to ‘Wallpaper
and style’. Swipe between
the clock options to choose
a style; tap the button below
to access a screen where you
can define the clock’s colour
and size.
QTake a shortcut
Scroll down and tap Shortcuts,
then select which two action
buttons you’d like on your
lock screen – including Home,
Camera, Do Not Disturb, Mute,
Torch, Video Camera, Wallet
and a QR code scanner.
QCreate wallpapers
Under ‘More wallpapers’, you
can choose from a built-in
selection – or make your
own. For example, tap ‘Emoji
workshop’, choose a bunch
of different emoji, and then
decide how they’re displayed
in terms of pattern and
colour scheme.
MASTER GESTURES
QDrop it
Although it’s best suited to
larger screens, drag-and-drop
exists on Android 14 phones.
For example, select and then
tap-hold a block of text. With
another finger, use the app
switcher to change apps, and
let go to drop the text in place.
QGet back
Bit of a punt, this one, since it’s
not fully baked at the time of
writing, but with Android 14
you should get a preview of
what a back gesture (slide
from left) will do. This could
be useful, stopping you from
unexpectedly ending up on
your home screen.
AMBITIOUS
APPS
LUMAFUSION
You can do more with
your Android than the
basics – if you have the
right apps. LumaFusion
helps you make use of all
those videos you shoot,
with a desktop-grade
editing interface packed
full of features and
effects. There’s no
subscription either.
£15.49
CUBASIS 3
Rock legends will get
misty-eyed about how
a recording setup once
cost as much as a house.
Now it all fits in a pocket,
if you’ve got Cubasis.
You get everything
from synths to a mixing
console, and can plug in
external kit on your way
to superstardom.
£12.99
CLIP STUDIO PAINT
Comic folks swear by
this app, which bundles
up a huge range of tools
for unleashing your inner
artist. Its 3D models are
great for drawing human
figures; and although the
app has a sub, it offers
a free hour every day to
get you hooked.
£free (IAP)
57
 T E S T E D FA I R P H O N E 5

STUFF SAYS Brings Fairphone’s eco and ethical ambitions into the mainstream ++++,

Friend of a Fairphone continues its worthy goal of making a more environmentally conscious
century: the eco phone for the average shopper. While not as powerful as a Pixel or as sleek as any
smartphone is Samsung, outstanding fixability and the promise of lengthy software support make
better than ever it a whole lot more sustainable than any rival. It’s not a total tech minnow either, with
Tom Morgan-Freelander clean looks, respectable cameras and a sharp screen.

58

Olive forever
As well as the usual
Sonos black and white
matt finish options,
there’s also this new
outdoorsy olive/jade
green colour.
Q Waker maker
The chassis has all the basics
present – power, Bluetooth
pairing, a mute switch to turn
off the far-field mics and USB-C.
That USB port supports audio
input, but you will need to add
the £19 Line-In Adapter.
STUFF SAYS Beefed-up audio and a longer-lasting battery – a winning combo +++++
Super sonic
performance, but
you won’t want
to carry it far
Dan Grabham
TESTED SONOS MOVE 2
Wonder haul
It’s improved in almost every way, but
how portable does a smart speaker
need to be? Not very, says Sonos…
£449 / go.stuff.tv/Move2
QThe Move 2 is a proper Sonos
multiroom speaker when it’s in
your house – but you have the
flexibility to take it out and about
and use it with Wi-Fi elsewhere
or, more likely, with Bluetooth
from your phone.
QThere’s a lot of commonality
with the original Move: it remains
quite weighty at 3kg, it’s IP56
water-resistant, there’s a wireless
charging base (a pleasingly long
2m cable is supplied), plus there’s
support for Sonos’s own voice
assistant as well as Alexa.
QNew this time around is stereo
sound… and the dual tweeters and
mid-range woofer really do pack a
punch. EQ can be adjusted in-app.
There’s no spatial audio but you
do get very capable audio, and it’s
a worthy home speaker as well
as something you can take out…
although you aren’t going to chuck
this thing in a backpack.
QThe biggest boost here is to
battery life, which has increased
from 11 to 24hrs – meaning you
can take it away for a few days
without worry. As with the recent
Era 100 and Era 300, the Sonos
Trueplay tuning tech is supported
on Android as well as iOS.
QThe only real bum note is that
the new Move is £50 more than
its predecessor. That’s quite a
step up from other comparable
smart speakers like the Amazon
Echo Studio (£220) and Apple
HomePod (£299). Mind you, those
two aren’t portable.
Q Scroll with it
There’s a new volume slider Tech specs
similar to that found on other
recent Sonos kit, as well as Audio 2x tweeters, 1x woofer
touch controls for normal audio Connectivity Bluetooth 5.0,
functions. Plus, as with the old AirPlay 2, Wi-Fi 6, USB-C
Move, there’s a sculpted bit on Durability IP56 Battery life 24hrs
the back that acts as a handle. Dimensions 241x160x127mm, 3kg
Sonos has upgraded the Move in the areas that matter most – sound quality and
battery life, the latter of which has more than doubled. Our only criticisms are about
the high price (compared to premium smart speaker rivals) and the weight, which is an
inevitable trade-off for the muscular sound. Line-in is also a little bit of a faff with the
extra adapter…but if you’re in the market for this, you’re probably beyond cables.
59
LAVISH YOUR EARS
WITH DENON PERL
Fit happier
It’s not just the sound that
can be adapted to suit your
ears. The PerL and PerL Pro
come with silicone (four
sizes) and foam ear-tips
to ensure a comfy and
secure fit.
Tailoring performance to each individual wearer, these true
wireless earbuds take personalised audio to the next level
ars are like snowflakes:
E no two are exactly the
same. They’re shaped
differently inside and
out, which means we all hear
sounds in different ways – so
why are all headphones designed
for a generic set of ears?
That’s not the case with Denon’s
revolutionary PerL and PerL Pro
earbuds. These true wireless
headphones come with Masimo
Adaptive Acoustic Technology
(AAT) on board, a feature that
enables them to quickly and
easily personalise their sound
performance to perfectly suit the
individual user’s ears.
Other earbud makers promise
personalisation, but the system
typically measures only the shape
of the ear canal and/or the fit of
the bud. Masimo AAT goes deeper
than that – quite literally, in fact.
It works by playing a range of
tones into the wearer’s ears
and measuring the resulting
otoacoustic emissions – the faint
sounds that are produced when
the tones are amplified and
reflected in the inner ear rather
than just the ear canal.
By measuring these emissions,
AAT can analyse which frequencies
your ears are more sensitive and
less sensitive to. Then, the system
feeds this info into its self-learning
engine to build a unique hearing
profile – and corresponding set
of EQ settings – for your ears.
The result? A listening experience
that’s more nuanced and detailed,
more engaging and stimulating.
PerLs of wisdom
The Denon PerL (RRP £189)
makes Masimo AAT technology
more accessible than ever. In
addition to personalised sound,
it – like all Denon products – has
been built to meet the company’s
exacting standards and sound
philosophy. Tuned by the Denon
Sound Master, these earbuds
serve up a vivid, spacious sound
that aims to faithfully reproduce
the original recording.
They also have epic battery life:
6hrs of power on a full charge, and
a charging case offering a further
three full charges. That’s a full
24hrs of glorious-sounding music,
podcasts or audiobooks in your
trouser pocket.
The Denon PerL Pro (£299)
kicks things up a few notches with
added audio features in the form
of aptX Lossless tech and Dirac
Virtuo spatial sound (see panel
below). It also offers extended
battery life: 8hrs in the buds, 32
more in the case.
Something you’ll find in both
the PerL and PerL Pro is adaptive
active noise-cancellation. Vital
for anyone who wants to shut
out the outside world to focus
on whatever they’re listening to,
this vastly reduces exterior noise
to place you in a serene bubble of
calm – even if you’re on a packed
train or a long-haul flight, or just
walking down a busy city street.
And for times when you need
to talk or be more aware of your
surroundings, Social Mode lets in
outside audio.
Taking control of the earbuds
is effortless too, thanks to
customisable touch inputs
on each bud: skip tracks, change
volume, stop/start playback and
more with no more than a tap
of your digit. If you need deeper
control, there’s always the Denon
Headphones mobile app, which
lets you customise the touch
settings, select noise-cancelling
and, of course, create that unique
ear profile.
Find out more about the Denon
PerL and PerL Pro wireless
earbuds, and how they use Masimo
AAT to make music sound truly
personal, at denon.com
 STUFF PROMOTION

Sweat me free Two become win

Love to stroll in the rain The PerL Pro isn’t limited
or get sweaty in the gym? to one Bluetooth link at a
Feel free to bring your PerL time. Thanks to Multipoint, it
along – both models are IPX4 can connect to two sources
water-resistant and feature at once – so hot-deskers
secure-fit wings to keep can have a phone and a
them in place. laptop hooked up.

THE PERKS OF GOING PRO…

LOSSLESS LEADER
Praise the audio gods, for the days of wireless sound
meaning lossy sound are far behind us. The PerL Pro
supports Qualcomm aptX Lossless, which in short
means your CD-quality audio source retains every
bit of its content – even while being streamed over
Bluetooth. All convenience, no drop in quality.
VIRTUO REALITY
The PerL Pro also features Dirac Virtuo, a spatial
audio tech that transforms the buds’ sound into
an immersive 360° surround experience. But unlike
most spatial audio tech, it doesn’t require a special
source to do its thing: it’ll take any standard stereo
music and sprinkle it with spatial dust.
 TESTED SENNHEISER AMBEO MINI

Take the Mini and run

Sennheiser shrinks its epic Ambeo while keeping
much of what made the original great, but is this
compact-yet-premium soundbar up to the job?

£699 / go.stuff.tv/AmbeoMini
Having dominated the ‘very big
and expensive soundbar’ market
with its Atmos-enabled Ambeo, Easy Mini
Sennheiser then launched the
slightly smaller Ambeo Plus, There’s a mute
which turned out to be one of button on the top that
the best ‘quite big and expensive’ turns off the mics, along
soundbars around… and now with a few other basic
there’s the Ambeo Mini. controls plus an LED
To nobody’s surprise, it’s the strip that indicates
smallest of the range – almost volume level.
identical in size to the Sonos
Beam – but that doesn’t mean
it’s short of ambition.
There are six speakers inside
the Mini – two face forwards,
a pair in the middle deliver the
low-end grunt, and one at each
end attempts to create some
sonic width – but unlike its bigger
siblings, the Mini doesn’t have
physical drivers attempting
to create a sensation of sonic
height. Instead, it relies on 2
[ Words Simon Lucas ]

virtualisation tech to kid you

into thinking you’re listening
to a full 7.1.4 soundtrack.
So the big question is, does
it work?
3

Room Loads of Detailed, Bass

calibration control widescreen performance
works well options sound… is strong
GOOD …but there’s
MEH not much
height to it
EVIL ‘Virtualising’
music has
its limits

62
 TESTED SENNHEISER AMBEO MINI

Tech specs
Audio 4x 1.6in full-range, 2x 4in bass, 250W Spatial audio
formats Dolby Atmos, 360 Reality Audio, MPEG-H, DTS:X
Connectivity HDMI eARC, USB-A, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi,
AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect,
UPnP Dimensions 700x100x65mm, 3.3kg

Mini, Mini, Mini

Fiddling with your Ambeo Mini couldn’t be simpler, and
there could hardly be more choice in how you do it…

Mini changes everything

Mini’s too tight to mention
There isn’t a huge amount of
sonic height to this soundbar,
even when you feed it the
showoff Atmos soundtrack
to Nope, so there are limits to
what the virtualisation tech can
achieve. It’s still impressive given
its size and lack of dedicated
drivers (2), though.
First up, this soundbar needs to
be calibrated. Once it’s in position,
you just run the programme and
keep quiet while the test tones
do their thing. The four far-field
microphones on top (1) listen
to these and adjust the Mini’s Q Dapper Q Tapper
performance to suit the acoustics The Ambeo Mini is built There are a couple of
of the room. from the same combo physical connections
of high-quality plastic in a recess at the rear:
and acoustic cloth as the HDMI eARC and USB-A.
Mini power glory Ambeo Plus. It also has the But there’s no sign of the
Height aside, the Mini certainly same feeling of a product HDMI passthrough that
generates deep, substantial and that’s been screwed you might reasonably
beautifully controlled bass (3), together to the point that expect in light of the
giving its low frequencies plenty it should last for decades. asking price.
of detail and variation to go along
with their substance. It supports
up to four wireless subwoofers,
but unless you live in a cowshed
you won’t need even one.

Mini for nothing For the love of Mini

There’s plenty of space for the
midrange to do its thing, with
well-projected dialogue that’s
loaded with detail and nuance,
while the top of the frequency
range is equally detail-heavy
and remarkably crisp. Dynamism
is also impressive, and it creates
a wide open soundstage.
Switch to Dolby Atmos music
and it sounds big and expansive.
‘Immersive’ is perhaps too strong
a word, but the scale of sound is
out of all proportion to the bar’s,
um, proportions. Stereo tunes fare
less well with the virtualisation
tech turned on, but come into
focus when it’s switched off.
Q Yapper
Sennheiser’s free Smart
Control app is probably
the easiest way to tweak
the Ambeo Mini, but its
microphones can be used
for voice control as well as
calibration. Alexa is built in,
and it can also work with
Google Assistant.
Q Zapper
The remote control
provided could use some
backlighting and the font
labelling the buttons is
tiny. But it’s a full-size,
sturdy item rather than
the flimsy little clicker
that some soundbars
serve up.

The Ambeo Mini looks quite expensive for the STUFF SAYS +++++
amount of stuff your money buys – the same As long as you don’t
cash spent on some brands will get you a bigger
soundbar plus maybe some rear speakers or even
expect too much from
a wireless subwoofer. But if small means beautiful the virtual height smarts,
for you, then you won’t get punchier or more energetic this is the biggest small
sound from anything this compact. @OnlySimonLucas soundbar you can buy

63
 G R O U P T E S T F I T N E S S WAT C H E S

The latest fitness watches will monitor your movements with greater
accuracy than ever before, track your slumber in more detail, and keep
a closer eye on your vitals to tell you how well that training is paying off.
Here are six of the best options, each packed with features and sensors…

Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Polar Ignite 3 Titanium

What’s the story?
Samsung’s latest watch is
still one for Android phone
owners, offering many of
the same fitness features
that were packed into the
Galaxy Watch5.
That includes performing
a body composition analysis
that you’d usually need to
step on smart scales to do,
tracking everything from
swims to big bike rides, and
even counting the reps for
sets of crunches.
Samsung has given the
Watch6 more runner appeal
with a track running mode,
while adding the ability to
create custom heart-rate
zones to make sure you’re
always hitting the right
effort levels.
That’s all done inside
a waterproof design that
comes in two sizes, each
with a new processor,
slimmer bezels and a bigger
battery than before.
Is it any good?
Samsung can’t match the
best sports watches in the
business, but what it does
well is gently motivate you
to move more. This year’s
[ Words Michael Sawh ]
model can also track sleep
with strong accuracy, and
even detect snoring and
skin temperature.
It has a strong suite of
health smarts, including an
ECG sensor and the ability
to track blood pressure once
it’s been calibrated with an
external monitor.
That track running mode
plus a new custom workout
mode bolster its sporty
skills – without bringing
anything groundbreaking
to the party. A boost in
the processing department
means it runs smoothly,
and doesn’t leave you with
that lagging feeling when
swiping through stats.
If you liked what the
Watch5 offered but fancy
a few software extras, in
a slimmer design with a
bigger screen, that’s what
the Watch6 will give you.
from £289 /
go.stuff.tv/GW6
Key specs
O 40mm/44mm case 
O 1.3/1.5in AMOLED
O 50m waterproof
O 28.7-33g
What’s the story?
Polar’s given its fitness and
wellness watch a makeover,
adding a classier titanium
bezel to complement the
crispest, most vivid screen
it makes.
It’s kept all the good stuff
from the original Ignite 3,
including 150 profiles to
cover most sporty activities
including swims, and will
break down the level of fat,
carbohydrates and protein
used to power that workout
time. The great FitSpark
daily exercise suggestions
are on board too, covering
strength and cardio time
with clear instructions on
how to perfect them.
The ability to track skin
temperature during sleep
is added to an already
impressive array of metrics
you can capture, including
the useful Nightly Recharge
and SleepWise stats.
Is it any good?
If you’re looking for a watch
aimed at those who like to
ride for hours, that’s where
the Polar excels.
The titanium keeps the
design sleek, and is a good
match for an AMOLED
touchscreen that can have
the odd laggy moment but
is a step up from the Polar
screens of the past.
The software looks great
and Polar’s daily suggested
workouts are a standout
feature if you want to add
structure to your routine.
You’re getting plenty in the
sport-tracking department
too, including dual-band
GPS that you won’t find on
pricier Polar watches and
an optical heart-rate sensor
that can handle pretty
intense sessions.
Then there’s the addition
of temperature tracking,
enhancing the Ignite 3’s
ability to tap into more
vitals overnight and give
you a better idea if you’re
recovering well from
tougher training. This
can generally give you
a clearer sense of the kind
of shape you’re in.
£324 / go.stuff.tv/Ignite3
Key specs
O 43mm case
O 1.28in AMOLED
O 30m waterproof O 36g

STUFF SAYS Samsung sticks to its guns STUFF SAYS A classy-looking watch that
but adds more screen space ++++, will appeal to general gym goers ++++,

64
 G R O U P T E S T F I T N E S S WAT C H E S
BEST FOR
MOTIVATING
Please don’t faux
The Watch6 brings an
easier way to change
bands: a quick-release
system lets you swap
out a silicone strap for
vegan leather.

Get crowned tonight

The Watch6 gets
ahead of the Wear OS
pack by becoming the
first smartwatch to
run the latest version,
Wear OS 4.

Shake your cutie

Polar has gone for
a curved 1.28in
AMOLED touchscreen
that’s covered with
Gorilla Glass for some
added protection.

I’m your boogie span

The Ignite 3 can last
up to 5 days in watch
mode, and can handle
up to 100hrs of
training data in its
power-saving mode.

BEST FOR
BEGINNERS

65
 G R O U P T E S T F I T N E S S WAT C H E S
Renew kid in town
Suunto has built
the Vertical to be
planet-friendly, using
100% renewable
energy in its
Finnish factory.
BEST FOR
TRAINING
OUTSIDE
Suunto Vertical
What’s the story?
If your idea of exercise is the kind that
involves mountaineering gear or a wetsuit,
the Vertical will have obvious appeal.
Suunto’s priciest watch yet has sensors
aplenty, including ones for altitude and
temperature, to provide you with an
extra hit of useful environmental data
while you’re poring over the stats from
your latest epic climb, hike, trail run or
open-water swim.
It adds solar charging to soak up the
sun’s rays and top up the battery, which
Suunto claims can boost the watch’s
staying power by up to 30%. If you like
exploring, there’s the ability to display
topographical maps for a more detailed
view of your terrain; and it also includes
a more powerful GPS mode to receive
multiple satellite signals simultaneously
STUFF SAYS Top outdoor tracking accuracy and battery life that’ll go the distance ++++,
66
when you’re moving through forested
areas or tall buildings.
The Vertical also looks better than
any Suunto wearable that’s come before
it, with the choice of stainless steel
or a lighter titanium bezel built into its
military-tested design.
Is it any good?
While Suunto’s software may not be as
slick as some rivals, and while this may not
be the best watch if you care about email
notifications or skipping tracks on your
running playlist, it does make sure you’re
getting very reliable performance stats,
with scope to improve accuracy by pairing
up external sensors.
It puts in impressive GPS performance
with the new dual-frequency option, and
soaks up less battery than the competition
Lake it to the limit
If you want to take a
dip, the Vertical can go
down to 100m deep
and is equipped for
free diving action
down to 10m.
when you do opt for that mode. The
addition of maps means it’s great for
navigation, and syncing free offline maps
over from the companion Suunto app is
a straightforward process. Plus you can
swipe your fingers across the screen to
quickly survey your surroundings.
It delivers on the battery front too,
lasting for weeks and potentially months
when you switch to basic watch mode,
making this a fitness wearable built for
the outdoors that goes far – and one that
prioritises accurate data over being the
slickest operator out there.
from £545 / go.stuff.tv/SuuntoVertical
Key specs
O 49mm case O 1.4in dot matrix
O 100m waterproof O 74-86g
 G R O U P T E S T F I T N E S S WAT C H E S

Take it wheezy
The Forerunner 965
will cater for your
cross-training needs
with dedicated
profiles for the likes of
yoga, and a HIIT mode.

BEST FOR
MULTIPLE
SPORTS

Spyin’ eyes
Garmin’s SatIQ tech
will automatically
select what GPS
mode you should use
to get the most
accurate data.

Garmin Forerunner 965

What’s the story?
If you’re no stranger to the gym or long
weekend runs, then the Forerunner 965
is ready and willing to go with you. That’s
because it packs in the best of Garmin’s
training features, and will throw more
metrics, guidance and insights than
most fitness newbies will know what
to do with.
It also grabs smarts from Garmin’s
more expensive and more outdoor-centric
timepieces and puts them in a less bulky
design, with an AMOLED touchscreen
to make using it feel more like working
with a normal smartwatch.
Crucially, adding that splash of colour
to the screen doesn’t mean you’re making
huge sacrifices with how long you can
keep it on before you need to reach for
the charging cable.
Is it any good?
Garmin does not short-change you
in terms of what it can track and how
well it will do it. Like its predecessor the
955, this year’s model includes Garmin’s
multi-frequency positioning mode, giving
you more accurate positioning data by
locking on to multiple signal bands to
make sure your running, riding and even
hiking data is on the money.
It’s definitely a watch built primarily for
pavement pounders, so you can expect
a rich level of running metrics including
more advanced ones that delve into your
technique and form without needing an
additional sensor (as previous watches
did). You also have a good level of analysis
available to help you make better sense of
whether you’re at your optimal workload,
while Garmin’s new Training Readiness
guidance will give you a clear idea of
whether you’re good to go out or should
really rest.
The new AMOLED screen enhances
your ability to read and understand maps
when you get lost – and also makes it a
much nicer experience to use smartwatch
features such as controlling music and
checking on the weather.
Garmin has simply taken one of its best
watches for runners, cyclists, swimmers
and triathletes and made it feel like a more
attractive proposition to wear in and out
of training time.
£600 / go.stuff.tv/Garmin965
Key specs
O 47mm case O 1.4in AMOLED
O 50m waterproof O 52g

STUFF SAYS An AMOLED-packing star for runners, swimmers and triathlon freaks +++++

67
 G R O U P T E S T F I T N E S S WAT C H E S
Hollow you follow me
In true G-Shock style,
Casio has used its
signature hollow core
guard structure to
make sure this watch
is truly rugged.
BEST FOR
RETRO
LOVERS
Casio G-Shock DW-H5600
What’s the story?
If you’re a watch aficionado you’ll know
G-Shocks are best known for packing
frames that are built to handle big drops,
and for generally being tougher than your
average wrist companion.
The 5600 series is an icon in the range,
and Casio has brought it into the modern
age with the help of Polar smarts to give it
more fitness-tracking appeal.
The DW-H5600 taps into an onboard
optical heart-rate monitor to generate
insights such as what energy sources
are fuelling your exercise, whether
you’re working out on the best days,
and whether you’re getting the right
amount of recovery at night.
That’s all done from a design that
doesn’t stray too far from the non-smart
5600 series G-Shock watches, including
STUFF SAYS Gives you that G-Shock feeling with (some) fitness-tracking smarts +++,,
68
a nicely visible memory-in-pixel LCD
display with five different looks to pick
from. There’s even a limited-edition
version with switchable bands.
Is it any good?
This is a fitness watch best classed as a
hybrid, offering an attractive and familiar
design for everyday use that can also be
handy to have around when you need to
throw on the sweatbands.
It tracks workouts with a limited
number of sport profiles available, using
your phone’s GPS to provide the most
accurate data when you’re outside. The
accuracy can be slightly lacking, which
makes some of those Polar-powered
smarts a little redundant.
It will count your daily steps in a reliable
fashion and offers strong sleep-tracking
Glow, sun of mine
Casio lets you top up
your watch time using
its Tough Solar mode,
which will exploit any
light source including
fluorescent lamps.
support, with Polar’s Nightly Recharge
measurements in place to help you better
understand ideal recovery time.
There’s no touchscreen here so you’re
relying on buttons to get around the dinky
display, and it doesn’t pack the kind of
clever software you’ll find on an Apple or
Samsung smartwatch, so expect things
to be a bit more on the basic side. At least
it’s sure to give you a few days of battery
time before it needs powering up.
If you like the idea of wearing a sporty
watch with a nostalgic design, that’s really
what the DW-H5600 is about.
£269 / go.stuff.tv/H5600
Key specs
O51mm case O1.2in MIP LCD
O200m waterproof O59g

I know what I hike
To improve tracking,
Amazfit has included
a circularly-polarised
GPS antenna for more
reliable locking onto
satellite signals.
Amazfit Cheetah Pro
What’s the story?
Amazfit has a veritable army of
smartwatches in its ranks. The Cheetah
Pro is built primarily for runners, but it
will also appeal to those who don’t just
jump on the treadmill or do loops of their
local park.
It has all the features you’d expect to
find for running, including Amazfit’s own
take on the on-trend dual-band GPS
mode to improve outdoor tracking. It
also packs in the company’s PeakBeats
training insights platform to delve a little
deeper into what your performance stats
actually mean.
But along with tracking those runs, it
can automatically detect workouts such
as swimming and indoor rowing – and can
closely track strength training, capturing
reps and sets. It’s also tapping into AI to
STUFF SAYS Amazfit gives runners another feature-packed option for training ++++,
G R O U P T E S T F I T N E S S WAT C H E S
power a built-in coach that adapts based
on the training time you put in.
Amazfit promises up to 14 days of
battery life; and if you don’t want to use
the firm’s own companion app, it works
with big third-party ones like Strava.
Is it any good?
Amazfit certainly doesn’t cut corners
when it comes to what it’s offering in the
hardware and software departments, with
room for things to improve and grow.
Design-wise, it pairs a smart titanium
look with a lightweight nylon strap and
an AMOLED touchscreen that’s colourful,
vibrant and responsive to touch.
When it’s time to get tracking, you can
do that from the ‘quick start’ icon planted
into the watch face; and from there you’re
well covered with a solid dual-band GPS
Divisible touch
If you’re the kind of
person who likes to
fill workout screens
with metrics, you can
choose up to six stats
to see at a glance.
BEST FOR
SMART
SKILLS
mode, while the ability to pair an external
heart-rate monitor ensures you can get a
good idea of your effort levels.
The AI-powered Zepp Coach isn’t
groundbreaking but can offer some
guidance, while the addition of offline
maps brings more appeal for those who
prefer training in the sleet.
When you’re not training you can sync
over your own music, plus there’s Alexa
on board, so this is a good mix of fitness
watch and smartwatch that – while not
exactly slaying the competition – does
make for another attractive candidate.
£300 / go.stuff.tv/CheetahPro
Key specs
O 47mm case O 1.45in AMOLED
O 50m waterproof O 43g
69
 TECH TITANS
Super bang-on
A six-button controller
replaced the standard
one after a few years,
proving perfect for
fighting games like
Mortal Kombat.
01 MEGA DRIVE
The Mega Drive, also
known as the Genesis
in North America, wasn’t
the first Sega console,
but it was the one that
cemented the firm’s place
as a major player. And,
launching just before
Nintendo’s SNES, it
meant console wars
were inevitable.
While Nintendo had the
might of Super Mario in its
roster, here was Sonic the
70
TECH
TITANS
SEGA
To be this good at ranking its
finest consoles takes ages
Hedgehog – the fastest
little mammal around.
Some of its best games
featured the perky blue
hedgehog and friends,
but there was also the
launch lineup of Altered
Beast, Columns, Golden
Axe and more.
This console was widely
considered the cooler one
for teenagers, with a string
of high-quality arcade
game ports like Strider,
Altered feast
The first pack-in game
with the Mega Drive
was arcade scrapper
Altered Beast, but that
soon changed to Sonic
the Hedgehog.
Shadow Dancer and Super built-in controller ports so
Hang-On bringing arcade four players could play the
thrills into your home. same game.
In later years, the Mega Its game catalogue may
Drive evolved with add-on not be remembered as
consoles – the Mega CD fondly as that of the SNES,
and the Sega 32X – adding but the Mega Drive offered
CD-based and 32-bit truly distinctive titles
games (see panel). There like Ecco the Dolphin and
were also innovative Streets of Rage, bringing
cartridges with some an imaginative approach
games – for example, when it was most needed.
Micro Machines: Turbo RELEASED 1988
Tournament ’96 included (1990 in Europe)
 TECH TITANS

Jet set video

The Visual Memory
Unit was a storage
card with an LCD
screen: a home for ALMOST
in-game stats that also
offered mini-games.
GREAT…

02 DREAMCAST

To many, the Sega Dreamcast is the SG-1000 1983

one that got away. The first sixth-gen Only released in
console, it arrived ahead of the PS2, Japan, Sega’s first
GameCube and Xbox, yet soon fell home console was
behind and became Sega’s last. not a hit… but it was
Despite its short lifespan, it was the the home of Sonic
home of Sonic’s first 3D game – Sonic developer Yuki
Adventure – along with much-loved Nada’s first game,
and innovative titles like Jet Set Radio Girl’s Garden.
and Shenmue, both of which we’d
see again on later consoles. The
Dreamcast used the GD-ROM media
format at a time when others focused
on DVD-ROM, but it achieved the
glory of being the first console to
include a built-in modem.
That idea failed to take off outside
of Japan but Phantasy Star Online Mega CD 1993
was a standout hit, along with Quake Adding CD-ROM
III Arena and other hints at the future support to the
rise of online gaming. Mega Drive led
The Dreamcast changed so much to memorable hits
despite only ever achieving a small like the infamous
install base compared to its rivals, and adventure game
remains much loved. Night Trap, but it
RELEASED 1998 (1999 in Europe) sold poorly.

Pico 1994
An educational
console aimed at
kids, the Pico had
the power of the
Mega Drive… but
none of the appeal,
despite licensed
animated characters.
03 GAME GEAR 04 SATURN 05 MASTER SYSTEM

Though it spanked the Game Boy
thanks to its full-colour backlit
screen, it’s a shame the Game Gear’s
battery life was woefully inadequate.
It was a powerful machine alright…
but with surprisingly little time to
dip into its unique versions of Sonic
the Hedgehog, Space Harrier or
[ Words Jennifer Allen ]
Competing with the PlayStation was
a tough ask of the Saturn, which did
well in Japan but less so elsewhere.
The Panzer Dragoon series, Virtua
Fighter and Nights into Dreams
offered original experiences that
made it memorable, but it needed
more third-party support – that’s
The first Sega console to go truly
mainstream, the Master System
was the home of many cut-down
versions of later Mega Drive hits,
but it would also sometimes offer
a unique take on familiar franchises. 32X 1995
It struggled against the might of Bringing support for
the NES but innovated with clever 32-bit games to the

Streets of Rage 2, it wasn’t exactly
the console you would choose to
take on a long journey.
RELEASED 1990 (1991 in Europe)
despite solid arcade ports such as
Daytona USA, The House of the
Dead and many Capcom fighters.
RELEASED 1994 (1995 in Europe)
accessories. Games like the Alex Mega Drive should
Kidd series and Phantasy Star have been a success
flourished on this system. story. Doom and
RELEASED 1985 (1987 in Europe) Star Wars Arcade
looked great, but it
arrived too late.

71
 GOOGLE PIXEL TABLET
ONE
LOGITECH MX
E… D
MECHANICAL MINI
ES AD
TH ST
R
FI
Boost your Pixel productivity
with a Bluetooth keyboard.
This ridiculously satisfying
mechanical number from
Logitech is both compact
and clicky, whether typing
out a shopping list or an
essay. With the docked Pixel
Tablet angled perfectly for
comfortable typing, it’ll turn
your home hub into a nifty
work machine.
£150 / logitech.com
72
TWO
LOGITECH MX
ANYWHERE 3S
Any keyboard is infinitely
better with a decent mouse,
and once again it’s Logitech
to the rescue. You can forget
about stealing your TV
remote’s batteries with
this rechargeable USB-C
job. It supports three paired
devices, and when it’s low
on battery you can charge
it from the tablet while still
using it as a wired mouse.
£90 / logitech.com
THREE
NANOLEAF SHAPES
ULTRA BLACK
You’ve got a fancy Google
Home hub – it’s time for
some smart lights. So why
settle for bulbs when you
can have Shapes? These
panels can turn your smart
home into an ambient-lit
space, and the new Ultra
Black variant is perfect for
dark surfaces. Control them
with your voice, or program
them to pulse to music.
£180 / nanoleaf.me
 INSTANT UPGRADES

E… T
IS RY

ES GE
TH W T
…

TH EN
NO

1 KEEP IT SMART
The Pixel Tablet’s biggest draw
is its handy blend of home hub
and standalone slate – but the
hub part only fires up when you
dock the tablet on its speaker.
However, if you want to make
your tab a little more hub-tastic,
you can also live the connected
life every time you plug it in to
charge: Dive into the settings,
select ‘Hub mode’ then ‘Screen
saver’, then ‘When to start’. Now
tap on ‘While charging’.
TH
XBOX
GAME PASS
ULTIMATE
Microsoft’s
all-you-can-play
app turns the
2 DOCK IT UP 3 MAKE IT BIG Pixel Tablet into
a gaming hub with
Android tablet interfaces are Unlike most Android tablets, loads of console
famously clunky compared to this one lets you cast both favourites and
iPadOS, but Google has worked ways. So if you’ve got a great new titles.
hard to unclunk this one… and compatible TV or a Chromecast, £12.99/m
the result is the Taskbar. It lives you can fire your tablet’s picture
at the bottom of the screen and to a bigger screen; and if you’re
disappears when you launch an using an Android phone (or
app. Swipe up just a little from even an Apple device running
the gesture bar in the bottom a Google app), you can beam
centre, and it re-emerges for that interface to your slate. To
quick app-switching. You can cast from a compatible app, look
also long-press an app icon for for the cast button: a rectangle
split-screen multitasking. with a Wi-Fi symbol in it. ALEXA
Just because your
tab is a Google
Home hub, that
doesn’t mean you
can’t turn it into an
Alexa smart home
controller. Simply
install the app,
log in and enable
mic access.
£free

4 WORK IT OUT 5 GIVE IT 100% 6 HAND IT OVER

If you’ve picked up a keyboard
and mouse for your Pixel Tablet,
boost your productivity by
casting to a compatible telly
or monitor for desktop-style
working. Just pull down your
notifications menu, find the
pen icon below the quick toggle
tiles, tap it and drag Screen Cast
into your active tiles list. Now
you’ll quickly be able to project
[ Words Basil Kronfli ]
You might have noticed that,
when your tab is docked and
charging, it hangs at 90% or
so. This isn’t an error – it’s to
preserve long-term battery
health – but what if you want
to fuel up fully? Open Settings,
followed by Battery, and you’ll
see an option: ‘Charge to full’.
Tap this and your slate will fill up
to 100%. This option resets once
BALANCE
The Pixel Tablet is for the whole No app makes
family, so it’s easy to set up the Pixel Tablet’s
multiple users, each with a full dock sound more
Android profile. Once set up serene. Loaded
with a primary account, swipe up with guided
the notification menu down, meditations, it’s
tap your profile picture or icon a perfect partner
(next to the cog), and select whether you’re
Add. Choose whether it’s an after one-off
adult or child profile, sign into sessions or
a new Google account (or trackable progress.

your Google Docs, Sheets and it’s undocked, so you’ll have to don’t), and the new user will £free (for 1yr)
Pages for max productivity. repeat the process next time. get a totally separate profile.

73
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75
 TWO WEEKS WITH THE SONY XPERIA 5 V

Easy pic kings

The fifth iteration of Sony’s Xperia 5 brings simplified camera skills and comes
at a more palatable price; Tom Morgan-Freelander spends a fortnight with it
£849 / go.stuff.tv/5V

three – but the main lens has

DAY 01
Sony’s phones always look nicely
familiar to long-time fans, and
that feeling returns when you
take the 5 V out of its box. The
more angular edges to the metal
frame are the most noticeable
aesthetic difference from the
5 IV, but Sony staples such as
the 3.5mm headphone port and
camera button are both exactly
where you’d expect them to be
(respectively up top and on the
right edge).
The screen’s trademark 21:9
aspect ratio means this is a tall
the same 52MP sensor as the
flagship 1 V, which promises
superior low-light snaps as well
as rapid HDR burst shooting and
4K@120fps video.
The sensor’s effective output
actually tops out at 48MP, with
the remaining pixels given over
to image stabilisation – and then
your pics are pixel-binned to
12MP, matching the ultrawide
secondary snapper. The main
sensor can also crop in on itself
for ‘lossless’ 2x zoom shots,
meaning this phone can cover
16mm, 24mm and 48mm focal

The emphasis is on spontaneous

snapping, while still providing manual
controls for those who want them
and slender phone, with bezels lengths without needing any
just big enough to squeeze in digital trickery. The stereo
a front-facing webcam without There’s a bigger emphasis speakers are clear,
relying on a punch-hole or notch. on spontaneous snapping this balanced and
At 182g it’s fairly light for its size, time, while still providing enough punchy, so you
and quite slim at 8.6mm. manual controls for those who don’t always need
So far I’ve had no struggles want them. Computational your earbuds.
with the combined power button processing steps in more often,
and fingerprint sensor, which is combining multiple frames for
perfectly placed for both lefties more effective HDR, while an
and righties. It’s speedy enough automatic night mode takes the
at detecting digits, if not quite faff out of low-light shots.
as rapid as some under-display These are things rivals have
fingerprint tech I’ve tried. been going big on for years, and
The most significant change Sony hopes adding them will
comes on the back, where you’ll level the playing field by bringing
find just two cameras instead of point-and-shoot appeal.

76

01 06
02 05
04
03
DAY 02
If you’re not familiar with Sony’s
Android-based Xperia UI it’s
not all that visually different to
Google’s stock OS, but includes
bespoke toolbars that make it
easier to use the tall screen if
you don’t have the thumbs of
a yoga master. The main one is
Side Sense, which lets you launch
pairs of apps in split-screen, or
overlay one on top of the other
in a floating window.
A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and
8GB of RAM means it can do so
without a hiccup, plus Sony seems
to have solved the overheating
issues that plagued previous
Xperias, so it’ll also run games
at their highest settings.
DAY 04
A trip to the coast offers a chance
to test out the new camera setup.
The main sensor captures a superb
amount of detail, with natural
colours and a decent amount of
depth blur with close-up subjects.
Autofocus is incredibly quick too.
Consistency between the two
lenses is excellent.
The main camera doesn’t
disappoint when the sun goes
down, stacking multiple frames
instead of one long exposure to
cut down on camera shake (but
LO N G -T E R M T E S T
Donut of Truth™
01 Lovely screen with plenty 04 That matt finish doesn’t
of power smudge easily
02 Very capable and versatile 05 The skinny screen won’t
camera setup suit everyone…
03 Battery easily lasts a 06 …and it’d be better if it
whole day had an adaptive refresh rate
Tech specs
Screen 6.1in
2520x1080
120Hz OLED
CPU Snapdragon
8 Gen 2
RAM 8GB
OS Android 13
Storage 128GB
Cameras
48+12MP rear,
12MP front
Battery
5000mAh
(Qi, USB-C)
Dimensions
154x68x8.6mm,
182g
not eliminating it completely),
although the ultrawide struggles
a bit more. If you know how to
use them, there are also plenty
of manual controls to play around
with to get the perfect shot.
DAY 10
The 6.1in OLED delivers great
contrast, impactful colours and
deep shadow details, especially
when using the Creator picture
mode, and that aspect ratio makes
it perfect for watching movies. I’ve
had no trouble seeing it in direct
sunlight either.
It’s a shame Sony still doesn’t
offer an adaptive refresh rate,
forcing you to pick between 60Hz
and 120Hz. The latter looks way
smoother when scrolling through
apps and websites, but will have a
bigger impact on battery life.
DAY 14 STUFF SAYS
An early start for a long day of
meetings gives me a chance to Still not the
test out the 5000mAh battery. top choice for
Even after activating tourist mode
and taking way too many photos,
many, but this
plus playing a few games on the newbie-friendly
commute and catching up on my
YouTube subscriptions on the way
Xperia delivers
home, its stamina is up there with where it counts
the best. You’ll need to supply your +++++
own charger and cable, though.
77
 TESTED GAMES

XSX, PC / go.stuff.tv/Starfield

Starfield
Bethesda’s long-awaited ‘Skyrim in space’ is galactic in scope, but – ah, you’ve already peeked
at the three-star rating, haven’t you? Here’s why it isn’t the masterpiece we were hoping for…

et 300 years into a future
S where humanity has
colonised other worlds,
Starfield puts you in the spacesuit
of a miner who discovers a
powerful artefact on a remote
planet. This quickly attracts the
attention of Constellation, an
organisation of explorers looking
for the secrets of the universe,
and so begins a journey across
the vastness of space.
But where No Man’s Sky (a
game released seven years ago)
allows you to fly seamlessly from
planet to planet, exploring the
Starfield universe is far more
fragmented, with cutscenes and
loading screens in between you
and your chosen destination. You
even have to wait when opening
a door into a new area. Worse still,
most of the planets and moons
are lifeless, and you’re expected
to navigate them using the most
unhelpful maps ever.
The ship battles are more fun,
particularly when you start to
modify your ride, increasing your
firepower at the expense of speed,
for example. And if a fight gets
overwhelming, you can always
put points into the grav drive and
make a getaway to another star
system. While the gunplay isn’t
in the same league as Call of Duty
or Destiny, it’s the most refined of
any Bethesda game yet.
The deep role-playing systems
offer you many ways to customise
your character and play style, with
freedom to change further down
the line, but whether you get that
far might depend on how much of
its thunderously dull main quest
you can get through. It does
eventually get going around
the midpoint, where the stakes
suddenly gain a fresh urgency,
but even the novelty of uncovering
temples that grant you special
powers wears off quickly – and
many feel of little use.
This is undoubtedly Bethesda’s
largest-scale game to date, and
the lack of bugs is refreshing,
but its cold, bland vision means
it never feels like the next-gen
experience it could have been.
Alan Wen

STUFF SAYS It has grand ambitions but fails to earn its own place among the stars +++,,
78
 TESTED GAMES

Walk on the wild

side missions
Starfield’s main campaign
can sometimes feel about
as exciting as hoovering
your ship’s airlock or doing
Constellation’s tax return. It
basically boils down to going
into a remote cave or facility,
killing and looting, finding an
artefact and returning to HQ.
Then you go to the next one
and do it all over again.
Instead of subjecting yourself
to this drudge of interplanetary
chores, our recommendation
is to divert yourself from the
main story path after the first
few missions and just find
your own fun. This is where
Bethesda’s RPGs are at their
Wind farms: nothing to do In space, no one can see best, where one overheard
with harnessing the power your terrible haircut (apart conversation can open up
of alien flatulence. from other space people). an opportunity taking you
somewhere totally new.
You’ll deal with corporate
spies, become a smuggler,
go undercover in the galaxy’s
biggest criminal organisation,
or become a galactic sheriff…
and possibly all of the above in
the same gaming session.
It’s very easy to lose hours
at a time to the huge universe’s
little intimate stories, as you
encounter characters with
far more personality than the
bland cast of Constellation.
In other words, there’s loads
of stuff for fans of Bethesda’s
RPGs to get invested in here;
you just have to go out and look
for it on your own.

79
 TESTED GAMES
Armored Core VI:
Fires of Rubicon
FromSoftware goes back to the mech roots that predate its punishingly hard
fantasy RPGs – but can it make giant robot battle simulators mainstream?
t’s been a decade since
I the last instalment of
Armored Core – and
FromSoftware has finally decided
to return to its roots, putting you
back behind the controls of a
hulking great mech.
You might imagine piloting
these massive war machines
would be cumbersome, but your
Armored Core (AC) is actually
pretty agile. An intuitive control
system maps your endless
combination of energy swords,
plasma rifles, machine guns and
bazookas to the shoulder buttons
and triggers, while the game’s
first chapter does a terrific job
of teaching the basics.
This game is all mission-based,
the credits earned by completing
them allowing you to buy new
parts – changing not only the ACs’
appearance but also their traversal
and fighting styles. Boosters also
bring a great sense of verticality,
but you don’t get to explore much
of the grim planet Rubicon before
running into artificial barriers.
Combat gets more satisfying
as more gear options open up and
STUFF SAYS Top mech battles, albeit without the spark of FromSoftware’s big hits ++++,
80
PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1, PC / go.stuff.tv/AC6
you get a better feel for your
firepower, but that does make
initial encounters trickier. Bosses
also have a habit of feeling
needlessly difficult, with spongey An Armored
health bars, multiple attack Core: wildly
patterns and even tougher powerful, not
late phases; still, some generous very practical
checkpointing helps.
around
The game looks fantastic
when it’s centred on its mechs, Sainsbury’s.
especially if you spend plenty
of time customising, although
the mission environments are
quite limited by Rubicon’s barren
wasteland. The story isn’t that
engaging either, but the snappy
campaign involves enough
different choices and unlockable
new missions to make it
replayable. Plus, taking down The dystopian
previously problematic bosses planet Rubicon:
with all your mech upgrades is basically
hugely satisfying. modern Britain
Armored Core VI is unlikely but without
to set the world on fire, but
the trees.
this latest title is sure to delight
mech-heads, while serving
pretty well as an entry point
for newcomers to the series.
Alan Wen

Switch, PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1,
PC / go.stuff.tv/Cyberfunk
Bomb Rush
Cyberfunk
Are you old enough to remember the ultra-urban Dreamcast classic Jet Set
Radio? Its spiritual successor is here at last, and it has all the right moves…
ack in the summer of
B 2000, Jet Set Radio’s
pioneering cel-shaded
visuals, anti-authoritarian attitude
You get bonus and killer soundtrack made it
points for a cult classic of the Dreamcast
painting giant era – and now Dutch indie
genitals on developer Team Reptile has
delivered the closest thing we’ve
state property
had to a sequel since 2002’s Jet
(not really). Set Radio Future.
Playing as a member of a graffiti
crew – tsk, what would your
parents say? – your task is to
leave your mark on the city of
New Amsterdam, using different
combos to spray different tags.
It all feels intuitive… and even if
you don’t manage to memorise
the patterns for each specific
New one, just spinning the analogue
Amsterdam: stick until something lines up still
basically feels cool.
modern Britain Rival gang members and the
but without the city’s heavy-handed police force
will try to stop you as you traverse
hopelessness.
its streets and buildings trying
to reach new areas to tag, which
encourages you to really explore
each district. At times it can test
your patience, particularly if you
STUFF SAYS The funkiest game of the year builds on Jet Set Radio Future’s legacy ++++,
TESTED GAMES
fall from a really hard-to-reach
point; but retro-futuristic gadgets,
such as a boostpack that also
works as a double-jump for
platforming, mix things up. You
can also perform Tony Hawk-style
tricks and build combos to land
higher scores.
Any repetition is also alleviated
by the bounciest soundtrack you’ll
listen to in any game this year, with
playlists cycling from hip-hop to
lo-fi beats to buzzing electro. This
also means that, once the story’s
wrapped, it’s very easy to just
hang out and continue soaking
up New Amsterdam’s vibes,
tagging everything else you can.
It’d be nice if this could be possible
without the cops continuing to be
on your tail, but as one character
declares: “Graffiti would be hella
boring if it was legal.”
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk may
come with some of the same
quirks and frustrations of Sega’s
original games, but when the vibe
is matched so strongly it becomes
very easy to forgive the bumps
and just go with the flow.
Alan Wen
81
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 Straight
outta testing
and into our
rankings.

NEW OF EVERYTHING
HOT
Time changes
everything,
BUY including Stuff
Top Ten entries.
BARGAIN
BUY
UPDATE
A product of
techy genius
that’s set our A proper steal.
hearts aflame. Worth owning
regardless of
cashflow.

Smartphones 84 Games 91
HOW
Headphones
Smartwatches,
fitness tech
85
86
Speakers
E-bikes,
electric cars
92
93 TO USE
Laptops
TVs
Soundbars,
87
88
89
Smart home
VR headsets,
drones & action cams
94
95 THEM
streamers Cameras 96
Tablets, consoles 90 Budget buys 97
TOP TENS SMARTPHONES
TIPS &
TRICKS
The Dynamic Island
makes it easier to
control a call: tap it
and hang up without
switching apps.
AirPods also show
up in the Island
when connected,
and you can see
their battery status.
In Apple Maps, you
can see turn-by-turn
directions overlaid
at the top of the
phone’s screen.
The flagship Galaxy phone’s remit
hasn’t changed since the S22
Ultra: it’s still the very best of
Samsung in a (non-folding) phone,
with astonishing cameras and a
productivity focus that few of its
competitors can even come close
to matching.
Stuff says +++++
Unrivalled productivity, superb
photos and stellar performance
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW PHONES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMARTPHONES
84
1 HOT
BUY
Apple iPhone 14
Pro Max
from £1139 / go.stuff.tv/14ProMax
This is essentially the same phone as the
14 Pro, but with a bigger screen and a bigger
battery. So on paper it’s Apple’s best ever (not
including the new 15 models on p6)… but while
that justifies its promotion to top spot, it’s only
O Prices quoted are for handset only unless otherwise stated
worth it for people who really need that extra
screen space. Do you? Well, it does make photo,
video and audio editing (and gaming) easier.
Stuff says +++++
The 2022 model gives the Pro Max a
real bump, though all this quality costs
O NOW ADD THIS
Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1
This solid MagSafe charging dock
lets you top up your iPhone, Apple
Watch and AirPods.
£140 / belkin.com
Google Pixel 7 Pro
4 +++++from £849 / go.stuff.tv/Pixel7Pro
Plentiful performance and dependable battery life
make this another worthy Google flagship.
Nothing Phone 2
5 +++++from £579 / go.stuff.tv/Nothing2
Rivals edge it out in some areas, but they can’t
match this phone’s pocket presence.
Xiaomi 13 Pro
6 +++++£1099 / go.stuff.tv/Xiaomi13Pro
With its 1in main sensor, outstanding photography
makes this one of 2023’s highlights.
Google Pixel 7a
7 +++++£449 / go.stuff.tv/Pixel7a
Fast, long-lasting, and it takes a killer photo: this is
the mid-range Android phone to beat.
Sony Xperia 1 V
8 +++++from £1299 / go.stuff.tv/Xperia1v
A flagship with zero compromise, taking its best bits
from all of Sony’s divisions.
With rapid performance, a quality
display and capable cameras,
the OnePlus 11 makes no major Honor Magic5 Pro
compromises yet still manages
to undercut the big guns.
Photography remains a small
9 +++++£950 / go.stuff.tv/Magic5Pro
Capable cameras, ace performance and slick styling
all add up to Honor’s greatest handset yet.
step behind the best, but it makes
up for that in other ways.
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
Stuff says +++++
A semi-affordable phone that can
pretty much do it all
10 ++++,£1050 / go.stuff.tv/40ultra
A fantastic flip phone and a return to form for the
Razr line, even if its cameras don’t always excel.
 Beats Fit Pro
2 £169 / go.stuff.tv/FitPro
These Beats are excellent on many levels.
Unless you really love the earhook design
2 £279 / go.stuff.tv/SM4
of the Powerbeats Pro, they’re definitely the
best workout ’phones in the Apple/Beats
range and rival any others at the price.
Stuff says +++++
Good battery life, punchy sound, lock-tight fit
Sennheiser Momentum 4
These are headphones that sound
naturalistic, engaged and entirely musical,
making every recording sound like an event.
And they’ll last a startling 60hrs – even with
ANC switched on.
Stuff says +++++
Great audio, great battery life, great price

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Bose NCH 700

3 £230 / go.stuff.tv/QCBuds2
You still can’t beat Bose for ANC. And while
its latest buds can be bettered slightly when
3 £229 / go.stuff.tv/NCH700
it comes to sound quality, and bettered
comfortably for battery life, they make
for a competitive total package.
Stuff says +++++
Bose is back with its best effort in a long while
There are superior-sounding headphones,
but if call quality and noise-cancelling are
just as important to you then Bose’s flagship
cans are the gold standard. The voice-pickup
system is the best out there.
Stuff says +++++
As all-rounders, these are hard to beat

Technics EAH-AZ80 Philips Fidelio L3

4 +++++£259 / go.stuff.tv/AZ80
Excellent all-round in-ears that balance clean
sound with good ANC.
4 +++++£150 / go.stuff.tv/L3
Refined and detailed: go for these if you
value balance and accuracy.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Grado GW100X

5 +++++£249 / go.stuff.tv/Pro2
Apple’s pricier in-ears were already superb,
and now they’re way better.
5 +++++£239 / go.stuff.tv/100X
No ANC, no app, no travel case… but more
complete sound than any of Grado’s rivals.

TO READ THE FULL REVIEWS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/IN-EAR-HEADPHONES & STUFF.TV/TOP-10/HEADPHONES

 Garmin Fenix 7
from £489 / go.stuff.tv/Fenix7
If your budget stretches, the impressive
mix of rugged durability, serious battery
endurance, excellent navigation skills and
smartwatch features makes this the best
all-round sports watch you can buy.
Stuff says +++++
An ace tool for adventurous fitness-building
Samsung Galaxy Watch6 Classic
from £369 / go.stuff.tv/Watch6Classic
There are no major leaps forward here… but
with a more traditional timepiece vibe as
well as that distinctive rotating bezel, the
Watch6 Classic brings some welcome variety
back to the Samsung lineup.
Stuff says +++++
A great screen and fluid all-round performance
Apple Watch Series 8
++++,from £399 / go.stuff.tv/WatchS8
A superb smartwatch, now making way for
the potentially even superber Series 9.
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5
++++,£330 / go.stuff.tv/TP5
A long-lasting Wear OS watch with a fitness
focus, but it’s not the best in software terms.
FOR THE FULL REVIEWS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMARTWATCHES & STUFF.TV/TOP-10/FITNESS-TRACKERS
JLab JBuds Air Sport
£70 / go.stuff.tv/AirSport
The third-gen JBuds Air Sport seriously flex
JLab’s value muscle: with a solid earhook fit,
custom EQ, an ambient awareness mode
plus rapid charging and Tile finder tools, they
offer ace performance for well under £100.
Stuff says +++++
Dedicated fitness buds on a nice budget
Hammerhead Karoo 2
£235 / go.stuff.tv/Karoo2
Effectively running a tiny Android phone
inside a custom case feels like a no-brainer
for a bike computer. The 3.2in display is a
delight, and navigating with swipes and taps
is easy and intuitive – even with gloves on.
Stuff says +++++
No longer No1 but still a great bike computer
Wattbike Atom
+++++£2399 / go.stuff.tv/WBAtom
If you’re serious about improving your cycling
form at home, this is the bike to get.
Fitbit Charge 5
++++,£130 / go.stuff.tv/Charge5
Goes beyond basic tracking with clever
features centred on health and stress.

TIPS &
TRICKS
If you can afford it,
the 512GB option
brings faster flash
storage (and more
of it, of course).
Naturally the M2 Air
performs better than
the M1 version, but
that older model is
the value buy.
2 3
Apple MacBook Pro 16in
from £2699 / go.stuff.tv/Pro16
Powered by either an M2 Pro or
an M2 Max processor, the latest
MacBook Pro is a special machine…
and it shows that, if Apple’s chips
continue their trajectory, the rest
of the PC industry will struggle
for some time to come. Debates
about whether the Mac should
have a touchscreen or whether
the iPad Pro should run macOS
are for another time, because
what’s on offer with this laptop
is remarkable – as long as you
have the budget, it’s the ultimate
do-anything computer.
Stuff says +++++
If you’re looking for a productivity
powerhouse, you’ve just found it
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW LAPTOPS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/LAPTOPS
87 LAPTOPS TOP TENS
1 HOT
BUY
Apple MacBook
Air (M2) 13in
from £1149 / go.stuff.tv/AirM2
With its super-powered M2 processor, the
latest version of Apple’s ‘basic’ laptop leaves
the M1 model – an excellent machine in its
own right – in the dust. This revamp redefines
the Air in a meaningful way, setting a yardstick
by which Apple’s entry-level devices will be
judged… including the newer 15in version, which
isn’t quite such a good deal.
Stuff says +++++
Shame about the price hike, but this is
still the Mac to buy for most users
O NOW ADD THIS
Belkin 4-Port GaN Charger 108W
This brick lets you charge your Mac
laptop through its 96W USB-C output…
while juicing up three other devices.
£80 / belkin.com
Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED
4 +++++ £1500 / go.stuff.tv/S13
You really feel like you can do just about anything
anywhere with this super-lightweight machine.
LG Gram 16
5 +++++ from £1399 / go.stuff.tv/Gram16
An incredible ultraportable that’s among the best
Windows has to offer, and with great battery life.
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2023)
6 +++++ from £1215 / go.stuff.tv/XPS13twoinone
This is Dell doing what it does best: delivering a
flexible and powerful machine for a fair price.
Asus Zenbook Pro 14 OLED Microsoft Surface Pro 9
from £1999 / go.stuff.tv/Pro14OLED
It sets out to be the MacBook Pro
7 +++++ from £899 / go.stuff.tv/SurfacePro9
It’s not as good a tablet as Apple’s iPad Pro, but
there’s no better do-it-all hybrid available today.
for Windows fans, and there’s no
questioning the Pro 14 OLED’s
power: it’s a seriously punchy Huawei MateBook X Pro
machine with a screen that’s
clearly one of the best around.
Plus the keyboard is comfortable,
8 +++++ £1800 / go.stuff.tv/XPro
This is a real powerhouse of a Windows laptop.
See also the equally slick MateBook 14s.
there are plenty of connectivity
options, and battery life is decent.
For on-the-go video and photo HP Chromebook x2
editing or 3D rendering, this is
an excellent choice – and it’s
more than happy to handle gaming
9 ++++, £500 / go.stuff.tv/HPx2
A great showcase for what Chromebooks can
do, and a true hybrid.
plus all your other entertainment
needs too.
Lenovo Yoga Book 9i Gen 8
Stuff says +++++
A superbly powerful (and pricey)
portable built for creatives
10 ++++, from £2243 / go.stuff.tv/Yoga9i
With dual 13.3in OLEDs, this can serve as a
laptop, a tablet or almost anything in between.
TOP TENS TVs
TIPS &
TRICKS
Google Assistant
wakes with a press
of the remote; Alexa
users can use a
linked smart speaker.
The picture menus
are extensive, but well
worth a visit to rein
in the motion control
and noise reduction.
Only two of the
HDMI ports are at
2.1 standard, so check
before plugging in
your games console.
2 NEW
LG OLED65G3
£2699 / go.stuff.tv/G3
The sixth generation of LG’s clever
Alpha 9 processor is running the
G3 show – which means improved
HDR and better-balanced audio,
plus the sort of authority over
even the trickiest content that
ensures it’s always a natural watch.
But the biggest advantage of the
lot is the Micro Lens Array tech
that uses billions of tiny lenses
to focus the light output of the
panel’s pixels – so the G3 is much,
much brighter than you might be
expecting, but doesn’t use any
more energy than a regular OLED.
Stuff says +++++
If the LG G3 is anything to go by,
there’s life in the OLED dog yet
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW TELEVISIONS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/TVs
88
3 +++++ £1299 / go.stuff.tv/OLED807
Sony XR-55A95K
£1999 / go.stuff.tv/A95K
Samsung developed QD-OLED
to address the one shortcoming
of OLED – a relative lack of
brightness – yet it’s Sony
that leads the pack now. This
QD-OLED set doesn’t come
cheap, but its performance makes
the price look fair enough. In every
respect – colour balance, motion
control, detail – it performs
impeccably. It’s a brilliantly
naturalistic and lifelike watch,
with the deep, varied black
tones that are one of the real
OLED trademarks.
Stuff says +++++
QD-OLED technology is here, and
on this evidence it’s the real deal
1 HOT
BUY
Philips 55OLED907
£1930 / go.stuff.tv/OLED907
It’s no one’s idea of a bargain, but nevertheless
the 55OLED907 will be money well spent for
even mild telly addicts. For once, here’s a TV
with audio quality that truly matches its image
quality – and be in no doubt, the image quality
available here is very impressive indeed. The
Ambilight illuminations are as slick as ever too.
Resign yourself to a long stint sorting out the
initial setup (as is always the way with Philips)
and you’ll never look back.
Stuff says +++++
A great OLED television with impressive
brightness and top-class audio
O NOW ADD THIS
Apple TV 4K
Fills the one hole in Android TV’s
streaming lineup, and is a must if
you’re all-in with Apple’s other tech.
from £149 / apple.com
Philips 55OLED807
This is Philips throwing down the mid-range
OLED gauntlet.
LG OLED65C3
+++++ £2099 / go.stuff.tv/C3
A top all-rounder – add the C3 to the long list of
brilliant OLED tellies LG has delivered.
NEW Hisense 55U7KQTUK
+++++ £899 / go.stuff.tv/U7KQT
BARGAIN
And you thought your budget wouldn’t stretch
BUY to a properly well-specced TV…
Philips 65OLED937
+++++ £2899 / go.stuff.tv/OLED937
Stunning picture quality, hi-fi sound and the
Ambilight bonus: this OLED has it where it counts.
BARGAIN
BUY Samsung 50AU9000
+++++ £529 / go.stuff.tv/AU9000
As much TV as most people will ever need, and
at a reasonable price.
BARGAIN
BUY TCL Roku TV 55RC630K
+++++ £379 / go.stuff.tv/630K
Consistent picture quality and a streamlined
interface: for the price, this one’s hard to beat.
NEW Sony XR-55A80L
+++++ £1699 / go.stuff.tv/A80L
When the fundamentals are done this well, the
lack of added features hardly matters.
 Sonos Arc
2 £899 / go.stuff.tv/SonosArc
Don’t expect this soundbar to do everything
a multi-speaker Dolby Atmos setup can
do, but its up-firing and side-firing drivers
give a real sense of cinematic scale. See also
the much more affordable Ray model.
Stuff says +++++
Big-screen sound for your big-screen binges
BARGAIN
BUY Roku Streambar
3 £85 / go.stuff.tv/Streambar
It’s a compact soundbar and a versatile
streaming stick in the same box – and both
parts of the deal work brilliantly well. This is
the simplest and cheapest way to upgrade
your TV’s sound and smarts in one go.
Stuff says +++++
A punchy little bar with built-in streaming skills
Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
4 +++++£499 / go.stuff.tv/SonosBeam
The addition of Dolby Atmos has made an
excellent compact soundbar even better.
Devialet Dione
5 +++++£1800 / go.stuff.tv/Dione
Striking looks, awesome power: it’s Devialet
business as (un)usual.
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE PRODUCTS IN OUR TOP TEN LISTINGS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
2 £60 / go.stuff.tv/FireStick4K
This streaming stick offers 4K plus a faster
processor than the original Fire TV Stick,
and comes with an Alexa remote… but see
also the Max model below, and the cheaper
non-4K version.
Stuff says +++++
Simply a great 4K streaming stick
BARGAIN
BUY Roku Express 4K
3 £35 / go.stuff.tv/Express4K
Powered by the user-friendly Roku OS and
offering all the streaming services you’d
expect, this compellingly versatile yet
surprisingly affordable 4K receiver sits
discreetly below your telly.
Stuff says +++++
The best-value streaming device you can buy
Chromecast with Google TV
4 +++++from £35 / go.stuff.tv/ChromecastTV
A solid buy if you like Google’s casting tricks
but also want all your TV apps in one place.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
5 ++++,£65 / go.stuff.tv/Fire4KMax
The ‘Max’ part means faster insides, Wi-Fi 6
support and a remote with more buttons.
TOP TENS TABLETS
1 HOT
BUY
Apple iPad Air
from £669 / go.stuff.tv/iPadAir
This tablet has enough power to rival the flagship iPad Pro – and
even quite a few current MacBooks. And though you might need
to add a keyboard, a stylus and even a gamepad to make the most
of it, the latest Air reinforces the growing sense that an iPad really
can be a laptop replacement for doing proper work (or play). Slight
storage dilemmas aside, this is a top-notch device, supported by
an ecosystem that makes it highly versatile for an increasingly
wide range of users.
Stuff says +++++
It’s not perfect, but this latest iPad Air is a top-quality
package – not least because of that M1 chip
Apple iPad Pro
from £899 / go.stuff.tv/ProM2
There’s so much you can do with this
stunningly powerful tablet. The only snag
is, you do need to buy the Magic Keyboard
and Apple Pencil to really make it fly – and
that pushes up an already high price.
Stuff says +++++
M2 power makes the Pro better than ever
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra
from £1199 / go.stuff.tv/S8Ultra
Its sheer size might make it a bit niche, but
this Galaxy Tab is perfect for watching films,
playing games, reading text and taking notes
with the bundled S Pen. Add DeX, and this is
the best Android tab money can buy.
Stuff says +++++
Samsung has made the ultimate Android tablet
Xiaomi Pad 5
+++++ from £319 / go.stuff.tv/Pad5
Xiaomi’s do-it-all Android tab is a proper
all-round bargain.
Apple iPad
+++++ from £499 / go.stuff.tv/iPad10
A much-needed and mostly excellent
reworking of Apple’s entry-level tablet.
FOR FULL REVIEWS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/TABLETS & STUFF.TV/TOP-10/GAMES-MACHINES
90 CONSOLES TOP TENS
1 HOT
BUY
Sony PlayStation 5
£400 / go.stuff.tv/PS5
The PS5 is not a modest upgrade. Its hulking design means it’ll
make a bad first impression on some, but spend time playing it
and it’ll soon win you over – and then some. This is essentially a
high-spec gaming PC for the living room: stupendously powerful,
with greatly reduced loading times compared to the PS4. Most
last-gen titles will run fine and the lineup of new games is strong,
while developers have found increasingly clever ways to use that
DualSense pad and its haptic feedback trickery.
Stuff says +++++
Huge power, clever hardware and a guarantee of great
games to come make the PS5 hard to resist
Nintendo Switch OLED
2 £310 / go.stuff.tv/SwitchOLED
While it’s identical to the standard Switch in
terms of raw power, the OLED model does
move things on with its bigger, better display.
If you’re looking to buy a Switch for the first
time, this one is well worth the extra cash.
Stuff says ++++,
A tempting upgrade from the trusty old Switch
Microsoft Xbox Series X
3 £480 / go.stuff.tv/XSX
A fully future-proofed machine that doesn’t
scrimp on specs or speed, the Series X just
wants more exclusive titles to make it sing.
Xbox Game Pass remains pretty much the
best streamed offering in gaming.
Stuff says ++++,
A beast of a console that needs more games
Valve Steam Deck
4 ++++,from £349 / go.stuff.tv/SteamDeck
Battery life is a worry, but this do-anything
device could revolutionise PC gaming.
Microsoft Xbox Series S
5 ++++,£250 / go.stuff.tv/XSS
Delivers affordability without sacrificing key
features, but still falls short on new titles.

2 NEW
Baldur’s Gate 3
from £22 / PS5, PC
You needn’t have mulled over thick
rulebooks and perfected your D20
dice rolls to immerse yourself in
Baldur’s Gate 3. Even newcomers
to Dungeons & Dragons will
appreciate some of the most
epic and absorbing role-playing
stories ever conceived.
Stuff says +++++
Engrossing and vast in scope, this is
the grandest D&D RPG ever made
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW GAMES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/GAMES
Elden Ring
3 4 +++++ from £33 / PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1, PC
Majestic and daunting, this is like no other
open-world action RPG.
God of War Ragnarok
5 +++++ £35 / PS5, PS4
Bigger and better than the original GoW in
every way, Ragnarok deserves godlike status.
Hades
6 +++++ from £10 / all platforms
Great even if you don’t like roguelites …and if
you do, it’s the best there is.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns
7 +++++ from £16 / PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1, PC
Excellent as both a tactical RPG and a superhero
friendship simulator.
Diablo IV
Street Fighter 6
from £35 / PS5, PS4, XSX, PC
8 +++++ from £42 / PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1, PC
A hugely satisfying dungeon crawler, whether
played solo or in a group.
The latest Street Fighter doesn’t
rewrite the rules of beat-’em-ups,
but it does rejuvenate the genre Return to Monkey Island
for newbies and purists alike. It’s
packed with options across three
playing modes, and the new Drive
9 +++++ from £14 / PS5, PC, Switch
A delightful, laugh-out-loud return to a pirate
adventure classic.
system brings together the coolest
mechanics from across the series.
Final Fantasy XVI
Stuff says +++++
The best fighting game in years has
got something for everyone
10 +++++ £55 / PS5
An epic story matched by phenomenal battles
and set pieces: an unmissable PS5 exclusive.
TOP TENS SPEAKERS
TIPS &
TRICKS
You can control your
Move with the touch
controls on top, the
Sonos app, Google
Assistant or Alexa.
2 3
Sonos Era 100
£249 / go.stuff.tv/Era100
Improved in every way over the
already brilliant Sonos One – not
least with the crucial addition of
Bluetooth support – the Era 100
matches its key rivals for sound
quality. If you’ve got an existing
Sonos system, it’s the obvious
choice. And see also the Era 300,
a much bigger speaker that really
excels at spatial audio and takes
standard stereo recordings up
a notch. Both are super-smart
if you add Alexa and can do all the
usual multiroom stuff you expect
from Sonos.
Stuff says +++++
The most classy smart speaker you
can get for the price
FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS AND REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW HI-FI, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/HI-FI-STREAMING
92
Auto Trueplay adapts
the Move’s sound
to different rooms,
while the app offers
1 HOT
additional EQ tweaks.
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin
£699 / go.stuff.tv/Zeppelin
No, the latest Zeppelin doesn’t
quite give the widely separated
stereo sound it reckons it can.
And no, that downward-facing
‘ambient’ light doesn’t serve much
of a purpose, while the absence
of an HDMI input is perplexing.
But in every other respect this
is a deeply impressive wireless
speaker. There’s no clever DSP
magic, just excellent sound with
a stack of music-making talent
and a control app that helps rather
than hinders. It’s basically the
complete package.
Stuff says +++++
Supremely enjoyable hi-fi sound in
a supremely large package
BUY UPDATE
Sonos Move
£369 / go.stuff.tv/SonosMove
The arrival of the Move 2 (tested on p59) means
this is surely the original Move’s last stand in
the No1 spot. Sonos’s first battery-powered
portable model, its adaptability and sound
quality mean it’s fine value for money, and
a no-brainer for anyone who’s already a fan
of the brand. This is the speaker Sonos should
have launched years earlier – and for even
better portability, see the Roam model at No4
on this list.
Stuff says +++++
Sonos gets up to speed with the portable
speaker craze, and in style
O NOW ADD THIS
YouTube Music Premium
If you’d like a side of optional visuals
with your audio, look no further than
the ad-free tier of YouTube Music.
£10.99/m / music.youtube.com
Sonos Roam
+++++ £179 / go.stuff.tv/SonosRoam
There are better-sounding sub-£200 speakers,
but none with the Roam’s portable skills.
Naim Mu-so 2nd Generation
+++++ £1149 / go.stuff.tv/Mu-so2
More than capable of maintaining Naim’s position
at the front of the luxury hi-fi pack.
Audio Pro C10 MkII
+++++ £328 / go.stuff.tv/C10Mk2
Ideal for multiroom systems – there’s nothing
else that sounds this good at this price.
Devialet Phantom 1 108dB
+++++ £2800 each / go.stuff.tv/Phantom1
An insanely powerful lump of hi-fi magic, best
enjoyed in a neighbour-terrifying stereo pair.
JBL Charge 5
+++++ £140 / go.stuff.tv/JBLC5
A no-nonsense portable speaker for audio fans
who won’t settle for a sonic lightweight.
Q Acoustics M20
+++++ £342 (pair) / go.stuff.tv/QM20
Hi-res sound from multiple sources, with none
of the compromises the price suggests.
Apple HomePod
++++, £299 / go.stuff.tv/HomePod
The latest HomePod is an all-round improvement,
but Siri still lags behind.
TOP TENS E-BIKES
1 HOT
BUY
Honbike Uni4
£1599 / go.stuff.tv/Uni4
This urban e-bike is designed to be as maintenance-free as
possible, with no gears, integrated lights, and a hub that swaps
the oily chain for a nice clean belt. The non-removable battery
might make it a poor choice for flat-dwellers, and the fixed
gearing limits its touring appeal, but the Uni4 is an otherwise
fantastic performer. The display is slick, the app strong and the
styling distinctive. It undercuts similarly stylish rivals on price yet
doesn’t skimp on features.
Stuff says +++++
An appealing blend of outstanding looks, minimal
maintenance and a relaxed electric ride
Cowboy Classic
2 from £2190 / go.stuff.tv/CowboyClassic
The Belgian maker’s flagship steed has 50%
more torque than its predecessor, but the
slinky profile and simple interface with GPS
remain… and there’s also an equally excellent
step-through version, the Cruiser ST.
Stuff says +++++
Smoothly integrated e-power at a good price
LeMond Prolog
3 £4415 / go.stuff.tv/Prolog
From multiple Tour de France winner and
world road race champion Greg LeMond, the
Prolog is an all-carbon commute-crushing
machine that doesn’t really look like it has
a motor or a battery at all.
Stuff says +++++
If you want gears and lightness, it’s worth it
Ribble Endurance SL e Pro
4 +++++from £5199 / go.stuff.tv/Endurance
Super-light and a great bike on its own – the
motor is just the icing on the hilly cake.
Gocycle G4i
5 +++++£4499 / go.stuff.tv/G4i
This folding e-bike is silky-smooth, super-fast
and splendidly futuristic… for a price.
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THESE GADGETS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10
93 ELECTRIC CARS TOP TENS
1 HOT
BUY
Kia EV6
from £45,245 / go.stuff.tv/EV6
This Korean crossover arrived with a properly head-turning design
and a roomy cabin packed with tech features, including dynamic
AR navigation graphics that make it virtually impossible to go
the wrong way. It’ll manage up to 300 miles on a charge and can
handle a heady 350kW when it’s time to plug in, so you’ll only need
a 20min pitstop before you can get back out on the road. Everyday
driving is a real treat, thanks to a refined ride and light steering, but
it also impresses through the twisty bits.
Stuff says +++++
A fantastic family-focused EV, with so many features
you’ll be making excuses to go for a drive on your own
BMW i4
2 from £49,995 / go.stuff.tv/i4
The i4 makes a lot of sense if you want a
no-nonsense fully electric BMW but still
prefer the look and feel of a petrol car. Even
the entry-level spec provides more than
enough thrills to keep most people happy.
Stuff says +++++
A great way to enter the world of electric cars
Porsche Taycan
3 from £79,200 / go.stuff.tv/Taycan
It was about time someone took the fight
to Tesla, and boy has Porsche delivered with
the Taycan. This four-door saloon is the EV
that petrolheads have been waiting for, with
a dynamism that can’t be matched.
Stuff says +++++
Power, handling, tech: the most exciting EV yet
Audi Q4 E-tron
4 +++++from £51,325 / go.stuff.tv/Q4Etron
A smart and highly practical car, this is the
best all-round electric SUV we’ve driven.
Polestar 2
5 +++++from £44,950 / go.stuff.tv/Polestar2
This handsome five-door saloon is perky and
fun to throw around corners.
TOP TENS SMART HOME 94

1 HOT
BUY

Amazon Echo
(4th Gen)
£80 / go.stuff.tv/Echo

Having morphed from a cylinder to a sphere,

TIPS & the latest Echo is an excellent newsreader,
TRICKS weather forecaster, personal assistant and
intercom straight out of the box; but it’s now
The Echo’s built-in also a capable speaker and a very accessible
Zigbee hub can hook smart home hub. It doesn’t sound as good
up hundreds of as the Sonos One for listening to music, but
smart home devices it’s significantly smarter and considerably
without a bridge. cheaper too.

Pair a compatible Stuff says +++++

thermostat and the An all-round upgrade that makes the
Echo’s temperature Echo a smarter speaker than ever
sensor can activate
the heating.
O NOW ADD THIS
Alexa Flash Briefings Honeywell T6R
deliver bursts This Zigbee-enabled thermostat
of news or trivia; is wireless so you can place it
choose from a wide where it’s most convenient.
range of sources. £170 / screwfix.com

Ring Indoor Camera (2nd Gen)

2 3 4 +++++£50 / go.stuff.tv/RingIndoor2
Minimally tweaked for v2, this cute spy-cam is
a real bargain for anyone with security worries.

Nest Learning Thermostat

5 +++++£219 / go.stuff.tv/NestTherm
A simple and mess-free smart thermostat with
Alexa compatibility.

Arlo Pro 5
6 +++++£220 / go.stuff.tv/ArloPro5
A premium indoor/outdoor security cam with
excellent detail and colour night vision.

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) Google Nest Mini Amazon Echo Show 15
from £55 / go.stuff.tv/Dot5 £49 / go.stuff.tv/NestMini

The latest Dot offers improved
sound quality over the 4th Gen
model. Not surprisingly given its
size, it still doesn’t have the heft
of a full-scale Echo, but this Dot is
more than good enough for bedside
table or kitchen listening – and light
years away from the lame sound
of the early models. Be sure to
consider the £65 ‘with Clock’
version, which offers a better and
much more useful LED display than
the previous model – you can now
see things like basic weather info
and song titles.
Stuff says +++++
The 5th Gen brings a nice upgrade
to an already excellent little gadget
If you live in Google’s world (and
7 +++++£270 / go.stuff.tv/EchoShow15
Amazon’s smart display has come of age – this
is easily the best Show in town.
let’s face it, most of us do) then
the Nest Mini is the best, cheapest
way to get into the smart home Philips Hue Starter Kit
game. Just like the latest Echo
Dot, this latest version features
upgraded speakers and mics
8 +++++from £70 / go.stuff.tv/Hue
Become an indoor god with the smartest way
of lighting up your home remotely.
compared to older models. It’s
a slightly better bet than the Echo
Dot with Clock if you want close Dyson V15 Detect Absolute
integration with your Google
calendar and apps. The only
reason not to buy is if you want
9 +++++£700 / go.stuff.tv/V15Absolute
Ludicrous but brilliant: a vacuum cleaner that
illuminates your dust particles with a laser.
more powerful audio – for that,
get the Google Nest Audio instead.
Ring Intercom
Stuff says +++++
Louder and cleverer than ever… and
it’ll only improve with updates
10 +++++from £100 / go.stuff.tv/RingIntercom
Great news for people in flats, making it easier to
receive packages and give access remotely.

FOR FULL REVIEWS OF THE BEST SMART HOME DEVICES, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SMART-HOME-DEVICES
TOP TENS VR HEADSETS 95 DRONES & ACTION CAMS TOP TENS
1 HOT
BUY
Meta Quest 2
£299 / go.stuff.tv/Quest2
The original Quest felt almost too good to be true. Its successor
lacks the same wow factor, but you can’t argue with a better
display and processor – not to mention a lighter, more comfy
build – and the fantastic Beat Saber now thrown in. Are there
more powerful headsets? Is motion sickness still an issue? Yes
to both, but superb tracking and a total absence of wires make
this the VR package to get… and you no longer have to be logged
in to Facebook to use it. See also the work-orientated Pro model.
Stuff says +++++
Not a complete reinvention, but our favourite VR
headset is now even better in all sorts of ways
PlayStation VR 2
£530 / go.stuff.tv/PSVR2
This is an improvement on the PSVR in every
way, as long as you have a PS5 to plug it into:
it’s easier to set up and has great controllers
plus futuristic eye-tracking tech. Many of the
launch games are not really new, though.
Stuff says ++++,
Mighty hardware, but it needs more games
Valve Index
£919 / go.stuff.tv/ValveIndex
While not revolutionary, the Index carries
enough subtle upgrades to put it atop the
PC-based headset pack. Everything looks
fabulous and the controllers deliver the most
fluid-feeling VR interactions to date.
Stuff says ++++,
The best of the performance-PC VR options
HTC Vive Pro
++++,from £449 / go.stuff.tv/VivePro
No longer the top dog for high-end VR using
a PC, but it looks crisp and feels comfy.
Pico 4
++++,from £379 / go.stuff.tv/Pico4
A nice-priced headset with sharp resolution,
but Meta has the edge for big exclusives.
FOR FULL REVIEWS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE OF THE STUFF TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10
1 HOT
BUY UPDATE
GoPro Hero11 Black
£350 / go.stuff.tv/Hero11
Yes, well spotted, there’s a new Hero12 Black and it’s reviewed on
p29. So look out for cheeky discounts on last year’s model – the
first GoPro with an almost square 8:7 aspect ratio, capturing
footage that can be losslessly cropped at high quality for YouTube,
Instagram, TikTok or whatever other format you want. Most
importantly, its lightweight build is just as durable as past
GoPros, and with HyperSmooth stabilisation you can expect
footage with best-in-class smoothness.
Stuff says +++++
An innovative and powerful camera that’s good for
creators and adventurers alike
DJI Air 2S
£899 / go.stuff.tv/Air2S
DJI’s laurels remain assuredly un-rested-upon,
and this may be its best drone yet: an almost
perfect balance of portability, performance
and price, ideal for novices but still able to
produce nigh-on pro-level results.
Stuff says +++++
The best all-round camera drone on the market
DJI Mini 3
£429 / go.stuff.tv/Mini3
The Mini 3 is a delightfully small and portable
fly-anywhere quadcopter with great battery
life and solid imaging performance. There are
downsides compared to its Pro cousin, but
the cash saving is a major one.
Stuff says +++++
A superb entry-level flyer with ace stamina
DJI Mavic 3 Pro
+++++£1879 / go.stuff.tv/Mavic3Pro
It’s not going to be for everyone, but drone
professionals will love this model’s flexibility.
Insta360 One RS 1-Inch 360 Edition
++++,£769 / go.stuff.tv/360Edition
Huge 1in sensors make this the best 360°
cam you can get for image quality.
TOP TENS CAMERAS
TIPS &
TRICKS
It’s easy to set up the
X-T5’s customisable
Q button: just hold it
down for a couple of
seconds for options.
Give your pics a
retro vibe with film
simulations, which
mimic the look of
classic 35mm shots.
Fuji’s free Pixel Shift
Combiner software
merges multiple
RAW snaps into giant
400MP images.
2 3
Sony A7 IV
£2399 / go.stuff.tv/A7iv
The A7 series might be marketed
as Sony’s ‘basic’ full-frame
E-mount camera, but it’s now
become a premium model in its
own right. The A7 III proved very
popular with content creators,
delivering both strong 4K video
and ace stills; the A7 IV takes things
further with even better image
quality, improved performance
and a host of thoughtful design
touches. It’s pricey compared to
some APS-C and Micro Four Thirds
options, but there’s a lot going on
here for the money.
Stuff says +++++
Sony’s mirrorless all-rounder delivers
premium-quality stills and video
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THE BEST NEW CAMERAS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10/SYSTEM-CAMERAS
96
1 HOT
BUY
Fujifilm X-T5
£1699 / go.stuff.tv/XT5
Fujifilm’s most popular compact system camera
gets a sensor upgrade while keeping up tradition
everywhere else. This means you’re getting
O System camera prices quoted are for body only unless otherwise stated
identical stills performance to the more modern
X-H2, while retaining the old X-T4’s dials and
compact dimensions – making the X-T5 the
sweet spot of Fuji’s lineup, and a top all-rounder.
The sensor is even better at low-light shooting
than before, and the wide choice of lenses means
everyone will find something to like.
Stuff says +++++
Slick modern internals meet the manual
controls loved by Fuji diehards
O NOW ADD THIS
Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f4
This versatile lens covers a bigger
zoom range than most and adapts
to pretty much any requirements.
£699 / wexphotovideo.com
Sony A7C
+++++£1699 / go.stuff.tv/A7C
Superb quality and full-frame goodness from
a half-pint camera.
Nikon D780
+++++£2099 / go.stuff.tv/D780
An all-round DSLR that’s built like a tank and
borrows the best tricks of its mirrorless siblings.
Leica Q3
+++++£5300 (fixed lens) / go.stuff.tv/Q3
Simply an exceptionally capable (and, yes,
exceptionally expensive) compact camera.
Canon EOS R7 Fujifilm X-S20
£1449 / go.stuff.tv/EOSR7 +++++£1249 / go.stuff.tv/XS20
Compact yet absolutely stuffed with features,
The R7 is quick enough to excel this is a cracking mid-range camera.
at sport and wildlife shooting, and
delivers excellent image quality
and consistent battery life in a Canon EOS RP
body that’s small and light enough +++++£1049 / go.stuff.tv/EOSRP
to take just about anywhere. The A full-frame mirrorless marvel that’s light enough
only real black mark, aside from to not be a burden and offers top picture quality.
a relatively low-resolution EVF, is
the lack of lens options compared
to the likes of Sony’s E-mount Sony ZV-E1
series and Fuji’s X-mount. But +++++£1899 / go.stuff.tv/ZVE1
if you’re in it for the long haul With brilliant video skills, this vlog-friendly cam is
and don’t mind waiting for more like a cheaper, smaller Sony A7S III.
choices to come along, this is
a fine buy.
Panasonic Lumix GH6
Stuff says +++++ +++++£1599 / go.stuff.tv/GH6
A mid-ranger with speed, image This superb Micro Four Thirds camera is easily
quality and handling on its side Panasonic’s best mirrorless yet for video.

TIPS &
TRICKS
Fed up of yelling?
Alexa’s voice can
work like an intercom
with connected
Echo devices.
Alexa Voice
Shopping lets you
order from Amazon;
add a ‘voice code’ to
keep the kids off.
Dot at your bedside?
Saying “Alexa, turn
on whisper mode”
will stop it waking
up sleepyheads.
Microsoft Xbox
Wireless Headset
£90 / go.stuff.tv/XboxHeadset
With their chunky earpads, these
black cans are unmistakably Xbox.
And the sound is impressive for
the price, with a low-end response
so impactful we had to turn down
the bass in the Xbox’s EQ app. You
might find yourself wishing for
some sort of multifunction button
for non-gaming use (and there’s no
case, suggesting Microsoft expects
you to keep it in the house). But if
you like the sound of keeping your
Xbox headset outlay below three
figures, look no further.
Stuff says +++++
Yes, you really can bag a decent
gaming headset for under £100
FOR FULL REVIEWS OF ALL THESE GADGETS, AND TO EXPLORE MORE TOP TEN LISTS, VISIT STUFF.TV/TOP-10
97 BUDGET BUYS TOP TENS
1 HOT
BUY
Amazon Echo Dot
(5th Gen)
from £55 / go.stuff.tv/Dot5
The latest Dot offers improved sound quality
over the 4th Gen model. Not surprisingly given
its size, it still doesn’t have the heft of a full-scale
Echo, but this Dot is more than good enough
for bedside table or kitchen listening – and light
years away from the lame sound of the early
models. Be sure to consider the £65 ‘with Clock’
version, which offers a better and much more
useful LED display than the previous model.
Stuff says +++++
The 5th Gen brings a nice upgrade to
an already excellent little gadget
O NOW ADD THIS
Sportlink Wall Mount
This mount for the Dot (and other
small speakers) will keep it clear
from wet kitchen surfaces.
£20 / amazon.co.uk
SanDisk Extreme 1TB
4 +++++£79 / go.stuff.tv/Extreme1TB
A rugged little SSD for those who don’t just
need a drive to dump next to their desktop.
Razer Kishi V2
5 +++++ £100 / go.stuff.tv/Kishi2
This compact device is a sleek (if pricey) way to
turn your phone into a games console.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 12
6 ++++, £80 / go.stuff.tv/Mini12
Charmingly simple, this affordable instant
camera ejects a print in just five seconds.
Amazon Kindle Evercade EXP
£95 / go.stuff.tv/Kindle
The basic Kindle gets its first
7 ++++,£130 / go.stuff.tv/EXP
A hymn to gaming’s past and a big improvement
over the original Evercade handheld console.
update for three years – and
jumps into the water alongside
the interesting new Kindle Scribe. Poco M4 Pro
It’s the same size as before
at 6in, but slightly lighter; and
the wonderful display now has
8 ++++,£249 / go.stuff.tv/M4Pro
Skips a few luxuries, but still a seriously good
Android phone for the price.
a higher resolution (300dpi),
while there are also upgrades
to battery life and storage. The Beurer TL50
latter goes up to 16GB from 8GB,
but the stamina improvement
is better still: an impressive six
9 ++++,£50 / go.stuff.tv/TL50
A beautifully designed anti-SAD lamp that
doesn’t cost the earth.
weeks instead of four. This is a
great sub-£100 e-reader.
UE Wonderboom 3
Stuff says +++++
Some nice improvements make the
latest entry-level Kindle a doozy
10 ++++,£90 / go.stuff.tv/WB3
Showing its age at version 3, but still one of the
best compact Bluetooth speakers around.

RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES 1983
Microsoft word
he app everyone loves to hate.
T Because it’s awful. Why are you
doing this?
Because it’s worth taking stock as
one of the most famous pieces of software
in history hits 40 – and recognising how
revolutionary it was. In 1983, most people
still smashed out words on typewriters.
Magazines and newspapers were literally
‘pasted up’ on boards. Word ushered in an
era of WYSIWYG word processing, where
you could write like you were living in the
future. Well, sort of. At first it didn’t even
have spell check.
DON’T MISS THE NEXT ISSUE! ON SALE 27 OCT
That’s OK. What proper writer needs a
spelf chek feature anyway?
Indeed. That said, even the very first Word
came with goodies. There were character
styles and a graphics mode to view them.
You could find and replace text. Sure, the
interface was crude, but if you were a whizz
with the Tab key you could blaze through
settings. Later, as the app evolved on DOS
and then Mac and Windows, more modern
menus rocked up. As did other things… that
were not always welcome. For every ‘track
changes’, there was a Clippit that risked
making every user hurl their PC into a furnace.
Mess I’m
changing
Reckon modern Word is
too cluttered and should be
stripped back? A few hours
with the horror that is
version 1 would give you
some perspective
on that.
It looks like you’re trying to finish a Stuff
column about Word. Would you like help?
Arrgh, stop! Still, at least Clippit provoked
emotion – rarely the case with Word, which
is mostly just grudgingly accepted. Perhaps
that’s inevitable in having to keep so many
disparate audiences happy. It has to do so
much and is no longer just about, well, words.
And if Microsoft’s AI machinations win out,
[ Words Craig Grannell ]
even your words won’t matter, as countless
computers running ChatGPT-infested Word
churn out endless garbage until the end of
time, locking humans out forever. We’d best
dust off those old typewriters…
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