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Six audio products and systems were in What Hi-Fi?’s test rooms in October 2026, from high-end Italian floorstanders and affordable wired USB-C earbuds to a Sonos-rivalling wireless speaker. The preview reports specifications and prices, but not completed review results, so it does not establish which product performs best.
The six products serve different jobs: stereo listening, portable playback, wireless home audio, surround sound and home theatre. Their reported prices and features offer a useful sense of what is being tested, but there is no common test outcome that would make ranking them against one another meaningful. The details below come from What Hi-Fi?’s preview, published 5 October 2026; prices are snapshots from that article, not verified current retail prices.
What’s being tested
| Product or system | Role | Price reported in the preview | What the test is examining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonus Faber Olympica III G3 | Floorstanding stereo speakers | £20,000 / $24,000 per pair | Third-generation high-end Italian floorstanders using acoustic technology from the flagship Suprema system |
| Sennheiser CX 80U | Wired USB-C in-ear headphones | £35 / $40 | Whether they can challenge the SoundMagic E11C and E80D |
| Astell & Kern PD5 | Portable music player | £899 | A successor to the A&norma SR35, with a redesigned body and updated playback features |
| JBL Cove X1 | Wireless home speaker | £430 / $450 / AU$650 | A new flagship speaker positioned against the Sonos Era 300 |
| Dali Sonik 5 5.1 package | Complete surround-speaker package | £2,199 | Whether the speakers and subwoofer work together as a system |
| Sony Bravia Theatre Trio with Rear 9 and Sub 9 | Modular home-theatre system | Not stated in the preview | Whether Sub 9 improves on remaining imperfections heard in an earlier configuration with Sub 8 |
High-end Italian floorstanders: Sonus Faber Olympica III G3
The third-generation Olympica III G3 is an Italian-made, hand-crafted floorstanding speaker. What Hi-Fi? reports that the range draws on acoustic technology from Sonus Faber’s flagship Suprema system, including an irregular-shaped, unpainted Camelia midrange driver.
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#1 Best Overall
- Beyond the basics - This 5.2-channel home theater AV receiver delivers standout performance and value with Dolby Atmos, 4K120/8K60 HDMI, Bluetooth Multipoint and effortless setup. Delivers 70W of authoritative power and flexible speaker layouts including 3.1.2-ch. with up-firing or in-ceiling heights.
- Step into lifelike sonic worlds - Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X for deeply dimensional, lifelike sound that draws you into every moment of your favorite entertainment, plus crystal-clear dialogue so you can hear every word.
- Stunning visual realism - Supports ultra-high definition 4K/120 and 8K/60 video, high-performance HDMI switching, advanced Dolby Vision and HDR10+ dynamic range technologies, HDMI eARC/ARC and next-gen gaming features like ALLM and VRR.
- Room Correction - Experience perfect sound in any room. An included setup microphone measures your room’s acoustics and speaker characteristics, allowing the receiver to automatically optimize sound performance.
- Easy streaming with Bluetooth Multipoint - Stream all your favorite music, podcasts and audiobooks wirelessly. Built-in Bluetooth Multipoint lets you pair two source devices and instantly switch between them.
Affordable wired earbuds: Sennheiser CX 80U
The CX 80U is a budget wired in-ear model with a USB-C connection. Its internal DAC is reported to support native files up to 24-bit/96kHz, and the preview describes USB-C playback as low-latency and lossless. The reported price is £35 / $40.
The open comparison is whether it can compete with the SoundMagic E11C and E80D. The preview gives no verdict. As with any USB-C wired headphones, check that your phone, tablet or other intended source supports audio output over its USB-C connection before buying.
Rank #2
- HIGH-PERFORMANCE 7-CHANNEL AMPLIFIER WITH NEXT-GEN MOVIE IMMERSION - Enjoy Denon sound in movies, games, and music with full 3D audio support, Dynamic HDR, QMS, HDCP 2.3 & advanced video processing for the best 4K home theater (8K ready when you are)
- ADVANCED 8K HDMI VIDEO SECTION - 3 dedicated 8K inputs and 1 output (8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz pass-through; 8K upscaling on all 6 inputs). Supports 4:4:4 Pure Color Sub Sampling, HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision & HLG for exceptional color, contrast, and clarity
- MULTI-DIMENSIONAL AUDIO - In addition to Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and DTS Virtual:X, the AVR-X1700H also supports Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology that creates virtual height effects even without the height channels for a truly immersive experience
- AWARD-WINING ON-SCREEN QUICK SETUP GUIDE walks you through simple, clear instructions to connect your TV, specify EQ settings and helps you optimize your surround sound. The back-panel is laid out with color-coded connections that makes organizing simple
- MULTI-ROOM, MULTI-SOURCE STREAMING, watch a movie in one room while another family member streams music from popular services like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music HD, and more via Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2, or Bluetooth in a different zone, without interruption
Portable playback: Astell & Kern PD5
The £899 PD5 is described as the successor to Astell & Kern’s A&norma SR35. Compared with that earlier player, the preview reports a simplified redesign, eight more hours of battery life and twice the number of DACs. It does not state the PD5’s absolute battery runtime.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePlayback support is listed up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and native DSD256, with aptX and LDAC wireless support. The player can also download Tidal and Qobuz. These specifications describe supported formats and services; the preview does not report a completed listening comparison with the SR35.
Rank #3
- WATCH YOUR MOVIES IN 8K - At 70W x 5, Denon AVR-S570BT home theater receiver features (4) HDMI 2.1 8K inputs, (1) HDMI output, eARC up to 40 Gbps, successor to AVR-S540BT, ensuring HD audio playback, enhanced gaming, Power 310 W, Standby 0.1 W
- TRUE-TO-LIFE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE - The AVR-S570BT supports HDR, HLG, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR for realistic display, VRR and QFT for lag-free exceptional gaming, DTS HD Master, Dolby TrueHD immersive audio, and 5.1 surround sound receiver
- YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC AT YOUR FINGERTIPS - With built-in Bluetooth stereo receiver, play tracks from various audio sources and create an integrated multi-room audio system. Allows wireless streaming from Spotify, TIDAL, Pandora, and more
- OUR EASY ON-SCREEN HD SETUP ASSISTANT walks you through clear, intuitive instructions to connect your TV and stereo receiver with bluetooth, while specific EQ settings help optimize surround sound so you make the most of movies, music, TV, or gaming
- CONVENIENT CONTROL - Connect Denon receiver to your Smart TV remote and access speaker sources & surround selections using just one handset, or download Denon Remote App for iOS and Android to control receiver through the phone
Sonos-rivalling wireless speaker: JBL Cove X1
JBL’s Cove X1 is the flagship of a new wireless home-speaker range positioned against Sonos. The preview lists six drivers, Dolby Atmos spatial audio, AirPlay 2, Google Cast and Bluetooth, along with support for popular music services. JBL’s stated differentiators are easy connectivity and quick setup; those are manufacturer claims, not established test findings.
What Hi-Fi? gives the Cove X1’s price as £430 / $450 / AU$650 and lists the Sonos Era 300 comparator at £499 / $449 / AU$749. The regional price comparison is not uniform: the X1 is listed below the Era 300 in the UK and Australia, but above it in the US. Similar positioning and feature lists do not establish equivalent sound quality, and the preview leaves the X1’s performance unanswered.
Rank #4
- Cinematic Sound at Home: Enjoy your favorite movies, TV shows and more with theater like sound in the comfort of your home.NOTE: Scroll down the catalog to find installation Manual and User Guide for trouble shooting steps..Frequency band : 2.4 GHz band
- Virtual Front Surround: S Force PRO delivers virtual surround sound with only a 2 speaker setup
- 4K Pass Through: 4K HDR Compatible with Hdcp 2.2 Support for Sharper Source to Screen Image Quality
- SMART CONNECTIVITY: Stream music and use Bluetooth Standby to turn on the receiver from your phone
- Multi Functional System: Enjoy a Multi Channel Stereo Setup, Fm Radio Tuner and 1/4 Inches Headphone Jack
Whole-system test: Dali Sonik 5 5.1 package
The £2,199 package combines Sonik 1 and Sonik 5 speakers, a Sonik Cinema centre speaker and an E-9F subwoofer. Sonik 1 and Sonik 5 have each received five-star stereo ratings separately, but those ratings do not transfer automatically to a surround setup: the package is being tested as a complete system because component integration is not guaranteed.
Modular home theatre: Sony Bravia Theatre Trio, Rear 9 and Sub 9
The Bravia Theatre Trio is arranged as centre, left and right speakers in a soundbar-style system. In an earlier test, What Hi-Fi? paired it with optional Rear 9 speakers and Sub 8. The October configuration swaps in Sub 9 to examine whether it addresses remaining imperfections. The preview reports no outcome for the revised combination and gives no price for it.
Best Value
- 1000 Watt PEAK POWER: Donner stereo receiver provides a 1000W peak power (25W × 4 RMS power) and simplified appearance to level up your audio experience. 4 channels can be independently controlled and support up to 4 groups of 8 speakers with 4-to 16 ohms
- MULTIFUNCTION REMOTE: Without the limitation of a single function, our amplifier home audio comes with an upgraded remote control that can use the setting functions of treble/ midrange/ bass/ echo/Talkover in any input mode ( Note: 1. battery is not included; 2. please disconnect the power supply via the on/off button on the machine instead of the remote after using to avoid humming noise )
- MULTI-INPUT MODES: The audio receiver supports various sound source inputs including Bluetooth 5.3, USB (up to 64G), 2 pairs of RCA, 2 mic inputs, AUX IN, and FM radio. In addition, digital Optical fiber and coaxial interfaces have been added to fit most smart TVs （Note: 1. Please confirm whether your TV requires the "external audio output" mode to be selected before connecting our product. 2. No HDMI input ）
- CUSTOMIZED EQ CONTROL: Both the bluetooth amplifier and the remote can independently control the treble, midrange, and bass adjustment, you can set the sound as you like
- DUAL MIC INTERFACES: Equipped with dual 1/4'' microphone jacks for your karaoke party. Plus the Talk Over function can lower the background music for clearer sound output in events/ hosting/ speech occasions
What this preview can—and can’t—tell you
The article identifies what was being tested and shares selected specifications, configurations and prices. It does not provide completed reviews or establish a best buy among the six. These products span different uses, and a listed feature or a separate component’s rating is not a substitute for a result from testing the product or system as configured.
Prices, stock, regional availability and specifications can change. The figures above reflect What Hi-Fi?’s 5 October 2026 preview, not a check of current retailer listings.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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