It's Monday, and you know what that means: it's time for another entry in our weekly Rewind column, where we highlight the biggest hi-fi and home cinema stories you might have missed from last week.
What's been happening? We got our first look at the brand new TV and home cinema products coming from Samsung in 2025, while another lucky writer listened to his favourite Radiohead album in a very special setting and on a very special system.
We also published an extensive explainer on the new Primary RGB Tandem OLED TV technology, reviewed Elac's latest budget speakers, and got very excited about the launch of a new Audiolab stereo amplifier.
Let's get into it.
We were wowed by this futuristic projector from Samsung's 2025 AV range
Our TV/AV senior staff writer Lewis Empson headed to Frankfurt, Germany for extended hands-on time with Samsung's 2025 AV range, which included the latest TVs such as the S95F QD-OLED TV and the QN990F 8K Mini LED TV, Dolby Atmos soundbars and Frame Pro art TV concepts.
But the one that's got everyone in the office talking is the compact Premier 5 UST projector – which can turn any table into a massive touchscreen tablet with the projected screen! See the Instagram video embedded above to see it in action. Pure wizardry.
Read our hands-on review of the Samsung QN990F 8K TV
What is Primary RGB Tandem OLED TV technology? We explain it all...
Firstly, it's a mouthful to say. Secondly, it's a new type of OLED panel technology developed by LG Display that will be used in select LG, Panasonic and Philips TVs in 2025.
What does it offer over traditional OLED, is it better than QD-OLED, and how does it work exactly? Our TV and AV editor Tom Parsons delves into all these questions and explains this new panel technology in detail, along with which TV models will feature it this year.
Read our in-depth explainer: Primary RGB Tandem OLED TV tech explained: how it works, why it’s better than MLA and how it compares with QD-OLED
Radiohead's The Bends as we've never heard it before, to celebrate its 30th anniversary
Our senior staff writer on the hi-fi/audio side, Harry McKerrell, is a bit of a Radiohead fan. So when we received an invite to hear Radiohead's second album The Bends played in full, on vinyl, on the Bowers & Wilkins speakers that were used to record the original album, with producer John Leckie in attendance and speaking about the recording for its 30th anniversary... well, we sent Harry off to have a grand old time.
To quote from his experience: "To sit immersed in a single album from start to finish served as less of a demonstration of music's intoxicating power and more a reminder of why we, as hi-fi devotees, do what we do – we understand that music isn't an accompaniment to life; it is the main event."
Read the full feature: I heard my favourite Radiohead album on the B&W speakers used to record it – and now I love it even more
Elipson upgrades its unique Planet L speakers for better performance
Remember Elipson's Planet speakers? These stylish and globe-shaped stereo speakers from one of the oldest French hi-fi brands easily stand out from the usual boxy speaker designs, and the Planet L speakers – which we reviewed all the way back in 2012 – have been given a hefty upgrade.
The new Planet L Performance speakers have updated drivers, a whole swathe of eye-catching new finishes, and they promise to deliver faster, more controlled bass, a wider soundstage and clean, detailed sound for a step-up in performance.
Read the full story: These Planet-shaped speakers promise "exceptionally pure sound" with an out-of-this-world design
We tested Elac's third-gen budget standmount speakers
Elac's Debut B5.2 stereo speakers are one of our favourite budget speakers in recent years, having snagged multiple What Hi-Fi? Award wins for their engaging, capable performance and unfussy nature for an affordable price. This model has been replaced to make way for the new Debut 3.0 range, and we finished testing the updated DB53 budget standmounter.
It's a step forward in many areas, but can it reach the same all-rounder sweet spot that we loved so much about its predecessor?
Read our full Elac Debut 3.0 DB53 review
Audiolab updates five-star 6000 stereo amplifier
One of the biggest news stories in hi-fi dropped at the tail end of the week: the launch of the Audiolab 6000MkII stereo amplifier. The original 6000A integrated amp received a five-star rating from us back in 2018, so a sequel seven years later has our full interest.
The 6000A MkII promises plenty of sonic improvements, a new DAC chip, enhanced internal circuitry, a new HDMI ARC input alongside its usual complement of analogue and digital connections, Bluetooth aptX HD and an updated MM phono stage. Price? £699, which is very competitive in today's market.
Read the story: Audiolab upgrades its five-star 6000A amplifier with a new DAC chip, enhanced circuitry and HDMI ARC
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