Rewind: Rega’s latest amp, a treat from Neat, surprise iPhone 16e launch and more

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Welcome to the latest entry into our weekly Rewind hi-fi and home cinema news digest, where we detail the top stories to break over the past seven days.

Last week was a particularly busy one as not only did our team of experts have to contend with a surprise Apple launch, they also spent the weekend covering the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025, where we saw a wealth of new products launch.

Here’s what you need to know.

There were loads of new speakers at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show

Ruark Audio speakers at Bristol Hi-Fi Show stand — (Image credit: Future)

The Bristol Hi-Fi Show is a staple entry in most audio fans’ calendar and this year’s expo was a great example why. As well as showing off the latest wares from over 150 audio brands, it also saw numerous new products launch. Reporting live at the show our audio team trawled the showroom floor having a look and listen at as many of them as they could and found seven in particular that caught their eye.

Read the full story: The 7 best speakers we saw at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 – Ruark Audio, Wharfedale and more

Rega has a new amp

Rega Brio Mk7 amp — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

While most of the “new” products at Bristol were speakers, Rega bucked the trend unveiling its seventh generation Brio amp at the show.

The amp is particularly interesting for a couple of reasons. First because it comes from Rega Research, which has a very strong track record in the space, based on our decades of testing. Second, because it’s the first entry to the line with a DAC.

Read the full story: Rega reveals 7th generation Brio amplifier – and this time it has a DAC!

Fyne unveiled new mid-range speakers

Fyne Audio F500S — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Fresh off the back of our five star review of its Fyne Audio F501E, Fyne Audio unveiled its new mid-range F500S speakers last week.

We haven’t had a chance to listen to the new F500S yet, but Fyne claims they are a "significant audio and aesthetic upgrade" over the established F500 Series and on paper there’s a lot of evidence to back this up.

The speakers feature the firm’s IsoFlare driver technology. This is a cool feature we’ve seen before that aims to improve stereo imaging with a custom design where the bass/midrange driver shares a common centre with the speaker’s high-frequency unit.

Read the full story: Fyne Audio's mid-range F500S speakers aim for serious increases in sonic performance, not price

Neat’s latest speakers are outright dinky

Last week Neat launched its new Neat Iota II speakers. Why are they interesting? Because they are outright tiny, measuring in at just 13cm tall, 20cm wide and 16.5cm deep. Despite this Neat’s loaded them with some impressive hardware that it promises will let them deliver room filling, hi-fi grade audio, even in incredibly tight spaces.

Read the full story: Neat Iota II are ultra-tiny speakers with big ambitions and are ideal for small spaces

Optoma’s new UST projector is an interesting beast

Optoma Photon Go on white background — (Image credit: Optoma)

Optoma last week unveiled its new Photon Go ultra short throw projector. Though UST is a bit of a vogue category at the moment the Go is interesting as it features one key bit of tech we haven’t seen in many rivals: a battery. This, plus its small dimensions and light weight could make it an ideal option for movie fans on the hunt for a portable projector they can use on the go when travelling or even camping.

Read the full story: Optoma's new on-the-go projector is set to be one of the cheaper USTs on the market

Surprise! There’s a new cheap(ish) iPhone

iPhone 16e in black and white on a white background — (Image credit: Apple)

Last week Apple unveiled its new iPhone 16e. The device was originally expected to be called the iPhone SE 4, and is at first glance a refreshed version of the iPhone 14, with the only major additions being a new Apple Intelligence (AI) ready A18 chipset and OLED screen. Despite this, considering how much we liked the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16’s audio when we tested them, it could still be a very solid option for serious music fans that want a phone that can double as a proper portable music player.

Read the full story: Apple officially unveils the affordable iPhone 16e complete with an OLED display and Dolby Atmos support

MORE:

These are the best phones for music and movie fans

Our picks of the best speakers money can buy

We rank the best floorstanding speakers

TOPICS

Alastair is What Hi-Fi?’s editor in chief. He has well over a decade’s experience as a journalist working in both B2C and B2B press. During this time he’s covered everything from the launch of the first Amazon Echo to government cyber security policy. Prior to joining What Hi-Fi? he served as Trusted Reviews’ editor-in-chief. Outside of tech, he has a Masters from King’s College London in Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion, is an enthusiastic, but untalented, guitar player and runs a webcomic in his spare time.

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