Rewind: huge news from Bose and McIntosh, luxury turntables tried and tested and more

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Black Friday is in full swing with the main event set to occur at the end of this week.

But amongst the sea of solid OLED TV deals, hi-fi deals and general savings flooding the headlines there have been some pretty big stories break over the past seven days.

Here to help make sure you don’t miss them, we’ve penned a fresh entry into our weekly Rewind hi-fi and home cinema news digest.

Bose made a surprise purchase

McIntosh ML1 MKII stereo speakers — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Bose's surprise announcement that it is buying luxury, high-end hi-fi maker McIntosh was, for audiophiles, by far the biggest news to break last week, and potentially this year. Specifically, Bose Corp announced it is buying the McIntosh Group, which includes McIntosh and Sonus Faber, from US private equity firm Highlander Partners. Details of its exact plans for the group are few and far between, but the What Hi-Fi? team is cautiously optimistic about the move, hoping it will mean a fresh wave of awesome audio products from both.

Read the full story: Bose's historic double swoop sees the US brand acquire McIntosh and Sonus Faber

We gave some top tips for crate diggers

We all love the thrill of hunting for a specific record when visiting our local vinyl store, or shopping online. But there are a number of easy pitfalls that can catch you out – including accidentally buying counterfeit vinyl. Last week our team penned a quick guide offering advice on how to avoid falling victim to scammers when crate digging.

Read the full story: How to spot fake records: 10 tips to avoiding counterfeit vinyl

We delivered our final verdict on the Michell Gyro SE / Cusis S

Michell Gyro SE / Cusis S turntable — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Is it worth spending £6800 on a turntable? Based on our experience reviewing the Michell Gyro SE / Cusis S the answer is an affirmative yes. Last week our team of reviewers finished testing the premium record spinner, and found plenty to like about it. Matched with appropriately high-end equipment, the Michell Gyro SE / Cusis S uniformly delivered a cohesive, fluid and smooth sound with impressive levels of subtlety and insight, making it an easy five-star recommendation.

Read our full Michell Gyro SE / Cusis S review

We took a look back at two forgotten hi-fi classics

Michell Alecto and Argo amps — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

What Hi-Fi? has been around for a while, and last week we took advantage of that long history to take a look back at two forgotten hi-fi classics. Specifically we took a walk down memory lane and pulled Michell's Argo and Alecto amps out and gave them a listen in our dedicated test rooms – and surprisingly they’re still incredible pieces of hardware.

Read the full story: Argo and Alecto: Michell's forgotten amplifier gems

Amazon updated its Fire TVs

Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED 50 inch — (Image credit: Amazon)

The final big bit of news from last week was the launch of a new Amazon Fire TV. Specifically, the retail giant unveiled a new second-generation Fire TV Omni QLED that adds a wealth of gaming upgrades and, most importantly, Mini LED panel tech to its offering.

Read the full story: Amazon's second-generation Fire TV Omni QLED gets the Mini LED treatment and improved gaming features

MORE:

These are the best cheap TVs we’ve reviewed

We rate the best turntables

Our picks of the best stereo amps

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.