Rewind: our verdict on KEF’s entry-level Meta speakers, Ruark’s new CD player and more

(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Happy Monday and welcome to the latest entry into our weekly Rewind news digest, where we detail the top headlines you need to know about in the world of hi-fi and home cinema.

All eyes may be on store fronts thanks to specialist retailers, including Peter Tyson and Sevenoaks Sound and Vision pulling the trigger on this year’s Black Friday sales event early, but between the sea of deals were some big announcements.

Here’s what you need to know.

As are KEF’s entry-level Meta speakers

KEF Q Concerto Meta standmount speakers — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

The Z95A was one of many products to impress last week. On the hi-fi side we also finished our review of the KEF Q Concerto Meta. These are a particularly interesting set of bookshelf speakers as they’re the cheapest we’ve reviewed that feature the company’s Meta technology. Despite costing half the price of the KEF R3 Meta, which also earned a five star recommendation when we reviewed them, we found the Concerto are fantastic performers that retain a lot of the same core DNA that made their more expensive sibling great.

Read our full KEF Q Concerto Meta review

Lyngdorf Audio may have fixed a key problem for people short on space

Lyngdorf Audio FR-2 in a modern living space — (Image credit: Lyngdorf Audio)

Outside of our review work, Lyngdorf Audio caught our attention with its new FR-2 floorstanders, which are specifically designed to sit against walls. As well as looking cool, the thin speakers’ focus on working, even when placed incredibly close to walls is an interesting, and fantastic idea in our mind as positioning is one of the most common problems many of us have.

Read the full story: Short on space? Lyngdorf Audio’s quirky FR-2 floorstanders are specifically designed to sit against rear walls

Ruark unveiled a CD player

Ruark R-CD100 cd player CD on a marble sideboard — (Image credit: Ruark)

Last week Ruark jumped on the widely reported “CD revival” unveiling its new R-CD100. Featuring the same iconic looks as the Ruark Audio R410 system and Ruark Audio R1S radio, the nifty looking unit is designed to add CD playing functionality to Ruark's 100 Series of products.

Read the full story: Ruark's super-chic CD player wants to bring out the best from your disc collection

We picked a fight with big tech

Cambridge Audio EXN100 music streamer — (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

Ever willing to share her opinion, last week our Managing Editor, Becky Roberts picked a fight with big tech arguing it’s Apple, Google and co’ not hi-fi brands that are holding streaming quality back. And if you read her oped’ it’s hard not to agree…

Read the full story: Hi-fi and music streaming live harmoniously, but two Big Tech brands hold the relationship back

MORE:
The best floorstanding speakers we’ve tested

We rate the best CD players

Our picks of the best OLED TVs

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.