The Bristol Hi-Fi Show has been around for as long as I've been alive (just – I'm a year older). As the largest and longest-running hi-fi show in the UK, the show is an annual haven for audio brands, media and hi-fi fans to congregate in Bristol (in the same Marriott Hotel) and set our sights on the latest audio-visual products from both UK-born-and-based manufacturers and those from around the world.
I was two months into my very first year at What Hi-Fi? when our editorial team set off for a long weekend at the Bristol Show, and it has become a staple of my calendar along with our annual Awards and Christmas ever since.
I've seen – and heard – some terrific new speakers, amplifiers, turntables and headphones at the show in the past decade or so, and with this year's Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 only a week away, here are the new products that I'm most looking forward to hearing for the first time.
Quad ESL-2912X electrostatic speakers
Quad and electrostatic speakers are synonymous with each other, and we haven't had a new electrostatic speaker from the brand in 12 years – so the advent of a brand new model is quite a big deal. The prototype ESL-2912X had their first public showing at High End Munich last year, but the ones shown at the Bristol Show next week are the final production model that will go on sale in summer – and we'll be the first people to hear them in action.
We've enjoyed the terrific sound of Quad's electrostatic speakers, with the current and ongoing ESL-2812 wowing us with their stunning cohesion, insight, precision and stereo imaging. The new Quad ESL-2912X are positioned as the flagship model with significant updates made throughout. They'll be on demo with the equally interesting Quad 33/303 pre/power amplifiers that carry on the brand's mission of reviving retro designs for the modern audience, and I'm excited to hear not just what the new ESL-2912X sound like, but how this combination sounds together.
Ruark Audio Sabre-R bookshelf speakers
Here's another brand that is reaching back towards its roots: Ruark Audio stopped making passive stereo speakers in favour of stylish, well-featured smart/DAB radios and modern wireless systems – such as the five-star (and Award-winning) R1S radio and the MR1 MK2 desktop speakers – around the mid-’00s. But the Essex-based brand has now launched its first passive speakers in over 20 years: the Sabre-R. The two-way speakers mimic the lovely wooden cabinet finish of its radio siblings and are set to cost £699. The stereo speaker market is fiercely competitive and packed with options in this price range; will Ruark be able to compete with the established players with this new model? We've been fond of Ruark's current sound signature and fondly remember its previous speakers (such as Talisman, Solstice, Equinox), so hearing what these new Sabre-R speakers sound like is high on my to-do list next weekend.
Devialet Astra streaming amplifier
When we first encountered Devialet back in 2012 with the Devialet D-Premier amplifier, it was as futuristic as hi-fi could get. Its wholly original approach to amplifier design (combining Class A with Class D) along with wireless capability – a rarity at the time – was as exciting then as it is now, and it had a sound quality to match its high five-figure price. The French brand has since found success and popularity with its Phantom line of powerful wireless speakers, but at the Bristol Show it will be unveiling its new Astra streaming amplifier. It costs $20,000, boasts 600W of power and has all the streaming features you could wish for – and it looks as stunning and unique as the D-Premier did over a decade ago. It'll be interesting to find out what speakers this high-end streaming amp is connected to in the demo, and whether it can match the high expectations for build and performance at this level when we see it in person.
Acoustic Energy AE300 speaker range
Acoustic Energy's speakers have a well-regarded reputation for delivering strong, capable sound with great build quality, and this update to its midrange AE300 speaker series is certainly enticing. With the tweeter derived from its flagship Corinuum speaker range and cabinet technology derived from higher-end models, the new AE300 series (which comprises the AE300² standmounts, AE309² and AE320² floorstanders and the AE307² centre channel) aims to deliver flexible and friendly options for hi-fi and home cinema fans alike. Prices start at a sensible £649 and they look rather smart too.
Wharfedale Super Linton speakers
It wouldn't be a Bristol Hi-Fi Show without Wharfedale launching another pair in its hugely popular Heritage line of retro-revived speakers, now would it? The last few years at the show have seen launches of the Dovedale, Linton and Super Denton speakers, and this year we'll be treated to the first look and demo of the Wharfedale Super Linton. We were big fans of the original Linton when we tested the pair in 2020 (five stars for a pleasingly effortless, detailed and open sound), so the bigger 'super' version of these large standmounters with revised drivers has plenty of appeal. They will be powered by the Quad 33/303 amps, which is a quirky pairing that I can't wait to hear.
Rotel Michi Q5 CD transport/DAC
We've known about Rotel's new models in its high-end and well-regarded Michi range for a while, and I can't wait to experience the new Michi Q5 CD transport DAC (essentially a CD player with digital inputs and outputs, so it can also be used as a transport with outboard DAC) in person. Michi products have always been built to the highest standards and that top-loading CD mechanism is crafted from aluminium and looks stunningly machined, and is a dream to use. It also promises accurate signal reproduction with minimal distortion and exceptional detail retrieval from your beloved CD collection and hi-res files. We've not had many previews or teases about any turntable this year, so this could be a win for die-hard CD fans – I know I'll be queuing up to hear the Michi Q5 in action with Spendor speakers.
Chord Electronics Alto headphone amplifier
If your system at home is desktop and headphones-based, Chord's versatile Alto headphone amp should be high on your audition list. Chord Electronics' excellent (and sometimes very quirky) products have delivered superb detail and rhythmic ability across the board – from the portable Mojo 2 to the premium Qutest DAC to the the higher-end Ultima Integrated – so it's safe to assume that Alto will deliver the sonic goods. Originally designed for pro studio use, this is now available for the consumer market, and we can see its generous spread of headphone outputs (3.5mm, two 6.3mm, and 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced) appeal to headphone fans, while its Ultima-derived amplification (25W into 8 ohms) can also drive small speakers/monitors. If you're a fan of Chord's sound (as well as its lit-up, button-laded, space-age looks) as I am, I'll see you at the demo stand.
MORE:
The full details and what else to expect at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025
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