Can you believe it's April already? We're a third of the way into 2025 and we finally – at least in the UK – have some semblance of a sunny spring weather. Along with the more pleasant climate comes a raft of brand new products that have made their way into our dedicated test rooms, which we're excited to put through the full What Hi-Fi? review process.
New product highlights include the long-awaited Rega Brio Mk7 stereo amplifier, the new Vertere DG X turntable, the exciting WiiM Amp Pro and a very unusual home cinema product from Sony.
If you have any questions about these products before we get started on our reviews, drop a comment at the bottom of this page, head to our forums or social media channels, or email us at whathifi@futurenet.com – we’ll do our best to find the answer to your query during our testing process and get back to you.
1. Rega Brio Mk7
Rega's Brio stereo amplifier has a storied history, with the mid-range integrated racking up plenty of five-stars and What Hi-Fi? Award wins over its various generations. The last Brio snagged a coveted Product of the Year Award in 2017 and 2018 before being ousted by Cambridge Audio and Arcam rivals, so we've been waiting quite a while for a sequel.
We finally have the 7th-generation Brio waiting for us in our test rooms. Rega says its engineers "have completely re-laid the Brio circuit optimising it for performance and reducing distortion." More excitingly, it's the first Brio to include a DAC inside, with two digital inputs sitting alongside three line-level RCA inputs. It also sports an MM phono stage, which has improved isolation and components, while the half-width chassis and 50W per channel (into 8 ohms) power rating returns.
The Brio Mk7 now costs £799 – a significant price increase over the 2017 model's £600 cost – meaning it'll be in the firing line of our current favourite in this price bracket, the Arcam A5. Can Rega reclaim glory? We're excited to find out.
2. Vertere DG X
Vertere's innovative Dynamic Groove turntable is the brand's 'entry-level' model, but it's been our best high-end turntable pick for the last few years. The latest generation – the Vertere DG X – is a significant update with a complete ground-up redesign to improve performance and make the manufacturing process quicker, which in turn keeps the price competitive at this premium level.
The package in our test rooms (as pictured above) includes the brand's unique flat tonearm (the new Groove Runner X), a new Sabre Lite MM cartridge and an updated dedicated power supply. It costs a hefty £4150 / $5400 / AU$8500; we praised the outgoing DG-1/S model's hugely exciting, dynamic and expressive performance, so here's hoping the new generation continues its terrific run when we give it a spin.
- Read the high-end Vertere SG-1 review
3. WiiM Amp Pro
WiiM's budget streamers have been a hit with us, but its first streaming amplifier, the WiiM Amp, didn't impress us quite as much. Despite its heaping features built into a compact form for a very reasonable price, the Amp failed to engage us when it came to sound quality.
The WiiM Amp Pro aims to improve on that front. The Amp Pro bundles in WiiM's terrific streaming features (hi-res, DLNA, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Chromecast, Bluetooth) with a Class D amplifier that outputs 60W per channel (into 8 ohms). It features an updated DAC with higher sampling rate support, improved components, "redesigned internal circuits" and boasts lower distortion levels. Like the new WiiM Ultra, there's sadly no support for AirPlay 2.
Price? £399 / $369 / AU$699 – which is wildly competitive for such a versatile product. Here's hoping its sound quality fares better with us this time during testing.
4. Hisense CanvasTV
Also in our test rooms for this month is Hisense's own take on the lifestyle-friendly Frame TV by Samsung. Called the Hisense Canvas, the screen comes in 55- and 65-in sizes, with a teak frame by default. You can swap this finish for a walnut or white frame and the frames should be easy to remove and install by simply sliding them on.
Similar to Samsung's Frame TV concept, the Canvas TV features an Art Mode that will display your photos or famous works of art and turn the TV into a picture canvas when not being used.
On the specifications front, the Hisense TV features a 4K QLED anti-glare display, a 144Hz refresh rate with ALLM and VRR. Crucially, it's also much more affordable than the Frame.
5. Sony Bravia Theatre Bar 6
Hot on the heels of Sony's 2025 TV range is the brand's accompanying home cinema line-up. First up on our reviewing block is the Bravia Theatre Bar 6 – a 3.1.2-channel soundbar system that supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
It features up-firing drivers, and Sony's own Vertical Surround Engine and S-Force PRO Front Surround technology to create an immersive soundstage from a compact soundbar.
The Theatre Bar 6 comes with a wireless subwoofer, and you can unlock dialogue-enhancing features when paired with a compatible Sony Bravia TV. This one costs a fairly affordable £499 – stay tuned for our full review in the coming weeks.
6. Sony Bravia Theatre U
Another Sony product, but completely different from your average soundbar or speaker. The Theatre U is a neckband speaker that you wear around your shoulders, and it can deliver a 'personal' but immersive sound so you can listen to music and movies without disturbing anyone in your house.
Unlike headphones, the Theatre U promises a more 'open' sound; it features Dolby Atmos technology and offers 360 Spatial Sound when paired with a Sony Bravia TV.
Despite its rather bulky looks, the Theatre U is designed to be light and comfortable to wear for hours and sports a 12-hour battery.
It's pitched as an alternative to soundbars and headphones – but will it become our new go-to home cinema accessory? Its predecessor, the SRS-NS7, scored just three stars in our review, so the Theatre U needs to be a big improvement if it's going to impress us.
MORE:
Vinyl Week 2025: exclusive reviews, features and advice in the run up to Record Store Day
Our guide to the best stereo amplifiers
Read our LG G5 OLED TV review
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