Best of the Week: Sky Q, Bluesound Pulse Mini, Cambridge Audio streamer and more

This week Sky revealed the date its Sky Q service will arrive, Spotify has rolled out its video content plan and Record Store Day will return once again on 16th April.

It was another solid week for reviews, with Bluesound's Pulse Mini wireless speaker, Samsung's UE32J6300 TV and Cambridge Audio's Azur 851N music streamer all worth your time.

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News

Sky Q release date set for February and premium pricing confirmed

Sky has revealed the launch date of its Sky Q service. It will be available to buy in the UK and Ireland from 9th February. Prices for the Q boxes will range from £99 to £299.

The announcement came as part of Sky's latest results, which also mentioned the release of a new "more advanced" Now TV box later in the year.

You can read what we thought of Sky Q in our hands-on preview of what Sky promises will be a premium, multi-room service that'll bring a "fluid viewing" experience to TV.

MORE: Sky Q release date set for February and premium pricing confirmed

MORE: Sky Q hands on

Record Store Day 2016 set for 16th April

Like a certain British spy, Record Store Day will return, and the date for its ninth re-appearance is 16th April this year.

Held on the third Saturday of April each year since 2008, Record Store Day is a celebration of independent record stores, with artists often issuing re-presses of albums and distributing them through participating stores.

Rega will be renewing its partnership with the event, following a successful collaboration in 2015, while the BBC is stepping up its support with special programming across its radio network.

MORE: Record Store Day 2016 set for 16th April

Spotify to begin rolling out video content this week

After announcing plans to diversify its content in May 2015, Spotify is rolling out video content to its Android and iOS services this week.

Providers include Comedy Central, the BBC and ESPN, but for the moment this new feature is only available in the US. Plans are in place to bring it to UK, Germany and Sweden soon.

Video content will be accessible to all users, irrespective of whether you pay for the service or listen to the ad-supported tier.

MORE: Spotify to begin rolling out video content this week

More news

Pure radio business set to be sold

Apple posts record quarter, but iPhone sales slow

Meridian announces firmware update to enable MQA playback

Amazon plans new music streaming service to take on Spotify

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Reviews

"The Pulse Mini is a fantastic speaker for the money, and perfect for one room or several"

"The Pulse Mini is a fantastic speaker for the money, and perfect for one room or several"

Bluesound Pulse Mini

Bluesound's second gen wireless speakers have continued much of the good work laid down by the first generation, and that's exemplified by the Pulse Mini.

Smaller and more affordable, the Pulse Mini is a brilliant all-in-one speaker with a rich, weighty, agile sound that belies its smaller frame.

It's a speaker we can't find fault with. A great effort whether you're using it for one room or more.

Read the full Bluesound Pulse Mini review

"Cambridge has done it again."

"Cambridge has done it again."

Cambridge Audio Azur 851N

Cambridge Audio is experiencing a rich vein of form recently, and that shows no signs of dropping off with the Azur 851N music streamer.

With a price tag of £1200 it's not cheap, but there's little else to complain about thanks to its comprehensive file support, muscular presentation and versatility.

The lack of analogue inputs may put some off, but nonetheless this Cambridge is a cracking effort.

Read the full Cambridge Audio Azur 851N review

"If you’re interested in a 32in Full HD set, the Samsung UE32J6300 is a very good buy indeed."

"If you’re interested in a 32in Full HD set, the Samsung UE32J6300 is a very good buy indeed."

Samsung UE32J6300

As the price of TVs falls, there are bargains to be had. We're tempted to call this 32in offering from Samsung exactly that.

For £380, you get your usual complement of smart/catch-up TV apps, a generous helping of connections and an image that's well-judged with better than average sound.

If you're not ready for 4K or need a smaller TV, you can't really go wrong with this Samsung effort.

Read the full Samsung UE32J6300 review

More reviews

Beyerdynamic iDX 120 iE

Ministry of Sound Audio L Plus

Sony HT-RT5

Sky Q hands on

Meridian Sound System for Jaguar XE hands-on

Kob began his career at What Hi-Fi?, starting in the dusty stockroom before rising up the ranks to join the editorial and production team as the Buyer’s Guide editor. Experienced in both magazine and online publishing, he now runs the TV & audio section at Trusted Reviews where he keeps a beady eye on all the latest comings and goings in the hi-fi and home cinema market. 

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