A soundbase offers all the sound-boosting qualities of a soundbar within a single chassis - and you can sit your TV right on top of it. Manaufacturers now offer a plethora of options from around £200 upwards, and our June Supertest brings together seven different models, including the Award-winning Canton DM75 and Cambridge Audio TV2, and new arrivals from Geneva and Bose.
Vinyl revival
In June's Insider we look at the continued rise in the popularity of vinyl and take a trip to the world famous Abbey Road Studios where we learn all about the vinyl mastering process.
We hear from Sean Magee, a mastering engineer whose work includes albums by The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Sex Pistols - Sean gives us an insight into the processes involved and describes how his toolbox can impact on the records you hear.
Stereo speakers
Budget floorstanders make a lot of sense - they don't require you to splash out extra cash on stands, and they give you a bigger, bolder and more powerful sound compared with small standmounters.
Our Group Test pits the Wharfedale Diamond 230s (only recently given a five-star review in the May issue of the magazine) against Q Acoustics' new 3050. The other two contenders in this hotly contested four-way are the Cambridge Audio Aero 6s and a tiny pair of towers from JBL's new Arena range.
Desktop DACs
If you find yourself with a growing collection of digital music, or want to give your laptop-based music system a boost, then you need a DAC (digital-to-analogue converter).
In our test of desktop devices, Pathos, Pioneer and Sony go up against the multiple Award-winning Audiolab M-DAC. Does this long-standing class-leader finally have something to worry about?
4K TVs
It's Samsung versus LG in our first 4K TV shoot-out of 2015. We've got two 65in sets going head to head: the Samsung UE65JU7000 and the LG 65UF850V. And, with only a couple of hundred pounds between them, it's a tough one to call...
And there's more...
Our regular features serve up some quality kit, with First Tests showcasing a couple of superb Onkyo amplifiers, the Dolby Atmos-enabled TX-NR3030 multichannel receiver and the A-9010 stereo amp.
Acoustic Research makes a comeback with its M2 high-res audio player, while Amazon's clever Fire TV Stick provides stripped down, yet very effective video streaming.
Meanwhile, this month's Temptations include a stunning high-end stereo amplifier from Burmester and an intriguing DAC from Antelope Audio, complete with its very own atomic clock...
And don't forget, you can download the digital edition of the magazine directly to your smartphone or tablet at any time. Happy reading!
