As the year draws to a close, the What Hi-Fi? team has picked out some of our favourite gear from 2014....
Bluesound system
"At last, a Sonos beater in the booming multi-room streaming market - and it does high-res audio too. Even better, it now comes with Tidal's hi-fi streaming service. No wonder it was a double winner in our 2014 Awards." (Andy Clough, Editor-in-Chief)
MORE: Read our Bluesound system review
Chord Hugo
"Exquisite future/retro looks. Built to last for decades. And the best pound-for-pound digital-to-analogue converting you can buy. It's so good even the name 'Hugo' stops being a concern."
(Simon Lucas, Editor, What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision)
MORE: Read our Chord Hugo review
Roberts Stream 93i
"Not only can this desk-top unit handle anything 'radio' (from FM to internet, via DAB) it will also stream your tunes over a Local Area Network (LAN) or via Spotify Connect. And, most importantly, it sounds hugely impressive doing so." (Jonathan Evans, Managing Editor)
MORE: Read our Roberts Stream 93i review
AKG Y50
"AKG has taken aim at the Beats market and scored a direct hit. The Y50 on-ear headphones combine a modern look, excellent build and fantastic sound quality. They're hugely desirable and ridiculous value for money." (Andy Madden, Reviews Editor)
MORE: Read our AKG Y50 review
B&W 685 S2
"The latest incarnation of B&W's iconic 600 series was well worth the wait. They're hugely entertaining, and their sheer power, punchy dynamics and excellent detail retrieval will make you want to listen to your entire music collection from the start. They're the speakers I'd put on to get my friends into hi-fi." (Becky Roberts, Staff Writer)
MORE: Read our B&W 685 S2 review
Sony KD-65S9005B
"One of the best 4K sets we've seen this year with an impressive audio performance to boot, the Sony KD-65S9005B is certainly a TV to put on your Christmas wishlist. It's also subtly curved – just enough to give it a stylish edge but not so much that you'll sacrifice picture quality at off-axis viewing angles. Superb." (Verity Burns, Multimedia Editor)
MORE: Read our Sony KD-65S9005B review
Naim Mu-so
"It was love at first sight when the Naim Mu-so was taken out of its box. The scale of sound it produced, coupled with immense detail, only increased that love affair. An incredibly good looking speaker and a genuine pleasure to listen to and use."
(Max Langridge, Editorial Assistant)
MORE: Read our Naim Mu-so review
LG 55EC930V
"Not everyone's sold on the idea of curved TVs, but I love this LG. It's a great showcase for OLED, delivering gorgeously deep blacks, punchy colours and wonderful picture clarity. So it doesn't handle 4K - frankly I don't care. If you want to make the most of what you can actually watch today, this is the set I'd go for." (Ced Yuen, Staff Writer)
MORE: Read our LG 55EC930V review
Pioneer SC-LX88
"Listening to the Pioneer for the first time in our test rooms, I was bowled over by the effectiveness of Dolby Atmos. It's a powerful and hugely immersive experience. Atmos simply allows a bigger, more spacious soundfield. Whether you listen to it in Dolby Atmos or any other surround sound format, the SC-LX88 excels."
(Kashfia Kabir, Multimedia Journalist)
MORE: Read our Pioneer SC-LX88 review
Tidal
"Subscription streaming music services have completely changed how I listen to music, from discovering new tracks to revisiting classic albums, managing my favourite tunes to listening on the move. So the launch of CD-quality, lossless services, so we don't have to sacrifice on sound quality, has been very welcome in 2014. Qobuz deserves plaudits for leading the way but Tidal has, for me, done a better job of matching the ease of use, music recommendation and library size of the likes of Spotify. (Joe Cox, Editor, whathifi.com)
MORE: Tidal review
So what was your favourite product of 2014? Let us know in the Comments box below.
