What Hi-Fi? Awards 2019: the 26 Product of the Year winners revealed!

(Image credit: Future)

The wait is over! It’s been four weeks since we announced our 111 Best Buy Award winners, and now, as announced at the What Hi-Fi? Awards ceremony on Tuesday 5th November, we have decorated 26 of them – one from each product category – with the even more prestigious Product of the Year accolade.

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2020: dates and details!

The 2019 Product of the Year winners represent our absolute favourite products across all the categories we cover, from TVs to turntables, speakers to music streamers, and everything in between.

The full list of 26 Product of the Year winners, plus our five 'special' annual awards, can be found below. And don't forget, the Awards edition of the magazine goes on sale on Wednesday 6th November!

You can subscribe or buy the latest issue here, or buy the digital edition on iPhone, iPad, Android devices or Kindle edition.

Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation: proof that in hi-fi a second draft can be wonderfully transformative (Image credit: Naim)

So, a quick rundown…

Apple takes three POYs this year for its consistent efforts in the phone (iPhone 11), tablet (iPad mini) and video streamer (TV 4K) categories, while Sony once again wins multiple gongs – this time for its tremendous WH-1000XM3 wireless headphones, and the “scintillating” VPL-VW270ES 4K projector.

Household hi-fi names are present and correct, with the KEF LSX heralded as the best-value system you can buy; Naim’s Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation triumphing in the wireless speaker category; Audiolab taking the plaudits for its 6000N Play’s music streaming masterclass; and Cambridge Audio knocking Rega off top spot to secure the stereo amplifier accolade with its all-new CXA81.

As other tough contests go, Denon has outmuscled Sony this year to claim top honours in the AV receiver category thanks to the fruitful features and lean, punchy performance of its AVR-X3600H.

Bowers & Wilkins claims one of the most hotly contested awards, stereo speakers, with its 606 standmounts, which also won a place in The What Hi-Fi? Hall of Fame. Their big brothers, the 607s, also scoop this year's Readers’ Award – as voted for by you, our readers! Not a bad for haul Bowers & Wilkins' 600 speaker series, then.

Unsurprisingly, new kids on the block sit alongside resilient repeat winners that refuse to be outclassed. The Chord Electronics’ Qutest DAC, AKG Y50 headphones, Roberts Stream 94i radio, Tidal music streaming service, Astell & Kern A&norma SR15 portable music player and Audio Pro multi-room system all prevail once again.

Despite tough competition from Samsung’s Award-winning QLED TVs, LG’s 55in model in its C-series 4K OLED TV range (the OLED55C9PLA) gets a second POY nod in a row. And as sure as night follows day, Rega representatives followed their familiar route to the What Hi-Fi? Awards stage to claim the turntable Product of the Year trophy for its unbeaten Planar 3\Elys2.

LG's OLED55C9PLA, which we’d have it at home in a heartbeat (Image credit: Future)

All 26 What Hi-Fi? 2019 Products of the Year

Best wireless headphones over £250
Sony WH-1000XM3

Best in-ear headphones £50-£100
Klipsh T5M Wired

Best smartphone
Apple iPhone 11

Best portable music player £500-£1000
Astell & Kern A&norma SR15

Best portable on-ear headphones
AKG Y50

Best video streamer over £100
Apple TV 4K

Best tablet over £200
Apple iPad mini

Best home wireless speaker over £500
Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation

Best radio over £100
Roberts Stream 94i

Best CD player under £500
Marantz CD6006 UK Edition

Best music streamer under £500
Audiolab 6000N Play

Best music streaming service
Tidal

Best turntable £500-£750
Rega Planar 3 / Elys 2

Best DAC £500-£1200
Chord Qutest

Best stereo amplifier £750-£1500
Cambridge Audiuo CXA81

Best standmount speaker £400-£750
B&W 606

Best all-in-one system
KEF LSX

Best budget multi-room system
Audio Pro

Best speaker cable under £15/m
AudioQuest Rocket 11

Best 55-58in TV over £1000
LG OLED55C9PLA

Best soundbar £300-£500
Sonos Beam

Best subscription box
Sky Q

Best Blu-ray player £350-500
Panasonic DP-UB820EB

Best home cinema amplifier £500-£1500
Denon AVR-X3600H

Best speaker package £1500-£2000
Dali Oberon 5 5.1 system

Best projector over £3000
Sony VPL-VW270ES

The B&W 607s don't disappoint - they're a marvellously entertaining pair of standmounters (Image credit: B&W)

The 5 What Hi-Fi? 2019 special awards

Readers Award
B&W 607

Hall of Fame
B&W 606

Innovation of the Year
Dolby Cinema

Temptation
SME Synergy

Outstanding Contribution
Ken Ishiwata

See all the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2019 winners

Becky is the managing editor of What Hi-Fi? and, since her recent move to Melbourne, also the editor of the brand's sister magazines Down Under – Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica. During her 11+ years in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices. In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.

Latest in Tech Events