High-End Audio · Audiophile · Home Cinema
Serious sound, honestly reviewed
Independent, hands-on reviews and buyer’s guides for audiophile hi-fi, loudspeakers, amplifiers, DACs, turntables and headphones — plus dedicated home-theatre design for the most demanding rooms in Australia.
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Buyer’s guides
Our “best of” roundups — ranked and explained by players who use the gear.
LoudspeakersThe best bookshelf speakers under $2000Dave Okafor tests four standmount speakers under $2000, from the $649 Wharfedale to the $1799 Monitor Audio, for real Aussie rooms and budgets.
AmplifiersThe best integrated amplifiersMarcus Vale measures and ranks the best integrated amplifiers on sale in Australia, from budget-friendly hubs to a McIntosh flagship, with honest tradeoffs.
Sources & StreamingThe best desktop DAC/ampsThe best desktop DAC/amps in Australia for 2025 — from the A$189 FiiO K11 to the reference RME ADI-2 DAC FS. Real picks, honest tradeoffs.
HeadphonesThe best audiophile headphonesEleanor Shaw picks the best open-back and planar headphones for serious Australian home listeners, from A$795 to A$2,199.
LoudspeakersThe best standmount speakers for serious listeningThe standmounts we'd actually live with — from the giant-killing KEF LS50 Meta to the near-floorstander R3 Meta and the airy B&W 705 S3.
AmplifiersThe best streaming amplifiers and all-in-one systemsOne elegant box, your speakers, done. From the do-everything Naim Uniti Atom to the vinyl-friendly Marantz Model 40n and the statement McIntosh MA352.
Featured reviews
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Latest from the team
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Why your turntable's earth wire isn't optionalTurntable earthing fixes most phono hum problems. Here's how grounding actually works, why it fails, and how to track down a noisy connection.By Marcus Vale- Guest Wi-Fi and audio: why visitor networks break multiroomGuest Wi-Fi networks isolate devices by design, which quietly breaks multiroom audio. Here's why it happens and how to fix it properly.By Jonno Fraser
Why your AVR runs cool on music but throttles on AtmosAVR thermal throttling explained: why nine-channel Atmos mixes push receivers into protection mode that two-channel music never triggers.By Marcus Vale
The synergy tax: why mismatched gear costs more than cheap gearThe synergy tax explained: why pairing mismatched hi-fi components quietly costs more than buying modest, well-matched gear.By Sofia Laurent- Turntable mats and platters: what actually changes the soundFelt, rubber, cork or acrylic — turntable mats and platter materials change the sound more than most upgrades. Here's what actually works.By Dave Okafor
- USB vs S/PDIF for DACs: does the digital input matter?USB, coaxial and optical into a DAC: which digital input actually changes the sound, and when the difference is real versus imagined.By Priya Anand
The team
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Dave OkaforValue & Giant-Killers ContributorGold Coast, QLD
Eleanor ShawHeadphones & Personal Audio EditorAdelaide, SA
Hannah ReidLoudspeakers & Acoustics EditorMelbourne, VIC
Jonno FraserHome Cinema & Custom Install EditorBrisbane, QLD
Marcus ValeEditor · Electronics & MeasurementSydney, NSW
Priya AnandVinyl & Valves EditorMelbourne, VIC
Sofia LaurentHigh-End & Statement Systems EditorSydney, NSW
Theo MensahDigital, DACs & Streaming EditorPerth, WA