Buyer’s Guides
Our “best of” roundups — the gear we’d actually buy at each budget, ranked and explained by players who use it.
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.
Home CinemaBuilding a home cinema: the core componentsThe backbone of a proper home theatre — a capable AV receiver, a subwoofer that does the heavy lifting, and a true 4K projector.
Sources & StreamingThe best DACs and network streamersGet the digital end right and everything downstream sounds better. Our picks, from the pocket-sized Chord Mojo 2 to the full-size Cambridge CXN100.