Every year, renowned British trade magazine What Hi-Fi? unveils its selection of the year’s best audio and video equipment. The What Hi-Fi? Awards recognize the best-performing electronics in a wide range of categories, from speakers and projectors to headphones, turntables and TVs…
Once again this year, discover all the award-winning TVs, projectors, AV streamers, AV receivers, soundbars, speakers, audio streamers, hi-fi amplifiers, Bluetooth headphones and turntables in the 2023 What Hi-Fi? Awards selection.
Image
In the image sector, the LG OLED42C3 television is this year’s star performer, winning not one, but two What Hi-Fi? awards: best 40-43-inch TV and best gaming TV. This high-performance model is available in four other sizes: 48″/121cm (LG OLED48C3), 55″/139cm (LG OLED55C3), 77″/195cm (LG OLED77C3) and 83″/210cm (LG OLED83C3). As for projectors, the Hisense PL1 ultra-short-throw model won the award for its sharp, vivid and nuanced images. According to the British magazine, it is “a gem at this price”.
Here are the other winners of the best Image products of 2023:
- TCL 65C843: voted best 55″ and larger TV
- Sony XR-55A80L: voted best 55″ and larger premium TV
- Epson EH-TW7100: voted best projector in the €1,000 to €2,000 price bracket
- Epson EH-TW9400: voted best projector in the €2,000 to €4,000 price bracket
- Sony VPL-XW5000ES: voted best projector in the €4,000 to €10,000 price bracket
- Sony VPL-XW7000ES: voted best projector at over €10,000
Hi-fi
What Hi-Fi? once again highlights British hi-fi equipment, with awards for Cambridge Audio, KEF, Naim and Ruark Audio. Bowers & Wilkins is also among this year’s winners, with two bookshelf speakers from its 600 Series S3 range: the B&W 606 S3 and the B&W 607 S3. Commenting on the latter, the magazine says it’s “glad that, alongside a newfound level of clean detail, openness and precise sound, the 607 S3 have remembered to add in big doses of energy and dynamic prowess.”
Here are the other winners of the best Hi-fi products of 2023:
- KEF LS50 Meta: voted best bookshelf speaker in the €800 to €1,500 price bracket
- KEF R3 Meta: voted best bookshelf speaker in the €1,500 to €2,500 price bracket
- Ruark Audio MR1 MKII: voted best desktop speaker
- KEF LSX 2: voted best speaker system in the €750 to €1,500 price range
- KEF LS50 Wireless II: voted best speaker system in the €1,500 to €3,000 price range
- Q Acoustics 5040: voted best floorstanding speaker in the €500 to €1,500 price range
- Technics SA-C600: voted best hi-fi system in the €500 to €1,500 price bracket
- Naim Uniti Atom: voted best hi-fi system at over €1,500
- Cambridge Audio MXN10: voted best network audio player in the €300 to €750 price bracket
- Cambridge CXN v2: voted best network audio player in the €750 to €1,500 price bracket
- Naim ND5 XS 2: voted best network audio player at over €1,500
- Marantz PM6007: voted best stereo amp under €500
- Naim Nait XS 3: voted best stereo amp in the €1,500 to €3,000 price bracket
- Rega Aethos: voted best stereo amp over €3,000
Headphones and DAPs
When it comes to headphones and earphones, Japanese manufacturer Sony comes out on top with its Sony WF-C500,, Sony WF-C700N and Sony WF-1000XM5 True Wireless earbuds, as well as the Sony WH-CH720N Bluetooth headphones. According to What Hi-Fi? the latter offers “optimum comfort, interesting features and dynamic, punchy sound at an affordable price”. As far as DAPs are concerned, theAstell&Kern A&norma SR35 is this year’s winner of the coveted What Hi-Fi? Award.
Another winner in the Best headphones and DAPs of 2023 category, the Grado SR325x were voted best supra-aural headphones at over €200.
Diapason, Les Numériques, AVForums, Trusted Reviews… Find all the hi-fi and home theater equipment awarded by the French and international specialist press with our press selections on Son-Vidéo.com.
