Sound + Image

SOUND + IMAGE magazine offers a comprehensive package focused on lifestyle home electronic entertainment. It provides easy-to-read information about audio and video equipment and how ordinary consumers can assemble extraordinary systems that look and sound fantastic.

The unbounded Australian open lifestyle… and its effect on your sound

Sound + Image

Aussie power from Encel's Brains

‘Little brother’ M3x DAC

TCL brings bar, TVs & air-con

‘Nura’ by any other name

21st century SNAIL • Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus

TAGA HARMONY: from Warsaw to Australia

HIGH END® munich • Our top picks from the hallowed halls of Munich.

Hi-Fi Retailer of the Year SYDNEY HI-FI MONA VALE

STREAMING 4 WAYS • APPLE ◆ ARCAM ◆ AURENDER ◆ BLUESOUND ◆ CAMBRIDGE AUDIO ◆ DENON ◆ HEOS ◆ JBL ◆ KEF ◆ KLIPSCH ◆ NAD ◆ NAIM ◆ RUARK ◆ SONOS ◆ SONUS FABER ◆ TECHNICS ◆ YAMAHA

Network music streamers • Streamers just stream; they plug into an input of your hi-fi to turn old-fi into new-fi, so your choice partly depends on your current system's ability to make the most of it.

Streamers: award winners • Three streamers featured in our Sound+lmage Awards last issue: full details there, but just to recap, the winners for 2023 were…

Arcam ST60 $2995

Music streamers: family members • If you're picking a multiroom platform for streaming throughout the home, it makes sense to stick within the family when buying a streamer to plug into your main system.

Aurender ACS10 $10,995

Smart amps & zone players • With a smart streaming amplifier you simplify the system: just add speakers, or use the inputs to build a bigger system. If you want it really simple, try a little zone solution.

Smart amps: award winners • The three smart amps we recognise in this year's awards are all full-size amplifiers with streaming, rather than little zone players.

NAD C 3050 (beyond LE) $2999

Naim NSC 222 / NAP 250 $13,500 each

Just add speakers: music zones • If you're not shopping for a full-quality main system, but rather for an easy way to add one or more zones of music to your home, these smaller boxes will keep things neat.

Technics SA-C600 $1849

All-in-one streaming systems • Getting everything in a single system simplifies the purchase decision and brings easy control of a relatively compact and neat system. It might not be so ‘hi-fi’ though.

All-in-ones: award winners • We recognise the best at each price in our awards — from a beach-friendly Bluetooth speaker to luxury artisan Italian flair.

B&O Beosound A5 $1800 / $1650

Naim Mu-so & Mu-so Qb $2900/$1800

Streaming soundbars: all-in-ones • We wouldn't normally push you towards a soundbar, but many bars do come with streaming built in – so if it's a TV and streaming system you want, they're an option.

Streaming stereo speakers • The problem with those all-in-one systems is their lack of true stereo separation, which has, after all, been part of the hi-fi experience since The Beatles. Here's how to fix that.

Speakers: award winners • It takes two, baby, for real stereo width and the finer points of soundstaging. These lovely pairs all took home our awards.

JBL 4329P Studio Monitor • Classic JBL Studio Monitor looks & design with amps and streaming inside…

Klipsch The Sevens & The Nines • When you're onto a good thing, do it bigger! Klipsch brings bigger active boxes.

Pairing up: when two become one • Within the various streaming product platforms, you can often take two individual streaming speakers and pair them up for stereo, for dramatically improved results.

KEF LS50 Wireless II $4500/pr • The...