Sony PS-LX3BT: Two-minute review

The Sony PS-LX3BT is one of the first new turntables to leave Sony’s R&D department in years. It comes some time after the launch of the Sony PS-LX310BT, one of what TechRadar rightfully deems to be the best turntables for beginners — and has big shoes to fill, accordingly.

And fill them it sort-of does, at least in the most literal of senses. It shares a lot of physical attributes, aims for the same sleek aesthetic, and seeks to corner the same, well, corner of the market with user-friendly interfaces and a no-nonsense approach to playing records. It’s a shame it doesn’t quite stick the landing.

Price is the major sticking point for me — its launch price far overshot similarly specced, and better-featured, turntables in the same market. This was the backdrop against which certain bugbears became serious missteps — from a stylus that Sony insists you need to replace through them, to a cheap-feeling body that feels like it’s come from a device a third of the price.

These things overshadow the PS-LX3BT’s capable performance with audio, via its decent on-board preamp and its star-of-the-show press-and-play Bluetooth connectivity. It could be good — it is good, by some metrics — but not for where it’s asking to sit.

Sony PS-LX3BT review: Price & release date

• Unveiled February 2, 2026
• Priced $399.99 / £299 / AU$469

The Sony PS-LX3BT is a fully automatic, Bluetooth-enabled plug-and-play turntable, with an eye cocked squarely at the upper limits of the entry level. At its launch price of $399 / £299 / AU$469, it’s not what I would call cheap; in fact, it’s undercut by a fair few near-equivalent competitors — most compelling of which is the Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT.

Then, there's this turntable's own sibling (they actually launched together), the Sony PS-LX5BT which is pricier but adds a more delicate stylus pressure of 2.0g ± 0.5g, a thicker and more premium rubber mat, a tweaked circuit design engineered to suppress unwanted vibration, a dedicated gold-plated audio jack out port (something not present here) with a cable in the box, plus a slightly more high-end, all-black finish.

Most other competitors in the market, though, do not have ‘Sony’ tastefully emblazoned on the chassis. Sony is a tried-and-tested household brand for AV tech, be it TVs, games consoles, CD players or integrated hi-fi systems.

Hence, the brand is likely better-trusted by new or returning vinyl enthusiasts to deliver something intuitive, fuss-free and of a minimum quality. Is this trust well-founded? The 2019 Sony PS-LX310BT was a huge success, but it was also a lot cheaper (depending on where you lived), having launched at $199 / £200 / AU$399. So, you can see the issue…

Sony PS-LX3BT review: Specs

Sony PS-LX3BT review: Features

• Fully automatic operation
• AptX Adaptive Bluetooth output
• Built-in phono preamp and gain control

The Sony PS-LX3BT is an automatic turntable; this means it can be operated entirely by the array of buttons and switches adorning its anthracite-hued surface. Simply select the size and speed of your record, then use the buttons at the front to control the placement or removal of the tonearm. The platter’s rotation is triggered by moving the tonearm past a certain point, so even if you want to use the PS-LX3BT manually (by virtue of the silver finger-rest protruding from where the headshell would be) you literally only have to lift a finger to play a record.

Automatic turntable mechanisms are not so new, and this mechanical design doesn’t sound especially new either, with some familiar clunks and whirrs I know from my old Rotel system. What is, at least slightly newer, though, is Bluetooth connectivity, which the PS-LX3BT quite proudly has. More specifically, there’s aptX Adaptive Bluetooth transmission, for low-latency, high-resolution streaming from the turntable to your Bluetooth receiver of choice and accessed via a suavely flush button in the front-left corner of the chassis face.

On top of this Bluetooth connectivity, the LX3BT has connections the old-fashioned way, via a hard-wired stereo RCA cable out from the back. It’s an odd choice to use a permanently attached cable instead of a port – and at that, given the audience for this thing, I’m surprised there isn’t a 3.5mm Aux out either.

Still, that RCA cable feeds a built-in and switchable phono preamp, which means you can plug your turntable in most any amplifier without needing an extra gain stage. On top of that, there’s a gain switch that lets you boost or attenuate your turntable’s output by 4dB. Surprising in a different way; thoughtful, even.

The LX3BT has, like many other entry-level turntables of its ilk, a completely built-in cartridge arrangement with a replaceable stylus element. The stylus part here looks strikingly like one of Audio-Technica’s AT-3600 series, but is “designed specifically for this turntable”, according to Sony’s website FAQ. With a bit of sleuthing, the stylus does appear to be Audio-Technica’s AT3600LAX, a conical stylus with a carbon-fiber cantilever – though Sony’s specs point to a slightly heftier 3.5g tracking force. (Incidentally, my own tracking-force measurements of the tonearm put its exertion at a, for me, troublingly high 3.7g.)

Crucially, this thin layer of proprietariness creates an uneasy route to self-replacement, or indeed upgrade. Sony would prefer you go through its dealers or customer service department for a like-for-like stylus replacement, indicating that “other styluses are not supported”. Built-in cartridges and replaceable styli can be clever entry-level phenomena, and can be executed transparently well, but here, in this manner, it trends a little too close to being anti-consumer for my liking. Minus thoughtfulness points.

• Features score: 3 / 5

Sony PS-LX3BT review: Sound quality

• Warm, clear sound from stylus
• Faultless Bluetooth transmission
• Clean, clear built-in preamp

For all the grumblings I’ve leveled at the Sony PS-LX3BT thus far, I will contend that it actually does sound good. That definitely-not-an-AT-3600L-in-a-moustache cartridge presents a perfectly reasonable quality of sound — great, even, for its place in the market.

True to the marketing copy, the LX3BT sounds warm, the general color of its cartridge being a little on the soft side with some noticeable roll-off towards the upper reaches. Future Islands’ As Long As You Are sounds no less rich for this character, all big, warbly synths and croon-adjacent missives throughout. It's an enjoyable listen.

Testing the 7-inch functionality of the automatic mechanism, I chucked on early-80s groover Emergency (Dial 999) by Loose Ends (a DJ-set staple, and an undeniable bop besides — fight me). It ended up being a great conduit by which to recognize the strengths of the PS-LX3BT’s built-in phono preamp. Often in budget turntables, these can be brittle or a little saturating; this one is clear and full, rendering those snappy standout snares and breakout vocal refrains in gratifying detail.

The whole outfit seems to benefit guitars and vocals over anything, though everything sounds, to some extent, present and fulsome; Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Risky, featuring Iggy Pop, is a sparse arrangement benefited by Iggy’s game attempt at a Let’s Dance-era Bowie impression — his voice is a raspy little joy all the time, but rendered to some good effect here.

Unobtrusively good sound quality notwithstanding, the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth connectivity is arguably the star of the show. It’s fast to connect to, and, with regards to fidelity, sounds indistinguishable from its analog alternative. I had a whale of a time in the kitchen listening to Mitski’s Nothing’s About To Happen To Me, in all its full and heartbreaking glory, fuss-free.

• Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Sony PS-LX3BT review: Design

• Cheap-feeling construction
• Easy to set up
• One-touch Bluetooth

Pulling the PS-LX3BT out of the box, I found the chassis to be quite light. Surprisingly light, even. Putting it together, it became clear that almost every element was some form of plastic — besides occasional aspects, and the die-cast aluminum platter. It’s not a reassuring weight, though the turntable is undeniably stable on its feet.

I’m more disappointed by the perceivable cheapness of the construction on display here. A series of design decisions were made that preferred cost to user experience, leading to a pretty nasty-feeling finish on the chassis shell, a flimsy tonearm rest clasp that doesn’t actually clasp, and a spring-assisted tonearm that inspires little confidence.

At least the LX3BT is an easy thing to set up — as easy as seating the platter belt, plugging in a power adapter and delivering the hardwired stereo RCA cable to your amp or speaker of choice. It couldn’t be more plug-and-play, nor more foolproof to use via its clearly labeled buttons and knobs.

Again, the best bit of the Sony PS-LX3BT seems to be its Bluetooth. Where many other devices struggle unduly with one-touch connectivity, connecting this turntable to my portable speaker was the easiest time of my life; a single button press, a modicum of patient waiting with speaker held (camply) in-hand, and it was paired.

This aptX Adaptive connectivity can be utilized simultaneously to the PS-LX3BT’s analog outputs, too. This means dual-zone listening; I got to enjoy hi-res Mitski in the kitchen while my wife bopped along in the living room, too. And, again, it sounded great! A positive side-effect design decision, that pitches the Sony LX3BT well for casual home listening.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Sony PS-LX3BT review: Value

• Great-sounding entry-level turntable…
• …that’s fundamentally overpriced
• And doesn’t allow self-replacement of stylus

To be completely frank, I find it difficult to square the price of this against its own quality, let alone the standards set by other turntable brands. It’s the top end of the entry level, and yet it has the same unfriendly design principles as the cheap-and-cheerful, ten-a-penny budget turntables it’s meant to outclass.

The caveat is that it does, ultimately, deliver on its core purposes. It’s an automatic turntable, and it does indeed automate much of the turntable-playing process — for the most part successfully, too. It’s a Bluetooth-enabled turntable, and its Bluetooth just works, which is something you can’t say for some other devices. And through it all, it sounds pretty darn decent.

But these are all things that turntables a third cheaper can offer. You deserve so much more for $400 / £300 than a brand logo; if you let it, that same amount of investment could buy you a solid turntable that delivers better quality sound, and gives you the keys to the kingdom vis-a-vis calibration and repairs too.

Here, it is worth my acknowledging that, in the intervening weeks since the LX3BT’s launch, there seems to have been a post-launch price-adjustment of sorts; many outlets are offering it at $348 / £250, or even slightly less. This makes the turntable a much more palatable prospect investment-wise, but I do think my criticisms stand — and that other turntables have met the moment a little better.

• Value score: 2.5 / 5

Should I buy the Sony PS-LX3BT?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Sony PS-LX3BT review: Also consider

How I tested the Sony PS-LX3BT

• Tested for 4 weeks
• Used as a part of a living-room hi-fi system
• Tested with a Cambridge hi-fi amplifier and Dali Sonik 1 bookshelf speakers

The Sony PS-LX3BT spent a month or so atop my living-room hi-fi stack, as my primary means of listening to records. As such, its output was treated by a Cambridge Audio A2 integrated amplifier, which itself fed a pair of Dali Sonik 1 bookshelf speakers.

Bluetooth connectivity was tested with my trusty kitchen speaker, a Soundcore Motion 300. For testing, I listened to a wide variety of favored records across genres, to get a comprehensive feel for the LX3BT’s performance.

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• First reviewed: July 2026

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: two minute review

Nothing highlights the highs and lows of vinyl like a proper turn table such as the Fluance RT87. Maybe you’ve been using the same Audio Technica LP-60 or even Crossley or Victrola that proliferates the storefront of every record store you’ve ever been to. No shame, I’ve had each at some point.

But there’s something about a fully manual turntable from assembling and calibrating (and testing one’s patience) to cleaning a record every time you put a new one on. Convenient is not necessarily a word that I would use for this process. But it is a bit meditative. More importantly, the audio quality you get a step above with that analog warmth that the best turntables are known for, while not adding unnecessary distortion that may make your vinyl also sound a bit unintentionally lo-fi.

Of course, spending the $799.99 / £666.33 / AU$1,231.70 is not enough for that immersive listening experience. You should probably get a pair of the best stereo speakers you can afford. And if those speakers don’t have a built-in phono preamp, you’ll have to get one of those too. This turntable does not come with one.

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: price and release date

• How much does it cost? $799.99 (around £666 / AU$1,230)
• When is it available? Available now (launched in June 2026)
• Where can you get it? Available now in the US; UK and Australia coming soon

Newest among Fluance’s offerings with a mid-June 2026 release, the Fluance RT87 is available in the US and will (at the time of writing) be available in the UK,and Australia very soon. And whether you get it in Natural Walnut, Piano Black, or Piano White, the price goes for an only-cheap-to-audiophile price of $799.99 (around £666 / AU$1,230). And that price stays the same regardless of cartridge, of which you can choose from the Ortofon 2M Blue or Audio Technica AT-VM95ML.

Just be aware that the Fluance RT87 does not have a built-in phono preamp, so you’ll need to invest in one. Fluance does sell the PA10 Phono Preamp for $99.99 / £82.99 / AU$154 and can be bundled (though without a discount) on its site.

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: features

• Very light on features and extra perks — the connoisseurs' choice
• No phono preamp or 45 RPM adapter
• Does come with a bubble level

If the Fluance RT87 is more for the audio purist and I think that’s who the brand is targeting, then it makes sense that this turntable is pretty light on convenience-focused features. There is no built-in phono preamp — something you can find on much cheaper decks like the Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT. And, of course, you won’t find Bluetooth connectivity or any other unique types of connectivity.

I don’t say this as a bad thing, either. After all, the Fluance RT87 is meant for someone ready to enter more serious vinyl listening and all those extra accoutrements take away from what’s important and that’s its performance and everything involved in making sure that it performs properly.

While I’ll cover most of those choices for performance in the next couple sections, it’s worth noting that the Fluance RT87 comes with the option of either the Ortofon 2M Blue or Audio Technica AT-VM95ML cartridge, either of which cost over $150 as just as part ($166.99 and $179.00, respectively). The configuration reviewed here is the Ortofon 2M Blue.

While there are plenty of opinions out there on both cartridges and how they affect the sound and I won’t parse out that whole conversation — people’s opinions of cartridges are as varied as they are on any other piece of audio equipment — other than to say that either cartridge marks an entry point into serious audio quality from more budget cartridges… just like the Fluance RT87 itself.

It’s also worth mentioning that this turntable can play 78, 45, and 33 RPM, via a selector on the lower left corner of the turntable so no need to adjust the belt like some turntables. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a 45 RPM adapter. Additionally, it has an Auto-Stop toggle on the back.

Features score: 3 / 5

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: sound quality

• Has a sweet, slightly warm sound
• Soundstage is immersive
• No discernable inner groove distortion

I learned a lot about my records using the Fluance RT87 as my conduit. I learned that I didn’t like the way Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is mixed. I learned that there’s way too much happening in Kamasi Washington’s Truth. Just to name a few.

You hear something that was there this whole time, but you noticed it on this last listen. And that’s not something that typically happens with entry-level gear. In short, I really enjoyed listening to the Fluance RT87. And while the turn table is a step or two up from entry-level gear (maybe beginner audiophile gear or first serious turntable level), the rest of the chain was more on the budget side — Fluance’s affordable PA10 phono amp and the company’s Ai41 speakers. Solid gear, but not transcendent.

One of the good things about using the Ai41 speakers is its Bluetooth connectivity. I could compare a record to a digital stream of the same music via HiFi through Deezer, which I did in a few cases. Rumours, for instance, got a play through vinyl as well as Kacey Musgrave’s Golden Hour. And the vinyl sounded just a little bit better. Maybe it’s the even-order harmonics. Maybe it’s using physical media over digital zeros and ones. To me, everything through the Fluance RT87 had this little bit of bloom to it. It just sounded a little bit sweeter.

Since I had done my best to properly set up my bookshelf speakers when I did my serious listening, I found the soundstage to be expansive and enveloping during listening sessions. I mentioned Kamasi Washington’s Truth, from his album Harmony of Difference before. When playing that song (really the whole record), not only could I hear his band to the outer reaches of where the speakers were projecting, but I could hear precise placement of various horn parts placed across the sound stage. In the same vein, Radiohead’s Pyramid Song sounded phenomenal on this setup.

As far as frequency response goes, I was pretty pleased. With the obvious caveat that the speakers are going to be the biggest bottleneck in a sound system (a bit of an oversimplification), I found the mid-range to be rich and full. Kacey Musgrave’s voice and guitar on Slow Burn, the opening track from Golden Hour, has weight to it. And the high-end has plenty of detail, while retaining some of the warmth of analog as it’s a tiny bit rolled off in a pleasing kind of way.

Now, the bass response is a bit tighter as opposed to big or woolly. It was still very present. Sure, it has a defined space on an older record like Rumours or Talking Heads’ Remain In The Light, but it’s easily placeable and doesn’t overpower the mix in something like FKA Twigs’ EP1.

Lastly, every record I played had a good amount of headroom so that the music came through clearly and without any real distortion (outside of those even order harmonics). And there wasn’t any discernable inner groove distortion either as the stylus would wind its way to the end of each side.

Sound quality: 5 / 5

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: design

• Heavy-duty plinth and platter
• Belt-driven
• Removable cartridge

If you’re just getting into turntables, you might be wondering what puts the Fluance RT87 in a more expensive price bracket compared to a lot of the popular, feature-filled turntables out there, one of which you might be upgrading from.

Obviously the sound quality is a huge part of that, which we’ve already covered, but that sound quality is affected by the build of the Fluance RT87. Of course, it’s worth mentioning that it’s a classy-looking deck with a high-gloss finish, available in Natural Walnut (reviewed here), Piano White, and Piano Black. It is made from MDF, but that’s actually a positive, as it doesn’t create any resonance.

Getting back to that build, the plinth, aka the body or chassis of the turntable, is heavy — the whole thing weighs 21 lb (9.5 kg) — giving the turntable a durable feel. Also, the acrylic platter is hefty in and of itself at 4.1 lb (1.85 kg). Incidental bumping or closing of the dust cover, which is surprisingly easy to scratch, doesn’t skip or affect the sound. And unless your record is warped, it will rotate without any up or down motion.

This is a belt-driven turntable with an adjustable and rigid carbon fiber tonearm (you even get a little hex wrench to adjust it), complete with removable counterweight and tiny anti-skate weight, and replaceable cartridge. I’ve mentioned earlier the two types of cartridges to select from and the fact that the reviewed model here came with the Ortofon 2M Blue. It’s worth noting that this is a moving magnet cartridge with a nude elliptical stylus.

The feet, of which there are three, are adjustable to help level the Fluance RT87. They are basically large, mostly silicon silicon screws.

Control-wise, there’s just the speed selector on the front, left corner of the plinth and the auto-stop toggle on the back. The ports are about as Spartan — just stereo RCA inputs and a ground outlet.

As far as extras go, the turntable comes with a RCA cable, ground cable, hex wrench for adjusting the tone arm, and bubble level, so you can adjust the turntable’s angle accordingly before you end up butchering any records. Brushes and any extras will require an individual purchase.

Design score: 4.5 / 5

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: ease of use and setup

• Putting it together takes ten minutes
• Not plug-and-play
• Fine tuning takes even longer

This should not be your first turntable. There’s ritual to setting up the Fluance RT87, as there is for a lot of turntables once you graduate beyond the three-to-four hundred dollar range. Because of that, it was equal parts frustrating and engaging. So, yes, there is some assembly required.

When first unboxing, I had to remove everything from its plastic wrapping and then spend probably five minutes just getting everything all together. I had to put the platter on the plinth, put the belt around the platter and then on the motor, put the Ortofon cartridge on one end of the tonearm followed by the counterweight on the other end, then on goes the anti-skate weight, and, lastly, I had to add the hinges to the dust cover and then attach it to the plinth.

But wait, we’re not ready to start playing any records. I had to turn the platter a few times with the belt on so that it’s evenly distributed. Since the platter doesn’t have a ridge or indentation for the belt, it has a habit of slipping off (and still does if I’m a bit clumsy removing a record after play) — something you don’t have to deal with on cheaper decks.

I also had to adjust the feet so that the turntable is completely level, making sure records lie flat during play. This takes a bit of time because you have to reach under and turn each foot clockwise to extend (counter-clockwise to shorten) until the bubble level shows its bubble directly in the center. This took me about ten minutes of adjusting initially, though to be fair, I was using a table that wasn’t very level. After moving the Fluance RT87 from the table I first had it set up on to a different, somewhat treated room where I had to put it on the floor, it required much less adjusting.

Adjusting the tonearm’s counterweight took quite a while as I had to be precise in getting it to balance flat instead of flying up and away from the turntable or digging into my records. While it’s par for the course, this probably also took me about ten minutes of adjusting, though that’s partially because I set it up according to the manual and found the tonearm to still not have enough weight from the counterweight.

Similarly, the anti-skate weight here is a bit finicky as well. It’s just a tiny ball on a thread thin enough to thread a needle with a loop on the other end to attach to the tonearm. The tonearm attachment is basically a lever with four notches on it to account for different anti-skate weight needs (for instance, the anti-skate should loop over a different rung when using the Ortofon cartridge versus the Audio-Technica one). Not only did it take some experimentation to find the right setting, but the loop kept slipping off its rung.

If you’re upgrading to your first big-boy or big-girl turntable and considering this one, just be ready to put in some time getting it right before actually using it. Also be aware that some of the required attention to detail during setup is not unique to this turntable, though anti-skate weights aren’t always a tiny ball on a tiny string.

Usability and setup score: 3.5 / 5

Fluance RT87 Turntable review: value

• Less features and automation than cheaper turntables
• Better sound quality than those cheaper turntables
• Some entry-to-premium decks may sound as good, but aren’t as sturdy

It’s interesting that the cheaper decks are the more convenient. It’s almost as if the more money you spend, the less features. Exhibit A, for instance, might be the FiiO TT13. This turntable costs a little over a quarter of the price of the Fluance RT87 ($249 / £239 / AU$249 if you need specifics), while adding in Bluetooth connectivity, a built-in phono amp, a fully automatic tonearm, and, frankly, due to its plug-n-play design requires none of the setup or fine tuning of the record player reviewed here. But I would hazard that the Fluance RT87 sounds quite a bit better since it has a bit more heft to its sound.

If you’ve been looking at upping your vinyl game, you might have already looked at the popular Rega Planar PL1, which at $595 / £299 / AU$645, is probably a more direct comparison. But, while the Rega also has a pretty spacious sound, it’s a bit more workmanlike in construction. It’s more utilitarian in looks and is much more light weight in construction. The Fluance RT87’s acrylic platter alone weighs about half of the Rega Planar PL1, making the Fluance more likely to absorb shocks and bumps without fuss.

Value score: 4 / 5

Should I buy the Fluance RT87 Turntable?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Fluance RT87 Turntable review:: Also consider

How I tested the Fluance RT87 Turntable

• Used regularly for a few weeks
• Played through Fluance P10 Phono Preamp and Fluance Ai41
• Played at various speeds and different size records

I used the Fluance RT87 for a few weeks, listening to as wide a variety of music from Rock to Jazz to Americana that I could. In so doing, I used the different speeds as well as seeing how it did with different size records. I also used the record player in a couple different rooms and with a couple different speakers, the Fluance Ai41 mentioned above and the Klipsch The Nines II.

I’ve tested a lot of tech gear over the years from laptops to keyboards and speakers, and so have been able to use my expertise towards giving an honest and fair opinion, not to mention a critical eye, to any product I test.

• First reviewed: July 2026
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Moving home is such a pain, and that's doubly true when half of your possessions are tech gadgets. I just spent weeks moving my belongings between two flats on opposite sides of London, and it would've taken half the time if I didn't have to shift countless large boxes that were 10% gadget and 90% packaging to keep said gadget from breaking.

Eventually I finished moving to The Ladder, as the area is called (not funny, since most tenants still aren't on it), and as soon as I had my foot on the rung, as it were, my turntable and hi-fi kit was the first thing I set up. The deposit had barely gone through before my Sony PS-LX310BT was on the cabinet and some Edifier M90s were either side.

That's right, the very first thing. Before I unpacked my clothes. I still haven't unpacked my books or computer. Getting some tunes going was the most important task.

This wasn't just because I wanted to enjoy some music while I unpacked, though, or because I wanted to claim the good speaker spots in the living room before my flatmate moved his own turntable in (OK actually, that was part of it). No: it's because getting your hi-fi set up in a new flat can save you loads of faff later on down the line.

Pride of place

Speakers aren't something you can just dump anywhere in your living room and get a good experience. A lot of thought needs to go into where they're placed.

Stereo speakers like mine need to be placed so they're spread evenly across a room, to put the listener in the sweet spot betwixt the two, not hidden together in a corner. You want to make sure they're placed on a surface that won't offer unwanted resonance, aren't too close to a wall and are, ideally, at ear level.

If you set up a living room and then bring your hi-fi kit into it, the ideal placement for all of this may already be taken up by other things. Books or DVDs or fancy liqueurs can hog the shelf space on which a speaker would ideally do best.

In my old apartment, the only convenient space for a turntable was on a shelf in the corner of the room. Reaching it to swap a record was a chore, and so I didn't bother using the player as much as I otherwise would.

That's why I thought it important to give my hi-fi set-up priority space in the room. Now, everything else can be place around it.

I'll admit, it wasn't perfect. As you can see in the pictures, I put my speakers on the same cabinet as the turntable. Great for taking pictures, not so great for music, because vibration interference might affect record playback. Unfortunately, it's the only place in the room where I could equally space the speakers, so it's something I'll have to make do with.

A mess of cables

"There's nothing as fun and sexy as cable management" is what I would say if I wanted to say something totally wrong. I hate the whole process of cleaning up wires and cables, and so often ignore it, leaving trails and black snakes and wire rat kings running like veins around my house.

(I know some people find great satisfaction in cable management and maintenance, with some cables ties and so on, and that's fair enough. It's just not my cup of tea. You can try and help me with mine, if you want though).

Unfortunately, this can quickly become a problem with a hi-fi set-up, when players and speakers need cables for power, cables for music, cables for the sake of it sometimes. I've created some pretty hideous messes in the past.

Sometimes, that makes moving house quite a pain, because you're left tangling or untangling countless wires. It's why I thought it important to set up everything quickly when I moved: I could refresh my cable situation, making sure I had all my audio cables in position before any annoying extras needed to be added.

I'm glad I did, because in the week I've moved here, the behind-the-cabinet area has turned into a nest of vipers. If I had to add my turntable now, it'd give me a migraine trying to work out what goes where.

That's especially true of power plugs, which are few and far between in any rental flat. Where I've plugged in the turntable and speakers, I also have to find space for a refrigerator, internet router, separate internet box (yeah, my ISP really likes taking up power points apparently), and various other things.

Since I've yet to buy a splitter, I'm constantly playing musical chairs with the plugs, removing and replacing them to find space for my laptop charger or projector. Thankfully, since the turntable and speakers were there first, they're too embedded to remove.

Where do the records go?

When I first set up my turntable and speaker, I thought those pieces of kit getting central spots would be the end of my space issue. I was wrong. And I'm not just talking about the fact that my flatmate and I have far more UK pint glasses than our kitchen storage can cope with.

Records. I'm talking about records. They're pretty big, aren't they? A lot bigger than my Spotify collection, that's for sure, because that takes up zero space.

Partly, I'm talking about how tall and wide records are. They just don't stack on all shelves, so you need to be smart about where you place them.

But the biggest problem for my flatmate and I soon became just how many records we have between us. We must have far north of 50 collectively, which makes them hard to fit on any kind of shelf.

Unfortunately, I didn't think of this ahead of time, and we only realized the issue when we'd already settled in the living room. Where were our records going to go? We'd already filled the crevices in the cabinet with bowls and plates, and reaching the shelves required a stretch, so that was no cigar.

It took some reorganization to carve out a space for them in one of the cabinet's areas, and that's only a half measure, because I had to sacrifice about three-fifths of my collection to the black void that is my unpacked room. But our favorite records are within reach, at least.

If I'd have thought this far in advance, I'd have saved some more cabinet space for records. But it just goes to prove the point: a hi-fi system takes thought, and if you don't bring it into your home before anything else (yes, including bowls and cutlery and little ramekins of the sort I have far too many of), you end up having to totally reorganize when it's too late.

We're halfway through 2026, which means a lot of products have passed through TechRadar's testing rooms — in total, we've reviewed a colossal 639 products in January to June 2026.

That includes a load of fantastic audio tech — including new options good enough to challenge the best wireless speakers, the best turntables, the best DACs to get more from streaming music on your PC or phone, and the best stereo speakers.

Our expert reviewers have tested a lot of stuff, and some products have proven to be the cream that rises to the top. Here are the products in these areas that scored either 5 stars or 4.5 stars in our reviews, making them best-in-class or highly recommended.

Wireless & stereo speakers

Wharfedale Diamond 12.1i

• Score: 5 / 5
• Price: $499 / £249 / AU$699 (pair)

What is it? The latest bookshelf stereo speakers in Wharfedale's famous 'Diamond' line, which is over 40 years old and clearly still going strong. They're two-way speakers with a 25mm tweeter, a 130mm mid/bass driver, and deliverying a frequency range of 65Hz - 20kHz. And they're easy to drive, and flexible on positioning — a great beginner hi-fi model.

What we said: "The Wharfedale Diamond 12.1i speakers turn out to be (yet another) high-achieving-yet-affordable loudspeaker option. They sound excellent, they're very unfussy about what drives them, they look and feel good, and they're extremely well priced. They're a little large for a pair of ostensibly 'bookshelf' speakers, so be warned if you're actually looking to put them on shelves, but that's easily forgiven."

Read our full Wharfedale Diamond 12.1i review

Cambridge L/R S

What is it? Small and stylish active stereo speakers with wireless connectivity as well as wired digital and analogue connections. There's 100 watts of Class D amplification powering a 21mm tweeter and 76mm mid/bass driver combo, and the connection stretch to USB-C, line-level stereo RCA, digital optical input, a pre-out for a subwoofer, and Bluetooth (with aptX HD codec compatibility).

What we said: "The Cambridge L/R S is a good-looking, well-built wireless active stereo speaker system that has the bold sound smarts to back up the fine, multi-option visuals. Sure, it's a little too confident at the bottom of the frequency range, with too much weight given to bass information, but for the money it's a genuine contender in an already-stacked market. Requires serious consideration."

Read our full Cambridge L/R S review

Sonos Play

• Score: 4.5 / 5
• Price: $299 / £299 / AU$499

What is it? Sonos' mid-size portable speaker, with enough power and quality to work as a home speaker, but a battery and charging cradle so you can take it away instantly. With audio input as an option over its USB-C port (via an adapter) it's incredible versatile — it's also tough and waterproof.

What we said: "The Sonos Play is a triumph of usability. It has just the right design and convenience considerations to make you pick it up and use it more often than other speakers, even great portable ones. To paraphrase a notable camera quote: the best speaker is the one you choose to listen on. The Sonos Play encourages me to listen more, in more places. It doesn't hurt that it sounds better than most portable speakers, too, and can hold its own as a home speaker."

Read our full Sonos Play review

Fluance Ri91

• Score: 4.5 / 5
• Price: $799 (about £640 / AU$1,270)

What is it? Big floorstanding active speakers with the power of a full hi-fi system, but no need for a separate amp or inputs. There's 150 watts of power behind two 6.5-inch mid/bass drivers and an AMT tweeter per speaker, and connections include HDMI, two RCA inputs, a subwoofer out, and Bluetooth (including aptX HD).

What we said: "The Fluance Ri91 sound great when turned up, though they can be a bit mid-focused, especially for those looking for neutral-sounding speakers. The included HDMI ARC input (quality control issues notwithstanding) are appreciated, as is the ability to stream higher-res audio over Bluetooth aptX."

Read our full Fluance Ri91 review

Denon Home 400

• Score: 4.5 / 5
• Price: $599 / £449 (around AU$999)

What is it? A relatively hefty and powerful wireless speaker (think of it as a fair bit bigger than a toaster), that uses six-drivers to deliver expansive Dolby Atmos spatial sound. There are left and right drivers, upfiring drive units, and two 4.5-inch woofers, all with their own Class D amplification. It uses the Denon HEOS wireless system and app, which is powerful and well-specced too.

What we said: "It's a home speaker that delivers where it counts, and is probably the most compelling single-unit spatial audio offering at this price, where it goes head-to-head with some serious competition. It offers confident, engaging and immersive spatial audio performance, a thoughtful and stylish design, and a great range of connectivity options, along with an excellent HEOS app. It sounds wonderful in its default Auto mode or the slightly more balanced Pure mode, but it really rewards those of us who tinker a bit, especially if you mess around with some of the customization options for the width and height of spatial sound."

Read our full Denon Home 400 review

Klipsch The Nines II

• Score: 4.5 / 5
• Price: $2,399 / £2,249 / AU$4,999

What is it? A pair of active standmount stereo speakers (their size and weight maybe pushes them beyond being 'bookshelf' speakers, really) that deliver tons of power connectivity with any extra components needed. They can be a soundbar replacement with HDMI and Dolby Atmos/DTS:X support, plus they have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for music, as well as optical, phono, USB, coaxial, and ethernet.

What we said: "The Klipsch The Nines II are an easy recommendation despite the weight and despite the price bump over the previous version. It's thanks to the immersive, robust sound and large set of features, not to mention broad connectivity — they're an excellent all-in-one hi-fi upgrade."

Read our full Klipsch The Nines II review

Sonos Era 100 SL

• Score: 4.5 / 5
• Price: $189 / £169 / AU$289

What is it? A cheaper version of Sonos' entry-level home speaker, delivering all the same connectivity as the regular Era 100 (including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, plus line-in over its USB-C port using an adapter) and the same sound quality, but for cheaper. You lose voice control and Quick Trueplay on Android as a result, but it's hard to argue with the price.

What we said: "What Sonos has achieved with the Era 100 SL is impressive. It has managed to pack in the same quality sound, great connectivity and iconic design, while dropping the price to a more affordable level. But there are absolutely some compromises — voice control is absent here, while Android users will miss out Sonos' room correction. Despite this though, it's one of the strongest performers in its price range, making it an easy choice if you never invested in the original Era 100."

Read our full Sonos Era 100 SL review

Turntables

Sony PS-LX5BT 

• Score: 4.5 / 5
• Price: $499 / £399 / AU$599

What is it? Sony's successor to its previous and wildly popular affordable Bluetooth turntable, bringing fully automatic operation and Bluetooth connectivity in a sleek design. The ultimate beginner turntable? Well, there's a cheaper version that might be more tempting, but for the price, it's hard to argue with.

What we said: "The Sony PS-LX5BT picks up where the PS-LX310BT it replaces left off — as one of the best pound-for-pound Bluetooth turntables around. If you want the most painless vinyl experience possible, you’ve come to the right place."

Read our full Sony PS-LX5BT review

Goldring GR3

• Score: 4.5 / 5
• Price: $1,299 / £699 (around AU$1,599)

What is it? Goldring is one of the oldest hi-fi companies in the world, and hasn't made a turntable in several decades — and now it's back with a very well-specified and great-looking new model. A built-in phono stage and high-quality provided cartridge make it great for relative novices, though it's odd that you can't bypass that phono.

What we said: "Goldring has managed to enter a tricky area of the turntable market with a player that is distinct enough (where finish, specification and sound quality are concerned) to stand out and make quite a compelling case for itself."

Read our full Goldring GR3 review

Headphone DACs

Fiio KA15

• Score: 5 / 5
• Price: $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$189.99

What is it? This tiny DAC blends the retro with the modern. It does a better job of converting hi-res audio to analog than your device's built-in DAC will, and has a fun little cassette animation while it plays.

What we said: "If you have big audio ambitions and a very small budget, the KA15 is excellent value for money. It's a significant upgrade in sound quality for smartphones and computers, and while it's not as powerful as a desktop headphone amp it has more than enough oomph for a wide range of headphones and IEMs so it's fairly future-proof."

Read our full Fiio KA15 review

Eversolo DAC-Z10

• Score: 5 / 5
• Price: $1,980 / £1,939 / AU$3,339

What is it? A super-versatile addition to a hi-fi setup, providing a high-end DAC system, a pre-amp, and a powerful headphone amp all in one unit. It's pricey, but it's incredibly well-specified, making it kind of a bargain — at least as far as premium hi-fi goes.

What we said: "The Eversolo DAC-Z10 won’t fail to satisfy, provided your partnering equipment is up to scratch. It’s a premium DAC for a premium system, and offers all the bells and whistles you could hope for as a result, as well as immaculate sound quality that specializes in finding every possible grain of detail in your music. It's simply as capable a DAC/preamp/headphone amp as this sort of money can buy."

Read our full Eversolo DAC-Z10 review

iFi GO Link 2

• Score: 4.5 / 5
• Price: $59 / £59 (around AU$111)

What is it? A no-fuss, super-small headphone DAC to make it easy to use wired headphones and earbuds with your phone or laptop, and with an audio upgrade along the way. Oh, and it's super-cheap as a bonus.

What we said: "The iFi Go Link 2 takes everything that's great about the original and packs it into a dinky DAC that's even smaller and lighter than before. It's a fantastic audio upgrade and it's priced very keenly, too."

Read our full iFi Go Link 2 review