Pioneer XDP-100R: Portable supersound

The portable player category is hotting up nicely and Pioneer has just delivered a very impressive new contender

The portable audio player market is being pushed with gusto, gripping the coat-tails of a growing interest in hi-res music, the proliferation of streaming services and our inability to put down our devices. The latest entrant to this arena is the XDP-100R from Pioneer, and it's a bit tasty.

This portable player has a few features that suggest Pioneer has been paying attention to criticisms levelled at rivals. First up, the XDP-100R is built around the Android platform but uses the more recent (and vastly improved) Android Lollipop OS, which makes for a faster and slicker UI. This in turn is mated to a 720 x 1,280 screen that occupies pretty much the entire front panel. So while audio is still the main focus, video is more than just an afterthought.

Panasonic DMR-PWT655

Blu-ray player, PVR functionality and media streaming in a single box

The very first Blu-ray player, Samsung's BDP-1000, lacked Ethernet. It was one of the few without such connectivity, and therefore unable to let early adopters sample  the delights of BD-Live. Of course, BD-Live turned out to be pointless, but an ability to connect to your home network, and the 'net, wasn't; BD players were soon offering networked playback and a range of TV-like smart features, including, ironically, access to the on-demand services that are threatening physical media.

Panasonic's DMR-PWT655 can do all of this and more. The network player of this slim-line and distinctly house-styled machine is DLNA-compatible; the handset totes a shortcut key to a Netflix portal; playback of 4K (not BD) content (and upscaling) is proffered.

Epson EH-TW5300: Home cinema matinee idol

The home cinema projection market is evolving. At the premium end, 4K and laser light are beginning to dominate, while 1080p offerings are vacating the middle ground and heading into territory once dominated by low-cost 720p shooters. In between stretches a yawning chasm where manufacturers are increasingly wary of treading.

The EH-TW5300 reviewed here is one of a trio of lookalike low-cost Full HD models released by the world’s biggest projector brand. Sandwiched between the EH-TW5350 and EH-TW5210, it’s a well-specified 2D/3D model aimed at both casual users and more dedicated AV enthusiasts. Do you really need to spend more for a true home cinema experience? Perhaps not…

Fronting the unit is Epson’s D9 LCD panel technology, illuminated by a bright UHE lamp. The latter is claimed to last around 3,900 hours, extending to 7,500 in Eco mode. Epson suggests you’ll be able to watch a movie every day for 11 years without changing the lamp. Whether you can find that many actually worth watching is another matter entirely.

Pioneer SC-LX89: 3D audio with a passion

With DOLBY ATMOS and DTS:X in its armoury, the SC-LX89 is currently Pioneer’s best-dressed AV receiver. No stone has been left unturned when it comes to advanced functionality. But is there more to this badass box than high-tech feature overload? 

Yes, actually. And it's how it sounds. The SC-LX89 has serious performance chops. Up and running, you won’t be able to tear yourself away from its sonic embrace.

Its predecessor, the SC-LX88, was respectable enough, but later rivals showed it up as something of a perfunctory listen. It just didn’t quicken my pulse in the way a hefty home cinema amp should. This update is immeasurably more exciting. The more I used it, the more I wanted to use it. Whatever was amiss with the SC-LX88 has been put right here.

Panasonic TX-65CZ952B: The best TV ever?

For many serious AV fans, OLED currently looks like the holy grail of TV technology, ready to usurp LED-lit LCD TV and light the way to a new era of home entertainment. If OLED doesn't excite you, then you may be reading the wrong magazine.

Why is OLED a big deal? Because its self-emissive approach to crafting pictures follows plasma’s example of enabling each pixel to deliver its own light and colour independent of its immediate neighbours. This allows for levels of contrast and colour precision that not even the most expensive and precise of today’s LCD TVs can rival.

Yet for all its potential magnificence, getting OLED perfection in the homes of film fans has been thwarted by a combination of ultra-expensive prices and a few sporadic performance issues. Here, however, in the shape of the 65in 4K Panasonic 65CZ952B, I’m happy to say I’ve found an OLED TV that at least fixes the picture quality hiccups. Just don’t mention the price…