Sony SRS-X88

When we were children, this is probably what we thought things would look like in the future: robotic chrome, straight lines, blinking lights. That we also thought those things would be able to fly is rather beside the point.

Regardless, the Sony SRS-X88 has plenty of other features that would have boggled our infant minds. Essentially, this is a pretty clued-up piece of wireless kit, heavily focused on delivering highresolution audio. For that, Sony has its own Big Three: the S-Master HX amplifier, which it claims will reduce distortion and noise; its Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, which upscales compressed files to nearer high-resolution quality (the SRS-X88 is happy to play AAC, WMA, AIFF, ALAC, DSD, WAV, MP3 and FLAC); and ClearAudio+, which Sony says optimises audio for clarity and separation.

Cambridge TVB2

Over the past few years, Cambridge has found a comfort zone in soundbases. Its TV2, TV5 and Minx TV have all achieved five-star fame, collecting two Awards between them. So it’s not surprising the British company has the confidence to have a crack at a soundbar. Say hello to the TVB2.

Our only criticisms of the company’s soundbases have centred on their basic remote controls and the absence of HDMI connections (although the latter is becoming a trend in TV audio solutions).

Yamaha RX-A550

In previous years Yamaha has preserved its high-end Aventage range for its more high-end models, saving the very best of its components, fine-tuning and engineering for receivers costing £800 or more.

This year it has decided to show the popular £500 price point some love, and included it in the Aventage line up for the first time. The aim? To offer superior design and performance without focusing on specification-pleasing. The only question is, why can’t we have a bit of both?

View Quest Blighty

For such a tiny portable radio, available at this budget-friendly price, the little Blighty (made by radio specialist View Quest) is rather well-featured. It has FM and DAB tuners on board (and DAB+ for the countries that support it), 10 presets to save your favourite stations, and a battery life of up to 10 hours.

Sony Xperia Z5

If you’re now thinking ‘what about the Z4?’ don’t worry – you didn’t sleep through it. While most of the world got the Z3+ in the summer to replace the Z3, in Sony’s native Japan it was officially called the Z4. Head-scratching, yes, but technically Sony is conforming to the sequential running order with the arrival of its new flagship smartphone: the Z5.