Lab: Paul Miller

Onkyo has carved a name for itself as a leading maker of AV receivers, but the Japanese company has never lost sight of its two-channel roots, and neither have its fans. Onkyo’s M series power amps, including the M-504 from 1987, still trade for hefty prices on the secondhand market. Aside from its sonic capabilities, that model is valued for its large VU meters, a trend not lost on Onkyo when it came to setting the aesthetic for its new M-80 power amplifier. Paired with the P-80 streaming preamplifier, the system delivers the convenience demanded in 2026.

Trust me on this: Quad is definitely on a roll. In rapid order, it has delivered the reborn 33/303 pre/power [HFN Jan ’25] and Quad 3 entry-level integrated [HFN Sep ’25], the ESL 2912X electrostatic speaker [HFN Feb ’26], and now this absolute honey of an integrated amplifier. The Platina is billed by Quad as the best integrated amp it’s ever delivered, a claim certainly justified.

When DALI launched its flagship KORE speaker [HFN Dec ’22], followed by the Epikore 11 [HFN Feb ’25], the Danish company clearly wanted to turn heads in a higher-end segment. Which worked out fine, but both speakers have a ‘downside’: they are colossal. Applying trickle-down technologies from the £85k KORE and £40k Epikore 11, the smaller £20k Epikore 7 floorstander might just be the more sensible choice for typical living rooms.

Acoustic Energy's flagship Corinium floorstander stands out from the rest of the manufacturer's range, and not simply in the matter of its pricing. In place of AE's familiar numerical system (AE500, AE300, etc), there's that one-of-a-kind title – Corinium being the Roman name for Cirencester, Gloucestershire, where the brand is based. There are new colourways too, plus a freshly curved cabinet design. And if that wasn't enough, AE claims the loudspeaker was three years in development.The result is a three-way, four-driver floorstander intended to act as a calling card for the company.