Stories by Scott Bartley

BenQ PE7700

BenQ (pronounced Ben-queue, in case you were afraid to ask) is making a concerted effort to become a hip, cool technology vendor, much like that benchmark for hip and cool technology vendors, Sony. While many of its products tend to fall more in the ...

Panasonic Viera TH-42PV500

LCD televisions have been hogging the limelight recently and it's easy to forget that for all their glory they're only now catching up to the level of image quality that plasma TVs have enjoyed for a while. In that time, plasma manufacturers haven't ...

Sony Grand Wega KFE50A10

While flat-panel displays like plasma and LCD tend to hog the limelight, there are other big-screen TV options that provide high-quality output without the sky-high price tags - namely, rear-projection television (RPTV). If your last encounter with R...

Audio Pro Stereo One

Stereo One, manufactured by Swedish speaker specialist Audio Pro, is a compact, all-in-one hi-fi system aimed at bringing audiophile-quality sound within reach of most people,. And when we say 'all-in-one hi-fi', we mean just that. There's no DVD pla...

InFocus ScreenPlay 777

Modern multiplex cinemas may have killed some of the grandeur associated with the movie-going experience (where are the curtains, we ask?) but even the smallest, blandest box of a theatre maintains that most essential element of the cinema's magic --...

The Mythos System by Definitive Technology

As people slowly grow accustomed to the idea of thin, stylish flat-panel televisions in their living rooms, it's logical to assume that sooner or later they'll start looking at large, bulky speaker systems as a blight on their carefully constructed l...

Magnepan MGMC1

American loudspeaker manufacturer Magnepan is famed for its stylish, planar-magnetic, "Magneplanar" flat-panel speakers. The problem is, Maggies tend to be rather large. Without a traditional woofer-type cone to move air, they require a large surface...

Audio Pro ACE-Bass 2 Subwoofer

A good subwoofer adds impact, substance and (quite literally) feeling to your aural experiences. A great subwoofer will do all this and then some--it'll even extend the frequency range of your system by alleviating some of the bass load from your mai...

Yamaha RX-V750

Yamaha's trademark orange LCD makes this receiver a little different from others. Aside from that, the RX-V750 is a reasonably ordinary-looking machine. The fascia is busy and two smallish selector knobs allow for quick and easy mode and input select...

Sony STRDA5000ES

With a golden fascia and angular approach, the small Sony STRDA5000ES looks rather smart. A bevy of buttons and knobs are hidden beneath the front panel, leaving only the essentials on top.

Sherwood Newcastle R-865

This aesthetically stunning unit shows off a clean, visually striking design and a metallic grey finish with a gorgeous blue tinge. Smart-looking front-panel buttons, funky neon-blue LEDs and an exceptionally crisp and clear LCD panel all add to its ...

Sherwood Newcastle P-965 and A-965

If you're currently shopping for a mid/high-end home theatre system, or are perhaps looking to move onto something more serious after an initial foray into the wonderfully addictive world of home theatre, then the Sherwood Newcastle P-965 and A-965 c...

Pioneer VSX-AX3

The Pioneer VSX-AX3 is a sturdy-looking machine that stands quite tall (188mm) and tips the scales at 18.4kg. It's finished in brushed aluminium, and a minimalist approach is taken to the layout of buttons, the bulk of which are tucked away out of si...

Onkyo TX-SR701

Onkyo's TX-SR701 is one of the lighter receivers we have looked at, but even so it turned out to be quite a talent. Finished in sophisticated gold with matching golden LED display, the TX-SR701 certainly looks the business. It has a well-laid-out con...

Marantz SR-7400

The SR-7400 goes for the buttony look, with a front panel that's emblazoned with knobs galore. They're tidy enough, however, and don't affect the overall good looks of the Marantz one bit. The physical construction of the 15kg SR-7400 appears faultle...