Best Hi-Fi and Home Theater Products of 2021: The Award Winners Worth Buying

Introduction

Every year we close out the calendar with a look back at the hi-fi and home theater products that impressed us most, and 2021 turned out to be an unusually strong field. There were amplifiers that made difficult speakers behave, a wireless home theater system that genuinely felt like a step into the future, and several loudspeakers that reminded us why this hobby is worth the effort.

The only eligibility rule is that a product had to be something we spent real time with during 2021. That means a few of the entries here are not brand new, only new to us. The categories follow the way people actually build systems: amplification first, then speakers by budget tier, then the home theater pieces that carry a room.

One thing worth saying up front: several of these races were close, and in one case two products could not be separated, so the award was shared.

Amplifier of the Year: Audiolab 6000A Play

This was the hardest category to call. The shortlist included the Decware Zen, the Technics SU-R1000, the Yamaha A-S3200, the Cambridge Audio AXR100, the Bluesound Powernode and the Canor AI 1.10, and on another day any of them could have taken the title.

The Audiolab 6000A Play won because it never put a foot wrong. Nothing connected to it sounded bad, and it drove speakers that other amplifiers struggled with, including the PSB Synchrony T600 towers. That is a useful reminder that wattage alone does not tell you how an amplifier will behave into a demanding load.

What settled it was the combination of sound quality and flexibility. The feature set covers vinyl, digital sources and television integration, which makes it an easy recommendation for listeners who want one box to handle everything. It was also our overall product of the year.

Best Value Amplifier: Cambridge Audio AXR100

The Cambridge Audio AXR100 is a stereo receiver at around $600, and it was the amplifier we leaned on most often through the year. It also took our product of the year award in the under $1,000 category, ahead of the Magnat Transpuls speakers, the Kanto YU Passive, the Bluesound Powernode and the Audio-Technica AT-LP140XP turntable.

The appeal is straightforward: it is an enormous amount of capability for the money. If you are assembling a first serious stereo system and you want something that simply works with whatever you plug in, this is the value benchmark of the year.

AV Receiver of the Year: Onkyo TX-RZ50

The receiver category ran the Onkyo TX-RZ50 against the Denon AVR-X3700H, the Marantz NR1711, the Onkyo TX-NR5100 and the Rotel RSX-1580 MKII.

No receiver arrived this year more fully realized in performance and features. The law of diminishing returns also kicks in hard here: receivers that cost more do not sound night and day better, and they do not currently offer the same feature set. Availability has been tight since launch, so expect to wait if you decide to buy.

Best Speaker Under $1,000: Magnat Transpuls 1500

The under $1,000 speaker category was crowded, with the Monitor Audio Bronze 100, the Tannoy Gold 5, the Wharfedale EVO4.1, the Polk Audio Reserve R200, the Kanto YU Passive and the Cambridge Audio SX60 all in the running.

The Magnat Transpuls 1500 was the surprise of the year. It is a big, bulky, deliberately old school design, and expectations were modest going in. Instead it turned out to be genuinely good as well as fun, and it ended the year among our favourites overall.

For a buyer, the trade-off is size. This is a large speaker that does not slot neatly into a small room, and it wants space around it. What you get in return is a lively, energetic presentation for a modest outlay, which makes it one of the most engaging ways to start a system.

Best Speaker Under $2,500: Wharfedale Linton

At the next tier up, the Wharfedale Linton faced the Sonus Faber Lumina II, the Heco Aurora 700, the KLH Model Five and the Dynaudio Evoke 20.

The Linton took the award by a narrow margin over the KLH Model Five, a speaker it is very closely matched against and one that will appeal to the same kind of listener. The deciding factor was that the Linton came across as slightly more well rounded across the board. This is a genuinely close call, so treat the two as alternatives rather than a clear hierarchy.

Best Loudspeaker Under $5,000: Klipsch Forte IV

The under $5,000 loudspeaker category included the JBL L82 Classic, the Focal Chora 826-D and the Decware Zen Master Series.

The Klipsch Forte IV won it by a wide margin. These are the best all round Klipsch Heritage speakers we have heard. The larger La Scala needs corner placement, and the Cornwall is bigger and dramatically more expensive, so the Forte IV is the practical choice for most rooms and the one we would point most people toward.

High-End Co-Winner: Klipsch La Scala

At the top of the range we could not choose a single winner, so the high end award is shared between the Klipsch La Scala and the Bang & Olufsen Beolab 28.

The La Scala is not ruler flat and not neutral, and it will not suit everyone. What it does is deliver a live, immediate, unapologetically physical sound that nothing else matched this year. It was the only product in 2021 that moved us to tears, and it became one of our personal favourites of the year.

The practical consideration is space. Horn loaded designs of this type want corners and a generous room, which rules it out for a lot of apartments. If you have the space and you value that live character over measured neutrality, this is the kind of speaker people remember for the rest of their lives.

High-End Co-Winner: Bang & Olufsen Beolab 28

The Beolab 28 shares the high end award and also took our design of the year title, where it was nominated alongside the Beosound Stage, the Solid Steel speaker stands, the High Desert High Moon bookshelf loudspeaker and the Sonus Faber Lumina II.

Design, packaging and overall user experience are where this brand consistently excels, and the Beolab 28 is arguably one of the best speakers it has ever made. Being able to dial in the sound you want is, in our view, where the future of hi-fi is heading. It is priced accordingly, and we think it justifies the asking price.

Home Theater Product of the Year: Sony HT-A9

The home theater category was contested by the Onkyo TX-RZ50, the Sony Master Series OLED, the Sony X95J 4K LED, the Samsung HW-Q950A soundbar and the Bluesound Powernode.

The Sony HT-A9 with the SA-SW5 subwoofer won it comfortably. It is the most forward thinking home theater product we have spent time with in a very long time, and it genuinely feels like arriving in the future. The subwoofer is not optional: the system only makes sense as a package with it, so budget for both. Supply has been constrained, so waitlists are common. If you do encounter wireless dropouts, check the strength and congestion of your home network first, because that resolved the issue for us.

TV of the Year: Sony Master Series OLED

The television shortlist was the Sony X95J, the Sony Master Series OLED, the Vizio P-Series Quantum X and the Vizio H1 OLED.

The Sony Master Series OLED is the best television we have seen. There is a sense of depth to the picture that reads almost three dimensional without any glasses, and it is a genuinely remarkable screen. The X95J ran it close and remains an excellent choice if you want a very large panel, such as an 85 inch set, while the Vizio P-Series Quantum X also made a strong case for itself.

Soundbar of the Year: Samsung HW-Q950A

The soundbar category featured the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Stage, the Vizio Elevate, the LG SP9 and the Bose Smart Soundbar 900.

The Samsung HW-Q950A was an easy pick. It is an exceptional soundbar, and it is well priced for what it delivers, especially considering how much hardware is involved. Pricing has also fallen steadily since launch, which makes it easier to recommend now than it was at release.

Buying Advice

Use this list as a starting point rather than a shopping order. The right first purchase is almost always amplification, because it determines how well everything downstream behaves. If you want one box that handles vinyl, digital and television, the Audiolab 6000A Play is the most complete option here. If budget is the priority, the Cambridge Audio AXR100 is the value benchmark and it will not leave you feeling short changed.

Speakers should be chosen for the room you actually have. The Magnat Transpuls 1500 is the most fun per dollar, but it is large and wants space. The Wharfedale Linton is the most well rounded option in its tier, though it is closely matched by a rival. The Klipsch Forte IV is the practical Heritage choice, and the La Scala is a room defining purchase that needs corners and generous space.

For home theater, think about the whole package rather than a single box. The Sony HT-A9 only makes sense with its subwoofer, and the Samsung HW-Q950A is the strongest soundbar option here. On the television side, the Sony Master Series OLED is the reference, while the X95J is the smarter pick if sheer screen size matters most.

Finally, availability is worth checking before you commit. Some of these products have been hard to find, and prices have moved over time.

Conclusion

The 2021 field was strong enough that several categories could have gone another way. What separates the winners here is not raw specification but how consistently they performed: the Audiolab 6000A Play never faltered with anything connected to it, the Cambridge Audio AXR100 delivered remarkable value, and the Magnat Transpuls 1500 proved that an affordable, unfashionable box can still be the most enjoyable thing in the room.

At the top end, the Klipsch La Scala and the Bang & Olufsen Beolab 28 represent two completely different philosophies, and both are worth hearing if you get the chance. Whichever direction you go, buy for your room, your sources and your own ears, because the only person who has to like the sound of your system is you.