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Welcome to the AVTech Awards for 2016/17, where once again the UK’s trio of premium AV magazine brands – Hi-Fi Choice, Home Cinema Choice and Hi-Fi News & Record Review – come together to celebrate the very best hardware you can buy. Collectively we test and review more hi-fi, TV and home theatre equipment than any other organisation in the UK, with hundreds of pages of editorial content published every month! Our Awards are informed by this pool of experience, stretching from headphones and portable music players to flagship floorstanding loudspeakers; from 4K TVs to projectors and Ultra HD Blu-ray players; from media streamers, USB DACs and headphone amps to turntables, integrated and pre/power amplifiers and every black box and cable in between. So whether you’re a two-channel music fan or home cinema enthusiast, or someone seeking the best of both worlds, let the AVTech Awards be your guide. .

Beneath the tailor-made fabric exterior lies a sophisticated portable speaker designed and built by Danish manufacturer Vifa. If the brand name sounds familiar that’s because it’s been around since 1933 and is perhaps better-known in hi-fi circles for its well-regarded drive units, which have been found in plenty of big-name hi-fi loudspeaker designs over the years. In more recent times the company has embarked on its own line of speakers, and the Oslo is the fourth model to be added to its Nordic range of portable wireless models. It’s an elegant one-piece design with the logo neatly embedded into the top of the solid aluminium handle, while embroidered up and down volume keys on the custom-made fabric cover produced by Danish textile designers Kvadrat give it a style that makes it stand out from the crowd.

Hot on the heels of its MP5 and MP10 wireless music systems (HFC 407),Musaic has launched its third wireless audio product – the MPL Music Player, which has been designed to stream to any stereo or home cinema system. The MPL has an ESS SABRE DAC built-in while an audio playback ‘engine’ allows uncompressed high-resolution playback for uncompromised sound quality and support of almost any file type including 24-bit Studio Master files. Itconnects to any device with an analogue line-level input or via an S/PDIF or Toslink digital input. It's also fully compatible with the MP5 and MP10 smart speakers and so can be used in a multi-room setup.

Hi-fi specialist Pro-Ject has introduced two Primary turntables aimed, it says, at customers that want to experience true audio qualityon a budget. With a range of award-winning decks in its continuously expanding lineup, the new Primary turntables’ design takes inspiration from its accomplished Elemental and Essential II models. Like the Essential player, the Primary is a traditional layout with an MDF plinth, platter and felt mat. The plinth is available in matte black, white or red finishes, and a detachable dust cover is included.