Hi-Fi Essentials
Hardware and treatment for a system you already own: headphones, DACs, amplifiers, streamers, isolation, racks and grounding. The next purchase after the system exists.
Shop by Brand
Where to spend next
This is the upgrade section rather than the starting point. It assumes you have a system, know roughly what it does well, and want to work out what to change next.
The order that usually works starts with the mechanical foundation. A rack that resonates undermines everything sitting on it, so proper support and isolation come first. Then the source, because nothing downstream can recover what a poor source has already lost. Then the electronics, and last the treatments that sit around the edges of a system, such as grounding.
Some of what is here is uncontested. Speaker stands, isolation feet and a rigid rack do measurable and audible things. Other categories, grounding in particular, divide opinion sharply, and we say so on the pages where that applies. What we will not do is recommend something we have not heard, or call a component essential when your system does not need it. Tell us what you are running and what you want to improve, and we will give you a straight answer.
-
NEW£474.17Ex. VATThe Hana EH MK II is a high-output moving coil cartridge with an elliptical stylus, Alnico magnet and threaded brass cap, giving 2mV to work directly with a standard moving magnet phono stage. -
NEW£474.17Ex. VATThe Hana EL MK II is a low-output moving coil cartridge with an elliptical stylus, Alnico magnet and 8-ohm coil, built for a closer match with moving coil phono stages.
-
NEW£49.17Ex. VATThe iFi Audio UP Play is a pocket-sized LDAC Bluetooth transmitter that plugs into the USB-C port of a phone, tablet, computer or games console and sends hi-res wireless audio to your headphones or earbuds. Supporting LDAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD and aptX Low Latency, the UP Play adds JVCKENWOOD's K2 Technology, dual headphone pairing and a built-in microphone for calls and game chat.
-
NEW£74.17Ex. VATThe iFi Audio UP Play Max is an ultra-compact USB-C Bluetooth transmitter that brings aptX Lossless, LDAC and a full suite of hi-res codecs to any phone, tablet, computer or console. JVCKENWOOD's K2 Technology, a low-latency gaming mode, dual headphone pairing and a built-in microphone make it a simple way to get CD quality wireless sound from an iPhone or Android device. -
NEW£2,745.83Ex. VATThe Ferrum WANDLA GoldenSound Edition Gen 2 is a fully balanced DAC and preamplifier that lets you shape your system's sound with three overhauled DSP tools: Impact+, Tube Mode and Spatial Enhancement. Seven bass profiles, five tube emulations and a new Transient Compensation setting sit alongside an ESS Sabre ES9038PRO converter, balanced XLR and RCA outputs, and an HDMI ARC input for TV sound.
-
NEW£457.50Ex. VATThe WiiM Amp Ultra delivers 100W per channel of distortion-free audio with smart features, a 3.5" touchscreen, and advanced PFFB tech for accurate, balanced sound. Ideal for music, home theater, or smart homes.
-
NEW£3,666.67Ex. VATThe MOON 341 is an all-analogue integrated amplifier from the MOON Compass Collection, delivering 100W per channel into 8 ohms and 200W into 4 ohms. A fully balanced preamplifier, a configurable MM/MC phono stage and the 800W MOON Hybrid Power supply share one chassis, giving the performance of separates with the simplicity of a single box.
-
NEW£1,666.67Ex. VATThe Gold Note B-7 Ceramic is a 9 inch ball bearing tonearm handmade in Italy, and the reference model of Gold Note's flagship B-7 tonearm platform, built for cartridges up to 15g. Sealed GRW ceramic ball bearings keep the arm quiet and free-moving, while the titanium arm wand and 242mm effective length make it easy to fit to any high-quality turntable.
-
NEW£2,083.33Ex. VATThe Gold Note B-7 Ceramic X is a 9 inch ball bearing tonearm handmade in Italy, and the most refined version of Gold Note's flagship B-7 Ceramic, built for high-end cartridges up to 15g. A perforated magnesium alloy head-shell and individually screened GRW ceramic bearings target a lower noise floor and more precise tracking, while the titanium arm wand and 242mm effective length carry over from the standard model.
-
NEW£190.83Ex. VATThe iFi Audio ZEN DAC V3 Desktop USB DAC / Headphone Amp offers unparalleled audio quality with support for PCM 768kHz, DSD 512, and MQA decoding, along with features like XBass+ and PowerMatch modes for enhanced sound. Its versatile design allows for seamless integration into any setup, whether connecting to headphones, active speakers, or amplifiers, and its USB-C connectivity ensures easy plug-and-play functionality while offering an upgrade path with the option for external power supply.
-
NEW£308.33Ex. VATThe Furutech Monaco LP Stabilizer is a 210g record weight in non-magnetic stainless steel and carbon fibre, with a piezo ceramic damping base cut with eight concentric grooves to calm record vibration during playback.
-
NEW£41.67Ex. VATThe Furutech NCF Booster Shaft Bar Adjuster is a pair of nickel-plated brass height adjusters with NCF nylon bases that fine-tune NCF Booster and NCF Booster-Signal shaft bars by up to 7.0mm.
