Nothing gets manufacturers more excited than the EISA Hi-Fi Awards and while the past two years have been a Zoom event where participating global publications have been pitched by the nominees from afar, the ability to market such an honor is a huge win for companies looking to end the year with strong sales.
60 tech publishers from 29 countries are tasked with awarding the best products (coming to market in the preceding twelve months) in the categories of hi-fi, home theatre, photo and video, in-car and mobile electronics.
There are some exceptional products on this list including a number from Bluesound, Polk Audio, Rotel, Focal, Pro-Ject, and Cambridge Audio that we’ve already reviewed or currently have in-house. Congratulations to all of the winners of the EISA Hi-Fi Awards 2021-2022.
The seventh generation of Monitor Audio’s Silver Series incorporates a wide range of acoustic innovations, all on show in the magnificent floorstanding flagship of the range, the Silver 500 7G. The C-CAM metal/ceramic tweeter has a new motor and housing, for cleaner, sweeter treble, while the RST II midrange and bass drivers are fashioned from an improved ceramic-coated alloy for greater stiffness. Add in a refined crossover and a beautifully-finished enclosure, into which the drivers are fixed with bolt-through mountings, and you have a speaker as adept with the finest detail as it is developing a massive, powerful view of the music. Learn more about Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G Loudspeakers.
The original, EISA Award-winning LS50 loudspeaker was widely acclaimed, but KEF’s engineers have taken it to a new level with numerous detail revisions including the use of Metamaterial Absorption Technology to further control unwanted driver resonances. That may seem like a small internal upgrade, but the result is a magnificent compact speaker capable of a huge soundstage, generous bass and terrific imaging. It’s an already impressive speaker now transformed into something truly special and, at the price, is the very best of its genre. If space is tight – or even if it isn’t – these remarkable speakers are the ones to have, and the strikingly attractive looks further enhance their user-appeal. Learn more about KEF LS50 Meta.
Developed from the original LS50W design, using the same Metamaterial Absorption Technology found in the LS50 Meta model, this is much more than just a pair of speakers. In fact, it’s a complete wireless hi-fi system, able to play music from portable devices, local network storage and streaming services, all under the control of a cleverly-designed app. Set-up and configuration is simple, meaning you’ll have music playing in minutes, while the combination of KEF’s Uni-Q driver and plenty of internal amplifier power delivers a focused, involving sound way beyond expectations for speakers so small. They can handle hi-res music or just Bluetooth from your phone, look fabulous whether on shelves or their dedicated stands – and of course have that ‘hi-fi without all the boxes’ appeal. Learn more about KEF LS50 Wireless II.
On rare occasions it’s hard to associate the equipment before you with the sound you’re hearing. Take as an example the amazing KEF KC62 subwoofer – it’s tiny at just 25cm per side, with a pair of drivers just 16.5cm in diameter, and yet this seemingly miraculous speaker delivers massive, fast and tautly controlled bass down to subterranean depths. So the KC62 is so small you can hide it away almost anywhere, but the performance is all down to clever design – the opposed drivers use Uni-Core force cancelling, each powered by a 500W amplifier, all under the control of digital signal processing. Want even more fun? Try using two of them! Learn more about the KEF KC62 subwoofer.
Compact, clever and capable of driving even demanding speakers to deliver a room-filling sound – whether from your phone, your computer or streaming services – the EVO 150 is all the system many users will ever want or need. It has style on its side, and amazing flexibility including balanced inputs and a phono stage, but the most outstanding feature here is how simple it makes set-up and operation for breathtaking performance. The Cambridge Audio engineers have considered everything, from the way the EVO 150 leads you through installation to the superb StreamMagic app control, making this a system all the family can enjoy, with class-leading sound. Learn more about Cambridge Audio EVO 150.
This may be the more affordable of two integrated amplifiers in Rotel’s revived Michi lineup, but it’s undoubtedly the sweet spot of the range, combining ‘drive anything’ confidence with speed, warmth and the ability to switch from pile-driver to a gossamer touch when required. There’s no shortage of power here, but the Michi X3 carries its massive output lightly, being fast, detailed and beautifully controlled, and is all the more rewarding as a result. Add in its flexibility, build quality and sheer style, and you have an amp able to take on all the super-integrated amplifiers now available and show most of them a clean pair of heels. Read our Rotel Michi X3 review.
Cambridge Audio has been making DACs since 1994, and it all shows in the latest addition to its DacMagic line, the 200M. It lives up to the precedent of its illustrious forebears with an attractive combination of solid build, ease of use and performance, plus wide-ranging file-format compatibility, all the way up to 768kHz/24-bit and DSD512 (at least via its USB input). Easy to use, it’s not only an excellent ‘desktop audio’ device that’ll drive headphones to good effect, but it will also serve up a storm in a main audio system with its crisp, rewarding and expressively-detailed sound. Read our Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M review.
Launched to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary, this very refined version of Pro-Ject’s entry-level turntable comes with a raft of improvements, not least of which is a new one-piece alloy/carbon fibre tonearm. The platter is now more heavily damped and non-magnetic, the suspension of both arm and motor have been enhanced, and a new Pick it Pro cartridge comes pre-fitted for near instant set-up and use. Described as ‘the ultimate expression of the Debut concept’, it sounds assured and involving – it’s an absolute knock-out, and a new champion for the entry level. Learn more about the Pro-Ject Debut PRO Turntable.
Other Winners Include:
Combined Award with Home Theatre Audio Expert Group
EISA COMPACT SUBWOOFER 2021-2022
SVS 3000 Micro
Combined Award with Mobile Devices Expert Group
EISA WIRELESS HEADPHONES 2021-2022
Philips Fidelio L3
EISA IN-EAR HEADPHONES 2021-2022
LG TONE Free FP8 (DFP8, UFP8, DFP8W, FP8W, UFP8W, FP8E, TFP8E)
Home Theatre Audio Expert Group
EISA SMART SOUNDBAR 2021-2022
Denon Home Sound Bar 550
EISA SOUNDBAR INNOVATION 2021-2022
LG Eclair QP5 (DQP5, DQP5W, QP5W)
EISA COMPACT SOUNDBAR 2021-2022
JBL Bar 5.0 Multibeam
EISA BEST BUY SOUNDBAR 2021-2022
TCL TS8132
EISA HOME THEATRE SOUNDBAR 2021-2022
Philips Fidelio B97
EISA BEST BUY HOME THEATRE SUBWOOFER 2021-2022
SVS SB-1000 Pro
EISA COMPACT SUBWOOFER 2021-2022
SVS 3000 Micro
EISA HOME THEATRE SPEAKER SYSTEM 2021-2022
Polk Audio Reserve
EISA HOME THEATRE RECEIVER 2021-2022
Yamaha RX-V6A
Combined Award with Home Theatre Video Expert Group
EISA UHD PLAYER 2021-2022
Reavon UBR-X200
Home Theatre Video & Display Expert Group
EISA 8K TV 2021-2022
LG 75QNED99
EISA BEST PREMIUM OLED TV 2021-2022
LG OLED65G1 ($2999 at Amazon)
EISA BEST GAMING TV 2021-2022
LG OLED48C1
EISA FAMILY TV 2021-2022
Hisense 65U8GQ
EISA BEST BUY LCD TV 2021-2022
TCL 55C728 (55C727 & 55C729)
EISA PREMIUM LCD TV 2021-2022
TCL 65C825 (65C821 & 65C822)
EISA BEST HOME THEATRE TV 2021-2022
Philips 65OLED936
EISA BEST BUY OLED TV 2021-2022
Philips 55OLED806
EISA PREMIUM UST PROJECTOR 2021-2022
Samsung The Premiere LSP9T
EISA HOME THEATRE PROJECTOR 2021-2022
Sony VPL-VW590ES
EISA BEST BUY PROJECTOR 2021-2022
XGIMI Horizon Pro
EISA LASER TV PROJECTION SYSTEM 2021-2022
BenQ V7000i/V7050i & ALRS01
Mobile Devices Expert Group
EISA MULTIMEDIA SMARTPHONE 2021-2022
Sony Xperia 1 III
EISA ADVANCED SMARTPHONE 2021-2022
OPPO Find X3 Pro
EISA BEST SMARTPHONE 2021-2022
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
EISA FOLDABLE SMARTPHONE 2021-2022
Huawei Mate X2
EISA BEST BUY SMARTPHONE 2021-2022
TCL 20 Pro 5G
EISA WIRELESS HEADPHONES 2021-2022
Philips Fidelio L3
EISA IN-EAR HEADPHONES 2021-2022
LG TONE Free FP8 (DFP8, UFP8, DFP8W, FP8W, UFP8W, FP8E, TFP8E)
EISA MOBILE SPEAKER 2021-2022
Loewe We. HEAR 2
EISA SMARTWATCH 2021-2022
Huawei Watch 3 Pro
In-Car Electronics Expert Group
EISA IN-CAR HEAD UNIT 2021-2022
Kenwood DMX8020DABS
EISA IN-CAR INNOVATION 2021-2022
Audiotec Fischer Conductor
EISA IN-CAR SPEAKER SERIES 2021-2022
Ground Zero Uranium SQ series
EISA IN-CAR SOUND PROCESSOR 2021-2022
ESX D68SP
EISA IN-CAR SPEAKER SYSTEM 2021-2022
Eton ONYX 16, ONYX 80, ONYX 28
EISA IN-CAR DSP AMPLIFIER 2021-2022
Match UP 10DSP
EISA IN-CAR CAMPER VAN COMPONENT 2021-2022
Alpine Adventure Audio
EISA IN-CAR COMPACT SUBWOOFER 2021-2022
Pioneer TS-WX010A
EISA IN-CAR INTEGRATION 2021-2022
Zenec Z-E2055
EISA IN-CAR OEM PREMIUM AUDIO SYSTEM 2021-2022
Maserati MC20 with Sonus faber
