Hi-Fi Hall of Fame
Business Inductee
What Hi-Fi?
What Hi-Fi? Introduction
Our next inductee is “What Hi-Fi?”, a magazine that has been covering hi-fi and home entertainment for 50 years. In fact, the first issue was published in October 1976, so the magazine is marking it’s 50th anniversary in 2026.
Let’s look back at 50 years of What Hi-Fi? To see why this publication belongs in the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame.
What Hi-Fi? Origins
Established by the Haymarket Media Group in 1976 during the golden age of analog audio, What Hi-Fi? quickly became the definitive voice of the British high-fidelity movement. Born into an era when vinyl ruled supreme and specialized hi-fi separates were becoming a cornerstone of domestic luxury, the magazine originally set out to be an exhaustive, authoritative buyer’s guide listing and pricing every piece of audio kit on the market. In doing so, it helped cement the UK’s reputation as a global hub for acoustic engineering, championing iconic British brands like KEF, Bowers & Wilkins, Naim, and Rega while educating generations of consumers on how to build the ultimate stereo system.
As the consumer electronics landscape shifted, the magazine evolved from a print-centric niche audio publication into a multi-platform media powerhouse. Over the decades, it has chronicled every major technological pivot, especially two major shifts in Hi-Fi:
The Digital Audio Dawn
Navigating the birth of the Compact Disc, the disruptive MP3 revolution, and the eventual transition to high-resolution wireless streaming and the modern vinyl resurgence, the magazine guided audiophiles through the digital transition.
The Pivot to Video and Home Cinema
Recognizing that the modern living room was no longer just about sound, the publication dramatically broadened its scope to encompass moving images. By integrating comprehensive coverage of cutting-edge display technologies—from heavy CRT monitors and plasma screens to modern 4K OLEDs—alongside multi-channel surround sound, home theater projection, and streaming devices, it successfully transformed itself from a pure hi-fi title into the ultimate authority on audio-visual (AV) entertainment.
Now operating under Future plc, What Hi-Fi? successfully bridged its heritage as a classic British print institution with a massive global digital footprint. It remains the gold standard for consumer tech buying advice, proving that whether consumers are chasing the warmth of a physical vinyl record or the immersive Dolby Atmos magic of a modern 4K home cinema, the brand’s core mission of cutting through the noise to find the best-performing gear remains unchanged.
What Hi-Fi? Awards and Hall of Fame
Launched in 1983, the annual What Hi-Fi? Awards function as one of the premier benchmarks for the consumer electronics industry. Securing a coveted “Product of the Year” badge across its extensive, fiercely contested category list has long served as a defining commercial and critical stamp of approval.
The weight of these awards remains as influential as ever, perfectly captured by the 2025 Awards cycle. Celebrating peak performance across both traditional sound and modern home cinema, the 2025 winners list spotlighted the industry’s finest engineering—from the stellar visual fidelity of the Sony Bravia 8 II TV and Samsung’s powerhouse HW-Q990F Dolby Atmos soundbar to critical acoustic triumphs like the Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable and the Bluesound Node Icon streamer. By continually adapting to honor everything from cutting-edge OLED displays to high-res wireless audio, the awards cement What Hi-Fi?’s unique power to dictate commercial success and guide consumer trust.
Beyond its annual awards and decades of product reviews, What Hi-Fi? maintains an elite Hall of Fame designed to enshrine the most influential gear, engineering milestones, and visionary products in consumer electronics history. This prestigious roster acts as a permanent museum of sound, celebrating hardware that fundamentally transformed how humanity experiences music and home entertainment.
Inductees span legendary turntables, iconic bookshelf monitors, and paradigm-shifting amplifiers that stood the test of time, proving their acoustic relevance decades after initial release. Entry into this digital pantheon is reserved strictly for industry-defining game-changers—such as pioneering direct-drive decks, revolutionary multi-room systems, and budget speakers that democratized high-end sound for the masses.
By looking backward to honor these timeless classics, the Hall of Fame bridges the gap between vintage analog heritage and modern digital convenience. It serves as a testament to the engineers and design philosophies that shaped the modern audio-visual landscape, reminding enthusiasts that true acoustic excellence never truly goes out of style.
What Hi-Fi? 50th Anniversary
To mark its landmark golden anniversary, What Hi-Fi? rolled out a comprehensive, year-long retrospective celebrating half a century at the heart of the consumer electronics industry. Rather than merely looking backward, the publication curated a rich series of deep dives, including technical retrospectives on legendary debut gear, expert interviews with veteran acoustic engineers from legendary British and international marques, and reflective essays mapping out how music consumption has radically transformed since the late 1970s.
Highlighting this milestone with a bumper collector’s edition, the celebration underscores the publication’s rare longevity in a turbulent publishing and tech landscape. By examining everything from the birth of the compact disc to the modern renaissance of vinyl and high-res streaming, these anniversary features honor the enduring pursuit of high-fidelity sound while charting how technology has forever changed the way humanity listens to music.
More About What Hi-Fi?
If you’d like to learn more about What Hi-Fi?, they have a great website with loads of hi-fi related news and reviews: www.whathifi.com/
You can purchase a paper copy of the magazine at many fine news stands, or you can buy a digital edition for Apple, Android, or Kindle devices.
If you’d like to see the What Hi-Fi? Awards winners, here’s a link to the 2025 list: www.whathifi.com/awards/2025
And you should definitely check out their Hall of Fame! You can see all of their inductees from the 1970s through the 2020s at: www.whathifi.com/features/what-hi-fi-hall-fame
What Hi-Fi? Induction into the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame
What Hi-Fi? Magazine has been a window into the world of Hi-Fi for 50 years. Their straightforward and honest reviews are always a good read, even if you’re not in the market for the equipment under review.
Their news and opinion articles are always up to date and provide a broad perspective on the worlds of Hi-Fi and home entertainment. Their Awards showcase the best products of the year, and their Hall of Fame provide a “best of the decade” look back at the best of the best.
For all of these reasons, What Hi-Fi? is inducted into the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame.
