Audio-Technica AT-SP3X Bookcase Speakers, £169

For listening to music in your study or office, Audio-Technica have got you covered with the new AT-SP3X Bookcase Speakers. They can be fully integrated with the brand’s turntable range, bringing the rich tones of vinyl to life. Alternatively, they have wireless, Bluetooth connectivity for modern versatility. They’re equipped with 3-inch woofers and 1.1-inch tweeters tuned to deliver full-range audio from the compact forms. They have a minimalist, industrial vibe that matches the rest of the Audio-Technica range.

Available at Audio-Technica.

Four Stories Gin Autumn, £34.75

While Four Stories Gin is a relatively new name to the premium gin market, they had substantial experience distilling, bottling and labelling gin for other brands before turning that experience towards their own product. Based in the UK, their inaugural series is dedicated to the flavours and stories of the four seasons. Story No. 1 Autumn features the warmth of a cosy blanket on a crisp autumn evening with tasting notes of Fuji apple, vanilla, lemon and cinnamon. In terms of style, it’s the perfect example of time-honoured techniques including hand applied labels and wax dipped seals at accessible prices.

Use code ORACLE for 20% off the entire range.

Available at Four Stories.

Sirplus Crew Neck Jumper, £150

By popular demand, SIRPLUS’s lambswool jumper is making a return this season in a brand-new range of colours. Inspired by the British painter Albert Irvin, this collection brings his vibrant colour palette and abstract shapes to their knitwear. Albert Irvin’s influence is present across the AW24 collection, showcasing bold hues and dynamic patterns reminiscent of his striking artwork. Their jumpers not only highlight the artist’s signature style but also offer a contemporary take on traditional styles. Explore Irvin’s legacy, reimagined in contemporary knitwear made from British lambswool.

Available at Sirplus.

Biokidé Baobab Moon Face Cream, €55 (approx. £45)

Whether for yourself or partner, Biokidé’s Baobab Moon Face Cream is a moisturising cream designed for dry skin with baobab oil, aloe vera, shea butter, hibiscus and honey. It’s the ultimate fusion of authentic African ingredients and French knowhow to bring you clean cosmetics you can trust. The brand is currently undergoing Butterfly Mark certification by Positive Luxury to prove their commitment to a positive social and environmental impact.

Available at Biokidé.

Pink Mahoghany Ned E. Williams Manukato, $210 (approx. £160)

Where timeless class meets priceless luxury, Ned E. Williams Manukato, eau de parfum, embodies a legacy of excellence, education, and astuteness. Rooted in a rich family heritage, this fragrance is designed for the discerning individual who values sophistication. Each bottle tells a story – elevated by a harmonious blend of bold blackberry, deep felt pen ink, rich leather, and warm cedar. Every spray evokes an air of refinement, creating a lasting impression of strength and elegance. Designed for those who effortlessly command the room, Ned E. Williams is more than a fragrance – it’s an experience, an ode to history and a tribute to those who live with intention.

Available at Pink Mahoghany.

Leica Sl3 Camera, £5,920

Leica have launched the latest generation of their SL camera, the SL3. It’s a mirrorless, full frame device that balances the needs of photography and videography. To quickly run through some core specs (there are too many to go into vast detail) it can take DNG or JPEG format pictures with a resolution of either 60, 36 or 18 MP, with 15 f-stops and an ISO range from 50 to 100,000. On the video side, it’s capable of capturing 8k footage. It’s also a beautiful device with a combination of metal and leather across its body.

Available at Leica.

Brass Monkey The Barrel And Chiller, £6,750

Brass Monkey are a UK-based ice bath brand, creating a broad range of ice baths and plunges that combine utility with style. One of the most aesthetically pleasing plunges in their collection is the Barrel and Chiller, made from an upcycled whisky barrel. Each barrel is restored by expert coopers from the Speyside Valley, before being resined and oiled for perfect water tightness. Each barrel holds approximately 500l of water and can be chilled to 3°C.

Available at Brass Monkey.

Sonos Move 2, £449

In the world of portable speakers, finding the right balance between quality and portability is the ultimate goal. We’ve all been hanging out with friends for one of them to whip out a speaker so tiny that any semblance of acoustic quality is a faint dream. The Sonos Move 2 though is a different beast. Easily transportable, while also featuring the full might of a stereo system, it’s a powerhouse of sound with 24-hour charge. It’s also equipped with Sonos’ Trueplay technology, analysing the acoustics of its surroundings to optimise sound quality

Available at Sonos.

Stanley Quencher, £44.99

The Stanley Quencher rose to notoriety when a video circulated online of a Stanley flask surviving a car fire without the ice inside melting. This is entirely feasible thanks to the Stanley’s vacuum insulation, which makes it virtually impossible for heat to penetrate into or out of the vessel, keeping hot things hot and cold things cold. At the same time, it has an ergonomic handle and smooth, clean aesthetic that makes it perfect to carry around with you in the office, or while working out.

Available at Stanley.

Qobuz

Qobuz are a music steaming platform available on desktop and mobile dedicated to curating a complete audio experience for audiophiles. As such, in addition to producing their own music- centred magazine, they utilise the highest quality  audio files possible for the 100 million+ songs they have available, so that you can listen to them the way the artists and recording engineers intended. Plus, with their download purchases system, you can own still own your music collection and tailor it to your preferences. From £10.83/month.

Available at Qobuz.

Qysea Fifish E-Go, ($7,350 (approx. £5,825)

Qysea are one of the leading underwater drone and remotely operated vehicle manufacturers, pushing the boundaries of what is possible with underwater robots. The Fifish E-Go is a professional grade underwater device with modular accessories such as camera, lighting and battery. Designed for industrial use surveying wildlife, investigating salvage, inspecting ships from below, it also provides the relaxing pleasures of exploring the depths from safety. It has a standard operating depth of up to 100m with an optional upgrade to 200m.

Available at Qysea.

Gopro Hero12 Black, £399

GoPro’s HERO12 Black is their best HERO camera to date with amazing 5.3K and 4K quality with HyperSmooth 6.0 video stabilisation and a 177° field of view (when used in conjunction with the Max Lens Mod 2.0). And, of course, it’s durable as anything with a 10m depth waterproof rating and a hydrophobic lens cover to ensure crystal clear images underwater. In many ways GoPro have redefined the adventure camera market and with models like the HERO12 Black, they continue to push further.

Available at GoPro.

Qobuz

Qobuz are a music steaming platform available on desktop and mobile dedicated to curating a complete audio experience for audiophiles. As such, in addition to producing their own music- centred magazine, they utilise the highest quality  audio files possible for the 100 million+ songs they have available, so that you can listen to them the way the artists and recording engineers intended. Plus, with their download purchases system, you can own still own your music collection and tailor it to your preferences. From £10.83/month.

Available at Qobuz.

Aktiia 24/7 Blood Pressure Monitor, £199.99

In this modern age we know more about health and fitness than ever before, so it makes sense to avail yourself of this knowledge. The Aktiia 24/7 Blood Pressure Monitor is a clinically validated device that will record important data about your blood pressure throughout the day and night. The device has had over 18 months of development and is proven to assist with managing conditions such as hypertension. The device uses a ceramic housing for the monitor and a silicon rubber strap.

Available at Aktiia.

Noble Audio Fokus Prestige, $599 (approx. £400)

Noble Audio have taken their beloved bespoke Prestige line of In Ear Monitors to Bluetooth. The FoKus Prestige is a premium Bluetooth earphone meant for enjoying your music at the highest quality on the go. It features a triple- driver configuration, which helps to reproduce music as it was intended to be heard. The 8.2mm dynamic driver delivers powerful bass while the two Balanced Armature drivers produce beautiful mids, and clean highs.

Available at Noble Audio.

Gopro Hero12 Black, £399

GoPro’s HERO12 Black is their best HERO camera to date with amazing 5.3K and 4K quality with HyperSmooth 6.0 video stabilisation and a 177° field of view (when used in conjunction with the Max Lens Mod 2.0). And, of course, it’s durable as anything with a 10m depth waterproof rating and a hydrophobic lens cover to ensure crystal clear images underwater. In many ways GoPro have redefined the adventure camera market and with models like the HERO12 Black, they continue to push further.

Available at GoPro.

Qobuz

Qobuz are a music steaming platform available on desktop and mobile dedicated to curating a complete audio experience for audiophiles. As such, in addition to producing their own music- centred magazine, they utilise the highest quality  audio files possible for the 100 million+ songs they have available, so that you can listen to them the way the artists and recording engineers intended. Plus, with their download purchases system, you can own still own your music collection and tailor it to your preferences. From £10.83/month.

Available at Qobuz.

Meze Audio 109 PRO, £799

The 109 PRO from Meze Audio are a dynamic set of open back headphones designed to bring you closer to the music. They feature responsibly sourced walnut wood rounds with velour ear cushions to create a comfortable fit that’s luxurious in its design and eco-conscious. It also features a cutting edge w-shaped diaphragm made from carbon fibre in its driver to reduce audio distortion, as well as increase the durability and lightweight properties of the system. They’re also wired to not compromise on sound quality in any degree.

Available at Meze Audio.

Ruark Audio R1 Midnight Blue, £239

Aesthetically, the Ruark R1 Mk4 is an absolute killer with a sleek exterior and a front panel decorated with a wooden slat grille that reminds me of a beach hut or summer decking. In the new Midnight Blue colourway, this is the most subtle iteration of the R1 to date with a dark, navy case. It also rocks good audio quality in a relatively compact frame, measuring 175x135x135mm, allowing it to serve in virtually any location around the house or even portably.

Available at John Lewis.

Bang & Olufsen Beosound A9 MonoNeon Limted Edition, £450

The Beosound A9 is one of the most aesthetically distinctive speakers in the industry, shaped as it is like a disc. It’s equal parts art piece and music technology. This fact makes it the ideal piece for a limited edition collaboration with the artist/ musician MonoNeon, a Grammy-winning bassist. The limited edition features a patchwork embroidery style design that is an homage to the eccentric outfits MonoNeon is known for wearing. Technically the limited edition is a cover that goes over the Beosound A9, so you can add it to an existing speaker if you have one.

Available at Bang & Olufsen.

Like it or not Christmas is only two months away so it’s time to start thinking about presents and gifts. Oracle Time is kicking off the festive season by giving away a pair of Bower & Wilkins Forest Green Px7 S2e Headphones. Details for how to take part in the giveaway can be found at the bottom of the article. First though, let’s take a look at the gorgeous headphones that could be yours.

Off top, the Px7 S2e are the latest version of Bower & Wilkins’ core collection headphones. They take the key features of the Px7 S2 and evolve them, which is what the e in Px7 S2e stands for. What that means is fresh colourways as they’re now available in anthracite black, ocean blue, cloud grey and forest green. It’s the forest green version that is up for grabs and they look great with their luxurious memory foam earpads and cushioned headband.

Just like their predecessors they’re wireless over-ear noise cancelling headphones and the sound is provided by custom 40mm drivers. The careful angling of the drivers means they’re perfectly located to create a focussed and immersive experience, bringing every nuance of the track to the fore. What makes this latest generation of the headphones better than before is the combination with a 24-bit DSP processor from Bower & Wilkins’ Dx8 flagship model.

On top of that, the ambient noise-cancellation means you’ll be able to listen with crystal clarity in any environment. Noise cancellation works by having microphones that monitor surrounding ambient soundwaves which are then negated from the audio by playing the inverse soundwave. Plus, it works during phone calls too, making communication easier.

The Bower & Wilkins Forest Green Px7 S2e Headphones are priced at £379, making them the perfect gift for the music lover in your life. Of course, for one subscriber to the Oracle Time newsletter it will be completely free. Sign up to the newsletter using the form below before December 1st 2023 for your chance to win.

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Western Digital D_BLACK SN850P NVMe SSD for PS5, £105.99

Officially licensed for the PlayStation 5 console, the WD_ BLACK SN850P NVMe SSD allows you to store more titles with worry-free installation. Instantly expand up to 4TB of storage to hold more of your favourite games. Take advantage of irrational PCIe Gen4 NVMe speeds up to 7,300MB/s read and 6,600MB/s write (2TB and 4TB model) for a responsive and seamless gaming experience. With an optimised heatsink built specifically for the PS5 M.2 slot, you won’t need to worry about compatibility.

Available at Western Digital.

Riverside Hi-Fi

Riverside Hi-Fi are a home systems audio and visual specialist brand that stock a wealth of tech and provide a comprehensive design and installation service. From smart air conditioning, CCTV and intercom services to lighting and sound systems, they oversee it all. They believe in creating specialist systems designed to conform to the needs of individual clients with a totally bespoke experience. Example products include high end turn tables, TVs, Hi-Fi speakers and more from household names like Audio Technica and Loewe.

Available at Riverside Hi-Fi.

Sound Kaos Vox 3

The Vox 3 by Sound Kaos is a compact four driver three-way monitor that focuses on both sound and visual quality. It’s available in a number of woods and finishes including ash, oak, walnut and cherry. There are also a few spec levels for the audio aspect of the speakers as well, the Vox 3f is the baseline model while the Vox 3a features larger drivers and the Vox 3afw added improved mechanical filtering for a clearer sound.

Available at Sound Kaos.

Nanoleaf Elements Starter Kit, £169.99

Nanoleaf Elements is the smart home product for the creative stylist in the house. A sophisticated wood grain veneer while off transforms into a cosy and illuminated space with a dynamic glow when switched on. Perfect for living rooms, bedrooms, entrances and hallways, or any space where you want to add an elegant and organic feel to your home. Easy to install with adhesive pads, no tools or drilling are required. Also compatible with Nanoleaf 4D for an extra immersive and cosy home cinema experience.

Available at Nanoleaf.

MoonBikes, $8,900 (approx. £7,000)

Up in the French Alps the seasonal difference between summer and winter can be an extreme one, not least when it comes to personal transport. In the summer you can use bikes, scooters, skateboards or any number of eco-friendly transportation, but come the snow and suddenly you’re limited to cars and heavy-duty snowmobiles. The MoonBike offers an alternative: an electric snow bike that’s quiet, powerful and lightweight, ideal for getting around or exploring at a surprisingly fast pace with a 26mph top speed.

Available at MoonBikes.

What do you think of first when it comes to high performance luxury audio? Maybe the sleek turntable at the forefront of your sound system or the speakers that deliver the sound to your ears.

Both of those are reasonable answers but as any audiophile knows, those are but two components in a larger system. The true heart of the system comprises devices such as an amplifier or AV Receiver that connect it all; essential elements that mustn’t be overlooked. And that’s something Marantz knows very well.

Founded in 1953, the company’s pursuit for the most musical sound has seven decades of history behind it; from the first ‘Audio Consolette,’ to the Hi-Fis and Compact Discs of the 1980s and ‘90s; to the home entertainment of the 21st century. With that legacy comes an active and enthusiastic community of Marantz collectors. Original versions of the Model 9 amplifier, released in 1960 and famously customised by NASA in its Apollo Space Program – as well as many other Marantz pieces from the last 70 years, such as their Model 7, 8, and 10 – still command huge value to this day.

The temptation to capitalise on this nostalgic enthusiasm is strong.  Marantz carefully curates and retains many of their legendary products in multiple product museums around the world.  As such, the brand’s designers are thoroughly immersed in the Marantz heritage going back to the fifties, paying special attention to the hallmark attributes and qualities of these legacy products and elevating those details if they can be made relevant and transferable to the modern Marantz collector.

By opening up high-end music experience to new audiences with next-gen models, Marantz prove that the right investment into these essential elements can transform an ordinary listening experience into something extraordinary.  This can be seen with new products like the STERO 70s -Channel Hi-Fi Receiver, which is designed to perform like a full-sized amplifier. It’s slim and distinguished design elevates any home and is matched by the signature warm, rich, and detailed sound that enthusiasts and luxury indulgers have come to expect from Marantz.

Discover more about Marantz’s pursuits for the most musical sound at Marantz.

Aktiia 24/7 Blood Pressure Monitor, £199.99

In this modern age we know more about health and fitness than ever before, so it makes sense to avail yourself of this knowledge. The Aktiia 24/7 Blood Pressure Monitor is a clinically validated device that will record important data about your blood pressure throughout the day and night. The device has had over 18 months of development and is proven to assist with managing conditions such as hypertension. The device uses a ceramic housing for the monitor and a silicon rubber strap.

Available at Aktiia.

Audio Technica AT-LPW50BTRW Turntable, £419.99

The Audio Technica AT-LPW50BTRW is a wireless turntable perfect for a modern vinyl setup. It can be connected to speakers through either a wired connection or Bluetooth, allowing it to integrate into practically any sound system seamlessly. Plus, the rosewood-finished veneer gives the piece a classy appearance, while simultaneously serving to dampen low-frequency audio feedback. It’s an excellent device for experienced audiophiles and those getting into vinyl for the first time.

Available at Audio Technica.

La Pavoni Esperto Edotto Coffee Machine, £1,649.45

The La Pavoni Esperto Edotto Coffee Machine has the look of an esoteric device found in the laboratory of a mad chemist. Fortunately, the concoctions it creates are the best kind: espressos, cappuccinos and Americanos. This model has a gorgeous brown, rose and silver colourway that makes it look simultaneously retro and futuristic, ensuring that it’s suitable for a variety of kitchen aesthetics. And for the budding amateur barista it also has a Brewing Pressure Profiling Control Manometer for monitoring the process.

Available at Harrods.

Riverside Hi-Fi

Riverside Hi-Fi are a home systems audio and visual specialist brand which stock a wealth of tech and provide a comprehensive design and installation service. From smart air conditioning, CCTV and intercom services to lighting and sound systems, they oversee it all. They believe in creating specialist systems designed to conform to the needs of individual clients with a totally bespoke experience. Example products include high end turn tables, TVs, Hi-Fi speakers and more from household names like Audio Technica and Loewe.

More details at Riverside Hi-Fi.

Leica SL2, £6,200

Silver Cameras are by their very nature objects that are closely related to aesthetics and style in both the metaphorical sense that they capture a visual medium, and in the literal sense that they can be in themselves beautiful devices. The new Leica SL2 Silver balances both of these aspects wonderfully with a retro inspired silver top and base plate giving it a classic appearance. On the functionality side it has a 47 megapixel sensor and integrated images stabilisation.

Available at Leica.

In the watch industry you never have to explain to anyone that form and function are of equal importance. How a watch looks and makes you feel is just as important to consider as how many complications it’s equipped with. It’s a perspective that many other industries could benefit from, especially in the world of tech where we’re all used to the same few sterile designs. XOR are trying to change this by creating hand-built luxury mobile phones, such as the new XOR Titanium X2 and XOR Matte, which focus on quality, exclusivity and security.

On a purely mechanical level, many of the materials and techniques that are used in the production of XOR handsets are similar to those used in horology. Take the Titanium X2 for example. The main body of the phone, which measures 134.5mm x 47mm x 12.9mm, is made from Grade 5 titanium while the screen is made from sapphire crystal and the interface is high tech ceramic.  Even the decorative leather backs have a connection to the watch industry as the material is supplied by Jean Rousseau.

I could just as easily be describing the Rolex Yacht-Master 226627 as a luxury mobile phone. It’s the same story for the XOR Matte except that the titanium has a matte black finish and the leather back is made from Louisiana Alligator. Offering an interesting alternative in terms of texture and appearance. At the same time, while they’re made from all these high quality materials, they remain subtle and understated, building on the notion of quiet luxury.

In terms of its utility as a mobile phone, it provides great quality on that front too. It uses a traditional number pad with navigation control below the screen that allows you to move the cursor around the screen and select various options. Messaging, calls, Wi-Fi, 4G, Bluetooth and Near Field Communication are all possible. However, the key feature offered by the phone is safety.

XOR-Shield functions as inbuilt security scanning for digital threats and vulnerabilities within your network and system. Additionally, multi-level passwords allow you to specify how much information a user can access on the phone, keeping your contacts and messages private to guest users. You can also use the XOR Peer function to have secure, peer to peer conversations with another XOR handset or XOR Peer enabled smartphone using end to end encryption, making it ideal for business or personal use.

It’s a premium device that will last well beyond the 12-month cycle of mass market equivalents. Of course, between the high end materials, artisanal construction and in-house systems, it has an equally premium price, starting at £5,100. But when it comes to luxury mobile phones XOR are right up there.

More details at XOR.

Campfire Audio Trifecta “Astral Plane”, $3,375 (approx. £2,800)

Campfire Audio produce handcrafted earphones for discerning audiophiles. This is the latest edition of the Trifecta, which features earphones made from clear nylon tinted blue that reveal the three internal, gold-plated, 10mm ADLC diaphragm dynamic drivers. The triangular configuration creates a performance enhancing acoustically tuned chamber to create a surprisingly rich and massive sound from such a small piece of technology. Limited to 333 pieces

Available at Campfire Audio.

Bang & Olufsen Beosystem 72-23 Nordic Dawn, £550,000

The Bang & Olufsen limited edition Beosystem 72-23 Nordic Dawn is designed to connect music listeners from 1972 to 2023, hence the 72-23 designation. It achieves this by combining a traditional vinyl music system with digital streaming. It comes with a pair of Beolab 28 speakers, a Beosound Core, Beolab Transmitter units, Beogram 4000c and dedicated birch storage cabinet. It has a light, rosy colourway inspired by Scandinavian sunrises. Limited to 100 pieces,

Available at Bang & Olufsen.

Sonos Era 300, £449

The Sonos Era 300 is Sonos’ latest generation of smart speaker designed for spatial audio. What that means is it houses six drivers that direct sound right, left, forward and up, creating the impression of a multi-directional system with a single compact speaker. Multiple Era 300s can also be paired together to create a genuine surround sound experience. In order to achieve this depth of sound and quality Sonos collaborated with Dolby Atmos.

Available at Sonos.

Riverside HiFi

Imagine being able to walk into your home and pressing one button on a touch panel or on your mobile device to control your audio/visual equipment, air-con/heating, lighting, blinds, CCTV and more. Riverside HiFi have over three decades of experience making dreams like this a reality. Whether you’d like a stereo system, home cinema room or your tv hidden in a cabinet that only appears when you turn it on. They also work with client’s interior designers in all areas and can offer a full installation service along with home surveys.

Available at Riverside HiFi.

Qobuz

Qobuz are a music steaming platform available on desktop and mobile dedicated to curating a complete audio experience for audiophiles. As  such, in addition to producing their own music- centred magazine, they utilise the highest quality  audio files possible for the 100 million+ songs they have available, so that you can listen to them the way the artists and recording engineers intended. Plus, with their download purchases system, you can own still own your music collection and tailor it to your preferences. From £10.83/month,.

Available at Qobuz.

Unless you fancy hefting around a record player wherever you go, streaming is a musical fact of life. It’s how pretty much everyone under the sun appreciates their music these days, whether that’s listening from your phone, your all-in-one streamer, or your complete, cutting-edge, multi-room set-up.

It’s obvious why that’s the case; as long as you have an internet connection, you can stream. It means you can take your music with you wherever you go, and better yet, have access to more music than you could ever listen to in a lifetime. But there is a downside – or at least, most of the time there’s a downside and that’s quality.

The general perception is that streaming means low quality. Spotify might give you access to a back catalogue par excellence, but the flipside is that you’ll need to deal with about as much musicality as a tone deaf busker. But that’s not all that’s out there. Far from it in fact, as Qobuz offers the largest hi-res streaming catalogue around.

To put into numbers just how much better hi-res audio is: MP3 plays at around 320kbps. That’s not great. CD plays at 16-bit, a vast improvement. But hi-res adds on half again at 24-bit. That means your ears have that much more sound to work with, with less white noise, less fuzz and more nuance and emotion in your music.

Obviously a lot of sound quality comes from what you’re listening on. A cheap pair of inflight earphones aren’t going to have the same sonorous acoustics as a top-end pair of Sennheisers, or the sensuality of a pair of Sonus Fabers. There is a limit to how far high fidelity sound can take you. But if you’re ready to up your game, Qobuz’s emphasis on quality will make the most of whatever you’re listening on.

It’s a level of fidelity that Qobuz believe in enough that they don’t do MP3 at all. Instead, all the music on the platform is CD-quality or better. In fact, they were the first service in the world to stream CD-quality and have one of the largest collections of hi-res songs on the planet. As the old adage goes, a stream cannot rise above its source, so you want as high resolution a source as clear as a mountain stream.

Because of the sheer number of songs and albums on offer (there are over 100,000,000 available), it can be daunting to find the music you need right now. Fortunately, the Qobuz app is one of the most handsomely ergonomic out there, clean and usability led. It makes scouring playlists and artists’ back catalogues much more straightforward than your alphabetised vinyl collection. That’s complete with easy notation for hi-res and CD quality as well as bitrate and frequency (also shown on the playback bar), so that you know you’re listening to serious high- fidelity. Oh, and if you want to own the tracks outright you can, and get up to a 60% discount doing it with a Qobuz Sublime (as opposed to the standard Qobuz Studio) subscription.

As for what you can play it on, thanks to Chromecast, you can use Qobuz on virtually any device – including the archetypal multi-room system of Sonos – so that you can take your music with you wherever you go, whether that’s on your morning commute or just into the next room. Because no matter what, your ears deserve the best sound possible. Qobuz Studio from $10.83 per month Qobuz Sublime from $15 per month.

More details at Qobuz.

Mosso Moto ME650 Smartwatch, US$155

Mosso Moto produces accessible smartwatches designed for everyday use, featuring an AMOLED touch screen and wireless charging via its base. As a smartwatch, it has virtually every function you could possibly want including exercise records, 29 sport modes, heart rate monitor, sleep monitor, remote photography, music control and more. That’s in addition to all the regular functions that might be found on a watch such as a stopwatch. It’s the ideal daily companion through life.

Available at Mosso Moto.

Sonus Faber Omnia Wireless Speaker, £1,599

Latin for ‘prepared in all things’ – is Sonus Faber’s big, all-in-one loudspeaker system that connects wirelessly to whatever digital player you have to hand, whether that’s your in-home streaming set-up or your phone. These types of things are designed more for ease of use than pinnacle clarity, but it’s hard to find just where that supposedly inevitable compromise is within the Omnia. It takes all the best features of Sonus Faber audio systems and distils them into a single beautiful speaker.

Available at Premium Sound, more details at Sonus Faber.

Lumi Therapy Recovery Pod Ice Bath, from £125

The health benefits of cold water immersion are well documented, however the practicalities of creating an ice bath at home can make it difficult – if you’ve ever tried to fill a bath tub with ice from the freezer you’ll know what we mean. That’s where the Lumi Therapy Recovery Pod Ice Bath comes in, it has been specially designed to be portable – allowing you to place it either indoors or outside easily – and has great insulative properties ensuring cold temperatures for extended periods. Even cold tap water can maintain a chilly 15°C. Although if you want to go full Wim Hoff, you can add as much ice as you want.

Available at Lumi Therapy.

Jura Giga 10 Coffee Machine, £3,450

Giga 10 is Jura’s premium automatic coffee machine and is capable of making an astonishing 35 types of speciality coffee, making it a market leader in terms of drink customisability and options. It operates with a dual ceramic grinder set-up that means you can have multiple blends on the go at the same time. For example you might use one for a dark roast espresso while the other has a medium roast for a white coffee.

Available at Jura.

Qobuz Music Streaming Platform, from £10.83/month

Qobuz are a music steaming platform available on desktop and mobile dedicated to curating a complete audio experience for audiophiles. As such, in addition to producing their own music-centred magazine, they utilise the highest quality audio files possible – pushing beyond simple MP3s to CD-quality 16 bit/44kHz and 24-Bit Hi-Res. They were the first streaming service worldwide to offer music in this quality.

Available at Qobuz.

Sonos Sub Mini, £429

Sonos have introduced the Sub Mini, delivering a rich low end without taking up too much space below your TV or sound system. It has a sleek cylindrical design with inward facing speakers that cancels out distortion and interference. Plus, with Trueplay tuning technology it will actively adapt to the acoustics of its surroundings, and with wireless connectivity, those surroundings can be virtually anywhere.

Available at Sonos.

Bose Soundbar 600, £499.95

In years past festive traditions would’ve seen us gather around the fireplace, but in 2022 it’s much more likely that we’ll gather around the TV to watch It’s a Wonderful Life for the 16th time. You can make that experience much more enjoyable with the Bose Soundbar 600, their latest in compact, home audio devices. With its smart capabilities and inbuilt Bose TrueSpace technology, it provides immersive audio despite its slim proportions.

Available at Bose.

DJI Mini 2 SE, £439

DJI are camera drone specialists and the new Mini 2 SE is their newest entry level drone. It weighs just 249g and comes with multiple easy to use intelligent systems, ensuring you can get high level video and dramatic shots with minimal experience or start up time. Compared with its predecessor, it has superior battery life (31 minutes), better take off capabilities and comes with a 4x zoom function. Plus, it can transmit video over a 10km range.

Available at Wex Photo Video.

SanDisk PRO-G40 SSD 1 TB, £297.99

The SanDisk PRO-G40 SSD offers ultra-fast and ultra-rugged durability to your drive. It’s 3m drop proof and 4,000lb crush proof, along with being water and dust resistant, so you never have to worry about your work being lost to environmental factors. It has read and write speeds of up to 3,000 MB/s via Thunderbolt 3 connection or 1050 MB/s via USB 3.2 Gen 2. As for capacity, there are multiple options available between 1TB, 2TB and 4TB, making them perfect for tasks of all sizes in professional environments.

Available at Western Digital.

Ruark R2 Music System, £479

The Ruark R2 Music System is a self-contained concert, offering full radio and music streaming capabilities, including DAB+, FM, Spotify, Amazon Music and Deezer. Its compact proportions and slim profile make it ideal for numerous locations around the home from garden to kitchen. Plus, the retro-modern design is sleek and classy, available with a light cream or dark espresso lacquer. The R2 also features the latest-gen Bluetooth 5 receiver, a USB-C charge port, switchable AUX output, and headphone output.

Available at Ruark.

Marantz are a mainstay of the modern, luxury audio industry and recently they’ve delved further into the realm of premier home cinema systems. They’ve achieved this with the new Marantz Cinema Series, a collection of pre-amp, amps and AV receivers that bring genuine movie theatre quality sound to your home setup. To celebrate this flagship collection, they teamed up with their new Sound Ambassador and world-renowned composer, Max Richter.

Max Richter is one of contemporary music’s most prodigious figures and he creates music as if he’s scoring his own life. He has worked on a huge number of incredible projects as a pianist and producer as well as composing for albums, film and television. As part of his work on film he worked on the 2018 film Mary Queen of Scots starring Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan. In his role as a Sound Ambassador for Marantz, he helped to host an exclusive listening event in Los Angeles at the famed Sheats-Goldstein Residence, welcoming esteemed guests with a series of intimate yet unexpected cinema experiences that inspired them to see sound differently.

Neo-classical composer Max Richter

When discussing the announcement of the partnership, Richter said: “Sound in cinema is everything; it’s the direct access to emotions and how what you’re hearing goes very deep. As a kid, I remember the first time I heard sound on a Marantz system, it was though I hadn’t heard music before by opening the door into a completely different space. With the CINEMA Series, you get that very exact experience every time.”

Marantz CINEMA 40, £2,450

But what devices comprise the Cinema series? The series currently contains six products: the AMP 10, AV 10, CINEMA 40, CINEMA 50, CINEMA 60 and CINEMA 70s. The range combines exceptional levels of craftsmanship with nearly 70 years of audio innovation and deliver a truly uncompromising cinematic experience that is nothing short of extraordinary.

“The CINEMA Series is the convergence of three unmistakable characteristics of Marantz heritage – exceptionally high performance, meticulous build quality, and elegant timeless design,” said Joel Sietsema, Marantz president. “The most discerning cinephiles and audiophiles will appreciate the CINEMA Series’ immersive sound experience, expertly crafted for the dedicated home theatre. Those who desire both form and function will equally appreciate the display-worthy artisan craftsmanship that elevates any luxury living space.”

As for pricing, the CINEMA AV receivers vary between £850 for the CINEMA 70s up to £2,450 for the CINEMA 40. The AMP 10 and AV 10 are priced higher at £6,200 each, but they also do a lot of heavy lifting in sound quality and clarity for the system as a whole. So, whether you’re creating a fully realised home cinema or just want to improve your entertainment system, the Marantz Cinema Series is great starting point, just ask Max Richter.

More details at Marantz.

Montblanc x Ferrari Montblanc Ferrari Stilema SP3 Pen, €30,800

Montblanc’s latest collaboration with Ferrari stands out from the brand’s usual writing implements because of the material its cap and barrel are made of, namely, titanium. It’s inspired by the Ferrari Daytona SP3 with the angle of the cap top and lined accents mirroring aspects of the car’s nose and bumper. Beneath the titanium surface is a white gold nib and a newly developed ink filling system that utilises the red blade at the end of the implement. Limited to 599 pieces.

More details at Ferarri.

Marantz TT-15S1 Turntable, £2,100

The Marantz TT-15S1 Turntable combines excellent sound quality with a design that’s incredibly stylish in white frosted acrylic. The chassis has low resonance properties that are further dampened by the use of a floating motor to prevent vibrations, meaning there’s as little interference with the sound quality as possible. It’s the ultimate fusion of audio and visual delights.

Available at Marantz.

McIntosh MC451 Dual Mono Amplifier

McIntosh was founded in 1949 with the aim of creating high-end home audio systems that provide a comprehensive sound experience for films or music. The MC451 is a dual mono amplifier designed to work in tandem with a bi-amping loudspeaker to increase performance to insane levels. Crucially, it has a relatively compact design making it easy to integrate into home systems, perfect for listening rooms of any size or tucked beneath the TV.

More details at McIntosh.

Simba GO Hybrid Organic Mattress, £2,399

Simba is known for its hybrid mattresses that balance comfort with support in an effortless fashion. With the GO Hybrid, the brand has turned its focus towards sustainability, using 100% recycled and organic materials as well as implementing carbon neutral delivery systems. All of which contribute to halving the carbon footprint of the GO compared to regular Hybrids. Plus, with the 200-night guarantee, there’s no risk involved if you don’t fall in love with it immediately.

Available at Simba.

Sonus Faber Homage Serafino Speakers

The Sonus Faber Homage is an award-winning collection of speakers reimagined for the modern age with fresh designs. The Serafino is a sleek black design made from nine layers of wood with artisanal craftsmanship meets cutting edge audio technology in the form of a D.A.D Tweeter, InTono loudspeakers and Generation 2° woofers.

More details at Sonus.

A quick rundown then. The Omnia – Latin for ‘prepared in all things’ – is Sonus Faber’s big, all-in-one loudspeaker system that connects wirelessly to whatever digital player you have to hand, whether that’s your in-home streaming set-up or your phone. These types of things are designed more for ease of use than pinnacle clarity, but it’s hard to find just where that supposedly inevitable compromise is within the Omnia.

Stopwatch (or in our case chronograph) set, it took under a minute to get music playing on the Omnia. It took longer to slide it out of the box. You just plug it in, hit start and connect. There’s no downloading some proprietary app, no dodgy Bluetooth, just seamless, instant connectivity. Even your Amazon Echo needs more effort put into it.

Fortunately, there’s no lack of effort from Sonus Faber themselves. Obviously, the Omnia is a beauty, channelling the Italian audio specialist’s signature Stradivarius-adjacent design ethos into a broader, flatter construction than their standing speakers. Granted, it looks a little like a high-end balance board or a set of scales you’d find at a modern five star hotel, but it’s still handsome in the extreme, especially when compared to its competition.

That’s not all that’s typically Sonus Faber about it either. The combination of seven different speakers – two of  which are on the sides – and an in- house signal processing tech fittingly dubbed Crescendo make for startlingly natural sound. It’s not up there with what you can do in a fully kitted out listening room, but it has no business offering this kind of clarity in this small a package. The soundstage is also punching above its weight.

The Omnia promises 360-degree sound and while that’s a bit of a stretch, it’s certainly broad enough that there’s no perfect spot to listen from. You definitely get the best experience with plenty of breathing space around the speaker, though there is a ‘near the wall’ option, if one that’s a bit awkward to get to. Volume-wise, even turned up to its raucous highest, there was, at least to our relatively untrained ears, no distortion. It’s basically everything we love about the maker distilled into a much more accessible piece of equipment. It’s the perfect Sonus Faber for a studio flat.

The three lines of light on the top of the Sonus Faber Omnia have two functions. Firstly, the panel is used to control all the settings in a minimal, tactile way. I can’t say I ever really used it though – the remote felt distinctly un-luxury, but I just found it more convenient – so the  second function was simply an easy-to- understand visualisation of what’s going  on. It’s a hell of a lot nicer to look at than a load of numbers. It even changes colour according to input, with the shortest line at the front indicating input, with orange for HDMI, green for Spotify, et al. As the various functions suggest, it’s a seriously versatile piece of kit. Not only is there an MM input so you can connect a turntable, but it can sit under a TV and double as a soundbar.

We got hands-on with the graphite version of the Ominia, which although housing the exact same technology as the walnut option, has a completely different aesthetic. It’s less classically Sonus Faber sans luxury wood, but the cleaner, high contrast look is a lot more minimally modern, and the curvaceous shape still more than holds up. It perhaps wasn’t best suited to our converted barn of an office, but for a glossy apartment there would be nothing better.

Honestly, we didn’t have nearly enough time with the Omnia. And we probably wouldn’t unless one of us took it home and blamed it on the postal strikes. So, we only really trialled it on Spotify, Amazon Music, and Air Play, but it supports pretty much everything other than Tidal’s Masters or Atmos. All of them are used through their own apps, without some custom, third-party Sonus Faber mess getting in the way. I love this. God knows my phone has enough random apps on it without another, and it means there’s no need to get used to yet another interface.

Prepared for all things is right. Even in a market increasingly dominated by all-in-one systems from some of the biggest names in audio, the Sonus Faber Omnia is a seriously impressive contender. Less than a minute to one of the best wireless listening experiences around makes it all the harder to go back to the usual tangle of cables. I’d say its inspiration to zen my life a bit, but I know better than that.

More details at Sonus Faber.

Much like creating the very finest timepieces, the world of luxury sound systems is all about astonishing attention to detail. Take Marantz’s latest designs. The result of three years intensive design and engineering, these models go so far as to embrace The Golden Ratio, the mathematical equation for beauty. You can see it in nature, but it’s informed art, architecture and all walks of design – including, of course, watches.

Here it’s informed the abstracted ripples on the front fascia and the beautiful symmetry of its layout. And the aesthetics of Marantz’s latest product line matches their performance – which is to say, phenomenal. The company’s technical specs have always been among the best in high fidelity audio, creating an audio signature that combines warmth of sound and deep muted tones.

It’s been quite a journey to get to these wonderful statements of audiophile luxury. Back in the early 50s, the home sound-system as we know it today just didn’t exist. These were the early days of hi-fi after all, and while professional set-ups in studios would have had great fidelity, the humble living room was more often than not bereft of anything but a crackling radio. Enter Saul Marantz who in 1952, frustrated with the lack of options, designed and built a hi-fi pre-amplifier exclusively for the home.

The newly dubbed Audio Consolette was an audiophile miracle. This was in the days when every company needed different settings to get the most of their records, and the Consolette could handle them all, with settings for 36 types of LP and 45rpm equalisation curves. He initially planned 100 units; a year later 400 had been built and in 1953, Marantz as a manufacturer was founded.

Over the decades since, Marantz established itself as one of the most impactful audio brands in the world. From the legendary Model 10 FM radio tuner in 1961 to ‘the most musical CD player in the world,’ the CD-45LE in the 80s, the company has continued to lead the way in the quest for playback perfection. Along the way, production moved to Japan, but throughout they retained their distinctly New York take on luxury.

If you’re new to the Marantz brand, now is the perfect time to discover what sets them apart. The best place to do that? You own home. After all, that’s precisely what Saul Marantz envisioned for the company, 70 years ago.

More details at Marantz.

December is here, it’s dark by 15:30 and the rain has set in. Finally, it’s time. Get the fire going, pull your chair nice and close, pour yourself a scotch and… There’s something missing from this cosy scene. What’s missing is a comfortable way to listen to your favourite music while drowning out the outside world and that allows you to lose yourself for a time in the embrace of professional quality audio.

That’s where the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 headphones come in and we’re giving away a pair at the bottom of this article so be sure to stick around.

The Px7 S2s are over-ear noise cancelling headphones with a wireless design that mean you can create a sound booth-like listening experience in any location. The sound is provided by custom 40mm drivers that are angled perfectly to create a focussed and immersive experience, bringing every nuance of a track to the fore. The ambient noise cancellation is handled by six microphones, which also provide cancellation during phone calls, meaning all conversations have crisp quality.

In addition to their superb audio capabilities, the Px7 S2 headphones are very comfortable to wear for extended periods with memory foam cushions and a nice fabric finish. Their design is very minimalist and modern, with sweeping lines that mean they’re unobtrusive alongside any personal style.

There are three colours available: black, blue and grey. Black is of course classic for headphones, paired with silver coloured accents and gives them a svelte silhouette-like appearance that works really well with the Bowers & Wilkins profile. The blue is a lovely shade of navy and swaps out the silver accents for a bronze colour that gives them an unexpected nautical aesthetic. Lastly there’s the grey, which are essentially white but toned down so as not to be blindingly bright like an old Apple product.

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2s have a RRP of £379 although with the current sale on their website, they’re £329, making now the perfect time to grab a pair for yourself or as a festive gift. Oracle Time is also giving away a pair to one of our subscribers – for your chance to win all you need to do is enter your email below. Entries close 12.00am, 24 December 2022.

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