Among the world’s major hi-fi shows, the one in Bristol is the most famous in the United Kingdom. Held in a large downtown hotel, it occupies a long ground floor, a terrace, a basement, and four mezzanine levels, each with about fifteen rooms.
At the 2026 show, we were able to gauge the pulse of the British market and enjoy the presence of its many hi-fi manufacturers, as well as see and hear a wide selection of foreign brands presented either by the brands themselves or by their distributors in the country.
Set up in several rooms, some brands were able to showcase multiple ranges or series, while those with a single system seemed to focus on mid-range electronics, often available for purchase on-site via a catalog—which was also partially displayed as posters in the elevators for the most affordable products.
As for technological trends, this 2026 audio show seems to have largely stuck to the basics of current hi-fi. While connected or active speakers were certainly present in the entry-level segment, the majority of systems remained, overall, separate components, and the only truly major new high-end active system was the ATC EL50. As is the case worldwide, audiophile connected speakers still seem to remain a niche market, embraced by a very interesting company like Kii, whereas the Franco-British firm Focal-Naim chose this year to focus primarily on the new Mu-so Hekla soundbar and their headphones and headphone amplifiers.
Among the new releases, we mainly identified new versions of existing models, plus a few promising developments, including the launch of the Cyrus 80 Series, Chord Company’s bi-terminated speaker cables, Rega’s new Planar 6 RS, the Upscaler for the Dave DAC from Chord Electronics, and the Revolv and Gyro turntables, whose numerous upgrades were passionately described by the director of Michell Audio. A few niche brands and local manufacturers were also present, such as March, Era Acoustics, and D’Von; they serve as a reminder of the artisanal and passionate nature of hi-fi. We wish them the best of luck!
And here’s a photo tour to give you a quick overview.
