In a world dominated by global manufacturing from vast factories, where almost 75 per cent of the world’s hi-fi equipment is made in China, it’s heartening to know that the British hi-fi scene is alive and thriving. Now seems a good time to celebrate a few of the key audio brands who are still making beautiful sounds on these shores, from handcrafted amplifiers in Salisbury to sustainable carbon-fibre speakers in Sheffield.
Best British hi-fi: turntables
Starting with turntables, the UK has a long and celebrated history of class-leading brands who are lauded across the world. Few machines are as well designed or iconic as the Linn Sondek LP12 (from £1,500; linn.co.uk), which has been hand-assembled in Glasgow since 1972 and has a cult-like following among vinyl lovers thanks to its endless upgradability. The latest flagship LP1250 costs a cool £50,000.
Things are a little more affordable down in Southend at Rega (rega.co.uk), which still makes a wide range of highly regarded turntables including the brilliant Planar 3 (£699) and flagship Naia (£4,000). And then there’s relative newcomer Vertere Acoustics (vertereacoustics.com), whose DGX Dynamic Groove turntable (£3,550) is high on my current wish list – if they’re reading, I’ll gladly pop by their London factory in my lunch hour!
Best British hi-fi brands: Fell Audio, dCS, Chord Electronics, Naim Audio
The inspiration to take a deeper look into the UK-made audio scene was the arrival of Fell Audio (fellaudio.co.uk). Launched in November 2024, this family-run UK hi-fi brand from Cumbria produces meticulously designed, surprisingly affordable stereo components – such as the Fell Amp (£599) and Fell Disc (£499; reviewed below) – engineered and built within hiking distance of the Lake District.
Heading south, Cambridge-based dCS (dcsaudio.com) is renowned for its ultra-high-end digital audio, in particular the Vivaldi range, famous for its highly detailed and musically engaging listening experience, with the APEX DAC sitting at its heart (around £36,000).
Kent-based Chord Electronics (chordelectronics.co.uk), founded in 1989 by aerospace engineer John Franks, is known for its exquisitely engineered streamers and DACs including my personal favourite: the portable Mojo 2 which, at £395, is exceptional value given its performance and provenance.
While its parent company might now be French, Naim Audio still hand-builds class-leading amplifiers and network streamers in Salisbury. Its Uniti range, especially the Uniti Atom HE (£2,299; naimaudio.com), offers performance, connectivity and style in one gorgeous box. As Cedric Magnaud, the company’s site director puts it, ‘Every unit requires meticulous attention to detail that comes from years of experience.’
Best British hi-fi: speakers
I’ve been impressed to learn that several well-known brands have started to manufacture their flagship speakers in the UK. International Audio Group (IAG), the company that also owns Leak, Luxman and Audiolab, has recently reopened its manufacturing centre to build flagship products including Mission’s superb 770 series as well as Wharfedale’s flagship models including the Dovedale (£5,500; wharfedale.co.uk).
Mission and Wharfedale join a surprising number of other hi-fi brands in the small, rather uninspiring fenland town of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. I grew up a few miles away (and their school regularly beat ours at cricket, hence the dig) and I distinctly remember a visit to Meridian with my dad. They’ve been there since 1977, and all their current ranges are manufactured there, including the new all-in-one Ellipse streaming speaker (£1,900; meridian-audio.com), which I was lucky enough to review last year.
In truth, I’ve been astonished by the number of innovative, brilliantly unique audio brands in the UK. In Biggleswade, PMC (pmc-speakers.com) handcrafts loudspeakers for both studios and homes, while in Stroud, ATC (atc.audio) builds its entire SCM speaker range and SA amplifiers under one roof.
Best British hi-fi: standmounts
And if you’re in the market for an exquisite pair of standmounts, I heartily recommend a trip to Wilson Benesch – a brand that makes 95 per cent of the components in its products – in Sheffield to pick up a pair of Discovery 3Zero (from £18,995; wilson-benesch.com).
And while no longer manufacturing in the UK, brands like Ruark, Cambridge Audio, Q Acoustics and Bowers & Wilkins still design, engineer and prototype their products here, doing their bit to keep UK hi-fi on the map.
Best British hi-fi: we recommend
Fell Audio Fell Amp £599 and Fell Disc £499
Enjoying UK made hi-fi is an expensive hobby, but head to the heart of Cumbria and you’ll find Fell Audio, which has launched a British-made CD player and amplifier that, while not cheap, are superb value for money. Taking the 89-watt Class-D stereo amplifier first – in this instance paired with some similarly priced Q Acoustics 3050i speakers and a Rega PL1 turntable – I was impressed by the clean dynamic sound, with the amp positively galloping with energy.
Controls are simple and effective, and I’m warming to the retro-modern aesthetic. With a built-in MM phono stage for seamless turntable connectivity, quality ESS Sabre DAC with two digital inputs and aptX HD Bluetooth, it punches well above its weight. Plugging in the CD player and testing it with the ESS ES9018 DAC and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons played by Daniel Pioro and the Manchester Camerata, I was buoyed by the balanced and engaging output.
fellaudio.co.uk
Buy Fell Audio Fell Amp from Amazon
Buy Fell Audio Fell Disc from Amazon
Rega Planar 3 RS £999
RS stands for Rega Special, and I couldn’t agree more. I’ve been using my trusty PL1 (£329) ever since my wife bought one for me as a wedding gift, and without getting too Elizabeth Taylor about it, I’m starting to think a turntable upgrade is in order. At £1000, the RS is far from entry level, but in audiophile circles it’s considered surprisingly well priced, especially as it comes with Rega’s Nd5 moving‑magnet cartridge – £295 by itself – and offers a sparkling amount of clarity and detail, pulling out information from even my most well-worn records. The build quality is excellent too, with a stiff aluminium skin on the plinth enhancing stability, while the separate Neo MK2 PSU power supply, which costs £275 if bought separately, helps to reduce noise and vibrations.
rega.co.uk
Cyrus 40 ST £2,995
Another iconic Huntingdon-based brand that now splits its time between Nottingham and Cambridgeshire, Cyrus’s new 40 Series consists of amp, CD player and streamer. I’ve been enjoying the amp and focusing on the streamer here, and think the anodised aluminium chassis and crisp 5" screen look great, while the squished dimensions are in keeping with Cyrus designs of old.
Sonically, you’re in for a treat, too, thanks to the ESS Sabre ES9039Q2M 32-bit DAC, with a performance that’s clear, fast and wonderfully rhythmic. As a modern streamer, it uses the reliable BluOS hi-res streaming platform, which plays nicely with Spotify Connect, Tidal, Qobuz, air-Play 2, Roon and MQA, but there’s no Bluetooth or Chromecast – this might be frustrating to some, but won’t be an issue for anyone who favours audio quality over convenience.
