Ruark R2 Mk4 Smart Music System, £479
Ruark’s most enduring music system gets a slimmer silhouette for the Mk4, tidy enough for a windowsill, bookshelf or anywhere else in the house it fancies living. Spotify Connect, DAB+, internet radio and Bluetooth 5 mean it’ll play whatever you throw at it, and it’ll sound better doing it than anything else at the size. Some things just keep getting better.
Available at Ruark.
Sony Alpha 7R VI, £4,399
Sony’s flagship mirrorless just got its biggest upgrade yet. 66.8 megapixels, AI-powered autofocus, and 7.5 stops of in-body stabilisation. On paper the Alpha 7R VI is a lot to take in, but in practice it’s Sony’s most capable all-rounder yet. A 3.68 million dot OLED viewfinder and an improved grip make it as comfortable to shoot with as it is capable, and the full Sony E-mount lens ecosystem means there’s no limit to what you can put in front of it. Blackout-free at 30fps, 4K 60p video, dual USB-C, dust and moisture resistant. A lot of camera in one body.
Available at Sony.
DJI Osmo Mobile 8P, £135
Smartphone filmmaking has come a long way, and the Osmo Mobile 8P is the proof. The detachable FrameTap remote is the headline here, a small screen that mirrors your phone’s view and lets you tap to track subjects from a distance. ActiveTrack 8.0 handles crowded, fast-moving environments with ease, the Multifunctional Module 2 tracks general objects as well as people, and NFC pairing means you’re shooting in seconds. Serious smartphone filmmaking kit.
Available at DJI.
Marianna Handheld Arcade Cabinet Lumina, £1,999 (ex VAT)
Not your average handheld. Maison Roshi’s Marianna Lumina is a folding arcade cabinet in solid lacquered wood, with detachable joysticks that slide into a custom side drawer when not in use, as happy on a shelf as it is in your hands. Inside, over 9,000 hand-selected retro titles across every era, paired with a high-resolution monitor and dedicated speaker system. The kind of thing that starts as a conversation piece and ends with you disappearing for the rest of the evening.
Available at Maison Roshi.
Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 3rd Gen, £299
B&O’s Beosound A1 has always punched well above its size, and the third generation raises the bar further. The largest woofer in its class delivers serious bass from a speaker small enough to disappear into a bag, with 360-degree sound and clarity that justifies the premium over the countless alternatives. Precision-milled aluminium housing, IP67 waterproofing and a battery that outlasts most weekends away. The Lavender Purple colourway makes it the summer’s most stylish poolside companion.
Available at Bang & Olufsen.
