The Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2026 - Highlights
Neat IOTA-ALPHA II Loudspeaker
Published on
28th February 2026
Last weekend saw our annual trip to the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, held in the city centre’s Marriott. Hotel rooms obviously aren’t purpose-built listening spaces blessed with amazing acoustics, which makes it all the more impressive when you do find a hi-fi system that truly shines.
The best of British hi-fi is well represented at the show: ATC, Rega, Harbeth, and Neat Acoustics. It’s the ideal opportunity for these brands to get feedback on all the hard work that goes into designing and manufacturing throughout the year. These brands aim to remain good value for money, push the boundaries as technology & materials advance, whilst hopefully staying true to their signature sounds.
Below are our highlights from the show:
The first room contains two of the latest loudspeakers from Neat Acoustics. Bob Surgeoner, founder and designer, chats to us about the engineering improvements in the new versions - the ultra-compact IOTA II and the diminutive IOTA-ALPHA II floorstander. Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” is playing, and the ALPHAs are producing an impressively big sound from such petite speakers, mainly thanks to the isobaric bass system, with the ribbon tweeters ensuring the top-end is nicely crisp and clear.
Bob says that “tiny adjustments to the crossover” and “paper cones for the mids” mean the new ALPHAs play louder and deliver a wider, deeper soundstage. A pair of these, combined with the Wattson Audio Madison Streamer, would make an ideal system for those with limited space who want an easy-to-use, high-performance hi-fi. The IOTA II are available now for £1,095, and the ALPHA II will be available from April 2026 at £1,995.
Neat IOTA-ALPHA II Loudspeaker in Oak
IOTA II Loudspeaker in Satin White
ATC have booked a more spacious room to showcase their new ATC EL50 loudspeakers. They are priced at £49,500 - and you can see where the money has been spent. Ben Lilly from ATC talks us through these speakers: their high-gloss wooden, super-slim, elliptical cabinet has ebony inlay and houses three in-house drivers, plus a brand-new Class A/B curved discrete tri-amp (with four active crossovers), which ensures noise doesn’t leak between drivers. The bass driver goes 4Hz deeper than the classic SCM50s.
The resulting sound is warmer and more laid-back with great dynamic range - not as transparent and monitor-like as you might expect from ATC. The EL50s have been paired with a dCS Bartók Apex DAC and ATC SCM2 pre-amp. The system really comes into its own when playing jazz - the saxophone and trumpet come alive, and it sounds like the drummer is sat behind the curtain.
The EL50s are limited to 50 pairs worldwide.
The slim elliptical cabinet of the ATC EL50
ATC’s Ben Lilly & Dean haunt the new ATC EL50
We’re excited to see the new Planar 6 RS Edition playing in the Rega room. The turntable is finished in brushed aluminium and comes fitted with the Nd9 Moving Magnet Cartridge. The rest of the system consists strictly of Rega products, and the resulting sound is natural & effortless, with everything working beautifully as a whole.
The double-bodied belt of the Planar 6 RS and the metallic plinth casing were used on the Planar 3 RS Edition last year. It also borrows technology from the skeletal Rega P8 turntable, including its RB880 tonearm, the Neo PSU Mk2 power supply, and the dual-layer floating glass platter. Oscar Peterson Trio’s “You Look Good to Me” plays and sounds very engaging on this system. The turntable will retail at £2,000. You can pre-order now, with a release date in early May 2026.
We chat with Simon from Rega, who also talks us through the features of the new AOS MC phono pre-amp (a moving magnet version is on its way). It shares tech with the reference Aura full-width MC phonostage, but is available at a fraction of its price at £1,500.
Brushed Aluminium of the Rega Planar 6 RS Edition Turntable
Dean together with Simon & the new Rega Planar 6 RS Edition Turntable
AOS MC Phono-Pre-amp
Hailing from Romania, Meze Audio has brought its full range of headphones, from the newest entry-level 99 Neo closed-back headphones to the open-backed Elite. You really get to see where your money is going when you experience the whole range in one go like this. As you move up a level, the space & sound between your ears seems to increase in size too. By the time you try the Empyrean II, it’s like sticking your head into a concert hall.
“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys plays, and it’s joyous, immersive listening. A remastered version of “Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds hits impressively hard in the bass, especially the kettle drums, and every texture and detail is apparent - from wooden block scraps through to Mick Harvey’s guitar slides.
The person next to us is listening to “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones on the Meze Elite open-backed headphones - you can hear every note leaking out, which is quite anti-social, but it does mean the music is given space to breathe and allowed to flourish.
The Meze Poet closed-back headphones are very comfortable - Kurt Cobain’s vocals on “Dumb” by Nirvana sound intimate and confessional, no doubt in part thanks to the dCS Lina System we’re hooked up to.
The Liric 2nd Generation Headphones are very comfortable and made The Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” a joy to listen to.
The 99 Neo are really stylish and definitely the choice for being out and about, but they don’t have that lush, open sound you enjoy with the more expensive headphones.
dCS LINA System drives the Meze Poet Headphones + the Meze Manta Headphone stand
Listening to the Meze Poet Headphones
Meze Audio 99NEO - entry-level headphones
HarbethHarbeth SHL5plus XD2 Loudspeakers
“It’s like bathing in asses’ milk,” says Chris Kelly about the Harbeth SHL5 Plus XD2 - “they are that easy on the ear.” They have a big, clear sound and impressive stereo imaging, and Chris (representing Harbeth) points out that the speaker wire is only 99p a metre from Amazon, so imagine how good it will sound with decent Chord Company speaker cable.
The P3ESR XD2 sounds great when paired with the Nelson active bass extender & stand, which is not the most aesthetically pleasing piece of hi-fi. You would probably treat yourself to a pair of the SHL5 Plus if you prefer more in the low end.
This year’s show definitely felt more stripped-down. The independent brands showcased the standout hi-fi - with refinements and meaningful improvements, combined with thoughtful engineering. The show is a positive indicator of where hi-fi is heading, and it’s always great to catch up with those who share our passion for music. We’re looking forward to integrating these new products into our hi-fi systems!
