Awards fillip for consumer confidence?

It’s been almost 30 years since the first What Hi-fi? (as was) Awards, but I doubt there’s been a time when they took on more importance - for both industry and consumers (or indeed us at What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision!)

Consumer confidence remains low - though has rallied slightly from its recent nadir of late last year - and purchase-justification is paramount, even in the minds of those relatively unaffected by the recession; impulse buys in the CE market are now a rarity.

So, what better call to buying arms than a tried-and-trusted Awards line-up that removes the risk  - plus the often bewildering choice - from the buying decision; featuring winners specifically chosen for their performance-per-pound value, rather than spec sheets or looks?

When Awards testing - a process that, this year, started in July and ended in late-September, when we could no longer hold off engraving trophies and producing winners’ logos - both the consumer’s reliance on our reviews and the effect those verdicts would subsequently have on manufacturers and retailers weighed more heavily than ever.

It’s another reason this year’s Awards feature more products than ever - 92 winners in 18 categories. We wanted to be sure that for every home and mobile entertainment need, at as wide a price-point as possible (but keeping it real-world), we named the best-value option. We also needed to ensure that every product deserving of an Award received one - that we weren’t limiting the number of Awards to an arbitrary figure. Hence that slightly odd ‘92′ winners - not to mention a massive bill for trophies and a bumper Awards issue to fit it all in!

That Awards issue has some changes, too - such as a clearer emphasis on why the products won compared to others in their class; singing an individual product’s praises just isn’t enough, and with many categories incredibly close this year, it’s only fair to mention some of the (still excellent) products that didn’t quite make the top step of the podium.

In a year where our online users and traffic have grown 70 percent, our Awards website (whathifi.com/Awards) is also of paramount importance, and adds video reviews of all the Products of the Year.

But enough about us… onto the winners, and why they won. There were some gong-gatherers whose names were first to be etched on. For example, Cyrus’ CD players (despite a strong new five-star challenge from Naim) remain untouchable in their respective price classes. Meanwhile, in the budget hi-fi space, Marantz won a fierce three-way battle with Cambridge Audio and NAD to pick up both the entry-level CD player and amplifier Awards.  Add in the superlative Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 speakers - astonishing value at £200 - and the consumer’s never had it so good at this price.

Talking of Naim… its naimuniti system, despite being a premium contender, was the unanimous choice for Product of the Year in the all-in-ones class. The Uniti is a timely reminder that traditional hi-fi values don’t have to be relinquished in the rush to embrace new technologies. For that, I can even forgive Naim for the disturbing pregnant-belly adverts for the product!

Moving onto AV, pricing - and hence our performance-per-pound evaluations - came even more into play than in the two-channel categories. For example, the Style Speaker Package line-up was shaped as much by price-rises as it was new contenders. Meanwhile Sony’s incredibly aggressive pricing (as well as superb, tech-packed products) saw it dominate the key Blu-ray category; though - unlike in previous years - no one manufacturer swept the board in the also-buoyant receiver class.

Next onto TVs, where the absence of any Sony winners has caused some raised eyebrows. Well, firstly, there was a quality charge from Philips that saw it the clear Product of the Year winner (for the superlative 42PFL9664) as well as our favoured 32in TV choice. Secondly, there were the pricing and technology advantages of the remaining size/price-class sets from Samsung, LG and Panasonic. And finally, there’s the fact that the majority of Sony sets we’ve reviewed this year have suffered from unacceptably uneven backlights; we feel the company has to seriously address this issue before we can wholeheartedly recommend what are otherwise typically stunning TVs.

As I write this, I’ve just come back from the first Manchester Sound & Vision Show, where we unveiled the Awards issue, showcased the winners and tackled vast crowds of eager visitors. The pent-up demand to buy new, exciting products was palpable; add in a pre-VAT-rise rush and this could be the sales-packed Christmas we’re all hoping for. Here’s to it being a rewarding Awards season for you all!

Clare Newsome is Brand Director and Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision, the UK’s best-selling hi-fi and audio-video consumer buying guide magazine