CNET UK Editors' Choice winners April 2010
As spring sprang, we reacquainted ourselves with the outside world, then decided we still preferred it indoors and sat down to review four stonking pieces of technology
April was a goodly month. As spring sprang, we reacquainted ourselves with the outside world. Then decided we preferred it indoors and sat down to review some cracking tech. Allow us to present, for your delectation, four products deemed worthy of a prestigious CNET UK Editors' Choice award.
Bowers & Wilkins P5
Bowers & Wilkins has achieved something rare with its P5 headphones, cramming good looks and great sound into one package. Most high-end headphones will make you resemble an air-traffic controller, but you'll be much happier wearing these retro-styled cans out and about. Bowers & Wilkins hasn't added any sonic enhancements at all, which means you'll be treated to clear, natural sound. Noise-isolation technology, a replaceable cable and some nifty features for iPhone owners are the icing on the cake, and make the P5s extremely easy to recommend.
Canon EOS 550D
The Canon EOS 550D is a user-friendly, lightweight dSLR with plenty of beginner-friendly options. That doesn't mean it's not clever: in fact it's the highest resolution non-full frame dSLR going, with exceptional noise reduction for low-light shooting. But the 550D wins its Editor's Choice Award for being the most capable video-shooting dSLR yet. Not only does it film 1080p high-definition footage, it offers a cinematic 24 frames per second. Combine that with an external microphone input and you're on course for professional video.
LG PK590
Nothing makes us happier than finding a TV we love at a price that's right, so imagine how thrilled we were when the 50-inch, 1080p LG PK590 plasma TV landed on our doorstep. It's a stylish beast, but that's no surprise -- LG has been making funky-looking TVs for some time now. More impressive is the fact that it has a Freeview HD tuner and THX certification, and can be calibrated by an Imaging Science Foundation engineer.
Features are one thing, but we were genuinely thrilled by this TV's picture quality too. Its great black levels helped win us over, but we were also impressed by the way it handled both standard- and high-definition material. If you're seeking a new set on which to watch the World Cup, you should definitely consider it.
Samsung NX10
We were distinctly underwhelmed by the prospect of another dSLR-aping interchangeable lens system: Micro Four Thirds got there first, and isn't tied to one manufacturer. Then we used the Samsung NX10. The NX10's ace in the hole is its dSLR-sized APS-C sensor, which is much bigger than the chip in the Micro Four Thirds range. Combine this with a top-notch kit lens and sensible pricing, and Samsung's NX system starts to look like a real contender.