Reviews Editor · Cool stuff: the best-rated kit
Oliver Pembrook
Oliver writes about the products worth knowing about, from reference loudspeakers to the cleverest new gadgets for the house and the boat. He has an engineer's scepticism of marketing claims and a collector's enthusiasm for things that are genuinely well made.
Latest from Oliver
Latest TechChatGPT agents and the limits of smart-home control
OpenAI’s move from conversation to computer-based action creates useful tools for residential integrators, but does not make ChatGPT a building-control system.
7 October 2026 · 5 min
Latest TechLumene Coliseum Silent screens add smarter cinema control
Due in the UK in November, Lumene’s motorised screen range combines revised movement control with five materials for dedicated cinemas and shared living spaces.
7 October 2026 · 5 min
Cool StuffAstell & Kern SR35 takes hi-res audio beyond the listening room
Expandable storage, three headphone connections and USB DAC functionality make Astell & Kern’s SR35 worth considering as more than a travelling music library.
7 October 2026 · 5 min
Cool StuffEpson QS100: what a 140-inch living-room system demands
A household evaluation of Epson’s projector and EPV’s rising screen highlights the installation decisions behind convincing large-screen viewing in a shared living room.
7 October 2026 · 5 min
Cool StuffPMC Prophecy speakers put room size before cabinet size
PMC’s replacement for its Twenty 5i range highlights why bass loading, listening distance and placement deserve as much attention as a loudspeaker’s dimensions.
7 October 2026 · 5 min