- Oakcastle, Majority’s UK sub-brand, has revamped its hi-fi line
- The launch includes bookshelf speakers, sound bar and DAB radio/CD player.
- Oh, and two new MP3 players join the fun too.
If you haven’t heard of Oakcastle, it’s the budget-conscious sister company to British audio brand Majority, a brand that regularly receives good review scores, as with the Majority Folio turntable.
Well, now it’s Oakcastle’s time to shine, with some audio products that will have hi-fi fans on a budget (and that’s most of us) rushing to hit the “Order Now” button.
Take, for example, the new BK100 speakers, which sell for just £69.96 (around $100, AU$150, but Oakcastle doesn’t appear to sell its entire range in the US or Australia). These are bookshelf speakers with a power of 60 W, with inputs for Bluetooth 5.4, optical, USB, AUX and HDMI ARC, so they can also be connected to your television.
I’m currently testing the Edifier M90, which has a similar spec list but will probably sell for about twice that price, so at least on paper, these Oakcastle alternatives look like a bargain.
Also attracting my attention is Oakcastle’s new sound bar: the SB80. It costs £59.95, so you’re certainly looking for our list of the best budget soundbars, but it has a novel advantage. You can position it as a “traditional” soundbar, ie. horizontally under your TV, or turn it into two smaller floor-standing speakers on either side. That makes it seem quite versatile for various room configurations.
The SB80 has 2.2 channel sound, a fairly uncommon setup in the budget space, and supports Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI ARC, optical, USB, or AUX connections. For just a little more you can buy the SB80 Xtra, which costs £69.95. It has slightly upgraded speakers and, most importantly, an additional subwoofer.
Radios and MP3 players
Oakcastle’s new releases don’t end there.
The brand has also introduced the DAB500. It plays DAB radio and also FM, but it also has a CD player, allows you to connect via Bluetooth to play through its speakers and also supports USB and AUX input. It costs £98.99, making it the most expensive on Oakcastle’s new list.
Two new MP3 players have also joined the party, both selling for £29.95 or equivalent.
First up is the MP250, which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Majority MP3 player, a model that remains on our list of the best MP3 players as an ultra-cheap option. It is a small, lightweight clip-on player with 16GB storage that can be expanded with micro SD. Since I tried the Majority, I suppose it is a good choice for sports users.
Then there’s the MP300, which honestly seems like the most premium device. It has 64 GB of storage, 50 hours of battery life, and a more premium version. If you think you won’t be able to use the MP250’s sport clip, this is the model for you.
All of these new speakers and players are on sale now, both on the Oakcastle website and on Amazon. Judging by precedent, they could also come to other retailers, but I can’t see them on sale anywhere else at the moment.
We haven’t tested any of these products yet, so take the promising spec list with a pinch of salt, but any hi-fi fan on a budget should have them on their radar – they’re certainly on mine. Watch this space…
The best stereo speakers for all budgets.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and tiktok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
