WhatHi-Fi
What Hi-Fi? is a 1976-founded consumer-electronics review and buying-guide brand operated by Future plc, publishing expert reviews, Best Buys, and deal alerts across hi-fi, headphones, TV, and home cinema for consumers in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What WhatHi-Fi does
What Hi-Fi? is a consumer electronics review and buying-guide brand founded in 1976 and operated by Future Publishing Limited, a subsidiary of the publicly listed UK media group Future plc. It produces expert reviews, curated Best Buys lists, and deal alerts across categories including hi-fi (stereo amplifiers, turntables, speakers, DACs, music streamers), headphones (wireless earbuds and over-ears), TVs and home cinema (OLED/Mini LED TVs, soundbars, projectors, AV receivers), and streaming hardware and services. The editorial product is distributed through four localized regional editions (UK, US, Canada, Australia) and across multiple channels including a website, weekly email newsletter, RSS feed, forums, an official Reddit community, social platforms (Facebook, X, WhatsApp, Pinterest, Flipboard), and embedded video and podcast content.
The underlying technology is a review and content platform with a product recommendation engine built around proprietary editorial features: a five-star rating system, 'Best Buys' curated categories, and a multi-regional publishing architecture. A dedicated team conducts testing in custom-built rooms across London, Reading, and Bath. The price-tracking capability checks more than 250 million products daily to support deal content. The product surface spans the core website, an annual Awards program, monthly print and digital magazine subscriptions sold through Magazines Direct (£59.49/year in the UK and $27.99 in the US), and community engagement via forums and a subreddit.
What Hi-Fi? monetizes through three interlocking streams: affiliate referral commissions when readers purchase via retailer links (Amazon, Best Buy, Richer Sounds and others), display advertising on the website and in the magazine, and recurring magazine subscriptions. The brand serves consumers making considered purchase decisions across the audio and home-entertainment categories, with hi-fi enthusiasts and home-cinema buyers identified as the primary use-case segments and headphone buyers and deal-seekers as adjacent segments. Headcount is disclosed at 51–100 employees, including an editor-in-chief, deputy editor, category editors (Hi-Fi, TV/AV), managing editor, technical editor, senior staff writers, staff writers and a contributor.
WhatHi-Fi firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WhatHi-Fi
- Legal name
- Future Publishing Limited
- Website
- https://whathifi.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- What Hi-Fi? is a 1976-founded consumer-electronics review and buying-guide brand operated by Future plc, publishing expert reviews, Best Buys, and deal alerts across hi-fi, headphones, TV, and home cinema for consumers in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where WhatHi-Fi is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
WhatHi-Fi business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Affiliate Marketing: What Hi-Fi? earns commissions when readers purchase products through affiliate links to retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and other merchants. The site transparently discloses: 'When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.'
- Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital magazine subscriptions sold through Magazines Direct, priced at £59.49/year in UK and $27.99 in US
- Advertising: Display advertising on the website and in the magazine edition, with dedicated sales team for advertising inquiries
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | UK Magazine Subscription - Annual |
| Subscription | Annual | US Magazine Subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
WhatHi-Fi product offering
Product offeringCore offering
What Hi-Fi? provides independent, expert reviews and buying advice for consumer electronics products spanning hi-fi equipment, headphones, TVs, home cinema, and streaming hardware. The core offering combines editorial reviews, curated Best Buys guides, and deal alerts across regional editions of a website, complemented by a monthly print and digital magazine subscription.
Product overview
What Hi-Fi? is a consumer electronics review and buying guide platform operated by Future plc. It offers a unified content platform providing expert product reviews, curated best-buy recommendations, and deal alerts across multiple categories including hi-fi (stereo amplifiers, turntables, speakers, DACs, music streamers), headphones (wireless/wired earbuds and headphones), TVs and home cinema (OLED/Mini LED TVs, soundbars, projectors, AV receivers), and streaming services. The company also publishes a monthly magazine and operates an annual Awards program. The platform serves consumers through regional editions (UK, US, Canada, Australia) and maintains forums for community engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- What Hi-Fi? Website Consumer electronics review and buying guide website providing expert reviews, curated Best Buys, and deal alerts across hi-fi, headphones, TVs, home cinema, and streaming categories, with dedicated regional editions for UK, US, Canada, and Australia audiences.
- What Hi-Fi? Magazine Subscription Print and digital monthly magazine subscription delivering in-depth hi-fi and home entertainment buying advice to subscribers, priced at £59.49/year in the UK and $27.99/year in the US.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reviews over 250 million products daily for price comparison
Companies that use WhatHi-Fi
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WhatHi-Fi technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
WhatHi-Fi partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
WhatHi-Fi competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CNET: CNET is a leading global consumer technology review and buying guide site with affiliate commerce, very directly comparable in audience, monetization model, and category coverage (TVs, audio, home entertainment) to What Hi-Fi?.
- The Verge: The Verge is a major consumer tech publication covering reviews, buying guides, and product news with commerce integrations, directly comparable to What Hi-Fi? in editorial-to-affiliate content model and global reach.
- Tom's Guide: Tom's Guide is a consumer technology review and buying advice site operated by Future plc itself; it is a sister brand covering overlapping categories (TVs, audio, home entertainment) and a near-perfect functional and operational peer to What Hi-Fi?.
- Wirecutter: Wirecutter (NYT) is an affiliate-driven product review and recommendation site, very comparable in business model (editorial + affiliate commerce), curation style, and audience intent to What Hi-Fi?.
- RTINGS.com: RTINGS.com is a data-driven, scientifically tested consumer electronics review site with deep coverage of TVs, headphones, and speakers — a direct peer in the same product review-and-buying-guide category as What Hi-Fi?.
- Trusted Reviews: Trusted Reviews is a UK-based consumer technology review and buying guide site with affiliate monetization, directly comparable in market, audience, and editorial-to-commerce model to What Hi-Fi?.
- TechRadar: TechRadar is a global consumer technology review and buying guide site operated by Future plc; it is a direct sister-brand peer covering overlapping categories (hi-fi, TVs, streaming) with the same affiliate-led monetization.
Broad incumbents
- Crutchfield: Crutchfield is a large US consumer electronics retailer with deep editorial content, buying guides, and expert advice across audio, TV, and home theater — a broader incumbent with overlapping content-plus-retail model to What Hi-Fi?.
Emerging players
- AVS Forum: AVS Forum is a long-running community-driven audio/video enthusiast forum with extensive product discussion and reviews — a peer in audience overlap and audio/TV buying decision influence, though it is community- rather than editorially led.
- SoundGuys: SoundGuys is a specialized audio-focused review site with affiliate-driven content; comparable to What Hi-Fi?'s audio (headphones, earbuds, hi-fi) vertical, but narrower in category scope and a smaller, more niche audience.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WhatHi-Fi social profiles
Digital presenceWhatHi-Fi financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WhatHi-Fi leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
WhatHi-Fi funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WhatHi-Fi M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WhatHi-Fi
What does WhatHi-Fi do?
What Hi-Fi? provides independent, expert reviews and buying advice for consumer electronics products spanning hi-fi equipment, headphones, TVs, home cinema, and streaming hardware. The core offering combines editorial reviews, curated Best Buys guides, and deal alerts across regional editions of a website, complemented by a monthly print and digital magazine subscription.
Is WhatHi-Fi a public or private company?
WhatHi-Fi is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was WhatHi-Fi founded?
WhatHi-Fi was founded in 1976. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is WhatHi-Fi based?
WhatHi-Fi is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does WhatHi-Fi make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Affiliate Marketing is the primary driver. The others are magazine Subscriptions and advertising.
Who are WhatHi-Fi's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CNET, The Verge, Tom's Guide, Wirecutter, RTINGS.com, Trusted Reviews and TechRadar. Crutchfield is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are AVS Forum and SoundGuys.
Does WhatHi-Fi have an API?
No public API is recorded for WhatHi-Fi.