"The biggest new hi-fi trend of 2026": Powered bookshelf speakers are here to stay – as Yamaha enters market

Cambridge Audio L/R speakers — (Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Last week I was at High End Vienna – a hi-fi show that used to be held in Munich and has a tradition of showing off super-crazy-expensive kit.

But 2026 just felt different. Yes, there was still some mad kit priced at seven figures on display, but a lot of the long-standing brands were also there with products people will actually buy.

Including, as I'll get to, new powered wireless speakers from Yamaha, called the NX-70A. A surprise yet indeed important launch from the Japanese hi-fi stalwart.

Don't call it the 'death of hi-fi'

It's clearly a time of change in the world of hi-fi. Yes, we've had the vinyl resurgence. Sure enough, the apparent CD resurgence is coming too – as shown to me by Ruark, in its R710 integrated player.

But that's not all that's changing. Form factors are shifting, as customers pivot away from full separates setups. Dali was another to prove this point, with its Vega all-in-one product – and very nice it is, too.

Yes, amplifiers still sell – and are actually on the up. So it would be inaccurate to say that "hi-fi is dying" – when the increase in record player sales and so forth continues to drive sales. Indeed, last year amps made up 42% of total revenue across the hi-fi sector.

A new option

But that doesn't mean customers aren't looking for something simpler and more unified; a product able to exist more discreetly in any number of spaces. And that's why I think powered wireless speakers are the big new trend for 2026 and beyond.

It actually started before this year, mind. At the end of 2025, Cambridge Audio burst into the market with its all-new L/R range (lead picture of this article). And very good they've turned out to be thus far, too, with the small 'S' model a 5-star winner.

Not that Cambridge was first. If anything, the Brit brand was a little late to the party. We've already had some stellar products from Technics (CX700 – pictured above) and KEF (LSX II LT) in this space, while Kanto has also made waves – particularly with its Ren speakers.

While smaller models have also impressed – aforementioned Ruark's MR1 Mk3, for example, or Kanto's UKI – it's in the larger-scale space where this market is going to grow, luring would-be hi-fi separates buyers to something altogether new.

Shifting away from spatial

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Yamaha NX-70A powered wireless speakers — (Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)

Part of the reason this active speaker format is getting so popular? I think it's the shift away from excessive sound processing – spatial upmixes of stereo content, for example – that people wanting a true stereo listening experience will enjoy so much.

And there's nothing better than a pair of loudspeakers to deliver that perfectly, with precision left and right output. Being able to get that without needing a separate amplifier and bunch of cables is only going to add to the appeal for many.

Which is where Yamaha's new NX-70A speakers come in. I was able to experience this new system at High End Vienna, too, and love the design aesthetic with bronzed detailing. But it's the sound that's really going to upsell these speakers.

Everything is rolled into one: the 13cm woofer and 3cm tweeter per speaker combine to 160W per side, and whether you're going to use wired inputs (HDMI, LAN, USB-A, 3.5mm AUX) or wireless (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi – including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, AirPlay, Google Cast), you'll get rich audio across a 50Hz-35kHz range.

A pair of NX-70A isn't cheap, though, at £2587 (equivalent to circa $3500 / AU$5000). But then you needn't worry about any additional components – other than perhaps some stands; maybe adding a subwoofer later – and this more simplistic setup quickly makes sense.

In addition to the recent arrival of the Cambridge Audio L/R X – the largest in its range – there will be more to come in this space. Jamo alluded to the same thinking at High End Vienna, for one, and I'm sure there'll be more. Powered wireless speakers are the next hi-fi trend for 2026 and beyond.

Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.