Celebrating the 250th Edition and Annual Awards
The 2026 Hi-Fi Plus Awards coincide with a major milestone for the publication, marking its 250th issue. This double celebration highlights the continuous evolution of high-performance audio, particularly in the critical category of cable systems.
The editorial team emphasized that while components like amplifiers and speakers often receive the most attention, the cable system serves as the essential nervous system of any high-fidelity setup.
The 2026 awards focus on products that achieve a "direct-coupled" sound, minimizing the sonic signature of the cables themselves to allow the true character of the hardware to shine.
OePhi Kali Secures Top Honors
The standout winner in the Cable System category for 2026 is the OePhi Kali series. Designed with a philosophy of absolute transparency, the Kali interconnects and speaker cables were praised for their ability to deliver a sound that feels as if there is no cable in the signal path at all.
Editor Alan Sircom noted that the Kali system provides a level of directness and speed that is rarely achieved, effectively bridging the gap between separate components. For professional recording environments and high-end home studios, the Kali series represents a shift toward cables that prioritize timing and phase coherence over decorative artifice.
Chord Company ARAY Receives High Commendation
The Chord Company continues its streak of industry recognition with a Highly Commended award for its ARAY series of products.
Specifically, the Chord Company ARAY technology was recognized for its consistent ability to improve sound quality regardless of where it is implemented in the chain. Reviewers noted that the ARAY products deliver a sharper, cleaner, and better-focused image, making it easier for listeners to distinguish individual musicians within a complex arrangement.
This focus on mechanical and electrical shielding makes the ARAY system a practical choice for environments with high levels of electromagnetic interference, common in modern digital production suites.
Technical Innovations in Grounding and Power
Beyond standard interconnects, the 2026 awards highlighted the growing importance of grounding systems within the cable infrastructure. The Chord Company PhonoARAY turntable earthing system was named a winner in the Grounding category, cited for its ability to remove low-level noise that often plagues analog playback.
Furthermore, Furutech’s Project V1 mains cable received accolades for its uncompromising approach to power delivery. These technical advancements demonstrate that a "cable system" in 2026 encompasses everything from the wall outlet to the final speaker terminal, each playing a role in maintaining signal purity.
Practical Applications for Content Teams
For businesses and content teams, the 2026 awards serve as a reminder that cable selection is a fundamental part of the production workflow. High-quality cabling reduces the noise floor and improves the accuracy of monitoring, which is essential for professional-grade podcasting and video editing.
Investing in a proven system like those recognized by Hi-Fi Plus ensures that the audio captured and edited is a faithful representation of the source. While these products are often categorized as audiophile luxuries, their real-world value lies in the reduction of technical friction and the enhancement of output quality.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
The 2026 Hi-Fi Plus Awards reinforce the idea that the best cable systems are those that effectively disappear. As digital audio continues to reach higher resolutions, the physical links between devices must keep pace to avoid becoming a bottleneck. Whether choosing the transparency of OePhi or the advanced shielding of Chord Company, creators now have more tools than ever to refine their sonic signature.
The full list of 2026 award winners and detailed technical reviews can be found at the official Hi-Fi Plus website.
More about audio equipment:
Staff Report
Dan Craft
Staff Report
