John – (Not the) Best of 2025
John Darko’s “(Not the) Best of 2025” Turns a Year-End List into an Audiophile Wake-Up Call
With “(Not the) Best of 2025,” John Darko does what he often does best: he takes a familiar hi-fi format and twists it into something sharper, more personal and far more interesting. This is not a conventional awards list. It is not a predictable parade of flagship amplifiers, luxury loudspeakers and five-star trophies. Instead, Darko builds a year-end story around three products that changed his expectations for 2026.
That difference matters. By refusing to call it a simple “best of” list, Darko immediately shifts the focus away from hierarchy and towards surprise. The products that matter most are not always the most expensive, the most technically extreme or the most glamorous. Sometimes they are the products that make a listener rethink what is possible at a certain price, in a certain category or in everyday use.
The three stars of the piece are unexpected in the best possible way: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, the FiiO FT7 and the DALI Kupid. On paper, they do not belong in the same neat category. One is a folding smartphone, one is a pair of planar magnetic headphones, and one is an affordable loudspeaker. In Darko’s hands, however, they become connected by a single idea: each one recalibrates expectation.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 brings the most surprising angle. Darko treats it not as a phone review, but as a music-browsing revelation. For a music-first listener, screen space becomes more than convenience. It changes how streaming libraries are explored, how albums are discovered and how control apps feel in the hand. The foldable phone becomes a pocketable music command centre — not a hi-fi component in the traditional sense, but a device that changes the way a listener interacts with digital music.
Then comes the FiiO FT7, a headphone that speaks directly to one of Darko’s recurring 2025 themes: serious sound does not always require luxury pricing. FiiO’s rise across the audio world has been hard to ignore, and the FT7 appears in this story as another example of the brand’s ability to challenge assumptions. Darko’s enthusiasm comes from the idea that a more affordable product can still deliver the kind of performance that makes an experienced listener pause.
The DALI Kupid completes the trio with perhaps the most charming message of all. Affordable loudspeakers are often treated as compromises, starter boxes or stepping stones. Darko’s coverage suggests something more exciting: that entry-level hi-fi can still be joyful, convincing and musically satisfying when a manufacturer focuses on the fundamentals. The Kupid becomes a reminder that small speakers with modest pricing can still produce big smiles.
The accompanying video gives the piece its pace and personality. Darko moves through the products with the confidence of someone who has spent real time with them, not merely glanced at them during a show demo or launch event. That distinction is important. The article makes clear that these impressions come from actual use, not quick industry theatre.
YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_CiMO66wvQ
The playlist connected to the video gives the whole project its musical heartbeat. As always with Darko, the music is not an accessory to the hardware. It is the reason the hardware matters. The tracks chosen around the video help turn the coverage into an experience rather than a shopping list. They remind the audience that audio gear only earns its place when it strengthens the relationship between listener and music.
What makes “(Not the) Best of 2025” so effective is its refusal to worship price. Darko had spent much of the year around serious, expensive hi-fi equipment, yet this year-end reflection finds excitement in more accessible, more practical and sometimes more surprising places. That makes the article feel fresh. It is not about the biggest numbers. It is about the products that cut through the noise.
There is also a strong editorial message beneath the enthusiasm. Darko seems to be asking the hi-fi world to pay closer attention to value, usability and real-world pleasure. A product does not need to be perfect to matter. It needs to change the way a listener thinks. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 changes music browsing. The FiiO FT7 changes headphone expectations. The DALI Kupid changes what entry-level loudspeakers can feel like.
In the end, John Darko’s “(Not the) Best of 2025” succeeds because it feels honest, energetic and forward-looking. It is not a trophy ceremony. It is a reset button. Instead of closing the year with predictable applause for the usual high-end suspects, Darko points toward 2026 with curiosity and optimism.
The message is clear: the future of hi-fi will not only be shaped by expensive statement products. It will also be shaped by clever devices, ambitious affordable gear and products that make music easier, richer and more enjoyable in daily life.
With this article, video and playlist, Darko once again proves why his voice matters. He listens beyond the obvious, celebrates surprise and reminds readers that the most exciting audio products are often the ones that change expectations.
