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The whys and wherefores of just how things suddenly pitch into vogue are mostly a mystery to us all so I won’t even attempt to unravel the reasons behind the relatively sudden popularity of the principle pair of components which embellish this issue.

Suffice to say that first there is the re-emergence of the over-ear headphone as a cool accessory. The in-ear may seem the most sensibly developed way to get your hit of grooves on the move, but walk down any UK high street and all the hipsters are tucked up inside massive over-ears – the bigger the better.

So, as an aid to anyone seeking to join the in-crowd, this month’s Group Test brings you a collection of the latest affordable cans to help enhance your charisma.

And then there’s the vinyl revolution which, considering the ubiquity and convenience of streamed digital music, makes no sense at all. But defying all logic, vinyl sales are still on the rise so we’ve selected a cover star turntable to kick start your future as an addicted crate digger. Plus we’ve cherry-picked the Record Store Black Friday drop to recommend the new platters that matter.

Pile in!