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RSD Black Friday + New Turntables

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Welcome to what is most likely the final edition of Record Roundup for 2025. On tap for today are RSD Black Friday 2025, a new turntable from Kanto, plus new all-in-one systems from Andover Audio and QlearSoul.

Record Store Day Black Friday 2025

Friday November 27 is Black Friday in the U.S., along with other countries that celebrate the post-Thanksgiving shopping extravaganza. Record Store Day has a series of releases for Black Friday, so don’t forget to check out your local record shop. At the top of my list is the RSD 2025 exclusive Rhino release The Beat at the BBC, a collection of The English Beat’s BBC Radio appearances from 1979-1982 (a double album on clear vinyl).

QlearSoul HiFire X

Audio brand QlearSoul has been laser focused on the retro appeal of record players. The company’s newest offering takes vinyl nostalgia to a new level. The HiFire X is an all-in-one with a pair of bookshelf speakers driven by 100W of power. But what makes this system push more buttons than ever is its design–wood finish speakers and case, with a brushed aluminum front panel, big control knobs and a pair of backlit VU meters. If (like me) you’ve been lusting after vintage Pioneer receivers, you’ll know the look instantly.

I’ll be going hands on with the $429.98 QlearSoul HiFire X over the next few weeks and I’ll let you know just how well those VU meters scratch the retro itch.

Kanto Obi3 Turntable

I’ve had experience in testing the powered speakers from Canada’s Kanto Audio and they sound as good as they look on a desktop. The company carried over its approach of value, minimalist design and interesting colors to its first turntable, the Obi3 (available in black, white or green). Priced at $199, the Obi3 is bound to make an impression in the entry level turntable market. Especially in that green paint job.

For more details about the Kanto Obi3, be sure to read Mark Sparrow’s feature.

Andover Audio Launches SpinPlay Record Player

The team at Andover Audio continues to expand its presence in the turntable market. Over the past decade, the company has released a series of products including the audiophile favorite Andover One all-in-one system, the SpinBase series of speaker systems that sit beneath a turntable, SpinDeck turntables, plus powered speakers and subwoofers. Along with complementary furniture and accessories.

New to the lineup is the SpinPlay Record Player. This is a mashup of sorts, combining a turntable and the 270-degree audio of the SpinBase speakers in a compact all-in-one system. The SpinPlay’s turntable is equipped with an Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge and factory-set counterweight. Audio is provided by a double-amplified, four-driver array for a simulated wide soundstage, while Andover Audio’s patented IsoGroove® vibration-elimination technology ensures even loud volumes don’t interfere with the record being played. A single, oversized control knob dominates the front panel (a remote is also included) and a leather-textured fabric grill in black or white wraps around the system, which is equipped with a durable hard cover.

It’s an all-in-one and technically you could close the lid, unplug the power cable and lug it over to a friend’s place, but it does still offer flexible connectivity options, including Bluetooth, AUX, Line, subwoofer and headphone connections. The new SpinPlay Record Player is available now for $729.

Hands on With Fosi Audio’s New Luna3 Turntable

Finally, I spent much of October spinning vinyl on Fosi Audio’s first entry into the turntable market. The Luna3–with its “glowing” orange acrylic platter mat and matching orange hardware–made an impression.

Missed the last Record Roundup? You can catch up with September 2025’s edition here.



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Wateen and Beaconhouse Strengthen Partnership to Pioneer Digital Learning

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Wateen Telecom has strengthened its partnership with Beaconhouse Group, Pakistan’s largest network of private educational institutions, to enhance managed internet services over SD-WAN and fortify the digital learning infrastructure across the school network.

The agreement was signed by Mr. Ali Ahmad Khan, Chief Operating Officer, Beaconhouse, and Mr. Adil Rashid, CEO, Wateen Telecom.

The signing ceremony was attended by senior representatives from both organizations.

This collaboration builds on a longstanding foundation that reflects a shared commitment to enabling future-ready learning environments powered by secure, scalable, and reliable connectivity – pioneering the future of digital education in Beaconhouse schools across Pakistan.

The upgraded SD-WAN and Wi-Fi infrastructure will enhance classroom connectivity, support high-density usage, and create a more seamless experience for students accessing digital tools, cloud-based apps, and online learning resources.

This initiative reflects Wateen’s ongoing focus on strengthening Pakistan’s digital education landscape, enabling schools to deliver richer, more reliable learning experiences through modern, high-performance connectivity.





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Vivo X300 Pro Is An iPhone 17 Pro Rival With A Bigger Battery And Zeiss-Tuned Cameras

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Vivo launched the X300 and X300 Pro at an event in Shanghai, China on October 13, followed by an India debut last week. The Vivo X300 Pro takes on the iPhone 17 Pro, Oppo Find X9 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with an improved camera system, the latest MediaTek processor, and a familiar design language – something Oppo and OnePlus have deviated from this year.

The new flagship sports a large circular camera module on the back but flattens its sides. Vivo has steadily removed curves from its premium phones, a move that might bother some people. However, this design offers better grip than the slippery Vivo X100 Pro and is nowhere near as sharp as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. While the phone is heavy at 228 grams, it feels comfortable thanks to good weight distribution. It retains the IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance ratings from last year.

There is no annoying Camera Control copy here, but you do get an Action Button clone on the left side. It supports both a standard long-press and a double-press trigger, which is currently not possible on Apple iPhones.. For example, I have set my unit to trigger DND with a long press and enable the flashlight with a double press.

The Vivo X300 Pro features a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with thinner bezels, making the device slightly slimmer and shorter than its predecessor. Colors are vivid, and the screen is easily legible in bright environments. It supports a 1,260 x 2,800 resolution with 452ppi pixel density, a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, and a 94.85 percent screen-to-body ratio that makes HDR content look more immersive than before.

Under the hood, the Vivo flagship is powered by the top-tier MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset, paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage. It offers smooth performance in day-to-day use and handles demanding games without overheating. You will notice the thermal improvement over last year’s Dimensity 9400 and recent rivals during extended gaming sessions.

Vivo continues its photography lead with a triple rear camera setup. The X300 Pro sports a 50MP Sony LYT-828 main camera, a 200MP telephoto sensor with 3.5x optical zoom, and a 50MP JN1 sensor for ultrawide shots.

As for the camera quality, you get good color vibrancy and white balance in daylight shots. Compared to the Vivo X200 Pro, the new model manages highlights and shadows better, offering more detail in challenging low-light environments. Portrait shots look as good as before, though there are occasional inconsistencies in processing. And like before, there are plenty of Zeiss effects and filters to play around with.

It also gets a Telephoto Extender Kit that supports 2.35x zoom. Co-engineered with Zeiss, the kit includes a lens, adapter ring, mounting parts, and a matching phone case. Unlike the Oppo-Hasselblad Teleconverter Kit, Vivo’s Extender Kit works with both the X300 Pro and the standard X300.

The Vivo X300 Pro packs a big 6,510mAh battery in China and India, though European models will ship with a smaller 5,440mAh cell. Both versions support 90W wired fast charging and 40W wireless charging. Regardless of the region, it should last an entire day with ease on moderate use. However, don’t expect it have multi-day endurance of the Oppo Find X9 Pro or the OnePlus 15.

For the first time, Vivo is bringing its OriginOS out of China. The Vivo X300 Pro runs Android 16-based OriginOS 6 globally. It offers a modern design, better UI uniformity, and is a clear upgrade over Funtouch OS.

You get iOS 26-like design elements, including translucent effects and a Dynamic Island-style feature for multitasking. For instance, you can select multiple photos from the gallery, drag them to the top of the screen to reveal shareable options, and drop them into an app like WhatsApp. It is a smart implementation of an existing concept.

Vivo X300 Pro: Price And Availability

The Vivo X300 Pro is priced at INR 1,09,999 for the single 16GB RAM + 512GB storage variant in India. It is available for pre-booking now and will go on sale in Dune Gold and Elite Black starting December 10. Like previous Vivo flagships, the X300 series will not be released in the U.S.



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Zuma Resources Approves Asset Sale, Shifts Focus to Tech and EV Investments

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Zuma Resources Limited (formerly Bilal Fibres Limited) has announced a strategic shift in its business direction, with the Board of Directors approving a new focus on investments and partnerships across technology, AI-enabled services, electric vehicles (EV), healthcare, e-commerce, and other sectors.

In a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the company said its board, at a meeting held on December 5, 2025, also approved the sale of land, buildings, plant, machinery, and other fixed assets.

The asset sale is being carried out in compliance with an order from the Lahore High Court to settle outstanding bank liabilities.

Additionally, the board approved the financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2025, and authorized management to convene the annual general meeting on December 31, 2025.

Zuma Resources, which recently rebranded from Bilal Fibres Limited, said it will keep stakeholders informed of further developments as it pursues its new investment strategy and completes the court-mandated asset sale.





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