In 2016 What Hi-Fi? celebrated its 40th anniversary, and to mark the occasion we picked our 40 most influential products from those four decades. We started with the year the publication was born (1976), listing the best hi-fi of the 1970s.

And now we continue our celebratory journey through the '80s, '90s, noughties and 2010s in the articles you'll see below. A new product is added to our Hall of Fame every year at the What Hi-Fi? Awards, so when this year's rolls around we'll be starting our 2020s list too...

Here are our choices from the 1980s.

Dual CS505 (1981)

The likes of Pro-Ject may dominate the budget turntable market today, but back in the 1980s it was Dual with the CS505.

It was a pretty sophisticated deck with a proper suspended sub-chassis - which made it less sensitive to positioning - and a degree of automation in operation.

Later versions looked less budget-orientated with the arrival of some smart wooden plinths, but the oily bits stayed pretty much the same.

This was a tidy, well-balanced performer. It dug up a decent amount of detail and delivered it in an entertaining way.

The Dual delivered satisfying results without putting too much of a strain on the entry-level kit it was usually partnered with. Oddly enough, that’s the quality that made it so good in a budget context.

Wharfedale Diamond 1 (1982)

Back in 1982, no one would have believed the Wharfedale Diamond would dominate the budget-speaker market for generations to come.

At just 24cm high, the originals were tiny but delivered a huge amount of bass - and had a rolled-off, smooth tonal balance. The Diamonds were much cheaper than their competition too, costing £65 a pair while the rest hovered closer to £100.

Subsequent generations saw improved tweeters and better finishes, and the current Diamond 220 speakers are arguably the best Diamonds ever. Yet for that touch of magic that’s rare in hi-fi, it’s the originals we hanker after.