Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2015 i What Hi-Fi?

They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but we can’t help being excited – the Oppo PM3 closed-back headphones are a sight to behold. Titanium-look arms, leather ear-cups and gorgeous milled hinges – what’s not to like? The visual appeal of these headphones is instantly evident. Sitting at the foot of the Oppo headphone range, the PM3s share the same planar magnetic driver as their more expensive PM1 and PM2 siblings. The driver has a diaphragm printed with a conductor and held between two magnets. The magnetic field generated as the signal passes through the conductor reacts to the field generated by the magnets, causing the diaphragm to move. The idea is to offer greater musical accuracy and minimise distortion. Reassuringly firm and comfortable The PM3s…

1 B&W P5 Wireless £330 . The P5 Wireless mark the first entry into the wireless headphones market for B&W. They take the design of the P5 Series 2 and add aptX Bluetooth, on-board controls, two microphones and a lithium battery. Behind the removable ear pads you’ll find 40mm drivers with suspended diaphragms. The battery is claimed to give 17 hours of playback time. http://whf.cm/P5Wireless 2 Sony BDPS 6500 £150 The S6500 is the latest addition to Sony’s excellent line-up of Blu-ray players. It can upscale to 4K and support 3D playback, even from 2D discs. BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Amazon Prime Instant Video are available for video streaming and on-demand content. For more information, head to http://whf.cm/SonyS6500 3 Onkyo TXRZ AV receivers from £1050 The TXRZ800 and TXRZ900 are…

Speaker package Q Acoustics 2000i 5.1 £625 A neat, compact bundle that boasts cohesive and dynamic satellites along with a sub that digs deep yet remains in control Blu-ray player Sony BDPS-7200 £180 Presenting a neat, minimalist design, Sony here continues to demonstrate its knack for producing talented affordable disc-spinners Projector BenQ W1080ST+ £1000 An easy-to-use projector with a beautifully balanced colour palette and a real flair for delivering smooth motion Total build from £2205…

Finlux 48FT3E242S T £400 Type LED/LCD • Screen size 48in • Resolution 1920 x 1080 • Tuners Freeview HD • Smart TV Yes • HDMI in 3 • USB in 2 • Network Ethernet • Dimensions (hwd) 63 x 108 x 7cm • Weight 16kg Samsung UE48J6300 £700 Type LED/LCD • Screen size 48in • Resolution 1920 x 1080 • Tuners Freeview HD • Smart TV Yes • HDMI in 4 • USB in 3 • Network Ethernet, wi-fi • Dimensions (hwd) 62 x 108 x 12cm • Weight 11kg Sony KDL55W805C £1100 Type LED/LCD • Screen size 55in • Resolution 1920 x 1080 • Tuners Freeview HD, satellite • Smart TV Yes • HDMI in 4 • USB in 3 • Network Ethernet, wi-fi • Dimensions (hwd) 72 x 123 x 6cm • Weight 17kg…

EgglestonWorks Nico Stereo speakers £2495 TECH SPECS Type Standmount Sensitivity (dB/W/m) 88 Impedance 9ohms Biwirable No Finishes 3 Dimensions (hwd) 38 x 19 x 33cm The Nico is an entry-level product for Memphis-based EgglestonWorks. Since the late 90s the company has specialised in high-end speakers, mainly floorstanders. The company’s current range-topper is the Ivy Signature, costing around £100,000, weighing in at 340kg (each) and packing 19 drive units per cabinet. The Nicos may not go to such extremes, but there’s a clear family resemblance in the chiselled cabinet design and the quality of build. It may be the most affordable model the company makes, but that doesn’t mean shortcuts have been taken in construction. No visible seams These aren’t particularly large boxes, standing just 38cm high, but their cabinets are…

Download, CD, vinyl THE MACCABEES MARKS TO PROVE IT Out now If 2012’s Given To The Wild was worth a Mercury Prize nomination, then this follow-up (somehow The Maccabees are four albums in now, which surely no one saw coming) ought to be among the short-odds favourites for this year’s competition. It’s by no means flawless, but there’s enough tenderness and muscularity in the writing and performances to make it the band’s best yet. As has long since been the case, The Maccabees are at their best when baring their teeth and having a ragged charge at a tune: here the title track, Spit It Out and Something Like Happiness whirl purposefully, like a voice raised in anger but without resorting to shouting. Slower, more reflective stuff like Silence or…

Batman: Arkham Knight Xbox One, PS4 Out now The final entry in Rocksteady’s brilliant Batman trilogy is a masterclass in game design. Now the big bad is Scarecrow, whose skill at messing with you ensures some powerful surprises. Combat is as refined as ever, and the new Batmobile is a seriously cool way to add variety. Caution: may make you want to swoop. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions  iOS, Android Out now Zoom about tight neon spaces and blow up shapes that try to kill you. Nothing new, but now there’s an extra, er, dimension. Fireworks now unfold across rotating, flipping terrains that demand complex tactics and planning. It’s also mesmerising to look at and simple to control. Pew, pew, pew! LEGO Jurassic World Xbox, Playstion, Wii U, 3DS, PC Out…

Welcome to the UK’s best guide to TVs, hi-fi, home cinema and mobile, with star ratings for more than 1500 products. Where other magazines rely on isolated writers reviewing in a range of locations, our star ratings are decided by an expert team of reviewers working together, in a state-of-the-art testing facility. Within this guide you’ll find all our favourite four- and five-star products – including Award-winners – to help you pick the best kit for your budget.…

Up to £500 Well-equipped and delivers convincing surround sound £500-£1000 There are gains in features, build quality and sonic performance £1000+ Real powerhouses that pack loads of features and cinema-style sound The shortlist Yamaha RX-V377 Awards 2014: Best home cinema amp up to £350 Sony STR-DN1050 Awards 2014: Best home cinema amp £350-£700 Pioneer SC-LX58 Awards 2014: Best home cinema amp £700-£1500 Also consider To subscribe call 0844 848 8813 or email: whathifi@servicehelpline.co.uk…

Integrated These amplifiers combine a preamp and power section in one box Power output A higher number usually means louder, depending on speakers Digital inputs Some amplifiers now have a DAC built in, which could be useful The shortlist Marantz PM6005 Awards 2014: Best Stereo amp up to £300 Arcam FMJ A19 Awards 2014: Best Stereo amp £500-£800 Rega Elex-R Awards 2014: Best Stereo amp £800-£1500 Also consider “The Karan Acoustics KA I180 Mk2 is for those who want an amplifier that simply gets out of the way of the recording”September 2013…

One-box speaker systems that include amplification, and are a great alternative to a full-on home cinema package if you don’t have much space. Soundbases have emerged as alternatives in the market, a one-box unit that can sit beneath and support your television. The shortlist Cambridge Audio TV5 “If you can accommodate the TV5’s larger size, you’ll hear the difference with every film you watch.” Canton DM 50 “It sounds gorgeous, it looks great, and we reckon £400 is a small price to pay for the huge boost in TV sound quality it delivers.” Geneva Model Cinema “…the Geneva Model Cinema will transform your TV sound better than any soundbase we’ve tested.” Also consider…

These carry audio signal from source to amplifier, or between pre-amplifier and power amplifier. Some use a shielding construction to reduce external electrical interference The shortlist Wireworld Luna 7 06.14 Group Test “There’s no brightness or sharpness to speak of and although weighty, there’s no sugge QED Reference Audio 40 06.14 Group Test “The Reference Audio 40 looks like a serious stereo interconnect. Build quality and feel are Atlas Element Integra Awards 2014: Best Analogue Interconnect “There’s nothing to dislike here: the Element Integra is highly recommended as a first upgrade” Also consider…

1 Opening the Monitor Audio Bronze 2s’ box, we’re confused. Check we haven’t got old ones out by accident. We haven’t 2 These are smart. We can’t think of another company that dresses box speakers so well, and for such an affordable price too. 3 We prefer using biwire form. The differences aren’t massive but the speakers do become more spacious and insightful. 4 Listening to music, we’re impressed by the scale and dynamic reach. The large cabinet and mid/bass driver helps. 5 The Bronze 2s sound at home on a range of music, delivering strong dynamics with subtlety. Highly capable performers.…

Music streaming app Tidal from £10/mth Subscribe, download the relevant app, and you can access Tidal’s huge library of CD-quality music files and play them through the Walkman. Headphones Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 £270 These Sennheiser over-ears are a perfect fit for the Sony. Not only are they properly portable, the Momentums sound the business too. DAC Sony PHA3AC £720 Opt for this Sony DAC and you’ve got yourself a decent little desktop system which is also portable, thanks to the PHA3AC’s built-in rechargeable battery.…

Onkyo TX-NR545£450 Channels 7 Power 120W Decoding DTS HD, Dolby TrueHD, DTS Master Audio, Dolby Atmos • Inputs HDMI x6, coaxial, optical x2, USB, analogue x8, component x2, composite x4 • Outputs HDMI, sub x2 • HDMI 2.0 yes • HDCP 2.2 yes • Networking yes • Ethernet yes • Wi-fi yes • 3D passthrough yes • Weight 8.6kg • Dimensions (hwd) 17 x 44 x 33cm Pioneer VSX-930 £500 Channels 7 Power 150W Decoding DTS HD, Dolby TrueHD, DTS Master Audio, Dolby Atmos • Inputs HDMI x7, coaxial, optical, USB, analogue x3, component, composite x2 • Outputs HDMI x2 sub x2 • HDMI 2.0 yes • HDCP 2.2 yes • Networking yes • Ethernet yes • Wi-fi yes • 3D passthrough yes • Weight 9.8kg • Dimensions (hwd) 17 x 44 x 36cm Sony STR-DN860 £400 Channels 7 Power 95W Decoding DTS HD, Dolby TrueHD, DTS Master Audio • Inputs…

Stereo amplifier Marantz PM6005 £300 The Marantz’s spacious sound and fine detail will nicely complement the Rega’s refined analogue signal Stereo speakers Monitor Audio Bronze 2 £280 MA makes a good thing even better: these beautiful standmounters deliver a weighty sound and are wonderfully insightful (see p6) Equipment rack Atacama evoque Eco 60-40 £450 Not just gorgeous to look at and highly customisable, this rack also lets your system’s components really shine Total build from £1330…

The Gunman A retired military man is chased by his past. It’s another fun Euro-trash geriactioner, but Sean Penn doesn’t carry it as well as Liam Neeson can. The Water Diviner Russell Crowe directs and stars as a man combing war-torn Turkey for his family. Heartfelt, but Crowe’s better in front of the camera than behind it. Insurgent Shailene Woodley just manages to distinguish herself in this second part of a dystopian sci-fi trilogy too bland even for the teenage giris it aims at. While We’re Young While we like poking fun at hipsters and people in the throes of mid-life crises, we wanted more from Noah Baumbach than a clichéd mix of both.…

Movies (Blu-ray) Fast & Furious 7 (7th September) More loud cars and bad tempers: the gang continues to blow things up and, now, hurl acars from the sky. RIP Paul Walker. Movies (Cinema) John Wick (21st September) Somebody kills Keanu Reeves’ dog. Sad Keanu becomes angry Keanu. A good excuse for a balletic, bullet-riddled rampage. Music (Download, CD, vinyl) Foals – What Went Down (28th August) Is it math rock? Art rock? Post rock? Plain vanilla indie rock? Ooh, we’re not sure we’re bothered... Music (Download, CD, vinyl) Richard Hawley – Hollow Meadows (11th September) The inheritor of Roy Orbison’s legacy is a foul-mouthed Sheffield quiff-sporter.…

Mark out the wall stud points The bracket needs to be fixed to something solid. If it’s a concrete wall, then great. If it’s the studs-and-plasterboard type, use an electronic stud-finder and mark out the positions of the studs in pencil. This is also a good time to check for any electric cables that might be in the wall — you don’t want any nasty shocks. Position your wall mount Stick the supplied mounting template on the wall, lining up the fixing points with the stud-marks you made. Install it as centrally as you can, but remember that most brackets let you fine-tune the TV’s position. Use a level to get everything true and mark out the position of any additional anchor points. “I just came here to drill” Do…

Full size Traditional cabinet design that’s big but can deliver a great sound Style Compact speakers that make a lot of sense in smaller living spaces Bipole/Dipole Surround speaker designs that give a more cohesive soundfield The shortlist Q Acoustics 3000 5.1 Cinema Pack £700 Dali Zensor 1 5.1 Awards 2014: Best Traditional Pack £700-£1500 Monitor Audio Radius R90HT1 Awards 2014: Best Style package £1400-£1800 Also consider To subscribe call 0844 848 8813 or email: whathifi@servicehelpline.co.uk…

Bluetooth Universal wireless system that’s incorporated into most sources AirPlay Apple’s accepted wireless system; works over your home network The shortlist Ultimate Ears Megaboom £250 “The Megaboom is a great addition to UE’s family of wireless speakers.” Dali Kubik Free Awards 2014: Best Wireless speaker £500-£750 “The engineers at Dali have struck gold with the Kubik Free, and have used their speaker expertise to great effect.” Naim Mu-so Awards 2014: Best Wireless speaker 750+ “The Naim Mu-so is a seriously attractive product. Everything promised is delivered.” Also consider…

For those of us that consider themselves a music lover, albeit to different degrees, we are part of a very fortunate generation. We now have access to an ever-growing wealth of recorded music of extraordinary range and depth, effectively accumulated over the last 60 years. With the introduction of the microgroove LP record in the early 1950's, playback quality took a quantum leap forward and this also coincided with a far higher standard of recording techniques. Although further improvements have been made over the years, this was a watershed time that first introduced hi-fi as a reality. We now have literally millions of recorded music tracks available to us in all genres and many different formats. One trend over recent years, however, has been to deliberately downgrade the quality in…

Turntable Rega RP1 Performance £300 This Rega is one of the best sounding turntables £300 will buy. It’s well made, easy to use and set-up CD player Marantz CD6005 £300 Top class budget CD player delivers class-leading insight and refinement. It’s really well made too Stereo amplifier Marantz PM6005 £300 Award-winning amplifier is a fine partner for the Bronze 2s. There’s plenty of detail here and strong but varied dynamics Total build £1180…

Pair shaped Pairing separate pieces of kit to do individual jobs almost always sounds better so if you already own a decent DAC, linking the Cambridge CXC to it is likely to give much better sound quality than a standalone CD player. The Cambridge CXC is a real sign of the times in the world of modern hi-fi. A CD transport, rather than a CD player, this unit does the vital work of reading the information held on a compact disc, but doesn’t waste its effort in turning that digital signal into an analogue output. Restricted to playing CDs As with many pieces of stand-alone hi-fi, the theory goes that using separate pieces of kit to do individual jobs will almost always provide a superior sound. This, it seems, is…

The future of home video lies in spinning, not streaming, according to Ron Martin, VP of Panasonic’s Hollywood Lab. As a board member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, he has helped develop DVD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray – and now Ultra HD Blu-ray. “The Blu-ray Disc Association believes that in terms of a repeat, premium experience, Blu-ray can’t be beaten. Streaming has advantages, but many disadvantages too. People migrate to quality “A disc and player is a totally robust system, whereas the streaming mechanism depends on reliability all the way along the path. It only takes one link to momentarily glitch for your experience to drop. “Of course that will continue to evolve, but in the meantime the consumer is left with a substandard experience. Convenience sometimes trumps quality but often…

Lenco L-90 £230 Speeds 33.33, 45 • Electric speed change yes • Operation semi-automatic • Phono amp yes • Tonearm included yes • Cartridge included yes • USB port yes • Suspension no • Finishes 1 • Dimensions (hwd) 40 x 45 x 37cm NAD C 556 £250 Speeds 33.33, 45 • Electric speed change no • Operation manual • Phono amp no • Tonearm included yes • Cartridge included yes • USB port no • Suspension no • Finishes 1 • Dimensions (hwd) 12 x 45 x 36cm Pro-Ject Essential II Digital £310 Speeds 33.33, 45 • Electric speed change no • Operation manual • Phono amp yes • Tonearm included yes • Cartridge included yes • USB port no • Suspension no • Finishes 2 • Dimensions (hwd) 11 x 42 x 33cm Rega RP1 Performance Pack £300 Speeds 33.33, 45 • Electric speed change no • Operation manual • Phono amp no • Tonearm included yes • Cartridge included…

Blu-ray player SonyBDPS 5500 £110 A tidy little box that impresses us with its speedy load times, unfussy controls and a wonderfully crisp and detailed picture Soundbar Q Acoustics Media 4 £400 This Award-winning soundbar adds some much-needed weight, clarity and subtle detail to any flatscreen TV’s sound Streaming service Netflix £7.50/month With new shows and a vast catalogue of old favourites, Netflix is now almost mandatory. £6 for SD, but a bit more gets you Full HD Total build from £1210…

When it comes to purchasing a device for listening to music, many of us wouldn’t think twice about spending £300 or more on a phone, tablet or media player. But having forked out for the best gadgets around, plenty of people are happy to use nothing more than the cheap pair of earbuds that come in the box as their headphones of choice. With more of us than ever listening to music on the go, investing in a good pair of headphones is far from a luxury – it’s a must if you intend on getting the most from your portable music library. The most important component But it’s not just out and about where they count – if you need a pair of headphones for private listening at home,…

Chord Hugo TT Digital Analogue Converter £2995 Chord’s Hugo can rightly be considered a landmark product for the brand. It has sold around 10,000 units so far, and after just 18 months of being on sale is already by far the most popular product in the manufacturer’s 26-year history. Such success has, understandably, led the brand to introduce other similar products. Chord has identified a market niche for high-end personal use and is quite happy to exploit it. Much to live up to The first of this new wave of products to be released is the Hugo TT, where TT stands for table top. The name gives a not-so-subtle clue as to this DAC’s role. The original Hugo was intended as a portable device to be used on the move,…

Join us on Spotify and Tidal whf.cm/playlist15 Sexy Kids: Sisters Are Forever For about five minutes roughly seven years ago, Glasgow’s Sexy Kids had half a chance. But they could never better this, their debut single. James Last: Inner City Blues Hans Last (as he was until the marketing men got involved) could have smoothed the rough edges off a bandsaw, let alone Marvin Gaye. Torres: Son You Are No Island Hushed, slow-burning, unsettling and vaguely hostile winner from Macon, Georgia’s Mackenzie Scott. She has plans for you, don’t doubt it. Iron and Wine & Ben Bridwell: Bullet Proof Soul Beardy two-man supergroup in album of (mostly obtuse) covers shocker. Bullet Proof Soul is a Sade song you didn’t buy.…

Smart ability Extends the viewing choice beyond discs with apps like BBC iPlayer Multichannel out Analogue outputs that feed high quality sound to a non-HDMI receiver Twin HDMI outputs These are used if you have two displays, say a projector and a TV The shortlist Sony BDP-S5500 £110 Sony BDP-S7200 Awards 2014: Best Blu-ray player £150-£300 Panasonic DMP-BDT700 Awards 2014: Best Blu-ray player £300+ Also consider “The Panasonic DMPBDT330’s smart content isn’t anything extraordinary, but the key thing is its Blu-ray performance, and here we are very impressed”September 2013…

Streaming has grown rapidly with the likes of Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal emerging in the music market, but CD players shouldn’t be overlooked if you want to get the best out of your music. We’ve picked three: two budget players and one higher-priced option as the ones to consider for an audition… Marantz CD6005, £300 Marantz has great form producing budget CD players and the CD6005 is another example of the company delivering excellent value for money. The CD6005 is more evolution than revolution, with a number of improvements made to the award-winning CD6004. It’s to Marantz’s credit that the improvements don’t disrupt the sound, which is precise, engaging and free-flowing. Dynamically it handles the highs and lows with expert ease, the presentation a convincing mix of refinement, balance…

Ear tips Most in-ears come with these. Experiment with size to get the best fit In-line remote Mostly for Apple devices, but Android-friendly units are increasing. Handy… The shortlist SoundMagic E10S Awards 2014: Best in-ears up to £50 “The SoundMagic E10Ses punch well above their weight in terms of sound quality.” Sennheiser M2 IEi £90 “Sennheiser’s Momentum range has made a real impact and it’s fair to say the latest addition delivers on all fronts.” Shure SE425 Awards 2014: Best in-ears £150-£300 “The SE425s sound fun, absorbing, classy, polished and captivating.” Also consider…

SOUTH Ashford, Kent SOUNDCRAFT HI-FI 40 High Street. t: 01233 624441 www.soundcrafthifi.com Chelmsford RAYLEIGH HI-FI SOUND & VISION 216 Moulsham Street. t: 01245 265245 www.rayleighhifi.com Kingston-upon-Thames INFIDELITY 9 High Street, Hampton Wick. t: 020 8943 3530 www.infidelity.co.uk Maidenhead AUDIO VENUE 36 Queen Street. t: 01628 633995 www.audiovenue.com Norwich MARTINS HI-FI 85-91 Ber Street. t: 01603 627134 www.martinshifi.co.uk Rayleigh RAYLEIGH HI-FI 44a High Street. t: 01268 779762 www.rayleighhifi.com Southend-on-Sea RAYLEIGH HI-FI SOUND & VISION 132/4 London Road. t: 01702 435255 www.rayleighhifi.com LONDON Ealing AUDIO VENUE 27 Bond Street. t: 020 8567 8703 www.audiovenue.com N1 GRAHAMS HI-FI 190a New North Road. t: 020 7226 5500 www.grahams.co.uk SW11 ORANGES & LEMONS 61/63 Webbs Road. t: 020 7924 2040 www.oandlhifi.co.uk SOUTH WEST Bath AUDIENCE 14 Broad Street. t: 01225 333310 www.audience.org.uk Cinderford CERITECH AUDIO…

Eclipse is best known as the manufacturer of egg-shaped, single drive unit speakers. Back in the company’s early days it also made a stand-alone integrated amplifier, the TDA 502. We awarded it a full five-star rating in our October 2004 issue, despite limited features and a low power output. At first glance it’s hard to know what it is. The A502 (then £875) is styled like no other amplifier we’ve seen before, or since, its otherworldly shape topped off with a huge LED-lit volume control. One for the purists The Eclipse splits into three parts. The silver base houses the power supply and includes the only control button on the whole amp, the beautifully damped power switch. The middle (black) section holds the amplification circuitry, and the top section is…