Innehållsförteckning för Issue 534- 2024 från Australian HiFi

Luxman's new flagship PD-191A turntable replaces the long-running PD-171 series and introduces a new and original tonearm jointly developed with Japanese tonearm maker SEAC. Two-and-a-half years in the making, that statically balanced tonearm, the LTA-710, is fully adjustable and comes equipped with special bearing technology for enhanced movement sensitivity and reduced tracking errors, with the record player capable of playing at speeds of 33 1/3, 45 and 78RPM. You can install tonearms from other manufacturers — 9-inch and 10-inch models are supported, while 12-inch tonearms can be added via an external arm base, sold separately. Full cartridge adjustments are, naturally, supported too. The PD-191A also features its own original, high-precision, high-torque DC motor that Luxman says “achieves constant and accurate rotation control under various demands” thanks to its sine wave…

Soundbites “One of the most flexible CD players ever created” is how Marantz describes its all-new CD 50n, a silver disc spinner with network streaming integrated — not something I can say I've come across all too often. The versatile source machine arrives alongside the partnering Model 50 integrated amplifier, which features a phono stage to accommodate record players for those who dabble in all three formats. While fairly novel in concept, the CD 50n ticks a lot of familiar boxes, offering online networked file access via wi-fi or ethernet, and built-in streaming smarts courtesy of the HEOS platform. It supports files up to 32-bit/384 kHz PCM and DSD256. Streaming from mobile is also available via Bluetooth, Spotify Connect and AirPlay 2, while those wanting to incorporate their TV into…

The output voltage of the TAGA Harmony TCD-50 was entirely standard, with Newport Test Labs measuring it as being a fraction over two volts from the unbalanced outputs and a fraction over four volts from the balanced outputs when playing a 1kHz test signal recorded at 0dB. (You can see the exact value in the Laboratory Test Result table below.) The balance between the left and right channels was excellent, with Newport Test Labs reporting it as 0.011dB. The separation between the two channels was also excellent, with the TAGA Harmony TCD-50 returning results of 139dB at 16Hz, 136dB at 1kHz, and 113dB at 20kHz. The result at 20kHz is exceptionally good — many CD players struggle to get out of double figures at this frequency. Inter-channel phase accuracy was…

Compact Disc's star has well and truly faded. At its peak, at the turn of the century, just short of a billion silver discs were sold in the USA in a year. Fast forward to 2022 and that number had dropped to just 33 million, with the format su ering the ignominy of being overtaken by vinyl (41 million sales). Given that the CD was originally developed to replace records, that is some fall from grace. Of course, the success of streaming has played a large part in the downfall of the CD. How could it not? The major music streaming services — Spotify, Tidal, Amazon, Apple Music and Deezer — carry many millions of songs and most can deliver higher resolution than 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD-specification) quality. So, given the convenience,…

Graph 1 shows the in-room response measured by Newport Test Labs, with the speaker placed well clear of all boundaries. The trace is the averaged result of nine frequency response measurements made with the microphone positioned at nine different points in front of the speaker, with the central point on-axis with the tweeter. All responses were obtained using pink noise as the stimulus to replicate approximately what would be heard by the human ear. You can see that the frequency response of the Synchrony T800, as measured by Newport Test Labs, extends from 30Hz to 20kHz ±3dB, which is extraordinarily close to PSB's own specification and an amazingly good result — particularly that low-frequency response, which is the most extended I can recall having ever seen for a floorstanding loudspeaker…

Is there any single instrument more versatile, expressive and downright important than the humble piano? Ever since Bartolomeo Cristofori (thank you, Google) decided to innovate a percussive method of sound production by having the key of the would-be piano struck with hammers rather than plucked à la the harpsichord, the piano has been a mainstay of Western music — one whose popularity and importance is yet to be surpassed. Hopefully, then, this list of piano tracks to test your hi-fi system reflects the bewildering array of styles, compositions and influences housed within the humble wooden frame of what is arguably the greatest instrument ever conceived. From rollicking Rachmaninoff concertos to Debussy's glossy genius to works from some of today's best ivory ticklers, here you are sure to find something worthy…

Soundbites Arcam is back, back, back. You could argue the British hi-fi company never really went away, but its hi-fi separates output has been fairly muted of late. That all changes with the launch of its all-new Radia family, a five-strong series of mid-range components that are incredibly tempting across looks, price and (as you'd know if you've so much as glanced at this year's What Hi-Fi? Award winners) performance. Making up the range are the A5, A15 and A25 integrated stereo amplifiers, the CD5 CD player and the ST5 network music player. All five sport a very sleek, all-black design with subtle yellow accents throughout for a 'contemporary' look (more on that below). Matching black and yellow remote controls come with each model, too. It's a rather strong visual…

Sonus Faber has had a busy year, bolstering its Homage Collection, introducing its first-ever streaming stereo speakers, and entering the outdoor speaker market. And yet it has managed to sneak yet another launch into the calendar year — this time to delight fans of the Italian brand who cannot quite stretch to the heights of its high-end loudspeaker designs. Indeed, Sonus Faber is bolstering its entry-level Lumina speaker series with two new models: the Lumina II Amator bookshelves ($2,995) and Lumina V Amator floorstanders ($6,995). While the new models continue the line's simple, minimalist design philosophy, there are a few touches of swanky Italian flair as well as some key technical upgrades to help them stand out from the rest. Both speakers are constructed from natural materials, including all-new wood…

Soundbites Ultra-high-end Californian audio brand Magico has announced its latest floorstanders, and you might want to sit down before you read how much they cost. (Ready?) Retailing at $750,000, the new M7 expand Magico's reputation for super-pricey kit made from super-premium materials. Let's not forget that 2020's flagship M9 launched at $1,500,000 per pair. Imagine having those in your front room! Speaking of the M9, the M7 take much of their heritage and design DNA from those flagship performers. Indeed, they were conceived to be, according to the company, “a more accessible version of the M9”. Clearly, accessibility is a relative term to Magico! The M7's 164cm-tall enclosures weigh nearly a quarter of a tonne each and are made with a carbon fibre shell, designed to greatly minimise di¨ raction…

Well, I didn't see this one coming. Approaching its 40-year milestone, Cyrus Audio has launched its first-ever turntable. The Cyrus TTP comes with an equally surprising price tag of $8,499, marking high ambitions indeed. Since 1984, Cyrus has been better known for its range of electronics (the CDi players and 6a and 8a integrated amplifiers, to name but a few), but it has recently been branching out to producing sources, such as its recently announced BluOS-powered music streamers. Cyrus says a turntable “has been an obvious missing part” of its product range. It's not like Cyrus doesn't have form with the vinyl format. It's been behind a number of celebrated phono stages, including the reference Phono Signature/PSX-R2. So will this new venture be worthy of its existing premium components? The…

Graph 1 shows the in-room response measured by Newport Test Labs, with the speaker placed well clear of all boundaries so that there wouldn't be any boundary-induced reinforcement of low frequencies. The trace is the averaged result of nine frequency response measurements, made with the microphone positioned at nine different points in front of the speaker, with the central point on-axis with the tweeter. All responses were obtained using pink noise as the stimulus. You can see that above the low-frequency roll-o— (which is the inevitable result of the absence of boundary reinforcement and the relatively small size of the mid/bass driver and cabinet), the frequency response of the Serhan Swift mµ2 Mk II extended from 70Hz to 20kHz ±3dB. You should note that this upper limit is the graphing…

Soundbites Yamaha has launched a five-disc CD changer called the CD-C603 that not only sports a sound-first feature from the company's amplifiers but also a CD-switching feature I wish I'd had back in 2005. You don't see many CD changers launching nowadays, with the 90s and early noughties very much the heyday for the multi-disc player following their introduction in the car in the mid-80s. Perhaps you remember the 10-CD (!) Sony DiscJockey. Yamaha's new multi-disc machine may accommodate 'only' half that many discs at one time, but it has a neat feature called Play X Change that allows you to change discs while another is playing. I wish my early-2000s standing CD tower from Argos (a poor man's Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 9000, and similar to those you'd see…

Pro-Ject has taken a whole new perspective with its latest record player, reinventing a deck it released in 1999 with modern components and engineering techniques. The Perspective Final Edition is a fresh take on the 6.9 Perspective turntable that launched the Austrian brand into the high-end space, following the commercial success of its budget-friendly 1 and 2 spinners in the early 90s. I found a review of that old Perspective in the What Hi-Fi? magazine archives where it was called “phenomenal value” for its then-£1,000 price tag (which is roughly $4,000 in today's money). The new Perspective will be looking to repeat the success of its ancestor, though it will only have a limited release of 400 units. If you were wondering what the 'Final Edition' naming was all about,…

Oh look, another streaming amplifier to join the increasingly large section of the modern hi-fi market hell-bent on marrying high performance with high convenience (… and that's not a complaint!) Rotel has indeed joined the party with an amplified box of tricks — one that looks like it would be just as comfortable boosting TV audio for shows and movies as it would be in a dedicated music system. The RAS-5000 is a high-power integrated packed with plenty of streaming skills, allowing it to play high-resolution formats via a range of streaming methods, such as Spotify Connect, Tidal, AirPlay 2 and Chromecast. It also supports aptX HD Bluetooth for your offline convenience. Specifically, the Rotel supports both PCM (up to 24-bit/192kHz) and MQA audio files and is said to render…

On Test TAGA Harmony TCD-50 CD Player CD Player + • Solid build quality • Excellent sound quality • Balanced outputs • 'Only' a VFD display • No display dimming option • Glitchy controls RRP $995 Don't be overly concerned if you have not previously heard of TAGA Harmony or seen its distinctive but disturbing wave-like logo. The company only came into being in the 90s, only recently began building CD players, and only last year introduced that logo. To the best of my knowledge, the brand's products have never previously been available for sale in Australia, either (and are still not for sale in many countries, with TAGA Harmony seemingly bent on concentrating its sales efforts in Europe). You will likely be surprised when you first pick up…

Portable Audio Dutch engineer Lou Ottens isn't a household name, but he should be. Reel-to-reel tape recorders were fast becoming commodity items by the early 1960s, and while the transistor had been responsible for new portable designs, the tape system itself still required the dexterity of a surgeon, as users navigated lacing the tape around pinch-rollers, guides and heads. Efforts to encase the tape reels into a simple snap-load cartridge system weren't new, but it would eventually take two technology giants playing 'hardball' to get Ottens' new technology its place in history. Musical chairs Work on an audio cassette began in the '50s, with the huge Radio Corporation of America (RCA) releasing the 'Sound Tape Cartridge' in 1958. However, despite its clear convenience over reel-to-reel tape, the format disappeared six…