Innehållsförteckning för September 2024 från Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £140 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MEZEAUDIO.COM ROMANIAN HEADPHONE PRODUCER Meze Audio has introduced ALBA in-ears to its range of headphones. Meaning “first light”, the company says that ALBA is: “the bridge between the current in-ear market and Meze Audio’s best-in-class collection, perfectly tuned with a neutral sound profile and an added touch of warmth, reminding listeners of the virtues of wired earphones.” Made from a combination of zinc alloy and anodised aluminium parts, ALBA has been designed to be both resilient and appealing with a lustrous pearl appearance. The in-ears partner with the latest iPhone and all other smartphones with USB-C connectivity, as well as those with a 3.5mm headphone socket – a cable with a gold-plated 3.5mm connector is provided. ALBA also comes with a custom-made USB-C adapter, which…

PRICE: £1,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: NADELECTRONICS.COM CANADIAN COMPANY NAD Electronics has introduced its C 700 V2 BluOS streaming amp, featuring an improved ESS Sabre DAC, MM phono input, Dolby Digital decoding, Dirac Live readiness and IR remote control. NAD reveals that: “one of the standout features of the C 700 V2 is its seamless integration of stereo and surround sound capabilities. The ability to switch to a 4.1 Dolby Digital Surround setup with BluOS Enabled rear channels and a wired subwoofer expands its versatility, making it suitable for both music and home theatre applications.” Being ready for Dirac Live means the amp offers users the ability to unlock advanced room correction capabilities by purchasing a Dirac Live license. Using a calibrated mic (sold separately) and the Dirac app, users can…

PRICE: £42,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: WILSONAUDIO.COM ABSOLUTESOUNDS.COM BEING HAILED AS: “the return of a high-end icon”, Wilson Audio has reintroduced its WATT/Puppy loudspeakers – which were first launched in 1986. The American company claims that, upon its first release, the WATT/Puppy: “pushed the envelope of upscale loudspeaker design across the industry, becoming the world’s bestselling speaker above $10,000 – and so it remains to this day.” The original concept was sparked by company founder Dave Wilson’s desire to build a portable monitor for his recording projects that would exceed the resolving power of established models of the time, with a firm focus on maximising performance without cost constraints. Such was the demand for the resulting custom-made WATT (Wilson Audio Tiny Tot) two-way monitor that the company decided to create a…

CARTRIDGE GROUP TEST THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE to an effective cartridge test is the interval between listening to each of them. To minimise changeover time, we employ an AVID HIFI Ingenium (HFC 379) twin-armed turntable used with an SME M2-9 tonearm, which offers a detachable headshell to speed up transfers. With six headshells for testing, each cartridge can be pre-mounted so that the changeover is reduced to around two minutes. A Rega Atlas stylus force gauge (HFC 426) is used to set tracking force alongside a Dr Feickert protractor (HFC 335) for alignment. All carts are fully run-in before any serious listening kicks off. A Cyrus Phono Signature (HFC 408) phono stage is used for testing. This has the gain and loading to handle all six cartridges optimally and allows the settings…

Unique in the group, the Vasari Red is not only the most affordable member of the Vasari range, it is also the most affordable Gold Note cartridge full stop. Given that both the Gold and more recent Shibata (HFC 429 and 516 respectively) have been well received by us in the past, the omens for the Red are good, but it’s important to stress that, while it looks similar to its more expensive siblings, it is rather different First and foremost, while the other Vasari models are made of metal, the Red has a Photopolymer resin body. This feels rather less substantial, but has the benefit of making it significantly lighter than the Gold or Shibata, which can sometimes be too heavy for some tonearms. The other key difference is…

Nagaoka is probably best known for it long-lived but consistently excellent range of MP moving-iron carts, which have enjoyed their fair share of Group Test success over the years. The two JT-80 models are not intended to replace the MPs but augment the range as moving-magnet designs. The JT-80LB is the more affordable of the two designs but will accept the higher spec BK stylus as an upgrade in the future. An elliptical stylus is fitted to an aluminium cantilever and acts on a single magnet-style generator. The appearance is decidedly odd, but there’s a methodology that makes more sense the more you look at it. The arrangement of the cantilever and generator is governed by what the company calls “continuous design”. The large upper section is intended to follow…

Being presented with a Marantz CD player and amplifier in 2024 feels unrepentantly nostalgic, but also slightly curious. We’ve reached the point where many integrated amplifiers at this price point are all-in-one systems in all but name and while the death of CD is overstated, it is a format best seen as ‘mature’. Nostalgia is one thing, but do the MODEL 50 and CD50n make any sense in an age of streaming? Look a little closer, however, and it quickly becomes apparent that this pair is less simple than it first appears. While it’s a CD player at the front, the CD50n is also a well-specified digital hub that has HEOS (the Marantz and Denon streaming module) built in, allowing it to read a local library of ripped music or…

Originally launched in 2016, The Three was updated with The Three II in 2019 (HFC 457), but it’s taken almost five years for the updated The Three Plus to arrive. The two models look very similar, with the same rectangular ‘bread-bin’ design that’s available with black or walnut veneer panels. However, a closer look reveals that the Three Plus is slightly larger and has smoother, more rounded edges. On the inside it is similar to its predecessor, with two full-range drivers and subwoofer that consists of a 133.4mm long-throw driver and pair of 133.4mm passive radiators. That combination is driven by a 120W Class D amp. Along with its stereo RCA connectors and phono/line inputs, the Three Plus includes a new micro-USB-C port for computers and mobile devices that can…

Fontaines DC Romance CD XL Recordings OVER THREE ALBUMS since their 2019 debut Dogrel, Fontaines DC have morphed from gobby post-punk upstarts into the finest rock band to come out of Ireland since U2. There’s been a Brit award, Grammy and Mercury Prize nominations and a UK number-one 1 album with 2022’s Skinty Fia, while its predecessor, A Hero’s Death, narrowly lost a high-profile chart battle for the top spot with Taylor Swift’s Folklore. Their fourth album comes at an intriguing point in their trajectory. Last year lead singer and lyricist Grian Chatten released solo album Chaos For The Fly, which received universal acclaim and heralded a change of style, the swagger dialled down to something more sparse and spacious and whose reference points were more Leonard Cohen and Elliott Smith than,…

In a way, you could say that the summer of love began one freezing, cheerless day in New York in late 1963 in the middle of one of the longest and coldest winters on record. Among those stranded in the Big Apple and trying to keep warm during the big freeze were the recently married folk singer John Phillips and his wife Michelle (nee Gilliam), who hated the cold and was missing her home in sunny California. One chilly night, her homesickness inspired her husband to came up with the first verse of a new song that reflected her desire to be where the vibes were warmer and the climes were sunnier: “All the leaves are brown, And the sky is grey, I’ve been for a walk, On a winter’s…

BASED ON THE design principles of Black Rhodium’s Charleston mains power cable, the Overture has a simplified design and uses less components. As a result, it costs over half of the price. The Overture employs carefully selected and cryogenically treated conductor wires and is damped to minimise distortion from externally induced physical vibrations. It is a screened power cable and contains several layers of braided metal shielding to minimise the effects of external RFI. It is sheathed in a flexible black material and is quite flexible for such a meaty mains lead. It weighs 715g and is supplied in a length of 1.7m – the size that Black Rhodium considers offers the best sound quality. It is fitted with an MS HD audiophile-grade UK mains plug at one end and…

Recommends ESSENTIAL HI-FI YOU’LL WANT TO OWN CD PLAYERS Audiolab 6000CDT PRICE: £380 REVIEWED: HFC 447 The 6000CDT is exceptional at revealing what’s on your discs to deliver a great big soundstage with plenty of detail inside. It can dig down deep into the mix to eke out the different musical strands while dynamically and rhythmically it’s hard to beat at the price. In short, it’s a super, highly affordable audiophile CD transport. Cambridge Audio AXC35 PRICE: £300 REVIEWED: HFC 454 Something of a budget marvel, you’ll have to work extra hard to get the AXC35 to put a foot wrong. Bass is firm, detailed and blessed with excellent timing; the tonal palette is pleasingly broad and clean; and though the soundstage doesn’t extend much beyond the speakers, there’s great depth perspective.…

TANNOY AUTOGRAPH MINI-OW According to the press release, this new two-way standmount in oiled walnut: “provides class-leading coherence and point-source imaging for that highly sought-after truly natural sound. The 200W 105mm LF dual driver with 19mm titanium HF dome driver delivers breathtaking dynamics, powerful transient response and unparalleled realism across a wide frequency range with an almost total lack of colouration. “We’ll be banging some tunes through it to see how it shapes up in next month’s issue. Don’t miss out… ALSO: REVIEWS AVID HIFI Boron MC cart, Triangle Borea BR02 Connect active speaker, Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 ANC wireless earbuds, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds, Vertere Dark Sabre MM cart and an integrated amp Group Test FEATURES Music Legends, Music Reviews, Reasons To Be Cheerful, our comprehensive Buyer’s…

PRICE: £2,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MONITORAUDIO.COM BRITISH LOUDSPEAKER SPECIALIST Monitor Audio has launched its new Studio 89, which builds on its models released back in the Eighties. Described as small, compact and visually unique, it features a ‘point source’ MTM (Mid-Tweeter-Mid) Array drive unit configuration. Monitor explains: “Positioning the latest MPD (Micro-Pleated Diaphragm) III high-frequency transducer between twin RDT (Rigid-Diaphragm Technology) III 108mm mid/bass drivers, a highly optimised third-order crossover ensures the perfect frequency response across each drive unit for total symmetry and helps control sound dispersion. The twin mid/bass driver cones are made up of three ultra-thin layers to ensure rigidity and strength. A C-CAM outer skin (ceramic-coated aluminium magnesium), sits over a Nomex honeycomb central core with the underside skin made up of a woven carbon fibre.” The…

PRICE: £300 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: REGA.CO.UK NAMED AFTER THE rare earth element Neodymium (Nd), according to Rega its new Nd5 cartridge is the first moving-magnet to utilise a Neodymium N55 magnet – the world’s most powerful commercially available magnet which provides: “more power than standard bar magnet designs”. Each Nd5 is handmade, the design using a: “brand-new generator geometry with perfect symmetry to achieve highly accurate channel balance”. The Nd5 also has an optimised pole gap for superior linearity and crosstalk characteristics, and features miniaturised parallel coils wound in-house, utilising 38-micron wire with 1,275 turns. According to the Southend-based company, this is said to produce a: “low-inductance, low-impedance generator giving vastly improved high frequency response and exceptional soundstage”. The Nd5 aluminium cantilever is fitted with a precision ‘perfect elliptical nude…

PRICE: £100-£4,700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: AUDIO-TECHNICA.COM THERE’S LOTS OF action over in Japan at Audio-Technica with the launch of the AT-ART1000X cartridge and ATH-S300BT wireless headphones. The AT-ART1000X, an evolution from the AT-ART1000, boasts a direct power system that places the dual moving-coil directly above the stylus tip, which AT says: “renders even the most subtle details in music and ensures the audio quality is uncompromised by the cantilever’s length and material”. Its newly developed coils are rectangular rather than round, positioning more of their surface area in the magnetic field. AT claims this results in: “an improved output voltage and expanded low-frequency range for rich, powerful and supremely accurate bass”. Each non-magnetic core coil is constructed from 20μm (0.79mm) diameter PCOCC (Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting) wire, hand-wound…

PRICE: £230-£300 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: IFI-AUDIO.COM IFI AUDIO HAS unveiled two new products: the ZEN Blue 3 hi-res Bluetooth DAC and ZEN CAN 3 headphone amplifier. The company says: “By merging wireless connectivity with lossless CD-quality audio transmission and hi-fi-grade circuitry, ZEN Blue 3 offers a true audiophile-grade Bluetooth experience for your hi-fi”. New to the ZEN Blue 3 are three operation modes including Bluetooth RX, TX and DAC, while also featuring an aptX Lossless Bluetooth codec to receive or transmit Lossless CD-quality and hi-res audio wirelessly, and a switchable low-latency mode. iFi claims that the ZEN Blue 3 is the world’s first wireless DAC that can both transmit and receive lossless CD quality with no data loss. The new DAC uses the latest Bluetooth 5.4 and aptX Lossless codec,…

LIKE ANY PRODUCT category, cartridges tend to group around certain sweet spots in pricing where there is a credible demand from consumers. There is an increase in options at both £40-50 and another around the £100 point as these seem to be the sweet spots for replacements on entry-level and just-above-entry-level devices. Once we get to the £200-£250 threshold, however, things really begin to expand, driven by two overlapping factors. This is the sort of price you might shop at for turntables that are sold without cartridges in the first place, which drives interest in what is available. Even if your £500-£600 turntable does come bundled with a cart, you might well find yourself looking at one of these options when it starts to wear out. This is also the…

Goldring has been making affordable cartridges for quite some time now and the E Series has been doing solid work in the sub-£100 category. The E4 arrived somewhat later than the other three E carts and represents a significant step up in pricing. Dig a little deeper into the E4, though, and it becomes clear that it differs considerably from its siblings. The major change is the stylus. Goldring equips the E3 with a bonded elliptical stylus, but switches to a nude elliptical profile on the E4. It describes both as “super elliptical”, but won’t be drawn on what it is about them that warrants the term. This is attached to a hollow aluminium cantilever to further reduce mass without compromising stiffness. This ends in a dual-magnet system intended to…

Having gone some time without making any significant changes to its lineup, the last few years have been busy ones for Sumiko. As well as a selection of new high-end models, it has taken the opportunity to release a four-strong range of Oyster MM carts of which the Olympia is the second most affordable after the entry-level Ranier. The Olympia will also accept the stylus from the more expensive Moonstone (but not the range-topping Wellfleet) as a potential future upgrade. An elliptical stylus (which is, if the measurements are to be believed, fractionally longer and thinner than most others here) is attached to an aluminium cantilever and single magnet generator. This is smaller than some older designs to reduce mass and improve responsiveness. The company has been focused of late…

Positioned as the entry-level phono stage from the UK’s AVID HIFI, Pellar is directly related to the more expensive Pulsus and has a common optimised internal circuit design intended to minimise hum and noise while maximising signal headroom. It supports both moving-magnet and coil cartridges with different output levels, and has a black painted metal case. The front sports a mains on/off switch, while the rear has an IEC mains socket for the power, earth binding post and six RCA phono sockets – two for output, two for in and two for applying load impedance for MC carts. The appropriate gain is selected via a group of four on/off switches situated on the underside. The switches are arranged in two sections corresponding to left and right channels, and both sections…

With streaming now forming such an integral part of how we consume digital audio, it is easy to forget that it wasn’t so long ago that it was a very novel concept and that many aspects of the basic hardware we now take for granted were far from decided at the time. The idea that streamers could also be capable preamps is becoming increasingly common – something that was an innovative idea when the original Stream Magic 6 was first launched. The CXN100 can trace its ancestry back to the original Stream Magic 6, via v2 versions and the subsequent CXN (HFC 399). Throughout that time, the core functionality has remained admirably consistent. This is a network audio player that also offers digital inputs and outputs available as both fixed…

Back in 2014, I reviewed the Orange Amplification DIVO VT1000 Valve Tester (HFC 389) and was very impressed. This is a fully automatic and portable tester using an inbuilt processor to perform a very comprehensive range of tests (over 20, including mutual conductance) quickly and accurately at the press of a button or two. The VT1000 was able to test most of the common preamp and driver valves, such as double triodes, power tetrodes and output pentodes. However, directly heated power triodes were not supported, the MKII appear to correct this omission. Like its predecessor, it requires no knowledge of valve theory and has just one octal and two nine-pin sockets to accommodate the different valve types. Simply insert the valve into the correct socket, select the type from a…

Chances are that you’ve never heard of Eagle International, but back in the early Seventies, it was considered something of a pioneer. This is because it was one of the first British hi-fi companies to ‘offshore’ its manufacturing – choosing to get its products bolted together abroad, namely in Japan. These days, of course, many UK companies work this way – but it was certainly not the done thing back then. Eagle International was one of the first British hi-fi companies to get its products made by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the Far East. Japanese manufacturing made great sense in the early seventies, because it was being done to a high standard but at a low price, thanks to the undervalued Yen. Eagle Products, originally specialised in manufacturing…

I mentioned in a past Opinion piece that my love of classical music started in the Sixties at junior school when my music teacher often played us a record or two during his lessons and it is likely that this early exposure kindled my life-long love of classical music. Apart from trying to play the customary recorder at school, I had a go at learning the violin, but didn’t get much encouragement from my parents after attempting to play the opening of Beethoven’s 5th following my first lesson! I also remember wanting to spend my pocket money on a 7in Embassy record of JS Bach from Woolworths, which my Mum tried to dissuade me from buying as she felt that the music would be “too heavy” for me. Although I…

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SAVE 30% ON THE SHOP PRICE 3 ISSUES FOR £11.99! With FREE P&P, never miss an issue! SUBSCRIBE SECURELY ONLINE TODAY! https://checkout.avtechmedia.co.uk/EGENC OR CALL 01858 438446 LINES OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY – 9AM - 6PM Calls are charged at the same rate as standard UK landlines and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances. There are no additional charges with this number. Overseas calls will cost more. TERMS & CONDITIONS:. *UK print subscriptions offer only. AV Tech Media Ltd collects your data so that we can fulfil your subscription. We may also, from time to time, send you details of AV Tech Media Ltd offers, events and competitions but you always have a choice and can opt out by clicking on the unsubscribe button at the bottom of…

PRICE: £5,000-£10,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: NEATACOUSTICS.COM COUNTY DURHAM-BASED NEAT Acoustics has announced its new Momentum Jet loudspeaker series. Initially comprising two models: one standmount and one floorstander, the Momentum speakers are based on the company’s flagship Ultimatum range. The main changes from the Ultimatum models are the use of MDF cabinets instead of Finnish birch ply and the replacement of the dual 25mm soft dome/EMIT super-tweeter arrangement with a ‘JET’ AMT tweeter. The mid/bass drive unit has been carried over along with the decoupled sub-baffle, which the company claims helps reduce the effects of cabinet resonance. Both models also feature the Ultimatum’s Isobaric bass loading technique. The Momentum J-S is the standmount, which is essentially a slightly more compact and simplified version of the Ultimatum XLS. The front baffle, which…

PRICE: £100 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: FIIO.COM ADVANCEDMP3PLAYERS.CO.UK THE CASSETTE REVIVAL continues apace with the launch of FiiO’s CP13 tape player. The company says that the entirety of the CP13’s audio circuit uses analogue devices – from the magnetic tape head all the way through to the signal amplification – with a motor powered by a high-voltage 4.2V power supply: “more than the 1.8V or 3V typically found in portable cassette players. The power supply works in tandem with a custom motor speed stabilisation circuit, increasing the drag on the motor necessary to ensure stable movement speeds – which mitigates unwanted pitch changes and also allows the CP13 to be able to handle more cassette tape types.” Unlike the single-ended signal acquisition typically found in current cassette players, the CP13 employs…

PRICE: £1,200 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: CAMPFIREAUDIO.COM HEADISTRIBUTION.COM CAMPFIRE AUDIO FROM Portland, Oregon, has launched its Moon Rover limited-edition earphones. Built by hand and limited to just 888 units available worldwide, Moon Rover is encased in a flame-treated aircraft-grade titanium shell, which the company says creates: “a subtle, striking, organic texture. Each colour reflected on Moon Rover, which also features a PVD steel spout and gold-plated screws, is created by the gradient of temperature applied during treatment, with wonderful blues, purples and yellows being revealed as they catch the light.” More importantly, Campfire goes on to claim that: “Moon Rover offers the most neutral, analytical sound signatures of the brand’s current lineup. Delivering crystalline detail, the IEMs bring astounding impact and resolution to the upper register and impressive sonic balance to the…

Behind its unassuming appearance, the VM95 Series represented a big deal for Audio-Technica when they were released. Replacing the long-lived AT-95 Series was no small undertaking and reflects the confidence that vinyl is back for good. You can buy a VM95 with a conical stylus for £33, but what you see here is the top-of-the-range AT-VM95SH with a Shibata line-contact stylus. This is the most advanced stylus profile in the group and sits deeper in the groove of the record, extracting more information as it does so. The aluminium cantilever is shared with the rest of the range, as is the dual-magnet system that AT makes use of in all its MM carts, which improves channel separation. Key to the appeal of the AT-VM95SH is that, as well as being…

Positioned as the starting point of Grado’s Timbre series, the Opus3 follows the same fundamental construction and aesthetic that the company uses all the way up to its £10,800 Epoch flagship. It represents the most affordable way of buying into the company’s ‘made of wood’ philosophy and has been developed to reduce the cost of doing so. This is the only Grado cartridge to be made of maple and the body is a simpler shape than more expensive options. The Opus3 uses an elliptical stylus on an aluminium cantilever and the generator is partially visible at the bottom of the wooden housing. This is the only cartridge here that comes as either a 1.0mV low-output, 4.0mV high-output or mono version. The Grado looks rather different to anything else in the…

Available in black or white, the Accentum True Wireless is intended as Sennheiser’s entry-level model, replacing the ageing CX earbuds, which are now being discontinued. The company’s earbuds have always tended to be a little on the chunky side, so the first thing I notice here is the more compact design. The little square charging case is surprisingly small – just 48mm on each side and 27mm thick – and it opens to reveal a pair of compact buds with a much sleeker design than the more expensive Momentums. This is partly the result of Sennheiser’s takeover a couple of years ago by a hearing-aid manufacturer, which has used its medical expertise to scan and analyse thousands of individual ear shapes and sizes to produce a new ‘ear-gonomic’ design. Ghastly…

One of the most famous Beethoven symphonies, his Symphony No. 9 The Choral, was first performed in Vienna on 7 May 1824. Marking the 200th anniversary of this performance, the National Symphony Orchestra (together with the Brighton Festival Chorus) performed it at the Cadogan Hall in London on 7 May this year. This live concert was recorded by the audiophile record label Chasing The Dragon and HFC was there to join the celebrations. The Philharmonic Society of London originally commissioned Beethoven to compose this symphony for the sum of £50 in 1817, but the main composition work was done between late 1822 and February 1824. It was exactly 200 years to the day that the work had its first public performance at the Kärntnertor Theatre in Vienna, alongside movements from…

Never thought I’d say this, but I do miss a good remix and am puzzled as to why it seems to be a dying art from. I confess that back in the days of the mixing mania of the Nineties and early Noughties the gratuitous desire to remix everything drove me crackers. Many remixes were horrible and based on a lowest common denominator four-to-the-floor beat that worked to the detriment of the original track. But equally, the best remixes were beyond brilliant and could make you view a song in an entirely new light. Examples? Well, how about Cornershop’s A Brimful Of Asha, which went to number one in 1998 in a fabulous, irresistible remix by Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim? If that remains my all-time favourite there were plenty…

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AN UPGRADE TO the Atlas Cables Element USB A-B, the Scottish company now employs solid core conductors in this budget option. The use of poor-quality conductors in a USB cable can result in unwanted effects on the data signal being transmitted, which can lead to data errors that the DAC has to correct. From its research, Atlas has found that the use of solid core silver-plated copper conductors covered in a low-loss foamed polyethylene dielectric delivers the most consistent performance for data streams. The use of solid core conductors reduces internal data reflections between each strand of each conductor and results in more consistent timing of the data signal along each twisted pair. Simply put, all the data transmitted along the cable reaches the receiver at exactly the same time,…

1 BEND IT LIKE B&W Bowers & Wilkins has partnered with David Beckham to create what the press release is calling: “a unique alliance of style and sound, where David’s refined taste meets Bowers & Wilkins’ unwavering pursuit of perfection”. The long-term partnership will apparently: “explore David Beckham’s relationship with music and the special role it plays in his life”. It begins with a new campaign around B&W’s Px8 noise-cancelling wireless cans. “Music has always played a huge role in my life. I can hear a track and remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. In our family, whenever special moments happen, there’s always a song to go with them,” says Beckham. So now you know. 2 OPEN CASE US recording artist Neko Case has announced the…