EXCLUSIVE Great start Mojo magic Audio-TechnicaA deck packs Chord’s pocket-sized built-inb phono stage & USB headphone amp & DACC

PASSION FOR SOUND Issue No. 405 January 2016

WIN! MunroSonic EGG100, DAC & cans Big Bang worth BeoLabL b 9090 milestoneil Play it £2,000 Terrific tweaks smart Four easy upgrades Sonos multi-room speakers: intelligent wireless audio

WALK OF LIFE Sony’s versatile hi-res Walkman PRODUCTS28 ON TEST: Focal, Heed, Marantz, Naim, Pioneer & Rega PRINTED IN THE UK US$13.99 JANUARYJANU 2016 £4.50 ARY 2016

Silence GROUP TEST is golden USB DACs

£4. AKG’s flagship N90Q Six digital converters 50 noise-cancelling cans for 24/192 & DSD audio Criterion Audio is a new, premium hi-fi dealer in Cambridge. From vinyl and valves to the latest in streaming and head- phones, we can help you find the perfect audio system to suit your budget and needs. We have a wide range of carefully selected products: from familiar brands to amazing manufacturers you will not find anywhere else in the UK. Come visit us and listen in one of our purpose-built demo rooms or relax in our dedicated headphone lounge. www.criterionaudio.com [email protected] 01223 233730

clearaudio INTRODUCTION

PASSION FOR SOUND Welcome www.hifichoice.co.uk Issue No. 405 January 2016

Sonos may not be a brand that many readers will associate with what we as audio fans term ‘high fidelity’, so why is its latest Play:5 speaker on the cover of Hi-Fi Choice magazine? I am sure most of us would agree that streaming speakers are not something we’d swap our setup of carefully 60 considered hi-fi separates for, but I can easily see a Fostex place for this kind of streaming speaker system in other PX-5HS rooms around the house. Sonos is almost synonymous with multi-room audio and has captured the market thanks to its seamless control and integration, and has pretty much managed to set the benchmark for affordable music streaming around the home. Despite the company’s resistance to hi-res audio, its newly launched Play:5 raises the sound quality bar and 54 whether you’re a newbie or hardcore quality-audio fan Heed with a separates hi-fi setup, the Play:5 – reviewed on Elixir page 52 – sure makes the music sound sweet, thanks to its innovative room-tuning tech. For those interested in a more traditional hi-fi brand, turn to page 64 where we visit hi-fi stalwart Bang & Olufsen in Denmark as it celebrates its 90th anniversary with the launch of its BeoLab 90 speaker that creates 3600 sound. The distinctive-looking speaker breaks with design convention, and like the Sonos also utilises 100 sophisticated sound-tuning tech to compensate for Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal placement and room acoustics. It just goes to show Musique De Nuit that not all speakers are built the same.

BADGES EXPLAINED Lee Dunkley Editor OUR AWARDS Follow us:

EDITOR’S RECOMMENDED: GROUP TEST twitter.com@HiFiChoiceMag facebook.com/hifichoice.co.uk CHOICE: Products that WINNER: Awarded to those we feel meet a Comparative tests products that are high standard of can only have one judged to deliver performance winner, and this outstanding badge says it all! ENTERPRISE HOUSE, ENTERPRISE WAY, performance

Ballaké & Vincent picture credit: Claude Gassian credit: picture & Vincent Ballaké EDENBRIDGE, KENT TN8 6HF

JANUARY 2016 3 Contentshifichoice.co.uk Issue No. 405 January 2016

NEWS & OPINION GROUP TEST WIN! MunroSonic 6 Audiofile Six digital-to-analogue EGG100, DAC The latest news on the hottest products and headphone from the world of hi-fi coming your way 28 converters are put to 18 Webwatch the test to see which page 120! Essential websites to direct your browser will reveal itself to be towards for all your hi-fi requirements the next hi-res hero 69 Letters Put your points of view and queries on audio matters to our team of experts 79 Opinion The Hi-Fi Choice team say it as they see it as they discuss the issues of the day 99 Music Reviews The month’s essential new CD, vinyl and hi-res releases given a work out READER SERVICES 122 Reader Classifieds Sell your unwanted hi-fi for FREE here 124 Back Issues Get your hands on old copies you missed 130 Next Issue The sonic treats to look out for next month FEATURES 12 Show Report See what you missed out on when The Hi-Fi Show Live opened its doors 64

64 Bang & Olufsen We pay a visit to B&O’s Danish HQ to find out all about the new BeoLab 90 speaker 90 Beautiful System Naim and Focal combine for a setup that’s both convenient and sounds amazing 94 Labelled With Love Tune into the far-our frequencies of maverick Texan label International Artists 118 Jason Bradbury The Gadget Show presenter talks about 6 99 his passion for all things analogue Audiofile: Elac Debut Series loudspeakers Music Reviews: Bob Dylan

4 JANUARY 2016 CONTENTS JANUARY 2016 “Placing a needle on a piece of vintage plastic is so real, 109 it imbues music with a IK Multimedia iLoud speaker warmth and personality”

Jason Bradbury Interview p118 TESTED THIS MONTH

58 22 Audio-Technica AT-LP5 turntable package Sony NW-ZX2 Digital Audio Player REVIEWS MINI TEST Kit testing Hi-fi upgrades £10-£195 22 Sony 102 Analogue Studio NW-ZX2 Digital Audio Player Crystal Glass Turntable Platter Mat 46 AKG 103 Lindy N90Q noise-cancelling headphones 6-way AV Mains Conditioner Power Strip (Exotica) 103 Blue Horizon 50 Chord Electronics Sanctum Isolation Platform Mojo headphone amplifier/DAC 104 Avid HiFi 52 Sonos Sieveking Sound RCA End Caps Play:5 wireless multi-room loudspeaker 54 Heed Elixir integrated amplifier CHOICE 58 Audio-Technica AT-LP5 direct-drive turntable package EXTRAS 60 Fostex 107 BK Electronics 46 PX-5HS active standmount loudspeaker P12-300SB subwoofer 88 JBE 109 IK Multimedia AKG N90Q noise-cancelling headphones Series III turntable (Retro) iLoud Bluetooth desktop loudspeaker 110 Analogue Studio GROUP TEST Anti-static Record Cleaning Arm Home USB DACs £500-£800 110 TCI 31 Marantz HD-DAC1 Temple Constrictor Mains Powerlead 33 Musical Fidelity 113 Russ Andrews MX-DAC SilverStreak interconnect 35 Optoma NuForce DAC80 115 Radius 37 Pioneer U-05 NePlayer iOs hi-res player 52 39 Pro-Ject DAC Box RS 115 Chord Company 41 Rega DAC-R Clearway Speaker Cable Sonos Play:5 wireless loudspeaker Never miss an issue – turn to p116 for our latest subs offer

JANUARY 2016 5 THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS…

Delightful Debut Elac's all-new Debut loudspeaker series got its first UK showing at The Hi-Fi Show Live at the end of October, and it made a big impression on everyone that saw it…

PRICE: £250–£599 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 01285 643088 WEB: ELAC.COM

GERMAN SPEAKER BRAND Elac nothing entry-level about the sound of reaction upon hearing the sound from isn't usually associated with the the B5 model we got to hear. The new the baby Debut B5 (shown right) was affordable end of the speaker market, range has eight models, three of promising indeed, and even more so and is perhaps better known in the UK which are aimed at stereo music when listeners realised its £250 tag. for its high-tech drive units – especially listening – plus fi ve models for home The small B5 standmount uses a the celebrated and distinctive JET cinema including centre and Dolby 5.25in mid/bass driver while the ribbon tweeter, now in fi fth-generation Atmos add-on duties and three larger B6 (£299) standmount employs spec – and its unique brand of smartphone-controllable subwoofers a 6.6in mid/bass driver. Both are vorsprung durch technik. But the for multi-channel setups. made of woven aramid fi bre, that Elac Kiel-based company is embracing Designer Andrew Jones told visitors says offers superior stiffness-to-weight changing markets with its new Debut attending his demos at the recent ratio and damping over polypropylene range and looks set to bring the Hi-Fi Show Live event that the speaker or paper cones to achieve a smooth much-respected speaker name to a has been built from a clean-sheet and extended frequency response. whole new audience, and perhaps give design, with custom-made key Both models have a 1in fabric dome itself a little more funk in the process. components and no-off-the-shelf tweeter and claim 6ohm nominal At the price, this new range looks parts. This might sound a little like impedance and sensitivity fi gures like an entry-level lineup, but there's marketing speak, but audience of 85dB and 87dB respectively.

6 JANUARY 2016 COMMENT HERE'S TO NEW

A quick glance through the HFC inbox reveals around 10 times more emails about upcoming music releases than we'd get during any other month. And what percentage would you imagine are pushing the work of new undiscovered artists? Yep that's right, about 0.00001. For some reason, the lead up to the yuletide season appears to be all about looking back when it comes to music. The ironic thing about this unfortunate turn of events is that the music labels that push us to buy their wares are trying harder than ever to promote new talent. New artist deals signed by the UK's three big hitters – Sony Music, Universal Music and Warner Music – topped 156 in 2014, which is a 30 percent improvement on 2013, and the highest annual total since 2009, when 164 new deals were signed. The revelations come as the BPI released the results of UK Music’s Measuring Music Report in early November, which went on to reveal that the aforementioned three majors had spent a collective £178m on A&R in 2014, while publishers spent £162m on "investment in writers (advances etc.)" – that's more than has been spent on such things since records (excuse the pun) began back in 1992. A quick glance at the charts makes for rather depressing reading as to how successful the efforts have been. As we write these words, it's mid-November (so we're not quite into Xmas silly season) and the midweek top 10 consists of: Little Mix, Elvis, Ellie Goulding, The Beatles, Rod Stewart, Alexander Armstrong (?!), Bob Dylan, Sam Smith, Anastasia and Ed Sheeran. To give you a quick overview of how 'new' these artists are, the average age of the group is 49 and three of them are dead. While we applaud the record labels' endeavour in trying to do the right Designed with thing, it's not working. None of the artists in the top 10 are new and it's diff icult to custom-made think of any emerging talent enjoying commercial success without the help of a components and TV talent show in the last six months. clean-sheet design Clearly, it's time for a rethink...

The £599 F5 fl oorstander (pictured above) is a 2.5-way design with braced cabinets to aid strength and stiffness, with the tweeter and top mid/bass drivers isolated from the rest of the cabinet. It employs the same 1in fabric dome tweeter with three 5.25in mid/bass drivers made of woven aramid fi bre, and claims 87dB sensitivity and 6ohm nominal impedance. The baby B5 is the All models in the Debut series are entry-level model in available now with a black fi nish. the Debut range

JANUARY 2016 7 AUDIOFILE

Bose wireless speaker New SoundTouch system with Bluetooth compatibility

PRICE: £169 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 0808 1688572 WEB: BOSE.CO.UK

BOSE INTRODUCES ITS new next-generation SoundTouch 10 speaker system. With built-in Bluetooth and wi-fi , it connects directly to your portable devices straight from the box and is designed for instant music and multi-room listening. Using Bluetooth to stream any song, playlist or music service, you can then broadcast it via wi-fi to any number of SoundTouch 10 speakers. Alternatively, you can use the SoundTouch app (with music services Spotify and Deezer built in) to explore integrated music services, set up to six personalised presets to any music service playlist, artist or internet radio station and enjoy different music in multiple rooms. The SoundTouch 10 combines Bose’s proprietary digital signal processing with its new Unidome transducer. It’s claimed that this 2.5in driver plays cleaner, deeper, and louder than any single speaker of its type. The SoundTouch 10 joins the new SoundTouch 20 and 30 Series III speaker systems, priced at £349 and £499 respectively. IN BRIEF Quad unleashes Artera CUSTOMISABLE PRICE: ARTERA PLAY: £1,399; ARTERA STEREO: £1,499 LINN SYSTEMS AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: QUAD-HIFI.CO.UK Quad continues to mark its 79th converter. This is Quad’s first Two coaxial and two optical anniversary with the launch of the component to utilise this hybrid inputs cater for digital sources new Artera range, which includes multi-bit chipset and external alongside the USB input, while a the Artera Play CD player DAC and digital sources can, claims Quad, pair of RCA phono inputs is preamp, alongside the Artera benefit from its exceptional onhand for analogue ones. Stereo power amplifier, which is quality via a range of digital The Artera Stereo power amp is available in a choice of either inputs. These include USB, with rated at 140W per channel into black or silver finishes. support for up to 32/384 PCM 8ohm and connectivity options At the heart of the Artera Play, is and also DSD64/128/256. The include single-ended RCA and the ESS Sabre32 9018 32-bit, Artera Play’s preamp boasts balanced XLR inputs, a 12V trigger eight-channel digital-to-analogue a balanced Class A output stage. input and speaker binding posts.

● Linn has announced its Series 5, 520 and 530 Exakt customisable music systems. The 530 speaker boasts 300W of power, while the smaller 520 boasts 200W. Both have jewel-cut glass stands and top plates in a choice of grey, white or black. The Akurate Exakt DSM has connections for all music sources, including streaming from online services. Series 5 also features new textile speaker coverings called Linn Fabrik. These are available in 11 colours. Prices start at £12,000 for the 530 and £9,250 for the 520. LINN.CO.UK/MUSIC SYSTEMS/ SERIES-5

8 JANUARY 2016 NU-VISTA 800 AMPLIFIER

State of the art design for reference level reproduction

The Nu-Vista series is a passionate labour of love for all of us at Musical Fidelity. We hope that at least you get a chance to hear this combo because we consider it the ultimate expression of our art.

Experience it for yourself at your local Musical Fidelity dealer.

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Wireless DALI New AX series loudspeakers

PRICE: £499-£799 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 0845 6443537 WEB: DALI-UK.CO.UK

INTRODUCING DALI’S ZENSOR AX series, which comprises two models – the fl oorstanding ZENSOR 5 AX (pictured) and the bookshelf ZENSOR 1 AX. Two 50W fully optimised digital Class D amplifi ers have been integrated into the left-hand speaker, with a cable carrying the output to the partnering passive model. Both speakers have 5mm wood-fi bre, soft dome tweeters partnered by a pair of 133mm low-frequency drivers on the ZENSOR 5 and just one on the ZENSOR 1. Wireless connectivity comes via aptX Bluetooth and for a more traditional hookup, an optical Toslink (able to accept up to 24-bit/96kHz) and a pair of stereo analogue inputs are included, while a subwoofer output is on hand to give a little extra low-end grunt. Both the ZENSOR models are available in a choice of black, white or light walnut fi nishes and cost £499 for the bookshelf ZENSOR 1 AX and £799 for the fl oorstanding ZENSOR 5 AX. IN BRIEF TEAC releases hi-res duo NEW SPEAKERS PRICE: UD-503 £700; NT-503 £950 AVAILABLE: NOW FROM MERIDIAN CONTACT: +49 (0)8142 4208141 WEB: TEAC-AUDIO.EU ● Meridian has unveiled its new DSP5200.2 and DSP7200.2 speakers TEAC has underlined its ended headphone output, the to reproduce hi-res audio on both with proprietary Digital Signal commitment to hi-res with the UD-503’s HCLD (High Current Line left and right channels precisely Processing (DSP) technology. Both release of the UD-503 dual- Driver) circuit goes further by and independently, its dual- new models house not only smart monaural USB DAC/headphone supporting single-ended, balanced monaural circuit has a pair of processing, but also three 75W amplifier and the NT-503DAB USB (BTL) and Active GND modes. The toroidal-core power transformers, amplifiers with a claimed maximum DAC/network player (pictured). result of which – claims TEAC – is a dual DAC chips and symmetrically output level of 116dB at 1m. Just add a The UD-503 boasts support for lower noise floor and increased laid out output stages. music source, such as a CD player or 11.2MHz DSD and 32/384 PCM sonic insight. It can stream music from smartphone and both off er a formats. With a set of analogue The NT-503DAB network player portable devices, smartphones and complete audio system in inputs also provided and a employs the same pair of AK4490 tablets via LAN, Bluetooth (aptX) one. Also, connecting 256-step QVSC (Quad Volume DAC chips that are utilised by the and USB. There’s direct, built-in Meridian’s optional Media Control System), it can act as a UD-503 for hi-res compatibility with support for DAB/DAB+ digital radio Source 200 (£499), standalone preamp, either 11.2MHz DSD and 32-bit/384kHz broadcasts and paid-for music enables wireless partnered with power amps or PCM from a computer via USB services such as Spotify and control of networked active speakers. cable, as well as 5.6MHz DSD and Deezer, and the free TuneIn internet music libraries. The While most headphone amps opt 24-bit/192kHz music streaming via radio portal. Both units are available speakers are to support conventional single- LAN or USB Flash Memory. In order in black or silver finishes. available in black and white piano lacquer finishes with a wide selection of optional bespoke colours. The DSP5200.2: is £6,000 and the DSP7200.2 is £17,000 MERIDIAN- AUDIO.COM

10 JANUARY 2016 Wireless Music System

MCR-870D

MCR-870

FM / High-Res App AirPlay Bluetooth Wi-Fi ECOmode DAB+ Audio Natural Sound for your Music Yamaha‘s new MusicCast system spans a huge variety of products, but at the root of all of them is superior sound and build quality. Offering second to none performance with the flexibility to listen anything, anywhere. Free all your audio and music all over your house with MusicCast

MusicCast Controller App

For more info visit yamaha.com/musiccast SHOWREPORT

THE

SHOW Pictures by Andrew Simpson Andrew by Pictures Windsor 2015 The Hi-Fi Show Live came to the Beaumont House Estate once again. If you didn’t manage to make it along don’t worry, because here’s what you missed…

THE LAST WEEKEND in October saw the Hi-Fi Show Buckingham suites provided the ideal environment for Live return for a third consecutive year to the gorgeous many unforgettable demos while the numerous Hi-Fi News grounds of the Beaumont Estate in Old Windsor. The workshops were often left with standing room only as two-day high-end extravaganza hosted by our sister title Keith Howard, Matthias Böde, Tim Jarman and Hi-Fi News Hi-Fi News & Record Review and AVTech Media ran from & Record Review’s Paul Miller presented workshops on Saturday 24th to Sunday 25th, and was the only place to topics covering the differences between FLAC and WAV be for any serious audio fan. fi les, how loudspeaker time alignment affects imaging, the This year the Hi-Fi Show Live was expanded by a further benefi t of mains conditioning, USB fi lters or the difference set of demonstration suites at the Beaumont Conference between alternative LP releases. Visitors also got to Centre in Old Windsor. Hi-fi enthusiasts were offered the audition the fi rst-generation CD players from Philips and unique opportunity to experience some of the world’s Sony to hear just how far the 16-bit silver disc has come. fi nest high-end audio. Iconic brands including JBL, But most of all, the show was all about enjoying music Magico, KEF, Quad, dCS, Audio Alchemy, GamuT, Audio and the beautiful array of equipment that creates it. Research, D’Agostino and many others all revealed new Whether you had money to spend or just wanted to products that had never been seen or heard in the UK window shop, there was plenty to see and hear. With plans before. The big Windsor, Wessex, Lancaster and for 2016 already under way, here’s the 2015 highlights...

12 JANUARY 2016 SHOWREPORT

1 Designed by Andrew Jones, this is the first UK showing of ELAC’s Debut loudspeaker range and its B5 standmount is the talk of the show at the price. Full news story on page 6. hifi-network.com

2 Harman Consumer UK shows off a spectacular range of AKG headphones including the Quincy Jones-inspired N90Q noise-cancelling flagship model (shown here in black) that gets a full review on page 46. uk.akg.com

3 Peter Madnick (left) joins Nigel Crump of Symmetry Systems to unveil Audio Alchemy‘s very latest designs, including a 1 2 Class D amp, a DAC/preamp/headphone amplifier plus its optional power supply. symmetry-systems.co.uk

4 Chord Electronics demonstrates its new DAVE DAC costing £7,995, which supports PCM, DXD and DSD, and is shown here in its £1,400 rack. Chord’s Mojo DAC/headphone amp is reviewed on page 50. chordelectronics.co.uk

5 Atlas Cables’ Bryan McFarland demonstrates the company’s new Transpose cold-solder connections, featuring top-quality quick-swap interchangeable banana and spade connectors. atlascables.com

6 This beauty is the Turntable One from Analogue Works with black oak plinth in 3 4 extended 12in guise costing £2,000, equipped with an SME M2-12 tonearm fitted with an Audio-Technica AT33Sa MC cartridge. divineaudio.co.uk

7 Showing its flagship Epicon range, the DALI speaker line is available in exotic wood veneers, incorporating custom- made drive units with 6 and 8 model versions sporting hybrid ribbon/soft dome tweeters as shown. dali-uk.co.uk

8 Throughout the show, Mike Valentine of Chasing The Dragon Records gives regular presentations on direct-cut LPs while also spinning his latest recording of the Syd Laurence Orchestra. gtaudio.com 5

6 7 8

JANUARY 2016 13 The New Architecture for Preamps

The CP-800 stereo preamp/processor

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www.classeaudio.com Classé — every detail matters. THE SHOWREPORT

SHOW

1 Icon Audio chooses the show to launch its Stereo 30SE – the company’s most powerful single-ended integrated amplifier yet – plus its FRM2 (Full Range Monitor) loudspeaker finished in a high-gloss red lacquer. iconaudio.com

2 Computer Audio Design’s Scott Berry (pictured), joins forces for the show with Soundkaos seen here with its Wave 40 speakers with a side-exiting horn/ transmission-line port. soundkaos.com; computeraudiodesign.com

3 Welsh hi-fi specialist Leema Acoustics, which is run by two ex-BBC engineers, showcases its flagship full-width Constellation range as well as its £3k 1 2 Xen Elite micro monitors (not shown). leema-acoustics.com

4 New-look versions of Oppo’s entry level PM-3 headphones (HFC 399) in eye-catching red or blue livery. Serving up the sound is its pocket-sized leather-clad HA-2 headphone amp/DAC (HFC 397). oppodigital.co.uk

5 Here’s Daniel Marchant of Yamaha UK tickling the ivories of a Yamaha Disklavier Piano, ensuring that Hi-Fi Show Live lived up to its name. The brand also wowed guests with its latest MusicCast systems and £4k A-S3000 amp. uk.yamaha.com

6 This smart little Pro-Ject system is assembled by Henley Designs and comprises components from the 3 4 Austrian company’s compact Box Design series beneath an Xtension 9 Super Pack turntable. henleydesigns.co.uk

7 Primare’s Siemen Algra gets up close to a BD32 universal player on top of an I32 integrated amp with optional streamer and aptX Bluetooth modules. Flagship PRE60/A60 pre/power amps are on the bottom two shelves. primare.net

8 Jack Oclee-Brown demonstrates KEF’s revamped version of its iconic Muon flagship speaker. The £140k Muon has a revised Uni-Q mid/treble array with stiff ened drivers and a new crossover said to give deeper bass. kef.com 5

6 7 8

JANUARY 2016 15 Dynamic - energetic - alive

GamuT D3i/D200i “Sensitive yet powerful”

”This GamuT pre-power impresses the moment the music starts. It sounds clean, crisp and invitingly clear. Detail resolution is superb; we can’t think of a rival that tells us more about the recording” What HiFi? January 2015

For further information about products and dealers, contact: www.gamutaudio.com

Sound Fowndations www.facebook.com/gamutaudio 0118 981 4238 [email protected] www.twitter.com/gamutaudio www.soundfowndations.co.uk

GamuT is Danish design in shape, sound and fi nish, manufacturing a complete range of amps, players, speakers and cables. THE SHOWREPORT

SHOW

1 The retro-looking speakereakeri issH HECO’sECO’s new Direkt model priced at £2,500, which boasts a 10in woofer and a horn-loaded tweeter seen here with the STST Motus II direct-drive turntable and Pure Sound 2A3 integrated amp. puresound.info

2 Chris Harris of Theme One Records has a vast selection of titles on off er, including recordings from specialist label Music On Vinyl alongside award-winning Chesky CDs. There is something here for every music fan.

3 IAG’s Peter Comeau is on hand to sate the appetites of Quad fans eager to hear the new £4k Z-4 floorstander with its four-driver-and-ribbon-tweeter array 1 2 pitched against Quad’s own ESL-2912 electrostatics. quad-hifi.co.uk

4 PS Audio appears in two rooms at the show, with an epic setup joining DALI’s Epicon speakers and compact Sprout amp/DAC (HFC 396) on display here with the all new NuWave DSD DAC priced at £949. signaturesystems.co.uk

5 Clearaudio’s Master Innovation deck impresses with its DS Audio’s DS-W1 cutting-edge optical cartridge, which uses an LED to detect stylus vibration. Visitors also hear its new £90k Statement TT1 V2. soundfowndations.co.uk

6 Dynaudio’s Roland Hoff mann (left) and guest presenter Matthias Böde of Stereo magazine take a break from a 3 4 workshop on loudspeaker positioning that uses Dynaudio’s Contour S 3.4 LE priced at £4,750. dynaudio.com

7 Hand built in the UK, Computer Audio Design shows its new 1543 DAC Mark II USB DAC paired with CAD’s CAT (CAD Audio Transport), combining CD-ripper, music storage device, streamer and NAS drive. computeraudiodesign.com

8 Nigel Finn demonstrates The Chord Company’s new Sarum Super ARAY range to show eager visitors how it off ers a welcome upgrade path from the company’s Sarum Tuned ARAY predecessor. chord.co.uk 5 6

7 8

JANUARY 2016 17 AUDIOFILE

Andrew Simpson checks out the best hi-fi Webwatch websites, social media and online content

FOLLOW US: @HIFICHOICEMAG CHOICE TWEETSTS DISCOGS (@DISCOGS) The General Electric Show ‘N Tell record player #TurntableTuesday t.co/Gw2zUcdxUI

TRON ELECTRIC (@TRON_ELECTRIC) TRON Atlantic – 8 watts of SET heaven... pbs. twimg.com/media/CS3z1wwWIAAul5L.jpg

Analogue trailer Telling stories AUDIO-TECHNICA USA This trailer for the Vinyl Factory’s Launched in 1986, Dynaudio’s Contour (@USAUDIOTECHNICA) #MusicMonday: Rediscover the warmth new analogue fi lm series delves deep into range has won many fans and the Danish of #vinyl records with our line-up of #turntables: our love affair with analogue sound and brand is now inviting owners to share their buff.ly/1MciDtu recording equipment, with clips from New #ContourStory to be in with a chance of CLASSICALBUMSUNDAYS Order’s Stephen Morris, Trevor Jackson and winning a new pair of Contour speakers. (@CLASSICALBUMSUN) more. youtu.be/c2lzh4elvw0 Tell your story at contourstory.com With purchase of A&R vinyl pressing plant, Josey Records isn’t just a record store anymore t.co/0EroY4Kr77

DAVE DENYER (@DAVEDENYER) Thanks to @HiFiNewsmag for the greatest ever UK high end HiFi show

OXFORD AUDIO (@OXFORDAUDIO) “They returned from their week away and discovered to their horror, the Krell had been on the whole time!” #hifihalloween

SUPERFI.CO.UK (@SUPERFIONLINE) #ThrowbackThursday We found a 70’s Superfi shirt today! What’s the oldest clothing you still wear? #HiFiSpecialists

STONEAUDIO.CO.UK (@STONEAUDIO) Creepy cans Pedal powered audio Just in: Audiolab’s new 8300 series. Give us a Lots of hi-fi co’s got into the Halloween Great to see this Youtube video call to arrange a demo. spirit last month, but top marks have to go recently resurface. It features a push bike DAVE WATERS (@DAVEWATERSUK) to @OPPOheadphones on Twitter for that’s built with vinyl records attached to its @harrowaudio listening to the new @MF_HiFi M5si with @MonitorAudio pumping up the volume with this pumpkin. wheels, complete with a fi xed tonearm and speakers #hifi Judging by the smile on his face, he looks pick-up, allowing LP playback as you pedal. well chuffed to have bagged himself a pair Just imagine those wow and fl utter readings! BOWERS & WILKINS (@BOWERSWILKINS) of Oppo’s PM-3 planar magnetic cans. youtu.be/TCxyIKYJ-xo Senior Product Manager, Andy Kerr shares his top ten demo tracks for the new range. t.co/xAAVTRK3ey

PS AUDIO (@PSAUDIO) Paul’s Post : Training and listening – eepurl.com/bEtrr9

HENLEY DESIGNS LTD. (@HENLEYDESIGNS1) NEW! The Pro-Ject Audio Systems RPM 9 Carbon has arrived! Find out more at bit.ly/RPM-9-Carbon

DAVID BROOK (@MCRULTD) Sales generated from vinyl bring in more revenue than Youtube, Vevo and Spotify combined https://t.co/lpuVCnfSMr

Phono builder #HiFiShowLive look back ARMOUR HOME (@ARMOURHOME) Fancy saving yourself some cash by Missed the Hi-Fi Show Live last month Are you a record player owner? Check out the innovative products from Goldring assembling your own phono stage? Then hosted by our sister mag Hi-Fi News? See #vinyl #cartridges www.goldring.co.uk keep a close eye on Lucid Labs’ Catalyst MM show highlights featuring the pick of Phono Preamplifi er project, which recently world-class kit being demo’d alongside INSPIRE HI FI (@INSPIREHIFI) Lots of Vivid upgraded Linn Sondek LP12’s got backing via Kickstarter. The kit lets you exclusive video interviews with leading leaving Inspire HQ. Here is one of our Vivid X12 specify your own settings, with the fi rst units industry ambassadors at storify.com/ packages which left for... fb.me/4VkHO1v3D shipping early next year: kck.st/1Nase0y HiFiNewsmag/hifishow-live-2015

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SONY NW-ZX2 IN-DEPTH DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER £950

22 JANUARY 2016 SONY NW-ZX2 DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER £950 IN-DEPTH

DETAILS The NW-ZX2 is built around a single-piece metal chassis that feels PRODUCT Sony NW-ZX2 immensely solid and is superbly Walk on the ORIGIN fi nished. Little touches like the row Japan/Malaysia of physical buttons to control track TYPE selection and volume and the hefty 24-bit/192kHz & 235g weight combine to give it DSD Digital Audio Player impressive presence when held in wild side WEIGHT the hand. The black fi nish can leave 235g it looking a little drab in pictures but DIMENSIONS this is a superbly executed piece of (WxHxD) industrial design. There are some Having been driven almost to extinction by 65 x 131 x 18mm areas of weakness, though. The use of FEATURES the iPod and smartphone, the Walkman is ● Supports PCM the older Android 4 operating system 24/192, DSD64 & leaves it feeling a little slow and back. Ed Selley checks out Sony’s flagship DSD128 dated compared with most modern ● NFC Bluetooth with LDAC smartphones and the smaller display ew names in the industry restore the ‘DSD sound’. Additionally, ● 128GB internal can be a little cramped to use some have managed to possess as the Sony is Android based and storage plus micro apps on. Another slight annoyance is as much standing with the comes with access to the Google Play SD slot (max 128GB) it won’t respond to inline remotes on F DISTRIBUTOR general public as that of Store, it supports playback of material Sony UK headphones and earphones, which the Walkman. For many years, it was via streaming services, which can be limits control to the device itself. TELEPHONE up there with Hoover as a term that’s saved to run offl ine from the internal 0207 3652810 Having spent some time with the more or less interchangeable with the memory. These can be played via the WEBSITE NW-ZX2, I also suspect that the item it described. The advent of the headphone socket, NFC or Bluetooth sony.co.uk claimed 33 hour battery life will be iPod (which neatly usurped Walkman using Sony’s proprietary LDAC hard to hit in reality. to become a catch-all term for the encoding, which promises a latest generation of personal audio high-quality lossless-capable Sound quality players) very nearly destroyed the transmission. There is no digital With a selection of lossless and hi-res name for good. The move from output, however, so the Sony can’t material on the internal drive – a With an interface physical media to stored fi les saw be easily employed in a conventional that’s more like a process that proves entirely painless Sony wrongfooted and its initial system although it is possible to use it phone, operation – the good news is that the Sony offerings fell somewhat wide of the as a storage device on a streamer. is a real breeze delivers a very strong performance The only difference between There’s a smoothness material played back via the embedded audio player and and refinement to downloaded apps is that the the way that it goes ClearAudio+ software is not selectable when listening to installed about making music apps. ClearAudio+ adjusts the settings to produce a more natural sound. mark. The moment when Sony Additionally the NW-ZX2 is fi tted with released an iPod dock was a fairly DSEE HX upsampling software that is graphic indication that the Walkman primarily aimed at compressed music, had lost the fi ght rather emphatically. but as there is no means of switching Happily, the Walkman name is back it on or off it is applied to all fi les in the spotlight and is attached to including apps and is intended to a product that is nothing if not effortlessly restore lost data to them. ambitious. The NW-ZX2 is Sony’s This software and the partnering fl agship personal audio player and S Master amplifi cation is what really the specifi cation is rather enticing. sets this portable player apart from Building on the earlier NW-ZX1 (HFC smartphones. The amps operate 384), this is an Android-based device exclusively in the digital domain that is supplied with 128GB of and are a Class D-based design that internal memory and bolstered by a incorporates digital-to-analogue micro SD card slot that supports an conversion as part of the same additional 128GB. This is enough to process. Sony has also fi tted clock give the NW-ZX2 some clear capacity twin oscillators – one for multiples of advantages over smartphones even if 44.1kHz and one for multiples of 48 it still probably isn’t enough to carry – in a bid for a higher performance. your entire music collection around. This amplifi cation also means that it There should be no limitations is capable of driving headphones that based on format, though. The are beyond most smartphones and NW-ZX2 supports pretty much every there is plenty of headroom on offer, compressed and lossless sound format but efforts have been made to ensure except WMA Lossless and will also that the output is quiet with more playback DSD fi les as well, although sensitive designs. these are converted to PCM for Sony has then wrapped all this in a playback and then processed to very heavy duty piece of casework.

JANUARY 2016 23 SONY NW-ZX2 IN-DEPTH DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER £950

with lossless and high-resolution to run devices like Oppo’s PM-3 While it is unlikely to be the main material. Starting with a 16/44.1kHz headphones (HFC 399) without area of use for the NW-ZX2, the FLAC of Fink’s Distance And Time, it breaking sweat – a tall order for Bluetooth implementation is well HOW IT is extremely assured. There is a most smartphones and even some COMPARES thought out and easy to use. The smoothness and refi nement to the rival players – but it also gives a player connects to every test device way that it goes about making music sense of effortlessness to lower The Sony makes for available and even the frequently that is consistently likeable. The top levels, which aids the refi nement fascinating comparison temperamental NFC contact pairing end has an almost liquid quality that and makes this a tremendously easy with the Chord Mojo, system seems usefully reliable here. which is intended to is often found with Japanese high-end device to listen to for long periods. imbue smartphones Given the relative weight and bulk electronics. There’s no loss of fi ne Equally, when using more sensitive with the same levels of the Sony would limit its use detail or sense that the presentation in-ear designs, there is little sense of of performance as a when exercising, the ability to is artifi cially smoothed over, just an noise or hiss although it has to give dedicated audio player. connect Bluetooth earphones to it overall refi nement that’s appealing. a little ground to Chord’s impressive With both units being at the gym and leave it in a bag is a Mojo in this regard. almost unequivocally handy one and the good news is that excellent in use, I’m a believer The Kraftwerk piece also goes on deciding between them with the Optoma NuForce BE6 here at The overall tonality is consistently to demonstrate that the very refi ned will be as much a case the same time, the paired range of the believable. Greenhall’s vocals are well top end is underpinned by deep and of working out what two devices easily reaches as far as defi ned and their relationship with assured bass. There is a tremendous you need. The Chord is eight to 10m, which would make for his guitar is well judged and manages sense of drive and power to the smaller, but the shape a more than fl exible partnership in in some ways makes it to have an appreciable sense of space NW-ZX2 even at lower listening harder to accommodate such circumstances. even via the comparatively affordable levels and it manages to sound and the battery life is Against all of these very positive Etymotic Research HF3 earphones consistently agile and entertaining. shorter meaning that attributes, there isn’t really that much (HFC 404). Switch to the rather more This is something that does tend to the Sony is the better to complain about. There is a sense talented (and considerably more suffer a little if the ClearAudio+ travel companion. expensive) Noble 6 and it has a truly setting is engaged, however, as the However, the Chord’s incredible sonic There’s no loss of fine impressive soundstage. Moving to bass response can become a little performance gives it the hi-res 24/88.2kHz recording of too much of a good thing and I fi nd the edge for hi-res use detail or sense that Kraftwerk’s phenomenal Minimum it a little overblown for normal use and the fact that it can the presentation is Maximum, the NW-ZX2 is perfectly – although I appreciate that it works extract this exceptional capable of capturing these sizeable well in noisy environments on the performance from any smoothed over recordings without issue. move. Switching it off also means smartphone is really quite an achievement. The huge reserve of power from the that the performance between the with a wide selection of material that headphone socket is also extremely player software and apps like Tidal compared with something like Chord impressive. Not only does this allow it is very consistent. Electronics’ scrupulously accurate Mojo (see box above) the Sony’s presentation is slightly softer and more laid back, but this does make the NW-ZX2 very easy to listen to over time. Conversely, it is still revealing enough to make the limitations of compressed audio and streaming services like Spotify periodically sound a little on the thin side, despite the very best efforts of the DSEE HX software. Conclusion The Sony faces a different market to that which its ancestors made their own, but the NW-ZX2 manages to do a great deal right. Compared with some other high-end portable rivals, the £950 asking price is not entirely unreasonable and it competes on an even footing in terms of specifi cations and build. The overall package feels more cohesive than bolting a DAC onto a smartphone interface. But where Sony has been particularly clever with the NW-ZX2 is that it has used its experience with phones and other mass-market devices – that is considerably more extensive than the bulk of its rivals – to ensure that it has the user friendliness and experience that we have come to expect from devices of this nature. The fact that it has then gone on to use its equally comprehensive audio engineering

24 JANUARY 2016 SONY NW-ZX2 DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER £950 IN-DEPTH

CONNECTIONS WALKING ON

1 Power on button SUNSHINE The Walkman is now 35 years old, 2 Volume up/ 1 down controls here’s a look at its ups and downs 3 Rubberised As the original portable cassette player, the grip Walkman dominated the early years of the 4 Transport category and Sony remained a strong controls player until the decline of the tape. Having created one of the most iconic brand names in the business, Sony went on to undo some of its good work. The decision to brand CD products as ‘Discmans’ was a curious one and it would be the turn of the century before Sony’s portable CD players 2 were formally badged as ‘CD Walkmans.’ On the flip side, the Japanese manufacturer was commendably quick to recognise that 4 computer audio would have a considerable effect on the portable market, but the company’s long history of doing things its own way had an adverse effect on the early products. The ‘Net MD’ MiniDisc Walkman was among the earliest products on the market to replay compressed audio files and the capacity compared favourably with solid-state rivals of the time. The fortunes of MiniDisc as a mainstream format had already begun to decline by this point, however, as attention switched to non physical media. Here the company’s fortunes were also mixed. Early ‘Magic Gate’ products were comparatively advanced for 1999, but Sony’s insistence on using its proprietary ATRAC compression codec (developed for MiniDisc) and SonicStage software (which never evolved beyond a truly dismal user experience) meant that it was rather ill 3 prepared to deal with the threat of the much more flexible iPod. Thankfully, the lessons of these early experiences were learned – albeit slowly – and Sony added MP3 support and finally RIP VERSUS STREAM ditched SonicStage. While the Walkman As this is a fully functioning Android device Where Tidal really scores, though, is that name all but fizzled out towards the end of with access to the Google Play store, it is updating your music doesn’t require a the decade, when Sony decided to commit capable of running streaming apps from physical connection between the Sony and to hi-res audio files, the relaunch of the Spotify and Tidal in the manner of a smartphone. a computer. As long as you have a decent Walkman was more successful. Using its Using Tidal in its offline mode with material wireless connection, simply selecting an experience of the Android operating stored on its hard drive, the Sony makes for an album to be offline will add it to the ZX2. system (gained from its phones), Sony interesting comparison to my own ripped While Tidal doesn’t offer any hi-res material has ensured that its latest generation of stored versions. As noted, the ClearAudio+ (meaning you’d still most likely want to use products iss a wholewhole lotlo more flexible. decoding option is not available for apps, but those files where available), the sound quality as most of my listening is done without it, of the lossless files, the ease of updating your comparisons between albums on Tidal and my library and Tidal’s slick interface all combine to lossless rips reveal very few differences. make it a great alternative. skills to partner it with extremely high-quality hardware, has paid off. Against this, there is the sense that OUR VERDICT the player could be even better still SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Refined and if it ran a more modern version of powerful sound; Android and tweaked some aspects of excellent build; the interface and design for greater VALUE FOR MONEY decent specification DISLIKE: Interface is user friendliness. For many people, a little old fashioned; though, that ‘want one’ solidity and BUILD QUALITY no digital output feel of the NW-ZX2 will be enough to WE SAY: It isn’t cheap, but the NW-ZX2 is a tempt them over trying to boost the FEATURES desirable and very performance of a smartphone. One capable player of the best names in the business is An early Sony OVERALL Walkman that back doing what it does best, and the changed the way NW-ZX2 is a welcome return to form we listen to for the Walkman name ● music forever

JANUARYJANUARY 20162016 25 Hi-Fi Choice employs the most rigorous test and measurement regime in the business. Here’s how we do it...

REFERENCE SYSTEM SOURCE Unique group tests Melco N1A NAS drive AMPLIFIER Cambridge Audio 851A LOUDSPEAKER Our Group Tests are supported by rigorous and Kudos Super 10 standmount loudspeaker exhaustive listening tests carried out by experts CABLES QED XT40 loudspeaker cable, Chord C-Line interconnect USB DACS GROUP TEST TEST MUSIC THE PROCESS OF reliably auditioning six The converters are then all connected to a LONDON GRAMMAR USB digital-to-analogue converters isn’t quite as Cambridge Audio 851A integrated amp (HFC If You Wait, Wasting My Young Years straightforward as doing a single standalone 359) via six identical pairs of Chord C-Line 16/44.1kHz FLAC review. Each DAC is connected with its supplied interconnects (HFC 403). The Cambridge Audio power lead and powered continuously to make amp offers a clear numerical display along with sure it’s fully warmed up. The DACs are then the ability to individually level trim inputs to connected to a Melco N1A NAS drive (HFC ensure levels are matched – useful when only 397). This allows a USB output that doesn’t rely three of the six DACs have their own preamp on any installed drivers for a quick and easy volume control. The 851A is then connected to transfer between converters as well as excellent a pair of Kudos Super 10 standmount speakers signal-to-noise performance on the USB via QED XT40 speaker cables (HFC 394). connection itself. In practise, one DAC doesn’t Listening sessions are conducted with a panel want to play nicely with the Melco and requires of three listeners and supported by individual a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 7 and sessions until a defi nitive picture of the DAC’s THE POLICE Outlandos d’Amour, So Lonely Foobar to run the test program. sound quality is obtained. 24/88.2kHz FLAC

JOHANNES PRAMSOHLER & ENSEMBLE DIDEROT Largo II, 24/96kHz FLAC

BLIND LISTENING TESTS high enough to make diff erences consensus, or otherwise then This crucial process is very easily discernible. Then the forms the basis of our sound ANTONIO FORCIONE & SABINA SCIUBBA carefully controlled so that we choice of music is agreed – it quality section. Meet Me In London, Take Five 24/192kHz FLAC get reliable and consistent needs to be familiar, but also well At the end of the session, results in a relaxed and friendly recorded and of suff icient variety there’s a final debrief when atmosphere. Our listeners must to give meaningful listening panellists discuss their findings. not feel that they’re being tested, comparisons. The chosen It’s an exhaustive process, but despite being unaware of the selection of music is played, and carried out in this way is free brand or price of the products the panellists are encouraged to from prejudices based on brand, they are auditioning. discuss their impressions of the price or appearance, while the The session begins by setting sound of the product. This is then diff erent sensitivities of the the volume level to an agreed repeated, and periodically the listeners help to round out the point, one that all three panellists panel listens to earlier products analysis in order to make it more feel comfortable with, yet that is for reference purposes. The widely applicable.

26 JANUARY 2016 Everything you need. Nothing you don’t.

Music brings us so much joy. An audio system shouldn’t reduce music’s unique DLNSHNM@KR@SHRE@BSHNMVHSGTMMDBDRR@QXBNLOKHB@SHNM@MCRTODQkTNTR ODQENQL@MBD QNAAHMFED@STQDR 1NSDKRMDV1 2SDQDN(MSDFQ@SDC LOKHjDQBNLAHMDROQNUDM @M@KNFCDRHFMVHSG@CU@MBDCCHFHS@KBHQBTHSRSNAQHMF@KKNEXNTQE@UNQHSD@QSHRSRSNKHED VHSGRTQO@RRHMFjCDKHSX (SR@ONVDQETKV@SSRODQBG@MMDK"K@RR !@LOKHjDQ  GHFGKXQDjMDCOQD@LOKHjDQ@MC#HFHS@KSN M@KNFBNMUDQSNQSTBJDCADGHMC @SHLDKDRRQTRGDCLDS@K TRDQ EQHDMCKXEQNMSO@MDK 6GDSGDQXNTBGNRDSNKHRSDMSN BK@RRHBUHMXK+ / R UH@XNTQRL@QSOGNMDNQS@AKDS NQJ'YAHS/" 42!CHFHS@K RSQD@LR SGD1 S@JDRXNTRSQ@HFGSSNSGDGD@QSNE@LTRHB@KODQENQL@MBD  6HSGNTSBNLOQNLHRDNQBNLOKHB@SHNM 

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ROTEL.COM HOME USB DACS £500-£800 Conversion factor A USB DAC is an essential part of any hi-fi system if you’re looking to experience hi-res audio. Ed Selley checks out six of the best

VINYL MAY BE the format grabbing The six models on test here all There are plenty of ways for a the headlines at the moment, and offer hi-res fi le format decoding for computer to degrade the audio signal, fuelling a desire for music fans to 24-bit/96kHz or 192kHz music fi les, and taking the digital-to-analogue return to all things analogue, but plus four of the models also cater for decoding process out of its hands there’s still plenty of remarkable Direct-Stream Digital (DSD) music makes a lot of sense for those looking things happening in the digital fi les, offering even greater audio to enjoy hi-res in its purest form. audio format world. With the resolution benefi ts. Additionally all six models here are increasing number of better-than-CD But it’s not all about hi-res, as equipped with optical and coaxial downloadable formats available from adding a DAC is an effective upgrade digital inputs to act as effective music sites like HDtracks, Qobuz and to every bit of audio that comes out upgrades to existing digital sources highresaudio.com, hi-fi fans can of a computer’s USB socket. As many like a CD player or music streamer, quickly purchase high-resolution audio fans know, using a computer as with some adding preamp duties too. studio-quality recordings to play your source breaks just about every To see which models perform the best on their audio systems at home. rule in the high-fi delity audio book. read on…

28 JANUARY 2016 ON TEST

Marantz Musical Fidelity Optoma NuForce Pioneer Pro-Ject Rega HD-DAC1 MX-DAC DAC80 U-05 DAC Box RS DAC-R £700 p31 £700 p33 £500 p35 £700 p37 £800 p39 £598 p41 Despite the retro The MX-DAC has five This compact and The first Pioneer DAC The Austrian brand’s As one of the most wooden side cheeks, digital inputs including minimalist-looking for a very long time, DAC has the most affordable models in the Marantz is a bang- DSD-capable USB DAC offers four the U-05 sports six digital inputs with no the test, this UK-made up-to-date DAC with along with switchable digital inputs, remote digital inputs, preamp less than nine on offer. DAC sports five digital four line-level and digital filters. There’s control and preamp functionality along You also get switchable inputs up to 24-bit/ variable inputs as a choice of balanced functionality as with a headphone filters and the option to 192kHz with a choice of well as sporting a and unbalanced well as sample rate amplifier and fully chose between a solid digital filters, wrapped headphone preamp. outputs available too. support to 24/192kHz. balanced connectivity. state and valve output. up in substantial case.

JANUARY 2016 29 Contour S 3.4 LE The legend continues.

Dynaudio Contour – a magic name among audiophiles. And the living example of a true high-end loudspeaker. *VUZPZ[LU[S`YLÄULKHUKM\Y[OLYVW[PTPaLKZPUJLP[ZSH\UJOPU [V[OPZ]LY`KH`*VTWSL[LS`OHUKTHKLPU+LUTHYR [OLUL^*VU[V\Y:HUK:3PTP[LK,KP[PVUTVKLSZVќLYHIZVS\[LYLÄULTLU[PUKLZPNUHUKÄUPZOJVTIPULK^P[O HOPNOLYSL]LSVMZV\UKX\HSP[`[OH[PZPUZ[HU[S`H\KPISL;OLSLNLUKJVU[PU\LZ^^^K`UH\KPVJVTJVU[V\Y

All there is. HOME USB DACS £500-£800 GROUPTEST

FULLY LOADED The Marantz is DSD-capable over USB and displays no diff iculty with the test material employed outside of the blind panel listening. It manages to keep the same qualities that it displays with PCM files and there is a real sense of the almost analogue quality that good DSD can bring to performances. The way that the HD-DAC1 works Marantz with headphones is equally assured. As per Marantz’s claims, a pair of relatively challenging Sennheiser HD650 (HFC 312) headphones HD-DAC1 £700 doesn’t represent any real problems for it and the same tonal balance that the Marantz exhibits via the The wood eff ect might not be to everyone’s taste, but fixed-level RCA phono outputs is also apparent and there is no shortage of this converter still manages to do a great deal right volume on off er too. The Marantz is more than capable of acting as a digital preamplifier too DETAILS ACs have been part of the review sample. Equally, the build and with a smooth and linear volume Marantz range in the past, fi nish is very good and it feels solid response when hooked up to the PRODUCT Marantz HD-DAC1 D but have been absent more and well assembled with decently fixed input of the Cambridge 851A ORIGIN recently until the HD-DAC1 spaced and solid connections on the integrated to operate as a preamp. Japan/China arrived on the scene. Like two other back and well-weighted controls on For all-round functionality, this TYPE models here, it is both a digital-to- the front. A remote is also supplied. is quite simply one of the best DSD-capable DAC/ analogue converter and a preamp, equipped models in the test. headphone amp/ preamplifier offering fi xed and variable outputs to Sound quality WEIGHT choose from rather than switching the The listening panel’s thoughts on the 5kg same set. There’s no XLR out, though. Marantz are generally positive if not scale and separation, though. It is DIMENSIONS In terms of other features it scores universally full of praise. Across all very good at sounding big when scale (WxHxD) rather better. There are four digital the test material, the smoothness and is required and shrinking back down 250 x 90 x 270mm inputs, one coaxial, two optical and a refi nement of the upper registers is when it isn’t. FEATURES ● Format support: USB-B. The latter supports sample something that all three panellists The Marantz is fl exible and well PCM 44.1-192kHz; rates up to and including DSD128 pick up on and appreciate. There specifi ed and there is plenty to like DSD64 & DSD128 and Marantz has opted to isolate the is plenty of detail and space to the about the way it can make music. The ● Inputs: USB-B port; coaxial; 2x connection to keep noise levels to a headphone and preamp functions are optical minimum. Unique to the test, the With some careful potentially extremely useful in terms ● Outputs: fixed HD-DAC1 also has an analogue of building a system around it and level stereo RCA phonos; variable connection via a 3.5mm socket, which system matching the build and functionality is also output stereo RCAs gives some additional fl exibility and it the HD-DAC1 is a very commendably broad. While the DISTRIBUTOR also supports direct connection of an appearance might be a matter of D&M Audiovisual, iDevice via a USB socket on the front. strong performer personal taste, it is unlikely to prove UK Ltd Marantz has also designed it to work offensive. Ultimately, the HD-DAC1 TELEPHONE 02890 279830 as a headphone amp and it is able to Marantz and it avoids becoming harsh lacks a little in the way of punch and cope with loads of up to 600ohm. or edgy. With the strings of the excitement to top the test, but with WEBSITE marantz.co.uk Visually, the Marantz is something Montanari Violin Concertos it some thoughtful system matching of a mixed bag. The circular display produces considerable treble energy this is a very strong performer ● in the centre fl anked by symmetrical and relays an impressive amount controls is elegant and easy to use. of detail, but never steps over into Some of this good work is then becoming too bright. This also allows undone by the ‘wood’ side cheeks, the congested Police recording to OUR VERDICT which while a feature on Marantz sound punchy and upbeat. SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Refined and products of old, looks a little out of Where the HD-DAC1 is slightly less detailed sound; sense place here especially with the black assured is when you ask it to deliver of space and depth in terms of rhythmic drive and VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Lacks a little drive and excitement; engagement. None of the panel is ‘wood’ won’t be to especially convinced that it really BUILD QUALITY everyone’s taste wants to groove with either London WE SAY: Well specified DAC with impressive Grammar or The Police. It doesn’t FEATURES refinement, but not sound slow or confused, but equally a true all-rounder it never seems to want to get heads OVERALL nodding in the way that some models here can do. There is more praise to be had for the HD-DAC1’s sense of

JANUARY 2016 31

HOME USB DACS £500-£800 GROUPTEST

SPARKLE OR SMOOTH? The Musical Fidelity boasts a two-position digital filter system and participates in blind listening with the first option selected. The diff erence between the two is not enormous, but the first filter lends the MX-DAC a little more sparkle and attack while the second is a little smoother but consequently robs the performance of some of its excitement. Outside Musical Fidelity of the very specific world of blind listening, you should be able to switch between the two to find the best match for the music you happen MX-DAC £700 to be listening to at the time. The MX-DAC has no problem playing back the DSD test material With robust and elegant build, the MX-DAC also packs and switching between diff erent sample rates is done without an impressive punch considering its petite size interruptions or any extraneous noise. The coaxial and optical connections are similarly well DETAILS ACs have been a consistent elegant. In fact, it is one of the best behaved. The MX-DAC is also part of Musical Fidelity’s looking and best assembled models consistent in performance between PRODUCT Musical Fidelity D range for many years and on test with slim but impressively the RCA and XLR connections, but MX-DAC the MX-DAC is the latest solid-feeling aluminium casework. given that a number of amplifiers ORIGIN arrival in a range that partially This is slightly undermined by the sound at their best over a balanced UK/EU replaces the 1 Series. The spec takes wall wart power supply, although it connection, having both options TYPE Musical Fidelity to new performance is at least silent in use. available is very useful indeed. DSD-capable DAC areas too. This is its fi rst USB DAC to WEIGHT 1.9kg offer DSD support – in this case up to Sound quality DIMENSIONS DSD128. MF claims the DAC processes The MX-DAC rather divides the panel lively and energetic performance (WxHxD) everything in the DSD domain, but in terms of how it is perceived. All with a wide variety of material. 220 x 53 x 215mm doesn’t specify what this entails. three listeners consider it to be one With the assembled strings of the FEATURES In terms of features, this is one of of the brighter models of the six, but Pramsohler Largo, for example, the ● Format support: PCM 32-192kHz; the less heavily specifi ed DACs in only one feels that this is especially performance is right up at the top of DSD64; DSD128 the roundup, but it is still hardly what problematic. The top end is extremely the pile with a real sense of life and ● Inputs: 2x coaxial; you’d describe as minimalist. There detailed and very spacious. Vocals in vitality to it. 2x optical; 1x USB ● Outputs: RCA are fi ve digital inputs, two optical, a The MX-DAC is not without its vices phono; balanced pair of coaxials and the all-important An impressive DAC and it lacks some of the bells and XLR USB connection. The Musical Fidelity whistles of some rivals, but with DISTRIBUTOR is a line-level-only device, but features that should work a little thought given to system Musical Fidelity Ltd both RCA and XLR outputs and there matching, there is a great deal to TELEPHONE well with a wide 0208 9002866 is also a choice of digital fi lters to like about the way it makes music. allow you to tweak the performance Coupled to the excellent build quality WEBSITE variety of music musicalfidelity.com to your personal taste. and elegant design, this is a very If you are the sort of person that particular have impressive texture impressive DAC that should work needs to know at a glance what their and sound consistently realistic across well with a wide variety of music DAC is receiving, this is going to be all of the test material. although there are better all-round an instantly appealing option. The Where the Musical Fidelity is less models in the test ● MX-DAC clearly displays input, fi lter happy is with the congested Police setting and sample rate through recording. One panellist feels this it is simple but effective use of blue LEDs. actively harsh, while the others feel Where Musical Fidelity has been that it doesn’t effectively open out OUR VERDICT clever is that although this is a fair the performance in quite the way that SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Detailed, punchy amount of information to display, the some others do. Across the other, performance; excellent DAC still manages to look clean and better recorded pieces, there is also build and aesthetics the sense that it doesn’t have quite VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Can be overly bright; limited the same front-to-back depth that functionality compared some other rival models manage. BUILD QUALITY with some rivals There are no such issues with the WE SAY: It isn’t a perfect all-rounder, bass, however. The MX-DAC reveals FEATURES but this is still a very plenty of low-end impact and it capable and lively DAC sounds fast and agile while it does so. OVERALL While one listener feels that it lacks a little in the way of engagement, the majority view is that it can deliver a

JANUARY 2016 33

HOME USB DACS £500-£800 GROUPTEST

HELLO NAS-TY For reasons that are not completely clear, the NuForce doesn’t appear to want to work with the Melco N1A NAS drive. 44.1kHz sample rates are handled as you would expect, but everything above this results in a nasty bubbling distortion being clearly audible. As the vast majority of DAC80s will be connected to more conventional computers, this is Optoma NuForce unlikely to be that big an issue for most users. Happily the dedicated driver installs without incident and there are no such issues with hi-res DAC80 £500 material via Foobar. The optical and coaxial connections all function as you would expect and don’t show Opting for a more striped-back approach, the DAC80 any issues at higher sample rates. As noted in the main review copy, is surprisingly quirky in both looks and performance the volume control of the DAC80 is very well implemented. It feels entirely analogue in terms of its DETAILS aving been absorbed into hefty DACS here, the DAC80 feels response and ramp, all of which Optoma’s range, the a little insubstantial. The build is makes this a very eff ective preamp PRODUCT Optoma NuForce H NuForce lineup continues acceptable, but lacks the elegance of as a result. Arguably more importantly, DAC80 largely unchanged for the some. When used as a preamp, the as no degradation of the signal ORIGIN moment. The DAC80 combines both a volume control is very effective. occurs when the volume is adjusted, US/China DAC and digital preamp in the smallest the DAC80 performs consistently at TYPE casework in the test. Connections Sound quality all volume levels. 24-bit/192kHz PCM DAC/preamp include two optical, one coaxial and This is the only DAC that doesn’t work WEIGHT one 24-bit/192kHz USB, meaning consistently with the Melco, forcing 1.2kg that this is one of two models here me to instead use Foobar. The panel’s the converter, while the others are DIMENSIONS not to support DSD. Output is via an opinion is consistent across the three less concerned by the issue. (WxHxD) RCA phono and the volume control is listeners. The presentation of is With the fi nal 24-bit/192kHz 229 x 51 x 216mm permanently part of the circuit. for the most part slightly forward recording, its behavioural traits are FEATURES ● Format support: Internally, the NuForce uses a of neutral and this shows itself in a more clear. There is plenty of detail PCM 32-192kHz 24/192 DAC of unspecifi ed origin. well-lit top end that gives London and plucked strings are very well ● Inputs: 2x coaxial; It doesn’t upsample incoming Grammar impressive presence and reproduced, although the overall 1x optical; 1x USB ● Outputs: RCA frequencies, instead opting to process coherence of this relatively simple phono output with them at their native sample rate. There is plenty of piece of music is slightly confused and 32-bit digital Volume control is carried out in the the relationship between vocals and volume control digital domain at 32-bits to ensure detail and plucked guitar isn’t as well explained as it is DISTRIBUTOR there is no signal degradation. Optoma with some of the other models in Optoma Europe Ltd strings are very TELEPHONE is at pains to stress this is a minimalist the test. The DAC80 is a capable 01923 691800 design with an extremely pared-back well reproduced performer in many areas, but it lacks WEBSITE analogue output stage. Pared-back or consistency across all musical styles, optoma.co.uk not, with the volume at the highest realism. At the other end of the which when coupled with the level, the output is the highest here. frequency response, there is plenty relatively pared-back specifi cation, The minimalism extends to the of bass impact, but there are limits means that this is a product that will outside too. There’s no power switch to the fi ne detail and defi nition. need to be auditioned carefully ● and when switched off, there are few This doesn’t prevent the DAC80 clues to how it works. Once powered from sounding potent and lively up, inputs are shown by red LEDs with music of this nature. with the fi rst initial of the input along Where the Optoma is less assured OUR VERDICT with a sample rate indicator the only is in the midrange. The panel all SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Potent engaging pieces of information shown. comment that with The Police and performance; good Compared with some of the more Montanari pieces, it has diffi culty volume control resolving the information in a way VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Can sound bright and a little that is completely convincing. This confused; connectivity BUILD QUALITY contributes to the soundstage coming WE SAY: An interesting across as a little fl at and congested. DAC with some strong areas, although the Those upper registers are also less FEATURES performance is a effective with the strings of the little inconsistent Ensemble Diderot, which sounds OVERALL rather a little too thin and artifi cial. For one listener, this is suffi cient to leave them entirely disenchanted with

JANUARY 2016 35     

 

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GETTING AHEAD The Pioneer faces stiff competition when used as a line-level digital-to- analogue converter, but as a headphone amplifier it is in a class all of its very own. Pioneer has fitted the U-05 with both balanced and unbalanced connections and unusually these are available via both single and twin plug connections as well as quarter-inch jack. The result Pioneer of this eff ort is that the Pioneer is a genuinely impressive performer, able to drive almost any headphone to any level you could reasonably want to U-05 £700 hear. Interestingly, via the Sennheiser HD650 (HFC 312), it doesn’t show quite the same slightly languid timing Boasting some rather unique connectivity options, that it does at line level. The Pioneer shows no major issues the is an impressively specified digital converter with the DSD test material and that impressive top end provides further gains in detail and refinement. As DETAILS rior to the launch of the are good solid connections on the a preamp, the U-05 is also highly U-05, DACs were not part back and slick and well laid-out convincing with a smooth and linear PRODUCT Pioneer U-05 P of Pioneer’s range for a controls at the front. The U-05 is also volume control that has no negative ORIGIN very long time, highlighting supplied with a remote handset that eff ects on the presentation. A little Japan/China just how important this category has is easy to use. more excitement would see the TYPE become. That said, this is far from a Pioneer ranked much nearer the DSD-capable DAC/ by-the-numbers product. It vies with Sound quality top of the pack. headphone amp/ preamp the Pro-Ject for the accolade of best This is a very sophisticated device, WEIGHT spec here. As well as a pair of optical although it doesn’t always bring all 6.3kg and coaxial inputs and the obligatory of this technical fi repower to bear. track, the Pioneer’s strengths and DIMENSIONS USB port – able to support DSD up to The panel is complimentary about the weaknesses are highlighted at the (WxHxD) 5.6MHz – the U-05 also features an soundstage and overall presentation same time. The way that it portrays 296 x 101 x 271mm AES digital input and headphone of the U-05. There is plenty of space Sciubba’s vocals and Forcione’s guitar FEATURES ● Format support: connections rarely seen under £1,000. and separation to voices and is extremely appealing and there is a PCM 32-384kHz; Internally it uses two ESS9016 DAC instruments and the London believable relationship between the DSD64; DSD128 chips that upsample all incoming Grammar track has a scale and performers and an understanding of ● Inputs: 2x coaxial; 2x optical; 1x USB digital signals to 32-bit/384kHz. As the space they are in. The unique time ● Outputs: RCA a preamp, volume adjustment is There is a believable signature of the piece is something phono and XLR; performed in the digital domain and that the Pioneer never fully gets on balanced and unbalanced the analogue output is available over relationship between top of, however, with that same headphone RCA and analogue connections. the performers and slightly languid performance that DISTRIBUTOR Unlike the Marantz, the U-05 only has affects it in other pieces. If you are Pioneer Europe one set of each socket but the volume the space they are in not especially concerned by timing TELEPHONE control can be switched out of the as a concept, this DAC offers up 0208 8363500 circuit, which is how it is tested. airiness that is very impressive. The an impressive specifi cation combined WEBSITE As the largest model here, the top end is extremely refi ned and the with some handsome aesthetics but it pioneer-audiovisual. eu Pioneer is distinctive looking with Pioneer manages to sound detailed lacks the pace and sheer engagement some pleasing retro touches. The and lively without tipping over of the best in the test ● display is clear and easy to read and into brightness. gives a range of useful information at Where the U-05 is a little less a glance. The build is also impressive. convincing is when you ask it to It feels solid and well assembled. The deliver the punch and excitement that OUR VERDICT ‘screwless casework’ is a recent some material requires. The frenetic SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Excellent spec; Pioneer trademark and a nice touch, Police recording sounds strangely refined and spacious making the U-05 look elegant. There languid and lacks the bite and attack sound; excellent that’s required to really do it justice. VALUE FOR MONEY headphone amp DISLIKE: Lacks One panellist labels the performance excitement and as “uninvolving”, but this really BUILD QUALITY engagement hinges on the level of emphasis you WE SAY: Well thought out and appealing, place on timing and attack. With the FEATURES but it struggles to strings of the Ensemble Diderot, the deliver real excitement U-05 is a very elegant performer, OVERALL sounding tonally convincing and extremely refi ned. However, with, the Antonio Forcione & Sabina Sciubba

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Experience unique Denon technologies such as the Advanced AL32 Processing and the DAC master clock design. Enjoy playing your favourite tracks, among other things CD or via Bluetooth with high quality CSR aptX Low Latency decoding - all this with the renowned Denon sound quality.

www.denon.co.uk HOME USB DACS £500-£800 GROUPTEST

VACUUM PACKED The switchable output on the DAC Box RS is fairly unusual, but in practise the diff erence that it makes to the performance is not really quite as dramatic as might be expected. The DAC Box RS could probably have participated in blind listening with the output switched into the circuit and not been fingered as a tube design. There are some slight gains Pro-Ject in the scale and presence of the midrange but conversely a slight deadening of that well judged top end. Interestingly, the eff ect of DAC Box RS £800 the ‘Steep’ filter is often more pronounced resulting in the Pro-Ject sounding punchier and more Here’s a digital-to-analogue converter that does many aggressive with it selected. Ultimately, it doesn’t reveal any other things besides – happily most of them well issues with the DSD test material and the clear sample rate indicator on the front panel makes it easy to see what DETAILS ACs have been an out. The control switches won’t be to it is that you’ve selected. The other important part of the everyone’s taste but are easy to use, digital inputs also perform as you PRODUCT Pro-Ject DAC Box RS D Pro-Ject range for some and Pro-Ject does supply a remote to would expect, although using that ORIGIN years now and the DAC help choose between all those inputs. switch selector in order to flip Austria/Czech Box RS sits in its fl agship series. It is between all of those nine sources Republic/Slovakia unusual to fi nd a Pro-Ject product as Sound quality is likely to become something of TYPE the most expensive in a test, but it goes With the ‘Optimum’ fi lter selected an arduous task. DSD-capable DAC a fair way towards justifying the cost. and the solid state output in use, the WEIGHT 1.1kg For starters, it is the unquestioned Pro-Ject manages to please the panel DIMENSIONS winner in terms of inputs. There are without quite going that extra last satisfying partner. With Take Five, for (WxHxD) nine of them, including two coaxial step and wholeheartedly enthralling example, the Pro-Ject is arguably at 206 x 72 x 210mm and four optical. Like the Pioneer, them. The general tone of the the very top of the pile. The skills FEATURES there’s an AES input and a proprietary commentary is almost universally it demonstrates with soundstage ● Format support: PCM 32-192kHz; I2S connection for attaching the positive, however, with the London and presentation coupled to the DSD64; DSD128 matching CD player which then locks Grammar opener sounding big but refi nement and detail give the track ● Inputs: 2x coaxial; the clocks via a BNC connection. deft and engaging. The DAC Box RS real presence and enjoyment. The 4x optical; 1x USB; AES-EBU; clock- The USB input is DSD capable and balance between guitar and vocals linked I2S for supports up to DSD128. The RS adds With Take Five the is consistently well handled and it Pro-Ject CD Box RS a pair of switchable digital fi lters and does a better job of handling the ● Outputs: RCA phono; XLR the ability to switch between a solid Pro-Ject is arguably curiously left/right nature of the state output and one that makes use recording. The DAC Box RS might be DISTRIBUTOR at the very top of Henley Designs of a 6922 valve. If you have a great the most expensive model in this test TELEPHONE many digital sources and you enjoy the group of DACs but the extremely strong performance 01235 511166 tweaking, look no further. coupled with its impressively WEBSITE This is a line-level-only design and manages to combine refi nement and extensive specifi cation and the added henleydesigns. offers no volume preamp or a sense of drive in a way that ensures promise of upgradeability further co.uk headphone functionality, but does that it doesn’t become overly bright down the line is enough to ensure give the choice of RCA and XLR or fatiguing while also not being that it more than holds its own ● outputs. It is also upgradeable. As soporifi c. It lacks the truly toe-tapping tested, it uses an external 20V ‘block’ delivery of the Rega, but it manages type power supply but single output to keep everything ticking over nicely. and a multiple output options in These traits give the Pro-Ject an OUR VERDICT matching casework are also available. assurance and consistency across the SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Refined yet The casework is very impressive with test material that somehow manages entertaining the RS feeling solid and well thought to elude much of the competition. performance excellent While one panellist feels the DAC VALUE FOR MONEY spec and build DISLIKE: Lacks a little Box RS never truly engages, the trace of excitement; consistently positive comments they BUILD QUALITY high price make about the bass and the three WE SAY: A clever DAC that offers an extensive dimensionality of the performance FEATURES feature set and great suggest that Pro-Ject is doing performance something right. There is a sense of OVERALL proportion to the way that the DAC makes music – regardless of the scale of the recording – that makes it a very

JANUARY 2016 39 Revolution in design. Revolution in sound.

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TEST WINNER

)LZ[-SVVYZ[HUKPUN:WLHRLY 4H` 1\S` (\N\Z[ 5V]LTILY ‰‰ 9L]VS\[PVU?;- 9L]VS\[PVU?; - 9L]VS\[PVU?;- 9L]VS\[PVU?; - 9L]VS\[PVU?;- HOME USB DACS £500-£800 GROUPTEST

FILTER IT OUT The DAC-R has three selectable filters – the most off ered up by the six models in our test – and interestingly, Rega states that they each have a diff erent eff ect depending on the incoming sample rate of the signal, eff ectively meaning that there are six settings. Rega notes that this is down to the diff erent impact on greater sample rates. Rega In practise, the filters on the DAC-R don’t fundamentally alter the presentation that significantly, but they do provide an interesting set of DAC-R £598 options. Rega recommends the first filter setting, so this is the one that is chosen for the blind listening. No preamplifier, no headphone socket and But if you are looking to further emphasise the sheer drive that the no compatibility with DSD. No problem… DAC-R is capable of exhibiting, the third setting – which implements a minimum phase filter – does this to DETAILS n a test where DACs are The only slight oddity is that the good eff ect. preamps and headphone DAC-R runs rather warm in use. As well as the USB connection that PRODUCT Rega DAC-R I amplifi ers, the Rega comes works perfectly with the Melco, the ORIGIN across as a little bare. It Sound quality other inputs on the Rega all work just UK is an updated version of the earlier With the fi rst fi lter selected, if pushed fine, and the DAC-R is impressively TYPE (and highly regarded) Rega DAC. to pick a single word to describe the fast and quiet at switching between 24-bit/192kHz PCM This revision is almost identical to Rega, it would be the one that crops diff erent sample rates. DAC the earlier model, but incorporates up time and time again across the WEIGHT 4kg a number of changes to the digital panel’s listening notes – “engaging”. DIMENSIONS circuit and a fairly critical It consistently manages to entertain produces a wonderfully spacious and (WxHxD) functionality upgrade. the panel in a way that other models well-defi ned soundstage. 215 x 80 x 320mm The older DAC was limited to USB 1 struggle to do. From the moment the The fi nal ribbon to an already FEATURES and a 48kHz incoming sample rate. bass begins in the London Grammar compelling sonic bow is the way that ● Format support: PCM 32-192kHz The DAC-R is capable of asynchronous track, the DAC-R has a drive and it handles vocals. This is something ● Inputs: 2x coaxial; 192kHz-capable operation – at the timing that elicits a consistently that pleases all the panellists and 2x optical; 1x USB moment where DSD support is the positive response. If timing is further listening suggests that this is ● Outputs: optical; coaxial; RCA phonos order of the day. This is combined an area of real strength for the DAC-R DISTRIBUTOR with a revised power supply and an When it comes to the with wonderful weight and texture to Rega Research increase in length to accommodate it. its presentation. The Rega might offer TELEPHONE The digital fi lters can now also be business of sound a limited specifi cation in terms of 01702 333071 selected via the remote control. quality, it is very bells and whistles, but when it comes WEBSITE In specifi cation terms, these fi lters to the business of sound quality it is rega.co.uk are about the only area of note. lavishly equipped very lavishly equipped indeed. Unless The DAC-R has two optical and two you absolutely must have a volume coaxial connections in addition to the something that matters above control or a headphone input or you USB. Output is via RCA phono only, everything else for your listening feel that DSD is too important to but the Rega is unusual in that it is preferences, this DAC is head and ignore, the DAC-R’s performance fi tted with both an optical and coaxial shoulders above the other models is the cream of the crop ● output as well. This simplicity helps here in its ability to deliver. the DAC-R, though. The controls are There is more than propulsive logical and well laid out, and the red timing, though. The way that it LED indicators are easy to follow and unpicks So Lonely is effortless and OUR VERDICT understand. The build quality is also keeps the speed and frenetic nature of SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Involving, lively excellent with a solid and well-damped the recording while delivering detail performance; excellent casework and well-weighted buttons. and information about the piece that build; good price other models miss. Neither is this VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: No DSD support; runs a something that requires the music to little warm BUILD QUALITY be high tempo. The delicacy of the WE SAY: The Rega Montanari Largo is also deeply goes light on features to deliver a truly impressive and the Rega manages to FEATURES involving and highly produce a realism and smoothness engaging sound with the strings that impresses all OVERALL three listeners. The relationship of the musicians to one another is clear and easy to follow and the DAC-R

JANUARY 2016 41 USB DACS GROUPTEST £598-£800

Group test verdict He’s gathered the thoughts of our listening panel, so before he’s completely DAC’d out, it’s over to Ed Selley to draw some conclusions

AS THE ROLES and functions these and is an excellent headphone amp, the build is very solid. A lack of six DACs cover is extremely wide, it’s but it never really shines when used engagement counts against it. diffi cult not to place greater emphasis as a line-level DAC. The Pro-Ject is the most on functionality over performance, Splitting Musical Fidelity’s MX-DAC expensive DAC here, but the but it’s the sound performance that and Marantz’s HD-DAC1 is a tougher specifi cation is extremely WINNER we’re concentrating on here. Taking business. Both have areas of strength impressive as is the build quality. Engagement is where features into account as well as sound but equally, they’re also not quite Where the DAC Box RS really the Rega rules the though, the Optoma NuForce DAC80 the whole package. The MX-DAC is scores, however, is in the sound roost. The way that is the fi rst to fall. This is a DAC that beautifully made, well equipped and quality. This is a confi dent and the DAC-R gets to the heart of the music is can sound punchy and exciting and is can sound extremely exciting, but assured performer that works well consistently top of the a very good preamp, but the issues it there are points where that exciting across a variety of musical styles. pack and although the has running with the Melco NAS and presentation is a little too forward Furthermore, the adjustable fi lters spec is a little limited, the limitations of its midrange count and aggressive. The Marantz by and the option to employ a valve the lower price in the against it. The limited spec and quirky contrast has a lovely liquid smooth in the output stage gives it test sweetens the deal interface are also issues. The Pioneer top end and sounds consistently impressive fl exibility. Only a lack of and the Rega takes the test on sound quality. U-05 by contrast is brilliantly specifi ed spacious. The spec is excellent and engagement robs it of the top spot.

Make/model Marantz Musical Fidelity Optoma NuForce Pioneer Pro-Ject Rega HD-DAC1 MX-DAC DAC80 U-05 DAC Box RS DAC-R

Price £700 £700 £500 £700 £800 £598 Sound Value Build Features Overall , Well-specified DAC Not quite a perfect An interesting DAC Well thought out and A clever DAC that Light on features but with impressive all-rounder, but this is with some strengths, appealing, but it offers an extensive this doesn’t detract refinement, but not nonetheless a very but an inconsistent struggles to deliver feature set and great from the astonishing a true all-rounder capable and lively DAC overall performance real excitement performance sound it makes

Key features

Coaxial in 1 2 2 2 2 2

Optical in 2 2 1 2 4 2

24/192 USB Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

XLR out No Yes No Yes Yes No

DSD compatible 64, 128 64, 128 No 64, 128 64, 128 No

TRY WITH THESE

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER: FLOORSTANDING CD PLAYER: Audiolab 8300A £900 HFC 404 LOUDSPEAKER: Cambridge CXC £300 HFC 401 Tannoy Revolution XT 6 Unlike a number of amps currently on sale, the £1,200 HFC 404 If you aren’t ready to give up on CD just yet, the CXC is Audiolab is exclusively analogue and its clean and a keenly priced transport that should work very powerful sound would be brilliantly complimented The Tannoy delivers musicality effectively with the Rega DAC-R and avoids doubling with the engagement of the Rega. and superb soundstaging up on decoding stages. thanks to the dual concentric drivers and fed with the sweet and cohesive performance of the Rega, it is only going to get better.

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£299 MONITOR AUDIO OR LESS DENON AIRSTREAM S150 HEOS 1 BLUETOOTH SPEAKER This totally portable and very Monitor Audio has packed the affordable compact speaker deliv- delicious Airstream S150 Bluetooth ers amazingly big sound. Perfect speaker with the high energy B&W • T7 • BLUETOOTH SPEAKER SYSTEM for inside the house or out. The sound of its award-winning audio Introducing the pick-up-and-play hi-fi speaker. Perfectly HEOS 1 produces amazingly big technology for music lovers to sized for bedrooms, kitchens and gardens, T7 is B&W’s most soundSign from up a compact,today portable for our savour from room-to-room. portable, versatile wireless system yet. speaker.free digital magazine SOME BRANDS/PRODUCTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AT ALL STORES. SPECIAL OFFERS ARE NOT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANY OTHER OFFER (NICWAOO). NEW www.ssav.com/select ADVERT VALID UNTIL 16/12/2015. E&OE

click & collect NOW AVAILABLE www.SSAV.com £249 5 YEAR £SSAV OR LESS WARRANTY .COM

£209 OR LESS NAD • C 556 • TURNTABLE PIONEER • N-50A • MUSIC STREAMER Time to enjoy vinyl collections with extraordinary quality! Developed for the digital age, the N-50A Network Audio Player PRO-JECT • ESSENTIAL II • TURNTABLE With a minimalist design, the C 556 turntable offers accurate connects to many different sources and features Internet Entry-level “plug’n’play” two speed turntable with single piece reproduction by using performance-focused parts and Radio and Music Streaming from compatible devices, a high aluminium tonearm and pre-fi tted Ortofon OM5e cartridge. components that put music fi rst. quality DAC and Airplay and DLNA compatibility.

£2245

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ARCAM • FMJ CDS27 / FMJ A29 • CD / AMPLIFIER AUDIOLAB • 8300CD / 8300A • CD / AMPLIFIER NAD • C 516BEE / C 316BEE • CD / AMPLIFIER Introducing Arcam’s audiophile Class G integrated amplifi er The 8300CD improves upon its illustrious predecessor and delivers Received an outstanding product award from Hi-Fi News and SACD/CD player with Network streaming up to 192/24 even better performance while the 8300A includes radically magazine who descrided the C 316BEE is an “absolute barn- for class leading sound quality. redesigned circuitry and a high-performance phono stage. stormer of an amplifi er”. The C 516BEE is the perfect partner.

£399 £SSAV £1299 STEREO AMPLIFIERS NEW OR LESS BEST STEREO AMP UP TO £500 .COM OR LESS NAD D 3020

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click & collect NOW AVAILABLE www.SSAV.com BOWERS & WILKINS • 685 S2 PMC • TWENTY.23 Q ACOUSTICS • 3050 At home on a stand, wall or book- The fi rst and overwhelming impres- The fl agship 3050 is the perfect shelf, the versatile 685 S2 is ideal sion of the Twenty.23 is an open, speaker for larger rooms, for stereo and home theatre uses engaging and communicative speaker. boasting ultra-low levels of in most rooms. And performance Its size defi es both the depth of bass distortion, typically found of is enhanced with the addition of a and scale of presentation by taking speakers costing three or four Decoupled Double Dome tweeter. any music or fi lm material in its stride. times its price. The sound is vivid and dynamic and £499 delivered with authoritative bass. £499 OR LESS NEW OR LESS

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ADVERT VALID UNTIL 16/12/2015. E&OE AKG N90Q EXOTICA NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES £1,300

46 JANUARY 2016 AKG N90Q NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES £1,300 EXOTICA

DETAILS unique auto-calibration technology designed to deliver sound that’s PRODUCT AKG N90Q specifi cally tailored to your ears. Music to ORIGIN AKG’s TruNote auto-calibration China technology is touted as a TYPE revolutionary software solution Noise-cancelling for in-ear frequency response over-ear headphone measurement, and uses two WEIGHT my ears 460g microphones in each ear cup to FEATURES measure the characteristics of your ● Offset 52mm ear canal while you are wearing the dynamic drivers headphone. The measurement Lee Dunkley enters a world of his own ● Quoted sensitivity: 115dB/mW process takes just a second and is with AKG’s flagship noise-cancelling ● Quoted battery activated by pressing the calibration life: 12 hours button on the right earpiece for fi ve sound-optimising headphones ● Detachable cables: 3m; 2x 1.2m seconds, which generates an audio for iOS and Android; correction fi lter to optimise USB charger cable performance based on the acoustical and top-up battery was lucky enough to daughter, Kidada Jones –a designer pack characteristics of your lugholes. attend the launch of AKG’s for Disney – instrumental in creating DISTRIBUTOR Personalised ear tuning completed, I N90Q headphones back in the distinct aesthetics of the N90Q to Harman UK there are still plenty of ways to tweak June 2015, and am also deliver a premium look and feel. TELEPHONE the AKG’s sound to your particular privileged to be among the few to get Weighing in at 460g, the luxury 01707 278113 taste. Volume level adjustment is their hands on one of the fi rst batch closed-back headphone has hinged WEBSITE provided via an outer ring on the of the fl agship model. Regular readers earpieces and offers great comfort uk.akg.com right earcup while EQ alterations use will know that the luxury headphone levels and passive sound isolation, a similar outer ring action on the market is big business for audio fans thanks to the leather-clad headband opposite earpiece. Three soundstage as more and more of us turn to a pair and deep ear-cups fi lled with settings can also be cycled through by of high-quality cans as our transducer dual-density memory foam. It’s pressing the calibration button. of choice for a good chunk of home comfortable to wear over long periods The presentation case the N90Q is listening. This isn’t the fi rst time we’ve and feels surprisingly lightweight on supplied in also acts as a charger and looked at high-end headphones in my head despite the chunky earpieces, claims to reach full power in around these Exotica pages either, and the which make me look like a Cyberman four hours to give a claimed 12 hours from Doctor Who. The gold version of listening use. A good choice of Manages to balance pictured here is the N90Q LE version, cables is provided, catering for home the N90Q is actually black with listening as well as connectivity to high-quality sound subtler gold detailing. iOS and Android mobile devices. with eff ective Switch on the power button that’s positioned on the right earpiece and Sound quality noise-cancelling the active noise cancellation circuitry Connecting the AKG N90Q via USB reckons to achieve -20dB wideband direct to a MacBook Pro laptop to AKG follows Final’s Sonorous VIII noise reduction. The 52mm drivers try out the built-in DAC with some £2,300 offering, reviewed back in are offset to allow improved The gold trim of hi-res material, I kick off with a 24/96 issue 403. Although the AKG costs alignment with the driver and ear the N90Q LE has version of Bob Marley’s Stir It Up and £1,000 less, there’s plenty here to canal and claim a frequency response a blingy feel, but things don’t get off to the smoothest it also comes in a ensure it meets our Exotica review ranging from 10Hz to 30kHz. less showy black of starts. The track might not boast criteria as it is blessed with high-class The N90Q claims to be the world’s in the shape of the greatest recording quality around, credentials in its construction and fi rst headphone to be fi tted with the N90Q but even so the bass is rather more tech that includes noise cancelling and sound tuning to tailor the output specifi cally to your ears. Mention noise-cancelling cans to anyone on the street and there’s a good chance most will respond with brands such as Bose or Sennheiser, which pretty much dominate the sector. But AKG is rapidly becoming a challenger, and we saw its entry-level N60NC (£230) noise-cancelling portable receive a pretty strong recommendation back in issue 401. At the price, the N90Q is the fl agship model and forms part of the Quincy Jones signature line. It’s the result of a fi ve-year collaboration with US parent company Harman and the iconic Grammy Award-winning music producer. Its design and styling is very much a family affair with Quincy’s

JANUARY 2016 47 AKG N90Q EXOTICA NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES £1,300

Q&A IN SIGHT Mark Hockey 1 1 Leather-clad Harman Consumer UK adjustable headband

2 Aluminium hinge

3 Dual-density ear cushion

4 Volume level control ring

2 LD: What’s special about the drivers and materials used in the N90Q? MH: The N90Q uses novel pistonic- motion 52mm transducers. These transducers make use of a special Japanese paper membrane, which is positioned off centre to allow for maximising alignment between driver and ear canal. The N90Q employs some of the 3 finest materials available and mixes premium materials like leather and 4 aluminium with dual-density ear cushions to provide a headphone that has exceptional levels of performance, comfort and style.

How does the TruNote auto- bloated than I am used to and the it proves. Adele’s vocal on Hello calibration work and what are vocal has a slightly raspy edge and sounds immensely detailed with the benefits to the listener? lacks the refi nement I expect to hear the kind of intimacy behind the The N90Q’s built-in individual from the 24-bit/96kHz Cirrus Logic singer’s outpouring of emotion on her frequency response calibration DAC. Switching the cables over to the latest recording. Kate Bush’s King Of test routine uses two microphones in each earcup to measure the chunkier 3m hi-fi -quality lead and The Mountain provides a superb mix frequency response while you plugging the N90Q into an LH Labs of thundering electronic bass, guitar, are wearing the headphone, and Geek Out M headphone amp/DAC percussion with a haunting vocal all generates an accurate correction (HFC 393) connected to my perfectly rendered and detailed and filter, all within a second. This corrects MacBook’s USB socket yields far incredibly enjoyable, highlighting that for slight differences in the reflections HOW IT smoother results. It’s a much more this is where the AKG really shines. pattern between ear and headphone COMPARES together sounding performance that speaker due to individual ear shapes loses all the aforementioned edginess. Conclusion The N90Q’s high cost and sizes, but also eliminates The sound is big and with a good It’s an impressive feat to balance is unique among the remaining production tolerances and noise-cancelling level of space and detail that means high-quality sound with effective changes due to material ageing, so models we’ve seen, you don’t get that shut-in feeling that noise-cancelling technology, but the that you will always hear the best with the majority of can often be a trait of closed-back N90Q manages to pull it off with possible sound without distortion. models priced at noise-cancelling headphone designs, tremendous success in what is a considerably less and and background noise levels from the stunningly luxurious headphone There are three soundstage fitted with much less sophisticated tech. In active noise-cancelling circuitry is package. Internal DAC sound quality settings, which do you recommend reassuringly low. The string sections and some rather subtle EQ for true stereo listening? the world of luxury headphones, Oppo’s in Craig Armstrong’s Tender stretch adjustments aside, only its high The mode button on the right earcup PM-1 at £1,100 is wide of the earpieces with a rich price really counts against it ● switches between the three different perhaps the closest involving sound that draws me sound image settings: standard, sonic rival to the N90Q. deeper into the track. stereo and surround. The stereo Of course, the PM-1 setting offers true stereo sound as if it isn’t a noise-cancelling If you like your sounds on the is coming from two front speakers. model, but its sound rockier side and enjoy big slabs of OUR VERDICT is ultra-clean with an bass, the AKG doesn’t disappoint. This setting uses Harman-patented SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Effective noise technology called LiveStage and is open and seamless There’s plenty of drive to deliver cancelling; sound midband and the bass designed to give a more natural Muse’s Supermassive Black Hole with tuning; luxury build is tight and fluid – headphone listening experience, as the level of bass energy the track VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: DAC support although not as for 24/96 only; no auto the producer intended. This mode is sumptuous as the deserves, and although it’s not the power off BUILD QUALITY optimised to correct for headphone N90Q’s. It’s comfortable tightest bass line I’ve ever heard WE SAY: Exceptional imaging, without introducing any too and easily wearable and can seem a tad sluggish at times, noise-cancelling tech delivers seriously artefacts such as coloration or at 395g, which is light on balance everything is in good FEATURES compared with the AKG impressive sound, phase distortion. measure and the AKG serves up the but price is high and many other high- track with gusto and in a very end headphones. Both OVERALL models are brilliant enjoyable way. designs, but not cheap! You’d expect a headphone at this price to handle delicacy well, and so

48 JANUARY 2016 





      

  CHORD ELECTRONICS MOJO REVIEWS HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER/DAC £399

DETAILS the Mojo a more forgiving partner for use with sensitive headphones and PRODUCT Chord Electronics in-ear monitors. Efforts have been Mojo working Mojo made to drop the noise levels still ORIGIN lower and ensure that the UK presentation is better tuned to their TYPE performance. As the Mojo can still Chord Electronics is making some big Headphone amplifier/DAC produce the same half an amp of claims about its latest arrival, Ed Selley WEIGHT current that the Hugo can, it should 174g still be able to handle more considers the evidence DIMENSIONS demanding loads as well. (WxHxD) As you might expect, the £1,000 82 x 60 x 22mm reduction in price from Hugo to Mojo FEATURES s two-channel audio might Joy’ should you be wondering), which ● Supports: PCM to has meant that some features have be seen to be a fairly aims to do much of what Hugo does 32-bit/768kHz & had to be shed. The Mojo has no mature category, moments only smaller and cheaper. DSD to 512 adjustable digital fi lters, RCA output A ● Optical, coaxial & of genuine innovation are To this end, the Mojo is still built Micro USB digital or Bluetooth connection. A sneak pretty few and far between. That said, around an FPGA chip running Chord’s inputs reveal by Chord boss John Franks at Chord Electronics’ Hugo (HFC 386) bespoke decoding, fi ltering and ● Twin 3.5mm the launch, though, suggests that the headphone outputs has a reasonable claim to being of preamp functions. The Mojo can ● Custom decoding latter omission might have an add-on some signifi cance. The combined decode material from 32kHz to a built around an based solution in the future. This is preamp/DAC in a portable form faintly unnecessary 768kHz and all FPGA chip hardly unexpected, though, and given factor impressed us and has been a fl avours of DSD up to 512 (a rate at DISTRIBUTOR that Chord is claiming that the Mojo signifi cant sales success too. which almost nothing is commercially Chord Electronics offers Hugo’s performance at less TELEPHONE At the same time, Chord hasn’t been available). It also sports coaxial and 01622 721444 than one third of the price, the fact it blind to some of the limitations of optical inputs and a pair of 3.5mm has any features at all might be taken WEBSITE the Hugo as a portable device. While outputs. By use of a new FPGA and chordelectronics. as a source of wonderment. fairly small, it is hardly pocket board design that lays the battery co.uk Externally, the Chord is relatively friendly and the £1,400 asking price across the top of it, the Mojo is a conventional looking – at least by the is a little on the high side for portable much more pocket-friendly option standards of the brand. A metal box users. Even before the Hugo was while still claiming a 10-hour battery roughly the size of a cigarette pack, launched, it appears that Chord was life from a four-hour charge. Unlike it breaks with at least one Chord harbouring desires to make a smaller the rival Oppo HA-2 (HFC 397), tradition from the off in that it names version, but limitations in the however, the Chord can’t be used as the inputs and outputs. Control comes technology available hampered its a mobile charger for your phone. via a trio of plastic balls embedded in efforts. Now, though, it has released This spec is then paired to some the edge that operate the power and the Mojo (an abbreviation of ‘Mobile revisions that are intended to make volume. Like the Hugo, volume and

50 JANUARY 2016 CHORD ELECTRONICS MOJO HEADPHONE AMP/DAC £399 REVIEWS

sampling rate is indicated by the with detail and their relationship to colour of these balls, which change supporting instruments is entirely depending on the volume selected logical. The snap and drive to and the type of incoming signal. Once HOW IT the percussion is also extremely you have learnt your colour shift, it all COMPARES appealing. Chord has long made the works really rather well, but the balls The Chord’s closest argument that it is timing errors in themselves are fi ngerprint magnets rival is Oppo’s HA-2 digital that affect our perception and and feel a little odd. (HFC 397), which is enjoyment of music and listening to The Mojo is able to select inputs £140 cheaper and the immediacy of the Mojo, it may automatically, which works well in arguably a little well have a point. practise and you can select a line-level more suited for life Switching to the 24-bit/96kHz on the move. The output by holding down both volume HA-2 is more pocket remaster of Pink Floyd’s The Division buttons at the same time. The only friendly than the Bell, the Mojo retains the same slight peculiarity in terms of the Mojo and the ability compelling sense of neutrality, connections is that there is a separate to act as a charger but the boost in performance is USB input for charging – presumably is handy. Sonically, immediate and extremely impressive. The Mojo is very relating to the FPGA. For the moment, however, the Mojo Keep Talking is vast and almost liquid well made and has the edge. The truly portable the Mojo is only available in black, Oppo has a dark smooth while the layers of vocals but it looks smart enough and the and punchy sound and instruments are arranged fi t and fi nish is excellent. Chord has that is entertaining, perfectly. There is suffi cient managed to retain a little of the house but the absolute headroom to ensure that it can take style at this relatively affordable price transparency of the most headphones louder than you Using the Mojo as a line-level DAC Chord is superior and also make the Mojo perfectly and the Mojo’s would reasonably want to listen at. doesn’t fundamentally alter the understandable to newcomers. wider selection of presentation, but it does at least give The Mojo requires a driver for digital inputs give Chord has distilled the Hugo a breathing space as the Windows (but otherwise works it an advantage in line-level setting appears to be a perfectly well without one), which is flexibility that also the qualities of the touch on the high side and it doesn’t located on the Chord website. This helps justify the appear to have quite the same sense extra asking price. Hugo into a device installs quickly and painlessly and of scale when the two are compared having done so, allows the DAC to that costs much less side by side. Whether this is as simple talk to jRiver on a USB 2 connection as the Mojo relying on a 3.5mm with no fuss. While Chord’s claims The only real limit to performance socket instead of a pair of RCA phono that the Mojo is the performance is the aforementioned headphones connections is hard to say, but as a equal of the Hugo and at £400 stands or earphones and with something device to work in both home systems comparison to a digital product that talented like Oppo’s PM-3 (HFC 399) and more portable ones, the larger costs an enormous amount more or the Noble 6 earphone, the Mojo (and more expensive let’s not forget) might seem bold, they are certainly delivers a truly exceptional sound. Hugo certainly has the edge. not without foundation. The way it works with the Noble is indicative that the tweaks made Conclusion Sound quality to it for IEM operation have been This should not distract from the truly From the outset, the Mojo has a effective. While many rivals use sparkling performance that the Mojo number of similarities with its big a high and low-gain setting to offers, though. Chord has managed brother. It leaves very little trace reduce noise, the Mojo has a single to distil many of the qualities of the of itself on the recording. The volume ramp and it manages to be Hugo into a device that costs less presentation of Jack White’s Lazaretto completely free of noise at low levels than a third as much and if you are is free of any traits that can easily and able to let earphones show what a high-end earphone user, the Mojo be assigned to the Mojo and instead they can really do. This means that is arguably a better choice. This is a lets Three Women sound composed, bright and unrefi ned models tend to remarkably neutral piece of digital detailed and as entertaining as it sound just that, but if you are going decoding at a price that is fi rmly at should. White’s vocals are laden to spend out on it, it is unlikely you’d the affordable end of the market pair it with underperforming cans. and it is something that should have us all genuinely excited ● CONNECTIONS

1 Coaxial digital 1 2 input OUR VERDICT 2 Optical digital SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Outstanding input sound; solid build 3 USB charging port DISLIKE: Better VALUE FOR MONEY through headphones 4 USB digital input than at line level; quirks to interface BUILD QUALITY WE SAY: Exceptional headphone amp and DAC that brings Hugo FEATURES performance to a new lower price point 4 3 OVERALL

JANUARY 2016 51 SONOS PLAY:5 REVIEWS WIRELESS MULTI-ROOM LOUDSPEAKER £429 EACH

DETAILS Using an app is more long winded than a handset, plus there is the PRODUCT Sonos Play:5 danger of problems whenever Apple Play time ORIGIN or Google updates the OS, to say China nothing of the inconvenience of TYPE somebody using the device for Wireless multi-room something as mundane as making a Sonos has captured the multi-room market speaker system phone call (although a capacitive UI WEIGHT but can its revamped Play:5 satisfy the ears 6.4kg on the top of the speaker offers some DIMENSIONS rudimentary control). of hi-fi enthusiasts? Adrian Justins finds out (WxHxD) It doesn’t have to be that way. In 364 x 203 x 154mm addition to app and desktop control, espite huge success in engineers and designers on the new FEATURES the Bose SoundTouch wireless range ● Supports: Spotify; the wireless multi-room Play:5 to produce a product worthy of Deezer; Qobuz; has a separate remote, which I love D market, Sonos has not being described as a “Wireless Hi-Fi Soundcloud; Tidal for its six preset buttons that let you always been that warmly Speaker” (writ large on the box). music streaming listen to saved stations, albums, services embraced by audiophiles. That’s When I spoke to Giles he seemed ● Compatible playlists, tracks or artists. Still, at partly because for hi-fi kit to work under no illusions about the task that formats: MP3; least Sonos has a dedicated desktop with its networked wireless speakers faced him. On the one hand he hates WMA; AAC; AAC+; controller as well as the app, and Ogg Vorbis; ALAC; you need its Connect box, which has the term ‘audiophile’, saying that: FLAC; WAV; AIFF in terms of integration with music optical and coaxial digital inputs, plus “Everybody should be able to listen ● Supports up to streaming services it is hard to fault, RCA stereo phonos. And you’ll need a to great music,” and on the other 16-bit/48kHz whereas many rival wireless speaker phono preamp for your turntable. he knows that there is a generation ● 3.5mm aux line in apps are non-integrated so you have DISTRIBUTOR Then there’s the matter of hi-res fi les, now that has little idea what good Sonos to switch from the control app to say as it won’t play anything over 16/48. speakers sound like. But he believes Spotify or Deezer, which can cause TELEPHONE On balance, it could be said that the Play:5 is a real game changer, 0808 2346596 confusion and problems. Sonos is not especially hi-fi friendly, having been completely redesigned WEBSITE The Play:5 has six synchronised, but as I revealed in our Insider Feature from the ground up to offer the best sonos.com custom-designed drivers comprised last issue, the company says it is audio quality so far from a Sonos of three identical mid-woofers in a serious about attracting discerning speaker. In other respects the Play:5 linear array. On top of them are three enthusiasts. It has even engaged the is no different to the previous model; tweeters, the outer two of which are services of Abbey Road stalwart Giles meaning that – 3.5mm aux line-in angled to produce a wider soundstage Martin as its sound experience leader. aside – it’s wi-fi that transports your than you’d expect from a single The man behind the remastering of tunes from your network router to the speaker. For real stereo separation, The Beatles’ catalogue and producer speaker. It’s also still controlled using though, I opt to try a pair of speakers. of Paul McCartney’s latest album either a smartphone/tablet app or When working as a pair you can has worked with Sonos’ acoustic with a desktop controller. orientate them horizontally for a

52 JANUARY 2016 SONOS PLAY:5 WIRELESS MULTI-ROOM LOUDSPEAKER £429 EACH REVIEWS

more immersive room-fi lling sound, least for iOS users (Android is still in or vertically for a more intense sweet the works). To optimise the sound spot where two of the tweeters switch performance, Sonos has developed off and two are reduced. Everything a room correction process called HOW IT is handled intelligently by the built-in Trueplay that uses a sweep tone COMPARES DSP in conjunction with special emitted by the speakers to analyse Wireless streaming orientation sensors that automatically how sound refl ects off all the surfaces options include initiate the adjustment. in any given room. The smart bit is Pure’s Jongo The new speaker is much sleeker that it uses the microphone built-in system, whose looking than the previous model, to an iPhone or iPad rather than any £250 flagship T6 speaker (HFC 385) thanks in part to the edge-to-edge extra bits of equipment. A short video is nearly half the grille which has 60,000 holes in it. within the app shows you how to price of the Play:5. It’s a sealed cabinet made from much hold and move the iPhone around the The T6 – which stronger, thinner polycarbonate room, concentrating on the listening is also a hi-res offering greater internal volume and area. It takes about two minutes and exclusion zone – is better rigidity, which are required when done, the app confi rms the far less sonically polished than the to handle the new model’s greater degree of variation from the default Play:5, with over- power output (Sonos doesn’t quote setting. You can manually adjust emphasis on the power fi gures, but designer Mieko the EQ in terms of balance, bass bass and thin- Kusano told me it’s three times more and treble levels and there’s also a sounding vocals. powerful than the previous model). loudness setting, but you can’t deselect A more realistic needed to allow higher-frequency rival is Bluesound Gone are the external physical Trueplay to do an A-B comparison. (HFC 402), which sounds to work their magic. buttons of the original in favour of has greater The speakers are highly adept the aforementioned capacitive UI. You Sound quality versatility in its at handling cacophonous pieces, Sonos isn’t lying when it says the range. The speaker/ orchestrated classical music for It’s a shame hi-res Play:5 is more powerful than the streamer/amp Pulse example or James Bay’s Hold Back original. The benefi t is that the system (£599) and Duo (an The River, where the vitality and £899 2.1 system) isn’t available as the can effortlessly fi ll a typical UK living have similar sparkle of the vocals are positioned Play:5 represents a room at 50 percent of its output features to the atop the clamour of the guitars and without even beginning to sound Play:5. Like Sonos, it drums. This track illustrates in terms huge leap forward strained. Streamed from Spotify eschews a remote of the imaging how well Sonos Premium, London Grammar’s Hannah in favour of an app, has mastered steering the left and touch it to play or pause and change Reid’s shimmering vocals on Wasting but it does offer right channels according to your 24-bit/192kHz the volume. Swipe to skip through My Young Years sound mesmerising hi-res playback. preferences (changing the orientation tracks. It’s elegant looking and and deftly positioned against the as required). When horizontal, the pleasingly responsive. The Play:5 drums and strings. There’s a decent sound is more broadly spread and certainly looks attractive in either the texture to the sound and although it’s everything just seems to sound in the matt white or black variant and given less clinical than the previous Play:5 it right place so you’re not aware of the its substantial dimensions it is both has a defi nite digital edge to it. Having separation or direction of the source, sturdy and nicely minimal. said that, there’s an openness to its just of a perfect sonic construction Setting up the wireless system (you sound and James Taylor’s vocal on taking place in front of you. can still use Ethernet) is a dead Hello Old Friend has plenty of detail simple process that is driven by the and feeling. And this from a Spotify Conclusion Sonos Controller app. All you do is stream of middling quality. Hi-fi traditionalists may never be won plug each speaker into the power, Bass delivery is certainly impressive, over by the idea of streaming speaker press the set-up button on the rear although I fi nd it a little too eager systems like this, but more progressive when prompted and wait for the app and have to tweak the EQ manually a audio enthusiasts might be tempted to work its magic. Creating a stereo smidgen. There’s tremendous energy by the new Play:5. It’s a real shame pair is a case of pressing the rear pumping out from bass-heavy that hi-res audio isn’t available button of the left speaker when material such as David Guetta’s Shot because in terms of sound quality the prompted. Now the fun begins, at Me Down, but given the right EQ Play:5 represents a huge leap forward setting the bass does exactly what’s in performance from Sonos ● CONNECTIONS

1 Mains power lead socket OUR VERDICT SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Trueplay room 2 Button for adding correction; powerful, speaker to network clean sound VALUE FOR MONEY 1 3 3.5mm headphone DISLIKE: No remote jack control; incompatible with hi-res audio BUILD QUALITY 4 Ethernet port WE SAY: A more than worthy successor to the original Play:5, and FEATURES Sonos’ best-sounding speaker ever OVERALL 4 3 2

JANUARY 2016 53 HEED ELIXIR REVIEWS INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER £750

DETAILS As the fi rst product in the Elixir range, this compact integrated PRODUCT Heed Audio Elixir amplifi er looks the part and boasts Elixir of life ORIGIN 50W per channel into 8ohm or 65W Hungary into 4ohm providing plenty of oomph TYPE to drive a wide choice of domestic Heed’s Elixir amplifier is firmly aimed at Integrated amplifier loudspeakers. It also has a good WEIGHT selection of features, sporting fi ve 6kg quenching hi-fi hungry newbies. So who inputs – including one for vinyl replay DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) thanks to the built-in phono stage better to test it than Neville Roberts… 220 x 87 x 345mm that is suitable for moving magnet FEATURES cartridges. In addition to the ● Quoted power: loudspeaker outputs, the Elixir has 50W into 8ohm nce you’ve been bitten by Hay who was the legendary designer ● Inputs: 4x line- a headphone output powered from the hi-fi bug, there’s no of Ion Systems’ products. As a result, level; 1x MM phono an internal Class A amplifi er, which going back. The fi rst step the company started to assemble ● Class A operates independently from the O headphone that most of us take is to Richard’s unique ‘shoebox-design’ amplifier main power amplifi er. Many put together an affordable system Obelisk amplifi ers and consequently DISTRIBUTOR integrated amplifi ers fi tted with a comprised of three main elements; sales really took off in Hungary. RPD Distribution headphone output simply take a feed source equipment, such as a CD player Sadly, Ion Systems went out of TELEPHONE from the main power amp to drive or music streamer, an integrated business, but Zsolt Audio decided to 01242 547663 the connected headphone, and the stereo amplifi er (ie one that includes carry on the spirit of Ion and formed WEBSITE dedicated amplifi er approach taken both preamp and power amplifi er Heed Audio to develop a new heedaudio.co.uk here with the Elixir bodes well for duties in a single box) and a pair of amplifi er called the Obelisk Pro. good-quality sound. loudspeakers. Budapest-based Heed During 2000, Heed expanded its The front panel incorporates the Audio’s Elixir is a half-width line that’s product line to include phono stages aforementioned headphone socket aimed at doing just that and this and high-quality turntable power and a row of white LEDs to indicate integrated amplifi er is the fi rst model supplies for Rega Planar turntables. the selected input and output. The in the new range. Moving to the present time, the input is selected via a button on the Heed can trace its origins back to company has a larger team of people front panel that cycles through the 1987 when Zsolt Audio was formed and continues to develop its choices. The output is selected by by the Hungarian brothers Zsolt (a impressive range of Obelisk audio another button that cycles through loudspeaker designer) and Alpar (a equipment that currently includes speakers and headphone, headphones marketing and sales expert) Huszti to a CD-transport, DAC, preamplifi er, only or just the speakers. On the right import famous British hi-fi brands stereo power amp, monoblock power is the rotary volume control, which into Hungary. By 1991, the company amplifi er alongside a rather nifty has a white LED on the side to show had started working with Richard headphone amplifi er. the position of the volume knob

54 JANUARY 2016 HEED ELIXIR INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER £750 REVIEWS

Before I connect the amplifi er into playing is tinkling and clear and is my system, I break the habit of a complemented by the orchestral lifetime and take a look at the accompaniment that adds authority instruction manual. The days of to the performance. On the down chunky manuals for this kind of side, I do rather fi nd the strings a product are long gone and the little harsh and perhaps a touch too minimal document contains the most edgy, but imaging is great and the basic information for connecting up instruments are well dispersed across the amplifi er to your system along the soundstage and each instrument with the usual warnings. In practice, has a good focus. the short manual is well judged as the Switching to a pair of Sennheiser Elixir is easy to operate with intuitive HD600 headphones plugged into the controls. The remote control only socket on the front panel, I select the gets a brief mention in the context ‘headphones only’ output on the of selecting the input or muting the Elixir. The fullness to the sound is still loudspeakers and, given this, I’m sure there and the crisp detail, but the many people wouldn’t bother to fi t edginess of the strings has completely the supplied batteries and will simply vanished. This is most likely due to opt to leave it in the box. However, the Class A ‘single-ended’ operation of this is a mistake as the amplifi er is fi tted with a high-quality remote The loudspeaker controlled volume control. This is actually a motorised Alps Blue performance potentiometer, not a low-cost digital impresses across a volume control but a proper audio- grade analogue volume control. With wide range of music this type of control, the volume knob can also be turned using the remote its headphone amplifi er, making the that operates a motor attached performance altogether more refi ned to the shaft of the potentiometer, and effortless. making it a really nice feature that Back to loudspeakers, it is the turn is not often seen on an entry-level of Sophie Zelmani to take the stage which fl ashes when the system is A neat half-width product of this kind. with a CD recording of How It Feels. I muted. Input selection, volume and design, input As the Elixir’s specifi cation and tend to think that the Elixir is more selection via mute can also be controlled via the remote control features stack up rather well, I opt to at home with this sort of music – the remote control. is a bit of a drag connect it to my transmission line percussion and drum hits are crystal On the rear panel there is an earth loudspeakers, a PrimaLuna ProLogue clear and the bass line is extended binding post for the phono lead, an Eight Mark II CD player and my and punchy. The rhythm of the music array of gold-plated phono sockets for record deck fi tted with a Goldring is well paced and propels you through the inputs, plus an additional pair for 2400 moving-magnet cartridge. the piece well. The female vocals the preamp output, should you wish have just a touch of sibilance at times, to use the Elixir with an external Sound quality but this completely vanishes when power amplifi er, for example. The First to spin is a lovely classic LP of listening on headphones where the loudspeaker connectors are the CPE Bach’s Symphony No.2 played by sound is slightly better balanced with usual combination of binding posts George Malcolm on the harpsichord the bass sounding tighter and better and banana sockets. The amplifi er with Neville Marriner conducting the controlled by the amplifi er. on/off switch is also situated on the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields. An unusual and beautiful CD rear above the IEC mains socket. A I am greeted with a powerful recording of Moonlight On Spring minor gripe is that you have to reach performance that is both full and River with Zhao Cong playing the around to the back of the unit to turn bright through the loudspeakers. ancient Chinese pipa (a four-stringed it on. This does, however, have the George Malcolm’s harpsichord instrument sometimes referred to as added advantage of not requiring a long cable run of the mains power CONNECTIONS inside the amplifi er that could cause 1 2 hum pick-up by the sensitive 1 Earthing binding electronics, especially the phono post stage. Another small irritation is that 2 Power switch the amp’s output can only be selected 3 Loudspeaker by using the button on the front panel binding posts since the remote control only cycles 4 Preamplifier through the inputs. Similarly, you output have to cycle through all the inputs to select the one you want if using the 5 Line-level inputs button on the front. So if you are 6 MM phono input listening to input two for example, you have to step through inputs three, four and fi ve to get back to one. However, you can go backwards or 6 5 4 3 forwards using the remote control.

JANUARY 2016 55 HEED ELIXIR REVIEWS INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER £750

Q&A Attila Olah Head of design, Heed Audio

NR: It’s great to see a moving- magnet phono stage built in, is there anything special about it? AO: We think that an entry-level analogue integrated amplifier should provide all the connectivity to make it a real one-box solution for a small The compact the Chinese lute) is very clear and make a comparison. In fact, I fi nd the Elixir range compelling to listen to. It has a lovely two different media surprisingly hi-fi system. As the interest for vinyl is available in increases, we decided to make the both silver and enchanting combination of modern comparable. However, even though phono section more sophisticated black finishes sounds mixed with traditional my CD player is a fairly high-end than just an “acceptable” solution. Chinese music. The very low bass model, I still prefer the sound of the Technically, it is very close to our line during the opening sections is LP recording. The vinyl is more standalone Questar MM phono stage. clearly discernible as notes, rather three-dimensional and feels more We hope that more people will find than being a ‘bass thump’, and each expansive when compared with the their way back to the analogue world instrument occupies its own space CD and credit for this must go in part and enjoy its sound. within the soundstage. to the Elixir’s built-in phono stage. For some jazz, I turn to a CD The headphone amplifier is a Class recording of the Jan Harbeck Quartet Conclusion A design, what benefits does this playing Cole Porter’s Too Darn Hot. I There is no doubt that Heed’s Elixir bring to listeners? integrated amplifi er is perfect for The Elixir – like Heed’s Obelisk and anyone who wants to take the fi rst Thesis amplifiers – sports our unique The record is more step into the world of hi-fi , perhaps Transcap-technology power three dimensional amplifier. It is a refined RC-coupled having rediscovered vinyl, or indeed system, driven by a valve-like thanks to the Elixir’s anyone looking for a quality push-pull construction, built with integrated amplifi er without the complementary Darlington pairs, built-in phono stage added bulk of full-size traditional working in Class AB, driving the components. It is really well made speakers by high-current coupling am carried through this fast-paced using high-end components, which capacitors. This is the basic idea of HOW IT piece beautifully by the Heed, which is also refl ected by its performance the headphone amplifier in the Elixir, COMPARES swings into action right from the whether it’s connected to a pair of which benefits from the output opening drum roll. The saxophone loudspeakers or a set of headphones, coupling capacitor and the As well as the similarity and piano take over in the impromptu and it comes at a realistic price. Its in the name, the Elixir Darlington driving stage, but it’s compares well with sections with impressive energy and loudspeaker performance impresses a pure Class A amp that is fed by Rega’s full-width Elex-R excitement. Once again, listening on across a wide spectrum of music and a regulated power supply. integrated amplifier cans to the same track reveals a touch its headphone amplifi er section is with its similar range more elegance to the performance even more of a triumph, making the How does the use of discrete of features – the latter and, in particular, the piano and Elixir something a bit special in its components in the amplifier costing around £150 more. What you get for drum solo segments sound that bit class. I look forward to seeing more affect the sound quality? more realistic. products from the Elixir line as and All of our devices are handmade, the extra money is more power from the Rega’s My listening session fi nishes off when they arrive ● including the assembly of the PCBs. claimed 72W output with a recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Every component of the Elixir into 8ohm. Like the amplifier has been fitted and Seasons that I have on both LP and Heed, the Rega has five CD, also played by the Academy of St inspected by our team to be sure it is inputs, including a very top quality. Discrete THT components respectable moving- Martin-in-the-Fields and conducted OUR VERDICT by Neville Marriner. This enables me are more robust and often have magnet phono input SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Sound; great better specifications in terms of and four line-level to check out the performance of the build quality; superb usage, not to mention they are easier inputs. It also has a phono stage. Of course, although headphone amplifier to handle and can be assembled to preamp output, a press- both recordings were made from VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Power switch button input selector the original master tape, there will on the rear panel; withstand greater external impact. and a remote control. having to cycle BUILD QUALITY This way we can build better-quality What the Rega doesn’t inevitably be some slight differences through inputs and more reliable devices. have is a headphone in the fi nal balance due to the WE SAY: Great sounding compact output, which means different mixing – the LP was FEATURES integrated amp with the Heed is a formidable produced in 1970 and the ‘AAD’ CD plenty of flexibility contender for audio was produced in 1985. I choose the fans looking for a multi- OVERALL talented amplifier at exciting fi rst movement of Winter in a real-world price. both recordings and then switch between them repeatedly in order to

56 JANUARY 2016

AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-LP5 REVIEWS DIRECT-DRIVE TURNTABLE PACKAGE £330

DETAILS doesn’t have its own model number but clearly borrows technology and PRODUCT Audio-Technica ideas from when A-T was building Quick start AT-LP5 tonearms for use on other turntable ORIGIN models and even uses a detachable Japan/China headshell to make cartridge swapping TYPE easy. The cartridge is bespoke to Does this do-it-all deck have what it takes Direct-drive turntable the AT-LP5, although it has a more to wow new and returning vinyl fans? WEIGHT recognisable origin. The AT95Ex 7.4kg is a hot-rodded version of the Ed Selley takes it for a spin to find out DIMENSIONS longstanding budget favourite with a (WxHxD) revised stylus and some other detail 450 x 157 x 352mm tweaks to improve performance. It FEATURES he rise and market share made with suffi cient force that rival ● 33 & 45rpm comes in a deep red housing, which is of music being purchased direct-drive models have almost ● J-shaped arm rather easier on the eye than its pea on vinyl appears to be completely fallen by the wayside, all with detachable green ancestor and is pre-mounted in T headshell fitted with pretty unstoppable. At a of which makes the Audio-Technica AT95Ex cartridge an AT-HS10 lightweight headshell for time when there’s an abundance of AT-LP5 something to really take notice ● Selectable MM easy set up. some of the most capable digital of. This is a direct-drive turntable, and phono stage The deck itself uses a DC-powered media players available at terrestrial it costs just £330. DISTRIBUTOR direct-drive motor partnered to a price points, it barely seems credible This reasonable price tag doesn’t tell Audio-Technica Ltd weighty aluminium platter. The TELEPHONE that new users are buying into a the whole story either, as the AT-LP5 0113 2771441 chassis has been designed in such product that offers the bulkiness, package comes with a tonearm, a way to minimise resonance and WEBSITE fragility and potential expense of cartridge and built-in phono stage eu.audio-technica. ensure that the deck isn’t susceptible vinyl, but here we are. that can easily be bypassed if com to rumble – the arch enemy of designs Taking advantage of the growing required. And if that’s not enough, of this nature. The platter is topped interest in vinyl from newcomers and it also has a USB-B digital output with a thick and weighty rubber mat. returning fans alike, the range of connection to allow you to rip vinyl As you might expect from a direct entry-level turntables has seen a and store it as a digital fi le on a hard drive, acceleration is impressive and considerable increase over the last drive, and comes supplied with the the platter quickly gets up to speed few years. One of the defi ning Audacity computer software to help within a single rotation. features of numerous budget you carry this out successfully. Okay its not the prettiest deck at this turntables, though (and indeed the Surprisingly for a turntable at this price point – far from it some may say great majority of premium models end of the market it doesn’t appear – but there is a sense of purpose to too), is that the majority are belt that component parts have simply the AT-LP5 that gives it a level of driven. The arguments in favour of been lifted from Audio-Technica’s charm. It feels faintly retro with the belt-drive decks seems to have been existing catalogue. The J-shaped arm J-shaped arm and borrows some of

58 JANUARY 2016 AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-LP5 DIRECT-DRIVE TURNTABLE PACKAGE £330 REVIEWS

Don’t let the the styling cues of older direct-drive Audio-Technica is entirely free of the AT-LP5 is extremely good and plain design fool designs. The plinth casework is plastic rumble or any other form of noise, stands happy comparison with budget you, this is one hell of a turntable and doesn’t feel as substantial as and music rises out of a silent and options available at the sort of price some of its belt-driven price rivals, utterly unobtrusive background. It points you might be looking at. When but it’s remarkably solid and well achieves a pleasing three-dimensional you do remove it from the signal path thought out. The only black mark in performance too, with Talk Talk’s – something that Audio-Technica day-to-day usage and practicality Happiness Is Easy opening out and claims is done by physically bypassing terms is that there’s no dust cover creating a believable relationship it rather than powering parts of it supplied as standard, but one can be between voices and instruments. down – the audio signal still manages purchased for £24 and it comes with Compared with the more costly to possess a slight brightness, hinges to mount it to the plinth. Rega RP3 (HFC 351), the Audio- suggesting that the AT95Ex cartridge More positively, there is a very real Technica never seems quite as is the reason rather than any of the sense – thanks to features like the spacious or effortless, but neither on-board electronics. detachable headshell and non captive does it feel unnecessarily constrained. As a device for ripping your vinyl cabling – that the AT-LP5 has upgrade It is happiest with a rhythm to get to music fi les on a hard drive, the potential, and it would be interesting behind and there is a propulsive force AT-LP5’s rapid start and stop to see just how far the performance to the way it makes music that is characteristics – along with the easy of its tonearm could be taken with different to most rivals. The bass to cue arm – make it a better partner a different cartridge or headshell. response is usefully deep and has for this sort of digitalisation work There are some genuinely useful a detail and defi nition that can than some rivals. The bundled design details, too. The feet that are often elude some affordable rival Audacity software will only encode fi tted to the plinth would shame turntables. Leftfi eld’s positively at CD resolution (16-bit/44.1kHz) many rival decks at £1,000, and the rather than hi-res, but a test of a vinyl decision to equip the AT-LP5 with There’s no sign of track ripped to a Windows 7 laptop a three-pin IEC mains connection suggests that playback results are very means that it doesn’t seem to require the gremlins that favourable. Like many vinyl ripping any form of earth grounding to be bedevil direct-drive systems, the process is a little fi ddly employed, which is useful when you and nowhere near as straightforward make use of the internal phono stage turntable designs as physically playing the record but into an amp that doesn’t have this none of these issues are the fault of connection already fi tted. Setup is enormous sounding Bad Radio is the AT-LP5, and this value-added utterly painless, requiring you only delivered with much of the fury and functionality is likely to give the deck to set the plinth on a level surface drive intact and there is genuine even greater appeal. drop the platter and mat onto the impact to the bottom end. spindle and attach the headshell It’s fractionally less assured in the Conclusion and the counterweight. upper registers, but the AT95Ex Any minor quibbles about the AT-LP5 cartridge sounds rather more grown should not detract from what is a very Sound quality up and refi ned than its stock cousin, fi ne package indeed. What stands out Having done so, the sound that the although the AT-LP5 still hardens up most is that it is not a by-the-numbers AT-LP5 produces is subtly different to a little at higher frequencies and at response from a company that wants its rivals. The vast majority of higher volumes. The effect is rarely so to be in on the action in what has affordable belt-drive turntables on severe that it makes me want to stop become a competitive product sale today are commendably pitch listening or even turn the volume category. The AT-LP5 looks and feels stable, but the A-T takes this idea and down by any measurable amount, different to its price rivals and comes runs with it. The opening piano notes but the package will respond well to a across as a much clearer extension of Marvin Gaye’s Inner City Blues are little care and attention to partnering of Audio-Technica’s philosophy. It rock solid and this little detail has a with other components. manages to sound wonderfully surprising effect on the realism of the This requirement shouldn’t composed and brings the delights track. There is also no sign of any of automatically mean that you look of direct drive at an impressively the gremlins that can so often bedevil to switch the phono stage out of the low price and so has become one of direct-drive turntable designs. The system, though. The unit built into our favourite decks under £500 ● CONNECTIONS

1 J-shaped tonearm 1 2 and counterweight OUR VERDICT 2 Aluminium platter SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Propulsive and engaging sound; 3 IEC three-pin impressive spec; mains socket VALUE FOR MONEY good build DISLIKE: Slightly 4 USB-B digital bright top end; not the output BUILD QUALITY best-looking deck

5 Selectable phono WE SAY: A starter deck that delivers excellent stage output FEATURES performance at a competitive price 5 4 3 OVERALL

JANUARY 2016 59 FOSTEX PX-5HS REVIEWS ACTIVE STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKER £649

DETAILS proposition gaining favour among people who like to keep things PRODUCT Fostex PX-5HS simple, neat and tidy. Pro Plus ORIGIN Despite its studio provenance, the Japan MunroSonic EGG could easily have TYPE been mistaken for a lifestyle speakers. 2-way active There’s no danger of that here. The Fostex has tweaked its active PX-5 pro standmount loudspeaker unapologetically business-like Fostex monitor to tempt audio fans away from their WEIGHT is unlikely to draw gasps of surprise 5kg and delight from guests, unless passive boxes. David Vivian takes a listen DIMENSIONS they’re into a particularly understated (WxHxD) variety of studio chic. The grille-less 180 x 280 x 210mm baffl es have nicely contoured edges FEATURES aving had a good time rooms. Fun-sized it may be at less ● 25mm soft and the drive units concealed fi xings, with the MunroSonic than a foot tall, but the PX-5HS plays dome tweeter but the abiding aesthetic is starkly EGG100 near-fi eld it straight down the middle when it ● 132mm aramid functional – to the extent that the H fibre mid/bass monitoring system (HFC comes to its pro roots. The mains ● Claimed 18W small Fostex logo located low down 403), I was intrigued to try another socket, on/off rocker switch and (treble), 35W between the two forward-fi ring refl ex affordable studio stalwart vying for dual-function volume/tone control (mid/bass) Class ports glows orange to indicate when wider acceptance in the domestic hi-fi on the metal back plate of each D amplifiers the speaker is powered up. All right, DISTRIBUTOR market. Fostex’s £649 active two-way conventionally slab-sided enclosure SCV Distribution that looks pretty cool. It certainly PX-5HS standmount speaker fi ts drop a strong hint that its two drivers TELEPHONE seems to be very sturdily put together the bill perfectly. Essentially it’s the are powered by individual onboard 03301 222500 and the real-wood veneer looks and Japanese company’s PX-5 pro monitor amps served by an electronic WEBSITE feels rather classy. tweaked to ease out the optimum crossover network. A true active fostexinternational. There’s nothing too sexy about the listening distance from strictly near design, then, rather than a powered com appearance of the drivers, though fi eld to a more accommodating 5-7 setup with a stereo amp housed they’re actually quite high-tech, feet, making it a good fi t for smaller in one speaker, a market sector comprising a 132mm aramid fi bre

60 JANUARY 2016 FOSTEX PX-5HS ACTIVE STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKER £649 REVIEWS

mid/bass unit and a 25mm urethane are split between the drivers by a FIR tone tailoring options yet to be fi lm-laminated polyester-fi bre dome (Finite Infi nite Response) type digital explored, it’s not such a bad starting tweeter. Wholly synthetic, aramid dividing network teamed with point. Even now, there’s much to (aromatic polyamide) fi bres are heat DSP-based time alignment, the admire. As is often the case with true resistant and extremely tough, hence intended upshot being a clean active designs, there’s a sense of their use in Kevlar and Nomex. In signal path free from the kind of control, order and image solidity this case, the cones are impregnated subtractions, artefacts and phase that sounds inherently right if, at with a resin to beef up rigidity. The anomalies that passive crossover this stage, a little too matter of HAL-2000-like crimson hue of the components can so often impose. fact. Pushed right to the fore is tweeter dome is due to the colour intelligibility. This is great for hearing of the urethane fi lm laminate. Sound quality what’s going on and being able to The claimed frequency range There are two hook-up options: RCA focus on individual elements in the is a respectable 50Hz to a rather phono or XLR balanced. For the sake mix and, to my relief, it all hangs remarkable 40kHz (remarkable for a of leaving high-quality source duties together as a coherent entity with dome) with a 2.5kHz crossover point. to Chord’s Hugo DAC (HFC 386), I go the copious amounts of detail on Round the back, each speaker’s with RCA and my longest lengths of offer framed in a musical context volume and tone setting is handled by Townshend F1 Fractal interconnects. rather than being fi ercely spotlit. a small rotary knob garlanded with As usual it’s a Roksan Caspian M2 That said, the Fostex sounds rather tiny green indicator LEDs. Its active CD player spinning the discs as a ‘digital’ – a touch mechanical and function is determined by a slider transport and Slate Audio stands tonally grey. But that changes. After switch with three positions: volume, taking the supporting role. a good hour of limbering up with off and tone. The off position keeps Fresh from the box and with the some high octane Joe Satriani and the speaker permanently powered tone controls set ‘fl at’, the PX5-HS has the tone settings adjusted for my up, defeating the auto standby mode, a directness that’s startling, and not in room (maximum treble cut, a little which would otherwise kick in after an entirely good way. I think ‘explicit’ bass boost), the sound is warmer four hours of non use. The volume may be putting it mildly. In a sense, and more supple, allowing a more position can be used either as the what I’m hearing is exactly on point convincing rendition of instrument main way to adjust gain if the speaker for a pro near-fi eld monitor and timbre without shedding that is being fed by a line-level source or, much closer to the uncompromising appealing clarity, speed and grip. Now mix-dissecting presentation that I the loudspeaker more easily nails the It’s hard to pinpoint suggested as a defi ning characteristic line between resolving detail while of studio-based kit in the MunroSonic fully encompassing the bigger picture. any significant review. The little EGG100, while It’s still a very clean and unromantic weaknesses in incredibly resolute, manages to avoid kind of presentation, free of sounding overly forensic but fi rst manipulative emphasis and quite dry, the performance impressions here suggest that the but very engaging all the same. Fostex is precisely that. It’s hard to pinpoint any signifi cant rather more conveniently, to set and But this is a cold take, and with a weaknesses in the performance. Its forget if a preamp or other form of proper warm up still ongoing and ability to time is just as impressive as volume adjustment is used upstream. Flick the switch across to tone, It might not have and two more ‘status’ LEDs come the design chic into play. When the upper one is of MunroSonic’s, EGG100, but it illuminated, high-frequency output sure can sing can be adjusted to taste in steps corresponding to the lit encircling green LEDs. Pushing the rotary knob in towards the back plate lights up the lower LED and the process can be repeated for bass frequencies. It all sounds a bit complicated but, basically, we’re talking about fi nely calibrated tone controls. True, you’ll look in vain for the kind of connectivity niceties some more obviously home-friendly speaker- based systems offer such as a USB port, Bluetooth or AirPlay, likewise an internal DAC. But there’s no denying the room-friendly, pro-standard tuning possibilities on offer. Despite the all-inclusive build, the Fostex weighs a far-from wrist-wrenching 5kg apiece, thanks mainly to the compact and lightweight nature of the onboard Class-D amps. Those dedicated to the mid/bass drivers deliver 35W, while the tweeters receive 18W. Frequencies

JANUARY 2016 61 FOSTEX PX-5HS REVIEWS ACTIVE STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKER £649

Q&A IN SIGHT Matt Esau 3 1 25mm soft SCV Electronics Ltd 1 2 dome tweeter

2 XLR & RCA phono inputs

3 Dual-function volume/tone control

4 132mm aramid fibre mid/bass driver

5 Twin bass DV: Active speakers are a pro reflex ports staple. How does Fostex go about gaining a performance advantage? ME: When constructing speakers Fostex is able to take a ground-up approach combining many years of cabinet, driver and electronics experience to produce active designs that are a finely tuned combination of carefully selected components.

How have you developed the PX-5 to be more suitable for the home environment as the PX-5HS? 5 4 The PX-5HS is not only re-designed with home use in mind, it is a superior model. Firstly, the wood grain cabinet, stainless steel back panel its confi dence at the frequency stage. Or maybe something with a and internal damping materials are extremes. It combines drive, power more recognisably ‘hi-fi ’ badge. But if higher grade to improve acoustic and a wide dynamic range with body your bottom line is sonic ability, the performance, as well as aesthetics. and tonal subtlety. Fostex makes a compelling case for Internally the PX-5HS uses a different Yet it’s the immediacy and attack, a good pair of active speakers. Class-D amplifier with improved circuitry, which results in better S/N while comfortably keeping the right ratio and distortion figures. The side of aggression, that’s largely Conclusion improved electronics also increase responsible for capturing your That said, this little standmount isn’t the upper frequency response to attention. Stevie Wonder’s harmonica going to fl oat everyone’s boat. Despite 40kHz (20kHz on the PX5). Otherwise chops have seldom sounded more the efforts to ‘domesticate’ the PX-5 the woofer and tweeter are the same. vital, possessing a stinging, tingling Pro monitors on which it’s based, it’s The rotary encoder has been HOW IT tangibility. And John Mayer’s duet a design that still wears its studio simplified for more straightforward COMPARES with Herbie Hancock on Stitched Up is roots on its sleeve. Which isn’t to say consumer operation, and the front imbued with rare verve and authority. it’s a just a tool for inspecting the nuts baffle has a ‘mottled texture’ to This is tricky, of course, Bass isn’t the weightiest I’ve ever and bolts of a recording. Far from it. as you have to factor in complement the overall look, which the active amplification heard, but it is agile, taut and It may lack the fi nesse and immersive is not a feature of the PX5. which takes a standalone articulate. Add the ability to deliver imaging of the best, but it certainly component (and, effortless dynamic swings to the isn’t short of musical tact and its What other Fostex components indeed, speaker cable) midrange presence and intelligibility, combination of clarity, authority, would you recommend to go with out of the equation. and you have an active speaker sense of organisation and vitality is a the PX-5HS speakers? All things considered, MunroSonic’s EGG100 system that never fails to entertain. rare commodity in similarly priced The Fostex HP-A8C USB DAC is an Ultimately, the little Fostex delivers passive rivals. Audition it yourself excellent component to match with system (HFC 403) is more sympathetic to the musical message with impressive and you might well be surprised ● the PX-5HS. It offers a powerful home listening with conviction. Its sound is highly preamp with +10dB extra gain, which some truly high-end is helpful in getting the most from the detailed and insightful yet easy to qualities, not least its listen to for long periods. It’s expertly PX-5HS, with digital and analogue wonderful holographic inputs so it can easily be integrated soundstaging. But it voiced and images precisely within a OUR VERDICT generous soundstage. It goes loud with existing equipment at the heart does cost over twice as SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Clear, explicit of the system. It features a high-end much as the PX-5 HS without complaint or any appreciable and detailed sound 32-bit DAC with support up to PCM and can’t quite muster hardening of tone or compression of with fine grip and drive 24-bit/192kHz and DSD 2.4MHz. It is the duo’s punch and dynamics. It sounds fast and can rock. VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Might be bass performance. In short, it does what every good a little too dry and also possible to play media directly Quad’s exquisite S-1 upfront for some BUILD QUALITY from SD cards on the HP-A8C, so a (HFC 404) must get a speaker system should and creates WE SAY: A neat, well PC is not even required – perfect for a mention, especially a sense of there being a wide open made and affordable active standmount second home or a remote room now that its price has window on the recording that FEATURES with bags of insight without PC access, for example. been revised down to allows the listener to home in on the and control £499. Passive it may be particular without losing sight of the but, for transparency, OVERALL poise and musicality, whole. Some might wish for more little else gets close. conventional-looking kit with a shiny powerhouse amplifi er sitting centre

62 JANUARY 2016

INSIDER FEATURE BANG & OLUFSEN

To mark its 90th In with a anniversary Denmark’s Bang & Olufsen has launched the BeoLab 90. Adrian Justins goes behind the scenes to BANG discover how it’s made ang & Olufsen’s BeoLab 90 active Automatic Bass Calibration (ABC), which loudspeaker is a hulking great alters low-frequency output in response to B beast of a thing, weighing 135kg a room’s affect on the bass. Since it was and built from the highest quality launched 12 years ago ABC has found its materials. It has a 360° soundfi eld, created way into over 15 products, while the by discrete amplifi ers delivering up to aforementioned acoustic lens has formed the 8,200W to its 18 drivers (seven 300W cornerstone of B&O’s hugely successful foray tweeters, seven 300W midrange drivers and into in-car audio. four 1kW woofers), which are custom made in Denmark by Scan-Speak. It also has a Simple as 1, 2, 3... clever active room compensation process. BeoLab 90 takes the concept of ABC to a Priced at £26,995 per speaker, the BeoLab new level with Active Room Compensation 90 is certainly a fl agship product worth (ARC). Using an external microphone talking about, and I was lucky enough to be (supplied with the loudspeaker and most invited to its unveiling at B&O’s HQ in Struer likely operated by an installer), it’s possible on Denmark’s exposed Atlantic coast. to measure the effects of a room’s acoustical B&O is one of those brands like Sonos, behaviour in different zones in the room and Linn and Naim that doesn’t seem to follow a subsequently select optimised compensation trend, but is confi dent enough to furrow its fi lters for different situations. own path, throwing up some innovations Tonmeister Geoff Martin (technology as it goes. Over the years it has made some specialist for sound design and product highly distinctive products – New York’s creation) explains the benefi t: “You can Museum of Modern Art has 11 B&O customise a fi lter for the sofa, and another products in its Permanent Design Collection for your dining area and in cases where you – such as the BeoLab 19 speaker that are moving between these locations, you can successfully blends cool design with select a combination of both fi lters to create attention to detail and performance- a single compensation fi lter that improves enhancing features such as the acoustic lens. the sound experience in both locations.” Prior to the BeoLab 90, the BeoLab 5 The BeoLab 90 also offers another represented Bang & Olufsen’s most advanced development in acoustical room acoustic correction product, featuring compensation not found in ABC:

Bang & Olufsen timeline

The first Beolit Slim, flat radios, based on the new technology of transistors, are developed Bang & Olufsen moves radio is in Struer, and marketed under the slogan production to a newly introduced and “For those who discuss design and built factory in Struer. the first product quality before price”. The Beomaster A new mains radio, the using Bang & Olufsen’s new Bakelite 900 achieves immediate popularity. 3-lamper is launched. press for molding cabinets.

1925 1927 1934 1939 1950 1964

Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, begin a modest Influenced by Bauhaus Bang & Olufsen introduces production of radios in the attic of the Olufsen Functionalism, the Hyperbo is its first prototype family manor, Quistrup, near the town of Struer, launched, a radio and television at an exhibition North-West Denmark. The first commercially gramophone in one with in Forum heralding the viable product to bear the Bang & Olufsen integrated loudspeaker. Bauhaus arrival of TV in Denmark in name is the Eliminator – a component inside is not merely a style; it is also an 1950. The first production the radio that made batteries unnecessary, attitude to quality, consumer- TV was the 508 S allowing you to connect it directly to the mains. friendliness and aesthetics. launched in 1952.

64 JANUARY 2016 INSIDER FEATURE BANG & OLUFSEN

frequency is different. At 400Hz the beam is The BeoLab 90’s app offers a number of wide, at 2.5kHz there is almost no width, variables including parameters such as while at 7kHz it widens again. latency, frequency tilt, sound enhancing, Geoff says: “If you listen to Tom’s Diner by sound design and parametric equalisation. Suzanne Vega on an ordinary loudspeaker Latency for example controls the Beam the low end sounds far away, her Ss and Ts Width of the sound radiating from the sound close. It’s a strange 3D effect. We want BeoLab 90, a customised Finite Impulse the same energy at all frequencies going Response (FIR) audio fi lter is selected for towards the side-walls. Our target is each woofer, midrange and tweeter. These constant directivity and we want a constant, fi lters are applied to each of the DSP’s 18 narrow beam. audio output channels. “We can change the shape of a speaker, but However, in order to control the very low it only works for a specifi c sweet spot. This is frequency bands, it is necessary for the not good when we have friends over.” The woofers’ FIR fi lters to be very long. One solution is to put extra drivers in – many of implication of this is that it takes some time them. “We have a normal three-way speaker between the moment an audio signal enters consisting of a tweeter, midrange and a Geoff Martin – woofer but we also use a back woofer to B&O’s technology absorb sound if necessary, or use a side specialist for tweeter to add. We can change the beam sound design width to whatever we want,” he concludes. multi-channel processing. “The loudspeakers Some 2,200kg of not only ‘see’ each other as having an effect on the room, they help each other to control material is removed the room’s acoustical infl uence,” says Geoff. from the steel mould to Once the speakers (for one would obviously need a stereo pair) are calibrated, create the 65kg cabinet the listener can select the desired fi lter from a list of presets that can be stored in a The app stores fi lter settings for three beam smartphone app, or if using a B&O TV widths covering the sweet spot, broader screen, from the TV’s remote. listening and for parties (the latter called Omni mode). What makes it sing Geoff admits that an unwanted side-effect Geoff describes how Bang & Olufsen’s of BeoLab 5’s ABC was the possibility of BeoLab 90 optimisation process works: “Your worsening the sound in the place where it brain compares the amount of direct sound matters most. “Many algorithms correct the with refl ected sounds, which enables it to whole room, but this doesn’t make sense for calculate distance. You don’t want a speaker the sweet spot if I only sit on the couch. to generate too much refl ected sound or you What happens is the room keeps singing for can’t calculate depth accurately. With most me,” he says, explaining the unwanted effect normal loudspeakers this is what happens, of refl ections. But this can be overcome by and at different frequencies.” the process of noise cancellation. “If I’m Typically at 300Hz you have a very wide clever I can take that signal and fl ip it upside beam while conversely at higher frequencies down. We measure what the room does and it’s a narrow beam. The result is that some deliver to the speaker the anti-room. You can higher frequencies sound closer. But every decide what you want with the BeoLab 90.”

Bang & Olufsen launches B&O PLAY sub-brand is BeoSound 9000, a unique revealed launching Beolit 12 six-CD player with a built-in as its first take on portable radio. It is a great sales sound based on wireless success all over the world. streaming technologies.

1978 1995 2003 2012 2014

The Museum of Modern Art, BeoLab 5 is considered an First wireless loudspeakers New York holds a special acoustic breakthrough, based on the WiSA platform exhibition of Bang & Olufsen thanks to the introduction of are launched, BeoLab 18 is products and now has 11 B&O acoustic lens technology and one of the speakers carrying products in its Permanent adaptive bass construction. this technology. Design Collection.

JANUARY 2016 65 INSIDER FEATURE BANG & OLUFSEN

The BeoLab 90’s The BeoLab 90 65kg cabinet on the is put to the test production line in the Cube

Gertz Monk checks the performance of every speaker built

the input of the loudspeaker and the which is then pulled to 3m in length and reference loudspeaker within 0.2dB between moment it exits the loudspeaker as sound. then bent into a wave pattern. Each one is 20Hz and 20kHz. The lower in frequency the Beam Width polished for an hour by a special robot The BeoLab 90 was acoustically tuned in Control is extended, the longer the latency before being anodised, after which it is B&O’s enormous 12m-high Cube, which is (or delay) of the loudspeaker and the longer visually inspected by human eyes under not quite an anechoic chamber, “We have 20 the latency, the “tighter” the bass. Using special lights for defects. milliseconds of refl ection-free measurement fi lters to alter the output of so many separate Connectivity comprises B&O’s Power Link, time,” explains Jakob Dyreby acoustic drivers is fraught with diffi culty and few but RCA, XLR (fully balanced), USB and S/PDIF technology specialist. This is enough time the bravest of B&O’s typical customers are (both 24-bit/192kHz) and an optical input to characterise the linear response of the likely to mess with the advanced settings, (24-bit/96kHz). For now at least DSD is speaker down to 100Hz, which is ordinarily leaving it to the professional installer to not supported and DXD is beyond the scope more than suffi cient. “But with BeoLab 90 perfect the output. of the Burr-Brown chipset, which has a we are controlling the directivity below maximum sampling frequency of 216MHz. 100Hz,” he adds. The obvious solution but Size matters Most of B&O’s products are now assembled not one their budget stretched to, Jakob Given the sheer size of the BeoLab 90 (it in Czech Republic aside from its in-car audio joked, is to build a chamber fi ve times bigger. measures 73.5 x 123.5 x 74.7cm – wxhxd), range and the new BeoLab 90, which are “So we developed methodology to measure a major challenge for a company known for credibly down to 10Hz.” To calculate its elegant designs has been achieving the Once the speakers are precisely the transfer function of 18 speaker’s appearance. The look of the model drivers they end up with around 1,700 is inspired by a number of design elements calibrated, the listener measurements. One aspect of dealing with found in such areas as architecture and selects the filter from a so much power is the danger of damaging motoring, although it was largely dictated the drivers. “We can fry a tweeter in 100 simply by the voluminous stack of drivers list of presets via an app milliseconds. To prevent this we monitor the and electronics. Each colossal speaker is temperature of the voice coil and can turn it hewn from a single block of aluminium. It is made in its Struer factory. Each speaker is down if it gets too hot.” the largest single cabinet in Bang & Olufsen’s built by hand and takes approximately fi ve history and the biggest aluminium part its hours to complete. It is then tested in Driving ambition supplier has ever made. Some 2,200kg of an anechoic chamber by Gertz Monk, The bespoke Scan-speak drivers are material is removed from the steel mould to technology specialist in electro-acoustics, unusually dynamically stable. They have a create the cabinet, which alone weighs 65kg. who has been at B&O for 39 years. He patented design that features multiple voice The loudspeaker driver positions and showed me the purpose-built test box – a coils so that the electrical load is controlled orientations are defi ned by the acoustical double-room, sealed, fl oating chamber 16m3 to linearise the response. Copper is used to requirements and the placement of the big. “We are cloning the speakers to be stabilise the inductance. electronics’ cooling fi ns was chosen to ensure exactly the same,” he says. As such each one B&O’s CEO Tue Mantoni admits to me that the rising heat would have no impact has to sound exactly like a reference model. that the BeoLab 90 is not for everybody, on the sound. In a subtle contrast to the All test samples have to be in the test and I do wonder if function hasn’t won massiveness of the loudspeakers, the outer environment for 24 hours to equalise the over form. More Pavarotti than Carreras “skin” is made of acoustically transparent effect of temperature, and allowances are or Domingo. But the craftsmanship is fabric stretched in the manner of sails made for barometric pressure. An automated undeniably impressive and the technology hovering in front of the driver units. The measurement is performed using 18 will certainly fi lter down into more base of the structure was originally designed microphones (one for each loudspeaker affordable products ● to be open, but curved wooden panels were driver) so that where small differences in the added to hide the 8kW worth of amplifi cation, responses are found, custom correction bang-olufsen.com once it was added to the drive units. fi lters are created and loaded into the Digital bang-olufsen.com/ To avoid the appearance of welded joins, Signal Processing. This ensures that each CONTACT storelocator each of the three aluminium crowns are cut loudspeaker’s third-octave smoothed DETAILS out from a single solid block of aluminium, response matches that of the master

66 JANUARY 2016 Sinfonia 7KH 6LQIRQLD LQWHJUDWHG DPSOLÀHU IURP 8QLVRQ 5HVHDUFK Technical Information ERDVWVDGXDOPRQRVLQJOHHQGHGSXUH&ODVV$YDOYHGHVLJQ 'XDOPRQRVWHUHRLQWHJUDWHGDPSOLÀHU WKDWSHUIRUPVWRWKHKLJKHVWDXGLRSKLOHVWDQGDUG 6LQJOHHQGHGSDUDOOHO&ODVV$GHVLJQ 'HVLJQHGDQGPDQXIDFWXUHGLQ,WDO\HYHU\SDUWRIWKH6LQIRQLD·V [YDOYHV WZRSHUFKDQQHO VW\OLVK \HW VRSKLVWLFDWHG GHVLJQ KDV EHHQ PHWLFXORXVO\ [(&&YDOYHV RQHSHUFKDQQHO HQJLQHHUHG [(&&YDOYHV RQHSHUFKDQQHO The FLUFXLWU\ DQG SXUSRVHGHVLJQHG ELDV VHWWLQJV RI WKH :2XWSXW DPSOLÀHU·V SRZHU VWDJH KDYH EHHQ WXQHG WR SHUIHFWO\ )UHTXHQF\5HVSRQVH+] DFFRPPRGDWHWKHIRXUYDOYHV(TXDOO\WKH(&&DQG %XLOWLQSRZHUVXSSO\RXWSXWIRU6LPSO\ (&&YDOYHVXVHGLQWKHSUHDQGSRZHUGULYHVWDJHVKDYH 3KRQRSKRQRVWDJH EHHQVHOHFWHGGXHWRWKHLUVXSHULRUFKDUDFWHULVWLFV7KHHQG 6\VWHP5HPRWHLQFOXGHG UHVXOWLVDULFKYDOYHVRXQGWKDWSXWVPXVLFDOHQMR\PHQWÀUVW Sinfonia Anniversary, with Gold Lion Available across the UK now valves (pictured), also available.

Distributed by Henley Designs Ltd. T: +44 (0)1235 511 166 | E: [email protected] | W: www.henleydesigns.co.uk

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NEVILLE ROBERTS JASON KENNEDY DAVID PRICE CHRIS WARD EXPERTISE: ENGINEER EXPERTISE: REVIEWER EXPERTISE: REVIEWER EXPERTISE: REVIEWER Neville has an eclectic taste Editor of HFC from 1998 to DP two-finger typed his first Like his first kiss, Chris will More ways to get in touch: for classical baroque. His 2001, Jason’s first turntable hi-fi review 25 years ago. never forget the sound of his wife was forced to marry his was Rega’s Planar 3 and Elvis’ Since then he’s edited Hi-Fi first amp – an Aura Evolution You can also send your transmission line speakers in 40 Greatest Hits was his first World and HFC. He describes VA-100. War Of The Worlds questions to us via social media: the eighties and he collects vinyl, so don’t go stepping on himself as an “unreconstructed and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours BBC test card music. his blue suede shoes. analogue addict”. were his first records. twitter.com@HiFiChoiceMag facebook.com/hifichoice.co.uk

Email us at [email protected] or write to: Hi-Fi Choice Letters, AVTech Media Ltd, Enterprise House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6HF Your letters may be edited before publication and we cannot enter into personal correspondence

Speaker help concrete screed fl oor with carpet Hi there, I’m a long-time reader and 4.3 x 3.8 x 2.4m (lxwxh) of the mag and wonder if you dimensions. The speakers are can help me with my search toed-in about 2-3° pointing for some new fl oorstanders to across the room. They are replace my old ones. I like all not ideally positioned in alcoves sorts of music, but won’t listen about 190mm from the back wall to an artist I like if the album is and 50mm from front baffl e to recorded badly. chimney breast. I have auditioned a bunch of The speakers I listened to different speakers, but I found were: Spendor D7, AR6, Proac them to be lacking in the drum D20R, Neat Momentum SX3 replay department. On track one standmounts. I also tried out The CYP AU-D4 of Muse’s Drones for example, Naim’s entry-level CD and Analogue Audio Phantom menace Converter holds the fl oorstanders revealed some Supernait amp, Rega’s Elicit R the answer Hi HFC, love the mag. I have read real deep base at the beginning and Saturn-R CD. I’ve also tried for Kerem your review and had an audition of the track but then when the an Arcam amp with Rega Saturn. of Devialet’s stunning Phantom drummer kicked, in it was lean Cheers Rob loudspeakers (HFC 400) and to non-existent. I understand was blown away by their there are the laws of diminishing JK: Hi Rob, if you want decent bass performance. I have set my eyes, returns in hi-fi but I left the you need power and control, and heart and wallet on getting a demo feeling down hearted. the Audiolab 8000A for all its pair but my problem is how do I I don’t want to mess the dealer qualities is not especially renowned get to hook up my turntable? around as he was great, but I for this. I would, therefore, Seems like I need a preamp with can’t justify spending if I don’t recommend using its preamplifi er an optical out. Any suggestions? hear a marked improvement. section and then partnering it with an Kerem Zorlu My hi-fi consists of: Rega Planet ATC P1 power amplifi er (£2,079), CD player, Audiolab 8000A this will give you as much bass as you JK: Hi Kerem, you need an ADC, an amplifi er, Acoustic Energy AE109 like with a speaker like the Spendor analogue-to-digital converter, which loudspeakers, Chord Cobra D7 or Proac D20R and many others. are relatively rare beasts outside of interconnects and QED Silver It’s not cheap, but you get 150 of the the studio world. What would be speaker cable. All of it is 18 to grippiest Watts in the business and it really useful would be a phono stage 20 years old. My room has a really does kick ass. with a digital output, but they usually have USB rather than optical outputs. The only suitable option I can fi nd is the CYP AU-D4 Analogue Audio Converter, which is a budget ADC at a mere £55. The drawback is that output is limited to 48kHz and quality will inevitably be compromised by price. There seems to be nothing better than this until you get to pro ATC’s P1 power amplifier should devices like the Prism AD2, which give Rob the comes in at an inconvenient £5,700 bass he desires and even then stops at 96kHz.

JANUARY 2016 69 LETTERS

bass). I could go on, but my point is that reviewers and potential purchasers alike should make sure they try a wide range of music before giving their approval (or hard earned cash) to a product. The scary thing is that some products do brilliantly with some types of music, but really rather poorly with others. As for your upgrade, you’ve just given me a superb and well- researched shortlist. In all honesty, you should start by auditioning all the aforementioned speakers with a neutral amplifi er such as the Exposure 3010S2-D (HFC 397), and choose your favourite. Then buy the amp that best matches the speakers, and indeed your musical taste. My own personal preference would be the Exposure amp driving the ATC SCM40s (HFC 389), but again that’s down to my taste. The good news is every single product you mention is excellent. When you’ve made your selections, come back to us and we’ll Listen without DP reckons Roksan Caspian M2, Naim Nait suggest some cables and tweaks. prejudice Kalwant should XS 2, Rega Elicit-R and a lesser audition his JK: I’ve read your magazine for a speakers with known product on these shores, You are not the fi rst to express number of years and have often an Exposure the Lyngdorf TDAI-2170 (which this opinion. At the recent National thought that sometimes the test 3010S2-D... will make my M-DAC redundant). music has been a little narrow in Speaker-wise, the ATC SCM40, Why is so much its leniency towards prog rock Spendor D7 and PMC twenty.24 and the seventies. If it’s not prog grab my attention. What are your seventies prog rock rock then it’s classical. thoughts on these? used as test music One way for the press to shift Kalwant Chaggar, Leeds more magazines would be to in your reviews? showcase how amazingly DP: Music taste is, of course, intensely insightful, revealing and detailed personal but I always try to run Audio Show I found only one room modern music can sound. The the gamut of genres. When I am where they played contemporary ...and that ATC’s market for people who love SCM40 would reviewing, it’s necessary to be music and I stayed a lot longer as a Madonna and Notorious BIG be the most disciplined. This means putting on a result. It’s a chicken and egg thing; is huge and to hear their suitable match wide variety of different music and many enthusiasts clearly like the recordings on a high-quality seeing how the equipment copes with music of the seventies because that’s system would undeniably be it. It always amazes me that some when they discovered great sound, revelatory for them. equipment that can sound superb but if the industry is to bring in new Secondly, I am upgrading an with rock suddenly struggles with blood it needs to embrace a broader ageing budget hi-fi , which in classical, jazz or reggae. range of material. part consists of a NAD C350 For example, rock requires an Of your system upgrade choices, amp and Tannoy Revolution R2 incisive and detailed treble (hi-hat the pairing that has the most appeal speakers. Having ripped all of cymbals), midband clarity (vocals, to me is the Rega Elicit-R (HFC 374) my CDs to FLAC (Vortexbox), I electric guitars, snares) and a punchy and PMC twenty.24, both are fi ne bought an Audiolab M-DAC and bass that’s reasonably tuneful (bass pieces of kit that will synch together Logitech Squeezebox Touch guitar). Classic reggae, such as and produce better sound than you streamer. The M-DAC was a some early UB40, is much more are currently enjoying. The other big leap in sound quality groove-based and needs better option that comes to mind is the ATC compared with playing CDs on timing (rhythmic guitars, keyboards, SCM40A, the active version. You my Marantz CD6000 OSE CD rim shots, snare) and a very supple could use your M-DAC to control player and now I’d like to and rich bass (bass guitar). Classical volume and have a phenomenally upgrade my amplifi er and music needs a less prodigious bass powerful and revealing system that speakers. I like a clean, open, or silky treble, but you’re into a would do justice to any genre of neutral, detailed and warm wonderfully clean and smooth music you care to think of. sound that captures the midband with real tonal colour characteristics of instruments (strings, brass, etc.), and fi ne timing, CW: I fi nd Hi-Fi Choice has the widest and voices as they were dynamics and spatial accuracy. Jazz and most eclectic take on test tracks, recorded. My listening room is needs a great, silky treble (ride but the point you make is interesting. 14 x 16ft. I’m considering the cymbals, hi hats), a spacious and If I had a pound for every time I’ve Creek Evolution 100A, Arcam sweet midband (sax, fl ute, piano), heard Strong by London Grammar at FMJ A39, Exposure 3010S2-D, and a warm and fl uid bass (double a demo I’d be a wealthy man...

70 JANUARY 2016

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In the money so-often useful reviews, tips and LETTER Hi, I’m looking for a bit hints etc. are there any tips for OF THE of advice. I’ve decided getting help on tape cassette MONTH to ditch the CDs and (and or reel-to-reel machine) stick with vinyl/streaming repair(s) from your assembled and Spotify/digital radio as my experts? The one or two “major” main sources. I’ve always had suppliers offering repairs or budget gear, low-end Rotel, “check-out fault-fi nding services” Monitor Audio, Cambridge etc, offer a degree of useful help at but for the fi rst time I have a bit (often) modest costs, but are of cash (not high-end cash!). unable to source replacement I’m looking to pair up an spares if the manufacturer is upgraded Thorens TD-160 with either no longer in (full retail) a suitable amp, streamer/radio business, or provides no further and standmount speakers. support for the product. They I was thinking maybe the have often sold out to another Arcam FMJ A19, Cambridge concern or are simply (in my Audio Stream Magic 6 V2 and opinion) not interested in B&W 685 S2. Any thoughts genuine customer service. on my choices would be If amateurs/small repair appreciated. Kind regards businesses were willing to Steve Gibson, by email advertise in your magazine for, say a small fee, I don’t doubt JK: Don’t get rid of your CDs Steve, that they would profi t greatly they sound better than you think, so put them in the attic until you can I’m looking for an afford a Rega Saturn-R (HFC 384). As for a new system your choices look amp and speakers to pretty sensible but could be bettered partner my Thorens by a Rega Elicit-R (HFC 374) integrated amplifi er, which has a turntable, any tips? decent phono input for the Thorens and would work well with the B&Ws. from the generated business On the streamer front while the interest from the frustrated Cambridge is undoubtedly good, I’d hordes of audiophiles with encourage you to look at the non-functioning but otherwise Bluesound Node 2. This is a NAD serviceable hi-fi kit amongst us, product in disguise, quite an and so would your own attractive disguise at that, and it’s got magazine from the wider a lot going for it on the interest it would surely drum up. sound-quality front. Best wishes from an avid reader, keep up the good work. Tape problems Joe H White, Loughborough Dear HFC, while always singing the praises of your magazine for NR: Hi Joe, hopefully our Guide to its generally insightful and reel-to-reel and cassette tape decks

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in last month’s issue will be of cartridge needed an update on Neil’s Rega assistance. There is quite a bit you my Systemdek II, so I opted at turntable is suffering from can do yourself, even though you may the time for the Ortofon 2M Red. a mysterious not have specialist equipment. On a After fi tting it I found it was an humming broader front, there are indeed some improvement in range to my old people out there that sell all sorts of cartridge, but hated the IGD/ spare parts, such as Falcon Acoustics Sibilance issues with it from (01865 358001), which stocks parts about the last third of each for old drive units. As far as drive physical record I played. After belts are concerned, there are many researching the issue, I found suppliers out there, including GB the answer in the shape of Audio (0131 6610022) in Scotland Audio-Technica’s AT440MLa. which has a huge selection to fi t a The difference was incredible, wide range of models. Also, you’d be although not as lively sounding surprised what you can fi nd if you at the 2M Red, all other issues have a search on ebay. where completely irradiated. With the AT440 cartridge CW: It’s an intriguing idea. There is completely transforming my certainly a need to fettle many older vinyl collection, I sought to pieces of hi-fi equipment, but I’ve change the turntable, opting for personally never struggled to fi nd the very beautiful red Rega RP6. recommendations of people to do this With the dealer’s assistance I essential work. Quality dealers always decided not to opt for a pre-fi tted have engineers they turn to, so do cartridge and instead asked ask. Online forums can also be an them to swap my beloved AT440 excellent place to start, as not only that was on the Systemdek to the RP6. But the Rega hated it, I’m struggling to find and produced a very loud hum through the speakers. a reputable person to Changing down to a Rega RP3, fix my aging cassette the issue went away slightly, but increased again when fi tting player, can you help? the optional TT-PSU. The key component here seemed to be will you fi nd people promoting their the TT-PSU, as the RP6 cannot own skills, but hopefully also a function without it, whereas in number of happy customers who will the case of the RP3 it is entirely endorse their services. Magazines are optional. So I left the shop with perfect for longer-term advertisers a rather fl at grey-looking RP3 that by defi nition have had to achieve instead. But I can still hear a many manufacturing and trading slight hum coming from it when standards. It would, however, be very the volume is increased (usual diffi cult for a magazine to carry listening volume is -11dB) via the advertisements promoting small speakers or using headphones. service providers with few ways to Is this because the Rega doesn’t substantiate their competence, like some cartridges, or the fact especially around safety and critical that the Rega’s arm uses some electrical engineering. internal grounding mechanism, not the normal old-school Rattle and hum grounding wire? I am writing in hope of some Is there a way I can stop the help on some issues I have with hum or am I stuck with it? Would my vinyl playback. After getting another turntable be my best back into vinyl about four years answer, such as the ClearAudio ago, I decided that my ageing Concept, and how does it fair ‘The Audiobarn is an impressive place in which to demo hi-fi equipment, and I was impressed with the comfortable, intimate feel of the venue in amongst a very relaxed rural setting.’ Matthew T

‘I really can’t remember a more pleasurable audition – it was great to be given as long as we wanted, to just listen to music without any pressure.’ Kristian W 01279 454 860 www.theaudiobarn.co.uk LETTERS

it may not necessarily work for you. The slight hum, which you consider is coming from the TT-PSU may be hum pick-up from the PSU – try re-siting the PSU as far away as possible from the tonearm. If that doesn’t work and if you’ve tried that already, another option is to disconnect the screen/ earth connection in both RCA phono plugs that connect into the phono stage. With hum problems, there is no alternative to trial and error, but I wouldn’t give up yet. Thanks for all the memories Congratulations on the 400th issue (left). I remember fondly those little booklets. They taught me to understand equipment with customisation? specs and all sorts of technical I’ve tried different positions, stuff like matching cartridge mains sockets, amps, and phono compliance with arm-effective stages, but the hum remains! mass. Based on those books, Neil McAlister, Maidstone, Kent when still a student I bought an Armstrong 625 receiver and JK: That’s a real mystery Neil, I’ve Philips 312 electronic automatic used a wide variety of cartridges on turntable. The speakers were an RP6 and never encountered the problem you have. I think you’re right My Rega turntable is with regard to earthing, Regas do not have separate earth wires and the making a mysterious noise you describe does sound like humming noise – an earthing issue. It may be a case of attaching a separate wire to a screw how do I stop it? that’s attached to the armbase and earthing that to the phono stage. It’s Rogers Compact Monitors (a size an approach used by SME among up from the famous LS3-5A). I others and can be useful as a means still have them all although the to prevent hum. I would also receiver has conked out. The recommend you call Rega and see unfashionable Philips still if someone there has a suggestion, plays well, lately with a Grado if anyone knows it’ll be them. cartridge, and the Rogers are pretty good, but like me they NR: The loud hum is most likely have just retired. caused by a hum loop. Some Peter Ungphakorn, Coppet, cartridges have an internal Switzerland connection of either the left or right earth pin to the body of the cartridge. NR: Hello Peter, thank you for your This can cause a hum loop when you kind words. I bet the Rogers speakers also have an earth connection of the still sound good too – they were really signal by the phono stage and also up there with the competition at the by the earth wire coming from the time. I believe they are a two-way tonearm cable fi tted to the RB303 design using a 205mm bass unit and tonearm (that has an internal earth a 25mm fabric-domed tweeter in an connection near the counterweight infi nite baffl e enclosure. I hope we stub). I have solved a problem like keep the tradition alive of including this in the past by simply leaving the some technical background and fl ying earth wire disconnected, but general information for the new

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Letter of the Month winners receive a Russ Andrews PowerMax Plus mains lead worth £56. Write to us at: [email protected] This changes everything... The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the attitudes or opinions of Hi-Fi Choice or AVTech Media Ltd. Show must go on go Show must exemplar here here exemplar the UK’s finest is undoubtedly The Hi-Fi Show owning or hi-fi, hi-fi, or owning off showing it’s stalls Whether showcase ‘stuff’ atallifyou’reintohi- showcase ‘stuff’ designed tohelpyouunwind.They’renot tension untilyou’retwitchinglikeastickonsnaredrum. you insistondrivingthere,tryingtoparkwillpilethe extremely lucky, thevenuewon’tbeanywherenearand, if to stuffyouprobablyaren’tgoingbuy. Unlessyou’re to demoatalentedhi- concerned. Askanymanufacturertonametheworstplace hotel fortheweekend.Itcanbefrustratingeveryone of themajorannualeventsthatsubsumelargepartsa multiple subwoofersat125dB. bedroom nextdoorisplayinganearthquakethrough glimpse whatitisyoucanbarelyhearbecausethe anything isjustinsidethedoorwayontiptoes,tryingto typically, however, theclosestyou’llcometoexperiencing somewhere intheroomsightofspeakers.More they’ve listenedto,youmightbeluckyandgetaseat people”. Ifit’sagoodsystemthateveryonewantstosay will be:“ahotelbedroomstuffedtoover out thereeverymonthoftheyear, hi- reason forthis.Ofallthetypesofconsumergoodsshows it hastobesaid,haveagreattime.Andthere’sgood racks. Butstillwegotodroolandtouchgossipand, where thefamousandfabulouscometodieontheir show isnotthebestwaytoassessahi- as tryingtowatchare-runof wheel ofacaryoucan’tswitchonisaboutasstimulating you justgetlost.Forever. Andforwhat?Sittingatthe the exhibitionhallsseemtobelargerthancityitself– infamously gruellingFrankfurtextravaganza,say, where hard tomitigatefailings,arebyfarthebest. headache-inducing spotlights. Why do so many people headache-inducing spotlights.Why dosomanypeople tedium of, well,looking atimpossiblyshinycarsunder glare ofthenextpunterdesperate torelievethenumbing the smallhairsonbackofyour neckaresingedbythe Even thenyou’llonlybethereamatterofsecondsbefore W The venues usually aren’t that helpful – certainly not The venuesusuallyaren’tthathelpful–certainlynot All right,worstcasescenario,butyougettheidea.Ahi- Arguably, motorshowsareworst.At amotorshow–the Night-Time about hy dowelikegoingto‘shows’?I’mnottalking you get to walk around and look at or listen you gettowalkaroundandlookatorlisten The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The The CuriousIncidentOfDogIn fi or system and the most likely answer systemandthemostlikelyanswer David Vivian David Mama Mia! Live Top Gear

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ourselves... we dosay so there is–even if finest examples Live The Hi-Fi Show Show and tell DAVID VIVIAN OPINION is one of the isoneofthe 79 STYLE. PERFORMANCE. FUNCTION.

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Distributed by Henley Designs Ltd. T: +44 (0)1235 511 166 | E: [email protected] | W: www.henleydesigns.co.uk Picture credit: Shutterstock/Photographee.eu Caught in theact muddy footprints until hiswife found smuggled them in He thoughthe’d some people, says No matter where you are in the world, hi-fi systems have the same eff something ofaclassicalmusicfan,cametohi- in China’scapitalcitycouldonlydreamof. Gray, being ‘dual-income-no-kids’ sortoflifeinalargehousethatmany Kingdom. He’sasuccessfulartistandlivesratheropulent growing numberofhigh-endaudiophilesfromtheMiddle Gray, whosenamehasbeenchangedtoprotecttheguilty. recognise theirownbehaviourinthatofmyChinesefriend their timeandmoneyonthisgloriouspursuitofourswill around 10yearsago–having some smallerChinesehi- are as that gothimintoseriousaudioexotica,however. Hisears he stilllikesandrespects. story wasthatbecauseoftherarity ofhisexistingCDplayer, expensive thanthelast–hehadmerely‘side-graded’.The the newbitofkitlookingmoreglamorous,shinyand proudly whereitspredecessorusedtobe. a pictureoftheaforementionedpieceequipmentsitting learn hehadboughtit–notbyanytextmessagebutsimply implore himtotryitinhissystem.SometimesIwouldlater me, askingifitwasanygood.To this,everytime,Iwould up. Whentheydid,he’dbeonWeChat (China’sTwitter) to began aperiodofseveralyearswaitingforthingstocome aspired tobuynew, butex-demonstrationwoulddo,andso take thatone”,Graybegannegotiatingwiththedealers.He up bythehandfulofcompaniesthatdistributedthem. lot cheapertolivein,helpedhimamasssomecashovera even byWestern standards,inacountrythatcanbequite he heard,andbegantosaveup.Makingaverydecentliving was noobject.Graydulydecidedthathehadtohavewhat mid-market fareheownedandwhatwaspossibleifcost he couldinstantlyhearthedifferencebetweengood it back–andwiththepro had madehimanofferhecouldn’t refuseandbought DAC, preamporwhateverinChina,theimporterdealer W Living in a well-to-do suburb of Beijing, he’s one of a Living inawell-to-dosuburbofBeijing,he’sone It wasachancevisittohigh-endhi- In the early days, he was able to tell his wife that – despite In theearlydays,hewasabletotellhiswifethat–despite Unable togointotheshop,pointatabitofkitandsay, “I’ll fi nely balanced as his drawing hand, and this meant nely balancedashisdrawinghand,andthismeant operating. So anyone who has ever lavished operating. Soanyonewhohaseverlavished needs, wants,imperativesandsubterfuges hi- herever yougoonthisgreatplanetofours, fi is a universal language – with the same isauniversallanguage–withthesame fi fi brands like Consonance, which brands likeConsonance,which t, he’d bought the new t, he’dboughtthenew fi rst worked his way through rst worked hiswaythrough David Price fi inconsiderable mark inconsiderable mark subject toanot hankered afterwere and Swissbrandshe the largelyAmerican downside wasthat couple ofyears.The shop in the capital shop inthecapital fi naturally – naturally – . But the real trick is not getting found out his bandofhi- Alexandria X-2s. At 275kgapiece,ittookthedealerand out shopping,tomakewayforhisnewpairofWilson world. Thisonewillrunandrun! you go,thesamerulesofengagement applyinthehi- Sahara desert.Justgoestoshowyou thatnomatterwhere the stareshe’sgettingfromhisother halfcouldfreezethe the silenceatbreakfastnextdaywasdeafening… fi a longday. Hewokeupat3amreadytocleanup,only had noticedthem,butfellasleepexhaustedattheendof in thestairwellleadingdowntosceneofcrime.He until hiswifecamebacklateandfoundmuddyfootprints the basement.Hethoughthe’dsmuggledtheminperfectly to reinforcethebasement equivalent of His houseisfastbecomingtheChineseaudiophile Busted! spending any spending any selling without dealer, buyingand of hi- himself asakind Having presented it soundedbetter. his wifecouldtell lavish, andeven bigger andmore each upgradegot as timepassed, sound better. But just happenedto replacement which times thisweek…” shopping withyourfriendsdear?You’ve onlybeenoutthree house more:“Whydon’tyouhaveanotherlovelydayout Gray hasstartedtryingtopersuadehiswifeleavethe sometimes inagroupofsixattime.Now, indesperation – whatwasgoingoninthebasement?Theykeptcoming, from home,hearingtheirs.Hiswifebecamesuspicious system whenpreviouslyhewouldspendalotoftimeaway namely, hisfriends.Theybegancomingroundtohear free upgradingbegantobefoiledbyexternalforces– she wouldn’tnoticethechangesgoingon. down tohismancaveinthebasement–hopethat moved hissystem money, henow nd hiswifebackand thefootprintsgone.Needlesstosay, Pity then,poorGray. Hemaynowbeinhi- Sadly though,hisattemptsatexpensiveyetconsequence- fi wheeler Fawlty Towers fi brothers half a day to get them down to brothershalfadayto getthemdownto fl oor while his Missus was oor whilehisMissuswas . Recently, builderscamein ●

fi heaven, but heaven,but ect on fi

JANUARY 2016 you’ve spent of how much is therevelation your hi-fihabit finding outabout your otherhalf that’s worse than The onlything Getting away with it DAVID PRICE OPINION 81

OPINION

You’re surrounded!

Surround sound has never taken off in the hi-fi world in the same way it has for home cinema. As Jimmy Hughes samples the joys of Dolby Atmos he tries to figure out why

n Wednesday 14 October, Dolby hosted a I’ve noticed this many demonstration of a new disc of music by the times over the years; the O 17th century Venetian composer Giovanni way the sound grows Gabrieli sung by the choir of King’s College increasingly diffuse as Cambridge, recorded using Dolby Atmos. With the process, you add speakers and up to 64 loudspeakers (including some in the ceiling) can extra channels. You can be utilised to recreate the soundfi eld so that music comes even hear this happen from specifi c locations. By having speakers in the ceiling, when going from single the aim is to reproduce ‘height’ information and so more speaker mono to two faithfully recreate the original soundfi eld. speaker stereo, let alone The music was recorded in the famous chapel of King’s multi-channel surround. College, with singers and instrumentalists surrounding the With mono, the conductor. The spacing of voices and instruments is very soundstage collapses and specifi c to Gabrieli’s music, and the sonic effect is diluted (unless the speaker is a by two-speaker stereo. But fi rst we were treated to a brief direct/refl ecting type) video that created the impression of depth and height becomes narrow and – though whether one ‘hears’ what the eye sees (a leaf confi ned. But the clarity spiralling down from the sky, and the sound appearing to of parts is excellent. For move vertically downwards) is hard to say. example, you’re more easily-able to follow the left-hand Check out Via Dolby’s Atmos system, the Gabrieli recording had part when listening to a recording of piano music. Jimmy’s review of Gabrieli’s In plenty of presence, and the voices projected impressively. Of course, mono cancels a lot of subtle low-frequency Venice – 1615 At one point, there was a strong antiphonal duet between phase information, which helps to clarify the sound by on page 101 two widely spaced voices that sounded wonderful. But, making it drier and leaner. Stereo and surround retain perhaps because the loudspeakers were placed above head more of this phase information. But while the ‘sound’ may height, I felt that all the sounds were coming from above be more real (in hi-fi terms) the music isn’t always as clear. my head – as Once you close your though the singers Acoustic hologram eyes, it’s diff icult to were in a raised With systems like Atmos, you’re trying to create an gallery. I couldn’t ‘acoustic hologram’ that tricks the brain and ear into tell where things ‘place’ them directly thinking it’s listening in (say) the chapel of King’s College. are coming from in front of me... But for the subterfuge to work, everything has to be just I had my fi rst right otherwise the illusion is shattered. I felt that Atmos experience of surround sound back in the summer of gave a pleasant surround effect, but I wasn’t quite 1972. Mullard, the component company, put on an transported to Cambridge. Nor did I get a clear impression exhibition at its Torrington Place HQ, and the BBC had of the brass instruments placed behind me. a small quadraphonic demo room with four upside-down In my experience with sound-in-the-round – whether live Spendor or Rogers monitors. The music played was or reproduced – the ear is led by the eyes. We ‘hear’ what Strauss’ Radetsky March, live from the Proms. In this, the we see. Once you close your eyes, it can often be diffi cult audience claps and stamps in time with the music and the to tell where things are coming from. effect created was overwhelming. I was blown away by the When young I found the concept of vivid stereo and sheer realism of the sound. It really was like being there. surround very exciting. But as I grew older, I fi nd that it I was hooked. Only one problem – in the subsequent distracts me from listening to the music itself. There’s 40-plus years, I have never heard anything that impressed something reassuring about sound that just comes from me as much. I’ve heard some stuff that was spectacular, one place. The primeval reason our brain/ears can detect but nothing that transported me to the live event. distance and placement is to warn us of approaching The Atmos demo was defi nitely good, and when I played predators. So it’s debatable whether we want to stimulate the Gabrieli recording at home in humble two-channel this sense when listening to music. But, of course, that’s a the sound was a bit fl at and lacking Atmos’ enveloping very personal view, and not one that everyone will share. warmth. But, at home, the voices and instruments were I’ll certainly be intrigued to experience new releases JIMMY HUGHES Sticking to stereo much more solidly focused and tangible. recorded using Atmos, as and when ●

JANUARY 2016 83

OPINION

Back to basics

Are you overdosing on digital formats and technology in general? There’s a simpler, more rewarding way. Rob Lane dips his fountain pen and talks vinyl

s Thunderclap Newman sang in 1969, there’s defi nitely “something in the air”; a sense that A attitudes are changing, in fl ux. Perhaps we’re all teched out. We’ve all gorged on digital solutions as if it’s Christmas every day; chomped on boxes of After Eight mints on top of the fi ggy pudding, mince pies and Cadbury selection box. I am, of course, talking about the growing popularity of vinyl (sales have doubled to 550,000 this year according to The Telegraph), which, alongside a shift towards fountain pens, annual planners and ‘upcycling’, appears to be as much of an antacid to now and again prices fl ip, as with New Order’s peerless Rob’s red digital overload as it is a desire for better sound. Technique, currently available as I write these words for Pro-Ject Elemental Certainly that’s the impression I’m getting from canvassing £12.99 on CD or £9.99 on re-mastered, 180g vinyl. has been a family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers – as well Assuming that the remaining vinyl presses can keep up big hit in his as absorbing the proliferation of column inches within these with the growing demand for the black stuff, and can wife’s shop pages and elsewhere on the subject. My decision to install maintain their aging equipment with the diminishing a turntable in my wife’s specialist stationery and gift shop amounts of spare parts available worldwide, this is a great proved to be on-message with customers, with the modestly trend for vinyl heads. However, there is a caveat: can we priced Pro-Ject Elemental playing classic cuts of Shirley really trust the record companies to provide us with the best Bassey, Eartha Kitt, Sinatra and Billie Holiday among the possible sound? Technique is one of a glut of re-releases, quill pens, satchels and notebooks covered in vintage supposedly improved by re-mastering and weightier vinyl. fabrics. Customers understand the connection: analogue It boasts “newly re-mastered audio by Frank Arkwright” music complementing ‘analogue’ methods of writing. Time pressed on “high-quality 180g vinyl”. This particular away from digital solutions; making time for a slower, more purchase appears to be a decent investment, as Arkwright is wholesome approach to life. well respected for his mastering and vinyl cutting at Abbey The various Road Studios. However, there are plenty of possibly If you find yourself comments and apocryphal stories of 180g vinyl being mastered directly wanting to return to questions about the from existing CDs or worse still MP3s. Impossible to verify, Elemental – usually it is clear that – as was sometimes the case with CD – we a simpler lifestyle from men – are very need to be wary of re-masters. you’re won’t regret it revealing. Everyone is impressed by its Pet hate unconventional design, with many walking away with Classic Album Sundays’ Colleen Murphy played a full product details, intent on making a purchase. Others re-mastered version of Pet Sounds to investigative comment that they recently dusted off their vinyl and are journalist John Harris a year ago for an article in The planning on returning to the format. Some discuss new Guardian – “underwhelming: compressed, light on bass, purchases and favoured second-hand record stores. palpably small” – which was beaten all heads up by an Friends and family also report a return to the black stuff original early seventies pressing. And as to 180g, Murphy and I myself have re-embraced the format with gusto. As says that she’d “rather have something good on lighter well as buying the Elemental, I’m currently refurbishing my vinyl, than a 180g Frisbee”. old Rega Planar 2 (broken tonearm; needs new belt) and My own vinyl nights will investigate this debate during have just inherited a beautiful Thorens TD 160B. our next gathering. In the meantime, if you too have caught It probably hasn’t escaped your notice that the format is the wave of change and fi nd yourself wanting to return to a now front of house on Amazon, with CDs and vinyl simpler, less digitally infl uenced lifestyle – with vinyl and trumping MP3 as the main purchase choices online. The perhaps even a classic fountain pen – you’re unlikely to delight I’ve personally experienced on taking delivery of regret it. Listening to music on vinyl is much more vinyl, ordered the previous evening, is off the scale and considered and rewarding – leaving aside the debate about although 12in of fl at polyvinyl chloride generally costs more a ‘warmer’ vinyl sound – and the hunt for old and new wax, than 4.7in of polycarbonate, the price differential isn’t alongside the challenge of refurbishing classic turntables, is ROB LANE In a spin prohibitive (generally £15.99 against £9.99). In fact, every great fun too ●

JANUARY 2016 85

The big re-issue desperate reissue toseems bring a of album aclassic Every anniversary perhaps the biggest aff One way oranother, Christmas can beafairly unforgiving time for music lovers, but phenomenon; theUStrademagazine In TheHeart have to alongside thecrasscommercialismofMichaelBubléwe artists feelcompelledtoreleasetheseabominations; designed nottooffendthoseofotherfaiths.Evencredible ‘holiday albums’,apointlessandmisleadingeuphemism decent newmusicandputoutartlesscashinscalled advance oftheactualevent. we’re forcedtoendureforwhatseemslikemonthsin rain turnstosnow, atleastinthecanned‘seasonal’music September”. Butthenithastostop,forcomeOctoberthe Carole Kingoncesangthat“itmightaswellrainuntil irritating songsaboutlittledrummerboysandsleighbells. con the reviewonpage99),whichisavailableinvarious season is been unworthyofreleaseatthetime. unheard musicdeemedbytheartistorlabeltohave must-have ‘rarities’.Oritcanbehoursofpreviously adding amiserlyhandfulofhard-to- livery topersuadeusbuymusicwealreadyownby repackaging ofanartist’sbackcataloguedressedinnew the festiveseason,seriousboxset.Thiscanbeasimple offered theexpensivecompensationofthatotherstaple one spot. daft noveltysinglewillmakeittotheChristmasnumber second placetoendlessvapidspeculationaboutwhich middle ofOctober. InBritainthe‘holidayalbum’takes with ridiculouslyprematureoverexcitementaroundthe has anannual‘holidayalbums’chart,whichitlaunches existence. You’d havetostayupforthreedays andnights 30 concerts,onefromeveryyear oftheband’s30-year its maximumcon Grateful Dead,whose 12 discsandretailingat$600. To makemattersworse,recordcompaniesstopreleasing The wallet-emptying, mega boxset market-leader this The wallet-emptying,megaboxsetmarket-leaderthis But inmusicalobesity, eventhishasbeentrumpedbythe F fi gurations including a 379-track version spread over gurations includinga 379-trackversionspreadover fi le BobDylan’sfrightful2009offering, Bob Dylan1965-1966:TheCuttingEdge harangued by infuriating jingles and madly harangued byinfuriatingjinglesandmadly go back,atriptothesupermarket the seasonfromhell.Evenbeforeclocks or musicfans,thistimeofyearcanseemlike . To befair, thisismostly anAmerican fi guration contains 80 discs chronicling guration contains80discschronicling 30 Trips AroundTheSun ront ront for fi nd B sides and other nd Bsidesandother Billboard ‘holiday albums’ are ‘holiday albums’are humbug’ attitudeto adopt a‘bah those ofusthat music freezesup, interesting new As the supply of As thesupplyof fi boxset in boxsetin even even nds one Christmas Christmas (see (see Nigel Williamson Nigel Williamson welcome oversevendiscsor the author’scrossingsoutandcorrections. and seethehandwrittenmanuscriptofagreatnovel,with sketches foramasterpieceortovisittheBritishLibrary go toanartgalleryandseeagreatpainter’spreliminary the classicsweknow, inthesamewayit’sfascinatingto door ofthevaultandcallahalt scraping exploitationhasgonetoo far. It’stime toshutthe boxset deluxeanniversarycollector’s editionbarrel- original 13songstoawill-to-livesapping71tracks? Colour Scene’s This possible justi Underworld rebadgedasa early versionsofsongssuchas genuine interestinhearinghowheshapedandmutated pleasure? Dylanisnottypical,fortherearguably But howmanyofthesereissuesreallyaddtoourlistening Scraping thebottomofbarrel false take and bum note, false takeandbumnote, hear everyacousticdemo, albums inwhichwegetto all versionsofourfavourite Do wereallyneedwarts-and- preposterous proportions? record hasnowreached a greatandmuch-loved sessions thatproduced and gurglefromthestudio release everyfart,burp dredging thevaultsto single sitting. on endtoplayitallina the cutting-room sensibly decidedtoleaveon which theoriginalproducer half century. catalogue divisionwillcomeupwithtomarkthealbum’s to abloatedsixdiscs.Heavenknowswhatthelabel’s stretch outtheoriginal48-minutevinylLP The Velvet UndergroundandNico reissue. We recentlyhadthe45thanniversaryreissueof album seemstobringanincreasinglydesperate‘deluxe’ all yearround.Everysigni longer restrictedtotheseasonalmarket,butnowgoeson Do wereallyneedSuede’s Frankly, asloyalfanswe’re beingtakenforaride.This Am I alone in thinking that Am Ialoneinthinkingthat The phenomenon is no The phenomenonisno dribbling incontinently over four discs or Ocean dribblingincontinentlyoverfourdiscsorOcean fi cation cantherebefor Wet Wet Wet’s Marchin’ Already fl is the recent trend of the boxset the of trend recent the is oor? fi cant anniversary of a classic cant anniversaryofaclassic fi ve-disc marathon? And what ve-disc marathon?And what Dog ManStar Dubnobasswithmyheadman Like ARolling Stone fattened up from the fattenedupfromthe ● , which managed to , whichmanagedto

outstaying its outstayingits into into Picture Picture JANUARY 2016 by by world cometo... What hasthe Bah Humbug! WILLIAMSON NIGEL OPINION 87 RETRO

Figure of slate David Price remembers a long-lost, slate-plinthed turntable that has now acquired cult status – the unique-looking JBE Series III

n 1972 Technics announced fl utter of most high-end decks of the a fi restorm of controversy. Unlike most its new direct-drive day. For a while it seemed belt-drive Japanese direct drives, it found itself I turntable that claimed to turntables would soon be a thing of reviewed by journalists who had eliminate all the problems the past. Japanese companies went convinced themselves that belt drive inherent in the belt-drive system that on to assault the turntable markets, was better. It’s no understatement to a generation of record players had offering decks that were far less fussy say the odds were stacked against it. hitherto used. Direct drive put the to set up and yet measured better. The JBE Series III had two jewels in motor around the bearing and turned Then, smaller British companies began its crown – its 24-slot, 8-pole stator, the platter without recourse to pulleys, to make designs based on the new electronically controlled Matsushita wheels, cogs, gears or bits of rubber direct-drive platform, with Monitor direct drive motor, and its beautiful that invariably stretched and degraded Audio and JBE being early examples. Welsh slate plinth. This large expanse with age. What was not to like? They faced a largely hostile hi-fi of natural stone was acoustically very The fi rst high-end Technics direct- press that wasn’t receptive to the dead, and blessed it with good drive turntable – the SL150 – measured benefi ts of the technology. It was into vibration resistance. superbly, comfortably exceeding the this climate that the JBE Series III was It wasn’t widely reported at the time, specifi cations for rumble, wow and born – launched in 1978, it arrived in but the deck came in a choice of two A brief history of JBE 1975 1978 1980 1982 JBE begins producing its own The Series III debuts as The JBE Diamond Speakers are JBE Ltd ceases trading as Dexy’s Midnight branded turntables – the same Saturday Night Fever becomes launched with slate top and bottom Runners don their dungarees and Come On year Tubular Bells debuts the best-selling album ever while ABBA rules the album charts Eileen is the best-selling single of the year

88 JANUARY 2016 RETRO

sizes, 435 x 335mm or 495 x 365mm, its predicament – it was way better THE NAME GAME with the larger version designed to than the former and not quite the equal accommodate the huge, high-end of the latter, yet found itself being When the deck arrived in 1978, its manufacturer was known as John Bryant Dynavector DV505 tonearm. Although unfavourably compared with the Linn Electronics Ltd., but had also been called the JBE was famous for its slate plinth, regularly, which wasn’t completely fair. Janorhurst Limited (Arnold Electronics), it was still possible to purchase it in When the JBE was launched back in and was commonly and wrongly known as Janorhurst JBE when it got its first review. clear and black acrylic versions too. 1978, the received wisdom was that The company also moved premises from Most were supplied with a cut-out for belt drive was beautiful. The ‘offi cial’ Sussex – where it had been known as JB an SME arm. Quite unusually for its verdict on rim-drive designs (such as Manufacturing Acoustics and Design Ltd – to Northallerton in 1976. 1981 saw JBE day, when power supplies were often those sold by Garrard) was generally moving out from Janorhurst to Bedford, hidden inside plinths, the Series III that they were noisy and nasty (in where the last decks were made. came with a standalone perspex- truth, some were and some weren’t), Just to make life even more confusing, the fi nished speed control box, offering and direct drives were not deemed to company ran a parallel product line under the Environmental Sound brand name to a switchable 33 and 45rpm – true be worthy of serious consideration due sell a range of turntables and, frankly quite high-end esoterica for 1978! to the ‘cogging’, the (alleged) notchy bizarre, loudspeakers. JBE had a range of way they delivered power to the decks before the Series III, from the FF2001 through the 3001 and 7001 to the 8001, Back to the future platter and the supposition that they which was paralleled by the Environmental Another facet of the design was the were always hunting for the right Sound EST 4X, EST 5, EST 6 and EST 7. The distinctive six-disc podule platter – speed, and therefore never quite on it. rule for buying any of them is to take them as you find them – check the motor works effectively a black acrylic disc topped The Series III found itself selling smoothly and quietly and the main bearing with six machined and balanced, through a handful of talented dealers doesn’t sound noisy. The dustcover and foam-topped aluminium discs. Far able to set up the deck properly, and hinges will most likely have disintegrated, but can be replaced. The Technics motors from ideal sonically, it gives the deck get a great sound. A number of seem to soldier on forever and are as a striking, futuristic look. Recognising prospective purchasers made direct strong as the slate plinth that houses them. that this wasn’t ideal for hi-fi purists, A-B comparisons with the Sondek and JBE produced a standard version to went away with the JBE in the boot special order – it was possible to get a of their cars. Yet still many British product. Still, it was never going to be solid aluminium platter with rubber reviewers were scathing and marked it easy for many to push it because their mat and rim-strobe if you so wished. down for being direct drive – seeing pre-existing allegiances were already this as innately inferior to the belt- too strong – even if it did offer similar Sadly in 1982, JBE drive system that was used by the performance to some super decks at acknowledged super decks of the day. about three-quarters of the price. Ltd ceased trading For many purists, direct drive was a Sadly in 1982, JBE Ltd ceased and the Series III dirty word and the JBE was tainted trading and the Series III turntable by its use of the system. disappeared with it. That year was disappeared with it a bad time for vinyl – the advent of Change of fortunes Compact Disc saw to that, knocking The podule platter and lack of Sensing this, the company decided out a large part of the high-end vinyl sprung suspension counted against to take part in a three-way blind market at a stroke and only the the Series III strongly. However, that listening test, which was published strongest survived. I think this was a superb plinth and Microsorber feet in a popular hi-fi magazine in shame, because the deck was a fi ne did compensate for the lack of an September 1979. The latest JBE and nuanced design and would only independently sprung subchassis, and Series 3 went up against a Linn have got better had it been allowed the podule platter was done far better LP12 and a Strathclyde Transcription to grow up – thicker plinths, better than many. The excellent motor and Developments 305M. All three had platters and superior motor controllers separate power supply helped the SME Series III tonearms fi tted and would surely have followed. Had the sound still further and this made for were set up by the manufacturers. turntable arrived just a few years a sonically pleasing performer. The JBE was the cheapest, and many earlier, when the British hi-fi press The perspex The best way of describing the sound listeners said it won. After this, the speed control hadn’t nailed its colours to the belt- is to imagine what it would be like if deck achieved measured success, with box added a drive mast so strongly, and Compact a well-sorted Rega Planar 3 and a some dealers really getting behind the touch of class Disc was further down the road, the Technics SL-120 had a child together. company could still be going now. From the Rega side you’re aware that Instead, the JBE was relegated to it has no proper suspension and so the status of another glorious British has to be placed carefully. This done failure – a cult deck that had fi ve it gives a very clean, dark and smooth minutes of fl eeting fame at the turn sound, and its motor seems to inject of the eighties, yet whose fl ame was a sense of ‘vim’ and pace. It’s an cruelly snuffed out. These days, a interesting mix, and the result is a surprisingly large number survive – lively yet solid and stable performer possibly preserved due to their that plays every type of music in an curiosity value (a slate-plinthed engaging yet revealing way. turntable is an unusual thing). Sadly, the JBE went on to be judged Second-hand prices depend on on its looks and its motor design just condition, but mint examples can as much as its sound quality. The fact it be found for £500 if you look hard was priced midway between a Rega enough, and at this price are well Planar 3 and a Linn LP12, didn’t help worth a look ●

JANUARY 2016 89 BEAUTIFUL SYSTEM NAIM/FOCAL

Future

COMPONENTS Perfect NAIM NAC-N 272 STREAMING PREAMP £3,300 Ed Selley finds out if high-end sound can The 272 combines Naim’s UPnP streaming technology with an analogue really go hand in hand with convenience preamp and a selection of analogue and digital inputs. As well as network audio, Tidal and Spotify’s streaming services are here is a curiously durable trying to lift a Focal Sopra No2 alone also supported. notion that doing for starters – but it does take much T something – be it anything of this accepted wisdom and ignore NAIM NAP 250 DR from cookery to sports cars signifi cant chunks of it. The POWERAMP £3,500 – properly requires a little sacrifi ce. For electronics carry out an impressive an object to perform a role perfectly, it range of functions and do so with A long-standing classic of the Naim range, the 250 DR is an 80W power cannot do anything else at the same a level of convenience that some amplifier and in latest ‘DR’ form time or make any concessions to user lifestyle setups can’t match. The takes technology from the flagship friendliness in the pursuit of absolute speakers are a dizzying combination Statement series to achieve higher performance. The industry has at of science and engineering that also levels of performance. times taken this idea and run with it. happen to be remarkably room and Minimalism, confusing controls and positioning friendly. FOCAL SOPRA NO2 equipment that weighs enough to In the case of Naim, we should not LOUDSPEAKER £9,600 exert its own gravitational pull has be too surprised. The company’s The newest member of the Focal range been the order of the day. progression from purveyor of starkly bridges the gap between the Electra and The system you see here doesn’t minimalist boxes that performed a flagship Utopia, but uses a range of new driver technologies to extract higher abandon all of these long-held single role to their current portfolio, levels of performance. principals – I would council against has been comparatively brief but

90 JANUARY 2016 BEAUTIFUL SYSTEM NAIM/FOCAL

JANUARY 2016 91 BEAUTIFUL SYSTEM NAIM/FOCAL

impressively radical. The adoption of result is still a 250 power amp, but Above left: The and features like the grille around the streaming, digital inputs and app one that is incrementally better than tweeter chamber tweeter horn chamber look absolutely of the Sopra is control has been undertaken without the one that came before. covered in a fantastic. The Sopra is unquestionably losing the brand ethos, but even so, By comparison, the Focal Sopra No2 distinctive grille a big speaker, but it hides its mass the fi rst of the boxes you see here is is a rather more radical proposition. Above centre: rather well under a layer of still a bold piece of engineering. The latest range from the French While the 272 sumptuous metallic paint. By This is because the NAC-N 272 is a speaker artisan bridges the gap boasts extensive comparison, the Naim duo is utterly connectivity, startlingly multi-role product. This between fl agship Utopia and Electra the 250 is understated, but that glowing front one box is a preamp, streamer, DAC ranges, but defi nitely has more of the simplicity itself logo, immensely solid casework and and Bluetooth receiver. Do you want Utopia about it. The cabinet, with Above right: those perfectly weighted buttons are more? What about brilliantly sorted its absence of parallel surfaces and Clean lines on still profoundly satisfying. Given the internet radio and the ability to access incredibly dense front panel is made both products features and functionality, though, Spotify and Tidal directly? Still not hide clever they are extremely compact and technology and convinced? The 272 does all this and Naim’s NAC-N 272 sophisticated should present no trouble for even still allows for the traditional Naim materials the most space-constrained owner. upgrade path of external power handles pretty much supplies to be employed to squeeze any format you’re Bring the noise more performance out of it. This is all All very impressive, but let’s get down squeezed into Naim’s classic casework ever likely to own to brass tacks; can a system that without any visible sign of it bulging combines so much functionality into out of the top or bottom. in the same way as the Utopia is. The one device and that is so painless to composite ‘F-Sandwich’ drivers and use really deliver a compromise-free It’s NAP time legendary Beryllium tweeter are sound? The mighty Children Of The As a result, it is the same size as employed too, but in the case of the Sun by Dead Can Dance is as good the partnering NAP 250 DR power Sopra additional features like a new a place as any to start listening and amp. Compared with the feature- tuned mass damper, infi nite horn in seven minutes and 30 seconds it laden 272, the 250 is a minimalist loading for the tweeter and a neutral reveals a great deal about this system. stalwart that traces its roots back to inductance circuit mean that in many First and perhaps inevitably, the sense Naim’s early years, but even here all ways the Sopra is more advanced of scale is outstanding. Even at low is not as it seems. This latest iteration than its big brother. levels, the Sopra has a scale, impact features the Discrete Regulator It is – dare I say it – better looking and authority that is simply technology and NA009 power too. The Sopra No2 could only be a impossible to achieve from a smaller transistors from the fl agship Focal speaker with the angled cabinet loudspeaker. Bass is a palpable thing Statement pre/power amplifi er in the and combination of fl at and curved with the Sopra. All the texture and pursuit of higher performance. The edges, but the softening of the lines depth you might reasonably expect is

92 JANUARY 2016 BEAUTIFUL SYSTEM NAIM/FOCAL

there, but it is underpinned by proper If this all sounds a little... intense, gives you a fl exibility that is unusual impact that is felt rather than heard. you might want to consider that the in any equipment, let alone stuff that The Naim units play an important real-world implications of living performs at this level. As you potter CONTACT role in this too. There is a sense of DETAILS with this system are effectively nil. through the more curious corners of grip and authority on display that is Naim’s control app is slick, stable and Tidal, you also begin to realise that pure Naim. Everything starts and Naim Audio beautifully intuitive. The NAC-N 272 although it is at times almost TELEPHONE stops with a precision and control 01722 426600 handles pretty much any format forensically detailed, the Naim/Focal that is the trademark of the brand you’re ever likely to own and its pairing is impressively forgiving too. WEBSITES and it makes for an immediacy and naimaudio.com; stability on a network is effectively excitement that is addictive. Even focal.com/en/ absolute. The time and effort Naim A true masterpiece with pieces that don’t depend on this And it is this astonishing real-world timing and impact, the system has a The Sopra hides its competence that makes this system deftness and agility in the way it so special. It delivers a level of fl ows that gives it effortless musicality. mass well under a performance that allows it to trade layer of sumptuous blows with anything you could Keeping it real assemble for the same price. Beyond the bass, the rest of the metallic paint The scale and accuracy and the frequency response is open, assured scintillating speed it possesses is truly and phenomenally detailed, but it is has put into streamers is demonstrated extraordinary and a testament to the the way that this system delivers the by just how well sorted the 272 is. heady combination of engineering information that really sets it apart The extra features are brilliant too. prowess, exotic materials and careful from the opposition. Every nuance Switching from my NAS library to assembly that has gone into it. That it and every last audible moment is Tidal is again utterly painless and asks nothing more of you than two there to be heard, but there is nothing usually leads to an excellent couple mains sockets and an internet forced or artifi cial about the process. of hours exclaiming: “wow, I haven’t connection to deliver this and a You simply sit in front of a soundstage heard that in years!” before listening host of other features that make it so that is a living, breathing representation to something splendidly random. I’m easy to live with is the truly brilliant of the music – nothing more, nothing not sure if the design teams at Focal part. This system is a beautiful less. This effortless presentation or Naim voiced their products with counterpoint to the claim we must allows the music to be the centre of Hyperspeed by the Drummatic Twins suffer for the last percentage of attention. There is no recording that’s in mind, but the results are deeply performance and quality. What you too large, no arrangement so complex and intoxicatingly wonderful. Being see here is physical proof that that this system doesn’t have the able to switch between music you brilliance need not be accompanied measure of it suffi cient to get the own and streaming services so by inconvenience and it is a meaning within. seamlessly is incredibly effective and masterpiece in all senses of the word

JANUARY 2016 93 LABELLED WITH LOVE

International Simon Berkovitch tunes into the far-out frequencies of a maverick Texan independent, reverberating ARTISTS far beyond its short sixties lifespan hat is it about Texas? International Artists (IA) lasted fortunes suddenly changed. That combo The Golden Dawn and From R&B pioneer from 1965 till 1970, spanned the record – You’re Gonna Miss Me, realised a dream by recording W ‘Blind’ Lemon fi rst psychedelic era, and issued the stunning debut disc by psych an album with Texas blues Jefferson to just under 40 singles and a legends in-waiting The 13th legend Lightnin’ Hopkins homegrown rocker Buddy Holly dozen albums, eventually Floor Elevators – was a sizeable before departing the label and the good-time boogie of ZZ resurfacing in the late seventies local hit, and after re-release on acrimoniously in early 1968. Top, this law-unto-itself state as a new post-punk audience IA in May 1966, began to make You’re Gonna Miss Me aside, has birthed an unprecedented developed a taste for the more slow but steady inroads into the although often exceptional, number of innovative acts and outlandish and raw sounds of national charts. few of IA’s releases sold in great pulled musicians from all over the previous decade. This is when Lelan Rogers numbers. Indeed, IA would the USA into its orbit. Maybe On paper, the fl edgling label – brother of country & western register just one more hit – there’s something in the water? never looked like a contender: star Kenny – entered the picture, Bubble Puppy’s Hot Smoke & It certainly seemed that way IA was cooked up by a bunch bringing much-needed music biz Sassafras – before fi ling for in the mid-sixties. During that of local businessmen looking acumen and enthusiasm to bankruptcy in 1971. post-British invasion boom, a for easy money, and indeed most proceedings. He also steered the Gone but far from forgotten, plethora of killer garage then of its early releases – all of them label toward the weirder and having observed the growing psych outfi ts sprung up on the singles and all of them fl ops – more esoteric acts that would cult status of the label, Rogers local scenes of Fort Worth, were pretty uninspiring. provide IA with its identity and reactivated IA towards the Austin and Houston – the latter It was only when they help cement its cult status. end of the decade, leading to spawning an enterprising label stumbled upon an unusual 45 As well as local oddballs Red welcome UK releases for some which provided a sympathetic by a popular local Austin band Crayola and Lost And Found, of its most outrageous and home to a handful of the best. on the Contact label that their Rogers also signed young Austin infectious recordings.

94 JANUARY 2016 LABELLED WITH LOVE

The 13th Floor Elevators Where the pyramid meets the eye: the psychedelic sounds of Texas’ bravest musicians

ormed in late 1965 around intoxicating sound, as John Ike F the nucleus of Roky Erickson Walton’s drums played cat and This vibrant, retina-popping (vocals/guitar), Stacy Sutherland mouse with Stacy Sutherland’s sleeve houses an even bolder (guitar) and Tommy Hall (electric fl uid and stinging guitar lines, record; an astonishing debut jug/shamanic lyrics), the group topped by Hall’s proto-Moog immediately gelled, quickly electric jug and Erickson’s developing a unique sound and earth-shattering larynx. philosophy, steeped in the use of They were huge in Texas and psychedelic drugs. records by the likes of The Wig, Devastating live performances The Iguanas and label mates of wild songs such as Roller Coaster and Fire Engine were Bold attempts to bold attempts to recreate the acid experience sonically, and capture the acid the band’s musical prowess and experience on vinyl energy were a perfect match for frontman Erickson’s wild voice. The Golden Dawn bear their That voice – which fellow Texan infl uence. But as quick as the Janis Joplin would later cite rollercoaster ride had begun, it as an early infl uence – gained was over. After recording second greater attention on the album Easter Everywhere in Erickson-penned You’re Gonna 1967, the combination of Miss Me, which although only excessive LSD use, a mentally a minor national hit is now an discombobulated frontman and acknowledged sixties classic. the continued search for that The 1966 debut album that elusive second hit caused the followed was a revelation. band to virtually disintegrate Hallucinogens were near- during the prolonged sessions tangible within the visceral, for swansong Bull Of The Woods. Red Crayola Mayo Thompson’s free-form freak outs birthed proto-post-punk a decade ahead of the game

aving produced two of the mixes were combined, Second album God Bless... was out of H most unusual LPs of the occasionally at slightly different step with 1968’s musical trends, but psychedelic sixties, Red Crayola speeds, causing echo and made more sense some 10 years later main man Mayo Thompson phasing and ramping up the launched a new Red Crayola in levels of disorientation. the late seventies and fl ourished After a rejected second LP in the UK’s post-punk scene. (Coconut Hotel, belatedly issued He formed the original group in 1995 by Drag City), the with a couple of art school following year’s God Bless The cohorts in Houston. Their music, both ragged and avant-garde, Two mono mixes caught the ear of Lelan Rogers and Red Crayola’s debut LP was combined ramp up issued on IA in 1967. the disorientation Billed as Red Crayola with The Familiar Ugly, The Parable Of Red Krayola And All Who Sail Arable Land was unlike anything With It (the spelling change was else on the label. Five loose songs down to a lawsuit) was a mix of were linked by segments of a experimental doodles and almost free-form freakout: a colossal traditionally structured songs. group improvisation. Mesmeric Compositions Save The House cuts such as Hurricane Fighter- and Sherlock Holmes could have Plane and Pink Stainless Tail been recorded 10 years later by a sounded on the verge of group such as Swell Maps on collapse, but this only added Rough Trade – which is where, to the excitement. after a solo LP and brief hiatus, For the strange ‘fake stereo’ Thompson found himself in 1978 version, two identical mono as an artist and producer.

JANUARY 2016 95 LABELLED WITH LOVE

The Golden Dawn SHOPPING LIST Though most of the label’s recordings are now readily available on vinyl and An acid-rock classic that slipped through the cracks CD, many of the originals still prove elusive. JT Rathbone rounds them up

ock and roll is littered The label decided to sit on unjustly dismissed as a rip off The Coastliners with sorry tales of the the LP, choosing to wait until of Erickson and co. Spirit Alright R “Briefly available boat sailing for an artist. In the after the second Elevators broken, The Golden Dawn on IA This garage case of The Golden Dawn it album. By the time it fi nally split shortly after, only favourite is one of was IA’s shortsightedness that came out, a year late, it was re-emerging 35 years later. the label’s rarest 45s, and fetches a stalled the career of one of its three-figure sum.” most promising groups. Singer, guitarist and leader George Kinney had befriended Thursday’s the Elevators’ Roky Erickson Children Help, Murder, Police while at school, leading to the “Another cult 45 formation of The Fugitives. and a classic. The Golden Dawn, named The group’s second and after the late 19th-century best for the label.” occult order, formed in 1966, and with a spiky, three-guitar attack were soon a mainstay The Chayns of the Austin scene. Night Time “Spirited cover of It was Roky who persuaded The Strangeloves’ IA to sign them, and a few hit, originally cut months after his group’s LP on the band’s Chayn-Reaction was released, The Golden label in 1966.” Dawn recorded Power Plant. Although similar to the Elevators’ sound, Kinney’s Lost & Found album balanced psych Everybody’s Here “The garish sleeve powerhouses Starvation hides a true gem, and My Time with gentler perhaps the last tunes such as This Way Please. great International Artists LP. Pricey in its original issue.”

Lightnin’ Hopkins Dave Allen “The Man” Color Blind The legendary Texan bluesman meets the Elevators – and survives “White blues guitarist Allen’s am John Hopkins was 20 The 13th Floor Elevators’ the psych-blues hybrid some soul-searching songs are S years into his recording rhythm section Danny Thomas had feared. Shortly after its strangely moving.” career when he cut his sole LP and Duke Davis, the fi nished completion, Rogers quit the for IA. Already something of a album, although ragged in label, which itself collapsed Texas guitar legend, Lightnin’ places, was compelling and not not long after. Bubble Puppy Hopkins, as he was better What Do You See “The psych-rock known, had fallen under the group’s last record spell of ‘Blind’ Lemon Jefferson on IA. Green vinyl as a young man. DJ copies of this non-LP single are He taped a series of A sides very desirable.” for the Alladin label in Los Angeles before returning to Houston and the Gold Star Endle St.Cloud label. Lelan Rogers had been a Thank You All Very Much lifelong fan and had more than “This musically an album in mind when he diverse offering, brought Hopkins to his label. was the final album issued by the label He left the tapes running in 1970.” throughout the sessions and encouraged the bluesman to reminisce about his life and Various Artists career. As well as the spoken Epitaph For A Legend intros on some of the songs, “Rarities abound extracts of the dialogue formed on this double part of the album’s fascinating IA retrospective, issued with two 2014 special edition. slightly different Despite the psychedelic track lists.”

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the audio room... Savile Street, Hull, HU1 3EF t: 01482 8913755 www.theaudioroom.co.ukk Picture credit: Daniel Kramer 100 Cass McCombs A Folk SetApart 101 David Lynch The BigDream Cutting Edge The 1965-1966: Series Vol 12 : Official Bootleg Bob Dylan drums are driving from publicview. ButDylanwas moving sofast burnout ofsuchseverity thathehad toretreat Revisited produced rock albumsever. Sointensewas thecreativity that Dylan recorded perhapsthegreatest triptych of drums are drivingmemad”. rock rhythm before Dylancutsitoff take tothenext. with arrangements shiftingdramatically from one run’ approach assongsare created before ourears extraordinary was goingdown. We hearhis‘hitand musicians knewthatsomethingvisceral and palpable buzzofexpectation, asifDylanandhis and artifice”, thesoundisbrightandvibrant witha “eliminating unwanted sixties-era studioprocessing bonus, three impromptu hotelroom sessions. note herecorded duringtheperiod,plusasa unedited version whichscoopsupevery single highlights and,for theuberfans, an18-disc guises. There’s alsoatwo-CD trailer ofthe 100 tracks withmostsongsappearinginseveral tape was rolling allthetimehewas inthestudio. the snapshotswere grabbed –ittranspires the The CuttingEdge the three albumswere then,of snapshots.Think, during 1965-66 thatthe34 tracks thatappeared on BETWEEN JANUARYBETWEEN 1965 Mixed from theoriginalstudiotracking tapes,but The core configuration isasix-CD set,featuring is heard with is heard withoutitsmanicdrive andreframed

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i C 101 erent, restlessly experimental asthevideofootage from which Sibelius Symphonies 1-7 JANUARY 2016 limited editions best of/ultra-deluxe 18-CD Highway 61Revisited and March 1966, Bob Six CDs/edited two-CD Visions OfJohanna that it led to a thatitledtoa , featuring 15 todeclare: “The le. An early le. Anearly is tried with a istriedwitha NW NW Columbia

99 MUSICREVIEWS

Joanna Newsom Alan Vega, Divers Alex Chilton, Ben Vaughn Cubist Blues

CD Drag City CD Light In The Attic/Munster

NEWSOM’S QUIRKY SINGULARITY inevitably YES, YOU READ correctly. Alan Vega of Suicide, recalls Kate Bush and Björk, and the fourth album Alex Chilton from Big Star, and singer songwriter confirms her as a unique artist with a lofty ambition Ben Vaughn playing together on the same record, and vision. What makes her so fascinating is that at the same time. The unlikely collaborators got there seems to be a duality about everything she together for two, all-night improv sessions in 1994 does. Her lyrics are dense, literate and layered and what could have been an awful exercise in with sophisticated allusion. Her bewitching self-indulgence turns out to be an almost- voice is elegant and dextrous and yet weirdly incredible, fantastical trawl through each of their disconcerting. Her arrangements are rich and styles, producing something you won't hear elaborate but full of subtlety and nuance, anywhere else. The production has that slightly Ballaké Sissoko & featuring not only her trademark classical flimsy nineties sheen to it, but the songs are great. Vincent Segal harp but clavichords, mellotrons, baroque Clearly, Cubist Blues won't be for everyone but as a strings, horns and much more besides. NW curio it really deserves a listen. PH Musique De Nuit Cass McCombs CD No Format A Folk Set Apart THE VIOLIN-SITAR DUETS of Yehudi Menuhin and Ravi Shankar half a century ago showed how virtuoso CD Domino musicians with open minds and a CALIFORNIAN SINGER SONGWRITER Cass generosity of spirit can combine McCombs has worked with anyone who's anyone to create string magic that spans in the indie scene, and it shows. The first half of this the globe and transcends cultural album is lo-fi, sixties garage in a Ty Segall style, so diff erences. The second album of don't expect your system to be put through its kora and cello duets by Malian maestro paces (nuanced music this is not), but the second Ballaké Sissoko and French virtuoso half is much more interesting as McCombs takes things down a notch to explore his Americana side. Vincent Segal deserves to be From Three Men Sitting On A Hollow Log onwards considered in precisely the same it's all country-tinged playfulness (especially on Do you agree with our reviewers? company for its freshness and almost Catacombs Cow Cow Boogie). There are no Decide for yourself and listen to telepathic interplay. resonant strings or traditional instruments, but as a some of this month’s tunes at Recorded by night under the stars on www.hifichoice.co.uk fun if uneven ramble through his many influences it the roof terrace of Sissoko’s home in certainly showcases his musical dexterity. PH There’s a wonderful AUDIOFILE VINYL sense of spontaneity Mose Allison and space in this Takes To The Hills beautiful recording 180g vinyl Epic/Pure Pleasure Bamako, there’s a wonderful sense of MOSE ALLISON considered him more important than Dylan. SONGS have been Allison grew up in Mississippi and this must be spontaneity and space in this beautiful covered by The Who, where he learned tunes by Willie Dixon, Sonny recording that could surely never have The Clash, Van Boy Williamson and Lightnin’ Hopkins, yet he been captured amid the claustrophobia Morrison and Elvis makes the songs so much his own that you’d be and production techniques of a Costello among many hard pressed to guess their origins if you didn’t conventional studio. At times you can others and he clearly already know. hear the murmur of traff ic drifting up influenced many more, Having Teo Macero behind the glass and Paul but his work gets little airtime today. This album Motian on drums (for three numbers) clearly from below; but instead of interfering from 1961 finds him in eff ortlessly inspired form, helped Allison lay down a wry, snappy vibe that is with the fidelity of the recording, singing blues numbers in a louche jazz style and as sharp as it is cool. This Pure Pleasure pressing it somehow enhances the natural letting his piano playing tell a more sophisticated lets you hear a surprisingly good-quality ambience. Elegant, expansive, story. Listening to numbers like Hey, Good Lookin’ recording for its vintage, it sounds as polished intuitive and utterly exquisite. NW and I Ain’t Got Nobody it’s hard not to hear the as albums that came out 10 years later so clearly profound eff ect he had on Georgie Fame who Macero knew what he was doing. JK Ballaké & Vincent picture credit: Claude Gassian credit: picture & Vincent Ballaké

100 JANUARY 2016 MUSICREVIEWS

HIGH RESOLUTION DOWNLOADS DEMO DISCS Bob MacDonald, director Ólafur Arnalds David Lynch of product development & Nils Frahm The Big Dream at Parasound, reveals the Loon music that he uses to demo the company’s products

AIFF 24-bit/96kHz hdtracks.com WAV 24-bit/44.1kHz naimaudio.com

THE THIRD COLLABORATION between two ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 2013, Lynch's of electronica's most innovative artists, this second album is like stepping into one of his extended player sees the pair perform rather films. This HD deluxe edition sees the original than engineer their music. What follows is a tracks supplemented by six extra numbers. slightly rougher, organic listening experience, Lynch's original 12 tracks have the slo-mo surf Jack Norah Jones although the electronica on this record still has twang that'll be familiar with Twin Peaks fans DeJohnette & Come Away depth and sounds great on a good system. And and are strange but melodic. It's an odyssey, Bruce Hornsby With Me it's diverse, too – you go from the pulsing Three but has real flair and is a beguiling experience, Sound Travels Come Away With Me to the glitchy Wide Open, to the mid-paced where Lynch's reedy vocals, breathy synth Dirty Ground is a track is a favourite test track closing track M. Recommended. PH washes and guitar twangs have real depth. PH that I can feel soul and and for good reason. emotion in. It's a good Very well recorded, it test of male vocals and demonstrates female Gabrieli spatial placement vocals with a delicate In Venice – 1615 of instruments. quiet background. The Choir of King's College Cambridge

SACD & Blu-ray Pure Audio King's College

IT WAS INCREDIBLY far-sighted of Gabrieli to write surround-sound music back in the 17th century. His aim was to exploit the spatial characteristic of St Mark’s Church in Venice, separating voices and instruments to create strong Kaki King Pantyraid antiphonal eff ects. The choir is accompanied by Glow The Sauce chamber organ and small brass ensemble, and was A very talented Electronic music has made using Dolby Atmos to capture an impression guitarist with a sound come a long way with of height and depth along with the ambience of much larger than original content and Gabrieli played with the venue. The SACD off ers two-channel CD and seems possible from quality recordings. surround sound a good SACD stereo layers, plus 5.0 surround, while the just one person. This is a great test of couple of hundred years before the Blu-ray has 5.1 True HD and Dolby Atmos, plus Streetlight In The Egg low-frequency bass speaker even existed stereo 24/96 PCM. The music is attractive, but a has nice crisp highs response, amp power bit ‘specialised’ in appeal for average listeners. JH with fast transitions. and 3D imaging.

Sibelius BLU-RAY DVD HI-RES HIGHLIGHTS Symphonies 1-7 Berlin Philharmonic Lambert And Stamp Our pick of the best hi-res downloads Orchestra, The Who released over the past month... Sir Simon Rattle DVD Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Jean Michel Jarre's Electronica 1: The East-end mod Chris Stamp met Time Machine 4 CDs/Blu-ray Berliner Philarmoniker Recordings Oxford-educated Kit Lambert debuts on when they were trying to make onkyomusic.com. THIS NEW SET of the seven Sibelius symphonies it in the film business. They hdtracks.co.uk is sumptuously packaged, but the box is big decided to find a band and film has The Black and does not fit on a normal CD shelf. Rattle’s the process of managing it. Keys El Camino, a performances are extremely accomplished, and They found The High Numbers wealth of Gary (thankfully) not too plush. Of course, the Berliner’s and encouraged a change of name to The Numan albums playing is very refined and beautiful, but there’s Who, gave them salaries and direction, and including The Pleasure Principle and Charles plenty of sinew too – the 4th is especially the rest is history. Lots of footage of the sixties Mingus' Mingus Ah Um. Last but by no means impressive. The live recordings sound sonorous scene in London and naturally of the band in least, highresaudio.com has Scott DuBois' Winter and weighty, with excellent definition and a wide its early years is contrasted with Townshend, Light, Enya's new album Dark Sky Island and dynamic range. The set can be obtained through Stamp, Daltrey and others recounting those Seal's Trevor Horn-produced 7. normal channels, or via the Berlin Philharmonic’s memorable years. Sound quality is nothing website, at about £50-£60. So, not cheap; but you special, but the energy is palpable . JK do get a lot for your money. JH

JANUARY 2016 101 HI-FI UPGRADES £10-£195 Top tweaks Neville Roberts takes a look at four eff ective add-ons to help you maximise the performance from your hi-fi setup

hat do a pair of RCA with what is often a low-cost upgrade, an isolation platform can make a vast blanking caps, a turntable and there really is a huge range of improvement if your equipment rack W mat, an isolation platform different products on the market to is sitting on wooden fl oorboards and a mains conditioner help you tweak your system to your and/or is in close proximity to your power block all have in common? On heart’s content to optimise your loudspeakers. This is particularly true the face of it not a lot, but one answer system’s performance. if the specifi c component is inherently is that they all offer effective ways to The four upgrades included here are susceptible to mechanical vibrations, upgrade the sound from your audio very simple to install and this makes as could be the case with a turntable, system and assist your components it easy to swap them in and out to see CD player or any valve equipment. in delivering the very best sound how each one fares in your system. So, without further ado, let’s look at that they can. It’s quite surprising Of course, the magnitude of any four different products priced from how much better a particular hi-fi improvement will very much depend just £10 to £195 to see which offers component can perform when fi tted on your particular setup. For example, the best-value sonic upgrade.

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DETAILS REGA IS A strong supporter of glass PRODUCT platter turntables, and once you’ve Analogue Studio experienced what it has to offer, Crystal Glass chances are you’ll concur. Being Turntable Platter Mat extremely hard and heavy, it is certainly going to infl uence the sonic ORIGIN UK signature of a deck, especially if you TYPE have been using foam, felt or cork Glass turntable mat mats previously. It is most likely to be FEATURES an upgrade to an MDF platter, but 6mm-thick platter can also be used on metal and acrylic mat; solid glass construction platters. As it weighs in at 1kg, DISTRIBUTOR this glass platter will increase the to dissipate unwanted vibrations. The presence in the room with the glass Analogue Seduction rotational mass considerably and this platter has a 0.5mm-deep recess in mat in place. I notice little change helps to improve instantaneous speed the label zone to ensure that it with the pounding and thrusting bass stability. However, I do not recommend supports the record in the playing area. while listening to some techno music, using this mat on decks with sprung but with some cool jazz, I have the suspended sub-plinths as it will Mat’s the way to do it impression that the musicians are increase the suspended mass, and so I fi t the mat to a turntable that has giving just a little more oomph to is likely to shift the balance of the an acrylic platter and I also raise the their performances ● deck from its optimum position. tonearm by 6mm to ensure the VTA of This glass platter mat is 298mm the cartridge is unchanged. Listening VERDICT in diameter and 6mm thick, and to some baroque music, I fi nd the Add some sparkle to your vinyl replay, but it Analogue Studio says that these strings have a more defi nite sparkle, works with some music better than others dimensions maximise the effect of but without becoming edgy or harsh, minimising distortion and also help and vocals somehow have a greater

102 JANUARY 2016 HI-FI UPGRADES £10-£195 MINITEST

Lindy 6-way AV Mains Conditioner Power Strip

PRICE: £45 TELEPHONE: 01642 754000 WEBSITE: lindy.co.uk

DETAILS RUNNING OUT OF mains sockets PRODUCT is a perpetual problem for audio Lindy 6-way AV enthusiasts. The only safe solution is Mains Conditioner to use a proper mains distribution Power Strip strip and if it incorporates some ORIGIN China mains fi ltering and conditioning, so much the better. This power strip TYPE Mains extension strip from Lindy measures 437 x 31 x FEATURES 67mm (LxHxD) and includes a Six mains sockets; number of useful features. It has built-in mains mains conditioner circuits to aid in filtering and surge protection; filter the reduction of mains-borne radio strip is fi tted with a 2m screened there is a noticeable improvement in status test facility frequency interference. It also mains cable to prevent the lead terms of the elimination of clicks and DISTRIBUTOR includes protection rated up to from radiating interference. pops generated by a refrigerator that’s Lindy UK 6,000A to absorb mains surges plugged into the same ring main. together with internal thermal The diff erence is clear There is also a discernible fusing to prevent the circuit from The sleek and simple lines of the improvement in overall clarity, overheating in the event of a worse black power strip help it to fi t as which is particularly apparent case surge/spike scenario. The circuits inconspicuously as is practical on an with vocals and solo instruments ● use gas discharge tube technology to audio rack. I like the clear cover over satisfy the latest safety requirements the mains conditioning electronics VERDICT for surge protectors, and there’s a that enables you to see inside, but This is an excellent-value mains distribution fi lter status test button to enable you that’s probably just me. (It is. Ed) block that achieves sonically satisfying results to periodically check the status of all Comparing the power strip against the circuits in the strip. The 6-way a low-cost mains distribution block,

Blue Horizon Sanctum Isolation Platform

PRICE: £195 TELEPHONE: 01276 501392 WEBSITE: bluehorizonideas.com

DETAILS ISOLATION PLATFORMS OFFER a great way to separate your audio PRODUCT Blue Horizon equipment from all of those Sanctum Isolation unwanted external vibrations. Your Platform equipment itself also generates ORIGIN vibrations that need to be dissipated UK away from the signal chain in the TYPE Equipment isolation audio setup, and the Sanctum platform Isolation Platform is designed to FEATURES support all types of hi-fi component High-density to do just that. fibreboard construction; Available in a choice of either matt temperature range. The recesses than without the Sanctum in situ. shock-absorbing black or matt white fi nishes, the are then fi nished with precision- The music appears to fl ow more spiked feet Sanctum is made from high-density machined spiked aluminium cones, effortlessly and I fi nd that silences DISTRIBUTOR fi breboard (HDF) for good each of which fi ts into a 5mm brass during momentary pauses sound Sound Fowndations mechanical stability and measures spike protection foot. The Sanctum somehow more natural and realistic. 450 x 40 x 400mm (WxHxD), is designed to support loads of up to I am also able to hear similar including the shelf and isolation feet. 30kg and has a large circular hole in improvements, though not quite as The HDF shelf has four recesses that the centre that claims to eliminate great, when the platform is used to contain a dense compound of cork, any vibrations within the shelf itself. support my valve CD player ● rubber and leather to disperse mechanical resonances. It also Make a diff erence VERDICT contains a ‘visco-elastic’ polymer, When in use supporting my record A well-made isolation platform that offers which combines shock absorption deck, I hear defi nite improvements, clear sonic improvements with vibration isolation and damping including a tightening up of the bass, characteristics over a very wide which has more attack and punch

JANUARY 2016 103 HI-FI UPGRADES MINITEST £10-£195

Avid HiFi Sieveking Sound RCA End Caps

PRICE: £10 per pair TELEPHONE: 01480 869900 WEBSITE: avidhifi.co.uk

DETAILS AN AWFUL LOT of modern gadgets PRODUCT produce radio frequency interference Sieveking Sound (RFI) and other noise that can easily RCA End Caps fi nd its way into your system. This ORIGIN Germany can enter through the unused sockets TYPE on an amp or other pieces of kit, as RCA socket blanking any unused input sockets effectively plugs act as aerials for the interference. FEATURES One solution is to short out any Gold-plated pure copper construction; unused inputs, but some consider Teflon insulation that this can exacerbate the problem DISTRIBUTOR in strong fi elds of interference by made from gold-plated pure copper unused outputs. I have a greater Avid HiFi causing the connectors to behave and inside is a Tefl on insert. These sense of realism and refi nement with like low-impedance aerials. These materials are claimed to provide the end caps in place and surprisingly, ‘aerials’ can pick up RFI and feed that excellent high-frequency absorption. the bass seems better controlled. interference to the input of your As well as preventing RFI, they also Instruments have more space around amp. Another potential issue is that keep dust out. them and, with baroque music in shorting links cannot be fi tted to particular, the pauses between notes unused outputs, such as the record Doff your cap appear ‘darker’ or quieter ● output that is designed to feed a Being a straightforward push-fi t, the cassette recorder, for example. caps are easy to put over all the VERDICT Sieveking Sound has designed its unused RCA inputs and outputs in A cost-effective addition that gives greater RCA end caps to fi t all unused inputs my hi-fi setup. In use, I can detect depth to the silences in the music and outputs and there’s even an XLR subtle improvements to the sound, connector version available. They are especially when fi tted over my

The 6-way AV Mains Conditioner Power Strip Mini test verdict from Lindy just noses in front by combining performance with helping to solve the eternal problem of connecting up multiple items of equipment. It certainly eliminates mains-borne IT’S ALWAYS A challenge to brass spike protection feet are WINNER interference and offers perceivable sonic compare items that are designed for bundled to minimise damage to improvement as well. Not bad for an item that different functions. This is especially whatever is sat underneath the costs under £50, and it’s built well too. true when they do the job they are Sanctum from its spikes, and it works designed for so very well. well and is a very decent upgrade, Kicking off with the Crystal Glass even though it costs a bit more. factored into the equation, the clear Turntable Platter Mat, this is going to The Sieveking Sound RCA End Caps winner is Lindy’s 6-way AV Mains appeal to those who like a brighter are a neat little upgrade that work Conditioner Power Strip for its presentation, and the increased mass well. The caps are extremely easy to noticeable high-level audio benefi ts, will improve the performance of fi t as well as easy to remove when making it a practical upgrade. turntables that have been fi tted with you need to connect light platters. The extra sparkle won’t an extra item suit everyone, especially those who to an input on prefer a smoother presentation. your amplifi er, for The Blue Horizon Sanctum Isolation example. The fact Platform is a very solidly built support that they can be with some nice features, such as the fi tted to outputs as spiked feet that contain a visco-elastic well as inputs is a polymer (meaning that it is able to real bonus. exhibit properties of both liquids When overall and solids). It’s also good that a set of value for money is

Remember that when choosing a particular upgrade to make sure that the In addition to the upgrades included here, don’t forget the importance cost of the item is in keeping with the rest of your system. What you are of cleaning as an easy way of keeping your system sounding its best. hoping to achieve with any hi-fi tweak is to get your setup to deliver the best Interconnects and power cables often stay in place for many years without possible performance within its design parameters. You are not going to being touched and it is very easy for corrosion to build up on the contacts HELP & ADVICE make a low-cost amplifier sound like a high-end one by fitting it with a due to their lack of use. Of course, there is a wide range of cleaning products £1,000 mains cable! on the market perfectly geared for your needs.

104 JANUARY 2016

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BK Electronics P12-300SB subwoofer

THE NAME BK Electronics might not carry a huge amount of kudos in hi-fi terms, but a closer look at its history suggests that it deserves a higher profi le. The Essex-based engineering fi rm was employed by REL founder Richard Lord to build many early models and while this relationship has now ended, it has continued to produce a large range of subwoofers that it sells directly. The P12-300SB is the latest and the fi rst in the Platinum series. The sub is built around a 12in driver, which features a doped paper cone and a whopping magnet. This is powered by a 300W onboard amplifi er which is a class A/B unit in contrast to the rather more common use of Class D by rivals. The enclosure is sealed and the P12 can be ordered with the driver forward facing or as tested here in a downward-fi ring confi guration. The connection cables as well. The lack of while also handling the driving latter model is going to work best any remote control functionality and lower bassline with absolute control. on a solid fl oor and needs no space the absence of any onboard EQ There is no sign of bloat or overhang around it, while the forward-fi ring functions are bearable omissions evident, simply deep, clean and one is better on a suspended fl oor, considering the price. dynamic bass. but needs more space to breathe. Connected to a Cambridge Audio Azur 851A (HFC 359) via the Clip joint So solid crew supplied Neutrik cable and partnered The BK isn’t completely viceless. This doesn’t really tell the whole with a pair of Neat Iotas (HFC 357), it Even though the phase control is story, though. For the asking price, makes a very positive impression. very clever, it works better on axis this is a very substantial piece of With a 60Hz crossover set on the BK, with the speakers rather than tucked engineering indeed. The cabinet is the handover between sub and away in a convenient corner. There made of inch-thick MDF and feels speakers is extremely well managed are limits to the output as well. immensely solid and very heavy. and the P12-300SB does a fantastic Pushed very hard it can begin to clip, The fi nish is excellent too. There job of matching the speed and detail but you will be likely to receive an are gloss and real wood fi nishes of the Neats. The Iota is an especially ASBO before you regularly hit this available for a premium, but the fast and vivid loudspeaker and the level. The gain ramp also seems satin white of the review sample is very fact that the BK can keep up at to be very slightly different to the rather lovely and does a reasonable all is worthy of note but it not only 851A, which means that the output job of disguising the considerable manages to stay with the Neats, it of the BK isn’t always completely size of the BK. At 40cm across the also matches the intensity and life matched to the Cambridge, but this footprint and 46cm tall, this is a they bring to the performance. could just as easily be the output fairly large sub at the price. With tracks with signifi cant low end of the Neat speakers not being As well as good fundamentals, the like Leave A Trace by Chvrches, the completely linear as well. P12-300SB should be of particular BK is capable of extending effortlessly These minor concerns don’t detract interest to anyone looking to use DETAILS below where the Neats run out of from what is a very fi ne subwoofer it in a 2.1 system. Alongside RCA PRICE puff, but does so with a refi nement at an incredibly competitive price. phono connections the BK is fi tted £380 that is rare in a sub at this price. The BK is one of the most agile, with a Neutrik-style speaker cable TELEPHONE There is detail and tonal colour to the tuneful and hard hitting subwoofers connector, which is highly regarded 01702 527572 performance that makes it more than you can buy anywhere near this for use in 2.1 setups. There is also a WEBSITE a simple bass generator. With the price and it is particularly well suited bkelec.com continuously variable phase control enormous and complex low end of to use in a 2.1-system. In a stereo and separate volume controls for OUR VERDICT the Pacifi c Rim score, it is able to system, this is one of the very fi nest the high and low inputs. BK then comfortably cope with the twin sub-£500 options on the market and goes on to supply good-quality demands of the strings and brass represents exceptional value. ES

JANUARY 2016 107 GROUND-BREAKING TOWNSHEND SEISMIC PODIUM

The Seismic Podium is designed to brake the acoustic connection between the floor and the speaker.

The Podium, together with the speaker, forms a low pass mechanical filter that prevents the passage of deleterious vibrations both to and from the speaker cabinet.

Break this link and the result is simply magical, the sound is transformed for every speaker, everywhere, every time.

The effect on the sound quality is outstanding. Everything sounds much cleaner and clearer, but for me the best improvement is the purity of tone of the strings when listening to classical music. Previously I couldn’t enjoy listening to orchestral music because the violins sounded so ‘dirty’, and I have spent years trying to eliminate the problem by experimenting with different DACs, interconnects and speaker cables without any meaningful results. I only wish that I had bought them earlier! “ RM

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IK Multimedia iLoud Bluetooth desktop loudspeaker

OVER THE PAST 12 months we’ve seen more and more products from pro-audio makers break into domestic audio markets in a bid to offer studio sound quality at home. IK Multimedia is one such brand that’s making the crossover work, and is already an established pro-audio name with a host of iOS apps and accessories for musicians and home studio enthusiasts. The iLoud desktop speaker system has been around for a while and is already a popular accessory with musicians at home or on the move, but it’s also making waves in home audio. Anyone who’s ever looked into purchasing a desktop speaker system for an offi ce or secondary room sound will know that there’s no shortage of products vying for our attention. So what makes the iLoud different? the 6.35mm jack at the back, and uses Sam Smith’s vocal acrobatics IK’s iRig circuit inside the box to allow singing the latest James Bond track It might get iLoud real-time processing of sound through Writing’s On The Wall conveys all Fresh from its packaging the iLoud an iOS device with an app. the theatrics that I would expect to may not be the hottest-looking A built in battery pack enables the hear from a Bond movie theme. It product to grace my desktop, but its iLoud to be truly portable – although doesn’t muddle the layers or sound unassuming black casework feels it’s not exactly light, weighing in at congested with the big, brassy solid enough and the compact 1.3kg – and it claims to offer up to 10 orchestral soundtrack, and the dimensions of 250 x 160 x 60mm hours playback time when used at iLoud resists the pitfalls of many (WxHxD) means it fi ts in neatly. ‘normal’ listening levels. This falls off desktop speaker rivals. There’s The box boldly displays the words to 3 hours when used at higher levels. very little sense of any cabinet “studio-quality portable speaker” The speaker system goes into standby resonance too, and it is able to and emblazons its claim to deliver mode if there’s no audio signal manage whatever I throw at it and 40W stereo power output from the detected, which in my tests seems to at whatever volume level I listen. built-in Class D amplifi er driving be after a few minutes. The iLoud is a pair of two-way mid/bass and awakened by the presence of an Ace of bass tweeter speaker units. As well as audio signal, but it does have a Bass is agile and goes surprisingly a 3.5mm jack input from any tendency to clip the beginning of low considering the size of the unit, line-level source, the iLoud can also a track as it does so. thanks in part to the tiny refl ex port be connected wirelessly to a mobile The speaker has already earned at the back. Female vocals provided device via Bluetooth. Pairing is respect in pro-audio circles with by Adele and streamed via Bluetooth simply a case of pressing the button endorsements from music industry from a smartphone are faithfully on the back of the unit and then professionals for its sound quality reproduced, and the wireless connecting from the Bluetooth and portability. And rightly so. For performance is robust and doesn’t menu on your smart device. There’s a speaker unit of such diminutive let the side down. no mention of the Bluetooth version proportions, the sound from the The iLoud delivers a remarkably utilised, and it only memorises the DETAILS iLoud is impressive indeed, and big sound from a truly small package two most recently paired devices. PRICE delivers remarkable clarity across the and is a versatile performer with The lean-back design looks easy £265 frequency range with everything I everything I play. Throw in its ability going and has a central volume TELEPHONE play. Even more impressive is that the to connect to wired and wireless control that glows red when an 01223 234414 high clarity level is maintained across devices or get creative and hook up audio signal is present and fades in WEBSITE the entire volume range, which is no a guitar or microphone, and you ikmultimedia.com and out when in standby. As well as doubt thanks to the built-in digital have a refreshingly fl exible portable its wired and wireless connectivity OUR VERDICT signal processing that aims to control desktop speaker that will appeal to the iLoud also lets you connect a the speaker under all conditions, and musicians and quality audio fans in guitar or dynamic microphone to this clearly works to good effect. equal measure. LD

JANUARY 2016 109 EXTRAS

Analogue Studio Anti-static Record Cleaning Arm

STATIC CHARGE BUILD-UP on an LP is an occupational hazard of playing records. Even the friction of the stylus in the groove can induce static charges. Furthermore, it can attract airborne dust onto the surface of your discs. While anti-static guns are effective at removing charges before the record is played, they obviously can’t help once it’s in a spin. A particular feature of this device is middle of the record rather than Clean sweep the small earth wire that at one end tracking completely across the Enter the Cleaning Arm, which plugs into the base of the unit and at surface, until I realise that I have the DETAILS cleans your records and discharges the other is fastened to the earth tag pivot too far away from the platter, PRICE static during playback. It’s a nicely of your turntable deck or phono so the problem is easily rectifi ed. £15 made counterbalanced arm with a amplifi er to dissipate the static I fi nd the cleaner to be very effective TELEPHONE carbon fi bre brush that gently sits charges from the tip of the carbon at removing dust and there is no 01733 350878 on the record. The downward force fi bre brush away to earth. Although evidence of static build up, even on WEBSITE can be adjusted using a small the base is fi tted with an adhesive a very dry day with the heating on analogueseduction. net weight and the height can also be pad to fi x it to the record player, I fi nd in the house – ideal conditions for altered so it is parallel to the surface that the weight of the base alone is static! Consequently, this cleaning OUR VERDICT of the record, which sets the brush suffi cient to hold it in place. I initially arm is a great addition to any vinyl at the optimum angle. fi nd that the brush gets stuck in the deck, and comes recommended. NR

TCI Cables Temple Constrictor Mains Powerlead

BASED IN LISBURN, Northern Constrictor ensuring Ireland, True Colour Industries has it has a lower noise been making cables since 1997. fl oor. The cable is The Temple Constrictor features 16 topped and tailed individual cores of PTFE-insulated with a rhodium- silver-plated copper and one 2.5mm plated TCI True- PVC-insulated copper earth wire. The Plug 13A mains multiple PTFE-insulated conductors plug and a True- are braided together and sleeved in Plug rhodium-plated a halogen-free polyolefi n insulation. IEC plug with They are then wrapped in a tough but sprung contacts. fl exible polyester braid constructed Removing the from fl ame-retardant material, making cover from the 13A DETAILS it ideal for permanent installation. mains plug reveals that both sets of eight braided wires my CD player highlights a reduction PRICE £225 for 1m Twice as nice are nicely installed. The plug is fi tted in the noise fl oor and a subtle Powerlead This new cable has a thicker with a 13A Bussmann fuse. At the improvement in imaging and focus. TELEPHONE cross-sectional area and a larger other end is the TCI rhodium-plated I can also detect a subtle 07710 196949 amount of silver in its construction IEC plug (which bears an uncanny improvement in the accuracy of WEBSITE than the TCI Baby Constrictor, which, resemblance to a high-quality instrument placement within the tcicables.com according to the manufacturer makes Wattgate IEC plug) that is equally soundstage. All in all, this is a very OUR VERDICT it capable of carrying twice the well fi tted to the cable. fi ne mains cable that can hold its current. Furthermore, it features Swapping a standard IEC ‘kettle own among similarly priced mains twice the RFI fi ltering of a TCI lead’ with the Temple Constrictor on lead rivals. NR

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Russ Andrews SilverStreak interconnect

THERE IS A plethora of interconnect cables on the market at prices to suit most pockets. They range from no-nonsense copper cables to audiophile-quality leads that employ exotic metals and clever construction. The SilverStreak interconnects from Russ Andrews, however, offer something a little different – audiophile-quality leads that come with the option of a built-in attenuator. Russ Andrews is aware that many items of audio equipment, especially CD players, produce an audio signal that can overload the inputs of some amplifi ers. He notes that the volume control should ideally be in its mid position for normal listening, but some players’ output level is so high that the volume is only just cracked open for regular listening. This can distort the sound and restrict the Kimber Ultraplate phono plugs, but SilverStreak, which allows the full amount of control you have over for an additional cost can be fi tted force of the performance to sing volume. Another problem is that with XLR connectors. through with tremendous power. you can fi nd yourself deafened The SilverStreak reviewed here The result is an uncluttered sound when starting to play a new track if is the un-attenuated version. After with a wide and spacious three- you switch between components running the cable in, I fi t it between dimensional soundstage. from different manufacturers. Of my CD player and preamp. course, some have a means to adjust Playing a CD of Vivaldi’s Sonatas All that jazz their output level and can easily be For Flute Op.10, it is evident that the Next up something more jazzy with tweaked. Many, however, do not, SilverStreak produces masses of detail Michael Kaeshammer’s rendition of and the best solution is to fi t a with no strain or unpleasant edge to Caravan from Tell You How I Feel. good-quality attenuator on the the sound. The music is reproduced Reproduction of the piano is very output of the equipment with the clear and believable in my listening higher output. An even better The bass is tight room. The balance between the solution is to have a built-in silver and copper conductors attenuator in the interconnect, and well controlled appears to be pretty spot on with a which brings us back to the one and the hi-hats are smooth and rich sound throughout. that’s available with the SilverStreak. The bass is tight and well controlled Attenuations of 11dB, 14dB, 16dB, crisp and ringing and the hi-hats are crisp and ringing 19dB and 22dB are available and without being edgy. can be a benefi t for those wishing to with excellent accuracy and clarity. Last up is Nigel Kennedy’s Recital. balance several pieces of equipment. The fl ute and the individual His interpretation of Take Five is a instruments comprising the Basso real test for any system. It starts slow Silver screen Continuo are separately identifi able with an almost eerie performance The interconnect uses Kimber even though they are playing together and ramps up to a real cacophony cable that has separately insulated DETAILS in unison. Overall, the balance is of sound. Again, the SilverStreak hyper-pure silver and copper PRICE accurately focused, natural sounding takes it all in its stride and there is £221 for 0.5m cable VariStrand conductors in a plus £30 with a and realistic. no sense that the last drop of energy fl uorocarbon dielectric insulation. built-in attenuator Moving on to the fi nal movement of is being squeezed out of the system. The signal wire is silver and two TELEPHONE Beethoven’s 9th Symphony Ode To Joy Instead, the music sounds effortless; copper wires form the earth return. 01539 797300 played by the Berlin Philharmonic Kennedy’s virtuosity shines through This confi guration is designed to WEBSITE under the baton of Herbert von and his violin sings out with no offer the benefi ts of both types russandrews.com Karajan takes a lot of beating. During edginess or brashness. of conductors to give a great climaxes the orchestra and choir can Overall, the SilverStreak is a great OUR VERDICT performance that is also value for end up sounding like a muddy blur. performer and the option of built-in money. The cables are terminated in This is certainly not the case with the attenuators is a real plus. NR

JANUARY 2016 113

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boxed in cherry used 1499 Audio Technica AT120LP USB used 119 Audia Flight Pre and Flight 50 Class A power dem 3999 Atoll 100SE DAC , excellent boxed new 299 Audiovector Si3, near mintboxed dem 749 Audiolici phono stage and line preamp dem 999 Audio Analogue Bellini VB and Donizetti Cento, superb used 2499 Audio Analogue Crescendo, end of line new 499 Aurum Cantus Music Goddess in Gloss black dem 699 Avid Acutus Ref power supply dem 2499 Audio Analogue Maestro Settanta v2 used 999 Audio Research CD5, excellent boxed used 1999 Avalon Ascendant Mk2, mint crated, £10k new used 3499 Ayre Evolution DVD dem 1999 Avid Volvere SP turntable, sealed box new 2799 Audio Project ap60 integrated dem Call B&W CDM1se in cherry, excellent used 349 Cambridge Audio Minx XI, excellent used 249 B&W DM602s3, vgc+ used 249 Bakoon EQA11r phonostage, near mint boxed used 1499 Audio Research VS115, excellent boxed used 2499 Cambridge Audio 840C excellent used 199 Dali Zensor 3, excellent boxed used 199 Benz Micro LP, boxed plenty of life left used 1199 Audio Research DSi200, excellent, remote used 2249 Cayin CD50T, excellent boxed used 499 Dali Zensor 5, excellent boxed used 349 Clearaudio Unify Tonearm excellent boxed used 699 Audio Research Ref 610 Monoblocks, vgc boxed used 14299 Chapter Audio Sonnet CD & Nevo remote dem 1999 Dynaudio Audience 42, vgc used 149 Clearaudio Basic Symmetry Phono Stage REDUCED used 399 Audio Research D240 Power, excellent boxed used 749 Chord Hugo TT DAC/Headphone amp, as new used 2199 Dynaudio Audience 52, vgc used 199 Conrad Johnson Premier Six phono preamplifi er used Call Audio Research SP9 Preamplifi er, VGC+, MM phono used 749 Chord ‘One’ CD player dem 1799 Dynaudio Contour 1.1, excellent in maple used 399 Fidelity Research FR64S boxed, excellent used 1499 Audio Research LS26 Preamplifi er, excellent boxed used 2249 Chord DAC 64, excellent boxed dem 699 Edwards Audio Apprentice, excellent boxed used 299 Garrard 401, Jelco 750 12” arm, new plinth and lid used 1199 Audiolab 8000P vgc boxed in silver used 199 Chord DAC 64 mk2, excellent boxed used 899 Ferguson Hill FH007&8 ‘desktop’ audio set boxed used 349 Graham Phantom Supreme, SME cut dem 2749 Audiolab 8000Ms, UK versions, vgc used 499 Classe CDP202, excellent boxed used 999 Focal Electra 1008, mint boxed dem 2249 Graham Phantom Supreme 12”, SME cut dem 3249 Audiolab 8000S vgc boxed in silver used 249 Consonance CD2.2, new sealed new Call Focal Electra 1028, mint boxed dem 2749 Graham Slee Elevator/PSU1, excellent used 349 Audion Sterling Plus KT88 Integrated boxed dem 499 Creek Destiny CD player, boxed used 699 Gallo Nucleus Reference 2, rare, superb & boxed used 1999 Graham Slee Fanfare Gramamp 3 used 179 Auralic Taurus Preamplifi er, excellent boxed used 1149 Cyrus Discmaster/Dacmaster, vgc+ used 399 Grundig Audiorama, in great condition used 299 Inspire ‘Full on’ Technics 1210/Plinth/PSU/SME M2 arm used 1599 AVI LAB Series Pre/Power v2, excellent REDUCED used 1499 Cyrus CDT, boxed remote used Call Heco Celan 500 in Silver dem 499 Leema Elements Phono Stage, excellent used 289 Beard P101, excellent boxed, just serviced used 749 Cyrus CD7Q chip, vgc+ used 279 Heco Statement in gloss black, £3k new dem 1499 Linn Sondek, Heed PSU, vgc boxed used 749 Bryston B100sst excellent boxed used 2249 Cyrus dAD3 excellent boxed, remote used 199 Kef LS50, excellent boxed used 649 Linn Sondek LP12, Khan, Rubicon, Ittok, excellent used 2249 Boulder 1010/1060 Pre/Power due in used Call Cyrus Discmaster/Dacmaster vgc+, remote used 399 Kef Reference Three-Two, vgc+ used 999 Linn Sondek LP12, Khan, Rubicon, Ittok, Armagedon used 2749 Cayin MT 34L Valve Integrated, excellent boxed used 499 Denon DNP720AE, near mint boxed used 199 Kef X300a, due in used Call Linn Sondek, LVX, Valhalla, boxed vgc used 599 Chapter Audio Couplet Power Amplifi er dem 1999 EAR Acute 3, mint boxed dem 3749 Kudos X2, excellent boxed used 699 Linn Basik Plus, vgc+ used 149 Classe CAP2100 Integrated with phono, ex boxed used 1999 Esoteric X03Se, near mint boxed used 2249 Kudos C10, boxed vgc and cheap used 999 Logic DM101 c/w Alphason HR100s and MC15 super used 749 Consonance Cyber 211 monos c/w Pavane valves dem 2999 Leema Elements CD player sealed box new 749 Leema Xandia Mk1 in black new 2499 Lyra Skala, excellent boxed used 2249 Creek OBH21, excellent used 119 Linn Majik CD, just factory serviced, excellent! used 749 Le ConToure Mobile 160, excellent boxed used 1499 Michell Orbe Se, due in used Call Cyrus IIIi, excellent boxed remote used 199 Linn Karik 3, excellent boxed remote used 499 Magneplanar MG1.7 mint boxed REDUCED dem 1499 Marantz CD17, remote, excellent boxed used 299 Michell Hydraulic Ref c/w Fluid arm, superb used 999 Cyrus Power, vgc+ used 199 Martin Logan Quests, superb sound, REDUCED used 1199 Marantz CD63Ki, remote, boxed excellent used 149 Martin Logan Prodigy, excellent used 3499 Musical Fidelity XLPSV8 phono stage dem 199 DartZeel NHB108B, excellent £20+k new used 7999 Meridian 507, 24 bit, excellent boxed with remote used 449 Martin Logan Summit X, ex demo dem 8999 Musical Fidelity XLP-S phono stage, due in used 149 Denon POA 6600A, Class A monoblocks, vgc+ used 899 Meridian 506/20 with MSR used 399 Martin Logan Vantage used 2249 NAIM Aro, excellent boxed used 1499 Esoteric C03X, ex demo boxed, superb used 5499 Meridian G08, msr boxed, used 1199 Mission 782se nr mint boxed used 199 NAIM Stageline N vgc used 179 Esoteric A03, ex demo boxed used 4499 Meridian 602/606 combo with remote used 799 Mission 752, rosewood excellent used 179 Nitty Gritty RCM, vgc used 199 Esoteric C03/A03, pre/power ex demo boxed used 8999 Meridian 200/203 excellent used 299 Monitor Audio BX2, brand new new 179 Oracle Delphi, mk1 c/w Zeta tonearm used 999 Graaf GM50B Integrated used 2199 Micromega CD30, excellent boxed used 499 Monitor Audio GX300, ebony near mint boxed new 1999 Ortofon MCA76 Step up used 149 Jolida Envoy 211 Monoblocks, £7k new, superb, vgc used 1999 Micromega MyDac, excellent boxed used 179 Monitor Audio GSXW Subwoofer mint boxed new 749 Ortofon SPU Royal GM Mk2, boxed little used used 649 Krell KAV400xi, with remote used 1199 Micromega Leader, remote used 99 Monitor Audio BX5, nr mint boxed dem 349 Ortofon Cadenza Blue, plenty of life used 499 Lavardin C62/AP150 pre/power and interconnects used 5499 Moon Eclipse CD/DAC c/w PSU, near mint boxed used 2399 Monitor Audio Platinum PL300 near mint crated dem 3999 Project Phonobox SE phonostage, excellent value dem 99 Leema Hydra 2, vgc+ boxed used 1899 Musical Fidelity A1 CD Pro CD player, fab, boxed used 799 Monitor Audio Platinum PL200 mint crated new 2999 Project RPM 10 turntable with arm and platform dem 849 Leema Tucana 2, excellent dem 1899 Musical Fidelity KW SACD, new laser, upgraded ps used 1249 Monitor Audio Platinum PL100 mint crated new 1249 Project Tube Box DS, excellent boxed, used 299 LFD LS1 linestage, reasonable shape used 299 Musical Fidelity M1 DAC, excellent boxed used 329 Monitor Audio Platinum PLW15 mint crated new Call Project Xpression mk2, arm and cart used 199 Linn Majik integrated, excellent bargain used 199 Musical Fidelity M1 CDTB dem 499 Monopulse Model S new 699 Project RPM 4 Turntable/Arm with cover, great! used 249 Marantz SM7, great retro power used 899 Musical Fidelity A308 CD, used 649 Monopulse Model A speakers new 1499 Project Perspective, Speedbox SE, Shure V15Mx used 599 McIntosh C22 & MC275 Commemoratives, boxed used 6999 Musical Fidelity M1Clic used 599 Musical Fidelity MC6 Floorstanders, boxed vgc+ used Call Project Phonobox S, excellent used 99 Meridian 502 preamplifi er with MSR, excellent used 499 Musical Fidelity XDac, excellent used 199 NAIM Ovator S400, excellent dem Call Roksan TMS 2 with Reference PSU, boxed as new used 2899 Meridian 501 preamplifi er, excellent used 299 Myryad Z20DAC, excellent boxed used 199 NAIM SBL, vgc+ used 699 SME 3009 improved, vgc+ used 199 Meridian 501V preamp, excellent used 299 NAIM ND5XS, Radiomodule, 2014, excellent boxed used 1499 NEAT Iota, boxed in black used 449 SME V, excellent boxed no cable used 1299 Micromega IA100, great integrated, boxed dem 599 NAIM CD5X, excellent boxed used 599 Nola Micro Grand Reference inc stands, £15k new dem 5995 SME V, excellent, boxed, due in used 1499 Moon W7RS, excellent used 4499 NAIM CD5, recent new laser, upgradeable used 499 PMC PB1i, boxed, best walnut fi nish used 3249 NAIM CDX2, excellent boxed used 1199 SME V12, nr mint boxed dem 2999 Musical Fidelity M6i, near mint boxed used 1199 Proac D28, excellent boxed dem 1999 Onkyo C7000r, excellent boxed used 699 SME M2/9r, nr mint boxed used 649 Musical Fidelity A1000 Two box monster Integrated! used 999 Proac Studio 115, excellent boxed dem 749 Oppo BDP95EU, as new boxed used 699 Quad ESL57s, due in used call Technics 1210/Inspire Plinth & PSU/SME M2/2M Bronze used 1699 Musical Fidelity Pre 8 and 2 x MA65 chrome fronted used 799 Peachtree DACit, excellent dem 199 Quad 25L Classic ex dealer demo boxed used 999 Technics 1210/Funk platter/NEW bearing/Hynes PSU used 1499 NAD C320, excellent used 149 Prima Luna Prologue 8, ex demo boxed dem 1299 Quad 11L2, excellent boxed used 249 Thorens TD170 Auto excellent boxed dem 249 NAD C326bee, excellent used 149 Project Stream Box, excellent boxed used 349 Red Rose Rosebud £2.5k new with (used) stands dem 799 Thorens TD160 replinthed c/w RB250, Denon cart used 399 NAIM NAP160, vgc+ used 449 Quad 99CDP, excellent REDUCED used 349 REL T-7 Subwoofer, sealed box used 299 Thorens TD160 original, boxed used 199 NAIM NAP250, very late olive excellent used 1099 Quad 66CD, excellent remote used 249 Revolver Music 1, excellent boxed used 299 Thorens TD209 turntable package dem 699 NAIM NAP300/PS, Dec 2013 mint boxed used 3999 Rega Apollo R, excellent used 449 Revolver Cygnis Gold in Black, £14k new dem 4995 Thorens TD2030 Blue turntable new 999 NAIM NAC42.5/NAP110, vgc used 349 Rega Apollo 35th Anniversary, excellent used 449 Rogers LS1, vgc boxed used 49 Tom Evans Groove, 0.85mv/100 ohm, excellent used 849 NAIM NAP250, excellent late boxed olive used 1199 Revox B126, excellent remote used 299 Ruark Etude, excelleny in black used 179 Townshend Elite Rock c/w Excalibur/Merlin/Cover used 999 NAIM NAP150, excellent boxed used 349 Roksan Kandy K2 CD, ex demo boxed dem 499 Sonus Faber Elipsa, superb boxed used 5999 VDH Colibri M/C cartridge dem 2999 NAIM NAP150x, excellent boxed used 449 Rotel RCD02, Burr Brown HDCD chipset, vgc boxed used 149 Sonus Faber Venere 2.5, excellent boxed used 999 VDH Condor M/C cartridge new 1999 NAIM NAP180, excellent boxed used 599 Sansui WLD201 Streamer, mint boxed used 129 Sunfi re True Sub Subwoofer dem 399 VPI Scout, JMW arm excellent used 999 NAIM NAIT 5, excellent remote boxed used 399 Shanling CDT80 excellent boxed used 299 Spendor S3/5, excellent boxed in burr walnut used 349 Wilson Benesch Act 1 Tonearm, nr mint superb used 799 NAIM NAC152/NAP155XS, excellent boxed used 1199 Sugden Masterclass CD original version used 999 Tannoy Prestige Autograph Mini, ex boxed used 999 Zeta Tonearm, excellent used 599 NAIM NAC282/Napsc, excellent boxed used 2399 TEAC Distinction CD3000, excellent boxed used 599 Thiel CS7.2, fair condition, sonic bargain! used 1999 NAIM NAP250, chrome bumper used 699 Tube Technology Fulcrum CD transport dem 699 Totem Mani 2, boxed near mint REDUCED used 1599 NAIM NAP200, excellent boxed used 999 Tube Technology Fulcrum DAC (inc DAC64 chip) dem 899 Totem Mani Signature, boxed near mint REDUCED used 1999 Neutonia Salis Integrated, classy Restek built used 399 Yamaha CD-S3000 near mint dem 2249 Totem Mite in black dem 449 Radio/Recorders Onix OA32 Integrated, excellent used 299 Totem Sttaf, near mint boxed new 999 Onix OA25 Integrated, excellent used 399 Totem Mani 2, excellent boxed used 1499 Aiwa F640 3 Head Cassette deck, just serviced used 99 Onkyo P3000/M5000 excellent boxed used 1999 Townshend Maximum Supertweeters, excellent boxed used 499 Arcam Alpha 10DAB tuner, excellent used 149 Pathos Logos Integrated dem 1999 Usher Mini Dancer 1, excellent boxed REDUCED dem 1599 Arcam T61, vgc+ used 79 Usher S520, excellent boxed dem 249 Placette Audio Passive Linestage dem 599 Audiolab 8000T, vgc+ used 249 Vandersteen Quattro, accessories, transformers etc used 2999 Quad 99 Power, excellent used 299 Cyrus FM7, excellent boxed used 99 Accessories/Cables Veritas H3 (Lowther drivers) in gloss black, 100db dem 2999 Quad 405, from used 199 Denon TU1800DAB, vgc remote used 149 Audeze LCD2 excellent dem 599 Wilson Benesch Actor fl oorstanders used 1999 Quad 33/303, vgc, serviced used 299 Meridian 504, excellent used 249 Audeze LCDXC excellent dem 899 XTC 99.26 mk2, vgc+ in gloss black used 299 Quicksilver 8417 Monos with spare valves used 799 Musical Fidelity A5DAB, sealed box used 499 Audiodesk Systeme CD Sound impover used Call Rega Brio 3 excellent in silver used 249 Audiodesk Systeme Disc Cleaner used Call NAIM NAT101 & SNAPS, excellent £500 NAIM service used 899 Chord Signature Tuned Aray RCA Coax used 249 Nakamichi CD2, excellent used 99 Renaisance RA02 Monos, vgc and excellent value used 499 Chord Epic Speaker cables, various lengths used Call Nakamichi CR7e, B&W service 2013 excellent used 1199 Revox B150, excellent used 399 Cyrus PSXR, excellent from used 279 Nakamichi BX2, excellent used 149 Roksan Kandy K2 Power amp, ex demo dem 399 Elemental Audio speaker stands dem 499 Nakamichi 580, near mint boxed used 249 Sugden A21a line Integrated dem 999 MIT Cables - various used Call Nakamichi ST7e, rare tuner used 199 Sugden Masterclass Pre/Monos in Graphite REDUCED used 5749 Musical Fidelity M1 HPAB dem 399 Pure 701ES DAB Tuner used 89 Sugden Masterclass Integrated in Titanium dem 2749 NAIM Naxo 2-4 used 199 TagMcLaren 60iRV, excellent boxed used 299 Revox PR99, crated used 799 NAIM Hicap DR excellent boxed used 899 Talk Electronics Hurricane/Tornado Pre/Power used Call Revox H2, just serviced, great condition used 499 NAIM HiCap, various Olive/Chrome used Call Special system deals Tannoy TA1400, excellent boxed REDUCED used 499 Sony TC-K611S, 3 head, vgc used 79 Nordost Blue Heaven 0.6m boxed used 49 Consonance Ping CD/AMP dem 599 Tandberg TCD440a, superb! used 499 TEAC Distinction A1000 Integrated, ex demo dem 599 ProAudio Bono Reference Platform dem 399 Linn Classik Movie 05, excellent boxed used 699 TEAC V8000S, superb used 299 Trio LO7C preamplifi er good condition used 249 Quadraspire racks various used Call NAIM Unitiqute 24/192, excellent used 699 TEAC X1000M, serviced, superb used 599 Vincent SAV200 6 Channel monster used 799 Stax, closed back ‘phones & energiser, rare due in used Call NAIM Uniti 2, excellent ex demo used 2299 Technics RS1500 in fl ightcase near mint used 2499 Yamaha A-S3000, nr mint boxed dem 1999 Orelle EVO CD and Amp was £2700 used 799 Yamaha KX1200 excellent used 199 Yamaha CXA5000/MXA5000 as new boxed dem Call Tel: 01642 267012 or 0845 6019390 Email: choice@2ndhandhifi .co.uk EXTRAS

Radius NePlayer iOS hi-res playback app

ALTHOUGH YOU CAN play The app is nicely designed and it’s 24/192 ALAC and DSD WAV fi les all very logical and pleasing on the in iTunes, Apple refuses to embrace eye. Selecting tunes by fi le type is a hi-res audio on its portable devices. handy option. A visualiser confi rms Happily, there is a workaround in the type and resolution of the source the shape of the NePlayer app. and output. The latter is critical You need to copy your fi les on to because the iPhone’s built-in DAC the app via File Sharing (within maxes out at 16/44.1 and listening to iTunes) or using AirDrop. Hi-res fi les mega-hi-res fi les through the iPhone’s eat up a phone’s memory, so it’s headphone jack is still a massive good that NePlayer can stream improvement on not being able to I do enjoy listening to DSD, FLAC wirelessly from a DLNA-connected play them at all. and ALAC fi les, but the battery runs source at up to 24/192. The app has down faster than normal. Using most of the bases covered with Here’s the catch Oppo’s PM-2 (HFC 402) cans I am playback of ALAC, FLAC and WAV If you want to listen to your tunes at delighted with the detail and pure DETAILS up to 32-bit/384kHz, plus MP3, their native resolution you need an airiness of Beethoven’s Symphony PRICE AAC, HE-AAC. The icing on the cake external DAC. But you can forget No.6 (DSD 2.8MHz), which is so £11 WEBSITE is DSD up to 11.2MHz, while 5.6MHz about fudging it with a powered USB much more emotional than the AAC. neplayer.com and 2.8MHz DSD are replayed on hub and portable DAC as the app Likewise, the vocals in Fleetwood DoP or PCM (your choice), and displays a message saying it will only Mac’s Seven Wonders are squeaky OUR VERDICT 11.2MHz DSD is converted to work with a Radius DAC and amp, clean, while the drums, guitars and PCM at a 352.8kHz sampling rate. which you can’t buy in the UK. keyboards shape beautifully. AJ

Chord Company Clearway Speaker Cable

AN ASTRONAUT’S UMBILICAL cord is the fi rst thing that comes to mind when I unpack the Clearway loudspeaker cable. Resplendent in a silver foil covering that is clearly visible beneath a clear PVC jacket, this cable would not look out of place shielding in relation to the conductors aspirations of the refl ective fi nish, in a sci-fi movie. Designed to be a and minimise mechanically induced it is certainly going to stand out. high-performance, low-cost option, noise. On top of this, two contra- Audibly, however, it sounds great. the Clearway replaces Chord’s wound high-density foil shields are With Pink Floyd’s Anisina from DETAILS Carnival SilverScreen speaker cable. applied to block high-frequency The Endless River album, the The conductors are a pair of 14AWG interference. Finally, a clear protective Clearway does a great job of PRICE £156 for a 3m pair bare stranded copper with FEP PVC jacket is applied to further conveying all of the atmosphere terminated with insulation in a twisted pair reduce noise. that the recording generates. banana plugs confi guration. FEP is a derivative of It’s equally comfortable with TELEPHONE PTFE with very similar characteristics, One direction orchestras – a great recording of 01980 625700 but Chord considers it to be superior The review sample is fi tted with Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3 WEBSITE chord.co.uk in terms of its neutral tonal character banana plugs and the cable is clear, well-paced and exciting. combined with good detail and directionality is indicated by arrows Similarly, vocals are decent and OUR VERDICT dynamics. The two conductors are on the heatshrink insulation. imaging is excellent. In short, protected with a layer of soft and This is not the most fl exible of this is a good value and great- fl exible PVC to correctly space the cables and despite the chameleon-like sounding cable. NR

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SUBSCRIBE SECURELY ONLINE CALL OUR ORDER LINE Quote ref: X327 www.hifichoice.co.uk/subscribe 0844 243 9023 Lines open Mon-Fri 8.00am – 8.00pm & Saturday 9.30am – 3.30pm UK Calls costs 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge. Overseas calls will cost more INTERVIEW JASON BRADBURY Electronica for analogue addicts The Gadget Show’s presenter Jason Bradbury loves analogue synths, vinyl and eighties electronica – and is also a huge fan of Spotify, Sonos and La Roux. Rob Lane finds out why

he analogue verses digital debate is often Apple Music frustrates him, however. “I liked the represented as being clear cut, a choice freedom I used to have to just buy a tune via iTunes T between vinyl and the immediacy and and am now expected to upgrade to Apple Music.” convenience of downloads: two warring Jason’s loft-based home studio is where he listens to and factions in the battle for our ears. For most of us, however, creates most of his music. peaceful coexistence is the order of the day, with an “I use my synths and drum machines for the best-quality appreciation of the warmth of vinyl sitting alongside lossless digital formats I can get from my MacBook. These more regular consumption of MP3s and CDs. go into a Focusrite Saffi re Pro 40 and OctoPre MkII (the Gadget supremo Jason Bradbury is more educated than OctoOree gives me more channels so I can have multiple most in matters digital vs analogue. As lead presenter of instruments running at the same time). I have two Genelec Channel 5’s The Gadget Show he’s witnessed the debate 8020s. I also have a Genelec 7350 studio sub. It’s overkill fi rst hand during various blind tests, and is happy to wear for music, but its there for when I hook up my Xbox and both his digital and his analogue hats with pride – even if play Call Of Duty through the sound system.” he’s an analogue champion at heart. “I’ll always say that vinyl feels warmer than even lossless Eighties lover digital formats,” he tells me, “It hasn’t always come out Back in the eighties – a decade Jason covets for its that way when we’ve done blind tests on The Gadget championing of electronica – his fi rst music system was a Show, but come on – it’s defi nitely warmer. These days I Panasonic “double tape ghetto blaster”, an RX-CW43, and mainly use streaming services to listen to music. I’ve had a he quickly added a couple of Technics SL-B2 belt drive Spotify account for ages and really dig that I can use it turntables for “scratching and mixing” (“I couldn’t afford seamlessly across platforms, including my multi-room the direct-drive 1200”), a Realistic 32 1201 mixer, a classic Sonos setup at home.” NAD 3020 integrated amp and Mission 70 speakers. A keen DJ as well as a broadcaster, Jason has retained “I quickly covered the boom-box in really bad graffi ti and a box of his favourite 12in singles – “mainly early attempted to make it look like the one with the horns on eighties electro, break beats and Chicago House” – the cover of D’ya Like Scratchin by Malcolm McLaren.” but rarely plays vinyl at home, either converting Jason purchased his fi rst “proper” turntable in the his remaining collection to digital via his Pro-Ject nineties – a Linn Sondek LP12. “I wish I still had it. It’s like Debut Carbon (HFC 361) or playlisting favourites owning a vintage VW – it never goes out of fashion. They like Yazoo’s Upstairs At Eric’s on Spotify. always work and there are loads of upgrade paths to keep them sounding perfect. I seem to remember I still had my Music around the home NAD 3020 back then and a pair of second-hand KEF As well as enjoying digital music via his B&W P3 Cantor II speakers which I just loved.” headphones and iPhone 6S while on the road, His fi rst memory of hi-fi kit was via his dad – “an early Jason utilises two Sonos Play:5s in his dining B&O, a gorgeous fl at, long multiple turntable behind room and two Play:3s in the front and back living smoked glass”. This Beogram TX2 with two Beovox rooms. He has a wireless bridge and Sonos Uni-Phase S45 loudspeakers must have made some sort of Connect:amp hidden in a cupboard next to the lasting impression as he recently installed a B&O BeoPlay bathroom that feeds a “third-party ceiling A2 in his kitchen, to complement his Sonos setup. speaker” above the bath. Jason’s musical tastes were also infl uenced early on, with “My best Sonos setup is in the bedroom,” a lasting impression being made by bands such as Yazoo he explains. “Two Play:1s, a Sonos Sub and Grand Master Flash – whose electro beats continue to under the bed – all driven by a Playbar. infl uence today’s dance acts. “Having had this grounding I use the bedroom Sonos for home in synthesiser-generated dance music, I have what many theatre but also play music on this of my generation could term an ear-for-eighties. What I system from my digital fi les on my mean by this is an uncanny ability to spot the hand-clap or MacBook, off my iPhone and various snare from an 808 [Roland TR-808 drum machine] or the steaming services I have plans with ‘Bass 1’ factory preset from a Yamaha DX7 when used in – mainly Spotify (as part of my job modern music. There’s no doubt the eighties is the most I have access to most services) – but infl uential period in music history for dance music today.” I am enjoying Tidal. It’s new to me Unsurprisingly, he likes eighties sound ‘reimaginer’ La but I was sold by the promise of Roux, who has done “great guest mash ups” with Heaven high defi nition. ” 17 and New Order (on their new LP, Music Complete, and INTERVIEW JASON BRADBURY

MUSICAL INFLUENCES

Jason’s first recollection of hearing music was The Beatles’ Ticket to Ride in the back of his dad’s Rover in 1971 . After initially listening to his brothers’ records and borrowing vinyl from neighbours, his first purchase was a 7in of The Chinese Way by Level 42. His first album, meanwhile, was Telekon by Gary Numan, closely followed by Upstairs At Eric’s by Yazoo – as Jason’s love affair with electronic music began to take hold. Afrika Bambaataa’s Jason bought “plenty” of other LPs, but focused his energies on 12in singles from Renegades Of Funk around 1983, because he was “flirting” with becoming a DJ. “My musical taste was divided between synth-orientated new romanticism and electro funk. I still have most of my Grandmaster Flash, The Sugarhill Gang and Soulsonic Force 12in singles, as well as most of the eighties StreetSounds, StreetSounds Electro & UK Electro compilations on vinyl” he reveals. Jason’s all-time favourite band is “without a doubt” Yazoo, with Upstairs At Eric’s his Jason loves hip hop fave LP. “I could name 10 UK synth-based electro record label outfits that rocked my world, but what StreetSounds Vince Clarke did with those early mono and modular synthesisers was astonishing. Jason’s cherished Roland TR-808 “And, the Vince Clarke-led Speak And drum machine Can you spot the Spell by Depeche Mode was hugely difference? Jason important to me as a youngster too. It and Vince Clark might sound a little too pop now, but to me back in 1981 it was bleeding-edge and such a departure from the rock that had dominated my house for the decade previous.” Jason is also a huge fan of D-Train – pioneers of soulful, funk-driven dance music that “defined” his world after he’d moved on from the new romantics. “Evelyn King’s I’m in Love and Get Loose are other examples of the funk-orientated 12in purchases that dominated my considerable vinyl collection towards Some of Jason’s the later half of the eighties ,” says Jason. treasured records during October’s 6Music Maida Vale performance), with him for several hours. Vince has one of the largest recently watching her perform at London’s Shepherds private collections of vintage synths and drum machines in Bush Empire. Recent purchases include Disclosure’s the world.” Caracal – the brothers can’t do any wrong” – and releases Jason’s own collection of synth-related tech is hardly from Jesse Ware, Fono and Lorde. what you’d call small. He owns seven vintage analogue synths – including a Pro-One “in honour of Vince Clarke” Lorde of the dance – a Roland System 100 and bright red keytar-style Roland “Lorde is a great vocalist but listen to something like Team, SH-101, plus a couple of analogue drum machines. a multi-layered vocal, a very strong stripped-down beat “I put my synths and drum machines through a simple and classic eighties analogue strings and pads – so simple, soundcard and a pair of Genelec monitor speakers – it so early eighties and yet, weirdly fresh and new.” doesn’t get much more analogue than that (and much But Jason’s fi rst love remains the eighties. “I’ve seen more warm). I have to tell you, playing my Roland TR-808 Heaven 17 several times and spent a morning fi ddling through that setup would convert anyone to the analogue with keyboards with Martyn Ware – such a nice bloke and side of the analogue/digital debate.” still really switched on to innovations in music technology. And Jason – regardless of his appreciation of Sonos and I rarely miss a chance to see Gary Numan. I’ve met loads streaming services – is certainly a champion of analogue. of my musical heroes – that’s the great thing about having “The bottom line is this: whether or not you can lived through the eighties, my early heroes are now very distinguish digital from vinyl in a blind test, the act of accessible. I get to go to lots of revival gigs and DJ at placing a needle on a piece of vintage plastic with the dust StreetSounds, and many of the acts are very approachable. and friction therein is so tactile, so visceral, so real, it I introduced Howard Jones on stage at Shepherds Bush! I imbues the music with a warmth and personality, a chatted to Steve Strange at a gig shortly before he passed charisma that while hard to objectively measure, affects away; Gary Numan in a club in Soho; The Sugarhill Gang; the sound in a positive way. It’s leather, as opposed to faux the Duran Duran boys. I’m also good mates with Steve leather; freshly baked bread as opposed to a really good Norman from Spandau Ballet.” gluten-free roll.” But meeting Vince Clarke was the pièce de résistance for And that’s the point. We can’t always have silk; Jason. “I interviewed Vince in his home in Brooklyn a sometimes it has to be cotton. The most important thing couple of Christmases ago. I was doing an interview for is that we keep consuming music in all of its available a music magazine and even paid my own fl ight and formats – and ensure that we give it the best chance to accommodation. I was in his basement, playing synths shine on the best available, most appropriate equipment.

JANUARY 2016 119 COMPETITION

WIN: MunroSonic EGG100 loudspeakers Bring the egg-cellent sound of the studio into your home, we’re not yolking…

tudio monitors are generally built eliminate the diffraction and internal no exaggeration. The EGG100 provides to be about as tough as they resonance issues that are so painfully sublime rendering of timbral texture and S come. As butch as the stubble on common to conventional box-shaped colour alongside a stunningly low noise Jason Statham’s chin, they should monitors, and the result is the EGG100. fl oor that genuinely allows notes and be able to shrug off the endless travails of ambient reverberation to decay into inky studio life with ease, and – despite what EGG-stra special sound blackness. In short, it’s simply awesome. manufacturers tell us – are quite a different An active two-driver near-fi eld loudspeaker For more information on MunroSonic’s kettle of fi sh to the sort of standmount that looks like no other you’ve seen before, EGG speakers, visit www.munrosonic.com. speakers that hi-fi enthusiasts like to have the EGG100 is fed by a dedicated 30W-per- And thanks to the good folk at perfectly positioned in their listening rooms. channel amplifi er with balanced XLR inputs MunroSonic, you can experience the So it’s rare to fi nd a near-fi eld monitor, and features a 25mm soft dome tweeter majesty of the EGG100 for yourself. The which is ordinarily plonked on a mixing desk paired with a 100mm bass driver. There’s a fi rst correct answer pulled out of the HFC with an engineer hunched behind it, offering downward-fi ring bass port on the underside hat will win a pair all for themselves, but the sort of performance that makes it perfect and a Speakon cable socket around the back. that’s not all. The second correct answer for home listening. But that’s precisely what Happily, when we tested the EGG100 back will nab themselves an Apogee Groove we’ve got here. Developed by Andy Munro in the November issue we discovered that portable DAC/headphone amp and the (previously of Shure and founding member it sounded every bit as good as it looks. next three entries will each receive a set of of Dynaudio), Philip Smith and James Young Perhaps the fi rst thing to make us sit up and Extreme Isolation EX29W headphones. (of Sonic Distribution), MunroSonic has take notice was the level of clarity on show. Generous or what? Answer the ridiculously come up with the radical ‘egg geometry’ you We’d expect a certain amount given its easy question opposite and send it to us to see before you here. The idea is to virtually pedigree, but its fi ve stars for sound rating is be in with a chance of winning. Good luck!

120 JANUARY 2016 COMPETITION

1st prize – MunroSonic 2nd prize – Apogee Groove 3rd prize – Extreme Isolation EGG100 The £300 Apogee Groove is a portable USB DAC EX29W headphone Awarded five stars in issue 403, the EGG100 blew and headphone amp for listening to music on your Priced at £142, the Extreme Isolation EX29W us away with its combination of stunning design Mac or PC. Groove takes the same high-quality headphone is no slouch when it comes to the partnered with sound to match. It’s a dream to listen audio technology found in the world’s most important business of blocking out unwanted to and presents music in such an unsullied, spatially prestigious recording studios and delivers it to your distractions. The dynamic closed-back headphone convincing, believable and coherent form. In short, laptop. Its output provides ample power at any with 40mm drivers boasts a frequency response of you’re unlikely to hear better focus, speed and impedance and Apogee’s Constant Current Drive 20Hz-20kHz and comes bundled with a 9ft (275cm) timing from anything at or near the £1,300 price. technology makes your headphones sound great. premium twin-lead cable.

TO BE IN WITH A HOW TO ENTER CHANCE OF WINNING, Write your answer here to win: ANSWER THIS SIMPLE This coupon should arrive by 5.30pm on 22 December 2015 QUESTION: addressed to: MunroSonic Competition Hi-Fi Choice, c/o Data Europe Limited, 12 Regent Street, Haslingden, Rossendale, BB4 5HQ What inputs does the dedicated 30W-per-channel amp have? Answer:...... A) Balanced XLR Initial...... Surname...... B) Unbalanced XLR C) RCA phono Address ...... Postcode ...... County ...... Email ...... TERMS & CONDITIONS Tel ...... I am 18 yrs old or over

1. Entrants must be over 18 years old and resident in the United Kingdom. 2. Employees of AVTech Media or My Time Media and companies supplying If you do NOT wish to be contacted by Hi-Fi Choice, AVTech Media Ltd, MunroSonic or competition prizes are not eligible to enter. 3. Proof of posting will not be accepted by the magazine as proof of delivery. 4. No responsibility will be Sonic Distribution please tick here: email , post , phone . If you wish to be accepted for entries lost, damaged or delayed in the post. 5. No alternatives, contacted by carefully chosen third parties please tick here: email , post , phone . cash or otherwise, will be offered to the winners as prizes. 6. The editor’s For full privacy policy and terms and conditions, visit www.hifichoice.co.uk/terms decision is final. 7. The closing date is 22 December 2015.

JANUARY 2016 121 Reader Classified ads www.hifichoice.co.uk

with all original packaging. £700 ono: 07729321919 or email: [email protected] (Lincolnshire). CREEK CAS4040 amplifier £55. Sony MDS-JE520 For saleFor / Wanted MiniDisc with remote £45. SME 3009 Series improved fixed head £175. Tangent AMP-100 amplifier £55. Reader Marantz CD-48 with remote £60. Linn Index Speakers £70 01708 457691 (Essex). XINDAK A600E MkII PMC FB1 speakers, amplifier. 160W Class A excellent condition, boxed. output. Only light use, mint One careful, smoke-free condition, good review. Classified and pet-free owner. RRP: £2,500, want £250: Welcome to Hi-Fi Choice Reader Classified, Superb speakers. £850: 07905 348812 (Watford). 07920 101740 or email: BOWERS & WILKINS a free private ads service for buying and [email protected] PV1D 400W DSP subwoofer, (Romford). selling second-hand hi-fi components. white finish, unmarked, These pages are a must-read if you’re The simplest way to send your ad is via YAMAHA RX-A2020 AV instructions and original thinking about buying used kit, or if you email to: [email protected] or mail: receiver, black 9.2 channels, factory packaging £825: have hi-fi you want to sell. It’s free – simply Reader Classified, Hi-Fi Choice, was £1,500 new, now only 01908 376966 submit your ad of up to 50 words (we will AVTech Media Ltd, Enterprise House, £200: 01625 433996 (Milton Keynes). edit them if not), remembering to include Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent, (Macclesfield). ARCAM A85 integrated your email, phone number and county. TN8 6HF. AUDIOLAB 8000A amplifier and Arcam CD82 player. Owned from new and This service is open to private advertisers only. Just one ad per household. integrated amp £120, Cyrus Images are for illustration only and do not represent what is for sale dAD7 CD player £75, Cyrus in mint condition. Remote and PSX-R power supply £100. manuals demo with pleasure FOR SALE All in good working condition £525 ono. Buyer to collect: with boxes and manuals. 01922 628179 or email: MONITOR AUDIO MUSICAL FIDELITY CDX T SE transport £250, 2x Buyer collects: 0121 4542173 [email protected] Gold 200 loudspeakers A308cr Dual Mono PSXR £150 each, Stream X or email: jcdcampbell@sky. (West Midlands). in gloss black, no visible preamplifier £590, A308cr £300, Dynaudio Audience com (Birmingham). LINN Majik LP12 2009, 24-bit upsampling CD player 42 Speakers £100. All boxed marks, less than 6 months Origin Live mat, Linn 2549 £490, A3.2 RDS tuner £290: with documents: email: TANNOY 6.4 Precision old, RRP £2,200 would like arm cable £1,000: £1,700. Buyer to collect: 07500804700 or email: [email protected] speakers, 6 months old, as new with boxes, piano 07411 849182 (Cambs). 074731 42584 or email: [email protected] (Liverpool). black can post or collection: QUAD 22L Classic [email protected] ARCAM FMJ A19 integrated MUSICAL FIDELITY floorstanders, piano amplifier, one year old and in 07944 049857 or email: LINN Sondek LP12 turntable M6i amplifier plus KEF LS50 rosewood gloss speakers, mint condition with manuals, [email protected] with Valhalla drive, Akito speakers. Both less than 100 as new, immaculate remote control and original (Co Durham). arm and Ortofon 2M Red hours use, mint condition, condition £330 ono: box £450 (new £695). Can MISSION 735i, 25-125W/ (cartridge hardly used). smoke/pet-free environment 07782 242190 or email: post if required for extra £20: channel, 3-way reflex, black Serviced about 4 years ago with all packaging. RRP SUEBILLS53@yahoo. 018478 41293 or email: floorstanding speakers. Very £3,300, would like £2,000: co.uk (West Midlands). with new springs and timing James_mcleod789@ slight wear on top corner of 01902 884694 or email: INSPIRE 160 Super remains good, plus remains btinternet.com (Caithness, one cover otherwise super [email protected] turntable, walnut plinth, Rega fully functional. £300. Buyer Scotland). condition. Also have floor (West Midlands). 303 arm – upgraded by SRM collects: 01277 633276 or studs and original box. £250 PRO-JECT Xpression UKX TECH 2014. Pristine condition, email: [email protected] CYRUS CD7 £80, integrated the pair. Buyer collects: latest version with carbon little use £495. BEZ T3B-6 (Essex). amp £150, DAC X £200, 01406 423462 or email: fibre tone arm, Ortofon 2M single ended amp. Highly [email protected]. silver cartridge, Bordeaux regarded reviews. Few hours (South Lincs). plinth, white acrylic platter, use, as new condition £375. few hours use, boxed and in FOCAL Electra 1027 House move forces sale: mint condition, £250: 01243 speakers (burgundy), 014870 814015 or email: 607988 (West Sussex). excellent condition with [email protected]. LEHMANN Silver Cube original boxes. £1,500 ono. BOSE Lifestyle 28 surround phono amplifier with power Buyer to collect: 07913 sound system, excellent supply, 10 years old, excellent 236601 or email: farrow_ YAMAHA BD-S673 universal player: CD/DVD/Blu-ray, wi-fi, working order, superb condition. With manual but [email protected] (Essex) DNLA, streamer, black finish. Plays all codecs inc FLAC, WAV, sound, 5 white speakers, MP3 etc. In excellent condition with manual & remote. Was no original packaging £900: MUSICAL FIDELITY purchased direct from £350, sell for £95 + £8.50 Postage UK Mainland: 07800 606892 or email: M3si finished in black, in Bose, complete system 01745 859064 or email: [email protected]. [email protected] absolutely mint condition. includes adapt IQ, cables (Worcestershire). Only 11 months old, comes & all accessories (boxed),

BUYING TIPS BUYING SECOND-HAND can be a great way to pick up a bargain. A formerly expensive second-hand component might well prove a better long-term bet than a brand-new product if the price is right. DO SOME RESEARCH on which brands have a good service back up, so if something does go wrong, you can get it fixed. Unless you purchase from a dealer, you’re unlikely to get any warranty, so it’s up to you to ensure the fitness of any gear that you buy. USUALLY speakers should be less prone to breakdown than amps, and amps should be more reliable than CD players. But any abused component could be trouble – have a proper demo and judge the seller as well as the goods!

122 JANUARY 2016 award-winning high performance analogue, Reader Classified ads digital & video cables

£500: 07876 563925 or collect: 01977 695385 £900 for the two : email: p.timmins2014@ (West Yorkshire). 0161 865 9607 or email: btinternet.com. (Lincoln). WANTED Chord Signature c.fanshawe @sky.com CARY AUDIO DESIGN or Sarum RCA interconnect. MISSION 753 speakers CD 303T Pro, SACD- Cash waiting: 01475 529216 – VGC £50. Cyrus 6 CD compatible (£6,500) £1,600. or email LPorsche997@ player – VGC £175. Both in NAF Legend Mk2 valve aol.com. black. Have done upgrade: integrated (£5,000) £2,100. CASTLE CONWAY 3 07730477564. Magnum Dynalab MD100 FM floorstanding speakers in NAIM Air-PLUG for tuner (£1,500) £600. HiFi+ mahogany, hardly used and SuperLine phono stage 500 all 125 issues (£625) £100. All in mint condition, boxed resistive. Walnut plinth for Linn mint: 01453 519700. £395 ono (new £950): LP12 brand new £180. Half AUDIOLAB M-DAC, black, 01992 572098 or email: meter of Russ Andrews silver mint, boxed £350. Naim SBL [email protected] streak interconnect cable

black, excellent active with NAD 701 stereo receiver £70, attenuated for Naim www.atlascables.com Naim SNAXO £850 or NAXO NAD 6325 tape deck £70, CD player and preamp: £650. Strain Gauge Cartridge Celestion DL4 loudspeakers 0208 5242181 Panasonic EPC-451C. With £50, Target stands £25 or BRINKMANN 10.5 tonearm new sealed stylus (Shibata £150 all-in: 01206 731236 . mint condition, manual, stylus, Titanium Cantilever), RUSS ANDREWS Kimber protractor, tonearm box. New mint £395. Prefer collection TAK-Cu tonearm cable with £3,895, selling for £1,700. but courier can be arranged: 90 deg DIN plug and phono Collection preferred, but [email protected]. plugs boxed as new £100: can ship worldwide. Email: ACOUSTIC ENERGY 07800 606892 or email: [email protected] Radiance 3 floorstanding [email protected] WANTED Trichord Dino speakers. Light coloured, (Worcestershire). + power supply. Must be natural wood finish, excellent LINN LP12 serial no: 27133 Mk 2 version in black box: condition with lovely sound with Mission 774 tonearm. 01332735431 or email: £600: 01793 763573 Plus power supply for LP12 stu.valentine@ntlworld. (Swindon). serial no: 902508 Black Lingo. com (Derby). Equator NAIM Nait XS amplifier, totally as new, boxed, genuine Asymmetrical Integra reason for sale. Will accept £1,000: 075830 78744 (Notts/Derby). OLIVE Opus 4HD 2TB (black) for sale. Very good condition £900 ovno. Selling as I’m upgrading: 07905 312191. AUDIOLAB 8200P power amp, Monitor Audio MERIDIAN 557 boxed in excellent condition: £449. BX2 Bronze speakers, Musical Fidelity F16 boxed in excellent condition £395: Tannoy V1 speakers, 02392 453382 or email: alanmacleod1@virginmedia. Denon PMA520AE amp. com. (Hants). Open to offers, buyer to Atlas understands the meaning of uncompromising HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR FREE AD performance. Is the Atlas Equator asymmetrical the YOUR DETAILS To submit your advert to us, please email letters@ best interconnect on the Name hifichoice.co.uk or market? It sure is at it’s Address alternatively, use the postal price! A consistent winner, form below. Please limit ads to a maximum of 50 words, the Equator Integra is ensuring all details, model obviously the entry level Email address names, etc, are correctly stated. Kindly also include audio interconnect for Daytime telephone number your email, telephone number discerning music lovers. Date and home county. We regret that we cannot take adverts over the telephone. One ad Need some advice on YOUR ADVERTISEMENT per household please. choosing the best cables? Call us free on 0800 731 1140

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ESSENTIAL AUDIO OF THE YEAR

BEST OF 2015 164 PAGES of the greatest-sounding hi-fi kit and music reviews that hit the headlines this year, plus all our favourite hi-fi high points. Don’t miss it! YEARBOOK ISSUE ON SALE 22 DECEMBER

If you don’t want to miss an issue PASSION FOR SOUND EDITORIAL TEAM SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGEMENT TEAM Please reserve/deliver my copy of Hi-Fi Choice Editor Lee Dunkley Subscriptions Manager Kate Hall Group Editor Paul Miller Production Editor Jake Day-Williams UK – New, Renewals & Enquiries Group Art Editor John Rook on a regular basis, starting with issue: Art Editor Emily Hammond Tel: 0844 243 9023 or +44 (0) 1604 828 748 Group Advertising Manager Rhona Bolger Chief Executive Owen Davies Title First name Email: [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS Chairman Peter Harkness Simon Berkovitch, Paul Hirons, Surname USA & CANADA – New, Renewals & Enquiries Published by AVTech Media Ltd James Hughes, Adrian Justins, Jason Kennedy, Tel: 001 866 647 9191 Rob Lane, David Price, Neville Roberts, Enterprise House, Enterprise Way, Address Ed Selley, Andrew Simpson, David Vivian, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6HF REST OF WORLD – New, Renewals & Enquiries Chris Ward, Nigel Williamson Phone: 0844 4122262 Tel: +44 (0) 1604 828 748 From outside the UK: +44 (0)1689 869840 ADVERTISING www.hifichoice.co.uk Sales Simon Dunn BACK ISSUES Postcode Tel: 01689 869853 Website: www.myhobbystore.co.uk Distributed in the UK by Seymour Email: [email protected] Contact: www.myhobbystore.co.uk/contact Distribution Ltd. Telephone number

Published by AVTech Media Ltd. All rights reserved, 2015. ISSN 0955-1115. The Publisher’s written consent must be obtained before any part of this publication may be If you can’t always find a copy of this reproduced in any form whatsoever, including photocopiers, and information retrieval systems. All reasonable care is taken in the preparation of the magazine contents, but the publishers cannot be held legally responsible for errors in the contents of this magazine or for any loss however arising from such errors, including loss resulting magazine, help is at hand! Complete this form from negligence of our staff. Reliance placed upon the contents of this magazine is at reader’s own risk. and hand in at your local store, they’ll arrange Hi-Fi Choice, ISSN 0955-1115, is published monthly with an additional issue in July by AVTech Media Ltd, a division of MYTIMEMEDIA Ltd, Enterprise House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6HF, UK. The US annual subscription price is 65GBP (equivalent to approximately 108USD). Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent for a copy of each issue to be reserved for named Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Hi-Fi Choice, Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are you. Some stores may even be able to arrange maintained at dsb.net Ltd, 3 Queensbridge The Lakes Northampton NN4 7BF. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.. for it to be delivered to your home. Just ask! 30 years of passion : TRIANGLE continues to strive for the highest possible level to provide music lovers with perfection in terms of no compromise sound reproduction, faithfully conveying the emotion and beauty of music.

Signature Theta Magellan Cello Signature Delta £2700 £10000 £4600 Impedance 8 Ohm Impedance 8 Ohm Impedance 8 Ohm Frequency range 45 Hz - 20 kHz Frequency range 35 Hz - 20 kHz Frequency range 35 Hz - 20 kHz Sensitivity 90 dB Sensitivity 91 dB Sensitivity 92 dB (stand not included)

audioemotion

w:audioemotion.co.uk e:[email protected] t:01333 425 999 For more than a quarter-century, Sonus faber has represented the pinnacle of loudspeaker aesthetics. From its earliest models, incorporating real wood, furniture-grade finishing, seductive curves and even grilles that reveal style and inventiveness, this repository of Italian artisan skills and artistry has achieved what was once deemed impossible: creating speakers that sound as beautiful as they look.

Along with a series of models paying homage to the great luthiers of Cremona, the company has since been inspired by the Teatro Olimpica in Vicenza. It is appropriate that this new family of speakers considered the standards of a famed venue as the ne plus ultra of the reproduction of music with vivacity and power… exactly what defines music from opera to orchestral to rock music to soul to jazz. To achieve this, Sonus faber has exploited all that it has learned since its inception.

Like all Sonus faber loudspeakers, Olympica represents what is possible, while respecting what has mattered.

absolute sounds ltd.

International Distributors & Consultants of Specialised Hi-End Audio & Video Systems 58 Durham Road, London, SW20 0TW T: +44 (0)20 89 71 39 09 W: www.absolutesounds.com E: [email protected]