Hi-Fi News & Record Review, November 2014 the ULTIMATE COMES HOME
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APRIL 2015 WWW.HIFINEWS.CO.UK THE HOME OF REAL HI-FI Double Exclusive! Astell&Kern AK500N hi-res network player Mark Levinson No585 amp V IN Y L I C O W N N N E I R V Jadis I-50 E Gallic tube integrated THE DOORS NAD M12/M22 L.A. WOMAN Masterful pre/powerower Vinyl premiere Acoustic Signature’sre’s INVESTIGATION TA-1000 tonearmm HD Streaming Budget Esoterica ‘Meridian’s MQA is a Marantz HD-DAC1 musical milestone’ p22 Dynaudio 400 XD Classical Companion The ‘connected’ loudspeaker Klemperer’s Beethoven • PLUS 18 pages of music reviews & features • VINYLL RE-RELRE-RELEASEEASE TheThe ReReplacements’placements’ AllAll SShookhook DoDownwn UK £4.50 US $12.99 Aus $10.99 • OPINION 12 pages of letters and comment • VINTAGETAGE REVIREVIEWEW KKolster-Brandes’olster-Brandes’ pre/powerpre/power combocombo • SHOW BLOG KK’s spin from International CES 201515 •READ• READERS’EERS’CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS HiHi-fi-fibargainsgalor bargains galoree 0) 683(5,253(5)250$1&(+($'3+21(6 Music Is Our Religion 9(5<+,*+48$/,7<086,&$/),'(/,7<'(6,*1(' %$/$1&('$50$785(1(2'<0,80'5,9(81,76 ZZZPXVLFDOÀGHOLW\FRP CONTENTS VINYL & RECORD REVIEWS NEWS AND OPINION 74 Classical Companion 13 Welcome Christopher Breunig brings you his A message from the editor pick of the Beethoven recordings 14 News made by conductor Otto Klemperer Naim all-in-one network player, DAC 15 APRIL 76 Vinyl Release and preamp; Magico revamps Q7 The Replacements were a cartoon speaker using Graphene; Audiolab’s trainwreck of a band but left some new CD transport; ‘fi t and-forget’ classic rock ’n’ roll LPs in their wake. phono stage from Vinyl Renaissance Steve Sutherland hears the 180g 16 Show Blog vinyl reissue of All Shook Down A new single-box fl oorstander from 78 Vinyl Icon Wilson, keenly priced cans from The Doors not only infl uenced pop Audeze, more KT150 valves, one music but popular culture itself and of the world’s costliest MCs... join with L.A. Woman the drama that Ken Kessler at International CES ’15 surrounded them spilled into the 22 Investigation studio itself. Johnny Black explains... 40 Dynaudio Focus 400 XD Meridian’s MQA technology is said 84 Classic Rock Venues Could this active speaker render to deliver hi-res music fi les using Steve Sutherland continues his tour separate amps redundant or is it far lower data rates than at present. of world iconic rock venues with merely a nod to ‘convenience hi-fi ’? Is this a true audio breakthrough? The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville 48 Jadis I-50 103 Opinion 90 Music Reviews What’s this? A valve integrated with Insider comment on the audio Audiophile LPs, hi-res downloads a USB input? We hear the French topics of the day from Paul Miller, and the very latest rock, jazz and brand’s fi rst KT150-equipped amp Barry Fox, Barry Willis, Jim Lesurf, classical albums reviewed 52 Acoustic Signature TA-1000 Tim Jarman and Steve Harris Germany company’s fi rst tonearm 114 Sound Off DEFINITIVE PRODUCT REVIEWS features a tube within a tube, said to Advice on repairing a vintage self-damp. We test the 9in version... system, feeding a streamer via a 28 Mark Levinson No585 54 Musical Fidelity MX-HPA switch box, more bass from a Denon The US brand’s fi rst integrated amp First model in the company’s new MX cartridge, the Allison dip explained since 2006 packs a built-in DAC range is an upmarket headphone amp 138 Off The Leash plus a hi-res-capable USB input with balanced connections. We listen Ken Kessler encounters a list of what 34 Astell&Kern AK500N 58 NAD Masters M12/M22 people are ‘most looking forward to’ After a hi-res portable player comes Simple to use and with a refi ned yet when it comes to future technology. this distinctive desktop/storage powerful sound... Ncore power amp Guess what? Music replay isn’t on it music system. How does it sound? and modular pre prove addictive 62 Crystal Cable Arabesque Minissimo Dutch company brings its curved wall tech from Arabesque fl oorstander to a more affordable standmount design 67 Audience Au24 SE From the US comes a ‘tweaked’ speaker cable based on OCC copper 68 Marantz HD-DAC1 Company’s fi rst USB/headphone pre offers 192kHz/24-bit plus DSD64 and DSD128 compatibility via PC VINTAGE ABOVE: We investigate Meridian’s MQA music 120 Vintage Review encoding regime. The How does the classic kit of yesteryear future? See p22 measure up today? We test the 1958 BSCRIBE! Kolster-Brandes’ PHC 20/PHA 30 amp SUBSCRIBE! 126 From the vault This month’s pick of articles from HFN’s archive is from 1983 where Special Christmas offer: Jens Hansen describes CD’s possible ThreeFREE! issues Chord for Crimson just £3! ABOVE: The Arabesque Minissimo, see p62 rival – Soundstream’s AudioFile VEE 3 interconnect See page 60825788 APRIL 2015 | www.hifi news.co.uk | 3 Xs - a new standard from Pass Labs Xs 150: “Infinite smoothness in all registers. Unheard of power and authority. Control during the softest passages. I am speechless. I honestly never expected this dramatic an improvement. Absolutely a masterpiece.” Distributed by Select Audio Tel: 01900 601954 www.selectaudio.co.uk www.passlabs.com (5,>+04,5:065;/,5,>-6*<:?+ The sleek quantum leap. 9LPU]LU[PUN[OLZVWOPZ[PJH[LKOPNOLUKÅVVYZ[HUKLY-\SS`KPNP[HS^P[O+:7HUKOPNOYLZWV^LY+(*>P[O^H[[ KPNP[HSHTWSPÄLYZWLYKYP]LYHUKHUL_[YH,ZV[LJ^VVMLY>P[OIP[ R/aYLWYVK\J[PVUKPYLJ[MYVT[OLZV\YJL >P[OV\[HU`SVZZ-VYOP[OLY[V\UOLHYKWYLJPZPVUKLW[OHUKT\ZPJHSP[`(ULHY[OTV]PUNL_WLYPLUJL[OH[UL]LYILMVYL JHTL[OPZLSLNHU[(UK`LZ!P[HSZVYLKLÄULZ^PYLSLZZOPÄ^^^K`UH\KPVJVTMVJ\Z_K All there is. LIVE IT R SERIES Some music you hear. The all-new R Series delivers a sound so pure you live each and every moment. Incorporating technologies from /)*´W¾EKWLMT&PEHIWXYRRMRKP]¾YIRX9RM5® driver arrays combine with potent FEWWHVMZIVWXSHIPMZIVEVMGLWTEGMSYWWSYRHMQEKISJWXEVXPMRKEGGYVEG] 8LI67IVMIWTVIWIRXWERI[HMQIRWMSRMREYHMSTLMPIWXERHEVHWSJIRXIVXEMRQIRX QEOMRK¾E[PIWWTVIGMWMSRERHWYTIVFH]REQMGWQSVIEGGIWWMFPIXLERIZIV Live it. Feel it. Love it. www.kef.com ‘Blind listening could easily convince that this is a much more expensive loudspeaker... a worthy winner and an essential audition.’ KEF R500, Hi-Fi News & Record Review, November 2014 THE ULTIMATE COMES HOME SSD Perfect Pure PCM to Advanced 4 BAY Powerful Fixed & Variable Metal Body Extractor Sound DSD Network SSD Connections Analog Out (in Black or Silver) Introducing the AK500N network player: the first Mastering Quality Audio home hi-fi product from Astell&Kern, combining advanced digital technology with analogue sound. The future of audio has arrived. www.AstellnKern.com Available now from specialist stockists including Custom Cable DSP8000SE LOUDSPEAKER OF THE YEAR CES 2015 Meridian’s DSP8000 Special Edition Digital Active Loudspeaker. The most lifelike-sounding loudspeakers Meridian has ever made, bringing the authentic sound of the studio into your home. Experience Meridian for yourself at your nearest retailer – call 0330 134 6037 or visit meridian-audio.com/store-locator musicischanging.com meridian-audio.com Asimi Ultra RCA Interconnect Reflecting the mood of the music, the Asimi Ultra allows the very best hi-fi systems to sing – sing loud, sharp and clear when required or soft, slow and relaxed as the recording demands. It’s a true flagship cable. HiFi News, December 2014 the performance connection atlascables.com Our SuperUniti all-in-one player will unleash your digital music, from high- resolution audio files to Spotify playlists. Its analogue heart is an integrated amplifier backed by 40 years of engineering knowledge to offer countless years of musical enjoyment. Just add speakers. SuperUniti. Reference digital music player and integrated amplifier. Next-generation music systems, hand-built in Salisbury, England. Discover more at naimaudio.com Go Deeper Hugo, the DAC by which all others are judged “Superb” “Breaks all records” ***** ***** What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision, Hi-Fi World grouptest winner “A game-changer” “A landmark digital product” Hi-Fi Critic ***** “My reference DAC” Editor’s Choice, Hi-Fi Choice head-fi.org “Chord’s best-ever DAC” “Incredible” Hi-Fi + avforums.com “Spectacular” “Remarkable” Ken Kessler, The Telegraph theear.net THE WORLD’S FIRST REFERENCE-CLASS MOBILE DAC/HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER • Home and mobile use (10hr+ battery) • Unique custom-made Chord FPGA • Five digital inputs (inc. Bluetooth) • Playback up to DSD 128 and 384kHz PCM • Use as a digital preamp • Built to last @ChordAudio facebook.com/chordelectronics [email protected] www.chordelectronics.co.uk APR/15 s the music business, or ABOVE: Marantz’s superb HD-DAC1 compact USB/headphone amp, p68 at least our consumption of it, turning ever more ‘virtual’? Compact disc Isales, the principal indicator of physical media, have been in decline for many years. The vinyl diehards among us have been tempted to suggest the analogue LP revival has been crushing CD underfoot, but In mid-February, MBW (Music the plain truth is that music Business Worldwide) reported downloads and streaming Tidal/WimP parent company services are sounding the silver Aspiro’s admission that ‘given disc’s death knell. But is this new the current strategic plan and ABOVE: A brace of KT150s powers the new Jadis I-50 integrated, p48 musical age any less volatile? the associated capital needs, the The IFPI (International company is not fully funded for Federation of the Phonographic the coming twelve months’. Industry) has reported Investment is on the horizon signifi cant year-on-year growth and Tidal, with its support PAUL FERRARA PAUL in subscription services such for better-than-CD resolution as Spotify which are gaining streaming is rapidly becoming ground on the fi le download market.