Chord on the go Instant replay PortablePortab Hugo DAC/headphone How to digitise all your old LP, amp strikes st all the right notes cassette and tape recordings PASSION FOR SOUND Issue No. 386 July 2014 Superstar WORLD EXCLUSIVE 1ST FULL system TEST Revolutionary Devialet ampmp andand speakers set new sonic standarddd 30PRODUCTS ON TEST: Arcam, Cyrus, KEF, Marantz, NAD, Sonus faber and Yamaha PRINTED IN THE UK US$9.99 US$9.99 PRINTED IN THE UK £4.50 2014 JULY GROUP TEST Rhythm Turn master it up! B&W’sB&W’s’ 683683 S2S2 floorstanderfloofl rstanded r Six of the best integrated will get your toes tapping amplifiers under £400 INTRODUCTION PASSION FOR SOUND Welcome www.hifichoice.co.uk Issue No. 386 July 2014 Paris-based audio specialist Devialet caused quite a stir in hi-fi circles when it launched its D-Premier amplifier in 2010 – appearing with an inaugural review in our sister title Hi-Fi News & Record Review. More recently the technology has evolved into a range of beautiful and slender amplifiers that quickly earned 42 admiring glances for their stylish looks and versatility, Sonus faber as well as audiophile acknowledgments for their Olympica II spectacular performance. 55 Regular readers will no doubt recognise our cover star Arcam as the Devialet Ensemble hi-fi system that was the lead airDAC Audiofile news story last month. Hi-Fi Choice is proud to be the first hi-fi magazine in the world to get its hands on this perfectly balanced and sophisticated system. As any reader will know, combining hi-fi components is a considerable art form, but Devialet has done all the hard work for you with its Ensemble system, matching its entry-level Devialet integrated amplifier, now upgraded to 120 following the new software announced at the High 100 End Hi-Fi Show in Munich last month – see our Show Report, on page 84 – with Atohm GT1 SE speakers. One of the main new innovations in the Devialet amp is SAM (Speaker Active Matching), which has been developed as a form of audio tailoring that ensures amplifier and speaker fit together perfectly. The Ensemble is the first complete system to utilise the new technology, but this is only part of the story. To find Beth Orton Central Reservation out more read our In-Depth review, starting on page 16. 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 products that are high standard of tests can only judged to deliver performance have one winner, outstanding and this badge HADLOW HOUSE, 9 HIGH STREET, GREEN STREET performance says it all! GREEN, ORPINGTON, KENT BR6 6BG JULY 2014 3 Contentshifichoice.co.uk Issue No. 386 July 2014 NEWS & OPINION GROUP TEST 6 Audiofile Six of the best integrated The latest news on the hottest products 24 amplifiers under £400 from the world of hi-fi coming your way put to the test 12 Webwatch Essential websites to direct your browser towards for all your hi-fi requirements 69 Letters Put your points of view and queries on audio matters to our team of experts 77 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 130 Back Chat A look back in time, news snippets and an industry insider picks their top albums READER SERVICES 102 Reader Classifieds Sell your unwanted hi-fi for FREE here 124 Next Issue The sonic treats to look out for next month FEATURES 62 62 Record Store Day Our indepth report of how the biggest day of the year for vinyl lovers unfolded 84 High End Show 6 We pack our bags and head off to Munich to take a look at all the hi-fi treats on show 90 Beautiful Systems Play music loud and stay friends with the neighbours with this headphone setup 94 Labelled With Love Feed your head with some of Germany’s mind-blowing music, courtesy of Brain 118 Guide To... 99 Digitise your LPs and cassettes. How to turn your analogue music into MP3s Audiofile: Heed Audio’s new Thesis range Music reviews: Led Zeppelin remastered 4 JULY 2014 CONTENTS JULY 2014 “Making a digital copy of your music serves as a useful backup 113 to safeguard your investment” Musical Fidelity V90-AMP micro amplifier Guide to... Digitising LPs and cassettes p118 TESTED THIS MONTH REVIEWS Kit testing 16 Devialet Ensemble 120/GT1 SE amplifier/loudspeaker 42 Sonus faber Olympica II floorstanding loudspeaker (Exotica) 16 46 Chord Electronics Devialet Ensemble 120 and GT1 SE Hugo DAC/headphone amplifier 50 Cyrus CD XT Signature CD transport 52 Morel SoundSpot 2.1 Ultra 2.1 speaker system 55 Arcam airDAC digital-to-analogue converter 56 B&W 683 S2 floorstanding loudspeaker 60 Simple Audio 46 Roomplayer with amp network streamer Chord Electronics Hugo 56 88 Arcam B&W Delta Black Box DAC (retro) 683 S2 floorstanding loudspeaker 106 Russ Andrews GROUP TEST GQ-24 iPod interconnect Integrated amplifiers 109 MCRU £200-£400 EU/USA Adaptor Mains Plug 27 Cambridge Audio 109 Servisol Azur 651 Aero Duster cleaner 29 Marantz PM6005 110 Opera-Consonance 50 Record Cleaning Machine 31 NAD D 3020 Cyrus CD XT Signature CD transport 113 Musical Fidelity 33 Pioneer A-50 V90-AMP micro amplifier 35 Vieta VH-HA100 114 Orb 37 Yamaha A-S201 DF-01i Vinyl LP Record Flattener 114 Chord Company CHOICE EXTRAS C-stream Ethernet cable 105 KEF 116 Custom Design X300A wireless speaker Milan Compact equipment rack 60 106 High End Cable 116 Lindy Simple Audio Roomplayer with amp Panda Feet HF-110 headphones Never miss an issue – turn to p20 for our latest subs offer JULY 2014 5 THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS… Connect four Heed Audio launches four-strong Thesis amplifier range at Munich’s High End Show PRICE: £1,600–£2,850 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 01242 511133 WEB: HEEDAUDIO.CO.UK A SUNNY MORNING in mid-May power supply unit that drives the Driven by the Thesis Pi PSU, the at the High End Show in Munich was analogue circuitry stage of the Alpha third model in the range is the Phi the location for the announcement of preamplifi er as well as the matching phono stage (£2,300), and claims to a new amplifi er range to come from add-on Phi phono stage. be a ‘no compromise’ phono preamp Budapest-based Heed Audio. The The digital circuitry inside the Alpha aimed at vinyl connoisseurs and four-strong range is housed in what preamplifi er claims to be built around offers very low noise characteristics, the company describes as ‘retro- the company’s Obelisk Da digital-to- huge dynamic range, plenty of futuristic’ casework, and centres analogue convertor (reviewed issue headroom and an extremely smooth around the Thesis Alpha preamplifi er 373) and supports two analogue and frequency response. (£2,850). The minimalist designed four digital inputs including S/PDIF, Its twin circuit design means that it preamp has six source inputs and is Toslink, BNC and USB. A matching can cater independently for moving partnered with the Thesis Pi power remote control handset with source magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) supply unit (£1,600). It’s a twin selection is also provided. cartridges. It can accommodate two 6 JULY 2014 COMMENT RECORD BREAKER You’ve got to love Jack White. Quite aside from being one hell of a musician, he’s also fighting the good fight to keep music interesting. While other musicians released limited edition vinyl for Record Store Day, Jack went one better by producing the world’s fastest record. To explain, White recorded and cut directly to acetate the single Lazaretto, before rushing it to United Records Pressing, where the vinyl was cut and stuff ed into sleeves featuring photos from the event before being delivered to stores. The entire process smashed the previous record of a day, taking just 3 hours, 55 minutes and 21 seconds after recording began. But Jack didn’t stop there. The album that the single comes from (also called Lazaretto) is taking what can be done with the black stuff to a whole new level. Jack’s humorously dubbed the release an ‘Ultra LP’ and in truth, Ultra doesn’t even come close to how exciting this record will be. For starters, the grooves on side one run from the centre out and there’s a lock groove on the outer rim of the disc. Underneath the label on both sides is a hidden track – simply place the needle on the label and you’ll get to hear a couple of crackly hidden tunes. White has already experimented with this ‘underlabel groove’ on a previous release he did with his band The Dead Weather, but what makes this one diff erent is that on side A the track is at 78rpm, while on side B it’s at 45rpm – making this an LP that has three playing speeds. The first track of side two has been recorded with two diff erent intros – acoustic and electric – and depending on where you put the needle you’ll end up listening to one of the two. They cleverly blend into one halfway through the track (this is a world first, no less). Perhaps most amazing of all is the ’hologram’ of an angel that appears to float The four-strong range is housed in what is above the 1in ‘dead wax’ run out area on side one.