REVIEW EDITOR Stuart Smith HIFI REVIEWS Dan Worth Janine Elliot Ian Ringstead Dominic Marsh Linette Smith MUSIC REVIEWS John Scott James Fleming Stuart Smith Lauren Coombes ADVERTISING SALES Linette Smith WEBSITE www.hifipig.com E.MAIL [email protected] TELEPHONE +33(0) 297237078 www.gadgetynews.com E mail: [email protected] Hifi Pig is part of Big Pig Media LLP Partnership No OC397825 CLICK & GO CONTENTS Click And Go Hifi News Hifi Reviews Pylon Diamond Loudspeakers Melodika BL40 MK2 Loudspeakers Townshend Allegri + Passive Preamp Gold Note PH10 Phono-Stage Tellurium Q Black II Speaker Cable Ecosse The Director SE Digital Coax Music Reviews GadgetyReviews Acer Predator 17 Laptop Casio Edifice Smartwatch Mynt Tracker Sony Xperia X2 Phone Noble Trident IEMS Adam Vimteg Fencer IP Camera Acer Swift 3 Laptop I Frogz Impulse Duo Earbuds Speedlink Fortus Wireless Mouse Aukey PBB5 Solar Charger nkyo have been pretty busy in the realm of consumers will be able to control a whole-home audio Ohome connectivity, streaming and voice control system built from the brands they crave and control it and have announced Smart Speaker P3 (VC-PX30), with the voice service they love,” said Dannie Lau, a “lifestyle concierge speaker” with Amazon Alexa general manager of the DTS Play-Fi division at Xperi. Voice Service designed to “express voice and music “DTS Play-Fi technology provides consumers with immersive hifi sound” while providing unprecedented choice in products ranging from AVRs information, entertainment, and the ability to control to lifestyle systems to portable speakers and selected smart devices by voice. everything in between from the some of most prestigious brands in the Audio industry like Onkyo Smart Speaker P3 is also among the first smart and Pioneer.” speakers to add support for DTS Play-Fi technology via the free companion Onkyo Music Control App for “By integrating the Connected Speaker APIs and iPad, iPhone, and Android phones/tablets. DTS Play- DTS Play-Fi, we are bringing Alexa control into Fi allows high-quality music transmission from hundreds of Onkyo and Pioneer DTS Play-Fi connected services such as Amazon Music, TIDAL, products,” said Nobuaki Okuda, director and CTO, Deezer, and TuneIn, as well as connected media Onkyo Corporation and president, Onkyo and servers and the mobile device library, to any number Pioneer Technology Corporation. “Our customers will of compatible products. enjoy the benefits of the world’s largest voice control ecosystem connecting with the broadest, most Smart Speaker P3 is designed by Onkyo engineers comprehensive multi-room streaming technology and features dual full-range drivers, dual passive available to deliver a seamless smart home bass radiators, and DSP switching amplification. An experience.” auxiliary input is included to enable media player, phone, and tablet connection to expand available Earlier this month, Onkyo and Pioneer began sources of entertainment. A line output can add releasing firmware updates on several products to voice-controlled audio to the living space via a simple add support for DTS Play-Fi multi-room audio wired connection. technology with additional product updates in slated for distribution throughout Q3 and Q4 of 2017. More Price £tbc (available in October) than 200 current and new Onkyo and Pioneer products will launch with DTS Play-Fi support via a Onkyo and Pioneer have also announced that Onkyo software update. and Pioneer DTS Play-Fi-enabled products, including AVRs, sound bars, and speakers, will soon support the Amazon Alexa Connected Speaker APIs, This will allow voice-enabled selection of music and control via an Alexa- enabled device, including the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show, Amazon Tap, Amazon Fire TV or any of the two new DTS Play- Fi wireless speakers featuring far- field Alexa Voice Service – such as the Onkyo Smart Speaker P3 and Pioneer Elite Smart Speaker F4. DTS Play-Fi technology allows one or more devices to be linked together for multi-room music playback of Alexa streaming content and interacts with other Alexa-enabled products to provide full group control of music playback. Onkyo and Pioneer will roll out Alexa control through the Connected Speaker APIs to hundreds of current and new DTS Play-Fi-enabled products through firmware updates beginning in Q1 2018. “With DTS Play-Fi’s support of Alexa and the Connected Speaker APIs, usic technology company, MQA, Mannounces a breadth of partnership news at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. he Maestro M5 surround MQA technology will now be embedded in Tpreamp/processor, giving authorised LG’s new V30 smartphone, the first globally dealers a solution for premium home theatre available MQA-enabled handset. MQA projects. The M5 takes advantage of the music playback will also be available on the latest surround formats and advanced room two latest portable devices from Sony’s correction and can be paired with iconic Walkman brand, the WM-ZX300 and AudioControl’s lineup of 7 and 5-channel WM-A40 models. Both portable players are Savoy G3 and Pantages G3 theatre capable of playing back downloaded MQA amplifiers. music. The Maestro M5 is based upon the audio Said MQA CEO, Mike Jbara, of the latest and video platform utilised in AudioControl’s news, “Our announcements at IFA illustrate line of home theatre receivers. The M5 offers the global presence and diverse footprint of Dolby Atmos and DTS-X immersive audio MQA. We’re inspired by the energy and surround formats and Dirac Live room enthusiasm of our partners to keep pushing correction along with dual balanced XLR the opportunities to access master quality inputs and balanced XLR outputs for all audio.” channels. There are inputs for seven HDMI sources plus dual HDMI outputs (ARC New MQA Streaming Partners compatible) as well as an ultra HD 4K video pass-through and upscaling capability that Korean-based hi-res streaming service, includes support for High Dynamic Range Groovers, has confirmed it is working on On the download front, Japan-based music (HDR). MQA mobile and desktop implementation for store, e-onkyo music, has announced the its platform, due to launch by the end of expansion of their MQA music offering, with In addition to the balanced XLR outputs that 2017. This follows recent news from b2b the addition of Warner Music Group’s hi-res include the height channels for immersive digital music solutions provider, 7digital, that catalogue in MQA, which will be available for formats, The M5 features unbalanced RCA it will be powering a forthcoming hi-res the first time in the region in the coming outputs on all channels as well. Each input streaming service, HDmusicStream, using weeks. can be named and re-named to match the MQA technology to deliver studio quality source unit as desired by the user, and there audio. Meanwhile, Onkyo Music store, which serves is a USB input on the rear panel for Germany, UK and the US, will also be connecting an external source and/or for Current live music download partner, offering MQA music, as it rolls out a firmware updates. The M5 comes equipped nugs.net, offers thousands of on-demand redesigned store front throughout with a programmable remote control and has concerts from artists including Metallica, September. Existing download stores, Ethernet plus RS232 jacks and software Bruce Springsteen and Dead & Company. including HIGHRESAUDIO, continue to add drivers available for compatibility with popular This autumn, thenugs.net HiFi tier will offer more MQA music as it becomes available smart home platforms. The Maestro M5 is MQA streaming on iOS and desktop players. available in an Espresso Black finish and Hi-Res Keynote Features MQA comes with AudioControl’s 5-year warranty. MQA Music Availability Grows MQA’s CEO, Mike Jbara, will take part in a The Maestro M5 will be shipping September Universal Music Group, the world-leader in keynote discussion at IFA, organised by the 1st, 2017. Suggested client price is $5900 music-based entertainment, is working Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) and US. closely with MQA to encode its vast library of hosted by Sony Electronics, on Friday 1 recordings in MQA’s technology. September at 14:00 [Hall 20 101]. “The Further reinforcing MQA’s mobile footprint Future of Hi-Res Audio” panel will also expansion, Pioneer and Onkyo will be feature Morvan Boury (VP, Global Business showcasingTIDAL Masters mobile streaming Development, Sony Music Entertainment), on their latest Digital Audio Players, the XDP- Michael Drexler (VP, Digital Strategy at 30R and DP-S1 models, at the IFA trade fair. Warner Music), and Bill Gagnon (UMG’s SVP Business Development) as fellow panelists. Sonic Studio’s Amarra Luxe 4.1 media player, enabling all the benefits of the MQA MQA will be supporting partner experience for local playback and streaming demonstrations at this year’s IFA, including of high resolution music, is scheduled for new MQA hardware partner, iFi Audio, who release in September 2017. will be showing their prototype micro iDSD Black Label DAC featuring MQA integration. ennheiser got in touch with Hifi Pig to tell The new IE 80 S builds on the original IE 80. Sus about their new IEMS to be launched at IFA 2017. The IE 80 S will be available from September, pricing TBC. The MOMENTUM Free is an all-new wireless model in the MOMENTUM headphone Finally the new wireless CX 7.00BT ear- family. The MOMENTUM Free features canal headphones offers a minimalist ergonomically designed magnetic earpieces lightweight neckband design, bass-driven that link together when not in use. The new sound and wireless technology in an MOMENTUM Free expands Sennheiser’s affordable pair of headphones. range of Bluetooth ear-canal headphones. NFC one-touch pairing makes it simple to The MOMENTUM Free features Bluetooth immediately connect to smart devices, while 4.2 as well asQualcomm® apt-X™ and AAC the headphone’s multi-connection capability echnics has announced the launch of the codec support.