LATEST ADDITIONS

Former HFC editor and current reviewer, David Price, recently met up with Musical Fidelity's ownerAntony Michaelson for a chat about the Musical Fidelity Encore 225 streaming music system. Here's what happened. . .

Roksan Audio has uneviled the latest addition to its portfolio in the shape of the new blak series of electronics, which consists of an integrated amplifier and CD player. Theblak series is being introduced as an entirely new design for Roksan – both in terms of sound performance and visual appeal. It features a robust, industrial design that manages to look modern and elegant. The British company describes the blak series as the audiophile solution for those seeking superlative performance and features within a ‘statement product’ aesthetic, but without the esoteric high-end audio price tag.

It’s been nearly four years since the original DragonFly DAC (HFC 367) was released, and now AudioQuest is unveiling two new models designed to be compatible with Android and Apple smartphones. The new USB DACs handle files up to 24-bit/96kHz, and put music quality first, says AQ. The DragonFly Red (£169) has a 32-bit ESS Sabre 9016 chip and is suited to lower sensitivity headphones, while the Black (£89) DragonFly employs a 9010 chipset and is suited to medium to high sensitivity headphones. Like earlier DragonFlys, the Black has an analogue volume control, whilethe Red opts for a digital one.

Music centres are the perfect solution for those that are short on space, and Ruark Audio has become something of a master of the form (see its R4 Mk3 on theGroup Test in HFC 411), so the news that the British manufacturer has upgraded its R7 is very welcome. We reviewed the original R7 in HFC 384, commenting on its styling cues taken from the classic radiogram, which updates the traditional ‘wireless’ by including digital, analogue and internet tuners, along with a slot-loading CD player. Ruark Audio tells us that the updated R7 benefits from further audio enhancements to its amplifiers and speaker crossovers that results in a smoother and more extended frequency response with improved soundstage, making the listening experience even more realistic and enjoyable. The revised model still offers DLNA wi-fi and aptX Bluetooth connectivity for streaming of music from smartphones, laptops and network storage devices, as well as more traditional analogue and digital connectivity hookups – and a charging port for smartphones and tablets.