LATEST ADDITIONS

Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 20, 2018  |  0 comments
Do you know what Roon is? Do you think you need to know? Should you even care? When hi-fi manufacturers launch a new amplifier or loudspeaker, the question immediately turns to its styling, specification and indeed performance. Rarely – if ever – does one ever end up asking: “Why do I need it?”, or “How will owning such a thing make my life better?” The problem for Roon founder Enno Vandermeer is that his product needs a whole lot of explanation before people can take a view about whether they actually want it. “We created an experience that people were missing. The only trouble is, they didn’t know it!”, he says.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 20, 2018  |  0 comments
In the world of networked audio, a seamless user experience to back up the solid performance is key to any success. In parallel to the development of networked streaming audio products, we’ve seen the development of servers and control software too. One of the best known and most effective has been Roon (see Insider, HFC 435), which with its highly regarded bespoke software suite allows even very large libraries to be managed in a logical and self-explanatory fashion. Nucleus is a dedicated piece of hardware that creates an optimised Roon experience.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 19, 2018  |  1 comments
Network audio has become a big part of our hi-fi listening habit as more of us get more comfortable with the prospect of streaming music from pay services like Tidal and Qobuz or from a networked server containing a music library at home. It’s an area that’s seen considerable expansion in the last decade, but is still pretty much dominated by a few familiar names. For any company to make inroads into this sector, it needs to have a front end that goes the extra mile at a competitive price. Auralic has been impressive in this regard and first began to carve itself a reputation for well thought-out and capable products at competitive price points with the likes of its Aries Mini music streamer (HFC 425) and the Altair DAC/preamp with music streaming (HFC 428).
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 17, 2018  |  0 comments
Question time PS Audio’s CEO and co-founder, Paul McGowan regularly answers reader system queries on his excellent Youtube channel, covering everything from listening off-axis through to cable directionality and system synergy. See for yourself here. Record collector Recognised as the greatest radio DJ of all time, John Peel’s record collection is legendary, consisting of 25,000 LPs and 40,000 singles. And now you can explore it for yourself or check out the Record Box series where famous fans take you on a tour.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 16, 2018  |  0 comments
Recent years have seen British hi-fi company Exposure downsize the dimensions of its electronics with the introduction of its half-width XM series in 2016. Following its considerable success in squeezing its extensive hi-fi know-how into smaller dimensions, the audio component specialist has turned its attention to the top of its lineup and replaced its highly regarded but bulky MCX series pre and power amplifiers with slimline units. The new 5010 series features two products: a preamplifier priced at £2,000 and a mono power amplifier priced at £4,550 per pair and rated at 200W into 8ohm and 370W into 4. At first glance they don't look all that different to the brand’s existing 3010 and 2010 series of audio components, but the new 5010 models are significantly trimmer measuring just 90mm and 115mm tall respectively, and each is a mere 440mm wide and 300mm deep.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 09, 2018  |  0 comments
Ten years ago, few of us could have predicted the major shift that would take place in the way we consume music and that we’d be able to stream CD-quality and hi-res music files straight into our homes via robust broadband services. To my mind, this is still the stuff of science-fiction fantasy and in a relatively short time, music fans like myself have gone from buying CDs from a high-street record store to streaming content directly to our home music systems with just the tap of a touchscreen. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I purchased any physical digital media, although I know I am listening and discovering more music than ever. Streaming services have undoubtedly revolutionised the way we experience music, and several now offer better-than-CD sound quality, while others are still serving something close to MP3-quality.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 27, 2018  |  0 comments
Another headphone first comes from Audiolab – best known for its DACs and amplifiers – which pulls back the curtain on two sets of in-ear designs with the M-EAR 2D (£430) and M-EAR 4D (£700). Both available now, the former is a two-driver design, with one driver handling mid/high frequencies and the other dedicated to bass. The M-EAR 4D is a three-way design sporting four drivers – one for high frequencies, another for midrange and two for bass. Both come with a tangle-resistant detachable 1.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 26, 2018  |  0 comments
Putting in an appearance for the first time at The Bristol Hi-Fi Show back in February, British speaker brand Falcon Acoustics has partnered with UK distributor Karma-AV. The first fruit of this team up is the introduction of the Reference Audio Monitor (RAM) Studio series with three models: Studio 10, 20 and 30. The first and smallest in the range, the Studio 10 (from £1,395), is a two-way ported standmount loudspeaker with a 150mm mid/bass driver and custom 25mm soft dome tweeter. Falcon says it’s designed to deliver a smooth and detailed response, precise imaging and an extended soundstage and is rated at 89dB sensitivity into 8ohm.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 25, 2018  |  0 comments
Expectations are high for Quad’s debut headphone – this is the company behind the legendary ESL loudspeaker and whose philosophy is “the closest approach to the original sound”, after all. According to Quad, the ERA-1 combines high sensitivity with low impedance to enable excellent performance with a range of partnering devices – from portable players to top-of-the-range amps. To create this flagship design, it developed a planar magnetic driver, which aims to deliver a more natural and accurate sound – allowing the listener to immerse themselves in every musical nuance. The headphone incorporates a strong, ultra-thin, electrically active diaphragm fused with a magnet system designed to maximise sensitivity and consistency over the driver area.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 24, 2018  |  0 comments
By its own admission, AudioQuest is a tweaker – and the latest modifications to its Rocket cable range are on the launch pad. The affordable Rocket 11 (£12. 50/m pictured above) and 22 (£20/m) speaker cables are suitable for bi-wiring applications, and AudioQuest is confident ofthe improvement they’ll bring to any home audio setup. Both cables feature what itcalls “semi-solid true-concentric conductors” for the first time.

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