LATEST ADDITIONS

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.

Officially launched at the Munich High End Show at the beginning of May, Onkyo’s DP-X1 Digital Audio Player should cover all hi-res needs, thanks to its ability to handle 24-bit/384kHz FLAC/WAV files along with DSD 11. 2MHz and support for lossless MQA (via a free update). The portable player utilises an Android operating system (and so can download additional apps from Google Play, while the pre-loaded OnkyoMusic service allows music download without the use of a PC), boasts 32GB internal storage (of which 7GB is used by the system) and employs ESS Technology’s Sabre ES9018K2M DAC for conversion. There are two microSD card slots for adding extra memory (up to 432GB) and outputs for both 2.

It wasn’t so long ago that the entire family would gather together to enjoy music in one room, and while sitting and listening to a crackly rendition of the Glen Miller Orchestra as father smokes a pipe and mother frets about what the neighbours think are very outdated concepts, individual members of the family still enjoy listening to music, but in their own space. Up until fairly recently this would’ve necessitated a separate system for every room, but now with the advent of multi-room one system can stream music anywhere in the house that you care to stick a set of speakers. All of which brings us rather neatly to Yamaha’s answer to multi-room, MusicCast. Rather than design a range of speakers to form a line of products, MusicCast is a feature set that has been added to a selection of Yamaha’s audio components allowing youto assemble a multi-room setup that includes the elements you desire in the places you want them.