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Hi-Fi Choice  |  Sep 19, 2017  |  0 comments
Auralic has unveiled details of its G Seriesof audio streaming components, comprising the Aries G2 streaming transport, Sirius G2 upsampling processor, Vega G2 streaming DAC and Leo G2 femto reference clock. The £3,899 Aries G2 streaming transporter (above) wirelessly connects to your system and offers outputs including USB 2. 0, AES/EBU, coaxial, Toslink and Auralic’s Lightning Link – a bi-directional HDMI enabling system control of everything from volume to processor engine setup. The processor at its heart is 50 percent faster than the original Aires with twice the memory and data storage and it can handle resolutions up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD512.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Sep 18, 2017  |  0 comments
With similarities to its high-end Cadenza Series, Ortofon’s new MC Windfeld Ti moving-coil cartridge uses titanium to increase the rigidity of the body, eliminate unwanted vibrations and increase its dynamic capability. It uses “the finest diamond in the world” – the Ortofon Replicant 100 – which boasts a thin and light profile, with a long vertical contact surface making it as close as possible to an original record cutting stylus. By specially polishing the stylus and then mounting it onto a boron cantilever, Ortofon claims that it offers remarkable transparency, speed and responsiveness beyond that of any other combination. It weighs 11g and is available to buy now for £3,100 and is distributed in the UK by Henley Audio.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Sep 15, 2017  |  0 comments
B&O’s newly unveiled BeoLab 50 floorstanding loudspeaker utilises the same active room compensation technology that’s found in the BeoLab 90 – enabling it to use an external microphone to measure the physical acoustic properties of the room that it’s placed in and then adjust its compensation filters accordingly to provide what the company describes as optimum sound, no matter where you choose to listen in the room. B&O’s Acoustic Lens Technology is applied to the top of the BeoLab 50 to handle dispersion of the upper frequencies. Using beam width control, it is able to project the sound in 180° mode or a narrow sweet spot for a dedicated listening position. Each wireless active loudspeakers weighs 61kg and the system claims 2,100W of precision power connected in a master-slave configuration.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Sep 12, 2017  |  0 comments
Are music systems getting smaller? In terms of physical dimensions, audio components are definitely shrinking in my setup. A quick flick through this month’s issue is testament to the audio industry’s move towards compact design and practical portability – and I don’t mean the kind of shrinkage that leaves you feeling short changed as you do with unscrupulous food brands reducing their pack sizes. Technology is a wonderful thing and a move to downsize a hi-fi product doesn’t have to mean a sacrifice in audio quality or resolving power, as our reviews of Chord Electronics’ Hugo 2 and Audiolab’s M-DAC Mini demonstrate. Even the briefest audition of the all-new Hugo 2 DAC and headphone amplifier will leave you in no doubt that this is a tremendously mighty and flexible device that builds on the success of its quirky predecessor and redefines what we can realistically expect from something that’s not much bigger than a pack of cigarettes.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Sep 06, 2017  |  0 comments
Earlier in the summer, we visited B&W's impressive facility in Worthing (see Insider Feature in the October issue, on sale 14 September)to preview a new mid-priced series of loudspeakers being kept under wraps until now. The range, called the 700 Series, replaces the long-running CM Series with six new stereo models – three standmounts and three floorstanders – plus two dedicated centre channel models for fans of multi-channel setups. Unsurprisingly, it draws on the considerable expertise and technology established in the company's well-regarded high-end 800 Diamond Series and so employs Continuum midrange drivers. A new versionof the Aerofoil cone has also been developed, but the 700 Series design uses paper rather than carbon fibre skins with an EPS filling material adopted instead of syntactic foam.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 28, 2017  |  0 comments
Two years in development, Talk Electronics has unveiled its latest Edwards Audio integrated amplifier. The IA3-R boasts a new MOSFET output stage, RF filtering, improved small signal transistors and a new custom-wound toroidal transformer. It claims power output of 2x 90W into 8ohm and a signal-to-noise ratio of 85dB at 1W. Completely designed and manufactured in the UK, it hasa blue backlit display and comes equipped with a remote control handset.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 25, 2017  |  0 comments
Keith Monks has unveiled two new record cleaning machines, one of which is its smallest ever – the discOvery microLight (above). Designed to remove mould release oils, grime and dust from vinyl, they can clean both sides of the record in around three minutes using the company’s specialist fluid before fully drying with a medical-grade suction pump that’s imported from Germany. Best of all, the entire process is carried out in near silence. The £1,995 discOvery One Redux (pictured above) brings together the best of previous Keith Monks cleaners in a compact, low-profile cabinet (bottom pic), while the £1,795 discOvery microLight offers the same functionality in a smaller chassis with a specially designed panel into which personalised images can be attached.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 24, 2017  |  0 comments
Specifically designed to complement Arcam’s Solo Music and Movie systems (HFC 414), the Solo Muso loudspeaker is rated at 80W (4ohm) and comes in a robust cast aluminium chassis. The main 125mm driver is constructed from a proprietary paper pulp fibre sandwich cone for its stiff but light properties. It is supported by a die-cast basket to minimise sound reflecting back towards the speaker cone and causing distortion in the process. The accompanying 25mm tweeter is of the neodymium aluminium dome variety and damped to similarly reduce distortion and improve the clarity of fine details.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 23, 2017  |  0 comments
Already an award winner in its native Japan, Furutech’s solution for eliminating dust and static from analogue and digital media and components is now available in the UK. Delivering a claimed 30 percent more ‘zapping power’ than its predecessor, the third-generation destat claims to remove the static charge that builds up on vinyl or CDs as well as hardware in just 15 seconds. The combination of a powerful fan to remove dust and a balanced ion flow generator to eliminate static is available at the touch of a button from the newly designed and more ergonomic handset. Destat III is battery operated and available now for £299 from UK distributor Sound Fowndations.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 22, 2017  |  0 comments
PMC has unveiled its first consumer integrated amplifier, hoping to deliver its high-end electronics to a whole new audience. Claimed to be completely neutral, the cor (as in ‘heart’) adds no character of its own to music, following precisely the same ethos as the company’s loudspeakers where nothing is added or taken away. According to PMC, every individual element of the cor has been developed with purity of sound upper most in the design process. Power output from the Class AB design is rated at 95W into 8ohm (and 140W into 4ohm) and a Class AB headphone amplifier is also built-in.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 21, 2017  |  0 comments
What better way to celebrate 70 years of being in the business of sound than by introducing a new model that harks back to a legendary three-way speaker fromthe seventies? That’s precisely what JBL had in mindwhen it decided to rework its classic three-way compact studio monitor, and the result is the £2,500 4312SE. Reprisingthe driver configuration and aesthetics of the renowned 4310/4311 studio and L100 ‘Century’ hi-fi monitors, the new speaker includes JBL’s latest transducers in the shape of the 300mm Aqua-Plas-coated pure pulp cone bass driver, 125mmm polymer-coated pure pulp cone midrange and a 25mm aluminium/magnesium alloy tweeter with waveguide and configured in mirror-image pairs. Additional features include a bass reflex enclosure with front-firing port, front panel mid and high-frequency controls and a removable black cloth grille. Each speaker has a special 70th anniversary badge and certificate with signatures of the engineer and assembly technician.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 18, 2017  |  0 comments
Following the addition of its 14 Series of components in October last year, Rotel has been hard at work on models further up its hi-fi hierarchy with three new stereo-only 15 Series components – plus a multi-channel surround amplifier, the RAP-1590 (£3,395) – aimed at aficionados looking to make the next step up. First up, the RC-1572 two-channel preamplifier (£945) is ideally suitedto match with one of the company's existing 15 Series stereo power amplifiers. The new preamp is fitted with relay switching for analogue sources (rather than IC based), which claims to ensure the integrity of the signal path for analogue inputs that include XLRs, 4x RCA and a moving-magnet phono stage. Its 32-bit AKM4495 DAC handles optical and coaxial inputs (up to 24-bit/192kHz), and USB up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM as well as DSD128.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 11, 2017  |  0 comments
Inside the September 2017 issue we take anIn-depthlook at B&W’s dazzling 800 Series Diamond 805 D3 standmount, plusExoticatakes an exclusive look at a Class D power amp and preamp combo by Mola-Mola, while our regular reviews section looks at the stunning new Rega Planar 6 turntable, Simaudio’s Moon Nēo MiND network music player, ATC’s HTS7 wall mounting speakers, and IsoAcoustic’s GAIA II isolation feet. Plus,Beautiful Systemlooks at a stunning vinyl and streaming setup from Gold Note, whileMusic Legendsspotlights Bob Marley – the man who brought reggae to the masses – and our six-wayGroup Testlooks at six muscular amps from Arcam, Denon, Hegel, Technics, and Yamaha. Insider Feature The world of content streaming is a difficult one to master and many music streaming services face uncertain times. Qobuz knows all about such difficulties and after facing near collapse in 2015, the French streaming and download platform is back on track following an overhaul of its services under new stewardship.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 07, 2017  |  0 comments
Digitising LPs and cassettes LPs and cassette tapes have a place in our hearts, and are capable of producing rewarding audio quality on a home hi-fi. But while removing an LP from its sleeve, placing it on a turntable and lowering the stylus onto the vinyl is a thrilling experience, it’s not nearly as convenient as selectinga track and pressing the ‘Play’ button on a digital media player. One of the major issues is the vulnerability of a record to physical damage. One slip of the hand could send the stylus skating over the surface, leaving a permanent scratch that results in the tell-tale repetitive click each time it is played.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 31, 2017  |  0 comments
Not content with breathing new life into its famed SL-1200 turntable (see p46), Technics has unveiled a new compact stereo system in the shape of the SC-C70. With five loudspeakers built-in and Technics-developed Space Tune calibration software – which corrects parameters over its own network to optimise its spatial surroundings – the SC-C70 featuresa built-in CD player alongside Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth, DLNA compliancy and a USB input for streaming from electronic devices like tablets and smartphones alongside music services such as Spotify and Tidal. An app will be introduced to make operation from a smart device simple, and the SC-C70 will be available from September. Price is still to be confirmed, but click here for more.

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