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Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 05, 2017  |  0 comments
German manufacturer sonoro has unveiled the sonoroHIFI flagship audio system. Costing £1,299, the new all-in-one incorporates a CD player, FM/DAB/DAB+ tuner and aptX-capable Bluetooth so that it can stream music from mobile devices. Additional connections include RCA, optical and a 3. 5mm aux input for hooking up other sources such as a TV or portable media player.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 02, 2017  |  0 comments
Originally launched back in 1996, the first AE109 set new standards for what was expected from an entry-level speaker, and now it’s set to return in the form of the new AE100 Series, consisting of the AE100 standmount, AE109 floorstander, AE108 subwoofer and AE107 centre speaker for home cinema setups. The AE100 standmount (£199) utilises a 110mm drive unit complimented by a 28mm soft dome tweeter featuring AE’s Wide Dispersion Technology, there’s also a slot-shaped bass duct port. Aiming to replicate the same effortless room-filling ability of its namesake from 20 years ago, the new AE109 is a slimline floorstander with a 2. 5-way driver configuration.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 01, 2017  |  0 comments
Refreshing the design of its Model One – and adding streaming and multi-room capability in the process – Tivoli Audio has unveiled what it describes as its “table-top radio for the music streaming age”. The result is a stylish single-box solution that can be utilised for listening to DAB or FM radio, connecting to suitably equipped mobile devices using Bluetooth or streaming from services like Spotify via wi-fi. The Model One Digital’s high-resolution screen and multi-operational dial combine to make music selection a breeze, while the specially designed app allows the sharing of Spotify Connect, Tidal, Deezer, QQ and TuneIn playlists or selections alongside local audio content on devices like smartphones, tablets and NAS drives. There’s also a 3.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  May 30, 2017  |  0 comments
Designed for those that are short on space but don’t want to compromise when it comes to sound, McIntosh’s MXA80 is the ultimate in unashamedly luxurious home audio. The setup features a miniaturised 50W (into 8ohm) stereo amplifier, plus a pair of specially designed aluminium chassis two-way desktop loudspeakers. There is a choice of four digital inputs (optical, coaxial, DIN and USB) – with the former three capable of handlingup to 24/192 resolution music files and the latter 32/384 – while the onboard DAC also supports DSD and DXD. Two additional analogue inputs cater for existing equipment.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  May 30, 2017  |  0 comments
Is it just me, or is there something about turning 50 this year? It’s true, 1967 is indeed my birth year and as I look around at who and what else marks its golden anniversary in 2017, I realise I am in very good company with numerous culturally significant movies, albums, TV shows, books, and people all joining me to chalk up their half century. Looking back through the events of the year 1967, it’s astonishing to note that it gave us not only Pringles snacks and Twix bars, but also saw the arrival of The Doors’ seminal album; The Jungle Book and The Graduate movies in cinemas; Fleetwood Mac forming while Jimi Hendrix gave his first major performance at the legendary Monterey music festival in California. But perhaps most significantly, 1967 is the year that the world’s biggest band released the most iconic album of all time as The Beatles’ immeasurably influential Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band went on sale.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  May 26, 2017  |  0 comments
Italians have often been thought of as the masters of design, and the term 'made in Italy' is synonymous with elegance, craftsmanship and style. These have always been very desirable factors in hi-fi, and Florence-based Gold Noteis hoping that its sumptuous designs – where every product is built by hand from scratch with high-quality materials – are going to attract the eyes and ears of audio aficionados here. Distributed by Audio Pinnacle Ltd, the new-to-the-UK brand has existed in its native Italy in one form or another for more than 20 years,and has plenty of experience with OEM collaborations worldwidein engineering and designing a complete line of domestic analogue audio equipment from amplifiers to loudspeakers, cables and turntables. Visitors to the High End Show heldin Munich will be familiar with the Gold Note brand and this year's May event sees it displaying the newly introduced XT-7 floorstanding loudspeaker.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  May 19, 2017  |  0 comments
It’s 9:30am, 28 June 2016, Air Studios, London and Studio 1 is buzzing with anticipationfor what could be an epic new direct cut recording for Mike Valentine’s specialist record label Chasing The Dragon. For those of you less familiar with a direct cut recording, the sound captured in the studio briefly passes through the mixing desk up to a cutting lathe that captures the performance live. The whole side of the record is cut in real time. No second takes, no extra pause between tracks.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  May 09, 2017  |  0 comments
Danish manufacturer Densen has launched, the Cast amplifier, described as the brand’s first streamer. It’s the first product of the company’s new half-width Dino range, and boasts power output of 2x 60W into an 8ohm load or 2x 120W into 4ohm. A scaled-down version of the B-390 power amplifier that’s been 15 years in the making and is set to be released by Densen later in the year, the Cast amp utilises Google Cast Audio technology so that users can stream music directly from services such as Tidal via Chromecast-enabled devices. It can also be used with Google Home to implement multi-room listening.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  May 08, 2017  |  0 comments
While the growing popularity of vinyl has been widespread, less well reported is the increasing popularity of SACD and its hi-res charms. With this very trend in mind, T+A has unveiled its new MP 3100 HV do-it-all multimedia player able to spin CD and SACD discs alongside radio from itsFM and DAB+ tuners and HD streaming from network servers, while Bluetooth is on handfor wireless playback frommobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. The basic design philosophy of the MP 3100 HV is based upon the existing MP 300 HV, meaning that DSD data is handled by the 1-bit converter in native formas a bitstream rather than being converted. This makes it possible to reproduce DSD data upto DSD512 via the USB input.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  May 05, 2017  |  0 comments
Introducing the WXAD-10, the latest addition to Yamaha’s MusicCast family of products. Powered by a single USB cable, the small box connects to your existing hi-fi setup via RCA line-level or 3. 5mm output and provides the additional functionality of Bluetooth connectivity, AirPlay and a wide selection of streaming services including Spotify, Tidal and Deezer. A built-in Burr-Brown DAC supports hi-res audio up to 24/192 FLAC, WAV and AIFF, plus 24/92 ALAC file formats.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  May 04, 2017  |  0 comments
Building on the success of its original N1 series of NAS drives (we saw the N1A back in HFC 397), Melco has unveiled the three new models that makeup the MKII range. Like the N1A before them, the new N1ZS20/2, N1ZH60/2 and N1AH60/2 store and play a digital music library without the need for any other computer or IT devices. The flagship N1ZS20/2 (£7,700) has two new second-generation 1TB solid state drivers (SSD) mounted on what Melco describes as a massive non-magnetic anti-vibration platform. These are supported by a dedicated power supply with additional capacitorbanks using audiophile-grade components for the SSDs, ensuring purity right at the very start of the audio chain.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  May 03, 2017  |  0 comments
Adding to its family of digital-to-analogue converters (the impressive iDSD Black Label is reviewed in the Group Test in HFC 423), iFiAudio has unveiled its new nano iOne. Described as the ideal audio solution for the modern home by iFi, the ‘Hub’ DAC is designed to be used with everything from TV and gaming consoles through to tablets, smartphones and computers. Input options include coaxial, USB or aptX-flavoured Bluetooth for wireless hookup and there’s an RCA output for connecting to an amplifier. The nano iOne is compatible with PCM up to 192kHz, up to 12.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  May 02, 2017  |  0 comments
Following the popularity of its XDP-100R(HFC 413), Pioneer has announced its latest digital audio player. The XDP-30R boasts a lightweight aluminium chassis with twin Sabre ES9018C2M DACs alongside ESS9601K amplifiers arranged in a symmetrical layout under the hood and supports 32-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD files up to 5. 6MHz. Meanwhile, support for MQA will become available later in the year via a firmware update.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Apr 28, 2017  |  0 comments
It's fair to say that Sonus faber loudspeakers typically embody the very idea of luxury style and design for many high-quality audio fans, thanks to the brand's impeccable build using quality materials. The company introduced its first models in theearly eighties and each Sf speaker is handcrafted in its factory in Vicenza, Italy – around 40 miles West of Venice. The current three-strong Homage Tradition loudspeaker series had its UK launch at the end of March to an invited audience at Central London's high-end audio retailer KJ West One and currently consists of stereo models – Guarneri Tradition, Sarafino Tradition and Amati Tradition – while a Vox centre for multi-channel setups will arrive later in the year. The new lineup includes the latest version of two of the company’s celebrated Homage speakers – the £23,500 Amati 3.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Apr 22, 2017  |  0 comments
A quick glance at the product reviews pictured on the left of this page demonstrate that vinyl is still very much on trend as it continues to appeal to music fans of all ages and budgets. Vinyl is no longer a revival format, it’s the format of choice for an increasing number of us and Roksan’s Radius 7 turntable and Arcam’s rSeries phono stage are fine examples of the continuing stream of products available to fans in what is one of the most buoyant sectors of the audio market. For a format that appeared to be on the brink of extinction just a few years ago, its return to the mainstream has been meteoric with more products and LPs than ever to fuel our passion. Our support for the much-loved format is well documented in these pages and this month’s Destination feature visits Edinburgh’s best stores for crate diggers.

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