Hi-Fi Choice

News
Pioneer unleashes new flagship PD-70AE SACD player
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 11, 2017  |  0 comments
Pioneer has announced details of its new reference disc spinner in the form of the PD-70AE. Able to play CD and SACD via its large aluminium drawer-loading mechanism, the player promises to be a usefully flexible CD source and also act as a DAC via optical and a coaxial digital inputs at the rear. Decoding is handled by a pair of ESS9026PRO DACs and the entire circuit has been assembled to be fully balanced. A three-mode adjustable filter fine tunes the presentation with a choice of Slow, Sharp and Short settings.
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News
Dynaudio introduces Music multi-room systems
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 08, 2017  |  0 comments
Multi-room music systems are a popular choice for a growing number of music fans and Danish hi-fi loudspeaker brand Dynaudio is the latest to diversify and join the fray. Its new four-strong range of networked active speaker systems is called Music and can be used in any combination desired up to a total of six units. All four speakers share some common intelligent technology, designed to make them easier to integrate into your environment. Each is fitted with software called RoomAdapt, which claims to sense the proximity of the speaker in relation to rear or side walls and adjust its output for the optimum performance.
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News
January 2018 issue on sale now!
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 06, 2017  |  0 comments
Inside the January 2018 issue we take anexclusiveIn-depthlook at Auralic’s Aries G2 network streaming transport, whileExoticafeatures Yamaha’s NS-5000 standmount loudspeaker. Regular review pages feature VPI’s Player turntable package, Chord Electronics’ Poly wireless streaming add-on, T+A’s Cala SR one-box system and Bowers & Wilkins’ PX wireless noise-cancelling headphones. Plus,Beautiful Systembrings together US and Canadian brands VPI, Simaudio and Totem Acoustic whileMusic Legendscharts the life and times of the original king of rock and roll Fats Domino, and our six-wayGroup Testlooks at six in-ear headphones from Final, NuForce, oBravo, Oriveti, Sennheiser and Westone. Plus: Get our AVTech Awards 2017/18 supplement absolutely free.
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Cables & Accessories
IsoTek Evo3 Corvus
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 30, 2017  |  0 comments
If you are looking to introduce mains conditioning to your hi-fi system, something that can prove immediately off putting is that many devices simply can’t accommodate all the different components in a well-specified setup. If you have a turntable, external phono stage and then music streaming networking hardware plus amplification needs to manage, four or even six-way socket distribution systems just aren’t going to be sufficient. IsoTek has taken this on board and its Evo3 Corvus has nine sockets and the power handling capacity to accommodate some fairly substantial setups. As part of its entry-level range, the Evo3 Corvus is designed to counter Common Mode and Differential Mode mains noise as well as RFI.
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News
IsoTek Competition
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 28, 2017  |  0 comments
Electricity is a vital ingredient in any home hi-fi system of course. But while on the one hand it’s essential in powering our music systems, on the other it can affect hi-fi performance if not handled properly. Think of it as the fuel that’s required to get a car running – if you want to get the best performance, you need to ensure that its being fed the cleanest ‘fuel’ possible. Our mains supply can be affected by numerous factors, whether it be the journey it takes from the power station to your home, the other components that are in the vicinity of your system or air-borne signals from smartphones, wi-fi or Bluetooth devices.
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News
Electrocompaniet unveils new Rena Series
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 20, 2017  |  0 comments
Electrocompaniet has unveiled the latest additions to its EC Living modular wireless audio range, the Rena series. The Rena SA-1 streamer (above) comes equipped with a Class D amplifier claiming 2x 75W and the built-in DAC supports 24-bit/192kHz files. Costing £610, it boasts wireless speaker connection and includes an optical in, coaxial in and out and a USB port for external storage. For those that already have an amplifier, the Norwegian company has produced the £582 Rena S-1.
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News
Mark Levinson unveils No 523 preamp and No 534 power amp
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 17, 2017  |  0 comments
Mark Levinson has unveiled two new designs, which can eitherbe brought separately to expand your system or as a pair to create an exceptional pre-power partnership. The £16,000 No 523 preamplifier is claimed to deliver an uncompromising performance regardless of analogue source and comes equipped with a Class-A phono stage, Class-A main drive headphone output and discreet balanced R-2R ladder volume control. It boasts five line-level analogue inputs, two balanced XLRs, three single RCA stereo outputs and a phono input with earthing post. Meanwhile, the No 534 (bottom in pic) dual-monaural power amp delivers 250W per channel (into 8ohm) in Class A (doubling to 500W into 4ohm).
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News
Astell&Kern introduces AK70 MKII
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 16, 2017  |  0 comments
Astell&Kern’s impressive AK70 (HFC 428)has been given a reboot and for just £100 extra nowoffers a dual-DAC design, enhanced amplification, wi-fi connectivity and the ability to also be used as a USB DAC when it’s not playing back hi-res music files. Unlike the original AK70, the MK II version has a Cirrus Logic CS4298 chipset for both left and right channels, offering bit-to-bit playback of files up to 24/192 and DSD128. Its stylish block aluminium casing remains finished in two-tone black with a 3. 3in touchscreen, but now is a fraction larger and weighs 18g more than its predecessor.
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News
Unison Research launches Unico 90
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 15, 2017  |  0 comments
Unison Research has launched its Unico 90 integrated amp. Intended to sit under its flagship 150 model, the 90 is a valve and solid-state hybrid with a preamp stage that is built around an Alps volume control and input switching that decouples inactive inputs. The valve-based gain stage uses ECC83 and ECC81 tubes in Unison’s totem pole configuration. These are directly coupled to the output stage, which consists of three pairs of HEXFET output devices to give it a claimed power output of 2x 100W into 8ohm and 2x 160W into 4ohm.
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Turntables, Arms & Cartridges
Rega Planar 6 with Ania MC cartridge
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 15, 2017  |  0 comments
From the moment Rega revived its Planar name with the introduction of the Planar 1, Planar 2 (HFC 415) and Planar 3 (HFC 411) turntables in 2016, it was logical that the RP6 would be in line to join the new order. Rumours of an RP6 successor have been circulating for some time since the Planar 3 arrived over a year ago and anticipation was finally broken with the official announcement of the imminent release of the new Planar 6 in mid- July, much to the excitement of both dealers and Rega enthusiasts alike. On the face of it, the similarities between the Planar 6 and the more affordable models in Rega’s range look to outweigh the differences, but rest assured that the £998 (without cartridge) Planar 6 is rather more than a beefed-up version of its Planar 3 sibling. The new turntable is still an unsuspended, belt-driven design that uses a single-piece plinth instead of the distinctive two-piece design of the continuing RP8 and RP10 flagship decks.
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