Hi-Fi Choice

News
February issue 420
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jan 31, 2017  |  0 comments
2017 got off to an exciting start following our annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas’ Consumer Electronics Show last month to witness the latest technology developments and product launches for the year ahead. The massive event attracts trade visitors from across the globe, and you can read all about the hottest new trends and audio highlights coming your way in our CES Show Report. One of the most significant stories at this year’s show was MQA’s announcement that its Masters hi-res content has been added to Tidal’s HiFi music platform. Tidal is the first to offer hi-res audio streaming content, and regular readers will know that its top-tier HiFi subscription offering is our preferred music service of choice after winning our blind listening streaming servicesGroup Testfor two years running, thanks to its consistent CD-quality streams.
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Turntables, Arms & Cartridges
Elipson Omega 100 RIAA BT
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jan 06, 2017  |  0 comments
The very fact that the Omega 100 exists at all is a testament to the extent of the revival in vinyl’s fortunes. The RIAA BT is the flagship of six models that effectively break down into two groups of three – the more affordable Alpha models and the premium Omega range. The playback hardware of the Omegas is identical and comprises a completely bespoke design that’s been developed inhouse by the French brand. Chief among the new technology is a computer-controlled motor with electronic speed switching.
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News
Elipson Competition
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 23, 2016  |  0 comments
If there has been a theme to 2016 – aside from the loss of some of our most cherished musicians, take a bow David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen et al – it would have to be the continued rise in popularity of vinyl and the equipment that plays it. The last 12 months have seen the black stuff rise to become the most cherished physical music format of all. As records have once again become a common sight in all record stores and even on some supermarket shelves, so too has the production of turntables risen – providing existing vinyl fans, and both lapsed and newcomers alike with plenty of variety. Suddenly, there’s a real choice of decks available to prospective purchasers from both established hi-fi specialists with a focus on best-quality sound, to more convenience-based models with a raft of features at very attractive prices.
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News
Yearbook 2016 on sale 29 December
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 22, 2016  |  0 comments
Welcome to the Hi-Fi Choice Yearbook 2016. In putting together this special edition of your favourite hi-fi magazine, it’s clear to see what a landmark year it has been for audio, with a staggering number of high-performance components emerging to feed our passion for quality sound in increasingly innovative ways. But this has also been the year we said goodbye to too many cherished musicians, and you’ll find our tributes to David Bowie and Prince inside this bumper issue. Elsewhere inside this 164-page bumper issue you’ll find our pick of the greatest-sounding audio products to undergo our respected reviewing process in 2016.
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News
KEF LS50 goes wireless
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 07, 2016  |  0 comments
KEF has opted to mark the occasion of its 55th anniversary with the release of a new, completely active digital and wireless lifestyle audio system in the shape of the LS50 Wireless. Utilising a 24-bit/192kHz digital signal path, allied to a dedicated DAC for each channel, the loudspeaker boasts wi-fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The LS50 previously won a recommended badge when it was reviewed back in HFC 384 and the Wireless version boasts the same Uni-Q driver technology, which sees the 25mm tweeter placed in the centre of that distinctive 130mm rose-gold coloured bass/midrange cone. The built-in amplifier claims power output of 230Wper channel in a bi-amp, dual mono configuration, while an advanced time-correcting DSP crossover has been designed to maximise time alignment between the frequencies.
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News
Pro-Ject unveils new Essential III turntable
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 06, 2016  |  0 comments
Hot on the heels of its Essential II (HFC 376), Pro-Ject has unveiled its follow-up Essential III. Manufactured from high-quality MDF and wrapped in a high-gloss paint finish (in a choice of red, white or black), the design will be familiar to those that know the II – even down to the three anti-vibration feet. The Essential III comes pre-fitted with an 8. 6in aluminium tonearm and Ortofon OM 10 cartridge (the II had the OM 5E).
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Headphones
Noble Savanna in-ear monitors
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 05, 2016  |  0 comments
Californian-based Noble is perhaps best known for its custom fit in-ear monitors, which come in a variety of lively finishes and materials. The Savanna is the second most affordable model in its generic fit Universal range that’s built around a quartet of armature drivers and is designed to do justice to a variety of genres of music. Noble is tight lipped about its designs and won’t divulge any information about the configuration of its drivers or whether each handles a specific part of the frequency range or if any are paired up. The drivers are placed in an enclosure that first appeared in Noble’s 10-driver K10u.
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News
Leema Acoustics releases Sirius music server
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 05, 2016  |  0 comments
Fittingly, Leema Acoustics chose the occasion of London’s Indulgence Show held in Hammersmith in mid-October to unveil its new hi-fi grade music server, Sirius. The result of a collaboration with music software specialist Innuos, the latest addition to Leema’s flagship Constellation component range is described as being the high-quality streaming music server system built for “discerning music lovers”. Offering straightforward operation, it’s claimed that Sirius makes backing up CD audio a breeze, with lossless FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, OGG Vorbis, AAC and MP3 formats available. An asynchronous USB DAC that’s based on a high-end ESS Sabre chip combines with an Xmos USB interface to provide support of 16, 24 and 32 bit-depths from 44.
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Cables & Accessories
More gift ideas for vinyl fans
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 05, 2016  |  0 comments
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News
Acoustic Energy unveils AE1 Active loudspeaker
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 02, 2016  |  0 comments
The original AE1 appeared when Acoustic Energy was a startup business in 1987. It was widely acclaimed as a benchmark for compact loudspeaker designs, and earned the Gloucestershire-based company recognition around the world. Fast forward 30 years and home speaker systems have changed dramatically, and partly because of this and to celebrate the company's anniversary in 2017, Acoustic Energy's engineers have been hard at work on an active version of its popular original AE1. Designed in response to the changing desires of audio systems at home, the AE1 Active combines the company's traditional craftsmanship along with its Aego active sub/sat system experience with built-in amplification.
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