Hi-Fi Choice May 2015

The annual celebration of all things vinyl is almost here as we prepare for the eighth Record Store Day to take place on Saturday 18 April. If you’ve not heard about the event before then you are missing an opportunity to bag yourself some exclusive vinyl as artists launch special editions and rare releases specifically as part of the celebrations through more than 200 independent record stores across the UK. The event is growing year on year around the world, and was first started in the US by a bunch of independent records stores looking for a way to reconnect customers with the joys of vinyl. The ethos is very much about bringing record shop staff, customers and artists together to celebrate the unique role a record store plays in…

PRICE: £400-£900 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ACOUSTIC-RESEARCH.COM 2015 IS SHAPING up to be the year of the veteran hi-fibrand reboot. At the beginning of the year we saw Technics make an eagerly anticipated comeback after some considerable time in the wilderness, with the introduction of its scary-money Reference system alongside the more wallet-friendly Premium Class separates hi-ficomponents (reviewed in issue 394). And now we see the welcome return of Acoustic Research as it embraces hi-res computer audio and portable music. The announcement of the relaunch of the Acoustic Research brand was made at the Bristol Show back in February with news of two models triggering the rebirth of the 60-year old hi-finame that is better remembered for its innovative speaker designs and suspended sub-chassis belt-drive turntables. The first model to grab…

PRICE: £1,350 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 01353 721089 WEB: DYNAUDIO.COM DANISH HI-FI SPECIALIST Dynaudio says its new Excite X14A is the ideal loudspeaker for smart, modern audio systems. This active standmounting speaker system is a rear-ported, two-way design with built-in amplification claimed at 50W employed to drive the bass/midrange driver, while a second similarly rated amplifier powers the tweeter driver. Rated at 2x 100W stereo power output, the X14A offers superb soundstaging and imaging between the two speakers, says the company. The bass, midrange and treble can all be individually adjusted for room tuning and a high-pass filter (60Hz or 80Hz) allows the Excite X14A to be combined with a subwoofer. The rear panel features RCA and XLR inputs and the facility to switch-on from standby after sensing the presence of…

PRICE: £19.99 PER MONTH AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: TIDALHIFI.COM; MERIDIAN-AUDIO.COM Tidal, the first lossless music streaming service with HD music videos and curated editorial, is available now on Meridian Audio’s Sooloos digital media system, enabling seamless streaming of its extensive library of 25 million CD-quality tracks. Founded in 2010, Tidal’s FLAC/ALAC 16-bit/44.1kHz – 1,411kbps – format made its UK debut last year with a performance that won it first place in our Music Streaming Services Group Test (HFC 396). And now, after what is described as a simple software upgrade, Meridian Sooloos customers can sign up to the service and gain unlimited access to Tidal’s extensive catalogue. A system that can be navigated via the Sooloos Control 10/15 touch panel screen or any compatible tablet, smartphone or the desktop controller. Additionally,…

● Designer of in-ear monitors (IEMs) for musicians as diverse as Alicia Keys, Bruno Mars, Pitbull and The Rolling Stones, Astell&Kern’s new Layla and Angie earphones are engineered by Jerry Harvey Audio (JH Audio). The flagship Layla (£1,999) has a carbon-fibre body with burnt titanium bezel and contains 12 custom-made drivers. “These proprietary quad drivers deliver audio quality that will truly put you at the mix position in the recording studio”, says Harvey. Angie (£899), with its red and black Kevlar shell, has the same crossover design and eight custom drivers. Both models include multiple ear tips, 3.5mm and 2.5mm 4-pole cables as well as a carry case. ASTELLNKERN.COM…

PRICE: £1,500 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 0208 9792155 WEB: TOWNSHENDAUDIO.COM THANKS TO RESEARCH by the BGS (British Geological Survey), Townshend audio has arrived at the scientific conclusion that, due to seismic disturbances deep beneath the surface of the earth, the ground beneath our living rooms is constantly vibrating (see David Vivian’s Opinion page in last month’s issue). With a measurement of 1-2 on the Richter Scale, the result is severe contamination of your audio signal up to 10 microns. Townshend’s Seismic Podium is designed, to break the acoustic connection between the floor and the speaker, and prevent the passage of deleterious vibrations both to and from the speaker cabinets. Now, says the company, you can listen to your favourite music at home and at a more realistic volume level without annoying…