Innholdsfortegnelse for Jan-19 i Hi-Fi Choice

THE HI-FI SHOW Live returned to the Beaumont House Estate for the sixth consecutive year over the weekend of 10-11 November, hosted by our sister magazine Hi-Fi News & Record Review and AVTech Media. As with previous events, the show continued to attract hi-fi enthusiasts from around the UK to the gorgeous grounds of the Beaumont House Estate conference centre in Old Windsor and was bursting at the seams with the highest number of visitors to date, all eager to experience the UK’s largest speciality high-end audio event. Whether you prefer your music played from CD, vinyl or streamed via a server, there was something for everyone at the two-day showcase. Attendees had the unique opportunity to experience some of the world’s finest high-end audio under one roof with incredible demonstrations…

Hi-Fi Choice employs the most rigorous test and measurement regime in the business. Here’s how we do it… WIRELESS SPEAKER SYSTEMS GROUP TEST AS WELL AS being vital to voice-recognition tech, any built-in microphones also allow the speakers to calibrate their sound output to suit the layout and acoustic properties of the room they’re placed in. Some speakers, such as Apple’s HomePod, perform this calibration automatically each time they are switched on. But for models like the Sonos One, we follow the instructions in the app and use Apple or Android tablets to manually optimise the sound to the room before listening commences. Although wired and wireless connectivity options are available, our tests focus on streaming music via a wi-fi network, which provides greater bandwidth for our lossless music files.…

Supplied in black or white finishes, Bluesound has refined the four internal drivers and two amplifiers inside its Pulse Mini 2i speaker to provide a total 100W output along with support for the latest multi-room and smart voice technologies from Amazon and Apple. There is one caveat here, though. The Mini 2i is designed to support both Apple’s AirPlay 2 software, and the Amazon Alexa smart voice technology, but at the time of its launch in November Bluesound was still waiting for final approval to ‘activate’ those features, so you’ll need to check before buying (see boxout). Along with wi-fi networking, it’s one of the few speakers in the group that also provides both Bluetooth streaming and wired inputs, with a dual 3.5mm analogue/optical connector as well as a USB…

Something of an unknown in the UK, Riva’s recently released Stadium certainly makes an impression. The chunky speaker weighs in at a hefty 6.4kg and houses three woofers and tweeters, powered by six amps to provide a full 200W output. There are also four passive bass radiators, with two each on the front and back. The Riva Voice app is only available for iOS and Android mobile devices, but the speaker supports Amazon’s Alexa voice technology, AirPlay, Bluetooth and DLNA for network media players along with a 3.5mm line-in, optical input and USB port. The app isn’t that slick and takes a few attempts to successfully connect the speaker to my home network. Multi-room features haven’t been finalised at the time of launch, but AirPlay support allows me to stream…

Audiolab was started in the bedroom of Philip Swift’s Cambridge house back in the autumn of 1982. “We wanted to make a very highperformance product at a very affordable price, one which was also practical and reliable,” he once told me. The first Audiolab 8000A integrated amplifier made its debut on hi-fi dealers’ shelves in 1983, and the brand never looked back. Now selling as the 8300A (HFC 420), this remains one of hi-fi’s evergreens, selling to the type of buyer that demands quality, flexibility and power – but nothing too flashy. The new 6000A is very much about “traditional values in a modern setting” and it expands the number of sources that the original could handle, adding DAC functionality and Bluetooth wireless connectivity with aptX support, as well as…

Hot on the heels of the excellent Limetree Phono (HFC 441), Lindemann’s Limetree Headphone follows a similar form factor and is part of a range of models built to celebrate the Bavarian company’s 25 years in business. In the case of this headphone amp, the most notable aspect of its design is that although exclusively analogue, it makes use of a MUSES 72320 digital volume control – selected because of its consistent performance at all listening levels. In theory, any headphone you plug in will receive the same performance regardless of its sensitivity, and the listening level selected is further aided by adjustable impedance settings via dip switches on the underside. These can even be changed ‘on the fly’ to allow you to closely match it to your choice of…

Up until the eighties, the hi-fi world was policed by serious men in glasses, who spent unnaturally long periods of time in laboratories twiddling the knobs of their measuring instruments. They were invariably late middle-aged and had the sort of attire that you’d expect of someone working in a power station control room – shirt and tie under the lab coat, pens in the top pocket and tortoiseshell NHS spectacles that they never wiped clean. You only need to read classic issues of Hi-Fi Choice's occasional A5 booklets before it became a monthly magazine to see how they held sway. What they said was what they measured, and what they measured was all that needed to be said. If a loudspeaker had a linear frequency response – or an amplifier…

All of a sudden it’s raining boxsets. On p94, I have reviewed the expanded six-CD version of Bob Dylan’s 1975 classic album Blood On The Tracks. Last month it was Yoko Ono’s painstakingly assembled six-disc deluxe edition of John Lennon’s Imagine. In both cases the original 40 minutes of music was stretched out to almost 10 times that length with the addition of different mixes, out-takes, demos, rejects and alternative versions. The Kinks have gone even further and are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their 1968 landmark The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society by turning the 39 minutes of music on the original LP into a 14-disc epic of Wagnerian proportions. And it’s not only icons like Lennon, Dylan and Ray Davies who are getting the boxset treatment.…

Marvin Gaye launched a musical revolution the night in 1971 when he called Motown boss Berry Gordy at his vacation home in the Bahamas and told him he was planning to make a protest album. “With the world exploding around me, how am I supposed to keep singing love songs?” he told Motown’s owner, who also happened to be his brother-inlaw. At the time, Gaye was Motown’s number one sweet soul man, with a string of unforgettable dance hits to his name, including I’ll Be Doggone, Ain’t That Peculiar, Too Busy Thinking About My Baby and I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Gordy told him he was being “ridiculous” and suggested he should stick to making hit singles with a backbeat. But Gaye knew that the world was changing and…

FOLLOWING PRO-JECT’S PRIMARY E packaged turntable (HFC 424) with cartridge comes the Primary E Phono, adding a built-in moving-magnet phono stage. As a complete starter option for under £200 this will make a lot of sense to many as it can be connected to any amplifier or active speaker system with a stereo RCA line-level input without anything additional needed. The standard Primary E takes a mains feed directly to the motor assembly, but the Phono version uses a different motor and is supplied by a low-voltage wall-wart PSU to both the motor and the built-in circuitry. The phono stage is on the underside of the chassis and provides gain for the supplied pre-mounted Ortofon OM cartridge. A switch on the side enables you to bypass the built-in preamp to…

The LSX wireless stereo speaker system comes in a range of attractive fabric-clad colours as well as gloss white PRICE: £1,000 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 01622 672261 WEB: UK.KEF.COM FOLLOWING ITS AWARD-WINNING LS50 Wireless active loudspeaker system introduced in 2017 (HFC 413), respected hi-fi speaker maker KEF looks set to continue to be the go-to-brand in compact music systems with the introduction of its £1,000 LSX wireless stereo speakers. Packing in 200W of Class D amplification (2x 30W + 2x 70W), the smaller two-way standmount design measures 155 x 240 x 180mm (WxHxD). It employs the respected Uni-Q driver array with a 19mm aluminium dome tweeter and 115mm magnesium/aluminium alloy cone mid/bass driver – recognised for its wider stereo imaging over a larger area – and is combined with the company's…

SMART SPEAKERS HAVE been with us for a few years now since Amazon first launched its Echo offering back in 2014. Costing less than £100, its mediocre sound quality hasn’t won it many fans among audiophiles, but its Alexa voice-recognition system has proved to be a big hit and kick-started a new category of intelligent speakers almost overnight. Google’s Home smart speaker arrived a couple of years later, but it wasn’t until Apple unveiled its HomePod in early 2018 that smart speakers finally began to put more emphasis on sound quality and raised the bar for the rapidly expanding sector. It’s a competitive area, and in recent months a number of respected audio manufacturers have updated their own smart speaker designs that look to combine good sound quality with state-of-the-art…

Available in either chalk or charcoal shades, the Home Max boasts respectable audio hardware, with two 114mm mid/bass drivers and a pair of 18mm tweeters. It’s very solidly built too, with a weight of 5.3kg that outguns most rivals in the group. Unsurprisingly, it leans heavily towards smartphones and tablets using Google’s Android software, as well as its Chromecast music streaming software. This bias means it’s not a good choice if you want to use it with Apple devices or Windows computers, but it isn’t quite as blinkered in its approach as the HomePod. As well as offering wi-fi and Chromecast, the Home Max also boasts Bluetooth streaming and a 3.5mm audio input. If you really want the full versatility of multi-room connectivity and stereo pairing, the Home Max works…

Adding a music library server to your network to centralise all your digital audio files is becoming increasingly popular. Melco has been one of the leaders in this category with an extensive range of models spanning the £2,100 N1A/2 4TB HDD (HFC 424) and £4,300 N1ZH/2 6TB HDD (HFC 438) through to the flagship N1ZS/2A 2TB solid-state music server with 2TB SSD storage priced around £7,700. With prices for these components increasing, Melco has released the £1,800 N100 to provide a new first rung on its ladder. Despite its half-width dimensions the N100 is not a ‘cut-down’ version of its full-size siblings. The entirely new server design uses a chassis that is closely related to Melco’s recently released range of accessories – enabling it to be placed alongside an E100…

The moment that the 13th Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, crashed onto our screens in October – making the role of the heroic, eccentric wanderer in the fourth dimension her own within a matter of seconds – it was clear that the long-running show, materialising again for an eagerly awaited special on New Year’s Day, had regenerated in suitably spectacular fashion. As has the Radiophonic Workshop, forever associated with Doctor Who and its iconic signature tune, sound design and innovative scores throughout its classic run from the early sixties to the late eighties. Over the past few years, among other projects, Workshop alumni have reconvened for a digital-only album for Bowers & Wilkins (available through its Society of Sound music subscription service) and released a brilliant double set of improvised electronica, Burials…

I guess different people will remember 1980 for different reasons. For some, the highlight might be ice skater Robin Cousins winning Team GB’s only gold medal in the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid in the US, for others it could be the arrival of the Rubik’s Cube phenomenon or the then second Star Wars episode with the movie The Empire Strikes Back. But for me it was the introduction of Audio-Technica’s AT-95E, a pick-up that made high-quality performance possible for vinyl lovers everywhere without having to break the bank. Sadly, after almost 40 years in production, the AT-95E is about to be replaced by the AT-VM95E – reviewed on p115. Without giving too much away for fear of spoiling the review, I think this is a great new addition to…

It’s no secret that I have a lot of love for in-ear headphone designs. My years of commuting to and from various workplaces got me hooked and left me addicted to the kind of immediacy that a really good pair of in-ears is able to deliver. From humble beginnings the category has grown following serious design innovation and a good set of in-ears is now seen as a solid proposition by many quality-audio fans, thanks to their efficient design and workman ability to handle every day travel. But the in-ear headphone hasn’t really meshed with the more refined world of high-end hi-fi, until now that is… The Audeze and Astell&Kern pairing that’s on show here forms an entirely portable audio system and is one of the most practical we’ve ever…

WIRELESS SPEAKERS COME in all shapes and sizes and Samsung’s VL5 has a striking, minimalistic design that mixes seamless white aluminium with a wood finish on either end of our review sample – it’s also available in black. It’s a robust and solid speaker that measures 522 x 212 x 70mm (WxHxD) and weighs 4.6kg. Controls for volume and play/pause can be found on the top of the chassis in the form of a touch-capacitive ring, with controls to switch between Bluetooth, wi-fi and Aux modes located on the right side. Physical buttons are absent here, however they do feel natural to use and have consistent responsiveness. Pairing the speaker via Bluetooth is simple (although it doesn’t specify aptX support) and streaming over wi-fi is also available with multiroom support…

NORTHERN IRELAND-BASED TRUE Colours Industries’ entrylevel interconnect features a twisted pair of silver-plated OFC conductors insulated with a Superthane dielectric that’s terminated with the company’s cast gold-plated split-pin RCA plugs and finished with a dark-blue PVC insulation. The plugs are attached using lead-free high-purity silver solder. My first impression is that it’s a stiff but good-quality interconnect with the RCA plugs making a reassuringly secure connection in the socket, thanks to the split-pin centre connector. Fitting the Tiger II between my preamplifier and monoblocks, I am treated to a very natural sound with great detail and clarity. A full orchestral recording of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D major performed by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, shows offthe well-extended bass, excellent midrange and a wide soundstage. The authoritative opening section leads…

PRICE: £549-£699 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 01423 358846 WEB: KARMA-AV.CO.UK UK distributor Karma-AV introduces two new systems from SVS with the Prime Wireless Speaker System and Wireless SoundBase bridge, priced at £699 and £549 respectively. Measuring 160 x 260 x 180mm (WxHxD) and claiming a total of 200W amplification split four ways to drive the individual 25mm tweeter and 114mm mid/bass driver fitted to each standmount, the aptly named Prime Wireless Speaker System handles connectivity via Bluetooth – with aptX support – and wi-fi as well as wired connections from optical and line-level sources. Control is via smart device over wi-fi using the DTS Play-Fi app, which offers multi-room capability for up to 16 zones and supports 24-bit/192kHz playback as well as Amazon’s Alexa voice control. A dedicated output provides a…

One of the few speakers to use Google’s Assistant to respond to your voice commands, rather than Amazon’s Alexa, the Link 500 also relies on Chromecast to connect to your home wi-fi network and provide multi-room streaming. It’s this emphasis on Google tech that means that the Link 500 works best with Android smartphones and tablets packing Chromecast. Other devices, such as Apple’s iPhones and iPads, will be limited to Bluetooth. Otherwise, the Link 500 boasts two 89mm mid/bass drivers and a brace of 20mm tweeters – arranged in pairs on the left and right sides – along with a large, passive bass port on the back of the unit. The speaker supports a good spread of audio formats, but the Google Home app used to control it doesn’t support…

IN THE CONTEXT of this roundup, the ability to do something like ordering a pizza simply by talking to your speaker is far less important than the sound quality it offers. Even so, the technology used by our test models often reflects a bias towards certain types of devices. The Google Home Max and JBL Link 500 work best with Android devices. The former is a creditable attempt by Google to appeal to audiophiles, but ultimately its power and enthusiasm are held back by a slight midrange weakness. The Link 500 is capable of a more balanced sound, able to handle denser arrangements more effectively – although both speakers lean a little heavily on the bass. This is fine for party time, but less suitable for more discerning listening. Apple’s…

Convenience can often seem like a dirty word in the world of hi-fi. The belief that if you don’t put in a little effort – especially installing a turntable by using cartridge scales, alignment protractor and a spirit level – then it’s not a truly high-end experience when it comes to the business of listening to records. More recently, though, this thinking has started to change and AVID’s Ingenium Plug&Play turntable has become the latest to join an increasingly familiar breed of packaged decks that allow you to get on with playing records without the fuss of a lengthy setup procedure. AVID is perhaps best known as a manufacturer of hefty suspended turntable designs with its flagship Acutus deck inspiring a range of models that use the same principle of…

As any audiophile knows, autumn is the time of year that the hi-fi industry gets into full swing as enthusiasts flock to the warmth and comfort of hotel exhibition spaces to indulge their passion among like-minded individuals and share in a collective desire to hear the very best quality systems that money can buy. With three European shows dedicated to catering to our audio fervour held within just a few weeks of one another, there’s plenty to keep hi-fi fans busy. Kicking off our indulgence was the newly named Festival Of Sound in Hammersmith, followed by The Hi-Fi Show Live and then the three-day Warsaw Audio Video Show in Poland the weekend after. Just like the growth in popularity of vinyl, shows appear to be following a similar trajectory as…

It doesn’t seem so long ago that a recording was made by sticking a microphone in front of the performers and hitting record. It quickly became evident, however, that far better results could be obtained by using several microphones positioned strategically and mixing the signals together. Then along came stereo, and suddenly positioning and set up started to play a more important role in imaging and spaciousness. The polar pattern of a microphone – its ability to pick up sound from different directions – is very important. The simplest pattern is the omnidirectional mic, which picks up sound equally from all directions. A figure-of-eight polar pattern picks up audio from in front of and behind the mic, but not from the sides. A cardioid pattern is, as the name implies,…

ALBUM OF THE MONTH The Good, The Bad & The Queen Merrie Land CD Parlophone NOW DAVID BOWIE has gone, Damon Albarn surely stands unrivalled as the most creative voice working in contemporary British pop. Since the glory days of Blur, he’s explored electronica, hip-hop and R&B with Gorillaz; ventured boldly into world music, most notably with Africa Express and his Chinese epic Monkey: Journey To The West; scored Alice's Adventures In Wonderland as a stage musical for the National Theatre; written an opera for the ENO; and released a prolific swathe of other solo and collaborative albums. In the middle of all this creativity he also found time to put together another band, recruiting former Clash bassist Paul Simonon, veteran Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen and ex-Verve guitarist Simon Tong to…

Neil Young’s On The Beach is off the wall and on the turntable and HFC is on the sofa with a piping-hot mug of Yorkshire tea, leafing through a vintage NME, sitting across from friendly and engaging host Tim Barnes. Tim’s a longstanding record collector, blogger, craft brewer, motorhome veteran and entrepreneur, and we’re catching up inside Blues Night, just before its opening in mid-November. Not only a project years in the making, it’s a strong contender for the most pleasant shop HFC has visited in this series so far. Approximately 25 square-metres of cool, the converted barn is compact, but its lines are clean and it has the aesthetics of an independent US or Scandi record store. Refreshingly, all of the LPs, 12ins, 45s, 78s, CDs and cassettes are…

HAVING UPDATED ITS mid-price and high-end MM cartridges in recent years, Audio-Technica has turned its attention to the entrylevel line. The AT-VM95E replaces the moving-magnet AT-95E cartridge (HFC 387), which has been in production for almost 40 years. The AT-VM95E is also part of an ambitious and clever attempt by the Japanese cartridge marker to keep you in the family. You can purchase it (or indeed the VM-95C entry to the range priced at £29), fit it to your tonearm, set the tracking weight and alignment, and away you go. Further down the line you can then upgrade to a nude elliptical, micro linear or Shibata profile stylus without having to adjust any of those settings – simply slide the old stylus off and fit the new one. We have…

SOUND DAMPED STEEL (SDS) – developed by British Steel in the nineties – is based on the principles of constrained layer damping, and Soundeck MD Les Thompson has realised the considerable sonic benefits it can bring to hi-fi. It can be applied to steel or aluminium and the PM aluminium laminate turntable mat sits directly on the platter to dissipate unwanted vibrations transmitted through the platter or generated by the playing of a record by converting unwanted vibrational energy into tiny amounts of heat. Mat’s entertainment Just 2mm thick, the PM replaces existing mats with little or no adjustment to the cartridge VTA required. It has a smooth vinyl finish and comes in three sizes (295mm, 292mm and 285mm diameters). It certainly delivers on sound quality. Vocals have an improved…