Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Hi-Fi Choice

Unique group tests Our Group Tests are supported by rigorous and exhaustive listening tests carried out by experts TURNTABLE GROUP TEST FOR CRITICAL LISTENING, the six turntables are divided into two groups of three. This allows them to be lined up on the same playing surface – in this case a Quadraspire QAVX equipment rack (HFC 395). All turntables are then connected to a Cyrus Phono Signature phono stage (HFC 408) with identical movingmagnet settings applied. The output is then sent to a Cambridge Audio Azur 851A (HFC 373), which allows for simple level adjustment via the front display, and in turn is connected to a pair of Neat Momentum 4i fl oorstanders. All equipment is connected to an IsoTek Evo 3 Sigmas mains conditioner (HFC 394). The partial exception…

DETAILS PRODUCT Audio-Technica AT-LP5 ORIGIN Japan/China TYPE Direct-drive turntable WEIGHT 7.4kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 450 x 157 x 352mm FEATURES 33 & 45rpm Built-in MM phono stage AT95Ex cartridge J-shaped tonearm DISTRIBUTOR Audio-Technica Europe TELEPHONE 0113 2771441 WEBSITE eu.audio-technica.com While Audio-Technica’s fl agship LP5 is designed as a domestic turntable, it has retained some of the traits of its semi-professional ancestors and chief among these is the drive system. The speed that the platter starts and stops on this direct-drive design is significantly quicker than anything else here and promises a level of pitch stability that should be better than its belt-dependent rivals. This is one of three models with an internal moving-magnet phono stage that can be bypassed via a rear panel switch and it also features a USB-B output…

DETAILS PRODUCT Rega Planar 2 ORIGIN UK TYPE Belt-drive turntable WEIGHT 5.5kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 447 x 117 x 360mm FEATURES 33 & 45rpm Carbon MM cartridge RB220 tonearm DISTRIBUTOR Rega Research Ltd. TELEPHONE 01702 333071 WEBSITE rega.co.uk Ihe return of the Planar name to three of Rega’s newest turntables condenses everything the company knows about affordable analogue. This isn’t something that has happened by accident, as it has been one of the key players in affordable analogue for decades, and these new models show why. The Planar 2 and Apprentice TT Mk2 share a degree of commonality in terms of design philosophy in that both are unsuspended designs with belt-driven sub-platters with clear platters placed on top. There are some key differences between the two, though. The Planar 2’s platter…

DETAILS PRODUCT EAR Yoshino Acute Classic ORIGIN UK TYPE Valve CD player/DAC WEIGHT 8kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 435 x 65 x 285mm FEATURES 2x ECC88 valves Inputs: 1x S/PDIF up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM; 1x Toslink up to 24/88 PCM; 1x USB 2.0 up to 24/192 PCM Outputs: 1x stereo RCA; 1x balanced XLRs; 6.35mm headphone socket DISTRIBUTOR EAR Yoshino TELEPHONE 01480 210004 WEBSITE earyoshino.com As an audio format, CD has fallen from favour in some circles as vinyl appears to offer more analogue fl ow, and hi-res digital files bring greater dynamic range and realism. Yet, when I look at my music collection, it is mostly on compact discs collected over the past 30 years with plenty of life left in them yet. EAR Yoshino understands that making a legacy format…

As a hi-fi enthusiast with some 25 years under my belt, I'm not adverse to spending money to get my music fix – something that my hi-fi system at home that has been carefully pieced together over the years will attest to. I have no problem paying out more for a high-quality product that's been properly crafted as a labour of love to perfect its performance. And if that means that I have to scrimp and save for months (and in some cases) years in order to afford a particular component that would be the icing on the cake of my hi-fi system, so be it. We're fortunate enough to live in an era where the vast majority of audio products that pass through the HFC test labs have been…

Tradition dictates that music is stored on physical media (cassette, vinyl, compact disc etc.) and if you don’t own the music in question, you don’t get to listen to it. But what if there was another way? What if it were possible to have all the music you could ever wish for at the tip of your fingertips, allowing you to pick and mix what you listen to? Network music components allow you to do just this, selecting music from a variety of sources – internet radio, streaming websites and music servers – and then piping it to your system so that it can be played out of your speakers just like it was a CD or a record. The world of network music is a complex and at times…

CONSTRUCTED WITH VERY high purity, mono-crystal copper conductors, the Reference 1 is w Acoustic’s entry-level cable, which uses dual, multi-stranded conductors in a double-shielded (dual inner conductor) symmetrical configuration. The wires are insulated with polyethylene and surrounded by a polypropylene mesh that’s wrapped in an aluminised Mylar shield. This is enclosed within a woven copper shield, which is then in turn covered by an outer PVC jacket that’s contained within a blue mesh protective sleeve. The interconnects are terminated with RCA connectors with hollowpoint, low-mass inner conductors and spring-loaded, dual-earth shields. The conductor material is beryllium-copper, which is direct gold or rhodium plated. The Reference 1 can be ordered with single-ended RCA or balanced XLR terminations for an additional cost. Open all hours After running the cables in, I hook…

THIS IS A screened mains power cable with dual drain technology, hence the ‘dd’ in the name. It is designed to filter out incoming RF contamination and also dump any electromagnetic disturbance effects to earth, removing them from the AC power feed to your equipment. The three individual conductors are twisted strands of 4mm2 cross section wire made from the company’s proprietary high-purity, low-resistance oxygen-free copper (OFC). Terminating the cables are Atlas’ meaty IEC and 13A connectors (Nema and Shuko terminations are available). All of the plugs have copper-bronze pins that are plated with 1.25 microns of pure rhodium. The connectors are manufactured from high-impact resistant polycarbonate. All internal mechanical connections are sealed in a two-part, high-density epoxy resin that is airtight to reduce oxidisation issues and support the connection,…

The birthplace of soundtrack legend John Barry and launch pad for sixties psych-popsters The Smoke and Britpop hit-makers Shed Seven and The Seahorses, York has always enjoyed a vibrant local music scene, and its current crop of musicians and collectors enjoy a handful of excellent record shops, racks filled with diverse musical styles to provide them with continued inspiration. It’s not always been the case, though – as we’re exploring a city steeped in history, it’s worth refl ecting on its recent past. The vinyl revival is now well documented and resolutely overground, but it’s worth recalling that recent years have seen shops struggle to compete with online retailers and the seismic shift in how many of us consume music. As a resident of the city back in the early…

PRICE: £1,300 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 01480 447700 WEB: QUAD-HIFI.CO.UK ICONIC AUDIO BRAND Quad has been making valve amplifiers since the forties, and its first mono valve amplifier set the audio standards of the day that saw it receive one of the highest accolades of the time when it was adopted by the BBC for its outstanding sound quality. The audio landscape has evolved considerably in the company's 80-plus year history since it first started out, but has continued with its valve-based audio expertise to this day and the VA-One joins the PA-One headphone preamp in the current One Series line of valve-based components, fusing Quad's considerable tube know-how with modern digital technology and facilities inside one of the smallest integrated amplifiers. With a footprint measuring just 180 x 330mm, the…

PREDICTING THE FUTURE is not easy when it comes to hi-fi trends. Just a few years ago, no one would’ve believed that vinyl would re-emerge from the doldrums to become even more popular than it was in its heyday. With more turntables on sale today than ever, we’re seeing a greater number of entry-level designs, catering for ‘born again’ vinyl junkies and newbies who know little about the format. There’s real choice for prospective purchasers both from 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. Into the first category slot the Edwards Audio Apprentice TT Mk2 and Rega Planar 2, taking best hi-fi practice and doing it at an attractive price. Both models are loaded up…

DETAILS PRODUCT Edwards Audio Apprentice TT Mk2 ORIGIN UK TYPE Belt-drive turntable WEIGHT 4.9kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 463 x 361 x 125mm FEATURES 33 & 45rpm Edwards Audio C50 MM cartridge EA202 tonearm DISTRIBUTOR Talk Electronics TELEPHONE 01344 844204 WEBSITE talkelectronics.com As a wing of the Talk Electronics brand, Edwards Audio has an increasing number of UK-built audio electronics, all attractively priced for the entry-level market. The Apprentice TT Mk2 is the replacement for the well-regarded original Apprentice, and is fitted with an EA202 tonearm – a £300 ‘Lite’ version is also available with a EA101 tonearm. Both models come with a C50 moving-magnet cartridge. There’s a similarity to Rega’s Planar 2 here, thanks in part to the tonearm but also down to other design factors. This is a belt-driven, unsuspended…

DETAILS PRODUCT Thorens TD 240-2 ORIGIN Germany TYPE Belt-drive turntable WEIGHT 6.4kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 430 x 130 x 365mm FEATURES 33, 45 & 78rpm TAS267 MM cartridge DISTRIBUTOR UKD TELEPHONE 01425 460760 WEBSITE thorens.com Of all the companies here, Thorens has the longest heritage as it produced its first record player in 1928. This is one of the more affordable models in its range, although it is the most expensive in this roundup. At first glance it is entirely conventional in the context of the group. It is an unsuspended belt-drive design, but closer inspection reveals it is a little different to the norm. This is the only model here with automatic operation, which makes for a slightly different control experience (see box out). This in turn means that the…

Having reinvented itself some years back from offering full systems to a specialist in direct-sell active speakers, Gloucestershirebased AVI is now undergoing a further metamorphosis. With new investment and co-ownership, it’s seeking out more conventional distributorships in various territories around the world and apparently has new models in the works. The view from the company seems to be ‘That was then, but this is now’, which is how you’re now reading a review of AVI’s entry-level model, which is also both its most compact speaker and its simplest design. Smaller than the many variants of the initial ADM9 design, which went through a sometimes bewildering range of iterations and driver change during its life before being replaced by the current DM10 model, the DM5 is a very small speaker, even…

Miniature loudspeakers that, with a little help from a hidden partner, sound every bit as good as quality fl oorstanders have become one of audio’s more enduring trends for obvious reasons. You can put fist-sized cubes places even the most compact standmount speaker won’t fit. Suddenly, desktops, window ledges, the nearest convenient shelf or table all become fair game. And the subwoofer generating that sizedefying bass? Just place it under the desk or behind the sofa. Low frequencies aren’t too fussy about the positioning of their source. Add wireless connectivity and that old sub-sat one-two, originally devised to boost the sound quality of laptops and PCs, is brought bang up to date to embrace a genuine music-first remit. In that context, such a system, while still a natural for the…

It’s 9:30am, 28 June 2016, Air Studios, London and Studio 1 is buzzing with anticipation for 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 briefl y 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. If an artist forgets a line or a sax player stumbles in their phrasing, then you need to start the whole side again. This is nerve wracking for artists, but the audio upside is Mike seems able to capture far more of the…

We live in a commercial world, powered by consumerism. That little pearl of wisdom comes to you free of charge, but little else in life does. Our jobs depend on someone else’s desire to buy something, somewhere else in the world. Some, however, are not unquestioning consumers, and this is a great thing. Savvy buyers work as a counterbalancing force against lazy manufacturers trying to sell overpriced rubbish. Forget riots and student sit-ins, the best form of protest is people power – shoppers refusing to splash their cash. Ultimately it’s this feedback loop which drives things forward and keeps the market economy working in at least a semi-functional way. It’s why the goods we buy get better. Every May, I go down to my barn and get my Triumph TR7…

An old colleague recently penned a complaint in The Guardian that albums are getting too prolix. He cited recent releases from Kanye West (66 minutes), The 1975 (74 minutes), James Blake (76 minutes) and Drake (81 minutes), all of which he accused of “lingering like an unwanted house guest”. He went on to pine nostalgically for the days when an album was something that was “experienced across two sides of vinyl lasting no longer than 40 minutes.” As a reviewer, I have some sympathy with this view. The average fee for a short CD review from most music magazines is no more than £25. If an album is 75 minutes long and you listen to it, say, three times in order to ensure that your critique is fair, thorough and…

When The Beatles sneezed, The Rolling Stones caught a cold, ran the joke. Norwegian Wood introduces the Indian sitar to pop music… and Brian Jones makes its mastery sound effortless on classic 45 Paint It, Black. John, Paul, George and Ringo up the ante with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band… and Their Satanic Majesties Request is the antimop-tops’ psychedelic retort. When the Fabs went back-tobasics in ’68 with The Beatles, The Stones’ similarly raunchy Beggars Banquet wasn’t far behind. And with the late-sixties’ unveiling of Apple Records, Rolling Stones Records was an inevitable proposition… After the group’s recording contract with Decca Records expired under an Allen Kleinshaped cloud, Rolling Stones Records was set up in 1970 with Atlantic in the United States and WEA and Caroline in the UK…

Computer audio is one of the biggest growth areas in twochannel audio. It is no longer the preserve of the budget category or lifestyle setups and there is now a wider selection of equipment available at every price from the affordable to the high end. At the same time, the supporting infrastructure that allows computer audio to deliver on the promises of sound quality and convenience has made equally significant progress. Storage is cheap and getting cheaper. It’s also getting smarter and easier to use. Further aiding this process, playback and ripping programs have come on in leaps and bounds. The best playback software is now impressively stable, easy to use and almost endlessly customisable. Some of this comes courtesy of hi-fi manufacturers creating ever more effective control applications while…

JAYS might be a new name to some HFC readers, but the Swedish manufacturer specialising in in-ear monitors has been around since 2006. Its innovative dual-balance armature two-way miniature monitor system fitted inside of its first set of in-ears was perhaps a little ahead of its time when it was launched shortly after the company was formed, but jump forward to today, and JAYS is one of a number of brands that’s adopted the twin speaker approach with considerable success. We were deeply impressed when we got our hands (or should that be ears?) on the q-JAYS Reference in-earphone back in issue 408. And it’s this very model that you stand a chance of winning in this month’s competition, albeit with an additional inline remote and built-in microphone for control…

PRICE: £400-£450 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 0844 8111116 WEB: UK.YAMAHA.COM YAMAHA CONTINUES TO expand its MusicCast range with a host of recently launched products that include multi-channel receivers, soundbars, streaming speakers and even a piano, all geared for audio fans looking to evolve a multi-room system around the home. Models offering a more traditional two-channel focus in the new lineup include the R-N402D network stereo receiver (£400), that claims 2x 100W power output, supports PCM 24-bit/192kHz and DSD files, AirPlay and Bluetooth wireless connectivity and access to streaming services from the likes of Spotify, Qobuz, Juke and vTuner. There’s also a DAB/DAB+ tuner. Pictured right is the MCR-N470D Piano Craft music system (£450). It continues the company’s long-running line of micros and the latest model offers CD playback, DAB/DAB+ radio, support…

DETAILS PRODUCT Denon DCD-2500NE ORIGIN Japan TYPE SACD/CD player WEIGHT 13.7kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 434 x 138 x 335mm FEATURES SACD/CD playback Can also play files up to DSD5.6 from DVD-R/RW discs Pure Direct mode for optimal sound DISTRIBUTOR Denon UK TELEPHONE 02890 279830 WEBSITE denon.co.uk DETAILS PRODUCT Denon PMA-2500NE ORIGIN Japan TYPE Integrated amplifier with DAC WEIGHT 25kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 434 x 182 x 431mm FEATURES Quoted power output: 2x 80W (into 8ohm) Asynchronous USB DAC, plus optical & coaxial digital inputs Can handle files up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD11.2 DISTRIBUTOR Denon UK TELEPHONE 02890 279830 WEBSITE denon.co.uk So, you’re a company that launched with records and gramophone players, and was responsible for much of the digital technology that’s used in studios and CD players, yet you’re best known for…

DETAILS PRODUCT Akai Professional BT500 ORIGIN Taiwan/USA TYPE Belt-drive turntable WEIGHT 6.4kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 444 x 123 x 347mm FEATURES 33 & 45rpm Built-in MM phono stage Audio-Technica AT95E cartridge DISTRIBUTOR InMusic Brands Europe TELEPHONE 01252 896040 WEBSITE akaipro.com As a familiar-sounding brand name this deck conjures up images of the eighties, but the turntable is no relation to the old Japanese brand and the company is part of the InMusic group. The BT500 is an unsuspended, belt-drive design with electronic speed control and is able to output an unamplified signal or via its onboard moving-magnet phono stage so that it can be connected directly to any line-level device. It also has a USB-B output to encode material being played to either 44.1kHz or 48kHz for connection to computerripping software.…

DETAILS PRODUCT Elipson Omega 100 RIAA BT ORIGIN France TYPE Belt-drive turntable WEIGHT 5.9kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 450 x 120 x 380mm FEATURES 33 & 45rpm Built-in MM phono stage Ortofon OM10 cartridge ‘OTT’ Tonearm with torsion based antiskate DISTRIBUTOR Avoke Ltd. TELEPHONE 01628 484968 WEBSITE elipson.com 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…

THE CHOICE OF models available to you at this price point is larger than it has been for some time and there is an impressive array of talent on display in the group. There are no poor turntables here, but the Akai BT500 is the one that struggles most to stand out from the pack. It offers an impressive specification for the asking price, but the performance is very closely tied to the internal phono stage, which limits its future upgrade potential. The Audio-Technica AT-LP5 by contrast delivers a consistently powerful and engaging performance with excellent features at the lowest price here, but it lacks some of the all-round ability of its rivals. The Thorens TD 240-2 has a level of performance that is towards the upper echelons of the…

DETAILS PRODUCT Roksan K3 DAC ORIGIN UK TYPE Digital-to-analogue converter WEIGHT 7kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 432 x 105 x 380mm FEATURES Digital inputs: 1x coaxial; 1x optical; 2x USB: 1x AES/EBU Analogue outputs: 1x RCA; 1x XLR stereo 24/192 PCM, DSD128 replay DISTRIBUTOR Henley Designs TELEPHONE 01235 511166 WEBSITE henleydesignsco.uk Right now, the DAC market is reaching saturation point. Rather like phono stages a couple of years ago, everyone and his dog has one, which is great for the consumer. It’s driving standards up and increasing choice. Trouble is, there are now so many to choose from. Aside from physical size and styling, the DAC chips fitted inside vary, as do the clocking arrangements, power supplies, passive components, etc. Then there’s connectivity, compatibility and functionality. Anyone with a grand in their…

DETAILS PRODUCT NuForce STA200 ORIGIN USA/Taiwan TYPE Power amplifier WEIGHT 6kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 355 x 87 x 224mm FEATURES Quoted power output: 2x 80W Dual mono Class AB design Incorporates Goldmund stargrounding DISTRIBUTOR NuNu Distribution TELEPHONE 0203 5442338 WEBSITE nunudistributionco.uk Just as graduating from a small, unobtrusive bookshelf speaker to a hulking great fl oorstander is considered a rite of passage for aspiring audio fans, so chopping in your integrated amplifier for two boxes that separate the delicate, easily corrupted work of the preamp from the brutish exertions of its power-hungry partner and granting them their own power supplies is deemed an equally desirable change of gear on the path to audio nirvana. This is the hi-fi code, by and large, but the point at which people tend to think…

Matthew Syed is quickly becoming a household name, seemingly omni-present whenever a radio or TV station needs an intelligent head to explain the thinking behind ‘aggregation of marginal gains’, the term coined by former director of Team GB’s cycling squad and currently manager of Team Sky, Dave Brailsford, to encapsulate an idea that a lot of tiny improvements, when put together, can make a decisive difference to an outcome. Over the space of a few years, adherence to the method turned a previously tepid Team GB into red-hot world beaters. Meanwhile, Syed spun Brailsford’s baby into an entire paradigm he calls black box thinking. In his book of the same name, he takes the old adage that we can’t grow unless we’re prepared to learn from our mistakes for a…

Back in the UK of 1987, any amplifier harbouring a thermionic valve was about as popular as a CND campaigner at a NATO summit on how best to resist the Soviet threat. Frankly, Britain's hi-fi scene of the day was more than a little puritanical, and the word of the Lord was that solid-state was king and tubes were Satan's plaything. You only need to look at the high-end amplifiers being sold in large quantities at the time to understand this – Naim, Exposure and Linn just about had the market to themselves. That explains why, in the UK at least, no one really noticed the SP9 – despite it being the company's best-selling and arguably most-loved heritage product. It was an exceptionally capable – and technically innovative – preamp,…

Van Morrison Keep Me Singing SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING borrowed, something blue – but not a lot that’s new. That’s the tried and trusted recipe on Van the man’s first album of fresh material in four years, and given that he celebrated his 70th birthday last year there’s no shame in his determination simply to keep on doing what he has always done best. Constancy rather than innovation has been the watchword of Morrison’s output for pretty much the last 20 years as he has mined familiar themes with the skill of a master artisan, reworking the vernacular argot of r&b, blues, jazz, country and Celtic folk into a uniquely timeless soundtrack that is all his own. Some have accused him of coasting, claiming he has not pushed himself to the…

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO’S MINX Air 200 wireless speaker made an impressive debut back in 2013 (HFC 374) and the company has recently updated both the Air 200 and its baby brother, the Air 100. The basic design hasn’t changed, and sticks with the somewhat monolithic rectangular box of the original, with only the gentle curve of the front grille to soften the outline of the speaker. Available in either black or white, the sturdily built unit measures 450mm wide, 220mm high and 174mm deep, and weighs 5.1kg. There’s a carrying handle built into the top of the speaker, but the Air 200 V2 only runs off mains power and is primarily designed for indoor use. Like its predecessor, it provides Bluetooth connectivity with aptX support for streaming music, along with Apple’s…

IT IS GENERALLY accepted that the best way to connect your streamer or digital music player to your network is via a cable as it enables the higher speeds that are required to transmit hi-res audio over a modern gigabit (1000BASE-T) network. The minimum cable standard that is required for gigabit is Cat 5, although the higher-spec Cat 6 is preferable. However, both of these make use of unshielded twisted pairs (UTP) of wires in their design. A significant improvement is achieved with Cat 7 cable, which employs shielding for individual wire pairs and for the cable as a whole, while further improvement can be realised with Cat 8, which supports a bandwidth of 2GHz. The Supra Cat 8 cable employs screened twisted pair (STP) conductors and offers futureproofing of…