Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i Hi-Fi Choice

We’re an optimistic bunch here at HFC so, although at the time of assembling this issue we’re still under lockdown, we’re looking on the bright side. There do seem to be encouraging signs there’s light at the end of the tunnel – or at least, outside our front doors – so we’ve decided to test half a dozen extremely neat wireless in-ear headphones to discover which will best suit your personal choice of soundtracks when you get to make your first joyous steps back out into the world. We’ve also had some major fun testing a superb range of kit, from PS Audio’s Stellar Power Plant 3 to T+A’s new mini system, rummaged through the attic to dig out the long-forgotten record collections that might – fingers crossed – be…

PRICE: £100 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 0203 1764888 WEB: VERTEREACOUSTICS.COM Vertere has announced that its DG-1 Dynamic Groove record player will be shipped with its new Magneto cartridge fitted and aligned. Closely related to the Audio-Technica VM520EB cartridge originally fitted to the DG-1, the Magneto is also compatible with the AT VM5x range – allowing owners to upgrade to an improved stylus profile when the time comes to renew. The Magneto comes with an integrated stylus guard, stainless steel fixing bolts, washer and hex thumb nuts and its design replicates the structure of the cutter head. A ‘V’ form two-magnet design mimics the left and right channel sides of the groove, while Vertere claims the permalloy centre shield plate provides a higher frequency response with electrical crosstalk typically better than 40dB.…

LOSSLESS STREAMING: Tidal HiFi £19.99/month HFC 455 Without making too many headlines – or too much money, for that matter – Tidal continues to expand its library of high-quality ‘MQA Master’ music, and has grown to become one of the biggest and best sources of hi-res audio streaming in the business. DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER: Astell&Kern AK70 MKII £600 Astell&Kern’s ever-reliable AK70 range is still going strong, with the current dual-DAC MKII version supporting up to 24-bit/192kHz audio, as well as aptX and aptX HD, so it’ll work well with any of these wireless earbuds. It’s got wi-fi too, with built-in support for Tidal streaming, so you can use it to stream over your home network. EARBUDS: Comply Memory Foam Ear-Tips From £15 Getting a firm, comfortable fit is vital when…

Despite being something of a newcomer to the UK, Cleer made a good impression with its noise-cancelling Flow headphone back in HFC 457. Its new Ally Plus is similarly enticing upon first glance, arriving packed inside a sturdy metal case with a see-through top panel that shows a nice level of attention to detail and allows you to see the status lights on the earbud while charging inside. There’s also a pouch so you can chuck everything into a bag when you’re ready to hit the road. This in-ear is neatly designed, with the circular outer earpiece measuring just 20mm in diameter, and four sets of tips (XS, S, M, L) included. It’s sturdily built too, with IPX4 water resistance for working up a sweat when you’re out jogging. Bluetooth…

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What follows, after a little investigation, are a few examples of what the grunge scene’s main man, were he still with us, might proffer as recommendations to while away the hours stuck at home. One each of his favourite records, books, films and artworks – stuff you may not have heard of and can seek out, import to your Kindle, search for on Spotify or carry out additional research on using Wikipedia. Book Patrick Süskind: Perfume “I read Perfume by Patrick Süskind about 10 times in my life, and I can’t stop reading it. It’s like something that’s just stationary in my pocket all the time. It just doesn’t leave me,” Cobain once said. “Cause I’m a hypochondriac and it just affects me – makes me want to cut off…

1 LED ZEPPELIN: LED ZEPPELIN Atlantic, 1969 The band’s debut LP. If the lettering on the front cover’s turquoise and it’s a first pressing, it’s rare and in 2013 one sold for £7,000. 2 DAVID BOWIE: DIAMOND DOGS RCA, 1974 The album cover features half-man-half-dog artwork by Belgian painter Guy Peellaert. Originally the back showed the dog’s nadgers, but the record company freaked and had them airbrushed out. A few originals escaped and if you have one, it could bag you £3,000. 3 PINK FLOYD: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON Harvest, 1973 First pressings of the Floyd’s eighth and probably most famous LP in good nick with the solid blue triangle on the label can be worth about £2,500 today. 4 BOB DYLAN: THE FREEWHEELIN’ BOB DYLAN Columbia, 1963 Twenty…

ALBUM OF THE MONTH Laura Marling Song For Our Daughter CD Chrysalis MOST MAJOR ARTISTS scheduled to put out albums this summer have pusillanimously postponed release until the autumn fearing lost sales. Marling has taken the brave step of bringing forward the release date of her new album by three months as she thought we needed entertaining and cheering up. “It felt like a nice gesture,” she says. “Hopefully it’s a good record to listen to at home. It’s hardly an album of party bangers.” Even before you’ve heard it, Song For Our Daughter books its place as album of the month for that alone. Put it on the turntable and you swiftly realise it’s more than a nice gesture and Marling may have gone and made the album of the…

Dan Raggett, Melco Audio, reveals the music that he uses to demo and develop new products GoGo Penguin A Humdrum Star When played in 24-bit resolution this album sounds absolutely fantastic. There′s a lot of dynamic shifts and pace changes to keep both listener and system on their toes. José James Lean On Me Just a well recorded rendition of some classic tracks. The title track is a go-to when preparing Melco digital music libraries for demos and events. Mercedes Sosa Misa Criolla On my first day at Naim I was played Kyrie and realised what expansive sound was all about. I now enjoy playing it to Melco customers and watching their mouths drop! Prodigy The Fat Of The Land Not really suitable as a demo album, this is absolutely…

Audiolab 6000CDT PRICE: £380 REVIEWED: HFC 447 The 6000CDT is exceptional at revealing what’s on your discs to deliver a great big soundstage with plenty of detail inside. It can dig down deep into the mix to eke out the different musical strands while dynamically and rhythmically it’s hard to beat at the price. In short, it’s a super, highly affordable audiophile CD transport. Cambridge Audio AXC35 PRICE: £300 REVIEWED: HFC 454 Something of a budget marvel, you’ll have to work extra hard to get the AXC35 to put a foot wrong. Bass is firm, detailed and blessed with excellent timing; the tonal palette is pleasingly broad and clean; and though the soundstage doesn’t extend much beyond the speakers, there’s great depth perspective. Exposure XM CD PRICE: £1,200 REVIEWED: HFC…

Cambridge Audio Edge W £2,500 HFC 447 The Edge W power amplifier quotes 2x 100W RMS output and has oodles of power to drive pretty much any speaker. It has a neutral sound with a hint of sweetness and an upbeat nature underwritten by plenty of insight that’s seriously good for the money. Emotiva BasX PT-100/BasX A-300 £400/£530 HFC 429 A most enticing evocation of ‘affordable high-end’, the sound from this Emotiva pairing delivers a soundstage that extends well beyond the walls with a combination of satisfyingly nailed-on pace, rhythm, timing and dimensionality that seriously impresses. A great buy. Exposure XM7/XM9 £1,240/£1,390 HFC 429 Fast, open and three dimensional, the XM9 pairing is capable of driving more awkward speaker loads to high levels without any complaint. Partnered with the XM7…

Audiolab 6000N Play PRICE: £450 REVIEWED: HFC 453 Employing the DTS Play-Fi platform (which is not without its foibles), the Audiolab beautifully balances refinement and engagement with an impressive bass response and tonality. Given an operating system update, this has the potential to be class leading. Even so, it still remains the best-sounding streamer available under £500. Auralic Altair G1 PRICE: £1,900 REVIEWED: HFC 455 Designed as more of a standalone front end than some of Auralic’s network products, this streamer with added preamp has pretty much everything you need and little that you don’t. Thanks to its effortless cohesion and ability to allow music to flow, the result is one of the best, if not the best streaming options around. Auralic Aries G2 PRICE: £3,900 REVIEWED: HFC 431 A front-end transport…

Acoustic Energy AE509 PRICE: £2,300 REVIEWED: HFC 456 Employing a carbon tweeter to shun shrill brightness, the AE509 allows you to listen into instruments on your favourite recordings, sounding dazzlingly fast and frenetic without the slightest hint of grain or sibilance. Meanwhile its curious conjunction of tonal grace and transient pace; handling of lower frequencies; and taut bass from the matching carbon mid/bass drivers make this floorstander a worthy flagship. Bowers & Wilkins 603 PRICE: £1,250 REVIEWED: HFC 448 Regardless of what you play, here’s a speaker with the power, bandwidth and bass heft to do full-scale justice to Muse, Mozart and Motorhead. Its low-distortion transparency and 3D imaging conjure up the ambience and atmosphere of the most intimate gig with a tonal palette that’s believable rather than manipulative. And…

Atacama Audio Apollo Cyclone 6 £100 HFC 455 Available in a choice of three sizes so you can get the height of your cabinets correctly positioned to suit your listening position, this stand removes unwanted vibrations from the performance sharpening imaging and instrument focus for a full, refined sound. Hi-Fi Racks X50 From £180.48 HFC 453 Solidly built, these elegant yet classy speaker stands are available in a choice of flexible customisation options, removing all colouration from the performance and giving the impression the cabinet is floating in mid-air. Great value for money and a simple upgrade. IsoAcoustics GAIA II £300 HFC 427 Attaching the GAIA II feet to the underside of your speaker provides a high degree of isolation that gives it the opportunity to breath and display a…

AnalogueWorks TT Zero PRICE: £1,500 REVIEWED: HFC 453 Pristine without being bright, the TT Zero has fine tonal discrimination and starts and stops precisely where it should. It is able to unpick all the audio strands with ease, sounding, open and airy with plenty of sparkle and bite, a low noise floor, lucid rhythmic gait and impressively clean, controlled and tuneful bass. MoFi UltraDeck+M PRICE: £2,500 REVIEWED: HFC 459 Equipped with a MasterTracker MM cartridge, the UltraDeck+M is MoFi’s flagship package and fit and finish are superb. Investing in the 367g Super Heavy Weight clamp (£200) is a must, resulting in rock-solid bass, clear and focused top end and the sort of timing and precision associated with direct-drive decks. Pro-Ject X1 PRICE: £700 REVIEWED: HFC 452 A highly impressive turntable…

Audeze iSINE 10 £400 HFC 423 A must-have for Apple users, the world’s first planar magnetic in-ear is decent with a regular 3.5mm cable but comes into its own when used with iOS devices connected via Lightning, sounding faster and more cohesive than the best dynamic or multiple armature designs. Oriveti OH500 £500 HFC 451 Combining an airiness with low-end extension that most rivals can only dream of, the OH500’s stylish resin enclosures house four Knowles balanced armatures (two for bass and two for the midrange) with an 8mm dynamic bass driver for an enjoyably vivid performance. Sennheiser IE 80 S BT £440 HFC 456 An impressive combination of excellent performance, comprehensive Bluetooth aptX HD implementation and Sennheiser’s attention to comfort and build make this an exceptionally talented design that…

PRICE: £2,000-£5,000 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 0344 8111116 WEB: UK.YAMAHA.COM YAMAHA IS LAUNCHING a re-engineered series of integrated amplifiers and a premium bookshelf loudspeaker. The new models – A-S1200, A-S2200 and A-S3200 integrateds and NS-3000 standmount – join the recently introduced 5000 Series. The A-S Series of amps shares several key features with the 5000 Series, including toroidal transformers with drawn-out wiring to reduce energy loss, mechanical grounding to reduce unwanted vibrations and thick wires for ground connection for lower impedance. Each model is available in black or silver, with polished piano black sides, featuring gorgeous vintage-styled level meters and knobs on the front panel. The £2,000 A-S1200 boasts 160W per channel power output (at 4ohm), includes a built-in MM/MC phono stage and connections incorporating 4x RCA inputs plus pre and…

Senior Analogue Engineer, PS Audio HFC: The Stellar Power Plant 3 is relatively small compared with some of your other regenerators. How has this been achieved? DM: The Stellar Power Plant 3 is based on the same, fully linear correction topology as the larger Power Plants such as the P20. This technology is patented and belongs to our great, and highly talented Chief Engineer, Bob Stadtherr. The technology allows 85 percent efficiency without the use of any switch mode circuits, which innately cause high amounts of RF noise. This efficiency, in conjunction with scaling down the output power capabilities, is what allows the P3 to be so compact. That being said, this is by no means a lightweight! What’s the thinking behind making operation so reliant on the remote control…

Best known for its Zipp range of portable speakers, Libratone’s Track Air+ in-ear showcases the Danish company’s scandi-chic design, and is certainly the most elegant in the group. It’s also sturdily built, with IPX4 water resistance and four sizes of tips to ensure a secure fit. The 5.3mm driver has a frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz and supports aptX and Apple’s AAC for Bluetooth streaming. Versatile noise-cancellation features include a slider for manually adjusting the level or the ‘smart’ mode that analyses ambient noise and automatically tweaks interference. A useful ‘aware’ mode allows higher frequency sounds such as traffic in so you can reduce the risk of accidents. The catch is that though adjustment is controlled by Libratone’s app, which is available for iOS and Android devices, it leaves my AK70…

HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER Astell&Kern XB10 £100 A portable, Bluetooth headphone amp that supports aptX and aptX HD, the XB10 is small enough to stick in your pocket or strap on your arm while jogging so that you can plug in your favourite in-ear while streaming music from your smartphone. STREAMING SERVICE: Tidal HiFi £19.99/month HFC 455 Tidal’s MQA format boasts a library of millions of pop, rock and classical tracks. It is also supported by audiophile kit, such as the Astell&Kern AK70 MKII. ANDROID SMARTPHONE Most recent Android smartphones and tablets already have both aptX and the newer aptX HD processing already built in to provide the best possible audio quality via Bluetooth.…

If your taste runs from Albinoni to Zimmermann – no, not Bob – and you’re pernickety about your vinyl pressings, there’s really only one place to head for your fix. Welcome to online enterprise Revolutions Records, based on the coast in Worthing, West Sussex, owned and operated by Leslie Laine. “We are the classical vinyl LP specialists,” runs the proud boast on Revolutions’ home page (revolutions33.co.uk), but Leslie also deals in jazz, rock and pop and vintage hi-fi. Leslie got into the buying and selling game by accident, he admits. “It was hardly planned at all. One weekend back in 1999, I knew I would have difficulty making the rent, so I took my record collection to a car boot sale in Brighton. I had no idea what they were…

In what we can only hope is the last part of this shor-trunning series, much time and deliberation has been expended on what Mr Bohemian Rhapsody would be doing with his time during lockdown if only he were still with us today. As before, the choice includes one each of his favourite records, books, films and artworks. Why not hunt them down to import to your Kindle, search for on Spotify or research more online? Book Robert Browning: The Pied Piper Of Hamelin Truth be told, Mercury wasn’t that much of a reader. He was too fidgety to concentrate and considered it a bit of a waste of his precious time. One thing that he did read, though, was Browning’s Pied Piper Of Hamelin. The German story of the mysterious…

CD Fire IT’S FOUR YEARS since Power burst out of Ireland like a gentle force of nature with a potent debut album of poetic but minimalist songcraft. Since then her journey from folk ingénue into a mature performer of emotional depth has been thrilling to share. Her third album is another leap forward, her ethereal voice as haunting as ever but the sound lent a new dynamism by a five-piece band creating a bigger canvas with broader brush strokes. The tone is still mostly acoustic and strictly analogue but songs such as Wedding Of A Friend and We Weren’t Sure channel the melancholic bliss of Tim Buckley and John Martyn. Her tendency to abandon conventional vocabulary to articulate high emotion in wordless harmonies hints at Van Morrison at his most spiritual…

highresaudio.com debuts Igor Stravinsky and Philip Glass’ Violin Concertos, the 30th anniversary release of Silje Nergaard’s self-titled album, Lidy Blijdorp’s Journeyers and Sa Chen’s Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2. hdtracks.co.uk has Fiona Apple’s Fetch The Bolt Cutters, Doctor Chesky’s Stereophonic Recording Microphone Techniques, Farnell Newton’s Back To Earth and Anne-Marie McDermott’s Mozart: Piano Concertos, Vol. 2.…

1964 WEDNESDAY MORNING, 3 AM “Exciting new sounds in the folk tradition,” it declared on the cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s debut. Recorded in New York in early 1964 and overseen by Dylan’s producer Tom Wilson, Simon was not yet quite into his stride as a songwriter: only five of the dozen songs were originals. They did, however, include Sounds Of Silence (heard here in its original acoustic version) and the duo’s heavenly harmonies are already fully operational. Of the other Simon compositions Bleeker Street is a lovely tribute to the Greenwich Village folk scene and He Was My Brother is a protest song dedicated to a civil rights worker murdered in Mississippi. The rest of the album comprises traditional folk ballads and covers. 1966 SOUNDS OF SILENCE An album…

Audiolab 8300CDQ £1,100 HFC 448 Taking the winning recipe of the 8200CDQ and adding an upgraded DAC with DSD playback, the accurate and uncoloured sound of the Audiolab is unmistakable. Vast amounts of detail are extracted from the mix, soundstaging is incredible and music flows naturally. Leema Acoustics Stream IV £2,300 HFC 456 The latest update to this long-established player feels a considerable step forward. CD playback is highly refined, assured and transparent, bass is rock solid with visceral depth that positively grips your solar plexus and streaming shares all these qualities for the best of both worlds. Marantz ND8006 £1,100 HFC 450 A CD player with DAC and streaming capabilities, the ND8006 effortlessly conveys the true spatial contrast between all the different strands of the mix while sounding precise…

Atlas Cables Equator Integra PRICE: £115 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 438 Employing the same OCC copper conductors used in Atlas’ higher end interconnects, the Equator Integra transmits consistently sophisticated music and represents excellent value for money. Subtle nuances become elevated, while elegance, refinement and fine details adroitly come to the fore. Black Rhodium Minuet PRICE: £160 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 453 Replacing the Prelude, this RCA interconnect is screened and employs silver-plated copper wire to improve clarity and high-frequency performance. The result is remarkably sophisticated for the money with detail, positioning of instruments, imaging and separation absolutely nailed on. Ecosse Cables Master Reference SE PRICE: £425 for 0.8m REVIEWED: HFC 455 Designed to convey an even greater degree of transparency, detail and three dimensionality than its rival interconnects, the Master…

Bluesound Vault 2i £1,100 HFC 452 If you see yourself buying into the BluOS ecosystem favoured by the Canadian brand and its cohorts, this 2TB, server, ripper and player compatible with up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and MQA files, is a great way of starting off in one room and expanding as your system grows. Innuos Zenith Mk3 From £3,000 HFC 451 With one of the best interfaces going and a potently flexible spec, the 4TB, CD ripping Zenith can be used as a Roon Core and delivers an outstanding performance that inspires confidence even for those starting out. It should be right near the top of any shortlist. Melco N100 EX £2,000 HFC 462 Following a software update back in December 2019, the N100 became the EX so it’s now…

Chord Company Epic XL £600 1.5m, terminated HFC 450 Combining elements of Chord’s Signature Reference/XL with its Epic speaker cable, the XL bristles with energy and brings fantastic detail to the fore. Subtle elements are captivatingly clear, soundstage depth is enormous and clarity is supremely enhanced. Chord Company Odyssey X £150 1m, terminated HFC 451 Made from the same materials as the Rumour X (HFC 447), the Odyssey X is designed to bring more control to dynamics and definition, and boy does it deliver. Front-to-back imaging is superb, instruments are well focused and clearly positioned while piano is full and rich. QED XT25 £85 3m HFC 434 Claimed to achieve a lowering of impedance compared with a traditional large cross-sectional area twin-core cable, the XT25 offers up great refinement and engaging…

Bluesound Pulse Flex 2i PRICE: £300 REVIEWED: HFC 453 With no shortage of lower frequencies, the Pulse Flex 2i’s bass extension is controlled, pleasantly quick and has an impressive level of clout to it. Used as a pair, the soundstage is large and effortless underpinned by the aforementioned bass while the connections and range of features provide impressive flexibility. Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo PRICE: £3,500 REVIEWED: HFC 453 The Formation Duo performs the magic trick of revealing new detail in familiar music while delivering a level of insight that’s more akin to a studio monitor. There’s stunning potency and immediacy; supreme bass speed and impact; rich and three-dimensional vocals; and everything feels unerringly accurate. Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 PRICE: £2,580 REVIEWED: HFC 456 Unlike any other wireless designs on…

Audio-Technica AT-OC9XEN £300 HFC 452 This Group Test-winning moving-coil cart utilises an elliptical nude stylus mated to an assembly using two coils rather than one – which is something of an A-T trademark – and balances excellent performance with a useful boost to user friendliness, thanks to its threaded body. Goldring Ethos £900 HFC 449 Replacing the Legacy as Goldring’s flagship offering, this moving-coil design employs a Vital profile stylus on an aluminium alloy cantilever to stunning effect. Light enough on its feet to engage with high-tempo material, its unforced and believable soundstage is incredible. Hana ML £1,000 HFC 447 With a threaded insert to make fitting easy, the ML is a low-output moving-coil design sat right at the top of Hana’s range. Boasting a performance full of energy, presence and…

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT PRICE: £180 REVIEWED: HFC 450 Taking its M50x and turning it into a very capable wireless design (thanks to Bluetooth v5.0) without altering its sonic character, Audio-Technica has come up trumps here. Balance and refinement join crunching bass, impressive three dimensionality and decent noise-cancelling to seal the deal. Bowers & Wilkins PX7 PRICE: £350 REVIEWED: HFC 459 Although it’s no match for a high-end wired design, the noise-cancelling abilities of this wireless closed-back model are ideal for music on the move – offering an elevated listening experience amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. An essential audition if you’re serious about enjoying your music out and about. Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Closed PRICE: £900 REVIEWED: HFC 462 Available as both open (warmer, fuller tone) and closed…

PRICE: £650 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 0208 2008282 WEB: ASTELLNKERN.COM ASTELL&KERN HAS RELEASED the second model in its A&norma line of portable high-resolution audio players, the A&norma SR25. An upgrade of the previous SR15 DAP (HFC 443), it supports native playback of up to 32-bit/384KHz PCM and DSD256 high-resolution music files and features two Cirrus Logic 43198 MasterClass DACs in dual-mono configuration, adding a number of new functions including a faster quad-core CPU and newly designed circuitry claimed to improve sound quality enhancements. A first for Astell&Kern players, the 63.5 x 108.3 x 16.1mm SR25 adds LDAC Bluetooth support, allowing users to wirelessly stream 24-bit hi-res audio to compatible speakers and headphones. The SR25 also provides a quoted 20+ hours of continuous music playback, more than twice the time of the…

Audio-Technica ATH-CKS5TW £150 p23 The chunky design isn’t particularly elegant, but it allows Audio-Technica to squeeze in some impressive tech that produces excellent sound quality and really impressive battery life. Beats Powerbeats Pro £220 p25 Beats’ audio quality has always been a matter of taste, but the Powerbeats Pro doesn’t get too carried away with the bass while its over-ear hook design is ideal for life on the move. Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 £100 p27 Not named after a skin disorder, a recent price cut to the Melomania 1 makes it a real bargain, with attractive sound quality and a charging case that provides an impressive 45 hours of battery life. Cleer Ally Plus £160 p29 A highly impressive all-rounder, the Ally Plus combined with its smart little metallic charging…

1982 The compact disc format is launched while Ozzy Osbourne mistakes a bat for a toy at a gig and bites its head off 1988 Hugely expensive recordable CD decks become available, as little-known singer Kylie Minogue goes to number one 1995 Philips launches a sub-£1,000 CD recorder as Céline Dion’s Think Twice becomes the first number one single not to be available on vinyl 2000 Marantz introduces its DR6000 CD recorder as Ian Dury and Kirsty McColl sadly shuffle off this mortal coil…

Sibelius Violin Concerto Ruggerio Ricci with the LSO, conducted by Øivin Fjeldstad, £1,000 SXL (stereo) Decca UK ‘grooved wide band’ ED1 label pressing. “Astounding condition,” says Leslie. Near Mint/Near Mint condition L’Age D’Or Du Violin Lola Bobescu and Jacques Genty, £400 UK pressing of rarity on collectible Belgian label Alpha – an inspired pairing of the renowned violinist and pianist. Excellent/Near Mint condition. Sibelius/Glazunov Concertos For Violin And Orchestra Galina Barinova, £150 Stunning original Melodiya USSR (mono) pressing featuring the Russian violinist. Excellent+/Excellent condition. Bach The English Suites Edith Picht-Axenfeld, £120 A hen’s teeth Baroque rarity. Mercury US pressing in long box; sleeve notes in lid. “Very rare early LP set,” says Leslie. “First time ever seen.” Graded in Excellent/Excellent condition. Shostakovich Leningrad Symphony Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paavo Berglund,…

Sponsored by: THIS MONTH ED SELLEY EXPERTISE: REVIEWER Active in the industry since 1999, Ed’s first record was Boss Drum by The Shamen. He splits his time between reviewing and protecting hi-fi kit from his son Will. NEVILLE ROBERTS EXPERTISE: ENGINEER Neville has an eclectic taste for classical baroque and jazz. His wife was forced to marry his transmission line speakers in the eighties and he collects BBC test card music. JASON KENNEDY EXPERTISE: REVIEWER Editor of HFC from 1998 to 2001, Jason’s first turntable was Rega’s Planar 3 and Elvis’ 40 Greatest Hits was his first vinyl, so don’t go stepping on his blue suede shoes. DAVID PRICE EXPERTISE: REVIEWER DP two-finger typed his first hi-fi review 25 years ago. Since then he’s edited Hi-Fi World and HFC. He…

A few months ago – though it actually seems like several lifetimes – back when we were able to freely roam and not live like caged animals in a zoo with no visitors, I am standing conversing with three or four chaps in what used to be a cattle market. It’s just getting light, about 6.30am, and we’re at a car boot sale looking for vinyl. Jason, the big tattooed skinhead in his early fifties who loves sixties reggae, especially stuff released on Trojan, lays patios and clears houses by trade. He’s holding forth:“I just hope it’s effin’ scratched to firk!” Although he doesn’t precisely say “effin’” or “firk” if you get my drift. Anyway, Jason has just emptied his van, his pots and pans, rolls of spare wallpaper and…

1 BOARDS OF CANADA: XXXXXX RSD 2013 Six copies were secretly placed in US record shops. Only four were ever bought. Two are still out there! Worth £3,000. 2 PM: SWEET TRASH RSD 2015 Self-released and signed single by Paul McCartney boasts two versions of Hope For The Future. Only 100 copies. Worth £2,500. 3 LCD SOUNDSYSTEM: THE LONG GOODBYE RSD 2014 Five-LP boxset of the band’s ‘farewell’ Madison Square Garden show. Three thousand copies released. Worth £200. 4 DAVID BOWIE: STARMAN RSD 2012 To celebrate 40 years since Ziggy, only 2,000 copies of this 7in picture disc were released. Worth £300. 5 SMASHING PUMPKINS: ASTRAL PLANES/A STITCH IN TIME RSD 2010 Collectable as only 200 copies were pressed. Now worth £400.…

Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang Snow Catches On Her Eyelashes 180g vinyl Jazzland EIVIND AARSET IS a mainstay of the Norwegian music scene, a guitar player who uses his instrument in such a diversity of ways that you can’t really pin him down. Jan Bang works with samples, synths and programming and here combines field recordings and ‘found sounds’ to conjure up a strangely organic album that projects a range of atmospheres with its otherworldly explorations. Broadly fitting into the ambient world view it has some beats but these don’t generally make too strong an impression, Asphalt Lake being the rule-proving exception with a very deep soft-edged bass churn that adds to a ship at night feel. The sound on Snow Catches On Her Eyelashes is both hazy and clear, this…

2x CD Decca NEW RECORDINGS BY major artists of Dvořák’s Requiem are infrequently made, and this excellent release is a significant addition to the catalogue. Hrůša conducts the epically scaled Requiem, written for the Birmingham Music Festival of 1891; and the shorter but hearty Te Deum, written for New York the following year. Jiří Bělohlávek conducts the Biblical Songs, a setting of 10 texts (in Czech) from the Book of Psalms, sung by bass Jan Martinik. The orchestra and chorus deliver stylish and refined performances. Each of the vocal soloists is excellent. The recording is well engineered with an appropriately grand and spacious soundstage. The orchestral sound is tonally beautiful in strings, wind and brass. The sections of the chorus are a bit compartmentalised, but the sound is warm and blended.…

THERE IS A number of different valid reasons for wanting to monitor the voltage supplied to your hi-fi. Running a mains transformer with an input in excess of the designed 230VAC can result in an increase in the unwanted noise and hum that’s generated. In addition, running a transformer over voltage can cause the audio equipment it’s powering to run hotter, resulting in premature failure of the internal fuses. It is therefore quite useful to be able to monitor your mains voltage on a continuous basis and this is where Russ Andrews’ solution comes in particularly handy. Power ranger The electricity supply in the UK should be 230V +10/- 6 percent by law – in other words, a minimum of 216.2V and a maximum of 253V. Some people often note…

Audiolab 6000A PRICE: £600 REVIEWED: HFC 444 A cracking budget integrated amplifier with just the right mix of features and high-quality performance. The 6000A boasts a snappy and engaging sound with sufficient power and fine build quality. It’s a great buy for the more discerning music enthusiast that demands plenty of flexibility at the heart of their system. Copland CTA408 PRICE: £6,400 REVIEWED: HFC 450 Though this valve-based integrated isn’t a lush or cuddly performer and there are times it sounds more solid state than many transistor-equipped rivals, its ability to delight across a variety of music combined with its useful features and real-world power output make it an exceptional performer. Hegel H120 PRICE: £2,200 REVIEWED: HFC 460 The versatile talent that was the Rőst may have left the building,…

Atlas Cables Eos dd PRICE: £145 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 452 Referring to ‘dual drain’ technology, the Eos dd is designed to act as a filter against incoming contamination. The result is an inky blackness between musical phrases and a supremely low noise floor, while detail and imaging improve as interference is banished. Black Rhodium Stream PRICE: £450 for 1.7m REVIEWED: HFC 430 Black Rhodium has discovered that optimum sound quality is obtained from cables of 1.7m, hence this offering featuring silver-plated copper conductors. And who are we to argue, considering the impressive clarity and focus of instruments combined with a noise floor displaying an impressive lack of interference. Chord Company Shawline PRICE: £200 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 438 Available at a variety of lengths, the Shawline mains cable is…

Alpha Design Labs Stratos PRICE: £1,315 REVIEWED: HFC 455 Remarkably flexible at the price, the Stratos offers an impressively wide-reaching range of features without compromising sound quality. The soundstage is wide and open with a refined presentation, delicate details are reproduced with breath-taking accuracy and instrument separation and location are absolutely spot on. Audiolab M-DAC+ PRICE: £800 REVIEWED: HFC 449 While some DACs can dive deeper into a recording, what’s so likeable about the M-DAC+ is its poise, control and command of the bigger musical picture. With its stunning grasp of flow and tempo, there’s a welcome warmth to its presentation and its solid three dimensional imaging is second to none. Chord Electronics Qutest PRICE: £1,200 REVIEWED: HFC 436 Regardless of file, format, sampling rate or input, this great-sounding DAC…

Amphion Helium510 PRICE: £720 REVIEWED: HFC 454 Amphion’s stated aim of avoiding a clear sweetspot is achieved with ridiculous ease while its delivery is spacious with wholly convincing tonality and rich and smooth vocals. Piano shows excellent decay and though bass extension isn’t the deepest, it is detailed, fast and superbly integrated with the other frequencies. Bowers & Wilkins 606 PRICE: £550 REVIEWED: HFC 454 Feeling far more sensitive than its claimed 88dB at 8ohm, the 606 presents no challenge for even the most anaemic amplifiers offering a startling balance between top-end sparkle and supreme refinement. With impressive bass weight; superb timing and drive; and top-end precision, it’s mighty impressive. ELAC Vela BS 403 PRICE: £1,750 REVIEWED: HFC 447 The Vela BS 403 splits the atom, generating serious power from…

NAD M10 £2,200 HFC 451 With its super flexibility, powerful amplifier design, big front panel touchscreen and impressive BluOS platform, this is a supremely stylish offering. Sonically it’s a very powerful and refined system while its definition and precision is in ample supply. Naim Uniti Star £3,500 HFC 433 Fast, powerful and grippy with oodles of emotion and a pleasingly expressive tonality, the Uniti Star might not have the forensic detail resolution of some similarly priced rivals, but it isn’t far off. Otherwise it’s practically impossible to find fault at the price. Novafidelity X14 £690 HFC 446 Deserving of praise for the functionality it manages to squeeze into such a compact and elegant chassis, the X14’s well thought out and practical approach will attract those looking to take their first…

Chord Electronics Huei PRICE: £900 REVIEWED: HFC 459 The Huei’s appeal extends from its rock-solid build and playful, sphere-based control system to its impressive knack of extracting the best from a turntable/cartridge combo without being too painfully honest about the ropier aspects of less-than-pristine recordings. Cyrus Phono Signature PRICE: £1,200 REVIEWED: HFC 408 A welcome addition to the ranks of high-end phono stages, the Phono Signature is something of a bargain. It delivers on the promise of vinyl as a high-resolution format and the fact it does so while offering class-leading functionality and flexibility makes it very special indeed. Lindemann Limetree Phono PRICE: £600 REVIEWED: HFC 441 Offering outstanding levels of performance with moving-magnet cartridges alongside a more than respectable showing with moving-coil options, this engaging performer offers up wonderful…

AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt £270 HFC 463 With a relatively low 24-bit/96kHz sample rate, expectations for the Cobalt aren′t high until realising it means there′s no need for USB driver software. Native MQA decoding is also supported and the open and richly detailed sound make this the best DragonFly offering yet. Chord Electronics Hugo 2 £1,800 HFC 428 An essential audition, the Hugo 2 is not just a portable DAC/headphone amp, but the best hi-fi digital converter available at or near the price. Music ebbs and flows along in an organic and unforced way and it images with stunning pinpoint precision. Chord Electronics Mojo £400 HFC 423 It might be small and have no gain setting adjustment, but the Mojo takes some beating. Its scrupulous accuracy presents what is contained in…