Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2021 i Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £120 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: SENNHEISER.COM SENNHEISER HAS RELEASED its new CX True Wireless earphones featuring its proprietary TrueResponse transducer designed and manufactured at the company’s headquarters in Germany. Developed for Sennheiser’s premium earphones, the company claims: “this bespoke acoustic system delivers high-fidelity stereo sound with deep basses, natural mids and clear, detailed treble.” The Sennheiser Smart Control App and built-in EQ allow for custom tailoring of the listening experience and it’s compatible with Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC and aptX audio codec support. The CX offers a claimed nine hours of battery life with up to 27 hours available when charging on-the-go with the supplied case. Ear adapters are provided in four sizes and the earphones are IPX4-rated splash resistant. The CX True Wireless features a touch interface which,…

PRICE: £1,950 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK HiFi Rose, a division of Korean software company Citech, is releasing its RS250 network streamer, DAC and preamplifier via Henley Audio. A more affordable alternative to the flagship RS150 (HFC 477) it boasts the same broad set of features with some reduction in connectivity and housed in a smaller chassis inspired by the RS201E design that’s on test on p56. The company claims its key features are an 8.8in multi-touch touchscreen, support for digital audio playback up to 32-bit/768kHz (PCM) and DSD512 (Native DSD), the ability to stream music from your network or attached devices through the built-in Rose OS Music app and it comes Roon Ready with Airplay and Spotify Connect streaming included. There are integrated apps for Qobuz and Tidal services, bespoke…

PRICE: £400 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: IFI-AUDIO.COM IFI AUDIO HAS launched its Zen Stream, the latest addition to the company’s Zen Series of compact and affordable audio devices: “designed to deliver flexible, high-quality network streaming to any audio environment.” A ‘wi-fi audio transport’, the Zen Stream acts as a bridge between your wi-fi network and audio system. It connects to a router via wi-fi or Ethernet cable and outputs to an external DAC (or an amp with digital inputs) via USB or coaxial The Stream’s open-source architecture allows the user to select their preferred streaming platforms and apps without restriction and it claims to support up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 over both wi-fi and Ethernet. Users can stream directly from Tidal and Spotify apps while Airplay is included and Chromecast…

PRICE: £1,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ASTELLKERN.CO.UK ASTELL&KERN HAS PARTNERED with Campfire Audio to create the AK Solaris X in-ear monitor. Based on Campfire Audio’s Solaris 2020, the companies say that the X model is: “designed and tuned especially for Astell&Kern products, re-imagining the original’s sonics to faithfully convey a deep, rich but natural sound.” Hand-assembled in Portland, Oregon, USA the AK Solaris X features a custom-made balance armature (BA) driver and a dynamic driver hybrid system, alongside patented Tuned Acoustic Expansion Chamber (TAEC) technology and a 3D-printed acoustic chamber. The BA driver, designed specifically for the model, is smaller than its predecessor, but the companies explain that it still: “offers a wideband performance that extends high-frequencies without sibilance or fatigue.” Working in tandem with Campfire Audio’s TAEC technology, the driver…

Notwithstanding the fact that the constant upgrading, development and introduction of new components is the absolute lifeblood of HFC, how these upgrades are often named can quite frankly be a copy editor’s nightmare. In this issue alone you’ll find KEF up-naming its LS50 to the LS50 Wireless II, Primare’s NP5 Prisma being promoted to the NP5 Prisma II, Klipsch relaunching its Forte in the guise of the Klipsch Forte IV, HiFi Rose running out a freshened-up version of its RS150 as the RS201E, Sennheiser adding to its dizzying array of headphones with a new model called the IE 300, not to mention iFi which as a company is seemingly prone to releasing DACs with new names like there’s really no tomorrow. Quite the headache, then, for fact-checkers, meaning that any…

European Audio Team’s family of products includes, turntables, tonearms, phono stages and a selection of different phono cartridges. The Jo No5 is the most affordable of three such models and is a low-output moving-coil design. The specification of the EAT is entirely in keeping with what might be expected from the group with a line contact stylus mounted on the end of an aluminium cantilever. The coils are made from 4N copper and the output is a claimed 0.33mV; low but far from unusably so for most moving-coil phono stages. The body of the Jo No5 is made from Polyamide. This shape of the body is formed by a process called laser sintering that forms the shape layer by layer. The result is a very robust feeling cartridge that has…

As the name suggests, the Apheta 3 is the third generation of Rega’s first moving-coil cartridge – one that introduced some genuinely innovative thinking to the category when originally released. Unlike all the others in the group, it has no rubber suspension. This requires the magnet and coil assembly to be as light as possible, something that Rega has worked to reduce over the various iterations. The key improvement to the 3 is the stylus. This is now a line contact profile that has been specially developed by the Southend-based company, originally for the flagship Aphelion 2. This is mounted in an aluminium cantilever shaped in such a way as to allow the stylus to mount at a 90° angle through it. The Apheta 3 tracks at a fairly conventional…

The massive rise in popularity of all-in-one systems has been one of the key characteristics of the last decade and it’s easy to see why. The best of the crop don’t simply offer a range of features that are hard to match for the same price with separates, they can do things that simply cannot be replicated by more conventional equipment. In a keenly contested category, it can be a challenge to stand out, but South Korean company HiFi Rose has done a better job than most with the RS201E. This all-in-one takes many of the features that are present in the recently reviewed RS150 (HFC 477) but where that’s a piece of source equipment, this self-contained component needs only a network connection and a pair of speakers to function.…

KEF has traditionally focused on more conventional passive speakers for the bulk of its product lines. Its decision to create an active version of the LS50 was shaped not so much as a challenger to more conventional active rivals, but to create a self-contained system built around one of its most successful recent designs. With the passive LS50 receiving a selection of enhancements, KEF has applied these to the active version, creating the LS50 Wireless II. The Wireless II takes the same raw ingredients as the passive LS50 Meta. It uses a single 150mm Uni-Q driver in each cabinet. Now in its 12th generation, the process of mounting a 25mm tweeter in the centre of the mid/bass driver improves the dispersion, imaging and phase characteristics of both drivers and, thanks…

One day in 1976, Tina Turner walked out on both her abusive husband Ike and her career with just 36 cents in her purse. A human whirlwind who combined a ferociously powerful voice with a raw sexual energy, with Ike she had made some of the most potent R&B recordings of the Sixties, recorded arguably the greatest single ever in River Deep – Mountain High and followed with the funk-fuelled pop hits Proud Mary and Nutbush City Limits. Yet for years she had put up with her husband’s manipulative behaviour and violence – until he delivered one beating too many. When she walked out with her face bloodied and bruised and one eye so swollen it wouldn’t open, she didn’t even own her own name for Ike had bagged the…

CD PLAYERS 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…

PRICE: £5,100 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK INDIANAPOLIS-BASED KLIPSCH IS relaunching a new version of its Forte speaker, one of its best-selling of all time. The Forte IV is a member of the Heritage series, the original Forte having made its debut in 1985. The company ceased production of the model in 1996, reintroduced a third iteration in 2017 and now here’s the 2021 model, which features: “updated cosmetics and the latest advancements in acoustic engineering, while maintaining the elegant design and powerful performance.” The Klipsch Forte IV hosts a three-way design utilising a 305mm bass driver and a new K-702 midrange compression driver mated to a modified proprietary Tractrix horn with patented Mumps technology. It also comes with a new wide-dispersion high-frequency phase plug to ensure the last octave matches…

PRICE: £550 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: PRIMARE.NET A revised version of its NP5 Prisma network player, Sweden’s Primare has unveiled the NP5 Prisma MK2. Development of the new model was necessitated primarily by a fire at the AKM factory, causing long-term disruption of the supply of the critical re-clocking chip that’s at the heart of the NP5 Prisma and allowed for the selection of output sampling frequencies. In order to continue to make the model available, Primare has sourced a readily available chip and redesigned the circuit to maintain the performance of the original NP5 Prisma, while allowing for MQA pass-through – something that was not possible with the original chipset. All features and functionality remain the same, with Spotify HiFi and Tidal Connect expected to join the list of connection…

PRICE: £200 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: AUSOUNDS.COM LOS ANGELES COMPANY Ausounds has introduced its first over-ear headphone to the UK, the AU-XT ANC. Building on the audio quality and bespoke Active Noise Cancelling technology found in Ausounds’ in-ear models, the company claims: “the AU-XT ANC adds premium sound, thanks to its 40mm graphene drivers and tuned ear cup enclosure”. The AU-XT ANC offers aptX HD Bluetooth, features onboard music controls and fast charging via USB-C. To achieve the highest driver performance for the AU-XT ANC, the company says its engineers looked to cutting-edge material technology and developed a graphene-based driver diaphragm. Ausounds claims this 40mm membrane: “leverages the inherent strength-to-weight ratio of graphene’s honeycomb lattice carbon structure, creating an incredibly light but very stiff driver structure. The result is a driver…

PRICE: £1,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: CYRUSAUDIO.COM Cyrus Audio has introduced a new rack system, the HARK III, designed for its latest XR series of amplifiers, preamps, CD players and more. The HARK III is designed as a vertical column with built-in cable management and features fully adjustable shelf heights, making multiple product configurations possible. HARK III comes shipped complete with four shelving units, but is able to accommodate up to eight shelves per rack. Additional pairs of shelves are available separately. In producing the racks, Cyrus says it has employed a brand-new synthetic material called Cyruthane. Designed to suppress and absorb micro-vibrations, the rack measures 450 x 960 x 370mm (WxHxD), weighs 18kg and comes in a choice of black or silver finishes. Priced at £1,000 for the entire HARK…

CARTRIDGES GROUP TEST THE MOST SIGNIFICANT obstacle to an effective cartridge test is the interval between listening to each one, which can affect the audio memory that makes standard a-b comparisons effective. To minimise the changeover time the test turntable is a twin-armed AVID Ingenium (HFC 379) with one side used with an SME M2-9 tonearm, which offers a detachable headshell to speed up transfers. With six headshells for testing, each cartridge can be pre-mounted in a headshell and the changeover reduced to around two minutes. A Rega Atlas (HFC 426) stylus force gauge is used to set tracking force and a Dr Feickert protractor (HFC 335) the alignment. All cartridges arrive with enough time to meet or exceed the manufacturers’ recommended running-in time prior to serious listening. The phono…

The Master3 sits within Grado’s Timbre series of cartridges that represents the US company’s middle tier of models, above the long-running Prestige family but below the out-and-out high-end of the Lineage range. The Master3 is the second most expensive Timbre model, which encompasses an unusually broad spread of over £1,000. This is the only wooden-bodied cartridge in the group. The entire body is made of distinctive Australian Jarrah wood into which the generator assembly is mounted via the underside. This generator is available in both high-output (4mV) and 1mV low-output versions (as seen here). While indisputably lower than 4mV, this is a slightly odd output level leaving the Master3 prone to overloading a 60dB gain phono stage, but requiring a fair bit of amplifier power to hit the test level…

Soundsmith seemingly works on the philosophy of having a cartridge in its wide-ranging portfolio for absolutely every occasion, with some models occupying similar price points but offering different features and outputs. And it is output that marks out the Carmen mk II as being different from any other in our group. With 2.12mV available, it’s the only cartridge here that can be used into a moving-magnet phono stage; indeed it also benefits from the 47kohm loading of such a setup. If you have the option to do so, though, a 50dB gain setting tends to work a little more effectively and consequently is employed for testing here. This voltage is generated by Soundsmith’s own fixed-coil system. This uses a permeable flux moderator on the end of the cantilever rather than…

If there’s one golden rule in hi-fi circles, it’s surely: ‘Always read the owner’s manual first’. For instance, you could spend ages trying to illuminate the VAC Sigma 170i’s iQ warning lights when a swift squint at the manual will let you know that in this application – the £10,000 single-chassis alternative to the company’s Signature stack – they don’t light up at switch-on. They actually only kick into action when something is amiss, so chances are you’ll never see them doing their stuff because this ‘baby’ VAC integrated never misses a beat during testing. If anything, you’ll likely spend a fair bit of time marvelling at the mix of grace and grunt, for this compact unit defies the potential of its valve complement, a ‘mere’ quartet of KT88s. Not…

There’s a lot to like about hybrids. In the past three decades I’ve tried valve, Class A solid-state, Class AB solid-state, and a combination of the first and last. Going totally thermionic is a big commitment because you have to pick your speakers carefully; they need to be efficient and/or generally horn or reflex loaded. If not, you can hear the output transformers straining at higher volumes. And lovely as valves can sound, they can be high maintenance. In my experience, a valve preamp – or indeed a solid-state pre with valve buffering – plus a solid-state power amp is a good place to be. And it’s something that Copland has been doing since long before it became fashionable. Since the mid-Eighties, this Danish company has been going its own…

Just because you can have something bigger doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better. With the advent of highly efficient, Class D PWM amplifiers, there seems to be a growing desire to produce an audio amplifier that could probably power a couple of steam irons if fed with a 50Hz sine wave! When I was recently scanning an advertisement for audio equipment, I alighted on an amplifier that boasted 2x 5kW into a 2ohm load – yes, that’s not a typo – 5,000W per channel! The simple truth is that feeding that sort of power to a loudspeaker will cause the drive units to switch into smoke mode if you turn up the wick. In fact, feeding a domestic loudspeaker with 100W of continuous power will invariably destroy it. This is the…

Chvrches Screen Violence CD EMI WHEN IAIN COOK, Martin Doherty and Lauren Mayberry first came together in Glasgow, Screen Violence was one of the names they considered for their band. By the time the trio released their 2013 debut, they had opted for Chvrches. Almost a decade on they’ve revived the name as the title of their fourth album and it seems to fit perfectly for a record made during a pandemic when our concept of reality was shaped by a screen, whether keeping in touch with loved ones we were not allowed to hug, working remotely via Zoom or in the case of Chvrches, being forced to make music apart. At times the last year has felt like we had all become characters in our own TV show. Although they…

WHEN CREATING ITS cables Tellurium Q prioritises research that focuses on the nature of electric signals, physical phenomena and choice of materials. The Black II is an evolution of the Black interconnect and features a number of design changes, the details of which the company is keeping under its belt as it wants the performance to speak for itself. The price remains unchanged from its predecessor and for review purposes, we have both the original Black and new Black II. After connecting the original Black interconnect between my valve phono stage and valve preamp, I start off with some cool jazz music from German harpist Jonny Teupen. His version of Handel’s Harp Concerto In B Flat Major starts conventionally enough, but when the double bass, drums and scat female vocals…

PRICE: £1,600 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: NAIMAUDIO.COM NAIM AUDIO, BASED in Salisbury, Wiltshire, has released its first ever turntable in its 50-year history. Named the Solstice, it comes partnered with a next-generation version of the iconic Naim Aro tonearm, an Equinox MC cartridge, Solstice Series phono stage, power supply and bespoke accessory set. A special-edition package, limited to just 500 units, the Naim Solstice Turntable NVS TT comes equipped with a magnetic bearing supporting a high-mass aluminium platter, with a self-calibrating motor drive system. The tonearm boasts improved materials including tungsten and carbon-fibre with an all-new, no-compromise bias, arm height and azimuth adjustment. The Naim Equinox MC Cartridge features a microline stylus shape – designed to be closer to the original cutting lathe head to enable the retrieval of accurate high-frequency…

PRICE: £45 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: JAYSHEADPHONES.COM Jays is releasing a new portable speaker, the s-Go Mini. It’s the third such Bluetooth-product the Swedish audio product developer has released and this model boasts true wireless connection and IPX7-rating – which makes it both water resistant and dust proof. The s-Go Mini offers 12 hours of playtime and comes in two colours, graphite black and concrete white, with a protective travelling pouch. The s-Go Mini is available to buy now from the company’s website.…

PRICE: £219-£800 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: TIVOLIAUDIO.CO.UK TIVOLI AUDIO FROM Boston, Massachusetts, is launching a trio of new models: the Generation 2 Music System Home, the Gen 2 Model One Digital and the Model One+ DAB radio. The Generation 2 Music System Home is a portable all-in-one stereo music system styled in eco-friendly fabric, sealed furniture-grade wood cabinet (available in Black Ash/Black; Walnut/Grey; White/Grey) and aluminium panels front and back. The company describes it as: “a stylish and easy way to stream favourite music and podcasts, play peer-to-peer through Bluetooth or browse DAB/FM radio.” Stream engine Equipped with a four-driver configuration of two 89mm mid/bass drivers and two 19mm tweeters driven by four dedicated amplifiers (two 8W and two 20W), it allows you to play, pause, skip tracks or change station…

DESPITE THE BEST efforts of inflation, £1,000 is still a significant psychological break point in audio. Once an item commands a four-figure price we expect more from it. It becomes a more considered purchase and one that we tacitly expect to give a superior performance than rivals priced below this level. With phono cartridges, this effect is amplified by their very nature. Spending a grand on something that is a few centimetres long, a few grams in weight and that, by the simple expedient of how it works, will eventually wear out, is something that needs a little mental fortitude to do. Even the most transcendently talented and beautiful designs do elicit a slight ‘is that it?’ feeling when you unbox them and realise how small they are. Whatever expectations…

This is the middle offering of three cartridges from Michell; something of an unexpected addition to the company’s inventory, but one that impressed us when we tested the Cusis E back in HFC 469. The S takes many of the same themes as the simpler cartridge. It’s a moving-coil design with output creeping up slightly from 0.35mV in the E to 0.4mV here. In practise this still works well into a 60dB gain input. Where the S differs from its more affordable sibling is that it dispenses with the aluminium cantilever and elliptical stylus and instead opts for a boron cantilever mounting a Shibata-type tip. Channel separation and frequency response improve as a result and ensure that the Cusis S is specified in keeping with the price. The body is…

As the first new Sumiko moving-coil in a number of years the Songbird can be ordered in both high and low-output versions (we tested the high-output option in HFC 465). Both are moving-coil designs, but where the high-output version musters 2.5mV and will work into a moving-magnet input, the low produces 0.5mV, which makes it a reasonably benign partner for most moving-coil phono stages. The Songbird uses the same elliptical stylus as employed in other Sumiko models, mounted in an aluminium cantilever. This is attached to the generator via a newly developed synthetic rubber suspension system. Where the Songbird differs from any other cartridge in the group is that the generator assembly is completely exposed; something the company has done with other designs in the past. The generator is attached…

Now that its consumer division is owned by Sonova, a Swiss company best known for hearing aids, the IE 300 could be one of the last products that’s produced by the traditional family-owned Sennheiser business. In some ways, the IE 300 harks back to the company’s earlier headphones from the pre-Bluetooth era. The in-ear design is more modern, but the IE 300 is a purely wired headphone, with no Bluetooth or active noise-cancelling. I can live without those features, although the lack of an in-line volume control is perhaps a touch more irritating. Even so, the IE 300 still manages to stand out with a distinctive and classy design that starts with the use of a detachable 125cm cable with 3.5mm connectors. This is reinforced with sturdy Kevlar ‘para-aramid’ fibres,…

Bring the concert home.” That’s the motto. And here’s why: “Music has always been a part of my life, as has sound,” explains Dr Christian Heil of L-Acoustics Creations. “In the Seventies, I was enjoying live rock shows, especially musicians taking experimental new approaches such as Pink Floyd. Quite by chance, I met some live sound engineers and I became intrigued by what they did. Also, as a scientist whose speciality was quantum physics, some of what I observed fascinated me from the perspective of what I knew about the behaviour of sound waves. It seemed that there were possible areas for improvement based on scientific principles and I became a kind of sound consultant.” Dr Heil is now a world leader in installed and touring audio. Fixed installation venues…

For any product line to have survived a dozen model revisions is notable in itself. The Diamond series, Wharfedale’s premier range of affordable speakers, has managed this feat while competing in one of the most keenly contested product categories going, making the achievement more impressive still. The twelfth generation comprises three standmounts, two floorstanders and one centre. The 12.2 here is the largest of the standmounts. The biggest difference between the latest Diamonds and their predecessors is the mid/bass drivers. The previous three generations used a woven Kevlar cone for this, but the 12.2 features a 150mm unit made from a material called Klarity. This is a combination of polypropylene and mica – used in small but unspecified amounts to increase the stiffness of the mid/bass driver. Then, to augment…

A COAXIAL CABLE, the Ailsa Achromatic uses OCC copper for the signal conductor and high-purity OFC copper and copper Mylar foil for the return and shield. A taped microporous PTFE dielectric is employed for the insulation, as in the Asimi and Mavros ranges. The solderless Achromatic plug is connected to the conductors using a cold-welding process. New and improved The Achromatic RCA connector has a low-mass body material using high stability ABS. This is non-conductive to eliminate the detrimental effects of circulating Eddy currents. The plug contact geometry has been improved compared with previous designs to increase the contact area, which reduces contact resistance between the plug and socket. The plug also provides a self-cleaning action, while improved rifling of the centre RCA pin helps with the alignment during the…

1 HOOKED UP Peter Hook, ex of New Order, is hosting an exhibition and auction of stuff from across his career, billed as The Peter Hook Signature Collection – New Order. Running from 4-8 October at Omega Auctions in Merseyside, the lots include a number of Hook’s own guitars and instruments, including the Overwater bass guitar originally owned by The Who’s John Entwhistle, and the Prophet 5 synthesiser and sequencer used in the recording of Blue Monday. Other lots include rare vinyl test pressings, tapes, CDs, artwork, plus awards accrued by the bassist including the Blue Monday Anvil presented to the band by Factory Records’ Tony Wilson to mark 500,000 sales. The auction runs on 8 October, the 400 lots to be sold in support of the Epilepsy Society and The…