Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Hi-Fi Choice

These are exciting times. So exciting, in fact, that just as we were passing for press we were invited to visit Bowers & Wilkins in Worthing to witness the launch of its new 800 Series Diamond speaker range. What could be more brilliant? Not a lot as it happens, but the trouble is our Audiofile News section was already full to overflowing and neatly laid-out with other ace launches so that’s why – the eagle-eyed among you may already have clocked – there’s an unusual Audiofile Extra on p66 especially created to accommodate the breaking story. Every month lately it’s seemed incumbent upon us to run an explanatory feature on some new technology or other. Over the last few issues we’ve had the lowdown on NFTs and Spatial Sound and…

Overflowing with trickledown tech from the flagship 800 Diamond Series, B&W’s 700 range benefits from a lot of goodies, the most significant being the new Continuum Cone midrange driver, with less distortion than the Kevlar material it replaces. In this 702 variant – the largest floorstander in the range – that means a 150mm unit. The 700 Series also sports ‘tweeteron-top’ technology, where the dome is mounted in a cone-shaped billet of aluminium that’s acoustically isolated from the cabinet by gel. Inside this, B&W’s new Carbon Dome tweeter is fitted, with a lighter and stiffer 25mm diameter, 30 micron-thick diaphragm that has been stiffened by a carbon coating. In the 702, three 165mm Aerofoil Profile bass units are bolted to the front baffle, with cones using paper rather than carbon…

With a beautiful cabinet that looks more expensive than any of the others here – aside perhaps from the B&W – the Gold 300 is packed with special technology that’s trickled down from Monitor Audio’s flagship Platinum II series. Any visitors to your house will think you’re worth a bob or two when they see it. A three-way design, the highfrequency unit has a much lighter diaphragm than any conventional dome tweeter, while the midband is a bespoke dished affair mounted as close to the tweeter as possible. The RDT II bass driver cones have C-CAM skin, a Nomex honeycomb core and a woven carbon fibre back, for stiffness. Crossover frequencies are 3kHz and 650Hz respectively. The big, sturdy 18mm-thick MDF cabinet has twin bass ports and is heavily braced.…

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER: Marantz Model 30 £2,700 HFC 468 This sleek-looking integrated puts out a claimed 100W into 8ohm and twice that into 4, meaning it’s hugely powerful and gutsy. It sounds superb too – highly detailed yet buttery smooth – and is better than many designs at twice the price. Still, some may not take to its subtly matter-of-fact nature. INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER: PrimaLuna EVO300 £3,800 This old-school amp uses four EL34 valves to produce a claimed 42W RMS per channel in ultra linear mode, or 24W in triode. Best partnered with the more efficient designs here, it serves up a distinctly sweet and tuneful sound that’s quite enchanting. INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER: Exposure 3010S2-D £2,000 HFC 397 Packing a claimed 110W RMS per channel of Class AB power, this is an old-school…

Last month the streaming platform Deezer excitedly announced its first series of ASMR Sessions: “featuring some of the world’s biggest artists bringing their lyrics to life with an intensity you’ve never heard before.” For those HFC readers who’ve not yet caught up with the ASMR craze, it stands for ‘Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response’ and uses ambient sounds: “such as breathing, tapping and whispering to trigger a physical or emotional response.” Deezer’s ASMR playlist promises a: “world of relaxation, shivers and tingles”. It features a new and breathy version of Alicia Keys’ Fallin’ and James Blunt whispering his way through You’re Beautiful. There’s also a mellow Sir Tom Jones on an improbably soporific and laidback What’s New Pussycat. Chart-topper Ava Max reduces the dance beats of Kings & Queens to a…

Austrian Audio was formed in 2017 when a group of former AKG staff found themselves out of work after the company closed its offices in Vienna. Reflecting AKG’s professional focus, Austrian’s first products included a number of microphones and closed-back ‘Hi-X’ headphones designed for mixing and mastering in recording studios. The new Hi-X65 follows that tradition, but casts its net a little wider with an open-back design. It looks very similar to Austrian’s previous closed-back headphones, with a rather chunky over-ear design and sturdy metal headband and hinges that allow you to fold the earpieces inward when travelling. The same 44m high-excursion driver as the closed-back model is employed, with a claimed frequency response of 5Hz-28kHz and < 0.1 percent total harmonic distortion. The headband initially feels as though it’s…

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 describes himself…

CD Verve WHEN THE HIPPIES were wearing flowers in their hair and heading for San Francisco, back in New York The Velvet Underground was exploring the seamier side of the street. With the doomed German chanteuse Nico giving voice to Lou Reed’s dark songs about sleaze, smack and sexual deviancy, the result was an album simply titled The Velvet Underground & Nico, which on its release in 1967 redefined the boundaries of popular music and invented the notion of alternative rock. Hardly anybody bought the record, but as Brian Eno famously noted: “everyone who did started a band”. Tribute albums are usually a hit-and-miss affair with a heavy dose of ‘so what’ about them, but this brilliantly curated track-by-track recreation of that seminal 1967 album is an exception. Produced by Hal…

Lyn Stanley And Her Jazz Mavericks Live at Studio A 2x 180g vinyl AT Music ORIGINALLY RELEASED AS an SACD last year, Live At Studio A has had the deluxe vinyl treatment for maximum sonic impact. Its 17 tracks have been split across two slabs of 180g vinyl with each side playing at 45rpm, mastering is by the grand master(er) himself Bernie Grundman. Recorded at Studio A, Capitol Studios in June 2019, it finds the singer in the company of Jazz Mavericks including pianist Mike Lang and guitarist John Chiodini, with the rhythm section reinforced by Luis Conte on percussion. This classy ensemble makes a very plush sound on vinyl, the recording is super clean but warm and refined – turning the volume knob into a pleasure control, the level goes…

Various Artists This Is Soul Atlantic (1968) A truly great compilation, This Is Soul showcases Otis, Wilson, Aretha, Sam & Dave and more. Cook recalls: “In the late-Seventies, I was playing pretty much punk rock, but I’d just met Paul Heaton, who I went on to be in The Housemartins with. He used to ride a scooter and he liked this stuff called soul music, which I’d never really heard before. He gave me this album and it opened my mind to this new groove that you could really, properly dance to." The Clash Sandinista CBS (1980) This is Strummer and co’s fourth LP, a 36-track triple, named for Nicaragua’s revolutionary Sandinista National Liberation Front. Cook notes: “The Clash opened a lot of people’s minds to other sides of music……

CD Lucky Number Records BACK WITH THEIR fifth album and first for five years, nothing much has changed in the Sleigh Bells universe – the arresting juxtaposition of Derek Miller’s metal guitars, chugging riffs and machineheavy beats and stabs of ravey synths with Alexis Krauss’ pure pop vocals. What they produce is almost a much darker version of Britney – really, that’s what Sleigh Bells remind me of – all trashy emo angst and songs that wouldn’t sound out of place on a 21st-century teen movie soundtrack. And that’s a compliment by the way. PH…

BASED ON KIMBER’S Carbon range of interconnects and speaker cables, Russ Andrews has now added the Carbon Phono tonearm cable. This employs the same carbon polymer-infused conductors as used elsewhere in the range. The Carbon Phono consists of eight VariStrand copper conductors braided together using the Kimber weave. Each copper conductor is coated in a carbon polymer, which effectively fills the spaces between the strands to hold them in place and increase conductivity. These are insulated with Teflon. The cable is a single, shielded wire along its length from where it exits the phono DIN connector until it splits into two for the phono connections. The shielding is tin-plated copper that’s handwoven around the conductors to ensure complete coverage. On top of this screening is a carbon-doped nylon sleeve and…

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 SACD 30n £2,700 HFC 468 While its styling might be a touch divisive, the SACD 30n’s involving, detailed and highly refined sound is beyond dispute whether it be with SACD or…

Atlas Cables Element Achromatic PRICE: £86 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 472 Achromatic means without colour and that’s very much what you get with this affordable offering. Compared with previous Atlas Element cables this has increased OCC copper content on the conductors and a new process for reduced distortion. The result is great spaciousness to the soundstage and imaging plus powerful bass. Gekko Cables Red Dusk PRICE: £250 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 456 A directional unshielded RCA interconnect, the Red Dusk is made of two twisted solidcore OFHC copper conductors clad in silver. Once run-in, the soundstage takes on a more three-dimensional presentation, subtle details come to the fore and the orchestra fills the entire width of the room. Black Rhodium Minuet PRICE: £160 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 453 Replacing the…

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…

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. KEF LSX PRICE: £1,000 REVIEWED: HFC 446 It might not offer the muscle and dynamic reach of the LS50 Wireless, but the LSX is cut from the same sonic cloth. Size, style, flexibility and sound quality all impress, but it’s the active ingredient which enables a performance that similarly priced passive systems will find hard to match that wins the day. Devialet Phantom Reactor 900 PRICE: £2,580 REVIEWED: HFC 456 Unlike…

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. 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 a believable sense of delay, it’s the depth and fine detail of bass that really impresses here. Michell Cusis S £1,275 HFC 479 With a wonderfully refined but potent performance, this Group Test-winning moving-coil cartridge has user-friendly dimensions and stunning bass. The result is…

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 noisecancelling to seal the deal. Fostex TH909 PRICE: £1,650 REVIEWED: HFC 474 This Group Test-winner combines a very accurate performance – entirely in keeping with something from a manufacturer of pro audio equipment – with an unbridled level of entertainment. With superlative space, detail and energy, it looks great and is extremely comfortable for longer sessions. 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…

PRICE: £89-£135 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: SOUNDTECH.CO.UK AUSTRIAN AUDIO IS launching two new sets of cans – the Hi-X15 closed-back headphones and the Bluetooth-equipped Hi-X25BT. The company claims that the: “sophisticated folding design of the Hi-X15, rare in this price range, makes them easy to store and carry. They are incredibly robust, thanks to the durable all-metal hinge and bow. The closed construction and insulation of the Hi-X15 headphones open up numerous potential areas of use: studio recording sessions, a monitor on stage and a reliable companion in the rehearsal room. They’re also well suited when enjoying music at home or going out on tour.” Hi fidelity The Hi-X15 measures 205 x 170 x 80mm (WxHxD) and weighs 255g without the detachable 1.4m cable. Optional cables of different lengths are also…

Zesto products are world renowned for their brave styling so it’s quite a feat to ensure that they always sound as good as they look. Breaking away from any norm takes guts but with experience encompassing everything from PA systems to 24-channel mixers, Zesto founder George Counnas – an expatriate Londoner living in California for many decades – isn’t a man to be bound by hi-fi convention. His background in electrical engineering at a professional audio level, including a stint with Decca Navigator before emigrating to the USA, found him doing favours for friends with hi-fi aspirations. This led him to servicing and ultimately developing hi-fi equipment, planting the roots of Zesto back in 2010 in the process. Inspired by a friend to produce that first Andros PS1 phono stage,…

ATC SCM40 £4,000 p28 Hugely successful in the pro audio arena, supplying products to studios, live events and other commercial applications, ATC also has a consumer side of course, and this midprice floorstander is one of its best value options. B&W 702 Signature £5,000 p31 From one of the world’s best-known speaker brands, comes this highquality, mid-priced design. It’s packed with B&W’s clever technology, much of which is taken from the flagship 800 Diamond series. Its exotic wood finish is also the nicest here. DALI Rubicon 6 £3,500 p32 Although it’s the least expensive floorstander in the group, the neatly finished DALI gives away little in terms of size, engineering, build and sound. It’s great value for money and will make many question the need to spend more. Kerr Acoustic…

This speaker reminds me of Japanese cars of the Seventies–the ones that gave European rivals so much to worry about that they had to introduce quotas. Not only does it have a massive spec sheet, it’s surprisingly well designed and engineered, and devoid of gimmicks. I imagine some of DALI’s rivals wonder how on earth it does it… This is a good-sized floorstander that is decently made; it isn’t one of the heaviest here, but nor does it feel cheap. Its styling is ok but not the prettiest, yet when you look at its drive unit complement you’ve got to sit up and take notice. Like the Kerr K320 and Monitor Audio Gold 300, it sports a ribbon supertweeter, which is something you’d expect on speakers way more expensive than…

Scoring early respectability by being one of the few companies allowed to manufacture the classic BBC LS3/5a mini-monitor under licence, Spendor has undergone many changes since those heady days but has retained its characteristically ‘small c’ conservative design values. You won’t find fancy ribbon tweeters, strange flavours of mid/bass driver or crazy cabinets; quite the reverse, as it’s all about consistency and timelessness. It’s interesting Spendor didn’t follow the fashion for curved cabinets, which was raging 10 years ago. As a result its speakers looked – back then – quite old school – but now look clean, crisp and modern again, as fashion changed. That’s certainly a good description of the D7.2, which is the smaller of the D Line premium range designs. It sports a very solid cabinet –…

HURRY OFFER CLOSES 7TH OCTOBER 2021 PRINT + DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION One year’s worth delivered to your door Great savings on the shop price Download each new issue to your device A 75% discount on your Digital subscription Access your subscription on multiple devices PRINT SUBSCRIPTION One year’s worth delivered to your door Great savings on the shop price Never miss an issue SAVE 75% ON YOUR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION* IN EVERY ISSUE: Reviews of all the latest turntables, amplifiers, loudspeakers, DACs, CD players, streamers and hi-fi accessories. Plus: group tests, music reviews, opinions, news and all your hi-fi woes answered TERMS & CONDITIONS: Offer ends 7th October 2021. *This digital discount is only available when you subscribe to the ‘Print + Digital’ package. You still get a great discount on the…

CD Matador GUNN IS A singular kind of guitar hero, who started as an acoustic virtuoso in the John Fahey tradition and has grown via a spell in Kurt Vile’s band to become a sort of American version of Richard Thompson. A prolific sideman on albums by the likes of Hiss Golden Messenger and the Black Twig Pickers, he’s also released a series of exquisite folk-rock solo releases that combine a myriad of influences, both electric and acoustic, ranging from Beck to Elliott Smith. Gunn would be the first to admit he’s not the world’s greatest vocalist so he sings his irresistible melodies in a harmonious murmur that perfectly fits the mood, whether it’s the ethereal, cascading guitars of the title track or the plangent keyboards and echoes of Todd Rundgren…

CD Provogue Records BIBB'S NEW ALBUM charts the “pain and shame, hope and wonder” of life in modern America. Born Of A Woman targets the daily injustices women face with a featured vocalist bringing some earthy soul to his polished blues. On Emmet’s Ghost he prods his country’s scarred psyche with a tale of bigotry from the Fifties that resonates today with the death of George Floyd. The song is delivered unadorned with Bibb’s acoustic guitar picking and light gravel vocals providing the perfect showcase for the song. Bibb makes his points well, but never skimps on the quality of the music. PSH…

CD Late Night Tales THE REBEL DREAD becomes the latest to pull together a compilation for the fabulous Late Night Tales series and unsurprisingly it’s as diverse and fascinating a mix as the man himself. It won’t come as the biggest surprise to learn that there’s a distinct dub flavour to proceedings, but with Black Box Recorder’s cover of Uptown Top Ranking and Prince Fatty and Shniece McMenamin’s take on White Rabbit (Black Rabbit), there’s a decidedly leftfield approach to proceedings. Turn it up loud and prepare to give your woofers a workout. JDW…

Copland CSA150 PRICE: £4,988 REVIEWED: HFC 479 A tube/transistor hybrid that’s more than the sum of its parts, the CSA150 is not just a fine all-rounder as it also excels sonically with a big, strong, engaging performance that’s also surprisingly subtle and detailed for such a muscular thing. Well worth an audition, it’s a bargain at the price considering all that it does. Quad Vena II PRICE: From £650 REVIEWED: HFC 448 With a comprehensive spec that moves Quad’s most compact integrated on and enough weight to bring any type of music so thrillingly to life, the Vena II does a fine job of giving bass natural weight, snap and dynamic ability while delivering a big room-filling sound that belies those tiny dimensions. Cyrus Audio i7-XR PRICE: £2,300 REVIEWED: HFC…

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. Furutech Roxy PRICE: £233 for 1.5m REVIEWED: HFC 447 Connecting the Roxy to a source component immediately removes a layer of glare and ‘glint’ from the sound; tonally it’s darkly translucent instead of shiny white gloss, allowing the listener to hear more into the music and appreciate the space between the notes. 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…

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. Musical Fidelity M6s DAC PRICE: £1,400 REVIEWED: HFC 449 Like your DACs big, bold and full of features? Look no further than the M6s, sonically blessed with a wider, more holographic soundstage, pinpoint imaging and a gift for projecting sonics with the finest low-level detail, cementing realism that only the best models can match. 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…

Bowers & Wilkins 607 S2 Anniversary PRICE: £450 REVIEWED: HFC 470 More than just a range refresh, this baby box has had new life breathed into it in a rather skilful and expert way. So much more than the sum of its parts, the 607 S2 Anniversary Edition is highly engaging across all types of music, has a super classy treble and is the best B&W entry-level standmount yet. Q Acoustics Concept 300 PRICE: £3,000 REVIEWED: HFC 448 With unexpectedly large amounts of midband detail, a bouncy bottom end and enjoyable musicality, the Concept 300 conjures up a charming sound that puts the accent on civility and smoothness, but never at the expense of musical enjoyment – making it excellent value for money at the price. Falcon Acoustics RAM Studio…

Cambridge Audio Evo 150 £2,250 HFC 477 In terms of functionality, the Evo 150 offers little over a dedicated streaming amp such as Hegel's H95. As an object of desire, however, it's on a different plane – as lovely to look at as it is to use and to listen to. There will be many takers for it. 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…

Chord Electronics Huei PRICE: £900 REVIEWED: HFC 459 The Huei’s appeal extends from its rocksolid 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. Musical Fidelity M6x Vinyl PRICE: £1,700 REVIEWED: HFC 475 This multi-talented design offers a superb combination of excellent connectivity, versatile loading and gain options, a great user interface and excellent sound. Tonally it’s very neutral with a crisp clean and spacious tone that’s less euphonic than some may like, but nonetheless fun to listen to. Hegel V10 PRICE: £1,300 REVIEWED: HFC 474 It might be fiddly to setup and ensuring you pick the best combination of DIP switches for your cartridge isn’t the most of…

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…

PRICE: £4,600 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: AURALIC.COM AURALIC HAS LAUNCHED the Altair G2.1 Digital Audio Streamer, which the company reveals: “has been developed with properties and features that ensure its performance is considered next-level, and allow for it to be used as a standalone preamplifier”. It features analogue volume control, similar to that on the company’s Vega G2.1 (HFC 476) and based on a resistive ladder design, designed to provide an ultra-quiet signal, no matter the input. Class A Orfeo output modules allow for an ultra-low-noise and low-distortion signal in the analogue domain. Altair G2.1 also houses two separate all-analogue inputs, completely bypassing the digital structure and maintaining a pure analogue signal from input to out. The first is a line-level analogue input, including home theatre bypass and the second is…

You could say that ATC is the hi-fi equivalent of, ‘the musician’s musician’. It’s not the biggest name, but everyone in the audio industry knows it and respects it. The SCM40 is one of its more compact designs, despite having a sizeable 40-litre cabinet, which is sturdy and businesslike but not quite the height of fashion. It’s a three-way sealed box design, which makes it unique here; the latter being a rare occurrence in domestic speakers. Some people love these infinite baffle types, believing them to confer tauter and faster bass. What is indisputable is that they also make for lower sensitivity; in the SCM40’s case the lowest in the group, which means you’ll need a muscular amplifier to hear it at its very best. It employs ATC designed and…

Reflecting the young company’s success, Kerr Acoustic has had to outsource its cabinet production to another UK company to meet demand. At the same time, it’s been further improved with a carefully redesigned crossover and new finishes offered. The result is that the mk.3 is quite a different beast from the original as well as being the most expensive speaker in the group. Back in 2019, I thought it was seriously underpriced; it’s now sold through a network of dealers, which gives more people the chance to hear what it can do – which is a lot. It’s a transmission line design and sports two very high-quality drivers that crossover at 1.95kHz. The cabinet is another really solid affair, made from 18mm Baltic Birch plywood with a 24mm front baffle.…

As you might imagine, hi-fi reviewers get to unbox a lot of floorstanding speakers. Some deem the process exciting enough to warrant a video on Youtube. Personally, it’s something I put off until I absolutely have to as it involves a sharp knife, industrial grade staples, fly-away bobbles of polystyrene and, should the loudspeaker be a big ’un, the awakening of muscle groups that I never knew I had. There have, or course, been a couple of exceptions. A few years ago, unpacking the Piega TMicro 60 (HFC 427) – the speaker the Ace 50 now supersedes – was strangely satisfying. Fairly tall speaker, this, but its slim, columnar form factor and modest, evenly distributed weight made it easy to cradle from its carton, the cool tactility of aluminium curves…

Pray forgive the breach of protocol in my authoring a second Opinion piece for this issue, but I need to pay personal tribute and mark the passing of a gentleman without whom you might not be lumbered with me on HFC today. Alan Lewis, who recently died of a combination of cancer and Parkinson’s disease, was the publisher of NME in 1992 when he and his boss, Andy McDuff, made the extraordinary, and not altogether popular decision to take me offrival weekly music paper Melody Maker and install me as Editor of NME – a decision that completely changed my life. There have been many moving tributes paid to Alan over the last few weeks and he has at long last been paid the respect he deserved for his singular…

2x CDs Deutsche Grammophon GUSTAV MAHLER BASED his infamous symphonic song-cycle Das Lied Von Der Erde on six ancient Chinese poems in German translations. Chinese composer Xiaogang Ye sets the same texts in the original Mandarin in an effort to create a fascinating alternative to the original work. His music is perhaps more Straussian than Mahlerian – albeit with a strong Chinese accent – but makes little attempt to match the Austro-Bohemian composer’s emotional depth and intensity. The familiar Mahler score is well played, but the soprano is rather wobbly with a gusty wide-vibrato. The recording is clear, open and transparent, with crisp detail and a smooth natural tonality. JH…

CD Harmonia Mundi THINGS GET OFF to a riotous start with a finger-snapping, ass-kicking account of Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. It’s loud, brash, exciting and full of swaggering attitude – great drummer too. Ives’ third symphony, The Camp Meeting, is equally American, yet a quiet folksy piece of calm simplicity. Such a contrast! Other works include Barber’s overture to the School for Scandal and Toccata Festiva, plus Ruth Crawford Seeger’s Andante For Strings. HM’s recording sounds clean and well balanced, with impressive impact in the loud passages and lots of clarity and detail when things are quiet. JH…

CD Deutsche Grammophon WITHOUT SHADOW OF a doubt the main attraction here is Debussy’s rarely-played Fantasie with Martha Argerich (no less) as the soloist. She delivers a spirited performance that brings out much colour and detail, though it’s a pity her piano was not balanced a tad closer. The sonatas feature ravishing playing of great subtlety and refinement from the two young soloists, leaving one deeply impressed. La Mer, a piece Barenboim has recorded a few times, gets a fascinating and highly individual performance. While somewhat eccentric, there’s lots of interesting detail rendered audible. The recordings (a mixture of part live and part studio) sound good – clear, open, transparent and, for the most part, very natura indeed. The sonatas in particular are extremely well recorded. JH Without doubt the main…

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. Métronome Technologie Le Player 2S PRICE: £5,100 REVIEWED: HFC 449 As good as the sweet treble and rich bass are, what really impresses here is how when fed weaker CDs and impoverished MP3s the delivery remains unflappable and composed as layers of detail are locked into sharp focus. Cambridge Audio AXC35 PRICE: £300 REVIEWED: HFC 454 Something of a budget marvel, you’ll have to work extra…

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. Longdog Audio P6100M £3,500 HFC 469 They may look and feel old-fashioned, but the P6100Ms are one of those rare but happy hi-fi surprises: seriously highend sound for mid-price money. More transparent than they have any right to be, they have a fluid and mellifluous midband and pack one hell of a punch. 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…

Auralic Vega G2.1 PRICE: £6,000 REVIEWED: HFC 476 Less of a lowly DAC preamp and more of a musical Swiss army knife, this is a seriously classy product that offers a decent upgrade path and a performance that is among the most detailed and finessed in the sector. With supreme functionality, top-notch build and glorious sonics, it demands to be auditioned. NAD M33 PRICE: £4,000 REVIEWED: HFC 466 Hot on the heels of 2019’s M10, the M33 has raised the bar even further. In its full-size guise it offers the same style, flexibility and ease of use combined with a performance that’s just as arresting with analogue sources as it is when streaming. Throw in futureproof MDC updating slots, and you’re on to a winner. Cambridge Audio Edge NQ PRICE:…

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. Monitor Audio Gold 300 PRICE: £4,000 REVIEWED: HFC 453 The benefits the Gold 300 brings to openness, clarity, fine detail and harmonic structure is very special. Although with vividly produced material it can verge on the ‘hyper real’, this is a consummate crowd pleaser that more than any rival at the price sells an idea of high-end luxury and sonic…

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. Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO PRICE: £450 REVIEWED: HFC 468 Easy to setup and unfussy in use, the Debut Carbon EVO’s extremely well-balanced sonic performance is comfortably the equal of any price rival, while the spaciousness of its soundstage and the unblemished nature of its performance make this one of the best sub-?500 turntable offerings period. AVID Volvere SP PRICE: From £5,500 REVIEWED: HFC 472 With its dynamic, detailed…

Audeze LCDi3 £900 HFC 478 Clarity, subtlety and coherence meet scale, air and an utterly compelling sense of dynamic freedom on this stunning Group Test-winning planar magnetic in-ear. With great poise and even handedness, it never gives the impression of trying too hard. 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 900 £1,100 HFC 478 If dynamic dexterity and resolution that would shame a spy satellite are what you crave, the IE 900 scours the noise floor like few other in-ear offerings at the price. Articulation, separation and drive…

SONUS FABER LUMINA V “The Ferrari of the speaker world…” is just one of the ways that Sonus faber has been described of late. We audition the brand new three-way floorstander to see if it really purrs when it runs ALSO: REVIEWS Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2, Rosson Audio Design RAD-0 headphone, Astell&Kern A&futura SE180 DAP, Beats Studio Buds, Leben CS-300F integrated amplifier, Yamaha YH-L700A headphone and a six-way Group Test of phono preamps. FEATURES An investigative piece all about Dolby Atmos, our comprehensive Buyer’s Guide and sharpas-nails Opinions section, all your hi-fi questions answered by our team of experts, plus Music Reviews and Audiofile news on all the latest product launches NOVEMBER ISSUE ON SALE 7 OCTOBER…