Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2022 i Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £270-£370 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: PROJECT-AUDIO.COM/EN HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK PRO-JECT HAS INTRODUCED the E1, a true plug-and-play turntable in a trio of different variants. The standard E1 is designed to be connected directly to an external phono stage, while the E1 Phono has one built-in. And for those looking for wireless transmission, the E1 BT offers Bluetooth streaming built-in as well. The E1 range boasts electronically controlled playback speeds (33 and 45rpm), an 8.6in tonearm with aluminium tube and purpose-designed headshell, a pre-adjusted Ortofon OM 5E cartridge with elliptical stylus profile, a sub-platter drive system, an anti-resonant main platter made from strengthened ABS Polymer, a DC drive motor with damped mounting for added isolation, a wood main plinth mounted on anti-vibration feet, a turntable-ready RCA cable and a dust cover. The turntables…

PRICE: £5,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ENG.HIFIROSE.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK HENLEY AUDIO IS introducing the new HiFi Rose RA180 integrated amplifier to the UK, signalling a new category for the Korean brand. Designed to complement the RS150 (HFC 477) streamer and constructed from high-purity aluminium, the RA180 is based around a new concept Class AD amplifier technology, the company explaining that: “Class D amplification provides higher efficiency and output, as well as improved noise and distortion measurements, compared with more traditional Class AB designs. However, many Class D designs in the past have suffered in sound quality, due to limitations in the digital circuitry. HiFi Rose’s state-of-the-art Class AD amplifier resolves these problems with the use of innovative new materials. The RA180’s Class AD amplifier boasts Gallium Nitride FETs as opposed to more…

EARBUDS GROUP TEST MOST OF THE earbuds in this group rely purely on Bluetooth for streaming audio, with only the Astell&Kern AK Zero1 opting for a wired connection. However, Bluetooth comes in different flavours that may be better suited to devices from particular manufacturers. Most here support AAC, which is Apple’s preferred codec for Bluetooth audio, so these will work well with all Apple devices, including the iPad that I use for listening to Tidal, with its MQA audio format. However, Audio-Technica’s ATH-CKS50TW supports both AAC and the aptX codec that is widely used by Android devices, so this requires the use of an additional MPow Bluetooth transmitter to provide aptX output for my Apple devices. Astell&Kern’s AK Zero1 opts for a purely wired connection. However, the analogue audio output…

DETAILS PRODUCT Astell&Kern AK Zero1 ORIGIN South Korea/Japan TYPE Wired in-ear monitors WEIGHT 35g FEATURES ● Hybrid driver design ● 1.25m braided OFC cable (3.5mm) ● Frequency response: 25Hz-30KHz DISTRIBUTOR Astell&Kern A sthe most expensive earbuds in this group, the AK Zero1 actually offers a relatively limited range of features. That’s because it takes a more traditional approach, refusing to be distracted by the latest tech buzzwords and instead choosing to focus on sound quality to the exclusion of all else. Proclaiming itself to be an in-ear monitor (IEM) rather than a humble earbud, the AK Zero1 is the only wired headphone in this group, with no Bluetooth option for wireless audio and no noise cancellation or other high-tech features. What it does have is a distinctive ‘hybrid’ design that…

DETAILS PRODUCT Klipsch T5 II ANC ORIGIN USA/China TYPE Bluetooth earbuds WEIGHT 5.5g each (buds) 77g (case) FEATURES ● 5.8mm drivers ● Adjustable noise cancellation ● Qi wireless charging case DISTRIBUTOR Home AV Direct Priced at £300, Klipsch’s T5 II ANC is the most expensive of the wireless earbuds in the group, but it manages to come up with some high-tech features that even Apple can’t match. Available in a variety of colours, it has an unusual oval design that looks rather bulky, although it does fit into the ear quite comfortably and Klipsch includes six different sizes of ear-tips to provide a good fit. This is one of the few earbuds that I’d feel comfortable wearing when running, and the IPX4 rating mean that it’s water resistant. As the…

Say ‘Rotel’ to any hi-fi enthusiast and the definition that results usually centres around a no-nonsense, engineering-led theme. A brief look at the RA-1592MKII, the largest integrated amp in the range, doesn’t necessarily do much to change these perceptions. As the name suggests, it is an overhaul of the preceding RA-1592 (HFC 459) and is the largest amp in its standard range. Revision or not, the spec of this update is extremely comprehensive, even judged at the price. Like a great many integrateds hitting the market, this is most of the way to being an all-in-one system. In conventional analogue terms, it has a single XLR input supported by three RCAs and a moving-magnet phono stage. These are complemented by preouts both for connecting a power amplifier (of which Rotel…

A couple of stories over the last few weeks have highlighted just how wrong I was about the power of the old rock gods starting to wane. First came the news that Bob Dylan has re-recorded some of his most famous numbers. Of course, he has been recycling and reworking his old songs for decades on stage, but this is different because for the first time he has: “revisited a personally chosen set of his iconic songs” in pristine new studio recordings. Dylan has re-recorded his old material to showcase a new ultra-high-fidelity medium called Ionic Originals – akind of high-class demo record to help sell the new hardware that will be required to play the new aluminium discs, which it is claimed: “advance the art of recorded sound and…

THIS ROBUST AND high-quality cable is manufactured in Japan and is shielded to prevent the cable acting as an aerial and injecting RFI back into the amplifier. The review sample is fitted with Furutech cryogenically treated Z-Plugs at both ends, but the standard configuration is for the cables to be terminated with spade connectors for the speaker end and Z-Plugs for the amplifier end. The ends of the main section of cable are fitted with nicely finished wooden collars. The cable is directional, which is shown by arrows printed on the connectors’ heatshrink sleeving. The Ultimate MKIII is available in lengths ranging from 1.5m to 7m. Connecting the Ultimate MKIII between my valve monoblocks and transmission line speakers, I listen to a delightful copy-master tape of Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre from…

HI-FI Choice Recommends ES SENTIAL HI-FI YOU’LL WANT TO OWN ■ CD players p110 ■ Amplifiers p111■ Pre/power amps p111 ■ Cables p112-113 ■ Network audio players p114 ■ Music servers p114 ■ DACs p115 ■Loudspeakers p116-118 ■ One-box systems p118 ■ Turntables p119 ■ Cartridges p119 ■ Phono stages p120 ■ Headphones p120-121 ■ Portable DACs p121…

PRICE: £300 EACH AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ECLIPSE-TD.COM/UK JAPANESE COMPANY ECLIPSE has launched a new loudspeaker, the company’s first in seven years. The TD307MK3 is a compact, full-range standmount which replaces the TD307MK2 and features the same technologies as Eclipse’s more upmarket option. Boasting an integrated mounting bracket with angle adjustment, the new speaker enables wall or ceiling mounting and benefits from a 65mm full-range fibreglass drive unit upgrade (the first time fibreglass has been used in the TD307 series). The new driver is supported by a larger ‘repulsive’ neodymium main and sub-magnet system, which the company says delivers a wider frequency response, especially in the bass region: the TD307MK3 has a quoted 80Hz–25kHz range. Eclipse claims the fibreglass cone also benefits from greater speed, lower vibration, greater dynamics, a lower…

PRICE: £800 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: HARMANKARDON.CO.UK HARMAN KARDON HAS launched its new Citation MultiBeam 1100 soundbar, featuring Dolby Atmos and MultiBeam. As the name suggests, it employs the MultiBeam technology alongside its 11 drivers, including two up-firing height channels, to deliver Dolby Atmos. Billed as: “A complete home entertainment system,” the HK Citation MultiBeam 1100 offers access to over 300 online music streaming services through AirPlay, Alexa Multi-Room Music (MRM) and Chromecast built-in. According to the company it also boasts: “Intuitive controls, an HDMI eARC connection and automatic room calibration for unrivalled connectivity and seamless setup,” and features PureVoice technology with the centre channel designed with the intention of ensuring that: “speech is crystal clear at any volume.” The soundbar comes in Winter Gray or Classic Black real-wool fabric from…

PRICE: £122-£600 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: CONNECTED-FIDELITY.COM CONNECTED FIDELITY IS launching what it claims is a whole new take on component isolation. The company explains: “It’s well known that audio and AV components throughout the audio chain, from source to loudspeakers, are adversely affected by external vibrations, as well as by internal vibrations produced by the components themselves. Transformers, transistors, servos and motors all present a range of vibration challenges. Isolation products that feature materials such as rubbers, silicones and springs will dampen certain of these resonances, however this often comes at a cost: the compliant ‘memory’ of such materials means that they can add their own resonance character. At the same time, these materials tend to act as a ‘stopper’, and so vibrational energy is reflected back, rather than providing…

PRICE: £350 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: BLUESOUND.COM CANADIAN COMPANY BLUESOUND is launching the HUB, which it describes as: “a game-changing network accessory that connects to a variety of analogue and digital audio sources, bringing them into the Bluesound ecosystem for multi-room streaming”. Effectively claiming to make any source capable of multi-room playback, Bluesound says: “add a Bluesound HUB to any non-BluOS-enabled audio source and transmit music to one or many Bluesound players around the home. Audio sources like a turntable or CD player instantly become network-connected and are new sources from which your Bluesound system can play music. The HUB unlocks the problem of geography in letting users stream vinyl wirelessly for the first time.” Well connected The HUB boasts “a host” of inputs on the back panel including HDMI eARC,…

10 th-11 thSeptember Tickets are now on sale for the UK’s premier high-end audio event – the UK Hi-Fi Show Live, hosted at the Ascot Racecourse Grandstand, High Street, Ascot on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September. Tickets are £20 per day or £30 for a weekend pass via www.eventbrite.co.uk or via the link on the www. hifishowlive.com website. Subscribers to Hi-Fi Choice (and Hi-Fi News) are offered concessionary £15 day passes, details will be on the insert included with future subscriber copies. The UK Hi-Fi Show Live was last hosted in 2019, before the COVID lockdowns, so its return this year is highly anticipated. SHOW ORGANISER, EDITORIAL Director of AVTech Media, Hi-Fi News editor and President of EISA, Paul Miller commented on the Show’s success in 2019: “Moving from…

LOVE THEM OR loathe them, earbuds have been the defining trend in headphone technology in recent years, ever since Apple launched its first AirPods just a little over five years ago, back in December 2016. The success of the AirPods kick started an entirely new category of wireless in-ears that other manufacturers soon rushed to imitate. However, Apple’s success had more to do with fashion and design than anything else, allowing rival manufacturers to get a foot in the door by offering more advanced audio technologies, such as aptX, which aims to provide discerning listeners with something close to ‘hi-res audio’ via Bluetooth. Apple’s rivals can also compete when it comes to providing better battery life or a snug, firm fit that is more practical for exercise and outdoor use.…

►DETAILS PRODUCT Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW ORIGIN Japan/Vietnam TYPE Bluetooth earbuds WEIGHT 8g each (buds) 60g (case) FEATURES ● 9mm drivers ● IPX4 water resistant ● 20-hour battery life ● aptX; aptX Adaptive; AAC DISTRIBUTOR Audio-Technica Audio-Technica’s ATH-CKS50TW is one of the most affordable earbuds in the group, but it provides a really good combination of useful features and attractive sound quality. The earbuds are a little on the chunky side, but A-T says they’re designed to fit very securely in the ear while you’re moving around, and there are four sizes of ear-tips included. I manage to get a good fit, but some users may still prefer earbuds with a more compact design. However, A-T does at least take the opportunity to cram in plenty of features. The ATH-CKS50TW supports both…

DETAILS PRODUCT Technics EAH-AZ60 ORIGIN Japan/Malaysia TYPE Bluetooth earbuds WEIGHT 7g each (buds) 45g (case) FEATURES ● 8mm drivers ● Supports: SBC; AAC; LDAC ● IPX4 water resistant ● Active noise cancellation DISTRIBUTOR Technics UK I thas to be said that the Technics’ EAH-AZ60 doesn’t make a great first impression. The £200 price tag is tempting, but the charging case that holds the earbuds feels rather light and flimsy compared with most of its rivals. And, upon downloading the Technics Audio Connect app, you’re presented with pages of irritating terms and conditions and some rather confusing instructions. You’re told to ‘optimise’ the noise-cancelling features by finding a noisy location and then fiddling with a slider to try and block out as much sound as possible. That’s all very well if…

A product’s name is rarely the work of a moment. Choosing something memorable, relevant and that doesn’t mean something wildly unsuitable can take a while to agree on. It speaks to a certain degree of confidence on Audiolab’s part that its first foray into the all-in-one market wears the name Omnia; Latin for ‘everything.’ As a statement of faith in the specification, it’s fairly emphatic. A measure of Audiolab’s confidence being well founded is that the list of features the Omnia doesn’t have that can be found in its key competition is limited to HDMI ARC and AirPlay. From there, the list of things it can do is long and extremely impressive. What makes it relatively unusual is that it has a ‘three-pronged’ approach to accommodating digital. The most conventional…

A sthe true-wireless sector grows, a lot of attention has been lavished on the more expensive end of the market. Lypertek by contrast has focused on being affordable by producing a selection of seriously capable sub-£100 designs. The PurePlay Z5 sees it move upmarket, but only to a pretty reasonable £120. Each bud is fitted with a single 10mm dynamic driver that is placed in a reasonably compact body that uses a relatively small ‘barrel’ for the driver housing with a protuberance for the mic and charging contacts. Bluetooth transmission is handled by a Qualcomm QCC3046 chipset offering Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX, aptX Adaptive and AAC on top of the default SBC codec. The quoted battery life is up to seven hours with 28 hours available from the case. The…

With some 13 years in business, in Richer Sounds’ long history, this Manchester city centre venue is relatively new. It enjoys a prime location on Deansgate and manager Paul Butterworth explains its unique approach: “As a nationwide company, we stock a vast selection of brands that can be bought in-store and online. While we supply the full range of Richer Sounds products, we have also built up a carefully curated collection of premium audio products. “We work closely with these brands to ensure we receive only the best training, so we can offer the best technical advice.” Some of the brands the store now includes are: PS Audio, Scansonic, Analogue Audio, Unison Research, Leema Acoustics, Primare, Solidsteel, Mo-Fi, Dual, Thorens, Duevel and Matrix Audio, which is music to Paul’s ears…

MARKETED AS A no-compromise reference-grade speaker cable, the Python II is available as a standard pre-terminated stereo cable and also as a 4-conductor pre-terminated bi-wire. It uses aerospace-grade silver-plated, oxygen-free special copper alloy conductors for both the signal and return wires. Each wire has a PE primary insulation plus a PVC external insulation. It has an 11mm diameter round profile and the external sheath is a polyester braid jacket featuring a distinctive helical white-spotted stripe. My review sample is 3m and terminated with gold-plated Z/banana plugs. I connect the Python II between my valve monoblocks and transmission line speakers. Starting off with a direct-cut LP from Chasing The Dragon of Rimsky Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol performed by the National Symphony Orchestra, the finale is delivered with power and energy. The clarity…

PRICE: £1,700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: CAMBRIDGEAUDIO.COM BRITISH COMPANY CAMBRIDGE Audio has launched a new flagship turntable, the Alva TT V2 designed for spinning vinyl in a traditional hi-fi setup or wirelessly streaming to Bluetooth headphones, amps or speakers. The new vinyl spinner is an update of the Alva TT (HFC 453) and is a directdrive model with built-in switchable phono stage and aptX HD Bluetooth streaming. It retains the original Alva TT’s heavy aluminium top plate and polyoxymethylene (POM) platter, pre-installed Alva MC cartridge and the aptX HD Bluetooth that allows 24-bit/48kHz hi-res streaming. New features include an improved tonearm with detachable headshell (offering listeners an easy upgrade path), a switchable phono stage and the ability to toggle Bluetooth on/off as needed. The switchable phono stage – based on the…

PRICE: £1,900 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: LUMINMUSIC.COM SOUNDDESIGNDISTRIBUTION.CO.UK SOUND DESIGN DISTRIBUTION is bringing Lumin’s new U2 Mini digital transport to the UK. Building on its predecessor – the Lumin U1 Mini – the new design includes completely new processing hardware and software, which the company claims will: “deliver heightened resampling flexibility while retaining all the musicality for which Lumin is celebrated”. Features include faster processing for network playback up to DSD512 and 768kHz, 16–32-bit stereo and MQA Decoding, with sampling in both directions from 44.1kHz to 384kHz/DSD256. Key hardware features carried over from the U1 Mini include Lumin’s advanced quad clocking system and five digital outputs: USB (now capable of native DSD512 support), AES EBU, coaxial BNC, coaxial RCA and optical. Supported audio file formats include DSD Lossless, PCM Lossless: FLAC,…

PRICE: £2,650 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MOON-AUDIO.COM RENAISSANCEAUDIO.CO.UK CANADIAN COMPANY MOON is introducing its Voice 22 speakers to the UK via Renaissance Audio. Billed as: “a true partner” for Moon amplifiers which: “will also bring out the best from other audio manufacturers’ systems”, the Voice 22 features a 29mm soft dome tweeter with waveguide and 155mm mineral-filled polypropylene cone mid/bass driver. The speaker also features a unique ‘Hover Base’, which the company describes as making it appear to: “gracefully float above the surface on which it is positioned and ensures that it can be placed on virtually any furniture without leaving a mark, while adding stability to the loudspeaker and guaranteeing sound integrity”. And should your chosen listening environment require the speakers to be placed on stands, the Hover Base can…

N200 £6,700 AURENDER ► DETAILS PRODUCT Aurender N200 ORIGIN South Korea TYPE Network-enabled media storage device/streamer WEIGHT 9kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 330 x 96 x 355mm FEATURES ● 240GB SSD for caching playback ● Two slots for 2.5in HDD or SSDs ● Outputs: coaxial; USB-A 2.0 ● Inputs: Ethernet; 2x USB-A 3.0 DISTRIBUTOR Padood Ltd, UK WEBSITE aurender.com padood.com M usic storage: it can be a thorny subject, not least because those network products offering internal capacity for your library tend either to have fixed, non-expandable storage or offer the option of dealer-installed drives. The cost of such storage is usually high, too – okay, not ‘adding capacity at time of ordering your new Apple computer high’, where an extra Terabyte can cost you £400, but still at prices to have…

► DETAILS PRODUCT Apple AirPods Pro ORIGIN USA/Vietnam TYPE Bluetooth earbuds WEIGHT 5.4g each (buds) 45.6g (case) FEATURES ● Bluetooth with AAC ● Active noise cancellation ● IPX4 water resistant DISTRIBUTOR Apple UK At first glance, the £240 AirPods Pro looks very similar to the standard version of the AirPods (£170), with the distinctive little stalk that dangles out of the ear so oddly. However, the AirPods Pro updates that design in a number of ways, introducing active noise cancellation into the range for the first time, and opting for snugly fitting silicon ear-tips rather than the looser, one-size-fits-all approach of its predecessor. And, of course, the AirPods Pro is still packed with the high-tech features that put the first AirPods on the map. Simply open the little white charging…

DETAILS PRODUCT Denon AH-C830NCW ORIGIN Japan/China TYPE Bluetooth earbuds WEIGHT 5.4g each (buds) 43g (case) FEATURES ● Bluetooth AAC; SBC ● Active noisecancellation with Transparency Mode ● 11mm x 10mm drivers (oval) ● IPX4 water resistant DISTRIBUTOR Denon UK I fimitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Denon is paying the AirPods Pro a pretty big compliment. The AH-C830NCW closely resembles the Apple offering, with the ear-tips angled downwards and the little stalks dangling out of the ears. The difference is that the AH-C830NCW is available in both black and white and is a lot cheaper. There’s no app provided so you can’t adjust EQ or other settings, but that keeps things simple as you merely need to turn on Bluetooth to pair the earbuds with your device. The…

THERE’S AN OLD saying: “the good thing about standards is that there’s so many of them”. That’s very much the case with the Bluetooth earbuds in this group, with AACequipped ones catering to Apple owners, aptX for Android and newcomer LDAC for Sony users. A couple of years ago, aptX seemed to be the option of choice for Bluetooth in-ears, but in 2022 it’s Apple’s AAC that seems to have swept the board. Klipsch’s T5 II ANC is one of the more expensive AAC options, but its experiment with the alternative Dirac HD Sound isn’t entirely successful, and its modest battery life is rather disappointing for the £300 price. In contrast, Denon’s AH-C830NCW takes a more back-to-basics approach. It doesn’t even have an app for mobile devices, but it provides…

► DETAILS PRODUCT Rega Saturn MK3 ORIGIN UK TYPE CD player WEIGHT 9.7kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 432 x 82 x 320mm FEATURES ● Top-loading CD mechanism ● Inpts: 2x optical; 2x coaxial; USB ● Outputs: RCA; 2x optical; 2x coaxial DISTRIBUTOR Rega Research Ltd. TELEPHONE 01702 333071 WEBSITE rega.co.uk Over the last decade or so, two-channel audio has undergone one of the most revolutionary phases of evolution in its history. You can now construct tremendously capable stereo systems that look almost nothing like what would have been the case even a few years ago. As the margins between source and amp blur into nothing, some companies seem to have little interest in altering their approach – but even long-standing holdouts are making some changes. At first glance, what you see here…

These days, the musical compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) are rightly recognised as pivotal in the evolution of classical music, but his originality was not acknowledged in his lifetime. Bach disdained the rules that others played by and often flouted authority. He was also insolent to his students and all this behaviour resulted in him being branded as incorrigible by the councillors in Leipzig, who documented chains of offences that he committed during his employment. But it was his stubborn attitude that enabled him to make the radical changes in composition that we have now come to respect. Fellow composer Johann Adolphe Scheibe called his performances confused and bombastic and said that Bach’s music was marred by an unending mass of metaphors and figures. As it turned out, for…

ANALOGUE RCA CABLES are not really suitable for use as a digital interconnect as they don’t have the required 75ohm characteristic impedance. A cable with an incorrect impedance will generate reflections of the signal within itself. In addition, if the bandwidth of the cable is not wide enough for the digital signal, the digital pulses will have sloping edges, which can cause timing errors when the signal is decoded. These issues can result in jitter, which the digital processor in the DAC tries to correct, and all of this can degrade the audio signal. The Director MD2 SE employs Ecosse’s ultra-pure, grain-free monocrystal conductor for both the signal and return paths. The centre conductor is multi-stranded OCC copper insulated by a polyethylene primary dielectric together with a foamed polyethylene dielectric,…

1 SWEET EMO-TION Paramore’s Hayley Williams has started a 20-part podcast series called Everything Is Emo. The new weekly show is part of BBC Sounds’ Back To Back series, and the first episode – titled All Music Is Emotional – is available to listen to now and includes tracks by the Postal Service, My Chemical Romance, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Wet Leg. “Not long ago, people started calling me a ‘veteran’ of my scene and of the music industry,” Williams said. “It sounds so funny to me because most of the time I still feel like a fan…. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to publicly nerd out about bands and songs that make my favourite subgenre feel like home to me.” 2 HANDY ANDY Made back in 1990…