Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £5,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: WHARFEDALE.CO.UK WHARFEDALE HAS RE-ENGINEERED its Dovedale loudspeaker, part of its Heritage Series originally created in the Sixties and Seventies. Named after a valley in the Peak District, the first Dovedale launched in 1965 as an updated version of Wharfedale’s W2. It was originally a two-way design but was later adapted to a three-way with separate bass, midrange and treble drivers. Several versions followed, the most fondly remembered probably being the Dovedale 3, which arrived in 1971. This is the model that the re-engineered Dovedale takes inspiration from with its corresponding Unit 5 build-at-home kit. The new speaker’s cabinet is a touch taller, a little wider and considerably deeper than the standard production Dovedale 3, but similar in size to the largest home constructors’ version. The…

PRICE: £550-£1,100 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: AUDIOLAB.CO.UK THERE’S LOTS OF activity over at Audiolab with the launch of three new products – the 7000A integrated stereo amplifier, 7000CDT CD transport and T7000N Play network audio player. The 7000A is an upgrade of the 6000A (HFC 446) and features sharper edges to the rotary controls and changes to the vent perforations on the top. It is also a little heftier, at 8.4kg compared with the 6000A’s 7.8kg. But the most obvious aesthetic change is to the central display – which has been enlarged to 64x48mm, while the 6000A’s monochrome text has been replaced by a colourful GUI, much like the one found on the company’s flagship 9000A (albeit the IPS LCD screen is smaller). This shows volume level, input selection, format data…

THE 2020 BRISTOL Hi-Fi Show was one of the last to take place before the dreaded lockdown hit and for reasons of safety and caution, both the 2021 and 2022 events were cancelled. After two years out, though, it returned in late-February, still based in its traditional venue, the Delta Hotels By Marriott in the city centre. The good news is that it was greeted with a very encouraging turnout from both exhibitors and visitors alike; with significant queues to get in and plenty of people in the exhibition spaces. Despite technically being classed as a regional trade show, Bristol has long been a popular venue for product launches and there was a more than respectable number of new releases to see. Here are some of the more significant ones…

A FEW YEARS AGO, it looked as though the unstoppable march of low-cost wireless earbuds would sweep all before it, with an entire generation opting for convenience over sound quality. But, towards the end of the 2010s, more traditional over-ear audiophile headphones began to make a welcome comeback. The cool kids decided that over-ear cans – like the newly resurgent vinyl – had a touch of retro chic about them, and they even embraced good old-fashioned wired connections too. Then, of course, the pandemic of 2020 changed everything, with many people turning to more expensive, high-quality headphones to help them while away the seemingly endless months of lockdown. The trend towards working from home also created a need for headphones that combined strong sound quality with technological versatility. Many headphones…

Focal is best known for its high-end wired cans and you could be forgiven for mistaking the new Bathys for one of its more traditional open-back models. But, despite the large earpieces with perforated metal grilles, this is a closed-back offering and Focal’s first to adopt Bluetooth and active noise cancelling. The Bathys is very much designed with travel in mind and it’s certainly going to make a statement when you’re out and about. The earpieces and armatures are big and chunky, weighing in at 350g, and you can even make Focal’s ‘flame’ logo on the earpieces glow – almost like a gaming headset. That’s not the only statement the company is making, either. Headphone manufacturers sometimes seem reluctant to provide technical data about their products, but the French manufacturer…

THE FIRST 500 ISSUES It’s 1975 and the world is a very different place to the one we live in today. Greengrocer’s daughter Margaret Thatcher had just defeated Edward Heath to become the first female leader of the Conservative party, Charlie Chaplin was knighted by the Queen and Manchester United were promoted from the old second division to football’s top tier. John Cleese was preparing a new sitcom for TV and Queen were about to release the lead single from their fourth album. As it happened, Fawlty Towers and Bohemian Rhapsody went on to be something of a success – you might have heard of them... Meanwhile, late in the summer a hi-fi enthusiast named Richard Howell was pulling together an A5 compendium of 52 £100-and-above varieties of tape recorder.…

With a template including a large box, broad baffle and big juicy bass driver, today’s retro or ‘heritage’ loudspeaker releases have become something of a market cliché. That authentic old-timer sound might be mildly conjured by the cabinet and driver dimensions, but the driver and crossover tech will inevitably be daisy fresh and, whisper it, rather better than any original effort. Then again, I suppose the reliability of the stereotype very much depends on the heritage that’s being relived. Delve into French brand Elipson’s distant back catalogue and it reveals a penchant for quirky spherical designs – for sound acoustical reasons, of course. But none was more ‘out there’ than 1953’s BS50, which looked more like a stylised barbecue than a speaker. The original BS50 (stands for Boule en Staff…

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about song lyrics and censorship prompted by Welsh rugby’s decision to axe Tom Jones’s Delilah from matches in this year’s Six Nations, which reaches its climax just as this issue of HFC hits the streets. The song, of course, is about the murder of a woman and over the years has become the unofficial anthem of Welsh rugby fans, played before kick-off with the words shown on giant screens to aid the singalong. For at least 20 years there has been a campaign to have it banned on the grounds that it: “glorifies violence against women”. It began with the former chairwoman of Plaid Cymru and her objections were then taken up in the House of Commons and elsewhere, but the Welsh rugby authorities…

★★★★☆ 24/96 download Deutsche Grammophon THIS RELEASE COMPLETES Deutsche Grammophon’s cycle of Nielsen symphonies from Luisi and the DNSO. As with previous issues, the performances are brisk and taut, with a high level of commitment and some excellent disciplined orchestral playing. Predictably, Luisi’s brusque no-nonsense approach works splendidly in the feisty 2nd symphony, but the enigmatic 6th also benefits from being played in a terse purposeful manner and emerges sounding more focused and cohesive than is often the case. The recordings are very open and detailed, with crisp tactile percussion and some nice woody double basses in the 6th. JH…

FEATURING SEVERAL OF Ecosse’s technologies – such as its balanced internal design, which allows XLR connectors to be fitted if required – The Symphony comes terminated with RCA phono connectors as standard. These employ what the company calls pseudo-balanced mode where the screen is only connected at one end to drain unwanted RFI noise. The conductors are silver-plated copper and use ultra high-purity oxygen-free copper and silver in their construction. The conductors are spirally wound around a polyethylene tube with a primary dielectric of gas-foamed low-density polyethylene. Each conductor assembly has a continuous foil shield and drain wire. The cable incorporates Ecosse’s Isohelix technology, providing mechanical isolation and vibration dissipation to reduce microphony and to correctly position the signal and return conductors within it. A further continuous foil shield and…

CREEK AUDIO 4040 A INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER Creek is celebrating its 40th anniversary with the release of the brand new 4040 A. Our reviewer reckons: “Considering its very modest price and pint pot size, the new Creek 4040 A achieves an awful lot. It’s fascinating that, despite its quite different technological DNA to the original, it retains the very attractive and desirable Creek ‘house sound’.” Read more about it in the next issue... ALSO: REVIEWSELAC Miracord 80 Turntable, Astell&Kern ACRO CA1000T desktop system, Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 standmount speaker, AVM All-In-One streaming receiver, Apple HomePod mini smart speaker and a Group Test of mid-priced standmount loudspeakers FEATURES Music Legends, Music Reviews, Reasons To Be Cheerful, our comprehensive Buyer’s Guide and sharp-as-nails Opinions pieces, the Flashback interview, Beginner’s Guide, all the…

Posh upgrade for Italian classic PRICE: £13,000-£30,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: SONUSFABER.COM FINESOUNDS.UK ITALIAN LOUDSPEAKER MAESTRO Sonus faber has unveiled four new additions to its Homage collection, three decades after the range debuted in 1993 with the Guarneri. The newbies follow their predecessors in paying tribute to the musical instruments that inspired the collection’s creation – honouring the lute-making tradition, which has its roots in Cremona, Italy. The four new introductions include the Guarneri G5 (5th generation) two-way standmount, Serafino G2 3.5-way (2nd gen) and Amati G5 3.5-way (5th gen) floorstanders, plus the Vox G3 (3rd gen) centre channel for home cinema setups. The four models are available in red, wenge and graphite finishes. The company explains that the new range has improved cabinets, which now feature: “class-leading technology”, helped by…

PRICE: £650-£5,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: KEF.COM KEF HAS LAUNCHED a new generation of R Series loudspeakers, complete with its Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT). The series covers seven-models, which the company says: can be enjoyed in stereo for music or in a home cinema setup, explaining it as: “a highly complex maze-like structure where each of the intricate channels efficiently absorbs a specific frequency. When combined, they act as an acoustic black hole, absorbing 99 percent of the unwanted sound from the rear of the tweeter, eliminating the resulting distortion and providing a purer, more natural acoustic performance.” A bespoke 12th-generation Uni-Q driver array with MAT is found in all seven models, and boasts a refined tweeter gap damper to tame resonances for improved detail, a flexible Decoupling Chassis developed with…

PRICE: £300 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: NADELECTRONICS.COM CANADIAN HI-FI COMPANY NAD has launched its CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer designed to play hi-res audio up to 24-bit/192kHz. It features Bluetooth, Ethernet, dual-band wi-fi and supports Apple AirPlay 2, GoogleCast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon. Certification for network sharing via DNLA/UPnP protocols is expected to be complete this month, which means listeners won’t have to install a dedicated app to use the CS1; they can control playback with the music apps they already use. The CS1 features an advanced differential digital section based on Texas Instruments’ PCM5141 DAC. It also has full MQA rendering and decoding capability for playing master quality music from Tidal. It has a pair of RCA analogue outputs for connection to a stereo receiver, integrated amp, preamplifier or…

RSD HAS COME in for some criticism lately for featuring pressings of best-sellers on various coloured vinyl, jamming up the pressing plants and inhibiting the growth of the indie industry it was created to promote. With that in mind, we’ve concentrated on real enhancements to your collection and selected releases we consider really worthwhile. The date of the drop is Saturday 22 April, there are some 260 independent record shops taking part and tons more releases to mull over. The full info’s at: recordstoreday.co.uk where you can find your nearest participating retailer and the full list of releases. A Flock Of Seagulls Rare Birds B-Sides, Edits And Alternate Mixes Most famous these days for their mention in Pulp Fiction, AFOS’ RSD release is pressed on transparent vinyl with the original…

Apple’s eye-catching design for the original AirPods kick started an entirely new category of headphone when it was first introduced back in 2016, and the success of the AirPods range quickly forced even high-end audio manufacturers to follow suit and jump onto the earbuds bandwagon. The AirPods Max, however, attempts to fish in deeper waters – and this time it’s Apple that has to compete with established headphone manufacturers by providing a high-end, over-ear headphone priced at a not insignificant £550. As you’d expect, the AirPods Max is certainly stylish, including the somewhat bizarre carrying case that looks more like a sports-bra than something that will provide any sort of protection. Thankfully, though, the headphone is solidly built, and should be able to withstand a little rough treatment when you’re…

DETAILS PRODUCT Mark Levinson N o5909 ORIGIN US/China TYPE Over-ear wired/ wireless headphone WEIGHT 340g FEATURES ● Drivers: 40mm dynamic, beryllium ● Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1, AAC; aptX Adaptive; LDAC ● Accessories: carrying case; 4m USB-C-to-3.5mm cable; 1.25m USB-Cto-3.5mm cable; 1.25m charging cable; USB-C-to-USB-A adaptor; 3.5mm-to-6.3mm adaptor; airline adaptor; cloth DISTRIBUTOR Harman Luxury Audio Group Mark Levinson has always operated at the higher end of the audio market, but 2022 saw it offer up a mainstream Bluetooth headphone for the first time. Needless to say, the N o5909 still occupies a fairly rarified position in the market, with its price tag making it clearly the most expensive option in this group. It certainly earns its keep, though. The headphone is a little bulky, but its sturdy design and the radial grille…

THE COMBINATION OF Apple’s refusal to adopt aptX in any form and the need to buy an additional adaptor for the AirPods Max to provide wired listening remains disappointing at the price, and is the main reason for it taking last place. Its greatest strength is the effectiveness of its noise cancelling and ‘crown’ control, but that is set against its modest battery life. Yamaha’s YH-L700A shows what the AirPods Max could have been, with a lower price, more versatile connectivity and battery. Sound quality is clear and precise, although the focus on 3D effects won’t appeal to audiophiles, who might prefer that it sticks to the basics and provides a more naturally open and spacious soundstage instead. Yamaha’s noise-cancellation features also leave room for improvement – a theme it…

Generally speaking, the aim of wireless headphones is to keep the distracting noise of the outside world shut out – key to which is having a closed-back design. So Grado’s decision to go its own way and take the open-back route is an interesting one. Of course, one of the upsides of letting some of the noise of the outside world in is that there’s no value in fitting noise-cancelling software – all of which means it comes in at a more reasonable price. What you do get is a pair of 44mm, 4th-generation dynamic drivers that focus on reducing mass while increasing stiffness. This is combined with Bluetooth 5.2 with aptx HD and AAC codecs available. Immediately worthy of note is that the claimed battery life is 46 hours.…

Record cleaning machines have been a niche but steady part of the market for many years and can be very useful for salvaging vinyl that might otherwise be unplayable. Nessie is a German company and three models are now being brought into the UK of which the ProPlus+ is the flagship offering. Where the ProPlus+ differs from its siblings is that as well as having a vacuum arm that removes cleaning fluid from the record surface – along with any debris – there is also a fluid application arm. This allows you to electrically pump cleaning liquid through the brush heads and onto the vinyl. Once you have done so, the Nessie will rotate clockwise and counter-clockwise on a pre-set program to clean out dirt and debris. When this has…

Arguably one of the main joys of owning and using a turntable over, say, a streamer or CD player, is the fettling and fine-tuning that starts from the minute you remove it from its box. Whether setting up for the first time or making subtle adjustments, the journey you take with your vinyl spinner is a constantly evolving one that rewards the effort you’re willing to put in with an increasingly improving performance. As with all things hi-fi, the process might appear initially daunting, but with some care and plenty of patience you’ll quickly discover that this is not as difficult as you might imagine and there is a wide selection of inexpensive accessories available to help. Your very first consideration after removing your sparkling new turntable from its packaging…

What does it say in the top left hand corner of this page? Let me check. Yup, just as I thought: Opinion. Just to clarify matters, according to the online dictionary, an opinion is: “a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge”. The reason I mention this is because every once in a while someone writes in or emails to complain about one of our Opinion pieces. And usually the article singled out for derision is something authored by yours truly. The list of offences includes pieces that suggest Brexit is having a disastrous effect on British musicians’ ability to tour and thus sustain a living doing what they love best, the re-evaluation of national anthems and songs sung at public events in the…

Recommends ESSENTIAL 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 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…

PRICE: £3,100-£19,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: REED.LT ABSOLUTESOUNDS.COM ABSOLUTE SOUNDS IS bringing vinyl replay specialist Reed’s products to the UK including a selection of five tonearms and two turntables. The tonearms are distinguished by their design which make use of slender arm tubes (or ‘armwands’, as it calls them), reminiscent of an artist’s brush or a calligrapher’s pen. Three of the arms – the 1H, 2G and 3P – are radial designs, available in 9.5in, 10.5in and 12.5in lengths. The flagship 5A and 5T are tangential-pivot, as opposed to the radial type, with the 5T including a laser to track its lateral motion and a battery-powered motor to apply real-time correction. Pick and mix The tonearms come with an array of options, both technical and aesthetic. Four models – the 2G,…

PRICE: £350-£500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: PROJECT-AUDIO.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK PLENTY OF SPRING cleaning going on over at Pro-Ject with the release of two new Record Cleaning Machines. Upgrades to the VC-E and VC-S2 Alu models, the company explains the VC-E2 and VC-S3 boast an improved cabinet design utilising 5mm aluminium composite panels, new magnetic clamps for quicker setup, updated motors for fast and effective cleaning and new self-adhesive arm strips for better interaction between the record and the vacuum arm. They additionally come with eco-friendly, pre-mixed and alcohol-free Wash it 2 cleaning fluid supplied. It’s suitable for use with both vinyl and shellac discs, and evaporates quickly with zero residue. Both have a sturdy aluminium surface to withstand excessive fluid spill without compromising the chassis. Inside are a powerful vacuum and two-way…

HIGH-END HEADPHONES GROUP TEST MOST OF THESE headphones have multiple listening modes – with only Apple’s AirPods Max not providing a wired option out of the box. As different listening modes offer different levels of sound quality, in order to hear these headphones at their best we test each with its primary or preferred connection mode. This includes options such as the USB mode that employs the built-in DAC of Master & Dynamic’s MW75 or the hi-res audio support provided by Yamaha’s analogue 3.5mm connector. And, for headphones that support analogue connections, we also employ a THX Onyx DAC to ensure that we get the best possible audio output from all of our computers, smartphones and tablets. Some audiophiles may feel that technologies such as active noise cancellation can detract…

Bowers & Wilkins’ PX range has been highly popular since its 2017 launch, but has always sat comfortably in the midrange market, with models such as the recent Px7 S2 coming in well under £400. In contrast, the new Px8 heads upmarket, adding a new ‘flagship’ model to the range. Despite the price increase, the Px8 is, perhaps, more of a refinement than a redesign. It has the same roundedrectangular earpieces as previous PX models, but the curved armatures are now made of sturdy cast aluminium, while the padded earpieces are wrapped in soft Nappa leather (available in black or tan). The 40mm drivers are the same size as those of the Px7, but B&W claims that they have been redesigned in order to further reduce distortion and provide support…

DETAILS PRODUCT Master & Dynamic MW75 ORIGIN China TYPE Over-ear wired/ wireless headphone WEIGHT 338g FEATURES ● Drivers: 40mm, dynamic, beryllium ● Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1, AAC; aptX Adaptive; SBC USB-C; 3.5mm ● Accessories: carrying case; USB-C cable; USB-A adaptor; USB-C-to- 3.5mm cable; 6.3mm adaptor; airline adaptor DISTRIBUTOR Master & Dynamic We very much liked the MW65 that was launched by Master & Dynamic back in HFC 457. It’s still available if you’re looking for a high-quality bargain, but it’s recently been joined by M&D’s new top-of-therange MW75. Available in a variety of colours, the M&D actually looks more like B&W’s PX range of headphones than any of its predecessors, with rounded rectangular earpieces and a similar, eye-catching curved armature connecting them to the adjustable headband. My only complaint about the…

You’re on somewhat shaky ground when reviewing a big-ticket music server, especially one with no onboard digital-to-analogue conversion. What, then, to make of the £22,900 Aurender W20SE, the latest version of the Korean company’s “Flagship Caching Music Server and Streamer”, as Aurender chooses to describe it, even though it sits below the two-box N30SA, which sells for £1,100 more? Available in a choice of silver or black finishes, and heftily built at an all-up 21.2kg, the W20SE is a full-size 430mm-wide hi-fi component, initially appearing striking for what it isn’t. For example, it is digital output-only, and while its large front-panel display looks like it ought to show cover art and more, it is in fact completely text-based – leaving all the fancy graphical stuff to its partnering Conductor control…

Now that we have seen two examples of Rega’s recent integrated amplifiers in the form of the newly developed Aethos and revised Elicit MK5 (HFC 457 and 490), it isn’t too surprising to find models further down the range undergoing an update. While the nature of the changes and improvements that the company has sought to make is starting to become more predictable, in the case of the Elex MK4 there’s an intriguing plot twist... At first glance the new model has received the logical and welcome updates we saw on its bigger sibling. The most significant of these is the inclusion of a pair of digital inputs; one optical and one coaxial, and both capable of supporting PCM to 24-bit/192kHz, thanks to a Wolfson DAC. This board is lifted…

Vinyl’s resurgence has changed the way that we interface with music in ways that are clearly proving meaningful to fans of all ages. For younger buyers it’s the excitement of watching for the first time a needle flow through a record. For the older generation, the appeal seems to be rediscovering the joy of reading through liner notes, as well as the authenticity and ‘warmth’ that vinyl records deliver. A report compiled in 2022 by MusicWatch surveyed nearly 1,400 consumers across the USA from all walks of life. The report, entitled Revelations About the Vinyl Revolution, notes that in 2021, vinyl record sales topped $1-billion in the USA alone. The last time this happened was in 1988. An estimated 18-million consumers aged 13 and over purchased vinyl during 2021, representing…

DETAILS PRICE £125 WEBSITE rxreels.com OUR VERDICT ★★★★★ RX REELS HAS always been a manufacturer of very high-quality professional 10.5in NAB spools and has now started to make a 7in version with the standard trident centre aimed at the domestic market. The spool flanges are made from upcycled aviation-grade carbon fibre combining high strength and durability with light weight. Also, the reels will neither warp nor bend, unlike conventional aluminium or plastic options. Normally, the cost of aviation-grade carbon fibre is very expensive, but the company’s location in the US’ Pacific Northwest gives it access to offcuts that have been discarded by local military and aviation manufacturing industries. To complement the carbon fibre flanges there are hubs precision-made from solid aluminium. Each flange is individually joined to the hub with…

For sale / Wanted These pages are a must-read if you’re thinking about buying used kit, or if you have hi-fi you want to sell. It’s free – simply submit your ad with no more than 50 words (we reserve the right to edit it if not), remembering to include your email, phone number and county. Simply email your ad to: letters@hifichoice.co.uk. This service is open to private advertisers only. Just one ad per household and please note that images are for illustration only and do not represent what is for sale. FOR SALE AVI Neutron MKIV speakers in black ash, superb condition, big sound for its diminutive size. Original price £550, sell for £300 ono. Call Andy on: 01484 427426 or email: andrewstringer476@ yahoo.com HARBETH 30.2 and other thin-walled…