Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2023 i Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £2,650-£2,900 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: BANG-OLUFSEN.COM BANG & OLUFSEN has launched its new generation Beosound A9 and Beosound 2 speakers. They’re on the Mozart software platform – a futureproofed module, frontloaded with the processing power to receive software updates. The company says that: “If the connectivity and streaming technology ever becomes obsolete, the module can be replaced with the latest version – providing great sound experiences for decades to come”. The Beosound A9 was originally launched in 2012 with its famous circular-shaped design. This is the 5th-generation iteration and comes with a new set of standard finishes – Black Anthracite, Gold Tone and Natural Aluminium – plus oak legs and aluminium hardware finishes. Featuring built-in Class D amplification (1x 400W for bass, 2x 200W midrange, 2x 200W for full-range and…

PRICE: £170 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: LETSHUOER.NET CHINESE EARPHONE SPECIALIST Letshuoer has unveiled its S12 Pro in-ear model featuring a custom 14.8mm planar magnetic driver. With a claimed sensitivity of 102dB, it has been built using a five-axis machining process. The smooth aluminium chassis has been designed with a comfortable fit in mind and features multiple vents on both sides to help alleviate any negative pressure build up in the ear canal that can sometimes be experienced when wearing IEMs for extended periods. In addition, the company explains that: “the minimalist profile of the S12 Pro chassis – together with an independent rear acoustic chamber – minimises unwanted reverberation to produce a natural, open soundstage.” In a bid to further ensure unwanted distortion is avoided, the S12 Pro’s dual-pin cable connectors…

Hi-Fi Choice employs the most methodical test and measurement regime in the business. Here’s how we do it... STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKERS GROUP TEST EVERY HFC SPEAKER Group Test begins with levelling the playing field. This means we have to ensure that each product is properly run-in. All speakers are therefore given 24 hours on an IsoTek Test and Burn-In CD and played in the background for a few days in our reference setup. Before the comparative listening starts, each speaker is carefully positioned in the listening room. This varies depending on the model; the infinite baffle ATC SCM19 is happy pushed back against the rear boundary wall, whereas the reflex ported Mission 770 works best over 30cm out. Some rear-ported speakers, such as the Revival Audio Atalante 3, come with foam…

DETAILS PRODUCT Falcon Acoustics M10 ORIGIN UK TYPE 2-way bass reflex standmount loudspeaker WEIGHT 7.5kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 185 x 316 x 260mm FEATURES ● 25mm soft dome tweeter ● 127mm mid/bass driver ● Quoted sensitivity: 86dB/1W/1m (8ohm) DISTRIBUTOR Falcon Acoustics What goes around, comes around. That’s the experience of Falcon Acoustics, a thriving UK loudspeaker driver manufacturer notable for its excellent re-engineered KEF units from the Seventies, such as the B110 and B139. Its success comes from the quality and attention to detail of its work, and so it was only a matter of time before it started doing its own designs. The M10 isn’t significantly different in both size and styling to Falcon’s own licensed BBC LS3/5a monitors, and shares the same legendary B110 mid/bass driver. But that’s where…

B&W’s 700 Series has long had the job of taking ideas from the 800 range and bringing them to a vaguely terrestrial price point. For this third iteration, the principle is the same. With the 705 S3, this includes changes to the tweeter in the shape of tweeter-on-top. The new housing is longer, more solidly damped and better isolated than before. It comes in the shape of the 25mm carbon dome unit used previously. This hands over to a 165mm ‘Continuum’ mid/bass driver, which is also materially similar to before. What has changed is the way it is mounted in the cabinet, employing a new module to contain it and prevent unwanted interference. The cabinet sees more substantial revisions. Bracing has been upgraded so it is substantially stiffer and more…

Just because you like the taste of chicken and think that custard is delicious doesn’t mean that they will go together well in a sandwich. And the world of hi-fi is no different. When it comes to system building, it’s not quite as simple as picking any old integrated and hooking it up to the biggest, loudest speakers you can find. In short, you’ll never get the best out of your amp if you’re forcing it to huff and puff driving unsuitable speakers, and neither will you hear your speakers sing with an amplifier that was chosen without due thought and consideration as to whether or not it can drive them properly. To get the synergy right between the two you need to consider the physics. Speakers are transducers that…

It’s not easy being an audiophile. Often dismissed as pretentious and having more money than sense, we’re a downtrodden minority in a tech industry that values 4K video and 3D eye-candy over audio quality. We’re even lower on the foodchain than wine enthusiasts. Sometimes, though, kinship can come from unexpected quarters, and the ever-growing gaming industry has quietly begun to introduce hi-fi sound and equipment to millions of people who wouldn’t normally identify as audiophile. That trend had already begun before the Coronavirus pandemic, and the sheer size of the gaming industry – matching film and music combined – has tempted many traditional headphone manufacturers to get a piece of the action. Companies such as Beyerdynamic, Audio-Technica, Yamaha and Master & Dynamic have all released gaming headsets in recent years.…

INTENDED AS AN upgrade over the ‘kettle lead’ usually bundled with a system, the Clearway Power features a double foil shield – located under the outer jacket – designed to reduce the pick-up of high-frequency noise that is common within the home. The screening also reduces the possibility of any interaction with other nearby cables. The Clearway Power contains three high-purity multi-strand copper conductors insulated with PVC, which has a high mechanical damping factor. The conductors are screened with a dual-foil screen and the cable is finished off with a high-density vibration damping outer jacket. Apart from UK 13A mains plug and 10A IEC high-specification connectors, it can also be supplied with a Schuko mains plug, 16A IEC or figure-of-eight connector. American and Australian mains plugs are also available. The…

1 BE SPHERE NOW Coldplay have arranged a special worldwide cinema presentation of their Music Of The Spheres world tour concert, which was filmed during their sold-out, 10-night run at Buenos Aires’ River Plate stadium at the end of last year Coldplay – Music Of The Spheres: Live At River Plate is the director’s cut of October’s worldwide live broadcast of the show, featuring remixed and remastered sound and visuals plus a ton of footage not shown during the live broadcast. The cinema presentation will also include a behind-the-scenes short film and new interviews with the band. You’ll need to get your skates on as it’s being shown on 19 & 23 April. Tickets are available from: coldplaycinema.live 2 POP IDOL Iggy Pop has created a new mini-documentary featuring an…

THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS… PRICE: £1,500-£1,850 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: KLIPSCH.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK AMERICAN COMPANY KLIPSCH has announced the UK release of The Nines and The Sevens – two new powered speakers which join The Fives in its Heritage Wireless series. Featuring real-wood veneers and built-in amplifiers, the company says the speakers are: “extremely versatile, easy to set up and use, and connect to virtually everything – including TVs via HDMI ARC”. They include an integrated phono preamp, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, digital optical, analogue RCA and USB inputs plus a subwoofer out. The bi-amping design has been incorporated in a bid to improve clarity and output, and the powered monitors feature compatibility with PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz. Klipsch The Nines and The Sevens feature 25mm titanium tweeters on the company’s Tractrix…

PRICE: £700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: FIIO.COM FIIO HAS JUST launched its flagship K9 Pro ESS balanced hi-res desktop headphone amplifier/DAC. It features dual ES9038 Pro digital-to-analogue converters, dual THX AAA 788+ amp technology, multiple inputs/ outputs and Bluetooth 5.0 with support for a range of codecs including aptX HD and LDAC. It comes with MQA support; native playback of audio files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 and boasts the ability to effortlessly drive headphones featuring an impedance of 16-600ohm. Expanding upon the connections offered by its earlier K7, the K9 Pro ESS features a wide selection of audio input options, including: RCA, coaxial, optical, USB-B, USB-C and balanced 4.4mm. From an audio output perspective – alongside the 6.35mm singleended, 4.4mm balanced and 4-pin balanced XLR headphone connections – it…

PRICE: £3,850-£4,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: CASTLE.UK.COM BRITISH SPEAKER MANUFACTURER Castle has introduced two new models – the Windsor Earl and Windsor Duke, which join the company’s Richmond, Avon and Knights cabinets, released in 2010. Both models feature mid/bass cones made from a polypropylene-based material of which Castle says: “Instead of being produced by simply forming a foil under a vacuum, the polypropylene is precision-cut into thin strips, woven back into a sort of fabric, and bonded together again to form a solid foil. This foil is pressed into the final shape and cut to size... This helps to minimise resonances, which produces a flatter response curve.” The cones – 165mm in the Windsor Earl and 200m in the Windsor Duke – feature surrounds fashioned from low-hysteresis rubber, which Castle claims…

STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKERS £2,400-£3,500 YOUR FIRST PROPER separates system is always going to delight. But what about your next upgrade, when it’s time to move from a good budget system into what’s called ‘mid-fi’? Suddenly there’s a big, wide world out there of upgrades to be made, with higher stakes as you’re spending more money. The six standmount speakers on test this month are the sort of products that many buyers will likely shortlist. You’ll be moving from your entry-level bookshelf speakers to something that delivers substantially more insight into both the recording and the overall emotion of the music. Yet as the quality improves, so does the variety on offer. You begin to see quite different solutions to the question of reproducing music – sometimes using fundamentally different approaches in…

DETAILS PRODUCT Mission 770 ORIGIN UK TYPE 2-way bass reflex standmount loudspeaker WEIGHT 19.2kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 300 x 590 x 322mm FEATURES ● 28mm soft dome tweeter ● 200mm mid/bass driver ● Quoted sensitivity: 88dB/1W/1m (8ohm) DISTRIBUTOR International Audio Group Back in 1976, British speakers were more conservative than now. Most were variations on the BBC theme: voiced to offer a pleasant, impartial and genteel sound perfect for light music and classical. Then Mission arrived on the scene with the original 770, which was a far faster and more engaging listen – with styling to match. This new 770 keeps many elements of the original design such as the polypropylene mid/bass driver. This version retains polyprop for the cone material, but gets mineral loading for added stiffness. The original’s 200m…

DETAILS PRODUCT Revival Audio Atalante 3 ORIGIN France TYPE 2-way bass reflex standmount loudspeaker WEIGHT 11kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 240 x 390 x 270mm FEATURES ● 28mm soft dome tweeter ● 180mm mid/bass driver ● Quoted sensitivity: 87dB/1W/1m (4ohm) DISTRIBUTOR Revival Audio Based in Alsace, France, Revival Audio was co-founded by Daniel Emonts, previously senior acoustic engineer of Dynaudio, and before that Focal-JMLab and Altec Lansing. Co-founder Jacky Lee was hitherto Dynaudio’s Chief Commercial Officer, having previously worked for Dynaudio China and IBM in his native Taiwan. Bon chance, boys! The Atalante 3 is a smallish (for this group) two-way reflex ported design that’s conventional in engineering terms. The 28mm soft dome tweeter is the company’s own design, with patented Anti Reflection Inner Dome technology. Below this is a 180mm mid/bass…

Though ELAC is most fondly associated with its JET tweeter system, it also offers a significant range of electronics and this is not something it has only turned to recently. The Miracord 80 Turntable may be new, but the ‘Miracord’ moniker dates as far back as the late-Forties when it adorned ELAC’s first turntable. While it might not be synonymous with vinyl, this is not a case of a company just ‘having a go’ at turntables. The 80 is a belt-driven, unsuspended turntable and ELAC has focused on both the mass and its application. While it has a fairly hefty plinth, a significant 5.6kg of the overall weight is in the platter. Combined with a bearing that ELAC describes as its own work, the platter flywheels impressively well at this…

You know, the best ideas don’t die, they simply move with the times. Take the typically unlovely MDF and plastic music centre that graced many a teak dresser in the mid-to-late Seventies. Absurdly bulky, badly compromised and rubbish by the hi-fi standards of the day, the briefly fashionable turntable, cassette deck, tuner and amp all-in-one with add-on speakers (of highly dubious quality) was nevertheless an ace idea waiting for its time to come. Not only has it come, it appears to be on course to conquer, the twin trends of convergence and convenience achieving maximum traction in this digital age. Whether we choose to embrace it or not, it’s given us a viable reason not to access our musical jollies via a coalition of individual components laced together with hard-to-hide…

Since opening the shop, my collection has… grown somewhat,” laughs Good Vibes’ co-owner Mike. “I wouldn’t characterise myself as a crazed collector. However, I am the type of person that must visit a record shop if we visit a city, and I’ll always pick up a few records.” Go on, admit it: you’re that type too and this vinyl emporium should be a must-visit when exploring Edinburgh and vibrant Leith. To quote the website: “welcome to your neighbourhood records, books and objects store…” Good Vibes officially opened in December 2020 – “Yes, right slap bang in the middle of Covid and extremely disruptive tramworks on our street,” says Mike, “but we have been trading properly for two years now.” The store’s name not only radiates positivity but also does what…

My love of classical music can be traced back to my childhood and my music teacher at junior school, a Mr Covey-Crump, who often played us a record or two during his lessons on his Dansette portable record player. One time he played us Benjamin Britten’s 1945 Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra. It is most probably this early exposure to classical music that kick started my love of baroque music. Whether I would have grown fond of it had it not been for Mr Covey-Crump, I will never know. He was always friendly and my music lessons with him were a highlight in my week. This leads me to conclude that the personality of a radio presenter is an important part of the audience’s overall experience, and it is…

There’s been a lot of fuss recently about the extortionate fees closed-shop companies like Ticketmaster surreptitiously foist upon folks buying tickets to see their favourite bands. While an investigation is going on in America at glacial speed into the legality of TM’s purchase of promoters Live Nation, effectively creating a monopoly on the ticket market, some artists have decided to take a stand. The Cure’s Robert Smith recently informed his fanbase that tickets to the band’s US tour would be reasonably priced only to declare himself “sickened” by astronomical handling charges etc. that TM applied to every purchase. He kicked up a stink and the company kind of backed down, offering a $10 “good will” refund to all buyers. What was interesting in all this was that Smith revealed that…

PRICE: £3,750-£30,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: FYNEAUDIO.COM FYNE AUDIO HAS introduced two new models in its retro-styled Vintage series: the Vintage Fifteen and Vintage Five. The flagship Fifteen hosts what Fyne claims is: “the most ambitious and dynamic IsoFlare driver to date”. This point source transducer system employs a 380mm multi-fibre cone mid/bass driver with Fyne’s premium 75mm titanium dome, neodymium motor compression tweeter. Fed from Fyne’s highest spec and Deep Cryogenically Treated crossover, the company says the Vintage Fifteen: “delivers music with the precision and scale of a full orchestra”. The cabinet is hand built from birch plywood and finished in the finest oiled walnut veneers with solid burred walnut inlays and gold anodised metalwork. The twin-cavity enclosure is mathematically contoured in a bid to reduce standing waves and ported…

PRICE: £17,000-£18,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: WESTERNELECTRIC.COM ABSOLUTESOUNDS.COM READERS WITH DEEP pockets and good ears have cause to celebrate as Western Electric, America’s oldest audio company, arrives in the UK via Absolute Sounds. One of the first products available is the 91E valve amplifier, made in Rossville, Georgia. The company says: “The 91E evokes the golden age of American manufacturing with its unique design and exemplary build quality. The amp is visually arresting, with its colour display and pair of matched 300B valves housed in glass cylinders. Available in a choice of champagne gold, nickel and black, its finish is immaculate, and its controls impeccably engineered.” The 91E features Western Electric’s patented, fully linear SCCS (Steered Constant Current Source) circuitry, which is controlled exclusively by the valve’s output voltage and, the…

PRICE: £12,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MELCO-AUDIO.COM JAPANESE MUSIC STORAGE specialist Melco has launched the N1-S38, its latest flagship SSD-based digital music library. The design is based around a new platform, with updated chassis, casework and power supply, which Melco describes as offering a: “previously unreached performance level”. A full-width design, the N1-S38 benefits from improved electronics, mainboard, mains transformer, supply and local regulators. An audio-specific custom 3.84TB SSD drive, which benefits from Melco’s proprietary layered, rigid SSD mounter, is directly connected to the data path without any intervening RAID controller; on-board memory is increased, too. Key to the updated look is Melco’s all-new casework, which benefits from highly stable chassis construction centred around a robust 3mm stainless steel base plate to minimise unwanted vibration. Externally, it is complemented by precision-machined…

DETAILS PRODUCT ATC SCM19 ORIGIN UK TYPE 2-way infinite baffle standmount loudspeaker WEIGHT 17.8kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 265 x 438 x 300mm FEATURES ● 25mm soft dome tweeter ● 150mm mid/bass driver ● Quoted sensitivity: 85dB/1W/1m (8ohm) DISTRIBUTOR ATC ATC is a purveyor of professional monitor systems to recording studios and live venues, and a prolific drive unit manufacturer of nearly 50 years standing. For much of this period, it has also offered a range of domestic hi-fi speakers and these have garnered a cult following. The SCM19 you see here is the company’s take on a mid-price, mid-size domestic standmount and is characteristically quirky. The first thing that strikes any keen observer is that it’s the only speaker here with a sealed cabinet – in other words, it’s a closed-box…

DETAILS PRODUCT Neat Majistra ORIGIN UK TYPE 2-way isobaric bass reflex standmount loudspeaker WEIGHT 11kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 220 x 380 x 290mm FEATURES ● 60mm true ribbon tweeter ● 2x 170mm mid/bass drivers ● Quoted sensitivity: 88dB/1W/1m (4ohm) DISTRIBUTOR Neat Acoustics Two years ago, this speaker’s baby brother – the Ministra (HFC 465) – did extremely well in our standmount Group Test. Now it’s time for the next model up the range to be put through its paces. In the words of designer Bob Surgeoner: “there is essentially no design difference between the two except size”. The Majistra boasts eight more litres of cabinet volume and three extra kilos of weigh over its smaller sibling in an effort to improve efficiency and bass extension. When all is said and done,…

THIS IS A QUIRKY group with a variety of options that don’t aim at the mainstream – some are deliberately retro, others almost accidentally so. Only one – the Paradigm – is a typically modern design. And despite the variety on show, there’s not a bad one here. In sixth place is the Revival Audio Atalante 3. In other company it would be much further up the rankings, but the competition is stiff. Highly enjoyable yet subtle and mature sounding, this is a super debut from a company that looks destined to do big things in the future. Next is Paradigm’s Founder 40B, an imaginatively styled and cleverly engineered standmount with a distinctive sound. It’s all about speed and engagement, with lots of detail thrown in for good measure. The…

Astell&Kern is well known for its range of high-end digital audio players (DAPs) and it also has a range of ‘dual-DAC’ products aimed at smartphone users. The Acro CA1000T combines both into a single device, providing what the company calls an ‘all-in-one head-fi system’ that includes a desktop DAP with a powerful built-in DAC and amplifier, plus an impressive range of connectivity and streaming features. The chunky design of the Acro is pure A&K, with desktop use very much in mind. It’s semi-portable, though, as it has a rechargeable battery that lasts for around 11 hours, and you can easily pick it up and move it from room to room when you’re at home. The top panel has a 4.1in touchscreen display, which swivels upwards for easy visibility. This isn’t…

Our story starts back in the mists of the Seventies when a young Michael Creek was working for his father’s audio business – Wyndsor Recording Co. Ltd. – learning the ropes in anticipation of one day going it alone. Finally, after a stretch as a design consultant, he decided to branch out on his own, and Creek Audio Systems was formed in 1981. The first Creek CAS4040 was sold on 31 March 1982, to Audio Projects in Leeds, and retailed for just £99. It was a comparatively small 30W RMS per channel solid-state integrated: “based upon an upgraded version of a 10W power amp circuit employed at Wyndsor in 1976”, remembers Mike. It was an audacious move, because back at that time the hi-fi world was dominated by the NAD…

With the summer festival and tour season almost upon us, the old gods are getting ready to leave the stage. Elton John and Kiss are playing their final farewell jaunts in 2023 and as the Rolling Stones’ celebrate their 60th anniversary, this really could be the last time. Younger deities are already taking their place. Among the biggest ticket sellers in 2023 are Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles, and the passing of the old guard has clearly not lessened the demand for live music. Yet it seems some things never change. Before the pandemic shut down live music, I wrote in these pages about the ‘Keychange pledge’, in which 72 UK festivals signed up to achieve gender parity across their lineups by 2022. To their credit, some have achieved it,…

BLACK RHODIUM’S INTRO range has been created very much with affordability in mind and the hand-built XLR stereo interconnect is designed to offer a high-quality sound at a competitive price. Braiders of the lost art Available in a choice of seven different coloured braids to assist in differentiating between different sources, it is screened and contains two cores – thus providing the three connections that are required for the balanced XLR connectors. A large ferrite core is placed close to one end to attenuate radio frequency interference and offer a clearer and more detailed sound across the audio frequency spectrum. The interconnect is supplied as a pair of 1m cables as standard, but other lengths can are available to order. Connecting the Intro XLR between my Studer A810 pro tape…