Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2024 i Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £1,050 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: CAMPFIREAUDIO.COM CAMPFIRE AUDIO HAS announced the arrival of its new Fathom earphones. Designed and assembled in Portland, Oregon, USA, the Fathom features six custom-made balanced armatures encased in a machined aluminium body anodised in a black, bright dip. The company says: “The Rainbow PVD fasteners cast a vibrant spectrum of light against the deep black of the shell, creating a striking contrast”. The armature drivers’ configuration includes dual custom high-definition super tweeters, a pair of custom midrange and dual custom BA bass drivers and they come with two Time Stream Cables – 3.5mm stereo and balanced 4.4mm. Time Stream Cables feature eight silver-plated copper conductors in a ribbon configuration that Campfire claims offers: “superb ergonomics and low microphonics”. Frequency response is quoted as 5Hz–20kHz. Also…

PRICE: £32,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: GOLDMUND.COM THERE’S LOTS OF expensive stuff coming out this month and determined not to be left behind, luxury Swiss brand Goldmund has announced the release of the Telos 690 integrated stereo amplifier, which it describes as offering: “a bridge between traditional hi-fi and modern digital sources, for easy connection between digital devices and your speaker of choice”. It features an array of connectivity options, including USB 2.0, optical and coaxial inputs, and has been designed with the aim of driving any high-end passive speaker system. Power output is quoted as 2x 250W into 8ohm loads and 2x 320W into 4. The Telos 690 boasts an upgraded panel structure claimed to enhance the mechanical grounding and vibration dispersion capabilities of the amplifier. It also comes in…

IN-EAR HEADPHONES GROUP TEST WHEN IT COMES to personal stereo there are so many options. Many users prefer to go wired – such as 1More’s Penta Driver P50 – but even the once-universal 3.5mm connector has been phased out on many mobile devices. There is a USB-C adaptor provided with the P50, but it’s a bit basic – and not guaranteed to work with Apple devices – so a good portable DAC such as Astell&Kern’s HC4 provides high-quality sound via 3.5mm or 4.4mm output. Things are even more complex when it comes to wireless. Because of Apple’s reliance on AAC, I use Sennheiser’s BTD 600 transmitter to provide compatibility with the more advanced aptX codec. However, this has competition from Sony’s LDAC, which makes a solitary appearance with JLab’s Epic…

Astell&Kern makes a number of high-end, wired in-ear monitors, but it’s always been a bit wary of going down the ‘true-wireless’ path with its earbuds. Even when it adopted Bluetooth for the original AK UW100 in 2022, it avoided other digital features such as active noise cancellation (ANC) as it felt this would compromise sound quality too much. That’s still the case with the updated MKII model, which doesn’t add ANC or any other new features, but simply focuses on fine-tuning the sound quality and improving battery life. The original AK UW100 remains on sale online, so be sure to choose the current MKII model when buying. The distinctive chunky, angular design has A&K written all over it, but that’s not necessarily the best approach for wireless earbuds as the…

Claiming to be the number one manufacturer of wireless earbuds in the US, JLab is trying to attract a more audiophile audience with its latest earbuds, which are far more expensive than its previous products. It’s still very good value for money, though, providing a dual-driver design that combines a 10mm dynamic driver with a Knowles Balanced Armature driver to provide a decent 20Hz-40kHz frequency response. The earpieces are rated IP55 for resistance to water and dust and I like the compact design of the earpieces too, which fit me better than most. JLab includes three sets of silicon tips in different sizes, along with three sets of foam tips to help you get a good fit. There’s also a small USB-C adaptor included in the case, which looks similar…

Full marks to French hi-fi branch Elipson for being so straight talking as it presents its final Heritage line speaker for inspection. No referencing past glories here, no (intended) magic melding of old and new to fuse elements of both sonic styles. Instead, the XLS 7, we’re asked to believe, is everything you’d expect, technically and sonically, of a 2024 standmount speaker only made to look like a US-inspired old timer to satisfy a still buoyant market trend for retro nostalgia. Clean, modern sound meets woody retro aesthetic. Right now, for some, this is the best of both worlds. But I’m not sure the two objectives aren’t mutually exclusive. Modern design conventions dictate the contemporary look – essentially all narrow baffles, flush surfaces and rounded corners to mitigate diffraction effects…

Hi-fi’s hottest topic over the past few years? DACs, I reckon. The add-on kind we buy to take care of digital business with the expectation of dedicated care and, ultimately, superior sonics. Before the advent of Arcam’s pioneering Black Box back in 1988, the idea wasn’t even an idea. Now, outboard DACs are the rock stars of any digitally based system, agonised over and judged for sexiness of tech. Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), bespoke code, PCM to DSD conversion, resistor-based R2R ladder DACs, non-oversampling (NOS) regimes, Ring DACs – it’s all somehow more alluring than the latest ‘off-the-shelf’ Delta Sigma chipset choices which, nonetheless, are scrutinised for the latest model numbers and peer-trumping published specs. Obsessive behaviour? This is hi-fi, what can I tell you? On the face of…

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Back in 2019, audiences at London’s Cadogan Hall and at El Cantoral Symphony Hall in Mexico City were treated to a performance of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony No.8, Finished With AI. Franz Schubert wrote half of the movements needed for a symphony in 1828 and then abandoned the work shortly before he died. Smartphone manufacturer Huawei used the capabilities and intelligence of its Mate 20 Pro to compose the ‘missing’ movements of this symphony using its advanced integrated technology based on AI. To do this, the Mate 20 Pro listened to the first two movements, analysed the main musical elements and then used the results to write a melody for the third and fourth movements. Based on that melody, Lucas Cantor, the chief composer at the Melbourne Deep Learning Group at…

You don’t have to be in The Sunday Times’ Rich List to own a true high-end system. It isn’t necessary to have a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport parked in the drive – though, I must admit, it wouldn’t be too unpleasant. You don’t even have to remortgage the house to buy some heavily depreciated high-end kit from a bygone era that, at the least, still looks the part. Because, the way I see it, the notion that the high end is inextricably wedded to money and lots of it is wrong. It’s too easy to accept the beautifully simple, intuitive idea that you get what you pay for and that the more you spend the better things will be. This doesn’t just seem to put wealthy people at an unassailable…

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SITTING ABOVE ITS Symphony range of electromagnetic field stabilisers, Russ Andrews has recently introduced the Clarity Pro 2.0 Standard. Described as ‘field generators’, the devices are neither mains filters nor conditioners but are designed to sit close to your system and radiate a pre-programmed field to reduce the effects of stray electromagnetic fields. This means not just relying on screening to combat the noise caused by external interference, but tackling the problem closer to the source. The Clarity Pro 2.0 Standard uses ‘Coherence Technology’ modules, which generate a field of a specific pattern and duration, which is adjusted with the red control knob on the front panel. Internally, the software that controls the unit can also be tweaked via a bank of four DIP switches. The Clarity Pro is initially…

PRICE: £3,400-£7,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: BOWERSWILKINS.COM BOWERS & WILKINS has launched its 700 S3 Signature range comprising the 702 S3 Signature floorstander, the 705 S3 Signature standmount and the HTM71 S3 Signature centre for home cinemas. The company explains that it only uses the Signature name for: “the rare and radically upgraded versions” of its conventional loudspeakers and technologies. Since the brand was founded in 1966, only eight series of loudspeaker have carried the prestigious Signature mark – a reflection of its prestige. Signature dish The 702 S3 Signature is a three-way floorstander with a 25mm Carbon Dome tweeter, housed in a decoupled Tweeter-on-Top aluminium enclosure enhanced with the addition of a new protective tweeter grille mesh derived from the 800 Series Signature models, introduced in 2023. The 150mm decoupled Continuum…

PRICE: $12,500-$15,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: BALANCEDAUDIO.NET AMERICAN COMPANY BALANCED Audio Technology (BAT) has introduced its new VK-85 Preamplifier and REX 300 Power Amplifier to the UK, describing them both as fully balanced solid-state designs: “that also offer some of the finest sonic attributes typically found only in tube-based circuitry”. The REX 300 is a lower powered version of BAT’s 500W/channel REX 500 outputting 200W/channel. It employs the same TWIN-Path (split power supply topology) found in the REX 500 with individual power paths to deliver greater current than traditional designs. The 300 also follows the 500 in featuring a protection circuit that eliminates internal fuses to permit it to handle higher currents without impeding the circuit’s operation. The amplifier circuit consists of two gain blocks while the output stage is based…

Bose’s QuietComfort range has long been a market leader, thanks to the company’s highly effective active noise-cancellation (ANC) technology and it recently released major updates for several of its QC products, including the new QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. Available in Black or White Smoke, the QC Ultra replaces the previous QC II, although Bose is currently selling refurbished QC II models for less than £200 on its website. The Ultra is a big update too, boasting a more compact and streamlined design with a glossy metallic finish. Bose has also modified the rubber ‘stability’ bands that fit into the outer part of the ear and help to provide a firm fit. There are three sets provided in different sizes, along with three pairs of rubber ear-tips, and I find the slimline…

It’s three years since Master & Dynamic first launched its MW08 earbuds (HFC 486), and the MW09 is a major update that improves upon its predecessor in a number of ways. As always, M&D’s impressive build quality comes at a price and there are actually two options, depending on which colour you choose. The Black, Silver and Gold models will set you back £320 with an aluminium charging case, while the Blue, Grey and Green options provide an even tougher Kevlar case for £370. The MW09 works hard to earn its keep, though, boasting a number of new features – including Bluetooth 5.4 for the first time that I’ve seen. The MW09 earbuds look very similar to their predecessors – which remain on sale at £280 – with M&D’s distinctive…

IN THE FRAME All-alloy cabinets have long been a hallmark of Magico’s loudspeakers, whether in the form of an extruded section, like the original S3 or the machined castings used for the enclosure walls of the S3 2023. Five thick aluminium horizontal plates divide up the internal volume here, as well as bracing and damping the enclosure, but this speaker’s choice of materials isn’t solely about weight and stiffness. Rather than “bracing the hell out of it,” quips Magico CEO Alon Wolf, “we now brace it right”. During our call with him to accompany our review, he explains that the new 3D laser interferometry system, “enabled a very efficient analysis of the cabinet surfaces. We could see where the vibrations – the main panel modes – were occurring, and this…

IFi’s range of DACs is one of the most extensive going and its hip-dac is one of its most popular. Now in its third-generation version, the hip-dac 3 looks very similar to its predecessors, shaped like a little hip flask – hence the name. It’ll make a bit of a bulge in your trouser pocket, but it’s smaller than most smartphones and will live quite happily in a jacket pocket or backpack. The aluminium casing is pretty sturdy, although you can also treat it to a faux suede carrying case for an extra £29. The front panel is unchanged too, housing 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm connectors, along with an analogue volume dial, XBass and a PowerMatch feature that boosts gain by 10dB for more powerful cans. The main difference is…

I wonder what the HFC editor would say if I submitted my copy for this page late? I ask the question in the light of the news that a group of American concert goers are suing Madonna for “false advertising, negligent misrepresentation and unfair and deceptive trade practices” after she failed to arrive on stage until after 10.30pm at a New York show in December for which the advertised start time was 8.30pm. Good for them. If you go to a play or classical concert and it says on your ticket 8.30pm, that’s the time the performance starts – and if your train home is more than 15 minutes late, under a statutory scheme known as ‘delay repay’, the rail operator is obliged to compensate you. Football matches seem to…

Kamasi Washington Fearless Movement CD Young WASHINGTON NEVER PLANNED on being a saxophonist, let alone the new John Coltrane. As a youth he wanted to be a drummer. Then he tried piano and later clarinet. Eventually when he was around 13 he picked up his father’s soprano sax. “Oh, man, this is it!” he recalls saying. “When I switched to saxophone I just felt like I found my voice. That’s when I fell in love with music.” By the time he was 18 he’d won a competition named after Coltrane, who died 14 years before Washington was born but whom he regards as his mentor. With a deep understanding of traditional jazz sensibilities, but with a wide-open attitude to other genres, he played the clubs with various ensembles, reaching a mass…

FORMED AFTER THE armistice of World War One, the English Electric Company merged with GEC, and as the latter was the dominant partner, the famous name was lost. Roll forward over 50 years and Chord Company now owns the brand. The EE 16Switch is a two-zone, dual power supply, 16-port gigabit Ethernet device optimised for music streaming. It features two independent rows of eight high-quality gigabit RJ45 Ethernet ports, which can be used as two independent eight-way switches or connected and used as one 16-way device. It uses two highly accurate customised TCXOs (Temperature Compensation Crystal Oscillators) with an accuracy of 0.1ppm, allowing the 16Switch to generate higher accuracy network signals than with a computer-grade switch, resulting in more stable data transmission with measurably reduced jitter errors. For audio applications,…

1 HEAD SHOTS One to look forward to is How To Disappear – A Portrait Of Radiohead, a photographic book which documents the band’s activities between 2003 and 2016, the images all captured by their bass player, Colin Greenwood who says: “For years now, I’ve been taking fugitive snaps… I’ve tried to catch out my friends with my small black Yashica T4 Super. On stage and in the rehearsal studio, they are so lost in their own moment of performance that they don’t see me with the camera.” It comes out in October, priced £26 via John Murray Press. 2 CLASSIC UPGRADE Cyrus has replaced its Phono Signature phono stage with an updated model, the Classic PHONO, which features a new baseplate designed in line with the Classic AMP, PRE, STREAM and POWER…

PRICE: £480-£560 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: PROJECT-AUDIO.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK AUSTRIAN COMPANY PRO-JECT has announced the release of its T2 and T2 Super Phono turntables to add to the T2 Wireless Streaming Turntable it launched last year. The T2 strips the T2 Wireless of all its additional electronics and reverts the design to a pure, analogue record player that needs to be connected to the user’s phono stage of choice, while the T2 Super Phono adds a built-in switchable phono stage. Other features of the T2 and T2 Super Phono include enhanced T-Line turntable design with heavy glass platter and sturdy wood plinth, an improved 9in aluminium tonearm with spring-loaded anti-skate dial, pre-adjusted Sumiko Rainier moving-magnet cartridge, automatic switching between 33 and 45rpm, vibration-absorbing feet and a semi-symmetrical interconnect cable. Both models are…

PRICE: £450 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: IFI-AUDIO.COM IFI AUDIO HAS launched the GO bar Kensei, which the company claims to be the world’s first ultraportable digital-to-analogue converter with K2HD technology. A spokesperson from the company explains: “Developed by JVC Kenwood’s sound engineers, K2HD Technology works to restore music to the same quality as the original master, reviving it with the rich, natural harmonics lost during digitalisation.” The GO bar Kensei boasts four digital filter options as well as XBass+ and XSpace options in an effort to create a more accurate bass response and spacious soundfield. An enhanced power and clock circuitry has been introduced to produce a wider soundstage, more detail and a more robust bass. Equipped with a 4.4mm balanced output, a symmetrical twin-mono output stage and a claimed 477mW…

PRICE: £900 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MISSION.CO.UK MISSION HAS RELEASED a new retro-inspired bookshelf speaker – the 750. Unlike its predecessors the 770 and 700 (HFC 501 and 496 respectively), the company says this is not an update of a prior model plucked from its past, but: “a new design, sporting classic influences”. Commenting on the 750’s inverted driver arrangement, Missions says: “Until the 700 arrived in 1980, two-way dynamic speakers were invariably designed with the tweeter at the top and the main driver below. The 700 pioneered a different approach, placing the treble unit below the mid/bass driver. This configuration, known as IDG (Inverted Driver Geometry), became a signature Mission feature and is a cornerstone of the company’s designs to this day – including the new 750.” IDG, Mission claims,…

PRICE: £1,100-£6,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: SVSOUND.COM US-BASED COMPANY SVS has unveiled its seven-model Ultra Evolution range of speakers in the UK. The new series consists of three floorstanding tower speakers, two bookshelf speakers and a centre and surrounds for use with a home cinema. The company says the range delivers advancements in driver design, cabinet architecture and materials, adding: “Most noticeable are the acoustically centred, time-aligned drivers, mounted in a curved baffle so that sound from each driver arrives at the listener’s ear simultaneously, ensuring excellent phase coherence and imaging”. For the three tower models, midrange and bass drivers are positioned above and below the tweeter to allow for crossover blending to create what SVS calls a: “point-source” effect. Also new for the company is the diamond-coated aluminium dome tweeter…

PRICE: £25,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: SIMAUDIO.COM/EN RENAISSANCEAUDIO.CO.UK RENAISSANCE IS DISTRIBUTING the new MOON 891 network player/preamp – the flagship source and preamp in the new North Collection of premium MOON by Simaudio products. The MOON 891 utilises new technological innovations such as MOON Damping Base (MDB) – a mechanical system designed in an effort to suppress parasitic vibrations responsible for microphonic noise – and M-RAY2 volume control, which boasts discrete resistors and enhanced components. Using MOON’s onboard MiND2 streaming platform, the 891 retrieves digital music files while local libraries and internet streaming services integrate via the MiND Controller app for iOS and Android, with additional support for AirPlay, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect in a Roon Ready solution. Its MDE3 digital engine utilises a dual-mono pair of top-of-the-line 32-bit converters…

Oddly named, 1More tends to operate at the more affordable end of the market, but has also been a long-time wired earbud supporter as the rest of the industry has leapt onto the true-wireless bandwagon. The Penta Driver P50 thus stands out as the only wired option here and even includes Hi-res certification. The penta-driver design combines one dynamic driver and four planar ones to provide a frequency response of 20Hz-40kHz. The earpieces also include gold-plated MMCX connectors with a detachable cable that will allow users to swap in their own cables if they prefer. The standard option uses oxygen-free copper (OFC) with a 3.5mm connector, but there’s also a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter included as well. However, the technical information provided to us by 1More states that the USB-C adapter is…

Denon’s new PerL range is its first new earbuds since the company was taken over by Masimo, a medical specialist, and a Masimo technology called ‘Personalised Listening’ is employed that analyses the ear’s sensitivity to different frequencies in order to fine-tune the sound just for you. Prices start at £190 for the entry-level PerL offering. Both this and the PerL Pro have the same basic design, with large circular earpieces that might feel a bit ungainly for some. The earbuds are relatively heavy at 8.6g each. Two sets of rubber ‘wings’ that fit into your outer ear to help hold the earbuds in place, along with four pairs of rubber ear-tips and one set made with memory foam are bundled. Denon’s app is a bit ungainly, but does have some…

IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a good all-rounder that won’t break the bank JLab’s Epic Lab Edition provides good value for money. It’s the most affordable Bluetooth model here, with good sound quality, sturdy design and long battery life. Noise cancellation could be improved, though, and the choice of LDAC rather than aptX might deter some. For an old-school wired design, 1More’s Penta Driver P50 gets the basics right. Sound quality is very strong, with Hi-res certification and detachable MMCX cable. The bundled USB-C adapter is a useful addition too. Astell&Kern’s AK UW100MKII certainly can’t be criticised for poor sound quality, but at this price point the notable lack of noise cancellation makes it look a bit like King Canute trying to turn back the digital tides. Meanwhile, the somewhat lumpen…

Companies like Emotiva have built their success on very affordable, high-value products sitting in an unusual space where specialist audiophile-oriented products are offered, complete with many high-end features, to the more budget-end of the market. And what’s not to like about that? Emotiva is an American company that designs its products at home and then manufactures them in Asia in relatively high quantities. If the XDA-3 Reference DAC/preamplifier is anything to go by, it has very much got the quality right. It’s well-finished and doesn’t seem particularly built down to a price. The XDA-3 is said to be a true, fully balanced, fully differential design from its balanced inputs to its balanced outputs. It is both a DAC and preamp, the latter having a digitally controlled analogue ladder volume control.…

AVID HIFI’s high-end three-cartridge lineup of moving-coil offerings consists of the flagship Reference Ruby, the Boron in the middle and the Ionic entry-level cart. All three follow similar design principles and the Ionic retains many of the features of the Reference Ruby. The first thing that strikes me is a similarity in appearance to Van den Hul’s Colibri, in as much as I can see the coil assembly and some of the connecting wires. Unlike the Colibri, the magnet assembly is housed inside the body and the front part of the body protects the coils. Another nice feature is the clip-on stylus guard that slides from the front for when not in use. The body of the Ionic is a 5-axis CNC machined body designed to remove unwanted vibrations away…

Retro revival doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down and companies resurrecting designs from their past has resulted in some fascinating products. A case in point is Whafedale’s Super Denton. The original Denton dates back to the late-Sixties and was a key part of the company’s range well into the Seventies. The two-way version was successfully recreated as the Denton 85 a few years ago and, suitably enthused, Wharfedale has now revisited the historic Denton 3 to create the Super Denton. This is a relatively unusual thing in that it is a compact three-way standmount, not significantly larger than the two-way. In order to fit everything in, the Super Denton staggers the two smaller drivers above the larger one to the point they are almost side by…

Dark Matter CD Monkey Wrench/Republic KURT COBAIN WROTE in his suicide note that it was: “better to burn out than fade away” but his contemporary Eddie Vedder – who led the only band to give Nirvana a run for their money as gods of grunge – wisely decided it was better to do neither. On Pearl Jam’s 12th album since their 1991 debut, he sounds as ferocious and angry as ever with thunderous Sabbath-style riffs (the title track), garage thrashing (Running) and angular post-punk frenzy (React, Respond). On Scared Of Fear the band even roar like The Who. Yet over the years Pearl Jam have added subtler contrivances to their tool kit, too. Wreckage is all Byrdsian jangle-rock and the harmonies on the lovely Something Special are as sweet as Crosby,…

Hi-FiChoice Recommends ESSENTIAL HI-FI YOU’LL WANT TO OWN 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. Musical Fidelity M6scd PRICE: £2,500 REVIEWED: HFC 499 An exemplary player with more than a hint of star quality to it, the M6scd paints a broad and deep soundstage populated with solid, well-focused and perfectly placed images. Regardless of genre of music or production standard, its handling of spatial elements is among the very best in the business. Cambridge Audio…