Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2025 i Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £890-£3,990 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: SOULINES.COM SOUNDFOWNDATIONS.CO.UK SERBIAN AUDIO BRAND Soulines’ new tt9 turntable and KiVi M3 unipivot tonearm are now available in the UK for the first time via Sound Fowndations. Explaining its approach, the company says: “Each of the key parts in a Soulines turntable, including the platter, main bearing and spindle, are manufactured individually to fit together rather than being produced in batches, and all aluminium parts are precision CNC-machined from solid blocks. Every product is hand finished.” Soulines’ tt9 draws on many of the advanced design principles already found in tt42 (coming to the UK soon) and Kubrick DCX (available now and recently upgraded). Construction is compact and lightweight yet highly rigid, with particular attention given to the elimination of sound-damaging resonance. The company claims unwanted vibrations…

PRICE: £109.50-£303.50 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ATLASCABLES.COM KILMARNOCK COMPANY ATLAS Cables has launched its Achromatic X RCA plug – the latest evolution in its range of unique cold-welded audio connectors. Building on a legacy that began with the Integra RCA plug, Atlas says the Achromatic X RCA plugs represent a significant upgrade over their predecessors offering highly refined, solid OFC pin material for superior conductivity and enhanced signal transfer at the cable product/pin boundary. Meanwhile, cold weld termination eliminates the need for solder, the process used in a bid to ensure a seamless and highly conductive connection for optimal signal integrity. Keep it clean The plugs also feature asymmetrical self-cleaning contacts, which Atlas says helps to maintain pristine contact surfaces over time, reducing signal degradation and improving long-term reliability. Made from…

PRICE: £17,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: DS-AUDIO-W.BIZ DS AUDIO IS promising: “a new era of analogue sound” with the launch its TB-100, a vacuum valve/tube phono equaliser designed to partner with the company’s optical cartridges from entry-level to top-of-range. The TB-100 is a dual mono, single-ended design with RCA outputs. It features four selectable bass curves and uses quad-matched ECC82 (12AU7) dual-triode valves/tubes, optimised specifically for this model. To ensure peak performance, the Japanese company says it employs proprietary in-house tools to minimise any variations in the valves/tubes during operation to within 1 percent (or 0.1dB). Each of the entirely independent channels is equipped with its own input valve/tube for voltage amplification and a second valve/tube to buffer the output. This minimalist two-stage architecture, coupled with the optical cartridge technology, has…

Even if you have only a casual acquaintance with YouTube’s burgeoning cheap audio debating society, you may have found yourself dodging military-grade click bait proclamations from the surreal land of dinky, game-changing giant killers where palm-sized Class D amplifiers and DACs from the Far East costing just a few hundred quid have led some who’ve experienced their charms to question the assumed sonic superiority of big beast, multi-thousand-pound exotica. It sounds like the sort of thing any sane audiophile would file under ‘yeah, right’ but, seeming to defy instinct and reason, the idea that pukka, big-buck, high-end sound quality really can be had for the cost of a fancy air fryer does aptly seem to be generating some heat – a promise that seems both too good to be true…

At the time of the acquisition of Wharfedale by China-based IAG, there was much gnashing of teeth over the chances of the new owners disregarding a company heritage dating back to 1932. Mind you, similar worries were expressed when the same outfit snapped up Castle, Quad and Leak, and more recently Mission, then Audiolab… The worries have of course proved unfounded; not only has IAG breathed new life into its brands, it’s also proved sensitive to all that history. It still makes the latest versions of Quad’s classic electrostatic speakers, has developed Audiolab with the likes of the latest 9000 series and – as of two years ago – is back making selected speaker models in the UK, having built a new production space, complete with anechoic chamber, at its…

It might have been Audio-Technica. Or maybe it was Technics. Or maybe even Astell&Kern. But whoever it was, thanks guys, one of you finally did me in. What happened was in trying to create a recent issue of the very magazine you’re now enjoying, I goofed not once, not twice, but three times in quick succession. My calamities? I typed out the so-called names of products wrongly, my efforts riddled with errors. I say “so-called” names because what sort of nutso company would ever think it was a good idea to call the precious product it wishes us to buy the AT-LP60XUSBGM? Or for that matter the A&Ultima sp1000t? Or come to think of it the EAH-AZ80E-K? Note, if you will, not only the meaningless numbers, but the seemingly giddy…

ALTHOUGH FINE FOR connecting printers to your PC, computer-grade USB cables are not really up to the job for audio applications. They may be low cost, but using them to connect your PC to an external DAC can result in unwanted effects on the data signal being transmitted. These effects can manifest themselves as errors in the digital data stream, which the DAC in turn has to correct. The GT2 NCF USB-B cable contains silver-plated OCC conductors treated with Furutech’s proprietary two-stage ‘Alpha’ process, which is said to improve conductor conductivity. The conductors are insulated with a high-density polyethylene dielectric and screened by a three-layer shielding. The connectors are 24k gold-plated USB 2.0 – a USB Type A connector at one end and Type B at the other. The connector…

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PRICE: £500-£2,000 AVAILABLE: Q2, 2025 WEB: WHARFEDALE.CO.UK WHARFEDALE HAS RELEASED details about its latest loudspeaker – the Aston – a limited-edition, UK-made signature model created by Peter Comeau – one of Britain’s best-known speaker designers – to join the company’s Heritage Series. While several of Wharfedale’s Heritage Series models are three-way designs – the Linton, Super Linton, Super Denton and Dovedale – the Aston is a classic two-way ported cabinet. The treble and mid/bass drivers are both new units, designed specifically for the Aston and made inhouse. The mid/bass driver features a rigid die-cast chassis and 150mm carbon fibre cone, tuned with the cabinet and twin rear-firing reflex ports in an effort to deliver cleanly extended bass to well below 50Hz in-room. A profiled, gold-coloured phase plug is positioned in…

PRICE: £8,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MUSICALFIDELITY.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK HENLEY AUDIO HAS announced the UK availability of the Nu-Vista 600.2 amplifier from Musical Fidelity. A more affordable follow-on from the Nu-Vista 800.2, the 600.2 is a fully analogue, discrete integrated that represents a significant upgrade over the old Nu-Vista 600. Available in Black or Silver, the Nu-Vista 600.2 features four 6S51N nuvistor valves in a discrete Class A amplifier buffer. These tubes are installed on a newly designed PCB, alongside the preamplifier stage, on a self-screening tray mounted above the main amplifier circuitry in a bid to achieve better isolation and reduced noise. The preamplifier, nuvistor stage and input circuits are all fully dual mono, with separate power supplies for each channel. Musical Fidelity explains that the benefit of this new top-layer…

PRICE: £4,300 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: HIFIROSE.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK KOREAN COMPANY HIFI Rose has unveiled its RS151 network streamer to the UK. Taking inspiration from other company products, like the flagship RS130 network transport and RD160 DAC, key features include full-feature network streaming capability with extensive input and output options, full ROSE OS support for local network music playback within Rose’s Music app and CD playback and ripping via a connected optical drive. There is also support for internet radio, Spotify Connect, Tidal, Qobuz and Apple Music. The RS151 is Roon-ready and Plays With Audirvana certified. In addition, the operating system offers support for video playback, either locally or within the Tidal or Rose Tube apps. The RS151 makes use of the ROSE Audio Engine, an in-house development that it claims ensures…

PRICE: £119 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: AUDIO-TECHNICA.COM FOLLOWING THE LAUNCH of the world’s-first cartilage conductor headphones in 2022, Audio-Technica is releasing its second-gen model: the ATH-CC500BT2. The idea is to deliver high-quality audio without blocking the ear canal, enabling users to stay connected to their surroundings while enjoying immersive sound. It works through what’s called Cartilage Conduction Technology – the vibration structure utilising the third auditory pathway to transmit sound through the ear’s cartilage, bypassing the ear canal for improved hygiene, comfort and safety. Other features include an Acoustic Pure Sound Stabilizer with drivers that prevent degraded sound quality caused by external vibrations, up to a claimed 20 hours of continuous playback on a full charge (a 10-minute quick charge provides up to 120 minutes playback), plus AI Noise Reduction (AIVC)…

PRICE: £1,500-£4,000 AVAILABLE: APRIL WEB: SPENDORAUDIO.COM SPENDOR WILL BE introducing the Mark 2 version of its A-Line series featuring the new A1.2, A2.2, A4.2 and A7.2 speakers in April. The A1.2 is the most affordable model and features a refined internal bracing system. By repositioning the bracing directly behind the driver and incorporating a constrained damping layer of Sorbothane, Spendor says it has minimised unwanted vibrations that can colour the sound and absorb vibrations from the driver, reducing cabinet interaction, minimising time smearing and lowering the noise floor. The claim is also that the improved bracing enhances stereo imaging, delivering a more immersive listening experience with accurate soundstage placement. The A2.2 builds on the original A2 (HFC 429), now featuring a constrained damping layer of Sorbothane, designed to eliminate unwanted…

PRICE: £2,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: GRADO.CO.UK GRADO HAS ANNOUNCED the release of its latest open-back headphone, the Signature S950. Following the recently released HP100 SE, the Signature S950 marks the second addition to the new Signature line. Staying true to Grado’s longstanding tradition of using wood to craft its headphone housings, this model utilises a Brazilian Walnut, the first time the company has chosen this family of woods. Known for its density and resistance to decay, walnut has been chosen for its relaxed musical presentation and stability. The lack of expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature or humidity helps maintain these acoustic characteristics. Weighing in at 395g, Grado reckons the lightweight but durable nature of Brazilian Walnut offers a comfortable fit and reduced fatigue for long listening sessions.…

Turntable manufacturers often find themselves making a phono stage to ensure the hand-off from their product to the rest of a system is exactly as they would like it to be. Vertere is no exception and already produces the excellent Phono One MkII, but the Calon (Welsh for ‘heart’) is designed to complement its more expensive models. All phono stages need to apply an EQ curve to the incoming signal to correct EQ applied to the record. The Calon applies the bulk of its gain to the signal before RIAA EQ is applied as Vertere argues that the result is more consistent and closer to the original. This also allows gain to be adjusted before and after the EQ phase and you can have up to 73dB – enough for…

When the Debut arrived on the market many years ago, it represented both the bottom rung of the Pro-Ject range and pretty much the cheapest fully functional turntable on the market. It’s a mark of how much of a journey it has undergone that not only is it far from the most affordable model that the company makes, but those below it now have tiers of their own. The T1 models replaced the Essential range (which in turn was the first real sub-Debut series Pro-Ject made) in 2020 and the company has now updated the three models to become the T1 EVO family. These models all share the same basic platform, which is recognisably similar to the original T1. This is still a belt-driven, unsuspended turntable that, unusually for Pro-Ject,…

WE SHOULD NATURALLY begin with perhaps the most nuts RSD release ever, the re-release of Lou Reed’s controversial 1975 album Metal Machine Music. Now available via Sony Legacy as a double LP, it only remained on sale for three weeks before being pulled. To mark its 50th anniversary, a metallic silver vinyl edition will be available. A tad more conventional is A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, the hip-hop pioneers’ second album, which first came out in 1991. It’s now re-released via Sony Legacy on a green and red splatter vinyl double LP. Sabbath salute Black Sabbath’s reissue of The Eternal Idol arrives just in time for their last ever show, at Villa Park in Birmingham on 5 July. The album’s been unavailable on record since its initial…

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PRICE: £140-£345 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: BLACKRHODIUM.CO.UK BRITISH CABLE SPECIALIST Black Rhodium has announced the launch of XTRA For Your First Upgrade, a new collection designed to offer customers a cost-effective way to improve the performance of their ‘separates’ music systems. The new line comprises three new products: XTRA Loudspeaker Cable, XTRA RCA Stereo Interconnect and XTRA XLR Stereo Interconnects. The line also includes products previously known as INTRO by Black Rhodium, featuring three tonearm cables with DIN, RCA and XLR connectors, a mains power cable for both power conditioners and audio units, and two cables for portables. Moving on up The collection is designed with acoustic-damping braid to minimise distortion from small vibrations in the cable, braided metal screen to reduce distortion from external magnetic and electric fields and large…

PRICE: £700-£4,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: DALI-SPEAKERS.COM DANISH HI-FI SPECIALIST DALI has unveiled two new products: the PHANTOM CI AMP-4750 DSP amplifier and PHANTOM M-80 A in-ceiling loudspeaker. The amp is a full-rack-width, 2U format, four-channel power amplifier rated at 750W per channel providing four analogue inputs and one stereo coaxial digital in. The company says it’s comprehensively equipped with DSP functions that enable it to be configured via the DALI Phantom CI Amp Configurator and with specific pre-sets designed for individual DALI speakers. Access to the Amp Configurator interface is possible through a wired or wireless network connection to the AMP-4750 DSP, either directly from a smartphone, laptop or via a network router or switch. It measures 440 x 88 x 332mm (WxHxD), weighs 7.4kg and is priced at £4,000.…

PRICE: £60 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: FIIO.COM THE FIIO SNOWSKY Retro Nano is a new affordable music player that allows users to make the most of hi-res music streaming services via Bluetooth aptX HD and LDAC. It can also be used with a USB-C cable, so it can partner a laptop or tablet. FiiO says: “If you love your wired headphones, the Snowsky Retro Nano gives them a new lease of life with high-quality components from the high-end internal DAC and high-power amplification (including a high-gain mode) that can easily drive in or over-ear headphones to levels of performance far beyond smartphones and laptops.” A 3.5mm headphone socket is joined by a balanced 4.4mm jack, while it works wirelessly in your pocket or via a lanyard. The physical controls are a…

PRICE: £650-£2,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ACOUSTIC-ENERGY.CO.UK ACOUSTIC ENERGY HAS redesigned its 300 Series to include the AE300² standmount, AE309² and AE320² floorstanders, and AE307² centre for home cinemas. At the heart of the updated 300 Series is an all-new mid-driver, crafted from a blend of paper and coconut husk. AE claims: “this innovative driver delivers a smooth, natural and refined response, combining warmth and clarity with the dynamic punch of our traditional aluminium cone. Paired with a newly developed soft-dome tweeter derived from the Corinium project, the 300 Series offers open, delicate and natural high frequencies, ensuring seamless integration across the audible range.” Family first For the first time at this price point, the 300 Series also features constrained layer RSC (Resonance Suppression Composite) cabinets, a technology pioneered in the…

What comes to mind when you think of UK audio brand Meridian? Most likely its range of high-performance (and high-ticket) digital active loudspeakers, a product category it effectively launched in the Eighties with its D600. Since then it has evolved the concept, so that its current DSP8000 XE floorstander features eight drivers, eight built-in amplifiers and sells for £80,000. This makes the new Ellipse – a compact, wireless desktop speaker – a bit of a surprise. Meridian has in the past lent its sonic expertise to Bluetooth speakers from LG, but now it’s entering the market itself – albeit at the premium end. And considering that the technologies built into its full-size stereo speakers, from D/A conversion and DSP to amplification and drivers, are the same that go into any…

The idea of cramming a complete hi-fi system into a pair of speakers isn’t new; perhaps the best-known example is KEF’s LS range, which has expanded from a single model to encompass everything up to the mighty LS60 floorstanders. And it’s not hard to see why the concept has caught on, with a number of manufacturers offering wireless speaker systems of varying degrees of completeness, from models fed from offboard hubs to complete solutions: it’s all about that ideal of ‘invisible hi-fi’. The trend has clearly not gone unnoticed in Japan, as Technics has launched not just its own take on the idea, but a very upmarket compact wireless speaker system. Finished in a range of soft-touch suede-effect wraps (in Charcoal Black, Silky Grey or Terracotta Brown), the SC-CX700 system…

To say that Cyrus has applied a consistent design aesthetic to its products rather undersells its commitment to the same approach. For as long as I have been active in the audio industry, it has made use of the same half-width metalwork. Subtle details have changed as to just how black it is and what display it uses, but the basic look has remained undeviating for decades. With the 40 Series, that all changes. This all-new range takes some of the thinking that went into the XR components and improves it further by placing that work in completely new casework. The 40 AMP is very much in the vein of recent Cyrus integrateds, combining analogue and digital inputs in a manner that makes it more akin to an all-in-one system.…

How we listen to recorded music has certainly changed over the decades. Back in the Fifties, manufacturers started using the term ‘high-fidelity’ or ‘hi-fi’ as a marketing phrase to describe records and equipment intended to provide faithful sound reproduction. The purpose was to highlight the difference between the sound of the then-standard AM radios and 78rpm records and that of the new high-fidelity phonographs and 33rpm microgroove LPs. Whatever equipment you chose to use to listen to your music, adverts often depicted a homely scene with the family sitting around the radio or radiogram, not dissimilar to wartime posters that portrayed them listening to the wireless as a welcome relief from the war. In 1941, the American electronics engineer John F Mitchell invented the first two-way radio small enough for…

ALBUM OF THE MONTH Manic Street Preachers Critical Thinking CD Columbia IN A RECENT rare gesture of cultural heroism, Johnny Marr rebuffed the lure of several million quid to reform and tour The Smiths, an offer Morrissey let it be known he was more than keen to take up. Marr’s alleged response was that if Morrissey wanted to do the gig he could get Nigel Farage to play guitar. Nice one Johnny. I wonder what Nicky Wire thought of that. The reason I ask is that on the new Manics’ LP, their 15th in all, he’s written a track addressed to Morrissey called Dear Stephen, which confesses: “You’re, you’re still my bad habit, My dark little secret, My illicit unseen drug, My secret hidden love,” and then pleads: “Please come back…

CD PLAYERS Cambridge Audio AXC35 PRICE: £300 REVIEWED: HFC 454 Something of a budget marvel, you’ll have to work extra hard to get the AXC35 to put a foot wrong. Bass is firm, detailed and blessed with excellent timing; the tonal palette is pleasingly broad and clean; and though the soundstage doesn’t extend much beyond the speakers, there’s great depth perspective. Marantz CD 50n PRICE: £1,600 REVIEWED: HFC 518 Equipped to not only get the most from your CD collection, but also for online streaming and dabbling in downloads, the CD 50n boasts a weighty, well-defined and technically accomplished performance that is enormous fun. Throw in a decent built-in headphone amplifier and you have a great silver disc pinner. Cyrus CDi-XR Phantom Black PRICE: £2,200 REVIEWED: HFC 499 Familiar Cyrus…