Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2025 i Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £1,700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: IFI-AUDIO.COM IFI AUDIO HAS launched its iDSD Valkyrie flagship portable DAC/amp with K2HD Technology, six additional digital filters and the company’s signature analogue processing. With quad-DAC architecture, 5,700mW peak output, lossless Bluetooth and 18-hour battery, Valkyrie features iFi’s bespoke DSD Remastering algorithm, powered by a custom-coded FPGA. Users can choose between the ‘Normal’ setting, in which DSD signals pass directly to the DAC while PCM signals go through a user-selected digital filter, or ‘Remastering’, with options to remaster to either DSD512 or DSD1024. iFi claims that DSD Remastering improves the audio quality of any file by increasing resolution, reducing distortion and delivering a richer, more detailed sound – akin to a professionally remastered recording. Important to the Valkyrie is JVC Kenwood’s aforementioned K2HD Technology, which…

PRICE: £5,700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: WATTSON.AUDIO SWITZERLAND’S WATTSON AUDIO has announced the release of its Madison reference-class stereo power amp, developed in collaboration with CH Precision. Delivering a claimed 50W per channel into 8ohm, it’s engineered around a Class A/B topology which Wattson says is: “tuned to deliver rich harmonics, expansive soundstage depth and ultra-low distortion. A true dual-mono design, the amplifier ensures maximum channel separation and dynamic stability – preserving every detail of the original recording.” The Madison may offer a 50W per-channel stereo design, but it comes with the built-in flexibility to evolve alongside the user’s system, transitioning into bi-amplification or monophonic modes, “making system upgrades simple and seamless”. Elementary, my dear… In bi-amp mode, the input signal is routed to both output channels for vertical bi-amping –…

PRICE: £111 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ACEFASTAUDIO.COM CHINESE COMPANY ACEFAST’S newest sports open-ear headphone, the ACEFIT PRO, is on sale now via Amazon or the company’s own website. The Ultra-thin open-ear headphones boast a transparent design with a ground-breaking Night Safety Mode, featuring a matrix of 40 breathing lights around the ear area. These provide visual cues in the dark and increase safety in the process. An exclusive app allows users to customise the lighting effects, offering eight different settings for the charging case. Boasting a claimed 32-hour battery life with eight hours per charge, quick charging battery life and AELC Bass enhanced technology, the headphones come with a transparent charging case with a 3D embossed numeric display. The design provides a soft, secure grip with liquid silicone, and the ear…

PRICE: £3,500-£20,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: STRATTONACOUSTICS.COM STRATTON ACOUSTICS LTD, the British loudspeaker manufacturer, has announced the addition of two new models to its Element range: the Element 6 and Element 8. The company claims that the Element 6: “redefines what a compact loudspeaker can be. With its sleek lines and luxurious finishes, this design-inspired speaker doubles as a striking visual statement in any interior. Despite its modest dimensions, the Element 6 is every bit a high-fidelity performer.” At its core is a 150mm carbon-fibre mid/bass driver paired with Stratton Acoustics’ patented decoupled, waveguide-loaded 29mm soft dome tweeter – a configuration engineered to achieve precise imaging, wide dispersion and exceptional musical coherence. The enclosure is an acrylic-silica reinforced polymer matrix, chosen for its inertness and resonance-suppressing qualities. Combined with CNC-machined, aerospace-grade…

PRICE: £250 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: SENNHEISER.COM SENNHEISER HAS UNVEILED its HD 550 headphone, which boasts sprawling stereo imaging and an ultra-light build. Featuring a custom 38mm transducer, made at the company’s audiophile production facility in Tullamore, Ireland, a spokesperson claims: “its speedy performance yields exceptional clarity from 6Hz to 39.5kHz, all while producing less than 0.2 percent total harmonic distortion. At 150ohm, it’s an ideal match for a wide variety of hi-fi gear, scaling with ease when paired with premium audio gear such as Sennheiser’s own HDV 820.” The fully open-back design utilises a new acoustic mesh to protect the transducers and remove any remaining barriers between listener and music. Their angled arrangement has been designed to create an expansive soundstage that drops the listener into the epicentre of the…

At the start of this year, Audio-Technica released its latest range of professional open-back reference headphones, the R Series. The ATH-R50x has been designed to offer a natural listening experience with an expansive soundstage. The drivers are modelled on those used in the original ATH-R70x, but have been re-engineered to deliver more powerful bass and accurate upper midrange response. There’s a quoted frequency response of 5Hz to 40kHz, sensitivity of 93.3dB/mW and the 45mm drivers have 50ohm impedance. The ATH-R50x is excellent value and offers an open and spacious sound Two detachable cables of 1.2m and 3m lengths come supplied and hook up to the left earcup with a robust 2.5mm twist-lock connector. At the other end, each cable is terminated with a 3.5mm gold-plated stereo jack. A carrying pouch…

With summer on the way, JBL has updated several of its portable products, focusing very much on rugged, outdoor devices. Available in a variety of colours, the Flip is one of its most compact and portable speakers, that can either stand upright or lay flat. Boasting an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, it can cope with being immersed in 1.5m of liquid for up to 30 minutes and survive being dropped onto a concrete floor from a height of one metre. There’s a detachable wriststrap and carabiner clip, and it is made out of 77 percent recycled plastic. Inside the torpedo-shaped tube are a 45 x 80mm bass driver and redesigned 16mm tweeter, which together provide a respectable 35W output and frequency response of 60Hz-20kHz. The speaker supports…

One of the many criticisms that audiophiles tend to receive is the importance they place on hi-fi equipment over the music it’s supposed to be reproducing. Furthermore, for some, part of the ultimate joy of owning a special vinyl LP comes from keeping it perpetually in its most pristine state. Certainly, any collector can understand this motivation. Think of how many collectors of vintage toys covet the ‘NRFB’ (never removed from box) designation. When I was a child, I used to collect special postage stamps – mainly UK unused ones. I started off like many with used stamps and would fix hinges to the back of each one so that it could be mounted in an album. As I progressed to unused stamps and those with unusual features, I realised…

Perfume Genius Glory CD Matador IT’S A PRETTY good bet you know millions of songs about love, but there don’t seem to be that many dealing with anxiety. I’m not talking about the exaggerated cartoon fear magnificently portrayed by the likes of Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer or Geto Boys’ Mind Playing Tricks On Me. I’m not even alluding to the martyred melancholy Morrissey manufactured back when The Smiths were good. I’m talking about the everyday suffocation that quietly and insidiously puts you off venturing out to the shops or persuades you to skip work for no other reason than… well, you just can’t face it. This is the condition to which Perfume Genius submits on his seventh LP, ironically titled Glory. PG is Michael Alden Hadreas, a prolific…

SAVE 30% ON THE SHOP PRICE 3 ISSUES FOR £11.99! With FREE P&P, never miss an issue! SUBSCRIBE SECURELY ONLINE TODAY! https://checkout.avtechmedia.co.uk/EGENC OR CALL 01858 438446 LINES OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY – 8AM - 6PM Calls are charged at the same rate as standard UK landlines and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances. There are no additional charges with this number. Overseas calls will cost more. TERMS & CONDITIONS:. *UK print subscriptions offer only. AV Tech Media Ltd collects your data so that we can fulfil your subscription. We may also, from time to time, send you details of AV Tech Media Ltd offers, events and competitions but you always have a choice and can opt out by clicking on the unsubscribe button at the…

PRICE: £9,300 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: REVIVALAUDIO.FR FRENCH LOUDSPEAKER SPECIALIST Revival Audio has expanded its ATALANTE series of loudspeakers with the launch of the ATALANTE 7 Évo, a three-way standmount featuring an upgraded RASC Évo tweeter and midrange system, both employing ARID (Anti-Reflection Inner Dome) technology. The 28mm Tetoron soft-dome tweeter benefits from an aluminium back chamber, neodymium magnet and optimised airflow to minimise distortion and enhance detail. The 75mm midrange driver, featuring an improved chamber design, is designed to ensure transparency and natural tonality. The ATALANTE 7 Evo also boasts a 381mm BSC (Basalt Sandwich Construction) bass driver, which the company claims is the first of its kind to be used in high-end audio, featuring an oversized 76mm voice coil and optimised ventilation. It’s claimed to be capable of reaching…

PRICE: £10,000-£38,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: SME.CO.UK SME HAS LAUNCHED two new turntables: the Model 8 and Model 35, both incorporating a new Series Vi tonearm. Building on the legacy of the Model 6, the Model 8 features a 40 percent increase in mass, which SME says means it offers: “extreme stability and resonance control”. The platter has increased in thickness over the Model 6, there’s an improved speed control unit, new adjustable feet, refined mounting boards to minimise vibrations between the tonearm and the plinth, revamped output connections featuring redesigned phono and low-voltage input sockets and gold-plated WBT RCA sockets, while the magnesium tonearm has a removable headshell allowing for easy cartridge changes. The Model 8 comes in a choice of White, Midnight Blue or SME Black finishes. Armed and…

PRICE: £39 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: GOLDRING.CO.UK GOLDRING HAS INTRODUCED its EXTRACT Stylus Cleaning Kit, which consists of a magnifying lens, anti-static stylus cleaning brush and cleaning gel pot. Boasting 10x magnification power, the magnifying lens incorporates a single hinge design, allowing users to closely inspect the stylus for damage or contamination. After the clean has been administered, the lens can then be used for a follow-up examination to determine if further action is required. Your turntable stylus will inevitably attract dust and fluff during playback and Goldring says a daily check is recommended. If the stylus is contaminated with dry loose fluff, the anti-static stylus cleaning brush can be used thus: “Horizontally draw the brush gently across the stylus from back to front, applying as little upward pressure as possible.…

PRICE: £600-£1,250 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: NAGAOKA.CO.JP SOUNDDESIGNDISTRIBUTION.CO.UK JAPANESE CARTRIDGE SPECIALIST Nagaoka has launched its flagship MP-700 Moving Permalloy cartridge via UK distributor Sound Design Distribution. Celebrating the company’s 85th anniversary, Nagaoka says that, compared with the conventional MM cart, its signature MP design utilises a lightweight permalloy piece attached to the cantilever, significantly reducing mass, while allowing the stylus to move with greater freedom and precision. The new MP cartridge employs a boron cantilever paired with an updated micro-ridge nude diamond stylus measuring 0.12 x 0.3mm. The company claims this combination: “enhances sound accuracy, ensuring exceptional detail retrieval from vinyl grooves”. The MP-700 also incorporates a soft damper, used with the aim of allowing the boron cantilever and micro-ridge stylus to perform at their best. Its design includes a newly…

PRICE: £2,500-£3,250 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: SVSOUND.COM. KARMA-AV.CO.UK COMBINING THE FIRST-EVER 381mm driver and dual monoblock amplifier with what the company is claiming to be the most powerful DSP deployed in a subwoofer, SVS has introduced the 5000 R/Evolution Series. Comprising two new models, the subs extend the technology platform previously developed for the flagship 17-Ultra R?Evolution sub to deliver reference performance from smaller enclosures at more affordable prices. SVS says the SB-5000 R/Evolution sealed cabinet subwoofer and PB-5000 R/Evolution ported cabinet subwoofer both feature the new 381mm driver with a dual, flat, edge-wound 3in voice coil in an effort to ensure stable transfer of electromagnetic current from the dual-mono amplifier to the 21kg (approximately) toroidal ferrite magnet motor, producing high output with exacting control. Copper-clad aluminium voice coil wire is…

Affordable separates have staged something of a fightback in recent years over all-in-one and just-add-speaker alternatives. The system-in-a-box concept – where everything you need is sold as a single packaged unit – has played a small but important role in this resurgence. Such systems offer the flexibility and upgradeability of a traditional setup while removing the uncertainty of having all the parts and cabling needed to get up and running. Pro-Ject’s CD Set E (HFC 525) is a perfect example and the Colourful Audio System E is part of the same range and yet the two setups do not have a huge amount in common. The biggest difference is the Colourful Audio System swaps out the CD front end and moves to vinyl, while the turntable employed is unique to…

Last year Chord Electronics expanded its established Professional (pro audio) range with a high-end amp named Alto. The all-analogue amplifier was originally designed for use in recording studios and only sold through specialist channels. However, increased demand from Chord Electronics mainstream audiophile audience was so strong it decided to make the Alto more widely available. It still comes with a professional price-tag, however, weighing in at £3,000, which puts it in a very different league from the more affordable Mojo 2 (HFC 461). Finished in Matte Black, with a sturdy metal case, the Alto comfortably fits onto a desk or shelf. On the inside it is powered by Chord Electronic’s ULTIMA amp tech, which uses “dual-feed forward error correction” to compare in and output signals, and adjust the final output…

Tuesday 4 February, 2025 was a black, black day for collectors of used hi-fi equipment and pre-loved vinyl as it was the date when, in a move of greed and suicidal stupidity, Ebay introduced its new rules for buying and selling. Here’s what it’s done: pre-4 February, the company enacted a sneaky two-stage manoeuvre. Firstly, instead of paying the money you were owed from your sales straight into your registered bank account as usual, Ebay placed it into a holding account so it could gain interest before you requested it be passed on to your bank. Then it imposed a new set of rules which means that, when someone buys your wares, Ebay keeps your money “pending” until the transaction is proven to have been completed. Then it releases your…

Recommends ESSENTIAL HI-FI YOU’LL WANT TO OWN 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…

1 BOXING CLEVER Rough Trade Records is releasing a limited-edition 7in singles boxset on 20 June to celebrate its formative years. Rough Trade 45s: Volume 1 covers the influential indie label’s early releases between 1978 and 1980, featuring Augustus Pablo, The Raincoats, Young Marble Giants, Stiff Little Fingers, Subway Sect, The Pop Group, Cabaret Voltaire, Swell Maps plus sleeve notes including an exclusive, revelatory in-depth interview with Rough Trade co-MDs Geoff Travis and Jeannette Lee. Rough Trade 45s: Volume 2 covering 1980-1993 is due for release on 26 September featuring, among others, Mazzy Star, Scritti Politti, Jonathan Richman and The Sundays. Each copy of Rough Trade 45s: Volume 1 will be individually numbered, the run limited to 1,000 copies worldwide. You can find out more details at: roughtrade.ffm.to/singlesboxset 2 DRUMMER’S…

PRICE: £1,400 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: FIIO.COM FIIO HAS UNVEILED its FX17 flagship in-ear monitors (IEMs), featuring one dynamic driver, four balanced armatures and eight electrostatic drivers per side. A five-way crossover has been tuned to balance energy distribution among the drivers, which the company says results in a bigger soundstage and more natural sound. FiiO claims that the electrostatic drivers have exceptional high-frequency extension reaching 50kHz and sense of air that gives the listener a grander soundstage. Their downside is that their sensitivity is only 99dB/mW, which is low compared with the 110dB/mW sensitivity typically found in rival balanced armature and dynamic drivers. The FX17 employs eight electrostatic units to increase sound pressure levels to make the drivers more audibly perceptible as they handle high and ultra-high frequencies above 6kHz.…

PRICE: £470-£750 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: PROJECT-AUDIO.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK PRO-JECT HAS UNVEILED the A1.2, its latest fully automatic turntable. Retaining the core design principles of the original A1, the A1.2 refines its performance with a series of upgrades including a new die-cast aluminium platter, replacing the A1’s stamped version. The new deck’s 8.3in ultra-light aluminium tonearm features a redesigned headshell made from carbon fibre-reinforced polymer. The company claims this construction enhances stability while keeping the weight to a minimum. The tonearm is paired with a pre-adjusted Pro-Ject Pick it MM E cartridge. The A1.2’s fully mechanical operation has eliminated motors or electrical components on the tonearm. Pro-Ject explains that: “By eschewing these potential sources of interference, unwanted resonance is avoided and once a record is playing, the mechanics disengage entirely, preserving playback…

PRICE: £6,500-£7,845 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ATC.AUDIO ATC HAS LAUNCHED its two-way SCM20ASL active standmount speaker, the most compact in the company’s lineup. Housed within a 20-litre cabinet, the new model features ATC’s proprietary 150mm ‘Super Linear’ mid/bass driver and 25mm ‘S-Spec’ dual-suspension tweeter, powered by on-board class A/B MOSFET power amplifiers capable of delivering a claimed 200W and 50W continuous power to the bass and HF drivers respectively. The mid/bass driver employs a 75mm voice coil and short-coil (long-gap) motor assembly featuring the company’s proprietary ‘SL’ motor technology, which it claims reduces distortion from the upper bass into the midrange. ATC’s 25mm ‘S-Spec’ soft-dome tweeter boasts a dual-suspension and 2.1 tesla motor combining to deliver an extended response, quoted as being well beyond 20kHz with the exceptional reproduction of fine…

PRICE: £18,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: DANDAGOSTINO.COM ABSOLUTESOUNDS.COM US HI-FI SPECIALIST Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems has introduced its Pendulum Integrated Amplifier, which features a re-engineered application of the JFET input circuit topology introduced in its previous Momentum C2 Preamplifier. The Pendulum offers a comprehensive suite of digital capabilities via its optional digital module, affording integration with a wide range of different audio sources and systems. Connectivity includes optical, both RJ-45 and wi-fi network options and HDMI eARC input for the first time in a D’Agostino component. Claiming capacity to handle the highest resolution sources available today, the Pendulum decodes PCM signals up to 32-bit/384kHz and up to DSD256 natively. The company adds: “Recognising the crucial role of the analogue section in digital music performance, internal balanced connections ensure optimal signal…

PRICE: £360 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: CLASSIC-AUDIO.CO.UK BRITISH COMPANY CLASSIC Audio Ltd. has launched its SPARTAN 15 MKII low-frequency MM phono stage, which evolves the SPARTAN 15 and SPARTAN 10 double-stage preamplifiers. Hand-assembled using through-hole components in the South of England, the SPARTAN 15 MKII delivers a claimed digital audio level dynamic range of over 110dB, “from the ultra-quiet background of its Japanese input amplifiers to a scorching 10.5V RMS maximum output level”. Panasonic electrolytic capacitors and 1 percent metal film resistors are used to ensure long-term stability, while 1 percent tolerance film capacitors in the active RIAA stage hold replay to ±0.1dB of the reference curve, eliminating mid-range colouration and channel imbalance. A key upgrade is the expansion of the low-frequency crossfeed, blending the two stereo channels to mono at…

PRICE: £1,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: DANCLARKAUDIO.COM ELECTROMOD.CO.UK NOIRE X IS the latest closed-back headphone design from American company Dan Clark Audio (DCA), now available in the UK via Electromod. The new Noire X headphones utilise proprietary planar driver and metamaterial tuning technologies developed for DCA’s top-tier models like the closed-back Stealth and open-back Expanse, both of which retail at £4,100, delivering them at a cheaper price. These technologies are combined with a ‘black on black’ aesthetic, ultra-tough Gorilla Glass 3 on the cups and a self-tensioning headband. The company modestly describes the Noire X as: “the Johnny Cash of headphones”. Explaining its planar drivers, DCA notes they incorporate: “a thin membrane immersed in a magnetic field to cause it to vibrate. Among the advantages of planar magnetic drivers are increased…

If you’re initially drawn to a new speaker by the clue in its name – this SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf, for example – I’d advise caution. Especially if, in the case of the SVS, you feel inclined to take the hint and place it on a bookshelf. I’ve just checked and there isn’t a shelf in my house, for books or anything else, capable of accommodating a speaker 378mm tall, 220mm wide and 295mm deep that weighs 8.6kg. Not that I’d feel happy putting any half decent ‘small’ speaker on a shelf rather than a dedicated stand, but the Bookshelf’s smaller sibling, the Nano (HFC 522), far from being tiny, is ideally bookshelf-sized and theoretically fits the bill if needs must. It’s something of a sonic star, too, but as…

When it comes to pricetags, the best-selling DACs aren’t even close in price to the £4,700 of HiFi Rose’s RD160, but there’s still plenty of interest in designs to aspire to. Chord Electronics’ Hugo TT2 (HFC 468) is a case in point, as it offers great sound, good connectivity and decent upgradability. It’s precisely the sort of product the RD160 has to take on, if it is to succeed. The RD160 is interesting for two reasons. First, the vast majority of its fascia is taken up by a large, fine-pitch display that can be switched between different modes. One of these gives a diagrammatical representation of the digital input selected, digital filter in use, upsampling status, output selected and volume. It might seem like a gimmick, but you end up…

Master & Dynamic is perhaps best known for its range of Bluetooth headphones, such as its Editor’s Choice-winning MW09 (HFC 515). Enter the recently launched ME05 update, designed for use with the latest mobile devices and available in a variety of colours. The basic design hasn’t changed much, with a solid-brass body for the main earpieces. This feels very sturdy, as does the thick oxygen-free copper (OFC) wire, which allows it to get the most from hi-res audio. The sturdy design is ideal for travelling and M&D includes a canvas pouch, along with five sets of silicon and two sets of memory foam ear-tips to get a good fit. Inside the brass housings you’ll find 8mm bio-cellulose drivers, rather than the beryllium of the MW09. A USB-C adaptor is provided…

SAVE 33% ON THE SHOP PRICE 3 ISSUES FOR £11.99! With FREE P&P, never miss an issue! SUBSCRIBE SECURELY ONLINE TODAY! https://checkout.avtechmedia.co.uk/EGENN OR CALL 01858 438446 LINES OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY – 8AM - 6PM Calls are charged at the same rate as standard UK landlines and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances. There are no additional charges with this number. Overseas calls will cost more. TERMS & CONDITIONS:. *UK print subscriptions offer only. AV Tech Media Ltd collects your data so that we can fulfil your subscription. We may also, from time to time, send you details of AV Tech Media Ltd offers, events and competitions but you always have a choice and can opt out by clicking on the unsubscribe button at the…