Innholdsfortegnelse for January- February 2018 i Australian HiFi

Advance Audio Australia is now the exclusive distributor of Soundcast, an award-winning manufacturer of high-performance Bluetooth audio systems, which has just released its VG range of portable Bluetooth speakers. Two of the stars of the Soundcast VG range are the VG1, an IP67-rated ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker, and the VG7, a rugged indoor/ outdoor Bluetooth speaker designed for backyards, bushwalking and boating. ‘It’s not just another Bluetooth speaker,’ said Nigel Ng, Product and Operations Manager of Advance Audio Australia. ‘Bluetooth speakers are a highly competitive industry, but where Soundcast excels is in high-performance Bluetooth speakers. You can also pair two Soundcast models together to get true stereo if you wish.’ The first Soundcast speaker to go on-sale in Australia was the VG1 ($249) which measures just 74mm by 59mm by 173mm…

Aesthetix has released its first integrated amplifier, a 150-watt per channel hybrid design called the Mimas. A hybrid design with a valve input stage (using 12AX7s) and a solid-state output stage, the Aesthetix Mimas is rated with an output power of 150-watts per channel into 8 (300-watts per channel into 4 ). In Australia, it’s being distributed by Absolute HiEnd. In its basic form, the Mimas offers only line-level analogue inputs (five balanced and five single-ended, implemented as pairs, so you can only use one or the other for each of the five inputs) but Aesthetix says users are able to option in a DAC (with two coaxial and two optical SPDIF inputs, plus a USB input capable of 24/352 PCM, DSD and DSD2 operation) and/or a phono stage with…

Naim Audio’s new Uniti Nova streaming amplifier is one of four new models Naim has added to its Uniti Series. ‘The new Naim Uniti Nova is proof that an all-in-one player can deliver audiophile quality,’ said Chris Murphy, of N. A. Distributors, which distributes Naim in Australia. ‘Whichever source you choose, your music will be transformed into a stunning sonic experience, because the Nova has been configured to deliver the very best solution for audiophiles in a single-box, compact enclosure. All the available space has been used to provide 80-watts per channel of Class A/B amplification capable of driving the most demanding loudspeakers—detail and depth you’ll hear in every note, riff and chorus.’ The Uniti Nova natively supports Google Cast and Bluetooth (aptX HD) to allow you to stream music…

Very few so-called ‘wireless’ earphones are actually truly wireless—often the left and right earphones of so-called ‘wireless’ earphones are joined by a thin wire. Sony’s new WF-1000X earphones are truly wireless. No wires at all. The WF-1000X earphones connect to your phone or device via Bluetooth (V4.1) and can play (using SBC or AAC codecs) for up to three hours on a single charge. The earbuds come with a carrying case that doubles as a portable charger and can deliver three full charges to the WF-1000Xs before needing to be recharged itself. Sony rates the frequency response of the WF-1000X as extending from 20Hz to 20kHz. The earphones are controlled via the new ‘Sony Headphones Connect’ app which now allows for more flexibility in customising how users want the headphones…

The Mag-Lev ‘floating platter’ turntable exhibited at the High End show in Munich last year is on its way to Australia. Victorian high-end audio distribution company Audio Magic has announced that it has secured exclusive distribution rights for this turntable. Developed by a design team based in Slovenia and funded via crowd-funding platforms Kick-Starter and Indigogo, the turntable’s platter is ‘floated’ above the plinth—presumably by magnetic force, but the company will say no more about it than that the system is: ‘innovative and patented’)—and that it’s driven by a jet of air. Optical sensors in the plinth are used to monitor the speed of the platter and adjust the strength of the air-jet accordingly. The platter can rotate at both 33.33rpm and 45rpm. When the platter—which is said to be…

Newport Test Labs measured the frequency response of the Dali Zensor 5 AX at 35Hz to 29kHz ±3.5dB, which is an excellent result. The response is shown in Graph 1 and is made up of two different measurements. The trace below 1kHz is the averaged result of nine individual frequency sweeps measured at three metres, with the central grid point on-axis with the tweeter using pink noise test stimulus with capture unsmoothed. The trace above 1kHz was measured directly on-axis with the tweeter at a distance of one metre (this same trace is shown in greater detail in Graph 2). You can see that the trace is very flat across the upper bass and midrange, extending from 150Hz to 3kHz ±1dB. There are slight lifts in the response centred at…

The output voltage from the SA-14SE was plenty high enough to drive any integrated amplifier, even high enough to drive a power amplifier directly if that’s your preferred setup. As you can see from the tabulated results, Newport Test Labs measured 2.37 volts on the left channel, and 2.35 volts on the right, with the very slight difference meaning that there was a channel imbalance of 0.06dB. Not enough to be audible. Channel separation was impressively high, even up at 20kHz, where CD players typically find it tough to deliver, at which frequency the SA-14SE’s result was in triple digits (101dB). As you can see from the tabulated figures, separation improved to 125dB at 1kHz and 126dB at 20Hz. All these figures are light-years more than will ever be required…

Tom Waters: Do you have a first memory, a first unforgettable musical experience that left an impression? Sudhir Das: It was my uncle’s system which he bought from overseas during my school days. That initiated my interest in music systems. TW: And did that start you on the hi-fi journey or did something else start you on the audio equipment quest? SD: My hi-fi journey started in my college days in the hostel. My friend Iqbal and I designed our first amplifier and made our own speakers. We invited our college mates to our room to listen to the music produced from those speakers. Then we went on to broadcast the music throughout the hostel so that everyone could hear it. It just took off successfully and people…

In a world beset by Kardashians, road rage and Donald Trump, hi-fi stands as an oasis of tranquillity. Hi-fi is a place of the serious, the passionate, the uncompromising, a place of reason. Amid storms of fake news and Twitter rants it is a rock of reliability. There have always been those who press their nose against the windowpane seeking any credibility they can rub off, the ‘inventors’ of little black boxes that will widen your soundstage or bottles of gloop to prevent the leakage of laser light, but mostly such folk evaporate soon after they materialise and hi-fi stands strong, resolute, and steadfast as ever. Lately, however, I worry. Three developments coming in rapid succession may be the start of an alarming trend. First one: Two guys in Lithuania…

The Rotel RA-1572 integrated amplifier (with inbuilt DAC and Blue-tooth) is now available in Australia. It uses a conventional Class-AB output stage that’s rated at 120-watts per channel, both channels driven into 8 with THD of less than 0.03%. The analogue line-level input is specified as having a frequency response of 10Hz–100kHz ±0.5dB and a signal-to-noise ratio of 100dB (IHF-A) no matter whether you use the balanced (via XLR) or unbalanced (RCA) inputs. As with all Rotel amplifiers, the RA-1572 features Rotel’s custom-wound toroidal power transformers along with custom electrolytic storage capacitors made for Rotel. ‘The custom-wound transformers and power supplies are the foundation of each of their amplifiers, the source of all of the punch, clarity and headroom that these amps put out,’ said Leigh Fischer, of Interdyn, which…

Aries Cerat has released its first integrated amplifier, the Genus, whose preamplifier section is modelled on the company’s Incito preamplifier and uses a high transconductance E280f beam tetrode in its input stage. The Aries Cerat Genus uses twin 813 RCA DHT output valves in its single-ended output stage, for which the company claims a power output of 25-watts per channel, a frequency response of 11Hz to 80kHz –3dB and a signal-to-noise ratio of greater than 100dB unweighted. According to Robert Campbell, of PuraSound, which distributes Aries Cerat in Australia, the new Genus is transformer coupled, with no capacitors, and uses no negative feedback at all, either local or global. ‘The Genus is based on Concero Monoblocs and was tested running the Contendo horn speaker system,’ he said. ‘The Contendo is…

The Elac Andante range of speakers, which previewed at last year’s CES in Las Vegas, is now finally available in Australia from Synergy AudioVisual, which distributes Elac in Australia. The range is comprised of three models: the AF-61 floorstanders ($9,995 per pair), AS-61 stand-mounts ($4,995 per pair), and an AC-61 centre-channel ($3,295). The Andante range was conceived as being an entry-level first step into high-end audio, according to Elac designer Andrew Jones, who says that all the drivers used in the Andante series were designed specifically for the series, with Elac leveraging its proprietary concentric driver technology for the midrange/tweeter. ‘This new driver delivers astounding point-source accuracy, linearity, power handling, speed and articulation on virtually all types of music,’ he said. The Andante AF-61harks back to Linn’s ‘Isobarik’ speakers, where…

AudioFly’s AF 100W, which was launched at CES 2017, but has only just now become available in Australia, uses the same Bluetooth module as the AudioFly AF56W BT in-ears, but because the battery and the module are housed in separate capsules, the AF 100W is able to be super lightweight, yet still provide at least five hours of playback. And if you do need more than five hours of playback, you can use a ‘Quick Charge’ option that will partially recharge the earphones in just 20 minutes (a full charge takes 60 minutes). ‘The original AF100 series was designed as an entry-level IEM—a pocket rocket with all the makings of a studio level monitor for those just dipping their toes in the pro-audio genre,’ said Matt Rowett, of AudioFly. ‘This…

Cary Audio has released an ‘Ultimate Upgrade’ kit for its long-running SLP-05 preamplifier. Although the kit can be retrofitted to any SLP-05 irrespective of its vintage, first-time buyers can also order the upgrade when buying a brand new SLP-05. The ‘Ultimate Upgrade’ involves changing both the power supply of the SLP-05 and the line stage. ‘The power supply upgrade consists of “maxing out” the filtering capabilities along the entire power supply chain, all the way into and including the preamplifier,’ said Geoff Matthews, of Convoy, which distributes Cary Audio in Australia. ‘Purifying d.c. voltages is extremely important to providing a clean, clear, smooth sound quality that is free from grain, noise and strident artefacts… it also improves imaging qualities as it provides a much blacker background.’ The line stage circuit…

The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest—or just ‘RMAF’ as it’s usually called—is a relatively small show. The recent 2017 event drew around 5,000 attendees and about 50 journalists according to show organiser Marjorie Baumert, who bravely took over after her husband—Al-Steifel—died unexpectedly. She is doing a very fine job let me tell you. The newly-refurbished venue (the Marriott Tech Centre) is very stylish and even the food was gorgeous! And I particularly liked that five rooms at the show were dedicated to low-cost systems… some of which sounded quite amazing. My only wish is that it ran for longer… a long weekend was simply not enough time for me to see everything on display… SOURCES There were a lot of iPads and servers around, as well as all sorts of toys…

I reviewed Audio Analogue’s mighty Maestro Anniversary integrated more than two years ago. At first glance the AAcento might not seem to be in its bigger sibling’s league, with a rated power output of ‘only’ 100-watts per channel into 8 , compared to the Maestro’s rated output of 150-watts per channel into 8 , but all is not what it seems. Most audiophiles (and a good many professionals in the industry who should know better, I’m afraid), think that to double the volume you get from your speakers you need an amplifier with double the power output. This isn’t true. You would actually need an amplifier that’s 10 times more powerful in order to double the volume level you’re getting from your speakers. So in order to get twice as…

Before starting this review, I am going to briefly jump to its conclusion. The Simaudio Moon Neo 230HD headphone amplifier/DSD DAC has all the features that I consider vital for a DAC that you intend to use with a computer. It sounds great and perfectly handles datastream issues that many other DACs do not handle well at all. THE EQUIPMENT The full name of this DAC is a bit unwieldy so I’m just going to go with 230HD for the remainder of this review. It’s a relatively compact component, not designed for mounting with a stack of components. It’s only 178mm wide, and rather deeper at 280mm. It weighs 2.8 kilograms, so it’s a solid bit of kit. But what does it do? It’s a digital to analogue converter—suitable for…

Dynaudio has released a new Sub 6 subwoofer with ‘intelligent’ digital signal processing that comes pre-programmed to integrate perfectly with main speakers from Dynaudio’s range. ‘Dynaudio’s engineers painstakingly modelled the acoustic characteristics of its most popular high-end hi-fi speakers and created custom performance maps for each one,’ said George Poutakidis, of BusiSoft, which distributes Dynaudio in Australia. ‘Using its display and the menu system built into the Sub 6, owners simply select the specific Dynaudio main speakers they have in their setup and the Sub 6’s output will be matched perfectly to it, so two-way speakers become three-ways, and three-way speakers seamlessly become four-ways.’ The DSP system in the Sub 6 is firmware-updateable, so when the company releases new speakers, Dynaudio says it will also release firmware updates for the…

McIntosh has released what it says is its first-ever hybrid integrated amplifier. The new McIntosh MA252 uses two 12AX7a and two 12AT7 valves in its preamplifier stage and high-power output transistors in its output stage. It is rated to deliver 100-watts per channel into 8 loads and 160-watts per channel into 4 loads. Unlike many recent amplifier designs, which feature integrated DACs, the MA252 is all-analog with two unbalanced line-level inputs, one balanced input and a phono input (MM), all of which can be adjusted for offset level to ensure consistent volume when switching from one input to another. ‘McIntosh has taken a design lead from the legendary MC275 to produce an integrated amplifier that incorporates the best of both the solid state and vacuum tube worlds,’ said Philip Sawyer,…

Japanese phono cartridge manufacturer Transfiguration has released a ‘D’ version of its top-line Proteus cartridge, which has a diamond cantilever. Each D version is handmade in Japan by Seiji Yoshioka, of Immutable Music. ‘Like the other models in the Proteus range, the new Proteus D uses Yoshioka’s patented yokeless double-ring-magnet design in which coils wound from exceptionally pure silver wire are positioned right at the focal point of the magnetic flux field created by two neodymium magnets to provide an extremely accurate coil-magnet interface,’ says David Eleftheriadis of Reference Audio Visual, which distributes Transfiguration cartridges in Australia. ‘This ground-breaking construction removes the variations in flux introduced by traditional moving-coil designs and is the key to the range’s stunningly lifelike musicality.’ The Transfiguration Proteus D has an output voltage of 0.2mV…

NAD’s EISA-award-winning C338 integrated amplifier is tracking to become one of the best-selling amplifiers in Australia, according to Geoff Matthews, Managing Director at Convoy, which distributes NAD in Australia. ‘The C338 was a definitely a crowd favourite at last year’s Melbourne HiFi Show,’ he said, ‘not least because it blends simple operation with outstanding performance. It’s designed for the music lover searching for a superb-sounding amplifier that can master music sources, past and present.’ The NAD C338 integrated amplifier has a switch-mode power supply and a Class-D output stage rated at 50-watts per channel into either 8 or 4 . ‘NAD’s designers have shunned conventional power hungry-linear power supplies and Class-AB output stages that waste nearly half of the energy consumed producing heat rather than sound,’ said Matthews. ‘NAD has…

Products from US designer Vinnie Rossi are now available in Australia for the very first time. They’re being distributed by Melbourne’s Audio Magic. Vinnie Rossi, a US-based electrical engineer, founded Red Wine Audio in 2004, then closed it down in 2014 when he established his eponymous company—Vinnie Rossi—to further his ‘LIO’ modular concept that gives owners the ability to add features and upgrades to existing products at any time. ‘It is designed for long-term ownership, with the ability to easily configure it for your current and future needs,’ says Rossi. All Vinnie Rossi products are built in the USA and come with a 10-year warranty. ‘I embrace a “less-is-more” approach, using purist circuit topologies that eschew high parts count in favour of elegant simplicity and using the highest quality components…

US turntable manufacturer VPI has added a phono preamplifier to its line-up, which is hardly surprising since it recently added designer Mike Bettinger to its team—Bettinger being the designer of the Arion Phono Preamplifier for Luminous Audio Technology. The VPI ‘Voyager’ phono preamplifier is a dual-input design that offers multiple gain and load settings for both moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges. ‘The goal of the Voyager is to create an easy phono option for music lovers getting involved in the VPI line,’ said Mathew Weisfeld, of VPI. ‘Voyager has been designed using VPI turntables and is naturally synergistic with our line. In addition, the Voyager gives customers who might own a different turntable brand a chance to join the VPI family through our phono preamplifier. The result is that the Voyager…

This year has been a very good one for Dali, because this well-known Danish loudspeaker manufacturer has picked up awards not only for the Dali Zensor 5 AX speakers reviewed here (‘Best Wireless Speaker 2016-2017’ bestowed by Sound & Image Magazine) but also for its Spektor 6 Speakers (a ‘Best Value’ award from EISA—the European Imaging & Sound Association) and its Phantom S in-wall speaker series also picked up a ‘Best Product’ EISA award in the category ‘Home Theatre High-End 2017–2018.’ THE EQUIPMENT Active wireless loudspeakers—speakers where the amplifier is built into the speaker itself, and where there’s wireless connectivity so you can stream music from your phone or device—are the hottest products in audio right now. The only problem is that the vast majority of the units sold are…

Marantz prefers to call its SA-14S1 Special Edition a ‘Super Audio CD’ player, rather than an ‘SACD’ player. It’s obviously read the consumer research which reveals that few people these days know what an SACD player is, the format having done its dash back in the last century. Such people would not realise that an SACD player not only plays back ordinary CDs but does so better than most CD players. So someone who owns a huge collection of CDs is not going to look for an ‘SACD’ player when trying to replace or upgrade their old ‘CD’ player… which means that Marantz is missing out on a huge pool of potential buyers. Surely such a person’s friendly hi-fi dealer would give them a heads-up on usability? I’m sure he…

Although Audio Analogue advertises the AAcento as being capable of ‘100-watts per channel’ it adds some ‘fine print’ in its manual that would indicate that achieving this output power is a ‘best case’ scenario. For example, it says it acheives this output only when one channel is being driven, plus adds that at this level, THD+N will be 1%. Even more fine print adds that the amplifier cannot sustain this output continuously, which it’s supposed to be able to do according to the consumer laws in many countries, including Australia. To be specific, the manual states: ‘The AAcento is not designed to sustain continuous output power. High power sine wave tests over a load of 8Ω or less must be evaluated for short time or the over-temperature (sic) will shut…

Newport Test Labs measured the frequency response of the Q Acoustics Concept 500 it had for testing in its acoustic laboratory as being 42Hz to 30kHz ±3.5dB and it is this response that is shown in Graph 1. It’s the result of measuring the speaker using two different techniques. The trace below 550Hz is the averaged result of nine individual frequency sweeps measured at three metres, with the central grid point on-axis with the tweeter using pink noise test stimulus with capture unsmoothed. This has been manually spliced (at 550Hz) to the gated high-frequency response measured at one metre on axis, an expanded view of which is shown in Graph 2. You can see that the response is extraordinarily flat, with the variations in it being primarily the result of…