Innholdsfortegnelse for November-December 2015 i Australian HiFi

In my Editor’s Lead-In for the July/August issue, I wrote that Spotify is probably the best chance for musicians to make money they’ve ever had… given the proviso that they arrange their business affairs so that they get ALL Spotify royalties (which means they need to own all rights—performance, recording, reproduction… the lot—in their work.) So what happens if you don’t own all your own rights? Ask Taylor Swift. Spotify says it paid Swift $US2 million last year, but Scott Borchetta, CEO of Swift’s record label Big Machine, told Time Magazine that the label only received $US500,000 in Spotify royalties. The reason? Spotify paid the $US2mil to Universal, which took its cut before passing the balance to Big Machine (which would then take its cut, before handing what was left…

Bose says its new SoundTrue earphones are the first noise-isolating in-ear headphones it’s ever produced. ‘We’re known for our active noise cancellation, but the SoundTrue Ultra in-ear headphones are the first we’ve built that reduce noise passively,’ said Bernice Cramer, of Bose. ‘Noise-isolating headphones have typically come with all kinds of trade-offs. They’ve required you to push an earbud deep in your ear, and that compromises how your music sounds and how you feel when they’re on. So, we designed something better. SoundTrue Ultra headphones reduce noise through a soft, proprietary seal and sound great. And they’re so secure, you won’t worry about them falling out, and you won’t want to take them out, either.’ The Bose SoundTrue in-ears feature ‘StayHear Ultra’ tips, which use the outside of the ear…

The RCM Sensor 2 is an extensive upgrade of the original RCM Sensor Prelude phono preamplifier, with improved circuit design and layout, higher-quality components, additional cartridge-loading options and an improved external power supply unit (PSU). According the RCM, the new Sensor 2 has an improved circuit design and layout, which uses higher-quality ICs, resistors and capacitors and has additional cartridge-loading options. Externally, the casing now has no visible screws and is fitted with an improved ground terminal. The external power supply unit is fitted with more capacitors than previously and now supplies the RCM Sensor 2 with d.c. power instead of a.c. According to Warwick Freemantle, of Pure Music Group, which distributes RCM in Australia, every component in the preamplifier is measured and hand-selected to ensure perfect channel balance. ‘All…

Are headphones too macho? Have you ever looked at a woman wearing headphones and thought ‘Oh dear’? Being a big, boofy, insensitive bloke I must admit that this is an issue that had not occurred to me until a local importer unveiled a range of headphones and earbuds designed specifically for women. My two key parameters for headphones are sound quality and comfort which I guess proves just how irretrievably blokey I am. If these offerings are anything to go by I have been ignoring the importance of bright, glitter and pink for 50 per cent of the market. And maybe I have been placing too much importance on price; it appears women have heaps of money. The importer says every woman needs a stylish pair of headphones and three…

I think Cambridge has done itself—and audiophiles the world over—a disservice by presenting the CXA60 and CXA80 to the market in the way that it has, by giving them similar model numbers and allowing them to share product brochures, user manuals and web pages. The problem—at least as I see it—is that this approach will have many people thinking that the CXA80 is simply a higher-powered (80-watts per channel) version of the CXA60 (60-watts per channel). Nothing could be further from the truth. They’re almost completely different amplifiers. The CXA80 is dual mono; the CXA60 isn’t. The CXA80 has a USB DAC; the CXA60 doesn’t. The CXA80 has balanced inputs; the CXA60 doesn’t. So keep all that in mind when you’re reading this review, which applies to the CXA80 only.…

It is not just Marantz’s A/V receivers that are being upgraded. We have also received the replacement for the very successful M-CR610, called the M-CR611. This is an all-in-one mid-sized component offering CD, FM/DAB+ radio, amplifier and a network connection. It will handle hi-res audio files (up to 24bit/192kHz files), but also has built-in Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth and AirPlay connectivity. Its four channels of amplification allow you to run two pair of speakers (with individual volume control on each) or alternatively you can bi-amp your speakers. There is a control App for both iOS and Android devices, plus a well laid-out physical remote. The optical digital input will allow the connection of your digital TV, and the unit comes with Spotify (and we are confident that other streaming services will…

This brand captured the attention of the industry when released around a year ago – with very good reason. The Bluesound range (a division of NAD) introduced a number of aspects not usually associated with other brands – the most significant being the ability to handle high-resolution (up to 24bit/192kHz) files. The other factor was the introduction of the Vault, a 2TB hard drive which also doubled as a streamer. Bluesound are in the process of releasing some additional products to their range, and also updates to some of the existing models. NEW MODELS FROM BLUESOUND INCLUDE: 1. PULSE FLEX. This is now the smallest speaker in the Bluesound stable, but don’t be fooled by its size. This small two-way design will still handle High-Resolution files, it has Bluetooth capability,…

We’ve recently taken on the new Flagship Ultra High Definition CX800A Series from Panasonic, and this has to be one of the most accomplished 4K sets available on the Australian market in terms of picture quality and ease of use. The first thing you’ll notice with these new panels is that Panasonic has used the Firefox OS interface to make them as easy to use as possible – this is especially effective when you want to take advantage of online streaming services and the almost endless smart devices that have become part of our everyday lives. The new interface allows you to easily switch between any type of content source, be it free-to-air, YouTube, a hard drive or any other type of input, all from one main screen that contains…

Ruark Audio’s R1 is now in its third generation and is, we think, one of the most accomplished and cleverly designed compact shelf or bedside radio/streaming devices available. This an elegant and simplistic device, just 13cm wide x 13.5 cm deep at the base – it’s designed to be placed in even the smallest of spaces. On top of the unit you’ll find a single control knob which is used to navigate to just about every function there is on the radio, including the volume. There is an easy to read LED display, and today’s requirements are catered for with Bluetooth audio streaming as well as DAB+ and FM radio tuners, a line input and a headphone line out. In terms of sound quality it’s quite remarkable what Ruark have…

XTEQ10: The smaller of the two XT series that we carry – as the model number suggests this utilises a 10” bass driver, plus a 10” side firing passive radiator. It’s rated down to 18Hz, and is driven with a 2,700-watt amplifier. $2,999 XTEQ12: Utilising a 12” bass driver and a 12” passive radiator, this sub has a low-frequency response of 16Hz, and is powered by a 3,000-watt amplifier. This is an extraordinary subwoofer, and at $3,499 offers exceptional value. We have been recommending Sunfire subwoofers for some time now, and our only criticism has been that they did not produce a range that satisfied the needs of those requiring a subwoofer of higher performance levels. Our wishes have been answered with the release of the extraordinary ‘XT’ series. There…

Many audiophiles swear by the magic of the standmount speaker. While the laws of physics will deny full-range performance, the standmount—and in particular the mini monitor—makes up for the lack of low-end extension by providing unrivalled imaging, pinpoint instrumental focus and the proverbial ‘disappearing act’. These are important performance aspects that are highly valued by experienced audio enthusiasts. What’s more, the small-sized enclosure requires less bracing and is, by its own design, more solid and less resonant than the larger panels required to construct a floor-standing speaker cabinet. Among other benefits, the less resonant cabinet can provide a cleaner, therefore more accurate, bass response. And if full-range sound is required, a high-performance standmount monitor can be mated to a suitably agile subwoofer to complete the sonic picture. Once integration challenges…

Yamaha has introduced a wireless music system it calls MusicCast. What differentiates Yamaha’s MusicCast from all other wireless music systems is the enormous range of device options on offer: 25 different AV receivers, two amplifiers, two audio systems, two wireless speaker systems and three sound bars, all of which can communicate with each other, with the internet, and be controlled by any mobile device… and that’s just what’s available at the initial launch. Yamaha says that every product in its range will eventually be MusicCast-capable. ‘MusicCast is a real revolution in network audio,’ said Simon Goldsworthy, Managing Director of Yamaha Music Australia. ‘Use all your MusicCast products together or separately—it’s completely up to you, and you can control it all using a free app on your phone, and it’s a…

Chord Electronics has released a tiny, battery-powered reference-quality DAC and headphone amplifier that can operate for up to eight hours and handles all formats including DSD. ‘Mojo stands for ‘Mobile Joy’ and Chord is justifiably proud to say that Mojo is a true reference-quality mobile DAC and high-level headphone amplifier whose performance rivals DACs that are twenty times its price,’ said John Franks, managing director of Chord Electronics. ‘Entirely designed and manufactured here in England, the ultra-compact Mojo is based on the Hugo platform, but uses the new Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA, making Mojo the most advanced DAC of its type on the planet. It has been designed to be easily operated: input selection is completely automatic and there are no confusing or superfluous switches.’ The Chord Mojo has three digital…

German manufacturer Lindemann has announced an upcoming firmware release that will see all its musicbook:20 and music-book:25 network audio players providing support for Tidal and Deezer. Aleksandar Maksimovic, of Audio Magic, which distributes Lindemann in Australia, said that although internet streaming functionality would be initially only for Tidal and Deezer that he expected that other services would soon follow. ‘All Lindemann’s musicbooks are designed and manufactured exclusively in Germany and represent the essence of 20 years of experience in the development of hi-fi components at Lindemann,’ Maksimovic told Australian Hi-Fi Magazine. ‘It doesn’t matter whether you’re streaming music from your music server or listening to internet radio: you’ll be amazed at the great sound potential that’s slumbering in your music collection.’ In Australia, the Lindemann musicbook:20 network music player sells…

LABORATORY TEST RESULTS The power output of the Cambridge Audio CXA80 exceeded its specification into both 4 and 8 loads, at all frequencies across the audio spectrum, fairly comfortably for the most part, but only just at low frequencies. Rated at 80-watts per channel into 8 , the test sample of the CXA80 delivered 91-watts per channel, both channels driven at 1kHz and 20kHz, but just 86-watts at 20Hz, both channels driven. When tested into 4 loads, for which Cambridge Audio rates the CXA80’s output as 120-watts per channel, Newport Test Labs reported power output as being 136-watts both channels driven at 1kHz, 135-watts per channel at 20kHz and 121-watts per channel at 20Hz. Measured into 2 loads the Cambridge Audio CXA80 delivered 174-watts per channel, both channels driven at…

Much has been made of the ‘resurgence’ of vinyl; however this is a technology that we have always continued to sell. For example we have sold Rega turntables since we opened in 1978. During the ensuing years there have been many manufacturers come and go, and in some cases old names have been resurrected by new owners. The High End Show in Munich this year was awash with new brands, some which will make the grade, and many of which will fade away. Here are some of the highlights of new and current models. AVID One brand that appears to be going from strength to strength is Avid from the UK. This brand is a recent addition for us, but it has been around since the mid-1990s. This is a…

R-N602 RECEIVER. As mentioned on the right, all Aventage Home Theatre receivers now have MusicCast embedded. Recognising that not all homes will have a Home Theatre as part of their entertainment area, they have also released a new two-channel (stereo) receiver with MusicCast. At the same time this is a new-world product, not only having traditional analogue inputs (including turntable), but also connecting to your home network with built-in Wi-Fi, plus it is both Bluetooth and AirPlay enabled, has a USB port, and has optical inputs in case you wish to connect devices such as your digital TV. It is rated at 105 watts/channel, and sells for $999. YSP-1600 SOUNDBAR. Yamaha was the first company to commercially manufacture soundbars, and have led the field ever since. The YSP-1600 boasts eight…

It appears that the French are on a bit of an audio roll. Two of the world’s most respected speaker brands – Triangle and Focal – hail from their shores. Now they have unleashed one of the most exciting and innovative electronics companies we have seen in decades. The brand Devialet has already redefined amplifier design with their ‘Expert’ range (pictured above). Now they have done the same with their wireless speakers. To say that the Devialet Phantom (pictured right) is a little out of the ordinary would be an understatement. But the concept works, with a capital ‘W’. This is a product that is unashamedly aiming at the top end of the market, pushing the envelope to see how far they can take it, with scant regard for what…

The R4 Mk3 is the big brother to the R1. Offering the same aesthetic design style, it has a more traditional music centre functionality. As such, it features an improved multi-format CD player, alarm, DAB+ and FM tuners, auxiliary inputs, aptX Bluetooth receiver and USB playback port, combined with a dynamic 2.1 audio-grade amplifier and speaker system. Set-up and programme information is displayed with impressive clarity for any viewpoint thanks to the OLED display, while the latest integrated RotoDial controller manages functions directly from the unit or via the dedicated infrared remote. As an all-in-one, it’s a the perfect solution for those who want the convenience of an easy-to-move compact package with simple plug-and-play functionality, but one nevertheless able to fill your room with superb playback that will still satisfy…

LABORATORY TEST REPORT The frequency response of the Richter Acoustics Wizard 5, as measured by Newport Test Labs—and shown in Graph 1—extends from 35Hz to 40kHz ±3dB. That is a truly excellent result, particularly since you can see that above 30Hz the response is actually within ±2.5dB of reference and from 100Hz up to 1.5kHz, which is essentially the entire midrange, it’s nearly ruler flat. Above 1.5kHz the response rolls off to be 2.5dB down at 5kHz after which it rises to +2.5dB at 9kHz, at which point it shelves out to 14kHz before rolling off to reference at 30kHz, after which there’s a slight rise as it extends further out to 40kHz. It’s obvious that the response of the tweeter extends beyond 40kHz, but this is the upper calibrated…

ABOUT US Sydney Hi-Fi Castle Hill has been operating in the Hills district for twenty-five years. We specialise in quality Hi-Fi and Home Theatre products and back it up with many years of industry experience. Top quality brands and accessories partnered with our design team and custom installation options give our customers an unparalleled choice in Hi-Fi, home theatre and outdoor systems tailored to your individual requirements. SERVICE & SUPPORT With six dedicated sound lounges, including a custom theatre, a visit to our store is a true experience for the AV enthusiast. Our audio specialists have spent many years putting together music and theatre systems to meet the requirements of discerning listeners and it remains a true passion that we still enjoy today. Come in store today and experience outstanding…

Convoy has been appointed the sole Australian distributor for Music Hall, and will in future be distributing that company’s turntables and cartridges. Gary Tye, Convoy’s General Manager of Specialty Audio said he was delighted to have secured the distribution rights for Music Hall. ‘Convoy has a philosophy of distributing the best value for money digital and analogue audio video products, and I see Music Hall turntables as a natural partner for our ranges of B&W and JBL speakers and our ranges of harman/ kardon and Classe amplifiers,’ he said. ‘While we’re over the moon at the success of our Bluesound wireless digital streaming products, we also recognise that there’s a passion amongst music lovers for products such as turntables, so we looked hard for a unique manufacturer of turntables that…

A new series of high-performance acoustic panels called ‘Paintables’ made by Canadian manufacturer Primacoustic, that are able to be painted any colour you like is now available from Amber Technology. The ‘Paintables’ acoustic panels include the circular Cirrus, the hexagonal Hexus and the square Altos. Each panel is made from 40mm thick high-density fibreglass wool that’s covered by micromesh to prevent dusting and has resin-hardened edges. The Paintables are pre-painted on all sides in Absolute White latex, enabling the desired colour to be sprayed in-situ to colour-match the existing décor. According to Jay Porter, of Primacoustics, the paint does not affect the acoustical absorption properties of the panels. ‘The series features three different shapes of absorptive acoustic panels that can be used as ceiling clouds, baffles or wall panels to…

Denon has released a new 7.2-channel Network AV receiver that comes with built-in Dolby Atmos and is ready for DTS’s new immersive surround sound format DTS:X. It also supports the latest HDMI standard including full 4K Ultra HD support, HDR and HDCP 2.2. It’s rated at 145-watts per channel, using discrete amplifiers for each channel. It’s equipped with a Dolby Surround up-mixer, so you can add height or overhead speakers to your system to implement a 5.1.2 configuration. It is also ready for both DTS:X and the DTS Neural:X upmixer, which claims to create an immersive sound field around the listener irrespective of the number of speakers installed (More info at: www.denon.com/dtsx). It also comes with built-in Bluetooth for music streaming from a smartphone, and Wi-Fi so you can connect…

Ayon Audio says its new Scorpio represents a dramatic rethinking of the economy-priced vacuum-tube integrated amplifier. ‘The Scorpio integrated amplifier combines neutrality, realistic dynamics, power projection and true musicality with high resolution,’ said Boris Granovsky of Absolute HiEnd, which distributes Ayon Audio in Australia ‘While with a recommended retail price of just $5,450 it sets a new price-to-value standard in its class.’ The Ayon Scorpio uses four KT88s in its output stage, which can be configured in pentode mode to give a rated output of 45-watts per channel, or in triode mode to give a rated output of 30-watts per channel. Bandwidth in both modes is claimed to be 15Hz–50kHz. On-board circuits to improve performance and valve life include a sequenced soft-start power-up, electronic protection circuit system, both manual and…

LABORATORY TEST REPORT The frequency response of the Triangle Elara LN05 that’s shown in Graph 1 was measured by Newport Test Labs using two different techniques. The trace below 2kHz shows the Elara’s in-room response using pink noise as a test stimulus. This has been spliced using post-processing to the Elara’s anechoic high-frequency response, obtained using a gated sinus technique. The measured response is extraordinarily flat and extended, as you can see. As measured, the Triangle’s frequency response was 42Hz to 26kHz ±3dB. This is notable for its flatness and extension, both at low frequencies and high frequencies. However it’s also notable for its lack of ‘skew’ so that the variations in the response are not concentrated in any one area of the audio spectrum. On the contrary, the Elara…

Naim is truly serious about ensuring the longevity of its products. In the brochure that promotes the CD5 XS CD player you’ll find the company stating: ‘Naim products are not designed to be replaced in three to four years. Buying a Naim product is an investment in many years of incredible musical experiences. We can still repair almost every product we’ve ever made in our service and restoration department. The skilled technicians there … regularly restore some of the first hi-fi products we ever made.’ When you consider that the first product Naim ever made (the NAP200 power amplifier) was built in 1973, that’s a pretty impressive claim. (Naim’s founder, Julian Vereker, designed the NAP200 and used it in a product called the NAM 502 that he built for Capitol…

The lifecycle of some of the ranges that we carry appear to be getting shorter. Marantz are in the throes of releasing a new range, prompted by the development of Dolby Atmos surround. All of the existing (at the time of writing) surround Audio/Visual receivers are in the process of being replaced, with the new range including the four receiver models shown here, and more... SR5010 7.2-channel 3-zone full 4K Ultra HD network receiver with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Atmos. Rated at 100 watts/channel. Price $1,590. SR7010 9.2-channel 3-zone full 4K Ultra HD network receiver with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Atmos. Rated at 125 watts/channel. Price $3,970. SR6010 7.2-channel 3-zone full 4K Ultra HD network receiver with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Atmos. Rated at 110 watts/channel. Price $2,150. NR1606 Slimline 7.2-channel 3-zone full…

HEOS DRIVE. This is a complete multi-room system in one chassis, consisting of four separate zones and eight channels of amplification. Run the speaker cables from four areas of the home (this can include the outdoors) back to this device and you have four independent zones of music. It is simple and convenient. Priced at $3,490. HEOS HOME CINEMA. This is Heos’s long-awaited soundbar offering, which come with a wireless subwoofer. The combination sells for $1,499. HEOS 1. This is now the smallest speaker offering from this Australian devised range. We are constantly amazed at the performance that Heos – and others – can achieve from such small packages. Selling at $349. HEOS ‘GO PACK’. This is a rechargeable battery pack that converts the Heos 1 into a portable wireless…

PEACHTREE DEEPBLUE 2  BLUETOOTH SPEAKER Yamaha’s MusicCast system can link any brand of Bluetooth speaker to an existing MusicCast ‘room’. But while there are hundreds of Bluetooth speakers on the market, and some are very good, most are very bad! Even among the very good offerings Peachtree’s deepblue2 shines – this is a very substantial speaker with impressive sound, impeccable build, and a surprising $799 price tag (many of its competitors are priced close to $1,000). We have been watching reviews on this product and its predecessor come in from overseas, and they have all been glowing, to say the least: “The best sounding Bluetooth speaker we have ever heard, period” Hi-Fi+ “Almost too good to be true” CNET “…after testing somewhere between 100 and 200 Bluetooth speakers, I…

For our ‘System of the Month’ this issue we are taking an easy path – by taking inspiration from WHAT HI-FI? in the UK. They recently featured (and raved about) a system comprising the Naim CD5si CD player, the matching Nait 5si amplifier and a pair of Triangle Titus EZ speakers. Interestingly this was a somewhat old-fashioned system in that it is CD based, rather than the more contemporary streaming technology (or the very modern – yet very retro – vinyl revival). To say the least, they were very, very impressed. We have taken a slightly different approach, and instead of using the separate amp and CD, we have opted for the Naim UnitiLite B, an all in-one solution that Naim does so well, offering CD, amplification, streaming, radio and…

A few editions ago in Headlines we featured the highly-acclaimed Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista integrated amplifier. We are now excited to confirm we will be stocking the perfect match to this in the form of the Nu-Vista CD player. The MF team have designed this player with the same attention to detail and technical performance as the integrated amp – which is to say they’ve managed to achieve incredible technical performance results. Of course that’s all well and good, but how does a $16k CD player sound? Expect an exquisite, warm, full sound stage that is all at once convincing and enveloping. In MF’s own words it is utterly neutral and faithful to what’s on the disc but transmits it with a delicacy of sensibility and firmness of musical communication…

Edgar Kramer: Do you have a first memory, a first unforgettable musical experience that left an impression? Peter Smith: The thundering bass sound at a Wishbone Ash Live rock concert at the Odeon Hammersmith in London in November 1976. EK: And did that start you on your hi-fi journey or did something else start you on the audio equipment quest? PS: That was what started it. The very next day I went to a hi-fi store in Tottenham Court Rd and the salesman pointed to an all-in-one music centre that he said would offer me that bottom-end sound that I was looking to have at home. EK: Where do you think your system is going, or has it arrived? PS: It is going right into the hybrid…

LABORATORY TEST RESULTS The frequency response of the Axis VoiceBox S, as measured by Newport Test Labs, was very smooth, as you can see in Graph 1. The graph shows that from 100Hz to 24kHz the response was within a 5dB envelope—that is, 100Hz–24kHz ±2.5dB. Even more impressively, it was 80Hz to 40kHz ±3.3dB. This is exceptional performance, particularly at high frequencies, not least because 40kHz is the upper calibrated limit of Newport Test Labs’ test microphone, which is why frequency response above 40kHz isn’t shown. Even more exceptional is the extraordinary flatness of the frequency response, because you can see that between 130Hz and 23kHz the variation in response is just ±1.5dB! As you can also see—and hardly surprisingly given the small size of the bass/ midrange driver used…

Dieter Burmester, founder and CEO of famous German high-end audio manufacturer Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH, died unexpectedly, following a brief illness, on August 15, 2015. Burmester’s first job after graduating from university in 1968 was building medical measuring devices in a company he founded in partnership with several of his fellow engineering students. Burmester built the amplifier which started his own company, the Burmester 777, in 1977, and if the stories are correct, the impetus for its construction was the failure of his own Quad valve amplifier and his determination to build a better one after he’d opened it up to repair it and seen how it was built and the components used in its construction. The Burmester 777 was completely unlike any other amplifier being produced at that time. It…