Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2017 i Hi-Fi Choice

www.hifichoice.co.uk Issue No. 418 January 2017 As one of the biggest names in the business, Harman International has its fingers in almost every sector of the audio market through a roll call of bigname brands that includes Harman Kardon, AKG and JBL, along with specialist premium audio brands Infinity and Mark Levinson et al. With considerable links to both the home and in-car audio market, you can understand why it might be an attractive proposition for a smart-tech giant looking to move into these sectors. On 14 November 2016, news broke that Samsung was to acquire Harman International for a cash sum of $18bn. There had already been rumors circulating that it was looking to buy a specialist audio brand, and French loudspeaker firm Focal, which also owns Naim Audio…

Show and tell RCA’s Bob Banks describes how stereo sound works and gives an insight into the direct precursor of the audio cassette in this glorious showreel taken from 1959, when the world seemed a more innocent place: vimeo.com/7450268 REL refresh REL acoustics has recently given its website an overhaul and aside from the beautiful images and details on products, it now has some excellent resources for speaker matching, room setup and an invaluable tool for comparing different loudspeakers to help you find the ideal match: rel.net Magnetic attraction The creators of MAG-LEV tell us we’re on the verge of a new era where zero gravity will be used to spin vinyl. The decidedly sci-fi ‘levitating turntable’ uses a series of magnets to “bring the feeling of zero gravity into…

DETAILS PRODUCT Bose Quiet Comfort 35 ORIGIN US/China TYPE Closed-back, overear active noisecancelling headphone WEIGHT 380g FEATURES • Quoted battery life: 20 hours • Bluetooth wireless • 1.2m cable • Storage case DISTRIBUTOR Bose UK TELEPHONE 0808 1688572 WEBSITE bose.co.uk As the brand that brought portable noise-cancelling headphones to our attention, Bose is quite possibly the first name many people will think of when it comes to headphones that shut out the hubbub of the world. The QC35 is the latest model in a long-running series of designs from the US brand. Cosmetically it looks similar to the preceding QC25, but the key difference is that the new model can also function wirelessly using Bluetooth connected to your portable device, although it’s not aptX capable (see box out). Bose is…

DETAILS PRODUCT Sony MDR-1000X ORIGIN Japan/China TYPE Closed-back, overear noise-cancelling headphone WEIGHT 275g FEATURES • Quoted battery life: 25 hours • AptX Bluetooth wireless • 1.5m cable • Storage case DISTRIBUTOR Sony Europe TELEPHONE` 0207 3652810 WEBSITE sony.co.uk Nobody could accuse Sony of lacking ambition when designing a headphone to compete in this sector. The MDR-1000X is an over-ear, closed-back design built around a pair of 40mm dynamic drivers. It is able to run as a conventional passive headphone via a 3.5mm input for which a cable is supplied, but can also be switched over to Bluetooth operation and is equipped with Sony’s LDAC system designed to boost the performance when required (see box out). Where Sony has really gone to town is with the noise cancelling. As well as…

THIS MONTH ED SELLEY EXPERTISE: REVIEWER Active in the industry since 1999, Ed’s first record was Boss Drum by The Shamen. He splits his time between reviewing and protecting hi-fikit from toddler son Will. NEVILLE ROBERTS EXPERTISE: ENGINEER Neville has an eclectic taste for classical baroque and jazz. His wife was forced to marry his transmission line speakers in the eighties and he collects BBC test card music . JASON KENNEDY EXPERTISE: REVIEWER Editor of HFC from 1998 to 2001, Jason’s first turntable was Rega’s Planar 3 and Elvis’ 40 Greatest Hits was his first vinyl, so don’t go stepping on his blue suede shoes. DAVID PRICE EXPERTISE: REVIEWER DP two-finger typed his first hi-fireview 25 years ago. Since then he’s edited Hi-Fi World and HFC. He describes himself as…

ALBUM OF THE MONTH Calais Sessions/Citizens UK Various artists The Calais Sessions ONE WEEKEND IN September 2015, a group of international musicians based in the UK visited the refugee and migrant camp in Calais known as The Jungle, their mission to find musicians in the camp with whom they could collaborate, write, perform and record. News of their arrival travelled fast around the camp. Within an hour, four Syrian musicians – two from London and two from the camp – had formed a group. A makeshift studio was set up to record by day and serve as a performance venue by night. Within 24 hours, the newly formed group had recorded The Lost Singer. Written and sung in a rich and evocative voice by a refugee tailor from Syria named…

PRICE: £2,500 TELEPHONE: 01480 447700 WEB: quad-hifi.co.uk REVIEWED: HFC 416 According to Quad’s design supremo Peter Comeau, the Z range from which this floorstander comes is about as close an approach to the ESL sound as you’re likely to find from a box with dynamic drivers. Key to this success is, of course, the ribbon tweeter, which is nearly twice the size of the one you’ll find in Quad’s S series. Completing the package are brand new Kevlar-weave bass and midrange drivers, re-engineered crossover networks, a more elaborate design of reflex port and those lovely enclosures with ‘boat back’ curves and sloping tops. Multiple layers of lacquer are applied over black, white or rosewood veneers, with each being hand polished to a sheen to give that stunning finish that has to be…

PRICE: £1,799 TELEPHONE: 0032 15 285585 WEB: totemacoustic.com REVIEWED: HFC 417 The disarmingly slim Sttaf goes against the norm of having an imposing stature, standing just 850mm high and weighing in at a comparatively featherweight 10kg. Nonetheless there’s clearly a painstaking amount of precision work that’s gone into the construction of this svelte speaker. This starts with the construction of the enclosure. The joints between the panels are made using traditional interlocking mitering methods for superior fit, strength and sealing. The box is stiffened by two cross braces and as it’s only minimally damped, the bottom can be mass loaded to aid stability – although Totem is of the opinion that it sounds better without. There are just the two drive units, a 25mm fabric dome tweeter and a 140mm mid/bass driver…

Singer/songwriter Jake Isaac might not yet be a familiar face, but his reputation within the music industry and burgeoning, loyal fanbase is set to rocket him to stardom – fuelled by the backing of his label, Virgin, and his management company, Elton John’s Rocket Music. Jake has already had two top-10 hits on iTunes, but it’s his live performances that are driving sales and building his following. He’s difficult to categorise, and at a time when so much chart-friendly music sounds so similar, it’s refreshing to note that his sound is startlingly original. “A&Rs always want to see you as the next Motown or whatever, and people don’t like it when they don’t know what to categorise your music as or compare you to. But as far as I’m concerned,…

DETAILS PRODUCT AKG N60NC ORIGIN Austria/China TYPE Closed-back, on-ear noise-cancelling headphone WEIGHT 150g FEATURES • Quoted battery life: 30 hours • Folding design • 1.2m cable • Storage case DISTRIBUTOR Harman Consumer UK TELEPHONE 0207 0845392 WEBSITE uk.akg.com This is the only headphone in the test that can reasonably be described as an on-ear design rather than an over-ear one, and is easily the most compact model here. The N60NC (the NC suffix standing for noise cancelling) has the smallest earpiece enclosures of the group, which on first inspection appear to be almost entirely covered by soft padding. This is one of only two noise-cancelling models in AKG’s lineup, although there are more in the Harman portfolio (see box out). The N60NC is a wired-only design that connects to your…

DETAILS PRODUCT PSB M4U 2 ORIGIN Canada/China TYPE Closed-back, overear noise-cancelling headphone WEIGHT 362g FEATURES • Quoted battery life: 55 hours • 1.5m cable • Carrying case DISTRIBUTOR Sevenoaks Sound & Vision TELEPHONE 01732 740944 WEBSITE psbspeakers.com This is the oldest design here and represents the Canadian brand’s first noise-cancelling headphone. The M4U 2 (‘music for you too’) is an over-ear design and is built around a pair of 40mm dynamic drivers mounted in a pair of closedback enclosures. The M4U 2 offers wired playback only with no Bluetooth, but there’s RoomFeel tech that promises to bring the experience closer to that of listening to a set of loudspeakers in your own living room. There are some other curiosities to the design too. Like others in the test, the active…

AS THIS IS first and foremost a test of noise-cancelling headphones, the PSB M4U 2 has some issues that simply can’t be ignored, which means it’s the first to fall. Its excellent passive performance is overshadowed by the overbearing active mode, which has to be on before the noise cancelling is engaged. By contrast, the small AKG N60NC is impressively capable at keeping the noise of outside world at bay. It’s compact size means that it’s usefully portable, but the overall sound quality isn’t quite up to the standards set by the very best models in the pack. Sony’s MDR-1000X does many things exceptionally well. The noise cancelling is extremely sophisticated, it’s comfortable to wear and the Bluetooth implementation is arguably the best of any headphone in the test. The…

Conveniently, you can count Denmark’s major speaker makers on the fingers of one hand. But while DALI, Dynaudio, Jamo and B&O could all rightly claim to be hi-fisavvy household names in the UK, you’re probably a little less familiar with Audiovector. I’m pretty sure the company’s home town of Copenhagen wouldn’t be quite such a wonderful place without it, though – not least for its highly unusual policy of making upgradeable speakers. Yes, you can send your base level standmount or tower back to the factory for a shot of material fettling so that when you unpack it for the second time, the déjà vu stops when the music starts and it sounds a whole lot better than before. It’s a service that says much about Audiovector’s desire to keep…

Anyone out there still buying CDs? I am – Yes Sir! Although my collection numbers around 20,000, I still keep buying. Crazy... But then, Collecting isn’t about logic or practicalities – it’s what you want (not what you need) that counts. In the past five or 10 years, the big record companies have produced some very tempting collected editions. Even better, the recordings are often remastered and re-packaged with original LP artwork. Examples are the complete Beatles, or maybe Pink Floyd’s Discovery box and classical sets like the Fritz Reiner and Charles Munch collections. Even if you have the recordings already, the chance to buy them again in a single complete edition is still hugely tempting – especially if the price is keen. There’s something comforting about having the complete…

W hat ever happened to the once-famous British valve industry? The story started in 1919 with the collapse of the Z Electric Lamp Company run by Captain Stanley R Mullard. The following year, he moved on to set up the Mullard Radio Valve Company Limited. In 1924, he sold half his shares on to NV Philips Gloeilampenfabriken of Eindhoven, Netherlands. This injection of capital allowed for the construction in Blackburn of what was to become the largest valve assembly works in the world. When the doors opened in 1938, the new site employed 28 staff. This grew to about 3,000 people by 1945 and by 1954 was capable of manufacturing 500,000 valves a day. At its peak in 1961, over 6,200 people were employed. Alas – due to the demise…

ATC SCM19A PRICE: £4,990 TELEPHONE: 01285 760683 WEB: atcloudspeakers.co.uk REVIEWED: HFC 413 The active version of ATC’s largest passive standmount (the SCM19 – HFC 390), the SCM19A comes with separate amplifiers optimised for each driver’s frequency band (32W to the tweeter and 150W to the mid/bass unit), with intermodulation distortion reduced by around 20dB due to the fact the dedicated amps operate over a narrower range. Meanwhile, the active filters give better roll-off characteristics and improve polar response to deliver a larger soundstage with precise stable imaging. Each enclosure weighs 31kg, which is not all down to the onboard amplification and heavy mid-bass driver. The braced, sealed and multi-layer laminated cabinets are superbly finished in cherry or black ash real-wood veneer and feel outstandingly sturdy. Sound quality Even if you’re familiar with…

PRICE: £1,995 TELEPHONE: 01323 843474 WEB: spendoraudio.com REVIEWED: HFC 413 A newly revised floorstander, the A5R is designed for medium-sized rooms where the larger dimensions of Spendor’s A6 prove just too intrusive. While it’s easy on the eye, closer inspection reveals it’s rather different to most of its floorstanding rivals in that it eschews the bass port. This is an infinite baffle design, which means there’s none of the time smearing of reflex-ported designs, while bass notes stop and start in a more natural way. The 2.5-way design sports three drive units. The bass has a cast magnesium allow chassis, high-efficiency motor system and optimised electro-dynamic damping. The 150mm polymer midrange crosses over to the Kevlar composite 150mm bass driver at 900Hz, while at the other end of the range – at…

ONE OF THE most common problems with Toslink cables is that the plugs can be a poor fit in the sockets of the equipment, if they are not good quality. This can result in end connectors not lining up properly with the optoelectronic devices in the component, resulting in an intermittent loss of signal. Also, low-quality fibre-optic wire is often used in cheap cables and this can be lossy and also prone to spurious internal reflections. All of this will cause imperfections in the transmitted digital data that will result in jitter, which the DAC has to correct. So the use of a good-quality digital optical cable is as important as the use of high quality-copper interconnects. Leema’s Reference 1 digital optical cable uses a 6mm diameter fibre-optic cable, which…

These pages are a must-read if you’re thinking about buying used kit, or if you have hi-fiyou want to sell. It’s free – simply submit your ad of up to 50 words (we will edit them if not), remembering to include your email, phone number and county. This service is open to private advertisers only. Just one ad per household. Images are for illustration only and do not represent what is for sale The simplest way to send your ad is via email to: letters@hifichoice.co.uk or mail: Reader Classified, Hi-Fi Choice magazine, AVTech Media Ltd, Suite 25, Eden House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6HF. FOR SALE THE CHORD COMPANY Epic twin single wire, terminated with BFA/4mm twin screw type plugs: 2x 3.5m, 2x 1.5m and 1x 2.5m lengths. The…

DETAILS PRODUCT Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7NC ORIGIN Japan/China TYPE Closed-back, overear noise-cancelling headphone WEIGHT 305g FEATURES • Quoted battery life: 30 hours • 2x 1.2m cables • Storage case DISTRIBUTOR Audio-Technica UK TELEPHONE 0113 2771441 WEBSITE eu.audio-technica.com Eagle-eyed readers will recognise the ATHMSR7NC. It’s true, this is not a ‘clean sheet’ design, and we reviewed its ATH-MSR7 sibling back in HFC 398 (see box out). The noise-cancelling version shares the same basic chassis design as its passive brother, as it too is built around a pair of 45mm dynamic drivers that are mounted in closed-back, over-ear enclosures. The drivers make use of Audio-Technica’s True Motion technology that is designed to aid sensitivity and help them move in a more controlled fashion. The noise-cancelling system is described as omnidirectional and has a single…

DETAILS PRODUCT Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless ORIGIN Germany/China TYPE Closed-back, overear noise-cancelling headphone WEIGHT 227g FEATURES • Quoted battery life: 30 hours • AptX Bluetooth wireless • 1.0m cable • Storage case DISTRIBUTOR Sennheiser UK` TELEPHONE 0333 2408185 WEBSITE sennheiser.com Headphones have come a long way in recent years and the PXC 550 Wireless appears to have been designed to offer almost every kind of feature you might realistically want from a portable model. The compact folding chassis is a closed-back, over-ear design that works as a conventional passive headphone via a 2.5mm analogue input for which Sennheiser supplies a choice of cables with and without an inline remote. Should you want to run without a connecting cable, it has aptX-capable Bluetooth to handle lossless audio to be transmitted from…

Looking more like a lighthouse than anything else, one glance at this extraordinary loudspeaker tells you that you’re going to hear something different. The HRS-130 is no higher or wider than many large floorstanders, but this octagonal cross-section speaker is heavy, strongly braced and seriously dense. The cabinet is lined with a high-mass damping material called Hawaphon that consists of a polymer sheet containing a matrix of small cells filled with fine steel shot. Apart from the twin binding posts, there is nothing to denote a front, back or sides and being omnidirectional, it should deliver the same performance in every direction. Build quality feels superlative with highly refined engineering meeting exquisite, hand-finished polished surfaces. Here we see the gloss piano black, but you can choose from an extensive list…

1967 PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN Syd Barrett dominates the only album he made with the Floyd, writing all the songs and taking lead vocals. The whimsical subject matter includes gnomes, scarecrows and bicycles as well as the space epics Astronomy Domine and Interstellar Overdrive. 1968 A SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS Despite losing Barrett, the ‘summer of love’ spirit infuses what might have been a difficult second album, but instead it turned into a triumph thanks to classics like Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun and Let There Be More Light. 1969 MORE The soundtrack to Barbet Schroeder’s Ibizan hippie film found Gilmour coming to the fore not just as a guitarist but also as lead singer. The highlight is Cirrus Minor, a perfect synthesis of the…

PRICE: £599 TELEPHONE: 01285 643088 WEB: elac.com REVIEWED: HFC 411 The entry-level floorstander in ELAC’s Debut lineup, the F5 is the work of British speaker wunderkind Andrew Jones – formerly of KEF and latterly of TAD. It’s a big box for the money and is not unattractive to look at. It employs the same family of bespoke designed drive units as the Debut B6 standmount (HFC 407), but runs as a true three-way loudspeaker. The two lower drivers work as woofers, wired in parallel, while the upper large driver is the mid/bass unit and on top of that is the tweeter. The F5 employs a bassreflex port to provide deeper low frequencies than you’d otherwise get from a cabinet of this size. This makes the speaker easier to drive, but also means…

PRICE: £299 TELEPHONE: 01236 420199 WEB: tannoy.com REVIEWED: HFC 415 Every now and then a product comes along offering a mixture of performance and price that are just too good to be true and you find yourself asking where’s the catch? Standing nearly a metre tall on its sturdy outrigger feet, with an internal volume of 26 litres and sporting three good-looking drive units, the Eclipse Three is a perfect example of such a phenomenon, but hard as we try, it’s difficult to figure out where corners have been cut. The slightly larger than usual 28mm woven polyester dome tweeter claims an impressive 32kHz frequency ceiling, while the brace of 127mm mid/bass drivers employ light and stiff coated enriched paper pulp cones. The spec rates system efficiency at 90dB, yet the Eclipse…

THE MARK ONE version of this interconnect has gained a great reputation since it was first launched a few years ago. There is not a great deal that can be said about the spec of the MKII version, mainly due to the fact that the company doesn’t publish any details about the design or materials used. The cable seems well made and is fitted with good-quality gold-plated RCA phono plugs. Also, MCRU will burn-in the cable prior to dispatch on its Nordost Vidar cable burner at no extra charge. Smooth as silk I connect the interconnects between my preamp and monoblocks and start listening to some guitar music with a recording of Gordon Giltrap’s El Greco. The Eclipse C MKII produces a very captivating and involving performance and the bass…