Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2019 i Hi-Fi Choice

The arrival of a complete ‘just add speakers’ system in the BluOS family is something of a no-brainer – after all, the lineup from Canadian parent company Lenbrook already includes the Bluesound range of servers, players and speakers, and the availability of BluOS-compatible amps and receivers from NAD. It would probably have been enough for NAD to fill this gap with a simple system closer to the Bluesound range than its upmarket Masters pre/power amps, but the company has a reputation for doing the unexpected, all the way back to its sector-defining 3020 amplifier of four decades ago. So the model it chose to launch is not just part of the Masters series, but also a thing of beauty and a remarkable piece of hi-fi in its own right. That’s…

IN-EAR HEADPHONES £340-£500 LISTENING TO MUSIC is a very personal experience, and it doesn’t get much more so than when wearing a pair of quality in-ear headphones. These tiny transducers provide an intimate listening environment that blocks out the world while on a daily commute or a motivational soundtrack for exercising perhaps. Hearing music this way can help with our sense of well-being, and it could be said that buying the right pair of headphones can also play their part in improving your quality of life. Headphones of all types have seen a steady rise in popularity over the last few years, as more of us move over to using smartphones for our music playback on the move. As we began to spend more on our smartphones and tablets, spending…

Compared with Grado’s extensive range of full-sized headphones, its in-ear lineup is small, but in the case of the GR10e beautifully formed. This is an evolution of the original GR10 and while the basic design remains unchanged, Grado has worked to make its impedance more suitable for use with portable devices along with an improved frequency response and reduced distortion. This is the only single driver in-ear in the group and it is also the only model to make use of a moving armature – in fact it is one of only a tiny number of designs we’ve seen anywhere to do so (see box out). This design has immediate implications, most notable of which is that it’s the smallest housing here by some way. It also does without some…

Part of Westone’s four-strong range of universal fit in-ear headphones, the W40 v2 is the next generation follow up to the visually similar W20 that we saw back in HFC 431. The v2 version introduces some changes to the voicing, cables and, perhaps most presciently, adds Bluetooth connectivity via a yoke that can be fitted instead of the standard cable (see box out). It employs four balanced armature drivers controlled by a three-way crossover. Interestingly – considering the relatively large driver complement – the W40 v2 offers the narrowest frequency response of the group quoted at 10Hz to 18kHz, which while not as wide as some, is beyond the reach of most people’s hearing. The enclosures are commendably small considering that they contain four drivers in each and they adopt…

Can a £39 insect make all your CD files sound better than Hi-Res? Yes and no: Using the same equipment and a quality DAC, a 24/96 file (for example) will always sound better than a CD 16/44.1 file … but, even a single JitterBug will often allow a CD file to be more musical and more emotionally stimulating than a Hi-Res file without the benefit of a JitterBug. Noise is the problem. Real noise—the kind you can’t hear directly. Most often, the word “noise” is used to describe tape hiss or a scratch on a record, but these sounds aren’t noise; they are properly reproduced sounds that we wish weren’t there. Problem noise is essentially random, resonant or parasitic energy, which has no meaning. It can’t be turned into discrete…

Unlike my esteemed colleague David Vivian (who’s Opinion page last month on not attending Munich’s High End show I’ve just finished reading), I did attend this year’s event (see Show Report p10) – indeed I’ve attended most of them since it relocated to Munich in 2004. By coincidence, I also own a Ford Fiesta ST – a car mentioned by David – so I guess that my own take on this year’s show really was meant to be. I don’t disagree with any of what David discussed. Much of the high-end sector has so little relevance to the sort of system we might set out to create in our own homes that it’s almost entirely removed from the more terrestrial processes we work to. Within it, though, are elements that…

Early on in the magnificent film Enter The Dragon, Bruce Lee exclaims to a young apprentice “Don’t think, feeeeel!” For the avoidance of doubt, Mr Lee was referring to the emotional state required to knock the stuffing out of your opponent with martial arts rather than anything pertaining to hi-fi, but within that gloriously over enunciated statement is something that is entirely relevant to the concept of Beautiful Systems. We seek out engineering integrity, technical wizardry and stunning aesthetics, but over and above these things we celebrate their ability to feel special and, by extension, to make you feel special using them. Often, this comes at a substantial price, and is easier to create when you have the budget. The system you see here, however, is notable because it has…

PREVENTING NOISE FROM entering the audio path of your system can be quite a challenge. The use of high-quality, screened coaxial interconnects can really help, but even these let very high-frequency noise in. To tackle this, Russ Andrews has introduced an in-line version of its popular MiniZap, which is an implementation of the company’s Zapperator technology (HFC 420). The original MiniZaps are highquality dissipative filters that absorb very high-frequency noise and, until now, were only available as an optional extra fitted to Kimber interconnect cables. The Inline RCA MiniZaps can be used with any make of interconnect. They come in the form of an inline adapted WBT plug and socket that’s designed to be fitted to either end of analogue or coaxial digital interconnects. The plug end of the modified…

This is the story of how a middle-sized Japanese company – Aiwa Co. Ltd. – took on the giants and won. It’s not quite David versus Goliath, but it does show how some very clever people were able to outdo the big guns in what was – in the late seventies – the most competitive field of consumer electronics: hi-fi stereo cassette players. Back then, turntables and cassette decks dominated the Japanese audio industry. The big name brands fielded their own products with varying degrees of success, but the market was healthy enough and demand high enough to allow smaller companies to compete. Often these came up with products from a modestly sized team of engineers that really caught the zeitgeist. In the mid-market, Aiwa did just this; although its…

Offering 2x 250W power output, the H390 has the same streaming platform as Hegel’s flagship H590 PRICE: £4,900 AVAILABLE: SEPTEMBER CONTACT: 0047 22605660 WEB: HEGEL.COM Norwegian brand Hegel has something of a reputation as a maker of outstanding power house integrated amplifier designs, and quite rightly so. After reviewing its £9,000 flagship H590 just a couple of issues ago in HFC 449, we're intrigued to hear of the introduction of the £4,900 H390 integrated streaming amplifier, announced at Munich’s High-End show held in May – see full Show Report starting on p10. Set to replace the H360 integrated amplifier when it arrives in early autumn, the H390 is said to offer a power output rated at 2x 250W, include the same streaming platform found in the top-of-the-range H590 and will…

PRICE: £TBC AVAILABLE: SUMMER CONTACT: 0333 2228777 WEB: TECHNICS.COM/UK Following Technics’ glorious return to hi-fi in 2016 with the reimagining of its iconic SL-1200G direct-drive turntable – reviewed in HFC 418 – and its more recent retro-feel Class D SU-G700 integrated amplifier – shown below and reviewed in HFC 427 – the Japanese giant continues to demonstrate its commitment to two-channel with the introduction of the Grand Class SL-G700 universal music player. Previewed at Berlin’s IFA show last year, the SL-G700 is built to take care of all of today’s digital media, combining a CD and SACD player as well as a network music player capable of handling hi-res files up to 32-bit/192kHz and access to music streaming services such as Qobuz and Tidal – with MQA support for Tidal…

Joining forces with custom in-ear specialist ACS for its M-EAR range (see box out), the 2D is the more affordable of Audiolab’s two models that also includes the flagship 4D, costing £700. As the name suggests, it is built around a pair of balanced armature drivers. These are placed in an enclosure that is made from silicone and shaped in what is called Intelligent Resonance In Silicone (IRIS). This uses the moulding process of the silicone to create specially adapted chambers for the armatures to maximise the performance they can provide. The enclosure also makes use of a system called Sound Stage Imaging that is intended to improve its ability to generate a meaningful stereo image. The top end sounds immediate and realistic with both guitars and vocals The structured…

As the flagship in-ear in Klipsch’s remarkably comprehensive range (see box out), the X20i uses a pair of balanced armatures to cover a wide (5Hz to 40kHz) frequency range – the company stresses that different configurations have been chosen to favour the spectrum they cover. The KG-926T is described as a “woofer” while the KG-125B is a “super tweeter”, but no information is given as to what point the drivers crossover. The Klipsch uses a pair of armatures and the internal volume they require is relatively low, but even taking this into account the housings are remarkably svelte. The bullet-shaped stainless-steel enclosure is sealed with a rubber section that outputs to the cable, and a copper splash – a Klipsch tradition – brightens up the slightly odd-looking design. This is…

THE PERFORMANCE LEVEL from this sub-£500 group is extremely high and each model demonstrates some virtues that might see you choosing it as your go-to headphone on the move. In the case of Grado’s GR10e, the sheer speed and immediacy it demonstrates combined with high comfort levels impresses, but the limited bass and parsimonious choice of accessories at the price are significant detractors. The Audiolab M-EAR 2D is a rather more talented all-rounder with a strong sonic flair, solid build and great isolation, but the fiddly cable arrangement and slightly merciless quality with poorer recordings means that you really need to try before you buy. The Audio-Technica ATH-CKR100iS and Westone W40 v2 rank joint third place. The Audio-Technica is comfortably the most affordable model here, but even so it delivers…

When introducing a valve amplifier to a hi-fi setup, something that is often automatically assumed is that the rest of the system will have to be adapted to fit around its low power output sensibilities. Many designs – particularly those at the more affordable end of the market – simply aren’t capable of generating the power output levels necessary to drive demanding loudspeakers. Although we’ve seen a number recently – such as Copland’s CTA408 and Icon Audio’s Stereo 40 MkIV (both reviewed last issue) – that challenge this thinking, typically valve amplifiers need to be paired with more sensitive loudspeakers to realise their full potential. But for every rule there is an exception and in this case it takes the form of the Cronus Magnum III from Rogue Audio. This…

Dedicated servers designed especially for audiophile music storage have taken off in popularity in recent years and despite a healthy degree of scepticism, there’s a strong argument for high-quality digital library storage. Founded in 2009, Innuos was one of the earliest arrivals in the sector and has been steadily improving and expanding its models to Mk3 status of late except, that is, for its flagship Statement priced from £9,800. The Zenith sits directly below this model and takes the same basic chassis as its more affordable HDD-equipped Zen series, but with upgraded components in the pursuit of higher performance. The drive options fitted to the Zenith are all solid state in order to reduce the amount of mechanical noise that’s present in the chassis – something that Innuos works further…

According to the United Nations, there are only 11 years left to prevent irreversible harm from climate change. “We are the last generation that can prevent irreparable damage to our planet,” warned the president of the General Assembly, adding that 2019 must be a year of climate action at all levels. Cheery stuff. And while the words “all levels” won’t grab the headlines or inspire the protests of a younger generation in the way that Dutch high schooler Greta Thunberg has, they do ask us to look around and consider each of our actions – and purchases – with new eyes. The enormity of such a statement and the role production and consumption has is difficult for me to comprehend. We’re all going to hold different opinions on this subject,…

Many people consider that portable music started in 1954 with the Regency TR-1 transistor radio, following the development of the transistor in 1947. Others argue it wasn’t until 1979, when Sony introduced its Walkman – the first truly personal cassette player that allowed people to play their music anywhere. But the truth is that a portable recorded music player was invented decades earlier. It was 1877 when Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and the first method of recording and playing back sound on a wax cylinder. Ten years later, Emile Berliner came up with the gramophone, moving away from bulky cylinders to flat discs or records. By the turn of the twentieth century, Eldridge Johnson founded the Victor Talking Machine Company, which quickly became a market leader in the production…

MADE FROM THE same materials as the Rumour X (HFC 447) but with heavier gauge conductors, the Odyssey X speaker cable is designed to bring more control, dynamics, definition and detail to a system. The original Odyssey was launched back in 1998 and designed to be very neutral sounding. It used PTFE as its dielectric material, but the Odyssey X instead opts for XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene). As with Chord’s Taylon dielectric, XLPE doesn’t suffer from the same phase issues as PTFE and can be produced at a lower cost. The X factor The Odyssey X is unscreened with a white PVC outer jacket and diameter of 8mm. The conductors are made from 12 AWG silver-plated oxygenfree copper and though the Odyssey is 2mm thicker than the Rumour X, it is…

PRICE: £11,000-£18,360 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 01622 721444 WEB: CHORDELECTRONICS.CO.UK SHOWCASED AT MUNICH’S High End event last month – see full show report starting on p10 – Chord Electronics has unveiled two mono power amplifiers that utilise the company’s Ultima technology, which first appeared in its flagship mono power amplifier design launched last year. The Ultima 2 and Ultima 3 – priced respectively at £18,360 and £11,000 each – are both smaller mono power amp designs featuring trickle-down tech from the £30k flagship that’s claimed to be one of the world’s most advanced amplifier topologies. Rated at 750W and 480W respectively, the Ultimas use 32 proprietary MOSFET power devices inside an aluminium casework and come fitted with balanced and unbalanced connections and high-quality loudspeaker terminals.…

THE 15TH MUNICH High End show took place from 9 to 12 May and its scope once again confirmed its reputation as the leading global audio event for both the industry and audiophiles alike. As well as new arrivals from the ultra high end (of which there were plenty), there was also a considerable amount of products announced at real-world prices. The effective layout of the MOC exhibition centre attracted 551 exhibitors to this year’s four-day event and saw an impressive 21,180 visitors to its spacious lower halls with products on display in booth and stand setups, while the upper levels offered dedicated demo rooms. With plenty of new products on show, there wasn’t an obvious direction to this year’s showcase, but some patterns emerged. Integrated amplifier designs continue to…

IN-EAR HEADPHONES GROUP TEST THE MOST IMPORTANT aspect of testing a group of in-ear headphones is setting the listening level. But before this can take place and any critical listening is undertaken, the six models are run-in for a minimum of 12 hours. To set the listening level, an earpiece from each model is secured in turn into a small measuring funnel and the output is measured using an SPL meter while playing a pink noise track to establish a similar baseline level for each model. With this done, an Innuos Zenith Mk3 Server (reviewed on p56) is used in Roon Core mode (HFC 448) to send material to a Chord Electronics Mojo headphone amp/DAC (HFC 405) and Poly wireless network streamer (HFC 431) running as a Roon endpoint. No upsampling…

As the flagship model from Audio-Technica’s domestic range of in-ears – its ATH-E70 costs more, but is a pro offering – the ATH-CKR100iS is unique here as the only model to use dynamic drivers – employing a pair of 13mm units in opposed arrangement fitted to each housing (see box out). The use of dynamic drivers doesn’t seem to have any effect on the claimed frequency response of 5Hz to 45kHz, which is extremely competitive in the context of the rest of the group and earns it hi-res certification. The driver housings are made from titanium to reduce resonance and each one features a detachable cable using Audio-Technica’s own A2DC connector, meaning that aftermarket options with balanced connectors can be employed. The supplied cable is star grounded to reduce noise…

Of all the brands tested, Oriveti is by far the newest. Formed as recently as 2015, our first experience with the company came from the New Primacy (featuring in a Group Test in HFC 431). This has since been replaced by two newer models: the OH300 and the more pricey OH500 you see before you. As befits the most expensive model in the group, the OH500 also boasts the most complex driver arrangement. Four Knowles balanced armatures are used in each enclosure, with a pair employed for the midrange and a pair for treble, although no clues are given about what the crossover point is. These are supported by an 8mm dynamic driver that handles bass response. Oriveti makes no claims of an extended frequency response, quoting a more ‘normal’…

Musical Fidelity has undergone a reinvigoration since the brand’s move to Austrian ownership last year, and we’ve seen several HFC badge-winning components during this time. The M6 Vinyl, however, was originally designed prior to the company’s takeover and the multiinput phono stage can accommodate a wide range of both moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges. The specification is extremely comprehensive – even judged by the standards of similar designs at the price (see How It Compares) – and the phono stage circuitry is based around Musical Fidelity’s own RIAA correction. The circuit is balanced and can be output over either RCA or XLR connections. This is partnered with seven dedicated power supply circuits, each tailored to cater for specific parts of the phono stage’s functionality while star grounding is employed to keep…

Ohio-based SVS is best known for its subwoofers, however the company also makes full-range stereo speakers, and recently entered the increasingly competitive market for wireless and multi-room options with its Prime Wireless Speaker System. Available with either a gloss black or white finish, the Prime Wireless looks fairly conventional at first glance, with a resolutely rectangular design adorned only by the small control panel on the right-hand active speaker. This also houses the power supply and amplifiers for its passive partner, making it slightly deeper. Each speaker houses two drivers – a 25mm aluminium tweeter and 114mm polypropylene mid/bass – while the active cabinet boasts four Class D amps claiming a total of 200W output. The frequency response is quoted at 52Hz-25kHz and there’s a port around the back to…

It wasn’t that long ago that I learnt that two of the hi-fi world’s great brands – Denon and Marantz – were merging. It was a surprise, as I hadn’t thought of them as having a natural synergy. In Japan at least, Denon had a ‘pro audio’ background, with its early products being stalwarts of broadcast studios. Meanwhile, Marantz was historically an American high-end tube brand, that had moved into warm sounding solid state and latterly made its name in affordable digital sources. Still, the two companies merged quite successfully, with each focusing on its own speciality and keeping its scooters off the other’s lawn, so to speak. A year or so ago, I was sitting in an EISA presentation in Antwerp, being told of the merger of the Onkyo…

Like a rock and roll equivalent of last year’s centenary of the end of the Second World War, the 50th anniversary of Woodstock this August is an occasion ripe for reflection. I don’t want to put a downer on your celebrations as you don your old kaftan, but the sad and inevitable truth is that the old rock gods of the sixties who changed the world are all now gone or fading fast and we are at the final frontier of a unique and magical era. The 50th anniversary of Woodstock is being marked by the release of a 38-disc boxset, featuring full performances of every act who played at the historic festival. Its 432 tracks dwarf the 21 cherry-picked songs on the original triple-vinyl album that was released after…

When you’re hot, you’re hot is perhaps the oldest cliché in the music business – but by 1982 Quincy Jones was scorching. Booked to produce Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the scheduled start date for the sessions had to be postponed while he finished making an album with Donna Summer. Once work had begun on Jackson’s album, recording had to stop again so Jones could cut a record with Paul McCartney. Then Steven Spielberg called and gave him a month to record the soundtrack to the movie ET, while Frank Sinatra was also waiting in the wings. With his production skills in such demand, at times Jones spent days on end in the studio without sleep. “Yeah, but that’s where the creative stuff comes in, the unconscious mind,” he said. “You do…

Unlike a CD player or a streamer, the turntable is not a plug-and-play device. To get the very best from it, great care needs to be taken to ensure that it is correctly set up. Happily, this is not as difficult as you might imagine and there is a wide selection of inexpensive accessories available to help. Before considering any form of adjustment, it is important to make sure the record player itself is level. The stylus is held in the groove entirely by gravitational force, and any imbalance means the downward force on it is not exactly perpendicular to the disc. On the level Many turntables are fitted with adjustable feet and levelling is easily done using a spirit level. Place the level on the platter, to allow any…

AS ONE OF the biggest makers of turntables, it might seem ironic that Pro-Ject has decided to turn its attention to making CD players. The CD Box S2 is the smallest model in the range and uses casework that matches its MaiA S2 integrated amplifier and measures just 205 x 37 x 155mm (WxHxD). Internally, it mates a slot-loading CD mechanism with a Texas Instruments PCM5102A DAC. Where things get interesting is the nature of how it gets information off the disc and into the DAC. Instead of relying on a servo mechanism, a bespoke ‘mini computer’ is used to read the CD in 1:1 format (rather than the ‘burst’ process the drive would likely perform naturally). This is read into a memory and any corrections made prior to decoding.…

For sale / Wanted www.hifichoice.co.uk These pages are a must-read if you’re thinking about buying used kit, or if you have hi-fi you want to sell. It’s free – simply submit your ad with no more than 50 words (we reserve the right to edit it if not), remembering to include your email, phone number and county. Simply email your ad to: letters@hifichoice.co.uk. This service is open to private advertisers only. Just one ad per household and please note that images are for illustration only and do not represent what is for sale. FOR SALE ACOUSTIC ENERGY AE109 speakers in a walnut finish, used for 24 hours, excellent condition, £300. Collection only: 01745 822992 (North Wales). MONITOR AUDIO A100 amplifier, unused, black, £150. Ariand FV34B valve integrated amplifier with pre-in,…