Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £1,299/£950 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 01235 511166 WEB: HENLEYDESIGNS.CO.UK LAUNCHED IN EARLY 2015, Pro-Ject’s 2 Xperience SB design proved to be very popular (we reviewed the DC version in HFC 397 and gave it five stars). Now comes the 2 Xperience SB S-Shape (pictured). The new turntable has the same features as its predecessor, but adds an s-shaped tonearm made from an aluminium alloy with high internal damping properties and a detachable headshell. A wide variety of Pro-Ject and Ortofon headshells are said to be compatible. Also joining the 2 Xperience fold is the 2 Xperience Acryl, which replaces the Xperience 2 Pack (HFC 345). Featuring the same acoustically inert clear acrylic plinth, it comes with a 9cc Evolution carbon fibre tonearm and Ortofon 2M silver moving-magnet cartridge. It also…

PRICE: £1,500 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 0118 9814238 WEB: SOUNDFOWNDATIONS.CO.UK WHILE BRANDED AS a valve amplifier, Fosgate’s Signature headphone amplifier is actually a hybrid design that incorporates both valves and solid-state electronics. With a pair of 12AX7 dual-triode valves in a low-distortion series regulated push-pull configuration in the input/driver stage, the Signature features special buffers to provide a pure audio path and drive headphones directly. A patented bass boost equaliser circuit is claimed to improve low-frequency bass impact without adding boom or muddiness and there are three choices of settings, enabling a more tailored sound depending on the headphones used. A surround sound function has been included to add more spaciousness to headphone listening, while a patented Panorama Control circuit applies an out of phase cross blend to move the dimensional…

Yamaha’s development of MusicCast has taken a different path to many rival systems. While at its heart, it uses a home network to distribute audio around the house (it does so on your own network rather than using a MESH network like Sonos), the difference between it and most rivals is that MusicCast is a much more two-way street in terms of where audio comes from and how it is used. A MusicCast-equipped product can access music over network as well as internet radio and streaming services, but can also send other material to other devices in the system. This can be as simple as pairing a small speaker to mimic what your main room is doing at the time, but in the case of a product like the MCR-N870D…

SOME PEOPLE ASSUME that standmount (or bookshelf) speakers are just a stepping stone on the path to ‘proper’, full-range floorstanders and therefore designed for convenience and flexibility rather than nth degree of listening pleasure. That might be the case in wireless world, but not here. For this mildly hedonistic half dozen of audiophilegrade thoroughbreds, absolute sonic ascendancy is the name of the game. Anything that converts one form of energy (ie electrical) to another (mechanical) has its job cut out. Factor in the physics such as internal cabinet volumes and material construction plus electronic factors like impedance and the number of variables that can affect performance is quite considerable. Add to this a speaker’s interaction with a listening room, and installation care (as outlined on p20) is required to get…

DETAILS PRODUCT Monitor Audio Silver 2 ORIGIN UK/China TYPE 2-way standmount WEIGHT 9.7kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 230 x 375 x 335mm FEATURES ● 25mm C-CAM tweeter ● 203mm RST mid/bass driver ● Quoted sensitivity: 88dB/1W/1m DISTRIBUTOR Monitor Audio Ltd TELEPHONE 01268 740580 WEBSITE monitoraudio.co.uk There’s no great mystery to Monitor Audio’s Silver 2. It isn’t a small speaker trying to sound like a big one. On the contrary, it’s about as big as you’d want a standmount to be without it starting to look a bit silly, which makes it comfortably the biggest and heaviest in the group. But then that allows it to have the largest mid/bass driver – a comparatively whopping 200mm in diameter, or almost twice as large as the DALI Menuet’s. It’s conventionally slab-sided, too, eschewing the…

DETAILS PRODUCT Arcam FMJ SR250 ORIGIN UK/China TYPE Two-channel receiver WEIGHT 15.1kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 433 x 171 x 425mm FEATURES ● Quoted power output: 2x 90W (8ohm) ● Cirrus Logic CS42528 DAC ● Inputs: 4x coaxial; 2x optical; USB; 7x HDMI; 6x RCA DISTRIBUTOR Arcam WEBSITE arcam.co.uk There’s something I like to do with my hi-fi when no one’s around, but I’m rather reticent to say. Yes, that’s right, I like watching movies through my prized stereo system! I’m not into surround sound of course – which just isn’t the done thing for all us stereo-types – but I do stand my loudspeakers either side of my TV. Then, every now and again, I break out my Blu-ray player and pipe it through my DAC and amplifier, then out through…

So many things in life seem to go in cycles. Things come into fashion are the flavour of the month for a bit and just as quickly disappear from view, only to come back again perhaps under another name some decades later. I always like to consider myself a smart dresser and was considered by many to be one of the best dressed men of 1969. The problem is that was in 2008. The turn of the last century saw the introduction of recorded music in the form of phonograph cylinders and later 78rpm shellac records. Technology moved on and shellac was replaced by vinyl, resulting in a significant improvement in quality. The speed was reduced to 33rpm, which meant an increase in the length of recorded audio. By the…

It all started with a single sentence. In my recent review of the Audio-Technica AT-LP5 (HFC 405), I noted that beyond the already impressive performance, the basic design of the deck seemed far more amenable to upgrades than might usually be the case for a relatively affordable model. Such is the schedule of reviewing products, it is usually impossible to act on these thoughts but a gap between incoming turntables and some parts to hand got me thinking about how the already good LP5 can be improved by anyone seeking to squeeze even more out of the deck. First up, the cartridge. The AT95Ex is a big step up over the basic AT95E, but not the last word in analogue performance. Thanks to the use of a detachable headshell on…

Founded by Brian Couzens in the mid seventies, Chandos’ first recordings were initially licensed to RCA Red Seal. Progress was steady rather than spectacular, but by the early eighties it was independent and, like many small classical British labels, was repertoire-led rather than artist-led. It specialised in slightly off the beaten track music that the more mainstream companies did not cover – such as music by British composers. It was the introduction of the compact disc in March 1983 that really helped put Chandos on the map. Unlike some of the more established labels like EMI and Lyrita, it was quick to embrace the new format. With new digital recordings of the Bax and Vaughan-Williams symphonies, it caught the mood of classical collectors worldwide. Estonian conductor Neeme Jarvi (unknown before…

It’s a terrible tragedy that so much wonderful music written in the first-half of the 20th century is overlooked or completely forgotten. This profoundly moving 90-minute choral work by John Foulds, written in 1923, is a case in point. It was composed to honour the memory of those killed in the Great War and was often performed on Armistice day. That Chandos issued a recording of it (from a 2007 performance in the Royal Albert Hall) on SACD is something to be hugely grateful for. It is an important addition to the catalogue, and the performance is unlikely to be bettered. The work, by turns mystical and energetic, impresses with a combination of fervent drama and quiet sincerity. The forces called for – large orchestra and chorus with soloists –…

The value of a life cannot be measured in column inches, but the sheer volume of the tributes paid to David Bowie and the breadth, depth and weight of the assessments of his cultural legacy across every serious media platform represented eloquent testament to the loss of an artist whose rare genius changed our world. Newspapers such as The Times produced wrap-around souvenir editions, which devoted more space to Bowie’s demise than they had done to Margaret Thatcher on her death two years earlier. There were a handful of crusty letters from those who grew up in a pre-rock’n’roll age, and who dismissed his art as “just pop music” and complained that his death did not warrant such saturation coverage. But there were few under the age of 70 who…

PRICE: £60 TELEPHONE: 03456 049049 WEBSITE: johnlewis.com DETAILS PRODUCT John Lewis Spectrum Duo ORIGIN China WEIGHT 932g DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 260 x 160 x 90mm FEATURES Quoted power output: 2x 5W; 2x 3.5in driver; DAB, DAB+, FM tuners; Bluetooth with NFC DISTRIBUTOR John Lewis AVAILABLE IN A selection of chromatically intense colours (including berry, teal, spearmint and olive) the Spectrum Duo certainly makes a splash visually. It’s finished in a soft-touch rubberised material that gives it a contemporary vibe, matched by the funky circular plug and micro-USB mains adapter (it can also run off four C batteries, but there’s no mention of battery life). Portability is not an issue as, unlike Pure’s One Maxi, a handle is provided, and it weighs under a kilo. Like the Maxi it has its controls…

“You’d expect the Jedi of jazz to be on the side of the angels, but Jamie Cullum is no stranger to the dark side. As a child, one of the first songs he heard was AC/DC’s Highway To Hell and his brother later introduced him to heavy metal legends Iron Maiden and Slayer. And of course, Jamie is married to child author Roald Dahl’s granddaughter, Sophie – and you couldn’t accuse Dahl’s books of lacking an edge. It turns out, though, that the only horns Jamie’s likely to come into contact with are on tracks such as Duke Ellington’s Boy Meets Horn – although he did perform a “killer” live version of Highway To Hell with his brother before they were both 10. “My brother and I were learning the…

PRICE: AROUND $4,000 AVAILABLE: SUMMER CONTACT: 0333 2228777 WEB: TECHNICS.COM/UK ADORED BY HI-FI fans and DJs alike around the world, it was a sad day in 2010 when Technics finally announced that it would cease production of its iconic SL-1200 direct-drive turntable due to dwindling vinyl sales and the rise of more practical music formats. The SL-1200 was originally built for hi-fi fans when it launched in 1972, but its consistent performance, robust build and unique pitch-shifting ability made it the go-to deck for many DJs, who managed to prolong the deck's life long after many hi-fi fans had sold their record collections to car boot sales. Even so, its departure from the market was a surprise and perhaps even a little premature given the growing interest we've seen in…

DETAILS PRODUCT DALI Menuet ORIGIN Denmark/China TYPE 2-way standmount loudspeaker WEIGHT 4.1kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 150 x 250 x 230mm FEATURES ● 28mm soft dome tweeter ● 114mm wood fibre mid/bass driver ● Quoted sensitivity: 86dB/1W/1m DISTRIBUTOR DALI UK Ltd TELEPHONE 0845 6443537 WEBSITE dali-uk.co.uk Comparatively tiny but finely crafted, the Menuet stands out in this group not just for taking the small is beautiful thing to heart but also by wearing the most expensive price tag. While undeniably cute, it doesn’t look very much speaker for the money, so it has a lot to prove. The first sign that all might not be quite as it seems comes when you lift one of the glossy, elegantly curved enclosures. These are nuggety little beasts, weighing an improbable 4kg apiece. They seem…

DETAILS PRODUCT Quad S-2 ORIGIN UK/China TYPE 2-way standmount loudspeaker WEIGHT 6.1kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 180 x 330 x 290mm FEATURES ● 12 x 45mm True Ribbon tweeter ● 125mm Kevlar weave mid/bass driver ● Quoted sensitivity: 87dB/1W/1m DISTRIBUTOR Quad Electroacoustics Ltd TELEPHONE 01480 447700 WEBSITE quad-hifi.co.uk The sum of the Quad S-2’s attributes going into this test aren’t to be underestimated. The reputation of the brand, forged on the lineage of its original and continuing electrostatic designs, is second to none. Voicing considerations aside, it’s essentially a scaled-up S-1 (HFC 404) and, on paper, that’s no bad thing. The S-2 is 45mm taller, 24mm wider, 20mm deeper, weighs 900g more and has a 125mm Kevlar weave mid/bass driver as opposed to the S-1’s 100mm unit. Enclosure volume swells from 8.1…

DETAILS PRODUCT Cyrus Phono Signature ORIGIN UK TYPE MM & MC phono stage WEIGHT 4.1kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 215 x 73 x 360mm FEATURES ● Four phono inputs ● Each input configurable for MM and MC loading ● RCA and XLR outputs DISTRIBUTOR Cyrus Audio TELEPHONE 01480 410900 WEBSITE cyrusaudio.com Not so long ago, Cyrus looked like it was on the cusp of closing the ‘analogue window’ of its products altogether. With DACs and streamers doing a fine job doubling as preamps and a healthy collection of power amps, it seemed it had lost interest in analogue connections. But the boom in vinyl has caused the Huntingdon-based company to revisit its roots and look at making a vinyl preamp once again some years after its last phono stage ceased production, and…

DETAILS PRODUCT Myryad Z40 ORIGIN UK/China TYPE Headphone amplifier WEIGHT 2.6kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 215 x 56 x 228mm FEATURES ● 4x RCA line inputs ● 2x 6.35mm headphone sockets ● Class A operation ● Pre out DISTRIBUTOR Armour Home TELEPHONE 01279 501111 WEBSITE myryad.co.uk Alongside the vinyl boom, the growth in headphone sales has been one of the big drivers for the audio industry in recent years. As well as headphones themselves, their supporting ancillaries have been on the up, and the latest manufacturer to join the fray is Myryad with the Z40 headphone amplifier. As part of the Z Mini series, the Z40 is a half-width component representing Myryad’s entry level but with the functionality that matches its full-size components. Like its larger sibling it also sports the ‘DC5’…

Life just creeps up on you. Changes that, looked back at decades later, seem quite profound are often unnoticeable as they happen, being hidden in plain sight. Ageing is one such example, and our collective experience of technology is another. Think back to how our lives were two decades ago. Most of us would still think of it as recent history – we were driving around in sophisticated, aerodynamic, fuel-injected cars, writing our letters on expensive computers and enjoying high-quality colour TV broadcasts. Yet in some other ways things were so radically different that it might as well have been the fifties. Back in 1996 HI-FI fans only had access to magazines, and a few dog-eared old yearbooks we’d find at car boot sales. If you wanted to know something…

What is the point of music awards? The question arises because we are now well into the annual season of gratuitous backslapping and mutual self-congratulation. We recently had the BBC’s Sound of 2016, won by Jack Garratt, and the Golden Globes, at which Sam Smith won best movie song for Writing’s On The Wall. Then came the bloated Grammys hosted by LL Cool J, which seem to work on the principle that everyone deserves a gold star, despite the number of winners having recently been cut from 109 categories to a lean and mean 78. A week or so later Ant and Dec host the banal charade that is the Brit awards. Four days after that come the Oscars, where Lady Gaga, Wiz Khalifa, Ellie Goulding, Sia and The Weeknd…

The decision to record the fourth of Arnold Bax’s seven symphonies was a shrewd one, given that there was no other recording in the catalogue – save for one long-deleted version with Vernon Handley conducting an amateur orchestra. Specialist label Lyrita had recorded six of Bax’s symphonies, but not the fourth. So Chandos had the field all to itself and the recording went on to win a Gramophone award and garnered good sales figures, encouraging Chandos to record the other Bax symphonies with Thompson. With its wide dynamic extremes and mix of crisp throaty brass and recessed shimmering strings, Bax 4 showcased the ‘Chandos sound’ perfectly, and became a soughtafter HI-FI demonstration LP. When issued on CD, it proved even more popular, and served to highlight many of the benefits…

PRICE: £85 TELEPHONE: 0845 1489001 WEBSITE: pure.com DETAILS PRODUCT Pure One Maxi Series 3 ORIGIN China WEIGHT 1.37kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 275 x 160 x 83mm FEATURES Quoted power output: 2x 2.8W; 2x 3in drivers; bass port; DAB, DAB+, FM tuners DISTRIBUTOR Pure AT 275MM WIDE and weighing 1.37kg, the Pure One Maxi is a sizeable presence on your kitchen tabletop. Available in a rather dull grey and fashioned from a hard plastic it’s durable, but doesn’t have the design finesse associated with other Pure DABs like the Evoke and Pop ranges. The lack of a carry handle looks like a cost-cutting move, especially since it can be mains or battery powered – six AAs claim to give 13 hours play or a Pure ChargePak D1 (£35) claims 15 hours. There…

PRICE: £65 TELEPHONE: 0207 3652810 WEBSITE: sony.co.uk DETAILS PRODUCT Sony XDR-P1DBP ORIGIN China WEIGHT 170g DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 115 x 57 x 25mm FEATURES Quoted power output: 1.5W; 45mm driver; DAB, DAB+, FM tuners DISTRIBUTOR Sony THE SIX PRINTED manuals that come with the XDR-P1DBP take up more space than the radio itself, which looks deceptively bigger online. Its price tag nonetheless pitches this dinky Sony firmly up against the larger models here. It may be no bigger than the original iPod, but its mostly white styling reeks of classic Sony radio – with function taking precedence over form. In other words, the unit is pocket-sized but the buttons and controls (with one exception) aren’t compromised for the sake of design. There are three quick access ‘favourites’ buttons on top (with…

IT’S A FACT of life that many of our roads are congested with an ever-growing volume of vehicles using them. Inevitably, traffic slows and accidents do happen with vehicles sometimes arriving at their destination in a different condition to when they started out. The same is true for the data packets moving around our computer networks. This data, which ranges from computer traffic to audio and video files can also become ‘misshapen’. Audiophiles are becoming increasingly aware that improving the quality of interconnects and mains cables can result in sonic benefits. This also holds true for digital data, especially when it is jostling for space along with other information on a network. This data is subject to the effects of interference and bandwidth limitations that can distort the sharp edges…

HAILING FROM TOKYO’S Excel Sound Corporation, Hana is the new name in mid-priced moving coil cartridges. The Japanese brand has been in the audio business for 40 years and is behind a lot of well-known cartridges, although the specific models are actually a well-guarded secret. The S Range is Hana’s highperformance series consisting of two models – a low output Hana-SL and a high output Hana-SH, both at the same price. Apart from the output level and impedance, the two models are identical. So why produce a high-output version of a moving coil cartridge that typically has a low output? The advantage is that it can be connected directly to a phono stage that has been designed for moving-magnet cartridges and so no step-up transformer (SUT) or impedance-matching amplifier is…

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 of up to 50 words (we will edit them if not), remembering to include your email, phone number and county. The simplest way to send your ad is via email to: letters@hifichoice.co.uk or mail: Reader Classified, HI-FI Choice, AVTech Media Ltd, Enterprise House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6HF. 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 FOR SALE SYSTEMDEK 920 Audio-Technica AT1130 tonearm. Excellent sounding: £250: 0772 9620621 (Evesham). ROTEL RB-1080 power amp x2 £800 ono. RC-1090 preamp £500 ono. RCD CD player £300 ono.…

Computer Audio Design has unveiled a refit to its CAD 1543 DAC that now uses proprietary EMI/RFI reduction material, improved circuit boards and refined power supply filtering. The new CAD 1543 MKII retains the key technologies that have made its predecessor popular – namely its use of vintage resistor-ladder DAC chipsets and the removal of the standard digital interpolation filter – and the maker claims that the result is an open and boundless soundstage. The aforementioned resistor-ladder converter chip – the Philips TDA1543/N2 with its 16 selected devices – is now mounted on a revised four-layer circuit board and as well as claiming minimal intrinsic noise, CAD states it allows a native resolution of 192kHz PCM audio. The minimalist design has limited switches and connectors between mains plugs and output…

DETAILS PRODUCT Yamaha MCR-N870D ORIGIN Electronics: Japan/China Loudspeakers: Japan/Indonesia TYPE Music system with multi-room WEIGHT CD-NT670D: 2.9kg A-U670: 3.3kg NS-BP401: 5.9 each DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) CD-NT670D: 314 x 70 x 338mm A-U670: 314 x 70 x 342mm NS-BP401: 176 x 310 x 327mm FEATURES ● 24-bit/192kHz media streamer ● DSD-capable USB ● Quoted power output: 2x 70W DISTRIBUTOR Yamaha UK TELEPHONE 01908 366700 WEBSITE uk.yamaha.com/en These are curious times for two-channel audio. On one hand, we have vinyl staging a comeback that makes Lazarus look half hearted. On the other, we have the integration of streaming services and home networking pushing audio into new forms with a series of products taking advantage of it. At first glance, Yamaha’s MCR-N870D system looks like it is part of the ‘old guard’ of conventional…

Hi-Fi Choice employs the most rigorous test and measurement regime in the business. Here’s how we do it... STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKER GROUP TEST FOR A SPEAKER to give its best it’s essential that it’s properly run in. No speaker, however expensive or exotically engineered, performs optimally fresh from the box. All six standmount models here arrive with at least 100 hours on the clock and are treated to another couple of days running with varied source material to acclimatise in situ. Additionally, each pair of speakers and the system electronics are thoroughly warmed up before critical listening commences. Auditioning is done in the smaller of David’s listening rooms which is L-shaped and furnished and carpeted to give a quite dry and well-damped acoustic character with minimal ‘second venue’ contribution. Over the…

DETAILS PRODUCT KEF R100 ORIGIN UK/China TYPE 2-way standmount loudspeaker WEIGHT 6.6kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 180 x 280 x 289mm FEATURES ● Uni-Q driver: 25mm tweeter with 130mm mid/bass ● Selectable built-in bi-wire links ● Quoted sensitivity: 86dB/1W/1m DISTRIBUTOR GP Acoustics (UK) Ltd TELEPHONE 01622 672261 WEBSITE kef.com/gb The smaller of the two standmount models in KEF’s mid-point ‘R’ series line up, this is a design that’s been around for a few years now, though you’d never guess from appearances. It looks as fresh and high tech as it did back in 2012. Part of the appeal is its simplicity. Bang in the middle of the baffle sits one of the most distinctive and attractive drivers you’ll see on any speaker. It consists of a 25mm aluminium dome tweeter placed in…

DETAILS PRODUCT Quadral Chromium Style 2 ORIGIN Germany TYPE 2-way standmount loudspeaker WEIGHT 5.7kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 176 x 309 x 268mm FEATURES ● Folded aluminium ribbon tweeter ● 155mm titaniumcoated polypropylene mid/bass driver ● Quoted sensitivity: 86dB/1W/1m DISTRIBUTOR NuNu Distribution TELEPHONE 0203 5442338 WEBSITE quadral.com/en/ It might be a name we’re not too familiar with here in the UK, but Quadral is big on the international scene with a vast range of model lines catering for more or less every pocket. The Chromium Style range wants us to be as snared by its appearance as its sound and, to this end, combines elegantly curved cabinets (toting a fab, hand-polished black gloss finish for our standmount Style 2 model) with flash-looking aluminium drive units, including a very vorsprung durch technik ribbon…

DETAILS PRODUCT Hegel HD30 ORIGIN Norway TYPE DAC/digital preamp WEIGHT 6.5kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) 430 x 100 x 310mm FEATURES ● Dual mono 32-bit/192kHz sigma-delta DAC ● DSD64/128 playback ● Inputs: 3x optical; coaxial; USB; Ethernet; BNC; AES/EBU ● Analogue outputs: RCA; balanced XLR DISTRIBUTOR Hegel Music Systems TELEPHONE +47 22 605660 WEBSITE hegel.com Norwegian brand Hegel has many years experience in implementing DAC technology, both within its highly regarded integrated amps and standalone digital converters. So the advent of a new ‘reference DAC’ has many eager to hear more. In an era of DACs becoming smaller and more portable for a new generation of headphone users, it’s refreshing to see Hegel buck this trend and produce a full-width option that unashamedly seeks to put audio quality first. The Norwegian company…

DETAILS PRODUCT MunroSonic EGG150 ORIGIN UK TYPE 2-way active near/mid-field monitor with external amp and Class A headphone amp WEIGHT Speaker: 5.9kg each Amp: 9.3kg DIMENSIONS (WxHxD) Speaker: 300 x 381 x 254mm Amp: 439 x 120 x 335mm FEATURES ● 25mm silk dome tweeter ● 165mm mid/bass driver ● Quoted power output: 2x 100W DISTRIBUTOR MunroSonic TELEPHONE 0845 5002500 WEBSITE munrosonic.com In my review of the remarkable EGG100 near-field monitoring system (HFC 403), I mentioned that it was essentially a scaled-down, simplified version of the EGG150. Well, here it is and if, from appearances, you’re tempted to think twice the size, twice the power and twice the price, you won’t be far wide of the mark. There are a few other enhancements, but more on that later. As before,…

Ah, the eighties. Stacked separates, the Compact Disc, auto-reverse, dayglo power level indicators, forward search, home taping is killing music, the upright turntable... Until recently, the only genuine survivor in that list – having turned out to be more durable than we all expected – is the CD. However, with downloads and streaming now dominating, its days also look numbered. The big surprise, on the back of the new-found popularity of vinyl, is the resurgence of the upright turntable. Yes that’s right, the solution that didn’t have a problem to solve is back, with high demand for eighties models from the likes of Sony and Technics, and a handful of contemporary solutions that eschew the flashing lights and nods to cassette tape player technology that informed much of what was…

While the news, just before Christmas, that Tesco is stocking vinyl again is surely corporate opportunism, it’s also confirmation that the format de jour is back on the public’s shopping list. Certainly sales of cheap turntables have spiked in recent months: I was horrified when my father-in-law recently requested the return of his beautifully preserved stash of jazz and blues records, having decided to spend £70 on a lightweight, plastic turntable with its own built-in amplifier and speakers. What is certain is that you won’t be seeing the debut LP from Natalie Prass or the latest cut from Dan Bejar’s Destroyer in the store; Tesco is playing it safe, targeting the nostalgia market with ‘classic’ vinyl. It’s stocking exactly the sort of albums its customers sold to a charity shop…

Celebrating 35 years on the planet as one of the most extra-terrestrial-looking turntables ever made. The Michell GyroDec story is no science fiction, it’s the happy tale of a great piece of a design from a man who was once involved with the British film industry and Grand Prix motor racing. Bizarrely, for reasons best known to its maker the price is now lower in real terms than when it was first launched. The story starts in the sixties, with John Michell’s small engineering shop. Located in Borehamwood, it was right at the heart of the British film and television industry, next to Elstree Studios. For a while his company was effectively an OEM, making things for others, including the long-established turntable brand Transcriptors. When the latter moved to Northern…

COMPONENTS CANARY AUDIO CA-339LV MONOBLOCK AMP £16,250 The basic CA-339 is a 50W monoblock built around four 300B valves. In LV form, the internal wiring is completely revised and a range of components upgraded to further improve the sound. CANARY AUDIO C1600 PREAMPLIFIER £11,250 Commissioned by Living Voice, the C1600 is a two-box preamp with the second box containing the power supply. On arrival in the UK, components inside the units are further upgraded by Living Voice. CANARY AUDIO KD-2000 DAC £5,950 Built around a pair of ESS Sabre DACs with a selection of custom filter settings, the KD-2000 is DSD and 24-bit/384kHz capable and offers a choice of six digital inputs including asynchronous USB. LIVING VOICE IBX-RW3 LOUDSPEAKER £8,100 The IBX-RW3 is the flagship internal crossover version of the…

Britten’s last opera is a deeply enigmatic work that mesmerises the listener as it unfolds. It’s a work that divides listeners, and Britten himself remarked that it was either the best music he’d ever written – or the worst. Having undergone heart surgery, the composer was too frail to record the work before his death. So the 1975 Decca recording was conducted by Steuart Bedford under Britten’s supervision. It’s a wonderful performance, and must be classed as definitive, since it features singers such as Peter Pears and John Shirley-Quirk, for whom the work was written. Yet, if anything, Richard Hickox’s account is even finer than Bedford’s, and is better recorded. The whole production captures the bitter-sweet mood of longing and decay, and time passes swiftly as one listens. The work…

“He was a benefactor and went out of his way to bestow some good karma on me. David’s friendship was the light of my life. I never met such a brilliant person. He was the best there is.” Iggy Pop “When no one would work with me this guy, who was one of the great, innovative rockers, picked a disco guy to collaborate with, and we wound up making the biggest record of his career.” Nile Rodgers “He had such a profound effect on my life, I don’t know where to start.” Damon Albarn “David Bowie had everything. He was intelligent, imaginative, brave, charismatic, cool, sexy and inspirational. He created such staggeringly brilliant work, yes, but so much of it and it was so good. There are great people who…

CHOOSING WHICH OF these models is most deserving of your cash is partly influenced by their intended use. The XDR-P1DBP is much smaller than the other models, which puts it at a disadvantage in terms of its power output but makes it easier to transport around the house, in the garden or out for the day even. The others are pretty much stay-at-home designs, but all three can be battery powered too. The John Lewis Spectrum Duo is in fourth place. It makes by far the most impact visually, but its ease of use doesn’t match the achingly cool design. Also of concern is the less than impressive build quality, but the final nail in the coffin is sound quality, which is not up to the standards of the rest…

HOW DO YOU organise your record collection? By artist, genre or alphabetically? Whatever the answer, these dividers might just be for you if you have a large collection. They can be used either vertically or horizontally in any existing shelving, racking or vinyl storage and are simply slotted in between your records. Get organised The dividers are made from 800 micron PVC, which combines flexibility with strength. They are 315mm square (just over 12in) and so no taller than a vertically inserted LP. They have a 23mm tab at the top (or bottom depending on how they are inserted) to make them stand out from record sleeves. They are available in both black and white and in quantities of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50 with a lower unit…