Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2025 i Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £250 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: RUARKAUDIO.COM BRITISH COMPANY RUARK has unveiled its new R-CD100, which features a high-quality slot-loading CD mechanism allied to a custom CD servo-to-USB interface. The company says it offers: “whisper-quiet” loading and users need simply plug the R-CD100 into any of Ruark’s 100 Series products for: “automatic and seamless integration”. To ensure the best sound quality, signal processing is carried out by the advanced digital-to-analogue converters built into the 100 Series products while the CD100 comes designed with precision-machined top and bottom plates, along with a hand-crafted walnut-finished cabinet to help isolate the mechanism from any external vibrations. It’s compatible with CD-DA, CD-R and CD-RW discs, features an eject button and power LED, measures 175 x 45 x 167mm (WxHxD) and weighs in at 1.2kg.…

PRICE: £2,000-£2,600 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ATLASCABLES.COM SCOTTISH COMPANY ATLAS Cables has announced the launch of its latest power management solution, the Eos Superior em screened power cable, designed specifically to combat the growing issue of radio frequency (RF) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) that negatively impact high-fidelity audio systems. The Eos Superior em boasts high-current capacity through 4mm² ultra-pure oxygen-free copper (OFC) conductors in a bid to ensure consistent, high-quality power delivery. A feature of the Eos Superior em is its stratified screening and dual-drain RF technology, which shields sensitive audio equipment from air-borne and mains-borne RF noise. The new cable design also includes advanced damping technology to minimise acoustic feedback vibrations, reducing unwanted noise and delivering a cleaner, more immersive listening experience. Available in multiple power plug and IEC variants…

PRICE: £1,100 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: GOLDNOTE.IT GOLD NOTE HAS launched a new addition to its 5 Series – the CD-5, which features a high-precision CD mechanism and high-resolution DAC. The company explains that the CD-5: “delivers music effortlessly, leveraging an expertly engineered signal path to ensure exceptional sound quality. Its advanced audio-grade components and design eliminate noise and intermodulation, providing a pure and immersive auditory journey, all controlled with the sleek touchscreen display and included remote control.” Also offering programmable playlists and connection flexibility, thanks to analogue and digital outputs, the CD-5 features stereo XLR balanced, RCA unbalanced, coaxial and optical outputs. It is powered by an AKM AK4493 DAC chip and the audio path is mapped on a multilayer PCB through audio-grade select components and single-sealed relays, which the…

PRICE: £1,850-£2,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: WHARFEDALE.CO.UK WHARFEDALE HAS RECREATED and upgraded its classic Linton loudspeaker and renamed it the Super Linton. The original 20th-century Linton incarnations began in 1965 as a two-way design and ended as a three-way with 1975’s Linton 3XP. Styled by Robert Gutmann of the British Design Council, its cabinet was substantial enough to hold a large bass unit yet not overly unwieldy by the standards of the day. The 2019 Linton, which remains current, drew from the three-way configuration of the Linton 3XP but re-engineered every aspect, capturing a mix of vintage style and sound elevated by modern technology. Now Wharfedale says the new Super Linton is a much more substantial upgrade compared with 2019’s three-way iteration. It sports the same look, evolved from Gutmann’s original…

Bowers & Wilkins first Zeppelin speaker was actually designed for use with the Apple iPod, back in the pre-smartphone days of 2007, but later models abandoned wired inputs and adopted Bluetooth, wi-fi and AirPlay streaming technology. The Zeppelin was last updated in 2021 and the new Zeppelin Pro looks virtually identical – although it’s now available in new shades of Space Grey and Solar Gold, and there’s a multi-colour LED light in the base. Like previous Zeppelins, the Pro Edition provides a complete twochannel stereo system, with a 150mm subwoofer mounted in the centre of the speaker, a 90mm midrange driver and 25mm tweeter on each side (for five drivers in total). B&W explains that the new titanium-dome tweeters are taken from its 600 series speakers, as well as redesigned…

It’s taken long enough but Quad has finally revived one of the best-selling pre/power amp combinations of all time. Between 1967 and 1982, 120,000 Quad 33 ‘control units’ were sold, while the 303 power amplifier remained in production until 1985 to reach 94,000 sales. So these new Quad 33 and 303 models have big shoes to fill, but retaining the original model designations and dimensions is a start. And that’s pretty much where the resemblance stops. Welcome to the 21st century. Anyone that knows the originals will instantly recognise the look, which – as with the Thorens TD 124 DD and other revisited components – is crucial if the 33/303 is to exploit all that nostalgia promises. But Quad has been brave, avoiding ‘exact replica’ visuals. Instead, the 33 and…

Every time it looks like two-channel audio has finished this latest phase of function and design evolution, something else seems to come along to start the process rolling again. Rotel’s A8 arrives in the midst of this ongoing evolution feeling a little like it has dropped through a hole in time. It would be completely normal to a teenage version of myself looking at the options for a budget amplifier back in the Nineties! You get three RCA line inputs, supported by a moving-magnet phono stage. This is made available to a single set of speaker terminals and a 3.5mm headphone socket. There are no digital inputs of any kind; even the Bluetooth of the A11 Tribute (HFC 469) has been expunged. At a point where even some very similarly…

ALBUM OF THE MONTH Kendrick Lamar GNX CD PGLang “I’M 48 YEARS old. Not to say that age is a thing that dictates what you rap about, but in a way it does. What do you talk about? ‘I gotta go get a colonoscopy?’ What do you rap about? ‘My eyesight is going bad?’” This is Andre 3000 talking about why he took up jazz flute instead of going back to Outkast. He’s got a point. Tyler The Creator is 10 years younger than Andre and his latest LP’s all about the perils of fame and songs about his mum. And let’s not talk about Eminem who doesn’t seem to have a clue who he is or what to do with himself these days. So props to Kendrick Lamar for discovering…

MADE TO BE inserted into a spare Ethernet or USB-A socket on your setup, these audio-grade optimisers are designed to enhance playback performance of digital and network music source components by reducing the noise that can enter the path of your system. This is an entirely passive product and contains Furutech’s NCF (Nano Crystal Formula) – a crystalline material that generates negative ions to reduce static and convert thermal energy into far infrared. Both versions incorporate 24k gold-plated non-magnetic connectors while specially treated audio-grade electrolytic capacitors are used to reduce noise in the signal paths. The housing is made from four layers of hybrid NCF carbon fibre, together with stainless steel resonance damping rings. The main body and shell are fixed with factory-adjusted anti-shock stainless steel screws. All metal parts…

Hi-FiChoice Recommends ESSENTIALHI-FI YOU’LL WANT TO OWN CD PLAYERS Cambridge Audio AXC35 PRICE: £300 REVIEWED: HFC 454 Something of a budget marvel, you’ll have to work extra hard to get the AXC35 to put a foot wrong. Bass is firm, detailed and blessed with excellent timing; the tonal palette is pleasingly broad and clean; and though the soundstage doesn’t extend much beyond the speakers, there’s great depth perspective. Musical Fidelity M6scd PRICE: £2,500 REVIEWED: HFC 499 An exemplary player with more than a hint of star quality to it, the M6scd paints a broad and deep soundstage populated with solid, well-focused and perfectly placed images. Regardless of genre of music or production standard, its handling of spatial elements is among the very best in the business. Cyrus CDi-XR Phantom Black…

1 MAC ATTACK A new Fleetwood Mac documentary is on the way, via Apple Original Films. The members will tell the story of the band in their own words, according to Apple, which bills the documentary as the first to be authorised by the band. Archival interviews with the late Christine McVie will feature. The as-yet-untitled film will be directed by Frank Marshall, who also headed up a recent Beach Boys film for Disney+. Before that, he directed the Bee Gees documentary How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. No release date for the new movie has been set as yet. We’ll keep you posted. 2 OFFICIAL ZEP Becoming Led Zeppelin, the first official documentary on the band, arrives in IMAX theatres on 7 February. It tells the story of Led Zeppelin…

PRICE: £250-£700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: PROJECT-AUDIO.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK PRO-JECT AUDIO SYSTEMS, the Austrian analogue audio specialist, has announced the release of a new addition to its Box Design range, the Stereo Box E which is introduced as an affordable product located in the company’s roster just below the MaiA S3 (HFC 492) integrated amp. Drawing on the MaiA S3 design, the Box E features a built-in DAC and moving-magnet phono stage, as well as a headphone amplifier and aptX HD-capable Bluetooth streaming input. The Stereo Box E also boasts an analogue volume control with motor-driven potentiometer, three analogue and three digital inputs, a USB-C out to power modern compact streamers, isolated speaker outputs and a subwoofer out. It comes in a heavy-duty steel case with a brushed aluminium front panel and…

PRICE: £700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ACOUSTIC-ENERGY.CO.UK ACOUSTIC ENERGY HAS unveiled its AE Sub active subwoofer, designed to integrate with both the company’s 100 and 300 Series loudspeakers Utilising a 250W (RMS) amplifier mated to a 305mm, long-excursion, doped and stiffened pulp-fibre driver, the AE Sub delivers a claimed 26Hz at-6dB and AE says that its compact cabinet: “houses the amplifier and driver in an optimally tuned enclosure for fast, deep and tuneful bass”. The AE Sub provides stereo line-level, LFE and high-level speaker inputs. An adjustable low pass filter (40-120Hz) and phase control (0-180°), while volume control allows for integration with: “any loudspeaker in any room”. In addition, the AE Sub’s auto on/off feature detects an incoming signal and powers on automatically. It comes supplied with carpetpiercing spikes and fitted…

PRICE: £80 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: IFI-AUDIO.COM IFI AUDIO HAS introduced its GO link Max portable DAC, which features: “improvements in output power to drive demanding headphones”. Claiming to deliver up to 241mW of output power – nearly five times that of a standard MacBook Pro, the GO link Max features a 4.4mm balanced headphone connection to unlock balanced sound. Built with balanced audio circuitry, it has been designed to reduce any noise and interference for better separation between the left and right channels plus a more immersive listening experience with precise instrument and vocal positioning. Advanced THD Compensation technology is on hand to minimise total harmonic distortion, while dual ES9219 DACs and Time Domain Jitter Elimination are included to help reduce timing errors. The dynamic range has been boosted by…

PRICE: £950-£1,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ORTOFON.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK ORTOFON A/S, THE Danish cartridge specialist, has announced a new addition to its SPU range. The SPU GTX comes in two variants: the SPU GTX S with a spherical diamond and the SPU GTX E with an elliptical stylus. New features in the range include a unibody housing made from a specially selected glass-fibre reinforced co-polymer, never before used for SPU cartridges, a built-in step-up transformer for a high 4mV output, Ortofon’s Exclusive stylus suspension system and an oxygen-free copper quad coil system. The SPU GTX is hand built in Denmark, its glass-fibre co-polymer unibody housings employed in a bid to ensure a stable, rigid and low-resonance housing for the sensitive generator system. The bottom cover is moulded from the same body material…

PRICE: $600 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: GLOBAL.BEYERDYNAMIC.COM GERMAN COMPANY BEYERDYNAMIC has debuted the newest generation of its premium studio headphones, the closed-back DT 1770 PRO MKII and open-back DT 1990 PRO MKII featuring enhanced comfort, improved sound quality plus a newly developed dynamic TESLA.45 driver with an advanced diaphragm, which the company says cuts distortion and sharpens response, preventing ear-fatigue during long sessions and offering clearer sound compared with its predecessor. The membrane is made from a high-performance PEEK polymer that delivers deep, precise bass, while a lighter voice coil made of aluminium-coated copper wire refines the treble. The DT 1770 PRO MKII and DT 1990 PRO MKII models offer lower Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) in a bid to achieve a cleaner, more accurate signal. Beyerdynamic also says the headphones deliver…

PRICE: £570 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: REVOAUDIO.CO.UK BRITISH UK HI-FI specialist Revo has launched its SuperCD, which the company says: “blends cutting-edge digital streaming technology with an iconic design… the perfect fusion of old-school charm and high-performance audio”. The Revo SuperCD supports a wide range of formats, including traditional CDs, DAB/DAB+, FM plus internet radio. It also features connectivity with streaming services such as Spotify Connect, Tidal and Deezer. It’s built with a stylish wooden cabinet and aluminium fascia, designed to pay homage to classic systems of the past, while its OLED display and precision-engineered controls reveal more modern tech lies beneath the surface including a 40W Class D amplifier and dual 89mm BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) drivers. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.1, users can stream wirelessly from their smartphones, tablets or…

PRICE: £2,275-£8,975 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: PMC-SPEAKERS.COM PMC HAS JUST unveiled its prophecy series, a five-strong range of home audio speakers that the company says: “embrace a host of cutting-edge technologies and a new aesthetic, that together define the future of sound”. The five models in the range are the prophecy1, two-way standmount and slimline two-way prophecy5 floorstander; the three-way prophecy7 and flagship prophecy9, which features dual bass drivers; and the matching centre speaker for multi-channel systems, the prophecyC. The series features an enhancement to the company’s Laminair technology, which works in tandem with the Advanced Transmission Line (ATL). “LaminairX has undergone a radical redesign and unlocks the true potential of the ATL. It negates turbulence, which reduces resistance and harmonic distortion by up to 3dB. The result is elimination of…

It’s likely that there are more turntables on sale now than there were when vinyl was the UK’s best-selling music format, way back in 1975. When Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells topped the LP charts most people bought ‘record decks’ that cost the equivalent of a couple of hundred pounds in today’s money, or less. Now, though, analogue addicts seem to be chasing a wider range of kit… The Acoustic Solid Vintage Full Exclusive – which has a name almost as grand as the deck itself – is a premium turntable designed for people graduating from lower and mid-price designs. It ticks many esoteric analogue boxes, including that of being physically imposing. It’s massive compared with its similarly priced Rega Planar 10 (HFC 477) rival, for example. With the latter, you…

Does the world need yet another new hi-fi brand? Luke Tyson, project director of Fell Audio, says: “definitely!” He argues that the spirit of British made entry-level audio has waned and needs reviving. “At a time when affordable, UK-built options are almost non-existent, we’re proud to offer a fresh take. We’d actually welcome more brands to take up the challenge of building something exceptional, affordable and homegrown,” he explains. He has a point. Things are getting very expensive these days. “We have seen hi-fi prices rise, but a lot of it hasn’t really changed much to justify the price hikes. In some cases, it’s even lost a bit of what made it special. So, with Fell Audio, we wanted to bring back that balance of quality, specifications and value.” It’s…

How much to spend on streaming is one of hi-fi’s more debated subjects. If you already have a DAC – even one built into your amp or enabled access to the one in your CD player – some believe the answer couldn’t be clearer cut. Buy a cheap network transport such as WiiM’s £90 Mini, subscribe to one or more of the streaming services and, assuming you’re already happy with the performance of your DAC, call it a job well done. To spend any more, it is argued, is a waste of money. Maybe. The opposing school of thought is that network transports, much like CD transports, do make a crucial difference and a better, more sophisticated and expensive transport will give a sonic uptick, whatever the standing of your…

I recently responded to a reader letter expressing concern about green issues and the importance of trying to buy equipment from manufacturers who are environmentally friendly. It prompted me to dig into the question and see how well the audio industry is embracing the challenge. The reader mentioned Bang & Olufsen, so I looked through its 2023-2024 Annual Report, which has a whole chapter devoted to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Within that chapter, there are sections devoted to building a circular business, championing longevity and environmental impact. The first chapter focuses on the company’s implementation of the ‘cradle to cradle’ principle, where old products don’t go to waste. Instead, they are designed so that the materials and components used can be repurposed or recycled indefinitely. I have recently noticed…

PRICE: £650-£5,250 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MARANTZ.COM MARANTZ HAS INTRODUCED two new wireless speaker models: the Horizon and its larger sibling, the Grand Horizon, which the company describes as: “wireless speakers crafted for passionate, discerning listeners who demand both exceptional sound and timeless elegance”. Both are designed to match the brand’s signature circular porthole motif, with the porthole “reimagined” as the core element of each speaker’s circular form. Combined with lighting and elevated trim materials designed to highlight the architectural symmetry, Marantz says the result is a: “tactile audio experience you can see, hear and feel”. Each model is wrapped in Marantz Radiance 360° Seamless Ecofiber, a bespoke, sustainable fabric made from recycled ocean plastics. Three finishes are available: Dark Midnight Sky, Bright Moon Ray and warm Marantz Champagne. Each is…

PRICE: £600 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: KANTOAUDIO.COM PETERTYSON.CO.UK KANTO AUDIO HAS launched its REN active speaker system in the UK as a Peter Tyson exclusive. As well as working within a hi-fi system, REN allows connection of a turntable, TV or smartphone, thanks to Bluetooth 5.3 and HDMI ARC. The addition of USB-C and optical connections also mean its compatible with studio-quality hi-res audio at up to 24 bit/192kHz. The HDMI ARC (CEC) input means the speakers wake up as a TV or games console does, offering a stereo alternative to a soundbar to enjoy TV shows, movies and games. Movie fans can also add a Kanto SUB8 subwoofer for larger rooms. REN features multi-listening modes that allow the user to adjust the sound while night mode and vocal boost are…

PRICE: £2,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: LYNGDORF.STEINWAYLYNGDORF.COM DANISH COMPANY LYNGDORF Audio has launched its new FR-2 high-performance floorstanding speaker designed specifically for placement against walls to ensure a visually and acoustically ideal room integration. The company says the speaker has been tuned for best sound performance in such locations, while the shallow cabinet shape and choice of colours and fabric covers allow a space-saving integration in modern homes. The FR-2 is the company’s 18th model in its current speaker portfolio and FR stands for Full Range. As the name suggests, the FR-2 is the second full-range on-wall model, joining the FR-1. Lyngdorf explains: “the FR-2’s drive units are integrated into an unusually shallow speaker design that takes advantage of room acoustics instead of working against them. The FR-2 has been specifically…

PRICE: £4,800 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MUSICALFIDELITY.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK MUSICAL FIDELITY HAS released a new turntable, inspired by its M8xTT model but marketed at a more affordable price point. The M6xTT reduces the M8xTT design into a more compact form, making it easier to accommodate in smaller spaces. Boasting a multi-acrylic plinth structure, accented by a high-mass aluminium platter and a new 9in tonearm, the M6xTT boasts a drive motor that allows for push-button changes between 33 and 45rpm speeds, and it houses a DC-driven AC generator within its structure. Stable as they come MF explains that this construction means that the frequency and voltage feed for the motor are generated from scratch within the motor assembly, rather than being reliant on the external power supply. The motor is connected to the…

In recent years, Q Acoustics has been systematically fleshing out its range so that it now stretches evenly into the thousands of pounds bracket, but it has now returned to the segment that it built its reputation on. The 3000C models replace the 3000i range; the company has decided against changing the number again, presumably to maintain the gap to the 5000 models. The 3020c is the middle of three standmounts and represents a £100 price jump over the outgoing 3020i (HFC 441). The basic layout and dimensions of the cabinet are unchanged, but you do gain some useful refinements for the extra cash. In a change to the preceding model, the tweeter is is hermetically sealed. It’s a 22mm unit that follows a classic Q Acoustics pattern of a…

Since launching in 2021, Wisconsin-based Perlisten Audio has appealed to audiophiles with its flagship S series of speakers and subs. Prices here aren’t exactly ‘budget’, but the compact R10s sub strikes us as more of a ‘hi-fi’ proposition than the company’s bigger, costlier bassmakers. Like all Perlisten subs, the R10s is a sealed rather than ported design. Facing front is a 250mm glass-fibre bass driver, framed by a 25mm-thick baffle whose curved edges give the otherwise cubic satin-black cabinet a degree of style. Lurking inside is a Class D amp stage rated at 750W (RMS), plus Perlisten’s custom 48-bit DSP engine. This is not a model for the analogue hi-fi ‘purist’, but the manufacturer argues that the proof of its processing is in the performance. The R10s’ digital ‘brains’ facilitate…

New Focal headphones have tended towards the more expensive end of the price scale and very good they have been too. The Hadenys seeks to bring some of the technology and thinking from the Clear MG and Utopia (HFC 496) down to a more terrestrial price point. Key to the defined identity of Focal headphones is their use of a pair of 40mm dynamic drivers. These are made of aluminium and magnesium, and employ an M-shaped profile. This is a smaller driver than some key rivals, but the quoted lower roll-off of 20Hz hardly puts it at a disadvantage. The drivers are mounted in an open-back enclosure that vents a fair bit of noise to the outside world, though in fairness we wouldn’t describe the leakage as total. The enclosures…

FOUNDED IN 2000, Italian manufacturer HiDiamond focuses on hi-fi cables and electronic equipment. The Diamond 8 speaker cable’s conductors are made from 16x 2.5mm lengths of the company’s 4VRC (Single Crystal Copper) (SCC 4VRC) copper wire, which has been temperature treated four times with the aim of reducing its inductance, capacitance and resistance. The conductors are insulated with an XLPE dielectric, which the company considers to offer significantly superior sound quality than Teflon. HiDiamond notes that XLPE absorbs spikes better than Teflon, as well as reducing the skin effect between the individual conductors. Additionally, the conductors benefit from a special twisting within the cable, intended to provide a balanced and precise sound across the audio frequency band, coupled with a powerful bass extension to produce a more natural sound. The…

The phone rings. Hello? “Thin White Duck here.” Who? “Andy.” Andy? “Eldritch. Come for drinks.” When? “Now.” I can’t. I’m asleep. It’s seven in the morning. “Is it? Oh, coffee then.” Later? “Sure. Kensington. My hotel. At 10.” OK. You haven’t been to sleep yet have you? “When? This week? This month?” After the gig. “Uh… no. Went to Dingwalls with Lemmy and these Hells Angels and…” Save it Eldritch. Save it. See you later. Ah, those were the days. The Sisters Of Mercy at the Albert Hall performing their magnificent First And Last And Always LP, Eldritch in his manky stetson carrying an iron bar up the sleeve of his long black coat in the eventuality of attack. Amphetamine paranoia and dark poetry. And postcards. The one from Mexico…