Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2025 i Hi-Fi Choice

PRICE: £800 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: BANG-OLUFSEN.COM BANG & OLUFSEN has announced the launch of its third-generation Beosound A1, a reimagined version of its portable Bluetooth speaker. Created in collaboration with Danish designer Cecilie Manz, the A1 3rd Gen is crafted from pearl-blasted aluminium with 2,173 precision-milled holes and a soft, waterproof leather strap. The speaker is available in Bang & Olufsen’s classic Natural Aluminium colourway, as well as two new finishes: Honey Tone and Eucalyptus Green. It comes with a redesigned aluminium strap lock and an IP67 rating so it’s fully dust and waterproof. B&O says that the A1 3rd Gen features the largest bass driver in its class, delivering deeper bass with SPL of 64dB, 2dB more than its predecessor. Battery life now extends up to a claimed 24…

PRICE: €38,800 AVAILABLE: AUGUST 2025 WEB: GRYPHON-AUDIO.DK DANISH COMPANY GRYPHON Audio Designs will be launching the fifth generation of its Antileon-series power amplifier later this summer. First shown in 1991 as the DM-100, the amp established the DNA of all future Gryphon power amplifiers with its dual mono design, pure Class A circuit topology, high-current output and the claimed ability to drive virtually any speaker to its ultimate potential. As part of Gryphon celebrations marking its 40th anniversary, the new Antileon Revelation will retain much of its predecessor’s metalwork–the EVO – with a large Gryphon sculpture crowning the transformer cover. Back panel connections have been upgraded with Gryphon’s latest, bespoke binding posts, while a pair of 20-amp AC connectors offer an improved pathway to Revo’s Dual-Mono topology. Inside, each chassis…

PRICE: €6,000 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: XACT.AUDIO POLISH COMPANY XACT Audio has announced the release of its XACT N1 audiophile network switch, which boasts a 100 percent custom-built motherboard, ultra low-noise linear regulation for every circuit and dedicated Optimo N1 linear power supply. Other features include an OCXO master clock with dedicated linear power, a fully isolated 1Gb RJ45 port, optically separated at data, clock and ground level, an SFP port, 4x standard LAN ports, 1x galvanically isolated port and audio-optimised firmware, fine-tuned through extensive listening tests. It measures 241 x 97 x 270mm (WxHxD) and weighs 5kg. The result, says the company, is: “a sound signature free from digital harshness, offering exceptional clarity, space and emotional realism – a rare achievement in network audio”.…

In its latest (fifth) iteration, the Majik DSM may look like a little box, but it has a big history. Linn’s ‘style system’ is freighted with tradition that goes back over 20 years to the early Noughties launch of the Classik Music System. This was significant for two reasons – first, serious hi-fi fans didn’t take single-box systems seriously back then and second Linn had been regarded as a ‘serious’ manufacturer of solely separates systems. As it transpired, this little CD player, tuner and amp combo sounded great. It shocked Linn fans and surprised ‘lifestyle’ buyers with how good it was. The first Majik DSM followed in 2012, bringing extra functionality, and this was updated until there had been four generations by 2020. Now, we have the fifth, which on…

In the somewhat grey, understated shape of its ST60 streamer, Arcam pretty much had its closest competition by the throat at its launch back in 2020. Although, to some extent, bedevilled by an inexcusably sluggish and sometimes flaky MusicLife control app (which did get better), the hardware sounded so good, nothing else came close for the money or, indeed, some way north. Remarkably, the ST60 was Arcam’s first stab at a standalone streamer. A lot has happened in five years, not least the arrival of absurdly capable, super affordable network players from the likes of WiiM and a general proliferation of sophisticated streaming talent in all its forms, from transports that need to be paired with a DAC to all-singing hubs that provide streaming transport, DAC and amplification in one…

Not so long ago, Auralic was an upstart taking chunks out of the established order in the streaming and DAC segment. What it did particularly effectively was deliver a streaming interface that just worked in a way we now take for granted, but wasn’t necessarily the norm back then. Combined with excellent sonics and some innovative design features, the company established itself as a key player. Fast forward to the present day, and the innovator is now being challenged by upstarts arriving in the segment. In short, the hunter has become the hunted. The Vega S1 is Auralic’s reminder to those new arrivals that it still knows a thing or two about the business of streaming. Like other levels in the company’s lineup, the relationship between the Vega S1 and…

Arcade Fire Pink Elephant CD Columbia Records THE PACHYDERM’S HUE need not concern us yet, but the fact is there is indeed, an elephant in each and every room associated with this album – and a bloody big one at that. Whether it was in the studio during its creation or at your home as you listen in, head honcho Win Butler’s recent fall from grace haunts and taints every note of Arcade Fire’s seventh LP. Butler was accused, and admitted to, preying sexually upon vulnerable members of the band’s fanbase, which prompted a squirming ‘I’ve-been-depressed-and-drinking’ mea culpa on his behalf while his wife and band co-founder Régine Chassagne stood by her man. It’s unsurprising, then, that Pink Elephant is a tortured thing, torn between putting up a united front and parading…

STATIC ELECTRICITY IS a well-known problem for us vinyl addicts. Not only can it cause unwanted clicks, pops or crackles while playing a record, it also attracts dust onto the surface of the vinyl, which in turn adds to the noise. Static is particularly a problem during dry summer days or cold winter periods when the central heating is running as it dries out the air in the house, which increases the risk of static buildup. An example of how dry air causes static is when you remove dry clothes from a tumble dryer and they cling to each other. You can often hear (and feel) a mass of sparks when you try and pull them apart. Vinyl LPs can be a great originator of static electricity through the triboelectric…

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PRICE: £130-£850 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: SONY.NET SONY HAS ANNOUNCED the expansion of its ULT POWER SOUND series. Under the tagline of “Massive Bass. Ultimate Vibe”, the new speakers comprise the ULT TOWER 9, ULT TOWER 9AC, ULT FIELD 5 and ULT FIELD 3. Meanwhile, the ULTMIC1 wireless microphones – compatible with the POWER SOUND series – have also been added. Sony claims: “The ULT TOWER 9 and ULT TOWER 9AC offer massive bass and powerful unrivalled sound pressure. With the wireless ULT TOWER 9 your music can follow you everywhere, and the AC-powered ULT TOWER 9AC delivers even more powerful sound.” By pressing the ULT button users gain access to two bass modes – ULT1 for deeper, lower frequency bass and ULT2 for ‘powerful punchy’ bass. Plus users can enjoy…

PRICE: £130-£380 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: WEAREREWIND.COM WITH UK CASSETTE sales up 204.7 percent in the first quarter of 2025, We Are Rewind is introducing its latest blend of nostalgia and innovation with the EDITH WE-001 cassette player and GB-001 boombox, paying homage to the classic era of mixtapes while adding new features. Joining the Amy, Kurt and Keith models, the EDITH boasts 2-track stereo playback and a claimed frequency response of 30Hz to 12,500Hz with Type I cassette, with its 2x 2mW into 32ohm headphone output power and Bluetooth 5.1 wireless connectivity. It records in stereo via a 3.5mm RCA jack (only compatible with Type I tapes) and is powered by a built-in Lithium-Ion re-chargeable battery, nominal voltage 3.7V with a claimed life of 10-12 hours before needing a recharge.…

PRICE: £700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: VOLUMIO.COM ITALIAN COMPANY VOLUMIO has just launched Preciso, its high-precision Dual Mono DAC, which features dual ESS ES9039Q2Ms in what the firm says are: “perfectly mirrored, isolated circuits for absolute channel separation, lowest crosstalk and extreme optimisation of the DAC’s signal path for an extremely wide soundstage and detailed reproduction.” Due to its Dual Linear Power Architecture, the Preciso offers independent power regulation for analogue and digital paths in a bid to ensure a noise-free signal without relying on external PSU upgrades. Bit-perfect Additional features include a precision MEMS clock, premium OPAMPs, SMD design for ultra-low interference and highest stability, and an ASIC USB interface with an integrated dedicated USB audio controller – the same as the one used in the company’s RIVO+ to ensure…

PRICE: £450-£1,100 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: AUDIOLAB.CO.UK AUDIOLAB HAS JUST introduced two new standalone DACs – the D7 and D9 – directly descended from the company’s seminal M-DAC. Housed in a sturdy aluminium case, the D7 is a compact DAC for home use. The larger D9 is still smaller than a ‘full-width’ hi-fi component and benefits from the same technical, build and design qualities as Audiolab’s top-tier 9000 Series amp and streaming components. Combining DAC, preamp and headphone amp functionality, the company says both DACs are as accomplished at the heart of a high-performance hi-fi system as they are on a desk for headphone listening. The D7 is based around the ES9038Q2M – a 32-bit Sabre DAC chip also utilised by Audiolab’s 7000A and just-launched 6000A MkII integrated amp. This is…

IT’S BEEN 21 years since the High End Show relocated from a Frankfurt Hotel to the MOC Exhibition Centre in Munich and it’s hard to overstate just how significant that move was for the show’s prospects. The High End Show went from being a significant but still relatively regional expo to the world’s pre-eminent hi-fi happening. This was helped in no small part by the venue itself. The combination of open halls and varying sized rooms on the upper floor felt like it was designed specifically for the business of exhibiting hi-fi. Without the qualities that the MOC possesses, the High End Show would not be where it is today. All good things must come to an end, though. This was the last High End Show to be held at…

Despite being synonymous with cinema sound, JBL has had something of an on/off relationship with home cinema amps/receivers outside of the world of premium custom installation. Seeking to right that wrong is a new series of multi-channel models, all aimed at the mass market and with an eye on not just movie watching, but music and gaming too. The flagship MA9100HP lays on the features, including a nine-channel power plant, support for Dirac Live EQ, network streaming, etc. The four models ranged below strip back the specification, until you get to the entry-level MA310 on test here. In a way, this £500 AV amp is a bit ‘old school’, being only able to power five-channel setups and lacking compatibility with Dolby Atmos. It’s also a non-networked design, meaning no app…

With the HD Phono, Nagra has joined a rather select group. By our estimation, there are but a half-dozen manufacturers of phono stages costing above £50,000. At a heady £68,500, the all-valve Nagra HD Phono is about as expensive and exclusive as it gets, and for that amount of money you expect to get everything. Happily, you do. This beautifully engineered two-chassis affair consists of the phono section and a separate power supply, the latter being a feature of each component in the HD series. The pairing oozes Swiss artisanship and Nagra even states that: “the transformer itself is hand-wound in a very delicate process requiring watchmakers’ type of skills”. Side by side Both CNC-machined aluminium chassis are satisfyingly chunky. They are suspended via a damped, ‘constrained-layer’ platform with a…

Synesthesia is a term used to describe a perceptual phenomenon that some people experience in which stimulation of one of our senses leads to involuntary experiences in another. An example of this is when someone hears music and they also see accompanying shapes. One of the consequences of synesthesia is that we now tend to associate musical pitches with light or dark. Musicians will often talk about how they wish to create a bright sound or shading in their playing. We all understand what these descriptions relate to, but less is known about how these associations are produced in the first place. A recent study from the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at the Seoul National University of South Korea has set out to explore how our brains…

Hi-Fi Choice Recommends ESSENTIAL HI-FI YOU’LL WANT TO OWN • CD players p106 • Amplifiers p107 • Pre/power amps p107 • Cables p108-109 • Streaming solutions p110 • Music servers p110 • DACs p111 • Loudspeakers p112-114 • One-box systems p114 • Turntables p115 • Cartridges p115 • Phono stages p116 • Headphones p116-117 • Portable DACs p117 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. Cyrus CDi-XR Phantom Black PRICE: £2,200 REVIEWED: HFC 499 Familiar Cyrus…

1 IN THE MODE Depeche Mode have announced the release of their film Depeche Mode: M, featuring footage from the band’s Mexico City shows on the 2023-2024 Memento Mori Tour. The feature-length movie, directed by Fernando Frias, features three sold-out shows at Mexico City’s Foro Sol Stadium to: “explore the parallels between the themes on Depeche Mode’s latest album Memento Mori and the deep connection to death and mortality in Mexican culture.” The release date is yet to be announced, so keep an eye on these pages for updates in the near future… 2 BRITPOP BATTLE One to look forward to, Birmingham Rep has announced The Battle, a new comedy which relives the summer of 1995 when Blur and Oasis went head-to-head in the greatest chart battle in living memory.…

PRICE: £170-£200 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MAJORITY.CO.UK CAMBRIDGE-BASED MAJORITY AUDIO has launched a pair of new Bluetooth turntables – the Majority Stylo and Folio. Pictured above, the Stylo features Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless streaming and is also equipped with an RCA output. It comes with an Audio-Technica AT3600L moving-magnet cartridge complemented by a lightweight aluminium platter and carbon fibre tonearm, engineered for rigidity and precise tracking. The inclusion of an adjustable counterweight allows users to fine-tune the tonearm balance for optimal stylus pressure. There’s also a pitch control so users can make subtle adjustments to the record’s playback speed. The Stylo measures 426 x 332 x 131mm (WxHxD), weighs 4.6kg and is priced at £200 from Amazon. The Majority Folio (right) Bluetooth turntable also offers USB functionality. Users can play both…

PRICE: £2,200 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: EVERSOLO.COM CHINESE COMPANY EVERSOLO has launched its AMP-F10 featuring a Class A/AB-hybrid design, bridged mode – which allows the user to switch between stereo and bridged – and a 1,000W linear power dual-channel power supply design. The company explains that the power system: “effectively eliminates cross-channel interference while maintaining signal purity. The dual differential amplification circuit functions as an electromagnetic shield, neutralising common-mode noise from both internal power fluctuations and external interference. The array of MOSFETs (five pairs per channel) allows for real-time current balancing, effectively suppressing harmonic distortion to inaudible levels.” Eversolo goes on to explain that the AMP-F10 features: “an exceptionally low Total Harmonic Distortion plus Noise (THD+N) of merely 0.008 percent and a damping factor surpassing 600 – accurately reproducing every detail…

PRICE: £13,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: DCSAUDIO.COM ABSOLUTESOUNDS.COM DCS HAS ADDED to its Lina lineup by introducing the Lina DAC X, which will sell alongside the original converter. While the latter is a compact, 22cm-wide device, the Lina DAC X is a full-width component with core technology the same as the original DAC, with the addition of a rotary volume control, dedicated remote handset and the option to connect CD/SACD transports. The Lina DAC X supports hi-res streaming from all major platforms including Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and QQ Music, as well as music management software such as Roon, Audirvana and JPLAY. It additionally features a range of physical inputs to support playback from numerous sources, including TVs (via optical connections), computers, CD transports and servers. The DAC X can be connected…

PRICE: £580 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: PROJECT-AUDIO.COM HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK THE FOLKS AT Pro-Ject are having a lot of fun this quarter. Hot on the heels of the company’s recent AC/DC-themed turntable, it’s now releasing a Peanuts vinyl spinner to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the iconic comic strip created by Charles M Schulz. The limited-edition release is based on Pro-Ject’s T1 BT turntable platform, comes pre-fitted with an Ortofon OM 10 cartridge and includes both a built-in phono stage and a Bluetooth transmitter for wireless playback. Users can stream their records to suitably equipped Bluetooth speakers or headphones, or connect the turntable to a traditional hi-fi setup. Handmade in Europe, the belt-driven turntable features a heavy 8mm zero-resonance blasted-glass platter, a precision CNC-machined chassis and Pro-Ject’s signature one-piece 8.6in ultra-precise, lightweight aluminium…

PRICE: €7,500-€17,900 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ESTELON.COM ESTONIAN COMPANY ESTELON has announced three additions to its A-Series of loudspeakers: the AURELIA, AURELIA Centre and AURUS Subwoofer. The AURELIA is a two-way passive speaker featuring a sealed-box design, two 132mm Egyptian Papyrus fibre-filled paper cone midrange drivers from SB Acoustics and a 25mm textile dome tweeter from Scan-Speak. Its cabinet is crafted from thermoformed mineral-filled composite, which the company says minimises resonance and standing waves to provide a pure and uninfluenced sound. Recommended for use in small to medium-sized living rooms and home offices, the AURELIA has been designed to offer flexibility with both desk stand and optional floor stand feet. It measures 290 (305 with stand) x 550 (1,155 with stand) x 210mm (295 with stand) (WxHxD), weighs 9.5kg per cabinet…

Introduced as the entry level model of Audio-Technica’s R Series of open-back reference headphones, the ATH-R30x features a fully open-back design to allow sound to flow naturally from the drivers and deliver a professional performance at a competitive price with a focus on accuracy, transparency and comfort with minimal distortion. The transducer design relies on very little additional tuning or damping, with the aim of translating every diaphragm movement directly into sound. A-T claims this results in a spacious soundstage with natural clarity and an authentic and immersive audio experience. The ATH-R30x features an adjustable headband, which provides a secure yet flexible fit, evenly distributing weight for lasting comfort. This has a sprung outer and soft inner band as well as soft velour earpads. Frequency response is quoted as 15Hz…

Soulines may be a new name to you, but the company has been making turntables officially for 14 years, since the introduction of its now-discontinued Hermes DCX. I say ‘officially’ because, since 2009, Soulines’ founder Igor Gligorov has been creating turntables from all sorts of recycled parts. My favourite is the ‘Half Moon’ – made from recycled MDF, hockey pucks and a wooden barrel cover with a Lenco platter and Philips VCR motor! This hobby was turned into a full-time job in 2011 and Gligorov’s background as a mechanical engineer and trained musician stood him in good stead. As a result, all of his creations are mechanically modelled during design and based on sound engineering and vibration control principles. The tt9 is the entry-level offering in the Soulines range and…

It’s a familiar tale: hi-fi enthusiast decides he’s not happy with the products available on the market and so goes into his garage to see if he can come up with something better. The history of hi-fi manufacturers is littered with outliers with a passion for perfect sound, but not that many start out working on warships. Enter Mark Baker, founder of Origin Live. Back in the early Eighties, Mark worked as a shipbuilder and naval architect by day, while tinkering with hi-fi in his spare time. You’d think the two worlds couldn’t be further apart, but as Mark points out, working on warships was a great introduction to how people can sometimes be very stubborn in their views and that implementing change is not always easy. While working on…

LETTER OF THE MONTH Measure for measure Recently while enjoying listening to my setup, a question occurred to me that I have wondered about for years and so I thought I would email the experts to get an answer. My setup consists of two floorstanding speakers and the electronics is all racked up. It is not practical in my room to have the speakers at the same distance from the electronics, so one speaker is around 3m away and the other is about 1m, but my listening position is in the middle of both. I have always purchased speaker cables of the same length for both sides, my assumption is that the amplifier load should ideally be identical for both channels. This obviously means for one side I have to…

3 ISSUES FOR £11.99! With FREE P&P, never miss an issue! SUBSCRIBE SECURELY ONLINE TODAY! https://checkout.avtechmedia.co.uk/EGENN OR CALL 01858 438446 LINES OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY – 8AM - 6PM Calls are charged at the same rate as standard UK landlines and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes allowances. There are no additional charges with this number. Overseas calls will cost more. TERMS & CONDITIONS:. *UK print subscriptions offer only. AV Tech Media Ltd collects your data so that we can fulfil your subscription. We may also, from time to time, send you details of AV Tech Media Ltd offers, events and competitions but you always have a choice and can opt out by clicking on the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email. Please be…

If I get really happy or really p*ssed off, I smash stuff, mainly glasses,” says Siouxsie. “In my own flat, I won’t break anyone else’s. I tend to do it when I’m really whooping it up, when I’m really happy, playing some music on my stereo and maybe getting a bit drunk, and I’II dance around smashing glasses. I’ve cut myself quite a lot, but there’s no pain because I’m either really up or too aggressive to feel anything. When I get up, I really do get uppy and when I get really…” She knots her face into a tense scowl… “like that, as opposed to strangling someone, it’s a real release to just smash glasses. It sounds crazy, but it works.” “Yeah,” says Budgie. “The rest of us are…

ALSO: REVIEWS Ortofon MC X20 MC cartridge, Denon AH-C840NCW wireless earbuds, Monitor Audio Bronze 300 loudspeaker, JBL Tour Pro 3 wireless earbuds, MoFi SourcePoint 888 loudspeaker, Michell Audio LEVIS turntable feet and much more. FEATURES Music Reviews, Reasons To Be Cheerful, our comprehensive Buyer’s Guide and sharp-as-nails Opinions pieces, Company Confidential, the Flashback interview, Audiofile news on all the latest product launches and all your hi-fi queries answered by our experts. AUGUST ISSUE ON SALE 10 JULY…