Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2015 i What Hi-Fi?

There’s no immediate comparison to be drawn between Las Vegas (USA) and Bristol (UK). But although our boots have barely cooled after CES 2015 (p24, and covered extensively at whathifi.com), later this month we’re off to the Sound and Vision Show (p28, and covered extensively etc). Bristol may arguably lack some of the Vegas glamour, but in quite a few ways it’s the more enjoyable event. It’s on a more manageable scale, for starters. And there’s a bit more of an emphasis on real-world products of interest to real-world consumers (like the brilliantly affordable speakers tested on p32, for example, or p65’s headphones test). Plus it’s a sight easier to have a proper natter with industry experts too. The more I think about it, in fact, the more I think…

Soundbases may not come in different shapes, but sizes they do. Cambridge Audio is now the second manufacturer (after Canton) to produce a giant version of its debut soundbase specifically for ‘larger’ TVs. It’s a sensible move: bigger soundbases can take the weight of bigger tellies and accommodate their bigger stands. If you haven’t already guessed, the TV5 is a larger version of the Award-winning TV2, 18cm wider than its forerunner (bringing its width to 73cm) and housing a second 16.5cm subwoofer underneath the unit for a bigger, bassier sound. Worth the extra It might cost £80 more than the TV2, but it wasn’t long into our viewing of time-loop thriller Edge Of Tomorrow we decided this was a reasonable extra spend, for the TV5 not only embraces the TV2’s…

1 B&0 BeoSound Moment £1795 The Moment is a streaming music system that’s full of interesting features, not least PatternPlay ‘mood control’ technology that can learn what you want to hear and when. http://whf.cm/BandOMoment 2 Chord 2 Qute £995 The Chord 2 Qute DAC combines the power of the Hugo with the size of a Chordette product. It supports 32-bit/382kHz audio via coaxial and USB, and 24-bit/192kHz over optical. http://whf.cm/Chord2Qute 3 Meridian MQA Meridian MQA is a new format for streaming and downloading music. The main claim is the ability to deliver studio-master quality files in smaller, easier-to-handle file sizes. Music service Tidal is already looking into a high-resolution streaming service using the format. http://whf.cm/MeridianMQA 4 Dan D’Agostino MLife US$48,000 The MLife will turn heads with its looks and its…

Acoustic Energy Air Audio Anthem Apollo Arcam Art Vinyl Astell & Kern Atacama Audio Atlas Cables Audeze Audio Note Audio Technica Audiolab Audioquest Bedini Belles Blue Horizon Bowers & Wilkins Box-design Bricasti Designs Bryston Canor Audio Canton CEntrance CH Precision Chord Company Chord Electronics Clearaudio Cocktail Audio Computer Audio Design Creek Audio Cyrus Dali Devialet Dynamique Audio Dynaudio Eclipse Elac Entotem Epos Epson Exposure Flamingo Audio Focal Furutech GamuT Grado Harbeth Audio Heed Audio Henley Designs IAG Icon Audio iFi Audio IsoAcoustics JL Audio JVC KEF Keith Monks Kudos Audio Leema Acoustics Lehmann LH Labs Mass Fidelity Melco Ming Da Valve Monitor Audio Musical Fidelity Naim Audio Neat Acoustics Novafidelity Onkyo Optoma Ortofon Paradigm Peachtree Audio Pioneer PMC Pristine Vinyl Pro-Ject ProAc PSB Q Acoustics QED Qobuz Quad Rega Renaissance…

Many of us carry music around on a smartphone, but listening through a pair of headphones is quite a lonely pursuit. Why not share the love (and your music collection) through the medium of a portable Bluetooth speaker instead? If you start thinking sound quality has to take a hit, think again. You can still get great audio from a small, affordable and mobile package. In this test we present a handful of options, so let us put you on the path to finding the one you will want nestling in your pocket. Play OK Go’s Here It Goes Again and the snappy mids are nicely taut and firm BAYAN AUDIO SOUNDBOOK GO £72 Scan the market and you will quickly discover that Bluetooth speaker design tends to involve a…

Linn Akurate Exakt/Akudorik Streaming system £17,500 There’s no mistaking Linn’s pride in its high-end Exakt range. The brand states (rather boldly) that these systems represent “the most direct connection ever made between you and the artist.” Usually we don’t take much notice of such claims, but here we’re impressed by the company’s refreshingly holistic approach to music replay. Linn understands the music recording/playback chain better than most. It makes everything from original recordings right the way through analogue and digital sources to cables and speakers. Rarely have we come across a specialist hi-fi manufacturer with fingers in so many pies. Naim Audio is the only other specialist company we can think of with a similarly wide spread of products. The idea behind Exakt is to preserve the original music file…

D’Angelo: Sugah Daddy 14 yeTrs is quite the gTp between albums, even if D’Angelo hTs Ueen Uusy one wTy or another. But now he’s back... The Durutti Column: Sketch For A Summer FeTturing T virtuoso guitarist who didn’t want his guitar to sound like a guitar, and first track on one of the great debut albums. Royal Blood: Figure It Out Deliriously exciting TnW noisy JTck White-inflected rock action from the Fouth-ETst coTst oY EnglTnW. Gurns out perspiration has a sound. The Stone Roses: Fools Gold Ghere isn’t a dancefloor in existence, be it in an East Berlin basement nightclub or at a wedding reception in Norwich, thTt woulWn’t enjoy T Uit oY this.…

1 First things first Make sure all cables and connections are secure, that your room’s lighting is as it will be when you normally watch Tc, and that the screen has been powered up for at least half an hour. 2 Dig out a disc Some DcD/Blu-rays include an Optimiser menu but be sure check www.thx.com for a full list of titles that include THe menus for confirmation. 3 Wield those remotes You’ll need your disc player’s remote to navigate the Optimiser, and your Tc’s handset to make adjustments to your contrast, colour, brightness and sharpness. Use the Optimiser movie clip to finesse motion processing, too. 4 Spend a bit more £5 or so put the way of www.thx.com buys you a pair of blue-lensed glasses, which you’ll need to…

Full-size- Traditional cabinet design that’s big but can deliver a great sound Style- Compact speakers that make a lot of sense in smaller living spaces Bipole/Dipole- Surround speaker designs that give a more cohesive soundfield The shortlist Q Acoustics 2000i 5.1 Awards 2014: Best Traditional Pack up to £700 Dali Zensor 1 5.1 Awards 2014: Best Traditional Pack £700-£1500 Monitor Audio Radius R90HT1 Awards 2014: Best Style package £1400-£1800 Also consider Setting up your… Surround sound It’s not easy figuring out where to set up your speaker system to get the right performance. Here are a few bits of advice to keep in mind when setting up… Where should I position my sub? Each manufacturer will have different suggestions so it’s worth checking the manual to see what it says.…

Standmounters- Usually smaller speakers that need to be put on a stand, not bookshelves Floorstanders- Larger speakers that tend to go louder and deeper than standmounters Powered- Have built-in amplifiers and need mains power to work The shortlist Q Acoustics 2050i Awards 2014: Best floorstander up to £600 B&W 683 S2 Awards 2014: Best floorstander £600-£1200 Spendor A6R Awards 2014: Best Floorstander £1200+ Also consider SPEAKERS continued SPEAKERS continued SPEAKERS continued…

Experience & heritage We’ve been hard at work helping the world discover the best in hi-fi and home cinema for more than 37 years, and have getting on for 100 years of reviewing experience under our collective belts – so you can count on our expert opinions. Dedicated test facilities We test every product in the magazine or at whathifi.com against its peers in our bespoke £1m reviewing facilities. And we test every product as a team, so our opinions and conclusions are always the result of collaboration. We spot big trends first MP3 player tests before the iPod even existed? High-def video before it even had a name? That was us. We keep you in touch with big stories and future trends. Worldwide readership With seven international editions in…

1 Our seating position is slightly above the Solo bar, so we use the small plastic feet supplied to tilt it upwards a few degrees. 2 We experiment with the different sound modes and find we prefer the EQ off and either the ‘Movie’ or ‘Stereo’ modes. 3 The standard plastic remote can be frustrating so we switch to the iOS app, which is much better. 4 Once we’ve paired our iPhone 6 to the Arcam we open Spotify to stream some tunes over Bluetooth which… 5 …turns into late-night listening, so we pair the Arcam to a set of Bose Bluetooth headphones – the set-up works a treat.…

The UK’s largest and longest-running AV show Sound and Vision: The Bristol Show – which runs from Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd February, is your chance to get up close and personal with the latest hi-fi and home cinema products. Now into its 28th year, there will be more than 180 exhibitors taking up residence at the Marriott City Centre Hotel on Lower Castle Street for this year’s AV extravaganza. The details Thinking of coming along? Well, you can buy an adult ticket for £12 on the door and it’s £10 if you’re a student or over 65. Accompanied children under 16 are admitted to the show free of charge. There is still time, however, to save over 15 per cent on the price of an adult ticket (more than…

Digital music has transformed our listening habits, but to take advantage of it we need to convert that digital signal into an analogue version we can play. Most digital devices – phones, laptops, CD players – have their own built-in DAC, but they’re of varying quality and can strip your music of more than you realise. Upgrade your DAC and you’ll hear your music transformed in terms of detail, dynamics, organisation and timing. And once you’ve got that far, well, there’s really no going back. Two hi-fi heavyweights go head to head for your affections here – read on to find out where your money is best spent. Chord Hugo £1400 We’ve made no secret of our love for the Chord Hugo. How it has managed to squeeze so much…

Apple TV £80 Output HDMI, optical • Max Resolution 1080p • Sound Dolby Digital 5.1 Passthrough • USB No • Expandable Memory No • Ethernet Yes • Size (hwd) 9.8 x 9.8 x 2.3cm Google Chromecast £30 Output HDMI • Max resolution 1080p • Sound Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 P’through • USB No • Expandable memory No • Ethernet No • Size (hwd) 7.2 x 3.5 x 1.2cm Now TV £10 Output HDMI • Max resolution 720p • Sound Dolby Digital 5.1 • UBS No • Expandable memory No • Ethernet No • Size (hwd) 8.4 x 8.4 x 2.4cm Roku 3 £100 Output HDMI Max resolution 1080p • Sound Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 Passthrough • USB Yes • Expandable memory Yes, micro SD • Ethernet Yes • Size (hwd) 8.9 x 8.9 x 2.5cm Roku Streaming Stick £40 Output HDMI • Max resolution 1080p • Sound Dolby Digital 7.1 Passthrough • USB No • Expandable memory…

Perfect partners for the Beyerdynamic DTX 501 p Smartphone Apple iPhone 6 Stunning clarity, detail and punch ensure the iPhone remains king when it comes to smartphone sound. Powerful interface, too. Music streaming service Spotify Premium £10/month A vast, exhaustive library of music and an intuitive smartphone app with endless scope for personalised playlists. DAC Audioquest DragonFly £ 130 The DragonFly is a stylish and convenient sonic upgrade for your computer-stored music, making it sound insightful and exciting. Total build from £190 For a full list of specifications and other useful info visit whathifi.com…

Heed Thesis Preamp/power supply/monobloc power amplifier £8350 Heed Audio first came to our attention a few years ago with its £1300 Obelisk si amplifier. This simple, highly musical little integrated won our hearts, and an Award, back in 2012. The Budapest-based company has got a whole lot more ambitious since then, and pushed well upmarket with the high-end Thesis range. The range consists of four products at the moment. There’s the combination on test here – the a (alpha) preamp (£2650) with optional add-on r (pi) power supply (£1500) driving a pair of › (omega) monobloc power amplifiers (£2100 each) – plus a o (phi) moving magnet/moving coil phono stage, which will set you back another £1600. The Thesis appearance mirrors the minimalist ’80s feel of the Obelisk si and…

Download, CD, vinyl JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ VESTIGES & CLAWS Out 17th February Despite the seven-yeTr gTp Uetween albums, José González has been as Uusy Ts T Uee. The time Uetween his previous solo outing (2007’s In Our Nature) and Vestiges & Claws has been filled with a flurry of collTUorTtions – his work with the UTnW Junip, TnW with The GötenUorg Ftring Theory project, is pTrticulTrly rewarding. But for those for whom González’s previous two albums resonate, Vestiges & Claws comes not a moment too soon. It’s the immediacy and the intimacy of González’s solo work that’s especially resonant. He sets his stall out early with opener With The Ink Of A Ghost and from there on out Vestiges & Claws is long on warm, organic acoustic nylon-string guitar sounds and…

Evolve PS4, Xbox One, PC Out now More monster killing! But this time the monster’s controlled by an actual person too. So you’ve got two teams: the monster, which has to grow to its ultimate size so it can destroy a huge power relay, and the four hunters, which have to stop it. It’s a simple premise but very tactical in action. H1Z1 (Early Access) PC Out now Initially dismissed as a rip-off of brilliant/harsh/brutal zombie survival simulator DayZ, Sony’s H1Z1 has done little to dispel the notion with its work-in-progress release on Steam. There’s little in the approach or gameplay to make it stand out, but there’s time for it to be improved. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Nintendo 3DS Out now To fans of Japanese RPGs each new release…

Welcome to the UK’s best guide to TVs, hi-fi, home cinema and mobile, with star ratings for more than 1500 products. Where other magazines rely on isolated writers reviewing in a range of locations, our star ratings are decided by an expert team of reviewers working together, in a state-of-the-art testing facility. Within this guide you’ll find all our favourite four- and five-star products – including Award-winners – to help you pick the best kit for your budget.…

Smart-ability- Rxtends the viewing choice beyond discs with apps like BBC iPlayer Multichannel-out- Analogue outputs that feed high quality sound to a non-HDMI receiver Twin-HDMI-outputs- These are used if you have two displays, say a projector and a TV The shortlist Sony BDP-S5200 Awards 2014: Best Blu-ray player up to £150 Sony BDP-S7200 Awards 2014: Best Blu-ray player £150-£300 Panasonic DMP-BDT700 Awards 2014: Best Blu-ray player £300+ Also consider Three products to boost your TV experience Despite the changes in how we watch content, the television can still be the centre of your entertainment experience. We’ve chosen three products that can improve and extend it Multimedia Arguably the Xbox One’s media features are greater than that of the PS4’s and the console’s OneGuide adds to that feeling. It works by…

Integrated- Has both a CD mechanism and digital-to-analogue conversion tech Transport- Needs an outboard DAC but can deliver a higher standard of sound Our recommendations System killers Arriving 13 years after The Marshall Mathers LP album, this strong sequel is good for sniffing out a system’s grasp of timing and rhythmic precision with its caffeinated delivery and aggressive, complex beats. Eminem’s flexible, angst-ridden vocals demand dynamic attention and every last ounce of insight, while its hard, edgy nature will eat up any unrefined or bright-sounding electronics for breakfast. A collection of music performed and arranged by Justin Hurwitz and Tim Simonec for the Oscar-nominated film Whiplash, this is a jazz soundtrack at full tilt from the off and it rarely relents. A system that can communicate the ebb and flow…

This category includes a wide range of products including all-in-one packages where the speakers are part of the system, through to micro systems where the electronics are housed separately from the speakers. A streaming option is available on many newer systems. HEADPHONES continued Our recommendations “Not only does the very reasonably priced CEOL Piccolo play anything you’d care to listen to, from wherever you might like to get it from, but it does so with aplomb”March 2013…

These access the music or video files you have stored on your network. Check for file compatibility and decent control apps that improve usability. The shortlist Bluesound Node Awards 2014: Best streamer up to £600 Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6 V2 Awards 2014: Best streamer £600-£1000 Naim UnitiQute 2 Awards 2014: Best music system £800-£1500 Also consider “If you’re after a cheap and straightforward way to stream a range of files through your home cinema or audio system without sacrificing a decent sound and good features, then the uPlay Stream is a real steal”March 2014…

Pioneer N-50A First test p11 “Pioneer has taken the N-50, sprinkled it with some useful features and improved sound quality – what isn’t there to like?” Andy Madden Reviews editor Dali Rubicon 5 First test p14 “Fluid, refined, and with an infectious sense of energy and fun, these gorgeous Dali towers are a delight to listen to” Kashfia Kabir Multimedia journalist Roku 3 Group test p53 “A tiny streaming box that’s big on features” Ced Yuen Staff writer Cambridge Audio TV5 First test p19 “Bigger and better than the award-winning TV2. A sensible move by Cambridge Audio” Becky Roberts Staff writer Google Nexus 6 First test p22 “Android Lollipop in its purest form shines on this handset” Verity Burns Multimedia editor Triangle Esprit Titus EZ First test p21 “One of…

Dali has long had a knack of making likeable speakers. All it takes is a short listen to confirm that the Rubicon 5 is yet another. These floorstanders might not be flawless, but they have a sparkle about their performance we can’t help but enjoy. That extra half-way Dali tends to do things a little differently. While the 5s are a two-and-a-half-way design, there’s a twist: that extra half-way refers to an additional tweeter rather than the more usual dedicated bass driver. The extra tweeter is a 17 x 45mm ribbon design – it takes over from the conventional soft-dome unit at around 14kHz, with the dual aims of maintaining dispersion at the highest frequencies and improving resolution. Moving down the frequencies, the midrange and bass are delivered by a…

Stereo amplifier Rega Elex-R £900 A hugely capable amp that deftly combines power and punch with a lively sense of timing that never falters, even with huge dynamic shifts. Stereo speakers Triangle Esprit Titus EZ £600 If you want speakers that sound like they’re having fun, these rhythmically agile Triangles are ideal for the Technics ST-C700. Tablet Apple iPad mini 3 £230 The Technics’ Apple-influenced control app will feel right at home on the mini 3’s powerful, intuitive screen.…

Digital-to-analogue converter Chord Chordette QuteEX £990 Chord has won rave reviews for its latest range of DACs, and this 2014 Award-winner is another class act. CD player Naim CD5si CD player £995 Its features might be minimal, but this Naim CD5si CD player is as musical as they come at this price. Stereo amplifier Rega Elex-R amplifier £900 One of the most talented sub-£1000 stereo amplifiers we’ve heard, this Rega Elex-R features a built-in phono stage.…

Sony X90C You’ll need to take a good look at the image above to make sure you don’t miss this Tc. At just 4.9mm at its slimmest point, this new 4K Tc from the Japanese tech giant is said to be the thinnest Ultra HD screen hitting shelves in 2015. It’s one of six 4K models coming to the market this year from Sony, with 55in and 65in variants of the e90C set to be available. No pricing has been confirmed as yet, but we do know that, like all Sony 2015 Tcs, they’ll sport a new Android Tc platform. Samsung SUHD TVs Samsung is claiming to redefine what Tc is capable of in terms of brightness, contrast, detail and colour reproduction with its three-strong range of SUHD Tcs. The…

If you have a hi-fi or home cinema query and need some expert advice, here’s your chance. The What Hi-Fi? team will once again be on hand at the Bristol Show to take your questions and offer expert advice on anything we cover. The What Hi-Fi? demo This year we’ll be giving you the chance to hear a Dolby Atmos surround-sound cinema system in action. You’ll also be able to hear the new Meridian MQA streaming format. We’ll be in our usual place in the Bristol Suite on the Ground Floor – so why not come along and say hello? BRISTOL SHOW: THE DETAILS Friday 20th–Sunday 22nd February, 10am-5pm Lower Castle Street, Bristol, BS1 3AD…

Televisions are changing. They’re getting alarmingly smart. On-demand content, catch-up services and mobile integration have all become standard features. Soon, TVs might even gain sentience. But what if you have an old, dumb TV that is still going strong and not in urgent need of replacement? That doesn’t mean you deserve to miss out on all the streaming fun. And you don’t have to. We’ve assembled a handful of streamers for you, each offering varying features and price tags. Go on, row your boat this way… Apple TV £80 It is a truth universally acknowledged that Apple will always do its own thing. Take media streamers, for example. This sector has changed a great deal in the last year alone, but the folks at Cupertino have done little to the…

These three – with your existing TV – will help the Roku 3 really shine Home cinema amplifier Yamaha RX-V377 £260 Features. Power. Connections. Confidence and punch. Truly a great way to get into surround sound. Speaker package Q Acoustics 2000i 5.1 £650 Still a firm favourite at this price three years after its debut. A must-hear for those looking for affordability and style in spades. Video streaming service Netflix from £6 per month If you subscribe to one streaming service, make it this. Good balance of old and new films and Tc shows, and near-universal compatibility. Total build from £1010 For a full list of specifications and other useful info visit whathifi.com…

Slip the perfect pair of portable headphones on, and you’ll be whisked away to a musical haven that makes your tedious daily commute oh-so-bearable. We’ve scoured the market in search of the best pair of on-ears that’ll keep your music close and personal to you at all times. Six portable pairs are up for grabs here, all priced sensibly between £50 and £70. Take your pick. We can hear hints of just how good the Y40 headphones can be. The punchy, snappy rhythm that AKG delivers so well is intact AKG Y40 £70 We’re used to heaping praise on AKG headphones. Given that the company has two successive Product of the Year gongs for its sub–£100 headphones, we have high expectations for the Y40s, which come in black, blue or…

AKG Y40 £70 Type On-ear Input 3.5mm jack In-line mic/controls Yes Cable length 1.2m Weight 133g Beyerdynamic DTX 501 p £60 Type On-ear Input 3.5mm jack In-line mic/controls No Cable length 1.3m Weight 120g House of Marley Positive Vibration £50 Type On-ear Input 3.5mm jack In-line mic/controls Yes Cable length 1.3m Weight 194g JBL Synchros E30 £60 Type On-ear Input 3.5mm jack In-line mic/controls Yes Cable length 1.2m Weight 150g SoundMagic P21S £50 Type On-ear Input 3.5mm jack In-line mic/controls Yes Cable length 1.2m Weight 115g Yamaha HPH-M82 £60 Type On-ear Input 3.5mm jack In-line mic/controls Yes Cable length 1.2m Weight 150g…

Fury Brad Pitt leads a bunch of people in a tank. There’s a lot of shouting. Will appeal to anyone interested in seemingly accurate wartime brutality. Game of Thrones (season 4) We go on with the winning combo of gratuitous sex, violence and political intrigue. This season is less eventful, but still utterly grim for all involved. The Equalizer Denzel Washington breaks faces in the name of the little guy. Packs a punch despite its length and its irreverence towards the ‘80s Tc show. The Babadook The monster-under-the-bed formula gets an inventive, heartfelt storyline and a top hat-wearing demon that’s not as gentlemanly as it looks.…

Movies (Cinema) Chappie (6th March) The third feature from Neil Blomkamp has a robot learning to feel, and it turns out humans are nasty folk. Especially Hugh Jackman. Movies (Blu-ray) The Imitation Game (9th March) Benedict Cumberbatch acts his pants off as a socially awkward genius who saves the country. It’s déjà vu, WWII-style. Music (Download, CD, vinyl) Madonna – Rebel Heart (9th March) Kanye West, Diplo, Billboard and Blood Diamonds all feature. Just your bog-standard Madonna release, then. Music (Download, CD, vinyl) The Prodigy – The Day Is My Enemy (30th March) The Prodigy can’t possibly be as potent and threatening as before. Can they?…

LCD- Once only in smaller screens; now the most common type of panel LED- This refers to the kind of backlighting used on an LCD panel OLED- An ultra-thin screen that’s commonly used in curved TVs The shortlist Sony KDL-32W706B Awards 2014: Best 32in TV “With an attentive, punchy picture, decently detailed sound and a smattering of features, the KDL-32W706B is the full works with all the trimmings of a well-designed telly.” Samsung UE48H6400 Awards 2014: Best 47-52in TV “Sharp, clear and full of subtle detail that’s impressive at this mid-range price, the Samsung ‘6400’s picture hooked us in from the minute we turned it on.” Samsung UE55HU7500 Awards 2014: Best 52-60in TV “We’re very impressed by the UR55HU7500. It looks great across all resolutions and it has plenty of…

Up-to-£500- Well-equipped and delivers convincing surround sound £500-£1000- There are gains in features, build quality and sonic performance £1000+- Real powerhouses that pack loads of features and cinema-style sound The shortlist Yamaha RX-V377 Awards 2014: Best home cinema amp up to £350 Sony STR-DN1050 Awards 2014: Best home cinema amp £350-£700 Pioneer SC-LX58 Awards 2014: Best home cinema amp £700-£1500 Also consider PROJECTORS continued “The RX-A3030’s immensely enjoyable and involving sense of scale is justification enough for that £2000 price tag, while a class-leading ability to deliver any film soundtrack with subtlety, punch and agility demands your attention”…

1 Get it totally level Your deck has no chance of working at its best until this is done. It helps considerably if the support is light and rigid, so external vibrations don’t upset the cartridge as it tracks the record groove. 2 Sort the suspension If your record player has suspension, make sure the platter sits level too. Doing this allows the stylus to sit properly in the record groove and lets it dig up more information. 3 Prevent excessive hum You can do this by making sure the tone arm lead isn’t stressed and is positioned away from anything that runs on mains voltage. 4 Tweak the tone-arm First up is the tracking weight, adjusted by moving a counter -weight at the rear of the arm. To start…

The shortlist SoundMagic E10S Awards 2014: Best in-ears up to £50 “The SoundMagic R10Ses punch well above their weight in terms of sound quality.” Sony MDR-EX650AP Awards 2014: Best in-ears £50-£100 “They’ll happily turn their hand to just about anything, effortlessly finding that balance between the details and the overall flow.” Shure SE425 Awards 2014: Best in-ears £150-£300 “The SR425s sound fun, absorbing, classy, polished and captivating.” Also consider HEADPHONES continued HEADPHONES continued…

The shortlist Cambridge Audio Minx TV2 Awards 2014: Best soundbase up to £300 “An affordable product that ticks all the criteria of a good TV sound-booster: detailed sound, smart style, and practical build.” Canton DM 75 Awards 2014: Best sound bar up £300+ “Canton has come up trumps with the DM 75. Clearer, bigger and more powerful sounding - it’s surely worth the £50 price hike if you can justify it.” Maxell MXSP-SB3000 02.14 Troup Test “Its size might be ludicrous, but that excellent feature count and affordable price is hard to ignore.” Also consider…

Android- Offers great flexibility and innovation Apple-iOS- Fantastic ease of use; massive choice of quality apps Windows- New kid on the block. Watch this space The shortlist Apple iPad Air 2 Sony Zperia Z3 Tablet Compact Apple iPad mini 3 Also consider Things to consider: Tablets Battery life Ten hours tends to be the average but by our measurements Sony’s g3 Tablet Compact can last a whopping 17 hours. There’s a trade-off as the g3 has a Full HD screen compared to its rivals which pack more pixels. High-res A new feature and not many tablets incorporate it. Despite its scarcity, it’s a chance for audiophiles to hear their music in even better quality. Storage could be an issue though, unless you intend to stream 24-bit/96kHz or higher tracks. Screen…

Android- Offers great flexibility and innovation Apple-iOS- Fantastic ease of use; massive choice of quality apps Windows- New kid on the block. Watch this space The shortlist Apple iPhone 6 Awards 2014: Best phone up to 5in Sony Xperia Z3 Awards 2014: Best phone 5in+ Samsung Galaxy Note 4 12.14 Troup Test Also consider “Sony’s Xperia Z1 is a brilliant smartphone not just for sophisticated picture and sound quality that’s a cut above most rivals but also as an all-round package ”March 2014…

For those of us that consider themselves a music lover, albeit to different degrees, we are part of a very fortunate generation. We now have access to an ever-growing wealth of recorded music of extraordinary range and depth, effectively accumulated over the last 60 years. With the introduction of the microgroove LP record in the early 1950's, playback quality took a quantum leap forward and this also coincided with a far higher standard of recording techniques. Although further improvements have been made over the years, this was a watershed time that first introduced hi-fi as a reality. We now have literally millions of recorded music tracks available to us in all genres and many different formats. One trend over recent years, however, has been to deliberately downgrade the quality in…

SOUTH Ashford, Kent SOUNDCRAFT HI-FI 40 High Street. t: 01233 624441 www.soundcrafthifi.com Chelmsford RAYLEIGH HI-FI SOUND & VISION 216 Moulsham Street. t: 01245 265245 www.rayleighhifi.com Kingston-upon-Thames INFIDELITY 9 High Street, Hampton Wick. t: 020 8943 3530 www.infidelity.co.uk Maidenhead AUDIO VENUE 36 Queen Street. t: 01628 633995 www.audiovenue.com Norwich MARTINS HI-FI 85-91 Ber Street. t: 01603 627134 www.martinshifi.co.uk Rayleigh RAYLEIGH HI-FI 44a High Street. t: 01268 779762 www.rayleighhifi.com Southend-on-Sea RAYLEIGH HI-FI SOUND & VISION 132/4 London Road. t: 01702 435255 www.rayleighhifi.com LONDON Ealing AUDIO VENUE 27 Bond Street. t: 020 8567 8703 www.audiovenue.com N1 GRAHAMS HI-FI 190a New North Road. t: 020 7226 5500 www.grahams.co.uk SW11 ORANGES & LEMONS 61/63 Webbs Road. t: 020 7924 2040 www.oandlhifi.co.uk SOUTH WEST Bath AUDIENCE 14 Broad Street. t: 01225 333310 www.audience.org.uk Exeter GULLIFORD HI-FI…

When Wharfedale launched the Diamonds in 1982 we doubt anyone thought they would go on to be such a success. And yet 32 years and 12 generations later, the 220s won a What Hi-Fi? Award. That original was a squat thing, standing just 24cm high. The Mk1s cost just £65 and soon built up a mighty reputation for being musically talented. They delivered surprising bass weight (for one so small) and had far more finesse than their lowly price suggested. Wharfedale has built on that success with regular updates and additional variants (including active and luxury-finished versions). Gradually the process involved transforming the Diamond from a single product into a complete range. And, while some of the floorstanders models have been good, it has always been the standmounters that remained…