Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2015 i What Hi-Fi?

Bigger is better, right? In the most important ways (pay-packet, record collection, that sort of thing), more is always more. That certainly looks the case as far as TV manufacturers are concerned. As seems fitting for the lengthy adolescence current generations are indulging in, 50 is the new 40. The TV brands seem to be willing it: the four 48in – 55in TVs, from brilliant to not-much-cop at all (p43) are all sized around the putative new norm. And don’t get me started about the average size of the TVs nominated for our 2015 Awards this October (spoiler alert : it’s BIG). Fortunately, Panasonic still has a foothold in the real world. Its amazing-value 40in TV (p25) is everything a straightforward telly really needs to be.…

Projector Epson EHTW7200 £1900 With a crystal clear picture that’s packed with subtle detail and punchy colours, this is a hugely capable projector Speaker package KEF R100 5.1 £2850 A thunderously good speaker package that’s stylish, detailed and delivers a winningly immersive surround sound experience AV receiver Pioneer SCLX88 £2200 Our Award-winning AV receiver remains a class act at this price, with agile and precise rhythm, bags of detail and superb bass Total build £7850…

1 Analogue outputs The 8300CD offers the choice of both balanced XLR and single-ended analogue outputs. Both perform well, so the choice comes down to your preference when system-matching. 2 DAC While the built-in digital-to-analogue circuitry performs well, this trio of digital outputs – coaxial, optical and XLR, allows the possibility of adding a superior outbound DAC at some point in the future, should you feel the need. 3 Digital outputs The decent range of digital outputs on the 8300CD includes the rarely seen AES/EBU. The USB out can accept signals of up to 32-bit/ 384kHz, although the rest are limited to 192kHz. 4 Build We have no issues with the Audiolab’s build. More rounded and softer than the 8200, it feels solid and is finished to a high standard.…

1 Grado GH1 £tbc The GH1s are the first pair of headphones from Grado to use wood from a Brooklyn maple tree. They’re also the first pair of a new Heritage Series. This marks the first time Grado has used maple wood for its headphones and the company claims the sound delivered is dynamic, with authoritative bass and accurate midrange and treble. http://whf.cm/GradoGH1 2 Roksan K3 CD Di £1300 The Roksan K3 CD Di doubles up as both CD player and DAC for a range of digital and analogue sources. It uses the same CD transport as found in the K3 CD while the DAC section can support 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution audio. Outputs include digital coaxial, optical and balanced XLR, while an LED light on the bottom of the unit lets…

Reliable, easy to get along with and good company, Sony’s £500 amplifiers are starting to feel like old friends. They’ve been strong favourites of ours, winning our Product of the Year Award for the past two years running. Bang for your buck That’s not to say the competition isn’t snapping at its heels, but the DN1060 arrives on the back of a five-star review for its impressive cheaper sibling, the DN860. Like the 860, the 1060 has shunned Dolby Atmos – an understandable decision at £400, but more questionable here. But with Atmos discs still few in number, the quality of an amp’s regular surround sound performance takes priority – and the Sony offers plenty of bang for your buck. Load up Fast and Furious 7 and the 1060 really…

Denon AVR-X2200W £500 Channels 7 • Power 95W (8Ohms, 2ch) • Decoding Dolby TrueHD, DTS Master Audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X • Inputs HDMI x8, optical x2, USB x1, analogue x4, component x1, composite x2 • Outputs HDMI x2, sub x2 • HDMI 2.0a • HDCP 2.2 yes • Dimensions (hwd) 168 x 434 x 338mm • Weight 9.4kg Sony STR-DN1060 £500 Channels 7 • Power 100W (6Ohms, 2ch) • Decoding Dolby TrueHD, DTS Master Audio • Inputs: HDMI x6, optical x2, coaxial x1, USB x1, analogue x4, component x1, composite x2 • Outputs HDMI x2, composite x1, sub x2 • HDMI 2.0 • HDCP 2.2 yes • Dimensions (hwd) 172 x 430 x 329mm • Weight 10kg Yamaha RX-V679 £600 Channels 7 • Power 90W (8Ohms, 2ch) • Decoding Dolby TrueHD, DTS Master Audio • Inputs HDMI x6, optical x2, coaxial x2, USB x1, analogue x4, component x2, composite…

Panasonic TX50CS520 £500 Size 50in • Resolution 1920x1080 • Smart yes • Active 3D no • Passive 3D no • Freeview yes • Freesat no HDMI 2 • USB 1 • Dimensions 69 x 113 x 23cm • Seiki SE50FO03UK £380 Size 50in • Resolution 1920x1080 • Smart yes • Active 3D no • Passive 3D no • Freeview yes • Freesat no • HDMI 3 • USB 1 • Dimensions 69 x 113 John Lewis 55JL 9100 £1200 Size 55in • Resolution 3820x2160 • Smart yes • Active 3D no • Passive 3D no • Freeview yes • Freesat no • HDMI 3 • USB 3 • Dimensions 78 x 124 x 26cm • Samsung UE48JU7000 £1250 Size 48in • Resolution 3820x2160 • Smart yes • Active 3D yes • Passive 3D no • Freeview • yes Freesat yes • HDMI 4 • USB 2 • Dimensions 109 x 68 x 28cm •…

Edifier R1700BT £120 Type Powered • Power handling 18W • Inputs Bluetooth, 2 x RCA • Remote Yes • Finishes 1 • Dimensions (hwd) 25 x 15 x 21cm • Weight 7kg Sond Audio Active £150 Type Powered • Power handling 60W • Inputs Bluetooth, USB type B, 2 x RCA, 3.5mm • Remote Yes • Finishes 1 • Dimensions (hwd) 30 x 18 x 22cm • Weight 10kg Wharfedale DS1 £130 Type Powered • Power handling 14W • Inputs Bluetooth, 3.5mm • Remote No • Finishes 2 • Dimensions (hwd) 19 x 11 x 15cm • Weight 5kg Audio Pro Addon T14 £400 Type Powered • Power handling 50W • Inputs Bluetooth, 2 x optical, 3.5mm • Remote Yes • Finishes 2 • Dimensions (hwd) 22 x 15 x 20cm • Weight 3kg Epoz Aktimate Micro B £300 Type Powered • Power handling 40W • Inputs Bluetooth, USB type B, 3.5mm • Remote No • Finishes 3…

Laptop Apple MacBook Air 13in £1000 That sleek, intuitive interface is always going to please, but we also love the Air for its ability to play a variety of file types Smartphone Samsung Galaxy S6 It sounds great with any audio, but the elegant and responsive S6 also handles high-res files with aplomb. It’s a multimedia marvel Headphones Beyerdynamic T51i £245 Current holders of our Best Portable On-Ears Over £200 Award, these comfy cans have terrific insight and a high level of precision Total build from £1495…

ATC SCM20ASL Pro Stereo speakers £4380 These aren’t the kind of speakers we normally review in Temptations. A contrast to the luxurious real wood veneers and exotically shaped designs with high tech drive units that pass through our testing rooms, these functional looking boxes are designed as studio monitors, meant to sit on a mixing desk and work hard for their living. In fact, the ATCs aren’t even intended for home use. So, why are we reviewing Pro-orientated speakers here? Seriously engineered drivers These are effectively ATC’s SCM19s with a higher-grade tweeter and driven actively, but minus the curved cabinet and smart real wood finish. While they are very much aimed at the studio world, a closer look at the engineering involved shows that they could shine in a domestic…

Download, CD, vinyl BEACH HOUSE DEPRESSION CHERRY Out now Five albums in nine years is pretty good going in this lethargic pop-era, yet Beach House’s Baltimore/ Philadelphia-via-Paris 4AD-inflected dream-pop shows no sign of flagging. Those for whom the descriptions ‘etheral’, ‘gauzy’ or even ‘gossamer’ have only positive connotations will find plenty here to get their tranquil freak on. Depression Cherry is a move back to the small-scale anti-bombast of their eponymous 2006 debut or 2008’s Devotion after two subsequent albums of (relatively) intense dynamism. The avowed intention with Depression Cherry is to “continue to let ourselves evolve while fully ignoring the commercial context in which we exist.” Who knows how easy that is? But it’s true Depression Cherry has a more, um, selective appeal than 2012’s Bloom. Keyboard and dreamy…

Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture PS4 Out now No fighting, no running, no enemies, no instructions, no prompts of any kind. You walk around an apparently deserted village, follow a ball of light, and see snippets of discussions between the residents that happened before whatever it was that happened happened. And it’s brilliant. Her Story PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone Out now There’s been a murder (probably) and it’s up to you to sift through the police interview footage. But you don’t have a simple list of these video files – the only way to get at them is to input a search term, which will bring up any video containing those words. It’s weird, clever, brain-stretching stuff. Rocket League PS4 Out now Football with cars. What? You want more than…

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.…

Pick a capable stereo amplifier If you are going down the digital route then a stereo amplifier would be handy as it takes the signal from your network streamer to your speakers. If you can stretch your budget to near the £500 mark, we’d go for NAD’s D 3020 (£400) which offers a decent built-in DAC along with a smooth, punchy presentation that works well across a variety of genres and file types. Speaking of which… Invest in a lot of storage Storage is a necessity if your digital set-up is going to work. Music collections generally only expand, so equip yourself with a large hard-drive (or one that can be upgraded in the future). Go for a NAS drive such as Synology’s DS2i3J, which is compatible with just about…

When we tested Denon’s D M3 back in our September 1998 issue we had little idea how important that product would become. The micro system came with speakers, and waltzed off with the full five stars and a Group Test win. What we couldn’t know at the time was that this beautifully conceived unit would start a dynasty that would dominate entry-level hi-fi for the best part of two decades. Fine sound in a small package The D M3 set the template for generations of Denon micro systems. A compact, half-width unit, with a radio tuner alongside a built-in CD player, it was a neat solution that suited many who simply didn’t have the space, budget or inclination to go down the separates route. Best of all, it sounded good.…

VPI Prime Temptation p76 “In terms of performance per pound we can’t think of a better high-end alternative” Ketan Bharadia Technical editor Cambridge CXU First test p8 “A multi-talented disc player that delivers a gorgeous performance with movies and music alike” Verity Burns Multimedia editor Denon D M40 First test p13 “Denon has gone out and produced something even better than last year’s Award-winner” Andrew Murphy Staff writer Philips Fidelio X2 Round-up p53 “Luxurious, entertaining and ever so comfortable; you won’t want to take them off” Becky Roberts Staff writer Dali Opticon 1 First test p23 “A great looking, enthusiastic-sounding pair of speakers, that are well worth trying out” Kashfia Kabir First Tests editor Panasonic TX50CD520 Group test p44 “Ah, Panasonic. It’s good to have you back at the top”…

1 Cambridge has done a great job with design. The CXU is sleek and feels premium quality. Even the backlit remote is lovely. 2 The extensive connections and compatibility are fantastic. The display could be more informative, though. 3 The picture is great, but music-playing talents are better. We enjoyed using it as a CD player, DAC and streamer. 4 See the dongle supplied in the box? Stick it into any of the three USB ports, and voila – the CXU now has wi-fi powers. 5 There’s no dedicated app, so you’ll have to download third-party alternatives if you want a better streaming experience.…

Liquid sounds The ear caps are made of ‘Liquid Wood’, wood mixed with plant fibre which is then heated, liquefied and processed for injected moulding. Audioquest claims it has far superior acoustic properties to wood or plastic We like it when a manufacturer pulls a new one out of the hat. Keeps us on our toes, it does. In this case, a renowned cable company (and the makers of a rather good USB DAC) have come up with a pair of headphones – the Audioquest Nighthawk. Innovative approach The Audioquest Nighthawks are no ordinary headphones. There’s all manner of fancy design going on. Take the ear caps– they’re made of ‘Liquid Wood’, a mixture of wood and plant fibre which Audioquest claims has far superior acoustic properties compared with ordinary…

JBL’s Arena 5.1 is the company’s newest, most affordable speaker package. We’re familiar with the floorstanders in this set-up following a commendable four-star First Test, but can the 5.1 package match – or even better – their solo performance? The sum of the parts The set comprises the 170 floorstanders (£460) and 120 standmounters (£180) with the Arena 125C centre speaker (£180) and Arena SUB100 (£260). There’s also a pricier floorstander and standmounter option if your budget can stretch another £80. The scale on offer here is larger than we’d expect at this price, especially when you consider the relatively compact design. The Arenas are the perfect match for action movies, so we load up Edge Of Tomorrow to see how they handle its hefty soundtrack. Immediately, the Arena 5.1…

Nothing beats seeing a great film on the big screen, but as much as we love a trip to the cinema, there are one too many variables for our liking. For a start, there’s always the chance of your seat being located behind the tallest man in the world, or next to the couple that won’t stop talking about the plot, and the music, and isn’t that actor from this, and wasn’t she better in that. It’s odds on that the person next to you will be practically incapable of quietly operating a packet of Minstrels for the entirety of the film, and don’t even get us started on the price of popcorn... Sometimes, you can’t beat the comfort of your own sofa and the beauty of your own setup…

It’s been a case of ‘close, but no cigar’ for Yamaha’s AV receivers at this price the past few years. Despite glowing five star reviews from our testing rooms for the V675 and V677 amps, there’s always been an ‘if, and or but’ that has ultimately cost it its place at the very top. Throws itself into the action Yamaha has dusted itself down and come back with one of the best amps we’ve heard at this price for a while. That’s not to say there are no buts – it’s pricier than before at £600 and there’s still no sign of Dolby Atmos – we’d be lying if we said we weren’t a little disappointed. Still, we get the ball rolling with Fast and Furious 7 and the V679…

Surround package Dali Zensor 1 5.1 £980 Our 2014 Award-winning speaker package still holds rivals at bay, winning us over with its balanced, detailed and engaging manner. Dolby Atmos speakers will cost extra though Blu-ray player SonyBDPS 7200 £180 Sony’s Blu-ray players have been proven at this price for several years, delivering a punchy picture and full-bodied sound alongside an excellent smart functionality Projector BenQ W1080ST+ £1000 Get the full cinema experience with a projector which has an entertaining picture, smooth motion and great insight Total build from £2660…

Beyerdynamic DTX 350p £40 Let’s not beat around the bush: the DTX 350ps look like something you might pull out of a cereal box. Even if you are unphased by their plain design and cheap plasticky feel, the lack of in-line remote is disappointing too. On the bright side, they make ideal travel companions – lightweight, yet tough. The earcups collapse to fit the carry case, and the angled 3.5mm jack makes them pocket-friendly. Smoothness and fluency But the Beyers’ real saving grace is their sound. Stumbling upon much dynamic expression isn’t a regular occurrence at this price, but in Eddie Vedder’s Guaranteed the Beyers manage to track the subtle rises and falls in his vocals. The guitar melodies are rhythmic, precise and agile, and while you get all the…

TESTED Acoustic Research AR-UA1 £400 Apogee Groove £250 Oppo HA-2 £250 TEAC HA-P50 £200 You could be forgiven for thinking of headphone amps as the emperor’s new clothes. If plugging straight into your computer, phone or music player works just fine, why over-egg the pudding with… well, more eggs? Think of these as Class A eggs. It’s like anything in hi-fi, really – all products have a primary purpose, and a great standalone digital-to-analogue converter is in a different league from the DAC built into the device where your music’s stored. That’s what these four headphone amps prioritise, and, to varying degrees, they deliver a sound beyond what you’re used to without. Once you go to a specialised DAC, you won’t go back. Stevie Ray Vaughan’s intoxicating guitar intro on…

Primephonic will revolutionise the way you understand and experience classical music. As well as being an online store with tens of thousands of superb pieces to download in brilliantly high-Tuality formats, it’s an immersive, expert, and interactive community. With music sourced from the world’s leading labels and small-batch bespoke independents, primephonic delivers access to a huge range of styles at the very best sound-quality possible. And it can support and educate its audience with extensive background information (from leading authorities) covering every classical music topic imaginable. Plus there’s a solid online community with opinions and advice to spare. If you’re dipping your toe into the world of classical music for the first time, primephonic is a friendly, informed guide. If you’re already a committed lover of classical music, primephonic will…

John Wick Some people, such as Liam Neeson, are naturally suited to angry rampage movies. Now it’s Keanu Reeves’ turn, because they killed his dog. Uh-oh. Cinderella A sweet, lavish and faithful live-action take on the classic fairytale. Helena Bonham Carter steals every scene as the fabulous fairy godmother. The Flash (season one) It starts slow but The Flash finds its footing and doesn’t look back, with Grant Gustin’s infectiously optimistic Barry Allen leading the way. 007 Special Editions SPECTRE approaches. Time for another re-release, with limited edition steelbook Blu-rays and a new 23-title pack, with space for the 24th.…

Movies (Blu-ray) Big Game (21 September) President Samuel L Jackson and a Finnish boy take on terrorists in a forest. Delightful ’90s throwback all-but guaranteed. Movies (Cinema) Everest (18 September) A bunch of people who think they can conquer nature. Nature has other ideas. Disastrous, and inspired by true stories. Music (Download, CD, vinyl) Faithless – 2.0 (2 October) 20 years of Faithless celebrated by a remix album. Tiesto, Flux Pavilion and Armin van Buuren star. Music (Download, CD, vinyl) New Order – Music Complete (25 September) First New Order album in 10 years. There’s simply no way this could go tragically wrong, is there?…

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 To subscribe call 0844 848 8813 or email: whathifi@servicehelpline.co.uk…

Ear tips Most in-ears come with these. Experiment with size to get the best fit In-line remote Mostly for Apple devices, but Android-friendly units are increasing. Handy… The shortlist AKGY50 Awards 2014: Best portable on-ears up to £100 Philips M1MKII Awards 2014: Best portable on-ears £100-£200 Beyerdynamic T51i Awards 2014: Best portable on-ears £200-£300 Also consider “Beyerdynamic’s Custom One Pros are accomplished and easy to listen to – but more pizzazz and emotion would tip the balance further in their favour”October 2013…

One-box speaker systems that include amplification, and are a great alternative to a full-on home cinema package if you don’t have much space. Soundbases have emerged as alternatives in the market, a one-box unit that can sit beneath and support your television. The shortlist Cambridge Audio TV5 “If you can accommodate the TV5’s arger size, you’ll hear the difference with every film you watch.” Canton DM 50 “It sounds gorgeous, it looks great, and we reckon £400 is a small price to pay for the huge boost in TV sound quality it delivers.” Geneva Model Cinema “…the Geneva Model Cinema will transform your TV sound better than any soundbase we’ve tested.” Also consider…

On my radio In keeping with the period theme, there are two strips of plastic buttons with a satisfying click when pressed. But we can’t help thinking good old-fashioned dials for volume and station-scanning would be easier. By name, the Retro Mini is a sincere soul. It’s pretty miniature (naturally, smaller than ViewQuest’s Retro model) and would sell just as easily as a 1980s movie prop as a radio thanks to its cream matt face and leatherette wrap. Unless you’re after a plain white or silver radio, you’re in luck. The Retro Mini comes in 11 different colours, from mustard to ‘radiant orchard’ (that’s purple to regular folk). Three cutesy Emma Bridgewater designs are also available to match your finest dinnerware, if you don’t mind parting with an extra £20.…

It may not look it at first glance, but by Astell & Kern’s standards this is a startlingly affordable portable high-res music player. After all, this is the company with the £2k portable DSD music player and the £10k audio player in its armoury. So you’d expect the AK Jr to be somehow compromised, to have a few corners cut, wouldn’t you? We can’t deny the thought occurred to us when the AK Jr arrived in our listening rooms. That was before we took it out of its box, mind you, and before we heard it do its thing. Not sold short Nothing about the way the AK Jr looks or feels speaks of cost-cutting. It’s a slim, tactile slice of aluminium that tapers from 8.9mm to 6.9mm in depth…

From the outside, the S150 looks like a carbon copy of its sibling, the Award-winning S200. There’s no difference in size and the finish options – black or white – are the same. The drive units and internal amplification are all virtually identical too. There’s a 20mm tweeter flanked by two 7.5cm mid/bass drivers behind the fabric-covered grille. They sit on an angled baffle to help disperse sound. The volume rocker button is in the same place, on the right-hand side of the speaker, as are the input selector buttons. The LED on the front still shines cyan when you’re using Bluetooth and green when you’re wired through the 3.5mm input. And yet, the S150 is £50 cheaper than its stablemate. So what’s the catch? Well, the S200 came blessed…

The law is a mess, and fails to take account of the way technology has changed how we access music and films. Of course I understand that musicians and film makers need to protect their copyright. That’s fair enough. If someone downloads an album or film without paying for it, then they are breaking the law. However, I have a large collection of CDs. All of which I have paid for. Yes, I can listen to them on my CD player at home. But I also have a hard drive in my car so I can listen to the music while driving, and ensure I don’t lose the original discs if my car happens to get stolen. That means I am now breaking the law for listening to something I…

The £500 AV receiver market is important territory for any manufacturer, and, after a few years of falling short at this level, Denon has come out swinging. The AVR-X2200W is the result – a receiver that pushes the boundaries of what we’ve come to expect at this price. This means support for both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (via a firmware upgrade later this year) alongside generous connectivity and all the future-proofing you could wish for. Better still, this amp is as big on performance as it is on specs, proving that Denon is once again back on its ‘A’ game. Audyssey remains Denon’s auto-calibration software of choice, which is one of the most thorough we’ve seen at this price. Denon even throws in an extendable cardboard tripod to help you…

The TV market has always been a minefield, but never more so than now. The emergence of Ultra HD has doubled the confusion, giving you an extra tier of consideration. We’ve got two types of TV on test. There’s the 4K camp, with over eight million pixels. Here, a 48in Samsung battles a 55in John Lewis-branded LG for the £1200 in your bank account. If you don’t want to spend that much, take a look at our 50in Full HD TVs. It’s Panasonic versus the newcomer Seiki, yours for £500 and under. How many pixels do you need? Whatever the answer, we’ve got it covered.…

Blu-ray player Sony BDP@S5500 £110 Well featured and with a great performance for a superb price, this little Blu-ray player is a top budget buy Video streaming Netflix £6 per month Whether you go 4K or Full HD, this subscription-only video streaming service is as complete as you can get Soundbase Cambridge Audio TV2 £200 For a small box, it offers an impressive amount of sound, making it a great way to boost sound for those short on space Total build from £816…

On-ears Beyerdynamic DTX 350p £40 On-ear yes • Closed yes • Wireless no • Surround sound no • Weight 131g • 3.5 connector yes • Cable length 1.2m • Noise cancelling no Philips Fidelio F1 £100 On-ear yes • Closed yes • Wireless no • Surround sound no • Weight 155g • 3.5 connector yes • Cable length 1.2m • Noise cancelling no • Skullcandy Grind £40 On-ear yes • Closed yes • Wireless no • Surround sound no • Weight 170g • 3.5 connector yes • Cable length 1.2m • Noise cancelling no Sony MDR@ZX660AP £50 On-ear yes • Closed yes • Wireless no • Surround sound no • Weight 195g • 3.5 connector yes • Cable length 1.2m • Noise cancelling no Soundmagic P30S £70 On-ear yes • Closed yes • Wireless no • Surround sound no • Weight 85g • 3.5 connector yes • Cable length 1.2m • Noise cancelling no Over-ears Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Plus £190 Over-ear yes • Closed yes…

Laptop Apple MacBook Pro from £1000 The sleek interface, powerful processor and ability to play any kind of file make it ideal Smartphone Samsung Galaxy S6 £530 The best-looking Samsung smartphone ever is also the best-sounding one – streaming songs over Bluetooth works a treat Music streaming service Tidal from£10/month There are flashier rivals, but Tidal remains our favourite for its detailed, full-bodied sound. An extra tenner gets you CD-quality streams Total build from £1670/£1840…

Mogwai: Heard About You Last Night Appropriate that 2014’s Raves Tapes (from where this is taken) sold best on vinyl – Mogwai as a band suit the format beautifully. Rae Morris: For You Startlingly assured pick from Unguarded, the debut album from Blackpool’s Rae Morris. Not your average early-20s piano troubadour fare by any means. Let’s Active: Every Word Means No Mid-’80s also-rans (with possibly the worst name in the pop history) and a jangle-tastic lost classic. Features early R.E.M. producer Mitch Easter. Rufus Thomas: Bear Cat Begs the question ‘how different to a Hound Dog is a Bear Cat?’. Not much at all, we don’t think – although there’s an exciting gender scrap going on. Join us on Spotify and Tidal whf.cm/playlist15…