LATEST ADDITIONS

Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 18, 2017  |  0 comments
It is now 50 years since The Doors released their startling debut LP, which unleashed the audacious and unsettling poetic visions of Jim Morrison on an unsuspecting world – and a flurry of Doors-related activity is underway to mark this rather auspicious anniversary. The group’s self-titled debut album is being reissued this month in a new three-disc deluxe edition, featuring remastered mono and stereo mixes and previously unheard live versions of eight of the original album’s 11 songs, recorded just as the band was on the verge of superstardom (see p100). It follows closely on the heels of the release of London Fog 1966, an historic album of recently unearthed live recordings from a gig in a club on Sunset Strip shortly before the group signed its first recording contract. That the music of the Doors continues to exert such a profound and far-reaching influence on our collective psyche so long after the event is in stark contrast to the group’s active lifespan, which – even by the ephemeral standards of rock and roll – was extraordinarily brief and fleeting.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 13, 2017  |  1 comments
The form and function of network audio products has been slowly but surely solidifying around a selection of key functions that we expect them to perform. Within this ‘firming up’ process, some brands have found niches they can use to create products that stand out from the crowd. Auralic has been around since 2009 and in that time has been hard at work creating streaming products that alter the roles and responsibilities of given components. 
 The Aries Mini is a case in point.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 28, 2017  |  0 comments
Hard to believe, but on 1 June, the most iconic album from the world’s most iconic pop group celebrates its golden anniversary: The Beatles’ incalculably influential Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band turns 50. And a splendid time is guaranteed for all Fab Four fans, as to celebrate the occasion The Beatles release a suite of lavishly presented Anniversary Edition packages on 26 May. Newly mixed by Giles Martin – son of legendary producer George – and audio engineer Sam Okell in stereo and 5.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 21, 2017  |  0 comments
A hybrid design using balanced armatures with 8mm dynamic driver configuration, the Rock Jaw Resonate comes with three tuning filters and MMCX detachable cables. A good selection of ear tips is also provided to ensure a good fit. Build quality is solid and the slightly larger than usual design can also be flipped 180° and the cable wrapped over and around the back of the ears. It’s compatible with iOS and Android devices and has an inline universal remote plus a built-in microphone.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 21, 2017  |  0 comments
Thanks to the large number of you that shared pictures with us of your vinyl setups in response to last month’s Twitter poll asking whether or not you own a record player. The result of the poll shows that 65 percent of respondents do indeed have a turntable, with a further 10 percent looking to discover or return to the format soon. Receiving the pics of your systems on our Facebook and Twitter feeds was very enlightening and provided a clear demonstration of the level of equipment owned along with the care and attention lavished upon turntables. With this in mind, we felt it was a perfect time to look more closely at moving-coil cartridges, and this month’s Group Test compares six upmarket MC pick-ups (£650-£1,000), designed to make a significant upgrade to your vinyl replay.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 10, 2017  |  0 comments
Move over Stockholm: when it comes to coolness, Gothenburg has all boxes ticked. Sweden’s laidback second city is a cultural oasis, so it’s little surprise that there are plenty of compelling reasons for vinyl tourists to head over and dig Göteborg’s bulging crates. This beautiful, compact city is easy to navigate by bus, tram or as a pedestrian. Don’t worry about the language barrier, either: just like the inhabitants of relaxed Scandinavian neighbour Copenhagen (see HFC 417), Göteborgare are friendly people capable of largely flawless English.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 10, 2017  |  0 comments
Considerably smaller than its first digital audio player, the new DP-S1 follow-up model from Onkyo is milled from a solid block of black aluminium and boasts 16GB of built-in memory, which can be expanded to 416GB thanks to its twin MicroSD card slots. Underthe hood there are dual ES9018C2M ESS SABRE DAC chipsets, ensuring that the player can support DSD 2. 8MHz and 5. 6MHz, FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF (up to a maximum of 32-bit/192kHz), AAC and MP3.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 06, 2017  |  0 comments
Building on the success of its first ever digital headphone amplifier (the HDVD 800), Sennheiser has showcased its successor at the Tokyo Headphone Festival. The HDV 820 has an all-new digital section, which is powered by an ESS SABRE32 digital-to-analogue converter in a completely balanced topology. The DAC operates at up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM resolution and up to 12. 3MHz DSD and is claimed to provide unequalled dynamic range, ultra-low distortion and unmatched audio clarity.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 05, 2017  |  0 comments
German manufacturer sonoro has unveiled the sonoroHIFI flagship audio system. Costing £1,299, the new all-in-one incorporates a CD player, FM/DAB/DAB+ tuner and aptX-capable Bluetooth so that it can stream music from mobile devices. Additional connections include RCA, optical and a 3. 5mm aux input for hooking up other sources such as a TV or portable media player.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jun 02, 2017  |  0 comments
Originally launched back in 1996, the first AE109 set new standards for what was expected from an entry-level speaker, and now it’s set to return in the form of the new AE100 Series, consisting of the AE100 standmount, AE109 floorstander, AE108 subwoofer and AE107 centre speaker for home cinema setups. The AE100 standmount (£199) utilises a 110mm drive unit complimented by a 28mm soft dome tweeter featuring AE’s Wide Dispersion Technology, there’s also a slot-shaped bass duct port. Aiming to replicate the same effortless room-filling ability of its namesake from 20 years ago, the new AE109 is a slimline floorstander with a 2. 5-way driver configuration.

Pages

X