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September issue on sale now
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 11, 2016  |  0 comments
If you follow the mag on our Twitteror Facebooksocial media pages you will have undoubtedly taken part in our recent opinion polls asking about your favourite hi-fi sources and preferred music formats. The results have been extremely enlightening, and while physical formats are very much in demand for fellow audio fans, on-demand streaming services are also becoming increasingly popular as a way of instantaneously accessing millions of tracks and albums at the click of a touchscreen or keyboard. On-demand music streaming is a massive growth area, and with Apple Music and Google Play joining the ranks it’s rapidly becoming the preferred route for music fans to access their favorite material and artists – with each service offering its own brand of curated and exclusive content to appeal to its particular demographic of listeners. As many readers will know, it’s a continuously evolving area, with providers updating platform features and new services appearing all the time.
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News
WIN! Rega Planar 3 competition
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 11, 2016  |  0 comments
As icons go, there are few that can match the timeless majesty of Rega’s Planar 3turntable. While this midrange model has gone by a few names over the years, each incarnation has always pertained to the number three and the latest revision of the classic belt-driven, low-mass unsuspended plinth turntable is its most substantial yet. The perfect choice for those starting out on their vinyl adventure, it sounds every bit like a Rega should. By which we mean every spin of an LP dishes out a performance that is both assured and fun.
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Turntables, Arms & Cartridges
Sony PS-HX500
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 08, 2016  |  0 comments
If you’re in any doubt that vinyl has returned to almost mainstream status, the latest turntable to join the format’s rapidly growing ranks should remove any uncertainty as to its popularity. The rather unassuming PS-HX500 deck is made by Sony, the company that jointly developed the compact disc and worked hard to commercialise the SACD format. The fact that the PS-HX500 exists at all is a fairly clear indicator that the Japanese giant sees which way the wind is blowing, and demonstrates the entertainment brand’s continued commitment to hi-fi. Of course, Sony has also been working hard to provide a cohesive range of audio products that demonstrate the advantages of high-resolution digital and in order for the new deck to fit into this brave new world, it’s equipped with the ability to rip vinyl to digital files via USB and some nifty software.
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News
Album of the Month – The Bride
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 06, 2016  |  0 comments
As Bat For Lashes, Natasha Khan earned Mercury Music Prize nominations for her 2006 debut Fur And Gold and its follow up Two Suns. Her third album, 2012’s The Haunted Man, a set of beguiling art-school pop on which her lofty soprano floated beguilingly above her characteristically dreamy soundscapes gave her a first American chart entry. Yet despite such critical and commercial success, a feeling persisted that she had more to give and we were still awaiting her first truly great album. At 36 and no longer the fluttering ingénue, The Bride is that record, destined to catapult her into the premier league.
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News
KEF prizes
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Aug 03, 2016  |  0 comments
COMPETITION WINNERS Back in HFC 412 we gave you the chance to win KEF’s extraordinary LS50 loudspeakers, while runnersup would receive the EGG Wireless Digital Music System, MUO wireless speaker and M400headphones. We’re delighted to say that Angela Walker won the LS50, Jerry Hinds won the EGG,Ewan Bell won the MUO and Naomi Muggeridge the headphones. Congratulations to you all. .
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News
Audio-Technica unveils AT-ART1000 moving-coil cartridge
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 25, 2016  |  0 comments
If you’re in the market for a high-end cartridge, Audio-Technica’s AT-ART1000 at £4,100 could be for you. The hand-crafted design places the moving coil directly on top of the stylus tip, meaning that signal transmission from the stylus diamond to the moving coil are direct rather than transmitted along the length of the solid boron cantilever. Eight turns of 20um-diameter PCOCC wire create coils of 0. 9mm diameter.
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New additions to NAD's Master Series
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 22, 2016  |  0 comments
Originally unveiled at the High End Show in Munich back in May, NAD announces two additions to its prestigious Masters Series line. First up, the M32 Direct Digital Amplifier (pictured above) claims 2x 150W power output and is a true digital amp, and not just Class D. Computer controlled, it amplifies entirely in the digital domain and only converts audio signals to analogue at the speaker terminals to give the shortest signal path possible. It’s fitted with a moving-magnet phono input as well as digital inputs in the form of coaxial, optical, AES/EBU, USB type A and type B and an asynchronous USB 2.
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News
New Foundation entry-level series from Audio Research
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 21, 2016  |  0 comments
If your aspirations extend beyond conventional solid-state hi-fi components but at more real-world prices, then this tube series from the US-based audiophile specialist Audio Research may well grab your attention. The Foundation ‘entry-level’ series is from the same engineering and design team responsible for its aspirational Reference series, and the three-strong range (for now) includes the LS28 line stage preamplifier with four balanced and four single-ended inputs, PH9 phono stage with five different impedance settings for cartridge loading – which can be changed on the fly with the included remote – and the DAC9 384kHz and DSD-compatible digital-to-analogue converter. All three models are built around the same chassisand 6H30 vacuum tubes, with four in the LS28 line stage preamplifier, three in the PH9 phono stage and a pair in the DAC9. Available in both black and natural anodized aluminium finishes, each unit comes with its own custom metal remote control.
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News
Hegel's Mohican CD player preview
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 20, 2016  |  0 comments
Specialist audio brand Hegel, has garnered a reputation for doing things its own way, and so it’s no surprise to see the Norwegian name unveil plans to introduce a CD player just as many brands look set to trim down their silver disc-spinning models. Originally unveiled at the High End Show in Munich in May, the Mohican is a CD player without any digital inputs. There’s a true 75ohm BNC-output connector for transport-only use. The CD-only player uses a dedicated audio drive mechanism, and not a CD-ROM, and employs Hegel’s own servo boards which it claims have minimal impact on the digital signal read off a CD.
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News
Copland releases details of DAC 215 USB DAC/headphone preamp
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 19, 2016  |  0 comments
Danish audio brand Copland has been absent from these pages in terms of new product launches for some time, but now it’s back with its long-awaited DAC 215 USB DAC/headphone preamp fed by a pairof ECC88 tubes. Described as a “Universal high-resolution DAC, preamplifier and headphone amplifier” it can be used as a headphone amp, preamp or as a pure DAC – the choice is yours. The Copland DAC 215 looks set to be bang on trend with its retro styling thanks to the rotary front panel controls for the volume level and input selection, and the faint glow of the valves from the headphone amp output section lurking behind the slatted grille will undoubtedly enhance any likely old-school feel for potential purchasers. But at the heart of the DAC 215 is a digital-to-analogue converter with multiple S/PDIF inputs, PCM, and DSD capabilities using the ES9018 Reference 8-channel DAC used in double-differential mode.
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