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Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 10, 2015  |  0 comments
Cable manufacturer Studio Connections has unveiled its new Platinum Series digital interconnects, which are claimed to deliver the emotion and intimacy of the human voice as well as bringing a compelling immediacy to the reproduction of musical instruments. Following extensive research, the company discovered that it is essential to ensure fast signal propagation with minimum jitter, and so the Platinum Series is claimed to deliver audio virtually free from timing distortion for a more natural character in voice and instruments. Cable types include AES (balanced using XLR connectors) and S/PDIF (single ended RCA phono connector) and prices start at £1,350 per metre. Find out more here.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 09, 2015  |  0 comments
Jeff Lynne’s ELO is set to deliver a new album which will be the first new ELO music in 15 years. Alone In The Universe, the album is set for global release 12 November on RCA Records in the UK. The first single When I Was a Boy was released in late September and anyone that preorders the album will get it as an instant download. As with ELO’s previous releases, Lynne continuesto serve as producer, songwriter, arranger, lead singer and guitarist.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 06, 2015  |  0 comments
As a rule, Aesthetix’s Signature editions are renowned for taking the circuit design of an existing model and then bestowing it with ultra-high-quality components hand picked to deliver the peak of performance, and that’s precisely what’s happened with the Romulus and Pandora DACs. The main headline is that native DSD playback has been added to the feature count, meaning that both DSD64 and DSD128 can be handled over the USB inputs. Those are partnered by Toslink optical, RCA coaxial and AES/EBU digital inputs. As with all Aesthetix Signature updates, critical coupling capacitors have been replaced with Dynamicaps from Peter Moncrief, which are claimed to increase resolution, drive, dynamics, high-frequency extension and bass definition, while at the same time minimising grain.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 05, 2015  |  0 comments
Just when you thought all speakers looked the same, along comes Bang & Olufsen with the BeoLab 90. Okay, so it’s not the first loudspeaker to break with convention, but with its combination of pentagons and rhombuses it’s certain to stand out from the crowd. The BeoLab 90 utilises Active Room Compensation to measure the effects of the acoustic behaviour of the four walls around it. It does this by employing a microphoneto measure the effects of different positions within the room so that it can select a suitable compensation filter.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 04, 2015  |  0 comments
Marantz has unveiled its new wireless connected music systems under its Melody Series monicker. Described as lifestyle network systems, the two units (the £499 M-CR611 Melody Media and £329 M-CR511 Melody Stream) boast 2x 60W power output, come with Spotify Connect functionality and provide compatibility with hi-res formats including: ALAC, WAV, FLAC, AIFF and (in the case of the Melody Media) DSD. Both units feature ‘one-push’ wi-fi Connect (with a claimed high-speed connectionof 11n), Bluetooth, NFC and a front-facing USB port for hooking up portable devices. The Melody Media comes equipped with a CD player alongside DAB/DAB+ and FM radio tuners and features a brace of digital inputs for connection to a television set.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 03, 2015  |  0 comments
KEF has become the latest company to releasea desktop Bluetooth loudspeaker in the shape of the new Muo. However, it takes its design cues from the manufacturer’s iconic £140,000 Muon loudspeakers – flip the Muo onto its end and the holes in its grille reflect the curves of the impressive floorstander. Both were produced in collaboration with award-winning designer Ross Lovegrove and it’s claimed that the small Bluetooth speaker features a miniature version of the Uni-Q driver that’s used in the Muon, Bladeand Reference speakers. Connectivity to computers and mobile devices comes via aptX Bluetooth and there’s also NFC ‘Tap-to-pair’ for hookup to most Android phones.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 02, 2015  |  0 comments
The new Signature One is described by Rothwell Audio as a very unusual moving coil phono stage. The reason for this claim? The fact that it uses transformer coupling rather than transistors. As Rothwell points out this is because of the expense of the former, but it notes that they are ideally suited to the very low signal levels produced by low output moving coil cartridges. The result is a claimed sublime sound that lacks the harshness that can afflict transistor circuits.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Oct 30, 2015  |  0 comments
Few loudspeakers are as revered as B&W's 800 Series, andthe British loudspeaker brand hasan awful lot to live up to with the announcement of its new D3 lineup revealed at a September press conference. Fans of B&W's long-standing 800 Series will know that it all started some 35 years ago with the now iconic 801 floorstander, which quickly found its way into the homes of audio fans with large listening rooms and deep pockets as wellas becoming a studio-standard monitoring loudspeaker in recording studios around the world – including the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The new 800 D3 Series is the distillation of the 800's 35-year success story and the culmination ofa seven-year project with dedicated research and development, advanced engineering as well as endless hours of committed listening by a team of experts put into the new nine-strong loudspeaker line. Even its manufacturing plant in Worthing, West Sussex had to be redesigned specifically for the production of the new series, and as B&W's head of research Martial Rousseau says: "This is not a product update.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Oct 28, 2015  |  0 comments
Tocelebrate the 45th anniversary of theVelvet Underground's album Loaded, Rhino has unveiled a special six-disc collection that includes a whole host of previously unreleased material. Remastered stereo and mono versions of the album fill out the first two discs, along with various outtakes, and the mono mix for the unissued single: Rock & Roll b/wLonesome Cowboy Bill. The third disc explores the creative process behind many of the songs on the album with more than 20 demos, early versions and alternate mixes. Also included is a remastered version ofLive At Max’s Kansas City, which was recorded at the New Yorknightclub on 23 August,1970, the dayLouReedleft the band.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Oct 27, 2015  |  0 comments
Cambridge Audio is seeking to bring new standards of audio performance, build quality and battery life to the premium Bluetooth speaker market with the introduction of its new G5 wireless speaker. Having received the same attention to detail and first-class audio engineering skills normally reserved for the company's high-end audiophile products, the G5 is claimed to produce an impressive audio performance with a clear treble and bass detail not normally found in Bluetooth speakers. The build quality and design of the G5 is also aiming to be better than the rest, thanks to the combination of a premium leather and metal exterior, while the use of a special stiff and inert composite material, extensive internal bracing and each driver mounted in its own dedicated sealed compartment should provide a rattle-free, crystal-clear performance even at high volumes. Despite its compact and slim dimensions (270 x 121 x 55mm WxHxD), the G5 manages to cram two 30mm mid/high drivers and a dedicated 60mm subwoofer under the hood, plus two passive auxiliary bass radiators and a Class D amplifier.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Oct 26, 2015  |  0 comments
Naim has announced that following an extensive beta test, it has released firmware updates that enable Tidal lossless streaming together with a host of other new features and improvements. Streamer Firmware Version 4. 3 will provide native support for Tidal on Naim’s all-in-one players, network players and streaming preamplifiers. Mu-so Firmware Version 1.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Oct 23, 2015  |  0 comments
Gibson Innovations has unveiled the Philips BM5, which is the first product in its new Izzy multi-room platform, designed to make using multi-room music is as simple as possible. The idea being that the user simple connects to a single speaker using Bluetooth and then Izzy will automatically find and connect to all other Izzy products around the home. The BM5 connects easily to your playback device via Bluetooth and is equipped with two 2. 5in full-range drivers while an integrated bass port delivers what the company describes as "a true, deep low-end performance".
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Oct 22, 2015  |  0 comments
Bob Dylan will be releasing the latest volume in his acclaimed bootleg series of previously unreleased studio recordings –including never-before-heard songs, outtakes, rehearsal tracks and alternate versions from theBringing It All Back Home,Highway 61 RevisitedandBlonde On BlondeSessions – on 6 November. Bob Dylan: The Best of The Cutting Edge 1965-1966, will be available in special double-CD and tripple-vinyl packages and focuses on the trilogy of albums that secured Dylan's reputation as a songwriter and performer of unprecedented depth. All recordings included are pristine transfers and mixed from the original studio tracking tapes. The packagecomes with an annotated book featuring hundreds of rare and never-before-seen photographs and memorabilia and new essays penned especially for the collection by Bill Flanagan and Sean Wilentz.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Oct 21, 2015  |  0 comments
Cambridge Audio has unveiled the second-generation of its Minx Air wireless speakers. The Air 100 V2 and Air 200 V2 are claimed to offer an improved, more rhythmic and musical sound, and now come with the addition of Spotify Connect and an update to the design. The V2 models now feature Cambridge-developed and patented fourth-generation BMR drivers – which are also found in the £1,000 flagship Cambridge Aeromax 6 floorstanding speaker tested in HFC 391 – specially designed to produce a rich, smooth and wide, room-filling sound. They use acoustically dampened, rigid cabinets to eliminate vibration and distortion, while a custom-developed Class-D digital amplifier and a bass port are hidden in the carry handle.

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