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Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 28, 2018  |  0 comments
According to recent figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), music streaming services like Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz account for more than 50 percent of music consumption in the UK. On the face of it, music file streaming in one form or another appears to be the way many of today’s music fans choose to listen, but despite a statistical decline in physical sales, I wouldn’t mind betting that CD remains the music format of choice for the majority of hi-fi owners. Our own online survey clearly shows that there are plenty of us still listening to music via the 12cm silver disc that prematurely promised “perfect sound forever”. Even if the rate we purchase new albums on the format has declined over recent years, our Twitter poll reveals that almost 50 percent of us own at least 500 albums on CD – that’s a quite considerable number of discs and a lifetime of music collecting for many.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Apr 17, 2024  |  0 comments
Classic UK speaker design reborn
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Jul 12, 2016  |  0 comments
Over the years, the BBC has done arguably more that any other broadcaster to push the boundaries of audio performance. Perhaps the best known fruit of its labour comes in the small but perfectly formed cabinet of the LS3/5A studio monitor loudspeaker. Originally produced for outside broadcast vans, it went on to become commercially available and is rightly recognised as something of a classic. Perhaps not so well known, but equally important in the grand scheme of things were BBC sound engineers Lee Taylor and Mallory Nicholls.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Sep 07, 2016  |  0 comments
Competition winner: Back in HFC 413 we gave you the chance to win Leema Acoustic’s glorious half-width Elements integrated amplifier. We’re delighted to reveal that John Whitaker from Woking in Surrey was the lucky winner and here he is collecting his prize from David Quigley, Uniletsales advisor. . .
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 05, 2016  |  0 comments
Fittingly, Leema Acoustics chose the occasion of London’s Indulgence Show held in Hammersmith in mid-October to unveil its new hi-fi grade music server, Sirius. The result of a collaboration with music software specialist Innuos, the latest addition to Leema’s flagship Constellation component range is described as being the high-quality streaming music server system built for “discerning music lovers”. Offering straightforward operation, it’s claimed that Sirius makes backing up CD audio a breeze, with lossless FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, OGG Vorbis, AAC and MP3 formats available. An asynchronous USB DAC that’s based on a high-end ESS Sabre chip combines with an Xmos USB interface to provide support of 16, 24 and 32 bit-depths from 44.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Sep 17, 2015  |  0 comments
Originally conceived 17 years ago as a cost-no-object nearfield monitor for use in recording studios and broadcast vehicles, Leema Acoustics’ Xen loudspeaker was the result of a research project to squeeze a BBC-graded monitor into a small standmount cabinet that quickly found favour with music lovers. Unlike the original Xen, which was never designed for domestic use, the new Xen 2 offers a host of improvements over its professional predecessor. With a front baffle that’s the size of an A5 paperback book, the new Xen 2 is ultra compact and boastsa claimed frequency responseof 57Hz-25kHz and an output of between 60W and 150W. It benefits from two bass reflex ports, which extend into the cabinet then fold down behind the bass driver – each measuring 260mm.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Apr 27, 2016  |  0 comments
The Elements Pre-Amp is Leema Acoustics’ latest addition to its space-saving range of components. Retaining the same half-width chassis for which the range is famed, the Elements Pre-Amp also boasts an onboard digital-to-analogue converter. The result is a S/PDIF coaxial input, three S/PDIF optical inputs and an asynchronous USB port all capable of handling files up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution. Analogue inputs include three unbalanced RCA inputs, a pair of balanced XLRs and a 3.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 02, 2019  |  0 comments
Wales-based Leema Acoustics has unveiled its Elements Streamer, billed as a space-saving DLNA/UPnP network music player with a built-in DAC, offering integrated Spotify Connect, Deezer, Qobuz and Tidal streaming services alongside USB drive playback. Priced at £1,295 and conceived by Leema co-founder Lee Taylor, the player is based on the streaming module found in the company’s £2,995 Quasar integrated amplifier (HFC 425), and control is via a free app available for Android and iOS devices. Connectivity options include both balanced and unbalanced outputs, optical and coaxial digital outs, as well as a USB input and Ethernet network port. Twin wi-fi antennas aim to provide increased signal stability.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Oct 19, 2017  |  0 comments
Introducing Lehmannaudio’s latest headphone amplifier, the £450 Drachenfels. Named after a hill in the North Rhine-Westphalia region in Germany, it can be used as a headphone amp and has twin 6. 35mm jack outputs with gold-plated contacts, or as a single-input preamp for a power amplifier or set of powered speakers. Lehmannaudio claims it provides 12dB of gain, and says that because of its Alps Blue Velvet potentiometer and synchronism with the ultra low-noise circuit, there is no need for a gain switch.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Oct 11, 2021  |  0 comments
A pair of new affordable anniversary turntables from Switzerland
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Apr 01, 2022  |  0 comments
New vinyl spinners from Switzerland
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Nov 13, 2023  |  0 comments
New affordable Swiss vinyl spinner
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Sep 20, 2023  |  0 comments
Upgraded audio streamer from the USA
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Dec 01, 2015  |  0 comments
Record label owner and manufacturer Linn has unveiled its very own sonic version of an advent calendar for fans of hi-res music. Starting from today, each week in December a curated collection of stunning Studio Master tracks will be made available to download from Linn Records’ roster of artists. Each collection has its own theme, offering an ideal (and more importantly free) introduction to high-quality Studio Master downloads. There’s something for everyone, including Britain’s First Lady of Jazz, Claire Martin, an award-winning performance from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s Mozart symphonies and an exclusive track from pianist and vocalist Liane Carroll, recorded especially for Linn’s 24-bits of Christmas.

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