News

Inside our March Issue: The way we listen to music and the audio equipment we aspire to is continuously evolving. A quick glance through the pages of this month’s issue demonstrates that there are plenty of new products emerging to grab the attention of serious music fans, but many break with what hi-fi aficionados would consider to be traditional components. Take this month’s exclusive review of Acoustic Energy’s AE1 Active standmount loudspeaker, which takes the iconic AE1 design – celebrating 30 years since its introduction – and has evolved it into a truly active loudspeaker for next-gen audio fans. Active speakers have traditionally been the staple of the pro audio sector, with few models making the crossover to the domestic market as home hi-fi fans prefer the potential upgrade flexibility that’s offered by a separate amplifier, rather than opting for a speaker design with dedicated amplification built in.

The inaugural Audio Bazaar is taking place in Nottingham on Sunday 9 April. An ideal place to get your hands on pre-loved vinyl and hi-fi esoterica, it is expected to include a selection of modern and vintage hi-fi quipment and records. Taking place in the Clifton Leisure Centre, which is situated just 13 minutes outside of Nottingham city centre on he NET tram line and within easy reach of the M1, A42 and A50, the evnt is expected to attract enthusiasts from across the Midlands. A number of high-profile dealers are said to have already been confirmed and items expected to be on sale include turntables, loudpseakers, amplifiers, headphones, tuners, valves, cassette decks and reel-to-reel players, plus vinyl from across all genres.

PMC will be using the upcoming Sound & Vision, The Bristol Show, to announce that the high-end electronics brand AVM has been added toits distribution portfolio. Designed and crafted in Germany, AVM has been developing and manufacturing electronic equipment for over 30 years and believes that electronics must relay the purest emotions of recorded music, regardless of genre, dirtectly to the listener. The AVM product lineup spans three ranges: Inspiration, Evolution and Ovation. It consists of pre, power and integrated amplifiers, plus CD players, streamers, CD receivers and all-in-one CD/streamer/amplifiers.

As the vinyl format continues to attract greater audiences, so does the rise in the number of players available to spin LPs on, with many turntable brands covering all sectors of the market with a range of prices to suit. US-firm VPI Industries is no exception, and covers starter turntable packages as well as mid-priced and more specialist decks to appeal to vinyl newbies and junkies alike. The Prime Signature fits into the growing super deck category, and is the latest model to join the New Jersey firm’s expanding lineup. Its plinth is composed of layers of gloss MDF and machined aluminium partnered with a stainless-steel motor housing – claiming improved resonance damping, owing to its heftier weight over the original Prime motor – corner posts, bearing nut bell and arm board.

Producing a new loudspeaker every 12 months is no mean feat,but that's precisely what high-end manufacturer Wilson Audio has consistently managed to do over the last five years. And now we're treated to the latest innovation, playfully named Yvette – a three-way design that sits between the entry-level Sabrina and Sasha 2 floorstanders. Described by the company as drawing from traditional Wilson virtues including dynamic resolution and soundstaging, Yvette derives its core technology from its enviable R&D department and is modestly described as the most advanced and musically refined single-enclosure loudspeaker in the company's history. Hand-built in Utah, the three-way floorstander boasts a more compact form factor than what's come before and perhaps more significantly, it's more affordable.

If there has been a theme to 2016 – aside from the loss of some of our most cherished musicians, take a bow David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen et al – it would have to be the continued rise in popularity of vinyl and the equipment that plays it. The last 12 months have seen the black stuff rise to become the most cherished physical music format of all. As records have once again become a common sight in all record stores and even on some supermarket shelves, so too has the production of turntables risen – providing existing vinyl fans, and both lapsed and newcomers alike with plenty of variety. Suddenly, there’s a real choice of decks available to prospective purchasers from both established hi-fi specialists with a focus on best-quality sound, to more convenience-based models with a raft of features at very attractive prices.