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MrSpeakers has teamed up with headphone designer, Bruce Thigpen (founder of Eminent Technology), to produce the Ether, a new planar-driven open-backed, on-ear headphone. The Ether makes use of patent-pending V-Planar technology that – it’s claimed – can not only push more air at low frequencies, but with greater acceleration also “deliver better dynamics, high-end frequency response and measurably lower distortion”. The 2. 75 x 1.

Meet AeroSphère, the multi-room audio system that’s designed by Geneva to provide music around the home without looking like a traditional hi-fi setup. The red ‘balls’ (white and black options are also available)you can see in the picture below are actually loudspeakers – in this case the AeroSphère Small. A wireless active mono speaker, the Small is a standmount (an optional stand is available for £150) retailing at around £350. It comprises a 1in tweeter separated in its own chamber from the 4in woofer.

From Queen and Universal Music comes Queen: The Studio Collection, featuring 15 remastered albums in an 18-disc box set. 24-bit/96kHz digital masters were first made from the original tapes with any speed errors, missing audio, clicks and other unwanted noises rectified in the digital domain, and then the tracks were pressed on heavyweight 180g theme-coloured vinyl. Though it’s not quite Radio Ga Ga, Rega’s latest turntable is sure to be a big hit with Queen fans too. Launched to complement the vinyl release, it features the band’s crest silkscreen printed across the platter and the exclusive ‘Queen by Rega’ logo on the gloss-black plinth.

Monitor Audio’s compact S150 Bluetooth loudspeaker (£150) is constructed from a mineral-filled polymer surrounding a cluster of four specialised drivers. These includea proprietary gold dome C-CAM tweeter flanked on angled baffles by dual 3in C-CAM metal cone bass drivers and a rear-firing Auxiliary Bass Radiator (ABR). The C-CAM drivers are powered directly by Class D amplifiers, generating a claimed 40W, and are fed by a hi-res DAC. Frequency range is quoted at 80Hz-25kHz.

One of Britain’s leading contemporary composers has written what is thought to be the longest single piece of music ever to be recorded. Sleep is eight hours long – and has been composed with the sole purpose of sending the listener off to the land of nod. “It’s an eight-hour lullaby,” says its composer, Max Richter. The piece is scored for piano, strings, electronics and vocals, but features no vocals as such.

Welcome to the October 2015 issue of Hi-Fi Choice – the essential guide to getting the best possible sound from your hi-fi, whether you're buying, tuning or tweaking. . . 


 Our cover story this month is an exclusive review of Inspire's stunning Elevation turntable package, raising vinyl playback to new heights.

Andrea Bocellihas announced details of his new albumCinema, which is due for release worldwide on23 October. Cinemacelebrates Bocelli's pick and interpretation of the greatest movie songs of all time and reunites a team of musical legends including David Foster, Humberto Gatica and Tony Renis who worked together on Bocelli’s best-selling album Amore. Bocelli’s first new studio recording in two years, Cinema includestheme songs featured in movies including Gladiator, The Godfather and Breakfast At Tiffany’s, as well as popular songs from stage musicals, immortalised by their film versions, likeWest Side Storyand Evita. True to his status as an international artist, Bocelli has recorded songs in five different languages (Italian, French, Spanish, English and Sicilian) and has partnered with Ariana Grandeon E Piu Ti Penso from Once Upon A Time In America/Malena andNicoleScherzingeron Evita's Don’t Cry For Me Argentina (available on the deluxe version of the album).