News

The shape of music setups in our homes is changing. Not so long ago owning a rack of components each dedicated to a specific audio task partnered with a pair of stereo loudspeakers was the only way to go if you wanted to achieve hi-fi heaven with any sense of audiophile credibility. But today's increasingly sophisticated all-in-one speaker systems can achieve astonishingly musical results from a single-chassis design. Take this month's cover star, Naim's Mu-so 2nd Generation, that gets our In-depth treatment. Its 'lifestyle' one-box form was once derided by quality audio fans, but thanks to advances in digital signal processing techniques and sound tuning input from the company's loudspeaker partner Focal, the re-engineered model is a seriously compact hi-fi alternative to a separates-based setup. With access to music streaming services, high-level connectivity and support for hi-res PCM and DSD formats to rival many of today's standalone network streamers and DACs, it's easily the best-sounding all-in-one we've heard and its remarkable delivery looks set to introduce high-fidelity sound to a whole new audience.

For vinyl fans, this month's Group Test looks at six highly impressive cartridges that dig out as much information as possible from a record's groove with a selection of designs priced from £300 to £525. Each one is a viable upgrade to any mid-priced vinyl setup, but to find out which performs best pick up a copy of the latest issue.

Also inside the August issue:
Focal’s Stellia luxury closed-back headphone, Wharfedale’s Linton standmount speaker, ELAC’s Navis ARB-51 powered standmount speaker and Pro-Ject’s X1 turntable. Plus, Music Legends celebrates New Orleans' singer/songwriter Dr John and Dealer Visit heads to Rayleigh Hi-Fi in Essex and much, much more...

Lee Dunkley, editor