News

The arrival of Amazon Music HD couldn‘t have come at a better time. Just as we were preparing the list of contenders for this month‘s lossless streaming services shoot out, news of its introduction popped into our in box. For reasons best known to itself, Amazon refers to lossless CD-quality content as HD and calls anything better Ultra HD, but after a check over its credentials, a place was secured in our six-way lossless streaming services Group Test that also includes Deezer HiFi, High Res Audio, Primephonic Platinum, Qobuz Studio and Tidal HiFi.

With Amazon Music HD already being incorporated into the BluOS platform, the lossless arrival looks set to give the sector a shake up, thanks in part to its remarkably competitive pricing. Could it really be the superbrand that‘s the one to meaningfully deliver high-quality audio to greater audiences after all? What its arrival will mean for Tidal and Qobuz, who have been working tirelessly to build extensive libraries for discerning quality audio fans for several years now, is hard to say. Amazon‘s introduction is good news for the sector at the moment, but will it make it tougher for rivals in the long run? Rest assured, we‘ll be watching closely to see how things unfold.

Also inside the November issue:
ATC’s SIA2-100/CD2 integrated amplifier/CD player, NAD’s C 558 belt-drive turntable, Norma Audio's Revo IPA-70B integrated amplifier, Kanto Audio’s TUK powered loudspeaker with built-in MM phono stage, Auralic’s Altair G1 streamer/DAC/preamp and Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless on-ear headphone. Plus, we look at buying secondhand records and how to spot a true gem, Music Legends celebrates the music of Dusty Springfield and Beautiful System combines the talents of British audio specialists Bowers & Wilkins and Chord Electronics in one compact cutting-edge setup.

Lastly, preparations are underway for the UK Hi-Fi Show Live 2019 hosted at the prestigious Ascot Grandstand over the weekend of 26th and 27th October. It‘s the UK‘s biggest celebration of high-end audio. Visit the show website for tickets and info UK Hi-Fi Show Live website

Lee Dunkley, editor