LATEST ADDITIONS

Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 17, 2016  |  0 comments
Alpha Design Labs has something of a reputation for producing ‘Swiss army knife’ components capable of performing multiple tasks (see the GT40a in the February issue’s Group Test), and it looks like its latest release – the Stratos – is set to continue this trend. Compact in design it boasts a USB DAC with A/D convertor, a preamp, MM/MC phono stage and headphone amp. Built, says ADL, with the audiophile in mind, the Stratos supports PCM up to 32/384 and DSD to 11. 2MHz.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 16, 2016  |  0 comments
French loudspeaker maker Triangle unveils its latest range, which it claims mixes minimalist design with high-quality sound. Taking a new acoustic approach, the Elaras are described as having “tremendous energy, deep bass and breathtaking realism in the midrange. The new range features four models, consisting of two floorstanders, a bookshelf speaker and a centre for home cinema use. The LN-07 (£950) is the flagship floorstander with two 6.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 15, 2016  |  0 comments
30 years after it launched its first turntable – the Xerxes – Roksan has announced its latest vinyl spinner, the Oxygene 30. Supplied with a 9in Pro-Ject 9CC Evolution tonearm and Roksan’s XPS-7 power supply/speed controller, the Oxygene 30 comes in a gloss white finish and you’ll need to select your own choice of cartridge to partner it. The Oxygene 30 has a complex, multi-layered four-piece plinth design boasting a new high-mass mounting block for housing the motor. This has been designed to ensure unwanted resonances from the motor are transferred into the block and attenuated significantly before reaching the top plinth.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 12, 2016  |  0 comments
Universal Music Catalogue and Abbey Road Studios have come together to launch the new Half Speed Mastering Series. Six iconic albums have been exclusively slected to kick start start the series with the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Police and John Martyn included in the line up. The limited edition range, which has been pressed on 180g vinyl, comes in deluxe packaging including a certificate of authenticity from Abbey Road (where the mastering has taken place), with all releases an exact replica of the original pressings' artwork. Cut by Miles Showell (pictured below), one of the world’s leading exponents of half-speed cutting, the new releases are descibed as being among the finest vinyl pressings that these albums have ever received.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 11, 2016  |  0 comments
Celebrating over 90 years as an audio manufacturer, Luxman has announced details of its latest integrated amp, the L-590AX Mark II. Described by the Japanese company as the best integrated it has ever produced, the Class Aamp is claimed to deliver “spellbinding clarity, exquisite sonic detail and fluid, free-breathing musicality” and is said to be a culmination ofall that Luxman has learned since launching Japan’s first high-quality integrated back in 1961 – in the shape of the valve-based SQ5A. Boasting a single-chassis integrated design,the L-590AX Mark II has Luxman’s fourth-generation Only Distortion Negative Feedback (ODNF) circuit at its heart in order to restrict feedback only to distortion components, for a fast primary slew rate, ultra-wide bandwidth and enhanced signal-to-noise performance. Power is rated at 30W per channel into 8ohm, doubling to 60W per channel into 4ohm, which Luxman describes as sufficient power to drive any loudspeaker of suitable quality.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 10, 2016  |  0 comments
Beyerdynamic’s new closed-design T 5 p headphone includes Tesla sound transducers for what it claims is a more spacious audio performance. Aside from hi-fisystem and headphone amplifier compatibility, the T 5 p’s electrical resistance of 32ohm also makes it the ideal partner, says the company, for portable audio devices including smartphones, tablets and hi-res music players. The cable is detachable and can be replaced with a longer version if required, while an option with a 4-pin XLR connectorfor balanced connections is also available. The headband and ear cups are made from artificial leather and the protein-coated surface promises a comfortable grip.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 10, 2016  |  0 comments
MusicCast made easy Want to know more about Yamaha’s MusicCast wireless streaming tech, which lets you share music across multiple rooms and devices via a single app? Watch these videos explaining all uk. yamaha. com/en/products/audio-visual/musiccast . .
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 09, 2016  |  0 comments
With all the fuss over vinyl of late CD has rather been left by the wayside but not by Meridian,which has introduced the latest generation of its 808 CD player – which also incorporates network audio. Part of the Reference 800 Series, the 808v6 offers several improvements over its predecessor, including decoding and rendering of MQA sources via both digital and analogue outputs. The analogue outputs also feature bass, treble and balance controls. The 808v6 offers CD playback from an internal CD-ROM-based drive which, says Meridian, allows for data recovery and error correction many times better than that employed in standard systems.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 08, 2016  |  0 comments
Designed to appeal to vinyl enthusiasts owning multiple cartridges, turntables or tonearms, Cyrus’new Phono Signature preamplifier boasts four inputs engineered to accurately match the exact specification of the cartridge. Adjustment is, therefore, provided for MC cartridges in gain, resistance and capacitance, facilitating up to 160 possible combinations. The Phono Signature also includes a high-capacity and very low-noise DC power supply that enables the preamp to provide, what Cyrus refers to as “an extremely wide dynamic range”. It’s claimed that performance is much improved thanks to the inclusion of a RIAA passive de-emphasis filter – which uses metallised polyester capacitors – and an optional external PSX-R2 power supply that provides regulated DC power for the signal amplification.
Hi-Fi Choice  |  Feb 05, 2016  |  0 comments
Sad news reaches us this morning with the announcement that the excellent The Music Exchange in Nottingham is being forced to cease trading. The city's finest independent record store opened in 2009 and initially sold second-hand CDs, DVDs and vinyl that was donated by members of the public. Then in 2012, the store moved premises to its Stoney Street home where it not only carried new vinyl, but also supported the local music scene – stocking and supporting the music of local artists. Significantly, the store isalso run as a social enterprise operating like a business, but reinvesting any profits to support vulnerable and unemployed people by providing training, volunteering, work placement and employment opportunities within the local community.

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