Hi-Fi Choice

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, REL has revealed that it will be updating its reference subwoofer line and launching two new models in the shape of the No. 25 and the G1 Mark II. The No. 25 combines a 1,000W amplifier with a lightweight carbon fibre 15in driver produced using a cone material that is stronger than steel, but weighs 70 percent less than a 10in cone from just two years ago.

Cambridge-based dCS introduces its £3,250 Network Bridge that enables high-resolution music file streaming from NAS and connected USB drives, online streaming services as well as AirPlay-connected devices, outputting bit-perfect audio direct to your DAC with support for 24-bit/ 384kHz files plus DSD64 or 128 in native or DoP formats. Streaming service support includes Tidal and Spotify Connect and the Network Bridge is Roon-ready. It also supports the company’s acclaimed auto-clocking system to minimise jitterfor superior sound quality. The control app uses the same interface technology as dCS’ flagship Vivaldi series to manage your entire digital music library.

Danish loudspeaker brand Dynaudio chose The Indulgence Show held in London in October to unveil its new series of Contour models to UK enthusiasts. The four-strong lineup includes the standmount Contour 20 (£3,750) – a two-way configuration with a 28mm soft dome tweeter and 180mm mid/bass driver, whichclaims 86dB sensitivity into 4ohm. The medium-sized floorstanding Contour 30 (£5,750) has the same drivers as its sibling but in a 2. 5-way configuration and claims 87dB sensitivity, while the three-way Contour 60 floorstander (£7,500) has a 150mm midrange and two 240mm bass drivers and quotes 89dB sensitivity.

Loudspeakers come in all shapes and sizes, and flicking through the pages of this month’s issue with its numerous models is a testament to this burgeoning sector of the audio market. From traditional floorstanders that range from models so large they block out the sun – step forward DALI’s Opticon 8 – to more elegant and less visually demanding designs, the Group Test starting on page 24 looks at six speakers priced £2,000 and under that tread a more conventional path in philosophy and construction that reaches right back to the dawn of domestic hi-fi itself. Compare these bulky, angular, passive floorstanders to Devialet’s extraordinary Gold Phantom reviewed on page 16, and the suggestion of the possible direction for the evolution of the loudspeaker and, indeed, high-performance hi-fi is small, self-powered, wireless, well-connected, insanely loud and more or less ball-shaped. Whether it turns out to be a trailblazer or a tangent too far, it surely demonstrates the pinnacle of today’s modular music system, one that can grow into a multi-room setup for music around the home.