News

Grado Labs Signature S950 headphones

Grado Labs Signature S950 headphones Grado Labs announces the release of its latest open-back headphone, the Signature S950. Building on the success of the recently released HP100 SE, the Signature S950 is the second headphone to become part of the new Signature line. Staying true to Grado’s longstanding tradition of using woods in crafting their […]

Audio Research Reference 330M

Audio Research Reference 330M power amplifier Now available in the UK, the new flagship monoblock power amplifier from the American valve-based audio specialist Audio Research delivers an extraordinarily natural, tangibly realistic and uniquely emotional musical experience Summary Audio Research’s finest-ever power amplifier – the culmination of 55 years at the apex of valve amp design. […]

Wharfedale Aston limited edition speaker

Wharfedale Aston speakers Wharfedale’s rich history of loudspeaker innovation stretches back to 1932, when founder Gilbert Briggs launched his first commercial design. For the last 16 years, the company’s acoustic design has been managed by Peter Comeau, one of Britain’s best-known loudspeaker designers whose work since the late 1970s has won many awards for famous […]


Hardware Reviews

Hegel H400 streaming amplifier review https://the-ear.net

Hegel H400 streaming amplifier The H400 was something of an ‘expected’ product from Norwegian hi-fi brand Hegel, using trickledown technology from its powerhouse H600, which I have been using more-or-less daily since it arrived last year, along with the lower-powered but nonetheless excellent H190 in a smaller system. The company’s latest streaming integrated adds to […]

Show Reports

UK audio show 24 https://the-ear.net

This was the third time that I had visited UK Audio Show, held at Staverton Park Hotel. I have always enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere and found it to be well-organized. This year it appeared quieter than usual, which reflects the current economic climate rather than the event itself, which was excellent, although missing a couple of […]

Features

The Ear's top tracks of 2024 https://the-ear.net

Gathered for your listening pleasure are a few tracks that Reuben and I have been enjoying over the last year. He has stuck to releases from this period while I have included pieces that I have discovered or re-discovered throughout the year and which offer both decent sound quality and great music. Check them out […]


How To

EasyVTA height adjuster for Rega arms

EasyVTA height adjuster for Rega arms One of the things which many vinyl enthusiasts have found very frustrating is the inability to adjust the pillar height on a tonearm with any degree of certainty or repeatability, especially where those adjustments are by means of inserting shims either in the headshell or between the arm base […]

Gear

ramar vinyl brush

Ramar Tina record brush I first met Dean Butt of Soundstage Hi-Fi in Optimal Records in Munich, we had independently decided to escape the mayhem of the High End show and see what this well stocked store had in the way of interesting new tunes. I didn’t expect the meeting to result in Dean sending […]

Music Reviews

Paolo Fresu, Richard Galliano, Jan Lundgren Mare Nostrum IV

All three of the protagonists that have collaborated on this album have been reviewed on the Ear in past years, be it as collaborators or leaders, this is the first time that they have released an album as a trio. Mare Nostrum IV is loosely translated as ‘our sea’, while Galliano and Fresu are share a possible […]