Occasionally you get an illustration of the cyclical nature of life, Laurence Dickie must have felt that way when Vivid Audio, the company he designs loudspeakers for, moved into the facility where he was previously employed by Turbosound to do a similar job in the PA world. I suspect that this was not a coincidence, […]
Google is fast becoming a fundamental part of everyday life, its tentacles reach into nearly every crevice of our work and leisure and this naturally includes audio entertainment. As well as a music streaming service on Prime, Amazon sells the Google Chromecast wifi receiver. This inexpensive (£30) dongle is available in AV form with HDMI […]
A hi-fi philistine once asked me why old guys buy great sound systems when their hearing has inevitably been impaired by the ravages of time. For once I came up with an answer without having to think for half an hour and explained that hearing loss was the main reason why you need a better […]
Getting a turntable is the beginning of a beautiful journey into sound but like any other precision machine a turntable and the vinyl it plays benefit from careful treatment. Vinyl is a fabulous but fragile medium, one of the reasons that CD was able to change the music industry is that ill treated vinyl and […]
What upgradable means in the context of a sound system is the option to improve sound quality by changing certain parts rather than replacing the whole thing, usually in a piecemeal fashion, eg one new component or cable at a time. You can upgrade a car by putting better tyres or a sporty suspension on […]
The power supply is the heart of any audio component, it pumps electrons rather than blood but without it amplification and processing can’t happen. One of the biggest differences between components is the quality of the power supply, certain companies make a very good living by offering power supply upgrades that bring sound quality benefits […]
At the Munich High End we grabbed PMC's head of design Ollie Thomas to find out a bit more about the first amplifier that the company has made.
Streaming made simple Improving a streaming system depends on the nature of the system. The most basic and straightforward streaming system is a laptop and a DAC (digital to analogue converter). The audiophile approach is to use a dedicated audio server and streamer, sometimes built into the same box. Many take the convenient route of […]
Rega founder and designer Roy Gandy has often said that there are no other turntable designers who he can turn to do discuss the topic that is obviously close to his and our hearts. He feels that few if any of his peers fully understand what’s required of a turntable, which is essentially to measure […]
The biggest thing you can do to improve the sound of a music system is to make changes to the room. The sound produced by a pair of speakers bounces off the walls, floor and ceiling and the nature of those structures has a significant effect on what you hear. You can hear this if […]
It’s a nuisance that cables make so much difference and I can understand why some flatly refuse to accept that they do, it must make life a bit simpler. However, all it takes is a quick comparison in a reasonably revealing system and anyone can hear the inconvenient truth, a situation that is not limited […]
Contrary to the view that some people get, reviewing audio equipment is a ‘pastime’ that is fraught with dangers. For a start, the primary measuring ‘implement’ is a very personal, and individually flawed pair of ears. Secondly the environment varies not only with every reviewer on the planet, but also in terms of humidity, temperature, […]