Atoll IN400 Evo integrated amplifier with DAC Top-of-the-range products are usually something to shout about, especially if they are new, and Atoll’s IN400 Evo integrated amplifier scores on both counts. The Evo standing, perhaps unsurprisingly, for Evolution since it replaces the former IN400 Signature iteration. A heavyweight in more ways than one: the IN400 Evo […]
Ifi Audio Zen Phono 3 phono stage In the world of audio separates, the vast majority of electronic devices are housed in some form of 17inch (430mm) wide box. The height and depth may vary, but the width is generally the same. Of course some manufacturers have managed to get all the necessary components into […]
Emotiva XDA3 DAC/preamp The marketing line ‘why pay more?’ is as old as retailing itself but, for the longest time, it hasn’t prevented audiophiles answering quite reasonably: ‘above a certain level, small improvements start to cost a lot’. The law of diminishing returns has been a thorny fact of life for hi-fi owning music lovers […]
Chord Ultima Integrated amplifier It is a given that a linear power supply is key to extracting the best results from any hi-fi component, right? Scroll through any forum or dealer’s website, and you will see various upgrade kits involving such devices. I confess to having followed the accepted wisdom and invested in my fair […]
Quad 33/303 pre/power amplifier Rarely do I receive a press release about a new piece of hi-fi gear that prompts me to contact the sender by return asking for a chance to review said item. However, just such an email arrived heralding the new Quad 33 preamplifier and 303 power amplifier and off went my […]
Rega Brio Mk7 integrated amplifier I have to admit to being surprised when Rega announced a seventh generation Brio, this amplifier has been in their range for quite some time but I didn’t realise that there had been so many versions. The last Brio I reviewed was in 2017 when it was called just Brio, […]
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 […]
Ultrafide U4PRE/U500DC pre/power amplifiers The Ultrafide name will be new, but many readers will have unwittingly experienced their pro-audio sister company MC²’s amplification at live events, including Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage. It is equally possible that one of their processors was used during recording sessions of some of our favourite albums, as this company has […]
Cayin Soul-170HA headphone-speaker amplifier Among the longer-established Chinese audio product vendors is Cayin, a name that many readers will recognise for combining serious audio engineering expertise with the often typically low retail prices common to products from the region. The company’s new Soul-170HA headphone-speaker amplifier will make value-hounds go weak at the knees at the […]
Plixir Elite BAC 3000 MkII power conditioner BAC stands for balanced alternating current and the Plixir Elite BAC 3000 MkII is the largest example of the breed that I have encountered. It’s about the size of a decent power amplifier at 14cm (5.5 inches) high but weighs 45kg (99lbs), making it the densest piece of […]
Viva Solista MkIII integrated tube amplifier Italians have a real passion for tube amplifiers and a flair for design so it’s not surprising that the Viva amplifiers come from that part of the world, specifically Camisano near Padua. The company was started by brothers Amadeo and Giampietro Schembri in the mid nineties and builds a […]
Connected-Fidelity AC-2K Reference balanced power supply, Six Star distribution block & Unity Power Two cables We all know how important it is to choose the individual components of our systems carefully, usually with protracted listening tests at a retailer and in our homes. But a system is more than just a turntable, CD player, streamer, […]