Plixir BAC 3000 MkII balanced power house
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: 22W Class A power house
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: a balanced approach to power supply
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, […]
Fell Audio Amp: a tough new kid on the budget scene
Fell Audio Amp integrated amplifier New audio companies appear all the time. Every time Munich rolls around, we’re usually treated to one or two newcomers aiming to take on the established order with a product that is usually enormous, wildly ambitious and extremely expensive. The product you see here is rather different though. Fell Audio […]
Roksan Caspian 4G amp for acoustic goosebumps
Roksan Caspian 4G integrated amplifier This reviewing malarkey never ceases to amaze me. Our esteemed editor will ask if I am interested in reviewing a product and I will agree, usually without getting into a lather awaiting the ring of the doorbell by the courier. Other times I cannot wait to get my hands on […]
Project Stereo Set E1 for instant vinyl action
Project Audio Stereo Set E1 system I have been listening to music via digital mediums exclusively since the mid-nineties. Prior to this, I was an avid record collector, albeit on a schoolboy budget. My migration to CD was forced by circumstances, namely that until recently I had neither the space nor suitable room in which […]
Vertere Calon kills the noise and reveals the power of vinyl
Vertere Calon phono preamplifier It’s about time that Vertere produced a phono preamp or stage to match their stunning turntables, arms and cartridges and in the spring of 2024 that finally happened with Calon. The word is apparently Welsh for heart, Vertere’s financial guy is from those parts and company founder/designer Touraj Moghaddam wanted something […]
Cambridge Audio EXA100 amp is hard to beat at the price
Cambridge Audio EXA100 integrated amplifier Cambridge Audio’s marketing slogan proclaims, Sounding Great since 1968 and shows just how long the brand has been around. Originally a division of Cambridge Consultants, its first product was the 20W/ch P40 integrated amplifier (one of the first to use toroidal transformers). The firm became Cambridge Audio Labs based in […]
Best hi-fi of 2024
The Ear’s reviewers pick the best hi-fi of 2024 If you want to know the best hi-fi of 2024, the audio products that really wowed our reviewers this year look no further. These components that made a lasting impression, they are the ones reviewers would have held onto if they could and sometimes did. There […]
McIntosh C55 pre blends looks and musical excellence
McIntosh C55 preamplifier McIntosh Laboratory Inc, to give the company its full name, has been designing and manufacturing high fidelity equipment in Binghamton New York since 1949, which means that when my family and I moved to Broome County (of which Binghamton is the largest town) in New York State in 1985, the brand was […]
Newontech: just turn it on and play
Newontech DAC 08, Pre 08, Amp 10 Newontech’s founder, CEO and passionate music lover, Ole Nielsen, is clear about a mission that seems more like a declaration of obsession. It’s all about the sound (well, it always is) but he stresses that many thousands of hours are spent listening and trying out different components before […]
How much bang does the Wiim Ultra deliver for the buck?
Wiim Ultra streamer DAC preamp Wiim has taken the budget end of the audiophile streaming market by storm since the launch of the Wiim Mini three years ago. Followed by the Wiim Pro and Wiim amp range, these products have formed the basis of many entry-level and secondary streaming systems. The company is a subsidiary […]