Want a streamer but don't want get involved with networks and separates? Novafidelity's X12 is about the least expensive answer on the market. There are a number of ways to get into music streaming, apparently the simplest is to add a DAC to a computer but what that doesn’t reveal is that you need to […]
Bluesound is NAD in disguise. Made by the same Canadian parent company this range of streaming audio products ticks all the boxes in René's list of what's required in a decent multiroom product. The market for products that can rip, store and play music is rapidly growing and has full press attention worldwide, but that […]
The latest PrimaLuna power amplifier is for anyone who wants to create serious volume levels in the listening room, René must be among them.Last weekend we had some friends over for dinner, one of them is a music lover. The first thing he noticed was that I had amplifiers with (so many) tubes. He asked […]
Not many audio companies make streamers with built in storage and amplification, scratch that, nobody seems to make a streaming audio system in one box apart from Cocktail. There are a few streamers with onboard storage made by the likes of Naim, Sony and Olive and there are quite a few computer based options. But […]
Norway is not the first country you think of when looking for manufacturers of great audio equipment. But it is home to companies that are well known all over the world. Some will remember Tandberg, famous in the seventies and eighties for tape recorders and receivers, these days they only make pro gear. Of course […]
An almost cubic DAC with a knob on it, from Bulgaria, with my reputation? Not half. Turns out that Antelope Audio has its origins in the US but all the R&D and marketing comes from Sofia, so Bulgarian enough then. I tried the first Antelope converter (now dubbed Zodiac 192 kHz) when the digital streaming […]
The mu-so is Naim’s first foray into the world beyond separates hi-fi. An all in one wireless sound system designed to sit on the sideboard of music lovers who want quality without clutter and the ability to play tunes straight from their mobile phones. It’s a brave move for a company that’s steeped in less […]
The term all signing and dancing gets bandied around rather a lot when it comes to audio electronics but in the case of the NAD D7050 it would appear to be appropriate. The sheer amount of badges shown on its web page gives you some idea of its capabilities; these include Bluetooth aptX, Apple Airplay, […]
The moment four talented minds decide to get together to develop an active loudspeaker system, based on all the knowledge they have accrued, you expect something special. Grimm Audio is a Dutch company established by Eelco Grimm who is experienced in building studios, Guido Tent of Tentlabs is well known for his D/A converters, Bruno […]
Never promise to lend me a fine piece of audio equipment, because I won’t let it lie. Van den Hul didn’t get a moments peace while I waited for their Grail SB phono preamplifier with a matching cartridge. It turned up in a big suitcase that was much heavier than expected. Inside I found the […]
Some names do pop up every once in a while, one of them is Dan Wright, owner and founder of ModWright Instruments in the USA. I came across his products at a friend’s place in Munich last year and recently again when visiting a dealer in Holland. The dealer lent me the LS 100 preamplifier […]
Exposure makes four ranges of electronics but the MCX series stands apart from the rest for a number of reasons. For a start it’s the most expensive and to follow it’s made in England, two facts that are inextricably linked these days. It is also very distinctive, the CD player, preamplifier and monoblock power amps […]