Naim Nait 50 integrated amplifier In 1988 I purchased my very first Naim amplifier, the original first generation Naim Nait, the firm’s amplifiers have been my reference choice ever since. The term Nait actually stands for Naim Audio InTegrated and for decades the Nait marked the first rung on the ladder of the Naim line. […]
Fezz Audio Mira Ceti 300B tube amplifier We hear lots about the vinyl revival and there is no doubt that the LP format is here to stay and is growing in popularity. But there is another revival going on – namely valve amplifiers. Statistics are sketchy for Europe, but several sources estimate global sales at […]
Soulnote A-1 integrated amplifier The story behind Soulnote’s rise to success is bound up with chief engineer Hideki Kato’s youth. At that time he loved music but couldn’t afford to buy a decent amplifier so built one himself and managed to create something that sounded better than the alternatives he compared it with. Later on […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 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 […]