Tom Evans Audio Design Mastergroove SR Mk4 phono stage In the rarefied atmosphere inhaled by hard-core vinyl enthusiasts such as the Ear Editor Jason Kennedy, the phono stages made by maverick Welsh Valleys designer Tom Evans are seen as the stuff of aspiration, of legend even. The company’s flagship Mastergroove phono stage, the SR Mk4, […]
Rega Aos MC phono stage Rumours had been circulating for a while about a baby Aura phono stage from Rega, a halfway house between the Aria MM/MC stage and the company’s range topper but it was still a surprise to see the Aos MC in finished form at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show in February. Rega’s […]
Tom Evans Audio Design Groove+ SRX Mk3 phono stage I have been using a MkII Groove+ SRX since this phono stage was launched in 2017 and I have found very few alternatives that could deliver more of the signal with less distortion, and virtually none that do so at the asking price of that design. […]
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 […]
Zinamp valve phono stage MM/MC edition The Zinamp phono stage is designed for vinyl enthusiasts of both traditional varieties. The ‘I have one and that’s fine for me’, and the ‘I like tweaking so have three turntables and five cartridges and four arms which I like to mix and match’ camp. There seems to be […]
OK. So turntables are still the ‘new kid on the block’ after all this time, and still the debates rage regarding whether they should be suspended, rigidly mounted, plinth or no plinth, belt, idler or direct drive… But let’s face it, as with speaker types, or your preferred music to listen to, it’s whether a […]
Let me start with what I believe is a full disclosure statement. I was the very happy owner of a MkI version of this cartridge for several years after I joined the sales staff of a UK retailer back in 2009. It was bought on the strong recommendation of the store manager who described it […]
My first review of the Vertere Acoustics MG-1 MkII turntable was published here in The Ear back on 8 October 2019. It was awarded a well-deserved 5 Stars by our esteemed editor and I subsequently nominated it as one of my products of the year. So why, a reasonable person might ask, do we need […]
I have been involved in reviewing hi-fi equipment for some time now, but only occasionally have I been genuinely excited but also nervous about receiving a piece of equipment to audition. When the editor told me that his request to Linn Audio for a review sample of their range-topping LP12 had been approved, I actually […]
Almost a year ago The Ear published my review of the VPI Prime Signature turntable, which you can find here. In summary, I found it to be an excellent machine, with fine build quality and excellent sonics. Here we are, an eventful 12 months later, and I have had another VPI machine in my system, this time […]
Rega Aphelion 2 moving coil cartridge One of the first notes I made after installing the Aphelion 2 in a Rega P10 was: it’s not going to do anyone’s vinyl habit any good. Three months and several hundred tracks later I realise that not only does this cartridge make you want to listen to more […]
Where would we be without vinyl? Whether you love it or hate it, it’s been a major element of home music replay for many decades from its earliest beginnings in the heady days of acoustic shellac discs to the refined electronics and modern pressings we can enjoy today. Not that it’s without its foibles. Talk […]