Hegel H400 streaming amp: darn near perfect
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 […]
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 […]
Hegel H190v streaming amp for vinyl lovers
Hegel H190v streaming amplifier Having secured the very first UK review sample of the Hegel’s new H190v (v for vinyl), the immediate observation is that a moving magnet phono stage has been added and so we have an additional pair of RCA connectors alongside a ground tag on the rear panel. Other than that it’s […]
All for one Gold Note IS-10 streaming amp
Gold Note IS-10 streaming amplifier Having visited the Gold Note headquarters, near Florence, to see the company’s new integrated streaming amplifier being designed, built and tested, it was with a degree of excitement that I opened one of the very first units to be shipped to the UK. The IS-10 is sold as an all-in-one […]
Roksan Attessa for streaming & vinyl
Roksan Attessa Streaming Amplifier Roksan has been around since 1985 when it was founded by two chaps of Persian heritage, Tufan Hashemi and Touraj Moghaddam. The company name draws on their cultural background, after Roxana, daughter of King Darius. It was Touraj who set things in motion after obtaining his doctorate through Imperial College London. […]
Atoll SDA300 Signature raises the streaming game
Atoll SDA300 Signature streaming amplifier Having thoroughly enjoyed the French Atoll SDA200 Signature streaming amp, and making it one of my 2022 Products of the Year, I was excited to hear the newly-launched SDA300 Signature at the Warsaw high-end show. My patience was rewarded when a unit, in very smart matt-black milled aluminium, arrived for […]
Moon North 791/761 deliver the goods and then some
Moon 791 preamplifier/streamer/DAC and 761 power amp As the owner of a Moon integrated amplifier and streaming DAC, I have been looking forward to trying this combination since news of its launch surfaced earlier this year. Even for those new to this most prominent Canadian audio brand, we at The Ear feel that the launch […]
Hegel H600 has got the power
Hegel H600 streaming amplifier & DAC We were teased with news of a “very exciting” and “earthshattering” new product from Hegel well over a year ago. Then appeared a new CD player from this burgeoning Norwegian brand, not the news I was waiting for. But that was simply because the real force majeure was delayed […]
Ayre EX-8 2.0 & CX-8: discreet hot rods
Ayre EX-8 2.0 integrated amplifier & CX-8 CD player The Ayre EX-8 2.0 and CX-8 are innocuous looking components, they do not inhabit heavy, machined aluminium cases and nor do they have much in the way of ornamentation, in black they look very restrained indeed. Yet beneath the plain exterior are electronics that ensure all […]
Back to the future with NAD C3050
NAD C3050 LE streaming amplifier Over the past four years I have been lucky enough to have several pieces of NAD equipment to review, and without exception I have enjoyed using them and admired their sound quality. I have also found that they represent excellent value for money, when taking into account sound quality, features, […]