Electrocompaniet EC1M MkII streamer & DAC The ECM 1 MkII is not a new product but my attention was drawn to it by someone whose ears I have come to trust, namely Rich Trussel of Network Acoustics. Rich has a pretty fancy system with Vivid G2 speakers and a Soulution power amplifier, he must be […]
Bluesound Node Icon streamer A dealer friend recently told me that a streamer’s success is highly dependent on the quality of the control app assigned to it. Looking at the impact made by brands such as Auralic at the higher end and Wiim at the budget end suggests that this theory is a valid one. […]
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 […]
Auralic Altair G2.2 streamer DAC preamplifier With their very similar if precisely executed cases you could be forgiven for not noticing differences between Auralic components. The flagship G2.2 models all look very much alike in their two thirds width, black anodised aluminium chassis with a central display, the only differentiation is the presence or otherwise […]
Primare SC15 Mk2 streamer, DAC and preamplifier A few months ago I received a pair of Phonar Match Air WiSA-enabled wireless speakers to review and, on realising that the the supplied streaming units were holding back sound quality, I asked for a Primare SC15 Mk2, purely with the aim of achieving a better sound from […]
Atoll MS120 streamer Somewhat bizarrely, it was in an Austrian high street dealer, while sheltering from a torrential downpour, that I heard the Atoll MS120 streamer. It was clear that the unit has great qualities and, having enjoyed the brand’s integrated streaming amps, I wanted to try this mini version in my own system. French […]
Silent Angel Munich MU streamer The Munich MU is the latest streamer from Silent Angel and aims for higher performance than the entry level Munich M1. To this end it has a double-layer aluminium chassis inspired by their Bonn NX audiophile network switch, for superior structural integrity, enhanced resonance damping and better electromagnetic interference isolation. […]
Network Acoustics eno2 streaming filter system The eno was a lockdown project between Richard Trussell, an ex-IT professional who is a qualified electronics engineer, and Rob Osbourne, who previously worked as a publisher, filmmaker and DJ. Dissatisfied with the sonic results they were hearing from their music streaming systems, they worked together and came up […]
Pachanko Labs Constellation Mini SE server/streamer Made in La Réunion is not something I have seen on anything before let alone a high end audio component, and yet Pachanko Labs is based in the French Department in the Indian Ocean thousands of miles from the nearest hi-fi retailer. Apart from the active volcanos and persistently […]
Auralic Vega S1 & Purer-Power S1 streamer & power supply Auralic’s range of streamers and related ancillaries has been growing in quantity and price over the dozen or so years since the brand launched with the original Aries streamer in its curvy plastic case. Today’s top Auralics inhabit machined aluminium casework and sit on sprung […]
Naim NSS 333 streamer, NAC 332 preamplifier, NAP 350 power amplifiers Apparently the NAC 332 is the first Naim preamplifier to have an onboard power supply. In a day and age when finding any preamplifier without its own power supply is unlikely this is hardly shocking but it’s clearly a change of approach for Salisbury’s […]
Auralic Vega G2.2 DAC The Vega G2.2 is currently the only digital to analogue converter in Auralic’s seven strong range of streaming oriented electronics, the Vega G1 never made it to G1.1 status so at present there is a hole at that entry point for the brand. They do however make an Altair G1.1 which […]