In the early days of USB in digital audio Vertere main man Touraj Moghaddam did a lot of experimentation with topologies and configurations in USB cables, some worked in certain situations but not others, and some PCs were fussier than others. They were interesting and occasionally frustrating times for computer audio. Approximately ten years later […]
The Hegel story begins in 1988 when Bent Holter, a student at the Technical University in Trondheim, prepared his thesis on transistor amplifier design. He quickly discovered that enemy number one was distortion. Holter could not accept the fact that when we supply a simple signal to an amplifier, the output reproduces that signal plus […]
2020 has been an eventful year to say the least but also one in which many have turned to music as an escape from the madness of the world around them. Music is a meditation that allows you to escape from the problems of life, whose powers are not to be underestimated, and having a […]
New York-based Woo Audio was founded in 2004 and specialises in tube powered headphone and loudspeaker amplifiers. Taking three years to develop the WA8 Eclipse reflects the company’s desire to bring the undiluted performance of their big amps to a smaller product for audiophiles who want an authentic tube headphone listening experience without being confined […]
I don’t suppose I was alone in thinking that Melco had gone too far when they announced the S100, a network switch with a £2,000 price tag. How on earth could a switch make enough difference to warrant that kind of expense, especially when Melco’s music servers already have a dedicated output for streamers that […]
It’s only been a year since I reviewed the original Stack Audio Link but the streaming world runs a little faster than most so it’s not surprising that Theo Stack has managed to make some important changes to his small but beautifully formed streaming bridge. It’s probably worth reiterating why this is called a bridge […]
In the interests of transparency, I must preface this review by saying that one of the principals of the recently formed Network Acoustics is a friend of mine called Richard Trussell, and that I have been in regular contact with him while he has taken the long road from ‘good idea’ to ‘finished product’. However, […]
As recently reported this combination of Focal Chora 806 loudspeakers and Naim Uniti Atom integrated amplifier, network streamer and DAC plus a four metre pair of Naim NAC A5 speaker cable is one of five specially priced and sonically matched systems featuring kit from the two brands that will be available for the remainder of 2020. The […]
Two and a half years after releasing Poly for its award-winning Mojo, Chord Electronics has treated its flagship portable DAC/headphone amp, Hugo 2, to an add-on streamer/server of its own. Having reviewed Hugo 2’s larger table-top sibling, Hugo TT 2, last autumn, now seemed like the perfect time to see how the portable model measures up […]
The Chord 2go is quite literally a bolt-on box that transforms the company’s Hugo 2 DAC/headphone amp into an app-controlled, portable WiFi- and ethernet-enabled streamer/server. Its two captive micro-USB plugs seat into Hugo’s corresponding sockets for data and power, while two locating screws lock the two devices together. Available in silver or black, weighing 160g […]
Back in June of this year I wrote a review of the Lyngdorf TDAI 1120, which was sufficiently enthusiastic that, after a discussion with me, our editor awarded it our coveted Best Buy award. As part of that discussion we wondered how it would fare in a comparison with some of its rivals in what […]
Even as I sit down to write this piece I can hear in my head the tooth-grinding in the ‘cables-don’t make a difference’ faction of the audiophile community. My advice is simple – life is short, so if this does not interest you move on to the next article. If you are still here, I […]