Canary Audio CD-300
Could it be that one reason Canary Audio makes a big deal out of its 100% American manufacturing is that it has a name that sounds slightly oriental? Or am I over analysing things a little. Canary is most definitely a North American company, after all it builds a range of tube components from the […]
Metrum Acoustics Hex
For as long as I can remember D/A-converters have intrigued me and as a result these little boxes prey on my wallet from time to time. I have owned quite a few, ranging from Audio Alchemy, TEAC and Apogee to PS Audio and I still possess one of the first Sony’s (a 1985 example). I […]
Arcam rPAC
A&R Cambridge or Arcam as it's known these days is well established in the field of hi-fi proper, but it could be said that the rPAC represents a departure from their usual products. It's true that they've made DACs before, but not combined with headphone amplifiers, not USB powered portables and not this reasonably priced. […]
NAD M50 & M52
It seems strange that it has taken until now for me to find a truly high end digital music player that works well. One that bridges the gap between an Ethernet coupled NAS and a digital to analogue converter through a S/PDIF cable. You could either work with a Logitech Squeezebox or you had to […]
47 Labs Shigaraki system
This review was written in 2005 when the world was a wealthier place and the Shigaraki System cost just over £5,000. Seven years later the system still exists albeit with an upgrade to the speakers and costs nearly £9,000 in total, so despite that fact that the Japanese have been in recession for so long […]
Classic components Rega Apollo
This section is dedicated to classic components, products that are not longer made but which warrant attention because they were excellent value in their time and are therefore a great second hand buy. The first example is Rega’s last entry level CD player the Apollo, its £475 price point was so modest that many enthusiasts […]
Decibel
The world of software players for the Mac is an ever expanding one and there isn’t time to try them all, so my system is to wait for someone with a good ear to recommend interesting options. This happened at CES in January when I met Steve Silberman of AudioQuest, he was keen to demonstrate […]
Aurender S10
I have been using my Mac as a digital transport for some time now and get spectacular results with a good USB DAC and the right software. I’ve worked through software from Pure Music, Audirvana Plus and Decibel and each change has delivered even greater sonic delights, so much so that it has got to […]