Rega Elex Mk4 integrated amplifier Rega Elex Mk4 is the latest and arguably the best value amplifier the company has made. Is there another independent British brand that has been making hi-fi for as long as Rega? I can think of a couple but none which have been making such a wide range of products […]
Kii Three BXT active digital loudspeakers The phrase ‘game changing’ is bandied around a little too liberally, but every now and then a piece of kit comes along that most definitely warrants that definition. The Kii Three BXT active DSP loudspeaker system is such a product. When I reviewed the Kii Three standmount four years […]
Lumin P1 streamer preamplifier A glance at the Lumin range of network players is initially confusing, why is the Lumin P1 bigger than the more expensive X1 range topper? A quick comparison of the two back panels reveals the reason, the P1 is a streamer, a DAC and an analogue and digital preamplifier whereas the […]
Melco N50-H60 music library The freshly launched N50-H60 replaces the NA1/2EX and joins the N50-H38, an SSD variant in the same chassis. Confusingly, the new model uses the same casing and switchgear as its predecessor, the only apparent external change being the upgraded feet which are said to have improved vibration feedback control. It may […]
The best of the best that we have reviewed on the Ear over the last 12 months
Innuos Pulsemini network streamer The Pulsemini which is the first dedicated streamer from Innuos, a brand that has been making servers and other streaming components for what must be nearly a decade and are now established as a frontrunner in the field. There are two full width Pulse models in the pipeline, the Pulse which is […]
From its headquarters west of Munich, Lindeman has become a leading international audio brand, not least for its streaming technology. The man behind the company is founder Norbert Lindemann; he’s already received countless awards for his various designs over some thirty years, and has now launched something that many of us have been waiting for. […]
Rega Saturn Mk3 CD player & DAC Th Saturn Mk3 is a classic example of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ thinking from Rega. With the exception of the front panel it is in all respects the same as its Saturn-R predecessor. This move means that it’s stylistically in keeping with the rest of […]
What is it though? That was my response to the press release for this compact and inexpensive device. It’s described as a source of hi-res multi-room streaming and is the size of a Nokia from 20 years ago or a box of 10 cigarettes perhaps, not big anyway and largely devoid of connections and displays. […]
Marantz SACD 30n & Model 30 With the Marantz SACD 30n this classic brand has its eyes firmly set on the quality conscious consumer, the people who are prepared to pay more for things that are well built and well designed. We’re talking upper end BMWs and Audis, Apple products and Santa Cruz mountain bikes […]
Auralic is a small company with plenty of ideas, especially with regard to adding functionality to their range of streamers, DACs and associated components. They have been making these since launching the compact, curvy Aries nearly a decade ago, in that time their casework design has become more uniform and now there is only one […]
It must be tough to introduce audio electronics into such a crowded market, especially in the circa £2,000 DAC sector where there are a lot of strong contenders. Nuprime emerged from Nuforce in 2014 and have been making an impression on audio critics ever since, but the brand only gained serious distribution in the UK […]