Auralic Aries G2.2: spellbinding streaming
Auralic Aries G2.2 network streamer If the rate at which new products appear is any indication Auralic CEO Xuanqian Wang is a restless individual. The evolution of the Aries G2.2 started back in 2014 as a much smaller and lighter device which garnered a reputation for the fledgling brand that its founder has been persistently […]
Origin Live Aurora & Onyx: entry level premium
Origin Live Aurora Mk5 turntable & Onyx Mk4 tonearm The Aurora turntable with Onyx arm was my introduction to Origin Live’s products, so I came to it with no preconceptions, but knowing that over the years they have garnered praise from respected fellow reviewers. I am not by any stretch of the imagination an engineer, […]
Cyrus Stream-XR gets the BluOS advantage
Cyrus Stream-XR network streamer I reviewed the Cyrus PSU-XR, in combo with the company’s i9-XR amplifier back in April and was inspired to look at the Stream-XR, which for many Cyrus owners, could be the perfect streaming partner for their systems. The Cyrus Stream-XR retails for £2,495, like the entry level Classic Stream it uses […]
Vertere MG1 MkII to the power of Imperium
Vertere MG1 MkII, Imperium, Mystic and Phono 1 MkII L record player Hello again dear readers. Those of you who have been with us for a while may pick up on the fact that this is my third review of the Vertere MG1 MkII Magic Groove record player and the second of the MkII version. […]
Innuos Pulsar: star quality
Innuos Pulsar streamer Having firmly established itself as a major player in the server market, last year Innuos finally announced its range of dedicated audio streamers with the Pulsar at its apex. Innuos Zen servers are now in their third generation and their flagship Statement is widely regarded as one of the best in the […]
Supatrac Blackbird lets the vinyl soar
Supatrac Blackbird tonearm Having experienced the Supatrac Blackbird my record playing world will never be the same again. My earliest memories of vinyl records are from my father’s system, which consisted of a Leak Dynamic moving-coil mono pick-up, Collaro 4T200 transcription turntable, Quad 22/II combination and a sand-filled corner cabinet housing a Wharfedale CS/AL Super […]
Melco N5: music service with a smile
Melco N5-H50 music server When Melco launched the N5 in May I was excited to see a more affordable variation on the N1 flagship that appeared in March. But then it occurred to me that Melco’s product numbering system is like Canon cameras, the lower the number the better the product. As an N10 owner […]
Origin Live Agile arm does what it says on the box
Origin Live Agile tonearm The Origin Live Agile tone arm is distinctive enough for anyone familiar with this British brand to spot it as one of Mark Baker’s creations, what may not be immediately obvious is that it’s the £10,500 penultimate model in Origin Live’s High-End range. Rather than employing more conventional gimballed bearings for […]
Muon Pro for ultimate streaming
Network Acoustics Muon Pro Streaming System ethernet filter and data cable Long before anyone dreamt of a device like the Muon Pro it was assumed that the music data heading for our streamer was just that. To suggest that it might be accompanied by electronic pollution that was damaging to sonic performance was to invite […]
Tangerine Audio Evenstar upgrades LP12
Tangerine Audio Evenstar record stabiliser Tangerine Audio Evenstar is the latest creation from a company that’s dedicated to improving the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable (hereafter referred to as the LP12), a turntable that celebrated its 50th birthday in March. Many other competing products have come and gone in that time, but the LP12 sails on. […]
Melco S10 for a sweet digital life
Melco S10 network switch The Melco S10 could have been made to whip up the bits is bits brigade into a frenzy. The notion that a network or data switch can have a bearing on sound quality is an anathema to such flat earthers, but one that costs five grand would be too much. And […]
AVM CS 8.3 Black Edition one box high end
AVM Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition AVM Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition is a long name for any piece of kit but this particular piece is both multifunctional and sits at the top of the tree in AVM’s streaming amplifier tree, so it has earned the moniker. AVM make more streaming amplifiers than most, it […]