Trilogy 914 preamplifier & 994 power amplifiers Trilogy head honcho Nic Poulson is a workaholic, every time we meet he is envious of those with a healthier work/life balance, but you don’t get to run an audio electronics company for over 35 years by taking it easy – Nic has chosen a path that requires […]
Opera Classica Prima V2 speakers Preconceptions are never stronger than when reviewing Italian loudspeakers. There’s an expectation about how they will look, the breed nearly always taking its cues from expensive, hand-crafted Italian furniture, heavy on the wood and leather. How they will sound is just as much of a lazy cliche: smooth, warm, organic, […]
Ortofon MC X40 moving coil cartridge It may surprise readers to know that the moving coil cartridge was invented by British inventor Paul Voigt in the 1930s, however it was Ortofon that launched the first commercially successful mass-produced moving coil with the Mono-A in 1948. At that time the firm didn’t just manufacture cartridges, but […]
Arke Audio Mikros speakers If a new product excites a reviewer, it does the more so when it’s from a totally new brand, and so we welcome Arke Audio into the audiophile arena with its growing range of passive loudspeakers. Joining the company’s two-way Solos launch model comes the more compact Mikros (from the Greek, […]
Advance Paris A10 Apex integrated amplifier These are exciting times for Advance Paris. The company has gone from being an interesting organisation sniffing around the edges of mainstream acceptance to one on the cusp of becoming part of the established order. You can buy their products in a healthy selection of dealers, including a nationwide […]
Cambridge Audio CXN100 SE streamer The affordable end of the streaming market has seen a lot of activity over the last few years, especially with the addition of killer products from brands such as Wiim, Eversolo and Bluesound, to name a few. Meanwhile, London-based Cambridge Audio have been quietly getting on with the job of […]
Bowers & Wilkins 707 S3 Prestige Edition speakers We tend to think of tweaks or small upgrades to products being the domain of smaller companies, often run by one or two people who won’t let it lie when it comes to squeezing maximum performance out of their creations. This desire to make an audio component […]
GIK Amplitude Acoustic Panels Building your perfect system can often be a frustrating process. Often, despite painstakingly choosing and assembling our dream setup, we still find aspects of the system’s performance that fall short. You may have invested in the best supports and, perhaps cables and mains products with price tags that make you wince, […]
Dali Rubikore 6 speakers When I think of Denmark I think of stylish people, in minimalist houses, all with great furniture, great hair, great faces. Ok, I’m being silly but having visited Copenhagen several times over the years, my positive stereotype is fairly well founded. The Dali Rubikore 6 only cements my conviction, with its […]
Oephi Ascendence 2.5 speakers Oephi speakers have become a familiar sight in my listening room over the last few months, yet the Ear has not been alone in handing out plaudits to this Danish brand. Many of us in the industry feel that Joakim Juhl’s designs are genuine game changers. I, for one, have written […]
Network Acoustics Muon2 network switch With Dela (£12,999), Xact (£6,000) and now Innuos (£21,500) making high end, high priced network switches it must be becoming clear to the bits is bits brigade that there is more to getting good sound out of a streaming system than a decent DAC. Network Acoustics have been making filters […]
Xavian Unica speakers Not long ago, I had a great time reviewing a pair of Xavian Grande Unica loudspeakers. This time, the owner of Xavian brought me a pair of Unica monitors. The same idea, the same kind of wood, and the same drivers — minus the second woofer. Roberto Barletta makes his Unica speakers […]