Auralic Aries S1 streamer & S1 Purer Power Early this year Auralic announced their most ambitious component yet in the Aquila X3, a two box modular streamer, CD player, preamp and undoubtedly more with a price that starts just shy of £14k. We hope to see this beast at the High End show in a […]
Atoll IN400 Evo integrated amplifier with DAC Top-of-the-range products are usually something to shout about, especially if they are new, and Atoll’s IN400 Evo integrated amplifier scores on both counts. The Evo standing, perhaps unsurprisingly, for Evolution since it replaces the former IN400 Signature iteration. A heavyweight in more ways than one: the IN400 Evo […]
Ifi Audio Zen Phono 3 phono stage In the world of audio separates, the vast majority of electronic devices are housed in some form of 17inch (430mm) wide box. The height and depth may vary, but the width is generally the same. Of course some manufacturers have managed to get all the necessary components into […]
CAD 1543 MkIII DAC By the standards of domestic electronics separates hi-fi is pretty hairshirt stuff, it takes up a lot of space, isn’t very easy to use and sounds its best with media that you actually have to pay for. In an age of instant access and inexpensive alternatives it’s remarkable that anyone bothers […]
Connected-Fidelity TT Hub turntable There was a painstaking wait before I could get my hands on a TT Hub turntable to play with, having had my appetite well and truly whetted by the various prototypes shown to me by Connected-Fidelity’s Michael Osborn. I was very impressed by the excellent build quality and finish of those early […]
Sonus faber Concertino G4 speakers The latest addition to Italian brand Sonus faber’s Concertino series is the G4, a two-way, standmount reflex design which come complete with matching stands. With a nod towards sustainable veganism, the G4 sports a patented, plant-based leather alternative from Italian start-up Ohoskin to wrap the wooden cabinets. The first 300 […]
Tannoy Prestige Autograph Mini-OW loudspeaker While they looked compact in the photograph, it was not until Tannoy’s Prestige Autograph Mini-OW loudspeakers arrived in the flesh that I appreciated just how compact. They are truly small-scale transducers. Front-on, the cabinet resembles that of an LS3/5A-sized box but their volume is less because of the triangular rather […]
Michell Orbe SE turntable Here’s a question, in which year did England win the World Cup? That’s right, it was 1966. I suspect that the majority of you reading this will have known the answer even though you were as yet not even a gleam in your parents’ eyes when it happened. Similarly, in what […]
Emotiva XDA3 DAC/preamp The marketing line ‘why pay more?’ is as old as retailing itself but, for the longest time, it hasn’t prevented audiophiles answering quite reasonably: ‘above a certain level, small improvements start to cost a lot’. The law of diminishing returns has been a thorny fact of life for hi-fi owning music lovers […]
Chord Ultima Integrated amplifier It is a given that a linear power supply is key to extracting the best results from any hi-fi component, right? Scroll through any forum or dealer’s website, and you will see various upgrade kits involving such devices. I confess to having followed the accepted wisdom and invested in my fair […]
Xact S1 Evo server/streamer Every now and then a component comes along that rearranges expectations to such an extent that its necessary to recalibrate the potential of that particular product category. The Xact S1 Evo has done just that for server/streamers, I now know that there is more, quite a lot more that can be […]
PMC prophecy5 speakers On a wet afternoon in December PMC invited members of the audio press to the one of the less charming parts of Wimbledon, however once inside what appeared to be a warehouse we discovered a state of the art mastering and mixing studios. Wired Masters specialises in making what might generally be […]