Gold Note IS-1000 MkII Deluxe streaming amplifier Italian brand Gold Note have certainly been making waves over the last decade. From its beginnings back in 2011, this once-boutique brand now produces a full range of equipment that covers all bases, from vinyl and digital replay to loudspeakers. I also spotted some rather natty-looking racks in […]
Isol-8 Powerline Extreme AC power distribution block When I first started out in hi-fi, if someone suggested shelling out a grand or more on a fancy mains block, I’d have laughed at them. Things have moved on from there though, and we now accept that to get the best out of a system, you need […]
Monitor Audio Anthra W12 subwoofer When I heard that Monitor Audio were sending an Anthra W12 subwoofer for review I was intrigued, but slightly hesitant, as I’ve had mixed experiences with subwoofers playing music before and was not sure if I would like it, but that was a few years ago and things have moved […]
Rega Aos MC phono stage Rumours had been circulating for a while about a baby Aura phono stage from Rega, a halfway house between the Aria MM/MC stage and the company’s range topper but it was still a surprise to see the Aos MC in finished form at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show in February. Rega’s […]
Primare Allt-i-Ett one box system Allt-i-Ett. No, not a secret keyboard shortcut to hack Elon Musk’s PIN number but, if you speak Swedish or Norwegian, simply ‘all-in-one’. After a 41 year run building some of the world’s sleekest Scandi-fi separates for both music and home cinema lovers, Allt-i-Ett is Primare’s long-awaited lifestyle concept album, the […]
Woodnote Solo streamer Woodnote is an example of a European hi-fi manufacturer that has grasped the nettle when it comes to shifting requirements in the market place. The brand is part of Lindemann, a company that started out making conventional 17 inch components in 1993 with the integrated Amp1, they made a CD player six […]
Elipson Prestige Facet II 24F speakers Elipson speakers from France have a long and distinguished 80 plus-year heritage and are perhaps best known for their spherical Planet speakers. However, the company today has an extensive range of speakers for hi-fi and home-cinema applications, as well as turntables, amplifiers, subwoofers and a streamer. However, the Prestige […]
Pylon Audio Diamond 28 MkII speakers To stand out in any crowded marketplace, a manufacturer needs to produce something that offers something substantially different from the norm. There is certainly no shortage of talented speakers available at around the £3-£4k mark, however, few of them come with a drive unit specification and a cabinet of […]
Atoll ST300 Signature/AM300 Evo streaming pre & power amplifier Having made Atoll’s IN400 Evo integrated amplifier a Product of the Year in 2025 I was very excited when two large boxes arrived containing the latest power amplifier and preamp/streamer from the same stable. I know that the AM300 Evo power amp will drive more or […]
Tangent Spectrum II X5 speakers Danish audio brand Tangent describes its history as ‘a story of sound and design’ for over two decades, it is part of the AV Industry Group which encompasses Lumene projection screens, Eltax and Elipson speakers, Norstone audio furniture. The company prides itself on remaining in touch with both technological developments and […]
Davone Reference Three speakers The first Davone speaker I saw was the Ray, a very distinctive and beautiful design with a single stalk stand and a curvy shape wrapped in bent plywood. It immediately brought to mind the Eames Lounge Chair designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the fifties – the name that Davone […]
Mola Mola Ossetra monoblock power amps A young design engineer that I interviewed last year expressed frustration that the audio industry had thus far failed to agree whether an amplifier should be Class A, Class A/B or Class D, tubes or solid state. He acknowledged that each type was associated with particular sonic and operational […]