Melco S1 network switch “That’s a lot of money for a switch” is the most common response when I mention the figure, and it is, but network switches are critical to the performance of any streaming system, more so than many realise. They are the gatekeepers for any streamer and have to get the signal […]
Perlisten R4b loudspeakers As a company, US-based Perlisten may only have been manufacturing its speakers since 2016, but it has enjoyed a growing reputation in home cinema for its THX Dominus certified speakers and subwoofers, designed to reproduce very low distortion in larger home cinema systems. It’s no coincidence that the same virtues have won […]
Plixir Elite BAC 3000 MkII power conditioner BAC stands for balanced alternating current and the Plixir Elite BAC 3000 MkII is the largest example of the breed that I have encountered. It’s about the size of a decent power amplifier at 14cm (5.5 inches) high but weighs 45kg (99lbs), making it the densest piece of […]
Q Acoustics 3030c speakers A new loudspeaker from Q Acoustics is something that’s become a talking point, especially now that the brand is approaching its twentieth anniversary and achieving worldwide recognition for its value-for-money loudspeakers. Among the newest products is the compact, two-way 3030c stand-mount which enters a crowded marketplace and was previewed at Munich […]
Dali Epikore 7 loudspeakers I first encountered the Dali’s Epikore range during a pre-release showing in September 2024, where head of product management Krestian Pedersen explained how they had taken techniques from their award-winning Kore flagship loudspeaker and applied them to create a brand new five-model range above Epicon. They decided where improvements could be […]
Chario Aviator Amelia speakers Readers will often see the term ‘musical’ used to describe a product—surely, every hi-fi component should produce music? This beautiful speaker from the Italian brand Chario could perhaps be the ideal foil with which to demonstrate this term. It is not a speaker that grabs your attention and impresses at the […]
Montaudio Bowen AC-1, Godley USB, Rakaia EH-1, Chatham SH-1 cable loom Apparently, there aren’t as many sheep in New Zealand these days so audio companies are taking up the economic slack, one such is Montaudio who make a wide range of cables and a beautiful rack, the Manuka MR, which is priced towards the top […]
Bricasti Design M11 R-2R Classic DAC When Madrigal Labs folded in 2004 and the Mark Levinson brand they worked for was sold to Harman, Brian Zolner and Casey Dowdell combined their names with a little bit of Italian flare to create Bricasti Design. These guys are audio engineers to the core, not the sort of […]
Mutec REF10 SE120 master clock The REF10 SE120 is just one product, not two, and quite a compact one at that. It is a 10MHz master clock, the £5,200 flagship design from Berlin-based Mutec. Not so long ago such a device would be regarded by most audiophiles as professional exotica to be found only in […]
Luphonic R2 turntable & arm The vinyl revival is in full swing and turntables sales are on the up. If you needed evidence, just look at how vinyl and indeed turntables have suddenly been given front-of-house status in HMV stores with CDs relegated to the back of the showroom, if you can find them at […]
Viva Solista MkIII integrated tube amplifier Italians have a real passion for tube amplifiers and a flair for design so it’s not surprising that the Viva amplifiers come from that part of the world, specifically Camisano near Padua. The company was started by brothers Amadeo and Giampietro Schembri in the mid nineties and builds a […]
Connected-Fidelity AC-2K Reference balanced power supply, Six Star distribution block & Unity Power Two cables We all know how important it is to choose the individual components of our systems carefully, usually with protracted listening tests at a retailer and in our homes. But a system is more than just a turntable, CD player, streamer, […]