Proac Response DB3: very special indeed
Proac Response DB3 loudspeakers Up until the DB3s arrived it had been several decades since I used a Proac loudspeaker; in fact, it would have been around 1997 when I began freelance work at a radio station which used the highly-respected Proac Studio to make promotions and commercials. Having lived only with BBC designs until […]
M&K V10+: extension, timing & realism
Compact subwoofer that delivers serious bass without breaking the bank
Bowers and Wilkins Px8
Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones The Px8 headphones came up in conversation with the editor while I was immobilised with a fractured ankle we agreed that about the only things I might be able to handle for review would be headphones, shortly thereafter a pair of Bowers & Wilkins Px8s a few weeks ago. Back […]
Best Hi-Fi of 2022
The best of the best that we have reviewed on the Ear over the last 12 months
Innuos Pulsemini
Innuos Pulsemini network streamer The Pulsemini which is the first dedicated streamer from Innuos, a brand that has been making servers and other streaming components for what must be nearly a decade and are now established as a frontrunner in the field. There are two full width Pulse models in the pipeline, the Pulse which is […]
Oephi Lounge
I would like to start this review with an apology to Joakim Juhl, the owner and chief designer of Oephi cables. He very kindly sent me a pair of the Lounge loudspeaker cables back in early August, followed shortly thereafter by a pair of the Lounge RCA interconnects. Now here we are in mid-November and […]
Revival Audio Atalante 5
Revival Audio Atalante 5 loudspeakers French company Revival Audio may be a freshly launched brand, but the two main protagonists have decades of experience in the audio industry behind them. Principle designer Daniel Emonts has an impressive portfolio, being part of design teams responsible for many acclaimed models, in particular from Focal and Dynaudio. Strategic […]
Atlas Arran
Despite knowing about cable manufacturer Atlas for many years, I only recently discovered that they are based just 25 miles away from me in Kilmarnock. It’s always inspiring to read about British success stories but local ones are even better. Founder and MD Kevin Kelly’s engineering background means the Ayrshire enterprise is very much science-led; […]
Lindemann MusicBook Combo
From its headquarters west of Munich, Lindeman has become a leading international audio brand, not least for its streaming technology. The man behind the company is founder Norbert Lindemann; he’s already received countless awards for his various designs over some thirty years, and has now launched something that many of us have been waiting for. […]
Rega Saturn Mk3 puts the magic back into CD
Rega Saturn Mk3 CD player & DAC Th Saturn Mk3 is a classic example of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ thinking from Rega. With the exception of the front panel it is in all respects the same as its Saturn-R predecessor. This move means that it’s stylistically in keeping with the rest of […]
Sonus faber Olympica Nova I
We are in the high end territory that is Sonus faber, a brand whose products I have drooled over at countless hi-fi shows and, yet, have never had the pleasure of trying in my own system. Excitingly, that was about to change with the Olympica Nova 1 standmount two-way. History and ethos Sonus faber is […]
Audio Technica AT-ART20
Radical styling is not something one associates with moving coil cartridges, there are some brands that use exotic woods and semi-precious stone to imbue their creations with special properties but I don’t recall a mass produced example that looks as radical as the AT-ART20. Their first ART series model, the AT-ART1000 is exotic in tech […]