The Danes appear to have a knack for building hi-fi, maybe it’s because they have been doing it for a long time what with brands like Bang & Olufsen and Ortofon being in the business for so long. Michael Børresen was formerly with high end specialists Raidho but started to build loudspeakers under his own […]
Vinyl is easily the most fabulous medium for recorded music ever created. It may not sound quite as good as tape nor have the potential for dynamic range and bass power available with digital but on the one hand most of the music ever produced is available on vinyl and on the other sound quality […]
We have seen an increasing number of one-box solution devices entering the market in recent times, even music enthusiasts want fewer boxes in their homes and brands including Naim, Hegel and NAD among others are competing in this sector. Recently I have been lucky enough to play host to the NAD Masters M33 BluOS streaming […]
Over the years I have experimented with various types of audio isolation system, with a view to eradicating the unwelcome effect of mechanical vibration and microphony on various parts of my audio set up. I have tried everything from squash balls cut in half (less mad than it sounds), through Sorbothane in various thicknesses and […]
I have reviewed a few integrated amplifiers in my time, many of them involving vacuum tubes (valves), but none has had the weight and physical presence of the Line Magnetic LM-845 Premium. For a start you have the main chassis with its plethora of tubes on the top and a dizzying array of knobs and […]
It is so appropriate to be testing a Rogers-made BBC loudspeaker design since the company was so closely linked with the broadcaster’s transducer development and manufacture decades ago. Indeed, the original bass unit of the LS5/9 (under scrutiny here) was a collaboration between BBC engineers and Rogers at a time when the Corporation had lost […]
Back when I started my stint in hi-fi retail, the national chain for whom I worked sold a lot of Cyrus kit, and it was not hard to see why. The unique form factor made it partner-friendly, and it offered very good value for money. Somehow though, I (and quite a few colleagues, truth be […]
There are creepy moments in the Aphex Twin’s dark and atmospheric electronic tracks that, when played back through headphones, have you turning around to see where those unsettling sounds are coming from. The Bowers & Wilkins 603 Series 2 Anniversary Editions have an uncanny ability to reproduce that effect. I am not talking about any kind […]
Kerr Acoustic K320 mk.3 speakers Hi-fi as a hobby had its heyday in the 50s, 60s and 70s, an era when there were fewer luxuries to indulge in for the average man and large loudspeakers were not considered to be an obstacle to domestic bliss. As a result most of the people who appreciate good […]
This is a review I have delayed writing for the simple reason that I did not want to return the product to the manufacturer because I was enjoying it so much. But that procrastination is preventing me from sharing news of how great a product Acoustic Energy have created in their AE500 two-way stand-mount loudspeaker. […]
It has taken a few years for streaming audio enthusiasts to wake up to the importance of the network switch but ever since Melco released the S100 in 2019 this fact has begun to seep out and is gaining momentum. Last year Innuos unveiled their entry in this market the PhoenixNet yet before then a […]
A couple of years back I moved into a larger listening room with timber framed walls, lots of insulation and cement panel and wooden cladding. It doesn’t have the tendency found in brick builds to bounce the bass back at you which means no bass boom and pretty even low end. The drawback is that […]