When I reviewed the Eclipse TD510Mk2 and partnering TD520SW sub last year I got a hugely entertaining and engaging result right from the off, the single driver speaker worked a treat and had me glued to the listening seat for hours. That inspired me to try its bigger brother, Eclipse’s ranger topping TD172zMk2, a speaker that looks […]
Last autumn saw the unveiling of an all-new flagship circumaural open-back from Audio Technica in their esteemed Air Dynamic (AD) series of headphones. Combining Japanese craftsmanship and state-of-the art audio engineering, the ATH-ADX5000 is claimed not only to be the finest audiophile headphone AT has ever produced but to also more widely represent “a new reference […]
When Naim released news of their forthcoming network streamers (ND5 XS2, NDX 2, ND 555) it became apparent that their hierarchy is not as straightforward as you might expect. I had imagined that each of the three would have the same basic streaming engine and DAC and that the power supplies would be upgraded with every move […]
Getting the best out of loudspeakers is as much about finding an amplifier that works as anything else. It’s a nuisance that you can’t match amps and speakers by looking at the specs, all they really tell you is approximately how much power is needed, but the crux of a really good combination has little […]
It’s an inconvenient fact of the vinyl enthusiast’s life that most turntables do not have a built in phono preamp or stage and equally that few integrated amplifiers offer such a feature today. In order to enjoy a turntable you need the extra amplification and equalisation that a phono stage provides, without one the signal […]
AVM announced their 30th anniversary last year with a new entry level range and at this year’s Sound & Vision Bristol show I asked MD Udo Besser how he got into the hi-fi business, his jokey response was: “Very easy, I just filled in a form, it was the wrong form!”. He went on to describe a […]
Using an acronym for a serious piece of hi-fi might be a fun play on words but it risks understating the product. Chord have used similar quirky names for other DAC products; the previous 2Qute and latest Qutest, for example. However, there is nothing understated about the DAVE when one looks further. The name stands […]
It’s about time Rega incorporated a phono stage into its entry level turntable. With the world awash with cheap, flimsy turntables that are more likely to destroy vinyl than do it any justice the market is crying out for easier solutions. Unlike all other forms of music players in the home the turntable is the […]
ATC aren’t into change for changes sake, they won’t revise the range every year or so just to refresh its profile in the market, indeed even when they give something a major overhaul as is the case here the appearance remains much the same. The only external difference between the new CDA2 and its predecessor […]
I don’t suppose it’s deliberate but some companies manage to come up with the most confusing naming for their products and Merging Technologies has joined the club. Originally the Swiss brand brought out the NADAC network attached DAC, essentially a digital to analogue converter with a network connection that meant you could send music data […]
It’s all well and good finding high end products that sound great but let’s face it, with the prices charged they should be good almost regardless of circumstances. The real challenge in audio reviewing and buying of course is finding products that work well and don’t cost as much as a car. And if you […]
The Chord Mojo DAC and headphone amp is a very nice piece of kit, compact and solid with coloured controls and amazing spec for the size and price, but it was designed to be used with a smartphone, which while undoubtedly very impressive devices are not the last word in high fidelity. A smartphone is […]