Heed Abacus S streaming DAC Hungarian hi-fi manufacturers are not two a penny, at least not among brands available in the UK. From what I have seen and heard from them over the years, Heed Audio like to do things a little differently. I purchased their Cannalot III, Class A headphone amplifier a couple of […]
Inakustik NF-4005 Air interconnect & LS-4005 Air speaker cables Even hard nosed industry lags that have seen everything were taken aback by the sheer girth of Inakustik’s cables when they saw them in the system, the NF-4005 Air interconnect appears to be almost as wide as it is long such is its hawser like bulk. […]
Tom Evans Audio Design Groove+ SRX Mk3 phono stage I have been using a MkII Groove+ SRX since this phono stage was launched in 2017 and I have found very few alternatives that could deliver more of the signal with less distortion, and virtually none that do so at the asking price of that design. […]
Fyne Audio F5E speakers The thought of a sub-£400 coaxial driver loudspeaker had me intrigued, but that’s the selling price of Fyne Audio’s latest model, a compact stand-mount two-way but featuring their Iso-Flare coaxial technology. Could a design at this level be any good, and were they wise to put their reputation on the line […]
Dynavector DV 10XA-L moving coil cartridge It’s amazing to reflect that the very first DV 10X cartridge from Dynavector was introduced almost 50 years ago, in 1978. It was their first cartridge and it caused a sensation at the time as it was the world’s first ever high-output moving coil cartridge. Dynavector’s use of ultra-thin […]
Axxess Acoustics Forté 3 streaming amplifier Axxess Acoustics is the entry level range from Audio Group Denmark (AGD), a company that already has the Aavik, Ansuz and Børresen brands under its umbrella and which brings out more new product than your average conglomerate. This is entry level Danish style however so we’re not talking beer […]
Unitra WSH-805 integrated amplifier You might be forgiven a brief, unvoiced ‘who?’ when confronted with the Unitra WSH-805. Answering that question isn’t the work of a moment either. Unitra was the umbrella group of Polish companies involved in consumer electronics back in the Cold War who produced audio equipment for domestic and export purposes. I […]
Oephi Transcendence 2.5 speakers I have been on quite a journey with Oephi over the last few months. It began with meeting proprietor and designer, Joakim Juhl at a dealer event, where I had the opportunity to experience several models from the range. The Oephi journey has caused me to recalibrate how I assess and […]
Primare PRE35 streaming preamplifier Primare is a Swedish company that conducts its design work in Sweden and manufactures in China. Their philosophy is based on the very Scandinavian concepts of lagom and hygge. Lagom roughly meaning ‘just the right amount, not too much, not too little, everything in perfect balance, harmony, and proportion – just […]
Peak Consult Sinfonia speakers Peak Consult is probably not a brand you come across often in your local hi-fi shop, unless your shop is a Peak Consult dealer of course The Danish manufacturer of high-end audio speakers has a long and at the same time short history that can be traced back to the three […]
Network Acoustics Origin Streaming Power Supply Once you have been around audio engineers for a while it becomes clear that they consider the power supply to be one of the most critical components in any piece of audio electronics. Electricity is the lifeblood of every audio device except loudspeakers, there are passive preamps of course […]
Node Audio SS-1 isolation feet Those of you who have followed my hi-fi scribblings for a few years (and I thank you for that) may recall that I have previously given very enthusiastic reception to Node Audio products. In 2023 The Ear published my thoughts on the extraordinary Hylixa loudspeakers and elsewhere I have given […]