North West Audio Show 2025 pt.2
Hifi Network Hifi Network‘s system consisted of an AVM Ovation SA 8.3 Lite amplifier, a CS5.3 CD player/streamer/integrated amplifier, and a pair of Elac Concerto S503 speakers. A Clearaudio Innovation turntable was also on dem, but not whilst I was in the room. Still, streamed music sounded particularly open and spacious, demonstrating the resolving powers […]
North West Audio Show 2025 pt.1
Located at the sprawling former country house Cranage Hall in Cheshire, the North West Audio Show (NWAS) has always been a popular event for both exhibitors and visitors alike. Organiser Kris Sawicki certainly knows how to put on a good show and goes the extra mile to make this event a weekend to remember. Alongside […]
Highlights from High End 2025 pt.2
Aavik The Audio Group Denmark builds Aavik, Ansuz, Axxess and Borresen products and its range is always growing. The latest change is a move away from composite cases in the Aavik ‘entry level’ electronics, these are now called 88 rather than 80 and come in metal boxes with copper and titanium in the higher end […]
Highlights from High End 2025 pt.1
High End show, Munich, 2025 The last High End show to be held in Munich proved to be as lively as any that preceded it, with new products from a wide range of brands and only a few omissions in the exhibitor list. If there was a theme it was not obvious but an awful […]
Best sounds of Audio Show Deluxe 2025
Whittlebury Hall makes a great show venue, the rooms are large and the tea and coffee are free, as for that matter is the sparkling wine given to visitors on arrival. Audio Show Deluxe is almost the opposite of the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, there is plenty of space and it’s easy to get around and […]
Highlights from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 pt.2
Rega Rega are getting close to finishing the Mercury preamplifier and Solis power amp that was first shown at Bristol last year. This time they displayed what look like fully finished amplifiers complete with clear covers so that we could see the elaborate circuitry inside. The Mercury pre has both analogue and digital inputs while […]
Highlights from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 pt.1
CD players seem to be having a comeback if the UK’s annual audio jamboree in Bristol is anything to go by, new examples could be found in several rooms and these were probably only outnumbered by companies using turntables. Popular brands included Kudos speakers which could be found in several rooms even though the company […]
UK Audio Show 2024
This was the third time that I had visited UK Audio Show, held at Staverton Park Hotel. I have always enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere and found it to be well-organized. This year it appeared quieter than usual, which reflects the current economic climate rather than the event itself, which was excellent, although missing a couple of […]
High End 2024 Highlights pt.3
Origin Live British turntable experts Origin Live showed their most ambitious tonearm at High End. The Renown (£26,000) has a much wider yoke than most plus dual pivot bearings, adjustable VTA for both the inner and outer parts of the record and an asymmetric, multi-layer counterweight designed to reduce resonance. More details here. Elipson With […]
High End 2024 highlights pt.2
High End 2024 Munich CAD It was exciting to see that Computer Audio Design (CAD) have revised their original creation the 1543 DAC now in MkIII guise. This non-oversampling converter was the first to be dedicated to USB and remains a single input device, it runs 16 TDA 1543 multibit converters as ever but now […]
High End 2024 pt.1
High End 2024 show, Munich Innuos Innuos have not been resting since last year’s introduction of three streamers, for High End 2024 Nuno Vitorino unveiled two substantially upgraded Zen servers which sit above the current range and join the StatementNG. The ZenNG and ZenithNG are built around a new mainboard platform that is built precisely […]
The London Audio Show 2024
It was novel to be back in Heathrow for a hi-fi show, it must be at least a decade since the Chester Group put on a show in what was then the Park Inn and twice that since anything happened at the Ramada across the road. The London Audio Show in the Radisson Red hotel […]