APRIL 2017 WWW.HIFINEWS.CO.

UK

THE HOME OF REAL HI-FI

Exclusive

D’Agostino MLife serves up the power! VI

NY
L ICO
W
N
REVIE

ROATLA
DNTIC
STEWART
CROSSING

Focal Elear
A sibling rival to flagship INVESTIGATION
Utopia headphones? Tape-tastic!
Kronos Sparta 0.5 Are we on the cusp of
a cassette revival? p24
‘Entry-level’ turntable and
unipivot arm – high-end style! Muraudio PX2
Hybrid floorstander
promises great
sound, all around
Technics SU-G30
Network audio amp
with all the frills
• PLUS 18 pages of music reviews & features • VINYL RE-RELEASE Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue on 180g UK £4.99 US $13.00 Aus $12.99
• OPINION 12 pages of letters & comment • VINTAGE REVIEW Braun’s regie 350 receiver from 1976
• SHOW BLOG We report from Bristol Sound & Vision • READERS’ CLASSIFIEDS Hi-Fi bargains galore
 M6 ENCORE 225

Intuitive Operation, Huge Connectivity,

Internal 1TB Upgradeable Hard Disc Drive
The Encore 225 is a complete audio solution allowing you to keep all your music
in one place. It accepts almost any conceivable analog or digital audio source.
Experience it for yourself at your local Musical Fidelity dealer.

ZZZPXVLFDOÀGHOLW\FRP 


VINYL & RECORD REVIEWS
74 Classical Companion
For this month’s guide to classical
music Christopher Breunig looks
at the recorded work of English
conductor Richard Hickox
76 Vinyl Release
Steve Sutherland hopes for a ‘slap
on the forehead’ moment of insight
as he tries to make sense of jazz
with the Sony Legacy 180g reissue
of Miles Davis’s Kind Of Blue
78 Vinyl Icon
In 1975 Rod Stewart moved to the
States in search of a big-budget
revamp of his solo sound. The result
was Atlantic Crossing. Mike Barnes
brings you the story of its recording
84 Meet The Producers
Master of teen melodrama and
inventor of The Wall Of Sound...
the work of producer Phil Spector is
examined by Steve Sutherland
90 Music Reviews
Our selection of audiophile LPs
and hi-res downloads reviewed by
our specialists alongside the latest
rock, jazz and classical albums
DEFINITIVE PRODUCT REVIEWS
32 Muraudio Domain Omni PX2
This big-ticket high-end hybrid
speaker promises a sweet spot all
round thanks to its use of three
electrostatic panels covering 360º
38 D’Agostino MLife
Why this network amplifier costing
north of £50k is the perfect bridge
between streaming devices packed
with features and true hi-fi sound
ABOVE: A ceramic bass/mid driver coated in
titanium is housed beneath a sealed ribbon
tweeter in each Raidho XT-1 cabinet. See p56
CONTENTS
42 Kronos Sparta 0.5
Canadian company hopes to entice
with an entry-level single-platter deck
upgradable later to flagship spec
46 Technics SU-G30
JENO, LAPC, custom PSU... we dig into
the tech and assess the sound of this
integrated network audio amplifier
50 McIntosh MP100
Solid-state phono amp with built-in
ADC promises premium vinyl ripping
while sounding commanding ’n’ clean
54 Abis SA-1.2
Any fresh tonearm design deserves a
listen, but this four-piece assembly
from Japan seduces with silky realism
56 Raidho XT-1
Danish company’s ‘entry-level’ X-1
monitor is revitalised with drivers
coated in titanium. We listen...
60 Jadis JA80 MkII
Revamp for ’80s monoblock amp
means it can now use a wider variety
of tubes. We hear it with four KT150s
64 Focal Elear
How will these £800 headphones
compare with the French brand’s
exotic range-topping Utopia model?
68 Dual MTR-75
First fruits of pedigree name’s return
to vinyl is this highly affordable deck
with A-T cartridge and USB output
VINTAGE
118 Vintage Review
How does the classic kit of yesteryear
shape up today? We test the Braun
regie 350 receiver, released in 1976
124 From The Vault
This month’s dip into HFN’s archives
sees us return to 1980 where HFN
scribes are busy filing reports from
key hi-fi shows across the country
APRIL 17
NEWS AND OPINION
15 Welcome
A message from the editor
16 News
Mark Levinson’s first turntable, D+M
sold, high-res DAC from Benchmark,
Sonus faber Homage refresh, active
AE1 speaker and new retro Tannoys
18 Show Blog
High-end wireless loudspeakers,
gravity-defying decks, aspirational
amplifiers and inspirational dems...
We report from the 30th annual
Bristol Sound & Vision show
24 Investigation
Nakamichis at the ready... as more
bands offer their music on tape,
Mike Barnes talks to industry insiders
about rumours of a cassette revival
103 Opinion
Insider comment on the audio
topics of the day from Paul Miller,
Barry Fox, Jim Lesurf, Steve Harris
and, writing from the US, Barry Willis
112 Sound Off
Help with upgrading a high-end
vinyl system, bass via USB, tales of
Garrard’s digital R&D, plus which
new turntable on a £1k budget?
138 Off The Leash
Ken Kessler on hipsters, hop-pickers,
frustrated Internet trolls and why
2017 is shaping up to be an even
better year for the revival in vinyl
ABOVE: Cassettes and drugs and
rock ’n’ roll... The music lovers
seeking to save tape from
extinction. See p24
BSCRIBE!
SUBSCRIBE!
Sp
Save 75%issues
Three on digital with£3!
for just a
print subscription See p88
See page 60
82
57
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 3
 Xs - a new standard from Pass Labs

Xs 150: “Infinite smoothness in all registers. Unheard of

power and authority. Control during the
softest passages. I am speechless. I honestly
never expected this dramatic an improvement.

Absolutely a masterpiece.”

Distributed by Select Audio ‡ Tel: 01900 601954

www.selectaudio.co.uk ‡ www.passlabs.com
 Connect your home to a
deeper music experience

Channelling forty years of audio engineering, we present Mu-so.

A range of compact, yet commanding wireless music systems, that will unleash
you music wherever it’s stored, in breathtaking quality. Advanced connectivity includes
AirPlay, Bluetooth®, Spotify Connect®, TIDAL, iRadio and multiroom streaming.
AirPlay is a trademark of Apple Inc.
naimaudio.com

Experience at John Lewis, selected Apple stores and our network of specialist audio retailers.



)&
!('(
#
"$'(
&*!($&,
%&$)(


'(!!($#
$
$*&


,&'
$
'##
!'

#
)!(
($
$&&
#
#!#
,
")'
!$*&'


#$,
,
")'
!$*&'
!!
$*&
(
+$&!

$
(
"$&
#$&"($#
#
#
,$)&
#&'(

&(!&
%!'
!!
)'
$#




$&
*'(

+++$&$)
SOPRA,
REVEAL THE INVISIBLE
Combining twenty years of engineering heritage
HTQO(QECNoUƃCIUJKR7VQRKCNQWFURGCMGTTCPIG
YKVJKPPQXCVKXGPGYVGEJPQNQIKGUKPCUV[NKUJCPF
EQORCEVFGUKIPVJGPGY5QRTC0ŒYKNNTGXGCN
VJGVTWGGUUGPEGQH[QWTOWUKE

9KVJVJTGGOCLQTKPPQXCVKQPUCPFVYQRCVGPVUs
VJG0GWVTCN+PFWEVCPEG%KTEWKVVJG6WPGF/CUU
&CORGTOKFTCPIGUWURGPUKQPCPFVJG+PƂPKVG
*QTP.QCFKPIJQWUKPIHQTKVU$GT[NNKWOVYGGVGTs
5QRTCDTKPIUWPRTGEGFGPVGFVGEJPKECNKPIGPWKV[
CPFOCVEJNGUURGTHQTOCPEGVJTKNNKPIVJG
UGPUGUNKMGPGXGTDGHQTG6JGNQPIKPIHQT
GZEGRVKQPCNURGCMGTUKP[QWTNKXKPITQQOKUQXGT

8KUKVYYYHQECNEQOVQFKUEQXGTOQTG
 




 

“W
We wa
want
wantnted
ted
ed to crcrea
crea
eate
atee somometthing
omet hing
hi ng bea
eaut
eaut
utif
tif
iful
iful
ul... be
beauti
auttiifu
au iful
fu
ul in
in sound
ou
o und,
nd
n d, lo
ookks an
a d co
conn
nnec
ecti
ec
cti
tivviityy.
tivi
Thhe Rö
Rösst is al
alll th
hat
at.. Itt is th
he su
summ of
of eveery
ryth
thin
th i g wee hav
in a e le
lear
arne
ar
rne
ned. d. A tru
d. rue
ue on
o e-
e-st
e-st
stop
op
p
ammpl
p ifi
fier
er. Some
er. Some
So meth
meth thinin
ng yo y u wowoul
oul
uldd wa
wantnt to haave on tht e tot p shhel
e f.f ”
- He
Hege
Hege
gell Mu
M sic
siic Sy
Syststem
tem AS -

ready

HEGEL RÖST - Integrated amplifier with AirPlay and IP-control IP control

Imagine a small, good looking, and incredibly versatile piece of audio kit that can
power some of the most difficult loudspeakers you would ever want.
Imagine a true high fidelity solution you can use with your iPhone, integrate in your
“smart home” and that plays all your favourite music the way it was intended.
No distortion of the original music signal. No distortion to the looks of your living
room... you have just imagined the Röst.





 

 


 













 APR/17
RIGHT: Focal’s Elear
’phones represent
hether driven

W
a significant saving
over the Utopia by technology
flagships. A bargain? or fashion or a
See p64 mixture of both,
hi-fi is no more
or less immune to the influence
of trends than any other area of
our modern, connected lives.
The upsurge in vinyl sales and
headphone listening are classic
examples, their sudden growth I wouldn’t be surprised if the
seeded in the counter-cultures same were true of headphones
of ‘retro cool’ and the Beats (earbuds included). But both
phenomenon respectively. vinyl and headphone whirlwinds
ABOVE: This compact MM/MC phono stage from McIntosh also The irony is that while the have spun off other, associated
includes an ADC and USB digital output. Intrigued? See p50 hi-fi industry searches for ways to products. Just a few years ago
engage with younger audiences, we couldn’t move for USB DACs
it is youth culture itself that has – hub- and mains-powered – but
N

influenced the direction of travel now this product group has

ALLAN WARRE

of specialist audio. Without morphed into USB headphone

kids buying ‘vinyls’ as part of a
band’s memorabilia, and super-
affordable USB-equipped decks
available on the off-chance they
might actually play the
stuff, the vinyl revival
might never have got
up and spinning.
But it has, and
with the support of
mainstream media, it’s
been afforded sufficient traction
to embolden long-term believers
like Pro-Ject and Clearaudio to
VINYL: Our Vinyl Icon, Rod Stewart’s double and triple their ranges.
Atlantic Crossing launched his solo Meanwhile others, Technics
stardom (p78), while Steve Sutherland included, have dusted off their
grapples with modality as Miles Davis’ designers and finally returned to
Kind Of Blue is released on 180g LP, p76 what they once did best.
There are now more
RIGHT: Hi-Fi News & RR is the UK’s individual turntable brands on
representative of EISA’s Hi-Fi Expert the market than at any other
Group. Editor Paul Miller took over as time in the past, and the roll call
EISA’s President in June 2016 shows no sign of diminishing.
DACs. They’re essentially the
same thing, but with a lower
impedance output stage and
6.35/3.5mm jack sockets.
‘Enthusiasts are now
welcoming a rash
of new phono stages’
Similarly, we are now seeing
a rash of outboard phono stages
– one a month in HFN when, up
until very recently, we would
have tested one or two a year.
Such is the impact of the vinyl
revival. What next? Possibly a
convergence of both traditional
and connected technologies, for
this month we feature a phono
stage with a USB output [p50].
PAUL MILLER EDITOR

HI-FI NEWS’ EXPERT LINE UP: THE FINEST MINDS IN AUDIO JOURNALISM BRING THEIR EXPERIENCE TO BEAR ON ALL AREAS OF HI-FI & MUSIC

BARRY FOX JOHN BAMFORD KEN KESSLER KEITH HOWARD STEVE HARRIS ANDREW EVERARD STEVE SUTHERLAND
Investigative journalist JB brings huge is a long-serving has written about Former Editor of this has reviewed hi-fi for worked on Melody
supreme, Barry is the industry experience, a contributor, luxury hi-fi for 40 years, and very title from 1986 over 30 years and Maker and then edited
first with news of the penchant for massive goods writer and edited Hi-Fi Answers through to 2005. A is still effortlessly NME from 1992-2000,
latest developments speakers and a love of champion for the for nine. KH performs lifetime in audio and enthusiastic about new the Britpop years. Steve
in hi-fi and music hi-res audio in all its renaissance in valves our speaker and a love of jazz makes technology, kit and brings a unique slant to
technologies diverse guises and ‘vintage hi-fi’ headphone lab tests Steve a goldmine discovering new music our Vinyl Release pages

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 15

 NEWS We reveal the latest products and upcoming events

Mark Levinson N 515
HIGH-END STATESIDE BRAND JOINS THE VINYL REVOLUTION
Lynchpin of Harman’s Luxury
Audio Group, Mark Levinson,
has been on something of
a roll of late, delivering
new amplifiers and
digital media products
at an unprecedented
rate. So for all those
HFN readers puzzled
by the great lengths
Levinson’s engineers
had gone to
segregate and
meticulously refine
a phono stage inside
its No526 preamp/
USB DAC [HFN Dec ’16],
here’s the answer – the
first turntable in the
company’s history!
The No515 was previewed at
CES 2017, the model designed
o
steel counterweight
and discrete internal
cartridge lead routing.
The deck itself is built
onto a well-damped
chassis, comprising a
vinyl-wrapped MDF and
aluminium sandwich,
while the highly
polished 9kg alloy
platter is driven
via no fewer than
three belts and
a high torque
AC synchronous
motor. Price
is expected to be
and built in partnership with integral headshell [see around £10,000.
with New Jersey-based VPI HFN Mar ’17], although the Harman International, USA,
Industries. Unsurprisingly, it latter’s unipivot is traded 01423 358846;
comes complete with a variant here for a more conventional www.marklevinson.com,
of VPI’s 3D-printed tonearm gimbal-style bearing, stainless www.karma-av.co.uk

Keeping Tradition A new Benchmark

SONUS FABER HOMAGE LINE IS REVAMPED
The technology and materials used in Sonus
faber’s Lilium, Il Cremonese and various
Olympica models have been utilised in a
refresh of its lute-shaped Homage range, now
called ‘Homage Tradition’. The Amati, Guarneri
and Vox are joined by a new intermediate
model called the Serafino which is a 3.5-way
floorstander housing two 180mm sandwich
cone bass units, a 150mm midrange and 28mm
silk-dome ‘arrow point’ tweeter. Bass loading is
via a para-aperiodic vented box system.
Sonus faber SpA, 0208 971 3909; www.sonus
faber.com; www.absolutesounds.com
NEW HIGH PERFORMANCE DAC/PREAMP
Benchmark is a ‘crossover’ brand that
successfully serves both professional and high-
end consumer markets and its new DAC3 HGC
D&M SOLD looks set to cause a stir in both worlds. Priced at
Sound United LLC, the corporate
umbrella of Polk Audio, Definitive
£2349, it’s based around an ESS Sabre 9028Pro
Technology and Polk BOOM, has 32-bit DAC and offers pairs of coaxial and
announced its acquisition of the
D+M Group, owner of Denon, HEOS,
Marantz and Boston Acoustics
brands. The combined company will
trade as Sound United, a division of
DEI Holdings, a portfolio company
of Boston-based private equity firm
Charlesbank Capital Partners, LLC.
Charlesbank acquired DEI Holdings
in 2011. Sound United says that
its ‘individual brands will continue optical S/PDIF digital inputs, an asynchronous
to be highly differentiated in the
marketplace’. www.dmglobal.com;
DSD-compatible USB input, two line inputs
www.soundunited.com and both single-ended (RCA) and balanced
(XLR) analogue outputs plus ¼in headphone
GAIA ISOLATORS jack sockets. The ‘HGC’ stands for Hybrid Gain
The GAIA range of vibration-isolating Control, a single volume knob that attenuates
loudspeaker feet includes three its line inputs in the analogue domain while
sizes with 32kg, 54kg and 100kg governing all digital inputs via a 32-bit DSP. Full
capacities, respectively. Special
adapters to accommodate the latest remote control completes what is a very tidy,
B&W and Focal Sopra loudspeakers high performance package [full review in next
are available separately. Prices are month’s Hi-Fi News].
£199 to £599 for a set of four. Benchmark Media Systems, 03301 222500;
www.isoacoustics.com www.benchmarkmedia.com;
www.scvdistribution.co.uk

16 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

 We reveal the latest products and upcoming events NEWS

PMC and AVM Tannoy’s Legacy

ICONIC GERMAN HI-FI BRAND IS LAUNCHED INTO THE UK
Thirty years young, German
audio specialists AVM (Audio
Video Manufaktur) has in that
time amassed a range of no
fewer than 29 separates across
three key ranges – Inspiration,
Evolution and Ovation.
Included in these ranks are
integrated, pre and power
amps, receivers, CD player/
receivers and comprehensive
all-in-one solutions like the
Ovation CS 8.2 pictured here.
This £11,695 flagship is rated
at an astonishing 2x500W
Active energy
A TRIO OF NEW LOUDSPEAKERS INSPIRED BY HPD RANGE
Retro-cool is alive and well driver. The cabinet design is
at Tannoy as it launches a culled directly from the original
new Legacy Series of three models although the crossovers
loudspeakers, all reimagined are split to facilitate bi-wiring
versions of the HPD sold in the in the Legacy series. Similarly,
1970s. The Arden, Cheviot and all three speakers allow their
Eaton are all two-way designs treble output to be trimmed.
employing, respectively, 15in, Music Group Innovation SC
12in and 10in versions of Ltd, 01236 420199;
Tannoy’s classic dual concentric www.tannoy.com/lifestyle
and combines wired/wireless
streaming with support for
Tidal, Qobuz and others, a
‘quad DAC’ compatible for
384kHz/32-bit and DSD128
files, a slot-loading CD drive
and tube-based preamp stage.
UK importers, PMC, will be
stocking a wide range of AVM
separates, ‘down’ to the £3995
Inspiration CS 2.2 Compact
Streaming CD Receiver.
AVM GmbH, 01767 686300;
www.avm-audio.com
www.pmc-speakers.com
HI-FI NEWS?
S? JUST
S ASK...
AS .
If you can’t always find a copy Please reserve/deliver my copy of Hi-fi News
on a regular basis, starting with issue....................
of this magazine, help is at
hand! Complete this form,
hand it in at your local store
Title................First name........................................

CLASSIC AE1 STANDMOUNTS MADE ACTIVE
While Acoustic Energy’s iconic AE1 standmount has seen duty
in a few guises throughout the company’s 30-year history,
only now has the model been transformed into a fully fledged,
self-powered active design. Balanced XLR and single-ended
RCA inputs now feed a 4th-order active crossover (with user-
and they’ll arrange for a copy
of each issue to be reserved
for you. Some stores may
even be able to arrange for it
to be delivered to your home.
Just ask!
Surname..................................................................
Address.....................................................................
................................................................................
...............................................................................
Postcode..................................................................
Telephone number..................................................

adjustable bass/treble tone controls) while two 50W amplifiers IF YOU DON’T
are directly coupled to the aluminium dome tweeter and
ceramic/alloy bass/mid unit. Price starts at £1000.
WANT TO MISS
Acoustic Energy, 01285 654432; www.acoustic-energy.co.uk
AN ISSUE...

Upcoming Events
IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR HI-FI DIARY
18-21 MAY High End Show, M.O.C, Munich, Germany;
www.highendsociety.de
01-06 SEPT IFA Berlin, The International Funkausstellung, Germany
http://b2c.ifa-berlin.de
21-24 SEPT T.H.E. Show 2017, Hilton Anaheim, CA, USA
21-22 OCT The Hi-Fi Show Live 2017, Beaumont Estate, Windsor;
www.hifinews.co.uk/show
04-05 NOV High End Swiss 2017, Moevenpick Hotel, Zurich

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 17

 SHOWBLOG Sights and sounds from around the globe

Sound & Vision 2017, Bristol

Words & pictures: Paul Miller and Adam Smith

CES may have With many manufacturers

been a greatly occupying the same rooms
diminished force they had originally booked
for hi-fi this year back in 1987, this hugely
but the same popular show burned as
cannot be said for brightly as ever in 2017.
Bristol’s Sound & For this year’s festivities,
Vision Show! visitors were presented
Same time, with audio products and
same place, components that catered
and enthusiasts for all tastes, whether it was
from across the South West wireless loudspeakers, valve
descended on the Marriott amps for tube-rollers, all-in-
Hotel to help celebrate the one media playing solutions or
Show’s 30th anniversary. snug in-ear phones.

The Titan 707 from Kudos is a development of the company’s

flagship twin-box 808 speaker. It’s a two-way system using
Kudos-modified SEAS mid/bass and treble drivers while the
‘reassuringly complex’ cabinet has isobaric bass reflex loading.
Expect a price of around £13k, with active variants for Devialet
and Linn Exakt systems also available. www.kudosaudio.com

Exposure showcased its diminutive new £1200 XM7 preamp

and XM9 monoblocks (£1400 per pair). Also on show were the
£1200 XM5 integrated, rated at 2x60W/8ohm, the £660 XM3
phono stage [reviewed in HFN next month] and a yet to be
named prototype headphone amplifier. www.exposurehifi.com

Grey was the new black

this year (see also Spendor
D7, p22) as Neat Acoustics
unveiled a sophisticated
‘Castle Grey’ finish for its
Momentum SX5 and petite
Iota Alpha loudspeakers
[HFN Oct ’16]. Look a little
closer at our picture and
you’ll see Neat’s new plinth Alan Ainslie of music storage/streaming supremo Melco was on
kits, designed to improve hand to talk visitors through the mkII versions of its N1ZS20,
the speaker’s stability N1ZH60 and N1AH60 models (£7700, £4299 and £2099). In
and – of course – sound a collaboration with Merging Technologies, Melco is also the
quality. Prices are £795 for first approved hi-fi server for Ravenna, while a partnership with
the Momentum plinth and JThink’s SongKong brings comprehensive metadata support for
£395 for the Iota plinth. an entire music library. www.melco-audio.com
www.neatacoustics.com

18 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

 SHOWBLOG Sights and sounds from around the globe
Technics unveiled its new
£1200 Grand Class SL1200GR
turntable [left], positioning it
alongside the full-fat £3000
SL-1200G model [right] so
that the differences could be
easily identified. The latter is
essentially identical to the very
limited edition SL-1200GAE
model [HFN Jun ’16] with its
magnesium tonearm and two-
piece brass alloy platter. The
GR-version uses a lighter alloy
platter, single-rotor direct-
drive motor and aluminium
tonearm. Measurements are
453x173x372mm (whd) and
yes, it does come with a lid.
www.technics.com/uk

Here’s ELAC’s £1600 Miracord 90 Anniversary

turntable, featuring a 35mm-thick, 6.5kg alloy platter
rotating in a steel/sintered bronze bearing with a
jewel thrust pad. The 5.5kg MDF chassis is supported
on silicone rubber feet with additional damping
applied around the integral motor. www.elac.com

Acoustic Energy used Bristol to launch its new AE1 Actives, resplendent in
a glossy white finish. Retailing for £1000, with optional matching stands
for £200, the speakers employ an active 4th-order crossover with 2x50W
amplifiers, all inside the box, but offer no inbuilt streaming or Bluetooth
functionality like the costlier KEF LS50 Wireless [see p21]. Piano black and
real wood cherry finishes are also available. www.acoustic-energy.co.uk
Goldring’s David Giffin shut out the hustle and bustle
of the show to give a demonstration of MC cartridge
coil-winding, while also offering advice to visitors on
cartridge rebuilds. Also on show was Goldring’s three-
strong new ‘E’ Series MM range, designed to replace
the Electra and Elan models. www.goldring.co.uk

Pro-Ject’s gravity-defying
VT-E BT vertical turntable
turned heads in distributor
Henley Designs’ room.
Based on its Elemental
turntable, the innovative
upright design can be wall
mounted and has a built-
in MM phono stage and
Bluetooth functionality.
Fitted with an Ortofon
OM5e cartridge it sells for
£379 and comes in gloss
black or white finishes as
well as the eye-catching
red pictured here.
www.henleydesigns.co.uk

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 19

 

 













 


 
 


DLNSHNM@KR@SHRE@BSHNMVHSGTMMDBDRR@QXBNLOKHB@SHNM@MCRTODQkTNTRODQENQL@MBD
QNAAHMFED@STQDR 1NSDKRMDV1 2SDQDN(MSDFQ@SDC LOKHjDQBNLAHMDROQNUDM
@M@KNFCDRHFMVHSG@CU@MBDCCHFHS@KBHQBTHSRSNAQHMF@KKNEXNTQE@UNQHSD@QSHRSRSNKHED
VHSGRTQO@RRHMFjCDKHSX (SR@ONVDQETKV@SSRODQBG@MMDK"K@RR !@LOKHjDQ
GHFGKXQDjMDCOQD@LOKHjDQ@MC#HFHS@KSN M@KNFBNMUDQSNQSTBJDCADGHMC
@SHLDKDRRQTRGDCLDS@KTRDQEQHDMCKXEQNMSO@MDK 6GDSGDQXNTBGNRDSNKHRSDMSN
BK@RRHBUHMXK+ / RUH@XNTQRL@QSOGNMDNQS@AKDSNQJ'YAHS/"42!CHFHS@K
RSQD@LRSGD1 S@JDRXNTRSQ@HFGSSNSGDGD@QSNE@LTRHB@KODQENQL@MBD 
6HSGNTSBNLOQNLHRDNQBNLOKHB@SHNM 

6@MSSNjMCNTSLNQD@ANTSGNVVDCNHS5HRHSVVV QNSDK BNL4*SNjMCXNTQ


 




     
 SHOWBLOG Sights and sounds from around the globe
This (Quadraspire) rack of Esoteric
gear includes the C-02X pre, K-03X
SACD player, N-05 network streamer,
G-01 clock and 200W S-02 power
amp, with a waterfall of power,
interconnect and speaker cables from
Nordost’s Valhalla 2 range (plus Sort
Lift cable elevators).
www.esoteric.jp; www.nordost.com

The Creek/Epos room was a
hive of musical activity. With
£499 Epos K1i and £999 K2
loudspeakers on demo, Creek
showed off the £1000 SE
version of its Evolution 50 amp.
With a bigger toroid and more
reservoir caps it boasts lower
THD and a higher 120W/4ohm
output. www.creekaudio.com
First seen at our very own Hi-Fi Show Live last October,
Classé’s Delta preamp and stereo power amp made
another public outing. The preamp offers Ethernet,
AES and three coaxial/three optical digital inputs
alongside pairs of balanced/single-ended line input/
outputs. The power amp is rated at 2x300W, with
Delta monoblocks to follow. www.classeaudio.com

Due to hit the stores mid-2017,

Quad’s Artera One is an all-in-
one streamer, CD player and
2x70W amplifier. A Sabre ES9018 If the affordable Mojo headphone amp has refreshed
DAC confers compatibility with Chord Electronics’ fanbase then Bristol was its
384kHz/32-bit and DSD files while opportunity to showcase some flagship separates,
dual antennas support Bluetooth and including the new £8000 Blu II CD transport, £8495
Apple AirPlay. www.quad-hifi.co.uk DAVE DAC and £3195 Mezzo 75 power amp. Heard
through ATC’s SCM40 floorstanders, the sound was
spectacularly dynamic. www.chordelectronics.co.uk

Five years after KEF’s award-

winning LS50 loudspeakers
were launched, its engineers
have turned them into a
‘fully active digital studio
monitor’. Network, S/PDIF and
USB inputs feed a DSP-based
crossover (with time/dispersion
correction) and separate 200W
(bass)/30W (treble) amplifiers.
Amazing! http://uk.kef.com

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 21

 SHOWBLOG Sights and sounds from around the globe
Air Audio launched the AstinTrew
AT2-2100 integrated amp, said to
offer 100W/ch for £1895. This was
demonstrated with Planalogue’s
Prelude turntable [HFN Feb ’17] and
Abis tonearm [see p54] through Pearl
Acoustics speakers. Also on demo
was a lovely TEAC A-3300SX reel-to-
reel machine. www.airaudio.co.uk

Visitors to Musical Fidelity’s room got to experience a
heroic range of components with its updated £4399
M6 Encore 225 all-in-one solution now with Tidal
and 192kHz/24-bit USB support. Joined by matching
£7149 Nu-Vista CD player and £5499 Nu-Vista 600
integrated amp, the system sounded amazing through
KEF’s Reference 1s. www.musicalfidelity.co.uk
Dwarfed by a Nagra Digital tape
recorder [top], offering 6GB of
storage with 5in reels, and a
Nagra IV-SJ analogue two-track
deck [centre] is this MFA Classic
QSE transformer-based line
preamp. It costs £2040, offers
0dB/+6dB gain and sits squarely
on a Quad 405 power amp! Spendor introduced its new ‘A’
www.mfaudio.co.uk series: the £1195 A1 standmounts
plus the £1595 A2 and £2195 A3
floorstanders. The flagship £7000
D9 model (pictured), which features
a 6in mid driver based on the bass/
mid chassis used in the D7 model,
took pride of place. Parallel Kevlar
bass units are reflex-loaded through a
venturi port. www.spendoraudio.com

Described by Ming Da’s Mark Manwaring-White

as a ‘tube-roller’s paradise’, the £1700 Campana
integrated amplifier supports 6L6s, EL34s and all the
KT (Kinkless Tetrodes) up to the KT120. The KT150 is a
tube too far, sadly... Depending on your configuration,
the Campana is rated at up to 50W into 8 and 4ohm
loads. www.malvernaudioresearch.co.uk

Here’s a close up of DS Audio’s

DS-002 Optical Cartridge,
retailing for £4800, including
outboard PSU and equaliser. It’s
a more affordable but updated
version of the DS-W1 [HFN Nov
’15], retaining an aluminium
cantilever but with Shibata
stylus. The deck here is a
Clearaudio Innovation Basic.
www.ds-audio-w.biz;
www.soundfowndations.co.uk

22 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

 SHOWBLOG Sights and sounds from around the globe
Big things were happening The annual game of
in the PMC room, with ‘hunt the non-existent
the UK unveiling of more subwoofer’ took place this
Twenty5 series speakers, year in the Ophidian room.
plus the announcement On demonstration with an
of a new UK distribution Exposure amp were the
deal with Germany’s AVM £2299 Prophet P1 two-way
(Audio Video Manufaktur). standmounts (pictured)
AVM’s owner and MD, Udo and the implausibly tiny
Besser, was on hand to talk £999 Mojo loudspeakers
us through the extensive that offered superb quality
range of amplifiers, sources and an astonishingly
and all-in-one combination expansive sound thanks,
units, ranging in price from Ophidian claims, to its
£3250 to £11,995 [see ‘Aeroflex’ hybrid reflex
News, p17]. port/transmission line low
www.avm-audio.com; frequency tuning.
www.pmc-speakers.com www.ophidian.co.uk

Harbeth was flying the

flag for UK loudspeaker
manufacturing and
demonstrating its 40th
Anniversary SHL5+ special
edition loudspeakers. These
retail for £4400 and offer
a new walnut veneer, plus
new super-tweeters, binding
posts, internal capacitors and
special badges. In addition,
Hi-Fi Racks can supply
custom-made matching
stands. www.harbeth.co.uk

All that glitters certainly sounded ‘golden’ in

SCV’s room as visitors were treated to a stack
Regular visitors to the Sound & Vision Show of high-end Questyle separates, including
will recognise Steve Reichert who has devoted (from the top) the £3299 CMA800PG preamp,
46 years to the hi-fi industry and retired earlier £2799 CAS192DG (DSD-compatible) DAC
this year. Here he is standing proudly alongside and a pair of fully balanced, current-mode
Q Acoustics’ new £3600 flagship, the two-way CMA800RG headphone amps.
Concept 500. It boasts ‘Point-to-Point’ cabinet www.questyleaudio.com;
bracing and sits on a cast aluminium plinth. www.scvdistribution.co.uk
Full review in HFN soon! www.qacoustics.co.uk

Glossy red versions of Rega’s

P2 and P3 turntables were on
show (still £375 and £550,
Next
month
respectively) but the real star
was bolted to the headshell
– the new £498 Ania MC.
Based on the Apheta, this
‘lite’ version uses the same Hi-Fi News reports from
generator coils and magnets
with a simpler straight alloy the Paris & Tokyo shows
cantilever and semi-elliptical
stylus. www.rega.co.uk

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 23

 INVESTIGATION

We have it on tape...
Are we on the cusp of a cassette revival? Mike Barnes looks for answers
RIGHT: Released ‘ e estimate that since
in late 2016
as part of
Deacon Blue’s
Believers box
set, the London
W compact cassettes were
launched by Philips
in 1963, there have
been around 30 billion cassette
tapes made in total,’ says Paul
Dominion 26 Martin of British-based CD and tape
October 1988 duplicating company, Band CDs.
cassette features ‘In the year of peak production
a previously in 1996, two billion blank tapes
unreleased and were sold while the number of
newly mastered pre-recorded tapes peaked in 1990
recording of the when 442 million were sold.
performance. I worked out that if, on average,
It was a two- they were C60 tapes, that was 2.5
thousand run of billion kilometres of magnetic tape.’
two-hour long Once CD arrived, use of what
cassettes made had once been the most ubiquitous
by Band CDs. See recording medium on the planet
www.bandcds. went into steep decline, with tape
co.uk collections consigned to lofts or
ending up as landfill. As for cassette
decks, these were left to gather dust
in hi-fi racks across the land.

MIX-TAPE MESSAGES want to hold your horses. Because
Fast forward to the 1990s and Ruth when 21st century youth talk about
BELOW: Drag Patterson, now General Manager of making mix tapes for friends it’s not
City is currently Rough Trade Records, was working always meant metaphorically. Some
offering over in a record shop that included actually record compilations on
70 albums a secondhand section. She recalls cassette tape. The cassette revival,
on cassette, making up a sign saying ‘No More although still in its infancy, could
including the Tapes’. ‘We couldn’t even sell them already be under way.
latest release for 10p,’ she tells me. High profile groups such as
from Ben These days ‘taping’ is still loosely Deacon Blue,
Chasny’s Six and rather quaintly used as an Drenge and Little
Organs Of adjective to describe any form Mix have all recently ‘Metallica made
of audio or video recording. But released material on
Admittance
which sees 100 if you are the sort of person who cassette. In March,
a facsimile of
tapes earmarked
for sale to UK
chortles at 1980s films showing
people talking into enormous mobile
American guitarist
Ben Chasny, who
their very first
buyers. See www. phones or slotting tape cassettes records as Six Organs demo-tape’
dragcity.com into their Walkmans, then you might Of Admittance, will
release a new album Burning The
Threshold on Chicago label Drag
City, which will be available on CD,
LP and cassette, with a worldwide
total of about 500 tapes, 100 of
which are earmarked for the UK
market. Similarly, punk rap duo
Sleaford Mods’ new album on Rough
Trade, English Tapas, includes a
limited edition cassette run of 150,
available pre-release from the Rough
Trade store only.
Although the label has only made
five cassette releases in the ten
years she has worked there, Ruth
Patterson can see why the format
has a new-found popularity. ‘The
good thing is that it holds a lot of
music,’ she says.
‘So with the Sleaford Mods’
release we’ve had some fun and
added a live LP on one side and have
also included a download code. It’s
interesting for fans and sold out in
a day, which took
us by surprise.’
With a retail
price of £8
compared to
£10 for a CD
and £16 for the
vinyl version, and
with a download
code as insurance in case the tape
gets chewed up, it was a bargain –
provided you could get hold of one.
BUYING TWICE
Patterson reckons that cassettes are
largely viewed now as novel items
– ‘retro and quite cute’ as she puts
it – and are of interest to collectors,
even to those who don’t own tape
players or aren’t particularly fans of
the group involved. She also noted
that a number of people pre-ordered
the cassette with the LP and CD,
thus buying it twice.

24 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017


Rough Trade Records started
producing cassettes again for
the first ever Record Store Day in
2009. ‘We wanted to do something
interesting, something that included
all our artists rather than do a
limited 7in single of one,’ she says.
‘So we put out a compilation tape
of some of the previous year’s best
songs, and to give it a little edge, we
also used it to launch the new Jarvis
Cocker single, “Angela”. The album
hadn’t come out, but we were just
starting the campaign, so it was
a way to make a story around it and
it sold out immediately.’
CASSETTE CULTURE
There are other factors at play here.
Nigel House, who works at the
Rough Trade East shop says that
cassettes have started to creep into
the store again over the last three or
four years. In the admittedly limited
selection, cassettes go from lo-fi
bedroom recordings to releases by
HOW TODAY’S CASSETTES ARE MADE
Band CDs has been duplicating
cassettes to order for about
three years. It offer customers
a wide choice of cassette shell
colour and material for J Card
inserts – from rough recycled
manilla to nearly transparent
tracing paper on which the
customer’s text and artwork is
printed. The other option is the
single card sleeve or O-Card.
The company’s first hurdle
was finding and purchasing
the cassette decks used for
duplication. ‘We have a small
quantity of Nakamichi BX-300
three-head cassette decks,’ says
Band CDs director Paul Martin, same. But it is not going to
‘but we use mainly Tascam provide the pure audio CD can.’
studio decks – the 302 and But one particular group
ABOVE: Sleaford 322 – for all of our recording. who have contacted Band CDs
Mods’ album Tascam went out of production are notoriously meticulous
English Tapas on about ten years ago, so we have about the way their music is
cassette sold out to buy the machines on eBay, reproduced, and are seeking
in a day service and re-calibrate them exactly that kind of sonic
ourselves, check speed and characteristic. ‘My Bloody
ABOVE RIGHT: azimuth alignment and bring Valentine only want to release
Tascam 302 and them back into working order.’
322 decks plus a Cassettes are duplicated
Revox PR99 reel- from CD masters and the
to-reel at work company says it has a total
inside Band CDs of 53 tape machines that can
be used at any one time. To
RIGHT: Band give the highest sound quality,
CDs’ O-Card this process is done in real time,
sleeves unlike commercially produced
pre-recorded cassettes, which
BELOW RIGHT: were generally manufactured using an analogue signal.
The Nakamichi by high-speed dubbing. They want to keep it purely on
BX-300 deck, Last year Deacon Blue put tape, so they will record from a
with three heads in an order for 2000 cassettes reel-to-reel onto the cassettes.
for its Believers box set. ‘These They didn’t want any “digital
BELOW: Rough were two-hour cassettes, so it corruption”. The band also had
Trade’s C09 took a few weeks to get that problems finding a vinyl plant
compilation job out,’ Paul recalls. that didn’t convert to digital
cassette, put ‘There are some customers before going back to analogue.
together for the who are in young bands who ‘That production hasn’t gone
first Record Store are pretty demanding, as they ahead yet, but we’ve invested
Day in 2009 have grown up with CDs and in a Revox PR99 reel-to-reel
high-speed digital downloads deck as they have told us they
and some say the analogue know other bands who would
recording doesn’t sound the like to go down that path.’
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 25
")*("+*
"%
*!

%
(#%
-
&&
,,,'&&&$

.

"%&'&&&$







.


**"&%
&
$(" 



PAUL HUDSON
more established groups. He admits
that he can’t quite understand the
retail patterns. A lot of customers
who buy cassettes are young, 16
and 17-year-old ‘hipster’ kids – the
type who seek out secondhand
vinyl and prefer books to eReaders
and who want something different,
something pre-CD. ‘In a way it’s
countercultural,’ says House. ‘And
that’s good, since
you want music to
have that edge.’ ‘“There are now
Other customers
visiting the Rough
very few pure
Trade store in chrome type
search of cassettes
include musicians tapes around”’
who buy them
for sampling and looping, and
two particular punters who had
both recently bought old cars with
cassette players and were looking for
something to play in them.
FERRIC ’N’ CHROME
Many people feel comfortable
with the imperatives of advancing
technology, and so switched from
listening to music on vinyl and
tape when CD emerged. It is this
same group that are now dumping
their CDs in favour of downloads
and streaming. Yet others take an
opposing view: that they will make
up their mind how they listen to
music and which formats
sound good to them.
Originally, cassettes
were not aimed directly
at audiophiles and it’s clear
this has not changed today,
although as Paul Martin from
Band CDs points out, they can
sound surprisingly good.
‘Most of our standard production
is done on ferric, but we do a little
bit of chrome. On a decent deck
you don’t want to use Dolby as it
trims out a lot of the sound and
takes the life out of it. And after a
couple of minutes you sort of filter
out the background hiss anyway
and hear the pure music. Sometimes
I hear the CD and the cassette
and I just prefer
listening to the
cassette. Maybe
subconsciously
I think it’s cooler
to do that,’ he
laughs. ‘But
if people are
listening to the
cassettes on Walkmans then it’s not
going to be the same.’
Asked whether Rough Trade
uses ferric or chrome tapes, Ruth
Patterson explains that ‘chromium
dioxide tape was introduced back
when the various manufacturers
were trying to match the audio
quality of vinyl. There were then said
to be issues surrounding the cutting,
or “slitting”, of pure chrome tape, so
most manufacturers [except BASF]
INVESTIGATION
RICKIE22
ABOVE LEFT: moved away from it in favour of
A range of tapes a cobalt-doped ferric formulation.
for sale during There are very few pure chrome
Cassette Store tapes around anymore.
Day, an annual ‘The issue doesn’t really cause
international a problem since Dolby stopped
event inspired by producing the noise reduction
Record Store Day equipment and we’ve never had
and first held in a complaint regarding the audio
2013 quality of our products.’
Band CDs says it has seen its
ABOVE RIGHT: revenue from cassette duplication
A display of go up by over 30% per year. But
cassettes at
the Rough
as Martin notes, there will be a
cap on demand somewhere down
Trade store in the line mainly due to the lack of
London. They can quality affordable tape machines
range from lo-fi being manufactured now, combined
recordings made with the relatively small number of
in bedrooms to duplication facilities.
those released
by established SPECIAL EDITIONS
artists Cassettes might be viewed as a fun
retro format, but they are also used
BELOW: The and presented in some particularly
cassette reissue imaginative ways. Nigel House
of Detroit rapper names his particular favourite.
Eminem’s Slim ‘For record store day last year,
Shady album Metallica made a facsimile version
by Respect The of the first demo-tape that they sent
Classics with out to people. They even went to
its translucent the trouble of getting the correct
purple case and TDK cassette so it looked exactly
3D cover like the original.’ Then there was
the reissue of Eminem’s Slim Shady
album on cassette last March from
Respect The Classics, which
featured a translucent
purple cassette and
a removable 3D
‘lenticular’ cover that
doubled as a sticker.
Fans continue to
buy special editions and
Deacon Blue included a
A
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 27
 AUDIOPHILE MASTERPIECES
SINCE 1986

Go to www.avm-audio-uk.com

 

 







 

!!!

cassette of a live concert recording
made at the Dominion Theatre,
London, as part of last year’s
Believers deluxe box set, which also
included a download of the concert,
two CDs, postcards and a print. The
set retails at £35.
BOXING CLEVER
Moving into the realms of the plain
odd, British rapper Lee Scott’s Nice
Swan album on Blah Records, also
came in a box set that includes a
cassette, a branded Blah Records
Walkman, a set of headphones, a
Blah Records lanyard, and a sticker
– all for £42, in a
limited run of 100.
Meanwhile, ‘One band only
experimental and
ambient label
releases on
Dream Catalogue cassette and
puts out Dream Box
sets of ten cassettes only on one side’
with high quality
artwork, which retail for around
£75. A look at its website shows that
the box sets and all of its cassette
editions are currently sold out.
And then at the extreme end is
the Icelandic industrial/black metal
group, Vánagander, who only ever
release music on cassette and only
record on one side.
The cassette’s appeal appears
now to span the spectrum from a
kind of ‘outsider’ item to a format
that appeals to analogue music
buffs, to a collectable object of
desire. But even relatively recently
this is something that few could
have predicted.
Nigel House,
for one, is still
nonplussed by
the resurgence
of the cassette.
‘Personally, I think
it’s a bit of a
novelty, whereas
vinyl has got legs and is such a great
format,’ he says. ‘You can see people
getting into cassettes, but in my
experience they soon find out that
tape has many drawbacks.’
Ruth Patterson has witnessed
changes in the popularity of various
formats. ‘There will always be a point
where people don’t want things. I’ve
INVESTIGATION
seen it happen with 7in singles and
LPs. But now LPs are really popular
again while CDs are unpopular and
CD singles are more unpopular still.’
But Rough Trade is a specialist
shop and there were still something
like 47 million CDs sold in the UK
last year and cassette sales are only
tiny in retail terms. And cassettes
might fall out of favour again. But
Patterson is sure that they will
continue to figure in Rough Trade’s
release schedule. ‘I think it’s just
got to be the right thing for that
particular act or campaign,’ she says.
KEEPING IT REEL
Patterson also likes the fact that,
with so much choice now for
sourcing music, people are enjoying
being guided by someone else in
their listening – to either an online
playlist, one of Rough Trade’s
ABOVE: Metallica cassette compilations or even
on stage in 2008 a personally compiled mix tape.
and the 2015 ‘I think it’s a really good point,
cassette facsimile because everyone needs to slow
of the first demo down and appreciate the effort
tape the band that’s involved in compiling and
sent out in 1982 curating that sort of thing,’ she says.
And although cassettes have
BELOW LEFT: A never challenged LPs as a medium
Dream Box from for displaying artwork, well-designed
Dream Catalogue
containing ten
cassette inserts are still satisfying for
those who enjoy having an artefact.
cassettes ‘It’s much better to have a
cassette tape of a piece of music
BELOW: Lee than to listen to it on YouTube and
Scott box set it’s good to have something to hold,’
includes cassette says Patterson. ‘It’s a satisfying
and branded feeling, and you can’t replace
Walkman feelings with technology.’
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 29
 A NEW WORLD OF
HIGH END AUDIO
absolute sounds ltd.
International Distributors & Consultants of Specialised Hi-End Home Audio & Video Systems
5 8 D u r h a m R o a d , L o n d o n , S W 2 0 0 T W T: + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 9 71 3 9 0 9 F : + 4 4 ( 0 ) 2 0 8 8 7 9 7 9 6 2
w w w. a b s o l u t e s o u n d s . c o m info@absolutesounds.com
“Lifestyle” describes how we live, how we savour the spare time we
are afforded and how we reward ourselves for our labours, if we are so
blessed. The joys of music, thanks to the advent of sound recording over a
century ago, can enhance your lifestyle - in your home - to a degree and in
a manner unrivalled by other art forms.

Absolute Sounds, delivers music with the presence, naturalness and

authenticity to enrich your joy beyond measure.

For Your Nearest Dealer Please Visit The Absolute Sounds Website

LOUDSPEAKER
Muraudio
Domain Omni PX2
With technology as unusual as their looks, are these ‘social
speakers’ a revolution in listening, or a trade-off too far?
Review: Keith Howard & Andrew Everard Lab: K Howard
ybrid loudspeakers combining
H an electrostatic panel for higher
frequencies and moving-coil
driver(s) for low frequencies are
nothing new, of course. Even the original
Quad ELS (please don’t call it the ESL-57)
found itself mated with subwoofers to prop
up its weak bottom end. Loudspeakers with
curved electrostatic panels are familiar too
– MartinLogan first showed its curvilinear
line source (CLS) as long ago as 1982, and
still uses it in all its pure electrostatic and
hybrid speakers. But you
won’t have seen anything
quite like the £73,500 ‘“It’s a social
Muraudio Domain Omni
PX2 before, unless you
speaker with a
count the other two
Domain Omni models, the
sweet spot for
PX1 and the DA1. everyone”’
The PX2, like its siblings,
is a hybrid having three electrostatic
panels, each curved horizontally over a
120o arc so that they can be joined to form
(almost) a cylinder, with omnidirectional
output in the horizontal plane. I say
‘almost’ because each electrostatic
panel in the PX2 actually has compound
curvature, being curved in the vertical
plane also – albeit less so – to improve
vertical dispersion as well. Both 90o and
180o panels were tried in the course of
development but the 120o alternative
was eventually chosen as offering the best
combination of manufacturing feasibility
and dispersion performance.
MOVING-COIL BASS
Beneath this electrostatic ‘crown’, three
10in aluminium-coned moving-coil bass
drivers – also disposed at 120o to each
other in the horizontal plane – carry low
frequencies. Crossover is specified as a
fourth-order Linkwitz-Riley at 450Hz but,
as we discovered in our lab testing [see
p37], the forward-firing bass driver actually
begins to roll off a little earlier because of
32 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017
Omni-directional electrostatic/hybrid loudspeaker
Made by: Muraudio, Ottawa, Canada
Supplied by: Audio Emotion Ltd, Fife, Scotland
Telephone: 01333 425999
Web: www.muraudio.com; www.audioemotion.co.uk
Price: £73,500
the addition of a further first-order low-
pass roll-off at 250Hz. Founder and CTO
of Muraudio, Murray Harman, told HFN
that this ‘provides optimum smoothness
of the transition from the woofers to the
ESL panel’. Disposing the three bass drivers
at 120o means that their magnet reaction
forces cancel, largely eliminating the
transfer of LF vibration to the floor.
Rear radiation from the electrostatic
panels is (largely) absorbed by a central
plug of acoustic foam. Without this,
Harman says, a 30dB
cancellation notch
appears in the frequency
response at 900Hz. With
it, this feature reduces to
less than 1dB.
Most electrostatic
loudspeakers plug
into the mains and
traditionally use a Cockroft-Walton
voltage multiplier to generate the
high-voltage polarising potential for
the diaphragm. Muraudio takes a very
different approach, with an 18V DC
supply to each speaker provided by the
‘Muraudio Speaker Bus’, an external box
which also monitors the operational
power state of each speaker.
HIGH VOLTAGE
Internally, each PX2 boosts the 18V
input to the 4kV required by the panels.
‘We opted to develop our own low noise,
shielded switching supply that is fully
closed-loop regulated,’ explains Harman.
‘The supply operates in CW [continuous
wave] mode out of band at 25kHz and
has significant on board output filtering.
The supply has a low enough output noise
ripple that we can connect the panel
RIGHT: The curvaceous woofer enclosure
is cast from aluminium, and its plinth
milled from a solid aluminium billet, the
three adjustable feet ensuring stability
 SPEAK UP
The Domain Omni PX2 is, by a wide margin, the most insensitive speaker
we have ever measured. Its pink noise sensitivity of 75.2dB is fully 16.2dB
below that recorded by the last electrostatic hybrid to pass in front of our
measurement microphone, the MartinLogan Renaissance ESL 15A [HFN Jan ’17].
Muraudio claims 82dB sensitivity and its specs suggest that 1kW programme
peak power is required to achieve 105dB SPL at 2m – which is still 10dB
or more shy of the peak sound pressure levels that can be generated by a
symphony orchestra if you’re sitting in the front rows. How come? Well, the
omnidirectional radiation of the tweeter panels is the major culprit. Murray
Harman says that if they were unwrapped to form a 30o curvilinear panel like
that of the Renaissance, the sensitivity would be 15dB higher – and thereby
roughly match that of the ESL 15A. An omnidirectional loudspeaker radiates
more acoustic power into the room, which will compensate for this shortfall
somewhat, but it was obvious in the lab testing that much higher amplifier
gain was required to achieve a normal sound pressure level for measurement.

directly without audible noise, and so we Muraudio’s reasoning for using

know we have ample filtering when the
constant charge series resistor is added
in proper form between the supply and
panel.’ The MSB connects via USB cables –
a choice that editor PM and I couldn’t help
feel invites accidents.
Two obvious questions to ask about
the PX2 (and the earlier PX1 and DA1
too) are: why omnidirectional, and why
use an electrostatic treble? Muraudio
answers the first question using a familiar
argument from the Sonab days (for
readers of sufficient age to remember
the controversial Swedish omnis
first seen in 1966): the potential for
improved audience coverage.
SWEET SPREAD
‘The social speaker: a sweet spot
for everyone’ is how the product
brochure puts it. We may be 50 years
on from Sonab, but omnidirectional
loudspeakers remain contentious
with engineers and audiophiles. Most
speaker designers today acknowledge
that the room has to be energised
the right way for optimum sound
quality, and they control off-axis
behaviour accordingly. However, you
only have to look at the vast majority
of loudspeakers on sale to know that
firing sound with equal intensity to all
points of the compass is still not widely
regarded as desirable.
Obvious exceptions here include
the striking MBL Radialstrahler and
German Physiks range. Muraudio
claims that ‘360o dispersion allows
every listener in the room to enjoy
full-bandwidth, ultra-detail, lifelike sound
with three-dimensional stereo imaging.’
Others argue that what you hear with
omnis is too much room contribution.
electrostatic treble panels instead of dome
tweeter(s) is a familiar one too. It says,
‘Muraudio’s virtually weightless diaphragm
moves with incredible speed and precision,
delivering clear, detailed and natural
sound. By comparison… the high inertia
[of conventional drivers] causes them to
continue to move and create sound long
after the sound input has stopped.’
It’s a justification for light diaphragms
that you’ll see time and again, cast in
different forms, but it’s misleading. A
Ferrari 488 GTB accelerates faster than a
Ford Fiesta despite being heavier. Why?
Because its engine develops more torque,
just as the motors of moving-coil drive units
generate more force than electrostatics do.
Provided that a drive unit can deliver the
required bandwidth at the highest required
output level, it has sufficient acceleration
capability to follow the signal waveform –
end of story.
And it isn’t inertia that causes
loudspeakers to continue radiating
sound after they should have stopped,
it’s resonance. Contrary to audio folklore,
electrostatic panels are not free of
resonance just because their diaphragms
are driven across the whole of their
surface. In fact large electrostatic panels
– particularly curved ones – never perform
well in this respect in our testing. Compare
the cumulative spectral decay waterfall of
the PX2 with that of – say – the B&W 802
D3 [HFN Dec ’15] and you’ll see what I
mean: acoustic output of the 802’s dome
tweeter decays much faster than that of
the PX2’s ESL panels.
THE INVISIBLE SPEAKER
From the off, the PX2s have what can only
be described as an imposing presence
in the room – showing them to friends,

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 33

 LOUDSPEAKER
OUDSPEAKER
ABOVE: Curvature of the ESL panels is
achieved by a patented stretch-forming
process. The metal stators are pre-bent then
plastically deformed into their final shape
reactions ranged from ‘the kind of
attention-grabbing style you’d expect at
that level’ to ‘probably the ugliest speakers
I have ever seen’. But aesthetics aside,
what was appreciated was the wide ‘sweet
spot’ the speakers create, with the ability
to be enjoyed way off centre and whether
standing up or sitting down – though we
didn’t try the flat on the floor listening the
manufacturer suggests.
However, that design does place some
limitations on the room
in which the speakers
will be heard at their ‘They disappear,
best. They need space,
and plenty of it, as close
leaving the
boundary walls could
lead to early reflections
listener immersed
from that 360o top in a pool of sound’
section arriving at the
listening position and confusing the ear.
As it is, the sound of these speakers
is more about a lush wash of sound than
pinpoint imaging and stereo focus. The
sonic image is undoubtedly broad and
deep, and with an excellent sense of the
music being ‘free of the boxes’. Indeed,
however visually imposing, these speakers
manage to disappear from view leaving the
listener immersed in a pool of sound.
Nevertheless it’s equally clear some
listeners will feel the sound lacks some
bite, and while the presentation is ‘stereo’
in the solid sense, it’s arguably not as
layered as one might desire.
Certainly it was illuminating to draw
comparisons between these Canadian
speakers on the end of editor PM’s familiar
Melco/Mutec/Devialet reference system
and the same set-up using the B&W 800
D3s normally in residence [HFN Oct ’16].
The substantial – but substantially less
expensive – Worthing-built speakers offered
more obvious imaging, clarity and bass
extension from their more conventional
and amp-tolerant configuration, albeit with
a tighter ‘sweet spot’.
And the demands
placed on your choice
of amplifier is a major
factor to be considered
should these unusual
‘omni’ speakers take
your fancy. I felt there
were signs of the
sound compressing slightly when I pushed
things toward realistic rock music levels,
and I was consistently surprised by how
far up the Devialet system’s volume scale
I found myself venturing in order to get
useful listening levels out of the PX2s. And
remember, we’re talking here about power
amplification rated at 800W per channel
[see boxout, p33]. Hmmm…
TIME FOR ROCK ’N’ ROLL?
Unsurprisingly then, playing some favourite
rock tracks through these speakers did
not always prove a felicitous match. With
familiar warhorses from ELP to Motörhead,
ROB RUNOLFSON
Muraudio CEO Rob Runolfson and
CTO Murray Harman go back a long
way. ‘Murray and I have known
each other since we were kids,’ says
Runolfson. ‘He’s always been an
audiophile – even when we were
teenagers he was building amplifiers
in his basement and had speakers
all over his bedroom that he’d built
himself. We came back together
six years ago. He showed me a
prototype that he’d been working
on and I said he could take it to
market if he wanted. My experience
is in global business development,
so it was a good fit.
‘We made the decision early on
to launch the flagship products first.
I felt we had to do that to make
a mark. Phase two was always to
bring to market what is effectively
one-third of a PX2, in the $15,000-
$20,000 price range. The core of
it is still the 120o ESL (electrostatic
loudspeaker) panel. We’re finalising
it now and it will launch this year.
We think it will be a game-changer
for an ESL at that price point.
‘We did a lot of custom design
work on the low frequency drivers
of the PX1/PX2/DA1 so probably in
the next year or two we’ll launch
a state-of-the-art subwoofer as a
complement to the current product
line. We’re also working on a lower-
cost product that’s a little further
out. It’s requiring a lot of R&D but
will be in the sub-$10,000 range and
an integrated system.
‘I’ve said a few times to Murray,
“Surely to goodness you could do a
headphone” – and he chuckles. It’s
not out of the question but it’s not
in our near-term plans.’
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 35


 


and taking in some Led Zep along
the way, the sound lacked some
bass ‘crunch’ and extension, tending
towards a ‘wall of sound’ when the
adrenalin was pushed.
Put more precisely, and singling
out one album as an exemplar,
the PX2s are comfortable enough
with the likes of ELP’s ‘From The
Beginning’ [Trilogy – BMG/Manticore
BMGCAT2CD5; 96kHz/24-bit] with
its easy-going swing. However, with
the title track’s screaming synths
and motoring rhythms a slight
thickening subsumes the vocal.
Unleashing Motörhead’s
final album, Bad Magic [UDR/
Motörhead Music UDR 057P18]
on the big cylinders is really not
a great idea, despite Muraudio’s
claim they deliver ‘every lyric and
subtle nuance… from late night
quiet to rock concert loud’. In my
LEFT: Rear view shows gold-plated 4mm
bi-wire connections (the high quality
crossover uses air-cored inductors and
Solen metallised polypropylene caps).
Note the 18V ‘DC Power Speaker Bus’ on
a USB Type A socket
experience, attempting ‘rock concert
loud’ takes the PX2’s outside of their
comfort zone.
The PX2s are on far safer ground
with small-scale music, such as
Valentina Lisitsa’s set of piano
music by Philip Glass [Decca 478
8079; 96kHz/24-bit download].
The delicate opening of ‘Mad Rush’
sees the piano delivered with good
weight and scale, although there’s a
not unpleasant sense of listening to
the instrument at the other end of
a large, empty hall. However, when
those very Glass repeating arpeggios
get going, these big speakers push
the notes further into the room with
a good sense of rhythmic acuity.
OUT OF THIS WORLD
So there are just as many occasions
when the PX2’s ethereal sound is
well-suited to the music, such as
with ‘Venus’ from Holst’s Planets
[Hallé/Elder; Hyperion SACDA67270
DSD64]. Here their presentation
actually enhances the other-worldly
effect with this movement, and even
the opening of ‘Mars’ is revealed with
satisfying bass weight as they resolve
the sections of the orchestra under
most duress.
Somewhat inevitably, the PX2’s
omni presentation and low sensitivity
will divide opinion, with musical
choice being a strong arbiter. One
thing’s for sure – the PX2s are made
for enjoying with friends.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
What the PX2s do, they do well:
that intention of creating a ‘social
speaker’ you can share with
friends and family is realised in
the room-filling sound and the
way even off-axis listening allows
the contribution of both speakers
to be heard. But the trade-off is
a sound arguably less rewarding
when it comes to close attention
and ‘sweet spot’ listening. Add in
their power-hungry nature and
price before taking the plunge.
Sound Quality: 80%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
LAB
REPORT
MURAUDIO DOMAIN OMNI PX2
The PX2 is comfortably the most insensitive loudspeaker
I have ever measured. Frequency responses were measured at
a height equivalent to the centre of the electrostatic driver and
at 2m distance to ensure better integration with the distant
bass driver and to be as near the far-field as possible. The
measured levels were then increased by 6dB to correct back to
1m, with the results shown [see Graph 1]. Pink noise sensitivity
works out at just 75.2dB (400Hz to 20kHz). An amp capable of
1kW is therefore needed to drive the PX2 to the peak levels of
live music. It is, however, not a punishing load to drive, for the
minimum EPDR falls to 1.1ohm at a high 13.4kHz, the dip to
2.2ohm at 695Hz being more representative.
Frequency response errors over the same frequency range
(ignore the curves below 400Hz as they are unreliable) are
very high at ±9.2dB and ±9.1dB respectively, principally due
to falling output above 4kHz and a succession of narrow-
bandwidth treble suckouts that the CSD waterfall [Graph 2,
below] shows to be associated with resonances. Pair matching
error was very high too at ±5.1dB, although again the largest
errors – caused by a slight misalignment of the response
dips – were confined to narrow frequency bands. Elsewhere
the matching was within ±1.6dB limits. Diffraction-corrected
nearfield measurements showed the bass extension to be
37Hz (–6dB re. 400Hz), although the impedance peak at
32Hz suggests this figure should be a little lower. The nearfield
measurements showed the responses of the two ‘rear’ bass-mid
drivers to be the same, whereas that of the forward-firing unit is
rolled-off earlier with rising frequency. KH
ABOVE: Response shows a strong mid/presence (with
narrowband panel resonances) and a declining treble
dB 0.0
-6 1.0
- 12
2.0
- 18
8
- 24
3.0
- 30 4.0
5.0 msec
200 1000
Frequency in Hz >>
10000
ABOVE: Electrostatic panel(s) show a succession of
narrowband treble suckouts [see response, above]
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Sensitivity (SPL/1m/2.83Vrms – Mean/IEC/Music) 73.5dB/75.2dB/75.9dB
Impedance modulus min/max (20Hz–20kHz) 1.9ohm @ 20kHz
15.5ohm @ 358Hz
Impedance phase min/max (20Hz–20kHz) –49o @ 551Hz
15o @ 20Hz
Pair matching/Resp. Error (400Hz–20kHz) ±5.1dB/±9.2dB / ±9.1dB
LF/HF extension (–6dB ref 400Hz/10kHz) 34Hz / 32.1kHz/32.7kHz
THD 100Hz/1kHz/10kHz (for 90dB SPL/1m) 0.1% / 0.1% / –
Dimensions (HW – max envelope) 1473x574mm
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 37
 Integrated amp with network audio. Rated at 200W/8ohm
Made by: D’Agostino LLC, Connecticut, USA
Supplied by: Absolute Sounds Ltd
Telephone: 0208 971 3909
Web: www.dagostinoinc.com; www.absolutesounds.com
NETWORK AUDIO AMPLIFIER Price: £56,498

D’Agostino MLife
Dan D’Agostino is tapping into the streaming zeitgeist with a UPnP network audio
equipped integrated amplifier based on the brand’s Momentum separates
Review: Ken Kessler Lab: Paul Miller
es, you did see above a price of This machine deals with so much, thanks networked servers and computers. You

Y £56k. Yes, this is an integrated

amp. But the D’Agostino
Momentum Lifestyle Amplifier,
aka MLife, is part of a new wave of true
high-end components, kick-started by
to its Toslink, USB, wired network and five
balanced inputs, that a list – however
boring – is the only way I can convey what
you get for your money. So… the MLife
obviously mates with Apple AirPlay, so one
can plug in music stored on USB drives and
sticks. In addition to USB, there are optical
and coaxial digital inputs that feed the on-
board 192kHz/24-bit DAC, supporting DSD,
WAV, FLAC and PCM (up to 192kHz), AAC,
Musical Fidelity’s M1 CLiC [HFN Jun ’11] and can seamlessly access music and Internet AIFF, MP3, Ogg Vorbis and WMA.
others. Unlike some budget, mass-market radio through iTunes, as well as streaming
offerings these unequivocally will not let through iOS devices, as well as Windows INTUITIVELY GRASPED
convenience and convergence get in the computers running iTunes. And its aptX Hosting your legacy sources are balanced
way of sonic purity. Such units are to the Bluetooth 4.0 provides an easy connection XLR analogue inputs which accept phono
streaming/server revolution what the 1925 to whatever music you’ve either stored or preamps, CD players, FM tuners, tape decks
Leica 1 was to photography. care to stream via a smartphone, digital or other analogue devices. They’re labelled
player, tablet or home computer. Phono, DAC, Dock, Server and Theater,
WELCOME TO TOMORROW Then the MLife can stream directly from which bypasses the MLife’s volume control
Am I exaggerating? Having heard the Tidal (with Spotify, Deezer and Sirius XM to as it’s a pass-through input for integrating
affordable stuff that has preceded units like follow), access vTuner Internet radio and it this into a multichannel AV set-up. A look
the MLife, and found all of them wanting is compatible with UPnP for streaming from at the back [see p41] reveals these rows of
(but not wishing to court a lawsuit by
naming mass-market brands with higher
annual revenues than many small-to-
medium countries), this product – spouse-
friendly with silver or black option – revives
whatever shreds of optimism I retain in the
face of a digital onslaught.
Why it is so important is that it has
been designed to deal with all your legacy
hardware while preparing you for full
integration with the world of Tidal, Spotify,
Amazon Prime, or any other online provider
you care to use. And while it’s as purist
as a high-end unit can be, the MLife is as
modern as tomorrow.
In addition to press buttons on the
fascia, along with the company’s Breguet
watch-inspired volume control and level
meter, everything is handled by a slick
iOS app [see boxout, facing page], while
an Android version is slated to follow.
Actions and sources are monitored via a
5in LCD screen on the fascia, the key to its
suitability for wireless connection to your
sources via your home’s Wi-Fi as well as
Bluetooth. (The LCD screen shows album,
artist, genre and song title information
from the sources’ metadata.)

RIGHT: With its outboard ±70V PSU sited

below, the MLife chassis houses a network
audio/DAC solution from StreamUnlimited plus
a dual-mono amplifier based on the Integrated

38 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

XLR sockets flanked by the digital inputs, signals – phone or otherwise – I had an ABOVE: Already iconic, the outer ring of the
stout speaker binding posts, RS232 input, Ethernet feed from a TP-Link repeater from watchface dial adjusts volume and balance
headphone socket, Ethernet socket and my BT hub, so I could access my iMac, (via the app) while inputs are switched by
DC-in. This is via a short but substantial which is in another room, as well as the illuminated buttons (and the app, again)
umbilical cable from the internet. Note that
external power supply, there’s no Wi-Fi receiver only be used in a streaming context. So
which is housed in a base ‘This is an apex built into the unit. I while I tried over a half-dozen sources from
upon which the main unit
rests on pointed feet.
powerhouse that also used USB sources,
Bluetooth and iPad, for
smartphones to digital players to tablets
to computers, the only way I would make
Inside is a descendant
of the Momentum
will serve the vast both the app and the
music stored on it. Tried,
definitive judgements solely about sound
quality required the use of pure, standalone
Integrated’s [HFN Dec majority of users’ too, was Amazon Prime, sources which I knew intimately.
’14] power amp section, though it’s not a high-res As much as I appreciate the efforts of
rated at 200W [see PM’s lab report, p41], source, but it worked perfectly. Tidal, Spotify, et al, I have no confidence
while the control section is a complete in ‘knowing’ their inherent sound
streaming/DAC solution sourced from FORCEFUL AUTHORITY characteristics or any other qualities that
StreamUnlimited, the very first version of While many enthusiasts seem to be – ultimately – determine how they sound.
which was used in MF’s M1 CLiC. reverting to streaming solutions in place My Astell & Kern, Pioneer and Pono players
Because of the clean design of the of their CD player or DAC, the sort of user are filled with music that ranges from plain
app and the lucidity of the layout, this who drops £56k on an ‘integrated amp’ is vanilla MP3 to 192kHz/24-bit, so such
unit – despite its complexity – is almost unlikely to be a newbie without previous chaos is no way to form an opinion. Equally,
intuitive to use in practice. And because my form. So I’m not making the seemingly the sound of high-res digital sources via
listening room is imperviousness to wireless obvious assumption that the MLife will Wi-Fi or USB does not ‘speak’ to me with
the authority of a hard-wired, prime source.
MOMENTUM APP Thus, all of my remarks about the sound
quality – not the functionality of the unit
It’s essential that you know I didn’t have to embark on a voyage of discovery – nor its handling of diverse inputs, which
and neither should you. The importers, Absolute Sounds, set up the system as I was flawless – refer to CDs or SACDs played
watched, and I must admit it was less painful than I imagined. I had pre-installed through my legacy Marantz DV8300, with
the app on both an iPhone 6 and an iPad mini, preferring the latter for the size, Crystal interconnects and phono-to-XLR
and the unit comes with an iPod Touch, pre-loaded with the app, but you could adapters. Speakers were BBC LS3/5As and
also use the handier, larger iPad if you so desire. Everything you need to operate floorstanding Wilson Alexias [HFN Mar ’13],
and navigate is a touch away. The source page addresses every input, while a wired with YTER cabling.
touch-rotary volume control, looking exactly like the one on the front panel, I didn’t feel as if I ‘knew’ how the
dominates the lower section of the screen. Also found here are standby, mute MLife actually sounded, irrespective of
and headphone buttons. As for the ‘Settings’ screen, this includes niceties like source, until I played some of the overly-
polarity inversion, +6dB extra gain, ‘Dark Mode’ to adjust panel illumination and familiar, ‘usual suspects’. These included
balance control. If this is the future of remote control design, then bring it on. The Cars’ Heartbeat City [Mobile Fidelity
UDSACD2163] and Aretha Franklin’s

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 39

dynaudio.com

Close
your eyes
and see
We’ve included the ultra-pure, ultra-clear,
ultra-sweet-sounding Esotar2 silk soft-dome
tweeter. Mated to innovative new Dynaudio
MSP woofers with varying diaphragm thickness
that offer a higher level of sonic refinement and
extraordinary dynamic range. Integrated into a
new multi-layer curved cabinet and sleek-but-
solid aluminum baffle to provide your music
with a robust, defined acoustic foundation.
=PZP[^^^K`UH\KPVJVT[VÄUK`V\YULHYLZ[ Powerful, controlled, remarkable.
H\[OVYPZLK+`UH\KPVYL[HPSLY This is Contour 30.

ABOVE: Fed via a short umbilical from its outboard DC PSU/isolation platform, the
MLife offers five balanced inputs plus USB, Toslink and networked digital audio (via an
external router). Pairs of speaker binding posts and a headphone out are included
Yeah!!! [Columbia Legacy CD
88985346642].
Why was I not surprised by
what I heard? The MLife is pure
Momentum, though not quite the
beast as found in the stereo power
amp [HFN Aug ’12] or the monos
[HFN Oct ’16]. Don’t think that
means anything to do with a lack of
grunt: this is an apex powerhouse
and it will serve the vast majority of
users, unless saddled with speakers
of daft, low sensitivity.
HALLMARK BASS
Consistent throughout the time
I spent with it, from source to
source, was what ought to be called
‘D’Agostino Bass’ because of its
sheer forcefulness and control –
even evident through the LS3/5As.
D’Agostino’s designs always exhibit
lower registers that will frighten
listeners who, for example, have only
heard 300B-powered SETs.
While that may not be necessary
when listening to Aretha’s pre-
Atlantic releases, when she was
being groomed as the next Sarah
Vaughan, it does mean that
everything enjoys a foundation with
absolute command and precision. In
effect, it allows you to relax rather
than tense up as if given a hit of
caffeine, because it frees you from
wondering if the lower registers are
realistic. The downside? Acoustic
bass can sound drier than through
an all-tube set-up, but it’s a matter
of personal taste.
What matters more, to me, is
voice, and Aretha came through
with clarity and warmth. The
portrayal was a delicious balance
of authenticity and naturalness, the
sound of a real voice in the room,
with an absence of sibilance or
hyper-detail. If anything, it caused
me confusion as an Aretha fanatic,
because I adore her primarily as the
Queen of Soul.
Listening to her Columbia
sessions through the MLife only
emphasised how underappreciated
she was (and is) as an interpreter of
standards, blues and even schmaltz
like ‘More’ or folk drivel such as ‘If I
Had A Hammer’. (This woman could
scat sing the theme to The Muppets
and it would be transcendent.)
With the studio craft of The Cars,
who elevated the ‘art’ in ‘artifice’,
the precision came into play with
greater need than with Aretha’s 52-
year-old sessions. Transient attack,
snap, speed – all of the hallmarks
of The Cars’ sound were respected,
preserved and reproduced with
the authority of the ‘conventional’
Momentum components.
Which leads to this conclusion:
If you are itching to join the world
of streaming and servers and
cannot even entertain forsaking
your audiophile standards for sonic
worth, the MLife will hold your hand
through the transition. I haven’t felt
this sort of transformation since I
gave up my PC for a Mac.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
One needs to ignore ingrained
audio habits in order to grok
this machine. It is the perfect,
pioneering bridge between true
high-end audio and convergence
devices that deliver features but
poor sound. You still get to play
hi-fi nut thanks to its line inputs,
while addressing digital sources,
high-res streaming and servers
with full integration and no
compromises. Say ‘Hello’ to the
brave new world.
Sound Quality: 88%
0 - - - - - - -
LAB
REPORT
D’AGOSTINO MLIFE
In practice, the MLife’s analogue amp section is decidedly not
a carbon copy of the Momentum Integrated [HFN Dec ’14]
or, indeed, the Momentum Stereo power amp [HFN Aug ’12].
All three amps are rated at 200W/8ohm and 400W/4ohm but
they achieve 215W/295W (Integrated), 245W/390W (Stereo)
and 255W/365W (MLife) – so the newcomer looks more
powerful. Under dynamic (music-like) conditions however, it’s
the Integrated that takes the lead with momentary outputs
of 345W, 635W, 1.07kW and 1.62kW into 8, 4, 2 and 1ohm
loads, while the MLife offers 410W, 715W and 1.21kW into 8, 4
and 2ohm, [see Graph 1] but is current-limited to 699W/1ohm.
Distortion, too, is noticeably ‘richer’ in harmonics than the
Integrated with a consistent 0.10-0.12% through bass and
midrange over its rated 200W range, increasing to ~1.3% at
20kHz. By contrast the Integrated registered 0.01-0.15% over
the same 200W, increasing from 0.03% to 0.14% between
1-20kHz at 10W. The (analogue) frequency response remains
flat from 1Hz to –0.2dB/20kHz and –4.1dB/100kHz while noise
is low and the A-wtd S/N ratio an impressive 93.9dB (re. 0dBW).
The response via its USB, S/PDIF and network inputs is
further tailored according to sample rate (–2.3dB/45kHz with
96kHz media, for example) while the inherent distortion is far
lower, and swamped by the power amp stage, at 0.003-0.08%
(20Hz-20kHz at 0dBFs). Measured via the headphone out, the
StreamUnlimited DAC platform offers an A-wtd S/N of 106.6dB
and linearity good to ±0.5dB over a 100dB dynamic range, but
jitter (and data-induced jitter at that) is a little high at 895psec
and 1400psec (48kHz and 96kHz, respectively). The digital
filter is a conventional FIR type. PM
ABOVE: Dynamic power output versus distortion into
8ohm (black trace), 4ohm (red), 2ohm (blue) and
1ohm (green) speaker loads. Excellent load tolerance
ABOVE:
OVE Distortion
Di i vs. di
digital
i l iinput over a 120dB range
via line (headphone) output (1kHz, black; 20kHz, blue)
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Power output (<1% THD, 8/4ohm) 255W / 365W
Dynamic power (<1% THD, 8/4/2/1ohm) 410W / 715W / 1.21kW / 699W
Output impedance (20Hz–20kHz) 0.36–0.38ohm/10ohm (headph)
Freq. response (20Hz–20kHz/100kHz) +0.0dB to –0.25dB/–4.1dB
Digital jitter (48kHz/96kHz) 895psec / 1400psec
A-wtd S/N ratio (re. 0dBW/0dBFs) 91.1dB (Analogue) / 106.dB (Dig)
Distortion (20Hz-20kHz; 10W/0dBFs) 0.052–1.2% / 0.0025–0.08%
Power consumption (Idle/Max. o/p) 134W / 880W (43W standby)
- 100 Dimensions (WHD) / Weight (total) 457x109/102x406mm / 54.4kg
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 41
 Belt-driven turntable with auto speed control and unipivot arm
Made by: Kronos Audio, Montréal, Canada
Supplied by: Decent Audio, County Durham
Telephone: 05602 054669
Web: www.kronosaudio.com; www.decentaudio.co.uk
TURNTABLE Prices: £16,950 (turntable) / £7950 (tonearm)

Kronos Sparta 0.5

The Sparta 0.5 is the new entry-level deck from Kronos Audio. It may have only half
the platter count of the company’s other models, but promises to be no less capable
Review: Adam Smith Lab: Paul Miller
ntroducing a more affordable product rather disappointed to note the amount bolt. Different cut-outs are available for

I by omitting the brand’s signature

feature is, perhaps, something of a
gamble. This must have crossed the
minds of those at Canada’s Kronos Audio
when it launched its new ‘entry-level’
of mechanical noise coming from the
motor when running. This was admittedly
inaudible when music was playing, but just
enough to be noticeable between tracks. It
may also help to explain the rumble figures
arms of 9in to12in in length, and Kronos
recommends arms of 10.5in or greater.
For the review, the deck was supplied with
the company’s own 10.5in Helena model,
retailing for £7950. (Alternatively, the 12in
turntable, the £16,950 Sparta 0.5. A quick measured in PM’s Lab Report [p45], which Black Beauty arm is priced at £9950.)
count of its platter quotient reveals a are a little above the best.
total of one, whereas Kronos has hitherto The power supply unit is housed in a OIL-DAMPED UNIPIVOT
been known for the dual, counter-rotating stylish case for which two connections Both the Helena and Black Beauty
platters on its Sparta and Pro models. are required: one powers the motor, tonearms are from Montreal-based
Fortunately, there is plenty to and one receives platter speed feedback designer André Thériault, whose creations
recommend the Sparta 0.5 in standard from a sensor. The PSU itself has controls are exclusively offered internationally
form but if you decided you simply for on/off, speed switching and also fine through Kronos. The Helena is a unipivot
couldn’t live without the ‘other half’, speed adjustment. This is carried out design which is rather different from most
then an upgrade kit comprising a second in conjunction with the stroboscopic – instead of the bearing being a single fine
platter, motor and another layer of plinth markings on the centre of the platter mat point, the arm has a ball on its underside,
is available for £9000. This is £1000 more and I found that the speed remained rock which locates into a matching cup on the
than buying the full Sparta outright but steady once set. arm base. A small amount of oil is applied
little of the original deck is wasted – the The arm mounting arrangement on the before the armtube’s ball ‘bearing’ is
only things you’ll have left over are the Sparta 0.5 consists of a sturdy metal plate lowered into this cup, affording an element
four original, shorter suspension towers that is fixed to the chassis with a single of damping and stability to the assembly.
described below.
BELOW: DC motor drives the 12kg alloy platter
IT’S A BELTER (with embedded carbon-fibre ‘mat’) using a
The deck is based around a skeletal frame silicone belt around its periphery. Supplied
that contains the motor assembly and Helena arm is supported on a spherical ball and
from this hangs a second frame that cup unipivot, with a layer of oil damping
carries the platter and arm mounting
plate. This subchassis is hung by four
O-rings per corner and these locate
inside special suspension towers that
offer easy adjustment. The platter runs
on an inverted bearing, with a small ball
providing the interface between the top of
the bearing post and the underside ‘cup’
on the platter. The platter also incorporates
an inbuilt carbon-fibre record support
surface and is driven around its periphery
by a circular rubber belt.
Kronos owner and designer Louis
Desjardins is a committed fan of belt drive,
even going so far as to suggest that it is
the only way to implement a high-end hi-fi
turntable – he feels this is the best method
for decoupling motor vibration.
The Sparta 0.5 is powered by a high
quality Swiss Maxon motor that is fed
by Kronos’s proprietary motor drive
system. This should make for an
impressive set-up, so I was therefore

42 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

 The armtube consists of two carbon- case, changing them could be achieved in ABOVE: The upper skeletal chassis hangs from
fibre tubes, one inside the other, with a matter of seconds. four O-rings in each of the four suspension
wood fairings between the two for All in all, assembly of both the deck towers. A built-in spirit bubble aids levelling
damping purposes. The tubes flatten and arm is not unduly complex and the while an outboard PSU [pictured below] controls
out into a headshell platform, making instructions are clear and well illustrated. 33.3/45rpm speed adjustment
the whole thing a very neat one-piece The deck’s footprint is not as vast as
construction. At the other might be suspected at suggested in PM’s Lab Report [p49], this is
end, a damped cueing first glance, and it has the last place you should put it. The high
mechanism makes handling ‘If you enjoy adjustable feet for easy frequency pickup measured reveals itself
the arm easy, but there is
no proper arm rest – just
the musical levelling. The undersides
of the feet are smooth
as a slight muddling of the deck’s top end.
Relatively subtle this may seem at first,
a post to limit the arm’s message, you’ll metal, however, so I added but once you know it is there it becomes
anticlockwise movement. some rubber pads to stop remarkably distracting! My advice would
More surprisingly, there love the Sparta’ the Sparta 0.5 from sliding be to put the PSU as far away from the
is no form of anti-skating around on my glass rack tonearm as its leads will permit.
system fitted to the Helena, which seems when in use. For review purposes I fitted In addition, the Helena tonearm needs
a strange oversight on such an otherwise various cartridges, including an Ortofon to be very carefully set up in terms of both
well-designed and high-end product. 2M Black moving-magnet and an Audio- VTA and azimuth. Most unipivots exhibit
The tonearm wiring exits the tube Technica AT-33PTG/II moving-coil. this trait to a certain extent, but the
on the top of the bearing and runs in a Helena seems particularly picky. However,
loop to a socket on the chassis. This then KICK BACK AND ENJOY with care and patience one can have the
passes to two phono sockets for the user With the deck up and running, a period of arm’s performance snapping into focus and
to connect leads of their own choice. fine-tuning was necessary for it to sound at life when the sweet spots are discovered,
Handily, it also opens up the possibility of its best. Firstly, the PSU unit has apparently so it is well worth the effort.
purchasing extra armtubes in order to have been designed to sit under the plinth The Sparta 0.5 and Helena offer the sort
multiple cartridges ready to go. In this in the space beneath the platter but, as of presentation that has you sitting back
and simply immersing yourself in the music.
LOUIS DESJARDINS If you like to hear the overall message
that an orchestra or band is trying to
Kronos Audio was founded by Louis Desjardins, who hails from Montreal and has communicate, then you’ll absolutely love
a background in physics. Son of an audiophile and from a musically adept family, the Kronos set-up. It achieves this feat with
he both plays and collects vintage electric guitars. Like many, he abandoned vinyl ease across a remarkably diverse range of
for digital in the 1980s but was prompted to buy another turntable in 2002 to musical styles.
investigate the resurgence in interest in LP playback. Having then owned a good The one caveat I would offer is that if
few decks, he began to consider the possibility of designing one, to iron out what you are a fan of the ultimate in fine mid/
he saw as the design weaknesses of other models. Part of this involved exploring treble detail and would like to know the
the concept of counter-rotation to balance out vibrations within the chassis and manufacturer of the lead violin’s strings
drive system. Two years of development followed and his first design
saw the light of day at the Montreal Audio Show in 2011. Today Kronoss
makes three models; the Sparta 0.5, the Sparta and the Pro, all very
similar in concept but slightly different in build. There is also an
optional PSU upgrade for the Pro, called the SCPS-1, and a made-to-
order stand. The Helena and Black Beauty tonearms, made elsewhere,
are designed to complement the Kronos decks.

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 43

 Our new winter collection

y Lyra Atlas SL and Etna SL

Single layer, low output Moving Coil
cartridges.

y Trilogy 903
Full remote control, Vacuum Tube Preamplifier.

y Brinkmann Nyquist
Digital to analogue converter, Vacuum Tube
output, MQA compatible, Roon ready.

y Stax SR-L700 System

Includes SR-L700 Earspeaker, SRM-006tS
Kimik 2 Vacuum Tube Energiser.

y Ayre QX-5 Twenty

Digital Hub. Roon ready.

y Trilogy 993
Hybrid Stereo Power Amplifier.

t: 01727 865488 e: info@symmetry-systems.co.uk w: www.symmetry-systems.co.uk


ABOVE: Exposed arm wire loop plugs into a connector, letting you remove the arm
wand in seconds. RCA outs allow choice of cabling, and note PSU/speed control ports
and how high the second cellist’s
heels are, you might want to look
elsewhere. But if you’d rather just
listen to your music than analyse it,
you’ll take to the Sparta 0.5.
The lovely sense of openness
and space offered by a good
unipivot arm was perfectly present
and correct thanks to the Helena.
As a result, orchestras were
beautifully spread across the end
of my listening room and smaller-
scale acoustic performances were
deliciously lifelike.
Margo Timmins’ magnificent
vocals on ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could
Cry’ from the Cowboy Junkies’ The
Trinity Sessions LP [Cooking Vinyl
COOK 011] were marvellously
atmospheric, perfectly capturing the
acoustics of the Church of the Holy
Trinity in Toronto, where the album
was recorded.
At the top end, the Kronos
combination proved to be smooth
and inviting but with sufficient
detail. Again, unipivot arm designs
generally do well in this area but
sometimes this sense of space can
come at the expense of ultimate
top-end clarity. Where the Helena
was concerned, though, this was
not an issue for the arm proved
capacious in its soundstaging and
also crisp in its sense of stereo focus.
Moving away from softer and
ostensibly ‘easier’ material, I found
the Sparta 0.5 and Helena to be
no less capable. Funkier rhythms
were handled with aplomb and the
deck proved eminently capable in
its handling of more fulsome low
end recordings. While not offering
quite the tightest and sharpest
bass I have heard, the Sparta 0.5
never suggested sluggishness or
uncertainty. Equally, the upper bass
had a pleasing sense of purity and
clarity to it – and this is an area
which I have found to be one of the
main causes of turntable maladies.
This again meant that the Sparta
0.5 and Helena proved to be quite
happy with all kinds of material,
knitting performances together
well. Tracy Thorn’s vocals on ‘Love
is Strange’, from Everything But The
Girl’s Covers EP [Blanco Y Negro NEG
54T], were beautifully expressive
and nicely centre-stage, while Steve
Pearce’s backing bass line ambled
happily along behind her. Equally,
Mark Knopfler’s guitar work on the
12in single version of Dire Straits’
‘Brothers In Arms’ [Vertigo DSTR
1112] flowed from my loudspeakers,
with the backing drum strikes firm
and positive.
UNRUFFLED EASE
Finally, the deck’s uniformity came
once more to bear when swapping
cartridges. The differences between
the rather brighter Audio-Technica
MC and the more neutral Ortofon
MM that I used for the majority of
my listening were clear to hear, but
this did not seem to affect the way
in which the Sparta 0.5 and Helena
went about making music.
The same languid character
and sense of unruffled ease
shone through in both set-ups.
Consequently, I strongly believe that
this is a turntable/arm combination
which will perform consistently well
with a wide range of pick-ups.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
The Kronos Sparta 0.5 turntable
and partnering carbon/wood
Helena tonearm are undoubtedly
fine performers. They do require
careful set-up and fine-tuning,
not least in the placement of the
outboard PSU, but are capable of
delivering a pleasing sound across
all musical styles with no glaring
weaknesses in any area. For the
full ‘Kronos effect’, however, the
Sparta 0.5 is a staging post rather
than an end in itself.
Sound Quality: 80%
0 - - - - - - -
LAB
REPORT
KRONOS SPARTA 0.5
Kronos’s ‘Class A’ DC PSU generates a deal of high frequency
noise with a tone at 2.735kHz and odd harmonics (8.205kHz,
etc) which are readily picked-up by the Helena’s very fine
and unscreened tonearm exit leads. Locating the PSU box at
cable-length from the deck can reduce this interference by
30-40dB and certainly push it below the level of vinyl noise. I
would not recommend placing the PSU under the deck with
this arm fitted, though others including the SME IV/V will offer
better shielding. So sited, the deck achieved a through-groove
rumble of –66.5dB (DIN-B wtd) and a through-bearing rumble
of –67.1dB which, while a good few dB behind decks from SME,
Clearaudio, et al, was spectrally benign. Similarly with wow and
flutter, for while the DC motor demonstrated some very low-
rate drift [observable in the broadening of Graph 1], absolute
speed was bang-on and higher-rate variations were low.
The 10in carbon/wood/carbon-sandwich Helena tonearm
with its ball-and-cup unipivot necessarily has ‘play’ while its
vertical and lateral friction (‘stiction’) rather depends on the
rapidity of the arm movement. Moving just ~8cm in the 20mins
of an LP side, friction is just ~20mg but this increases markedly
at higher frequencies with the viscosity of the oil in the bearing
cup. The unipivot damping suppresses bearing/tube chatter
with even the most energetic of low compliance MC pick-ups
while the sheer simplicity of its one-piece wand/headshell
makes for a very elegant resonance behaviour – a principal
bending mode at 135Hz and harmonics/torsional modes at
300Hz and 430Hz [see Graph 2]. These resonances are less
aggressive than those from plain carbon tubes, while its 12g
effective mass will be compatible with a variety of pick-ups. PM
ABOVE: Wow and flutter re. 3150Hz tone at 5cm/sec
(plotted ±150Hz, 5Hz per minor division). Absolute
speed is excellent but drift causes peak broadening
ABOVE: Cumulative tonearm resonant decay
spectrum, illustrating various bearing, pillar and ‘tube’
vibration modes spanning 100Hz-10kHz over 40msec
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Turntable speed error at 33.33rpm 33.34rpm (+0.02%)
Time to audible stabilisation 5sec
Peak Wow/Flutter 0.03% / 0.04%
Rumble (silent groove, DIN B wtd) –66.5dB (–65.6dB with clamp)
Rumble (through bearing, DIN B wtd) –67.1dB
Hum & Noise (unwtd, rel. to 5cm/sec) –55.0dB
Power Consumption 5W
- 100 Dimensions (WHD) / Weight 510x240x280mm / 25kg
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 45
 Network/USB audio player/amp. Rated at 50W/8ohm
Made by: Panasonic Corporation, Osaka, Japan
Supplied by: Panasonic UK, Berks
Telephone: 0844 844 3899
Web: www.technics.com; http://panasonic.net
NETWORK AUDIO AMP Price: £2799

Technics SU-G30
The technology unveiled in Technics’ flagship SE-R1 power amp has been distilled into
a new and fully-connected integrated model. Is this the shape of things to come?
Review: Andrew Everard Lab: Paul Miller
or a company with only four player but is actually a music server: the quotes power delivery at 50W/8ohm, rising

F amplifiers in its range, the

‘re-invented’ Technics brand is
somewhat in danger of confusing
consumers with what belongs where. Its
relaunch offering made sense, with the
ST-G30 – is actually a combined network
player and digital Class D amplifier.
It has Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity
built in, along with Bluetooth with aptX,
and AirPlay via its network connection, and
to 100W/4ohm [see PM’s Lab Report, p49].

NEW YEAR, NEW STYLE

massive SU-R1/SE-R1 ‘Reference Class’
control player/power amp combination
[HFN Feb ’15] and more affordable
SU-C700 ‘Premium Class’ integrated, but
now things have become complicated with
the addition of the £2799 SU-G30 amp
here, part of the company’s ‘Grand Class’.
Still with me? Well, as this review was
underway news also reached us of the
arrival of a further model, the ‘Grand Class’
SU-G700 integrated, launched alongside
the SB-G90 (its second pair of floorstanding
speakers in its ‘new age’ line-up) and the
SL-1200GR turntable, the third iteration of
its revived direct-drive range.
will play file formats up to ‘quad DSD’ and
384kHz/32-bit PCM – depending on how
you connect to the music. DLNA network
playback is supported, along with Spotify
Connect and vTuner Internet radio, and
the SU-G30 can also play music from iOS
devices and USB Type A memory drives, or
computers using asynchronous USB Type B.
It also has a brace of coaxial digital
inputs and one optical, and two analogue
ins: one at line-level and the other for MM
phono (as you might expect given the
company’s turntable revival). There’s one
set of speaker outputs, and the company
In other words, it’s a bit like a slightly
more powerful version of the SU-C700
amp (which also has USB Type B input and
goes up to 192kHz and dual-DSD), crossed
with the ST-C700 player for its network
capability. It’s also treated to a completely
different styling job, lacking as it does the
large power meters of the £1249 SU-C700,
and looking for all the world like the SU-R1
reference network player. But Technics
isn’t done with its VU meters yet, for they
return on the SU-G700 model, which was
announced at CES 2017.
That said, the SU-G30 shares much
of the technology found in all the ‘new
Technics’ amplifiers, though not the

EXPANDING RANGE
Mind you, the same kind of left-field
thinking (to put it charitably) seems to be
informing these turntables: at first there
was going to be a limited edition run of
1200 models [HFN Jun ’16], followed by a
general release of a slightly less expensive
‘standard’ model with less exotic materials.
However, after the first run sold out
very rapidly it was announced that the
‘standard’ model would be the same price
and all but identical, less the limited serial
number plaque [see p19]. Now we have
the SL-1200GR, which appears to be the
reduced-spec version we were expecting all
along. Cue scratching of heads…
Anyway, what we have this month is
another Technics amp that’s not quite
what it seems. Just as the SU-R1/SE-R1
wasn’t a conventional network player/pre
and power amp combo (for example, the
volume control circuitry was in the power
amp, not the ‘top box’) so the SU-G30 –
launched alongside what looks like a CD

RIGHT: At the heart of the SU-G30 are two

ADSP 21488 SHARC processors governing all its
digital functionality, including the Class D amp.
Switchmode PSU is screened under black cage

46 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

linear power supplies found in the big (Jitter Elimination and Noise-shaping ABOVE: Not a lot to see on the fascia of the
SE-R1 power amp. For the lesser models Optimisation) system and proprietary ‘Load SU-G30, beyond its central volume knob
in the range, the company has gone for Adaptive Phase Calibration’ which allows and input selector. Front panel USB allows
switchmode supply technology, which the Class D amplifier to tailor itself to the connection of storage or media devices, and the
incidentally was originally destined for the impedance trend of the attached speakers. display, while clear, is perhaps on the small side
flagship model, too. More on this technology in PM’s ‘Digital All
When HFN supremo Paul Miller and I The Way’ boxout, below. rate of the original – and 32-bit before it
heard the SE-R1 in prototype form – well, as Also present and correct is Technics’ hits the amp’s main digital circuitry.
a number of bare circuitboards – in Japan ‘High-speed Silent Hybrid Power Supply’,
back at the end of 2013, he mentioned combining a fixed switching frequency SMOOTH AND REFINED
that it might benefit from the use of a with linear regulation, while the kind of Although the SU-G30 does have those
linear PSU rather than the switching supply ‘battery’ operation seen in Technics amps two line/phono inputs, they go through
being used for the initial going back many years analogue-to-digital conversion, which
listening sessions. By the to its ‘British tuned’ rather flies in the face of vinyl purism, to
time we returned from ‘Keyboards have models of the 1990s is the extent that I’m not too sure anyone
lunch in the Osaka works
canteen, the boards
weight, conveying employed to isolate the
clock circuit here from
is going to buy this amp as a solution
for turntable playback. For that reason
were being powered by the ease of the mains fluctuations. I concentrated most of my listening on
a conventional toroidal Similarly, the USB digital sources, including direct connection
transformer. And that, pianist’s technique’ and network inputs are of a USB thumb-drive full of music as
on the grand scale, is galvanically isolated well as using both my Mac mini ‘music
what made it under the lid of the finished to keep at bay electrical noise from computer’ and my NAS (networked) drives
power amp, with a considerable amount of connected computers, NAS drives and the as music sources. Control was via the neat
its size and weight accounted for by that like. A two-stage enhancement is employed Technics Music app running on an iPad,
massive 7kg transformer slap-bang in the for digital music at sampling rates and bit- for although the SU-G30’s display is clear
middle of the chassis. depths below what’s commonly considered enough, it’s a bit too small to allow ‘across
So in the way much of the rest of the high-res. This includes its Re-Master system the room’ operation with the remote
Technics amp technology has trickled to ‘enhance’ compressed music files, and handset supplied.
through the range, the SU-G30 is then all signals are taken up to 176.4kHz The only worry I’d have is that it
equipped with the company’s JENO Engine or 192kHz – depending on the sampling wouldn’t be hard to put together a
network player and amp able to do all
DIGITAL ALL THE WAY the SU-G30 can, just as well and almost
as slickly – provided, that is, one bought
Last month’s review of Bel Canto’s two-box ASC1/MPS1 pre/power illustrated both components from the same brand.
how a digital pre/volume stage may be integrated with an analogue Class D But assuming Technics commits to keeping
power amp module, but Technics’ recent series of amplifiers have been ‘digital the SU-G30 up to speed with the rapidly-
all the way’. Its flagship SU-R1/SE-R1 player/power amp combo [HFN Feb ’15] evolving ‘formats and services’ market, this
also marked the unveiling of Technics’ JENO Engine (Jitter Elimination and Noise- looks to be a neat ‘fit and forget’ solution.
Shaping Optimisation) and LAPC (Load-Adaptive Phase Calibration) technologies Furthermore, and for all its innovative
that have been trickled-down into this new SU-G30 model. The JENO Engine technology under the lid, this amplifier
works at a base sample rate of 192kHz so all analogue inputs are immediately sounds entirely conventional in a very
digitised (via a PCM1804 192kHz/24-bit ADC from TI) and all digital inputs Technics kind of way, ie, it’s more about
resampled accordingly. The digital data is then truncated down to a few bits, weight, smoothness and refinement, not
and noise-shaping employed to maintain a wide dynamic range through and all-out stump-pulling power or driving
immediately beyond the audio range. Meanwhile ‘feedback’ from its LAPC attack. It’s no slouch but there’s something
adjusts the data to maintain a flat response into the varying impedance trend of inherently polite about the way it plays
the attached loudspeakers before it’s used to created the PWM waveform that anything from raw-edged blues to crisply-
drives the switched Class D power amp. This is a rare example of a genuinely captured small-ensemble classical music.
‘digital’ Class D amplifier design. PM Subtle-acting tone controls are available
in the amp’s menu system, unusually

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 47

Experience a New
Dimension in Sound
The Model 15 could be described as "the The Model 15 has been designed with the same
ultimate in recovery vehicles", allowing the attention to detail combined with simplicity of
cartridge to retrieve the last nth of recorded operation that has come to be expected from all
material whether digital or analogue, from the SME products. Its superb performance together
vinyl disc and thus approaches the ultimate in with laid back styling make it a glamorous
perfection. addition to your sound system that will astound
and amaze listeners for many years to come.
Receiving its inspiration from the superb Model
10 precision turntable the Model 15 seeks to
emulate the excellence of our Models 20/3 &
30/2 turntable whilst retaining the more compact
footprint preferred by many of our enthusiasts.

Call for a demo

SME Limited Audio Lounge
Mill Road T +44(0) 1903 814321 138 Wigmore Street
Steyning F +44(0) 1903 814269 London W1U 3SG
West Sussex E enquiries@sme-audio.com 020 7487 4080
BN44 3GY www.sme-audio.com www.audiolounge.co.uk

NETWORK AUDIO AMP
ABOVE: One optical and a pair of coaxial S/PDIF digital ins are joined by USB B and
wired/wireless (Bluetooth) Ethernet inputs. Analogue line and MM phono inputs (on
RCAs) are offered along with single sets of 4mm speaker outlets
allowing adjustment of midband as
well as bass and treble, and while
a tiny bit of boost in the midband
can help the clarity of vocals, or
work with a little treble lift to inject
a shade more sparkle into the
sound, these settings will be entirely
content-dependent, and it may be
considered best to leave them all set
to flat to avoid constant fiddling.
KEEPING VITAL
More effective is the Re-Master
system, which can perk up files of
lower sampling rates and bit depths
to a worthwhile extent, giving them
rather more vitality. Like the tone
controls it can be turned on/off,
or bypassed completely using the
amp’s ‘Direct’ function.
The same goes for the LAPC
which, once it has run its test
sequence with your chosen
speakers, can be turned on or off at
will. Its effect seems relatively subtle
when first engaged, bringing some
extra focus and just a shade more
definition and confidence in the
bass, across a number of speakers
with which I tried the SU-G30.
It’s when you listen ‘with’ and
then turn it off that you become
aware of what it brings to the party,
as soundstaging becomes less well
defined and more two-dimensional,
and the position of instruments just
slips a little out of focus.
Try this function with a well-
recorded set such as Lisa Batiashvili’s
luminous performances of the
Sibelius and Tchaikovsky Violin
Concertos with Daniel Barenboim,
reviewed last month [DG 479 6038;
The SU-G30 works just as well
with the intimacy of last year’s
American Tunes posthumous set of
tracks by Allen Toussaint [Nonesuch
554644-2; 96kHz/24-bit], where the
warmth of the sound ensures the
piano is placed beautifully and with
good weight, while conveying the
ease of the instrumental technique.
And with the 96kHz/24-bit re-release
of Willy Nelson and Leon Russell’s
nostalgic 1979 One For The Road set
of standards [Columbia CGK 36064]
the amp stays just on the right side
of smoothing warmth to give the
two performers a rich tonality.
Yes, the SU-G30 can rock and bop
as well, as was made clear with the
2001 Japanese SACD remaster of
Wham’s 1984 debut album, Make It
Big [Epic ESGA 514, DSD64]. It was
a real ear-opener to hear just how
well-crafted were these ‘throwaway’
pop songs, and how well this
amplifier powered them out from
the speakers.
There’s nothing even the
slightest bit slow or cloying about
the sound the Technics engineers
have achieved from their battery of
in-house technologies. Instead, the
SU-G30 sounds mature, well-judged
and, above all, entirely convincing.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
It’s hard not to take a second
look at that £2799 price tag with
reservations, for even though the
SU-G30 offers a lot, you could
spend as much on a conventional
network player and integrated
amp such as, well, the company’s
own ST-C700/SU-C700! However,
LAB
REPORT
TECHNICS SU-G30
For optimum performance the SU-G30 should be driven directly
via its S/PDIF, USB or network audio inputs but an analogue
input is provided with an ‘attenuation’ option. (This, I presume,
is to prevent high level inputs from clipping the ADC but the
huge +47.8dB gain without attenuation versus +37.1dB with
attenuation suggests the latter should always be employed.)
With a peak level (0dBFs) digital input 2x60W/8ohm is achieved
with 2x114W/4ohm, though I’d caution against raising the
volume beyond ‘–22dB’. As is the nature of a digital Class D
amp, there is no difference between either continuous or
dynamic power output, the SU-G30 being restricted to 118W
and 75W into 2 and 1ohm loads (or 8.7A) under all conditions
[see Graph 1, below].
Distortion, and particularly HF distortion, is entirely
dependent on power output but not incoming sample rate,
ranging from 0.003-0.006% at 1W to 0.01-0.04% at 10W and
0.12-0.2% at 50W (all into 8ohm from 20Hz-20kHz). Only at low
power outputs – typically <1W/8ohm – is distortion nearly twice
as high via the analogue input (ie, 0.005-0.012% at 1W/8ohm,
20Hz-20kHz). Above a few watts, distortion is consistent
regardless of input [the full profile of THD versus digital level/
power output at 1kHz and 20kHz is illustrated by Graph 2].
Jitter is very low at ~100psec (re. 1W) and ~500psec
(re. 10W) while the response of the Class D output stage
is necessarily load-dependent: flattest at +0.1dB/20kHz to
+1.3dB/90kHz into 8ohm but with a declining treble into
lower impedance loads. In practice this is compensated for by
Technics’ LAPC regime which, low frequency damping aside,
renders its 0.3-0.7ohm output impedance moot. PM
ABOVE: Dynamic power output versus distortion into
8ohm (black trace), 4ohm (red), 2ohm (blue) and
1ohm (green) loads. Maximum current is 8.7A
ABOVE:
OVE THD vs. di
digital
i l iinput, 0dBF
0dBFs = 50W/8
50W/8ohm;
h
–17dBFs = 1W/8ohm (1kHz, black; 20kHz, blue)
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Continuous power (<1% THD, 8/4ohm) 60W / 107W
Dynamic power (<1% THD, 8/4/2/1ohm) 60W / 114W / 118W / 75W

96kHz/24-bit], and the effect of the
LAPC system can be heard in the
greater fluidity and sparkle of the
solo instrument, set against the
broad, deep Berlin orchestra.
those wanting a simple solution,
and not worried about putting
too many eggs in a single basket,
will find this Technics ‘network
amp’ has much to commend it.
Output impedance (20Hz–20kHz)
Freq. resp. (20Hz–20kHz/90kHz)
Digital jitter (48kHz/96kHz)
A-wtd S/N ratio (re. 0dBW/0dBFs)
Distortion (20Hz-20kHz; 0dBW/0dBFs)
0.304–0.721ohm
–0.5 to +0.08dB/+1.3dB
135psec / 91psec
88.8dB (Analogue) / 81.9dB (Dig)
0.005–0.012%/0.0028–0.0058%

Sound Quality: 82% Power consumption (idle/50W) 23W / 115W (1W standby)

0 - - - - - - - - 100 Dimensions (WHD) / Weight 430x99x425mm / 11kg

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 49

 MM/MC phono preamp with digital outputs
Made by: McIntosh Laboratory inc., Binghamton, NY, USA
Supplied by: Jordan Acoustics Ltd, Dorset, UK
Telephone: 01202 911886
Web: www.mcintoshlabs.com; www.jordanacoustics.co.uk
PHONO STAGE Price: £2750

McIntosh MP100
Want to build a digital archive of your treasured vinyl but don’t wish to trade your
high-end deck for a ‘USB turntable’? McIntosh’s new phono stage offers a solution
Review: Ken Kessler Lab: Paul Miller
t’s not as if McIntosh is new to vinyl. adjustable. Unlike units such as the EAT facing page], but briefly, I downloaded

I Born in the analogue era, its preamps

always accepted phono signals, but
long before its own branded turntables
were added, only just this century, the
company had once experimented with its
E-Glo (admittedly at twice the price), the
two sets of inputs do not accept both MM
and MC, so if you run two record decks,
one can be a traditional low-output MC
while the other must be an MM design, or
VinylStudio to my Mac Air and was copying
an LP within five minutes. However, the
sound without tweaking was obviously
not a patch on the LP itself, but this is no
reflection on the MP100 – you do have
own – and sadly ill-fated – cartridge and an MC with high enough output to work in to adjust the parameters in the program.
phono amp. Still, it’s a surprise to learn an MM input. There are loads of options available for the
that the MP100 is the sixty-something task – Roxio Easy LP, Audials TuneBite, etc
brand’s first standalone phono stage. The PROGRAM OPTIONS – but don’t expect miracles without a little
‘affordable’ £2750 price is but the first of This ripping element – not, admittedly, work on your part. While adding an MP100
its surprises. the first high-end solution of LP transfer to your system effectively turns your
Surprise number two must be that it’s to digital form – certainly should enhance record deck into a ‘high-end USB-equipped
totally solid-state, while a third is its lack of the appeal of the MP100 for vinyl users turntable’, it is not a ‘no-brainer’ solution.
the signature blue meters – and a fourth of all stripes. Archivists are the most Personally I have no intention or desire
would be the compact dimensions and obvious of target customers, as are veteran ever to copy LPs to a computer but, suffice
weight. Those who would prefer something audiophiles who use vinyl and digital it to say, if you are inclined to ripping
that stacks with their traditional Mac gear playback, eg, on the go with high-res vinyl, and want something better than
should note that, at CES in January, the portables. Newcomers to vinyl will the exceptional, affordable but minimalist
company unveiled the full-width, all-valve love how it enables them to enjoy the NAD PP4 phono amp, the MP100 should
MP1100 with meters, and a digital display. venerable format without forsaking their certainly go on your shortlist.
contemporary playback methods! Editor So perfect was the timing of the
LETTING RIP PM explains it in detail [see boxout, MP100’s arrival that I was up and running
But back to the MP100 and the biggest
surprise of all is that it has an A/D section,
with a USB output that allows you to ‘rip’
and store digitised copies of your LPs with
suitable software.
I suppose that all of this modernity is
the outcome of McIntosh being the key
component of the McIntosh Group, a band
of brands that started as Fine Sounds,
evolved into the World of McIntosh and
finally settled on the name that suggests
a bunch of Scottish lawyers. Its siblings
are Sonus faber, Audio Research and
Wadia, which makes for a completely self-
contained roster covering most flavours of
audiophile tendency.
Despite the size of the MP100 and
what we now know is ‘entry level’ status
(revealed by the arrival of its larger
sibling) McIntosh ensured that the MP100
customer would want for nothing. It
features separate MM and MC inputs, albeit
each with fixed gain, and the loading is

RIGHT: This phono preamp is equipped with an

768kHz/32-bit capable ADC (the AK5552 from
AKM) that’s used to digitise the equalised signal.
Eq is active, using chip transistors and op-amps

50 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

in minutes – I had just finished reviewing does the sound, should the features not ABOVE: Fascia couldn’t be clearer with rotaries
the E-Glo S phono preamp [HFN Mar ’17] so determine your choice. for MM and MC settings, rocker buttons for
this was a drop-in situation. (I hadn’t even As with the E-Glo S review, I used this mono, MM/MC input, digital settings and on/off.
put the review LPs back in the rack.) This with SME 30/12 and Clearaudio Goldfinger Digital aside, you hardly need read the manual
had the added benefit of providing not just MC [HFN Jan ’15] and Linn LP-12 with
a streamlining of the ritual, but a perfect Arkiv, with an SME 30/Series V with Shure As with the E-Glo S, the LPs used for the
point of comparison, especially as the V15Vxmr alongside. While the initial tests included the Mobile Fidelity ‘One-
prices were nearly identical, with only £50 listening took place through my Audio Step Process’ edition of Santana’s Abraxas
between them. Research REF 6 [HFN May [Mobile Fidelity UD1S 2-001 – two 45rpm
Conversely, the two ’16]/REF 75SE amplification LPs], the 45rpm double-LP of Bob Dylan’s
phono stages were so ‘The MP100 has and through Wilson Alexia Highway 61 Revisited [Mobile Fidelity MFSL
different that they don’t
belong on the same
a remarkable floorstanders [HFN Mar
’13], I also used the MP100
2-463], The Police’s Ghost In The Machine
[Universal AHRSLP005, half-speed master]
shopping list, so your coherence and with the Quad Classic and Johnny Winter’s The Progressive Blues
needs, as much as your Integrated [HFN Jun ’11] Experiment [Imperial LP12431].
sonic biases, will eliminate command’ and Spendor 11ohm LS3/5A An interesting demarcation emerged
one or the other. speakers and KEF’s multi- with the way the two handled The Police’s
Not least for some of you, the E-Glo S award winning LS50s [HFN Jul ’12]. ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’, such
offers a greater number of values for the that it freed me from writing this as a
cartridge adjustments and is a valve/ SPEED OF ATTACK comparative review. While many believe
hybrid product. Equally, the MP100’s LP The MP100 underwent a one-hour warm- it’s debatable that there’s such a thing as
ripping and the facility to handle two decks up before auditioning, but it didn’t make tube vs transistor sound, the sheer speed
provide a different level of benefits that much difference over its sound from cold. of attack and crispness of the sound via the
might better suit your needs. Unlike the E-Glo S, the MP100 has XLR MP100 was enough to confirm the E-Glo S’s
In other words, one might cancel balanced outputs, which were the means undiluted valve-ness.
out the other because of the specific by which I assessed its ultimate score. My
functionality, tube versus tranny topology remarks directly relative to the E-Glo S refer SCALE AND MAJESTY
and other considerations. But then, so to playback via its single-ended phonos. This is not a value judgement but a
statement of character, and it immediately
DIGITISING VINYL forces the listener with a predilection
toward one or the other to make a choice.
McIntosh has opted for 96kHz/24-bit sampling and quantisation (digitisation) of Indeed, the solid-state versus tube nature
the RIAA-equalised signal – its ~45kHz bandwidth more than sufficient to capture begs the need to hear the MP100’s newer
the response of any vinyl LP. The digital signal is output via coaxial and optical sibling, wherein it will be compared to a
and may be captured directly by any digital recorder with an S/PDIF input (CD-R valve unit from the same stable.
recorder or PC soundcard). The same data is also output via USB and may be Given that the MP100 exhibits all of
captured by the USB input of your PC or Mac, the former requiring third-party the virtues of solid-state performance,
driver software available from McIntosh’s website, and then stored as a WAV or including a not unpleasant ‘cleaning’ of
FLAC file via one of a myriad computer audio recording tools. the sound and a slight coolness some
But which of McIntosh’s ‘Hi’ or ‘Lo’ digital (input sensitivity) settings do you may prefer to a valve’s warmth, the most
choose? Via the MM input, the ‘Lo’ setting requires a full 41.8mV and the ‘Hi’ remarkable aspect of its performance
setting just 1.45mV to achieve a full scale 0dBFs digital output, indicated by was the overall coherence and command
the orange ‘Clip’ LED on the MP100’s fascia. This is equivalent to a (balanced) relative to its price.
analogue output of 8500mV and 3000mV, respectively. The MC input requires Staying with The Police, and listening
4.18mV and 1.45mV with Lo and Hi sensitivity options to achieve a full scale to Stewart Copeland’s powerhouse
0dBFs digital output. As these levels are already significantly lower than the drumming, the MP100 showed its ability
headroom available in pure analogue mode, I’d recommend owners use the ‘Lo’ to convey both scale and majesty. At that
setting regardless of choice of MM or MC pick-up. PM crucial 35-second mark, when Copeland
goes full-on berserk, the percussion

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 51


ABOVE: Single gold-plated RCAs for connection to MM and MC pick-ups are joined by
RCA and balanced XLR analogue outs plus coax/optical S/PDIF and USB digital outs
delivered a visceral punch evident
over both the large and small
systems. While it was not as ‘airy’
as my steadfast all-tube EAR 834P,
neither was it as closed-in as I have
come to expect of many transistor
stages. It also handled the bass
sympathetically, with a natural flow
and surprising, almost tube-like,
richness. But where the MP100 most
challenged my prejudices was in the
upper regions.
SELECTING MONO
Because of the intricacies of the
sounds generated by a bottleneck
played on a National Steel guitar,
with its mix of chiming and ringing
sounds applied to the already-
complex nature of any electric
guitar, the Johnny Winter tracks
were a rich source of challenges for
the MP100. Crucial to conveying
the distinct character of the
instrument – whether a National
Steel, or a regular guitar played with
a bottleneck – are the leading edges
of the notes, followed by the fluidity
of the sliding notes.
While bottleneck recordings
are natural allies of sound systems
known for ‘liquidity’, solid-state can
dry out and reduce the shimmer
that is as important to bottleneck
as woody tones are to an acoustic
guitar. The MP100, more so with
MC than MM, had no trouble
in delivering those occasionally
chilling but always hypnotic effects.
The juxtaposition of teeth-jarring
metallic resonances with the
silkiness of the slides is the basis of
the appeal.
As is becoming increasingly
popular, the MP100 has a mono
selector, which drew me to the Bob
Dylan 45rpm monos just released on
Mobile Fidelity. Even though I didn’t
swap to a mono cartridge, I did play
the LPs while flicking the switch and
noted a distinct improvement in
the solidity of the sound. This is less
an observation about the MP100’s
performance than it is of using a
mono switch (let alone a mono
cartridge!), but if you’re inclined to
play mono LPs, this is a bonus.
Because of the amazing detail
afforded by the ‘One-Step’ release,
the multi-instrumental interplay and
Latin rhythms of the Santana release
act as both tests of a product’s
ability to retrieve all that it is fed
and then convey it unsullied, as
well as complementing the sound
of any system almost to a point of
deception. The argument is that
the LP sounds so good that it will
make any system sound better. The
defence is that the system can only
ever sound as good as its inherent
abilities will allow it to be. In other
words, yes, a fantastic recording will
make a system sound good, but no
better than its intrinsic capability.
As Santana’s guitar work differs
markedly from Winter’s, and as the
percussion on any Santana release
has a more prominent role than
drumming is usually afforded, the
Abraxas set was a good test of the
MP100’s way with keeping on top of
the rhythmic content, the interplay
of the individual instruments and the
barrage of rapidly changing notes.
There was no muddle whatsoever,
the MP100 disseminating the wealth
of material with a sure hand.
Again, it was aided by its
transient capabilities, which are
impressive at both the leading
edge and at the cut-off, while the
transparency and ‘open window’
nature were an invitation to focus
on specific notes.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
Looking at the MP100 solely for
performance rather than features
– either of which are equally valid
reasons for making one’s choice –
this is a clean-sounding, detailed,
commanding phono amp that
also represents excellent value.
It’s compact, beautifully-made in
the McIntosh manner and easy
to use. Once the features are
accounted for, especially XLR
balanced out, you realise that it’s
actually something of a bargain.
Sound Quality: 86%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
LAB
REPORT
MCINTOSH MP100
While the MP100 benefits from separate MM and MC inputs
(servicing two turntables or arms independently), there is no
choice of gain within each setting. McIntosh rates the input
sensitivity of the MM option as 10mV and the MC option as
1mV (both for a 2V output) which equates to a gain of +46dB
and +66dB, respectively. This was met on test at +46.4dB and
+66.4dB via the preferred balanced XLR output, this offering a
substantial 18.3V maximum from a 100ohm source impedance
(increasing to 380ohm at 20Hz). This combination of gain and
maximum output confers a generous input overload margin
for MM and MC amounting to 92mV and 9.2mV (+25.2dB re.
nominal IEC sensitivities of 5mV and 500μV). This is more than
adequate to accommodate the wildest groove modulations
tracked by the highest output MMs, although the same cannot
be said for the digitised version of the MP100’s equalised
output [see boxout, p51] where greater caution is advised.
Back in the analogue domain, distortion is fractionally
higher at low frequencies but, otherwise, reaches a low
0.001-0.002% through the midrange [see Graph 2, below].
This is between 100-1000x lower than possible from most
pick-ups over their nominal range of operation. Channel
balance (±0.1dB) and separation (70-80dB) is also superior
to any pick-up while the A-wtd S/N ratio of 84.7dB via MM is
some 10dB better than the lowest typical ‘vinyl roar’. The 81dB
achieved via the MC input is a superior result bearing in mind
the additional +20dB headamp employed by this stage. Finally,
the equalised frequency response [Graph 1]: this has a limited
subsonic rolloff amounting to –0.7dB/10Hz to –3dB/5Hz but
our sample was ‘flatter’ and more extended at HF on the left
(+0.4dB/100kHz) than the right channel (–5.3dB/100kHz). PM
ABOVE: RIAA-corrected, extended frequency response,
0dBV out (left, black; right, red)
ABOVE: Distortion versus extended frequency (5Hz-
40kHz) with RIAA pre-emphasised MM input
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Input loading (MM/MC) 47kohm/25ohm-1kohm
Input sensitivity (re. 0dBV, MM/MC) 4.79mV / 479μV
Input overload (re. 1% THD, MM/MC) 92mV / 9.2mV
Max. output (re. 1% THD) / Imp. 18.3V / 98-380ohm
A-wtd S/N ratio (MM/MC, re. 0dBV) 84.7dB / 80.9dB
Frequency response (20Hz-20kHz) –0.1dB to +0.04dB (L) / –0.4dB (R)
Distortion (20Hz-20kHz, re. 0dBV) 0.0012–0.004%
Power consumption 6W (1W standby)
Dimensions (WHD) / Weight 292x96x425mm / 3.9kg
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 53
 Heavyweight tonearm with offset detachable headshell
Made by: Abis/Sibatech Inc, Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Supplied by: Air Audio Service Ltd, UK
Telephone: 01491 629629
Web: www.sibatech.co.jp; www.airaudio.co.uk
TONEARM Price: £1869

Abis SA-1.2
A brand new arm has arrived from Japan boasting impressive build and a distinctive
if not entirely unique appearance. Does this heavyweight stand its ground?
Review: Adam Smith Lab: Paul Miller
ewly designed tonearms are The main armtube, like the other parts, three-point mounting can be augmented

N rare these days, probably

because of the engineering
resources required. So the arrival
of the Abis SA-1.2 warrants a fanfare.
Interestingly, the actual manufacturer of
is precision machined from a block of
aluminium. The centre is hollowed out
to allow the fitment of the wayrod and
weight that apply tracking force. Another
hole in front of this accepts an accessory
by an adapter to fit an SME cut-out for
£159 (silver) or £169 (black). Finally,
there’s a higher specification UK-made arm
cable option for an extra £305.

this £1869 arm remains something of a
mystery since it was commissioned by
Japanese agency Sibatech from a Japanese
maker of tonearms. Its president designed
the arm, and also a TA-1 sibling, but neither
is available on the open Japanese market
or Internet – only through Sibatech and its
sales partners [see boxout below].
weight, in case the effective mass of the
arm isn’t enough for your chosen cartridge.
The manufacturer specifically recommends
the SA-1.2 for low compliance pick-ups,
and lists the Denon DL-103, Ortofon SPU
and older mono cartridges
as ideal partners.
The L/R tonearm wires ‘The SA-1.2’s
AN ATMOSPHERIC ARM
Air Audio kindly supplied a suitable
mounting plate for my Michell Gyro SE
turntable, and fitment and set-up of the
arm proved trouble-free. In use it felt
secure, solid and very
well made indeed.
Although I tried some

HAND ASSEMBLY
Seemingly of single-piece construction, the
SA-1.2 actually comprises four separate
parts and is fully hand-made. These are the
bearing housing, main armtube assembly, a
front collar piece that holds the headshell,
and the rear counterweight stub. All fit
precisely and are screwed together with
exacting torque values in order to obtain
optimum performance.
Abis claims that the bearings, in
conjunction with the design’s horizontal
rigidity, enhance bass performance
considerably – the ‘.2’ improving over
a previous version of the arm, and with
revised arm geometry and effective length.
SIBATECH
Sibatech was founded in 1987
and is an example of a Japanese
‘selling agent’. Not uncommon in
the Far East, these agents represent
Japanese companies with marketing,
and link the manufacturers with
international distributors. Sibatech
currently represents Abis, Viv Labs,
Glanz, FAL, Hana and others, and
provides international co-ordination
for Audio Note Japan (Kondo).
are separated in the main
armtube, which Sibatech
silky midrange of my regular cartridges
it seemed churlish not
claims maximises stereo
separation. But as they
boasts plenty to explore the arm’s
essential raison d’être. So
are re-joined at both ends of fine detail’ my trusty Denon DL-103
I would take this with a saw the light for the first
pinch of salt! In any case, the relatively time in some while. It’s an MC that only
low channel separation of the average MC really comes to life in the right arm – the
cartridge would probably nullify any small SA-1.2 proved to be the perfect partner
gains from this arrangement. and the resulting sound more than lived up
UK distributor Air Audio offers several to Sibatech’s claims.
buying options. There’s a choice of silver In fact, I was amused to find that the
or, at a £216 premium, a black finish. An press releases for the arm on both the
additional headshell can be specified for a Sibatech and Air Audio websites could
further £60 – normally it’s £98 on its own. almost be used as a performance checklist.
(The headshell connector is the standard ‘Rich and tight bass?’ Check. ‘Sound
SME/IEC socket and so the world is your
oyster when it comes to experimentation.)
The standard RCA plugs on the arm’s
output lead can be replaced by XLRs for an
extra five-to-six week wait, and the arm’s
BELOW: The main arm wand is machined from
a solid alloy block, as is the separate
sidebar for the headshell (which is
bolted into place), the radial
bearing housing and the
arm lift platform

54 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

precise and clean?’ Indeed. ‘A liquid
midrange?’ Absolutely. In short,
these were no idle claims.
Hence the Abis SA-1.2 is a very
compelling listening companion.
It draws you into the music and
presents material in an ebullient
way, which makes listening a
pleasure. Do not think for a minute
that the arm is in any way ‘crash and
boom’ – far from it. As suggested,
the midrange is delightfully silky
with plenty of detail, and with not a
harsh note to be heard.
Vocal performances were an
absolute delight. Kacey Musgraves’
‘Present Without A Bow’ from her A
Very Kacey Christmas LP [Mercury
Records 80025469-01] was a joy
to hear, even if Christmas was
but a distant memory! The SA-1.2
captured every vocal inflection
beautifully, and positioned the
singer smartly centre-stage. A slight
leaning towards tonal warmth in the
arm’s presentation also helped to
add a pleasing sense of atmosphere.
This warmth carried over into the
SA-1.2’s treble performance, which
might have lacked the last ounce of
crystal clarity offered by the best at
the price but was neither dull nor
overly smooth. In an enjoyable way
it gradually draws you in.
The hi-hats in the background
of ‘Up On The Hill’ from The Fun
Lovin’ Criminals’ 100% Columbian
[Capitol 7243 4 97056 16] were
just a little further back in the mix
than I am used to but were by no
means masked – they still bore their
customary metallic ring and were
cleanly reproduced.
Most impressive of all, however,
was the SA-1.2’s bass. The further
work on the arm’s construction
and bearing design has clearly
paid off, as it is sure-footed and
solid at the bottom end. Bass lines
sounded confident and jaunty when
appropriate, while the reproduction
of acoustic basses also had a lovely
resonance to it – the sort of effect
ABOVE: Plan view shows the sliding
tracking force weight and, projecting
from the arm platform, the bias adjust
(via nylon thread and internal spring)
that gives a pleasing sense of realism
to music reproduction.
In absolute terms, I would say
that my regular SME 309 is just a
little bit tighter when it comes to
low-end performance, but the Abis
was no slouch. In no way did I feel
short-changed when listening to
the pounding bass line from Age
Of Entropy’s ‘Dream Of Love’ 12in
single [Ten Pin Records TEN-003] –
the SA-1.2 gripped the rhythm with
impressive tenacity.
SWAPPING PARTS
With a change of cartridge to an
Ortofon Rondo Red, the tonearm
continued to impress, although
there was a hint that it was not
quite getting the best from this
moving-coil. However, swapping
the headshell for a lighter type –
lowering the arm’s effective mass
– did help, indicating that the SA-1.2
is eminently adaptable in terms of
partnering cartridges. As I’ve said,
there’s a wide range of headshells to
fit its mounting collar and allow for
easy fine-tuning.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
I’m not sure why the Japanese
manufacturer of the Abis SA-1.2
wishes to remain anonymous
as, if this were my product, I’d
want people to know! The arm
offers a distinct perspective in
terms of its design and while it’s
typically aimed at users with low
compliance cartridges, has good
compatibility beyond this. The
result is an arm that’s an absolute
delight in form, function and
perceived sound quality.
Sound Quality: 83%
0 - - - - - - -
LAB
REPORT
ABIS SA-1.2
Although the Abis SA-1.2 bears a superficial resemblance to the
classic Dynavector DV-505/507 tonearms [HFN Oct ’10] with
their offset vestigial ‘mini-arm’ and headshell, the SA-1.2’s fixed
geometry and conventional rear-mounted vertical/horizontal
bearings lends it a more conventional performance. High
mass and a wide, rectangular-section main tube are common
themes of both arms but while the Dynavector has a mix of
high horizontal with low vertical effective mass (60g/<10g), the
SA-1.2 offers a high but slightly more uniform 26g/19g effective
mass. Necessarily, it will accommodate low compliance (<15cu)
moving-coils with high (10g+) bodyshells although no additional
damping is offered. The arm is also compact for its mass and
offers a 9.5in (241mm) effective length with a 16mm offset.
The gravity-loaded radial bearings are impressively free of play
and offer low friction – just 20mg in the horizonal plane.
The resonant behaviour of this arm is predictably more
complex than a standard one-piece design with the main
wand’s principal mode appearing, diffusely, around 120Hz and
with what is probably a stronger harmonic at 240Hz revealed
more clearly on the cumulative decay spectrum, below. The
series of modes at 330Hz, 400Hz, 460Hz, 540Hz and 740Hz
are likely related to the mid-tube tracking force assembly, the
headshell and other appendages. PM
ABOVE: Cumulative resonant decay spectrum,
illustrating various bearing housing, pillar and arm
vibration modes spanning 100Hz-10kHz over 40msec
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Bearing / bias type Gimbal / thread and spring
Effective mass (vertical/lateral) / length 19g/26g / 241mm
Offset angle / overhang 22.3° / 16mm
Friction (vertical/lateral) <10mg / 20mg
Downforce accuracy (at 2g) –5%
Cartridge weight/compliance range 10-35g / 5-15cu
- 100 Mounting Type / total weight Three-point collar / 765g
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 55

LOUDSPEAKER
Raidho XT-1
Raidho’s X-series speakers have been updated with
titanium-coated drivers. Is the ‘mini’ now a ‘max’?
Review: Nick Tate Lab: Keith Howard
here are many imponderables
T in life, and one that always
puzzles me is just why there are
so many loudspeaker companies
in Denmark. For a country of 5.5 million
people – roughly the same as Scotland – it’s
almost as if every major urban conurbation
has its own speaker manufacturer… along
with a supermarket, pizza place, bar and
hairdressing salon.
A few of Denmark’s ‘big beasts’,
including DALI, Dynaudio and B&O, are
already well known to HFN readers, but for
many, Raidho is a brand deserving of the
same limelight, and the XT-1 standmount
reviewed here is a perfect introduction to
its range. The three key figures behind the
company’s products are CEO Lars Venning,
CMO Lars Kristensen (known to many for
his earlier work with Nordost) and Chief
Designer Michael Børresen. Raidho is
owned by Dantax Radio – which took over
the brand in 2009, adding it to its more
mainstream consumer electronics portfolio
of Scansonic and Harmony.
A WELL-KEPT SECRET
Meanwhile, although Michael Børresen’s
name hasn’t yet gone down in the
pantheon of great loudspeaker designers,
fans of the brand feel that it should. There’s
very much the sense that his speakers are a
‘best kept secret’. When I
met him a few years back
at the Raidho factory, he ‘Its bass is small
was sanguine about this –
the brand has a small but
but perfectly
dedicated following even
if the company doesn’t
formed; its treble
have the marketing super classy’
muscle to fight it out in
the mass market with the big boys.
All of his speakers right up to the
gigantic D-5.1 have a distinctly clean,
smooth but detailed family sound, and
the higher you go in the range the more
you get of it. The new XT-1 is an improved
‘titanium version’ of the company’s ‘entry-
level’ X-1 mini-monitor [see inset picture,
p57], sporting an upgraded mid/bass unit.
It costs a hefty £6500 in standard black
56 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017
Two-way standmount loudspeaker
Made by: Raidho Acoustics (Dantax Radio A/S), Denmark
Supplied by: Decent Audio, Stockton-on-Tees
Telephone: 05602 054669
Web: www.raidho.dk; www.decentaudio.co.uk
Price: £6500
finish and £6800 in white. There’s
also an optional pair of stands that
will lighten your wallet to the tune
of £499 – aesthetically they’re a
perfect match and complete the
package nicely.
The beating heart of this product
is a bespoke 100mm mid/bass unit.
Said to have a very compact and
magnetically rigid neodymium
magnet motor system, it sports a
super stiff multilayer aluminium/
ceramic/titanium hybrid cone. The
XT variant tested here differs from
the cheaper X-1 because of its use
of titanium in the sandwich [see
KH’s boxout, facing page].
Although Børresen says that this
driver can go higher, he has chosen
to roll it off at 3.5kHz, above which
Raidho’s very own sealed ribbon
tweeter takes over – something the
designer calls the ‘foundation of the
company’s sound’. Also described
as ‘the best driver we have’, its
membrane is claimed to have a
mass that’s up to 50 times lower
than any dome design despite
its large surface area. Powerful
neodymium magnets are used, too.
This all makes for great transient limited bass extension. With this in mind,
speed, improved sensitivity and power prospective purchasers should remember
handling. This tweeter that it best suits relatively nearfield use
forms the cornerstone in fairly small rooms, and although it’s a
of the company’s entire surprisingly easy load [see KH’s Lab Report,
range and even appears p59], it does need a goodly number of
on the flagship models. watts to unleash its real ability.
The cabinet has been
designed to avoid what
Positioning is also an important factor
here, the speaker best sited as close up to
Børresen calls ‘sonic a boundary wall as possible to prevent the
misinformation’, by onset of booming. A subtle toe-in helps
which he means unwanted resonance. snap the stereo image into focus, too.
That’s why the small enclosures weigh a
not inconsiderable 8kg apiece – the front SO MUCH TO LIKE
baffle is cast in aluminium, and sports a As the saying goes, ‘one instinctively
largish slot-shaped port. The box looks neat knows when something is right’. Just a few
and petite, and has an immaculate finish. bars into pretty much any type of music,
But while the XT-1 is a beautiful thing and it’s apparent that this loudspeaker
to behold, its small physical size makes for is exceptionally well voiced – given its
a mediocre (but not unexpected) quoted limitations, of course. The first time you
sensitivity of 85dB/1W/1m, and seriously hear it, you are made aware that a good
 LEFT: A sealed ribbon how the XT-1 cannot transcend the laws
tweeter is joined of physics, for there’s an obvious lack of
in the XT version weight and extension at the bottom end.
of this miniature The track’s double-bass work proved taut
standmount speaker and tuneful nevertheless, and displayed
by a titanium/ no particular spot where the port could
titanium nitride- be heard announcing its presence.
coated ceramic bass/ Rather, the XT-1 got on with serving up a
mid driver that’s finely detailed and unexpectedly natural
reflex-loaded via a soundstage, inside which the musicians
front vent in the base were allowed to really do their thing.
of the cabinet The standout quality on this track was
the surprisingly deft handling of hi-hat
cymbal work, for not only was the texture
of the instrument uncannily realistic, but it
syncopated brilliantly with the snare drum.
The effect was a snappy, shuffling feel to
the rhythm, further augmented by the fine
dynamic shading as the XT-1’s delicate
high frequency unit faithfully conveyed
drummer Leo Morris’s nuanced accenting.

STRAIGHT TO THE HEART

If the XT-1’s bass is small but perfectly
formed, and its treble super classy,
then what of the midband? Here the
loudspeaker impressed most of all. The
honey-sweet sound of Grant Green’s
gorgeous guitar licks was allowed to
play effortlessly alongside the marvellous
Hammond organ work with little sense of
strain. The result was a joyously free and
easy sound, and one that translated very
well across various different
musical genres.
The Human League’s ‘Open
Your Heart’ [Dare; Virgin
CDVR2192] sounded especially
captivating. This seminal
early-’80s electronic pop song
couldn’t be further away from
Green’s loose, groove-driven jazz,
octave or two of bass simply isn’t being spatial dimensionality, fine yet the XT-1 still cut right to the
reproduced, but if you can live with that dynamics and detailing, and a emotional heart of the music.
then there is so much to like. It offers sense of musical enjoyment. Indeed, the way this
superlative clarity over its slightly narrower- Grant Green’s ‘Ease Back’ [Carryin’ loudspeaker drills down into the spirit
than-normal bandwidth, allied to great On; Blue Note TOCJ-866] shows of things is very special. This highly retro-
sounding Martin Rushent production
TITANIUM OVERCOAT came across as remarkably direct and
engaging, but once again it was the
Raidho is well-known for using optimised anodising processes to create emotions provoked that really engaged
three-layer sandwich diaphragms with aluminium cores and ceramic skins. me, rather than any one or other hi-fi
As well as being stiff – which pushes up the frequency of the cone breakup aspect. The XT-1 is so musically fluent
modes – these diaphragms also have better internal damping than simple that the listener becomes oblivious to
metal diaphragms, so that when breakup does occur the resonances are its limited deep bass, and it’s certainly
of much lower Q. This means less peaking in the frequency response and boosted by an unerringly bouncy mid-bass
faster decay of the resonance. Raidho’s X [pictured] and XT-series both use that just can’t help but push the song
its X-driver, whose cone is treated to an 80-hour electrochemical process along. It’s only when you play music with
that reacts with the aluminium diaphragm to create the ceramic skins. But dramatic dynamic shading that the XT-1’s
in the X-T driver the cone is then treated to a further process in which limitations really show up.
layers of titanium nitride and pure titanium are deposited on the For example, Bassomatic’s
ceramic surfaces, improving stiffness and damping still further. KH ‘Fascinating Rhythm’ [Set The
Controls For The Heart Of

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 57

 Emotional creations by Vitus
Thrill your senses…

www.kogaudio.com
g i m
Distributed
i i byy
info@kogaudio.com
i g m
KOG
OG AUDIO
U O 024
0 777722 0650 www.vitusaudio.com
. i usaudio.com

The Bass; Virgin CDV 2641] saw the
little speaker a tad out of its depth
at high volume levels. To be fair, it
remained surprisingly composed
when downwind of a good few
hundred watts of solid-state power
from editor PM’s Devialet 800s.
Even so, the Raidho XT-1 won’t be
displacing your Focal Grand Utopias
into the spare room, if powerful
dance music is your thing!
SPACES CLEARLY DEFINED
In fact, I’ve heard few small speakers
that do better at coping with power.
Of course there are a few occasions
when it really makes its diminutive
dimensions known – such the closing
snare-drum break on 808 State’s
‘Pacific 707’ from 90 [WEA WMC5-
50], where it simply lost impact and
body. So while this wee speaker
does sometimes sit on dynamics, it
comports itself so well in other areas
that you can’t help but forgive it.
One of the traditional strengths
of a small speaker is midband
(vocal) imaging, and here the XT-1
does not disappoint. A compact
LEFT: No bi-wire option
or binding posts for bare
wire here, as the 3.5kHz
crossover is accessed
via a single set of gold-
plated 4mm sockets
box means less
chance of wrecking
the music’s natural
acoustic with malign
cabinet resonances
and diffractions,
yet this one proved
even better than
expected with the
Allegri Quartet playing
Beethoven’s String
Quartet Op.18:4
[Vivat VIVAT103].
The opening Allegro
came over in a highly
atmospheric way,
the little loudspeaker
‘disappearing’, while
throwing out a vast,
cavernous space
where the musicians
sat etched in precise
locations before me.
Depth perspective
was excellent too and
the gently damped
reverberations of
the Menuhin Hall clear to hear.
Switching genres, The Dandy
Warhols’ ‘Bohemian Like You’
[Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia;
Capitol Records 857 7872]
underlined the XT-1’s ability to craft
a very believable acoustic space. A
very coherent, capacious and see-
through space that utterly belies the
scale of the speaker itself.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
Raidho’s new XT-1 is a brilliant
but flawed little loudspeaker. It’s
highly adept at conjuring up a
vast stereo soundstage, inside
which instruments are precisely
located and able to flourish. It is
exceedingly good at unlocking
the emotion in the music too,
with its exquisitely graceful
treble performance, fine midband
detailing and delicate rendering
of tonal nuances. Only in the bass
does it show its vulnerability.
Sound Quality: 88%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
LAB
REPORT
RAIDHO XT-1
Small loudspeakers are an embodiment of the old adage that
you can’t get a quart out of a pint pot: low sensitivity and
restricted bass extension go with the territory. Raidho claims
85dB sensitivity for the XT-1, but that is extremely optimistic, all
the more so given that low impedance has not been exploited
to help matters. Raidho claims a minimum modulus of 6.0ohm,
which is exactly what we measured. In combination with
notably low impedance phase angles, this results in a minimum
EPDR (equivalent peak dissipation resistance) of 4.1ohm at
115Hz, so the XT-1 is an exceptionally easy load to drive.
Given our low measured pink noise sensitivity figure of 80.3dB,
reduced impedance and higher sensitivity might have been
a better trade-off. But perceived sensitivity will certainly be
higher when the XT-1 is used close to a room boundary.
Forward frequency response [Graph 1, below], measured at
1m on the tweeter axis, shows that the output is shelved-down
below 800Hz, which boundary gain will lift. Other notable
features are a presence band suckout centred on 3.5kHz
and rising output thereafter, so the XT-1 will sound most
neutral when listened to a little off-axis. In combination these
features result in high response errors of ±5.8dB and ±6.2dB
respectively (200Hz-20kHz), but again boundary gain can
help here. Pair matching over the same frequency range was
fair at ±1.2dB. Diffraction-corrected nearfield measurement
showed the bass extension to be 57Hz (–6dB re. 200Hz), but as
important to bass quality is an 8dB peak at 100Hz, which might
suggest some boominess. The CSD waterfall [Graph 2] shows
low-level resonance through most of the treble. KH
ABOVE: Small cabinet and an ‘easy impedance’ means
low sensitivity. Bass improved by rear wall positioning
dB 0.0
-6 1.0
- 12
2.0
- 18
8
3.0
- 24
- 30 4.0
5.0 msec
200 1000
Frequency in Hz >>
10000
ABOVE: Cabinet resonances are necessarily of a low
order but there are a cluster of modes above 2kHz
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Sensitivity (SPL/1m/2.83Vrms – Mean/IEC/Music) 82.4dB/80.3dB/80.1dB
Impedance modulus min/max (20Hz–20kHz) 6.0ohm @ 177Hz
12.9ohm @ 29Hz
Impedance phase min/max (20Hz–20kHz) –24o @ 105Hz
24o @ 25Hz
Pair matching/Response Error (200Hz–20kHz) ±1.2dB / ±5.8dB/±6.2dB
LF/HF extension (–6dB ref 200Hz/10kHz) 57Hz / >40kHz/>40kHz
THD 100Hz/1kHz/10kHz (for 90dB SPL/1m) – / <0.1% / 0.3%
Dimensions (HWD) 320x145x230mm
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 59
 Monoblock tube power amplifier. Rated at 80W/4ohm
Made by: Jadis S.A.R.L, France
Supplied by: Absolute Sounds Ltd
Telephone: 0208 971 3909
Web: www.jadis-electronics.com; www.absolutesounds.com
POWER AMPLIFIER Price: £7998 (each)

Jadis JA80 MkII

Hand-built with point-to-point wiring, as it’s been since 1983, the French specialist’s
very first power amplifier design will now accommodate today’s more powerful tubes
Review: Steve Harris Lab: Paul Miller
amed after an old French word efficiency and limited power output. So it’s far from being the biggest model, the

N meaning ‘long ago’, Jadis took

off on the first tube amp revival
wave nearly 35 years ago, and
has stayed true to the cause ever since.
In fact, the JA80 MkII monoblock, priced
at £7998 per channel, is an updated
version of the company’s very first product.
When the original JA80 was launched back
in 1983, tube supplies were dwindling
and there was relatively little choice of
valve types. Jadis founder André Calmettes
based his JA80 output stage around the
KT88 beam tetrode and its American near-
equivalent, the 6550.
PURE CLASS A
Jadis has never set out to extract the
maximum power from a given set of tubes,
but has aimed for the best sound quality.
Like almost all its designs, the JA80 is run
in pure Class A, which means that the two
tubes in a push-pull pair are conducting
all the time, and this in turn means lower
BELOW: Hand-soldered, point-to-point wiring
is a theme of all Jadis amplifiers. Note the
busbar links (centre), configuring the output
transformer here to 4ohm (1-16ohm is possible)
although the JA80 used two pairs of KT88s
in parallel, rated output was still only 60W.
Since the 1980s, with a strong revival of
tube manufacturing, mainly driven by the
guitar amp market but also feeding into
specialist hi-fi, we’ve seen new tubes that
not only replace the KT88 but also offer
more power. First came the KT90 from
Serbia, then the Russian-made Tung-Sol
KT120, which could be used with the JA80.
In its MkII form, the JA80
also becomes compatible
with Tung-Sol’s latest ‘The JA80 MkII
and most powerful ‘KT’
tube. This is the KT150,
really brought
identified by its egg-shaped
glass envelope, which is
out the passion
said to reduce or eliminate in the playing’
microphony. You can
choose to use KT120, KT90, KT88, 6550,
6CA7 or EL34s instead, but a change of
tubes will require an internal modification
by the factory or a Jadis agent. But tube
choice is largely a matter of personal taste,
as much as power output.
Jadis now offers a very wide range of
amplifiers, from the gigantic JA800 down
to the entry-level JA15 monoblock. Though
JA80 MkII’s shoebox layout and harmonious
physical proportions make it seem the
epitome of classic valve amp design, with a
look that combines functionalism with the
bling of chrome and gold.
On display at one end of the chassis –
under the sturdy black mesh safety cover
– are the tubes. In front of the four curvy
KT150 tubes are two small double-triode
tubes, an ECC82 for the driver stage
and an ECC83, which
is the phase splitter.
Also seen reflected
in the immaculate
chrome surface are the
coupling capacitors for
these stages. Hidden
underneath this section
of the chassis, the
whole amplifier circuit is executed in
hand-soldered point-to-point wiring,
with components attached to the nest
of connecting bars that run between the
valve bases [see inside picture, below].
On the outside, the signal connections
are simple and direct, just a single RCA
phono input sited as close as possible to
the ECC82, and two pairs of 4mm socket/

60 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

binding posts to cater for the ABOVE: Controls are simple. First switch on
option of speaker bi-wiring. the mains at the left, then allow a few minutes’
At the other end of the amplifier there warm-up before moving the right-hand switch
is no attempt to disguise the outline of from Standby to Operate
the mains transformer, but it’s beautified
with a superbly chromed top cover. In to allow the tubes to warm up, before
the middle, with the impressive gold Jadis moving the right-hand toggle switch from
nameplate, is the box that contains the Jadis warns that the preamplifier in your Standby to Operate. Now the high-tension
output transformer. This is made in-house system should be switched on first, and power supply to the tubes will turn on, the
at Jadis and its special design is really the having taken this precaution, switching fascia’s central LED will change from red to
key to the amplifier’s success. on the JA80 MkII is a two-step process. green, and the music can begin.
You can set the transformer’s output On the front panel, the left-hand toggle is
connections to match speaker impedances the main power switch, which takes the AN ORGANIC FLOW
from 1 to 16ohm, but this has to be unit from Off to Standby mode, meaning The first music that I heard through these
done by removing the bottom cover and that current can now flow to the heater JA80 MkIIs was a Beethoven string quartet,
re-configuring a Meccano-like array of filaments in the tubes. from the Paris recordings by the Hungarian
connecting strips. In practice, the default Each power tube has a fuse and an Quartet [Les Quatuors À Cordes; EMI
setting should be fine for conventional 4 to indicator LED next to it. If an LED glows France, CZS 7 67236 2]. These 1953 mono
8ohm speakers [see PM’s Lab Report, p63]. red, the fuse has blown and the tube is recordings naturally lack the theoretical
probably faulty, which means a call to dynamic range and extended frequency
AMP FOR THE ENTHUSIAST your Jadis dealer. ‘To ensure long-term response of a modern studio offering, and
In handling and operation, the JA80 MkII reliability,’ the instruction manual warns, can sound rather boxed-in. But with the
is still essentially an old-school enthusiast’s ‘the On/Off power switch must be operated JA80 MkII there was a great strength and
amplifier, rather than a sanitised, ‘tubes with a quick firm movement.’ When you flip realism to the middle range string sounds.
without tears’ type. It does have automatic this switch, you are making the electrical The flow of the music was simply organic.
bias, so there are no bias-setting controls connection directly, not initiating an Back in the early 1990s, when I told
to fiddle with, but it doesn’t use a lot of electronically-controlled relay operation. Ashley James of AVI that I was trying to
technology or modern peripheral control It’s advised that you should leave the collect the original HMV LPs, he very kindly
circuits to make it foolproof. For example, amplifier in standby for five or ten minutes sent me the 7CD box set as a gift. I’d been
enjoying this ever since, but listening again
FAMILY AFFAIR via the JA80 MkII made me appreciate
anew both the musical power of the
Very much a family business, Jadis is still located in the small village of original recordings and the integrity of
Villedubert in the far south of France, where it got started in 1983. Founder the CD transfers. They sounded, dare I say
André Calmettes was a cabinetmaker but also a keen radio amateur and a self- it, more analogue than ever, but I found
taught electronics hobbyist. After his first home-built tube amp had impressed myself forgetting about such distinctions as
friends and neighbours, he was persuaded to show it to an audio distributor in I was carried away by the performances.
Paris. Calmettes teamed up with Jean-Paul Caffi, then working in pharmaceutical Then I put on some music that needs to
sales, and the brand was born. Soon Jadis was exporting to many countries, but be turned up loud, ‘Blues For Klook’ from
especially the Far East. Today the managing director is André Calmettes’ son Sang Melé by French Hammond organist
Patrick, who’d been involved in the company from the beginning and took over Eddy Louiss [Nocturne NTCD101]. This
when his father retired. Patrick’s son Jean-Christophe joined the company in late-’80s hi-fi dem favourite was introduced
1993 and is now technical director. Since Caffi’s withdrawal from the company, to UK ears by Ricardo Franassovici of
the third key member of the team has been Liliane Expert, an experienced Absolute Sounds, long-term distributor
businesswoman in real estate and with a long-term interest in the company. of Jadis! Electric keyboards can sound
cold and impersonal, but in this heartfelt

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 61


performance by Louiss there’s never
any danger of that. And the JA80
MkII really brought out the passion
in the playing, the poignant lyrical
feel of the swooping sounds Louiss
employs in this elegiac minor-key
blues. At the famous moment when
a deep bass part starts, the JA80
MkII didn’t disappoint, because
the bass sound was full-bodied and
dramatic, albeit – unsurprisingly –
without the gut-wrenching slam you
could get from a big solid-state amp.
PALPABLE SPACES
In fact, with synthesiser-based music
generally, the Jadis seemed able to
soften and humanise the electronica
in a very appealing way. With the
title track from Simple Minds’ Cry
[Eagle EAGSACD196], the JA80 MkII
drew you in to the vortex of synth
sounds that seem to swirl in three
dimensions as the track builds to
a climax. Perhaps you would not
choose the JA80 MkII for this music
if your main aim was to bring out
bottom end power, but with this
amplifier the Scottish superband’s
rhythms were hypnotic nonetheless.
On classic rock tracks, the JA80
MkII could provide a well rounded,
even slightly softened quality that
could welcome you in to the music.
Putting on Blood On The Tracks
[Columbia 512350 6], those rhythm
guitars in ‘Tangled Up In Blue’ were
insistent but not remorselessly
aggressive, while ‘Simple Twist Of
Fate’ was spacious, relaxed and
poignant. That’s not to say the
sound was lacking in insight or detail
though, as the JA80 MkII clearly
revealed the little artifices of studio
reverb that give Dylan’s vocal a lift
at the ends of lines.
If you feel that female vocals
provide the acid test of any
component or system, you might
LEFT: Pairs
of KT150s
exposed with the cage
removed. One RCA input
and bi-wire speaker connections
are fitted (impedance set internally)
want to know that the JA80 MkII
excelled in this department. I put
on an old favourite: Rosa Passos
with her 2008 album Rosa [Telarc
CD-83646]. Here you have just
voice and guitar, as the singer
accompanies herself in a very well-
judged studio acoustic, and the JA80
MkII made the most of it, that lovely
youthful-yet-worldly voice presented
intimately, yet with air round it as
she caressed her lyrics into life. Her
guitar sounded truly full-bodied and
sonorous too as she fingered those
beautiful Brazilian chords.
Returning to classical music
and some favourite orchestral
recordings, I found that the JA80
MkII really could give you a big,
wide and gloriously laid-back
soundstage, with a palpable sense
of space and depth. On ‘The Great
Gate Of Kiev’ from the Mussorgsky/
Ravel Pictures At An Exhibition
[Reference Recordings RR-79] the
Minnesota Orchestra sounded both
measured and sonorous, with the
big bass-drum weighty enough to
be convincing in a presentation that
was truly enthralling.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
Updated in terms of tube choice,
the JA80 MkII version remains the
deliberately traditional product it
always was. It sounds delightful,
smoothly inviting in the treble
and well balanced within its own
compass, adding a touch of its
own character, pleasing rather
than revelatory, but never warm
’n’ woolly. Its great strength is the
musical coherence it provides. It’s
expensive considering the power
output on offer, but who cares?
Sound Quality: 84%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
LAB
REPORT
JADIS JA80 MKII
As we saw with the I-50 integrated, which afforded just 50W/
4ohm at 3% THD [HFN Apr ’15], Jadis’s Class A push-pull
configuration does not aim to squeeze the maximum output
from its KT150 tubes. Indeed, Audio Research musters
80W/4ohm from its GSi75 [HFN Jan ’16] while Icon Audio’s
MB90 MkIIm-150 achieves 120W/4ohm from a single pair
of these tubes [HFN Mar ’14]. And so it is with the JA80 MkII
which, with no fewer than two pairs of KT150s per monoblock,
delivers just 90W/8ohm and 120W/4ohm/1% THD (our JA80
mkII was configured for 4ohm – see inside shot, p60). But
no-one should be considering this boutique beauty on the basis
of Jadis’s spec. for even the rated max. power consumption of
200W is closer to 300W in practice (idle or full output)...
Under dynamic conditions the JA80 MkII realises a similar
86W, 118W, 134W and 66W into 8, 4, 2 and 1ohm loads
[see Graph 1, below]. The amp is clearly best partnered with
sensitive speakers, for while its response is good to within
±0.3dB over the 20Hz-20kHz audio range (and only mildly
influenced by the ~0.24ohm output impedance), its distortion
is much lower at lower output. CCIR intermodulation, for
example, increases from just 0.06% at 1W/4ohm to 0.2%/5W
and 1%/10W while harmonic distortion rises from ~0.015%/1W
to ~0.05%/10W and 0.45%/80W at midrange frequencies. The
increase in distortion at bass/treble frequency extremes is more
pronounced: from 0.05%/1W to 0.25%/10W at 20Hz and from
0.13%/1W to 12%/10W at 20kHz – so coloration will likely be
more apparent at high treble frequencies [see Graph 2, below].
Noise, too, is a little high, the A-wtd S/N ratio clocking in at just
78dB (re. 0dBW). PM
ABOVE: Dynamic power output versus distortion into
8ohm (black trace), 4ohm (red), 2ohm (blue) and
1ohm (green) loads. Maximum current is 8.1A
ABOVE: Distortion vs. frequency, 5Hz-40kHz at 1W/
8ohm (black) and 20Hz-20kHz at 10W/8ohm (red)
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Power output (<1% THD, 8/4ohm) 90W / 120W (4ohm tap)
Dynamic power (<1% THD, 8/4/2/1ohm) 86W / 118W / 134W / 66W
Output impedance (20Hz–20kHz) 0.235-0.250ohm
Freq. resp. (20Hz-20kHz/100kHz) +0.01dB to –0.30dB/–7.3dB
Input sensitivity (for 0dBW/80W) 89mV / 815mV
A-wtd S/N ratio (re. 0dBW/80W) 77.8dB / 96.8dB
Distortion (20Hz-20kHz, 10W/8ohm) 0.050-12%
Power consumption (Idle/Rated o/p) 299W / 321W (85W standby)
Dimensions (WHD) / Weight 260x240x625mm / 35kg (each)
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 63

HEADPHONES
Focal Elear
Can’t afford Focal’s Utopia? The Elear, by dint of substituting an aluminium/magnesium
diaphragm for the Utopia’s exotic beryllium one, comes in at a much lower price
Review & Lab: Keith Howard
rothers and sisters the world over
B know the tyranny of having an over-
achieving sibling. Better looking,
better exam grades, better at
sport, better at pulling… One humiliation
is bad enough, but all four, insufferable.
So spare a thought for the Elear. While the
Focal Utopia [HFN Feb ’17] grabs headlines
for its beryllium diaphragm, carbon fibre
composite capsule yokes and eye-watering
£3250 price tag, the less exotic Elear
seems almost humdrum by comparison.
But no headphone that costs £800 is ever
that, however A-list others from the same
stable may be.
SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT
In part at least, it reflects the high cost
of beryllium that the price gap is so great
between them. The Elear ‘makes do’ with
an aluminium/magnesium diaphragm
instead, again in the form of Focal’s
M-cone rather than the dome and annulus
structure typical of headphones (and a
throwback to the adaptation of moving-
coil microphone practice). Aluminium
and magnesium are both very good
loudspeaker or headphone diaphragm
materials but compared to beryllium they
come a distant second-best.
The speed of sound in beryllium is
about two-and-a-half times higher than
it is in aluminium or magnesium, and
that advantage transfers directly into the
frequency at which diaphragm breakup
modes begin to occur, threatening to
colour and cloud the sound. No wonder,
then, that beryllium is so revered.
That said, a blend of aluminium and
magnesium is better in this respect than
the plastics more usually employed for
headphone diaphragms, so the Elear
still has something to crow about. And,
of course, it inherits a lot else from the
Utopia. It may look less distinguished
(as befits its station) but, as already
RIGHT: As in the Utopia, the 40mm drive units
– here with aluminium/magnesium diaphragms
– are placed towards the front of the capsule
and angled back towards the ear canal
64 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017
Open-back circumaural headphone
Manufactured by: Focal-JMlab, France
Supplied by: Focal-JMlab UK Ltd, Salisbury
Telephone: 0845 660 2680
Web: www.focal.com
Price: £800
mentioned, it benefits from the same though Focal offers no suitable cable
M-cone diaphragm geometry, and also the
same former-less voice coil technology
[see boxout, p65].
At 150mg the moving mass of the
Elear’s 40mm drive unit is 15mg higher
itself. Like the Utopia’s, the Elear’s thick
and weighty cable is terminated in a ¼in
jack plug, with no means provided for
accommodating music sources having a
mini-jack output. But then, nothing about
than the Utopia’s, but still less than half the Elear or Utopia suggests that they were
that of a typical 25mm dome tweeter ever intended for peripatetic use. Upsides
(metal dome or soft dome) of the substantial cable
– an amazing achievement. are that it’s shielded and
Aluminium replaces ‘This exemplar presents an unusually low
carbon fibre composite
for the capsule yokes
of laid-back series resistance.
Also inherited from the
but the Elear’s weight is
nevertheless significantly
swing oozed Utopia are generously-
sized earpads, whose
less than that of the Utopia. spaciousness’ elliptical openings are
And though mini- sufficiently commodious
jack plugs and sockets appear low-rent to accommodate all but unusually large
compared to the Lemo bayonet-action pinnae, and a modest head-clamping
connectors used in the Utopia to plug the force – despite which our artificial head
long (excessively so?) 4m cable into the measurements show highly consistent bass
capsules, a separate performance, indicative of reliable sealing.
connection to each
channel is maintained. SITTING COMFORTABLY
This eliminates and But the earpads themselves are not the
left/right crosstalk same as the Utopia’s. Both use memory
due to mutual earth foam internally but whereas the latter’s
impedance and combine lambskin leather with microfibre
at least facilitates for the covering, the Elear’s are wrapped
a balanced in microfibre only. Owners of the Utopia
connection, even who find it all at lacking in bass energy can
substitute the Elear’s earpads to achieve a
claimed 1dB boost at 100Hz.
Despite its weight the Elear is pretty
comfortable to wear for extended periods.
I’m also delighted to report that, unlike
previous Focal headphones, the Elear – like
the Utopia – displayed no hint of unruly
headband vibration when I wore it for the
impedance test, which plays pink noise
through the left capsule only. There was no
apparent coloration of the test signal due
to headband resonance, and no detectable
carry-over of sound from the active capsule
to the inactive one. (Every headphone
structure should behave in this inert
fashion – but too many don’t.)
For the listening I used my Teac HA-501
headphone amplifier [HFN Apr ’14] but also
had to hand a Rupert Neve RNHP [HFN Mar
’17]. These were fed analogue signals from
 LEFT: Separate electrical connection is
made to each capsule via mini-jack plugs and
sockets. This allows for balanced wiring but
Focal supplies only a 4m unbalanced cable
terminated with a ¼in jack plug

perhaps even to the extent of preferring

the bridesmaid to the bride. With
headphones in particular, it seems there is
no accounting for individual taste…
The Utopia sample was still with me
when the Elear’s turn came to set out its
stall, so I took the opportunity to compare
the two using a couple of hi-res recordings
featured in the Utopia review. First, the
192kHz/24-bit download of Sabina
Sciubba and Antonio Forcione’s ‘Take Five’
from Meet Me In London [Naim label],
and second, the Andante cantabile
from Beethoven’s early String Quartet
Op.18:5, played with great sensitivity by
The Allegri String Quartet [192kHz/24-bit
download from www.vivatmusic.com].

FOCAL’S FORGIVING NATURE

a Chord Electronics QuteHD DAC, itself fed
S/PDIF from a TC Electronic Impact Twin
FireWire audio interface, with a second-
generation Mac mini running Windows XP
and JRiver Media Center v19 delivering the
music. The Teac, RNHP, Chord and TC were
all powered from a PS Audio P10 mains
regenerator [HFN Apr ’13].
For anyone like me who finds the
Utopia just a little too polite, the Elear is
arguably a step further in this direction,
albeit nothing like as tonally skewed as are
some competitors. Disciples of ‘denuded
treble’ tonal balance – and there appear to
be many – will find it more to their liking,
The Elear didn’t go quite so far as to cause
Forcione’s acoustic guitar to sound tubby
but its presence band reticence removed
some of the sparkle and pizzazz from the
performance, and rendered the studio
reverb slightly less apparent, removing
some of the sense of acoustic space and
‘air’ (however contrived). Like the Utopia,
the Elear was also a bit too energetic
on Sciubba’s sibilants, which drew
unwarranted attention.
On the Beethoven it was a similar story
as the sense of acoustic was diminished,
and some of the intimacy and character of
the playing – the very qualities which make
this such an engaging performance and
recording – went missing. In both cases
what are exemplars of the benefits of hi-res
digital sounded, well,ll less
l hi
hi-res,
and perhaps lesss ‘special’.
i l
Compared against

A VOICE OF ITS OWN

You don’t have to be a marketing guru to
understand that having the Elear sound too
much like the Utopia would have risked the
former being lauded as a bargain version of
the latter: a strategic blunder not unknown
in the hi-fi industry. Unsurprisingly,
the Elear has been voiced significantly
differently. And I hardly need tell you in
which direction that voicing has gone.
Yes, the Elear is tonally warmer, with more
bass and lower midrange but reined-back
lower treble energy, thereby avoiding any
impression that it sounds more revealing
than Focal’s costly standard bearer.
FOCAL’S M-CONE
Headphone drive units typically comprise a central
dome – the equivalent of the dust cap in a speaker
cone driver – surrounded by a large, usually domed
annulus which, because of its size, radiates a significant
proportion of the total sound but also acts as a flexible
surround. Contrast this with the speaker cone driver in which
the cone section that surrounds the dust cap is unequivocally part of the
diaphragm, and the surround is an entirely separate structure. Focal’s M-cone is
like a miniature loudspeaker driver, both in its cross-section and in the fact that
it has a distinct and separate surround. But unlike a speaker driver, the M-cone
units in both the Elear and Utopia have formerless voice coils: in the interests
of achieving minimum moving mass, they are not wrapped around a cylindrical
former that connects to the cone but are self-supporting.

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 65


ABOVE: Unlike the Utopia’s earpads, which are covered in a mix of lambskin leather
and microfibre, the Elear’s use microfibre alone to cover the memory foam cushion
headphones with a more neutral
tonal balance than the Utopia, the
Elear’s dialled-back presence band
was more apparent still.
The upside is that this renders
the Elear more palatable, less
unforgiving on recordings that
have hardness or harshness in their
makeup. So the choruses of ‘Eisai
I Foni’, from Helena Paparizou’s
Vrisko To Logo Na Zo [Sony BMG
88697318932; 44.1kHz/16-bit rip],
which sound excruciatingly distorted
on a neutrally balanced headphone
because of excess limiting and
dynamic range compression, were
merely rather strained-sounding via
the Elear. But this is no deal-breaker.
SOOTHING SOUNDS
Grace Jones’ ‘Well Well Well’
[44.1kHz/16-bit rip from Hurricane,
Wall Of Sound; WOS050CD] has
compression issues too, albeit well
short of Paparizou’s, but in house-
training it the Elear dissipated the
energy with which it normally – and
crucially – motivates even reluctant
limbs. The Elear’s extended LF
ensured that Sly and Robbie’s bass
contribution was firm and clean, but
above it was politesse where – if this
is your thing – perhaps there should
be Jones’ trademark in-your-face,
Russell Harty-bashing energy.
Setting aside its taming of
aggressively compressed euro-pop,
the Elear did its best work, I found,
when I put my critical faculties on
standby, chilled, and played music
intended more to soothe than
to energise. The title track from
Arne Domnérus’s Antiphone Blues
[Proprius PRSACD 7744; ripped and
converted to 88.2kHz/24-bit PCM],
for example, with its cavernous
church acoustic, big, sultry
saxophone sound and sparse
organ accompaniment, sounded
warm, spacious and as relaxing as
a herbal bath. There wasn’t the
detail of breath sound or edge of
instrumental timbre you hear in a
more neutral portrayal, but this was
a rendering to luxuriate in.
‘I Had The Craziest Dream’ from
Jimmy Cobb’s In The Key Of Blue
[Chesky; HDtracks 96kHz/24-bit
download], was another case in
point. Here the bass was a little
prominent but not excessively so,
and the percussion was dialled
back and a little muffled. But via
the Elear this exemplar of laid-
back swing oozed smoothness and
spaciousness. Nothing shouted or
grated; there was no harshness on
the higher notes of Roy Hargrove’s
trumpet, as there can be. After a
hard day at the coalface, it would
be as soothing as a neck massage.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
Is the Elear a bargain Utopia? Not
really. For all the features they
share, their obviously different
tonal balance drives a wedge
between them. If you like the
Utopia’s bass/treble balance
or, like me, you find it lacking
in treble energy, the Elear will
likely not be your cup of tea. But
if you’ve a taste for the many
headphones with denuded treble
now available, its warm, gentle
tonal character will likely appeal.
Sound Quality: 82%
0 - - - - - - -
LAB
REPORT
FOCAL ELEAR
Like the Utopia [HFN Feb ’17], the Elear is unusual for having
a nominal impedance of 80ohm, somewhat higher than the
40ohm typical of modern low-impedance designs but not as
high as the 300-plus ohms of high-impedance models. Also
like the Utopia, it has a highly variable impedance across
the audible frequency range, from a measured minimum of
80.7ohm at 1.5kHz to a maximum of 311ohm at the 56Hz
bass peak. While this isn’t as wide a variation as we measured
in the Utopia, it is still sufficient to result in a 0.74dB change
in frequency response with a preamp of 10ohm source
impedance, or 1.95dB with a 30ohm source. These are much
larger modifications than usual, affirming that if you wish
to hear the Elear’s intended tonal balance you must use a
headphone amplifier having very low output impedance.
Sensitivity is specified as 104dB for 1mW, equivalent to
115.0dB for 1V into 80ohm. Our measurements recorded
113.7dB for 1V at 1kHz, averaged for the two capsules, which
is only a little less than measured from the Utopia (114.1dB)
and sufficiently high that the Elear will always provide sufficient
SPL in conjunction with amplifiers worthy of it. For all their
similarities, the two new Focals have decidedly different
frequency responses and hence tonal balances. Bass responses
are similar, although the Elear’s uncorrected traces [Graph 1,
below] show a little rise below 500Hz that is missing in the
Utopia and results in a broad peak of 2.5dB at 100Hz in the
diffuse-field corrected response [Graph 2]. Above 1kHz the
differences are larger, the Elear displaying quite a deep notch
in the DF-corrected response [green trace] between 4kHz
and 6kHz which, in combination with the greater upper-bass
output, is certain to imbue it with a warmer tonal balance and
a potential loss of clarity. As with the Utopia, bass extension is
excellent at <20Hz (–6dB re. 200Hz). KH
ABOVE: Unequalised responses (L/R, grey/red; average
3rd-octave, black) show slightly stronger bass than
the Utopia with a slight loss in presence or ‘bite’
ABOVE: Third-octave freq. resp. (red = Harman
corrected; cyan = FF corrected; green = DF corrected)
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Sensitivity (SPL at 1kHz for 1Vrms input) 113.7dB
Impedance modulus min/max (20Hz-20kHz) 80.7ohm @ 1.5kHz
311ohm @ 56Hz
Capsule matching (40Hz-10kHz) ±2.7dB
LF extension (–6dB ref. 200Hz) <20Hz
Distortion 100Hz/1kHz (for 90dB SPL) 0.1% / <0.1%
- 100 Weight (inc cable/without cable) 680g/440g
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 67
 Belt-driven turntable with auto speed control and USB out
Made by: DGC GmbH, Munich, Germany
Supplied by: Big Red Sales, Berks, UK
Telephone: 01344 893932
Web: www.dual.de; www.bigredsales.co.uk
TURNTABLE Price: £249 (inc. cartridge)

Dual MTR-75
Dual has returned to the UK. The automatic MTR-75 heads the brand’s initial line-up
with an A-T cartridge, phono stage and USB output, but will it become another classic?
Review: Tom Anderson Lab: Paul Miller
ual is one of those brands arm completely when cued to negate any force thanks to the indexed brass

D synonymous with hi-fi’s heydays.

Yet its history has seen plenty of
flutter since wow products like
the CS 505-2. Several owners, bankruptcy
and a proliferation of fake ‘Dual’ products
have not done the brand or its image any
favours. But with the resurgence in vinyl,
the company has regrouped, widened its
distribution and is pressing forward with
two distinct turntable ranges.
The more up-market CS series is
scheduled to hit our shores later this year,
so for now the £250 MTR-75 represents
the brand’s current top offering. It is
touted as a one-stop solution for those
wanting to get into vinyl and those wishing
to rip their current LP collections into
digital formats. The DC motor drives an
aluminium platter via a belt and the deck’s
aluminium tonearm has a removable
headshell. As supplied this comes factory
fitted with an Audio-Technica AT3600L.
potential impact on the sound.
For those who view an open turntable
as an ornamental dust-trap, the MTR-75 has
a hinged acrylic lid that can be lifted off
for critical listening. Accessories include a
45rpm single-hole adapter, USB cable and
PC/Mac software on a CD-ROM for ripping
and editing your vinyl.
Out of the box there is the bare
minimum self assembly and set-up
required. The aluminium platter weighs
in at a reasonable half kilo, with another
160g coming from the dense rubber mat.
The single flat rubber belt hooks around an
inner ring on the platter and a concealed
pulley accessed through a platter cut-out.
True, it’s all a bit fiddly but it certainly
serves to give the deck a clean look.
The pre-fitted Audio-Technica cartridge
looks to be well-aligned and securely
bolted and it’s simple to set the tracking
counterweight and anti-skate knob.
The MTR-75’s manual recommends a
hefty tracking force of 3.0-3.5g, which is
at the top end of A-T’s own 2.5-3.5g rating
for the AT3600L. Moreover, our sample’s
counterweight adjustment came in on the
heavy side to the tune of around 0.3g. That
will throw the cartridge out of specification
if you opt for anything but the lower end of
Dual’s recommended downforce.
OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE
The supplied software is Audacity, the
open-source audio recording and editing
program readily available to download if
your laptop doesn’t have a CD drive. It’s
arguably worth downloading the very
latest version anyway.
For those simply looking to digitise their
music, the instructions in Dual’s manual
will see you through the process. Once the

AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE

Inside the chassis, which is made of plastic,
can be found a built-in MM phono stage
and an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC)
feeding a USB output. A toggle switch to
the rear allows you to bypass the phono
stage and route the low-level MM pick-up
output into an offboard phono preamp via
its captive RCA lead. The PSU is also housed
internally to keep things looking neat.
In a further nod to convenience, the
MTR-75 is a fully automatic turntable. It
will cue up your vinyl with a simple prod
of the start button and lift the arm before
returning it to base at the end. You might
even get to miss that familiar thump,
thump, thump of the end groove.
Using the damped lifter you can cue
the arm manually to pick a track, the
platter spinning up as soon as you move
the arm. The automatic mechanism drops
away from the mechanical parts of the

RIGHT: The deck’s plinth and alloy platter are

no heavyweights but the belt-drive gets it up
to speed very swiftly. The straight aluminium
tonearm sports an A-T MM cartridge

68 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

music has been recorded and edited, save and the MTR-75 smoothly lifts and cues ABOVE: This is a fully auto deck, so pressing the
format options include MP3, WAV, FLAC the arm on target. While there is some ‘Start’ button engages both the platter and arm
and AIFF (plus many more) at up to 384kHz/ mechanical clunking below the chassis into play. End-of-side lift-off is also automated
32-bit and most common bit depths and during the operation none of it gets though manual cueing is still possible
sample frequencies inbetween. It defaults through to the speakers. You can hear the
to 44.1kHz/16-bit. mechanism disengage and the stylus drops smoothness through the upper midband
Set up, the MTR-75 certainly looks like a slowly and quietly into the groove. and high frequencies of Adele’s vocal all
Dual, the satin black finish and aluminium but eliminated any harshness or grain.
components lending the deck a certain DUAL PERSONALITY Top-end extension was a little softened but
business-like sophistication – though the I began my listening with the superbly not to the extent that it removed the edge
plastic chassis doesn’t recorded ‘Hello’ from from her voice. It remained packed with
deliver anything like the Adele’s 25 album [XL urgency and passion, scaling superbly into
solid feel of the wooden- ‘The beat was Recordings XLLP740]. the first, huge vocal break.
clad Dual decks of old.
Indeed, the whole deck
infectious and With the onboard
phono stage engaged
There was no shortage of sheer bass
weight either. The Dual delivered great
tips the scales at less
than 4kg while the only
Adele’s vocal and captive RCA leads
connected to a line-
impact and scale without overwhelming
the mix and did a competent job at
isolation is supplied by soft had fine detail’ input, lead-in noise reproducing the leading-edge dynamic on
rubber inserts on the feet. and background hiss each note. There wasn’t the sheer attack
Remember to take this into account when were remarkably low. The first vocal lines or LF speed that more affluent vinyl replay
positioning the deck. and single piano chord immediately set systems can muster, but this didn’t detract
Nevertheless, the MTR-75 packs in plug out the MTR-75’s stall as a solid musical from a solid musical performance overall.
and play simplicity, plenty of features, performer, and clearly better than the With head bobbing and foot tapping
USB output, a brand-name cartridge and ultra-budget automatic turntables available through ‘Send My Love’ and ‘I Miss You’,
a viable upgrade path for about the same in supermarkets and mass retailers. the moody and mellow ‘When We Were
cash as a reasonable set of headphones. There was an immediate richness to the Young’ saw the MTR-75 at its best. The
Automatic turntables are a thing of presentation yet the opening track’s solid piano sounded articulate and believable,
mechanical beauty when they work well bass line propelled the song along while a the beat was infectious and Adele’s vocal
was etched with fine detail. The edgy
HISTORY IN VINYL break-up at the tail end of her sustain was
also present and correct, and the backing
Dual can trace its history to the early 1900s when the Steidinger brothers choir came in so sumptuously it was like
patented a ‘dual’ powered electric and spring motor. By putting these motors in having your ears caressed with honey.
domestic gramophones, the Dual brand was formed in 1927. As music became Of course, not all vinyl is so well
part of popular culture in the 1930s and ’40s, Dual became one of Europe’s mastered. The Rolling Stone’s Flashpoint
largest turntable producers. Innovation continued after the war and in 1949 LP [Rolling Stones Records 468135 1] is a
it created one of the first multi-disc players, the Dual 1000 Record Changer. case in point. Recorded live in 1989, it’s a
Mainly producing turntables for music centres in the 1960s and ’70s, Dual finally bit rough and ready and Jagger’s vocal is
cemented its audiophile credentials in the UK with the CS 505-1 in 1981. At just so far out in front of the mix the rest of the
£75, it quickly became the UK’s best-selling turntable and evolved into the CS band might as well have gone home. Dual’s
505-2 and the CS 505-3 a few years later. By the 1990s the turntable market was MTR-75 took all this in its stride, delivering
in steep decline, Dual changed ownership several times and disappeared from plenty of slam and energy while smoothing
the UK. Following the vinyl resurgence, owners DGC GmbH now produce lower over some shortcomings of the recording.
cost Dual turntables, like the MTR-75, in the Far East, while Dual’s premium CS The bongos at the start of ‘Sympathy
models are still made in Germany by Alfred Fehrenbacher GmbH. These include For The Devil’ are infectiously rhythmic
the latest CS 505-4, expected to arrive in the UK later this year. if a little wooden in timbre and Jagger’s
opening ‘yow!’ gives a great sense of the

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 69

 “There are dynamics, scale and
authority in abundance.... RUBICON 2
$
The RUBICON 2 stand speaker is the perfect
7KH\·UHDQH[SUHVVLYHDQG
EOHQGEHWZHHQFRPSDFWVL]HDQGODUJHVRXQG
HQWKXVLDVWLFOLVWHQZLWKOLWWOHWRIDXOW performance. With the solid MDF cabinet, the
,I\RXKDGQ·WJXHVVHGZH·UHELJ 58%,&21KDVDSHUIHFWZRUNLQJHQYLURQPHQW
fans. 
 
IRULWVXOWUDOLJKWPPVRIWGRPHWZHHWHU
LQFKZRRGÀEUHORZORVVGULYHUDQGJROGSODWHG
WHUPLQDOV,WLVULFKRQGHWDLOZLWKDQLPSUHVVLYH
soundstage and has surprisingly large bass
UHSURGXFWLRQZLWKERWKSUHFLVLRQDQGWLPLQJ

“Rubicon 8 joins that

group of high-performance
loudspeakers, each of
ZKLFKVKLQHVOLJKWRQWKH
music from a slightly
different direction, and
DOORIZKLFKDUHKLJKO\
recommended.



!" 

RUBICON 8
$
7KHÁRRUVWDQGLQJÁDJVKLSRIWKH58%,&21
VHULHVWKH58%,&21ZLOOSURYLGH\RX
ZLWKDPLQGEORZLQJODUJHVRXQGVWDJHDQG
an impressive deep, physical bass. The
RUBICON 8 has no less than three drivers
that all kick in at different frequencies.
7KLVVHWXSDGVXSWRZKDWLQHIIHFWLVD
ôôôZD\FRQVWUXFWLRQDQGJHQHUDWHV
DQDPD]LQJUDQJHDQGLPSUHVVLYHVRXQG
pressure. The RUBICON 8 is for those
VHHNLQJWKHH[WUDRUGLQDU\LQVL]HDQG
sound.

FAZON F5 “LWVFXUYHGFDELQHWLVDOVRLGHDOIRUPLQLPL]LQJ
Not only conceived to be pleasing to the eye,
 
$ LQWHUQDOUHÁHFWLRQVZKLOHRIIHULQJJUHDWULJLGLW\
FAZON F5 is nothing like the vast majority of



# 


#
!!"
loudspeakers on the market. It is the genuine
mixture of craftsmanship, performance, and
DHVWKHWLFVWRIXOÀOOWKHGUHDPRIDQHZHUD·V
loudspeaker. Technology is inherited from the
0(1725VHULHVZLWKFKDUDFWHULVWLFVVXFKDV
undistorted performance, open sound, and
extraordinary resolution.

“WKH.$7&+·VVWDWXUH
7KHVL]HRIWKHVRXQGLVTXLWHVLPSO\LQFUHGLEOHIRUVRPHWKLQJRI KATCH

 
$
'$/,.$7&+LVDEDWWHU\SRZHUHG%OXHWRRWK
speaker. Wrapped in an elegantly rounded solid
housing the specially developed drivers deliver
WKHDXGLRVLJQDOIURPWKHLQWHUQDOGLJLWDODPSOLÀHU
Easily connectable via Bluetooth, and the possibility
to enjoy the improved audio quality of Apt-X if
supported. The DALI KATCH also support analogue
LQSXWYLDPLQLMDFN.QRZLQJWKDW\RXZLOOWDNHWKH
DALI KATCH on the road a USB charge output is
LQFOXGHGWRNHHS\RXUSKRQHRUWDEOHWFKDUJHGZKLOH
you rock your beats.

 
  



 
w:audioemotion.co.uk e:info@audioemotion.co.uk t:01333 425 999

TURNTABLE
ABOVE: The MTR-75 has a captive phono lead and USB Type B digital output for
connection to a PC or Mac. A ‘phono/line’ switch engages the internal RIAA preamp
ambience and size of the stadium.
Turn up the volume and the imaging
width enlarged nicely. The result was
a really engaging live performance,
the sort that will have you singing
along and searching wardrobes for
your old leather jeans.
LET IT RIP...
Many potential MTR-75 buyers
will be looking at that USB output
to digitise their vinyl. The USB
connection is plug and play without
drivers and the ADC feed to the
Audacity software proved to be crisp
and surprisingly polished.
Ripping a good clean pressing of
Supertramp’s Breakfast In America
(for personal use only, officer),
proved remarkably straightforward.
Once each side has been recorded
you are able to listen to the
recording, edit out long gaps, add
in breaks, titles and track labels. We
saved the result in 16-bit/44.1kHz
FLAC to the PC’s library and played it
over a Bluesound Node streamer.
Much of the Dual’s fulsome,
smooth character survived the
process and there was arguably
more clarity and precision at the
top end. Whether this was a result
of the onboard phono stage or due
to the abilities of the ADC or the
software is unclear but the result
was eminently listenable.
It’s not a swift process and in the
world of multi-million track online
libraries such as those offered by
Tidal, its use is going to be limited.
Yet if you have very rare vinyl
pressings you wish to archive with
reasonable aplomb and accuracy,
the MTR-75 gets the job done.
So can the new Dual’s playback
and USB recording sound be
upgraded? Switching the output to
a Trichord Dino Mk3 unsurprisingly
highlighted budget underpinnings
of the onboard phono stage but
equally showed this deck has plenty
of upgrade potential. The recently
remastered Led Zeppelin IV made
a good A/B comparison as the Dino
eked out much more detail and
better instrumental separation from
the disc. That got us wondering
what an up-spec cartridge might do
for the MTR-75.
The removeable headshell made
installing a Goldring 1042 a positive
joy. Within minutes we had turned
this budget automatic deck into a
real contender, albeit raising the
package price with the Dino to
over £1000. The Gyger S stylus and
much-reduced tracking weight over
the original A-T resulted in a much
friskier and sprightly sound, packed
with detail and nuance.
Returning to the original test
track, Adele’s voice gained greater
power and projection, with a solid
and tangible presence in the room.
Dynamics and leading edge attack
of bass notes enjoyed a real shot in
the arm too, although both surface
noise and rumble through quiet
patches became more noticeable.
Behind the upgrades the Dual’s
underlying musicality never faltered
– traits often attributed to the
CS 505 back in the day.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
Not the most sophisticated or
finely detailed turntable, but the
Dual MTR-75 never fails to deliver
a solid, musically engaging sound.
The smooth balance is likely to sit
well in budget systems and USB
recording is exemplary thanks
to the outstanding Audacity
software. Add in its good looks,
fully automatic operation and
by-passable phono stage, and the
MTR-75 is a great starter package
with plenty of scope to upgrade.
Sound Quality: 80%
0 - - - - - - -
LAB
REPORT
DUAL MTR-75
Dual has specified the engineering of this package to a price
and while its £250 ticket is extremely generous for a full deck/
arm/MM vinyl-playing solution with integral phono stage, ADC
and USB digital output, there are inevitably compromises in
its build when compared to an ‘audiophile’ starter like Pro-
Ject’s Essential III [HFN Jan ’17]. The lightweight alloy platter
is bulked-up, and successfully damped, by its rubber mat and
so start-up time is swift while rumble is impressively low at
–68.0dB (through-groove) and –69.5dB (through bearing).
The servo-controlled DC motor still betrays a suggestion of
the very low rate drift we’ve seen with other DC belt-drive
solutions, however, visible on the W&F plot as a broadening of
the main peak [see Graph 1, below]. Wow and flutter are high,
but not debilitatingly so with peak figures of 0.11% and 0.1%
respectively, although the +1% absolute speed shift may be
audible to perceptive listeners.
The partnering tonearm, with its auto and manual lift
mechanism, offers a low 7-8g effective mass that suits the
compliance of the supplied A-T pick-up – the deck will certainly
justify a later upgrade with a superior MM, provided you chose
one with a similar maximum output. The gimbal-type bearing
is a slightly primitive design with more than a little play, but
friction is modest once the auto-lift mechanism has detached
itself. These hidden appendages do bring some added
complexity to the resonances observed from the arm under
test conditions, however. The tube is not ultra-rigid and appears
to have a sub-100Hz main bending mode, leaving harmonics/
headshell flexing at 300Hz and 500Hz with midband modes
around 1kHz quickly suppressed [see Graph 2, below]. PM
ABOVE: Wow and flutter re. 3150Hz tone at 5cm/sec
(plotted ±150Hz, 5Hz per minor division). Absolute
speed is fast by almost exactly +1%
ABOVE: Cumulative tonearm resonant decay
spectrum, illustrating various bearing, pillar and ‘tube’
vibration modes spanning 100Hz-10kHz over 40msec
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Turntable speed error at 33.33rpm 33.67rpm (+1.02%)
Time to audible stabilisation <2sec
Peak Wow/Flutter 0.11% / 0.10%
Rumble (silent groove, DIN B wtd) –68.0dB
Rumble (through bearing, DIN B wtd) –69.5dB
Hum & Noise (unwtd, rel. to 5cm/sec) –57.6dB
Power Consumption 3W
- 100 Dimensions (WHD) / Weight 420x112x330mm / 5.0kg
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 71
 Soundsmith
undsmith Otello Hi
High
hOOutput
t t Cartridge
C t id
7KH2WHOORLV6RXQGVPLWK·VHQWU\OHYHO)L[HG&RLOGHVLJQUHDOL]LQJDQ
DIIRUGDEOHSDWKZD\LQWRWKHZRUOGRIKLJKSHUIRUPDQFHFDUWULGJHV%XLOW
E\KDQGOLNHDOO6RXQGVPLWKFDUWULGJHVWKH2WHOORSURYLGHVDSHUIHFW
EDODQFHRIWRQHDQGUHVROXWLRQDWDJUHDWSULFH7KHUHVXOWLVDFDUWULGJH
WKDWLVDWHDVHZLWKDQ\W\SHRIPXVLF-XVWVOLJKWO\ZDUPHUWKDQRWKHU
6RXQGVPLWKGHVLJQV2WHOOR\LHOGVDULFKQHVVRIWLPEUHWKDWLVXWWHUO\
EHJXLOLQJZLWKDOHYHORIVSHHGDQGG\QDPLFUDQJHWKDWQRRWKHUFDUWULGJH
LQWKLVSULFH

£459

6RXQGVPLWK=HSK\U0,0&
Low Output Cartridge
7KHKDQGFUDIWHG=HSK\U0,0&0RYLQJ,URQIRU0RYLQJ&RLO3UHDPSVLV
EDVHGRQWKHZRUOGIDPRXV6XVVXUURFDUWULGJHDQGFDSWXUHVWKHJLVWRI
WKHODWWHU·VVRQLFVLJQDWXUHDWDPXFKPRUHUHDVRQDEOHSULFH7KH=HSK\U
0,0&KDVEHHQVSHFLÀFDOO\GHVLJQHGWRFRPSOHPHQWERWKXQLSLYRWDUPV
DQGJLPEDOHGEHDULQJDUPV,WVVRQLFDWWULEXWHVLQFOXGHHYHQO\EDODQFHG
IUHTXHQF\UHVSRQVHG\QDPLFVKDGLQJVDQGUHPDUNDEOHGHWDLOUHWULHYDO
LWVVODPZLOOOHDYHHYHQWKHPRVWGLHKDUGDQDORJEXIIVEUHDWKOHVV

£1419

6RXQGVPLWK3DXD
Low Output Cartridge
)HDWXULQJXOWUDORZLQWHUQDOPRYLQJPDVVDVSHFLDOL]HGWHOHVFRSLQJ
DOOR\FDQWLOHYHUDQGKLJKO\SROLVKHGORZPDVVQXGH&RQWDFW/LQHVW\OXV
WKH3DXDZLOODGGDXQLTXHTXDOLW\RIZDUPWKDQGVPRRWKQHVVWRDQ\
DQDORJV\VWHPZLWKRXWOHDYLQJEHKLQGDOOWKHFULWLFDOGHWDLOV\RXZDQW
DQGQHHGWRKHDU7KH3DXDUHDFKHVQHZKHLJKWVRIVW\OXVFRQWURODQG
SHUIRUPDQFHDVLVFRQÀUPHGE\LWVLQFUHGLEO\KLJKFKDQQHOVHSDUDWLRQ
ÀJXUHV

“Ledermann has created a true analog

masterpiece” - Jeff Dorgay, TONE

£3599

6RXQGVPLWK+\SHULRQ
Low Output Cartridge
7KH+<3(5,21LVWKHFDUWULGJHRIFKRLFHIRUWKHPRVWHVWHHPHGDXGLR
HTXLSPHQWPDQXIDFWXUHUV:K\"%HFDXVHZKHQWKH\H[KLELWWKHLUJHDU
DW+L)LVKRZVWKH\ZDQWWKHLUWXUQWDEOHDPSOLÀHURUVSHDNHUV\VWHPV
WRVRXQGWKHYHU\EHVWWKDWWKH\FDQ3HWHU/HGHUPDQQ¶VUDGLFDOGHVLJQ
XWLOL]HVDQDFWXDO´FDFWXVVSLQHµIRUWKHFDQWLOHYHU7KHQDWXUDOO\WDSHUHG
VKDSHVWDFNHGFROXPQDUÀEHUVDQGGHVLFFDWHGUHVLQGDPSLQJÀWWKHH[DFW
SDUDPHWHUVRIWKHSHUIHFWFDQWLOHYHU/RZPDVVH[WUHPHULJLGLW\LQWHUQDO
GDPSLQJDQGWUHPHQGRXVVWUHQJWK$OVRDYDLODEOHLQD'XDO&RPSOLDQFH
'HVLJQIRUROGHU/LQHDU7UDFNLQJWXUQWDEOHVDVWKH+<3(5,21/7
+<3(5,216DUHRIIHUHGZLWKDFKRLFHRI&/RU2&&/VW\OXV

£6995

   
 $FRXVWLF6LJQDWXUH:2:7XUQWDEOH
7KH:2:LVRQHRIWKHQHZHVWWXUQWDEOHVLQWKHIDPLO\RI$FRXVWLF6LJQDWXUHSUHFLVLRQ
HQJLQHHUHGWXUQWDEOHV,WFRPHVZLWKWKHVDPHSURSULHWDU\7LGRUIRORQ%HDULQJGHVLJQDVXVHGLQ
DOO$FRXVWLF6LJQDWXUHWXUQWDEOHVDQGZLWKD\HDUZDUUDQW\6WXQQLQJ'HVLJQZLWKWRXFKVHQVRU
RSHUDWLRQVRQREXWWRQLVRQWKHFOHDUGHVLJQHGVXUIDFH%UDQGQHZIXOO\GLJLWDOPRWRUZLWKD
0K]0LFUR3URFHVVRUUHVXOWVLQSHUIHFWVSHHGVWDELOLW\NJKHDY\GXW\$OXPLQLXPSODWWHU
5HHQJLQHHUHG5%7RQHDUPDQGWKHVHQVDWLRQDO$FRXVWLF6LJQDWXUH00&DUWULGJHLQFOXGHG
LPDJHLQFOXGHVWDDUP

…

$FRXVWLF6LJQDWXUH
0DQIUHG7XUQWDEOH
  





7KH0DQIUHG0NWXUQWDEOHLVPDQXIDFWXUHGXVLQJDFKRLFHRIVXPSWXRXVUHDOZRRGYHQHHUV
RUSDLQWHGKLJKJORVVSLDQREODFNRUZKLWH7KHVROLGZRRGHQSOLQWKFDUULHVWKHVXEVWDQWLDOKLJK
PDVVWXUQWDEOHSODWWHUEHDULQJKRXVLQJDQGWRQHDUPPRXQWLQJSODWH7KHWXUQWDEOHPRWRUXQLW
LVUHPRWHO\VLWHGFORVHWRWKHSOLQWKDQGLVWKHVDPHPRWRUDVLVXVHGLQWKHKLJKHQG$FRXVWLF
6LJQDWXUHWXUQWDEOHV

 …

$FRXVWLF6LJQDWXUH
&KDOOHQJHU0N7XUQWDEOH
7KH&KDOOHQJHUWXUQWDEOHZHLJKVLQDWNJRIIHULQJ\RXDQHQWU\OHYHOKLJKPDVVWXUQWDEOH:LWK
WKLV&KDOOHQJHUGHVLJQ$FRXVWLF6LJQDWXUHEULQJWRJHWKHURQHRIWKHPRVWVRSKLVWLFDWHGH[WHUQDO
GULYHDQGSRZHUVXSSO\GULYHV\VWHPVZLWKDPDVVLYHKLJKPDVVPPWKLFNSODWWHUVXSSRUWHG
E\DVROLGPPWKLFNFKDVVLV7KH&KDOOHQJHULVLQFUHGLEO\VLPSOHWRVHWXSYHU\YHUVDWLOHDQG
VRQLFDOO\LWVSHUIRUPDQFHLVRXWVWDQGLQJPDNLQJPDQ\RWKHUEUDQGWXUQWDEOHVFRVWLQJXSWR
WKUHHWLPHVWKHSULFHVRXQGSRRULQFRPSDULVRQ7KH&KDOOHQJHUGHVLJQRIIHUVDUHPDUNDEOHDQG
FRQVLVWHQWSHUIRUPDQFHDWDKLJKO\FRPSHWLWLYHSULFHDQGKDVUHDOYLVXDODSSHDO

…

$FRXVWLF6LJQDWXUH7KXQGHU7XUQWDEOH
0DQXIDFWXUHGZLWKWKHQHZUHYROXWLRQDU\6LOHQFHU3ODWWHUGHVLJQRQHRIWKHPRVWVLJQLÀFDQW
LPSURYHPHQWVLQ$FRXVWLF6LJQDWXUHWXUQWDEOHGHVLJQV$PPVROLGDOXPLQLXPFKDVVLVIRUPV
WKHEDVHRIWKHWXUQWDEOHRQZKLFKXSWRWKUHHDUPDWWDFKPHQWVFDQEHÀWWHGIRUHLWKHUµRUµ
WRQHDUPVRIDQ\PDNH7KHPPWKLFNSODWWHULVGULYHQE\LWVUHPRWHO\VLWHGPRWRUDQG$OSKD',*
HOHFWURQLFFRQWURORIIHUVDSHUIHFWVXSSO\WRWKHPRWRU7KHWXUQWDEOHEDVHKDVEHHQGHVLJQHGIRU
RSWLPXPVWDELOLW\WKHODUJHIRRWSULQWRIWKHWDEOHJHQHUDWHVPRUHVWDELOLW\WRLQFUHDVHWKHZHLJKW
FRQFHQWUDWLRQDWWKHEDVHRIWKHWXUQWDEOH7KH7KXQGHULVHQJLQHHUHGWRSURYLGHH[FHSWLRQDOVRXQG
EXWLWVIRUPLVDOVRDWWUDFWLYHO\FRQWHPSRUDU\

…





 
w:audioemotion.co.uk e:info@audioemotion.co.uk t:01333 425 999
 Classical Companion
BEHIND THE MUSIC WITH HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW
Richard Hickox
Conductor
With a big repertoire spanning from Albinoni to Verdi, he’s principally remembered for
his extensive Chandos discography of English music, says Christopher Breunig
ichard Hickox had the
R inspiration to become a
conductor when, at school,
he was singing in Vaughan
Williams’s Sea Symphony and
Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast.
‘We had a marvellous director
of music – and I remember wanting
to be in the middle of that sound.
I knew at that moment that I had
to be a conductor.’ (And indeed, in
2006 he made a live recording of
the Sea Symphony with the LSO.)
Leaving his High Wycombe
grammar school in 1967, aged
19, he spent three years as an
organ scholar at Queen’s College,
Cambridge. Next he began teaching
music in Maidenhead, formed his
first choral group, the Wooburn
Singers (his father ran an arts festival
there) and then created his first
PHOTO: GREG BARRETT/CHANDOS RECORDS
74 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017
è Popular
pieces on
Baroque
Richard Hickox’s
first LP for Argo
(1977)
í Richard
Hickox
began recording
orchestra, using his own name – the
Richard Hickox Orchestra would later
become the City of London Sinfonia
for Chandos in – and in 1977 made his first LP for
1988 and made Argo [ZRG866]. This was largely of
over 250 discs popular Baroque pieces, like the
for the company ‘Albinoni Adagio’, Pachelbel’s Kanon
and Purcell’s G-minor Chacony. The
group was led by Simon Standage.
‘It was sheer bravado,’ he said
[HFN Oct ’88]. ‘We hadn’t got two
pennies to rub together. We just
booked St John’s,
Smith Square,
and had fantastic ‘“Richard’s ability
coverage – the
BBC took us on,
to use time was
and we soon found
an agent.’
uncanny during
In 1990 he studio sessions”’
co-founded the
period-instrument Collegium 90
with Standage, and the discography
(Chandos) includes six of Haydn’s
‘London’ Symphonies and The
Creation, and 14 Masses, also
choral works by JS Bach, Beethoven,
Hummel and Vivaldi, and stage
works by Purcell and Vivaldi.
Back in 1982 Hickox was
appointed Artistic Director to the
Northern Sinfonia, in Newcastle,
where he completed a Beethoven
symphony cycle for ASV Records.
This was at a time when LPs
overlapped CDs – just as well in my
case as my set is now completely
unplayable due to bronzing! Hickox
had strong views about orchestral
proportions in Beethoven – ‘I don’t
like a hugely inflated romantic
sound. Most orchestras double up
the wind sections, but we stripped
down the strings instead’.
MASTERING TIME
The ‘Pastoral’ was perhaps the best
outcome: the opening ritardando
perfectly, unobtrusively, timed and
a sunny warmth generated in both
opening movements. (Perhaps
the peasants’ band is a little too
accomplished: I like a coarser cluster
of wind voices.) In the ‘Eroica’ the
horn section excels in the scherzo
and overall the interpretation is free
of any of the overblown gestures
of, say, Fricsay’s Berlin version. Like
Jochum, Hickox ran scherzo and
finale together without a pause.
Other major recording projects
with the Northern Sinfonia included
Vaughan Williams’s Sir John In Love
and Riders To The
Sea, and Walton’s
The Bear [all on
Chandos].
Aged 28,
Richard Hickox had
been appointed
director of the
London Symphony
Orchestra Chorus and he became
the LSO’s principal guest conductor
in 1985. In 2000 he was appointed
to the BBC National Orchestra of
Wales and was recording with them
on the day he died, in Nov ’08.
(Taken to hospital with a suspected
heart attack he was discharged the
same day but died from an aneurism
later that evening in his hotel room.)
He was buried at St Endellion,
Cornwall, where he had served its
music festivals for over 36 years.
Hickox had been commuting to
Sydney from 2005, working with
 Opera Australia but increasingly
became a victim of chauvinism.
His 2003 recordings with the BBC
NOW included works by Sir Lennox
Berkeley and his son Michael [six
Chandos CDs], who saw ‘just what
a master of recording technique
Richard was – his ability to use time
was uncanny, to know where to
patch or when a whole new sweep
was essential.’ (YouTube has the
2005 world premiere of Michael
Berkeley’s Concerto for Orchestra,
also a Bournemouth Prom Carmina
Burana, although both are in very
poor film quality.)
This technical skill enabled him
to complete a vast discography
of British music from the film
scores of William Alwyn to seven
of the nine symphonies (and much
more) by Vaughan Williams – see
www.chandos.net/list/artist/
Richard_Hickox/190274. Uniquely
in that cycle is the longer 1913
scoring of the ‘London Symphony’
made when the composer’s widow,
Ursula, sanctioned a concert
PHOTO: SATOSHI AOYAGI/IMG ARTISTS
performance and the LSO recording
at All Saints, Tooting, made in
Dec 2000 [Chandos CHSA5001,
SACD; CHAN9902, CD; ABRD9902,
LP]. The cuts, etc (described in
Michael Kennedy’s annotations), are
endlessly fascinating. As a Tempo
reviewer remarked ‘The 1913 score
is more meditative, dark-shaded
and tragic in tone. [Later] Vaughan
Williams’s concept of symphonic
architecture was becoming more
aligned with a Sibelian logic’.
In 1987 Hickox made a budget
recording of Holst’s popular Suite
The Planets with the LSO which
impresses mostly in the quieter,
slower sections. But as a production
it is easily surpassed the LSO/
Previn/EMI, as perspectives vary
and the final fadeout of voices just
sounds mechanical. Also, timings
in ‘Venus’ and ‘Neptune’ are far
è
Chandos
The
unique
recording
of Vaughan
Williams’s
original score
for his ‘London
Symphony’ is on
vinyl, SACD and
as a 96kHz/
24-bit download!
longer than with the definitive Boult the words have even more impact
interpretations and – had he lived than under Britten’s baton. The
– Hickox might well have rethought spatial potential of the work is far
these [Regis RRC1200]. He was a better realised too, captured in St
great Boult admirer and in a rare Jude’s NW11, than in the Britten/
YouTube clip extolls the old Boult/ Decca Kingsway Hall version while
Decca VW cycle as ‘revelatory’. the St Paul’s boys’ voices have a
striking ethereal purity.
SPATIAL REALISATION Chandos also had another trick or
Another remarkable recording is of two up its sleeve by accommodating
Britten’s War Requiem. With Heather the Sinfonia da Requiem and the
Harper in her rightful place, as the rarity Ballad of Hermes on the
final ‘Libera me’ expands, Hickox second disc [CHAN8983/4].
ë Steven
Isserlis
recorded the
must indeed have found himself ‘in
the middle of all that sound’… And
with the excellent Philip Langridge
Asked once about his association
with 20th century British and choral
music, Hickox quipped that ‘I’ve
Elgar Concerto [also see boxout, below] clear in spent my whole life trying to run
and Britten’s every syllable and pitch and with away from both’. Fortunately his
Cello Symphony a capable substitute for Fischer- endeavours have meant a huge and
with Hickox Dieskau in John Shirley-Quirk, I think varied legacy for exploration.
ESSENTIAL RECORDINGS
Malcolm Arnold: Symphony No 5 most intimate accounts of the Elgar and more
Chandos CHAN9385 rewarding (I feel) than his Hyperion remake.
Nominated by Gramophone magazine as
one of its ‘top ten’ choices for English music Rubbra: Symphonies Nos 3 and 7
recordings – Hickox with the LSO. Chandos CHAN9634
A good place to listen first to a now rarely
Britten: Peter Grimes heard composer: perhaps the ‘English
Chandos CHAN9447 (two discs; 44.1kHz/24-bit) Nielsen’? He wrote in a modern yet accessible
A splendid production with theatrical stereo manner and a love of Brahms informs the 11
staging and a welcome absence of parody in symphonies (all available as a set with Hickox
the acting – Philip Langridge is Grimes, Janice and the BBC NOW).
Watson a touching Ellen Orford.
Haydn: six ‘London’ Symphonies
Elgar Cello Concerto/Bloch Schelomo, etc Chandos CHAN0655 and 0662
Erato 5614902 (download only) Nos 93, 94, 100-104 with Collegium 90. The
Among the first Virgin Classics couplings with ‘Drumroll’ (No 103) was Radio 3’s Building a
Steven Isserlis, LSO/Hickox, this is one of the Library choice in May 2001.
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 75

Vinyl Release
BEHIND THE MUSIC WITH HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW
Miles Davis
Kind Of Blue (180g)
Steve Sutherland attempts to gain a little insight into
jazz as he grapples with a 180g reissue of one of the
genre’s key LPs, and finds it the perfect place to start
his piece was going to begin with
T an especially great episode of
Seinfeld where George Costanza
is in a restaurant being dumped
by his girlfriend and gets the hump when
she goes into that immortal break-up line
designed to let the about-to-be-ditched
down easy. ‘It’s not you, it’s me.’
George is aghast. ‘You’re giving me the,
“It’s not you, it’s me” routine?! I invented
“It’s not you, it’s me”. Nobody tells me it’s
them not me. If it’s anybody, it’s me.’
‘Look,’ she says, ‘I was just trying to…’
He cuts her off. ‘I know what you were
trying to do! Nobody does it better than
me.’ She sighs. ‘I’m sure you do it very well.’
‘Yes, well, unfortunately,’ he gloats,
‘you’ll never get the chance to find out!’
At which point, at his moment of
triumph, it dawns on him. The idiot. He’s
been dumped!
Then I was going to go on about how
this is vaguely how I feel about jazz. I
read other writers and rock musicians I
respect eulogising the spiritually enriching
effects of the likes of John Coltrane’s Giant
Steps or something or other by Pharoah
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
ì Miles Davis and John Coltrane photographed in the studio in this Columbia promo shot
issued by Legacy Recordings to promote Davis’s Round About Midnight Legacy Edition
76 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017
Sanders or Thelonius Monk and how these
exploratory works reach further than mere
musical entertainment into the very realms
of the soul. And I was going to go on about
how I lust to join them in their reverie of
inspiration and so I sit myself down and I
listen with all my might… And all I hear are
clusters of scrambled notes, interminable
honks and tweets, annoyingly out of kilter
and painfully off key… chaos.
And I was going to admit that
sometimes the philistine in me feels
smug that my ears can still sniff out the
emperor’s new clothes. But still the doubt
nags that, like some
novice monk in a kung
fu movie, maybe I’m ‘Modality is the sort
just not yet worthy to
be enlightened. In other
of stuff to send
words, it’s me, not jazz.
But then I saw La La
this novice back
Land at the weekend to his Led Zep’
and witnessed Emma
Stone’s character Mia drop the bomb that
jazz, to her, was just elevator music, stuff
to fill in the space that you don’t really
listen to. And again, that struck a familiar
STEVE SUTHERLAND
Steve edited NME from 1992-2000, the Britpop
years, launching NME.com and reviving the
NME Awards. Previously he was Assistant
Editor on Melody Maker. Among his many
adventures he has been physically threatened
by Axl Rose, hung out awhile with Jerry Garcia
and had a drink or two with Keith Richards...
chord. When I listen to jazz my mind
wanders, I lose concentration and when I
zone back in, I’ve invariably missed it.
But I’m no quitter so this month’s Vinyl
Release is not a celebration of an album
I’ve known and loved a long time, but an
attempt at an awakening. So here we go:
Miles Davis’s Kind Of Blue.
RETURN TO MELODY
The album was laid down in two sessions
in Columbia Records’ 30th Street Studio in
New York, on March the 2nd and April the
22nd 1959. The line-up, by and large, was
Billy Cobb on drums,
Paul Chambers on
bass, John Coltrane
and Julian ‘Cannonball’
Adderley on sax, Miles
Davis on trumpet
and, invited back to
the band for these
sessions, Bill Evans
on piano. They needed Evans because
Davis, the band leader, was determined
to attempt ‘a return to melody’ after his
recent explorations in hard bop. The pianist
was an evangelist for what had come to be
known as Modality, since another pianist,
George Russell, had written his Lydian
Chromatic Concept Of Tonal Organisation.
Now, as I’m sure you can sense, this
is just the sort of professorial stuff liable
to send this novice scurrying back to his
Beatles and Led Zep. It’s got something
to do with not relying on traditionally
accepted chord structures or some such
but let’s just let that lie shall we, and
marvel at the stuff that caresses our
ears when the stylus hits the grooves. All
recorded in one or two takes with virtually
no rehearsal to keep the playing honest
and fresh, Kind Of Blue is a moody, gently
swinging thing of great poise and beauty.
The liner notes to the original release
were written by Bill Evans and his frame of
reference for this brilliant album goes like
this: ‘There is a Japanese visual art in which
the artist is forced to be spontaneous. He
must paint on a thin stretched parchment
ì Priced £19.99, The Sony Legacy version
of Miles Davis’s Kind Of Blue on 180g
vinyl is available from www.amazon.uk
with a special brush and black water
paint in such a way that an unnatural or
interrupted stroke will destroy the line or
break through the parchment...
‘These artists must allow an idea to
express itself in communication with their
hands in such a direct way that deliberation
cannot interfere... The resulting pictures
lack the complex composition and textures
of ordinary painting, but it is said that
those who see well [sic] find something
captured that escapes explanation.
‘This conviction that direct deed is the
most meaningful reflection, I believe, has
prompted the evolution of the extremely
severe and unique disciplines of the jazz or
improvising musician.’
LOST TO THE VIBE
In other words, the sextet set out as one
to capture the spirit of discovery in making
music, an extraordinary accomplishment
that relied not only on the skill of the
participants but also on the chemistry
between them.
Where one might expect a band made
up of such talents to chafe for their solos
and look to make their own significant
marks, the magic of Kind Of Blue is that
they are all playing of one accord, utterly
complementary to each other at the
music’s every smooth twist and turn.
Instruments glide in and out as befits the
atmosphere at any given point, everyone
grooving off everyone else.
These are masters playing masterfully
and you sense they know and revel in it,
lost to the vibe. Impossible, really, to pick a
high or a low. Coltrane plays a little darker,
there’s a little more joy maybe in Adderley’s
playing but tonally, the whole album is
really one sublime piece.
The first track’s called ‘So What’, which
actor Dennis Hopper claimed was taken
from his usual verbal response to many
a late night philosophical conversation
with Miles. Unusually, if your ears choose
to pick out a lead instrument, it’s Paul
Chambers’ double-bass. Next up is ‘Freddie
Freeloader’, which is blues-ier and features
Wynton Kelly on piano, then ‘Blue In Green’
which may sound smooth but later led to
some disagreement between Bill Evans and
Miles over authorship. When challenged,
Miles – who claimed it all as his own –
wrote Evans a cheque for $25.
Side two begins with the longest track
on the album, ‘All Blues’, a piece so sultry
that nine years later Tim Buckley pretty
much transposed the whole thing for his
vocals and recorded it under the title
‘Strange Feelin’’ for his Happy Sad LP.
And finally there’s ‘Flamenco Sketches’
which jazz historians will gleefully tell you
features no written melody, each player
performing their own solo as they see fit.
ON THE RIGHT ROAD
The track titles kind of mean nothing and
yet they all do sound kind of blue in the
deepest sense of the word – a little lonely,
a little melancholy, dreamy, ethereal, sexy
and very, very cool.
So if, like me, you’re still trying to
discover your entrance to the path to jazz
Valhalla, this is probably the perfect place
to start. Don’t take my word for it. Others
with wide and varied musical bents have
also succumbed to its genius. Rapper Q-Tip
reckons, ‘It’s like the Bible – you just have
one in your house.’ Ace guitarist Duane
Allman asserted just before his untimely
death in 1971, ‘I’ve listened to that album
so many times that for the past couple of
years, I haven’t hardly listened to anything
else.’ And maestro producer Quincey Jones
has gone on record saying: ‘Kind Of Blue
will always be my music, man. I play Kind of
Blue every day – it’s my orange juice.’
Once it was finished and released, Miles
himself had very little to say about the
album but then Miles was never a man
prone to look back. Me? I think I’m on the
right road at long last, just about to take
those first ‘Giant Steps’.
RE-RELEASE VERDICT
Formed in 1990, Legacy Recordings is part
of Sony Music and handles the archives of
Columbia Records. This 180g reissue is the
stereo version [88875111921] and comes
with a sleeve made of thick card stock
on which the original artwork is crisply
printed using rich colours.
Our copy was flat with no playing
issues, the vinyl itself being physically
heavy and appearing to have been pressed
using only the highest quality materials.
At the price, this reissue is perfect for the
collector and curious alike. HFN
Sound Quality: 90%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 77
 VINYL ICONS
BEHIND THE MUSIC WITH HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW

Rod Stewart Atlantic Crossing

The singer’s sixth solo album would secure him mainstream success but see the breakup
of one of the early ’70s raunchiest rock ’n’ roll bands. Then there were the music critics,
angered that Stewart had swapped the grey skies of London for a jet-set lifestyle in LA...
Words: Mike Barnes

78 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

 eing in a group and

B having a parallel
solo career can be a
good way to let off
creative steam and explore
musical avenues that your
band mates might not care to
travel down collectively. But when
a lead singer’s solo career takes off
to the extent that it eclipses that
of the group he or she is in, you are
looking at a potential problem. é The
1975
Such was the case with Rod release on

Stewart, lead singer of The Faces,
following the release of his sixth solo
album, Atlantic Crossing in August
1975. Stewart always was a ‘face’,
from the time he was referred to as
‘Rod The Mod’ back in the ’60s. He
was originally hired by Long John
Baldry & The All Stars – renamed
The Hoochie Coochie Men – as a
teenage harmonic player and singer.
Even then Stewart ran a solo career
in tandem, his first solo single being
a version of ‘Good Morning Little
Schoolgirl’, released in 1964.
He went on to play with
Steampacket (including Baldry, Julie
Driscoll and Brian Auger) and came
to prominence when he joined the
Jeff Beck Group. Here he first met
guitarist and bass player Ronnie
Wood and sang on the albums, Truth
(1968) and Beck-Ola (1969).
HOARSE RASP
Stewart quit Beck’s group in 1969,
signing to the Mercury label on
which he released his debut solo
album, An Old Raincoat Won’t
Ever Let You Down, in the
autumn of that year. By now
he was really coming into his
own as a singer. His voice had
an earthiness to it, a hoarse
rasp that was perfectly
suited to his rootsy
music, which now
incorporated elements
of folk, rock ’n’ roll,
blues, soul and even
a little country.
Ronnie Wood
had become the
new guitarist for The
Small Faces following
the departure of
guitarist and singer
Steve Marriott. Before
his album had been
released Stewart
ALLAN WARREN
Riva, the
label formed
by Billy Gaff,
Rod Stewart’s
manager
ì Stewart
poses
for a promo
shot in 1972 followed Wood into the
band and collectively, with
è On
stage
with Ron
Ian McLagan on keyboards,
Kenney Jones on drums and
Ronnie Lane on bass and
Wood (left) in vocals, changed their name
1975 when to The Faces. The Small
Stewart was Faces had emerged as a
in The Faces mod group and had then
shifted into psychedelia and harder seduced by an older woman, which
ê A shot
from
1971, when
rock, but The Faces were a different
proposition altogether.
If The Rolling Stones were
topped the singles charts in the
US and was No 1 in the UK for five
weeks. Stewart appeared on Top Of
Every Picture aristocratic princes of darkness, The The Pops with The Faces – not all of
Tells A Story Faces were the bunch of lads you whom had played on the record –
was released might see ‘on the pull’ down at the with John Peel miming the mandolin
local Top Rank on part, larking
a Saturday night. about and playing
Their penchant for ‘He had never football onstage.
drink meant they
veered towards the
attempted such The Faces also
scored a number
shambolic at times, a challenging of hits, such as
but when they the raunchy ‘Stay
clicked they were vocal sober’ With Me’, which
the most exciting reached the Top
good-time rock ’n’ roll band of the 10 in both the US and UK in 1972,
early ’70s and a perfect antidote to while the album A Nod’s As Good As
the musical excesses of progressive A Wink… To A Blind Horse reached
rock. DJ John Peel claimed them as No 1 in the UK.
his favourite group. It felt as if the entire nation had
taken Stewart and The Faces to
DROLL HUMOUR their hearts. But this alliance started
Although Stewart found writing to show cracks when Stewart was
lyrics something of a trial, his clearly not fully engaged with the
better efforts were full of pithy disappointing 1973 Faces album
observations and droll humour. For Ooh La La, and Ronnie Lane left
example, the 1971 single ‘Maggie the group. Lane’s replacement,
May’ from his solo album Every the Japanese bass player Tetsu
Picture Tells A Story is a semi- Yamauchi, was apparently soon on
autobiographical tale of a schoolboy a bottle of Teacher’s a day.

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 79

 A U D I O S Y S T E M S

The Classic

August 2016 Best Turntable 2016-2017

An Instant Classic
The Classic was released to celebrate Pro-Ject Audio
Systems’ 25th Anniversary. This retro-inspired turntable
has been designed from the ground-up to combine
timeless aesthetics with modern technology and
audiophile sound performance.
The striking frame design is available in three wood
finishes, and provides clever decoupling between the
acoustically treated aluminium platter and the motor.
The new motor is powered by a built-in generator, for
a consistent performance, and drives a sub-platter that
sits atop a precision-engineered main bearing.
The all-new 9” Classic Tonearm is made of aluminium
and carbon fibre, for unrivalled rigidity while retaining
a low mass. The arm benefits from a new bearing
system for completely free movement and is supplied as
standard with an Ortofon 2M Silver cartridge.
Available Now for £799.00 (UK SRP)

Distributed by Henley Designs Ltd.

T: +44 (0)1235 511 166 | E: sales@henleydesigns.co.uk | W: www.henleydesigns.co.uk
 VINYL ICONS

PRODUCTION NOTES In early 1975,

With Atlantic Crossing, Stewart Stewart moved to
decided that he would put his faith the States as a tax
in a producer for the first time since exile to live with
he had worked with Mercurys’ Lou Swedish actress Britt
Reizner back in 1969 – in this case Ekland. Kenney Jones
Tom Dowd. Stewart was keen to publicly criticised
record the album quickly and the Stewart, but the
bulk was completed in three weeks. singer maintained
Initial recordings featured the MG’s that when The
with Booker T playing The Bee Gees’ Faces were on
‘To Love Somebody’, Elvis Presley’s tour in America in
‘Return To Sender’ and Lee Dorsey’s 1974 there was a tacit
‘Holy Cow’. The takes were not used. agreement that it would
As Stewart became more benefit the group’s music
comfortable working with these if they went to live there.
legendary figures, he and producer Stewart claimed that he
Tom Dowd decided to try out the was committed to the
famous Muscle Shoals rhythm section group and their future
at the Alabama studio of that name. would hinge on whether
Stewart was excited to be working or not Ron Wood joined
with Aretha Franklin’s band once The Rolling Stones.

ALLAN WARREN
he had overcome his initial surprise
at being confronted by a bunch of SOUL LEGENDS
white Alabama boys. He was so taken In the meantime, Stewart
aback that he needed reassurance he was keen to mark his crossing by
wasn’t being hoodwinked. trying out something completely grit of An Old Raincoat…, it proved
On ‘This Old Heart Of Mine’, Dowd
decided to record at Hi Recording in
different musically, working with
Tom Dowd, who had produced
that Stewart was still a ballad singer
par excellence, particularly on a é Stewart
in 1972
Memphis with the Memphis Horns R&B and soul legends Ray Charles, decelerated version of the Isley at home in his
who had played on all the Stax Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin. Brothers’ ‘This Old Heart Of Mine’. conservatory
records that had brass. Stewart wanted to play with the The most inspired choice of in London
Back at Muscle Shoals, the song same guys who had backed some cover was ‘Sailing’, a song by Gavin
‘Sailing’ was treated to a big string
arrangement by Atlantic producer
Arif Marden, with backing vocals to
of his heroes and ended up hooking
up with Booker T & The MG’s and
the Muscle Shoals
Sutherland of The Sutherland
Brothers who Stewart had thought
of working with.
ë ‘This Old
Heart
Of Mine’ was
give a choral effect. Prior to these players. The Ostensibly a low- the second
sessions, Stewart admitted that he result would be ‘“Stewart backed key song with single to be
Atlantic Crossing. the sentimental released from
had never recorded anything without
alcohol, but the Alabama sessions Although
away, looking feel of an old the album.
took place in a then dry county.
He had managed to persuade
the playing is
top quality and
harassed and Scottish ballad,
it was made
Stewart
released a
someone to send a bottle of rum Stewart sings very slightly stunned”’ anthemic thanks duet version
over the country line and he, guitarist well, in many ways to its string of the song
Cropper and bass player Dunn the album is more a meeting of arrangement and backing singers. with Ronald
carefully measured out their own rum worlds than a smooth transition. ‘Sailing’ was released as a single on Isley in 1990
ration. When Dowd called Stewart ‘Three Time Loser’ is a slickly the same day as Atlantic Crossing
at 10am saying the singer needed to
come in and do his vocal on ‘Sailing’,
Stewart, in his own words, ‘panicked’
produced rocker even if Stewart’s
voice is submerged in the mix
beneath a particularly obtrusive
and gave Rod Stewart an enormous
hit, remaining at No 1 in the UK
charts for four weeks.
ë ‘Sailing’
was the
singer’s third
as he had never sung anything that bass. ‘All In The Name of Rock’ N’ No 1 single,
early, let alone attempted such a Roll’, fuelled by the Memphis Horns, WORLDWIDE HIT sitting at the
challenging vocal while sober. is an improvement while ‘Stone On the surface, Atlantic Crossing UK top slot
Cold Sober’, written with the MG’s’ sounded different to Stewart’s for four weeks
guitarist Steve Cropper shifts along previous solo albums, though not
crisply. Rather more successful
is a soulful cover of ‘Drift Away’,
originally a 1973 hit for American
to a huge degree. But the subtle
differences were set to grow. Its
contents reflected the cover art that
í Muscle
Shoals
Sound Studio
soul singer Dobie Gray. shows Stewart bestriding the ocean at 3614
Manager Billy Gaff’s idea was like a colossus with one stack-heeled Jackson
to split the album into a fast side boot landing in New York City, while Highway,
followed by a slow side. Whereas the he looks back at his homeland. In Alabama
slow side might not have had the terms of popularity the album might

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 81

Powerful Innovation

FROM MULTI-AWARD
WINNING POLARIS, EVOLVES 3680W of clean power for 9 outlets
Independent outlets top Differential

CORVUS
Mode cross contamination
Cost effective upgrade for your
complete audio/AV system
Compact design, easy placement
Easy to wall mount behind your system
IsoTek’s award-winning technology at
an affordable price
Includes IsoTek’s multi-award winning
EVO3 Premier power cable

“A distinct cleaning up of the

sound... more space, lower
noise, greater resolution and a
much greater sense of musical
flow... highly recommended.”
Hi-Fi Choice Magazine –
EVO3 Premier power cable

Find out more about IsoTek’s award winning range of

power cleaners. For your free brochure, please contact:
info@soundfowndations.co.uk • www.soundfowndations.co.uk
www.isoteksystems.com • www.facebook.com/isoteksystems

ì Stewart on stage in 1976 at
Ekeberghallen arena in Oslo
only have reached No 9 in the US
album charts but it made No 1 in
the UK and was a worldwide hit.
The Rolling Stones had already
slipped into tax exile, but many
people resented Stewart going to
live in LA with girlfriend Britt Ekland.
To his detractors, the man who had
once been the salt-of-the-earth
rocker with a feather cut and cheeky
grin now appeared as a tax dodger
wearing a self-satisfied smirk. And
although Atlantic Crossing generally
received favourable reviews, Stewart
came in for a lot of stick in the press.
At a fractious press conference for
the album, held in Dublin in August
1975 so that Stewart wouldn’t have
to enter the UK, Melody Maker’s
Chris Welch reported the words of
one heckler. ‘“Why doncha pay your
tax bill..? When are you going to
marry Britt..? When are you going
back to England?”. Rod Stewart,
Britt Ekland at his elbow, backed
away harassed and slightly stunned
by a press conference that had
almost become a punch-up.’
SOLO SUCCESS
The Faces split at the end of their
1975 US tour. They had played
‘Stone Cold Sober’ from Atlantic
Crossing but were not keen on
Stewart’s new direction. Their last
recorded statement, the single
‘You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or
Anything’, released in November
1974, had been credited to ‘Rod
Stewart and The Faces’.
Now Stewart had attracted a
large chunk of more mainstream
audience into his speedily growing
solo fanbase. Chris Welch signed off
his balanced Melody Maker review of
the album with some warm wishes.
‘He’s reaching out with this
album for that elusive solo
acceptance as an artist who is more
than a beer-can-swilling jester.
I hope he makes it.’
Alternate Format
Discography
ORIGINAL LP (1975)
The first vinyl LP pressing of Atlantic
Crossing was released in the UK
on Warner Brothers [K 56151] in
a gatefold sleeve in 1975. Its US
counterpart was released on the
same label with catalogue number
BS 2875. All versions in all formats
listed here were released on
Warners, unless stated otherwise.
The album was available in a
combination of mostly gatefold
and some single sleeves. A limited
edition pressing on orange vinyl
was released in the Netherlands
[WB 56151]. An exception to the
worldwide release on Warner
Brothers was the issue in Ireland on
Riva [RVLP 4], Riva being a record
label formed by Rod Stewart’s
manager Billy Gaff in 1975.
CASSETTE AND 8-TRACK (1975)
The cassette of Atlantic Crossing
was released in 1975 in a
number of different versions. The
cover artwork is set on a black
background with white typography
[US WB M5 2875 and Germany
K456 151], with a more elaborate
font used on the Australian version
[M5W 2875]. On the UK version
the title was in blue (K456151).
An 8-track appeared in the UK
on Riva [RV8-4] in 1975, with ‘I
Don’t Want To Talk About It’ and
‘It’s Not The Spotlight’ both split in
half in order to fit the format.
VINYL REISSUES (1976)
The first re-pressing took place in
Germany in 1976 with the sleeve
bearing the imprint ‘Inc. Nr.1-Hit
Sailing’ [WB 56 151].
A year later a UK repressing
appeared on Riva, the centre label
on the record featuring a lion
wearing a tartan scarf [RVLP 4].
A special UK edition in blue vinyl
was also released on Riva that year
and carried the same catalogue
number [RVLP 4].
GERMAN REISSUE (1980)
The next reissue of note appeared
in the GDR (East Germany) on the
Berlin label, AMIGA [8 55 676]
in 1980. The sleeve artwork is
completely different to that of all
other LP releases, featuring pale
blue and white lettering running
across a silver sphere, set against a
black background.
JAPANESE LP (1981)
Japanese versions invariably have
something different to offer and
the 1981 vinyl LP [P-6547W] came
bearing a green obi-strip with an
inner bag featuring a cartoon of
Stewart in shorts kicking a football.
All the track titles and lyrics were
translated into Japanese.
CD (1987)
The first CDs were released in
1987. The catalogue number was
256151 for European territories
and 03108-2 in the US. The
German edition was released as
part of the label’s ‘40 Golden
Greats’ series and came as a gold
CD with a gold sticker on the jewel
case. The Japanese version came
with Obi strip and inserts similar to
the LP version [32XD-396].
CD REMASTER (2000)
The CD was remastered in 2000
in 24-bit and released in Canada
[CDW 47729], the US [9 47729-2]
and Germany [9362-47729-2].
CD REMASTER (2009)
Dave Schultz at DigiPrep oversaw
a further remastering of Atlantic
Crossing in 2009 for a special 2CD
version [see top right]. The track
listing followed that of the original
on disc one, aside from a bizarre
bonus track of the ‘Skye Boat Song’
– surely the ‘Sailing’ of its day –
recorded by the Atlantic Crossing
Drum & Pipe Band.
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 83
The second CD begins with Rod
Stewart with The MG’s and three
songs that didn’t make the original
album, Barry & Robin Gibb’s ‘To
Love Somebody’, Allen Toussaint’s
‘Holy Cow’ and Blackwell and
Scott’s ‘Return To Sender’. These
three tracks are followed by ‘The
Alternative Atlantic Crossing’,
which comprises outtakes and early
demo versions of tracks recorded
in Los Angeles. Catalogue numbers
are 8122-79868-4 (Europe) and
R2 516571 (US).
A single CD version was
released the same year in Europe
with three bonus tracks: alternate
versions of ‘I Don’t Want To Talk
About It’, ‘This Old Heart Of Mine’
and ‘Sailing’ [8122-79858-5].
SHM-CD (2009)
To mark the singer’s Japanese tour
in 2009, an SHM-CD was put out
with a red obi strip and a blue and
white sticker with tour dates and
the legend, ‘Rod Rocks His Greatest
Hits’. This limited edition came in
a cardboard replica mini-gatefold
sleeve [WPCR-13338].
OTHER RARITIES
Another rarity was a version of
the 2000 remaster that came
free with The Mail On Sunday
on October 17th 2010. The CD
bore the catalogue number of
UPRODST001/ 9 47729-2.
Finally, a version of the 2009
remaster came out in 2013 in
Japan on the ‘Forever Young – The
Red Sale’, limited edition budget
series [WPCR-78157].
 Meet the Producers
BEHIND THE MUSIC WITH HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW
Phil Spector
From the wires connecting the musicians to the mixing desk this American producer
managed to capture a particular pop magic, one that caught the imagination of a new
generation of music fan. Steve Sutherland on the work of the ‘First Tycoon Of Teen’
don’t ski. Which is how
I come, while everyone else is
descending the glistening slopes
of glorious Aspen, Colorado, I’m
spending this mid-1980s afternoon
nursing a Zinfandel or two in the
welcoming bar of the Jerome Hotel.
Apparently Phil Spector doesn’t
ski either. Well, maybe he does but
he’s not ski-ing today because that’s
him, just over there, at the table by
the wall. He’s the one that looks a
bit like Pee Wee Herman did when
he played The Spleen in Mystery
Men, except he’s nowhere near so
unkempt and displays no visible zits.
He’s sat all on his own with a
drink which I never see him touch.
People enter the bar. People leave.
Some are evidently regulars. Others,
like me, are tourists.
ONE OF A KIND
Most don’t recognise Phil so don’t
pay him any mind. One or two do
though. You can tell. They double-
take, make the ‘is-it or isn’t-it?
It-can’t-be!’ face. But oddly not one
appears even slightly inclined to go
over for a word or an autograph,
the characteristic behaviour of a fan
back in the pre-selfie days.
Now this is a bar in a hotel which
has stood here on East Main Street
84 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017
è Caught
on
camera in
1975, Phil
Spector peers
through the
fence gates
protecting
his home in
Beverly Hills
í Photo
of the
producer
taken in
1965, the
year The for 100 years and has hosted soirees (’63-’66) The Crystals’ with ‘He’s
Righteous involving the likes of John Wayne, A Rebel’, ‘Then He Kissed Me’ and
Brothers’ Bill Murray, Jack Nicholson and, most ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’, The Ronettes
‘You’ve Lost notoriously, Hunter S Thompson with ‘Be My Baby’, ‘Baby I Love You’
That Lovin’ for whom this is a regular pit stop. and ‘Walking In The Rain’, and The
Feelin’’ was So this is a bar with customers Righteous Brothers with ‘You’ve
released comfortable in the presence of wild Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’, a string of
’n’ crazy guys. Yet still in the three- hits brilliantly described by Richard
î The
Teddy
Bears ‘To
or-so hours that I’m sat here, no-one
makes a move to approach Phil, not
even a waitress to enquire if that
Williams in his splendid book Out
Of His Head as, ‘three-minute
records that contained multitudes,
Know Him Is drink needs a refresh. Everyone gives miniatures that seemed to compress
To Love Him’ him a wide berth and he just sits all the information of a four-
written by there, not noticing any of it. movement symphony into seven
Spector and Phil, you see, is one of a kind. inches of crackly vinyl…’
a hit in 1958 There’s strange, there’s crazy, there’s
weird, and then there’s
w FULL OF WONDER
Phil. And it’s always
P These were hits of such melodrama,
been this way, ever since
b so full of wonder, so splendidly
1958, when The Teddy
1 sentimental in focus and delivery,
Bears, the first group
B that they redefined popular music as
he was ever in, took a we know it. This was a man beyond
ssong he’d written called the extraordinary, nicknamed the
‘‘To Know Him Is To Love First Tycoon Of Teen, Phil Spector
Him’ to the top of the was like unto a demi-god.
charts. Phil’s father Williams again: ‘Spector sold
committed suicide his vignettes of first kisses and
when Phil was nine. The first heartbreaks back to the kids
song’s title was taken who were actually experiencing
from his headstone. them. And what the grandeur of
There then followed his records told them… was that
in three short years their feelings had a place and a
value in the world.’ Phil called
his records ‘little symphonies for
the kids,’ achieved through, ‘a
Wagnerian approach to rock and
roll’ aka the infamous Wall Of Sound,
which, before we explain it, needs
a little context so it can be fully
appreciated in all its awesomeness. ë Label
for
‘You’ve Lost
POP PRODIGY That Lovin’
Before Phil Spector broke the mould, Feelin’ on
producers tended to be old geezers, Spector’s
recording engineers really, intent own Philles
on capturing the sound the artist Records
made when performing live in the imprint
studio as faithfully as possible and
always mindful of the costs involved.
A few developed a stray effect or
two along the way, a gimmick or
ì Players
from
The Wrecking
somesuch to lend the performance Crew at work Here’s how it happened. Phil
more clarity or render it more in Gold Star would work almost exclusively
memorable, but Phil elevated it all Studios in the and players and told them just how out of Gold Star Studios on Santa
to a whole other level which few, if 1960s and what to sing and play. He then Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles,
any, have attained ever since. took charge of every aspect of the which afforded him not one, but
Phil made records. He didn’t
record artists and had no interest in
doing so. Everything he did was his.
ì Promo
shot
from 1966 of
recording process so it perfectly
matched what he heard in his head.
And, then, just so he could see
two echo chambers.
Once he’d written his song, he’d
assemble his players – the best that
He operated like a movie director The Ronettes the deal right through, he released money could buy. They became
who writes the script, tells the actors and (right) his records on his known as The
what to do, organises the camera The Crystals own Philles label. Wrecking Crew
angles, mulls over the lighting and in 1963 And did I mention, ‘Phil would then and went on to
creates his own film. Phil controlled at the peak of his
ask: “Is it dumb play on thousands
everything, obsessively, from start
to finish. He wrote the songs, or
ssometim
imes hand-
í Gold
Star
Studios on
productivity, he
was just 23 years
old, a single-
enough?” Which
of historic pop
records. Phil
put the players
pi
pickked them. He Santa Monica minded prodigy, meant, is it a hit?’ through hell.
chose
ch the singers Boulevard a youthful threat Hours upon hours
to the old guard and a beacon of of rehearsal took place before Phil
inspiration for a new generation was satisfied and ready to record
looking to make its own mark. live takes with the assistance of his
So what was the Wall Of Sound? trusty engineer Larry Levine.
Sometimes Phil downplayed it:
‘I was looking for a sound so strong THE SOUND
that, if the material was not the In the normal world, players would
greatest, the sound would carry the be positioned and mic’d up so
record. It was a case of augmenting, that each instrument could be
augmenting…’ Other times he was individually captured. The same
more specific: ‘You can’t take the would be true for the singer(s).
echo off “Be My Baby”. You can’t Phil wasn’t remotely interested
take the echo off “River Deep, in that. Individual musician’s
Mountain High” – it’s on Tina Turner performances were not what it was
forever. That’s my art. That’s what about. He was after a sound so it
I do better than anyone.’ Ah, the didn’t matter if the guitar sound
echo. The key to the magic. bled into the drums or vice

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 85

 MEET THE PRODUCERS
BEHIND THE MUSIC WITH HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW

1962 1963 1963 1964 1966 1970 1980

‘He’s A Rebel’ Spector gives ‘The greatest Co-written by Spector believes Spector presses End Of The
by The Crystals a series of pop record ever Spector, ‘You’ve ‘River Deep George Harrison Century goes on
reaches No 1 in seasonal made,’ said Brian Lost That Lovin’ Mountain High’ to release ‘My to become the
the US. In true standards his Wilson of The Feeling’ is held to be his best Sweet Lord’ highest charting
Spector fashion, trademark Ronettes’ single up by many as work. After it as a single. It Ramones’ album.
the recording treatment and ‘Be My Baby’. It the ultimate fails to chart in becomes the first It also includes
is in fact made his Christmas sees Spector use example of ‘The the US he leaves US No 1 for an a cover of The
by the all-girl Gift For You a full orchestra Wall Of Sound’ the industry ex-Beatle Ronettes’ hit
Californian group album hits No 15 for the first time single ‘Baby
The Blossoms in the US chart I Love You’

versa. He’d just cram the players into parked outside. Phil was not Cohen on Death Of A Ladies
the studio and work them until he remotely interested in hi-fi Man. There were tales of
could hear what they couldn’t, the or stereo systems, although, tantrums, guns in the studio,
record in his head. of course, his discs had to fits of paranoia. Stranger and
Very often Spector would use boom out from a jukebox. stranger. The work dried up.
multiple instruments. The line-up for The records remained. The
‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’, for MORE OBSESSIVE mystique grew.
example, comprised four acoustic And hits they were. Hit ‘Phil was a one-trick
guitars, three pianos, three basses, after hit after glorious, pony,’ is how fellow
two trumpets, two trombones, three life-enhancing hit until producer and Beats
saxophones and drums. inexplicably, Ike & Tina co-founder Jimmy Iovine
Turner’s ‘River Deep summed up the tragic genius
ALL IN MONO
The resulting sound was sent
straight from the studio into the
Mountain High’, the record he
released convinced it was his
masterpiece, bombed. Phil took it
ë The
Beatles’
Let It Be from
a few years back. ‘It was a hell of
a trick, but...’ And today, all is still
strangeness. Phil is currently serving
echo chambers bad. He retired 1970 was time for the murder of actress Lana
where it was played from the game produced Clarkson who was found shot dead
back through ‘There were convinced he was by Spector, in his mansion in 2003. He’ll be 88
speakers and picked
up by microphones
tales of guns in casting pearls
before swine.
who added
orchestration
when he comes up for parole.
Gold Star Studios closed its doors
that fed it into the
control room where
the studio, fits He grew more
obsessive. He
to three
tracks
for the last time in 1984. The plot
on which it once stood is now
it was recorded onto of paranoia’ lived like a hermit. a shopping mall.
three-track Ampex
tape recorders. Phil would then ask:
‘Is it dumb enough?’ Which meant,
Then he married
Ronnie Bennett of The Ronettes and
jealously imprisoned her in his castle
î Ike and
Tina
Turner in
is it a hit? up in the Hollywood Hills until she 1971. When
All of this was recorded in could take it no more. recording
mono because all Phil was Amazingly, he re-emerged ‘River Deep...’
interested in was creating in 1970 to help rescue The Spector paid
hit records and what made Beatles’ break-up album, Ike $20,000
records hits was what Let It Be. Paul McCartney not to come
became popular played hated what Phil did to it, to the studio
through people’s radios subsequently stripping away
which were mostly small,
inexpensive, tinny
and, if not in a car,
all his orchestration. Phil
then worked with
George Harrison
í The late
Leonard
Cohen whose
transportable. Gold on All Things Must Death Of A
Star even had a Pass, John Lennon Ladies Man
facility to play a (Imagine), The Spector
recording session Ramones (End Of produced in
through the The Century) and 1977
speakers in a car with Leonard

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 87

Great savings
when you subscribe to Hi-Fi News today
SAVE 75%
ON DIGIT
SUBSCRI AL
PTIONS*
Offe r
13th Aprends
il 2017

IN EVERY ISSUE Exclusive high-end equipment reviews, vinyl,

CD and hi-res downloads rated, show reports, your letters, in-depth
investigations, vintage tests and so much more… DIGITAL ONLY
SUBSCR IPTIONS
AVAILABLE
ONLINE…
SUBSCRIBE SECURELY ONLINE
SUBSCRIBE TODAY http://hfn.secureorder.co.uk/HIFI/V1088/
k/ /
TERMS & CONDITIONS: Offer ends 13th April 2017. *This digital discount is only available when you subscribe to the print + digital package. You can still get a great
discount on the digital package, please visit the URL stated above for more information. Please see www.hifinews.co.uk/terms for full terms & conditions.
 SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM

PRINT + DIRECT DEBIT SUBSCRIPTIONS UK ONLY

DIGITAL
Yes, I would like to subscribe to Hi-Fi News
Print + Digital: £51.30 annually
SUBSCRIPTION Print Subscription: £43.00 annually

YOUR DETAILS MUST BE COMPLETED

Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms........................... Initial................ Surname...........................................................
Address ...................................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................................................
Postcode .............................................................. Country ................................................................
Tel ........................................................................... Mobile.....................................................................
Email ...................................................................... D.O.B ......................................................................

I WOULD LIKE TO SEND A GIFT TO:

Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms........................... Initial................ Surname...........................................................
Address ...................................................................................................................................................
PRINT + DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION ....................................................................................................................................................................
Postcode .............................................................. Country ................................................................
13 Issues delivered to your door
Great savings on the shop price INSTRUCTIONS TO YOUR BANK/BUILDING SOCIETY

Download each new issue to your device Originator’s reference 422562

Name of bank.........................................................................................................................................
A 75% discount on your Digital subscription
Address of bank.....................................................................................................................................
Access your subscription on multiple devices .....................................................................................................................................................................

Access to the Online Archive dating back to ................................................................................................. Postcode ...............................................

January 2008 Account holder.......................................................................................................................................
Signature....................................................................................... Date ................................................

Sort code Account number

Instructions to your bank or building society: Please pay MyTimeMedia Ltd. Direct Debits from
the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit
Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with MyTimeMedia Ltd and if so, details

PRINT will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.

SUBSCRIPTION Reference Number (official use only)

Please note that banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions from
some types of account.

CARD PAYMENTS & OVERSEAS

Yes, I would like to subscribe to Hi-Fi News, for 1 year (13 issues)
with a one-off payment
UK ONLY: EUROPE & ROW:
Print + Digital: £53.30 EU Print + Digital: £74.30
Print: £45.00 EU Print: £66.00
ROW Print + Digital: £78.30
ROW Print: £70.00

PAYMENT DETAILS
Postal Order/Cheque Visa/MasterCard Maestro
Please make cheques payable to MyTimeMedia Ltd and write code V1088 on the back

Cardholder’s name..............................................................................................................................
PRINT SUBSCRIPTION Card no: (Maestro)

13 Issues delivered to your door

Valid from...................................... Expiry date.......................... Maestro issue no......................
Great savings on the shop price Signature................................................................................ Date.....................................................
Never miss an issue
Offer ends 13th April 2017. MyTimeMedia Ltd & Hi-Fi News may contact you with information about our other products
and services. If you DO NOT wish to be contacted by MyTimeMedia Ltd & Hi-Fi News please tick here: ❏ Email ❏ Post ❏
Phone. If you DO NOT wish to be contacted by carefully chosen 3rd parties, please tick here: ❏ Post ❏ Phone.
If you wish to be contacted by email by carefully chosen 3rd parties, please tick here: ❏ Email

CALL OUR ORDER LINE Quote ref: V1088 POST THIS FORM TO: HI-FI NEWS SUBSCRIPTIONS,
MY TIME MEDIA LTD, 3 QUEENSBRIDGE, THE LAKES,
0344 243 9023
Lines open Mon - Fri - 8.00am - 8.00pm GMT & Sat - 9.30am - 3.30pm GMT
NORTHAMPTON, NN4 7BF
Calls are charged at the same rate as standard UK landlines and are included as part of any inclusive or free minutes
allowances. There are no additional charges with this number. Overseas calls will cost more. Please visit www.hifinews.co.uk/terms for full terms & conditions V1088
 ALBUM
REVIEWS
ALBUM REVIEWS: VINYL

LOVE
Forever Changes
Mobile Fidelity MFSL2-402 (two 45rpm LPs)
There’s a natural tendency to promote one’s
favourites, eg, by giving them ‘Album Choice’
honours. Love’s Forever Changes is a record
that is in my permanent Top 50 simply because
it is transcendently beautiful in so many ways
that it escapes the confines of what one
might call ‘Summer of Love’ rock, by setting
new standards in sophistication, musically
and lyrically. It terrifies me to think that the
album will be 50 later this year, but MoFi’s
2x45rpm treatment is all that it deserves.
The sound quality was always exceptional,
the original label being the fastidious Elektra,
and even a standard pressing will dazzle. But
this is like a familiar renaissance masterpiece
that’s been cleaned by an expert. KK

Sound Quality: 91%

0 - - - - - - - - 100

THE ANIMALS THE PLEASURE SEEKERS WILLIAM S BURROUGHS

We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
R&B Records R&B7
A much-needed artefact reminding us
of the brilliance of a terribly underrated
band: rare are reissues of Animals’ releases
– curious given the love that remains for
the British Blues Boom – and rarer still are
appearances of unreleased material. This
wonderful set, sub-titled ‘The Animals Radio
& TV Sessions 1965’, provides fans (of which
I am one) with 14 unissued recordings
taken from radio and TV broadcasts that
include Ready Steady Go and Jazz Club,
and American pop/rock shows Shindig and
Hullabaloo, all from the peak year of their
massive Stateside success. ‘We Gotta Get
Out Of This Place’, ‘It’s My Life’, ‘Don’t Let
Me Be Misunderstood’… magnificent. KK
What A Way To Die
Sundazed LP5458 (coloured vinyl)
What a find! Suzi Quatro – a rocker of
true merit who ought to be held up as a
feminist icon – brought a distaff cast to
the UK’s glam era, but before emigrating,
she was already a veteran of a decade
standing, joining this all-girl band formed
by her older sister and with her other sisters
filling the line-up. This LP contains all of the
group’s material – a smattering of singles
circa 1966-1968 – and it’s a snapshot of
the years when rock was evolving into
psychedelia, heralding the hippie explosion.
Inspired by The Beatles, the sound is a
melange of British Invasion pop hooks and
savvy Detroit street sound. Its historical
importance means another gap closed. KK
Let Me Hang You
Ernest Jenning Record Co/Khannibalism KK003
Burroughs, the writer beloved of beatniks
and hippies, died in 1997, but during his
final year was asked to record readings from
his novel, Naked Lunch. The session was
forgotten until 2015, when the producer,
Hal Willner, found them and decided to
finish them. Ordinarily, I’d shy away from
reviewing LPs of poetry or prose readings
because sound quality is based solely on
a single voice, and while that is a challenge,
we need music. In this case, the readings
take place against a background that will
immediately entice fans of New Orleans
funk – think Dr John Goes Punk. The result is
hypnotic, the sound ultra-vivid… but not for
those of a sensitive disposition. KK

Sound Quality: 88% Sound Quality: 86% Sound Quality: 90%

0 - - - - - - - - 100 0 - - - - - - - - 100 0 - - - - - - - - 100

90 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

 AUDIOPHILE: DIGITAL COMPACT DISC SUPERAUDIO DVD BLU-RAY VINYL DOWNLOAD

THE BEACH BOYS
Sunflower
Analogue Productions CAPP069SA
During the tail end of The Beach Boys’
time with Capitol and the beginning of
their tenure with their own label, Brother
Records, the group produced a string of
acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful
albums. Sunflower followed Smiley Smile
and preceded the magnificent Surf’s Up,
and it afforded the other band members
a chance to contribute tracks alongside
Brain Wilson. It continued a run of
eclectic releases noted for beauty and
inventiveness, but the public simply didn’t
get it. Stand-out tracks include ‘Cool, Cool
Water’ and ‘Forever’, and the standard is
high enough for it to figure in a number
of ‘All-Time Greatest Album’ lists. KK
BIG BROTHER & THE
HOLDING COMPANY
Cheap Thrills
Mobile Fidelity UDSACD2172
Also on MoFi 45rpm double vinyl, this
crucial, hugely popular live recording would
expose the band’s flawed playing, leading
to Janis Joplin going solo. And while they
were scrappy, sloppy and often out of tune,
Big Brother And The Holding Company
suited her equally erratic singing, because
it never really mattered – her intensity and
delivery are what made Joplin the gutsiest
singer of her era. ‘Ball And Chain’ and ‘Piece
Of My Heart’ are epics, but there isn’t a
second which doesn’t dazzle. However, the
sound quality was only ever so-so, but what
MoFi does for it is to allow you to hear it
with less schmutz in the way. KK
SUN RA AND HIS ARKESTRA
At Inter-Media Arts April 1991
Sundazed/Modern Harmonic MHCD022 (two discs)
This 2CD live set was recorded two years
before Sun Ra’s death at 79. It’s almost a
crash course in the versatility, inventiveness
and, even, incomprehensibility of one of
jazz music’s most outrageous forces. Sun
Ra almost defies classification as his avant-
garde leaning knew no bounds, and yet it’s
fascinating and listenable rather than solely
challenging. The vocal tracks are the more
accessible, but that’s beside the point: Sun
Ra was all about painting ‘soundscapes’ and
the sheer variety of the material, coupled to
staggering sound quality, render this more
listener-friendly than even this particular
philistine could dispute. It’s also available
in the States in a 3LP format. KK

Sound Quality: 90% Sound Quality: 80% Sound Quality: 90%

0 - - - - - - - - 100 0 - - - - - - - - 100 0 - - - - - - - - 100

HENRY MANCINI
Hatari! OST
Analogue Productions CAPP2559SA
A hat trick for Analogue Productions, this is
the third of their Mancini soundtrack reissues
and it’s another audiophile-friendly gem.
Back in 1996, I reviewed a vinyl reissue of
this magnificent album from Germany, one of
Audiophile Record Service’s RCA ‘Shaded Dog’
reissues of long-worshipped LPs. Their Hatari!
[LSP-2569 RE] is now a hard-to-find collectable,
so this takes care of the absence, albeit
digitally. However, this SACD is so punchy,
open and lifelike that its credentials as demo-
worthy remain intact. This film was a 1962
Oscar-winner and remains best known for the
bouncy ‘Baby Elephant Walk’ and it’s one of
Mancini’s finest. It will make you smile as much
as listening to the Pink Panther theme. KK

Sound Quality: 91%

0 - - - - - - - - 100

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 91

 ALBUM
REVIEWS
HI-RES DOWNLOADS
ALISON BALSOM
Jubilo; with AAM/Pavlo Beznosiuk; Stephen
Cleobury; King’s College Ch (96kHz/24-bit, FLAC)
www.highresaudio.com; Warner Classics 9029592511
Jubilo is, says Balsom, ‘a celebration’
of early music by Bach, Corelli (a
concerto grosso), Fasch (a concerto)
and Torelli (a trumpet sonata with
strings and continuo), where she plays
both a natural and a modern trumpet.
The Corelli is a new arrangement of
the ‘Christmas Concerto’ (to which
purists might take exception, though
somehow the baroque trumpet seems
to ‘fit’), while the eight Bach tracks
include pieces with organ – ‘In dulci
jubilo’, ‘Wachet auf’, ‘Kommst du
OUR PROMISE
Following our Investigation feature
[HFN, Jun ’11] where we examined
the claimed quality of high-resolution
downloads, Hi-Fi News & Record
Review is now measuring the true
sample rate and bit-depth of the HD
music downloads reviewed on these
pages. These unique reviews will be
a regular source of information for
those seeking new and re-mastered
recordings offered at high sample rates
and with the promise of delivering
the very best sound quality. (Note:
asterisk in headings denotes technical
reservation explained below.) PM
92 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017
nun’, etc, from the Schübler Chorales
– and with the Cambridge Choir, ‘Jesu,
Joy of Man’s Desiring’, sounding a
bit rushed here. About half of the
programme was recorded at King’s
College, and half in the more intimate
acoustic of St Jude on the Hill, London.
Alison Balsom’s legato lines, varied
dynamics and overall technique make
this a really enjoyable issue, and one
that’s been well produced too. CB
Sound Quality: 90%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
LAB REPORT
With modern trumpet recorded close to
but not exceeding 0dBFs, its harmonics
occupy the full ~40kHz bandwidth of
this true 96kHz file. Natural trumpet is
less extreme! Bach (organ) tracks have
spurious tones at 15.6kHz/31.2kHz. PM
JOHN WESLEY
A Way You’ll Never Be (96kHz/24-bit, FLAC)
www.highresaudio.com; InsideOut Music IOMLTDCD 463
Well, he’s come a long way since founding
Methodism in the 1700s, via The Porcupine
Tree and a spell fettling guitars for Marillion,
but here is John Wesley with one of those
albums you can almost hear just from the
cover image. Acclaimed by those in the
know as reinventing the progressive genre,
this album starts with a track seemingly
designed to cram every metal/prog/heavy
cliché into as short a track as possible,
though, as a result, it does go on a bit all
the way to the feedback howl with which
it ends. As do several of the other tracks on
this album, with their ponderous bass-lines
and howling, distorted guitar noodlage,
meaning there are times when it all gets
a bit Spinal Tap. However, that’s not the
main problem here: it’s the relentless ‘slam
everything into the red’ onslaught of the
mix that makes this set most wearing. Not
my thing, but might be yours, perhaps… AE
Sound Quality: 80%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
LAB REPORT
With a full 24-bit dynamic range
available, why so many rock albums
are recorded into – and with clipped
samples, beyond – the 0dBFs end stops
remains one of audio’s great mysteries.
But here’s another example. PM

JS BACH
Erbame Dich; Reinoud van Mechelen/A Nocte
Temporis (96kHz/24-bit, FLAC)
www.highresaudio.com; Alpha ALPHA252
This is the Alpha label debut of Belgian
tenor van Mechelen and his period
instrument group A Nocte Temporis (flute,
organ, cello), set up in 2016. He’s devised
a thematically related sequence of eight
arias from cantatas by Bach, interspersed
with chorale preludes and movements from
instrumental works to create a 70m ‘little
concert for a Sunday afternoon’ [see trailer
at www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ_lEsw
09Ec], which they are touring this year.
Be warned: it’s all unremittingly serious
stuff! The recording was made last May
at the Sainte Aurélie Church, Strasbourg,
where the organ is a restored 1718
Silbermann. The performers are each
close-set (presumably because of the
generous ambient setting). Texts are given
but translations of the sung German are on
different pages of the PDF. CB
Sound Quality: 80%
0 - - - - - - -
LAB REPORT
Tenor Reinoud Van Mechelen projects
powerfully into his pair of mics, causing
harmonics (from voice and downstream
preamps/limiters) to carry into the full
bandwidth of this 96kHz recording. Note
(inaudible) spurious tone at 40kHz. PM
COMPACT DISC SUPERAUDIO
STING
57th And 9th – Deluxe Edition (96kHz/24-bit, FLAC)*
www.highresaudio.com; A&M Records 00602557174496
He’s done the lutes, he’s done the concept
album, and now Mr Sumner delivers
perhaps the most down-the-line rock album
of his solo career. It’s not quite as rootsy as
one might expect, despite the road-trippy
‘Heading South On The Great North Road’:
the album takes its title from the New
York studio where it was recorded, after
all. Yes, this outing by the Englishman in
New York is occasionally overblown and
stodgy, though that kind of goes with the
‘rediscovering one’s inner rocker’ genre, but
when it’s good it harks back to the glory
days of early Police tracks, which is no bad
thing. The sound, while dense in places,
has decent clarity, with of course the voice
front and centre, but there’s nothing much
here to challenge a high-res audio system,
and frankly the ‘issues’ tackled here seem
somewhat predictable, from refugees to
the plight of the ageing rocker. AE
Sound Quality: 80%
- 100 0 - - - - - - - - 100
LAB REPORT
Described as ‘energetic and noisy’ most
of the tracks on this ‘96kHz’ download
look like upsamples from 48kHz or
44.1kHz [trk 13] with varying degrees
of sample clipping. Only the ‘acoustic’
tracks 7 and 10 may be true 96kHz. PM
DVD BLU-RAY VINYL DOWNLOAD
THE ROLLING STONES
Blue And Lonesome (88.2kHz/24-bit, FLAC)
www.highresaudio.com; Rolling Stones Records 572 383-8
I’m not exactly sure ultimate fidelity
was the aim of this great set, recorded
‘fast and dirty’ at West London’s British
Grove Studios, with occasional drop-ins
by passing musicians – Eric Clapton on
a couple of tracks – and accomplished
add-ons of the calibre of Darryl Jones on
bass. Rather the intention was to return
to the band’s roots, paying tribute to
some of the artists influential in their early
days: the likes of Howlin’ Wolf and Little
Walter, both of whom get more than a
nod here. The familiarity with the material
shows in confidence and swagger: rough
round the edges this may be, but there’s
an excitement and vitality about the
music-making you may not expect from
septuagenarian white boys, with Jagger in
very fine voice (and harp) indeed, and Keef
as laconic as ever, yet equally always ready
with the killer riff. Lovely stuff. AE
Sound Quality: 75%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
LAB REPORT
Tracks 5, 7 [Graph, above], 8, 11 and 12
have a different anti-aliasing profile to
the remaining sets and are seemingly
more ‘densely’ recorded with an (even
more) limited dynamic range. I would
love to have heard this sans grunge. PM
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 93
 





 
 



VHULHVRIKLJKHQGKLƓHOHFWURQLFVRIIHUVRPHWKLQJGLIIHUHQWERWKLQWHUPVRIVRXQG
SHUIRUPDQFHDQGYLVXDODSSHDO+RXVHGLQVLGHDUREXVWLQGXVWULDOFKDVVLVWKDWVWLOOPDQDJHVWRORRNPRGHUQ
DQGHOHJDQW
SURGXFWVDUHKLJKSHUIRUPLQJPXVLFDOO\LQYROYLQJGHYLFHVHDUQLQJWKHLUSODFHDWWKH
WRSRI5RNVDQōVFRYHWHGUDQJHRIDQDORJXHHOHFWURQLFV



,QWHJUDWHG$PSOLƓHUFRPELQHVDKLJKHQGDPSOLƓHUZLWKD86%'$&D%OXHWRRWK
UHFHLYHU DQ 00 SKRQR VWDJH DQG D GHGLFDWHG KHDGSKRQH DPSOLƓHU7KH VRSKLVWLFDWHG LQWHUQDO GHVLJQ
DOORZVWKHVHFRPSOH[WDVNVWRZRUNRSWLPDOO\PHDQLQJWKHDPSFDQVWLOOGHOLYHUDPSOHSRZHUZLWKSOHQW\
RIKHDGURRPWRHQVXUHDFFXUDWHGHWDLO%DVVLVTXLFNGHHSDQGH[FHSWLRQDOO\WLJKWHQVXULQJDVHQVHRI
VSHHGDQGLPPHGLDF\ZKLFKLVFRPELQHGZLWKDQXOWUDVSDFLRXVDQGGHWDLOHGPLGUDQJHDQGWUHEOH
$YDLODEODFURVVWKH8.QRZ


,QWHJUDWHG 
6\VWHP 
,QWHJUDWHG

 
2FWREHU 


Distributed by Henley Designs Ltd.

T: +44 (0)1235 511 166 | E: sales@henleydesigns.co.uk | W: www.henleydesigns.co.uk
 ALBUM
REVIEWS
ROCK
JARROD DICKENSON
Ready The Horses
Hooked Records (tba)
The second album from this rootsy Texan
troubadour is a delight from start to finish.
Although steeped in country-blues and
Memphis soul, Dickenson adroitly avoids
the clichés while always respecting the
traditions. A song like the slow-burning
‘Take It From Me’ feels like you’ve maybe
heard it before, and it’s finally coming back
to you like a prodigal son. ‘In The Meantime’
reveals him as a shameless romantic – miles
removed from the insincerity of the slick
hat acts who proliferate and prosper in
Nashville. ‘Nothing More’, about dancing
with a beautiful woman, is perhaps the
album’s most lump in the throat moment,
but it’s all pretty damned wonderful. JBk
Sound Quality: 93%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
COMPACT DISC
KREOL LOVECALL
Jangle And Chime
Fighting Spirit Records FS001
Intense, earnest, electronic pop is the last
thing I expected from Jonathan Richards,
former guitarist of umpteen UK noise rock
bands, but that’s what he’s offering on
this solo outing under the Kreol Lovecall
moniker. His voice is undistinguished, his
vocal melodies are limited in range, but
what immediately holds the interest is his
intelligent use of catchy little synth hooks
and shiny guitar textures, set against
understated drum machine beats and
liquid basslines. ‘Glimpses’, with its baroque
harpsichords and glittering guitars, is one
of several musical highlights, but it’s also
worth paying attention to Richards’ highly
topical, socio-political lyrics. JBk
Sound Quality: 90%
0 - - - - - - -
SUPERAUDIO DVD BLU-RAY VINYL DOWNLOAD
BRASSTRONAUT
Brasstronaut
Tin Angel TAR064
Despite delivering this month’s most diverse
and imaginative album, the Vancouver sextet
Brasstronaut is probably destined never to
go platinum. The music is intensely cerebral,
located somewhere between jazz-rock,
psychedelia and classical composition, a
combination I last heard on the 1968 debuts
by Blood Sweat And Tears and Ars Nova. That
said, it repays repeated plays, to reveal subtle
textural blends, virtuosic playing and super-
smart arrangements. The twitchy, looping
trumpet in opener ‘Hawk’ is avant-garde but
also catchy, the bass-propelled ‘Desert Rock’ is
everything thoughtful pop should be, and the
swooping melodic lines of ‘Sooner Or Later’
perfectly enhance its lyrics. JBk
Sound Quality: 95%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
DEARLY BELOVED
Admission
Aporia Records APO-076-CD
Here’s a Canadian quartet who deliver
punky, industrial thrash with lashings of
venom, energy and lo-fi grunge attack –
increasingly hard to find these days. And
they do it with decent melodies attached.
Their core duo of singing bassman Rob
Higgins and co-vocalist Niva Chow (who
also plays theremin) harmonise well, giving
the band a touch of sophistication unusual
in this genre, despite rocking with brain-
shredding visceral abandon. Audiophiles
may like to know that it was recorded in
just two weeks at Dave Grohl’s 606 Studio
in Northridge, LA, using the historic 1970s
Neve 8028 analogue console employed by
Nirvana in 1991 for Nevermind. JBk
Sound Quality: 88%
- 100 0 - - - - - - - - 100
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 95
 ALBUM
REVIEWS
JAZZ COMPACT DISC SUPERAUDIO DVD BLU-RAY VINYL DOWNLOAD

JIMMY SCOTT THE THREE SOUNDS FEATURING VIKTORIA TOLSTOY

I Go Back Home
Eden River Records ERR-CD-01 (also two LPs)
Though he’d caused a stir with ‘Everybody’s
Somebody’s Fool’ in 1949, singer Jimmy
Scott was dogged by misfortune. He
dropped out of music at the end of the
’60s, was rediscovered only in the 1990s
and died in 2014, at 88. For this project
(2009), producer Ralf Kemper teamed
Scott with vocal partners Joe Pesci,
Renee Olstead and Dee Dee Bridgewater,
guests Joey DeFrancesco, Kenny Barron,
Till Bronner, Oscar Castro Neves and Bob
Mintzer, and strings. There’s one Scott-less
tribute track, as Monica Mancini sings
‘I Remember You’. But the whole album is
one big tribute to an artist happily still able
to take part in it himself. SH
GENE HARRIS
Groovin’ Hard: Live At The Penthouse 1964-1968
Resonance Records HCD 2025 (mono)
Earlier Resonance albums have brought
us pianist Gene Harris in great form with
UK sidemen at Pizza Express in 1996. But
here he’s with his own American trio in
previously-unheard 1960s performances
from a Seattle jazz club, with a decent
piano and recorded for radio in crisp mono
sound. Harris often described his style as
‘blues with chops’ but this doesn’t do him
justice. He never runs out of technique or
ideas, and he has great harmonic sense
and a varied rhythmic approach. You might
mistake this for one of many Blue Note
albums he made in the ’50s, but for what’s
inside, it’s well worth seeking out. SH
Meet Me At The Movies
ACT 9827-2
The glamorous great-grand-daughter of
the author of War and Peace has often
recorded with her life partner, pianist Jacob
Karlzon, but chose a guitar trio format for
this album of theme songs. Guest stars
Iiro Rantala on piano and Nils Landgren on
trombone flesh out the lush opener, ‘Calling
You’ from Baghdad Cafe, but guitarist
Krister Jonsson is at his best when he
switches to rock-style electric – for example
on Seal’s ‘Kiss From A Rose’ from Batman
Forever. Finally, Tolstoy breathes new life
into Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Smile’, to close a CD
that reflects her pop side more than her
jazz credentials. But as a piece of dreamy
escapism, it’s hard to resist. SH

Sound Quality: 85% Sound Quality: 80% Sound Quality: 85%

0 - - - - - - - - 100 0 - - - - - - - - 100 0 - - - - - - - - 100

COLIN STEELE QUINTET

Even In The Darkest Places
Gadgemo Records GAD002CD
It’s ten years since the Scottish trumpeter’s
quintet recorded its last album, Through The
Waves, but now the group is back with only
one change of personnel. In the meantime,
Steele had created the ambitious folk-based
band Stramash, but in 2011, an attempt to re-
learn his trumpet technique proved disastrous,
and after a few months he couldn’t play at all.
Eventually he was helped back to playing by
the BBC Scottish SO’s principal trumpeter Mark
O’Keefe. So, with Michael Buckley on saxes,
Dave Milligan on piano, Stu Ritchie on drums
and bassist Calum Gourlay replacing the now
New York-based Aidan O’Donnell, the quintet
flourishes again, with folk-infused jazz that’s
melodic, inviting and thoroughly listenable. SH

Sound Quality: 90%

0 - - - - - - - - 100

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 97

 ALBUM
REVIEWS
CLASSICAL
BRITTEN/ELGAR/VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Frank Bridge Variations/Introduction and Allegro/
Thomas Tallis Fantasia
LSO String Ensemble/Roman Simovic
LSO Live LSO0792 (SACD; downloads up to 96kHz/24-bit resolution)
English string pieces spanning 32 years:
one looking back to the 16th century, the
Elgar a ‘tribute’ to the Malvern hills and the
Britten cosmopolitan in range – embracing
Viennese waltz, polka, funeral march and
moto perpetuo. (These two have fugal
finales.) Marriner’s Variations recording
[Decca] is the benchmark, while the Elgar/
VW Barbirolli/EMI you can get in a superb
HiQ vinyl remastering. Yet these are all
excellent performances, the Variations
rather chamber-music like, while in high-res,
the Tallis surpasses both the Zukerman/
Decca and Aldeburgh/Linn downloads. CB
Sound Quality: 90%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
98 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017
COMPACT DISC
HANDEL
Messiah (arr. Davis)
Soloists, Toronto SO and Ch/Sir Andrew Davis
Chandos CHSA 5176(2) (SACD; downloads up to 96kHz/24-bit res)
When Beecham commissioned a rescored
Messiah for his 1959 RCA recording, critics
were up in arms. No-one in today’s ‘HIP’
climate would do such a thing now, would
they? Yes: Sir Andrew Davis, for his second
Toronto Messiah recording has prepared
a singular edition, detailed in his free
downloadable Chandos PDF notes.
I particularly liked the winds-only ‘Pastoral
Symphony’ and use of solo clarinet in
‘I Know That My Redeemer Liveth’. With
light, agile singing the choruses are the
best part of this live Messiah: one that
might suit someone looking for a modern
instrument option that’s well produced. CB
Sound Quality: 75%
0 - - - - - - -
SUPERAUDIO DVD BLU-RAY VINYL DOWNLOAD
DEBUSSY
Images; Jeux; La plus que lente
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra/Michael Tilson Thomas
SFS Media SFS0069 (SACD; downloads up to 192kHz/24-bit resolution and DSD)
Tilson Thomas revisits two major scores by a
composer dear to him, which he first recorded
in Boston in 1971 (Images) and London in 1991
(Jeux), adding the composer’s arrangement –
with cimbalom! – of his moody 1910 pianoforte
waltz La plus que lente. The mysterious ballet
Jeux, about a tennis match, can often seem
grey and overlong, but is here as exciting as a
good detective story. It was premiered in 1913
by Monteux who later had a long association
with the SFS. Monteux’s LSO recording of
Images (made when he was 88) has seemed
unsurpassable but the new set, outstandingly
well engineered, is perhaps its musical equal,
the SFS playing like a large chamber group. CB
Sound Quality: 95%
0 - - - - - - - - 100
TCHAIKOVSKY
Symphony No 6, ‘Pathétique’; Romeo and Juliet
Czech PO/Semyon Bychkov
Decca 483 0656 (downloads up to 96kHz/24-bit resolution)
So far, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra’s
Tchaikovsky discography has extended
little further than the 1977 Rediffusion 4LP
‘Great Orchestral Works’ set. But Bychkov
is set to record at least the symphonies for
Decca. The playing here is admirably clean,
if not quite as refined as with the Budapest/
Iván Fischer Pathétique [HFN Feb ’17],
although weightier. But the more I listen,
the more I like this coupling. Bychkov does,
however, extend certain rests and is quirky
with dynamics and tempo changes, hence
the organic flow is undermined. So I think
the CBSO/Nelsons CD from 2011 [Orfeo
C832101A] is more recommendable. CB
Sound Quality: 75%
- 100 0 - - - - - - - - 100
 Made in Denmark www.gamutaudio.com

ZODIAC
The sky’s no longer the limit...
Exclusive UK event
Join us to celebrate the UK arrival of Gamut’s
flagship limited edition loudspeaker: the Zodiac.

Designed to be a no-holds-barred master of

musical performance, just 12 pairs of the Zodiac
will be made each year, each skillfully crafted one
at a time by hand.

Meet Danish designer Benno Baun Meldgaard and

discover the story behind the creation of the Zodiac.
Then pour a drink, sit back, get comfortable and listen.

When: Friday 5th May (6pm)

Saturday 6th May (12pm)

Where: Stone Audio’s stunning showroom

in Poole, Dorset

There will be no charge for the event but places

are limited and prior registration is essential.

Two lucky guests will win a special gift

A Gamut Reference Power Cable (value £2,700).

For your chance to win, register for the event and bring
your registration confirmation along with you (the draw
is open exclusively to registered guests in attendance).

Register online at
www.gamutzodiac.eventbrite.co.uk



"#

"

$#

" 
 !"


 !"

 
 "  !" #
#
  $
 $ 
$
$   '



 




-
,#(%
('
*
&'%'
'#
#!!#'
'%
$%
%"
'"

#"'
"#*
",
''%
*,
#%
,#(
'#
#


'%#%
)
'
' $#"'&



,&'!
"
 '%

"

&# '#"
'
!,
&'
%#!!"'#"
*'#('
&''#"
"
*'
$
"'(&&!

,#(
%
##"
#%
'
+$'#"
"
'&
'#%,
#
'
(#
%'&
'"
'&
&
'
(%%"'
'#$
/#
'
$
#%
!.

#&')

"(%,


-
 '%


&

&''#'%'
&# '#"
)
$ #,
'
("%
"
(#
&&&
"
'
*
& #&
')
"*
,%&
#
'
"
%!#"
%"&&

"
'#"
'#
!$%#)!"'&
"
,"!&
"
(&'
#('
",'"
 &
''
#"'%('&
'#
'
 
%$%#('#"
#
!(&.

&$)(
$
(
&
+&'


'$!)(
$)#

#
'%, ( !!%$ #('
#%
,#(%& 
$ &
#"''
,#(%% #
&'#&'


 (&$&$) 



 
 +'(! 





  *&($# 
 
 $&+   




  "$# 



 ,$&  



  #)& 


 
 -!   






 &-!$# 


  
  +#' 





 -&  


 
 ($# 

 

#$"%$
'


 &&& %  













 %  
















Paul Miller
Editor
Technician and writer on all things audio for some 30 years, Paul Miller took over
the editor’s chair in 2006. He invented the QC Suite, used across the audio industry
Showtime?
When ‘consumer electronics’ meant hi-fi and TV, and electric razors were high tech, audio brands
called the shots. Nowadays, Paul Miller explains, they’re looking elsewhere to spread the music
he dramatic decline in high-
T end hi-fi brands exhibiting in
the ‘Specialty Audio’ section of
CES certainly attracted plenty
of attention this year. In many instances
it rather overshadowed the discussion
of what was announced, including the
cross-industry marketing campaign
‘Stream the Studio’, spearheaded by
DEG (the Digital Entertainment Group),
designed to raise awareness of hi-res
audio streaming. This was followed up
by the Universal Music Group (UMG),
announcing a multi-year agreement with
MQA to encode its extensive catalogue
of master recordings.
Exciting stuff, but insufficient to quell
the trickle-to-flood haemorrhage in high-
end audio brands already predicted by
many commentators, including our own
Ken Kessler, following CES 2016.
I touched on the
sense of outrage felt
by many reporters in
my Welcome page last
‘50 years ago,
month, but I think it the technology
worth looking more
calmly at the bigger landscape was
picture. As I’ve said,
this doesn’t mean our
unrecognisable’
collective passion for
hi-fi (high-end or otherwise) is either on
the wane or under-represented.
FROM MAJOR TO MINOR
The myriad companies that comprise our
industry, in common with many specialist
hobbies, have migrated to local shows
in almost every country in the world.
We should know – Hi-Fi News reports
on at least one event every issue. This
month’s Show Blog just happens to be
from Bristol’s Sound & Vision, but it could
just as easily have been from an event in
Portugal, France, Japan or Sweden.
When CES kicked-off 50 years ago,
the ‘consumer electronics’ landscape
was unrecognisable. Connected,
mobile technologies – even ‘personal
computers
computers’ – were the stuff of science
fiction, while audio and TV were very real
big hitters. Audio remained a big beast
right up through the 1980s ensuring CES
was the go-to show for distributors, dealers
and journalists planning their year ahead
in hi-fi. Now, that go-to
show is Munich’s High
End – hardly beer-
budget for exhibitors
but readily justified by
the resolute audio focus
of its organisers.
In the meantime,
and in the words of its
organisers, ‘CES is no
longer home to only consumer electronics.
Exhibitors from nearly every industry on
the planet converge at CES as technology
becomes integral to all business. Now, CES
plays host to automobile manufacturers,
healthcare companies, software and
hardware producers and more’.
A SHOW FOR EVERY NICHE
Old-school journalists, myself included,
have long associated CES with major
high-end audio launches but just as hi-fi has
drained from that other huge consumer
electronics expo – Berlin’s IFA, at the
beginning of September every year – we
all need to recalibrate our expectations.
Audio, you see, is not an isolated or unusual
case in today’s world of technology.
OPINION
A
ABOVE: ISE – the custom install
event in Amsterdam – featured
e
many top-flight hi-fi brands
m
For example,
examp camera enthusiasts have
Photokina in Cologne just as the MWC
(Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona has
become the world’s largest gathering for
the mobile industry. And the automotive
boys have their International Motor
Show in Geneva every year alongside
countless classic car, motorsports events
and other launches every week of the
year somewhere in the world.
HIGH-END ON YOUR DOORSTEP
The good news is that most major
capitals also have their own specialist
hi-fi event to sate the musical appetites
of audiophiles. Our own Hi-Fi Show Live
is in its fifth year and similar events
run by our EISA magazine colleagues
are proving just as popular across the
continent. Moreover, hi-fi brands are also
embracing alternative, large tech events.
As ever, the recent four-day ISE
(Integrated Systems Europe) showcase
in Amsterdam placed its emphasis on
professional AV, custom installation and
networked home solutions. But very
visible in the mix were ‘proper’ hi-fi
brands including B&W, T+A, DALI, ELAC,
KEF, Dynaudio, Harman/JBL, AudioQuest,
Monitor Audio and even the high-end
planar magnetic speaker brand from
the US – Wisdom Audio. The progressive
audio marques, it seems, have already
evolved beyond CES.
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 103
 
 









;;;&:&3)*90(490

!FRUQÀDNH


(3847-
!5*(.&1.787








 ZZZFRUQÀDNHFRXN

!¿QLWHVROXWLRQV
3864)9(.3,
*<(.8.3,
3*;
#


 
&)).8.437
+46
 
&(-
ZZZ¿QLWHVROXWLRQVFRXN

.7
&:&.1&'1*
34;
+642
=496
!KL¿ORXQJH
 ! 

+&:496.8*
14(&1
(3847-
 



ZZZKL¿ORXQJHFRXN

75*(.&1.78
!LFRQFRQQHFW
 " ! 
 


;;;.(43(433*(8(42


>
 !LGHDZRUNV

FKDQQHOGLJLWDOSUHDPSOL¿HU 

 
;;;.)*&;4607(490

!MRUGDQDFRXVWLFVOWG
!#" 
!" 
# 
 !"




>
 ;;;/46)&3&(4978.(7(490

 " 
!" 
(-&33*1
:&(992
89'*
 "!

SKRQRSUHDPSOL¿HU 


;;;/46)&3&(4978.(7(490

!NMZHVWRQH






;;;0/;*7843*(490

>
 !PD[ZHOODXGLRYLVXDOOWG
(-&33*1
:&(992
89'*

SUHDPSOL¿HU 



;;;2&<;*11&:(42
(3847-
!5*(.&1.787

!QLQWURQLFV
$$%
 
"%
 
 
;;;3.38643.(7(490


>
 !UREHUWWDXVVLJ
786*&2.3,
&9).4
51&=*6 





;;;64'*688&977.,(490

!VRXQGDFDGHP\

>
 $!
$!"
!




FKDQQHOSKRQRSUHDPSOL¿HU ;;;7493)&(&)*2=(490

2(.3847-
-*&)5-43*
784(0.78
431=

Barry Fox
Technology journalist
Barry Fox trained in electronics with the RAF and worked as a patent agent, but he
gave that up to enter journalism. He is one of the world’s top technology writers
Great British switch off
Is Britain about to follow Norway in shutting down its FM broadcasting network in favour of DAB?
Official statistics show the UK to be near the tipping point, but Barry Fox takes a different view...
hey’re off. At 11.11am on the
T 11th day of the first month of
2017, Norway became the first
country in the world to start
shutting down national FM broadcasting
in favour of DAB – with audio quality
better or worse than FM depending on
signal cover and bit rates.
As Norway started into DAB alongside
the UK in 1995 it’s reasonable to think
that the UK will now follow. Digital
Radio UK, the semi-official body tasked
with switching off our FM, has a ton of
statistics to assure that digital/analogue
listening in Britain is now close to the
50/50 threshold set by the government
‘to consider the merits of setting out a
timetable for digital switchover’.
WORK CUT OUT
But, as usual, stats only tell part of the
story. Although Brits’ ‘digital listening
hours’ are now put at 45.5%, that’s across
all digital platforms, including TV and the
Internet, and mainly in the home. It’s the
options for listening
on the move that tell
the real story.
You will have your
‘It’s the options
work cut out finding for listening on the
a smartphone with
DAB, and then move that tell the
keeping the battery
charged. Most
real story in the UK’
important, and
although DRUK is ‘confident’ that 86%
of all new cars sold now come with DAB
as standard, there are at least 25 million
vehicles on the road in Britain which
don’t have DAB.
Yes, there are now plenty of affordable
DAB car radios and clever adapters for
analogue radios but as anyone who has
actually tried to add DAB to an analogue
car will tell you, it’s not easy.
The roof aerials on many cars are for
AM/FM only, and they will often have
an integrated amplifier which actively
blocks the higher VHF band used for DAB.
ABOVE: Before the transition from FM to digital radio, a van toured Norway to answer listeners’
questions and provide information (left); the countdown to the switch off on the 11th of January
Changing the aerial involves ‘dropping’
the internal roof trim. The alternative is
to stick a foil aerial to the windscreen and
run a cable, or use a Bluetooth wireless
link, to the DAB adapter. And the adapter
needs power, usually from the lighter
socket, which means another cable.
Getting the decoded DAB audio from
an adapter to an existing radio is easier
if the radio is modern, with a 3.5mm
Aux jack. But older
cars have jackless
radios and you
are then stuck
with the awful
kludge of locally
re-transmitting the
DAB audio as low
power FM on a
‘free’ FM channel,
and tuning the existing radio to receive it.
The few free FM channels in urban areas
are hogged by interference from distant
stations – especially in hot weather – or
by local pirates.
Take my tip. Unless you want your car
festooned with wires like a Christmas
tree, pay a dealer to sort it all out. Or
buy a new car. And if you buy a new car,
be very careful. My recent experience
of buying a new Japanese car from an
accredited dealer, makes me wonder
how on earth that 86% fitted-as-standard
figure came to pass.
OPINION
The first and only thing I told the
salesman was that the car must have
factory-fitted DAB. You will have to pay an
extra thousand or so for the top of range
model, he warned. The car duly arrived
with a barrel load of electronic gismology
that I did not want. And no DAB.
The dealer then re-checked and
discovered that DAB was not standard,
or even an option. But he thought that
Clarion, which makes the AM/FM radio,
did a bolt-on DAB module which he would
fit, for free, as penance.
The bolt-on kit duly arrived but was the
wrong one. The dealer then discovered
that ‘Clarion no longer makes one for that
model car’. Did it ever?
THINGS TURN SOUR
In Norway the population is small, just
5m, but there are 2.4m cars on the road,
of which at least 70% (around 2m) are still
AM/FM only. Polls show two thirds of the
population are unhappy about the switch,
largely because of the car problem.
Very likely – just as happened in the
UK – this is because the top level decision-
makers do not have to buy their own cars
or replacement radios, and do not pay
for the mobile data needed to listen to
Internet radio on the move. If things turn
sour they may now pay with their jobs. So
what happens now in Norway will matter
a lot for the future of FM in the UK.
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 105
 ,,,0#)'&0$0*









#$5#)'&0$0*









6789:
?8:8:8









6=>66
<76967

 
%

!

!."%*(
!!*(
#
'$*##
 !



 ! 
)
 *
#%

 
#
%

!



#%
'

!


 !
!


#


!




'

"

!


! 

  


%
% '
 

%!

#
#
 %





!

#&
!

$
 

(


!
!'




%!
!
#
"
"
!
 

%


#
($

#


! 


!  %


 
 ! '




!



#
 &


#

!'
 
# 
$

#


"

 &
 

!



 &
"
!

"
 

! '


%!
!
#
"

%








 %
 


 
$

"
!
 '



!

 


#

 

"


 


  "
!
!

%!

 '

!-



 %)

%!
!



"

 !


%!
'


"
#
!
#
 
 



$ !


#
 !'

 
!  &
#

 


#
 &
+

  "
!,
#
"
%!

#
#
$'


 



 
# 


%!

 


  '





$*()
')(
1
3
$'('
41
,,,0$*()')(0$0*
1
67;>8
:>;97<























-$'
*$
$#(*!)#)(
1
3
-$'
4
1
,,,0$-$'*$0$0*
1
67><;
=?6>=?

*$
()#)$#
1
3+$#
4
1
,,,0*$()#)$#0$0*
1
67>>:
8:9;>:
































.!

1
3
((-
4
1
,,,0'.!0$"
1
678<>
==?=<8

'#
#
'+$'(
1
3 #()'
4
1
,,,0'##)'+$'(0$"
167<7
=<<:>9=



























$#
.#'.
1
3
$#$#
4
1
,,,0($#(.#'.0$0*
1
6=?:<
;==9=:

*)*'
$%
1
3
$#$#
/
')$'('
4
1
,,,0*)*'($%0$0*
1
6>66
==8
9<>>


















$#
.#'.
1
3
,#(
4
1
,,,0($#(.#'.0$0*
1
6=?=7
>:?:=:

$)*(

1
3
$#$#
4
1
,,,0!$)*(9:$'0#)
1
6=>>=
>;8;79
































































)*$

1
3
$"
4
1
,,,0()*$+0$0*
1
67=;9
><9966

')#(

1
3$'$!
4
1
,,,0"')#(0$0*
1
67<69
<8=676

!#
*$

2#1
3
$'()'('
4
1
,,,0"!#*$-2#0$0*
1
67;<8
=97766
 OPINION

Barry Willis
Journalist for top American audio-video publications
While his main interest is high-end audio, Barry Willis also writes about the culinary
industry, visual art and theatre for a huge variety of US newspapers and magazines

Caution with vintage gear

Before parting with your cash for a piece of classic kit remember that beneath the lid can lie a
plethora of problems. Barry Willis offers tips and tricks, along with some salutory reminders

ot long ago I bought a used

N bicycle from a guy who, like

me, happens to be an excellent
bike mechanic. It’s a gorgeous
specimen – one that’s been ridden little,
never crashed, and has been meticulously
maintained. The intervening two decades
haven’t done anything to its inherent
quality other than reduce its price by
more than 90%. Even though it wasn’t
sporting its original component group, it
was still a lucky find.
Lucky finds happen in the used audio
market too, but those who are out there
scrounging for them often don’t know
what sort of Pandora’s box they might ABOVE: The author’s rescued Revox B261 FM tuner from 1985. The lamps behind the displays
open once they get one of these pieces needed replacing but since these are no longer available an inventive work around was found
home. Good cosmetic condition offers
some evidence a component has been thing’ as a matter of course, knowing the You don’t need to over-saturate anything
cared for, but old electronic and electro- final product will be reliable. Each month when using them but you do need to
mechanical devices can have plenty in Hi-Fi News our experts on all things do a thorough job, or that intermittent
of potential problems that may not be vintage discuss the specifics of those selector switch will return to haunt you.
apparent at an estate sale or charity shop. components likely to need replacing in Mechanical devices have all kinds of
our Vintage Review feature [see p118]. parts that can need replacement – drive
CAPS ’N’ STATS Valves and transistors can get noisy belts, idler wheels, pinch rollers, disc-
One of the most common issues is the and need replacement. Common tray loading belts. Fortunately, rubber
deterioration of internal components. types are available almost everywhere, belts in every conceivable size and shape
Electrolytic capacitors are prone to but obscure ones may send you on a are widely available, sometimes even
drifting out of spec, especially if they are frustrating, time-wasting chase. You don’t at neighbourhood hardware stores.
in a unit that hasn’t want to get into a Aftermarket sources abound online, but
been powered up in situation where you if your old CD player needs a laser, you’re
many years. If you buy
a used receiver or amp,
‘Don’t just spray have to redesign a
circuit to compensate
probably out of luck.

one more than ten or lubricant in the for the unavailability
12 years old, you may of suitable parts.
need to replace the hope of hitting I recently found a
main power supply caps Revox B261 tuner in
and smaller de-coupling
the right spot’ very good condition
caps (if there are any) except for the burned-
scattered about the amplifier circuit. out lamps behind its two displays. These
Use caps with the same or better were 24V clip-in types that I could not
rating as printed on the originals. Don’t find anywhere. Solution: three 8V lamps
be tempted to replace 10,000μF/75V in series to get the proper illumination.
caps with 10,000μF/60V substitutes. They Sometimes you have to get inventive.
may work for a while but you’re inviting Input/output connectors, switches,
disaster. Indeed, this very problem has and controls are all subject to oxidation
occurred with amps right out of the and wear. On your workbench should
factory, due to manufacturing errors. be several types of contact cleaners, de-
Some vintage enthusiasts ‘recap the oxidation chemicals and specialty tools.
GREASE TO GLUE
Mechanical devices also need careful
lubrication. This doesn’t mean spraying
aerosol-propelled lubricant all over the
inside of a piece of equipment in the
hope of hitting the right spot. If you do
this, you may well have just rendered your
bargain-shop treasure inoperative.
Many old turntables were lubricated
at the factory with grease that over the
years has dried out and become glue.
It must all be removed and the working
parts completely cleaned before applying
new lube. As with every other activity, if
you’re not in your comfort zone with any
of this, consult someone who is.

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 107

 O N D E M O N S T R AT I O N N O W
1 2 3
Audio Research dCS Martin Logan
Anthony Gallo Metronome Tech
LS28 Vivaldi Upsampler Electromotion ESL X
Artesiana Audio Michell Foundation Series Digital-to-Digital Electrostatic
Line Stage Preamplifier Converter Speakers
Astell & Kern Musical Fidelity
Audeze Naim Audio
Audio Research Obravo
3 1
Audiophile Base Ortofon
Audioquest PMC Loudspeakers
Aurender PS Audio
CAD
Prima Luna
Chord Company
Primare
Chord Electronics
Pro-Ject
Constellation
Q Acoustics
dCS
Quadraspire
DarTZeel
REL
Devialet
Rega
Dynavector
Request Audio
EAT
Ruark Audio
Epson Home
SME AUDIO RESEARCH
Cinema
Sennheiser
Gearbox Records
Sonos
KEF 2
Sonus faber
KL Audio
Koetsu Stax

Krell TechDas

Lehmann Audio Theta

Lyra Track Audio

MELCO Transparent Cables

Magico Wilson Audio

Marantz Yter

Martin Logan and others

MAR TIN LOGAN DCS

AUDIO RESEARCH

ASK ABOUT OUR

POPULAR BUY NOW
PAY LATER SCHEME
WITH 0% APR AND
NO DEPOSIT.
   
 





 $-7$5
.21( $,
7.
/,

.-0*
$0+
-'
70((7 $,
7.
/,

$7
 4).0' 6.1('
2-'$5

$-+
.6*'$51
*-). .4).0'$2'*.&.2+ #

"
333.4).0'$2'*.&.2+
.66.3
21
.-
      
 !    

6($1(
1((
.20
3(%1*7(
).0
'$7(1
$-'
'(7$*61
 OPINION

Jim Lesurf
Science Journalist
Jim Lesurf has spent a lifetime in audio, both as an engineer at UK hi-fi company
Armstrong and reader in Physics and Electronics at St Andrew’s University

The ‘vinyls’ generation

Upcycling old equipment from the LP’s golden age, and a younger generation which insists that the
plural of vinyl is ‘vinyls’... Jim Lesurf on two trends that may well signal a boon for hi-fi in general

he now well documented rise

T in popularity of vinyl among the

young has had some interesting
side effects. One is that the word
‘on the street’ used to describe one or
more LPs is ‘vinyls’. Older folk may wince,
but it seems that for the young, the
discovery of this tangible music format
is deserving of a new word. Perhaps it’s
a way in which they can make vinyl their
own? I’ve now started to wonder if this
appreciation may be combined with
another idea that has caught the minds
of the young – ‘upcycling’. Could both be
good news for the future of hi-fi?
Ok, some young people don’t play
their new LPs at all, simply using them
as visual art. But others are playing their
‘vinyls’. Some are also looking for decent
replay systems rather than the bargain-
basement all-in-one units that often come ABOVE: A youth stares quizzically at an LP. First steps to becoming an audiophile of tomorrow?
with loudspeakers packed underneath the
turntable itself. So among the fashionistas will ruin the discs – deformed grooves, In addition, the fact that the best
it appears that there are those who are ground-in dirt, scratches, etc. Just like of this equipment can be relatively
discovering the real joy of good sound. many of the used LPs that currently easy to maintain may chime now with
crop up in charity shops. However, the today’s wish to use equipment which
A WIN FOR US pure ‘fashion’ buyers may prove to be a has ‘classic’, ‘artisan’ or – that other new
Recently I heard a report on the BBC boon for audiophiles. They might never term – ‘upcycled’ appeal. Personally, I
Radio 4 Today programme that explored actually play their LPs, and these may suspect many young people may discover
this interest in LP and quality audio. eventually reach a charity shop in mint that some old transistor kit is easier to
There were the usual tales of how the condition. Meat for someone who does service than some of the more complex
young prefer having want to appreciate components on the market today, though
an object to actually the records for their it will never compete in terms of sheer
own and hold in their
hands, and this being
‘Could an interest musical content!
Then there’s
sound quality. Who knows, we might even
see a revival of a new Japanese faction
more pleasing than in vinyl prompt the question of versus a ‘Flat Earth’ fraternity.
the non-physicality the equipment the
of a digital file. But it an uplift in young people who AUTHENTIC SOUND
was pointed out that
the perceived fragility
secondhand kit?’ are seeking good
replay systems will
Maybe it’s time for the return of tone
controls. Somehow, using amps and
of the format might choose. Will the speakers designed during the heyday
cause some to move on to high-resolution interest in vinyl also prompt interest of the LP seems more fitting for those
digital later. Either way, their discovery in buying and using secondhand audio seeking an ‘authentic’ sound.
will be just how good music can sound equipment? Although the 1970s and ’80s So perhaps ‘vinyls’ and ‘upcycled’
when played on the right equipment. have tended to become regarded as ‘the audio kit from past decades may be a
That can only be a win for audiophiles. time fashion forgot’, it did produce some path towards a regrowth in audiophile
What does concern me is the fate of excellent domestic audio equipment – as enthusiasm. They do say nostalgia isn’t
many of the reissues of old albums. Some witnessed by the various Vintage Reviews what it used to be. But perhaps this time,
LPs, sadly, will be played on cheap kit that which have appeared in Hi-Fi News. it’s actually better.

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 109

 
 


F -50M NCF
FI-




®
Se
ri
es

FI-50 NCF
FI-E50 NCF FI-UK136
U 363 NCF

 
  





 




#(
 


&!'





#


!%



  
 





 ⃿

"
  


$


"


"

#

 
"

1HZDQGLPSURYHG)XUXWHFK'H0DJĮĮ
#
$







   

+44 (0) 118-981-4238

  
         info@soundfowndations.co.uk
 OPINION
Steve Harris
Contributing Editor
Steve Harris edited Hi-Fi News between 1986 and 2005. He loves jazz, blues music,
vinyl and vintage hi-fi and anything that makes good music come to life

True stories
Yearbooks, biographies, lavish full colour coffee-table volumes... a new publication from Rega
has Steve Harris revisiting his library where he realises that books about hi-fi are ever evolving

ike most people reading this, RIGHT: Edward

L I guess, I’ve accumulated a pretty

substantial library of hi-fi books
over the years. There are the
textbooks, now gathering dust, acquired
at times when I foolishly thought I could
actually get to grips with the technology.
Then there are the Hi-Fi Yearbooks.
Settle down with a couple of these and
a cup of cocoa and you can assemble
imaginary vintage dream systems to your
heart’s content.
Recent years have brought us a new
kind of hi-fi reading, though. There’s more
substantial food for fantasy, as well as
all the historical information you always
wanted, in the superb one-make histories
from the likes of Quad, KEF and McIntosh.
SKY SHOUTING
In a lower key, one of my favourite hi-fi
histories is Julian Alderton’s The Tannoy
Story [Edward Gaskell, 2003]. This book
had me laughing out loud, despite the
tragic background to the events, at the
RAF’s futile ‘sky shouting’ efforts in the
early 1950s campaign against terrorists in
Malaya, as the territory
was then called.
Tannoy systems were
mounted under the
‘Transients in the
fuselage of a plane to Chinese dialect
broadcast propaganda
messages but, using usually blew the
maximum power to
compete with the
Tannoy speakers’
plane’s engine noise,
certain sharp transients in the Chinese
dialect usually blew the speakers.
In a later chapter, your jaw will drop
at the story told by the Gramophone’s
John Gilbert of a disastrous two-couple
continental motoring holiday, when Guy
Fountain unexpectedly took his mistress
with him rather than his wife.
Another fascinating book is A Pair of
Wharfedales, the biography of Gilbert
Briggs by David Briggs, who is a grandson
of the Wharfedale founder’s first cousin
Gaskell’s The Tannoy
Story, which was
published in 2003,
and A Vibration
Measuring Machine,
which costs £39.50
and is available
direct from www.
rega.co.uk, on
Amazon and via Rega
dealers and export
distributors
[IM Publications, 2012]. Gilbert Briggs
was himself the author of many books in
the 1950s and 1960s, including his Audio
Biographies, which saw leaders of the
industry submit profiles of themselves.
How things have changed. Last year,
I came across a lavish coffee-table volume
published by the German magazine
Fidelity called Who Is Who In High
Fidelity. Attractively produced with text in
German and English, this 360-page book
assembles interviews
or profiles of more
than 50 figures
in the industry,
mainly German.
British companies
Audio Note (UK)
Ltd, Avid Hi-Fi and
Wilson Benesch are
represented, though.
But this is a volume to dip into, rather
than get your teeth into.
Not so the long-awaited book from
Rega, which arrived just too late for
Christmas. A Vibration Measuring Machine
is really three books in one. In a short
prologue, founder Roy Gandy tells the
story of his birth and childhood. Then the
first part proper is a 170-page history of
the company by Bill Philpott, an old friend
and commercial artist who designed the
Rega logo for Gandy back in 1973.
This is a seemingly uncensored and
truthful story, documenting for example
the difficulties of building and moving
factories, the problems of management
and the difficult years when CD seemed
to be reigning supreme, and how Rega
responded when a little Austrian company
called Pro-Ject suddenly seemed to be
selling more turntables than anyone else.
VIEWS ON VTA
After this, ‘Book Two: The Engineering’
sees Roy Gandy explain his turntable
design philosophy, component by
component. For example, all Rega fans
know Gandy’s views on VTA adjustment,
but here you’ll find him going into detail.
Similarly, he explains here why it’s a
good idea to have a platter that’s as rigid
as possible, but to top it with a felt mat
rather than try to clamp the record to it.
Finally, the book has a section in which
Rega people talk about themselves.
By its nature, this book seems
somewhat rambling, you will sometimes
find the same themes and stories
repeated from different angles in
different places, and it should have had
an index. But I think Rega reveals more
about itself here than any company has
ever done before. So, if you can’t wait for
next Christmas, drop a birthday-present
hint. Or just treat yourself.

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 111

 Send in your views to:
Sound Off, Hi-Fi News, AVTech Media Ltd,
Suite 25, Eden House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF
or email your views to: letters@hifinews.com –
YOUR VIEWS please use ‘Sound Off’ in your subject field

Sony PS-X9 and

Correspondents express their own opinions, not those of Hi-Fi News. We reserve the right to edit letters for publication.
Correspondents using e-mail are asked to give their full postal address (which won’t be published). Letters seeking advice
cartridge loading
READER QUESTIONS FARADS – WE ACCEPT THE CHARGES
will be answered in print on our Sound Off pages, but due to time constraints we regret we’re unable to answer questions on
buying items of hi-fi or any other hi-fi queries by telephone, post or via e-mail.
I read with interest your Vintage Review on
the Sony PS-X9 turntable in the March issue. It

UPGRADE SUGGESTIONS? was compared with the Technics SP10, which

I remember well enough, but I have to admit
SEEKING GREATER SYNERGY that the PS-X9 passed me by. Given that it is an
oversize turntable, I would have liked one of the
I’m a regular reader of HFN and pictures of the deck to have had a record on it,
have put together a system made just to see how it looked. Also, I feel there must
up of a number of analogue have been a typo regarding the cartridge loading,
components that have won plaudits which was given variously as 100, 200, and 400µF.
in your pages over the years. This seems very large and I would have thought
My current system comprises it should have been pF. Perhaps it’s a personal
an SME Model 15A turntable with obsession, but I would also have loved to see the
309 tonearm and Benz Micro Ace circuit schematic for the HA-55 head amplifier
SL MC cartridge. The phono and the equalisation amplifier.
stage is a Whest TWO, soon to be Nick Villans, via email
upgraded to a Trilogy 906, and
my loudspeakers are Sonus faber Patrick Fraser replies: Nick, you are correct. The
Venere Signatures. These are just cartridge loading values given in the review should
six-months young and sounding ABOVE: Benz Micro Ace SL cartridge have been expressed in picofarads (pF) rather
great. My amplifier is an EAR with exposed generator [HFN Jul ’12] than microfarads (µF). This was due to the wrong
Yoshino V12 valve integrated, ‘glyph’ being chosen when setting the text. If it’s any
which is a fantastic design, and this Ken Kessler replies: As this system compensation, the schematic for the Sony HA-55 can
is connected to an Isotek power has been finely tuned to its current be downloaded for free at www.hifi-manuals.com,
strip with a Titan Audio Helios state, the only sensible approach once you have registered with the site.
mains cable. Meanwhile, speaker would be to upgrade it a step at a time,
cables are from Transparent and in sequence from the source. But it
cost £860 the pair.
Finally, and so as not to annoy
the neighbours, I use a pair of
will be costly because of the Law of
Diminishing Returns.
As the SME/Benz combination is
WhitWorld
OUR HI-FI WORLD THROUGH THE EYES OF WHITWORTH
HiFiMan HE-560 headphones from first-class and would require a massive
time to time with a Trilogy 931 leap to better it, you already have a
headphone amp. superlative new phono stage selected,
I am writing in the hope that your cables are above reproach, the
your experts might suggest other EAR and Sonus faber combination
components I could upgrade as is a sweet one, I cannot but suggest
I am aiming for greater synergy. moving a component at a time to the
By the way, my listening room next level: SME 30/12, EAR-Yoshino
measures 15x15ft and the Sonus separates, etc. Just take your time and
faber Venere Signature speakers don’t change anything until what you
are positioned 10ft apart. already have has settled in, eg, your
John Whitaker, via email still-new loudspeakers.

ABOVE: SME Model 15A turntable [HFN Oct ’15] pictured here with SME 309 arm

112 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017


Lack of bass realism via USB
EXPERIMENTS WITH STREAMERS, SERVERS AND DRIVING KEF BLADES WITH A DEVIALET AMP
I enjoyed your review of the B&W
800 D3 loudspeakers [HFN Oct ’16].
However, the section that described
the listening in editor Paul Miller’s
music room really struck me.
I own a Devialet Expert 800
amplifier, which drives my KEF
Blade speakers, and I’ve primarily
been using Devialet’s AIR wi-fi input.
Recently I’ve been looking to improve
my system so have tried a range of
music servers and streamers.
To take a couple of examples,
I tried a Melco N1Z back-to-back
with an Aurender W20. Of these, I
preferred the Aurender, but it was not
a cut-and-dried conclusion. Some
aspects of the Melco’s performance
were absolutely stunning. However,
the Melco had one issue that was
very apparent with the Devialet
800 and Blades – the loss of some
definition and resolution in the bass,
particularly the very lowest bass.
I must emphasise that there was
no issue with the sheer amount of
bass or its impact, but the Melco lost
a significant degree of bass accuracy
and realism when compared with
both the Aurender N10 (which I have
listened to subsequently) and W20.
More recently I have purchased
a Sonore microRendu, also running
via the Devialet’s USB input, and this
suffers from exactly the same bass
issue as did the Melco. Finally, I
have been running the microRendu
through Mutec’s MC3+ USB
reclocker and USB-to-AES/EBU
converter [HFN Feb ’17]. Diverted via
AES/EBU, the bass issues are gone.
ABOVE: Devialet’s 800 monoblocks, pictured with remote, offer direct USB connection
YOUR VIEWS
There is probably a touch less bass
in terms of quantity, but accuracy and
realism are massively improved. It
is not a case of the Mutec running
AES/EBU that is masking a problem.
Rather, the AES/EBU transfer is
eliminating the problem, the result
being razor-sharp bass definition.
I have auditioned a number of
products via the Devialet’s USB input
now, and they all suffer the same
issue to some degree. I think with
standmounts you would never be
able to discern the issue, but with the
KEF Blade it is very apparent. The
point is, I am quite sure this issue
would manifest with the 800 driving
B&W 800 D3s as you used Devialet
800 monoblocks for the test and were
running a Melco N1A via USB.
I am writing in the spirit of the
unending search for audio perfection.
I hope you find this interesting, and
ultimately useful.
Brian Rostron, via email
Paul Miller replies: Our review of the
Mutec MC3+USB reclocker [HFN Feb
‘17] broadly concurs with your findings,
Brian. Many of our reviewers feel that, as
a general principle, most DACs sound
better driven via S/PDIF (or AES/EBU)
than USB. This appears to be the case
with Devialet’s Expert 800 and flagship
1000 amplifiers which use a PCM1792
DAC as part of its ADH core. All incoming
data is reclocked, of course, but the paths
are different – via an XMOS firmware and
asynchronous driver solution for USB and
via a Wolfson WM8805 digital interface
transceiver for S/PDIF and AES/EBU.
JITTE RBUG USB Filter
Can a £39 insect make all
your CD files sound better than
Hi-Res?
Yes and no: Using the same
equipment and a quality DAC, a 24/96
file (for example) will always sound
better than a CD 16/44.1 file … but,
even a single JitterBug will often
allow a CD file to be more musical and
more emotionally stimulating than
a Hi-Res file without the benefit of a
JitterBug.
Noise is the problem. Real noise—
the kind you can’t hear directly. Most
often, the word “noise” is used to
describe tape hiss or a scratch on a
record, but these sounds aren’t noise;
they are properly reproduced sounds
that we wish weren’t there.
Problem noise is essentially random,
resonant or parasitic energy, which
has no meaning. It can’t be turned
into discrete sounds, but it does
compromise signal integrity and the
performance of everything it touches.
JitterBug’s dual-function line-
conditioning circuitry greatly reduces
the noise and ringing that plague both
the data and power lines of USB ports,
whether on a computer, streamer,
home stereo or car audio front-panel
USB input.
A single JitterBug is used in between
devices (i.e., in series) as shown
below. For an additional “wow”
experience, try a second JitterBug
into another USB port on the same
device (such as a computer). Whether
the second port is vacant, or is
feeding a printer or charging a phone,
JitterBug’s noise-reduction ability is
likely to surprise you. No, the printer
won’t be affected—only the audio!
While a JitterBug helps MP3s sound a
lot more like music, high-sample-rate
files have the most noise vulnerability.
Try a JitterBug or two on all your
equipment, but never more than two
per USB bus. There is such a thing as
too much of a good thing.
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 113
 New DragonFlys!
YOUR VIEWS £89 Black & £169 Red
Powerful, Immersive
Sound fromComputers
New turntable for £1000?
READER SEEKS UP-TO-DATE REPLACEMENT FOR HIS LONG-IN-THE TOOTH LINN
and Mobile Devices!

At the heart of my vinyl system is
a Linn Axis turntable with a Linn
Basik Plus tonearm, which I bought
more than 25 years ago. The arm is
equipped with an AT OC-3 cartridge.
I now want to replace the Linn with
a modern deck and, given advances
in technology and the use of new
materials in turntable design, I was
wondering which models around
£1000 I should consider auditioning?
Alan Bridgens, via email
Steve Harris replies: It’s debatable how
much really new technology there is in
most sub-£1000 turntables, but there has
been plenty of development over the
last 25 years. In fact Pro-Ject recently
celebrated its 25th anniversary with The
Classic [HFN Aug ’16], which cunningly
offers an attractively traditional ‘box’ or
‘frame’ type turntable look, which almost
disguises the characteristic Pro-Ject
design elements. While other Pro-Ject
models are based on acrylic plinths, here
you have an MDF sub-plinth suspended
by elastomer damping parts (rather than
a metal-spring suspension) and the alloy
platter is damped with similar material.
The Classic comes with a carbon-fibre/
aluminium arm and 2M Silver cartridge,
made especially for Pro-Ject by Ortofon.
Within your £1000 budget, though, you
could go for a rather different package in
the form of the Rega RP6 [HFN Apr ’12],
complete with Rega’s one-piece RB303
arm and Exact MM cartridge. Rega has
never chosen materials for their sonic
‘flavour’, but has simply intensified its
development in pursuit of an unchanging
and well-proven design philosophy. This
makes the RP6 hard to beat at the price.

Four years ago, AudioQuest shook the

hi-fi world with our first DragonFly
DAC–Preamp–Headphone Amp—the
rare audio product that brought more
compelling sound to all music lovers,
playing high-res files to MP3s on per-
fectionist systems and modest laptops.
Now, the new DragonFly Black and
DragonFly Red exceed their prede-
ABOVE: Rega’s RP6 with Exact cartridge and RB303 arm, which costs around £900 cessor in every way, delivering more
beautiful music, boasting software
upgradability, and providing compat-

One-stop shop, hi-res style

THE TRIALS OF DEALING WITH MULTIPLE ONLINE SITES WHEN SEARCHING FOR HIGH-RES MUSIC
After re-reading the ‘Computer
Audio For Beginners’ feature in the
August 2016 issue, one thing struck
me: there isn’t a central shop, store,
or website where you can go for a
one-stop browse and purchase of
high-resolution music.
In the old days we had record
shops, where we browsed and
bought our music, often after hearing
it on the radio, or maybe in the actual
shop. Currently there is no simple
one-stop shop, but a multitude
of websites for certain styles of
music (or sites that have something
approaching a wide range, such as
HDtracks). Or the artists have their
own website (often with a strange
name, eg, Kate Bush’s Fish People)
which you have to be a detective
to track down using liberal word
association input into Google. Sites
like www.marillion.com are easy to
find as they contain the name of the
band, but others are not. There’s an
opening in the market here.
John Malcolm, via email
Christopher Breunig replies: Another
provider is Highresaudio, which has
recently improved its web pages. It
caters for a wide range of musical tastes
(though prices have recently increased
substantially). As with other Internet
music sites, though, you need shop
around for best prices for downloads.
ibility with Android and Apple iOS
mobile devices.
While Black offers more clarity, depth
and category-defining value than ever
before, the take-no-prisoners Red pro-
vides even more finesse, resolution,
torque and more than enough pow-
er to drive even the most demanding
headphones.
The word is out: DigitalAudioReview.
net’s John Darko calls DragonFly Red
and Black “the finest examples of ev-
eryman hifi to ever grace these pages.
Their value quotients explode the dial.”
Let the joyful experience begin!

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 115

 YOUR VIEWS
Garrard and the video disc
BEHIND THE SCENES PEEK INTO TURNTABLE MAKER’S WORK ON DIGITAL AND AN OPPORTUNITY MISSED
It was early in 1977 that an advertisement
appeared in the back of New Scientist
for an Optical Engineer to join a small
team at Garrard to work on video disc
technology. I was the lucky person
who joined a small team of talented
engineers in the company’s R&D
centre at Kembrey Street in Swindon,
on a Plessey site since Plessey
owned Garrard at that time. In fact,
before the Plessey takeover, Garrard
had temporarily occupied premises
belonging to Plessey following a fire in
March 1958 at Garrard’s huge factory in
Newcastle Street.
There were six of us in this team,
sharing a single office: Ray Yardy and
Terry Barber were responsible for the
‘mechanical’ engineering (ie, making
sure everything could be made and
fitted together); Dave Carter dealt with
the servo design work; and Tim Starkie
had the challenge of decoding the video
signals coming from the disc reader. My
task was to design an optical system to
read the only disc we had, which had
been ‘rescued’ from a bin by our team
leader, John Sommerville, while on a visit
to Philips. He’d been allowed to rescue
the disc so that Garrard could help the
video disc market develop. In other
words, Philips wanted to make sure they
were not the only people producing
players for video disc technology.
This was in the days of VHS and
Betamax, and the 12in video disc offered
higher quality video, plus the ability to
forward/rewind, freeze frame, and other
options we take for granted now.
The early discs were 12in in diameter,
coated on one side and intended to
be read from the other side – through
the transparent plastic substrate.
Unfortunately, the quality of pressing
was not very good, and the optical
properties (polarisation, mainly) meant
that one could not get a reliable signal
ABOVE: Just one of the projects competing for VLP R&D money was the MRM/101 from 1978
116 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017
through the plastic. So we had to read
the disc on the unprotected, coated side.
Inevitably, the servo system would
occasionally lose a control signal and
the reading lens would crash into the
disc, rendering that area of the disc
unreadable. So, during the development
work, less and less of the disc was
available for signal. It became a concern
that there wouldn’t be enough left to use
for important demonstrations.
When I arrived, the optical system
was able to give a basic signal but not
enough to be useful. There was limited
information available for making an
optical system design, but eventually I
found one that would work, and could
use specialised microscope lenses (the
only suitable lenses came from Japan for
this application).
The laser was another challenge
as early helium-neon lasers were not
intended for commercial applications:
when I asked for one, that was fine.
The price for ten lasers did show a
reduction, but when I asked for a price
forecast for 1000 lasers, I was told,
‘nobody will want 1000 lasers’. We were
pushing at the technology boundaries
for lasers and lenses, and were reliant
on samples as we worked to build two
demonstration units.
The lenses had to be mounted in
hand-built actuators – Dave, Ray and
Terry made this happen with a level of
patience that was astonishing, combined
with amazing dexterity with tweezers.
Bit by bit, the pieces of the system
came together, and we were able
to assemble them into two working
demonstration units. At which point,
we showed these to the senior
management at Garrard, and requested
a considerable amount of money to
take this forward to prototypes. At that
time Garrard was producing turntables
(the 401 and SP25, for example) with
ABOVE: Garrard
Garrard’ss factory on Newcastle St in
Swindon before it burnt down in a fire in 1958
some clever electronic technologies,
eg, a scratch reduction system from
the R&D department, which would later
appear on the market as the MRM/101
[HFN Jan ’17]. So our request for a large
sum of money was unrealistic from the
company’s perspective.
Since Plessey owned Garrard,
we entered into a road show to try to
convince Plessey that the video disc
technology (known as VLP – Video
Long Playing) provided a data storage
technology that was going to be very
important in the future.
Plessey had decided to invest in a
holographic tape storage system, and
felt that VLP was not a good candidate
for investment. Its chairman, Sir John
Clark came to visit and see the system
working. After watching it, he puffed on
his cigar, and asked, ‘What colour will it
be?’ His brother, Sir Michael Clark, also
came over but was not persuaded.
So, nearly a year after I joined, the
project closed and Britain lost the
chance to be at the forefront of the
CD and DVD revolution. Garrard and
Plessey disappeared – one has to
wonder what might have been different
if they had made that investment.
Antony Hurden, via email
Barry Fox replies: Thanks to Antony Hurden
for his fascinating insider memory. At the
same time in the UK, Decca was pursuing
the dead-end Teldec stylus-in-groove video
and digital audio disc system, GEC was
backing RCA’s dead-end Selectavision
capacitance groove disc, and Thorn-EMI
even built a factory to make JVC’s dead-end
grooveless capacitance video and digital
audio VHD/AHD discs. Meanwhile Nimbus
was moving from vinyl cutting to a high-
density CD mastering technique that helped
make DVD a practical reality. I recently
visited the company to talk about this for an
upcoming HFN feature.
Miles and modal jazz
READER EXPLAINS BACKGROUND TO MUSICAL FRAMEWORK BEHIND KIND OF BLUE
In the mid-1940s and onward, George
Russell was one of the principal
arrangers for Dizzy Gillespie’s big
band. His Lydian Modal Concept was
first given and explained to Miles
Davis, as Miles was looking to break
with the European musical structure
of playing the main melody of a song,
then improvising on the chords of that
main melody – which might change
from one to three chords per bar –
and end by playing the main melody
once more. George Russell’s Lydian
Modal Concept flows, and thereby
allows greater freedom.
I became interested in George
Russell in 1952 when, at the age of
17, I began studying Afro-Cuban
drums and percussion in general. His
collaboration with the great Cuban
Conga drummer Chano Pozo on two
of the latter’s compositions, ‘Cubano
Be’ and ‘Cubano Bop’, in spite of the
fact that Chano could not read music
notes, blew me away!
I myself, studied piano and violin
from the age of six to 17, and was
first violinist in my school orchestra.
At that time, Chano Pozo became
my first idol. Please pass on this
information to Ken Kessler who
reviewed Miles’ big hit album Kind Of
Blue [see p76] in the HFN Yearbook
2016. I believe the album was the
first to exploit the Lydian Concept
and was surprised the theory wasn’t
mentioned in the review since Miles
wrote about it in his autobiography.
Norman Tolbert, Baltimore
Ken Kessler replies: Mr Tolbert (whom I
suspect may be the noted percussionist)
provides an opportunity to re-state the
nature of the music reviews in HFN/RR,
constrained as we are by space, as well
as having to address – first and foremost
– the sound quality of either an original
release or, in the case of audiophile
reviews, what are basically high-quality
reissues. To put this into context, Mr
Tolbert’s email is more than double the
allocated word length of our Album Of
The Month reviews!
While the Lydian Chromatic Concept
of Tonal Organization, defined in a jazz
music theory book written by George
Russell and published in 1953, is
an important element of modal jazz,
ABOVE: MoFi Kind Of Blue [MFSL 2-45011]
reviewed by KK in the HFN Yearbook 2016
necessary for both musicians and
scholars to understand, it is too esoteric
and academic a theory to address in a
100-word capsule review. It would also be
out of place, like discussing aerodynamic
flow codes in a mini-review of a Ferrari.
It is the province of Down Beat, where it
would be presented in context.
Precious few are equipped to deal
with a musicological analysis of Miles’
work, and I certainly am not among
them. But my task here was to assess
only the sound quality of the Mobile
Fidelity reissue, which I – and respected
colleagues – believe to be the best ever.
My apologies to Mr Tolbert, but I hope he
appreciates the reasoning.
Steve Harris replies: Pianist Bill Evans
touched on the modal approach of the
music when he wrote the original liner
notes. But there’s always been a bit of
confusion here, because the track we now
EXTREME?
know as ‘All Blues’ was originally called
‘Flamenco Sketches’, and vice versa.
After the initial pressing, the titles were
IT IS NOW!
swapped, and Evans’ notes were edited
to match, so for all subsequent issues
they read as follows...
‘“All Blues” is a 6/8 12-measure blues
form that produces its mood through only
a few modal changes and Miles Davis’
free melodic conception. “Flamenco
Sketches” is a series of five scales, each
to be played as long as the soloist wishes
until he has completed the series.’
For UK issue, the track titles were
transposed but the liner notes by Benny
Green (using similar wording to Evans)
weren’t amended to match!
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 117
 VINTAGE HI-FI

Braun regie 350 receiver

In terms of performance did this entry level receiver offer more beauty than Braun?
We find out as we put this unit from the company’s 1976 catalogue to the test...
Review: Tim Jarman Lab:: Paul Miller
problem that exercised the

A marketing departments of
the large hi-fi manufacturers
during the hi-fi boom years
was how to entice newcomers –
especially the young – and those with
basic record players and radio cassette
recorders, into the world of high-
quality sound equipment.
One strategy used was to offer
components that gave a decent
measure of performance and looked
similar to high-priced offerings, but
which were simpler, easier to operate
and, most importantly, cheaper.

MADE IN JAPAN
Braun’s regie 350 receiver of 1976 wass
just such a product. The regie series
had been inaugurated in 1968 as a line e
of high-quality, high performance tuner/
r/
amplifier combinations styled by industrial
design maestro Dieter Rams. With the
exception of the regie 308, the series had
a simple identity, which had been defined
ABOVE: As was usual with continental equipment released in the period, each Braun regie 350
came with a basic service sheet, though its presentation was as stylish as the equipment itself
by the regie 510 in 1972 [HFN Jun ’16].
Finished in sleek matt black and 100mm
tall, this line-up was German audio design
at its very best. Excellence came at a price
however: in the UK, a regie 510 cost more
than the equivalent model from B&O.
Such things would have been beyond the
financial reach of the typical young person
setting up their first home, but the more
affordable regie 350 would have been an
ideal starting point for a first Braun system.
To keep costs moderate without having
to cut functionality or quality, Braun
arranged to have the regie 350 produced
by a third-party manufacturer in Japan. It
is reasonable to speculate that Hitachi was
involved at some level in the internal build
of the 350. After all, from the transistors
and integrated circuits used through to
some of the passive components and
even the mains plug and cable, Hitachi
components are evident throughout.
LEFT: Front panel details with preset radio
tuning dials (top picture) and sliding audio
controls (bottom). Note the German station
markers and the volume scale marked in dB
One aspect that could have only come
from Germany, however, was the unit’s
appearance, which was classic Dieter Rams
in terms of logic, neatness, and sense
of purpose. Sharing identical external
dimensions with the regie 510, the 350
was unmistakably a Braun product.
LIVING COLOUR
One of the most striking features of the
regie 350 is the use of colour for the
function selector switches. This isn’t an
easy thing to get right: use too much
colour and the risk is that a product will
look toy-like and garish; not enough and it
becomes bland and characterless.
As with many Braun products, green
was used to denote the main power on/off
button, making it instantly recognisable to
fans of the brand. Following on from the
regie 510, red was used to highlight the
FM button, along with all the other items
on the panel associated with FM reception.
Meanwhile, yellow denotes the
turntable input, echoing the starting levers
on the Braun turntables of the era, such
as the PS 350 and PS 450. With many

118 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

Braun products, this yellow shade is an
‘action’ colour, highlighting the next most
significant control after the power switch.
Finally there is brown, which marks out
the selector for the cassette deck input
(‘band’). Although not as striking as the
others, brown is of course the colour of
recording tape and so quickly forms a
connection in the user’s mind. This input
was intended for use with
the TGC 450, Braun’s first
cassette deck. This simple ‘Music on FM
two-head machine was
produced by Aiwa (for
arrived packed
technological rather than
cost-saving reasons) but
with atmosphere
was clothed by Braun to and detail’
match the regie series,
given the same panel height as other
components and a matt black finish.
Monitoring was not required for the TGC
450. Indeed, this is precluded by the DIN
interconnection standard, so the brown
tape button is a simple input and not a
tape loop. Those with more ambitious,
three-head reel-to-reel recorders (such as
Braun’s TG 1000) had the option of the
‘monitor’ input, which was a correctly
engineered tape loop of the conventional
type. The recording output of the tape loop
is optimised for DIN standard equipment,
but it could easily be altered to line level by
shorting out two resistors inside.
The turntable input was matched to
the Shure M75 range, Braun’s cartridge
of choice at the time. This is good news
since many modern MM
cartridges have similar
requirements to the
M75 and so will work
well with the regie 350.
Sliding controls were
used for the main audio
adjustment functions
and unusually for
controls of this type the volume slider was
marked off in dBs, maximum attenuation
being just over –60dB. No click stops had
been added though, a familiar nuisance
when attenuator-type markings are used in
budget and mid-priced equipment.
The volume control was augmented
with loudness compensation, a
compromise which some listeners found
ABOVE: Coloured function keys draw the eye
against what is otherwise a sombre front panel.
In all respects the regie 350 is a classic Dieter
Rams design, being both neat and well ordered
beneficial for listening at low levels
through small loudspeakers. The purist
audiophile shuns such devices however,
and the circuit can be disabled by simply
pressing the ‘linear’ key.
PRESETS ’N’ SOCKETS
Five radio stations could be pre-tuned using
the vertical scales to the right of the main
tuning control. Each is marked with a small
plastic disc, which can be changed to show
the name of the station assigned to it,
although as most 350s were originally sold
in Germany these tend to show German
broadcasters. The leftmost selector
engages the main FM tuning scale and has
an outer ring which cuts in the AFC circuit.
BELOW: Original Braun German sales catalogue
from 1976 shows an artistic rendition of the
regie 350 in stark frontal aspect followed by an
angled photograph and technical data
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 119
   
  

  
  





‰ Ž ӳ y Ž  &
  
  
 
&
    
  



KŤ:KĀěŽÝǸĀKĄyÝĄÃÇ:K








 
 





 







 

           
" 
#!

%$$
 VINTAGE HI-FI
RIGHT: Unmistakably German on the outside,
clearly Japanese on the inside. Note the heavy
tuning control flywheel and that the front panel
is considerably wider than the actual chassis
The headphone socket is five-pin DIN
‘domino’ type, common in Germany but
unusual elsewhere. Adapters can easily
be made to accommodate jack-type
connectors though. In fact, setting up
the regie 350 in a system will require
a whole range of DIN adaptors if
your accompanying equipment isn’t
continental and period. Everything
from the aerials to the other inputs
and the loudspeakers are DIN with no
alternatives offered.
There are two pairs of loudspeaker
sockets but in line with traditional Braun
practice these are connected in series,
the second pair being bypassed by an
internal shorting switch when unoccupied.
Accidentally plugging a single pair of
loudspeakers into the second output will
result in no sound, no matter how the front
panel controls are set.
Since much of the appeal of Braun
equipment is in the
styling integrity it is
probable that the owner ‘As an amplifier
will eventually add a PS
350/450 turntable and
the regie was
a TGC 450 cassette deck both clean and
to complete the system.
This leaves the ‘monitor’ well ordered’
input clear for CD players,
DACs, etc, a task to which it is well suited.
Avoid models with excessively high outputs
since the volume control is located at the
input of the power amplifier, meaning that
it is possible to overload the preamplifier
stages and introduce distortion.
TIM LISTENS
No such problems were noted with my
Cyrus CD8 SE2 CD player, which is a good
visual match for Braun equipment too. My
usual Monitor Audio PL100 loudspeakers
were no trouble for the regie 350 either,
whose 25W per channel rating is sufficient
for the majority of quality loudspeakers
[but see Lab Report, p123].
The great majority of my regular
listening comes from FM radio so the regie
350 proved to be a pleasure to review.
For my own use I only ever buy receivers,
or amplifiers for which a quality tuner is
readily available, so the Braun suited me
well in this respect. True, my opening
impression was of excessive treble cut,
but moving the treble control to around
+1.5 cured this and yielded a subjectively
flat response – the centring of the control
perhaps being suspect in
this example.
The volume control
also has an odd action –
nothing much happens
until it is pushed up
roughly half way and
then the output really
takes off. Perhaps some
artistic license has been taken with the
calibrations so that in normal use all the
knobs end up in a neat, straight line?
For a model rated on paper as 25W/ch
the regie 350 plays a strong hand. There
is plenty of power and the eventual limit,
when bass grip falls away and hardness
encroaches into the treble, doesn’t really
become an issue until well beyond any
regularly used listening level.
That said, this receiver does display
the odd characteristic of most smaller
amplifiers in that it is easy to identify it
as such, even at quite moderate outputs.
One is a sense of constriction and the
compression of dynamics. Certainly this
model lacks the big punch and impressive
flexibility of the more powerful regie 510.
The sound is softer too, which robs
music of some of its sparkle, but in a way
this characteristic also endows the regie
350 with a refined and sophisticated tone.
Provided it’s tuned to a good broadcast
or connected to a high-quality source and
paired with a decent pair of loudspeakers,
you’d never guess that this was the budget
model – an impressive result.
FM sensitivity proved to be good for an
electronically tuned design (the regie 350
has a three-gang varicap front-end on VHF)
and even though my house lies outside its
service area, LBC Radio (97.3MHz, London
area only) was brought in with a solid
stereo lock and only a moderate level of
background noise. The voices of presenters,
such as the irrepressible Nigel Farage in
his eponymous daily slot, sounded both
natural and convincing.
AID TO CLARITY
The Braun also coped well with the
somewhat variable studio quality and
obvious audio processing applied to
commercial transmissions. It was easy to
recognise that BBC Radio 4 broadcasts
(92.5MHz) such as Today and PM were
audibly of a higher technical quality, but a
useful point in favour of the regie 350 was
that both commercial and BBC offered a
satisfying listening experience.
The BBC signals for both Radio 4 and
Radio 3 (90.3MHz) proved to be sufficiently
strong where I live to secure what was for
practical purposes noise-free reception
with good stereo separation.
Music programmes like Late Junction on
Radio 3 arrived packed with atmosphere
and detail, although being critical one
would have to say that this Braun design
LEFT: The regie 350 is cool running and
efficient so the large ventilation slots on the top
are largely decorative. The headphone socket to
the far left is a special five-pin DIN type
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 121
 Call: 0845 6019390 Email: news@2ndhandhifi.co.uk
ALL 2016 STOCK REDUCED!
Amplifiers XTC Pre 1 & Pow 2, Pre/Power combo, excellent used 749 Townshend Elite Rock, Excalibur, cover used 999 Magneplanar MG1.7 mint boxed x/d 1399

Abrahamsen V2.0, excellent boxed used 779 YBA WM202 Integrated receiver, excellent boxed used 499 Transfiguration Pheonix S, excellent boxed used 999 Martin Logan Quest, fair cosmetics, superb sound used 999

Aesthetix Atlas stereo power, superb and mint x/d 4899 VDH Colibri M/C cartridge, as new boxed, REDUCED x/d 2749 Martin Logan Prodigy, excellent used 3399

Arcam P75 Power amplifier used 199 VDH Condor M/C cartridge as new boxed, REDUCED new 1749 Martin Logan Ethos, near mint boxed used 3399
Radio/Recorders
Arcam A19 Integrated amplifier, excellent boxed used 379 Whest Audio 30RDT Phono stage, vgc+ used 1549 Martin Logan Electromotion, excellent boxed used 1299
Arcam T61, excellent boxed used 79
Art Audio Jota 520b, excellent REDUCED used 3499 Monitor Audio Silver 10, gloss black excellent x/d 979
Denon DRS810, 3 head cassette deck used 99
Audia Flight Pre and Flight 50 Class A power x/d 3749 Digital Monitor Audio Silver 6, nr mint boxed x/d 749
Fostex G16, 16 track Reel to Reel, amazing! used Call
Audio Analogue Maestro Settanta, in black used 1199 Arcam CDP92, vgc boxed used 299 Monitor Radius range. various ex demo x/d Call
Naim UnitiServe, near mint boxed used 1279
Audio Research Ref 610 Monos, boxed REDUCED used 12799 Arcam UDP411, superb boxed used 549 NAIM SBL, black ash used 649
Nakamichi Cassette Deck 2, vgc serviced used 149
Audio Research D250, excellent serviced boxed used Call Audio Analogue Vivace USB DAC,with Pre out x/d 999 NEAT Elite SX, near mint boxed used 1149
Nakamichi DR3, vgc serviced used 249
Audio Research LS17se, near mint boxed £4.5k new x/d 2399 Auralic Vega DAC, superb boxed used 1599 NEAT Motive 3, excellent in black used 349
Quad FM2, due in used 249
BAT VK50se Preamplifier, factory service 2016 used 2399 Bel Canto PL1 mutiformat player, good condition boxed used 1199 PMC Twenty 24, walnut new 2299
Quad FM3, vgc used 139
Bel Canto Pre6 multi channel preamp, remote, boxed used 999 Cambridge Audio 351c CD player used 99 PMC Twenty 24, oak new 2199
Revox PR99, crated, REDUCED used 729
Bel Canto Pre6 multi channel Power amp, boxed used 1999 Chord Chordette Qute HD DAC mint boxed used 599 PMC Twenty 23,oak new 1699
Revox A77, just serviced, great condition used Call
Cambridge Audio CXA60, excellent used 349 Consonance CD2.2, new sealed new 649 PMC Twenty 22, walnut new 1649
Revox B77, just serviced, great condition used Call
Chord Electronics Prima Preamplifier, mint x/d 2199 Creek desting CD, fair cosmetics only used 349 PMC Twenty 21, walnut new 1099
Rotel RT850, excellent used 29
Chord Electronics Mezzo 140 Power, mint x/d 2199 Cyrus CD8X, vgc used 399 PMC Twenty 21, diamond black new 999
Sony STDB900 DAB/AM/FM Tuner, excellent used 99
Chord Electronics CPA3000, nr mint boxed x/d 4995 Cyrus Stream XP, excellent condition, boxed used 749 Proac Response 1sc, excellent boxed used 699
Sony MDS JA20ES, excellent used 299
Croft Micro 25 Basic Preamplifier, black, excellent used 299 DCS Puccini and Wordclock in black used 6399 Proac D15, excellent boxed, used Call
Technics RS-BX707 3 head cassette deck, serviced used 99
Cyrus 6XP Integrated, black, excellent used 449 EAR Acute 3, our demo unit near mint x/d Call Proac D20r, excellent boxed, ex dealer demo x/d 1849
Technics RS1500 in flightcase near mint used 2249
Cyrus Pre XPD Preamplifier, black, excellent used 649 Leema Antila IIS Eco, mint boxed x/d 2749 Quad ESL57, vgc used 599

Devialet 400 combo, mint boxed ex demo x/d 6499 M2Tech Young DSD DAC used Call Sonus Faber Concerto Home used 799

Devialet 120, mint boxed, our demo unit x/d 2699 Analogue Marantz CD6004, excellent used 159 Sonus Faber Venere 1.5 with matching stands x/d 999

Devialet 250, mint boxed, our demo unit x/d 7249 Acos Lustre GST1 Tonearm, near mint boxed used 299 Meridian Sooloos Control 15 and Twinstore NAS used 1899 Sonus Faber Venere 2.5 vgc+ x/d 1499

Esoteric C03/A03, pre/power ex demo boxed used 8499 Audio Research LP1 Phono stage nr mint x/d 999 Musical Fidelity V link Dac, excellent used 89 Sonus Faber Venere Centre channel excellent x/d 399

Gato Audio DIA 250, superb used 1849 Avid Acutus Ref power supply x/d 2399 NAIM Unitiserve SSD, excellent boxed used 1749 Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M with stands used 2249

Heed Obelisk PM Monoblock pair used 1279 Bakoon EQA11r phonostage, boxed with stand used 1399 NAIM N172XS Streamer/Preamp, radio module x/d 1299 Spendor BC1, near mint boxed used Due in

Jeff Rowland 501 Monoblock pair, boxed used 2949 Bel Canto Phono 3 Phono stage, excellent in black used 699 NAIM HDX - SSD, upgradeable, as new used 2399 Tannoy Stirling GR sealed boxes new 2899

KR Audio VA320 Antares used 1879 Clearaudio Emotion, Satisfy arm used 599 Oppo HA2 DAC and Headphone Amp new 219 Totem Mite in black, ex dealer demo x/d 379

Krell KAV300i, excellent boxed used 799 Clearaudio Champion, Unify arm, cover, clamp used 1199 Prima Luna Prologue 8, ex dem boxed, x/d 1099 Usher Mini Dancer 1, excellent boxed x/d 1299

Krell FPB400cx, excellent boxed used 3249 Dynavector DVXX2/2, vgc boxed used 999 Project Streambox DS, excellent boxed x/d 349 Usher S520, excellent boxed x/d 229

Lector VFI 70L, 70watt Hybrid Integrated, excellent! used 649 Dynavector DV20X2L, vgc boxed used 399 Rega Planet CD, excellent boxed used 249 Usher N Series. Various x/d Call

Leema Libra Dac/Preamplifier, nr mint x/d 3499 Fidelity Research FR64S boxed, excellent used 1449 Rega Apollo CD, excellent used 349 Vandersteen Quattro, accessories, transformers used 2899

Mark Levinson 532H Power amplifier used 3749 Graham Phantom Supreme 12”, SME cut x/d 3199 Rega Apollo-R CD, excellent boxed used 449 Veritas H3 (Lowthers) gloss black, 100db, x/d 2399

McIntosh MC275 Power Amp, near mint boxed used 3499 Linn Arkiv cartridge used 399 Rega Saturn R, our demo unit nr mint x/d 949 Wilson Benesch Square Two Mk2, boxed used 1349

Ming Da MC5S 5 channel Valve Power amp boxed used Call Linn LP12, Cirkus, Ekos, Lingo, Troika, boxed in black used 2449 Sansui WLD201 Streamer, sealed box used 119

Moon W7RS, excellent used 4299 Linn LP12, Basik Plus, Goldring 1006, valhalla, early used 499 Sugden Masterclass PDT4F CD newer version boxed used 1749 Accessories/Cables
Musical Fidelity M3Si Integrated used 649 Linn LP12 Majik, Cirkus, Radikal PSU/motor, 9CC, Akiva used 3999 Unison Research Unico CDE, digital in, superb x/d 1599 Audeze EL8 Open back headphones x/d Call

NAD C315bee, excellent used 99 Linn LP12 Majik, Cirkus, Lingo 3, 9CC, Akiva used 2999 Whest Audio DAP.9 used 279 Audeze EL8 Closed back headphones x/d Call

NAIM NAC202, ex demo nr mint x/d 1249 Lyra Skala, excellent boxed used 2199 YBA WD202 USB DAC, excellent boxed used 449 Audeze LCD 3 headphones, x/d 999

NAIM NAC82, Napsc excellent boxed used 899 Lyra Argo, excellent boxed used 479 Yamaha CDS300, vgc+ used 99 Elemental Audio speaker stands x/d 449

NAIM NAC122X preamplifier, excellent boxed used 449 Michell Focus One with Focus arm boxed excellent used 499 Yamaha CD-S3000 SACD player nr mint boxed used 2449 Grado headphones many models x/d Call

NAIM Supernait 2, near mint x/d 1999 Michell HR DC psu used 379 Kimber KS1021 WBT used Call

NAIM NAP250DR, near mint x/d 2999 Michell Hydraulic Reference, Fluid arm used 879 Loudspeakers M2Tech Harley headphone amplifier used Call

NAIM NAP200, 2008 excellent boxed used 899 NAD 533, excellent used 199 Art Audio Expression Precision Monitor/Subs used 1949 NAIM Supercap 2, vgc+ from 2002 used 1549

Nakamichi 410/420 Pre/Power near min retro! used 499 Nottingham Analogue DAIS, near mint, ex demo x/d 3899 Aspara Acoustics HL6 in Oak, REDUCED new 1699 Oppo HA1 Headphone Amp excellent used 729

Pathos InPol Remix Hi Dac, ex dem, x/d 1999 Ortofon Kontrapunkt B, vgc boxed used 399 B&W 802D3, near mint used Call Sennheiser HD800s used 999

Pathos Logos Integrated, excellent, used 1399 Ortofon Cadenza Black, mint boxed x/d 1460 Celestion A2 nr mint boxed used 499 Stax 404/006 system used Call

Rega Mira 3, excellent boxed used 379 Project Debut Carbon, near mint REDUCED x/d 239 Dali Zensor 7, excellent boxed used 549 Stax 4070 closed system, excellent RARE! used 2399

Rega Elex R, excellent boxed x/d 799 Project 2, excellent used 179 Dynaudio Contour 1.8, excellent boxed used 699 Sugden HA4, excellent used 699

Rega Brio R, excellent boxed used 399 Project 2Xperience Acrylic with speedbox used 649 Dynaudio 42C centre used 199

Roksan Caspian M2 Integrated, near mint boxed x/d 1349 Rega RP6/Exact boxed in RED, near mint x/d 649 Focal Aria 948, excellent in gloss black used 1799 Special system deals
Rotel RC970/2 & RB970 Pre/Power combo used 349 Rega Planar 3/RB300 tungsten, new carbon cartridge used 369 Focal Electra 1008, mint boxed REDUCED x/d 1999 Arcam Solo , remote boxed used 349

Sugden Masterclass Monoblocks used 3899 Rotel RP830 excellent starter deck used 149 Focal Electra 1028, mint boxed x/d 2749 Arcam Solo Neo, excllent boxed used 399

Tag McLaren 60 iRv Integrated used 299 Shelter 501/II, excellent boxed used 499 Gallo A’Diva Micros plus 150 Sub used 379 Devialet 400 & Magneplanar MG3.7i speakers used 9979

Tag McLaren 100X3r 3 channel power used 599 SME 3009 excellent boxed used 329 Kef X300A Active monitors x/d 549 Devialet 200 & Magneplanar MG1.7 speakers used 5249

Tandberg TPA3003 Power amplifier, excellent! used 479 Systemdek IIx/RB250, good condition used 249 Kef Q500 walnut nr mint x/d Call Linn Classik Music later version nr mint used 599

Tube Technology Unisys Signature integrated used Call Technics 1200, standard spec, near mint used 549 Kinergetics Research SW800 Subs and amplifier used 999 Naim Muso nr mint boxed x/d 799

Unison Research Unico preamplifier x/d 1549 Technics 1210mk2, Hynes PSU, Mike New bearing etc used 1449 Kudos C10 with Super 10 drivers, cabinet damage used 799 Naim Unitilite with Usher S520s used 1299

Unison Research Preludio valve integrated used 1199 Thorens TD170 Auto excellent boxed REDUCED x/d 219 Kudos C30 excellent boxed in rosenut used 1649 Naim SuperUniti, nr mint boxed x/d 2949

Unison Research S6 valve integrated x/d 2499 Thorens TD209 turntable package REDUCED x/d 599 Leema Zone, excellent used 599 Scansonic USB100 Turntable & Active Speakers new 349

Vincent SAVP200, superb and amazing value used 749 Thorens TD150, 2000 Plinth and 3009, superb used 579 Leema Xandia Mk1 in black, new 1799 TEAC CRH255, vgc with remote new 119

Tel: 01642 267012 or 0845 6019390 Email: news@2ndhandhifi.co.uk


VINTAGE HI-FI
ABOVE: DIN sockets and signal levels are used exclusively for all connections while
the upper pair of speaker sockets can only be used if the lower pair is also occupied
doesn’t have the ultimate focus of
a best-in-class FM tuner or receiver,
such as the Aurex ST-F15 [HFN Apr
’16] or the FM section of the B&O
Beomaster 4400 [HFN Jun ’12], both
of which were a lot more expensive
when new, of course.
As an amplifier only, the regie
350 again sounded a little soft but
was also clean and well ordered
with very low background noise for
a model in this class. ‘It’s Alright’
by The Eurythmics [from the RCA
compilation PD74856] may have
lacked some of its usual bite but the
tubby and well controlled bass, so
often a characteristic of the better
ranks of European vintage hi-fi, more
than made up for this.
The vocal line was perhaps a
little pronounced, suggesting a mild
midband presence lift, but for some
material this can be seen as a useful
aid to clarity. Meanwhile, imaging
was broad and uninterrupted,
although the front-to-back depth of
the soundstage was a tad limited
when compared to that conjured
up by some more exotic creations.
All the same, it is difficult not to be
ABOVE: Full service data for the 350,
presented in the Braun corporate style
taken with this model, as an entry
point to the world of hi-fi it would
have served its owner well.
BUYING SECONDHAND
The moderate power output and use
of AC coupling to the loudspeaker
load mean that problems in the
power amplifier are unusual, but the
circuit is simple and easy to repair
in any case. By contrast, the tuner
section is quite sophisticated yet,
again, is sensibly constructed and
unlikely to give many problems.
The various preset resistors that
are used throughout the receiver
seem uncommonly prone to
becoming intermittent or changing
value. Problems such as tuning drift,
failure of the FM stereo decoder and
difficulty in setting up the output
stage bias current can often be
resolved by replacing the relevant
preset resistor(s).
The pushbutton mechanism for
the radio station memories can
suffer from mechanical wear, the
symptom being that eventually
some of the buttons may refuse to
stay latched in. The good news is
that the front panel of the regie 350
is made of plastic, so the corrosion
problems that affect other Braun
audio products are not an issue.
HI-FI NEWS VERDICT
Easy on both the the eyes and
ears, Braun’s regie 350 is the
ideal basis for a small vintage
system. German designer
credibility matched to Japanese
electronics know-how has,
unsurprisingly, made for a
product with lasting appeal in all
the key aspects and it has proven
itself to be robust over the years
too. It’s somewhat rare in the UK,
but still relatively easy to find in
Germany apparently.
Sound Quality: 75%
0 - - - - - - -
LAB
REPORT
BRAUN REGIE 350 (Vintage)
Built in 1976, our sample of Braun’s regie 350 receiver did not
offer quite the stellar performance of its bigger brother, the
510 [HFN Jun ’16], though some clear points of comparison
are evident. Rated at a more modest 25W/8ohm, Braun’s regie
350 achieved 2x20W/8ohm and 2x28W/4ohm on test with
sufficient headroom to accommodate 28W, 47W and 46W
into 8, 4 and 2ohm loads with 30W into 1ohm loads [see
Graph 1, below]. Braun specified the 350’s frequency response
as ‘25Hz-35kHz ±1.5dB’ although without a true tone defeat
option – the ‘Linear’ volume mode does not bypass the tone
or balance circuits – the flattest response was achieved by
slightly increasing the treble control (operating above 3kHz).
Even here, the response is slightly undulating and influenced
by speaker load impedance (the 350’s output impedance is
slightly high at 0.5-1ohm from 20Hz-20kHz). Into 8ohm the
response has –3dB limits of 10Hz to >100kHz but has
a ‘brighter’ presence and treble into 4ohm and 2ohm loads
(+0.2dB/10kHz and +0.4dB/10kHz, respectively).
The 90.3dB A-wtd S/N ratio (re. 0dBW) is very impressive,
besting more than a few modern amplifiers, although was
weaker at 82dB through the left channel. The former figure is
illustrative of its ‘as new’ performance! Overall gain is modest
– albeit perfectly adequate for modern line sources –
at +29dB, with all controls in their default position. Distortion,
meanwhile, is also impressive at 0.0085-0.02% over a full 20W
range through the midband (lowest THD is at ~10W/8ohm).
Distortion necessarily increases at high and very low
frequencies – from 0.035%/20Hz to 0.20%/20kHz at 10W/8ohm
and 0.6% at 5Hz/1W [see Graph 2, below]. PM
ABOVE: Dynamic power output vs. distortion into
8ohm (black trace), 4ohm (red), 2ohm (blue) and
1ohm (green) speaker loads. Max. current is 5.5A
ABOVE: Distortion versus frequency at 1W/5Hz-40kHz
(red trace) and 10W/20Hz-20kHz (black trace)
HI-FI NEWS SPECIFICATIONS
Power output (<1% THD, 8/4ohm) 20W / 28W
Dynamic power (<1% THD, 8/4/2/1ohm) 28W / 47W / 46W / 30W
Output impedance (20Hz–20kHz) 0.51–0.98ohm
Freq. resp. (20Hz–20kHz/100kHz, 0dBW) +0.35dB to –0.04dB / –1.9dB
Input sensitivity (for 0dBW/20W) 100mV / 465mV
A-wtd S/N ratio (re. 0dBW/20W) 90.3dB / 100.4dB
Distortion (20Hz-20kHz, 10W/8ohm) 0.0085–0.20%
Power consumption (Idle/rated output) 33W / 68W
- 100 Dimensions (WHD) / Weight 500x115x340mm / 12kg
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 123
 FR
ROM
OM THE VAULT

The 1980 hi-fi shows

London, Paris, Manchester, the North East... the hi-fi scene buzzed with shows
at the beginning of the ’80s. John Atkinson and Ivor Humphreys report...
Manchester Show Also in the good sounds
department, despite being
used in a parallel sided wood-
panelled cubicle of a room,
were KEF’s 105 MkII speakers.
Their ancillary equipment –
Denon turntable with 103D MC
and Quad 44/405 amps worked
well most of the time, but the
cannons on the Telarc digital
1812 were proving too much
for the 405 at their (admittedly
Although quite unprepossessing to look to be the ultimate cartridge but the hefty) levels. This disc is gaining
at, this wooden MC cartridge is the only MC pick-up to be able to track as something of reputation for its
£500 Koetsu, which has been creating well as MM designs. Be that as it may, it destructive abilities.
a stir in the USA. Virtually handmade certainly sounded impressive in an ad-
Hi-Fi in very small numbers by the ex-chief- hoc system at Manchester. Details from
News engineer from Supex, Mr Sugano, it is
claimed by some enthusiasts not only
the official importers, Quadramail. For
£1000 you can have it in onyx.
May This is the splendid new economy-finished
1980 version of the STD 305 turntable. It dispenses
Each month with the decorative and expensive aluminium
HFN will bring panels which adorn the standard plinth, resulting
you an article in lower production costs and, to many of us, an
from our vast improved appearance. All the bits that matter
archive of are the same, though, and the arm board well
features and is now much more generous, allowing SME-type
reviews from baseplates to fit in-line with the spindle rather
yesteryear than parallel to the plinth edge. Price will be
around £150. The turntable is shown here with
the new Hadcock ‘E’ arm, which has ‘outriggers’
to provide lateral balance adjustment. These
simplify set-up procedure by making adjustment
independent of the main counterweight.

Weirdest-looking turntable award goes to this

creation, with an Audio-Technica AT 1100 arm
on board. That’s what happens if you leave a
Transcriptors deck near a box of tennis balls!

1 | ww
124 ww.h
. ifi
ifinew
news.c
s.co.uk | APR
o.uk APRIL
IL 20
017
17
Audio-T
and AT
Labs at
Swiss Cottage
A new model from Spendor is
always an event and the new
SA3 caused a stir. An active
design, we understand it is
intended for German broadcast
use. It bore an uncanny audio
resemblance to its smaller BC1
and SA1 brothers, although the
demo was spoilt, as were many
at the Holiday Inn, by poor low
frequency room performance.
These are the elusive ProAc
speakers from Celef. The larger
ProAc Studio, which uses a
Scanspeak tweeter and ATC
mid and bass units, was making
impressive sounds in a number
of rooms, including Exposure’s.
Exposure, incidentally, is
investigating tri-amping a
Linn lsobarik system – the
prototypes sound extremely
good. Celef has produced
a new three-way Domestic
Monitor speaker which also
Valve amps show no signs of going away: TVA, and now Tim de made a nice noise. The woofer
Paravicini’s Esoteric design, are apparently going down a storm
in the USA while Grant Lumley and Bill Beard’s BAS models are at
the moment consolidating their UK position. Obviously there’s
money in them there tubes. Scottish turntable manufacturer
STO has entered the market place with its own power amp
[pictured above], the D2000. Using the latest GEC KT77 beam
tetrodes – ’Gold Lion’ brand, would you believe? – in ‘push-pull
ultra-linear mode involving a transformer-coupled configuration
with feedback from the transformer applied directly to the screen
electrodes of the output tubes, thereby linearising both’. The
D2000 should give at least 60W into 8ohm, 30Hz-20kHz, at 0.5%
maximum distortion. Remember, valve amps typically distort
gracefully with no nasty high-order crossover-type harmonics.

Looking rather tasteful (!?) in

the Marantz room was a new
black amp combination. This,
with softly glowing meters, is
the 150W power amp.
is the 30cm Volt unit, also used
in designs by lAS and PWB at
the show, while mid is handled
by a 200mm polypropylene
unit and HF by a 1in soft dome
tweeter, with ferrofluid in
the voice-coil gap to increase
power handling. Price will be
£550 per pair plus VAT.

Reaching selected dealers First non-tube design from

at last and seen for the first
time at Swiss Cottage was the
impressive Lentek integrated
amplifier. Offering 2x60W into
8ohm, excellently sensible
specifications, and construction
of a standard reminding one
of the days when ‘English’ was
synonymous with ‘quality’, the
Lentek has facilities to make
a Japanese amp weep, with
comprehensive cartridge (both
MM and MC) input matching
for resistance, capacitance
and sensitivity. The price is
expected to be £645 inc VAT.
TVA progenitors, Michaelson
& Austin, is this neat £120
headamp, the CD-9. Designed
by American engineer
John Curl, and housed in a
stainless steel tube, it offers
three different impedance
settings with low or high gain.
Michaelson & Austin is also
importing the American Snell
Type A speakers which, apart
from an LF room problem, were
sounding very respectable in
the Swiss Cottage Holiday Inn,
driven in bi-amped mode by
their M-200 200W valve amps.
The Snells are one of the few US
designs to give accurate stereo
and can produce very high
levels. The UK price should be
around £1500 per pair.
Peter Belt first introduced his
Orthodynamic speaker units in
prototype form at last year’s
Cunard Show. Using small
units similar to those in his
headphones, the production
versions are now available in
a number of sizes, ranging
from a small add-on top mid/
HF unit at £125 to the 5ft
8in tall Orthodynamic tower
at £977.50. The tower is
pictured to the right with
the PWB Studio Bass System
(£391) which contains a Volt
10in paper cone driver with a
matching ABR. Like all line-
source designs, stereo imagery
was impressively stable. All
need a separate bass system to
handle signals below 500Hz.

APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 125

 Hana in Japanese means “brilliant and gorgeous”

SH model EH model
High outp
Hig utput
tpuutt Mov
Mov
oving
i C
ing Co
oill
oil “ Wh
What
att immed
mm
meddiiaateelyy imppre
ress
ess
ssed
ed me wi
with
thh botth cacart
rrttri
r dg
d es
es waass thee veerr y lo
ow
wi h nude
wit e na
natur
t al
tur a dia
iaamond
mon
mo nd High outp
High
Hig outp
utpu
ut ut Mov
ut M ingi Co C il
surf
surfac
rf aacce no
n is
i e an
a dhhoow qu
uie
i t th
they
eyy wer
eree oovveral
erral
all.
l. ” with e
with
wit elli
lllipti
lli ptttical
ica
ic
cal
a stylu
sttylu
y us.
s
s.
Sh
S
Shi
hib
bat
atta-s
a-styl
t lus
tylus.
ty us..
H A SL & SH
HAN H - REV
R VIEW
IEWE
IEW
WED
ED BY
Y HIF
IF
FI P
PIG
I / JAN
IG A 201
0116

VERD
VE RDIC
I T £
“ Me
M ett the
he Han
anaa tw
twinin
ns.
s....a pa
pair
ir of mo
m viving
ng coiil caart
rtri
ridg
dges
dg es fro
rom
m Ja
Japa
pan that
th
hat caan
n be
your
yourrs at an exxce
cept
p io
pt i naallllyy lo
low
w pr
pric
ice.
ic e. Pau
aull R
Riigb
by is smi
mitt
t en
tte by th
hei
eirr ch
c ar
arms
ms. ”
HANA EH & EL
E - REV
REVIE
RE IEW
EW
WED
E BY H
HI-
I FI WOR
WO LD
L / FEB
B 20
2016
2016

“ To commpa
parere the Han na w wiith a car
artr
trid
idge
g cos
ge osti
ting 10 ti time
mess as
me a muc uch
h se
seememms
mad
ma dness,
dnes s butt ‘bl
blin
ind’ I wou uld
d hav
avee be
believe ed the
heyy we
weree inn th
thee same
me cla
l sss –
e traord
ex rdin
inar
ary. If tomo
morrrow o all the oth ther car artr
trid
idge
ges I had di dissapp
sappeaare
red
d I wowoul
uld d
be qui
uite
te hap
a pyy to co
contntin
inue
ue lis
iste
teni
ning
ng. I wowoulldn
d ’t feel
ee short- t ch
han
ange
ged,
d and
thhou
ough
gh I migight
ht misisss ceert
rtai
ainn th
thinngs theey wow ulldn
d ’t’ ‘bo
both ther
er’’ me so mu
much.. No
SL mode
ell othe
ot her ca
cart
rtridg
dgee un
unde
derr 15
1500 Eur uro
o has papassssed
ed thi
hiss te
test
st.. Th
That thehe Han
anaa iss wel
elll EL mo
ode l
Loww ou
outpu
tputt Movi
o ng g Coi
Coill belo
be low th this
i limmitt is qu
quit
itee an ach
chieeve
veme
ment nt. ” Low ou
outpu
tputt Movi
Moving
ng Coi
Coill
with
h nude
nude naatur
tu al
a dia
diamon
mond d with
with elli
llipti
ptical
cal st
stylu
ylus.
s.
HAN
A A SL - RE
REVI
VIEWED BY GE
GEOFF
OFF HU
HUSBA
SBAND
ND, TN
TNTT FRAN
FRANCE / JUNE
UNE 20
2016
6
Shibat
bata-s
a-styl
tylus.
us.

FOR MORE REVIEWS PLEASE VISIT: F IN D A DEA L ER N EA R YOU :

WWW.AIRAUDIO.CO.UK/REVIEWS/ WWW.AIRAUDIO.CO.UK/DEALERS/

‘Further information and Dealer enquiries - email: info@ airaudio.co.uk
 




 

+HDGSKRQHDPSOLȴHU 3UHDPSOLȴHU  ΖQWHJUDWHG$PSOLȴHU 
)LQLVKLQJPDWHULDOV ΖQSXW 
 
 ΖQSXW
&-3)-&
+&"2(&0
"-%
4"+-32
4..%
5
!

5
."5


5
.1)-*
+3&2..2( +"11
 5


$YDLODEOHOHDWKHUFRORXU 2XWSXW
&RQȴJXUDWLRQ

)LQLVKLQJPDWHULDOV

+"$*
.0
4()2&  31(3++ &-3)-&
+&"2(&0
"-%
4"+-32
4..%

'LPHQVLRQV 2XWSXWPRGH
9DFXXPWXEHV $YDLODEOHOHDWKHUFRORXU


5
 
5
 0&",/
.0
)0&$2
.32 5


5
  +"$*
.0
4()2&

:HLJKW  


 /RDGLPSHGDQFH 'LPHQVLRQV
*' !




,"5

#)2*6
 
6


*6

7

%  
5

5


."5

,"5

#)2 
*6
.1)-*
,"5

#)2 
*6 ΖQSXWLPSHGDQFH :HLJKW
NŶ  *'

 
  



 
w:audioemotion.co.uk e:info@audioemotion.co.uk t:01333 425 999
 FR
ROM THE VAU
ULT
North West
Audio, Hi-Fi &
Video Exhibition
Believe it or not, this hunk of
electronics is virtually all the
working parts (apart from the
arm) of a new, less expensive
turntable from Revox. The B795
keeps the B790’s parallel-
tracking arm, but does away
with the digital speed read-out
in favour of a ‘flat’ PCB motor.
The price of £295 plus VAT will
put it right in there with all the
quality turntable competition.
One of the most spectacular
sights at the show was Shure’s
record-naffing demo, designed
to prove the durability of
its M97 series of cartridges
with new MASAR tip-finishing.
Seeing its man hold down the
headshell while a record was
playing and then ‘scrub’ it to
and fro was not for the faint
hearted. ‘Doesn’t that damage
the record?’ we asked naively.
‘Yes, it b......s it’, he replied, ‘but
the stylus is unaffected.’
Over 30,000 people attended Hardman’s 1980 North West Audio,
Hi-Fi and Video Show in January, which is pretty good going for only
three and a half days. Pictured above are a few of them.
Still on the arm front, the Lux TA1 is now
available separately at a very competitive £65.
It seems substantially made and could well be
worth investigating. Also new from Lux are the
MS-10 compact two-unit speakers. The woven
cone of the bass/midrange drivers is made from
‘a totally new material called Aramid Fibre’ – new
to Lux, perhaps! Meanwhile, a form of reflex
loading is used, which sees two small ports
(holes?) measuring around 13mm in diameter
sited on the rear panel of each speaker.
The business end of one of Trio’s new speaker
These were the prototypes for the Mark II version range. Note the double suspension on the
of the Mission 774 tonearm, which has a more midrange unit – both at the centre and edges.
massive mounting plate than the original, an
aluminium rather than magnesium headshell and
a firmer arm-tube clamp. Although the arms on
display at the show sported a range of splendidly
exotic finishes, such as satin chrome, blue
crackle, and ‘bobbly’ matt black, the production
version of the arm will be black, which is the
finish most in demand, apparently.
The first Harman Kardon gear to appear since the
name was sold to Japanese manufacturers Shin
Shirasuna. Facilities and specs are what you’d
expect from HK – 0.1Hz-160kHz bandwidth,
twin power supplies, etc. The intended prices
are competitive with the preamp costing
£180, power amp £260, analogue tuner £150,
digital tuner £230 and the cassette deck £230.
The latter is one of the first decks to appear
incorporating the new Dolby-HX system.
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 127
 £19.99*
FOR ANY
OF THESE
TITLES
* UK OFFER
ONLY
EASTER SAVINGS!
Save ££’s with our fantastic Easter offers and get your
magazine delivered straight to your door. Why not treat
a loved one to a gift subscription –
it will last longer than an Easter Egg!
Home Cinema Choice
6 issues for £19.99
Saving 33%
Full price £29.94
Subscribe securely online: http://mymagazineoffers.co.uk/EA39
Call: 0344 243 9023** and Quote EA39 By Post: Please complete the form
and return it to the address provided. Quote Ref: EA39
YOUR DETAILS: (This section must be completed)
Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms .......... Name ....................................................
Surname ...........................................................................................
Address .............................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
Postcode ..........................................................................................
Country .............................................................................................
Tel/Mob ............................................................................................
Email .................................................................................................
D.O.B ..................................................................................................
(Complete if the subscription is for yourself)
Magazine ............................................................ Price .................
**Lines open Mon - Fri 8.00am - 8.00pm GMT & Sat 9.30am - 3.30pm GMT. UK Calls costs 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge. Overseas calls will cost more.
Hi-Fi Choice
6 issues for £19.99 6 issues for £19.99
Saving 26% Saving 33%
Full price £27.00 Full price £29.94
GIFT SUBSCRIPTION: (Complete 'YOUR DETAILS' first)
Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms .......... Name ....................................................
Surname ...........................................................................................
Address .............................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................
Postcode ..........................................................................................
Country .............................................................................................
Tel/Mob ............................................................................................
Email .................................................................................................
D.O.B ..................................................................................................
(Complete if gift recipient is under 18)
Magazine ............................................................ Price .................
Hi-Fi News
PAYMENT DETAILS
Please make cheques payable to MyTimeMedia Ltd and write code EA39
and magazine title on the back.
Postal Order/Cheque Visa/MasterCard Maestro
Cardholder’s name ...........................................................................
Card no:
(Maestro)
Valid from ............. Expiry date .......... Maestro issue no .....
Signature ......................................................... Date ......................
SEND TO:
MyTimeMedia Ltd, 3 Queensbridge, The Lakes,
Northampton, NN4 7BF
TERMS & CONDITIONS: Offer ends 5th May 2017. *UK offer only. Subscriptions will start
with the next available issue. For full terms & conditions visit http://www.mytimemedia.
co.uk/terms. From time to time, your chosen magazine & MyTimeMedia Ltd may contact
you regarding your subscription, or with details of its products and services. Your details
will be processed in full accordance with all relevant UK and EU data protection
legislation. If you DO NOT wish to be contacted by MyTimeMedia Ltd & your magazine
please tick here: R Email R Post R Phone. If you DO NOT wish to be contacted by
carefully chosen 3rd parties, please tick here: R Post R Phone. If you DO wish to be
contacted by carefully chosen 3rd parties, please tick here: R Email
 FR
ROM THE VAU
ULT
International
Festival Of Sound,
Paris, France
This is the Yamaha robot,
which spent its time at the
show wandering around the
company’s stand talking to
people and recognising the
staff. ‘Bon-jour-Mon-sieur’ said
the stilted voice chip as it
advanced towards us. As soon
as we took our pic, though, it
retreated muttering something
about disliking the flash! We
were amused.
How about one of these for
the lounge! The Thorens
monster ‘Reference’ belt
drive, suspended chassis
(not subchassis) turntable is
a staggering piece of over-
engineering. Or is it? Its total
immunity to any degree of
seismic disturbance does mean,
however, that the stereo image
remains ‘rock’ steady.
Europe’s answer to the
Japanese micro-component
revolution. As well as the
Philips system pictured above,
Grundig, Elipson and Uher have
entered the fray with micro
components of their own.
The Aurex M10 integrated amp
has hitherto been the smallest
complete microsystem around
up to now, but this new 2x20W
receiver from Technics, the
SA-C02, which is the same size
as its micro preamp, shown
here with its M04 cassette
deck, must be the ultimate in
reduction. The SU-C01 preamp,
incidentally, is rumoured to be
very good for £150.
Most ridiculous new concept
was the verdict from the
fearless HFN/RR team on this
vertical Mitsubishi turntable
with linear tracking tonearm.
Shown for the first time in
Paris were two new speakers
from Mission, which will be
reaching dealers this month.
On the left is the £179 710 Mk
II, a total reflex redesign of the
original IB 710 using a SEAS
ferrofluid tweeter with an 8in
polypropylene bass/mid unit
(rather like a baby 770). The
other speaker is Mission’s first
budget design, the 700, which
will cost £110 and uses the
ubiquitous Scanspeak tweeter
in tandem with an 8in paper
cone woofer. (And no, it’s not
upside-down!)
The most interesting new drive
unit in Paris was a tweeter
developed jointly by Thomson-
Brandt and Audax. It consists of
a hemispherical dome, made
from a piezo-electric plastic,
polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF),
with aluminium electrodes
vapour-deposited on each side.
When an AC voltage is applied
to the electrodes, the radius of
curvature of the dome changes
in proportion, so approximating
the ideal ‘pulsating sphere’. The
photo shows the Audax version
being impulse tested.
APRIL 2017 | www.hifinews.co.uk | 129
Also in HFN this
month in 1980
SOUNDINGS
News from the Audio
Engineering Society, by
Donald Aldous.
POSITIVE FEEDBACK
Technical correspondence.
TWO QUARTS IN PINT POTS
Trevor Attewell investigates
two unusual loudspeakers:
KLH 3 and Audio Pro A4-14.
FIVE PICK-UP ARMS AND
A TURNTABLE
Noel Keywood examines
the Lustre GST 801, Infinity
Black Widow, ADC ALT-1,
Audio-Technica AT1100,
and Ultracraft AC 30011
tonearms plus the Ariston
RD IIS turntable.
THE THINGS I HEAR
Notes from the journal of
David Pickett.
LOOKING BACK
By Peter Gammond.
INTERVIEW
Soprano Katia Ricciarelli.
AMERICAN LETTER
George Tillett writes on
events across the Pond.
FM RADIO
Angus McKenzie brings you
his monthly round-up.
AUDIO PATENTS
By Adrian Hope.
 BUY • SELL • EXCHANGE

GREAT VALUE NEW & PRE-OWNED HIGH END HI-FI

GR
Huge range of high end brands • Expert system matching advice • Used High end hi-fi bought and sold
Part exchange available • All items checked and guaranteed • Major credit cards accepted
Gryphon Antileon £5990 LOUDSPEAKERS Krell Connect Streamer £1700 VPI TNT 2.5/ Tri-Planar IV £3750
LATEST TOP 40 Karan Acoustics KA M2000 £22990 ATC SCM300AT based custom model £8550 Mark Levinson 512 CD/SACD £5990 Wheaton Tri-Planar MK IV £1795
Luxman MQ88 £3995 Lamm Lamm M1.1 £6990 Aurousal A1 MK £445 Mark Levinson No 31 & 30.5
Audio Research Reference 5se £6490 Luxman M800A stereo power £8990 Avalon Indra £11500 Transp/Dac £7450 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIERS
Passlabs X350.5 £5990 Luxman MQ88 £3995 Avalon Time £39990 Mark Levinson No 31.5 Reference Analog Domain Audio GmbH
Graham Tonearms Phantom B44 £2790 Mark Levinson No 532H B&W Matrix 800 £5990 CD Transport £2990 Isis M75D NEW £17500
Proceed PDT3 Transport £800 stereo power amp £4995 Beauhorn B2.2 Revelation £1800 Mark Levinson No 512 Analog Domain Audio GmbH M75D £10990
Revox B260 Tuner £390 Mark Levinson No. 532 £9990 Diapason Adamantes 3 £2490 CD/SACD NEW £12255 Audio Note Meishu £4000
dCS Puccini CD/SACD Player £4990 Mark Levinson 336 £3490 Diapason Adamantes 3 McIntosh MCD 1100 £5990 Audio Note Ongaku £39990
Magnum Dynalab MD 205 FM Sleuth £390 Mark Levinson No 532H NEW £7500 25th Anniversary £2490 Micro Seiki CDM2 £1290 Gryphon Diablo £4900
dCS Paganini Transport/ DAC/ Clock £5490 MBL MBL 9011 £18700 Diapason Astera £3990 MICROMEGA Microdac £245 Icon Audio Stereo 40se £450
FM Acoustics 711 MKII £14900 McIntosh MC275 (2 Available) £4250 Dynaudio Confidence C2 £4250 Moon 300D £850 Lizard Wizard Audio £495
Burmester 099 DAC £4500 Musical Fidelity 550K Spercharcher Focal JM Lab Aria 948 £2600 Naim Audio CD 555PS £2990 Primare i22 with inbuilt DAC £1100
Analog Domain Audio GmbH M75D £10990 Monoblocks £1590 Focal JM Lab Grande Utopia III EM £121999 Naim Audio cdx 2 £1680
Stillpoints Ultra 6 with base Naim Audio Nap 180 £600 Focal JM Lab Scala v2 Utopia 3-way £13990 Naim Audio CD S3 £2490 CABLES
(x3 Available) £650 Naim Audio NAP 300 & 300PS £3490 Focal JM Lab Stella Utopia III EM £42990 Perreaux DP32 £1475 Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval
Stillpoints LPI Record Isolator £290 Passlabs X350.5 £5990 Focal JM Lab Maestro Utopia 3 £16990 Plinius CD Player101 £2400 8-shotgun £990
Naim Audio NAC282 & NAPSC £2850 Pathos InPower £4990 Franco Serblin Accordo £6500 Primare BD32 £3500 BMC Audio PureUSB Cable
Wireworld Platinum Eclipse £1290 Plinius SA100mkIII £1990 Gamut S5 £7990 Primare Cd31 £600 2 & 5 m NEW £210
Townshend Audio Fractal 1m RCA £490 Sony TAN R1 monoblocks £8990 Genesis Technologies 5.3 £7500 Proceed CDP CD/HDCD player £995 Chord Company (The) Sarum
Tara Labs The One & FGS 1m XLR £990 Soulution Audio 711 upgraded Hansen Audio Emperor £32500 Proceed PDP 2 D to A Converter £350 Super Aray 1m rca £1390
dCS Puccini U-Clock £1590 from 710 £29990 Horning Eufrodite mk4/5 £4990 Proceed PDT3 Transport £800 DNM Speaker & interconnect £600
dCS Puccini CD/SACD Player £4690 Tom Evans Linear A NEW £4750 Icon Audio MFV3 piano black £590 Entreq Apollo XLR £2990
Entreq Siver Minimus £325 VTL MB 450-III Signature Infinity Kappa 9 £1490 Kubala Sosna Anticipation £190
Entreq Silver Tellus £990 Monoblocks NEW £18500 Isophon Corvara £1390 TURNTABLES/ARMS/CARTRIDGES & MIT Matrix HD 12 £350
Entreq Atlantis £990 JBL 250 Ti £2890 PHONO STAGES MIT MH 750 Plus 10ft pair £450
DNM PA3S & 3D-Six (Cables & Stand) £7500 KEF Muon £85000 Audio Research PH8 black £3890
PRE AMPLIFIERS Naim Audio Hi-Line £425
Entreq Apollo XLR £2990 Krell resolution 3 £2700 Avid Acutus S/P SME Series V
Audible Illusions Modulus 3A £2250 Naim Audio Power-Line £350
Entreq Atlantis Tellus £1690 Martin Logan Summit £3990 + dust cover £9990
Audio Research LS2 £790 NBS Audio Signature II AES/EBU £395
Entreq Tellus £850 Martin Logan Fresco (pair) £690 BMC Audio MCCI Phono MC NEW £2590
Audio Research Reference 5se £6490 Nordost blue heaven £330
Naim Audio Power-Line £350 Martin Logan Logos Centre £590 Boulder MS11/MS10
BMC Audio DAC1PreHR NEW £3990 SHUNYATA RESEARCH
Naim Audio Hi-Line £425 Naim Audio Orator S-600 £3990 Phono stage & psu £1795
Boulder 1010 £5990 King Cobra Power Cable 13A £1290
Naim Audio StageLine £210 Revel Ultima Salon 2 £9500 Cello Cartridge £4000
Bryston BP-26 and MPS-2 £2500 Tara Labs 0.8 ISM Onboard £1250
Naim Audio CD 555PS £2990 Revel Ultima Studio 2 NEW £8490 Clear Audio da Vinci V2 £2890
C.A.T SL1 Ultimate £7295 Tara Labs 0.8 ISM Onboard £1750
Naim Audio CD S3 £2490 Ruark Rapsody £200 Clear Audio Insider Gold £500
Cary SLP 98L £2295 Tara Labs The One & FGS 1m XLR £990
Naim Audio SuperCap 2 £2250 Sonus Faber Amati Anniversario GR £11990 Clear Audio Master Solution £2500
Concordant Exquisite + Exclusive £1150 TelluriumQ 2x 3m Graphite
Naim Audio NAC 252 £2990 Titan 3Way £1295 Dr. Feickert Analogue NG High-Precision
Crimson Electronics 710 Speaker Cable £1800
Naim Audio NAP 300 & 300PS £3490 Townshend Audio Maximum Cartridge Alignment Tool £149
Pre Amp NEW £3995 TelluriumQ Black Speaker
Naim Audio NAT 05 £590 Supertweeters £790 Gale GT2101 Turntable £7990
Gainsford £1350 1.1m pair NEW £130
Linn Sondek LP12 Lingo/ Akito2B/ Ubiq Audio Model 1 £9990 Graham Tonearms Phantom B44 £2790
Gryphon Sonata Allegro £5490 TelluriumQ Ultra Black 2m Speaker £750
Adikt/ Keel/ Tramp2 £3450 WATERFALL VICTORIA EVO £2500 Heed Zene £390
Jadis JPL £1700 TelluriumQ Ultra Black 3m Speaker £1250
Naim Audio Orator S-600 £3990 wharfedale 1950’s Corner Horns £6990 Kuzma Stabi (wood) & Ref psu £1990
Klyne Audio Arts 6LE £1290 Townshend Audio Fractal 1m RCA £490
Franco Serblin Accordo £6500 Wilson Audio Sasha £13750 LFD MC1 Phono £490
Luxman C800f £8990 Transparent Audio Reference
VPI TNT 2.5/ Tri-Planar IV £3750 Wilson Audio Maxx 3 £49500 Linn Sondek LP12 Lingo/
Mark Levinson No 326s NEW £8170 interconnect with MM technology £1650
Mark Levinson No 380 £1790 Wilson Audio WATT Puppy 7 £5990 Akito2B/ Adikt/ Keel/ Tramp2 £3450 Transparent Audio Referece
McIntosh C2500 £4500 Wilson Benesch Act £5250 Linn Sondek LP12, Ittok, XL 1.25m XLR £1200
Naim Audio NAC 252 £2990 Majik PSU, Rosewood £3500 Transparent Audio
POWER AMPLIFIERS Naim Audio NAC282 & NAPSC £2850 CD PLAYERS AND DACS McCormak Micro Phono Drive £390 REFERENCE DIGITAL £2200
Aesthetix Atlas Mono Blocks £9990 Naim Audio SuperCap 2 £2250 Aesthetix Romulus CD £2750 Naim Audio StageLine £210 Transparent Audio Reference Speaker
Audio Research Reference 210 Plinius M16 Pre-Amp £1490 Arcam rDAC + Squeeze £250 Origin Live Digital Stylus Force Gauge £65 Bi-Cable with MM technology £2495
monos £7490 Sony TAE 900 £2990 Audio Aero Capitol Reference MKII £1790 Pink Triangle Export/ Zeta £1495 van den hul First Ultimate
B.A.T. VK 50SE £4500 Teddy Pardo TeddySupercap £550 Audio Aero Capitole Signature £3300 Plinius M14 Phono £1290 Interconnect RCA £160
B.A.T. VK-255 SE £3700 Tom Evans The Vibe pre Audio Aero La Fontaine £17500 SME Model 10A turntable £4490 Wireworld Platinum Eclipse £1290
Bel Canto eOne Ref1000mkII & Pulse power supply £2750 Ayon S3 £2690 SME Model 20/3A NEW £8990
monoblocks £2490 Viola Labs Spirito II £19990 BMC Audio BDCD1.1 Belt Drive SME Series V-12 NEW £3668 POWER CONDITIONERS
BMC Audio CS2 Integrated/ VTL TL 6.5 Signature Series II Line CD Player NEW £3795 SME 312s NEW £2050 Entreq Atlantis £990
Power Amplifier NEW £5495 Pre NEW £12750 BMC Audio PureDAC NEW £1550 SME Model 20/12A NEW £11567 Entreq Atlantis Tellus £1690
BMC Audio M2 Monoblocks NEW £10990 Burmester 099 DAC £4500 SME Model 30/12A NEW £23950 Entreq Olympus Tellus £4250
Chord Electronics SPM 1200B £1490 PRE/POWER COMBINATIONS Copland CDA822 £550 SME Series V Gold plated arm £2990 Entreq Siver Minimus £325
Conrad Johnson Prem 8A DNM PA3S & 3D-Six dCS Puccini CD/SACD Player £4690 Sumiko Pearwod Celebration II NEW £1190 Entreq Silver Tellus £990
monoblocks £4950 (Cables & Stand) £7500 dCS Puccini CD/SACD Player £4990 Thales Simplicity II £4990 Entreq Tellus £850
Crimson Electronics 640 E3 Exposure Classic Series XXIII dCS Puccini U-Clock £1590 Tom Evans The Groove Plus Nordost Q2 £690
Monoblocks NEW £3399 + XXVIII £1890 dCS Paganini DAC £5500 mkII NEW £4990 Nordost Quantum QX2 (Schuko) £690
Dan D’Agostino Momentum Jeff Rowland Model 2 dCS Paganini Transport/ DAC/ Clock £5490 Tri-Planar MK UII £2890 Nordost QX4 £1090
Power Amp £17990 & Synergy IIi pre £3990 Krell Evolution 525 £4990 van den hul The Crimson MC £2990 Nordost Thor £990
FM Acoustics 711 MKII £14900 Tektron Pre and Power £1750 Krell KPS 25sc £5500 van den hul The Crimson MC £2990 Tice Audio Solo (8O/P- 3 Circuit) £390

www.choice-hifi.com
Email info@choice-hifi.com
Telephone 020 8392 1959 / 07768 720456

STOCKIST OF Audio Note Audio Physic Aurosal Burmester Cat Clear Audio Denon Graham Tonearms JM Lab Lexicon
Monitor Audio Nad Origin Live Ortofon Panasonic Parasound Pioneer Plinius Primare Project Revel Roksan SME Tom Evans Townsend
Velodyne Yba Mark Levinson Telluriumq VTL Acapella Estelon T+A Entreq Stillpoints B.M.C. Audio GmbH
Analogue Domain Audio Ubiq Audio JBL Exogal ATC Melco Shun Mook Audio Transfiguration Avalon Kiseki AND MANY OTHERS
 SUPPORTING BRITISH
MANUFACTURING

Presenting high class,

award winning UK built,
Belt drive, Direct drive &
Idler drive turntables and
turntable upgrades
Photo above:
Our multi award winning Monarch turntable
Visit our website to see our ever expanding range of turntables and turntable upgrades

HI-FI WORLD NOW FEATURED IN

HI FI WORLD’S
WORLD STANDARDS

With Direct Sales from us the manufacturer, there is NO retail mark up

saving you between 40% and 50% compared to other similar products.
Part Exchange Deals given against your current turntable. Call for an instant quote...Superb Demonstration facilities

*VU[HJ[\ZMVYHSS`V\Y[\YU[HISLHUKOPÄYLX\PYLTLU[Z 01246 268887

Unit 1 / Westwick Park /)YVVTIHUR9K/ )YVVTIHUR0UK\Z[YPHS,Z[/ *OLZ[LYÄLSK: 81
,!YVILY['PUZWPYLOPÄJV\R^^^PUZWPYLOPÄJV\R

Serious about vinyl

SERIES
“The ViVac Record Cleaning System is one of
Nu-Vista, Encore, M8, M6s, M5s
the best upgrades a vinyl-lover can make.”
M3s, MX and LX
Contact us today or visit our website to find out why.
www.pristinevinyl.com t:+44 (0) 1837 871288

BRIGHTON, EAST SUSSEX | TEL. 01273 041714 FREE DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS
W W W. A UDION OTELOUNGE. COM
Clean the record, release the sound
 To help ensure accuracy, your classified advertisements
must be submitted by email or post...
MARKETPLACE Please email your entries to: letters@hifinews.com

THE PLACE TO TECHNICS SL-10 complete NAKAMICHI 2 cassette deck.

with all accessories, manual, £40. AudioQuest Type 4 speaker
BUY & SELL AUDIO original box, fitted with Ortofon
OMP30 cartridge, £350. Rotel
cable, 2x3m, terminated links. £25.
Tel: 01502 565406/07788 821996.
EQUIPMENT & ACCESSORIES RA680 integrated amp, £100. Buyer
collects. Tel: 01275 875039
Email: svelliot@aol.com

OTARI MX-5050 BII reel-to-reel

NOW FREE
2. AMPLIFIERS
DEVIALET D-Premier (serial no
00393), original HDMI version, vgc,
fully working, silver mirrored finish,
boxed. Could be upgraded post sale
by buyer to 250 Expert status. Latest
firmware (v10). Serious interest only
please, £4500. Buyer to collect.
Tel: 07470 062033
KRELL Showcase 7.1 processor/
preamp £500. Krell KAV150a
amplifier £400. Both vgc,
with original packaging and
instructions. Both units offer the
choice of balanced or unbalanced
connections. Tel: 0192 575 4563
AUDIOLAB 8000P £140,
Audiolab 8000C £140.
Tel: 01502 565406/07788 821996.
Email: svelliot@aol.com
3. CABLES
CHORD Chorus interconnects,
two 1m pairs and Odyssey 2 speaker
cables, one 4m pair. Excellent
condition. £50 ono and £100 ono
respectively. Tel: 01234 764147
4. CD/DVD PLAYERS
LINN Unidisk SC 5.1 disc player/
preamplifier/digital decoder £450.
Plays DVD-video, DVD-audio, SACD,
CD. Vgc. Original packaging and
instructions. Tel: 0192575 4563
COPLAND CDA266 CD player.
Excellent condition, very light use.
£500 ono. Tel: 01234 764147
ARCAM CD8SE plus remote. £40.
Tel: 01502 565406/ 07788 821996.
Email: svelliot@aol.com
NEAT Motive 1, cherrywood
veneer. Excellent sound, cost £1400,
£600. Tel: 07957 384795
MISSION 753 speakers in black
ash. £100. Email: svelliot@aol.com.
Tel: 01502 565406/07788 821996.
PMC 2026 floorstanders in
Amarone. Three-way. Like new.
Boxes and accessories. Owned
from new since late Jan 2015, non-
smoking household. Would prefer
collection from Kent, but could ship.
£3249 plus shipping.
Tel: 07736 638686
LIVING Voice Auditorium IBXR2.
Finished in satin walnut. In as new
condition and come complete with
boxes. Offered at £2600 ono.
Tel: 01234 764147
SONUS faber Cremona M
loudspeakers finnished in maple.
Excellent condition, light use.
£3200 ono. Tel: 01234 764147
TANNOY Definition DC10A
speakers, piano lacquer black ,18-
months-old, as new, £5500 ono.
Triangle Sub 222, vgc, £250 ono.
Musical Fidelity X-LPS phono amp,
£50. Tel: 07802 989899.
Email: jdsnell@hotmail.co.uk
ECLIPSE TD-172 2 loudspeakers
with stands. Light use only. Boxed.
Immaculate condition. £1750.
Tel: 07976 407863
KEF KHT2005 HTS 2001 ‘Egg’
satellite speakers. One pair,
excellent condition, boxed. £120.
Tel: 01531 631337
8. TUNERS
MICHELL Orbe (silver),
Never Connected, SME and Rega
armplates, owned from new, original
box and instructions. £1200. Buyer
collects. Tel: 01376 332186
GARRARD 401, Rega RB300,
Goldring 1042 with plinth/cover,
great sound and condition, £1499
ono. Power supply for Class A amps
of around 15-20W, £300 ono.
Tel: 0207 499 8729
11. SYSTEMS
MERIDIAN system comprising
G92 preamp/processor, DVD, CD,
FM/DAB, DSP5000s and 5000c, all
24-bit/96kHz. M33 active rears, all in
black, all vgc. Cost £11,000. Offers
over £2800. Sorry, cannot split.
Tel: 07771 508444/01205 872155
12. MISCELLANEOUS
REVOX PR99 Mk3 tape recorder
in superb condition with all
functions and modes in fully working
order. All capacitors replaced.
Tested and aligned to meet Revox
specification. Genuine Revox NAB
adaptors and angled mains lead.
Wooden side cheeks. Some 10.5in
tapes and metal NAB spools. All
tape back coated and in excellent
condition. £825. Email: paul.
spearing1@btinternet.com.
Tel: 01460 220672
TRICHORD Diablo phonostage
with Never Connected power supply
and Reference interconnect. Mint
condition, original box. £700 ono.
Tel: 01234 764147
PLACING AN ADVERTISEMENT IN THE HI-FI NEWS CLASSIFIEDS SECTION
Fill in your advertisement copy here...
Please write the product category number that best suits your equipment in the
first square. The product categories are: 1 – Accessories; 2 – Amps; 3 – Cables;
4 – CD/DVD players; 5 – DACS; 6 – Software (CDs, records etc.); 7 – Speakers; 8 –
Tuners; 9 – Turntables; 11 – Complete Systems; 12 – Miscellaneous; 13 – Wanted
deck. UK spec. In perfect condition
with original box and instruction
manual. Works perfectly, looks
great. Recently serviced. £1200
ovno. Also, several Sony tape deck
switchers. Tel: 07854 588693
ELECTROCOMPANIET
ECP 1 phono stage, MC/MM and PSU,
Fidelity Audio, total £425. B&W 705
speakers, £400. South London.
Tel: 07789 396921
AURALIC Aries wireless
streaming bridge. Designed with
two Femto clocks with low noise
external power supply for minimum
jitter. Remote control is also
included. Excellent condition (mint?)
and in original transportation box.
£750 including p&p. £1500 when
new. Email: dave.drew@talktalk.net.
Tel: 07549 603398
13. WANTED
YAMAHA CDX-5050 CD player
(black) or laser to replace the one in
my player. Tel: 01531 631337
FAULTY or non-working Quad 44
preamp, later model preferred. Cash
paid. Tel: 01758 613790
HI-FI NEWS Issues 1 and 3
to 9, of Volume 1. Also February
1996. Email: jcgl@audiomisc.co.uk
SONUS FABER Amati
Anniversario Homage, Guarneri
Memento, Amati Futura or Guarneri
Evolution loudspeakers. Must be in
absolutely mint condition and red.
Tel: 01269 595271

MARANTZ SA-14S1 Special
Edition. Plays SACDs, CDs, and
high-resolution files. DSD capable.
Front-mounted USB port. Pristine.
£1100. Email: martine@acrelong.
plus.com. Tel: 01837 840438.
AUDIO Research CD-3 MkII.
Boxed. Remote not working
otherwise immaculate. £950.
Tel: 07976 407863
7. SPEAKERS
BOWERS & Wilkins DM11
loudspeakers, £35, in excellent
condition and working order. Buyer
collects from South London.
Tel: 07796 878504
ARMSTRONG 623 tuner We will insert the telephone number you want to appear in your advertisement(s)
AM/FM. Teak case, piano keys with as many times as is needed. You only need to fill it in once and it only counts as
manual. Stored for 15 years, good one word – even if you run multiple adverts.
working order, £50.
Tel: 01484 512307
MUSICAL Fidelity A3.2 RDS
tuner, £175. Absolutely spotless,
remote, original box. Kept covered
and clean. Beautiful.
Email: imeldayates@hotmail.co.uk.
Tel: 07500 804700
9. TURNTABLES
Tel (to appear in advert):
REGA Planar 3 with RB300 arm
and Ortofon 0M5 cartridge. £150. Please post this completed coupon to Hi-Fi News magazine, MyTimeMedia Ltd, Suite 25, Eden
Tel: 01502 565406/07788 821996. House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, TN8 6HF, or email your advert to letters@hifinews.com
Email: svelliot@aol.com Hi-Fi News accepts no responsibility for description or condition of items advertised.

132 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017

 Retail Clearance Retail Clearance
ATC SCM-11 (cherry) £1,200 £1,019 Lavry 3000S (sample rate/bit depth converter) £4,248 £2,099
Bel Canto REF500M power amplifier (pair) £3,998 £2,199 Linn Akurate 212 (Rosenut) £4,380 £3,299
Bel Canto REF1000M Mk2 power amplifier (pair) £7,000 £2,499 Linn Akurate 4200 (Silver) £5,270 £3,849
Bryston 28B SST2 1000W power amplifier (pair) £19,000 £7,599 Linn LP12 Akurate (Walnut, no cartridge) £5,270 £4,449
Burson Audio Timekeeper £1,950 £1,199 Linn Majik 4100 (Black) £2,410 £1,899
Burson Audio Conductor SL9018 £1,199 £999 Mark Levinson No32 Reference preamp £15,000 £7,499
Burson Audio Soloist £799 £679 Moon 180 MiND streamer £799 £499
Chord Chordette Maxx amplifier £989 £799 Moon 380D MiND DAC streamer £4,500 £2,999
Chord Sarum speaker cable (3.5m pair) £3,850 £2,999 Musical Fidelity E20 and E30 £900 £649
Clearaudio Performance DC turntable £2,495 £1,999 Naim CDS3 £6,795 £2,295
Cyrus 82 DAC QX (Quartz Silver) £1,970 £1,549 Pass Labs XP-25 phono stage £12,000 £6,499
Cyrus SmartPower £699 £349 Plinius SA-Reference power amplifier £17,000 £13,599
Denon AVP-A1HD processor £6,799 £1,499 PMC Fact 12 (Tiger Ebony) £12,995 £9,749
Denon DVD-A1UD universal player £4,500 £1,199 Proac D30R (Cherry) £4,750 £3,749
Devialet 200 £5,490 £4,399 Quad PA One headphone amplifier £1,200 £999
Devialet 250 Companion £7,990 £5,499 Raidho D1 + stands (Walnut Burl) £15,125 £10,599
Devialet 400 £9,890 £6,999 Sennheiser HD800 headphones £1,099 £799
Dynaudio Focus 220 £2,600 £799 Sennheiser IE800 headphones £599 £499
Focal Diablo Utopia + stands (White Carrara) £9,898 £6,499 Sim2 HT5000 projector £42,500 £7,499
Focal Scala Utopia V2 (Black Lacquer) £21,399 £12,749 Sonus Faber Olympica II (Graphite) £6,398 £5,049
Grace M903 headphone amplifier £2,150 £1,599 Sonus Faber Olympica III (Walnut) £8,998 £6,799
KEF Reference 1 (Gloss Rosewood) £5,000 £4,249 Sonus Faber Venere 1.5 + stands (Gloss Black) £1,298 £999
KEF Reference 3 (Walnut) £7,500 £6,399 Spendor A5R (Walnut) £1,995 £1,399
KEF Reference 5 (Gloss Black) £10,500 £8,899 Torus RM16 power conditioner £7,900 £1,999
KEF R500 (Walnut) £1,500 £1,149 Vitus RCD-101 (Black) £9,700 £7,249
KEF R700 (Rosewood) £2,000 £1,549 Vitus RI-100 (Black) £9,900 £6,999
Lavry AD122-96 MKIII (analogue to digital converter) £6,360 £3,199 YG Acoustics Carmel (Silver) £20,000 £14,999

Welcome to Criterion Audio’s annual clearance, where we have great prices on ex-demo and customer
trade-in stock from the last year. You can help us make space for the amazing new models and brands we are
bringing in. Please contact us if you are interested in more information, or come to our Cambridge showroom
www.criterionaudio.com info@criterionaudio.com 01223 233730

www.blackrhodium.co.uk +44 (01332 342233)

THE EXCLUSIVE TECHNOLOGY OF OUR VERY BEST HIGH END CABLES

CAN NOW BE ENJOYED BY A MUCH LARGER AUDIENCE

You Need Timing...Very, Very, Very Good Timing

Black Rhodium FOXTROT Loudspeaker Cable
"Vocals have plenty of detail and all the nuances of expression EXCLUSIVE FEATURES
are very evident. Imaging and timing are both excellent."
Hi-Fi Choice Stunning Clarity Extensive Dynamics
Sharp Definition Natural Decays
Spacious Ambience Effortlessly Open
Musically Expressive Excellent Timing
Wide Imaging Powerful Deep Bass
Very Affordable Now read the review

Buy Foxtrot at any Black Rho

o dium dealer or
Online www.blackrhodium.co.uk

Read the Hi-Fi Choice review Hear Foxtrot at these dealers

Visit www.blackrhodium.co.uk and download
the review from the link on the homepage
Zouch Audio 01530 414 128 | MCRU 01484 540 561 | Analogue
logue Seduction
Seductio 01733 350 878
Doug Brady Hi-Fi 01925 828 009 | HomeSound 01316 621 327 | Audiophillia 01312
312 219 753
DoGood Audio 01515 253 845 | Audio T, Swansea 01792 474 608 | Peak HiFi 01226 761 832
 Dealer Directory
IAN HARRISON HI FI
NORSTONE
HIFI/AV FURNITURE AND SPEAKER STANDS
MUNARI
AV FURNITURE
PEERLESS
AV CABLES Vivid Audio AVM Spendor
HARBETH LOUDSPEAKERS Dynamique Black Rhodium
MICHELL ENGINEERING
PLEASE PHONE FOR PRICES
DB HIFI Hi-Fi Racks Acoustic Signature

OR PRODUCT DETAILS SUFFOLK 01403 713125 | 07950 274224

info@sixaudio.co.uk
ian.harrison@mercian.myzen.co.uk 01379 873451 www.sixaudio.co.uk
TEL: 01283 702875 WWW.DBHIFI.CO.UK Partridge Green, West Sussex

IAN HARRISON HI FI
UP TO 25% OFF!
ORTOFON CARTRIDGES
PROJECT PHONO STAGES
LEHMANN AUDIO
AUDIO TECHNICA CARTRIDGES
ALL GOODS ARE BRAND NEW
WITH FULL UK GUARANTEE
ian.harrison@mercian.myzen.co.uk
TEL: 01283 702875

IAN HARRISON HI FI
Visit us in the Beautiful
CARTRIDGE SPECIAL OFFERS
Bedfordshire Countryside DENON DL103 £140 ORTOFON £POA
for all your Hi-Fi needs DENON DL103R £215 AUDIO TECHNICA
BENZ MICRO £POA AT33EV £330
www.hifilounge.co.uk GOLDRING £POA AUDIO TECHNICA
ZYX R100 £600 AT33PTG/II £375
01767 448121 AUDIO TECHNICA VAN DEN HUL MC1
AT-ART9 £725 SPECIAL £1000
www.highendheadphones.co.uk AUDIO TECHNICA VAN DEN HUL
Uk's only dedicated AT-OC9III £385 MC10S £875
demo facility for
high-end
FREE DELIVERY!!
headphones
ian.harrison@mercian.myzen.co.uk
TEL: 01283 702875
www.soundcinergy.co.uk

6HQVLEOHKLðVLQFH

· Rega
· Harbeth
etth
Exposure · Heed · Kudos · Croft
Lehmann · Linn · Marantz · Michell · Spend d r
dor
Monitor Audio · Naim · Neat
· Micheelll
Okki Nokki · Ortofon · Project
· EAR
Rega · Roksan
Saffron Walden www.radlettaudio.co.uk
37 High Street, Aldridge 01922 457926 01799 599080 radlettaudio@hotmail.co.uk
 To advertise in this section
please call Sonia Smart on 07710 394391

WILMSLOW AUDIO
THE ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR LOUDSPEAKER NEEDS

Don’t throw away your ageing loudspeakers.

Why not let us restore, renovate and upgrade them,
or supply you with the componets to DIY.

Full crossover repair and upgrade service.

Changing capacitors is one of the most effective ways
of improving the sound quality of your speakers.
www.wilmslow-audio.co.uk Email – sales@wilmslow-audio.co.uk Tel – 01455 286603

Asimi Ultra
Interconnect

IAN HARRISON HIFI

SALE! UP TO 40% OFF!
TEL: 01283 702875 ian.harrison@mercian.myzen.co.uk
PHONOSTAGES ANATEK, CLEARAUDIO, EAR YOSHINO, GRAHAM SLEE, ICON AUDIO, LEHMANN, PARASOUND,
PRO-JECT, PURE SOUND, QUAD, TOM EVANS, TRICHORD, WHEST AUDIO CARTRIDGES AIR TIGHT, AUDIO
TECHNICA, BENZ MICRO, CARTRIDGE MAN, DECCA LONDON, DENON, GOLDRING, GRADO, KOETSU, ROKSAN, ORTOFON,
SOUNDSMITH, TECHDAS, ZYX TURNTABLES AMAZON AUDIO, AUDIO TECHNICA, DENON, EAR, HELIUS,
INSPIRE, MICHELL, MUSIC HALL, PRO-JECT, SRM TECH, THORENS TONEARMS AMG, CARTRIDGE MAN,
GRAHAM, MICHELL, MOERCH, MOTH, ORTOFON, PRO-JECT, REED, REGA, ROKSAN, SME

SPECIAL OFFER!! AUDIO TECHNICA CARTRIDGES UP TO 25% OFF

the performance connection
SPEND £2000 OR MORE ON ANY TURNTABLE, TONEARM OR TURNTABLE AND ARM,
AND GET A £500 CARTRIDGE FREE!
MAIL ORDER ONLY FROM; IAN HARRISON, 7 MILL HILL, REPTON, DERBY, DE65 6GQ
TEL: 01283 702875 9am-9pm INCLUDING SUNDAYS.
atlascables.com
 Dealer Directory
All You Need
In One Place & Record Review
 Premium Loudspeaker Drivers
 Highest Quality Crossover Parts EDITORIAL TEAM
 Crossover Design and Assembly Editor • Paul Miller
 DIY Speaker Kits
Art Editor • Steve Powell
 Wire and Terminals
Features Editor • Patrick Fraser
 Expert Advice
Reviews Editor • Chris Breunig
Some of our Brands: Test & Measurement • Paul Miller
 Accuton
 Audax PHOTOGRAPHY
 Aurasound Andrew Sydenham
 Eton
 Fostex MANAGEMENT TEAM
 HiVi Research Group Editor • Paul Miller
 Peerless
Group Art Editor • John Rook
 SB Acoustics
Group Advertising Manager •
 Scan-Speak
Rhona Bolger
 Seas
 Raal Subscriptions Manager • Kate Hall
Chief Executive • Owen Davies
Chairman • Peter Harkness

ADVERTISEMENT TEAM
Advertising Sales • Sonia Smart
Your Worldwide Provider of
High End Loudspeaker Parts Tel • 07710 394391
sonia.smart@hiƂnews.com

madisound.com SUBSCRIPTIONS
New, renewals and enquiries...
UK: Tel • 0344 243 9023
(Calls are charged at the same rate as standard UK landlines

AUDIO DESTINATION
and are included as part of any inclusive or free minute allowances.
There are no additional charges with this number)
USA/Canada: Tel • (001) 866 647 9191
Rest of World: Tel • +44(0)1604 828 748
The Finest Audio Products Email: help@hfn.secureorder.co.uk

WE LIVE AT...
AVTech Media Ltd,
Suite 25, Eden House, Enterprise Way,
Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF
UK and Overseas:
Tel • +44 (0) 1689 869 840

www.hiƂnews.co.uk
Owned by husband and wife team: Mike & Caroline – Audio Destination
is not your typical Hi-Fi specialist.
(\KPV+LZ[PUH[PVUIYPUNZ[VNL[OLYHYHUNLVMVUS`[OLÄULZ[H\KPV
products and places them in comfortable and relaxed surroundings.
HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW, ISSN
· Tuesday – Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturday 9am – 4pm 2042-0374, is published monthly with an
· Demonstration Rooms additional issue in October by AVTech
· Long-term customer support and care 8MK\Z_
Media Ltd, a division of MYTIMEMEDIA Ltd,

· Large selection of famous brands
We look forward to seeing you
Call +44(0)1884 243584
www.audiodestination.co.uk email:info@audiodestination.co.uk
Audio Destination, Suite 7a Market Walk, Tiverton, Devon EX16 6BL
 Suite 25, Eden House, Enterprise Way,
Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF, UK. The US
d\[`Xck[ annual subscription price is 70GBP
(equivalent to approximately 100USD). Airfreight and mailing in the USA by
agent named Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th
Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at
Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to HI-FI NEWS &
RECORD REVIEW, Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor,
Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at dsb.net, 3
Queensbridge, The Lakes, Northampton, NN4 7BF. Air Business Ltd is acting
as our mailing agent.
anthem

>arcam

dynavector “perhaps the best

chord electronics £25,000 amp you can
>focal
get for £2,500”
KLÀPDQ

kudos

lehmann

linn

lyra

melco

naim

neat

nottingham

piega

pmc (including fact)

rega Criterion Audio is a premium hi-fi dealer in Cambridge. From

russell k vinyl and valves to the latest in streaming and headphones, we

sennheiser signals can help you find the perfect audio system to suit your budget
and needs. Call us on 01223 233730 to arrange a demo.
trilogy KLÀIRUJURZQXSV
Criterion House, Oakington Road, Cambridge CB3 0QH
ipswich (01473) 655171
www.criterionaudio.com info@criterionaudio.com
w w w . s i g n a l s . u k . c o m

Now Classic and Reference phono amps

available from Music First Audio

www.mfaudio.co.uk +44 (0)1424 858 260

 LAST WORD
OFF THE
LE S !
KEN KESSLE
ER TE
ELLS IT LIKE IT IS...
. advances in photography-by-smartphone.
After putting the case
against new tech for the
sake of it, Ken Kessler is
met with an online rant
nternet ‘trolls’ are frustrated souls who
I have world-shattering opinions and
use social media to share them. They
are the modern equivalent of furious
letter writers, and they do serve a purpose:
keeping journalists in line. As one unafraid to
say, ‘Mea culpa!’ when I screw up, I have no
problem with valid criticism.
Trouble is, hi-fi is an emotive topic, with
reactions far in excess of what the subject
merits. These heightened emotions are not
the result of matters on a par with death and
taxes (unless audio pays your wages, that is),
but emerge because people are inordinately
passionate about hi-fi. I’m sure that
twitchers, trainspotters, stamp collectors,
etc, are no less ardent about their loves,
but few are the debates
I have seen in other
fields that can become ‘In this person’s
as downright nasty as
the ones engaged in by
eyes I was a trendy
slighted audiophiles. idiot, possibly a
Admittedly, my last
flurry of genuine hate hipster myself’
mail came not so long
ago, and it was the sort that called for
various and sundry nasty things to happen to
me. It was the response to my observation in
a blog that impoverished people do not buy
£50,000 turntables. That was something I
thought was quite obvious, like saying ‘Water
is wet’. The examples I used may have been
extreme, but racism and sexism were not a
component of them except in the minds of
those who see ‘isms’ everywhere.
May Issue
on sale13APR th
138 | www.hifinews.co.uk | APRIL 2017
What I was guilty of was mere hyperbole.
To proffer an example that I didn’t use:
‘Itinerant hop-pickers in Kent do not buy
Wilson XLFs’. Suffice it to say, my examples
were of varied sorts of deprived people
who, for whatever reason, are short of the
necessary cash to indulge in high-end audio.
BUNCH OF GEEKS
Now I may be wrong, and there could be
an itinerant hop-picker in Kent who saved
up and dropped £100k-plus on a pair of
speakers, but logic, deductive reasoning
and a thousand other signals racing across
my brain tell me the odds are in my favour.
But that did not stop a bunch of geeks on a
computer site – ironically, the kind who are
horrified at the thought
of anyone spending
more than $59 on a
hi-fi component – from
summoning up demons
to flay me.
I suppose it’s
because nobody
likes being called a
hypocrite, as my premise was that there
are certain tech-heads who don’t see the
inconsistency between telling us to pay
more taxes while raving about £900 smart
phones. But I can deal with them because I
have been doing so for 34 years and am still
employed, and in possession of all my teeth.
What I didn’t expect, and which shocked
me despite a complete lack of personal
threats to my life, was far lower-key: a
PLUS:
EXCLUSIVE TESTS:
î D’Agostino Progression monoblocks
î AVM CS 8.2 all-in-one solution
î PMC twenty5.24 loudspeakers
î Vintage Review: Technics SB-F1 loudspeakers
î Show Blog: We visit the Paris and Tokyo events
î Classical Companion: Maurizio Pollini
î Benchmark DAC3 HGC DAC/headphone amp
î Exposure XM3 phono stage
î From The Vault: We crack open HFN’s archive
î Vinyl Icons: James Brown Live At The Apollo
semi-rant in response to another blog for
a mainstream site. I was asked to write
tech predictions for 2017 by a newspaper.
It occurred to me that there’s a sizeable
backlash against new-tech-for-the-sake-of-
it that went beyond the obvious: the LP
revival. Quite innocent, thought I.
I had written of the continued existence
of standalone cameras, regardless of the
But, being an audiophile, and cognisant
of writing for a general audience with no
recourse to jargon nor the assumption that
any of my readers were hi-fi enthusiasts,
I couldn’t resist writing that 2017 was
going to be an even better year for vinyl.
I illustrated the point with the arrival of
Shinola’s Runwell Turntable – a quality
deck from a company with no previous hi-fi
involvement, but with an eye on fashion,
design and what is cool.
My crime was stating, perhaps sounding
presumptuous to non-audiophiles, ‘we all
know that vinyl sounds best’. And as quick
as a mouse can be clicked, an irate reader
said words to the effect that it was all a load
of hipster BS and vinyl doesn’t sound best.
I was in this person’s eyes a trendy idiot,
possibly a hipster myself and one should be
lined up with reprobates who think digital
radio is dire-sounding.
VOCALLY SCEPTICAL
As the nature of the website doesn’t allow
for a response, which I approve of because
respondents deserve their hearing (and,
should the occasion warrant it, be hoist
on their own petards), his opinion stands
unchallenged. Had I the opportunity to
reply – and regular readers know I have
been vocally sceptical about the scale of
the vinyl revival – I would have pointed out
that 1) there aren’t enough hipsters alive
to account for all the LP and turntable sales
of last year and 2) hipsters buy secondhand
whenever possible.
But that is being arch about hipsters,
though I don’t know if there is an ‘ism’
for that prejudice. Suffice it to say, the LP
revival has transcended the boundaries of
Shoreditch, and, indeed, our little world.
But, dude, whatever the reason, there’s no
need to get angry about it.
 “From the mid-range up,
PS Audio’s BHK Signature
300s go toe to toe with
many amplifiers costing
far more”
Michael Fremer - Stereophile
P
Pioneering
g world
w class audio products
pr ucts

Ever wanted to own the finest stereo

amplifier in the world, but daunted
by the huge price tag?
All that is about to change as PS Audio launches
yet another hi-fi revelation.

Introducing The BHK Signature 250 and 300 power amplifiers.

The culmination of one man’s half-century search for perfection in music’s reproduction, Bascom H. King has designed
amplifiers for many companies, including Constellation Audio, Marantz, Infinity, and Conrad Johnson. But never has
Bascom felt he could put his name to a product – until now. It is his finest achievement in a lifetime of work.

The BHK Signature Series power amplifiers are un-equalled in performance at any price. Available in both stereo and mono
models, the Series is unparalleled in its ability to render details formerly lost in the music. Featuring a zero-loss vacuum tube
input stage coupled to a high bias differentially balanced MOSFET output, this amplifier has few rivals in terms of sheer
musicality, openness, tonal richness and accuracy.

For an exclusive home demonstration...

please contact your nearest PS Audio dealer at www.signaturesystems.co.uk/dealers.

Distributed by Signature Audio Systems | 07738 007776 | www.psaudio.com

 First launched in 2012, the dCS Vivaldi CD/
SACD Transport, Upsampler, Master Clock
and matching DAC represent the very best
digital audio components that this legendary
company can make. Already supreme in
its field, it is Absolute Sounds’ unequivocal
belief that the dCS Vivaldi system has been
elevated to new heights thanks to its Version
2.0 upgrades.
Joining the four-box Vivaldi is the revised
Rossini system, which comprises a Rossini
Player – either as a standalone DAC or
including a high-performance CD transport –
and the Rossini Master Clock. The company
also makes the Debussy DAC, specifically
designed for computer audio use.
The numbers are in. Four dCS Vivaldi
components, making up the dCS “Stack”, plus
the Version 2.0 upgrades really do equal new
maths. Your nearest Absolute Sounds or dCS
retailer will help you discover just how good
digital audio can be ... no kidding!

absolute sounds ltd.

International Distributors & Consultants of Specialised Hi-End Audio & Video Systems
58 Durham Road, London, SW20 0T W T: +44 (0)20 89 71 39 09
W: www.absolut esounds.com E : info@absolut esounds.com
For Your Nearest Dealer Please Visit The Absolute Sounds Website