Wireless Fidelity

Has a New Champion

The Expert Imaging & Sound Association of as many as
sixty specialist magazines from around the world has
honoured System Audio with its Best Wireless Speaker
Award two years running! Located at Roskilde, the music
city of Denmark, System Audio has received more than 150
awards for sound, design and innovation since 1984.
background image by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
 INTRODUCTION

PASSION FOR SOUND Welcome

www.hifichoice.com Issue No. 481 November 2021

59 I must confess I had no idea

Rosson
Audio there was such a thing as
Design upgraditis until I read through
RAD-0
this month’s Letters. According
to the online Urban Dictionary,
it’s a: “terminal condition, the
main symptom of which
presents as the insatiable desire
to upgrade,” an affliction which is obviously prevalent
among hi-fi aficionados like our good selves.
Indeed, as the Letters pages point out, HFC, with its
monthly updates on desirable new kit, could be said
to be guilty of feeding that addiction. Driven to
investigate further, I discovered that science says
that when you buy for positive gain – just for the thrill
of it – you get a short burst of euphoria which swiftly
64
Pro-Ject dissipates as you chase your next fix, whereas if you
Phono Box RS2
buy to address a negative – to improve something
you’re unhappy with – you will experience a deeper,
more long-lasting satisfaction.
And then there’s just the sheer pleasure of enjoying
your monthly magazine as a ‘read’ rather than a
‘guide’, in much the same way that many of us might
peruse forever out-of-reach properties for sale online
worth millions just to allow ourselves to fantasise.
90 Great magazines inform and entertain, and great
Music Reviews
The Specials readers keep those publications on their toes.
Congratulations you lot, you sure got me thinking.
Keep those curve balls in-coming. Enjoy!
BADGES EXPLAINED
OUR AWARDS
Steve Sutherland Editor
Follow us:
twitter.com@HiFiChoiceMag
EDITOR’S RECOMMENDED: GROUP TEST
facebook.com/hifichoice.co.uk
CHOICE: Products that WINNER: hifichoicemagazine
Awarded to those we feel meet a Comparative tests
products that are high standard of can only have one
judged to deliver performance winner, and this
outstanding badge says it all! SUITE 25, EDEN HOUSE, ENTERPRISE WAY,
EDENBRIDGE, KENT TN8 6HF
performance

NOVEMBER 2021 3
 Contents
BUYING
GUIDE
100+ es
sential
compon
en
p109 ts
hifichoice.com Issue No. 481 November 2021

NEWS & OPINION GROUP TEST

6 Audiofile
The latest news on the hottest products
from the world of hi-fi coming your way

70 Letters
Put your points of view and queries on
audio matters to our team of experts

81 Opinion
The Hi-Fi Choice team say it as they see
it as they discuss the issues of the day

90 Music Reviews
The month’s essential new CD, vinyl
and hi-res releases given a work out

READER SERVICES
109 Buying Guide
Our hottest hi-fi component picks
122 Reader Classifieds
Sell your unwanted hi-fi for FREE here
130 Next Issue
The sonic treats to look out for next month

FEATURES

98 Music Legends
So much more than just Lennon and
30
McCartney’s guitarist, it’s George Harrison Six next-level phono preamps
to help you get the most from
126 Reasons your vinyl investment
To Be Cheerful
Our pick of the most exciting things
coming your way this month

6 93
Audiofile: Mission QX Series Music Reviews: Bruce Dickinson
4 NOVEMBER 2021
 CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 2021
“The biggest break in my career
was getting into The Beatles,
the second biggest break
56
Leben was getting out of them.”
CS-300F
Music Legends: George Harrison p98
TESTED THIS MONTH

46
DS Audio DS 003

24
Balanced Audio Technology VK-3500

REVIEWS CHOICE EXTRAS

Kit testing 105 Chord Company
24 Balanced Audio GroundARAY grounding device
Technology 106 Chord Company
VK-3500 hybrid integrated amplifier
62
Clearway XLR cable
46 DS Audio 106 QED
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo upgrades DS 003 optical cartridge (Exotica) Performance Audio 40i RCA interconnect
52 Astell&Kern
A&futura SE180 Digital Audio Player
GROUP TEST
55 Beats Phono preamps
Studio Buds true wireless Bluetooth earbuds £1,400-£4,000
56 Leben 32 Design Build Listen
CS-300F integrated amplifier The Wand EQ

59 Rosson Audio Design 35 Leema Acoustics

RAD-0 open-back, over-ear planar Agena
magnetic headphone 36 Manley Chinook
60 Sonus faber 38 ModWright
Lumina V three-way floorstanding Instruments PH 9.0
loudspeaker 40 Musical Fidelity
Nu-Vista Vinyl
Picture credits: Bruce McBroom/Apple Corps Ltd. (The Beatles)

62 Pro-Ject
Debut Carbon Evo upgrades 42 Rega Aura
64 Pro-Ject
Phono Box RS2/Power Box RS Phono MM/
MC phono stage/power supply upgrade
68 Yamaha
YH-L700A closed-back, over-ear
60 headphone 106
Sonus faber Lumina V Chord Co Clearway XLR

Never miss an issue – turn to p88 for our latest subs offer
NOVEMBER 2021 5
 T H E L AT E ST I N D U ST RY N E W S…

Mission control
Freshly engineered step-up British speaker range
PRICE: £300-£1,100 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MISSION.CO.UK
BRITISH SPEAKER MANUFACTURER
Mission has re-engineered its QX Series –
Àrst launched in 2017 – which it claims
delivers: “a benchmark ‘step-up’ loudspeaker
range, sitting above the entry-level LX MkII
Series which launched in 2020”. The new
QX MkII Series features Àve passive models
– two standmount speakers and three
Áoorstanders. A new active subwoofer –
the QX-12SUB MkII – has also been
developed to complement the range. The
new MkII models look similar to the original
QX Series loudspeakers – the cabinets are
the same size, with similar detailing
including curved corners and smoothly
dished drive units with ‘comb-tooth’
surrounds – but there are external
enhancements, including new matt black,
matt white and walnut veneer Ànish options.
Redesigned aluminium plates are clamped
to both the top and bottom of the cabinets,
which the company explains: “add mass and
enhance rigidity, thereby reducing cabinet
resonance,” while the arc-shaped cabinet
The three-way QX-5
MkII has its dedicated
300mm bass driver
positioned on the side
corners are claimed to: “smooth diffraction
from the drive units and yield better power
distribution into the room”.
Unlike traditional dome tweeters, the
Mission QX MkII Ring Dome treble unit
uses a textile dome Àxed at the centre, with
the voice coil attached partway down the
dome. This forms the dome into two rings
with the voice coil in the centre, which
Mission says enables it to drive the dome
more accurately and efÀciently.
The result, it says: “is lower distortion
and superior performance at frequencies
well in excess of 20kHz. Transient
performance is dramatically improved, as is
musical detailing, particularly of instrument
overtones and harmonics, enabling the full
character of instruments and voices to be
conveyed with outstanding clarity.”
Rearward radiation from the QX MkII Ring
Dome unit vents into an enclosed chamber
Àlled with damping material, acting like a
dedicated cabinet for the high-frequency
driver. Resonances are absorbed and the back
pressure on the dome is reduced, allowing the

6 NOVEMBER 2021

New drivers, indented
reflex ports and
bi-wireable binding
posts are just some of
the new improvements
unit to deliver accurate musical detail right
down into the midrange.
The QX MkII Series also features the latest
version of Mission’s DiaDrive bass/midrange
drive unit, where the usual cone and dust
cap arrangement is replaced by a seamless
curvilinear diaphragm. This is directly driven
by a secondary sub-cone connected to the
voice coil, designed to improve the efÀciency
of drive and provide superior control of the
QX Àbre-composite dished diaphragm –
re-engineered to incorporate acrylic Àbres
for improved stiffness and self-damping to
further enhance the impact and accuracy
of bass and midrange frequencies.
The unit is now vented to remove trapped
air behind the diaphragm, reducing
resonance and allowing a clearer midrange
performance claimed to be beyond 3kHz. A
high-strength ferrite magnet is used to ensure
that the magnetic Àeld is directed precisely
within the area of voice coil excursion,
to enable an ultra-linear performance
and excellent transient response”.
The two standmount models in the QX MkII
Series feature DiaDrive units positioned
according to Mission’s Inverted Driver
Geometry (IDG), with the bass/mid driver
sited above the treble unit rather than below
to aid time-alignment – a Mission trademark
since the Eighties. The company claims that:
“placing the bass/mid driver closer to ear level
with the treble unit positioned beneath helps
to equalise the path lengths from the two
drivers’ acoustic centres, so that the sound
waves coincide at the listener’s head height”.
The QX-1 MkII and QX-2 MkII standmounts
are £300 and £400 respectively.
The two-way QX-3 MkII (£800) and QX-4
MkII (£900) Áoorstanders extend IDG to a full
D’Appolito array, siting the treble unit between
a pair of DiaDrive bass/midrange units – one
above, one below. The largest model in the
range, QX-5 MkII, is a three-way design
incorporating a dedicated 300mm bass driver
positioned at the side, thus maintaining a slim
cabinet front while extending bass down to
27Hz. It will set you back £1,100.
AUDIOFILE
The original QX Series used ‘comb-tooth’
serrations in the driver surrounds to scatter
interfering reÁections from localised surfaces
to the bass/midrange cones. These have now
been further optimised to: “minimise airÁow
interference and maximise the effective
scattering of reÁections”. Tapered indentations
have also been added to the treble unit’s
surround to smooth frequency response.
Similar indentations are incorporated into
the slot-shaped reÁex ports at the rear; the
Áair of which is serrated to help smooth the
high-pressure airÁow, while its asymmetric
shape is designed to break up the ‘chufÀng’
sound that can be produced by circular ports.
The £500 QX-12SUB MkII active sub
incorporates a 300mm bass cone, formed
from a special pulp Àbre with self-damping
properties. This combines with a 300W Class
D ampliÀer and a ported, rigidly braced
enclosure. RCA inputs are provided for stereo
line-level connection or a dedicated LFE feed.
It comes in a choice of matt black, matt white
or walnut, matching the rest of the range.
NOVEMBER 2021 7
 AUDIOFILE
Alp
yourself!
A pair of new affordable anniversary
turntables from Switzerland
PRICE: £240-£250 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: LENCO.UK
SWISS COMPANY LENCO is celebrating
its 75th anniversary with the launch of a
brace of new turntables: the L-92WA – a
belt-driven model designed to: “ensure the
vinyl listening experience is enhanced with
no needle dragging,” – and the L-3089,
which the company says is particularly
suited for professional use and DJs thanks
to its pitch control and USB recording.
The L-92WA comes with an integrated
preampliÀer and Audio-Technica AT3600
cartridge pre-installed, so records can be
played straight out of the box. There’s a
robust aluminium platter to give improved
stability, anti-skating to prevent the tonearm
from sliding across vinyl and it’s equipped
with a strobe light feature that the company
says is to see where the needle is without
having to ruin the ambience of the room by
8 NOVEMBER 2021
turning a light on. A dust
cover also comes bundled.
The Auto-return feature
ensures that the tonearm is
lifted off the turntable once
the record is Ànished and
that it returns to its resting
position, lessening wear
and tear of the vinyl. The
L-92WA has 33 and 45rpm
speed settings and will set
you back £250. turntable with a variable pitch fader and
The L-3809 is a direct-drive model with the turntable ensures that vinyl records
an aluminium platter that can be connected can be kept forever by transferring them
directly to a mixer or stereo, thanks to its to MP3 easily via the USB cable”.
built-in phono preampliÀer. It features Like the L-92WA, it also offers 33 and
lighting for optimal operating convenience 45rpm speed settings as well as featuring
and a stroboscope. The company says that: a mechanical arm lift and a removable
“users can easily adjust the speed of the plastic dust cover. It costs £240.
 Fidelio

L3

Get inside the music.

Everywhere.
What if you could always be in the perfect place to listen to the
music you love? Exquisitely tuned drivers, excellent Active Noise
Canceling, and the right fit combine to create the perfect listening
environment. Wherever you are.

Hey Google
Active Noise
Pro+

philips.com/fidelio
 AUDIOFILE
Ample assets
New upgrade to popular British integrated
PRICE: £2,250 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: EXPOSUREHIFI.COM
UK SPECIALIST EXPOSURE has launched
its 3510 integrated ampliÀer, which features
trickle-down technology from the Áagship
5010 series and replaces the 3010S2D
(HFC 397) of the outgoing 3010 series.
The new integrated delivers a claimed
110W RMS per channel into 8ohm loads
and features six line inputs, with the option
to Àt an MC or MM phono module or a
plug-in DAC. Connections include bi-wiring-
compatible speaker outputs, a separate
preampliÀer out for bi-amping or for use with
a separate power ampliÀer and a headphone
10 NOVEMBER 2021
output. The AV input offers a choice of Àxed
or variable gain, allowing conÀguration as
either a regular stereo or Àxed gain home
cinema input.
The company explains: “the 3510’s newly
redesigned power ampliÀcation section
draws on Exposure’s Áagship 5010
monoblocks to deliver enhanced linearity
and lower distortion at high power output,
and with extra smoothing added to the
power supply”.
The preamp section features all discrete
transistors in the gain stage with a hybrid
power supply circuit designed to ensure
low noise on the supply rails to the gain
stage. Input switching and volume tracking
of the PCB have been further optimised in
order to minimise crosstalk.
Other features include an aluminium
casework and extruded front panel to
control resonance and stray electromagnetic
Àeld and a newly designed remote control.
The 3510 measures 440 x 115 x 300mm
(WxHxD), weighs in at 14kg, comes with
a three-year guarantee and is available in
a choice of black or titanium Ànishes.
 Timeless Passion. Now Awarded.
2XUODWHVWFUHDWLRQLVFHOHEUDWHGE\WKH(,6$MXU\DQGQDPHG%HVW6WHUHR6\VWHPp7KH0RGHODPSOLƮHU
and its matching SACD 30n player are a triumph”. Experience this iconic combination at a premium retailer near you.

marantz.com ®2021 Sound United. All Rights Reserved.

 Enjoy the Silence.
PS
The Audio Physic Reference & Classic Series

…just in case you didn’t know

Loudspeakers that you cannot hear. Which disappear in the music. That is the mission of Audio Physic.
Bringing music to life, making it physically tangible. With Audio Physic, music is not a simple reproduction.
Every piano stroke, broom, violin stroke, or guitar riff is vividly clear and creates a live goose-bumps feeling.
The living room becomes a concert hall, a rock stage, a festival. All made possible by our unique innovations
in the use of materials and structures—from ceramic foam to our honeycomb sandwich board and spider-
less drivers, enabling our speakers to offer you, as our slogan says, Nothing But Music…
Reference series

Step 35

HHC III
Cardeas Codex Midex Avanti 35 Tempo 35 Centre
Classic series

Classic 3

Luna
Classic 35 Classic 25 Classic 15 Classic 8 Centre 2 Subwoofer On-Wall 2

discerning dealer
enquiries welcome

ASK ABOUT OUR UNIQUE RISK-FREE 30 DAY HOME TRIAL

express UK wide delivery

5A customer service on
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eliteaudiouk.com | 0800 464 7274
 AUDIOFILE

Hi ho Silver!
All hail MA’s seventh generation speaker series
PRICE: £575-£1,725 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MONITORAUDIO.COM

MONITOR AUDIO HAS unveiled

the seventh generation of its Silver
Series loudspeakers, which were
Àrst introduced back in 1999.
These comprise the Silver 50 7G
and Silver 100 7G bookshelf/
standmounts; Silver 200 7G, Silver
300 7G and Silver 500 7G
Áoorstanders; and home cinema
separates in the shape of the Silver
C250 7G centre speaker, Silver FX
7G rears and the Dolby Atmos-
enabled Silver AMS 7G.
The British company explains that
the new generation features a fresh:
“contemporary design in a choice of
Àve high-quality Ànishes, numerous
acoustic innovations and a model
lineup extensive enough to cater
for every music and home cinema
requirement.” The choice of Ànishes
in question include: “deeply lustrous
high-gloss black lacquer, equally
distinctive satin white or a choice
of three real-wood veneers: Ash,
Natural Walnut and Black Oak”.
Monitor Audio’s new C-CAM gold
dome tweeter design features a
Uniform Dispersion Waveguide II
for what it’s claiming is: “the
most lifelike, convincing treble
reproduction”. The new RST II
midrange and mid/bass drivers
feature a more rigid proÀle than
before, with a new hexagonal
dimpled structure: “that’s just one
indicator of the changes to the cone
and geometry structure that result
in smooth, low-distortion sound”.
Every seventh generation Silver
Series loudspeaker features new
driver trims, minimising the
appearance of the driver surround
and every Áoorstander comes
supplied with outrigger feet with
spun metal trims, developed for
stability on carpeted or hard Áoors.
There are also new magnetic grilles
with a premium-grade weave.
Prices are £575 for the Silver
50 7G and £750 for the Silver 100
7G standmounts; £1,150, £1,450
and £1,735 respectively for the
Áoorstanding Silver 200 7G, 300
7G and 500 7G. The home cinema
options cost £600 for the Silver
C250 7G centre, £600 for the Silver
FX 7G rears and £650 for the Dolby
Atmos-enabled Silver AMS 7G.

14 NOVEMBER 2021
 SOLI D -S TATE POWE R
WIT H T U B E F I N E S S E
.SYWTIZHNSLYMJ;0M^GWNINSYJLWFYJIFRUQNąJW
celebrating 25 years of engineering excellence.

ðFSNRUJWNTZXGQJSITKQZXMQTTPX
audiophile engineering and stellar
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Hi Fi News September 2021

Balanced Audio Technology

balanced.com
 AUDIOFILE
Sound
and vision
Audio eyewear arrives in style
PRICE: £200 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: WEARFAUNA.COM
FAUNA HAS LAUNCHED a range
of designer glasses with open-ear
sound technology inside. Claiming to
be high-end and water-resistant, they
boast a two-way sound system and
protect the wearer’s eyes from sun
or blue light while: “providing a vivid
sound when listening to music,
audiobooks or watching a movie,
with integrated microphones for
voice assistants and making phone
calls”. The tiny lightweight micro
speakers and microphones are
integrated into the glasses frame;
the audio module in each temple
includes a patented MEMS
microspeaker, an electrodynamic
speaker, a touch-pad, associated
electronics and battery. Two
16 NOVEMBER 2021
microphones are also integrated into
the right temple with beam-forming
and echo cancelling. The frames
remain slim and lightweight, despite
all the electronics inside, with glasses
weighing just 50g.
The range boasts high-quality
Italian acetate frames with adjustable
temple lengths – a standard in the
eyewear industry and optimal for Àt
and wearing comfort. Fauna Audio
Glasses come with a charging case
that allows re-charging of the glasses
on the go, up to Àve times and
connects via Bluetooth with a
smartphone or PC – a speciÀc app
is not required. The glasses are
controlled by touching and
swiping on the temples.
Feel the pulse
New portable Bluetooth
speaker import from Asia
PRICE: £70 AVAILABLE: NOW
WEB: TRONSMART.COM
Tronsmart has introduced its new Studio 30W
SoundPulse portable Bluetooth speaker, featuring
TuneConn pairing technology (enabling users to
connect up to 100 speakers to a single device
simultaneously!), USB-C fast charging and voice
assistant capability.
The company claims: “the patented SoundPulse
technology provides undistorted output, which –
paired with the dynamic 2.1 channel sound and
hardened aluminium exterior chassis – ensures that
audio can be enjoyed with crisp and clear sound.”
Quad passive radiators and three drivers
provide bass, it has one-tap voice assistant
capability, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, 15 hours
of playtime from one 3-3.5 hour charge and
there’s a free downloadable app available to
customise and personalise audio effects from
your smartphone/tablet.
The Studio comes in a black, hardened
aluminium chassis exterior that’s been
engineered to ensure that vibrations can
be heard from the drivers only, producing
high-fidelity sound that Tronsmart claims:
“is far superior to plastic or wooden designs.”
It measures 206 x 70 x 58mm (WxHxD) and
weighs in at just 961g.

Fyne and dandy
Affordable new bookshelf speakers and stands from Scotland
PRICE: £500-£1,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: FYNEAUDIO.COM
FYNE AUDIO HAS unveiled its most
affordable Special Production loudspeaker
to date, the compact bookshelf F500SP,
with a design based on the cabinet of its
F500 (HFC 457) and high-end components
found in the F700.
Joining the F502SP and F501SP launched
last year, the F500SP is hand crafted and
Ànished in Fyne’s Glasgow factory and
features a 150mm IsoFlare driver based
on technology and engineering originally
developed for the high-end F700 IsoFlare
unit. This features a bespoke multi-Àbre bass/
midrange cone terminated with a FyneFlute
roll surround, which the company says helps:
“better terminate cone energy where it is
attached to the chassis”.
Set in a bespoke rigid cast aluminium
chassis, the LF motor system incorporates a
separate Áux focusing magnet to increase
low-frequency efÀciency and maintain a Áat
response through low bass frequencies. High
frequencies are handled by the same 25mm
magnesium dome compression tweeter with
neodymium magnet system found on the
F700. This, the company says: “incorporates
extensive heatsinking and a vented rear
chamber to move fundamental resonance
well below the crossover point”. The HF
waveguide on the F500SP has been
developed to optimise wavefront expansion
for the IsoFlare driver and delivers a claimed
Áat frequency response out to 30kHz.
The original F500 cabinet has been
enhanced for the SP derivative with a higher
density Àbreboard constriction and advanced
BassTrax porting system using a Tactrix proÀle
diffuser mounted on a thick aluminium base
plate. The system converts plain wave port
energy into a spherical 360° wavefront that
exits uniformly through the plinth designed
to further smooth the speakers’ LF output by
evenly dispersing energy into the room.
Fyne claims the design also makes the
F500SP far less critical of room positioning
than traditional rear-ported standmount
designs, particularly when placed on its new
matching FS6 stands. These use a steel top
plate and contoured central column that’s
extruded from heavy gauge aluminium,
features an integrated cable channel and can
be further mass loaded to improve damping.
AUDIOFILE
The aluminium plate lower plinth takes its
design cues from the SP Series Áoorstanding
models, integrating top adjustable Áoor
spikes, knurled lock rings and machined
aluminium cups to protect hard Áoors.
They’re priced at £500 a pair.
Internally, the F500SP features many
crossover components and a circuit
architecture trickled down from the
aforementioned F700. Low-loss laminated
core inductors, high-grade polypropylene
capacitors and Van den Hul Matched
Crystal silver-plated OFC wiring are
used with the aim of achieving transparent
signal transmission. The F500SP also
integrates Fyne’s bi-wire terminal panel
with a Àfth loudspeaker terminal for
driver chassis grounding.
The F500SP is available in high gloss black
and high gloss white as standard at £1,300 or
in a new, deep gloss lacquered walnut veneer
previously seen on the premium F700 Series
at £1,500. In harmony with other SP models
in the range, grille mounting is by concealed
magnets and a diamond-cut Ànish enhances
the exposed driver chassis.
NOVEMBER 2021 17
 AUDIOFILE
Get your rocks off!
Whole new range of hi-fi kit from Monitor Audio offshoot
PRICE: £500-£1,500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ROKSAN.COM
MONITOR AUDIO-OWNED ROKSAN has released
its latest Attessa family of audio equipment that consists
of a new integrated ampliÀer, CD transport, streaming
ampliÀer and turntable.
The integrated ampliÀer boasts: “a wealth of analogue
and digital inputs,” all routed to a 24-bit/192kHz
Burr-Brown digital converter chipset, while analogue
inputs include a phono stage for use with a turntable. It
also features aptX Bluetooth for casting streaming services
from a smart device. The price is £1,000.
The Attessa CD disc transport connects via digital coaxial
to either Attessa ampliÀer and transmits the digital audio
information from the disc to the high-performance DAC.
Using the MaestroUnite app means an Attessa ampliÀer
and Attessa CD transport combine into a single system
after setup, and the company says the UK-designed custom
Àrmware on board the disc transport: “ensures error-free,
accurate playback”. Price: £500.
The streaming ampliÀer has the added beneÀt of BluOS,
the multi-room streaming platform that is compatible
18 NOVEMBER 2021
with: “more than 20 of the world’s leading streaming
services” and capable of streaming wirelessly to as many
as 64 different zones. It has the same suite of digital inputs
as its integrated sibling, all routed to the same Burr-Brown
24-bit/192kHz digital-to-analogue converter chipset that’s
also compatible with MQA. Wireless connectivity once
again comes in the shape of aptX Bluetooth, while the
Roksan Caspian-derived toroidal transformer turns out a
claimed 130W of power. It’s priced at £1,500.
Last but by no means least, the turntable comes complete
with a unipivot tonearm, pre-Àtted Roksan Dana cartridge
and switchable phono stage. The platter is high-mass
weighted glass with a bonded aluminium edge dampener
and the chassis – with its feet designed speciÀcally to
isolate it from any unwanted external vibrations – is
directly inÁuenced by the classic Xerxes, Roksan’s
very Àrst turntable. It’s priced at £1,000.
The integrated ampliÀer, streaming amp and CD
Transport come in either silver or black Ànishes,
the turntable in satin white or satin black.

French connection
Fresh additions to the Aria K2 range
PRICE: £750-£1,200 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: FOCAL.COM
FRENCH COMPANY FOCAL has
added a bookshelf and centre speaker
to its Aria K2 range to work alongside
the Aria K2 936 Áoorstanding speaker
launched last year. Featuring the
company’s next-generation K2 cone
– an aramid Àbre cone evolved from
the Polykevlar cone featured on
classic Eighties JMLab speakers –
Focal’s engineers reveal that
the new additions have been:
“engineered to improve the balance
between weight, rigidity and
damping, with the goal of
guaranteeing high-quality audio
performance with any genre”.
The all-new K2 cone is now
composed of a light foam layer,
sandwiched between a layer of
AUDIOFILE
Aramid Àbres and a layer of Àbreglass,
with the aim of ensuring clear and
precise sound, void of any colouration.
Designed to complement the cones are
aluminium/magnesium TNF tweeters,
with Poron suspension.
The Aria K2 906 and Aria K2 Centre
both feature an ultra-rigid cabinet
construction, with non-parallel
elements in order to reduce vibrations
and come in an Ash Grey Ànish with
a leather-effect front panel that is
exclusive to the French manufacturer.
The Aria K2 906 measures 225 x 390
x 280mm (WxHxD), weighs 8.5kg
and will set you back £1,200 a pair.
Meanwhile, the K2 Centre measures
533 x 200 x 245mm (WxHxD),
weighs 10.5kg and costs £750.
Slimline tonic
Ultra-skinny new home
audio system
PRICE: £4,000 AVAILABLE: NOW
WEB: HARMAN.COM
Harman Kardon has launched its new Radiance 2400
wireless home audio system, featuring: two ultra-slim
floorstanding speakers, a powerful subwoofer and a
digital hub. The first consumer product to feature the
company’s patented Constant Beamwidth Technology,
which was developed for professional solutions
products, the company explains: “this technology
ensures every listener in the room enjoys the same
exhilarating sound experience via precisely tuned
beam-forming components. This technology uniquely
unites 24 precisely calibrated 32mm transducers in each
of the elegant Radiance speakers to deliver superior
sound coverage from corner to corner.”
The wireless floorstanding speakers measure 55 x
1,800 x 58mm (WxHxD), the lower section tapering to
a champagne glass-shaped base, which houses the
wireless components and digital amplifiers. They are
equipped with Digital Loop Amplifier technology to
correct the natural errors and distortion anomalies that
occur in digital amplification and restore audio quality.
HK says a multi-room household’s entire AV setup
can be connected to the Radiance: “so you can enjoy
incredible home audio whether streaming music or
watching the latest blockbuster”. The digital hub
connects to a TV, game consoles and other AV devices,
while wi-fi allows access to HD music streaming through
Chromecast built-in or Apple AirPlay. There’s a multi-
functional LCD touchscreen and a Bluetooth remote
control, and the wireless connection between the digital
hub, speakers and sub is ready to go straight out the box.
NOVEMBER 2021 19
 AUDIOFILE
Audio on the go-go
New wireless cans from Japan
PRICE: £60-£180 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: AUDIO-TECHNICA.COM
AUDIO-TECHNICA HAS INTRODUCED
two new wireless headphones in the shape
of the ATH-S220BT and the ATH-M50xBT2.
The Japanese company says the former:
“offers exceptional audio reproduction with
crystal-clear call clarity”. With a claimed
60-hour battery life and support so that a
10-minute charge will top the battery up by
3.5 hours, the ATH-S220BT also incorporates
low-proÀle earpads, especially designed to
prevent sound from escaping while on the go.
Weighing in at 180g, the ATH-S220BT
has been designed to provide comfort for
extended wear and comes with a USB-A-to-
USB-C cable for charging with ease using a
variety of different devices. There’s also a
built-in microphone and easy-to-operate
on-ear controls to manage calls and audio
on the move. With Bluetooth 5.0 and both
Siri and Google Assistant compatibility, users
are able to access their device’s speech
recognition function at the touch of a button
and receive notiÀcations, send messages
and control audio playback. Plus, Audio-
Technica’s voice guidance function can
be used to deliver notiÀcations, including
20 NOVEMBER 2021
power and pairing statuses, as well as
helping to monitor remaining power levels.
Audio-Technica says that the bundled 1.2m
cable with in-line mic and control can be used
whenever a wired connection is preferred.
Price for the ATH-S220BT is £60.
The ATH-M50xBT2 is descended
from the ATH-M50x studio
model, and features a number
of enhancements which
the company claims will
improve performance
and usability. It comes
with proprietary 45mm
large-aperture drivers and
the in-app EQ adjustment
of its immediate predecessor.
It also employs an AK4331
advanced audio DAC and dedicated
internal headphone amp, and in addition
to SBC, compatibility with AAC and LDAC
premium wireless audio codecs.
The company claims the addition of
dual mics and beamforming microphone
technology means the ATH-M50xBT2 offers
clearer phone calls and communication with
the built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant.
Sidetone circuitry allows you to hear your
voice in the headphones when making calls
on most smartphones. The mic can be muted
with the press of a button and control of
volume/mute, music and access
to the voice assistant (Amazon
Alexa Built-in, Google
Assistant, Siri) are all
possible through the
buttons that are built
into the left earcup.
Multi-point pairing
allows wireless
connection to two
Bluetooth devices at
once, while Google Fast
Pair enables the headphones
to pair with an Android
smartphone or other device.
The ATH-M50xBT2 claims 50 hours of
continuous use on a full charge and up to
three hours of use from a 10-minute rapid
charge via an improved USB-C connection.
It’s priced at £180 and a 1.2m cable is
included for optional wired use.

Pole position
New speaker range available from Canada
PRICE: £830- £1,245 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: RED-LINE.CO.UK
TOTEM ACOUSTIC IS making its recent Kin
Play range available in the UK. The collection
consists of the active Kin Play and Kin Play
Mini bookshelf speakers, Kin Play Soundbar
and Kin Sub10, which is connected to the rest
of the range via the Kin LINK wireless
subwoofer receiver.
An active bookshelf speaker measuring 180 x
355 x 235mm (WxHxD), the Kin Play boasts
120W per channel and a wide choice of
connections including a switchable phono/line
stereo RCA input with built-in phono stage,
3.5mm and optical inputs, subwoofer out
and an ampliÀer bypass input.
The Canadian company says the Kin Play:
“offers phase linearity, speed, emotion,
off-axis natural presentation and spatial
articulation. All the components have been
created to work together…
“An important feature for installers is the Kin
Play’s amp bypass input. Coupled with auto
on/input sensing, this means the speaker plays
well with others such as streaming products
and more expansive custom installation and
automation systems. Bluetooth 4.1 combined
with Qualcomm aptX HD technology means
support for any type of high-quality streaming
is on-board.”
The Kin Play comes with 4m of 16-gauge,
19-strand, Oxygen Free Copper wire
terminated with dual banana plugs, a
17-function aluminium remote control
and adhesive-backed isolation feet.
The Kin Play Mini offers the same set of
features, but in a smaller 162 x 270 x 190mm
(WxHxD) cabinet with reduced power output
of 70W per channel. Both the Kin Play and Kin
Play Mini are available in Satin White or Black
Ànish with colour-matching magnetic grille.
The Kin Play Soundbar is designed to partner
TV screens of 55in and up. Measuring 1,200 x
52 x 115mm (WxHxD), connectivity comes in
the shape of wireless aptX HD Bluetooth,
optical, 3.5mm (Mini Jack) and stereo RCA
inputs alongside a subwoofer out.
Company-developed KIN Natural Hybrid
woofers and metal alloy tweeters are driven
by the Soundbar’s specially created 75W
per channel dynamic digital ampliÀer.
Totem claims that it can reach down as low
AUDIOFILE
as 60Hz (-3dB), meaning that often
a subwoofer will not be required.
Finally, sporting the same colour range,
comes the Kin Play Sub 10, equipped with a
10in woven Àbreglass low-frequency driver,
driven by an over-sized vented magnetic
structure designed to deliver impressive
dynamic capacity.
It’s powered and controlled by a bespoke
300W ampliÀer, and in-room presence can
be Àne-tuned via the Bass EQ offering a pure
and linear ‘Natural’ setting or an enhanced
‘High Impact’ setting for something more
intense. Measuring 330 x 292 x 345mm
(WxHxD), it comes with ultra-low-proÀle
feet and Totem claims its sealed enclosure
construction guarantees: “consistent
performance regardless of placement”.
Available via UK distributor Redline, the
company also offers a Custom Colour Cloth
printing service which can deliver a range of
different colours for the speaker grilles.
Prices: Kin Play, £1,045; Kin Play Mini,
£830; Kin Play Soundbar, £1,245;
Kin Play Sub 10, £960.
NOVEMBER 2021 21
 AUDIOFILE
Alien invasion
New high-end headphones from Romania
PRICE: £3,700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: MEZEAUDIO.EU
ROMANIAN HEADPHONE SPECIALIST
Meze Audio continues its collaboration with
Rinaro Isodynamics for the release of the new
Elite Isodynamic Hybrid Array headphone, its
most advanced planar magnetic design to
date. Making big claims, Meze explains:
“With Elite we’ve created something that
transcends all barriers of headphone design
and engineering and moves to a new,
artistic, graceful level… This is not mass
production; it’s the craftsmanship that sparks
the magic and wonder in Elite, what makes
it exciting, and these are values that we
choose over any shortcuts.”
The Elite is powered by the custom-
developed MZ3SE Isodynamic Hybrid Array
driver created by Rinaro, which sees a
combination of individual switchback
and spiral-shaped voice coils in the driver
to target soundwaves with more accuracy
around the natural form of the ear.
22 NOVEMBER 2021
The driver features Rinaro Parus, a new
diaphragm material developed speciÀcally for
the Elite. The low-mass acoustic diaphragm
is produced with bespoke sequential biaxial
lengthening technology, a process that involves
stretching the material in transverse directions
at elevated temperatures to improve structural
performance. On the outside, the “alien-like”
chassis combines aluminium, carbon Àbre and
leather, and another new addition developed
especially for the phones are the 25mm-deep
Hybrid ear cushions – a combo designed
to lower the bass pressure and deliver an
“airy sound signature” in which sound waves
appear to transcend the space around to
create a more immersive experience. With
long-term sustainability in mind, Elite is
also fully serviceable: from the replaceable
earpads to the materials used, every part
on the headphone chassis is available to
be easily disassembled and replaced.
Hear that?
It’s that moment. The one where the singer’s
voice cracks perfectly. Sending you back to
the road trip you took with your new girlfriend,
now your wife, when you heard the song for the
˩˘˥ˬЃ˥˦˧˧˜ˠ˘ʡˁˢ˪ˬˢ˨Ϡ˥˘˛˘˔˥˜ˡ˚˜˧˔˚˔˜ˡʟ˥˜˖˛˘˥
and more vibrant than ever, on the Monitor Audio
Silver Series. Turn it up. Press repeat.

ˁ˘˪ˆ˜˟˩˘˥ˆ˘˥˜˘˦
Speakers that speak to you

Learn more at monitoraudio.com/silver

 MAIN TEST BALANCED AUDIO TECHNOLOGY
VK-3500 £13,000

Action-packed
DETAILS
PRODUCT
Balanced Audio
Technology
VK-3500
ORIGIN
USA

super hero
TYPE
Hybrid integrated
amplifier
WEIGHT
22.7 kg
DIMENSIONS
(WxHxD)
483 x 146 x 394mm
FEATURES
Boasting extraordinary power with exquisite tube finesse,
O Quoted power
output: 2x 150W BAT’s new VK-3500 integrated matches the brand’s REX 3
(8ohm)
O Connections: 2x
RCA; 1x MM/MC
triode preamp with a beefy solid-state output
phono stage; 2x
XLR; RCA tape loop ven without the ‘BAT’ logo (launched in 2014) meaning it is BAT has called upon the ‘Unistage’
DISTRIBUTOR
Karma-AV
WEBSITE
balanced.com
E conjuring images of
Gotham City’s caped
crusader, the design of
still the only hybrid model in the
Wilmington, Delaware company’s
stable. The claimed 150W into 8ohm
topology of its Áagship REX hardware
– a single-gain/single-stage 6H30
triode circuit – and married it with
karma-av.co.uk Balanced Audio Technology’s latest loads power output matches BAT’s a ‘wide bandwidth’ complementary
integrated ampliÀer has a purposeful, solid-state VK-255SE power ampliÀer, bipolar output stage derived from its
high-quality look and feel. There’s an and comfortably exceeds the reference VK-6200 power amp. Also
argument that the appearance of a speciÀcation of its all-tube previously featured in the company’s
hi-À product is unimportant, but at power amps and integrateds. products are the Mundorf silver/gold
this price you expect some attention oil capacitors used in the preamp
to detail and craftsmanship – and Strictly analogue circuit that are claimed to offer better
that’s precisely what you get. Of the Read through BAT’s literature and damping of ‘ringing artefacts’.
silver and black Ànish options, the you get a sense that the VK-3500 isn’t For the VK-3500’s asking price, you
latter is the obvious choice if you just a hybrid design, but something of might expect an integrated ampliÀer
really want to emphasise the Dark a Frankenstein’s monster, comprising with a lengthy feature list and
Knight vibe. tried-and-trusted technologies, connections roster. Yet BAT isn’t a
The amp arrived this year as part of including the ‘zero global feedback’ brand with an interest in all-in-one
a wave of products celebrating BAT’s appellation, from its wider range. hi-À convenience or networked audio,
25th anniversary. The £13,000 VK-3500 Even the etched styling is borrowed and the VK-3500 is a strictly analogue
replaces the outgoing VK-3000SE from the Áagship REX 3’s components. design. Therefore, the back view is

24 NOVEMBER 2021

uncluttered. Located between its sets
of gold-plated speaker binding posts
are two balanced XLR inputs and
three single-ended RCA inputs, joined
by a balanced preamp output for
direct or second zone use, plus an
RCA tape loop.
The only concession made to further
decluttering a hi-À rack is the
inclusion of an MM/MC phono stage
(designed by company co-founder
Victor Khomenko) to the VK-3500’s
third line input. Note that this is now
Àtted as standard, but was originally
proposed as an optional extra – as
such, the input (No5) isn’t in any way
CONNECTIONS
1 2
BALANCED AUDIO TECHNOLOGY
VK-3500 £13,000 MAIN TEST
labelled. And if you wish to switch require reconÀguration of your kit
the phono module between its high shelf, especially if you abide by BAT’s
(58dB) and low (44dB) gain settings recommendation of maintaining 6in
HOW IT it’s a lid-off job. of clearance. The amp has internal
COMPARES In truth, BAT’s ‘simplicity without heatsinks, visible through the chassis
compromise’ strategy does come up a sides, and these do a good job of
Hybrid amplifiers –
bit short when it comes to the rather keeping everything cool.
combining a triode
tube line/preamp in-depth setting-up of the VK-3500.
with a bipolar/FET SpeciÀcally, the adjustment of some Sound quality
power amp stage – feature parameters relies on using the The VK-3500’s power output is
can either combine amp’s volume control and text-based obviously well up to scratch and
the ‘colour’ of tubes front-panel display to scroll through paired with Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2
with the grunt of a
solid-state output,
options and make choices. Basic standmount, there is an effortless
or... not. Copland’s tweaks can be time-consuming and feeling to how it cajoles it along,
£5,000 CSA150 one option in particular – renaming making the speaker sound large,
(HFC 479) offers a inputs – is hampered by the display’s exciting and sprightly. Paradigm’s
little extra power four-character limit. triple-woofer Founder 100F
over the £4,000 There are useful features, however, Áoorstander ostensibly presents more
CSA100 (HFC 465)
while offering a
particularly the option to adjust the of a challenge, but again this ampliÀer
similar and very relative volume of individual inputs doesn’t seem especially bothered,
agreeable sonic and apply maximum or Àxed gain driving the loudspeakers without so
character. But if settings. There are also balance, much of a hint of strain.
lush music-making mono/stereo operation and phase Overall, the VK-3500’s sound mixes
is a factor, and
inversion controls. The blue display, crisp, sparky treble and fast, precise
iconic styling too,
you should seek out bass with a deliciously dynamic
McIntosh’s first The sound mixes delivery and conÀdent, detailed
hybrid integrated, soundstaging. It gives a mostly
the £4,500 MA252. crisp treble and fast transparent view of recordings
Sonically it hits without descending into clinical
the spot with a bass with confident indifference while treble is typically
pleasant tonal
warmth, liquid soundstaging more wholegrain mustard than
midband and fine buttery smooth. It’s certainly an
rendition of detail which is certainly easy to read if not attention-grabbing performance.
and space. Its particularly informative, can also be It Never Rains from Dire Straits’
green LED tube dimmed if so desired. enormo-selling Love Over Gold, begins
illumination is really
attention-grabbing!
The VK-3500’s machined aluminium with a major key keyboard melody,
remote control is less handsome gentle percussion and Áoating guitar
than the ampliÀer itself and its IR licks, but ends with an extended
‘window’ is quite narrow, so make instrumental section where Pick
sure you’re aiming it properly. Most Withers’ drumming gains intensity,
of its controls are replicated by small Mark KnopÁer lets his bluesy guitar
buttons on the amp’s front fascia, notes Áy and a phase effect threatens
with the exception of fade, which to render it a sonic soup. BAT’s
provides a gradual – and pleasing – VK-3500 artfully handles both,
level up/down alternative to mute. approaching the introduction with a
The amp’s 23kg weight is perfectly light touch but matching the drive
manageable, but the 483mm width and dynamics later on beat for beat,
of its jutting face plate might possibly while keeping the elements distinct.
1 Single set 4mm
speaker terminals
(right channel)
3 4 5 2 Balanced XLR
preamp outputs
3 RCA tape loop
4 2x RCA line inputs
5 2x balanced
XLR inputs
6 RCA inputs to
Victor Khomenko-
designed MM/MC
phono stage
NOVEMBER 2021 25
 Old’s cool. The new Dynaudio Heritage Special.
Classic premium hi-fi, handmade with love in Denmark.
Listen to craftsmanship. Listen to real wood. Listen to true,
state-of-the-art, hand-built tweeters and woofers. To more
than 2000 hours of devoted R&D. To the depths of your
record collection. Listen to what you love.
‘Heritage Special’ isn’t just a name. It’s a salute to traditional
high-performance Danish audio design, featuring Dynaudio’s
now-legendary materials, technologies and performance.
Each of the 2500 limited-edition pairs is unique. And they’re
brimming with the spirit (and flødebolle-fuelled boldness) that
made the Dynaudio name. Run your fingers over the hand-
finished American Walnut veneer. Pause at the groove around
the baffle (you’ll remember it from our speakers that you coveted
years ago). Then play some music and rock your socks off.
It isn’t for everyone. But that’s OK. We made it for you.
Heritage Special
www.dynaudio.com/heritage
 BALANCED AUDIO TECHNOLOGY
VK-3500 £13,000 MAIN TEST

IN SIGHT
have a weakness, though, it may just
2 1 1 A single PSU be that some might prefer more
transformer feeds a warmth to its presentation and a
‘dual-mono’ layout... softer edge to its upper registers –
2 ...with separate a weekend Àlled with high-volume
left/right rectification listening to the likes of Aerosmith,
and regulation The Rolling Stones and AC/DC does
3 Preamp stage throw up the occasional shrill
uses one Electro- moment. Never enough, however,
harmonix 6H30P to be seriously detrimental to the
double-triode
per channel continuous enjoyment of these gnarly
old rock and roll dinosaurs stomping
4 4 Power amp stage
has four pairs of ON
their stuff, such is the vim, growl and
Semiconductor snarl that this stunning ampliÀer is
transistors per side able to bring to the party.
3 5 Phono/RIAA
board plugs in via an Conclusion
edge connector at When introduced to more tonally
5 the rear of the case nuanced material, the VK-3500
completely cherishes the three-
dimensional soundstaging and
textured trumpet of the title track
from German jazzer Nils Wülker’s
2012 LP Just Here, Just Now and
when fed some modern, techy
BALANCING ACT electronica (and even with a
Balanced Audio Technology first appeared at CES digital-to analogue converter. Its plan was to launch regular-sized standmount), the
back in 1995. Founded by Victor Khomenko and Steve the VK-3500 (as well as updates on its 80 and 90 series impression is that it wouldn’t be out
Bednarski (who met working at Hewlett Packard and components) at the same time, but this was halted due
of place doing front-end duty in a
are now BAT’s chief engineer and general manager to the coronavirus pandemic. Explains Steve Bednarski:
respectively), its debut design was the fully balanced “The pandemic delayed the launch of this second nightclub. Paul Oakenfold’s Save The
VK-60 power amplifier. It has maintained its devotion wave… Something as simple as working face to face Last Trance For Me taken from his
to balanced architecture ever since, across a range with our mechanical and industrial designers became second LP, 2006’s A Lively Mind comes
that has expanded to include integrated amplifiers, difficult during the past year. Everyone stayed safe and straight out the gate at full-throttle,
preamps, a phono stage and an outboard DAC. the new models are now here.” Buyers are therefore a pounding drum track underneath
Last year the company celebrated its 25th assured that the VK-3500 shares the 25th Anniversary
anniversary with the release of third-generation models Design circuitry brought to the REX flagships – just a
waves of reverberant synths. Yet this
of its flagship REX hardware, including the REX 3 year later than originally intended. slab of euphoria is peppered with
surprisingly delicate touches, such as
an isolated high-pitch woodblock that
Queen’s Death On Two Legs, the naughty My Name Is off the master echoes serenely right-of-centre.
vicious opening track from the band’s rapper Marshall Mathers’ second And with a track where the lower
fourth LP – 1975’s Roy Thomas album, The Slim Shady LP. Mostly frequencies are less prominent, the
Baker-produced A Night At The Opera produced with typical pizzazz by integrated is able to shift gear just as
– has a characteristically everything- Dr Dre, this is a track that the BAT effortlessly. Through the big Paradigm
but-the-kitchen-sink production really gets itself into and it also has Founder 100F loudspeaker, the
beÀtting an album reported at the something of a ball when playing sustained organ notes, soft strings and
time to be the most painstaking with the bouncy kick drums of Regina falsetto vocals of a 24-bit/88.2kHz
and expensive ever recorded. It Spektor’s Fidelity, the opening track stream of Pause, by multi-instrumental
was reputed to be about a former on the Soviet-born American outÀt Emily Barker & The Red Clay
manager and resulted in a defamation Halo, are painted in varying subtle
lawsuit so you can say without fear of The VK-3500 shades. The recording sounding
exaggeration that it’s not an easy ride. utterly spine-tingling throughout •
Needless to say, though, the BAT sounds extremely
VK-3500 never, er, bats an eyelid and
appears not even slightly bafÁed.
detailed, speedy,
Each note of Freddie Mercury’s piano alive and rhythmic OUR VERDICT
intro sounds cleanly struck, and then, SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Luscious looks;
as if snapping its Àngers, the VK-3500 singer-songwriter’s fourth LP, Begin To speed; crispness;
launches into the guitar riff, bringing Hope. In both instances the listening transparency
bite and edge to Brian May’s tone. experience takes on a physical VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Complicated
to set up
Musical Áourishes sparkle left and dimension. The latter track’s title
WE SAY: Brings even
right while the drums sound weighty proves apt here, too, as the ampliÀer BUILD QUALITY
familiar music back to
and intense from start to Ànish. relishes Spektor’s lilting, articulate life. Stellar performer.
A particularly notable trait of the vocal and the plucked string FEATURES
VK-3500 is the fun it has with deep accompaniment, expressing them
bass. Low-end transients come and with enjoyable verve and quite
go like momentary explosions, as remarkable clarity. OVERALL
exempliÀed by the one-note bassline So the VK-3500 sounds detailed and
progressions in Eminem’s extremely alive, speedy and rhythmic. If it does

NOVEMBER 2021 27
 AUDIO SYSTEMS

Debut Pro
30 years of experience
The Debut Pro is far more than a special edition,
though it was released to commemorate the
30th anniversary of Pro-Ject Audio Systems.
It’s a new premium addition to the Debut
range, exhibiting the very best technical
design, elegant aesthetics and true high-end
sound from an affordable audiophile device.

Pick-it Pro

Pick-IT Pro Carbon Fibre TPE Damped Full VTA and 33 / 45 RPM Durable Nickel
MM Cartridge Coated Alu Platter Azimuth rocker switch coated Aluminum
Tonearm adjustment

Distributed by Henley Audio

T: +44 (0) 1235 511 166 | E: sales@henleyaudio.co.uk | W: www.henleyaudio.co.uk | : HenleyAudioUK | : HenleyAudio
 Hi-Fi Choice employs the most methodical test and measurement
regime in the business. Here’s how we do it...

Unique group tests

TEST MUSIC
OSCAR PETERSON TRIO
Naptown Blues
Hello Herbie

Our Group Tests are supported by rigorous and

exhaustive listening tests carried out by experts

PHONO PREAMP GROUP TEST

AS ONE OF our contenders produces its own
turntables and cartridges, it’s important that the
cart chosen for the test is from a brand that has
no association with any participating models.
Acoustic Signature’s MCX3 moving-coil cartridge
(£1,290) Àtted to our turntable and tonearm of
choice gives us the desired level playing Àeld and
an appropriately stellar analogue source with
which to analyse the contenders’ best game.
The Neo Double X sits on a BASE 430
vibration control platform, itself placed on top
of an Atacama equipment rack. It is partnered
with an Electrocompaniet ECI 80D integrated
ampliÀer and a pair of Audiovector QR5
Áoorstanders. Nordost’s QBase distribution
block with QKore grounding system allows
for the bulk of the test phono stages to be LUNATRAKTORS
Lover, Lover, Lover
connected at once and for a degree of hot The Missing Star
plugging to be undertaken to minimise the
gap between listening. All six phono preamps
are set to loading conÀgurations based on the
cartridge maker’s recommendations, though
experimenting with impedance settings is
undertaken in each case until the best system
matching and sound quality is established.
Finally, each of the stages is evaluated for its
speciÀc functionality, while ease of setup and
build are taken into consideration to deliver
the Ànal test results. A wide variety of vinyl is STANLEY CLARKE
used, although four key tracks are focused on. Journey To Love
Journey To Love

AMY WINEHOUSE
You Sent Me Flying (Cherry)
Frank (180g)

REFERENCE SYSTEM

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER: TURNTABLE: LOUDSPEAKER:

Electrocompaniet ECI 80D
£2,990 HFC 473
High style, a broad feature set and fine build
seamlessly dovetail with the cosy tonal
temperature of the ECI 80D to present a very
particular, but coherently resolved, idea of
solid-state amplification that is a particularly
comfortable fit with top-drawer analogue.
Acoustic Signature Double X Neo/
TA-2000/MCX-3 £8,840
Germany’s Acoustic Signature specialises in immaculately
engineered and built, high-mass, high-end turntables. From
the lower end of its extraordinary Neo portfolio, the Double X
combines a classic form factor with cutting-edge constrained
layer damping and a Dura Turn Diamond (DTD) bearing with
vanishingly low friction values. A sublime performer.
Audiovector QR5 £2,825
HFC 468
The larger of the two floorstanders in
Audiovector’s entry-level range, the
QR5 isn’t a speaker for those seeking a
lean, leading-edgy sort of sound, but
for this roundup its broad bandwidth,
fine dynamic expression and revealing
ribbon tweeter are just the ticket.
The temporal elements are all
present and correct, too – just
not pushed hard in your face.

NOVEMBER 2021 29
 PHONO PREAMPS £1,400-£4,000

The next level

We’re moving on up with this gathering of phono preamps, each promising to
make the most of your vinyl investment. David Vivian takes them for a spin
THE PRICIEST PARTICIPANT in our last conspicuous bulk. But the price bracket for cartridge into a superstar, we’ve pushed
phono preamp Group Test (HFC 469) was the this roundup is gold star aspirational and the boat out for this collection, drafting
estimable and impressively large Primare that means a steep climb to £4,000 and, in Acoustic Signature’s sublime Double X
R35, at £1,350. For this one, the surprisingly overall, the kind of casework and weight Neo turntable, replete with the company’s
dinky and mostly wooden £1,400 Design that would make even a muscular integrated £1,290 MCX-3 moving-coil cartridge – an
Build Listen The Wand EQ grabs the baton ampliÀer feel a little threatened. unimpeachable vinyl source with which to
and hopes to prove that, when it comes to For the most part, we’re in statement sort the best from the rest.
amplifying the minuscule signal from a territory here, the place where phono The group divides evenly along solid state/
moving-coil cartridge to line level, the size of preamps emerge from the murky, back-of- vacuum tube lines, the former championed
the shadow your box casts isn’t everything. shelf environs of the kit rack to strut their by The Wand EQ, Rega Aura and Leema
As by far the smallest and most affordable stuff on the same stage as the high-end Acoustics Agena with the Musical Fidelity
model in the group – chosen as a notional vinyl spinners they support. Despite the Nu-Vista Vinyl joining the Manley Chinook
David among Goliaths – The Wand EQ contention posited in our last roundup that and ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 in the
can get away with thumbing its nose at a great phono preamp can turn a good MC tube camp. All to play for, then. Let’s go!

ON TEST

Design Build Listen
The Wand EQ
£1,400 p32
This tiny phono preamp
from New Zealand might
look like a fancy cigar box,
but its intention is to send
its rivals up in smoke.
Leema Acoustics
Agena £3,950 p35
Hailing from Wales, Leema
Acoustics is a small
operation but there’s
nothing scaled down
about its imposing, feature-
rich flagship offering.
Manley
Chinook £2,700 p36
An all-tube design from the
West Coast of America,
you kind of know how
this goes, but the
acclaimed Chinook isn’t
all California dreaming.
ModWright Instruments
PH 9.0 £2,900 p38
Like the Manley, the
ModWright is US born
and bred and uses valves,
but it’s the only design in
the group that comes
packing a separate PSU.
Musical Fidelity Rega
Nu-Vista Vinyl Aura £4,000 p42
£3,300 p40 The best phono preamp
Nuvistors are tough little that Essex-based Rega
metal valves originally knows how to make for
intended for military £4,000 – that alone should
applications, but they be enough to put the
sound great too. frighteners on its rivals.

30 NOVEMBER 2021
NOVEMBER 2021 31
 GROUPTEST PHONO PREAMPS
£1,400-£4,000
Design Build Listen
The Wand EQ £1,400
There’s always room for a magic box in a roundup and,
hailing from Down Under, this one fits the bill rather well
DETAILS and is principally the name
PRODUCT
Design Build Listen
The Wand EQ
W of Design Build Listen’s
matching tonearm that,
appropriately enough, sits
ORIGIN on the company’s Wand turntable.
New Zealand Even so, the subliminal undertone is
TYPE magic and that goes for the matching
MM/MC
phono preamp phono preamp as well. The EQ part
WEIGHT of the moniker refers to ‘Emotional
757g Quotient’ – as in that hidden within the
DIMENSIONS microgrooves of a vinyl record, waiting
(WxHxD) to be maximised, through assiduous
220 x 45 x 125mm
design and Àne-tuning, by The Wand
FEATURES EQ. What more could one reasonably
O MM/MC input
O RCA input/output ask of a phono preamp?
O Separate PSU And that’s really the point this bijou
DISTRIBUTOR box is setting out to make. Battleship
VAL HiFi
The Wand subverts
the notion that you
need size and bulk
to unlock energy
build and eye-watering price tags are
all very well, but when it comes right
down to it, a small wooden box with
the right smarts and focus will get the
job done just as well while being much
kinder on resources and – more
importantly– the wallet.
Designed by Gary Morrison and 90
percent hand-made in Aotearoa, New
Zealand, its chief aims are to keep the
noise Áoor low and detail resolution
high. To this end it uses a low noise,
hand-matched J-FET input and power
supply and operates in pure Class A.
All the circuitry Àts snugly in a
super-slim, black-topped plywood
casing – chosen for its relatively inert
acoustic properties – which is treated to
32 NOVEMBER 2021
a hand-rubbed Ànishing process using
mãnuka beeswax polish for those who,
ahem: “literally want the unvarnished
truth”. Nice to see a touch of humour
in an arena of earnest boasts.
Good for both moving-magnet and
moving-coil cartridges, The Wand EQ
has nothing to disturb the attractive
grain of its wraparound ply front and
sides; all the controls and sockets are
conÀned to the rear panel, where there
are also two rather cramped access
windows for the DIP switches.
Thankfully, there are only eight of the
little nail-breakers to contend with. The
on/off toggle lives just above the socket
for connecting the compact external
PSU. Otherwise, it’s single-ended RCAs
for input and output and an earthing
post for the third wire of the turntable
interconnect. Gain is Àxed at 62dB for
MC and 40dB for MM.
Sound quality
Never mind Expelliarmus, here’s a
phono preamp that’s locked into the
Ànal reckoning with a likeably lean,
lithe, fast and agile sound. In a
nutshell, it knows how to have fun
and does indeed pose a few questions
for some of the group’s more
extravagant players. I’ve written in
my notes: “the Caterham Seven of
phono preamps”, which doesn’t seem
an unreasonable analogy given
the little sportscar’s reputation for
putting the frighteners on far larger
and more powerful supercars.
The stage for the Oscar Peterson
Trio’s Naptown Blues might not be
quite as expansive as that laid on by
the tube contingent, but what we do
have is a tight, together and fully-lit
performance from a phenomenal
ensemble. There’s clarity and grip,
speed and dynamics – that joyous
feeling you get when you know every
member of the group you’re listening
to is at the very top of their game
and that the collective dynamic
itself is even more rewarding
than the sum of its parts.
Tonally, Lunatraktors’ Lover, Lover,
Lover sounds a little stripped back
– certainly not treated to the richness
and warmth that’s offered by the
Manley and Musical Fidelity. But
this slightly drier approach is just as
engaging in its own way with a clean
and spry quality. I’m tempted to label it
Rega lite. The Wand EQ isn’t carrying
as much weight and muscle as the
Aura, but it sure is nimble on its feet.
Stanley Clarke’s Journey To Love
connects absolutely on a performance
level, feeling vital and unfettered and
subverting the notion that you need
size and bulk to unlock energy and
raise the ‘emotional quotient’ O
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Spry, unfettered
delivery; timing;
small size
VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: There are
meatier sounding rivals
WE SAY: Holds its own
BUILD QUALITY
in this high-end group
and clearly represents
FEATURES
exceptional value
OVERALL
 Elegant Design Inside and Out
Primare is known for the elegant exterior
design of its products, which reflects the
artfully crafted electrical designs based on
our practical design approach allowing
every component to work sympathetically
together as a cohesive whole.

Power supply designs are custom crafted

to best serve the unique needs of each
component, whether it be switching or
linear, based on toroidal or laminated core
transformers, so that all elements of any
design operate effortlessly.

Signal paths are kept as short and as

simple as possible, with gain preferably in
one device, and utilizing four-layer circuit
boards to more easily and effectively design
circuitry with the most direct connection
of components to reduce distortion and
eliminate noise.

Non-essential signal carrying wires are

eliminated, exemplified by the use of
surface mount components when possible
and by directly connecting the output stage
to the speaker binding posts free of wires
or solder to interfere with power delivery.

For more details, go to Primare.net

karma Authorized United Kingdom Distributor 01423 358846

karma-av.co.uk
info@karma-av.co.uk
a u d i o - v i s u a l

Leema Acoustics
Agena £3,950
Leema really has thought of everything with the Agena,
but – as ever – sound quality is at the top of the list
DETAILS uite apart from anything
PRODUCT
Leema Acoustics
Agena
Q else (and there’s plenty
going on with this phono
preamp), the Agena is a
ORIGIN satisfying object to hold and behold. It
Wales doesn’t really matter whether you’re
TYPE into the Welsh company’s quirky house
MM/MC
phono preamp aesthetic, Leema Acoustics’ Reference
WEIGHT Series model is beautifully put together
11kg with obvious attention to detail and
DIMENSIONS quality of Ànish. It’s the only phono
(WxHxD) preamp in the group to feature
440 x 110 x 320mm
microprocessor control, a menu system
FEATURES
O MM/MC input
and a display – no dastardly DIP
O Balanced switches to break your nails on here
XLR output thankfully. Also, it’s alone in offering
O USB digital
archiving
DISTRIBUTOR The Agena offers up
Leema Electro
Acoustics Ltd. a deep dive into the
recording that’s
elegantly presented
high and low Àlters and a USB output
so you can archive vinyl to a computer.
There are two inputs to cater for
setups with two tonearms and
single-ended RCA connections are
provided. If you need more than two
(the MF Nu-Vista Vinyl has Àve) there’s
additionally space on the rear panel for
a third to be installed. Output is via
RCA or balanced XLR.
Each input has two separate
‘headshell/arm’ settings so that
you can match up to six different
cartridges if you go for the optional
third input, and then select the desired
option at the touch of a button. Very
slick. A good-quality analogue-to-
digital converter feeds the USB output
for digital archiving. Then there’s the
so-called ‘Sleep Mode’ which
automatically switches off the
microprocessor control circuitry,
display and LEDs a few seconds after
power-up, leaving the Agena a purely
analogue component. You can override
it if you want everything lit up while
conÀguring the inputs.
The input and gain stages are claimed
to have very high voltage headroom to
avoid the clipping a loud click or pop
from the vinyl can cause. This is
something easily achieved by the valve
phono preamps, thanks to their higher
DC voltage supplies but more of a win
in solid state.
Sound quality
In November 1969, former Oscar
Peterson Trio guitarist Herbie Ellis got
back together with bassist Sam Jones
and drummer Bobby Durham to join
forces once more with Peterson’s
preternatural piano chops for a
memorable jam session-Áavoured set
committed to vinyl as Hello Herbie. The
opener, Wes Montgomery’s Naptown
Blues, is a stiff test, relying on a
capacity to track the building
momentum of the performance and
the seeming molecular-level empathy
between the musicians.
The Agena treats every player’s
contribution with care and respect.
The Ellis guitar is crisp and tonally
convincing, there’s plenty of heft
behind Peterson’s cascading block
chords and proper weight and shape to
Jones’ bass. Yet it all sounds just a tad
matter of fact. The thrill implicit in
such a tight and gifted ensemble really
motoring isn’t quite realised. It’s a deep
dive into the recording and elegantly
PHONO PREAMPS
£1,400-£4,000 GROUPTEST
presented, but my scalp remains
decidedly untingled.
Things work out a little better for the
outrageously talented Lunatraktors,
duo Clair Le Couteur and Carli
Jefferson, as they brieÁy park their
chosen ‘broken folk’ metier to provide
their unique take on Leonard Cohen’s
Lover, Lover, Lover from their second
album, Missing Star. The gorgeous
arrangement by Geoffrey Richardson
(Caravan, The Penguin Café Orchestra)
is warm and lush, Carli’s Latin-infused
percussion palpable and precise. But
again, it’s a case of more poise than
passion. The Agena’s overarching
control and composure is a constant
factor. While this is good for keeping
all your ducks in a row with large,
complex works, occasionally it’s okay
to loosen up a bit. I’m listening but
I’m never surprised. There’s a slightly
airbrushed quality to the sound – rich
with Ànely rendered textures – but
elegance is favoured over excitement.
Smooth and assured for sure O
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Features; build;
smooth and
sophisticated sound
VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Sound needs
more changes of gear
WE SAY: A feature-rich
BUILD QUALITY
tour de force from
Leema that misses
FEATURES
greatness by a hair
OVERALL
NOVEMBER 2021 35
 GROUPTEST PHONO PREAMPS
£1,400-£4,000
Manley
Chinook £2,700
Manley isn’t a household name in the UK, but its valve
expertise has been celebrated Stateside for years
DETAILS ur Àrst valve offering from
PRODUCT
Manley Chinook
ORIGIN
O the States very much
favours the ‘it might not
look much but…’ approach
USA to style versus sound. As you can see,
TYPE the Chinook is just about as plain
MM/MC and functional as they come. Oh, the
phono preamp
logo recessed into the thick, grey
WEIGHT
6.8kg aluminium front panel lights up when
DIMENSIONS you switch it on. Otherwise, all the
(WxHxD) action takes place round the back,
483 x 89 x 279mm including banks of DIP switches.
FEATURES Unusually, but thoughtfully, these are
O MM/MC input
O RCA input/output
accompanied by helpful hints about
O Automatic ohms and capacitance printed on the
mute timer back panel – a kind of crib sheet to set
DISTRIBUTOR you on your way without having to
Elite Audio thumb laboriously through the
instruction manual.
The presentation is
pampered with just
a hint of traditional
tube warmth
By the high aesthetic standards of the
group, the Chinook doesn’t necessarily
have the design appeal of a £2,700
item and it’s considerably lighter than
the some of the others here, except
– of course– the dinky, wooden The
Wand EQ. All of which is Àne if it
sounds darn good.
With much trickled-down technology
from Manley’s esteemed Steelhead
phono preamp Áagship offering, it
certainly should. Like the Steelhead,
each channel employs the two triode
sections of a 6922 tube for amplifying
in league with passive RIAA
equalisation networks. The signal is
36 NOVEMBER 2021
then directly coupled to another 6922
dual triode serving as the output driver,
the upshot being low-output impedance
and robust current-driving capabilities
to bring difÀcult loads to heel.
There are two internal settings for
optimal gain and the aforementioned
DIP switches around the back offer a
dizzying combination of 31 different
possible resistance settings and an
additional seven capacitive loading
choices – plenty there to experiment
with whatever the cartridge,
moving-magnet or coil. Manley
states that audiophile-grade and
time-proven componentry is used
throughout, further underlining the
American company’s: “dedication to
seductive sonics”.
Sound quality
Seductive would certainly seem to
be an appropriate adjective. There’s
an immediately inviting warmth,
lyricism and intimacy to the Chinook’s
sound that clearly marks it out as a
Àne modern valve design. Here’s the
opposite of edge-of-the-seat listening,
a liquid delivery with a wide-open
midrange that comes across as
effortlessly charming as a George
Clooney chat-up line.
Oscar Peterson and his jazz
compardres aren’t quite as locked in
space during Naptown Blues as they
are with the Leema Acoustics and Rega
offerings, but there’s greater Áuency,
Áow and timbral subtlety. Sam Jones’
bass has an infectious bounce and
tunefulness and while Peterson’s
piano is spread a smidge too far
across the soundstage, the harmonic
structure and decay of notes are easier
to appreciate. Crucially, the Chinook
dials into the performance aspect of
the piece. Temporally Áuent, supple
and smooth, the presentation gets
pampered with just a hint of traditional
tube warmth. It means my attention
isn’t drawn to how much detail there is.
It isn’t because it isn’t there, but more
the traceless way that it dissolves into
the larger musical picture.
Once again, despite an expansive
soundstage, I’m not treated to laser-cut
imaging or the tightest focus with Amy
Winehouse singing You Sent Me Flying
(Cherry) from her Àrst album, Frank.
But the song has a wonderfully
pellucid quality merging strolling,
smoky jazz and true expressive range
and colour from a languid and
particularly sassy Winehouse vocal.
The track positively glows. Equally
immersive and intimate is the
Lunatraktors take on Leonard Cohen’s
Lover, Lover, Lover – full of tonal colour
and texture, rhythmically loose and
lucid, it’s an absolute joy O
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Seductive sound
quality; light weight;
decent flexibility
VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: DIP switches
(despite crib sheet)
WE SAY: Valves doing
BUILD QUALITY
what valves do best, a
satisfying compliment
FEATURES
to top-drawer analogue
OVERALL
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 GROUPTEST PHONO PREAMPS
£1,400-£4,000
ModWright Instruments
PH 9.0 £2,900
This two-box combo from the States looks like the
quietly spoken type, but underestimate it at your peril
DETAILS ur second contender from
PRODUCT
ModWright
Instruments PH 9.0
O across the pond also favours
thermionic valves over
transistors and, as an added
ORIGIN nod to sonic purity, has housed the
USA main unit and power supply in separate
TYPE cases. They’re both compact and
MM/MC
phono preamp chunky, but even so it might be a bit
WEIGHT of a struggle to accommodate both
5.4kg (main unit) on a single shelf of an equipment rack.
DIMENSIONS I put some distance between the two
(WxHxD) – probably not a bad idea, anyway.
254 x 102 x 254mm
Besides, we’re not talking the last word
FEATURES
O MM/MC input
in aesthetic sophistication, here. These
O RCA input/output boxes mean business and are as well
O Separate PSU made and Ànished as they need to be,
DISTRIBUTOR nothing more.
Elite Audio
The good news is that once you’ve
found a suitable parking place, there’s
no need to disturb the preamp box to
Àddle about with Àddly DIP switches.
The guitar solo has a
sense of body that
nothing else here
can get close to
The two large knobs and a couple of
switches on its facia have got just about
everything covered, with only the
mono/stereo switch around the rear.
The left-hand knob allows you to
choose between moving-magnet and
moving-coil (with a mute on/off
nestling in between) while the one on
the right deals with load impedance
settings. It can be done on the Áy,
allowing you to tailor the sound to
taste as you listen. One of the toggles
switches the preamp on, the other sets
gain at 0, -6dB or -12dB.
38 NOVEMBER 2021
As shipped, the valve complement
consists of a pair of 6C45s alongside a
brace of 6922s and the supporting
components include high-quality
Lundahl MC step-up transformers.
ModWright Instruments doesn’t
publish much in the way of specs,
but the claimed frequency response
of 20Hz to 50kHz (+/- 2dB) is both
impressively wide and Áat.
Sound quality
Regular readers will know that not all
valve amps sound the same and that
some don’t even sound like valve amps
in the stereotypically smooth, warm,
caramel-coated sense. The ModWright
is a case in point as its sonic signature is
absolutely nothing like that of the more
melliÁuous Manley Chinook, if
anything being closer in style to the
muscular, all-action, rhythmic rock
known as the Rega Aura.
All right, it’s not quite as potent and
relentlessly resolving, but the PH 9.0
nonetheless still teams much of the
Rega’s ‘on it’ enthusiasm and energy
with an openness, speed and layered
dimensionality reminiscent of a Tom
Evans design – and that’s a terriÀc
combination by the way.
Fed by the masterly sonic skills
of a top turntable like the Acoustic
Signature, the combo sounds as pristine
as state-of-the-art digital with a 10
percent humanity upgrade and a
serious injection of soul.
Stanley Clarke’s Journey To Love
album is a perfect case in point hosting
a busload of the world’s best jazz fusion
musicians including Chick Corea, John
McLaughlin, David Sancious, George
Duke, Lenny White and Steve Gadd.
But it’s Jeff Beck’s soaring, snarling solo
on the title track that really sets the
tone for the ModWright’s sonic abilities.
Beck’s strident guitar solo is richly
rendered and hangs in space with a
sense of body and dimensionality that
nothing else in the group can
realistically get close to.
Testing different strengths,
Lunatraktors distinctive take on
Leonard Cohen’s Lover, Lover, Lover
sounds that bit more nuanced and
‘Ànished’ which, in turn, bolsters a
belief that there’s more musically
relevant stuff going on. And it all
happens in an environment built on
quicksilver timing and zero inertia.
The overall balance is noticeably
leaner than the Rega’s but, whether it’s
Amy Winehouse giving her pipes a
work out on You Sent Me Flying
(Cherry) or The Oscar Peterson
Trio’s Naptown Blues, I’m treated to
fabulous insight and tonal complexity
and the result is the feeling of a freer,
more Ànessed performance O
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Superb best-of-
all-worlds sound;
friendly design
VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: A slightly
awkward kit rack fit
WE SAY: If you’re after
BUILD QUALITY
the best sonics, look
no further
FEATURES
OVERALL
 20
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 GROUPTEST PHONO PREAMPS
£1,400-£4,000
Musical Fidelity
Nu-Vista Vinyl £3,300
It’s an awful lot of premium preamp for the money,
but has the Nu-Vista Vinyl got it where it counts?
DETAILS ighty. That’s the only word
PRODUCT
Musical Fidelity
Nu-Vista Vinyl
M to describe the Nu-Vista
Vinyl. Maybe bomb proof,
too. The thing’s build is
ORIGIN quite simply monumental. It has an
Austria aura of indomitability and conÀdence
TYPE that doubtless presumes to cover all
MM/MC
phono preamp bases with talent to spare. Some
WEIGHT 482mm wide, it boasts thick aluminium
14.5kg panels to kill airborne vibration, while
DIMENSIONS prominent lateral heatsinks are used for
(WxHxD) extensive cooling. To provide additional
482 x 130 x 385mm
decoupling, cones with thrust bearings
FEATURES are provided as an alternative to the
O MM/MC input
O 5x RCA inputs standard conventional footings. Let’s
O XLR/RCA output put it this way: if you’re about to drop
DISTRIBUTOR so much money and shelf space on a
Henley Audio Ltd. phono preamp, it had better be special.
Musical Fidelity itself uses the words:
“without any practical limits” in its
The Nu-Vista plays
everything with a
straight bat and
luxurious tonality
description of the Nu-Vista Vinyl, citing
a level of input headroom that, in
real-world conditions, cannot be
overloaded. The driving capability of its
output stage, via either single-ended
RCA or balanced XLR, is said to be
virtually unburstable too and I don’t
see any reason to doubt the claim.
Part of the credit must go to the
type of valve employed. Like other
components in Musical Fidelity’s
Áagship Nu-Vista line, the Vinyl’s
circuits use tough, low-noise tubes
in sintered bodies called nuvistors.
Developed in the mid-Fifties, these
40 NOVEMBER 2021
weren’t originally intended for hi-À
but for use in measuring and radio-
receiving equipment requiring high
sensitivity. To protect against external
interference, including microphony,
they had small (about 20mm high),
rigid metal cases with a ceramic base
and a service life many times that of
conventional thermionic valves. A
few hi-À companies recognised the
potential, but it was Musical Fidelity,
then owned by Anthony Michaelson,
that found the magic bullet therein.
Sound quality
There are no fewer than Àve inputs,
each of which is compatible with
moving-magnet and moving-coil
cartridges and remembers its loading
and capacitance settings. And this is
the only phono preamp in the group to
offer IEC correction as well as RIAA.
All the controls are laid across the
expansive front panel – again, no Àddly
DIP switches hidden around the back to
unmake your day.
The Àrst thing to hit me is great stereo
with pin-point imaging and believable
rendition of acoustic ambience. This
gives Lunatraktors’ Lover, Lover, Lover
real presence in a spacious soundstage
that extends to a point behind the
speakers. Tone and texture are very
‘analogue’ and there’s an affecting ease
to the presentation.
Absent is any form of unnatural edge
and, as claimed in the brochure,
sibilance that would otherwise snag
your attention has unceremoniously
been shown the door – this despite an
up-close and intimate mic position for
Clair and Carli. Then again, the big
cymbal crash two-thirds of the way
through the song is missing a small
measure of metallic splash and
harmonic shimmer.
Musical mojo seems a little curtailed
on Naptown Blues as well, Oscar
Peterson and friends playing well
enough together, but the event
somehow coming across like a practice
run rather than a studio ‘take’. In
short, the vital spark doesn’t quite
make the cut.
Curiously, irrespective of load
tailoring, there seems to be a kind of
Nu-Vista sound that in and of itself is
very attractive but plays everything
with a straight bat and luxurious, cream
toffee tonality. Consequently, Stanley
Clarke’s Journey To Love has superb
stage depth and, in the opening
passage, a dreamy and silky vibe very
nicely done, but Jeff Beck’s lead solo
simply doesn’t muster the bite and
impact conveyed by most of the others
here. For better or worse, the Nu-Vista
Vinyl always seems to be having a
sunny day cruising the kilohertz O
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Superb build
quality; features; silky,
spacious sound
VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Tiny bit
enormous; sound
seldom shows teeth
BUILD QUALITY
WE SAY: If you like
what the Nu-Vista Vinyl
FEATURES
does and need lots of
inputs, welcome home
OVERALL
ULTIMATE DESKTOP
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 GROUPTEST PHONO PREAMPS
£1,400-£4,000
Rega
Aura £4,000
In any analogue arena, Rega always has skin in the
game, and posh phono preamps are no exception
DETAILS little deeper and heavier
PRODUCT
Rega Aura
ORIGIN
A than the Essex-based
company’s meaty Elex-R
(HFC 420) integrated
UK ampliÀer, the Aura is second only to
TYPE Musical Fidelity’s Nu-Vista Vinyl in
MC phono preamp respect of the surprising number of
WEIGHT calories that are required to lift it from
13kg
its carton to the equipment rack shelf.
DIMENSIONS
(WxHxD) An understated (almost inscrutable)
350 x 88 x 435mm solid black slab, then, with minimal
FEATURES facia décor save for a couple of small
O MC input rotary controls to set impedance and
O RCA input
O XLR/RCA output
capacitance and some small buttons
DISTRIBUTOR
addressing gain, mono and mute. And
Rega Research Ltd. that signature red backlit logo, of
course. All very Rega. Oh, despite the
The Aura prosecutes
the musical message
with supreme clarity
and pristine timing
Aura being a moving-coil-only preamp,
Rega contends capacitance settings can
subtly alter the sound – which is why it
provides a wide range to experiment
with, even if no value is directly quoted
by the cartridge manufacturer.
Sat at the core of the Aura is a
symmetrical complementary Class A
ampliÀer using parallel connected
Linear Systems ultra-low noise FET
(Field Effect Transistor) transistors
conÀgured as a compound pair input
stage. The main circuit board is
furnished with top-Áight components
and driven by a beefy power supply.
As is the ambition of all these phono
preamps, the target is a clean, unsullied
signal path to squeeze every last drop of
42 NOVEMBER 2021
music from the groove. Rega has form
in this endeavour, of course, and if the
Aura Áoats all that experience on a
generous budget, it surely bodes well.
Round the back, Rega has assumed
you’re a one deck, one arm, one (MC)
cartridge type of vinyl lover as there’s
just a single input for your Ànest RCA
interconnect. At the output end, the
choice extends to single-ended RCA or
balanced XLR. Naturally, those who
run more than one turntable or a
turntable with more than one
tonearm/cartridge might be more
tempted by the convenience of the
multi-input designs from Leema
Acoustics and Musical Fidelity.
Sound quality
If the valve-based contenders in
the group bring a certain warmth,
openness and airy magic to the table,
the Aura counters with rock-solid
rhythmic drive and attack, a more
physical style of music making
brimming with verve and colour.
Consequently, The Oscar Peterson Trio
sounds remarkably planted and
surefooted, Peterson’s playing in
particular imbued with an inner
energy and impetus that’s more
powerful and percussive.
There seems to be a subtle trade-off
as a result. What the Rega gains in
palpable impact, it gives away in
the kind of wide-open soundstage
perspectives that the tube trio are so
good at. The result is that Stanley
Clarke’s Journey To Love’s languid
opening moments are set in a less
spacious, slightly opaque acoustic.
But when Beck gets going, the attack
is sharper, the dynamic span broader.
Meanwhile, Lunatraktors’ cover of
Lover, Lover, Lover sounds a little darker
tonally but more organic and
propulsive. It might not necessarily be
the deepest soundstage I’ve heard in
the group, but Clair and Carli are much
more ‘in the room’ and harmonising
with greater conviction, as if there’s
more air in their lungs. In short, the
performance seems more powerful
and fully Áeshed out.
The Amy Winehouse vocal on You
Sent Me Flying (Cherry) is undeniably
pushed forward in the mix, but she
holds your attention throughout.
There’s nothing approximate or
benignly impressionistic about the
Aura’s MO. It prosecutes the musical
message with unambiguous clarity
and pristine timing.
Whatever I play, the full-blooded
presentation is precise, articulate,
ordered and assured. Tempo and
rhythm are nailed. You never doubt
what you’ve just heard. Typical Rega at
its considerable best. Compelling stuff O
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Sonic muscle,
momentum and
timing; design and
build quality
VALUE FOR MONEY
DISLIKE: Not the
airiest sound
BUILD QUALITY
WE SAY: A phono
preamp powerhouse
FEATURES
with rhythm, resolution
and all the right moves
OVERALL
 LETS JUST GET TO
THE POINT...
NEW

BLUE POINT NO.3

HIGH OUTPUT MOVING COIL CARTRIDGE

Avalible in both Hi-output and Low-output varients.

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 PHONO PREAMPS
£1,400-£4,000 GROUPTEST

Group test verdict

After a week of dividing his time between DIP switch dominoes and on-the-fly
load fettling, David Vivian is ready to reveal his thoughts on a bruising battle
A CHARISMATIC GROUP? In the
grand scheme of hi-À components
probably not. How about a collection
of high-functioning unsung heroes?
Absolutely. It’s easy to underestimate
the role this vital link plays in
determining the Ànal sound of your
vinyl-driven front end. Anyone who
thinks of stinting on its quality to buy
a fancier turntable is diving headÀrst
into a false economy. Buy a fancy
turntable, but be in no doubt you’ll
need a Àrst-class phono preamp to
unlock its true potential.
All these comfortably hit that mark
and so, to some extent, user choice
will be guided by features as much as sound with more than a hint of the
ultimate sound quality. Should that verve and vitality they lack. It’s a
be the case, the Leema Agena has a terriÀcally engaging listen and
lot going for it as a supremely frankly amazing value if you put
accomplished, versatile and polished pure sound quality ahead of
WINNER
‘exit-level’ purchase. Even-handed features and Áexibility. There’s the sense of
almost to a fault, its sound lacks a First podium place goes to the weight and proportion,
little pace and rhythmic tension. Manley Chinook, which possesses a speed and dynamic
tension. Warmth, body
Musical Fidelity’s Àve-input Nu-Vista thoroughly immersive and cohesive
and dimensionality. It
behemoth is a ceaselessly lovely listen sound in that special way only isn’t just that there’s
with fabulous soundstage breadth tubes have, brimming with texture more going on with the
and depth but, again, it needs a little and nuance. The brilliant Rega ModWright, but the way
more gunpowder in its arsenal to Aura bags the runner-up spot for it all hangs together so
match the excitement of the best. its sheer muscular musicality, naturally and expresses
the musical message
Fourth is the remarkable DBL The powers of resolution and towering
quite so eloquently.
Wand EQ, which delivers a wide-open temporal exactitude.

Make/model Design Build Listen Leema Acoustics Manley ModWright Instruments Musical Fidelity Rega
The Wand EQ Agena Chinook PH 9.0 Nu-Vista Vinyl Aura

Price £1,400 £3,950 £2,700 £2,900 £3,300 £4,000

Sound
Value
Build
Features
Overall
, Only the size of a Beautifully built and Want to know what A simple chunky, Military grade valves If you know Rega,
paperback novel, finished, this is a class the fuss is about with nondescript box – but a smoother, the sound of the
The Wand EQ’s story act that covers all the valves? The Chinook who’d have believed sweeter sound you’ll Aura will come as
has a happy ending bases and then some is here to educate you the magic within? struggle to find no surprise. Sublime
Website thewandtonearm.com leema-acoustics.com manley.com modwright.com musicalfidelity.com rega.co.uk

Key features
MM/MC 1x selectable RCA in 2x selectable RCA ins 1x selectable RCA in 1x selectable RCA in 5x selectable RCA ins 1x selectable RCA in

Gain settings Variable Variable Variable Variable Variable Variable

Load settings DIP switch Microprocessor controlled DIP switch On-the-fly On-the-fly On-the-fly

Balanced output No Yes No No Yes Yes

External PSU Yes No No Yes No No

TRY WITH THESE

TURNTABLE: MOVING- STYLUS CLEANER:

ER:
Michell GyroDec SE £2,090 HFC 345 MAGNET 78 HFC
DS Audio ST-50 £78 C 437
Coming up to its 40th anniversary, the GyroDec CARTRIDGE: A clean stylus performs
ms better and
remains a superlative performer with a flexible Ortofon 2M Blue will last longer than one that is
upgrade path, exceptional build and those beautiful £184 HFC 385 dragging ingrained groove
looks. An undisputed modern classic. Only one rung down dirt and other debris with
from the terrific 2M it. The ST-50 is a
Bronze, the 2M Blue wonderfully simple
enjoys features borrowed from Ortofon’s more idea, brilliantly
expensive models. It’s well-built, easy to install executed and it
– thanks to its pre-threaded mounts – and, with makes keeping your
a healthy output, offers a clear and open stylus clean entirely
presentation with plenty of bite. straightforward.

NOVEMBER 2021 45
 EXOTICA DS AUDIO
DS 003 £5,000
A master
stroke
Trickle-down technology at its finest, DS
Audio’s DS 003 photo-electric pick-up
borrows from the Grand Master
ttesting to the Àrmly held
A
‘hi-À truth’ that differing
technologies have innate
sonic traits – eg, valves
versus transistors – comes this latest
DS Audio optical cartridge, the
£5,000 DS 003 with matching
energiser. Replacing the £5,050
DS 002, it even boasts a slight price
reduction – which is no bad thing.
DS Audio cartridges certainly
possess a family sound. Seasoned
audio enthusiasts might agree that
all the various types – moving-
magnet, low and high-output
moving-coil, strain gauge, Decca/
London, moving-iron, moving-Áux,
and, in this case, optical – all exhibit
speciÀc characteristics. Cantilever
material and stylus proÀle offer some
additional differentiation within a
given range and so it is here, in part,
with the new DS 003.
Fitted to the optical pick-up are an
aluminium cantilever and line-contact
stylus, contrasting with the outgoing
DS 002 (boasting the same cantilever,
46 NOVEMBER 2021
but with a shibata stylus) and the
Master 1 with its sapphire cantilever
and Micro Ridge stylus. It’s also
possible to mix and match within
the DS Audio catalogue as all the
company’s cartridges work with all
of its energisers, so in reduction ad
absurdum, one could feed the
£13,795 Grand Master into the
£1,481 DS-E1 energiser or vice versa
– the £1,162 DS-E1 cartridge into the
massive two-chassis £39,900 Grand
Master energiser... you get the idea.
We opt for the DS 003 with both
the DS-E1 and Master 1 equalisers
to gauge the performance of the DS
003EQ, which sits in between them in
the catalogue. It’s worth noting that
existing owners of a DS Audio pick-up
or equaliser can purchase either the
DS 003 cartridge or DS 003EQ
equaliser separately, the cartridge
costing £2,298, the equaliser £3,147.
Purchasing them together saves £450.
We discover that the differences
between DS Audio cartridges is far
greater than the differences between
the various energisers/equalisers.
SufÀce it to say, each cartridge works
perfectly with its matching energiser
in terms of value and overall balance,
but don’t let that stop you from
purchasing, say, an DS-E1 cartridge
and partnering it with a DS 003EQ or
a Master 1 with a DS-E1 energiser.
Company President Tetsuaki ‘Aki’
Aoyagi has conÀrmed that there’s
a trade-in policy for those owners
who wish to upgrade cartridge or
energiser, so you will never be stuck
with either, as each can accommodate
the upgrading of the other.
As for the differences between the
DS 002 and DS 003, the latter really
DETAILS is a new model rather than just
PRODUCT a reÀnement. It represents the
DS Audio DS 003 third generation of DS Audio’s
ORIGIN optical technology and employs
Japan the main cartridge mechanism
TYPE from the Áagship Grand Master.
Optical cartridge
WEIGHT Light touch
7.7g
Cantilever and stylus mark the
FEATURES
O Aluminium territory between the two, as does
cantilever
O Line-contact stylus
body material. The Grand Master
uses a diamond cantilever and Micro
O Aluminium body
DISTRIBUTOR
Ridge stylus, with a body of ‘ultra
duralumin’, while the DS 003
Sound Fowndations
Ltd employs the aforementioned
WEBSITE aluminium cantilever and line-contact
ds-audio-w.biz stylus, with aluminium body. Inside
soundfowndations.
co.uk the DS 003 is a re-designed optical
It makes the song
sound so new and
fresh it is like hearing
it for the first time
system with independent LEDs and
photo-detectors for the left and right
channels, providing a claimed
increase in output voltage from 40mV
to 70mV. DS Audio also claims an
improved signal-to-noise ratio and
reduced crosstalk.
A smaller beryllium shading plate
– which modulates the light falling on
the photocells – delivers a 50 percent
weight reduction, down to 0.74mg,
with a substantially different shape.
This is claimed to be less than a tenth
of the mass of an MC cart’s core and
coil system. The internal wiring is also
1.6 times thicker than in previous
models, to lower its impedance.
 DS AUDIO
DS 003 £5,000 EXOTICA

As for the DS 003EQ, DS Audio has
increased the thickness of the PCB
from 1.6mm to 2.0mm and copper
foil from 35—m to 70—m over that of
the DS 002 equaliser. The DS 003EQ
provides four levels of cut-off for the
low-frequency range, via two sets of
RCA outputs alongside a two-way
toggle selector.
Aside from the shallow body, which
will either necessitate lowering the
arm (with care not to foul the LP edge
with tapered tonearms) or to use
spacers, the DS 003 is incredibly
straightforward to deploy. The pins
are colour-coded and the tracking
force is absolutely spot on at 2.1g.
Sound quality
Choice of bass roll-off is a matter of
system matching, especially when
moving from big Áoorstanders to
small two-ways like the LS3/5A.
That’s because this cartridge delivers
massive amounts of lower octave
action. The Wilson Sasha DAW is
even more ‘massive’ down below
as evidenced by playing the Jimi
IN SIGHT
Sculpted alloy Hendrix collection Voodoo Child.
face plate A recent article about rock trios
modelled on the
Grand Master EQ
in which one member seemed to
overshadow the other two – eg, Eric
Clapton over Jack Bruce and Ginger
Baker in Cream – sought to put the
record straight by explaining
the invaluable role of Noel
Redding on bass and Mitch
Mitchell on drums in
The Jimi Hendrix
Experience. From the
opening notes of
Purple Haze through
all eight sides
(except for a few
Band Of Gypsys
tracks, of course),
the article is validated
by the DS 003, with
both musicians driving
Hendrix along, not merely
complementing him.
From little Àlls to cavernous
thunder, the DS 003 extracts all the
bass energy and percussive slam with
richness and control, sounding like
a cross between a classic Japanese
moving-coil and a Decca. Let’s not be
coy about it: early Jimi Hendrix
Experience LPs were in many ways
kitschy psychedelia thanks to lots of
weird left-right panning and level
phasing. The DS 003 expands the
soundstage and creates within it a
consistency that allows the panning
to be acco
accomplished with the
smoot
smoothest travel you could
hop
hope to hear, eschewing
d
dead areas, while the
iin-out phasing
appears equally
effortless. This
authority also
further enhances
tthe front-to-back
d
depth experience of,
er, the Experience, so
even tthough the gimmicky
ff
effects may be dated, you can
still hear without obstruction how the
musicianship remains – after 50-plus
years – without peer.
If you want to better understand
atmosphere, The Wind Cries Mary via
the DS 003, shows how the guitar
seems to exist entirely in its own
dimension – not merely its own space.

1 2x RCA outputs
1 2 3 (right channel)
2 RCA input
3 30/50Hz low
frequency filter
options
4 Grounding post

NOVEMBER 2021 47
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 DS AUDIO
DS 003 £5,000 EXOTICA

IN SIGHT
1 A screened
4 PSU transformer
dominates the inside
of the DS 003EQ
energiser/equaliser
2 No fewer than
5x 33,000uF/25V
1 electrolytics serve
3 each channel’s
power supply
3 Equaliser/bass
filter and active
preamp output
4 The pick-up’s
internal LED is
powered via the R–
and L– pins while the
output is returned
2 via R+ and L+, all via
the ‘Input’ RCAs.
instruments’ harmonics are, whatever
you think of the pointlessness of the
project, breathtakingly convincing.
Again, the DS Audio technology –
here come the traits – demonstrates
impeccable background silences,
supreme openness, freedom from
fatigue and anything else that could
mar such crystalline sound. This is
also evident on every track of the
mono remastering of The Turtles’
Golden Hits, capturing Johnny
Barbata’s ultra-crisp drumming
and new-to-me low-level details
in the impossibly familiar pop
parody Happy Together.
Conclusion
If one is lucky enough to listen to
a world-class component, there’s
usually a watershed moment – one
of a revelatory nature – that tells you
when something is truly special. In
the case of the DS Audio DS 003, it

The DS 003 is brand

new rather than a
A mite more conventional, perhaps, Staying on the subject of somewhat
is the 1972 orchestral version of The pointless recordings, there is one that
refinement of the
Who’s Tommy, which in all honesty can surely be reckoned even more previous DS 002
remains somewhat unnecessary, as unnecessary than the orchestral HOW IT
the original release was mighty version of Tommy, and that’s the COMPARES arrives with both the discoveries
majestic enough. Whatever the 2020 ‘reimagining’ of a bona Àde among The Turtles’ tracks, but
When it comes to
reason, Pete Townshend sanctioned masterpiece. Yusuf/Cat Stevens especially the remastered Ladies
‘optical’ pick-ups
this performance of the rock epic with (yes, that’s how he’s billed) and the there’s really only Of The Canyon from the glorious
a bunch of A-list guests including Rod original producer, former Yardbird one name in the Rhino boxset, Joni Mitchell – The
Stewart, Ringo Starr, Richie Havens, Paul Samwell-Smith, for some game, so DS Audio Reprise Albums 1968-1971.
Maggie Bell, Merry Clayton, Richard unfathomable reason decided to is rather competing Ms. Mitchell possesses a voice of
Harris et al, backed by the London re-record Cat’s fourth LP, 1970’s with itself as each such unique clarity and fragility that
new series benefits
Symphony Orchestra. That would Tea For The Tillerman, last year as from trickle-down
it’s immediately recognisable. While
soon enough be followed by the – yup, you guessed it – Tea For The from the last. The Big Yellow Taxi is a song heard so
Àlm soundtrack, a live performance Tillerman 2 with mainly leaner DS-E1 is one of the many times over the years that you’d
from a few years ago and who knows arrangements: “for a new age company’s more be forgiven for thinking you know
what else, but this version still oozes with dramatic results”. recent additions, every millisecond, the DS 003
pedigree despite it now being kind Interestingly the DS 003 reveals that and at half the cost performs an absolute miracle
of the DS 003 it
of redundant. Yusuf’s voice has altered less over the possesses more
and somehow makes the song
And what a sound! The kitschy decades than Rod Stewart’s, while the than ‘50 percent’ of sound so new and fresh it is just
grandiosity of the Tommy material that gloriously open like hearing it for the very Àrst time.
is quite a match for the LSO’s more sound and powerful An amazing feat O
traditional and classical fare and bass. But it’s less
advanced, using DS
through the DS 003 it calls to
Audio’s second-gen
mind, of all things, some of the technology, a lower
better-sounding Arthur Fiedler
And The Boston Pops open-reel
capacity PSU and
elliptical stylus. The
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: High-end
tapes. The feel is silky, with that third-gen tech performance at an
inimitable air possessed only inside the DS 003 excellent price
offers improved
by opera and Broadway stage channel separation,
VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Shallow body
recordings. As it’s 50 years old, reduced noise and WE SAY: Trickle-down
cartridge technology
many of the voices have changed, a more extended BUILD QUALITY
at its very best
especially Rod Stewart’s, but treble response.
the sonority and diction of the FEATURES
inimitable actor Richard Harris
emerges so lifelike from the system The DS 003’s
that we are compelled to hook up gold-plated OVERALL
cartridge pins
the LS3/5A to make sure we are are clearly
hearing such stunning authenticity. colour-coded

NOVEMBER 2021 49
 REVIEWS ASTELL&KERN
A&FUTURA SE180 £1,400
Chop and
change
A&K’s ongoing mission to provide buyers
with a range of choices reaches new
heights. Ed Selley gets his modules out
stell&Kern is the biggest
A Àsh in the relatively small
pond of portable audio
players; a market that was
forever changed by the rise of the
smartphone. Not content with
competing in all the existing sub
categories of portable player, its
recent efforts seem to have centred
on creating new ones to participate
in. As well as the KANN Alpha we saw
in HFC 473 that functions as a sort of
portable headphone ampliÀer, the
other area of innovation has been
giving owners a choice of digital
decoding. We Àrst saw this in the
SE200 (HFC 467), which has two
DACs built in, and now the company
52 NOVEMBER 2021
has unveiled the A&futura SE180, its
second model with this functionality
The SE180 goes about offering this
choice in a slightly different way to
the SE200. For starters, it’s less
expensive and this reÁects that it’s
rather less complex internally as
there’s only a single DAC. This is an
ESS 9038PRO, which can handle PCM
Àles up to 24-bit/384kHz and DSD
natively to 256. One advantage of
slimming down to the one DAC is that
the SE180 mimics the KANN Alpha in
having three available connections;
the conventional 3.5mm, a four pole
2.5mm balanced connector and a
4.4mm Pentaconn output; both of
which can output to XLR as well.
The Áexibility comes in the form of
two small catches at the top of the
chassis. Depress them both and pull
Àrmly under a tiny lip on the top of
the backplate and the top part of
SE180 comes away, taking the ESS
DAC with it. You can then – so long as
you have parted with the prerequisite
£319 – replace it with the SEM 2
module. This contains a pair of AKM
AK4497EQ DACs that have PCM
handling to 768kHz and DSD512
capability available to the same three
connections. Although this may sound
like a more complex means of achieving
what the SE200 already does, A&K
explains that more DAC modules are
in the works, which would make the
SE180 uniquely Áexible.
This isn’t the only new technology
that has been added. The SE180 is
the Àrst of the company’s players to
The AKM DAC
delivers a sweeter,
more emotionally
involved sound
use a system called Teraton Alpha,
which is effectively a new processor
and Bios that manages the functions
of the SE180 and the ampliÀcation of
DETAILS
PRODUCT the decoded signal. This is intended
Astell&Kern to offer lower noise and improved
A&futura SE180 power consumption over the older
ORIGIN system. It’s been implemented with a
South Korea
new control interface intended to be
TYPE
Digital Audio Player
WEIGHT
380g
DIMENSIONS
(WxHxD)
slicker and more intuitive than the
system being used up to this point.
Viewed through the Àrst Full HD
screen that Astell&Kern has Àtted to
any of its products, it’s brighter and
77 x 137 x 20mm easier to read than before.
FEATURES
O 32-bit/384kHz
This works up to a point. The SE180
& DSD-capable is slicker and more intuitive than the
O ESS DAC with
add-on AKG Module
SE200, but its adapted Android
interface is still less logically laid out
O Quoted battery
life: 10.5 hours than a modern smartphone and doing
O 256GB internal things like adding Qobuz or Spotify is
storage rather involved. However, the rest of
DISTRIBUTOR
Armour Home
Electronics
WEBSITE
the SE180’s speciÀcation is more
compelling. Internal capacity is
256GB, which can be bolstered by a
astellnkern.com microSD card of up to 1TB in size.
Like other recent A&K players, the
SE180 has Bluetooth and now
includes LDAC as well as aptX and
aptX HD. AK Connect functionality
allows the SE180 to access UPnP
content over the same network. The
player will shortly have the ability to
function as a Roon Endpoint too.
All this comes wrapped in
metalwork that follows the basic
pattern of the SE200 and this is no
bad thing. The A&futura series seems
to have dialled back on some of the

slightly forced weirdness of the older
models (as a left hander, the canted
screen was a particular annoyance)
and instead delivers a feeling of
commensurate ‘specialness’ without
being deliberately wacky. The
removal of hard buttons for track
skip is a minor annoyance, but the
new screen and interface goes some
way to alleviating it. Build quality is
absolutely superb, even judged at the
relatively lofty price point.
Sound quality
Initially using the SE180 with the
supplied ESS module and partnering
it with a Focal Clear MG headphone,
reveals a player that has some
obvious similarities to the SE200.
The most immediate impression it
gives is one of effortless power. It has
no trouble driving the Focal to any
level you could remotely want to
achieve and there’s never any
perceivable strain to any aspect of
the performance. Instead, the vast
and brooding presentation of
Massive Attack’s Angel is delivered
without any sense of the scale being
impinged on in any way.
The ‘hard hitting’ element is
something that crops up repeatedly
in my notes and, across a selection of
material, the SE180 demonstrates
exceptional percussive bass. It
thunders its way through Telephasic
Workshop by Boards Of Canada with
authority; landing the Áurry of low
drum strikes with speed and
precision. At the other end of the
frequency spectrum it is assured, but
ASTELL&KERN
A&FUTURA SE180 £1,400 REVIEWS
HOW IT
COMPARES
Such is A&K’s
dominance in the
DAP category that
there isn’t another
£1,400 player to
consider, let alone
one with add-on
DAC modules.
Achieving the same
idea with an Android
phone and different
DACs with different
chips and decoding
options is a cruder
take on the module
system. It would
potentially allow
you to accrue more
decoding options
from different
companies, but it’s
not going to be as
tidy a solution as
what A&K offers.
Like all Astell&Kern
players, you can
also use the same perhaps a little sterile. The rough and welcome convenience when you want
OTG process to ready Swamp Dog on Seasick Steve’s untethered audio on the move.
attach external Sonic Soul Surfer is immaculately
DACs to the SE180. presented, but lacks some of the Conclusion
emotion it can possess elsewhere. The strength in depth of the SE180,
There’s a solution for this if you Ànd with its superior interface and screen,
the money to buy the SEM 2 module arguably allows it to outperform the
and enjoy the SE180 with the AKM SE200 in some key areas. It does have
DACs doing the heavy lifting. Doing two issues at present that make this
so yields a greater performance contest a little harder to call, however.
advantage than the AKM ‘side’ of the The Àrst is that the module possessing
A double-locking
mechanism holds
SE200 and I prefer it across pretty the higher performance is (perhaps
the module much every piece of music I play. deliberately) a cost option where the
firmly in place Without losing any of the punch expense of adding it takes the SE180
and rhythmic accuracy that the ESS to the same price as the SE200, which
module possesses, the AKM delivers a also possesses both options. Beyond
sweeter, more emotionally involved the – admittedly very useful –
presentation that is less fatiguing and addition of the 4.4mm connection,
hence the most complete listening the advantage of the interchangeable
experience of any Astell&Kern player DACs will only truly be realised as
that I can recall testing. and when the additional options hit
Something that applies to both the market, giving greater Áexibility
modules, though, is that the SE180 to owners. In the meantime, this slick
does its best work with balanced and well-executed digital audio
headphones. Using the Rosson Audio player offers considerable promise O
Design RAD-0 (p59) via the 4.4mm
connector brings about a consistent
and deeply impressive sense of space
and soundstage that allows for even OUR VERDICT
very large-scale music to be presented SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Excellent
in a manner that goes beyond the performance via AKM
left/right of traditional headphone module; new screen
and interface
VALUE FOR MONEY
listening. Given that headphones and
DISLIKE: Additional
earphones that offer this connection cost of module; not as
are becoming more common, it would BUILD QUALITY slick as phone interface
make sense to prioritise the use of WE SAY: A unique
concept with great
them with the SE180 to achieve the FEATURES
potential if new
best results. What’s also worth noting modules hit the market
is that Bluetooth implementation is
OVERALL
excellent. It may seem odd to want to
use a player with such a good wired
output in this manner, but it adds a
NOVEMBER 2021 53
 NEW
PROD
UC
SERIE T
S

Our Latest Work Of Art

The NEW 3510 Series

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ERHTS[IV;MXL[72WM\PMRIMRTYXWERHXLISTXMSRXSǻXE2(SV
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Beat this...
New affordable in-ears from Apple for
high-quality sound on the go. Cliff Joseph
puts them through their paces
pple has always been
A known for its high prices,
but it still raised a few
eyebrows when it unveiled
the over-ear AirPods Max at the end
of last year, priced at a jaw-dropping
£550. However, the company also
owns the popular Beats brand too,
and seems to be quietly positioning it
as a more affordable alternative to its
own AirPod range. The new Studio
Buds provide an attractive, compact
design with noise-cancelling features
at a relatively competitive price.
Available in black, white or red,
they weigh just 5g each and house
a custom 8.2mm driver, along with
three microphones that handle active
noise cancellation, a transparency
mode so you can hear background
noise when you need to and also calls
on your smartphone. There are three
sizes of ear-tips bundled.
Battery life is respectable, but not
record-breaking, lasting eight hours
for normal listening or Àve when
using noise cancellation. The charging
case allows you to fully charge them
up two more times if you need to.
DETAILS
PRODUCT
Beats Studio Buds
ORIGIN
USA/China
TYPE
True wireless
Bluetooth earbuds
WEIGHT
5g each
FEATURES
O 8.2mm drivers
O Bluetooth 5.2,
with SBC, AAC
O Active noise
cancellation
DISTRIBUTOR
Apple UK
WEBSITE
beatsbydre.com/uk
The Bluetooth earbuds automatically
pair with Apple devices, but are also
Android friendly with an app to set
them up and control the noise
cancelling. The physical controls are a
bit basic, with just a single button on
each earbud for controlling playback
and noise cancellation. There’s no
volume control, so you’ll have to
adjust the volume directly on your
source device. Like the AirPods, they
eschew aptX for Bluetooth streaming.
Sound quality
Beats headphones are known for their
strong bass, but I’m pleased to note
the Studio Buds take a more balanced
approach. The electronic bass on You
Should See Me In A Crown by Billie
Eilish has a tense, threatening pulse
to it that doesn’t overwhelm the other
instruments. The buds have a good
ear for detail too, catching the
Àngernails-on-blackboard sound
effects that punctuate the track.
That attention to detail continues to
work well as I dive into the massed
harmonies of the 2011 remaster of
Queen’s Somebody To Love. The
BEATS
STUDIO BUDS £130 REVIEWS
opening piano notes have a crisp,
precise tone and the Àrst burst of
harmonies is suitably lush and
layered. The Studio Buds also work
well on the central a capella section,
capturing all the little dips and
swoops in the different voices
that can easily get lost with less
perceptive headphones. I notice
a slight weakness on the higher
frequencies, Roger Taylor’s cymbals
lack impact and the swooping
falsetto shrieks don’t have their
usual cutting edge.
The compact design of the Studio
Buds has one other slight weakness
too, revealed by the haunting,
echoing tones of Kate Bush on My
Lagan Love. To their credit, they
capture the painful edge of sorrow
in Bush’s unaccompanied voice as
she mourns her lover, lost at sea.
Yet the sound feels static, held in
one spot close to my ears, rather
than creating the sense that Bush
is wandering alone through the
autumn night. It’s a lot to ask from
such miniscule earbuds, admittedly,
but it does set the Studio Buds apart
from the very best Bluetooth
headphones. On the plus side, noise
cancelling is rarely found at this price
point. Though it isn’t perfect and
allows a little high-frequency sound
to leak in from time to time, it’s still
pretty effective and – unlike many
noise-cancelling rivals – makes no
noticeable difference to the overall
sound quality, even on that delicate
Kate Bush ballad.
Conclusion
The Studio Buds may not have the
best sound quality, or the most
effective noise cancellation, but they
still perform well in both areas – and
do so at a very competitive price. The
absence of Bluetooth aptX might send
Android users looking elsewhere, but
the Studio Buds are very good value
for Apple fans who can’t afford the
more expensive AirPods O
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Detailed sound;
firm bass, with active
noise-cancellation
VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: No aptX;
higher frequencies
lack impact
BUILD QUALITY
WE SAY: Not ‘best
in class’, but good
EASE OF DRIVE
all-rounders at the price
OVERALL
NOVEMBER 2021 55
 REVIEWS LEBEN
CS-300F £2,850
Go for gold
Leben’s smallest integrated amplifier is
different to almost any other valve amp on
the market and Ed Selley is rather smitten
ocated in Osaka, Japan,
L
Leben is a small company
whose range is valve based
and focuses mainly on the
precise execution of established
design ideas. The noble exception to
this is one of the smaller ampliÀers
it makes. The CS-300F is a compact
integrated that produces 15W with
distortion at 10W quoted at a
creditably low 0.7 percent THD.
How it produces this power is rather
unusual. The CS-300F is built around
four General Electric JAN-6197 power
pentodes, which are rarely seen in
audio applications. The 6197 was
designed primarily for use in Fifties’
era computers. It was made for
stability and robustness at full output
(as beÀts a device being used either
on or off). On the original Fifties’
datasheet, though, was a diagram for
a proposed ampliÀer application. This
isn’t an exact copy of that circuit, but
it draws on it for inspiration.
The power section is coupled to a
preamp built around a pair of 17EW8
double triodes and using a stepped
attenuator. There’s no phono stage
(Leben makes an external one), but
you get Àve line inputs and a tape
loop. There’s also a bass boost with
selectable +3 and +5dB increments.
It can be switched over to function as
a headphone amp via a front panel
switch while a small rear panel control
adjusts between 4, 6 or 8ohm operation
into a single pair of terminals.
56 NOVEMBER 2021
What really sets the Leben apart,
DETAILS
PRODUCT
though, is that this potency is
Leben CS-300F partnered with a tonal richness that is
ORIGIN beyond all but the most talented solid
Japan state amps. Eliza Shaddad’s In The
TYPE Morning (Grandmother Song) is truly
Integrated amplifier
WEIGHT
outstanding. She’s a tangible presence
in the room, possessing a power and
10.5kg
DIMENSIONS
humanity that compels you to keep
listening. The Leben never feels like
(WxHxD)
360 x 140 x 270mm it’s giving you a rose-tinted version of
FEATURES a song and with the Qutest and Focal
Aesthetically, the CS-300F looks O Quoted power
as partners it comes across as tonally
output: 2x 15W
like nothing else on the market. It (into 4,6 and 8ohm) accurate. Its ability to deliver on the
eschews the traditional champagne O 4x RCA line inputs emotional content of a recording
of Japanese high-end for full-blown O Tape loop
is outstanding while the timing and
gold, capped with wooden side DISTRIBUTOR immediacy of the CS-300F is also
Midland Audio
cheeks of Canadian white ash. Green Exchange extremely accomplished. This ensures
trim at the top and bottom complete WEBSITE
that high tempo and rhythmically
the look. If this had been done lebenhifi.com complex material is presented with
half-heartedly, the outcome would aplomb. Finally, just to ensure that
look fairly awful, but here the result is no stone has gone unturned in the
sensational. It is exquisitely made and pursuit of greatness, the headphone
the attention to detail is superb. The amp is a more than decent listen, too.
controls are beautifully weighted and
everything exudes a feeling of quality Conclusion
that rivals costing more fail to match. What this all adds up to is that, so
long as a nod is given to the relatively
Sound quality limited power output (and that is less
Combined with a Chord Electronics of a concession than you might
Qutest (HFC 436) and Focal Kanta imagine), this is an absolutely
No1 (HFC 454), the Leben subverts spellbinding device that will delight
expectations from the outset. It would in a very wide variety of systems O
be all too easy to fall into the trap of
assuming that the 6197 will largely
behave like an EL-84, but this is an
altogether more potent-sounding amp
that hits a great deal harder than you
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Lively, potent
might expect a 15W design to do. and compelling sound;
What this means in performance superb build and looks
terms is Robert Plant’s Monkey is VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Care will
need to be taken with
delivered with all the scale and partnering speakers
brooding menace intact. Used with BUILD QUALITY
WE SAY: A glorious
any degree of mechanical sympathy amp that delivers a
into the sensitive Focal, the result is FEATURES
compelling musical
performance across
an almost solid-state muscularity. The everything you play
bass boost function works as intended,
but with the Kanta it isn’t needed as OVERALL
the bass in the 0dB setting is pleasingly
deep, controlled and detailed.
QUIET please

NEW
GroundARAY

Available now as single units

and in demonstration/home
loan packs from all participating
Chord Company retailers.

For more information visit:

www.chord.co.uk
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RAD for it!
The RAD-0 is a planar magnetic headphone
with a unique aesthetic detail. Ed Selley
considers its inner and outer beauty
hese are good times to be
T shopping for high-end
headphones. Rosson Audio
Design might not be at the
tip of everybody’s tongue when
thinking about cans manufacturers,
but founder Alex Rosson has a CV
that assuages a lot of concerns. A
co-founder of Audeze, he has been
involved with a number of signiÀcant
audio products since leaving the
company in 2015 to go his own way.
And his ‘own way’ has led to the
RAD-0, an open-back planar magnetic
headphone with a differences. Great
effort has gone into reducing the
all-up weight of the RAD-0 and this is
complemented by excellent weight
distribution across the head.
The driver is built by Rosson and is
a 66mm planar magnetic unit with a
quoted frequency response of 20Hz
to “beyond audible”. Impedance is
quoted at 29ohm and the RAD-0
seems to be fairly benign in terms
of its overall behaviour. Each pair
is available with a 3.5mm 4.4mm,
6.35mm or four-pin XLR detachable
ROSSON AUDIO DESIGN
RAD-0 £2,500 REVIEWS
DETAILS gives everything a suitably epic scale.
Without sounding diffuse, it pushes
PRODUCT
Rosson Audio the soundÀeld well beyond the
Design RAD-0 conÀnes of the enclosures and
ORIGIN doubles down on this by adding an
USA impressive feeling of transient speed
TYPE to its performance. It Áies through
Open back, over-ear
planar magnetic Dead Can Dance’s Carnival Of Light
headphone unpicking this dense and complex
WEIGHT recording where even very talented
550g-615g rivals Ànd themselves sounding a
(excluding cable,
finish dependent) little confused. No less impressive is
FEATURES the fact that it delivers exceptional
O 66mm planar levels of detail and tonal accuracy
magnetic driver while maintaining a usefully forgiving
O Choice of cable
termination edge. Countless Branches by Bill Fay is
O Claimed frequency a glorious record, but a deliberately
response: rough-and-ready one. In the hands of
20Hz-“Beyond
human hearing” the RAD-0, the passion is there but
DISTRIBUTOR
the hard edges that can be apparent
Val HiFi are carefully handled.
WEBSITE Where it really kicks on from most
rossonaudio other planar designs is that it combines
design.com this speed and Áuency with invigorating
propulsive energy and bass extension.
Telephasic Workshop by Boards Of
Canada has historically not been a
happy hunting ground for planar
magnetic headphones, but the Rosson
powers its way through the track with
real impact and determination;
delivering each percussive thud with
exceptional transient speed, but never
losing the impact. In this regard, it’s
behaviourally closer to the T+A
Solitaire P-SE (HFC 477) – impressive
as the T+A costs £500 more and is
arguably not as nicely Ànished.
Conclusion
This has to be seen as a largely viceless
cable, giving a versatile spread of implementation of planar magnetic
connection options. A large but
effective case is also available.
What sets the RAD-0 apart from
headphone. The RAD-0 is comfortable,
well made and easy to wear for longer
periods. Having covered off the
most of its rivals is the Ànish. The basics, it goes on to deliver the
outer chassis of each enclosure is commendable virtues of planar
made from a moulded section and magnetic designs with very few of the
every RAD-0 has a different Ànish. I downsides. Rosson Audio Design
don’t mind the wood and resin of the might not be that well known, but if
review sample, but ‘Pair 307’ on the its products remain as good as this it
UK distributor’s website in ‘Heinz will soon become a very big deal O
tomato soup’ red looks fabulous.
Crucially, for an item built in small
quantities, largely by hand, it doesn’t
exude a ‘made-in-the-shed’ aesthetic.
Build is excellent and the materials
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Excellent
involved all feel of a very high quality. combination of
refinement, space and
impact; comfortable
Sound quality VALUE FOR MONEY
and well made
The RAD-0 is impressively open and DISLIKE: Some
airy in how it goes about making BUILD QUALITY finishes are rather more
music. Using the 4.4mm balanced appealing than others
connection of an Astell&Kern SE180 EASE OF DRIVE
WE SAY: A seriously
talented home
(p52) – which has no trouble driving headphone at the price
the Rosson to any comfortable
listening level you could possibly OVERALL
want – and enjoying Indochine’s La
Sécheresse Du Mekong, the RAD-0
NOVEMBER 2021 59
 REVIEWS SONUS FABER
LUMINA V £2,500

The famous Five

The largest member of the Lumina range is an imposing-looking
speaker. Having met the rest of the family, Ed Selley takes it on
hen Àrst launched, the DETAILS

W Lumina range represented

a bit of a gamble for Sonus
faber but it seems it seems
PRODUCT
Sonus faber
Lumina V
to have paid off. The original small ORIGIN
range of speakers was something of a Italy
departure for the company with their TYPE
3-way floorstanding
Áat-sided cabinets and different Ànish, loudspeaker
but the arrival of additional models WEIGHT
suggests there’s a commercial appetite 22.5kg
for them. We looked at the Lumina II DIMENSIONS
in HFC 478 and now it is the turn of (WxHxD)
280 x 1,049 x 373mm
the Áagship Lumina V.
At Àrst glance, it looks identical to FEATURES
O 29mm silk
the Lumina III, which we reviewed dome tweeter
back in HFC 469. Both are three-way O 150mm

Áoorstanders, where bass duties are pulped paper

midrange driver
shared between a pair of drivers. The O 2x 165mm pulped
key difference is one of scale. The paper bass drivers
O Quoted sensitivity:
Lumina V uses a pair of 165mm mid/ 89dB/1W/1m (4ohm)
DISTRIBUTOR
The big crunching Fine Sounds UK
WEBSITE
bass has a heft that sonusfaber.com/en

makes it a much more

visceral experience
bass drivers rather than the 150mm
units that the smaller speaker opts
for. These are mounted in a cabinet
proportionally identical to the Lumina
III, but a fair bit larger. The Lumina V
is over a metre tall before the spikes
are Àtted and beyond the numbers,
this feels like a much more imposing
proposition than the III.
The two higher-frequency drivers
remain the same as before. The
tweeter is a 29mm soft dome making
use of Sonus faber’s trademark
‘Damped Apex Dome’ system, while
the midrange is a 150mm paper cone,
identiÀed by its ‘Sf’ branded phase
plug. What’s interesting is that in the
Lumina V these identical drivers have
different crossover points to the III.
This isn’t too surprising at the lower
end given the larger bass drivers and
the Lumina V moves to a 260Hz
crossover point from the 350Hz of
the Lumina III. The handover to the
tweeter is also dropped, though, now
happening at 2.6kHz; a full 900Hz
lower than the smaller III.
The reason for this is that the
mounting arrangement of the
midrange driver in the Lumina V, while

60 NOVEMBER 2021

externally identical to the III, is rather
different internally. An enclosure
within the cabinet modelled on a lute
houses the midrange driver and
tweeter. Sonus faber has employed
this process on more expensive
models and says that it helps to
control standing waves within the
cabinet while ensuring that overall
rigidity is increased.
As well as working at revised
frequencies, the crossover borrows
from more expensive models from
other ranges. The layout features a
process called ‘Paracross Technology’
where reactive components in the
circuit are connected to the negative
rail, which Sf says lowers the electro
motive force of the drivers – helping
them work in a more organic way.
This Àrst appeared in the rather more
costly Maxima Amator and, together
with another crossover process that
the company calls Interactive Fusion
Filtering, means the Lumina V has
substantially more going on under the
skin than the superÀcially similar III.
Some aspects are entirely in keeping
with the rest of the range, however.
The bass port vents through the
substantial integrated plinth, which
helps to make this a fairly easy
speaker to place. The quoted 4ohm
impedance and 89dB/W sensitivity
are the same as the Lumina III and
means this isn’t a terribly hard
speaker to drive. The beefed-up
crossover still accepts bi-wiring if you
wish and magnetically tabbed grilles
are also provided. The same three
Ànishes; two wood and one Piano
Black, are offered as in the smaller
models. Our review sample comes
with the lighter Walnut Ànish and,
HOW IT with a large cabinet like this, it’s an
COMPARES appealing colour that avoids coming
Though Bowers
across as too monolithic.
& Wilkins 705 At the same time, this larger speaker
Signature (HFC 476) probably represents the biggest cabinet
is smaller than the where the split of wooden front bafÁe
Lumina V, they both and leather-wrapped sides can be called
employ features
upon to look good. The slight tendency
from their more
expensive siblings. of the leather sections to absorb light
The smaller cabinet can leave the Lumina V feeling bigger
of the 705 Sig has than it actually is. The build quality is
some advantages very good, though. There are more
too as B&W can use Áamboyantly Ànished speakers
the fabulous veneer
on all sides of the
available for the price, but this is a solid
cabinet rather than and conÀdence-inspiring design.
just the front. The
smaller B&W also Sound quality
gives away very Connected to the same Cambridge
little in frequency Audio Edge A integrated that was on
response. The
Lumina V is easier to
hand for testing the Lumina III, the
drive, though, and its larger speaker demonstrates some
dedicated midrange attributes that belie its very similar
driver gives it a measurements. Sonus faber claims a
sweetness that the frequency response a princely 2Hz
705 Signature can
greater than the smaller Lumina III
lack. A head-to-
head demonstration (38 vs 40Hz) but in this space, it feels
would yield some like considerably more. Where the
interesting results. Lumina III sometimes felt a little on
the lean side, the V never has the same
issue. The big crunching bass riff of
Royal Blood’s Trouble’s Coming has a
heft that makes it a much more
visceral experience.
Neither is this limited to heavy lower
frequencies. The plucked bass at the
Finishes come in
a choice of Piano
beginning of the Alba Griot Ensemble’s
Black, Wenge Shadow Queen is gorgeously weighty,
or Walnut rich and tonally believable. The
Lumina V is extremely accomplished at
the creation of scale in a way that isn’t
always a given, even with a speaker as
large as this. This is partly down to
smaller instruments and voices not
having any feeling of artiÀcial scale to
them. Midway through the gorgeous
Manhatta by The Cinematic Orchestra,
there is a Áute solo and the Sonus
faber does a wonderful job of
reproducing it without losing the
delicacy of the single instrument.
The impact of that lute-shaped
chamber is a little harder to discern,
but this is as much a reÁection that
there’s precious little wrong with the
smaller Luminas in this regard. The
intrinsic Sonus faber ability to place a
degree of emphasis on the midrange
without it feeling forced or unnatural
is present and correct here. Sean
Rowe’s striking baritone in To Leave
Something Behind is the absolute focus
of the track and the Lumina V makes
him a tangible presence in the room,
stood between the two cabinets in a
wholly convincing manner. Where it
truly shines, however, is the way that it
SONUS FABER
LUMINA V £2,500 REVIEWS
is able to effortlessly deliver more
impact and scale than the Lumina III
but maintain the same speed and
cohesion that made it such a surprising
listening experience. Wind the level up
and select the determinedly lo-À Dead
Funny by the Archie Bronson OutÀt
and the Lumina V is a genuinely
entertaining listen. It pounds its
way through the track, placing the
relentless energy of the band at the
forefront while managing to keep the
(very) rough edges of the recording at
bay. There are a few people who still
Ànd the idea of using a speaker with
such a strong tradition of craftsmanship
and musical instrument-related
construction to hammer out big slabs
of electronica bizarre, but the Lumina
V is exceptionally good at it.
The slight caveat is that this balance
is fractionally stacked in terms of
helping poorer-quality recordings stay
listenable than it is helping really top
quality ones shine – possibly more so
than the Lumina III. As someone with
more than their fair share of ‘loudness
war’ albums, it is not something I’d
be overly concerned by. If you have a
library of truly wonderful recordings,
however, you might feel a little
differently. As always, an audition
should assuage any concerns here.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that the Lumina V is
a compelling all-round proposition. It
very effectively takes the slight weak
points of the smaller Áoorstander and
largely addresses them while keeping
everything that Sonus faber got right
with it. Having reviewed every stereo
member of the Lumina family, the
Lumina II is possibly the sweet spot of
the range and the improbable clout of
the tiny Lumina I (HFC 477) is also
notable. What the Lumina V does
brilliantly is introduce more Sonus
faber virtues without compromising
the qualities of the range. This is a very
Àne loudspeaker that should win more
people over to the brand O
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Refined
performance; well
made; usefully forgiving
VALUE FOR MONEY
DISLIKE: Black sides
look a little overbearing
WE SAY: Compelling
BUILD QUALITY
balance of scale and
cohesion with a little
fun stitched in; a
EASE OF DRIVE
worthy flagship to
the Lumina range
OVERALL
NOVEMBER 2021 61
 REVIEWS PRO-JECT
DEBUT UPGRADE OPTIONS £18.50-£139
Bolt-on
brilliance
The Debut Carbon Evo is a tremendously
talented turntable, but as Ed Selley
discovers, it has so much more to give
phrase that crops up a fair
A bit in turntable reviews
is ‘stretch’ (I myself am
particularly guilty of it).
The idea is that, as well as judging the
performance a deck offers out of the
box, it is also useful to discuss how
much scope it has for improvement –
its stretch. This is usually a tricky
thing to express within a conventional
review, but Pro-Ject has provided an
opportunity thanks to the upgrades
available for its Debut Series.
Consequently, a Debut Carbon Evo
(HFC 468) is procured along with the
bulk of the available upgrades that
can be attached to it. Some of these
are universal Àtment items, while
others are speciÀc to the Debut range.
None of them alter the basics of how
it operates. It remains a belt-driven,
62 NOVEMBER 2021
unsuspended turntable in all cases.
Despite this, the scope of the changes
that can be carried out are signiÀcant.
At the more affordable end of the
alterations are devices intended less
to boost performance as they are
to improve how the Debut Carbon
works in certain setups. The Cork-IT
cork platter mat (£18.50) reduces
susceptibility to static as much as
it offers scope for a performance
improvement. Likewise, the High
Power IT power supply (£30) is less
about boosting the performance
of the motor as it is switching the
turntable over to a grounded, three
pin mains that makes it easier to earth
in a system of two wire products.
The Sweep IT brush (£60) is a
suspended cleaning solution that
tracks into the record centre as it
plays, sweeping ahead of the spot
DETAILS
where the stylus will be. On clean
PRODUCT
Pro-Ject Debut records, its effectiveness is limited
Carbon Evo and I don’t personally Ànd it as easy
upgrades to use as a conventional brush, but it
ORIGIN will work on a variety of turntables so
Austria/Czech
Republic
if it appeals it could be worth a look.
TYPE
Turntable Isolation station
accessories Where things start to become more
FEATURES performative is some of the additional
O Cork mat
O Upgraded PSU
isolation options that Pro-Ject offers.
The Debut Carbon Evo is already
O Cleaning brush
O Isolation platform
O Isolation feet
one of the most effectively isolated
turntables at the price, but the
O Record clamp
O Metal sub-platter company offers two ways to further
O Acrylic platter improve on this. The more conventional
O VTA adjuster
of the two is the Ground IT E Support
DISTRIBUTOR Platform (£119). This is a solid MDF
Henley Audio Ltd.
plinth mounted on spiked feet that
TELEPHONE
01235 511166 supports the entire turntable. This
WEBSITE works best when used on an already
project-audio.com reasonably well-isolated surface like
my Quadraspire QAVX rack (HFC
395), where it drops the noise Áoor
and improves bass deÀnition.
Rather more interesting is the other
option. The Absorb IT feet (£140 for
four) are designed to cup the existing
feet of the Carbon Evo and place
them inside a metal housing that
contains the same material as the
Damp IT feet. These have a different
application and effect altogether on
the performance. Used on the same
Quadraspire rack, I’d hesitate to
describe them as beneÀcial, though.
The deck feels quieter in operation,

but this comes at the expense of
some bass extension and a little of
the rhythmic assurance it possesses.
Placing the Carbon Evo on a small
wooden table without the Absorb IT
leaves it very vulnerable to footfall.
With them in place, it’s effectively
impervious to it.
The real meat of the performance
upgrades can be found across three
devices that work individually, but
do their best work cumulatively. The
Àrst of these is the Clamp IT record
clamp (£75), which can be used on
most turntables but has been designed
to do its best work on Pro-Ject ones.
I’ve never used a Debut with any
form of clamp up to now, but a few
minutes listening to the Carbon Evo
with it Àtted is enough to convince
me that this is something that should
be on any owner’s to-do list.
Listening to My Own Soul’s Warning
by the Killers with and without the
clamp is illuminating. With it Àtted,
there is an appreciable and immediate
improvement in Àne detail and
clarity. Even on a perfectly Áat
record, the Clamp IT demonstrates
an immediate and tangible beneÀt.
These advantages are boosted
further by the Debut Alu Sub Platter
Upgrade and Acryl IT Acrylic Platter
Upgrade (£110 each) that are
available separately, but really do
their best work as pair. The sub-
platter is a one-piece metal unit that
replaces the metal and plastic one
that comes with the Carbon Evo. It’s
PRO-JECT
DEBUT UPGRADE OPTIONS £18.50-£139 REVIEWS
HOW IT
COMPARES
Rega has been
offering upgrades
for many years and
the similarly priced
Planar 2 (HFC 413)
also benefits from a
range of options.
Rega concentrates
more on specific
performance
upgrades like its
24V motor and
higher spec carts
(that fit within the
same arm VTA) than
it does alterations to
the convenience as
Pro-Ject does to an
extent. Some of the
things that Pro-Ject
offers have no a substantially heavier and more rigid represents the simplest ‘one stop’
direct equivalent option and the effect it has on the upgrade you can perform.
with Rega and vice already good pitch stability is deeply Of course, if you want to be more
versa. This means impressive. Even with the standard ambitious, you can. The Carbon Evo’s
what you can change metal platter it has a beneÀcial effect, arm doesn’t have VTA adjustment but
on the Carbon Evo
has no real parallels
but combining it with the acrylic Pro-Ject sells the VTA It spacer, which
at the price. upgrade unit and clamp is more can be inserted under the arm base
effective still. The acrylic platter is (and Pro-Ject has had the presence of
lighter than the metal one, so the mind to make it a horseshoe shape
heavier sub-platter offsets this nicely. that makes Àtting it around the lead
You can then use the clamp to ensure out cables relatively simple). This
the notional advantage of the platter allows cartridges of most sizes and
– that it has the same resonant weights to be accommodated. It’s
behaviour of the record – is realised. worth pointing out that the sensible
The Cork IT
(above right),
There’s no getting away from the limit for a cartridge to use with a
VTA IT and fact that these three components turntable of this nature is about the
Clamp IT (below) £300 point, but that still gives plenty
The Alu Sub Platter scope for upgrade. UK distributor
Henley Audio feels Ortofon’s Quintet
and Acryl IT Acrylic Red at £269 is a Àne option.
Platter upgrades do Conclusion
their best work as pair Pro-Ject’s Debut Series is full of great
turntables that do a splendid job in
combined are £295 – a signiÀcant their out-of-the box spec. If you are
chunk of the cost of the Debut looking to eke more performance out
Carbon, but the improvement in of yours, however, this well thought
performance is considerable. The way out range of upgrades allows you to
the upgraded turntable handles Bloc do so in a simple and wholly cost
Party’s Silent Alarm Live is more effective way at your own pace O
spacious, detailed and effortless than
the stock deck is able to manage. The
fundamental qualities of the Debut
Carbon Evo haven’t changed, but it OUR VERDICT
nonetheless manages to dig so much SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Flexibility; easy
more out of the groove. to fit; performance
Neither is Pro-Ject done there. DISLIKE: The most
VALUE FOR MONEY
When I reviewed the Carbon Evo effective upgrades are
a significant cost
originally, I noted that switching applied together
to the Ortofon 2M Blue (HFC 375) BUILD QUALITY
WE SAY: A clever way
stylus in place of the Red it’s supplied of boosting the overall
performance of your
with is a quick and simple way of FEATURES
Pro-Ject Debut turntable
improving the top end and general
sweetness. None of the other upgrades
OVERALL
change this as a straightforward and
viable way of boosting performance
and, together with the Clamp IT, this
NOVEMBER 2021 63
 REVIEWS PRO-JECT
PHONO BOX RS2/POWER BOX RS PHONO £1,300/£400
Rather
special
Pro-Ject’s new flagship phono stage is very
sophisticated, but Ed Selley thinks that its
charms are rather easier to understand
e tested the original RS
W
Phono stage back in HFC
368 and it’s an indication
of how good it was that it
still remains part of the Pro-Ject range.
The RS2 arrives not to replace it, but
to supplement it. This is a single-input
design, but has been constructed as
fully dual mono from front to back.
Input and output are via RCA and
XLR and the RS2 builds on the original
by moving to a discrete output stage
The external power
supply improves fine
detail and makes the
top end more refined
with no op amps in the circuit. This is
combined with passive equalisation
– something more commonly seen in
valve-based designs – which Pro-Ject
says increases the accuracy of the EQ
curve. As the RS2 also has a Decca EQ
setting built in, there are two separate
circuits to allow this.
BeÀtting a Áagship, user adjustability
is broad. Options include continuously
variable impedance adjustment as
well as multiple capacitance and gain
64 NOVEMBER 2021
settings – allowing for use with some
more unusual cartridge outputs. It’s
an impressive degree of functionality,
but does leave the RS2 looking
somewhat fussy. The front panel has
multiple controls, all marked by blue
LEDs. It’s logical enough to use, but
not terribly elegant. Build quality is
exceptionally good, though.
The RS2 can be upgraded by adding
the Power Box RS Phono power supply.
As well as the 20V output required for
the Phono Box, it also offers a 15V
option that can be used on a number
of Pro-Ject’s turntables, offering the
scope to upgrade two devices while
reducing the mains plugs in use.
Sound quality
Initially running without the Power Box
and connected to a Michell GyroDec,
Vertere SG-1 arm (HFC 465) and
Vertere Mystic cartridge, the RS2 very
quickly reveals where the extra money
has gone. Listening to Poppy Ackroyd’s
Resolve, it does a fabulous job of not
being the story. Pretty much any
deÀnable element of ‘personality’ can
be attributed to the equipment around
it rather than the phono stage itself.
Even at the standards of the price point,
this is an admirably transparent device.
Such fragments of deÀnable character
that it does possess are positive ones
too. The extremely deep note at the
start of Dead Can Dance’s Song Of The
Stars has immense weight and scale
here and there is a convincing three
dimensionality to the presentation
that is not tied to simple scale. It makes
as much sense of Hayden Thorpe’s
intimate Diviner as it does the bigger
and more expansive Fink Meets The
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. There
are points where you can subjectively
say it doesn’t feel as lively as, say,
Cyrus’ Phono Signature (HFC 405),
but this can as easily be ascribed to
the latter showing a personality that
the Pro-Ject is quite deliberately
working to avoid.
Adding the external power supply
the difference isn’t night and day, but
DETAILS there are improvements. Fine detail
PRODUCT retrieval is better and where something
Pro-Ject Phono like Sleater Kinney’s The Centre Won’t
Box RS2/Power
Box RS Phono Hold feels slightly ‘hot’ running on the
stock PSU, it becomes a little sweeter
ORIGIN
Austria/Slovakia and more reÀned across the top end.
TYPE Even if you don’t have a Pro-Ject
MM/MC turntable to beneÀt from the second
phono stage/power
supply upgrade output, this is still likely to be a
WEIGHT
worthwhile upgrade and it has the
advantage of being something you
1.6kg/2.3kg
DIMENSIONS can select as and when you need it.
(WxHxD)
206 x 72 x 200mm
Conclusion
201 x 72 x 195mm
FEATURES
The Phono Box RS2 faces a stiffer
O Moving-magnet challenge than the original RS
and coil input because it occupies a signiÀcantly
O Balanced and
higher price point and goes up against
unbalanced
connections rivals with similarly impressive specs.
O Discrete output Even with these provisos, however,
DISTRIBUTOR it can more than hold its own. Its
Henley Audio Ltd. transparency is genuinely impressive,
TELEPHONE even judged at the price and it’s lack
01235 511166
of colouration is potentially very
WEBSITE
project-audio.com useful indeed. This is the product you
buy when you’re already satisÀed
with the tonal balance of your system
and simply need a well-speciÀed
phono stage to complete it. The RS2
makes good on its promise and delivers
a quite superlative performance O
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Superbly refined
and accurate sonics;
features; solid build
VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Fussy
controls; can sound
a little sterile
BUILD QUALITY
WE SAY: A reference-
level phono stage that
FEATURES
offers an exceptional
level of performance
and very flexible spec
OVERALL
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 REVIEWS YAMAHA
YH-L700A £450
Surround
sounds
These new over-ears have been
designed specifically to provide spatial
audio. Cliff Joseph gets immersed
o sooner do we run a
N
feature exploring the
various spatial audio
technologies currently
competing for your attention, than
Yamaha decides to join in. The ‘3D
Sound Field’ of its YH-L700A, along
with noise-cancellation and over-ear,
closed-back design, seems to pitch
it directly against Apple’s Áagship
AirPods Max. However, the price tag
undercuts it by a clear £100, and the
L700A outguns it in other areas too.
3D Sound Field uses technology
developed for the company’s
soundbars to create 3D audio from
existing stereo or video content. But
while the L700A boasts a number of
3D listening modes – Cinema, Concert
Hall and Music Video – its focus is
primarily on enhancing Àlms and
video. If that’s not something that
tempts you then you can opt for the
two-dimensional E700A for £370.
The L700A’s build quality is
impeccable with sturdy, hinged
earpieces that are padded with
memory foam, which fold Áat for
68 NOVEMBER 2021
travelling and rotate for comfort.
Each houses a 40mm driver, with
internal and external mics to control
noise cancellation and voice calls.
Like the AirPods Max, the L700A
includes active noise cancellation,
with an ‘ambient’ mode so you can
listen out for background noise when
you need to. Bluetooth support for
both Apple’s AAC codec and aptX
Adaptive are also on hand. Yamaha
includes its own ‘listening care’ and
‘listening optimizer’ – controlled by
its iOS and Android app – to monitor
sound around you and inside the ear
canal to create a personal sound proÀle.
Battery life is an impressive 34
hours using noise cancellation. The
3D option cuts that down to 11 hours.
If the battery fails you can use the
L700A in wired mode, thanks to the
bundled 3.5mm cable. A Áight
adapter and case are also included.
Sound Quality
I initially start by turning everything
off and using Bluetooth. Even without
the 3D effects, I’m impressed by the
presence of the sound of Max Richter’s
Sarajevo. There’s a real sense of space
as the opening notes of the harp hang
lightly in the air, while the deep
strings murmur below. The sudden
introduction of the solo falsetto is
delivered with a piercingly sharp
and emotional tone.
The piece goes into overdrive as
it nears the halfway mark, but the
L700A keeps everything in balance,
allowing the swirling strings to create
a sense of urgency while the slow
surge of the horns blast like thunder.
It’s impressive for Bluetooth and I’m
equally intrigued to Ànd that turning
noise cancellation on makes no
noticeable difference to the quality.
The downside is that it’s not the most
effective I’ve heard. It’s good at
reducing lower frequencies, but less
effective with higher ones and some
background chatter remains audible.
The opening harmonies of Stevie
Wonder’s Love’s In Need Of Love Today
are soft and warm as Wonder sets the
DETAILS
PRODUCT scene. The L700A again does a great
Yamaha YH-L700A job balancing all the instruments,
ORIGIN capturing even the gentle chime of a
Japan/China triangle amidst the percussion, bass
TYPE and rich harmonies.
Closed-back, over-
ear headphone
WEIGHT
330g
FEATURES
I don’t Ànd that the 3D option
provides much improvement for
simply listening to music, but it does
work well with Àlms. The effect adds
drama to the opening sequence of
O 40mm drivers
O Bluetooth; SBC,
Blade Runner, as the skyline of
AAC; aptX Adaptive
O 3.5mm cable;
flight adapter
futuristic Los Angeles explodes with
rumbling bursts of smoke and Áame.
DISTRIBUTOR
Yamaha UK Conclusion
WEBSITE If you primarily want headphones for
uk.yamaha.com
listening to music, the 3D effect for
video may not appeal and there are
less expensive noise-cancelling
options available elsewhere. But the
L700A gets the basics right with
impressive sound, while its extensive
array of digital features makes it a
great all-round option for listening
to music and watching Àlms, both at
home and on the road O
OUR VERDICT
SOUND QUALITY LIKE: Clear, detailed
sound; Bluetooth and
wired modes
VALUE FOR MONEY DISLIKE: Expensive;
the 3D effect is
primarily for video
BUILD QUALITY
WE SAY: Strong sound
quality and an array of
EASE OF DRIVE
digital features make
this an impressive
all-rounder
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YO U R
THIS MONTH
ED SELLEY
EXPERTISE: REVIEWER
Active in the industry
since 1999, Ed’s first record
was Boss Drum by The
Shamen. He splits his time
between reviewing and
protecting hi-fi kit from
his son Will.
Email us at: letters@hifichoice.co.uk or write to: Hi-Fi Choice
Letters, AVTech Media Ltd, Suite 25, Eden House, Enterprise Way,
Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6HF. Your letters may be edited before
publication and we cannot enter into personal correspondence
Upgraditis
I’m a regular subscriber and
read with interest the Letters
section to which I’ve contributed
in the past. The questions and
answers can be very informative,
but I Ànd some letters slightly
depressing as they highlight the
problem all hi-À enthusiasts
seem to suffer from to a greater
or lesser extent: upgraditis.
When so many people have
so meticulously put together a
system I cannot understand why
they are prepared to upset the
symmetry of their equipment
by “upgrading” the speakers
or another component just for
the sake of it.
WE ASKED...
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17%
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70 NOVEMBER 2021
L E T T E R S & Q U E ST I O N S
NEVILLE ROBERTS JASON KENNEDY
EXPERTISE: ENGINEER EXPERTISE: REVIEWER
Neville has an eclectic Editor of HFC from 1998
taste for classical baroque to 2001, Jason’s first
and jazz. His wife was forced turntable was Rega’s Planar
to marry his transmission 3 and Elvis’ 40 Greatest
line speakers in the eighties Hits was his first vinyl, so
and he collects BBC test don’t go stepping on his
card music. blue suede shoes.
Having trod the dreaded
upgrade path myself over the
last half a century, I’ve realised it
is an expensive journey without
a Ànal destination – you just
have to disembark when you
Ànally get lost in the music and
forget about the electronics.
Unfortunately, we all tend
to get afÁicted by the other
condition that affects everyone,
ie: the ‘I wants’. Temporary relief
10% is usually obtained by spending
some money on the object of our
7% desire, which usually appears in
a hi-À mag accompanied by Àve
stars and a rapturous review.
Enthusiasts beware!
30% Upgrades can quite often be
misconstrued as just changes to
the sound, which ultimately lead
you to treading the same path
again with the same results.
Dave Arnold, by email
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SUTHERLAND
DP two-finger typed his Like his first kiss, Chris will EXPERTISE: EDITOR
first hi-fi review 25 years never forget the sound of Music scribe Steve has
ago. Since then he’s edited his first amp – an Aura interviewed everyone from
Hi-Fi World and HFC. He Evolution VA-100. War Of David Bowie to Kate Bush,
describes himself as an The Worlds and Fleetwood receiving death threats
“unreconstructed Mac’s Rumours were his from Paul Weller and Peter
analogue addict”. first records. Tosh along the way.
More ways to get in touch:
You can also send your questions to us via social media:
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The path to hi-fi DP: I’d agree with much of that, Dave.
nirvana is beset If you read hi-À magazines too avidly
with temptations
then – surprise, surprise – all you end
up thinking about is upgrading! There’s
a balance to be struck and for many
people it’s dictated by their budget.
The trick is, as you say, knowing when
to get off the upgrade ladder and just
say: “that’s it for now”.
In my case, someone who’s been into
hi-À nearly as long as you, the
realisation that you can get great
sound with good – as opposed to
excellent – hi-À products if you set your
system up properly took a lot of the
heat out of my upgraditis. Big sonic
gains can be had by careful placement
of your hi-À separates and speakers,
decent supports and cables and, of
course, keeping all your contacts clean.
High-end hi-À can be lovely, but
mid-priced gear is also well able to
make your jaw drop if you’ve properly
fettled it. Not only that, but it sounds
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all the better if the system is well
matched – and you’ve allocated the
funds in a clever way. There’s an art to
that, acquired by bitter experience.
Also, Ànding a great local dealer really
helps you progress up the learning
curve quickly and relatively
inexpensively. Try before you buy,
if you possibly can.
JK: There is some truth in your words,
but remember hi-À is a hobby as well
as a means to an end. It’s fascinating to
try different components in an effort to
hear more of the music you love and
technological progress means that
modern components can do things that
their predecessors could not. It’s also
possible to discover new ways of
enjoying your music such as
streaming and rediscovering old
ones, like vinyl. It’s all just a bit of
fun, but don’t we deserve a little of
that from time to time?
CW: As a young man I can recall
repeatedly thumbing through a Richer
Sounds brochure and imagining how
much better my Àrst proper system
could sound if only I could stretch my
budget to bi-amping needlessly large
speakers I didn’t yet own! In this
respect upgraditis predominantly
takes root in the mind. To get
philosophical, upgraditis is often a
kind of infatuation that doesn’t have
It’s all just a bit of fun,
but don’t we deserve
a little of that from
time to time?
much to do with reality of the sounds
generated. It’s more the concept that
is so desirable in the mind’s eye.
Similar to falling in love, to what
extent are the early stages of
passionate desire just us projecting
what we would like to be true?
My early system only improved once
I stopped ‘thinking’ about hi-À and
started ‘listening’ to it. Too often I
encounter systems that are actually
getting worse and worse as people add
more money in a desperate attempt
to gain more detail or power and
ultimately get more control. More
often than not this slippery slope takes
people towards an accurate but harsh,
heartless version of music.
Another challenge is that people
generally expect ‘you get what you pay
for’ and someone’s £5,000 budget must
surely yield twice the quality of a
£2,500 budget? This quantitative view
misses the qualitative value of music.
The real key is appreciating your room
LETTERS
Rocket,
is the most important factor and other
components need to work in harmony
Man …
with it. I have been known to tell
people with a budget of £20,000 to
move their sofa, buy two rugs from
IKEA and spend the balance on music,
Jaffa Cakes and therapy!
ES: The important thing to remember
when confronting the spectre of
upgraditis is that it’s far from speciÀc
to hi-À. Watches, cars, cameras, even
kitchenware can grab people in such a
way as to be chasing the next big thing.
For a few people, it’s the principal rush
of the activity itself! Ultimately, in
situations like this, there’s not much in
the way of a ‘cure’ (if indeed they want
to be cured), but for everyone else
make sure you go beyond the reviews
(yes, even mine) and spend some time
with the current object of your
affection to establish if it really
is a meaningful step forward.
NR: I often Ànd myself hankering after
the latest new piece of kit. However,
in our defence, we all do try to be as
objective as we can in our assessments.
For example, when I am reviewing a
mains cable, I don’t compare it with
the existing high-quality cables that I
use in my system or the last power
cable that I reviewed. I go back to a
standard that hopefully many readers
can relate to, such as the type of lead
that is usually supplied with a piece of
equipment. Another issue that I wrote
about recently in my Opinion column
(Raising The Bar HFC 477) was about
a friend who discovered that he
had actually got used to the sonic
improvements from a new phono
cartridge. After re-Àtting his old one in
order to send his new one away for a
service, he was expecting it to sound Even if Elton John isn’t
very good as he had remembered it,
but was shocked to Ànd that it sounded your thing, the new
decidedly inferior!
AudioQuest Rocket 11, like
Flawed thinking
Loved the six record player Group all AudioQuest products is
Test (HFC 477) as I’m thinking
about buying one in this premium designed to let your music
bracket. Some job David Price… take centre stage, our
mammoth task. Hats off!
I had a bit of difÀculty with attention to detail means
David’s Opinion piece, though.
Three players were very close but that your favourite music is
the Linn is the winner because it
has: “a dizzying array of upgrade simply given the chance to
options”. Looking forward to the
olympics 100m Ànal where third shine.
place gets a gold medal as this
runner shows the potential for
further development!
On to the Origin Live. For
another £1,250-ish you could Àt
the OL Illustrious arm as your
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“Every once in a while, the reviewing malarkey unveils a product that is so exciting that all you can do is
sit back and play as much music as possible before the plus size lady sings, or in this case the editor
demands copy. This pairing from Aqua in Italy turned out to be just such a product—OK, it’s
two pieces but put them together and you have one hell of a digital streaming system.”

“It reduces the low-level grunge that undermines digital audio to a far greater extent than most streamers,
this isn’t something you are necessarily aware of until it’s gone or you play a vinyl record on a great turntable.
Here it seems to have totally disappeared.”

“It’s almost as if the streamer is stripping away everything that isn’t music and presenting the DAC
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Six turntables,
but which would
you choose?
upgrade. A simple effective
upgrade no? Upgrades for the
Technics include a Kab damper,
swap the headshell, a set of phono
leads, replace the mat, ditch the
arm and install your own choice
with a separate power supply.
My point is the Origin Live and
Technics are just as easy to
upgrade as the Linn. You also
mention great dealer backup. I’m
sure Origin Live and Technics
dealers aren’t slouches either.
Linn dealers will want to set the
LP12 up for you, but I can’t see
why an Origin Live dealer won’t
do the same. Why would a
purchaser be lumbered with
having to set up a £3,660
turntable on their own?
The Opinion piece was seriously
Áawed thinking, but still a great
read. I’ll let you know what record
player I end up with mate.
Rodney Heaney, by email
DP: Great knockabout stuff, Rodney,
but I do feel that you’re putting words
into my mouth that I didn’t say. You’re
right about it being a mammoth test,
epic even! The amount of unpacking,
setting up, Àddling around, tweaking,
etc. was huge – and that was before the
serious listening started. Still, I’m glad I
did it and I hope people got something
useful out of it.
The point that I was trying to make
in my column was that with this
roundup I had to draw a line in the
sand. Some decks come as all-in-one
packages, others are more steps on an
upgrade ladder. Some people want
something to just set up and then
forget (in terms of upgrades), others
want to start swapping platters or mats
or whatever, just weeks after they’ve
just bought their deck.
So we had six quite different
purchasing propositions, and it was
like comparing apples with oranges.
That’s why I had to write that column,
LETTERS
to try to put things
into a wider
perspective. These
days, buyers are
literally spoilt for
choice – and you
can’t arrive at
a meaningful
conclusion until
you’ve got a very
clear idea of
what grounds
you’re judging
the deck on. I hope I was
able to communicate that,
at least at a basic level.
ES: There’s an unavoidable degree
of subjectivity to Group Tests (yes,
even the ones I write!) and this is
magniÀed the higher up the price
spectrum you go. With the cartridge
test I wrote in HFC 479, I’d be
conÀdent that seven out of ten people
would reach similar conclusions, but
I’d not bet on more than that. Simply
put, I try to be as calmly objective as I
possibly can but personal preferences
will play a role in Ànal decisions.
The turntable test, is no exception. I
recall reading it and thinking my own
Deciding on Group
Test standings can
be like comparing
apples with oranges
personal preferences would have me
heading straight for the Rega Planar
10. Sure, there’s less onward fafÀng
you can do with it, but what makes
it such a singular device for me is
just how incredibly easy it is to live
with long term. Rega has made
a turntable that goes punch for
punch sonically with any of the
designs in that test, but that is
barely harder to set up than a
Planar 1. It’s a genuine masterpiece.

 
  
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Acoustic Energy’s
AE509 could help
Paul’s lack of bass
Absent bass
LET TER After many years of
O F TH E sterling service I replaced
MONTH
my old stalwart Acoustic
Energy AE109s a couple of
years back. The new kids on the
block were a pair of KEF LS50s. I
love them, great detail, fantastic
soundstage – neutral as a Swiss
guard! But long story short, I miss
the scale and bass response of my
old AE109s. I’ve been trying to
resolve this for a while now. When
I put Bach organ music on, it just
isn’t the same. I know the AE109s
don’t do detail as well, and as I
I miss the scale and
bass response of my
old speakers, how
can I get it back?
said the LS50’s soundstage is to
die for, but I do want my Bach
bass back.
I’ve spent plenty on hi-À over the
last few years, so I have one last
chance to get the speakers right.
It’s last chance saloon for my
speaker hunt, and I’m very
reluctant to commit without some
solid advice from you guys.
So please, if you can help you’ll
make me a happy man and my
wife will no doubt breath a sigh of
relief that I’m not spending every
waking moment with my head in
a mag or the internet looking for
the Golden Fleece of a speaker. My
budget is up to £2,000, no more
LETTERS
though, and I’ve only one go to
spend it! My current setup is as
follows: Naim Nait 5si, Naim
CDS5i, KEF LS50/AE109, Rega
Planar 2 (Nineties original), Chord
speaker cable, Naim DIN
interconnect from CD to amp. All
on a Target rack, KEFs mounted on
Mueseco 6 stands. My room size is
3.5m wide by 4m long, it’s a small
room but it’s all mine!
Paul Hollywood, Cumbria
JK: I’d have thought that with all that
money from Bake Off you could stretch
the budget a little – apologies, I couldn’t
resist. Getting detail and bass at that
price isn’t easy, but Acoustic Energy’s
AE509 (HFC 456) hits the mark. This
Áoorstander has the bass you crave and
excellent detail resolution, it’s one of the
best in its class.
ES: It’s subwoofer time. This is an
absolutely perfect situation for one and
something that I’d go for over and
above changing speakers that you are
otherwise very happy with. In your
case, you might Ànd a single sub placed
centrally is Àne for bass of the nature
you are talking about, but a pair of
smaller subs receiving a left/right signal
might also be the way forward. The
Naim amp doesn’t have a preout, but
a sub with a high level input (such as
REL or BK Electronics) will work, and
cabling options exist to connect them at
the same time as the speakers (the sub
doesn’t present a load so won’t be a
challenge to the amp).
CW: A bit too much bass in a smaller
room could be a huge step backwards.
The KEF LS50 has a lower frequency
response down to around 47Hz so I’m
thinking something like the Russell K
Red 100 (£1,650) could Àt the brief
well, reaching more like 30Hz but
still maintaining loads of sharp
soundstaging from a standmount. Of
course, maybe also you should audition
the Acoustic Energy AE309 (£1,000,
HFC 442) in case this keeps more of
the sonic character you enjoy but with
some greater incisiveness. Whatever
you shortlist, do try and insist you need
to hear them in your space. Any quality
dealer will understand.
NR: So, you are a fellow lover of Bach
organ music – you can’t beat a low
organ stop for Áapping your trouser
legs if you stand near your woofers,
which is why I am a Àrm advocate of
transmission line loudspeakers. I like
the way they control the bass down to
the resonant frequency of your bass
driver and reinforce and still control it
well below resonance. Falcon Acoustics
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Michell’s Cusis S: “a
stylus guard away
from perfection”
new IMF 200 Áoorstanders may be a
tad over your budget, but the IMF 100
bookshelf is still pretty good at taming
the resonances. However, if you’re
prepared to assemble them yourself
from a kit, which just involves
screwing in the drive units and
pre-built crossover to the ready-made
cabinet, the IMF 100 will be well
under your budget. The low-end
response is remarkably well extended
for a bookshelf speaker and the overall
performance is truly breath-taking.
Cart confusion
I opened your September issue
and with particular interest read
the Group Test of six cartridges
around the £1,000 budget mark,
but found myself rather confused.
Two of your six cartridges gained
the highest Àve stars with the
winner (the Michell Cusis S)
summarised as “being a stylus
guard away from perfection”.
However, when I turned to your
Buyer’s Guide, there was no
mention of any of the cartridges.
Can I please request that in future
your Group Test winners always
refer and compare to the past/
current recommendations or
winners, otherwise how on earth
do we benchmark anything?
Ian Clark, Berkshire.
SS: Thanks for your message Ian. As
I’m sure you’ll appreciate, pulling
together the Àndings of a Group Test is
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LETTERS
a much more involved process than
just a regular standalone review. Each
product has to be listened to in its own
right, multiple times. They then have
to be compared and contrasted with
the other Àve contenders in the group.
This, again, takes a lot of time.
Consequently, the Group Test is one
of the last things that we work on as
we pull together each issue of the
magazine so any product group-tested
isn’t added to the Buyer’s Guide (if,
indeed it is deemed worthy enough)
until the following issue.
In an ideal world, we’d cross
reference every product we test with
those in the Buyer’s Guide, but it just
isn’t possible. Our reviews are intended
to give you an idea of the features,
speciÀcation and general properties of
a product’s performance to provide a
We all have different
opinions of what
we like to hear and
how we hear it
starting point from which to make your
choice. Using them you should be able
to pull together a list of potential
candidates to take to your hi-À dealer
and then audition for yourself before
buying. Ultimately, of course, everyone
has a different idea of what they like
to hear and how they hear it. We’ll
point you in the right direction, but
then it’s up to you.
 OPINION

A brave new world

The pandemic has disrupted all of our lives in a way that few emergencies have done,
but this may result in a brighter future for our hi-fi indulgences says Neville Roberts

lthough we’re starting to see light at the end of

A the Coronavirus tunnel, when we look back at

the devastation caused to many businesses,
families and individuals by the pandemic it
can be difÀcult to imagine a brighter future for us all. Life
will never be the same again, but according to some that
will lead us into a much better future globally than if the
The opinions expressed in these pages are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the attitudes or opinions of Hi-Fi Choice or AVTech Media Ltd. Picture credit: Refluo/Shutterstock.com

pandemic had never happened.

According to political economist Mancur Olson, in his
book The Rise and Decline of Nations, Japan and Germany
enjoyed a huge economic growth after the Second World
War. This was because the old ways of working in these
two countries, which stiÁed experimentation, were swept
away opening up opportunities for new approaches.
It doesn’t take much imagination to draw parallels with
this and the current situation. The UK is not alone in
counting the cost of the pandemic to livelihoods and
businesses. Many people will have suffered a loss of
income to a greater or lesser extent and many of us
audiophiles will have needed to delay further investments
in our systems. Nevertheless, like the proverbial phoenix
rising from the ashes, the challenges faced during the past
year or two may well cause us to think of new ways of
improving our systems (I’m not just thinking of purchasing
that legendary Telarc recording of Stravinsky’s The Firebird
Suite played by The Atlantic Symphony Orchestra so
we can marvel at the sub-audible drum roll during the
opening sequence!)
I was delighted to There are many
low-cost initiatives
discover that my that can result in
system sounded improvements
better than ever in the sound from
our audio setup.
Simple things like removing all of your hi-À plugs and
sockets and cleaning them with a contact solution
like Caig’s DeoxIT Gold G5 (HFC 475) can result in
improvements that could easily be mistaken for the
installation of a new piece of equipment. I experienced
this recently when I had to dismantle my entire system in
order to Àt new Áooring – something I had been putting
off for years because of the amount of work it entailed. I
took the opportunity to clean all my contacts with DeoxIT
as I embarked on the slow process of untangling the
spaghetti of cables on the Áoor and plugging everything
back in. I tried to be very methodical and certainly
managed to connect everything up, but – in the words
of the late Eric Morecambe – not necessarily in the right
order! After the odd hiccup had been rectiÀed, I was
delighted to Ànd that the system sounded better than ever.
Although many people have endured grievous loss and The proverbial
anxiety during the pandemic, many have also used this phoenix rising
from the flames...
time as a preparation period and were, therefore, ready
to burst out of the gate when all the restrictions were
Ànally lifted. In the US, after decades of a slowdown in
entrepreneurial dynamism, 4.4 million new businesses
started up in 2020, which was by far a modern record.
Furthermore, a report from an online course provider
quoted that 38 percent of workers took some additional
training during 2020, which is well in excess of a 100
percent increase when compared with the previous year.
Things can only get better
The International Monetary Fund, the 190-country lending
agency, has said that the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines
and vast sums of government aid will accelerate global
economic growth to a record high this year. The IMF
expects the world economy to expand by 6 percent in
2021, up from the 5.5 percent it forecast in January. This
represents the fastest expansion for the global economy
since 1980. The IMF predicts that in 2022 international
economic growth will then drop to a still strong 4.4
percent – up from its January 2021 forecast of 4.2 percent.
Focussing back on the audio market, we are starting to
see the launch of new equipment and audio accessories
from existing suppliers in the UK and abroad. The UK’s
Falcon Acoustics, a leading loudspeaker kit and drive unit
supplier, has already unveiled a couple of bookshelf
speaker kits during the pandemic as well as, more recently,
a new Áoorstanding transmission line loudspeaker kit
under the IMF brand that it now owns. NEVILLE ROBERTS
So, as I see it, the future is looking a whole lot brighter O Positive outlook

NOVEMBER 2021 81
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Give the drummer some
On the sad passing of Charlie Watts, Nigel Williamson celebrates the crucial
role drummers play in the creation of rock & roll music
hat is the difference between a drummer and a
W savings bond? A savings bond will mature and
make money. Why is a drum solo like a sneeze?
You know it’s coming, but there’s nothing you
can do about it. What does a drummer use for contraception?
His personality. Those who keep the beat have long been
consigned to the dark recesses at the back of the stage
from where they can only see the singer’s bum. Bob Bert,
Sonic Youth’s sticks man, echoed the description habitually
aimed at his breed when he titled his memoir I’m Just The
Drummer. Some misguided fools even think a drummer
can be adequately replaced by a goddam machine.
Yet on the news of the death of Charlie Watts, the jokes
were for once put aside and the pivotal role of the man
with the sticks was recognised in a series of warm tributes.
Mick Jagger once said there could: “never be a Rolling
Stones without Charlie”. Keith Richards went even further
and claimed: “Charlie Watts is the Rolling Stones”.
We should also record the recent death of another great
drummer in Charles Connor, who played on Little
Richard’s greatest hits – indeed when Richard sang
“Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom” on Tutti Frutti he was
attempting to imitate Connor’s thumping rhythm.
There has been plenty written about how Charlie’s
four-to-the-Áoor-
To sound like Charlie beat drives (I Can’t
Get No) Satisfaction
Watts is the highest or how Get Off My
compliment you can Cloud is launched
pay any drummer by the greatest
drum intro of all
time or how the drumming on Jumpin’ Jack Flash is
indivisible from Keith’s riff and Mick’s vocals.
However, my purpose in this column is not to pay tribute
to Watts or Connor, great as they both were, but to reclaim
drummers as a musical race as the most under rated and
unfairly disregarded members of the rock & roll fraternity
(and regrettably even in these emancipated times most
drummers are still men, although Sheila E, Cindy
Blackman, Karen Carpenter and Meg White are among
the honourable exceptions).
“Drummers can no more change the way they play than
you can change the way you walk down the street,” the
critic David Hepworth wrote. “They tell the rest of the
band where the beat is”. Which is why in any rock & roll
combo, the drummer is indispensable. Think of The White
Stripes and The Black Keys. When you strip down to a duo,
it’s the bassist not the drummer who gets shown the door.
Many of the world’s greatest bands have more or less
organised themselves around the idiosyncrasies of their
OPINION
drummers. The Beatles would surely have sounded very Not all drummers
different if Ringo Starr hadn’t replaced Pete Best in 1962, deserve to be
hidden away
and The Who would not have had the same velocity at the back
without Keith Moon. There was a very good reason that of the stage
Led Zeppelin didn’t even try to Ànd another drummer
following the death of John Bonham and REM never
reached the same heights after 1996’s New Adventures in
Hi-Fi, the last album on which drummer Bill Berry played.
Beat this
I once interviewed the late Tony Allen, the man who put
the beat into Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, and he explained to me
that a good drummer can play a different rhythm with
each of his four limbs. “You don’t ride a bicycle with one
leg. You’ve got to put both legs on the pedals and steer
with your arms if you want to get where you’re going,” he
explained. “Any drummer can play like a metronome, but
the drums were made for four limbs and they all need to
be working.” Whoever invented the drum machine, eat
your heart out.
My favourite story to emerge from the eulogies to Charlie
Watts was the revelation that Kenny Jones of The Faces
had played on It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll (But I Like It).
Summoned to Ronnie Wood’s house late one night for a
session with Mick Jagger, Jones’ drumming on what was
little more than a demo was for some reason kept on the
Ànal track. When he rang Watts to apologise for muscling
in on his gig, Charlie told him: “Don’t worry. It sounds like
me, anyway.” Imitation is the sincerest form of Áattery and
to sound like Charlie Watts has to be the highest
compliment you can pay any drummer. NIGEL
As Chuck Berry recognised right back at the very start, WILLIAMSON
Little drummer boy
without a backbeat, it just ain’t rock & roll O
NOVEMBER 2021 83
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Fight for your right to...
Steve Sutherland gets in a right pickle about what to think about COVID
rules at gigs and nightclubs and the thorny subject of vaccinations.
know I shouldn’t, but I had to laugh. After a
I long summer of pulling out of agreed festival
headline slots because of his refusal to play
any event insisting on proof of COVID
vaccination, it seems that self-appointed psychedelic seer
and ex-Verve vocalist Richard Ashcroft may himself have
contracted COVID.
Or, at least that’s what a tweet from the Tunes In The
Dunes festival seemed to imply in announcing Ashcroft’s
no show back at the beginning of September. The tweet
was hastily deleted but, quite aside from the easy
temptation to indulge in a little schadenfreude, it did once
again raise questions about COVID restrictions, public
safety, civil liberties and demonisation of the young.
The way I see it there are various camps regarding this
issue. There are those who view proof of a COVID
vaccination as essential for anyone desiring to attend a
gig, nightclub or, indeed, anywhere else. KISS frontman
Gene Simmons, for example, has been very vocal in
his opinion that governments should make double jab
vaccinations mandatory to ensure the safety of others
and that it should be illegal and an arrestable offense
not to acquiesce. At the time of writing, KISS have had
to postpone a tour because Simmons caught COVID.
There are those who don’t go quite so far, but feel it’s
one’s moral duty to get jabbed-up. Many promoters and
venue managers are
Outspoken oldsters insisting on COVID
certiÀcation to help
like Eric Clapton allay audience fears,
and Van Morrison to protect touring
should know better artists and it
probably has
something to do with insurance as well. Limp Bizkit and
Stevie Nicks are among artists who have recently cancelled
tours over concerns for crowd and performers’ safety.
There are others who don’t trust anything this, or any
other government says and are most certainly not going
to get injected with anything on Boris Johnson’s say-so.
Then there are some who, while they can see the scientiÀc
Picture credit: Hitesh Kapur/Shuttertsock.com
sense in vaccination, reckon it’s every individual’s right
to decide their own actions and view introduction of
compulsory proof of vaccination as a draconian step towards
the erosion of civil liberties. I’d like to believe that Mr
Ashcroft falls into this camp and, to some extent, sympathise.
Slightly nuttier, if you ask me, are the cranks who view
the whole pandemic as some kind of global conspiracy, a
dastardly trick played upon us by heinous governments
determined to grind us down into passive obedience. It
sounds as if – from his recent proclamations and, like
OPINION
Ashcroft, refusal to play shows insisting on some kind of You may feel
vaccination or test proof – that Ian Brown, ex of The Stone a little bit of
a prick...
Roses, is cut from this crazy cloth. Shame.
Next are the folks who are convinced that the vaccine is
some kind of chemical weapon which, either by wicked
design or hasty accident, will do us all in. Cantankerous
oldsters like Eric Clapton and Van Morrison are outspoken
among their number and, if you ask me, should know better.
And then – not counting those who have a genuine
medical or religious reason why they cannot be jabbed –
there are just the selÀsh can’t-be-bothereds. This lot are
probably the most dangerous of all.
Vaccine nation
Where do I stand on all this? Good question. I’m double
jabbed because if I wasn’t there would be things I want to
do and events I’d like to attend that I probably wouldn’t be
allowed to otherwise. And I think it helps make other
people feel less worried too. I certainly haven’t been
jabbed because I believe anything this or any other
government is telling us.
I don’t see how making vaccination mandatory before
attending shows or clubs is achieving that much. If you’re
double-jabbed, you can still get COVID, carry it and pass
it on. There have been spikes in transmission among
attendees at Boardmasters, Reading & Leeds and other UK
Festivals this summer and yet all of these have attempted
to ensure that proof of vaccination was provided. Overall, I
think it has to be down to the individual and what choices
you make. If a club owner feels you should be vaccinated
before you enter their premises, so be it. That’s their right, STEVE
just as it’s yours to decide to go elsewhere. In which case, I SUTHERLAND
Jabbed-up
think Downing Street was right for once to butt out O
NOVEMBER 2021 85
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 93 Louise Farrenc
Symphonies 1&3
The Specials
Protest Songs 1924-2012
THE SPECIALS HAVE always made music with a
message. From Ghost Town, which captured the
urban blight and despair under Thatcherism, to the
urgent anti-apartheid demand of Free Nelson
Mandela, the group has embodied the ideals of
inclusivity and solidarity
These days only three of the original lineup
remain – lead singer Terry Hall, guitarist Lynval
Golding and bassist/singer Horace Panter – but the
flame still burns. Two years ago they released
Encore, their first album of original material since
1998, and it included the song BLM in which
Golding outlined the daily indignities he was forced
to suffer because of the colour of his skin. It
showed that the ability of The Specials to bottle
the moment was still extant and that, as Golding
says, “injustice is timeless”.
In February 2020 the three of them got together
to begin work on the follow up to Encore. In
90 NOVEMBER 2021
94 Jo Harrop
The Heart Wants
keeping with the group’s ska roots and 2-Tone spirit,
they planned on making a reggae album.
Coronavirus put the project on hold as both
Golding and Panter tested positive and Hall went
into isolation. As the summer of 2020 dragged on
and the BLM protests and the climate emergency
insurgency grew, Hall suggested that they make a
different kind of record. Locked down in Islington,
Seattle and Warwickshire, the trio began collecting
protest songs and emailing them to each other
until they came up with a list of 50 songs.
Finally, in April this year, they were able to book
four weeks in a London studio and emerged with a
dozen covers of favourite protest songs drawn
from different times and reflecting different
injustices, but all of them with something to say
about the world today.
The songs range from the obvious, such as The
Staple Singers’ Freedom Highway and The Wailers’
96 Dan Berkson
Dialogues
CD Island
Get Up Stand Up to the unexpected. Who thought
The Specials would ever cover Leonard Cohen
(Everybody Knows) or Frank Zappa’s Mothers of
Invention (Trouble Every Day)? But then this is The
Specials as you’ve never heard them before and a
ska record it is not. Backed by Nikolai Torp Larsen
on keyboards, Kenrick Rowe on drums and Steve
Cradock on guitar, the songs range from classic
indie-rock to stripped-down acoustics. Hall is
perfect for the material, given that he has one
of those voices that would sound thoroughly
disgruntled if he was singing Happy Birthday while
Golding pours every ounce of his racial heritage
into singing Get Up Stand Up and Big Bill Broonzy’s
Black, Brown And White.
The politics may be heavy and the strut is serious.
But this is an album that is both righteous and
rewarding, for ultimately its message is one of
resilience in the face of adversity. NW
 MUSICREVIEWS
Billy
Bragg
The Million Things
That Never
Happened
CD Cooking Vinyl
THE FIRST FULL-LENGTH album of
new material from Bragg in five years
has its roots in lockdown and there’s
plenty of pandemic blues on songs
such as Good Days And Bad Days and
Lonesome Ocean. But there’s a lot
more at work as Bragg essays some
serious middle-aged self-examination,
particularly on Mid-Century Modern
and The Buck Don’t Stop Here No More.
There are political allusions everywhere
but Bragg no longer attacks his bêtes
noires with a sledgehammer, favouring
For all his radicalism,
Bragg is in serious
danger of turning
into a national treasure
a more subtle approach, his lyrics framed
in soulful country-rock arrangements by
Dave Izumi and Romeo Stodart of the
Magic Numbers. There are love songs (I
Believe In You), compassionate hymns
to the resilience of the human spirit (I
Will Be Your Shield) and the final song
is co-written with his son Jack Valero.
Whisper it softly, but for all his radicalism,
he’s in serious danger of turning into a
fully fledged national treasure. NW
92 NOVEMBER 2021
Southern
Avenue
Be The Love That
You Want
CD Renew Records/BMG
IF YOU SQUASHED the perky funk of the Red-Hot
Chilli Peppers into a blender with Joss Stone’s vocal
elasticity, you might end up with a sound close to
this five-piece from Memphis, Tennessee. Tiernii
Jackson’s vocals oscillate around soul, blues and
gospel, and in each mode are electrifying and
authentic. Often there’s a vibrant looseness to the
music (the flame grilled funk of Move Into The Light)
that suggests we might be sitting in on a funky jam.
Then there’s the delicate, understated beauty of Too
Good To Be True that wouldn’t sound out of place
on an Angie Stone album. 12 delightful slabs of often
raucous funkiness that will brighten your day. PSH
The music is sparkling and
vivacious, and the sense
of enjoyment is palpable
AUDIOFILE VINYL
Shamek Farrah & Sonelius Smith
The World Of The Children
180g vinyl
ORIGINALLY
RELEASED BY
Strata-East in 1977, this is
one of only three albums
made by alto saxophone
player Shamek Farrah.
Like his debut with
the label, it has been
re-released on CD and vinyl a number of times
down the years. This is partly because Strata-
East’s reputation for releasing some of the finest
spiritual jazz albums of the Seventies has grown
significantly over the last two decades, but also
because pianist Sonelius Smith has been
recognised as something of a star in his own
Schubert
Rarities And Short
Piano Works
Wojciech Waleczek
CD Naxos
A YOUNG FRANZ Schubert studied under
Antonio Salieri, who encouraged him to write
fugues. Nine examples are included here, dating
from 1812-13, and also some later pieces from 1822.
The best-known works on this well-filled disc are
the two Scherzi dating from 1817. There are no
great masterpieces here as such, yet one hears
hints of the wonders to come – the embryonic
genius on the cusp of greatness. Wojciech
Waleczek plays fluently and gracefully, and Naxos
provides a crisp, clean, natural piano sound. This is
worth getting – and not just for avid Schubert
collectors who must have everything! JH
Franz Lachner
Symphony No 6; Concertino for Bassoon
Evergreen Symphony Orchestra
Gernot Schmafuss
CD CPO
BORN IN 1803 in Rain, Germany, Franz Lachner
was contemporary with Schubert, Schumann and
Mendelssohn. Lasting around 45 minutes, his
four-movement sixth symphony was completed in
1837 and drew lavish praise from Schumann, who
admired it for its engaging freshness and vitality.
The music is sparkling and vivacious and the
excellent Evergreen Symphony orchestra plays
with a palpable sense of enjoyment, precision and
commitment. Meanwhile, the Bassoon Concertino
is enormous fun and brilliantly played by Chia-Hua
Hsu. The recording sounds extremely lively and
detailed, with a crisp brilliant tonality, rich depth
and excellent clarity throughout. JH
Pure Pleasure
right. Smith played with many of the greats
including Charles Mingus, Art Blakey and Freddie
Picture credit: Jill Furmanovsky (Billy Bragg)
Hubbard, and the two tunes credited to him here
are also the main highlights of the album. He is
adventurous, even abstract at times, but thanks
to strong backing from the rhythm section the
groove remains alive and vital.
The sound here is a little bit lacking in body and
bandwidth for its vintage, it could be mistaken for
a Sixties release, but everything is clear and open
enough to make it enjoyable. The inspired double
bass solo from Milton Suggs has more body to it
and introduces Farrah’s People Puttin’ Through
Changes where the saxophonist really gets to
strut his stuff in melodic fashion. JK
 MUSICREVIEWS

J
John COOL COLLECTION
Coltrane
C Iron Maiden have just released their 17th
A Love Supreme studio LP, titled Senjutsu, making this
((Live In Seattle) a pretty appropriate time to dig out the
albums that inspired lead singer and
rock’s most infamous pilot, Bruce
Dickinson, to make a lifelong career
Vinyll
Vi Impulse
out of head banging

COLTRANE’S MOST FAMOUS album was

performed just twice in public and only one
of them was thought to have been captured
for posterity... until now that is. This newly
discovered recording transports the listener
to the smoky club where Coltrane’s classic
quartet was joined by Pharoah Sanders for
the first time on sax. Recorded by Coltrane’s
mucker Joe Brazil on the in-house equipment,
the quality isn’t quite studio standard – with
Elvin Jones’ cymbals sometimes sounding
splashy – and yet this beautifully captures a
magical moment in history. JDW

Joséphine Olech
Concertos for Flute and Orchestra
Odense Symphony Orchestra
Anna Skryleva

Olech plays brilliantly and is
ably backed by the excellent
Odense orchestra
Louise Farrenc
Symphonies 1 & 3
Insula Orchestra
Laurence Equilbey
T Crazy World
The
CD Orchid Classics Of Arthur Brown
O
NIELSEN’S PITHY CONCERTO is the best-known
The Crazy World Of
T
of the three works on this disc. It packs a huge
Arthur Brown
A
T
Track (1968)
variety of moods and emotions into its 18 minutes, Co-produced by Pete
C
and takes you on a wild exciting journey. Theodor Townshend and The Who’s
T
manager Kit Lambert, this
m
Verhey’s concerto lasts just 13 minutes, but also invented the goth genre, albeit
could be said to have inve
covers a wide musical terrain with a winning alla in a psych sort of way. “He had an amazing voice,”
Zingarese finale. Jean Francaix’s 1966 concerto is observes Dickinson. “It was just spectacular. I
borrowed a lot of his phraseology and style. I loved
a deft dazzling frothy work, luminously scored. the fact it was almost semi-operatic, but kind of
Joséphine Olech plays brilliantly and she’s ably anarchic as well. As a frontman he was completely
nuts. He was a great English eccentric.”
backed by the excellent Odense orchestra under
Anna Skryleva. Orchid’s crisp, detailed, recording
sounds excellent, combining impressive bite and Deep Purple
immediacy with effortless clarity. JH Deep Purple In Rock
H
Harvest (1970)
““I was walking down the
ccorridor at boarding school
Public Service aand I heard this racket
Broadcasting ccoming from behind a
ddoor,” says Dickinson. “I
Bright Magic tthought, ‘Oh my god, what
is that?!’ So, I knocked on the door and this senior
boy opened the door and looked at me with a big
sneer on his face. I asked, ‘Who was that?’ He went,
‘Oh, it’s Deep Purple if you must know. Speed King’,
Picture credit: Raymond Ross Archives/CTS Images (John Coltrane)

and shut the door. That was that. I was hooked. The
second LP that I ever got was Deep Purple In Rock.”
CD Erato CD Play It Again Sam

ALTHOUGH FRENCH COMPOSER Louise
Farrenc was highly regarded during her lifetime, it
seems she was soon forgotten after her death. She
wrote three symphonies, and the two minor-key
works recorded here are impressively taut dramatic
scores that are strong, well-crafted and very
confidently written. The performances by the
Insula orchestra under Laurence Equilbey are
keenly played, rhythmically adroit and very
committed. You could hardly hope to hear these
works better played. Very good recorded sound;
full-bodied and solid, yet clear and detailed, with
excellent presence and dynamics. JH
THE LONDON TRIO is back with their fifth studio Rainbow
album, and once again delight and confound in Rising
P
Polydor (1976)
equal measure. Always willing to push the sonic ““I was a huge Ritchie
boundaries they are equally adept at leaping from Blackmore fan, so when
B
soaring electro-pop to electronic soundscapes, he left Deep Purple and
h
sstarted Rainbow, the whole
so it’s no real surprise they have travelled to Berlin world was in turmoil,”
w
for this record. And it’s just great. It starts with rremembers Dickinson. “It
John Carpenter-style soundtrack synthscapes, was the talk of all the record stores. I used to hang
around with people who built motorbikes... there
ropes in Blixa Bargeld for a rock number and was a transistor radio in the corner, it was a Saturday
Andreva Casablanca for some pure pop. It ends afternoon and Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman’s Rock Show was
with a four-minute ambient odyssey featuring on, and I heard this thing coming out of the speakers.
I was like, ‘Oh my god. What is that noise? Wow, wow,
actress Nina Hoss in German. They can now say wow, wow, wow, wow.’ It was Rainbow’s Stargazer.”
they have a ‘Berlin’ album. PH

NOVEMBER 2021 93
 MUSICREVIEWS

STREAMING CHARTS William Byrd

John Bull
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qobuz.com’s top-10 most The Visionaries Ghost-Note
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SIXTEENTH-CENTURY KEYBOARD MUSIC is
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AGING B-BOYS AND fly girls with bones too
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JJo Harrop
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ACCORDING TO IGGY Pop, Harrop is “a very fine

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5 Rory Gallagher
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NEW YORK-BASED INSTRUMENTALIST IN 1999 CARLOS Santana reinvented himself

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head throughout 2019 and 2020. And this
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9Billie
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through with melancholy but also a hop, skip and
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insanely catchy Swarovski and Watergetsinside
there’s a whiff of Vampire Weekend. An
entertaining and highly skilled record. PH
with an album of duets, which teamed his
burnished guitar with the voices of a younger
generation of singers. This belated followup
features Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas on Move, a
swaggering mix of pop hooks and Latin grooves,
while country superstar Chris Stapleton,
Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and Chick Corea also
make guest appearances. Yet you can’t help
thinking Santana hardly needs such heavy friends.
The highlight of this set remains his sublimely fluid
guitar playing, which has lost none of its sparkle
and remains as distinctive as ever. NW

94 NOVEMBER 2021
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 MUSICREVIEWS
Chopin
Piano Concerto No.2; Scherzi
Seong-Jin Cho
London Symphony Orchestra,
Giandrea Noseda
CD Deutsche Grammophon
SEONG-JIN CHO, WARSAW Chopin
Competition-winner in 2015, has a
flawless technique and amazing
dexterity. But his playing is never flashy
or virtuosic for its own sake. Tempi for
the Scherzi are on the fast side, but the
playing displays a coherent narrative – a
strong sense of through-line that makes
sense of Chopin’s mercurial mood
changes. The lovely second concerto is
given a dramatic assertive performance
that captures the improvisatory
character of the solo part. It’s a strong
The piano tone in the
Scherzi sounds warm
and full, yet nicely
crisp and articulate
direct account; maybe not quite as
poetic as Lang Lang’s with Zubin Mehta,
but rich and lyrical nonetheless.
Deutsche Grammophon’s recordings
(made March/April 2021) are clear
and natural; the piano tone in the
Scherzi sounds warm and full, yet
nicely crisp and articulate. The
concerto is more brilliantly recorded,
with the piano given a more forward
and immediate balance. JH
96 NOVEMBER 2021
The War On Drugs
I Don’t Live Here
Anymore
CD Bella Union
FOR THEIR FIRST album in four years – and the
first since their Grammy-winning LP A Deeper
Understanding – TWOD consolidate their position
as one of biggest independent bands on the
planet. The sound is breathy, wistful FM rock, with a
Springsteen-like quality that is not only very well
produced but also desperate to uncover a new
human truth. There’s plenty to like on here, but
there’s nothing new either – there’s that driving,
hand-wringing feel and plenty of the kind of
overwrought guitar sounds you haven’t heard
since some of the AOR greats of the Eighties. PH
Everything
But The Girl
Eden
180g vinyl
ORIGINALLY RELEASED IN 1984, the duo’s
debut has been given a half-speed remaster via
Abbey Road and sounds as fresh as it did then,
but with new detail revealed. Tracey Thorn’s
vocals are more intimate and warmer, her
melancholy timbre juxtaposed perfectly with the
Wilhelm
Furtwängler
Symphony No 1
Wűrttembergische
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Fawzi Haimor
2x CDs CPO
WILHELM FURTWÄNGLER COMPLETED
his first symphony in 1943 in his late fifties, but
the roots of the work go back further to 1905.
It’s a big serious piece written in a highly
saturated late-romantic style. The music, by
turns dramatic and ruminative, is tragic in
tone. This impressive new account from
Fawzi Haimor is broader than the one by
Albrecht on Arte Nova and digs deeper
into Furtwängler’s troubled psyche. CPO’s
recording is more transparent and detailed
than Arte Nova’s – important in music so
opulently rich and densely scored. JH
Lord Berners
The Triumph
Of Neptune
English Northern
Philharmonia
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THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Sir Gerald Hugh
Tyrwhitt-Wilson, 14th Baron Berners, was a talented
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Rolls-Royce. The Triumph Of Neptune is his most
famous work and was championed by Beecham.
The present recording (the only one of the
complete ballet) was first released in 1998 on
Marco Polo. It’s a bright and breezy score and the
performance is excellent, catching the piquant
freshness of the music to perfection. The recording
sounds clear and spacious, with the orchestra set
back in a fairly reverberant acoustic. JH
Buzzin’ Fly
understated acoustic backing. When Ben Watt
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the result is a beautiful swooning slice of
jazz-influenced pop. The 180g vinyl is the
perfect format for this album, with music that
transcends its schlocky aural decade. PSH
Dan Berkson
Dialogues
CD Freestyle
DAN BERKSON HAS been playing keyboards
professionally for nearly 20 years, yet Dialogues
is his debut album – a sure sign that there is no
easy route to success in today’s music business.
Recorded in London with a British rhythm
section, this is a great-sounding release of
groove-powered jazz that offers depth of tone,
dynamics and bandwidth aplenty. Illinois-born
Berkson has superb feel on both piano and
Rhodes, and trumpeter Magnus Pickering
brings a Nordic vibe that keeps the tunes fresh,
the diversity of player origins undoubtedly
adding to the vibrancy of the music. JK
 MUSIC LEGENDS
GEORGE HARRISON

ALL THINGS
MUST PASS
Picture credit: David Hume Kennerly

George Harrison was so much more than just Lennon and

McCartney’s guitarist. Nigel Williamson remembers the
‘junior partner’ who came good when he went solo
98 NOVEMBER 2021
 MUSIC LEGENDS
GEORGE HARRISON

he biggest break in my career was “He was never treated on the same level as thing” – in his early teens, inspired by Elvis

T getting into The Beatles,” George

Harrison once said. “The second
biggest break was getting out of
them.” You could see where he was coming
from. When he released his Àrst solo album
following the break-up of the Fab Four, it
contained more of his songs than he had ever
managed to persuade John Lennon and Paul
McCartney to record with The Beatles.
In his 10 years as a Beatle, the group
recorded just 22 of Harrison’s songs, starting
with Don’t Bother Me on 1963’s With The
Beatles and ending with I Me Mine and For
You Blue on 1970’s Let It Be.
When All Things Must Pass appeared in
November 1970, little more than six months
after the ofÀcial announcement that The
Beatles had broken up, it was a vast triple
album boxset containing a total of 23 songs.
It is doubtful the numerology was deliberate.
Harrison had almost certainly not calculated
the maths. Yet as a symbol of his frustration at
the way his songs had been frozen out by John
and Paul, it could not have been starker.
When it became clear at the beginning of
1970 that the group had no future, Harrison
had begun to think about his solo career and
invited Phil Spector to his home at Friar Park
in Henley-on-Thames to ask him to produce
the album he was planning.
“I have a few ditties for you to hear,” Spector
recalled Harrison telling him. “It was endless.
He had literally hundreds of songs and each
one was better than the rest. He had all this
emotion built up.”
Several of the songs had been proposed for
Beatles’ albums and rejected by Lennon and
McCartney, who never allowed Harrison more
than a couple of tracks per album. Even when
he was permitted four songs on The White
Album, it was only because it was a double
LP. He was ‘their’ guitarist, whose job it was
to embellish their songs with his virtuoso
playing. The handful of his songs they agreed
to record was no more than a favour designed
to keep him on side.
having the same quality of songwriting by
anyone – by John, Paul or me,” producer Sir
George Martin confessed.
Harrison himself recalled that he would
play his songs to Lennon, who offered little
appreciation. “But I noticed in the next song
he wrote that he’d nicked some of the chords.”
It is tempting to say that on its release All
Things Must Pass came as a revelation,
although that would not be entirely true.
Harrison had already given notice of his
emergence as a songwriter and his Something
and Here Comes The Sun were arguably the
Ànest two songs on Abbey Road, certainly a
match for the John and Paul compositions.
But the sheer quantity of quality songs which
Harrison had stockpiled, from the title track
and My Sweet Lord to Beware Of Darkness and
Isn’t It A Pity, certainly came as a surprise.
His Bangladesh concert
was the first charity
benefit of its kind and a
forerunner for Live Aid
Richard Williams in Melody Maker wrote All
Things Must Pass was: “the rock equivalent of
the shock felt by pre-war moviegoers when
Garbo Àrst opened her mouth in a talkie:
Garbo talks! – Harrison is free!”
The ‘junior partner’ had outstripped his
seniors with an album that was substantially
superior to the debut solo releases by both
Lennon and McCartney. The album went
straight to number one, functioning, in the
words of the critic Kitty Empire: “as a kind of
repository for grief” for all those mourning the
Beatles’ break-up.
The road to All Things Must Pass was a long
and winding one, so although this is
essentially a tribute to Harrison’s solo career
on the 20th anniversary of his death, a brief
recap of his Fab Four years is in order – and in
particular his evolution as a songwriter.
Born in Liverpool in 1943, he began playing
Presley and the skifÁe of Lonnie Donegan.
When he started following around a skifÁe
group called The Quarrymen, John Lennon
was unimpressed. “It took me years to come
round to him,” he later confessed. Yet by 1959
Harrison was in the group, which became The
Silver Beetles – and then The Beatles.
By the time they signed a record deal in
1962, Lennon and McCartney were already
established as the group’s songwriters.
Harrison felt excluded, but doggedly began
attempting to compete. “The only reason I
started to write songs was because I thought if
they can write them, I can,” he later admitted.
Isn’t it a pity
His early efforts were weak and no match and
it was not until the group’s seventh album in
1966 that he came up with a worthy song
with Taxman. Even then, Lennon had to help
him out with the lyrics.
Perhaps realising that his only path as a
songwriter was to do something radically
different from John and Paul, he became
fascinated with Indian music and took sitar
lessons from Ravi Shankar. The result was a
series of weird and wonderful raga-rock songs,
which mixed eastern mysticism with late
Sixties psychedelia, including Within You
Without You on Sgt Pepper and Blue Jay Way
on the Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack.
Even Lennon and McCartney could see he
was on to something and by 1968, John and
Paul had even allowed one of his songs to
appear on a Beatles single for the Àrst time
– although The Inner Light, another of
Harrison’s Indian-inspired compositions,
was, of course, relegated to the B-side of
McCartney’s Lady Madonna.
Increasingly independent from The Beatles,
he expanded his musical inÁuences by
hanging out with Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan
but still struggled to get Lennon and
McCartney to regard him as an equal.
By early 1969 Harrison had grown so
frustrated that he walked out in exasperation
during a fractious recording session. It took his

SOLO DISCOGRAPHY
the guitar – “a really cheapo horrible little bandmates 12 days to persuade him to return.

1968 1969 1970 1972

WONDERWALL MUSIC
The first solo album by any Beatle and the
debut release on Apple. The soundtrack
to Joe Massot’s film Wonderwall, the
director gave Harrison a free hand in
composing the music. It is entirely
instrumental and partly recorded in
Mumbai with Indian classical musicians.
ELECTRONIC SOUND
An experimental collage of electronic
noises, mostly created on George’s
new toy, a Moog synthesiser. One side
is taken up with a lengthy piece called
Under The Mersey Wall. The second
side, No Time Or Space, was recorded
with electronic pioneer Bernie Krause.
ALL THINGS MUST PASS
Arguably the best post-Beatles solo
album of them all. A triple boxset
produced by Phil Spector might have
seemed self-indulgent, but Harrison
had so many great songs unused by The
Beatles that the length was entirely
justified. A five-star masterpiece.
THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH
Some 14 years before Live Aid,
Harrison staged the first charity
concert for victims of famine in
Bangladesh. The result was another
triple boxset featuring inspired
performances by Harrison, Bob
Dylan and Eric Clapton.

NOVEMBER 2021 99
 MUSIC LEGENDS
GEORGE HARRISON

When he did, he brought with him Here

Comes The Sun and Something – nobody could
deny he’d Ànally become a major songwriter.
Harrison’s frustration had already led him
to become the Àrst Beatle to release a solo
project with his 1968 all-instrumental
soundtrack to the Àlm Wonderwall and he
followed with the experimental album
Electronic Sound.
He took up slide guitar, toured with Clapton
and the American roots-rock duo Delaney And
Bonnie and when the Ànal break-up of The
Beatles came, he was well positioned to
launch himself as a serious solo artist.
All Things Must Pass was recorded over the
summer of 1970 – and the results were a
triumph. Lennon told him he was “mad” to
put out what was the rock world’s Àrst triple
album, but the decision was entirely justiÀed
for he had the songs to back it up. In his 10 years as a Beatle,
tained on
Ringo Starr was retained the group recorded just 22
of George Harrison’s songs
drums, but this was a clean
break from ‘Beatle George’.
orting
No longer in a supporting His first LP was vastly another collection of new songs. Without
ed
role, Harrison relished Spector’s expansive production Living In The
being the bandleader, r, superior to the debut Material World (1973) was drier and more
rounding up Eric sparse, but any fears that Harrison had used
Clapton and members rs
solo releases by both up his best songs was dispelled by such songs
of Derek And The Lennon and McCartney as the seductive Give Me Love (Give Me Peace
Dominos among his On Earth), which gave him a hit single, the
backing crew and M
McCartney’s Wings as mordant Sue Me Sue You Blues and the title
developing his the Ànest post-fabdom track, which name-checked the other Beatles.
own distinctive album by any of the While Harrison’s songs were full of
sound, to emerge as:: fo
four Beatles. spirituality and he spent long hours
“the surprise winner He ro
rounded up his friends meditating and chanting mantras, by 1974 his
of the ex-Beatle again when R Ravi Shankar asked him private life was in a mess as his wife Pattie
sweepstakes”, as to stage a beneÀt co concert for the victims of Boyd transferred her affections to Harrison’s
one critic put it. war and famine in Ba Bangladesh. He booked best friend, Eric Clapton. He responded by
pic
With the album’s epic Madison Square GardGarden for two shows and going on a bender in what he later called his
qualities emphasised d persuaded Clapton, D Dylan, Leon Russell and “naughty” years until on tour in America he
by Spector’s echoing,, the ever lloyal
th oyall Ringo tto join him in what was
Ringo met Olivia Arias, who worked for his record
ction,
cathedral-like production, the Àrst major charity spectacular of its kind company. They married in 1978 and she
ing
it remains the towering and a forerunner for the likes of Live Aid. remained his companion until his death.
riso
rison’
achievement of Harrison’s n’ss Thee reco
Th record
rdin
ing
recordingg of tthe
he concerts resulted in his The personal chaos was reÁected on his
als
solo career – and rivals second triple album tto top the charts. 1974 album Dark Horse, an album of songs
Lennon’s Imagine and d Following All Things Must Pass it was about change and loss, only marred by an
pips Band On The Run un by another three years be before he released ill-advised remake of the Everly Brothers’ Bye

1973 1974
19
974 1975 1976 1979

LIVING IN THE
MATERIAL WORLD
Fears that Harrison had used
up the best of his stockpile
of songs were ill-founded.
Less epic without Spector’s
production, it included Give
Me Love (Give Me Peace On
Earth), Sue Me Sue You Blues
and the superb title track.
DARK HORSE
With Harrison’s personal life in
flux, a fascinating album with
themes of change and loss, its
ragged quality only adding to
its fascination. Rewriting the
Everly Brothers’ Bye Bye Love
with a new lyric about his wife
running off with Eric Clapton
was a bad mistake, though.
EXTRA TEXTURE
A lugubrious set, which has
improved with age. Songs
such as Tired Of Midnight
Blue and Grey Cloudy Lies hit
the mark, the opener You is
another highlight and This
Guitar (Can’t Keep from
Crying) is a sequel to While
My Guitar Gently Weeps.
THIRTY THREE & A THIRD
The title references Harrison’s
age at the time. It’s a patchy
affair, including a cover of
Cole Porter’s True Love, but
the Beatlesque Crackerbox
Palace is a winner as is
This Song – a sardonic
commentary on the court
case over My Sweet Lord.
GEORGE HARRISON
Harrison looks back to
the spirit of the Sixties in
defiance of punk. Here
Comes The Moon is a
deliberate echo of his
Beatles classic on Abbey
Road and Not Guilty is
another song from the era
rejected by John and Paul.

100 NOVEMBER 2021


    
    

    
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 MUSIC LEGENDS
GEORGE HARRISON

Bye Love, a kiss-off to Patti in which he sang:
“There goes our lady with you know who/I
hope she’s happy and old Clapper, too...”
Increasingly depressed Extra Texture (Read
All About It) (1975) was at the time seen as
the low point of his solo career. “He wasn’t up
for it... It was a terrible time because I think
there was a lot of cocaine going around,” his
friend Klaus Voorman admitted.
My sweet lord
Harrison himself dismissed the album as
“grubby”. Yet Extra Texture is one of those
difÀcult records that has become better
appreciated with age. Songs such as World Of
Stone, Tired Of Midnight Blue and Grey Cloudy
Lies on which he laid bare his disappointment
with life were at the time dismissed as
lugubrious, but today their confessional
introspection sounds fascinating. Elsewhere
the material ranges from the bright pop of You
to the Motown-inÁuenced soul of Ooh Baby
(You Know That I Love You) while This Guitar
(Can’t Keep From Crying) is a sequel to While
My Guitar Gently Weeps.
Picture credits: Bruce McBroom/Apple Corps Ltd. (top left) and Shutterstock.com (bottom left)
My Love and Circles, a Beatles reject from 1968,
Àve years of near-silence followed before
Harrison re-emerged with the solo album
Cloud Nine (1987), co-produced by ELO’s
Jeff Lynne. The partnership with Lynne
continued when they teamed up with Bob
Dylan, Tom Petty and Roy Orbison as super
group The Traveling Wilburys.
The Wilburys enthused and reinvigorated
him, but competing schedules meant they
were a studio project only. Keen to get back on
the road, Harrison undertook a solo tour of
Japan, which produced a decent live album.
But it was his Ànal tour and there was no more
Harrison
died in 2001, new music until a posthumous collection of
aged just 58 unÀnished songs, which were completed after
his death by Lynne and Harrison’s son Dhani.
Lennon and McCartney Handle with care
Harrison’s Ànal years were troubled. Deeply
never allowed Harrison out of sympathy with the times, he criticised
Oasis and U2, declared his hatred of rap and
more than a couple techno and announced that the: “music of
of tracks per album today is a pollution and has no value”.
His health was in decline along with his

The follow-up Thirty Three and A Third
(1976) was an altogether more upbeat affair.
The title referenced not only the speed of the
vinyl LP, but Harrison’s age at the time of the
recording. His problems continued – while
making the album he contracted hepatitis and
the courts ruled against him in the plagiarism
suit, which alleged that My Sweet Lord owed
rather too much to The Chiffons’ 1963 He’s So
Fine. Yet he turned adversity to advantage.
This Song was his sardonic send-up of the
case and Crackerbox Palace sounded almost
Beatlesque accompanied by a whimsical video
directed by Monty Python’s Eric Idle.
His Ànal album of the decade was a
self-titled effort released in 1979 that made no
acknowledgement of punk or new wave and
looked back fondly to the days of fabdom,
with Here Comes The Moon, a kind of sequel
to his song on Abbey Road, and Not Guilty,
which the Beatles had rejected more than a
decade earlier. The Fab Four’s aborted take
subsequently appeared on 1996’s Anthology 3,
but Harrison’s solo version abandoned the
distorted guitars of the original and recast the
song in a mellow jazz-pop style.
The murder of John Lennon in 1980 hit
Harrison hard and he responded six months
later, releasing Somewhere In England, which
included his tribute All Those Years Ago, on
which Ringo drummed and Paul and Linda
lent backing vocals. It was the Àrst time three
ex-Beatles had appeared on record since their
breakup as George sang: “You point the way
to the truth when you say all you need is love/
Living with good and bad I always looked up
to you/Now we’re left cold and sad.”
However, other interests were diminishing
his desire to make records, notably his
production company Handmade Films, which
made such highly successful movies as Life Of
Brian, Mona Lisa and Withnail And I.
After the half-baked Gone Troppo (1982) on
which the only notable songs were Wake Up
creative urges and in 1997 he underwent
surgery for throat cancer. Two years later a
mentally ill intruder broke into Harrison’s
Friars Park home and he was stabbed several
times in the struggle that ensued. In 2001 he
had another operation for lung cancer and
was then diagnosed with a brain tumour.
By November he was dead at the age of just
58. As he lay dying at a house in Beverly Hills
owned by McCartney, Hare Krishna devotees
chanted verses from the Bhagavad Gita at his
bedside. His death certiÀcate described him as
a: “self-employed musician” and his ashes
were scattered in India’s sacred Ganges river.
Twenty years after he left us, it would seem
that Harrison’s stock has never been higher.
The most played Beatles song on streaming
services by far is not McCartney’s Yesterday but
Here Comes The Sun. For his grace, humour,
humility, spirituality and above all his music,
George Harrison has Ànally become perhaps
the best-loved Beatle of them all O

1981 1982 1987 1992 2002

SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND GONE TROPPO CLOUD NINE LIVE IN JAPAN BRAINWASHED

Lennon’s murder cast a long
shadow over this album,
particularly on All Those
Years Ago, a heartfelt tribute
to Harrison’s fallen comrade,
featuring both Paul and
Ringo. Teardrop and That
Which I Have Lost are strong
original compositions.
Bright and breezy to the
point of being offhand and
lacking in substance. Only
Wake Up My Love, Dream
Away and album closer
Circles (another lost Beatles
song written in 1968) really
pass muster. The nadir of
his solo career.
It took producer and ELO
mainman Jeff Lynne to help
Harrison rediscover his mojo.
With Eric Clapton and Elton
John among the guests.
Highlights include Got My
Mind Set On You, which gave
him a chart-topping single,
and When We Was Fab.
Recorded on a 13-date tour
at the end of 1991 with Eric
Clapton in his backing
band, almost half of the 19
tracks on this double were
Beatles songs, augmented
by the best from his solo
years from My Sweet Lord
to Got My Mind Set On You.
Having spent much of the
Nineties talking about a new
album but never completing
it, Harrison left a bunch of
unfinished songs which his
son and Jeff Lynne finished
after his death. Highlights
include Any Road, Stuck Inside
A Cloud and Marwa Blues.

NOVEMBER 2021 103

 get connected for a more musical experience

www.connected-fidelity.com

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Whole Note Distribution

0203 9115 549 | info@wholenotedistribution.co.uk | www.wholenotedistribution.co.uk

Chord Company
GroundARAY grounding device
NOISE IS THE scourge of any audio
system and anything one can do to
lower it has to be a good thing.
Unused interconnect sockets
effectively act as aerials for radio
frequency interference (RFI) as they
are a ‘Áoating’ wire disconnected
at both ends – the input selector
switch and the input socket end. This
unwelcome RFI can easily Ànd its way
into the signal path of your system.
To combat this, Chord Company has
introduced a series of GroundARAY
high-frequency noise reduction
devices. Designed to be put into
unused sockets on your audio
equipment, they provide a low
impedance path to ground for HF
noise to improve the noise Áoor of
your system. Each GroundARAY
can be used on any unused analogue
or digital sockets.
Well connected
The GroundARAY is made from
precision CNC-machined thick-walled
aluminium and is hand-assembled in
a time-consuming process at Chord’s
factory. Each unit contains a number
of absorption materials, including a
special Àlling created to deaden noise.
The GroundARAY is available in a
number of termination options,
including USB-A, RCA, DIN, XLR,
BNC, RJ45 and HDMI – the RCA and
XLR versions are reviewed here.
I start off by using a GroundARAY
RCA in an unused coaxial digital
output of my PrimaLuna ProLogue
CD player. Playing Vivaldi’s Violin
Concertos Op.6 performed by The
Academy Of Ancient Music, I am
instantly aware of an improvement in
imaging and detail, which becomes less
clear when I remove the GroundARAY.
With a Sinus CD of French Organ
Music played by Albert Bolliger, the
Fantasie Sur La Tierce by Louis Couperin
has more depth and presence and the
spaciousness of the church is much
more apparent.
I connect a male XLR version to an
unused input of my Studer A810 pro
tape machine. Spinning a master tape
of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.2 in C
Minor played by the USSR State
Symphony Orchestra, I can detect a
I’m pulled into the
performance as the
piano sparkles with
clarity and energy
subtle improvement in clarity,
particularly during the crescendos.
However, when I Àt a second device
DETAILS into the other channel I don’t detect any
PRICE noticeable improvement, so in this case
£550
one unit is sufÀcient.
TELEPHONE
01980 625700 I next connect a GroundARAY RCA to
WEBSITE an unused input of my valve preamp
chord.co.uk and play an LP of The National
Symphony Orchestra with Rosie
OUR VERDICT Middleton singing Habanera from
Bizet’s Carmen. With one GroundARAY
RCA Àtted, the vocals are cleaner and
EXTRAS
clearer. This time, the improvement
is very signiÀcant. When the device
is removed, the vocals become less
distinct. I then connect a second to
the other channel of the preamp and
detect a further improvement with
a subtle reinforcement of clarity
and realism. Repeatedly Àtting and
removing the GroundARAYs conÀrms
they are lowering the noise Áoor,
the music stands out more, is less
grainy and has more reÀnement.
I also have a greater awareness of
the atmosphere and presence of
the orchestra in my listening room.
Going live
Time for some jazz in the shape of
The Yuko Mabuchi Trio. The live
performance of Cole Porter’s What Is
This Thing Called Love starts off with a
furious introduction with Mabuchi on
the piano, swiftly followed by the bass
and drums as the main melody kicks
in. With the GroundARAY Àtted, I’m
pulled further into the performance
as the piano sparkles with clarity and
energy. The hi-hats take on an extra
tingle of realism and the Àngering of
the double bass is more evident. Here
again, a second GroundARAY device
enhances these improvements.
In my system, the effect of the
GroundARAY is most apparent when
used with a preamp. This is a great
device for any high-end system and
having one or two of these units at
your disposal will deÀnitely lift its
performance to the next level. NR
NOVEMBER 2021 105
 EXTRAS

Chord Company
Clearway XLR cable
WITH THE GROWING use of XLR
balanced audio connections offered
on domestic audio equipment,
Chord Company has introduced an
XLR analogue interconnect option
to its Clearway range. Like the
Chord C-line series, this employs the
company’s ARAY conductor geometry
but with upgraded materials. The
ARAY geometry conductors use
heavier gauge oxygen-free copper
and are insulated with an FEP
dielectric. The design uses identical
conductors for the hot, cold and
earth connections, is screened by a
dual-layer, counter-wound, heavy
gauge foil design and Ànished off in
a dark blue sheath.
Connecting the Clearway between
my Studer A810 pro tape machine
and preamp, I play a 15IPS
copy-master tape of Rosie Middleton
singing Habanera from Bizet’s
Carmen. Her effortless vocals really
stand out with superb clarity, and the
crescendos from the percussion are
commanding and strident.
Tight, deep and powerful
Switching reels to The Yuko Mabuchi
Trio playing live, Mabuchi’s piano
on What Is This Thing Called Love
sparkles with energy right from the
outset and the crisp clarity of the
drums draws me into the music.
When it comes to the solo spots, the
precise Àngering of the double bass
is tight, deep and powerful. This recording are absolutely Àrst rate
recording highlights the excellent and the strings, in particular, display DETAILS
imaging capabilities of the Clearway beautiful clarity without any edginess. PRICE
£150 for 1m
XLR with the double bass on the left, The imaging and depth are superb
TELEPHONE
piano in the centre and drums on the and the music never seems to 01980 625700
right of the soundstage. emanate from the speaker cabinets WEBSITE
Another excellent copy-master tape but, rather, from ‘virtual instruments’ chord.co.uk
of Haydn’s Concerto No.1 in C Major within my room. In summary, this
played by I Solisti di Pavia from Open reasonably priced XLR interconnect OUR VERDICT
Reel Records is incredibly clear. The offers a really reÀned presentation
dynamics, realism and energy of this across a wide range of music. NR

QED
Performance Audio
40i RCA interconnect
A RECENTLY RELEASED upgrade
to QED’s established Performance
Audio 40, this RCA interconnect
employs the company’s Solid Core
Complementary Conductors to reduce
capacitance by a quarter – compared
with the original design – to enlarge
the soundstage. The new cable has
one OFC conductor and a silver-
plated OFC conductor to carry the
audio signal to reduce smearing and
improve rhythm, clarity and bass
control. The interconnect retains
the company’s ferrite insulation and
DETAILS Anamate low eddy current RCA plugs.
PRICE When I reviewed the original
£50 for 1m
Performance Audio 40 (HFC 403), I
WEBSITE
qed.co.uk found it had a great top end and
excellent timing, but the bass was a
OUR VERDICT tad restrained. Connecting the 40i
between my preamp and monoblocks,
Khachaturian’s Spartacus sees a vast
improvement to the bass drums. This
time, they don’t pull any punches
and the performance is big, full and
powerful – so the bass has certainly
improved. The brass instruments are
commanding and the strings are clear
without being over bright or harsh.
Going solo
Listening to a solo instrument is an
excellent way to check out detail and
a lovely LP of JS Bach’s Partita No.2
played on the harpsichord by Trevor
Pinnock has superb detail and a real
presence in my listening room. There
is no hint of muddiness in the
harmonics of each individual note
during the louder crescendos.
Finally, for some vocals, I turn to a
copy-master tape from Chasing The
Dragon with Clare Teal singing Cole
Porter’s I’ve Got You Under My Skin
accompanied by the fabulous Syd
Lawrence Orchestra. The timing
and pace of this swinging piece are
superb and once again the realism
of the performance is excellent
while Teal’s vocals – along with
each instrument in the orchestra –
have a clearly deÀned position
within the soundstage. Overall,
the Performance Audio 40 is an
excellent interconnect and offers
great value for money. NR

106 NOVEMBER 2021

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Distributed by Henley Audio

T: +44 (0) 1235 511 166 | E: sales@henleyaudio.co.uk | W: www.henleyaudio.co.uk | : HenleyAudioUK | : HenleyAudio
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 BUYINGGUIDE

Buying Guide
Selecting the components you want to audition is never easy, but help is at hand
with our pick
p of the best to pass through our respected reviewing process

ds
Recommen
HI-FI
ESSENTIAL NT
YOU’LL WA
TO OWN

CD players p110 Amplifiers p111 Pre/power amps p111

Cables p112-113 Network audio players p114
Music servers p114 DACs p115 Loudspeakers p116-118
One-box systems p118 Turntables p119
Cartridges p119 Phono stages p120
Headphones p120-121 Portable DACs p121
NOVEMBER 2021 109
 BUYINGGUIDE

CD PLAYERS

Audiolab Cambridge Audio Exposure

6000CDT AXC35 XM CD
PRICE: £380 REVIEWED: HFC 447 PRICE: £300 REVIEWED: HFC 454 PRICE: £1,200 REVIEWED: HFC 455

The 6000CDT is exceptional at revealing what’s
on your discs to deliver a great big soundstage
with plenty of detail inside. It can dig down deep
into the mix to eke out the different musical
strands while dynamically and rhythmically it’s
hard to beat at the price. In short, it’s a super,
highly affordable audiophile CD transport.
Something of a budget marvel, you’ll have to
work extra hard to get the AXC35 to put a foot
wrong. Bass is firm, detailed and blessed
with excellent timing; the tonal palette is
pleasingly broad and clean; and though the
soundstage doesn’t extend much beyond the
speakers, there’s great depth perspective.
A highly likeable half-width compact disc player
that presents music in an enjoyable yet
technically accurate manner, the XM CD might
lack the operational slickness and versatility
of some rivals, but it more than makes up for it
with its energetic, lively sound, dynamic light
and shade and charming character.

Métronome Musical Fidelity Rotel

Technologie M3scd CD11 Tribute
Le Player 2S PRICE: £1,150 REVIEWED: HFC 450 PRICE: £400 REVIEWED: HFC 469

PRICE: £5,100 REVIEWED: HFC 449
As good as the sweet treble and rich bass are,
what really impresses here is how when fed
weaker CDs and impoverished MP3s the
delivery remains unflappable and composed
as layers of detail are locked into sharp focus.
Able to string together elements of the mix
dextrously for a natural and believable sound,
the M3scd’s combination of detail and rhythmic
alacrity are highly impressive while its excellent
timing and tonal balance leave you wanting
more. With its lovely, lyrical sonics oozing detail
and subtlety, this is an extremely capable player.
A stunning team up between Marantz legend
Ken Ishiwata before his sad passing and hi-fi
luminary Karl-Heinz Fink, this is not one of
those do-it-all players. Instead, its simple,
refined sound and no-nonsense operation
combine for a stunningly frill-free approach
to superb playback at a great price.

ALSO CONSIDER

Audiolab Leema Acoustics Marantz Roksan

8300CDQ
£1,100 HFC 448
Taking the winning recipe of the
8200CDQ and adding an upgraded DAC
with DSD playback, the accurate and
uncoloured sound of the Audiolab is
unmistakable. Vast amounts of detail are
extracted from the mix, soundstaging is
incredible and music flows naturally.
Stream IV
£2,300 HFC 456
The latest update to this long-established
player feels a considerable step forward.
CD playback is highly refined, assured
and transparent, bass is rock solid with
visceral depth that positively grips your
solar plexus and streaming shares all
these qualities for the best of both worlds.
SACD 30n
£2,700 HFC 468
While its styling might be a touch
divisive, the SACD 30n’s involving,
detailed and highly refined sound is
beyond dispute whether it be with SACD
or CD. Meanwhile, its neat supreme
streaming integration ensures a great
performance without discs too.
K3 CD Di
£1,300 HFC 403
Offering the relatively rare combination
of smooth tonality with a lively and
animated way of presenting the music,
the K3 CD Di displays a sweet and
even tonal balance with a panoramic
soundstage. In short, it’s closer to good
analogue sound than digital.

110 NOVEMBER 2021

 BUYINGGUIDE

AMPLIFIERS

Copland Cyrus Audio Hegel

CSA150 i7-XR H120
PRICE: £4,988 REVIEWED: HFC 479 PRICE: £2,300 REVIEWED: HFC 473 PRICE: £2,200 REVIEWED: HFC 460

A tube/transistor hybrid that’s more than the
sum of its parts, the CSA150 is not just a fine
all-rounder as it also excels sonically with a big,
strong, engaging performance that’s also
surprisingly subtle and detailed for such a
muscular thing. Well worth an audition, it’s a
bargain at the price considering all that it does.
Cyrus’ engineers have been let off the leash
budget-wise and the result is very impressive
because while this is still unquestionably a
Cyrus integrated amp – it looks like one, feels
like one and has all the features we’d expect
from the company – everything is ramped up
and sounds better than ever before.
The versatile talent that was the Rőst may have
left the building, but its star quality lives on in
the H120. Upgraded and buffed for the digital
delights of a new decade, its mixture of terrific
sound quality, supreme build and across-the-
board competence ensure that it ticks all the
boxes and so comes highly recommended.

Quad Rega Yamaha

Vena II io A-S3200
PRICE: From £650 REVIEWED: HFC 448 PRICE: £380 REVIEWED: HFC 475 PRICE: £5,000 REVIEWED: HFC 464

With a comprehensive spec that moves
Quad’s most compact integrated on and
enough weight to bring any type of music so
thrillingly to life, the Vena II does a fine job of
giving bass natural weight, snap and dynamic
ability while delivering a big room-filling
sound that belies those tiny dimensions.
It might appear small and rather plain and it
might not be over flowing with features or boast
a huge amount of Watts, but give the io a
talented source and you can’t fail to be
impressed by its outrageous musicality and
lightness of foot. It’s at one with the music with
a supple fluency and rhythmical literacy.
This highly accomplished performer
succeeds through its breadth of ability rather
than exceeding in one specific area. A highly
capable performer, its snappy sound and
gutsy demeanour combine with speed,
grip versatility and power to create a
great-looking beast of an integrated.

PRE/POWER AMPLIFIERS

Cambridge Audio Longdog Audio Exposure Rotel

Edge W
£2,500 HFC 447
The Edge W power amplifier quotes
2x 100W RMS output and has oodles of
power to drive pretty much any speaker.
It has a neutral sound with a hint of
sweetness and an upbeat nature
underwritten by plenty of insight that’s
seriously good for the money.
P6100M
£3,500 HFC 469
They may look and feel old-fashioned,
but the P6100Ms are one of those rare
but happy hi-fi surprises: seriously high-
end sound for mid-price money. More
transparent than they have any right to
be, they have a fluid and mellifluous
midband and pack one hell of a punch.
XM7/XM9
£1,240/£1,390 HFC 429
Fast, open and three dimensional, the
XM9 pairing is capable of driving more
awkward speaker loads to high levels
without any complaint. Partnered with
the XM7 preamp/DAC, Exposure’s house
sound means a fulsome bass, midband
detail and a smooth, yet spacious treble.
Michi P5/S5
£3,300/£5,400 HFC 467
Rotel’s high-end sub-brand might not be
the last word in attack and slam, and
some might bemoan its lack of detail.
But that misses the point: when it comes
to weight, scale and a breath-takingly
natural approach to making music, few
combos come even close to this one.

NOVEMBER 2021 111

 BUYINGGUIDE
CABLES – INTERCONNECTS
Atlas Cables
Element Achromatic
PRICE: £86 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 472
Achromatic means without colour and that’s very
much what you get with this affordable offering.
Compared with previous Atlas Element cables
this has increased OCC copper content on the
conductors and a new process for reduced
distortion. The result is great spaciousness to
the soundstage and imaging plus powerful bass.
Gekko Cables
Red Dusk
PRICE: £250 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 456
A directional unshielded RCA interconnect,
the Red Dusk is made of two twisted solid-
core OFHC copper conductors clad in silver.
Once run-in, the soundstage takes on a more
three-dimensional presentation, subtle
details come to the fore and the orchestra
fills the entire width of the room.
112 NOVEMBER 2021
Black Rhodium
Minuet
PRICE: £160 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 453
Replacing the Prelude, this RCA interconnect
is screened and employs silver-plated copper
wire to improve clarity and high-frequency
performance. The result is remarkably
sophisticated for the money with detail,
positioning of instruments, imaging and
separation absolutely nailed on.
Kimber Kable
Select USB-Cu
PRICE: From £563 REVIEWED: HFC 456
Terminated with hand-made purpleheart and
gaboon ebony connector housings, this
distinctive USB cable achieves a soundstage
that is both wide and deep. The edginess of
violins is deeply impressive while instruments
are perfectly located across the room revealing a
stunning mix of definition and clarity.
Ecosse Cables
Master Reference SE
PRICE: £425 for 0.8m REVIEWED: HFC 455
Designed to convey an even greater degree of
transparency, detail and three dimensionality
than its rival interconnects, the Master
Reference SE certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Punchy basslines, well-defined positioning,
supreme soundstage width and clear focus
are very much the order of the day here.
Tellurium Q
Blue
PRICE: £186 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 439
The baby brother of TQ’s Black USB cable, the
Blue is of the AB configuration for hookup to a
DAC and aims to minimise distortion. This it
does with consummate ease while adding
energetic, pounding bass and superb
instrument placement within a broad,
realistic soundstage for good measure.

CABLES – MAINS POWER
Atlas Cables
Eos dd
PRICE: £145 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 452
Referring to ‘dual drain’ technology, the
Eos dd is designed to act as a filter against
incoming contamination. The result is an
inky blackness between musical phrases
and a supremely low noise floor, while
detail and imaging improve as interference
is banished.
Furutech
Roxy
PRICE: £233 for 1.5m REVIEWED: HFC 447
Connecting the Roxy to a source
component immediately removes a layer
of glare and ‘glint’ from the sound; tonally
it’s darkly translucent instead of shiny white
gloss, allowing the listener to hear more
into the music and appreciate the space
between the notes.
“A man who stops advertising to save money is like
a man who stops a clock to save time.”
Black Rhodium
Stream
PRICE: £450 for 1.7m REVIEWED: HFC 430
Black Rhodium has discovered that optimum
sound quality is obtained from cables of 1.7m,
hence this offering featuring silver-plated
copper conductors. And who are we to argue,
considering the impressive clarity and focus
of instruments combined with a noise floor
displaying an impressive lack of interference.
IsoTek
Evo3 Initium
PRICE: £65 for 1.5m REVIEWED: HFC 413
IsoTek’s entry-level power cable has a
distinctive opalescent green finish that is
flexible and stylish. Once employed, there’s
a noticeable step up in the quality of musical
instrument focus while clarity improves as
the background becomes quieter and bass
more extended.
- Henry Ford
BUYINGGUIDE
Chord Company
Shawline
PRICE: £200 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 438
Available at a variety of lengths, the Shawline
mains cable is made from three lots of 14 AWG
multi-strand conductors. Test highlights
include superior front-to-back imaging,
with all the tonal complexities of the
instruments really coming to life, delivering
genuine energy to orchestral performances.
Russ Andrews
30th Anniversary YellO
PRICE: £65 for 1m REVIEWED: HFC 423
First introduced in the nineties, the YellO
benefits from years of research into the
effects of mains quality. Employing pure
copper conductors, this relaunched cable
results in a wider, deeper soundstage and the
improvement it brings to instrument focus
has to be heard to be believed.
NOVEMBER 2021 113
 BUYINGGUIDE

NETWORK AUDIO PLAYERS

Auralic Cambridge Audio Matrix Audio

Vega G2.1 Edge NQ Element X
PRICE: £6,000 REVIEWED: HFC 476 PRICE: £3,500 REVIEWED: HFC 447 PRICE: £2,800 REVIEWED: HFC 473

Less of a lowly DAC preamp and more of a
musical Swiss army knife, this is a seriously
classy product that offers a decent upgrade path
and a performance that is among the most
detailed and finessed in the sector. With
supreme functionality, top-notch build and
glorious sonics, it demands to be auditioned.
Something of a departure from CA’s usual
fare, this network music player also combines
the additional versatility of a DAC and preamp
to serve up a sumptuously wide recorded
acoustic, with a hugely expansive sound that
partners massive punch with great precision
for a clean, direct and enjoyable sound.
Supporting everything from network streaming
to 768kHz PCM, DSD1024, MQA and Roon, the
Element X can also comfortably drive a variety of
headphones. Tardis like it hides a multitude of
features in its svelte shell and operationally it
proves pretty much impossible to throw off
course. Be warned, it goes seriously loud.

NAD Naim Yamaha

M33 ND5 XS 2 WXAD-10
PRICE: £4,000 REVIEWED: HFC 466 PRICE: £2,300 REVIEWED: HFC 454 PRICE: £150 REVIEWED: HFC 442

Hot on the heels of 2019’s M10, the M33 has
raised the bar even further. In its full-size
guise it offers the same style, flexibility and
ease of use combined with a performance
that’s just as arresting with analogue sources
as it is when streaming. Throw in futureproof
MDC updating slots, and you’re on to a winner.
Delivering Naim’s distinctive flare and typically
impressive sound – superb low-end drive
with texture and presence combined with a
delicious sweetness – this Roon-compatible
network music player is supremely engineered,
over flowing with useful features and capable
of a sparkling performance.
One of the smallest options around, this
MusicCast network audio player might not
look like much, but don’t be fooled – it has it
where it counts. Tonal balance is neutral; bass
is well integrated with good detail; and the
space and three dimensionality add to the
realism, making it great value for money.

MUSIC SERVERS

Bluesound Innuos Melco Naim

Vault 2i
£1,100 HFC 452
If you see yourself buying into the BluOS
ecosystem favoured by the Canadian
brand and its cohorts, this 2TB, server,
ripper and player compatible with up to
24-bit/192kHz PCM and MQA files, is a
great way of starting off in one room
and expanding as your system grows.
Zenith Mk3
From £3,000 HFC 451
With one of the best interfaces going
and a potently flexible spec, the 4TB, CD
ripping Zenith can be used as a Roon
Core and delivers an outstanding
performance that inspires confidence
even for those starting out. It should
be right near the top of any shortlist.
N100 EX
£2,000 HFC 462
Following a software update back in
December 2019, the N100 became
the EX so it’s now powered by the
excellent Intelligent Music Library
system – the best in the business. The
sharp lines of the chassis combined with
the crisp, clean sound help seal the deal.
Uniti Core
£1,900 HFC 438
Equipped with a CD ripper and 1TB SSD,
the Uniti Core takes on an understated
role as it handles 32-bit/384kHz PCM
and DSD128 music files impeccably.
Presentation is pleasingly neutral and it
simply lets whatever network audio
player is attached get on with the music.

114 NOVEMBER 2021

 BUYINGGUIDE

DACS

Alpha Design Labs Audiolab Chord Electronics

Stratos M-DAC+ TT2
PRICE: £1,315 REVIEWED: HFC 455 PRICE: £800 REVIEWED: HFC 449 PRICE: £3,400 REVIEWED: HFC 468

Remarkably flexible at the price, the Stratos
offers an impressively wide-reaching range of
features without compromising sound quality.
The soundstage is wide and open with a refined
presentation, delicate details are reproduced
with breath-taking accuracy and instrument
separation and location are absolutely spot on.
While some DACs can dive deeper into a
recording, what’s so likeable about the
M-DAC+ is its poise, control and command of
the bigger musical picture. With its stunning
grasp of flow and tempo, there’s a welcome
warmth to its presentation and its solid three
dimensional imaging is second to none.
We could talk about dynamic range and noise
floor modulation, but the TT2 simply creates a
more believable illusion of a physical presence
and space than its rivals. Combining superb
build, typical design flair and stunning sound
quality, this is a DAC that not only believes in the
superiority of digital, but goes on to prove it too.

NEW
ENTRY

iFi Audio Mytek PS Audio

Zen DAC V2 Brooklyn Bridge DirectStream
PRICE: £160 REVIEWED: HFC 480 PRICE: £2,500 REVIEWED: HFC 461 PRICE: £4,860 REVIEWED: HFC 468

Supporting PCM files up to 384kHz and up to
DSD256, this converter – that doubles as a
headphone amp – is an absurdly talented
option for the money. Connected to a digital
source capable of delivering a lossless signal
or better, it is consistently capable of an
outstanding audio performance.
Adding a new network card – with two USB ports,
two coaxial and an optical input – so that the
Brooklyn DAC effectively becomes a network-
capable music player, the Brooklyn Bridge
boasts exceptional bass with a clean and highly
detailed sound, impressive features for easy
operation and superb clarity.
By converting everything it’s fed to DSD, the
DirectStream reveals more from CDs than its
rivals for a superlative analogue-like sound
that has more in common with master tape
than anything digital can usually muster. Low-
level resolution, refinement and a majestic
sense of composure add to the positives.

DRAGONFLY COBALT
DAC + PREAMP + HEADPHONE AMP
The award-winning DragonFly Cobalt has the robust 2.1-volt output to drive almost any headphone, uses a bit-
perfect digital volume control for outstanding signal-to-noise ratio, enables seamless compatibility with Apple
and Android devices, and is an exceptionally competent and affordable MQA Renderer.

Cobalt’s precedent-setting performance is made possible by:

• New ESS ES9038Q2M DAC chip with a minimum-phase slow roll-off filter for more natural sound.
• New Microchip PIC32MX274 microprocessor reduces current draw and increases processing speed by 33%.
• Improved power-supply filtering, specifically designed to reduce WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular noise.
• Includes a form-fitting Carbon-level DragonTail USB-A to USB-C adaptor.

From MP3 to MQA and Hi-Res, DragonFly Cobalt preserves the body, warmth, and natural color in all your music. Experience
more beauty at home and everywhere you listen.

NOVEMBER 2021 115

 BUYINGGUIDE

FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS

NEW
ATC ENTRY Bowers & NEW
ENTRY DALI
SCM40 Wilkins Spektor 6
PRICE: £4,000
REVIEWED: HFC 480 702 PRICE: £500
REVIEWED: HFC 473
One of the company’s
more compact designs,
Signature This Group Test
winner positions itself
PRICE: £5,000
this 40-litre three-way REVIEWED: HFC 480 at an extremely
floorstander is a sealed competitive price
Sporting B&W’s
box cabinet with lower point and while it
tweeter-on-top, this
sensitivity than most looks like a £500
stunning three-way
(necessitating a pretty loudspeaker, it sounds
comes with a glorious
muscular amp to hear it like it costs way more.
at its best). However, this Datuk Gloss ebony-
It has a lovely natural
coloured veneer. It has
is a solid, robust, powerful tone, plus lots of detail and great dynamics. It
a big controlled sound that fills large rooms
and gutsy-sounding speaker with plenty of sounds big, confident and expansive and yet is
with ease, ensuring rousing renditions of
insight and expansive soundstaging. Subtle and never overbearing or in anyway in your face.
music overflowing with copious air and space
delicate enough for softer moments, it’s equally Throw into the mix a devastating combination of
and impressive soundstaging. Deft handling
comfortable going loud – displaying dramatically finesse and musicality and it’s insatiable appetite
and plenty of punch complete the package.
rendered crescendos and a fine sense of space. for rhythm, and it’s a no-brainer at the price.

Kerr NEW
ENTRY
Monitor Spendor
Acoustic Audio D7.2
K320 Gold PRICE: £4,500
REVIEWED: HFC 456

mk.3 300 A crisp, open and

even-sounding
PRICE: £7,500 PRICE: £4,000
REVIEWED: HFC 480 REVIEWED: HFC 453 loudspeaker that’s
impressively engaging
This Group Test The benefits the
and surprisingly
winning floorstander Gold 300 brings to
dynamic – especially
comprehensively openness, clarity,
for a floorstander at
trounced everything fine detail and
this price. There’s
else in almost every harmonic structure
more space around
way in its roundup. It boasts a tonality that’s is very special. Although with vividly
vocals and a lighter
a touch on the warm side of dry alongside a produced material it can verge on the ‘hyper
more spry sound to cymbals, making for a
soundstage of architectral precision. In other real’, this is a consummate crowd pleaser that
lifelike sound despite its ability to remain
respects it has extended yet propulsive bass, more than any rival at the price sells an idea of
smooth and sophisticated. The D7.2 is a
a joyously open midband and a deliciously high-end luxury and sonic excellence that’s
modestly sized, highly capable, do-it-all
lustrous treble. Plus it makes music great fun. hard to distinguish from the real thing.
loudspeaker that’s well worth an audition.

LOUDSPEAKER CABLES

Chord Company Chord Company QED True Colours Industries

Epic XL
£600 1.5m, terminated HFC 450
Combining elements of Chord’s
Signature Reference/XL with its Epic
speaker cable, the XL bristles with
energy and brings fantastic detail to the
fore. Subtle elements are captivatingly
clear, soundstage depth is enormous
and clarity is supremely enhanced.
Odyssey X
£150 1m, terminated HFC 451
Made from the same materials as the
Rumour X (HFC 447), the Odyssey X
is designed to bring more control to
dynamics and definition, and boy does it
deliver. Front-to-back imaging is superb,
instruments are well focused and clearly
positioned while piano is full and rich.
XT25
£85 3m HFC 434
Claimed to achieve a lowering of
impedance compared with a traditional
large cross-sectional area twin-core cable,
the XT25 offers up great refinement and
engaging musicality. Vocals are clear and
full bodied, silence between phrases is
eerily quiet and the noise floor is very low.
Storm
£22 1m HFC 453
This flexible ribbon cable is 2mm thick,
making it ideal for hiding away under the
carpet for tidy bi-wire hook-ups, while its
tight and well-controlled performance
reveals impressive openness with a
spacious sound that’s full and entirely
uncluttered, even during crescendos.

116 NOVEMBER 2021

 BUYINGGUIDE

STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKERS

Bowers & Wilkins Falcon Acoustics Fyne Audio

607 S2 Anniversary RAM Studio 20 F1-8
PRICE: £450 REVIEWED: HFC 470 PRICE: From £2,000 REVIEWED: HFC 446 PRICE: £6,000 REVIEWED: HFC 473

More than just a range refresh, this baby box has
had new life breathed into it in a rather skilful and
expert way. So much more than
the sum of its parts, the 607 S2 Anniversary
Edition is highly engaging across all types of
music, has a super classy treble and is the best
B&W entry-level standmount yet.
The RAM Studio 20 clearly favours amps with
plenty of grip, especially in the bass. It might
not offer forensic levels of detail with which to
dissect a recording, but as a wide-bandwidth,
high-performance standmount that sounds
easy, natural and is dripping with musical
finesse, it takes some beating.
If the F1-8 is anything to go by, size really does
matter. If you’re short of space, look elsewhere as
this is a beast that won’t melt into the
background. But as a speaker that merges
the strengths of the best standmounts and
floorstanders, it is dynamic, dextrous and deeply
satisfying with all types of music.

Q Acoustics Sonus faber Spendor

Concept 300 Lumina I Classic 3/1
PRICE: £3,000 REVIEWED: HFC 448 PRICE: £800 REVIEWED: HFC 477 PRICE: £2,730 REVIEWED: HFC 476

With unexpectedly large amounts of midband
detail, a bouncy bottom end and enjoyable
musicality, the Concept 300 conjures up
a charming sound that puts the accent on
civility and smoothness, but never at the
expense of musical enjoyment – making it
excellent value for money at the price.
A worthy entry point into the Sonus faber family
and a genuine star in its own right, the Lumina I
manages to sound bigger, more self-assured and
room filling than you’d expect from looking at it.
It does all this while still delivering on the virtues
expected from the company and looking and
feeling very pleasant at the same time.
The Spendor Classic may not be as modern
looking as some rivals at the price, but don’t
be fooled: that traditional design hides a
superbly talented standmount able to
produce a sensational blend of accuracy,
scale, refinement and sheer unadulterated
fun, and it’s not too fussy about placement.

LOUDSPEAKER SUPPORTS

Atacama Audio Hi-Fi Racks IsoAcoustics Townshend Audio

Apollo Cyclone 6
£100 HFC 455
Available in a choice of three sizes so
you can get the height of your cabinets
correctly positioned to suit your
listening position, this stand removes
unwanted vibrations from the
performance sharpening imaging and
instrument focus for a full, refined sound.
X50
From £180.48 HFC 453
Solidly built, these elegant yet classy
speaker stands are available in a choice
of flexible customisation options,
removing all colouration from the
performance and giving the impression
the cabinet is floating in mid-air. Great
value for money and a simple upgrade.
GAIA II
£300 HFC 427
Attaching the GAIA II feet to the
underside of your speaker provides a
high degree of isolation that gives it the
opportunity to breath and display a level
of clarity and openness that’s easy to
hear. Music just sounds right with them
in place and the price is right too.
Seismic Isolation Podium
From £1,400 HFC 426
Placing your loudspeaker on to a
Seismic Isolation Podium is a revelation.
The way it completely removes its
interaction with its surroundings is
mind blowing, bringing clarity to the
entire frequency range, enabling it to
communicate far more effectively.

NOVEMBER 2021 117

 BUYINGGUIDE

WIRELESS LOUDSPEAKERS

Bluesound Devialet KEF

Pulse Flex 2i Phantom Reactor 900 LS50 Wireless II
PRICE: £300 REVIEWED: HFC 453 PRICE: £2,580 REVIEWED: HFC 456 PRICE: £2,250 REVIEWED: HFC 479

With no shortage of lower frequencies, the Pulse
Flex 2i’s bass extension is controlled, pleasantly
quick and has an impressive level of clout to it.
Used as a pair, the soundstage is large and
effortless underpinned by the aforementioned
bass while the connections and range of features
provide impressive flexibility.
Unlike any other wireless designs, the
distinctive Phantom boasts 900W of peak
power via its hybrid Class A/D amp and bass
that dives down to a barely believable 18Hz.
The result is power and extension that defies
physics, but more impressive still is how it
performs at low volume levels.
Combining an extensive and highly practical
specification that makes it an ideal one-stop
shop with a level of overall performance that is
truly outstanding, the LS50 Wireless II might not
be cheap, but it is unquestionably a quite superb
all-in-one solution that images better than most
rivals and is sonically fabulous.

KEF Naim System Audio

LSX Mu-so 2nd Legend 5.2 Silverback
PRICE: £1,000 REVIEWED: HFC 446
Generation PRICE: £2,800 REVIEWED: HFC 474

It might not offer the muscle and dynamic
reach of the LS50 Wireless, but the LSX is cut
from the same sonic cloth. Size, style, flexibility
and sound quality all impress, but it’s the active
ingredient which enables a performance that
similarly priced passive systems will find hard
to match that wins the day.
PRICE: £1,300 REVIEWED: HFC 452
A world away from the traditional components
Naim is known for, the Mu-so 2nd Generation
delivers unfailingly entertaining sonics with hi-fi
values and an exceptional musicality.
The best one-box speaker system full stop.
A new paradigm that shatters the notion that
you need a strapping floorstander for deep,
powerful bass, the Legend 5.2 Silverback
musters a performance that is as coherent,
palpable, tonally true and rhythmically
compelling as the very best available rival
at many multiples of its price.

ONE-BOX SYSTEMS

Cambridge Audio NAD Naim Novafidelity

Evo 150
£2,250 HFC 477
In terms of functionality, the Evo
150 offers little over a dedicated
streaming amp such as Hegel's H95.
As an object of desire, however, it's
on a different plane – as lovely to look
at as it is to use and to listen to. There
will be many takers for it.
M10
£2,200 HFC 451
With its super flexibility, powerful
amplifier design, big front panel
touchscreen and impressive BluOS
platform, this is a supremely stylish
offering. Sonically it’s a very powerful
and refined system while its definition
and precision is in ample supply.
Uniti Star
£3,500 HFC 433
Fast, powerful and grippy with oodles of
emotion and a pleasingly expressive
tonality, the Uniti Star might not have the
forensic detail resolution of some
similarly priced rivals, but it isn’t far off.
Otherwise it’s practically impossible to
find fault at the price.
X14
£690 HFC 446
Deserving of praise for the functionality
it manages to squeeze into such a
compact and elegant chassis, the X14’s
well thought out and practical approach
will attract those looking to take their
first steps into network audio and it
makes a greater second-room setup.

118 NOVEMBER 2021

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TURNTABLES

AnalogueWorks AVID Linn

TT Zero Volvere SP Majik LP12/Krane
PRICE: £1,500 REVIEWED: HFC 453 PRICE: From £5,500 REVIEWED: HFC 472 PRICE: £3,500 REVIEWED: HFC 477

Pristine without being bright, the TT Zero has
fine tonal discrimination and starts and stops
precisely where it should. It is able to unpick all
the audio strands with ease, sounding, open
and airy with plenty of sparkle and bite, a low
noise floor, lucid rhythmic gait and impressively
clean, controlled and tuneful bass.
With its dynamic, detailed and confident
presentation, the Volvere SP delivers all of the
thrills hidden in your vinyl's grooves and adds
a few more just for good measure. Rock solid,
unerringly precise and gloriously natural, it’s
a triumph that combines the joys of a belt
drive with the accuracy of a direct drive.
For such an old design, this Group Test winner
sounds surprisingly modern. It’s not as soft and
rounded as it used to be, but still retains enough
of the traditional Sondek character for it to
charm listeners. The result is a big, confident
and enjoyable sound that’s tonally a little warm
but with high levels of technical virtuosity.

Pro-Ject Rega Technics

Debut Carbon EVO Planar 10 SL-1500C
PRICE: £450 REVIEWED: HFC 468 PRICE: £4,500 REVIEWED: HFC 456 PRICE: £900 REVIEWED: HFC 453

Easy to setup and unfussy in use, the Debut
Carbon EVO’s extremely well-balanced sonic
performance is comfortably the equal of any
price rival, while the spaciousness of its
soundstage and the unblemished nature of
its performance make this one of the best
sub-£500 turntable offerings period.
A masterpiece that is without doubt one of
Rega’s finest achievements, the Planar 10
manages to deliver a performance that is
outstanding even at this lofty price point. Utterly
unflappable, it offers incredible detail retrieval
combined with a naturally low noise floor to dish
up captivating vinyl execution.
The built-in phono stage is terrific, while the
take-no-prisoners sonic personality sounds
joyously lively, enthusiastic and ‘on it’. Thanks
to its legendary torque and stability, it locks
down timing and rhythm with start-stop
precision and its firm, deep and expressive
bass adds unrivalled impetus and authority.

CARTRIDGES

Audio-Technica Hana Michell Sumiko

AT-OC9XEN
£300 HFC 452
This Group Test-winning moving-coil
cart utilises an elliptical nude stylus
mated to an assembly using two coils
rather than one – which is something of
an A-T trademark – and balances excellent
performance with a useful boost to user
friendliness, thanks to its threaded body.
ML
£1,000 HFC 447
With a threaded insert to make fitting
easy, the ML is a low-output moving-coil
design sat right at the top of Hana’s
range. Boasting a performance full of
energy, presence and a believable sense
of delay, it’s the depth and fine detail of
bass that really impresses here.
Cusis S
£1,275 HFC 479
With a wonderfully refined but potent
performance, this Group Test-winning
moving-coil cartridge has user-friendly
dimensions and stunning bass. The
result is that it is deftly able to deliver a
superb performance with a variety of
different musical styles and setups.
Songbird Low
£900 HFC 479
Available in both high and low-output
guises, the Songbird is a fabulously
accomplished moving-coil capable of
an even-handed but highly engaging
sound. Bass response is impressively
deep and controlled and there’s a
wonderful tonal richness on show.

NOVEMBER 2021 119

 BUYINGGUIDE

PHONO STAGES

Chord Electronics Hegel iFi Audio

Huei V10 Zen Phono
PRICE: £900 REVIEWED: HFC 459 PRICE: £1,300 REVIEWED: HFC 474 PRICE: £150 REVIEWED: HFC 476

The Huei’s appeal extends from its rock-
solid build and playful, sphere-based
control system to its impressive knack
of extracting the best from a turntable/
cartridge combo without being too
painfully honest about the ropier
aspects of less-than-pristine recordings.
It might be fiddly to setup and ensuring you
pick the best combination of DIP switches for
your cartridge isn’t the most of intuitive of
processes, but the V10 is effortlessly smooth,
gloriously insightful and impeccably voiced
for a crystal-clear performance with a wide
range of different MM or MC pick-ups.
An astonishing performance and superb flexibility.
Until you find yourself at the price where
features like adjustable loading and capacitance
are possible, the spec for the asking price is
outstanding. This is one of a tiny number of
designs anywhere near this price that can do
justice to pretty much any cartridge under £500.

Musical Fidelity Rega Tom Evans

M6x Vinyl Aura MicroGroove+ X mkII
PRICE: £1,700 REVIEWED: HFC 475 PRICE: £4,000 REVIEWED: HFC 446 PRICE: £1,000 REVIEWED: HFC 469

This multi-talented design offers a superb
combination of excellent connectivity,
versatile loading and gain options, a great
user interface and excellent sound. Tonally
it’s very neutral with a crisp clean and
spacious tone that’s less euphonic than some
may like, but nonetheless fun to listen to.
This MC-only preamp combines superb
engineering and build quality to create an
unashamedly high-end phono stage, but
what sets it apart from the pack is its balance
of accuracy and realism with the ability
to deliver musical joy, making it one of the
finest phono stages available.
The closest thing the UK has to a phono
stage guru, Evans designed the circuit for
this stunning stage in 1989. Unapologetically
plain, light and unassuming, the MicroGroove
cuts the sonic mustard like nothing else to
make even mid-priced turntables sound far
higher end than they actually are. Superb.

IN-EAR HEADPHONES

Audeze Oriveti Sennheiser Bowers & Wilkins

LCDi3
£900 HFC 478
Clarity, subtlety and coherence meet
scale, air and an utterly compelling
sense of dynamic freedom on this
stunning Group Test-winning planar
magnetic in-ear. With great poise and
even handedness, it never gives the
impression of trying too hard.
OH500
£500 HFC 451
Combining an airiness with low-end
extension that most rivals can only
dream of, the OH500’s stylish resin
enclosures house four Knowles balanced
armatures (two for bass and two for the
midrange) with an 8mm dynamic bass
driver for an enjoyably vivid performance.
IE 900
£1,100 HFC 478
If dynamic dexterity and resolution that
would shame a spy satellite are what you
crave, the IE 900 scours the noise floor
like few other in-ear offerings at the
price. Articulation, separation and drive
are equally impressive while treble
extension and refinement are superb.
PI7
£349 HFC 478
The first pair of True wireless in-ears
from B&W does a supreme job of
capturing fine details and stitching them
into a wider whole. Bass extension is
deep without being at the expense of
speed and noise cancelling works
without effecting the tonal balance.

120 NOVEMBER 2021

 BUYINGGUIDE

HEADPHONES

Audio-Technica Bowers & Wilkins Dan Clark Audio

ATH-M50xBT PX7 Aeon 2 Closed
PRICE: £180 REVIEWED: HFC 450 PRICE: £350 REVIEWED: HFC 459 PRICE: £900 REVIEWED: HFC 462

Taking its M50x and turning it into a very
capable wireless design (thanks to Bluetooth
v5.0) without altering its sonic character, Audio-
Technica has come up trumps here. Balance
and refinement join crunching bass, impressive
three dimensionality and decent noise-
cancelling to seal the deal.
Although it’s no match for a high-end wired
design, the noise-cancelling abilities of this
wireless closed-back model are ideal for music
on the move – offering an elevated listening
experience amidst the hustle and bustle of
the city. An essential audition if you’re serious
about enjoying your music out and about.
Available as both open (warmer, fuller tone) and
closed options (leaner midrange), the Aeon 2
is a timely update of the Aeon Flow that was
so popular back in HFC 435. Its improved planar
drivers feature increased damping and conjure
up pinpoint detailing, thundering lower
frequencies and a deft touch with subtle effects.

Fostex Sennheiser T+A

TH909 Momentum 3 Solitaire P-SE
PRICE: £1,650 REVIEWED: HFC 474 PRICE: £350 REVIEWED: HFC 455 PRICE: £3,000 REVIEWED: HFC 477

This Group Test-winner combines a very
accurate performance – entirely in keeping
with something from a manufacturer of pro
audio equipment – with an unbridled level of
entertainment. With superlative space, detail
and energy, it looks great and is extremely
comfortable for longer sessions.
With a Bluetooth performance that makes it hard
to believe this is really a wireless offering, the
Momentum might just be the most consistently
entertaining performer Sennheiser has ever
produced. Excellent design, fabulous features,
subsonic bass and impeccable noise cancelling
complete the package.
Shaving as much as 40 percent off the price
of its flagship P headphone, while retaining
more than 60 percent of the capability, this is
a stunning open-back, planar magnetic T+A
offering. It might be expensive, but the sheer
levels of performance and the quality of the
build and design mean it is one of the best.

PORTABLE DACS

AudioQuest Chord Electronics Chord Electronics iFi Audio

DragonFly Cobalt
£270 HFC 463
With a relatively low 24-bit/96kHz
sample rate, expectations for the Cobalt
aren′t high until realising it means
there′s no need for USB driver software.
Native MQA decoding is also supported
and the open and richly detailed sound
make this the best DragonFly offering yet.
Hugo 2
£1,800 HFC 428
An essential audition, the Hugo 2 is not
just a portable DAC/headphone amp,
but the best hi-fi digital converter
available at or near the price. Music
ebbs and flows along in an organic and
unforced way and it images with
stunning pinpoint precision.
Mojo
£400 HFC 423
It might be small and have no gain
setting adjustment, but the Mojo takes
some beating. Its scrupulous accuracy
presents what is contained in a recording
with no embellishment so that fine detail
is extracted with ease, treble energy
impresses and stridency remains absent.
xDSD
£400 HFC 439
Justifying its inclusion on sound alone,
the xDSD delivers a wide variety of
musical styles with admirable clarity and
precision. It’s engaging, lively sonics and
versatile connectivity make it equally
adept for mobile or desktop use and the
only minor downside is its battery life.

NOVEMBER 2021 121

 Reader Classified ads www.hifichoice.com
For sale / Wanted

Reader AUDIOLAB 8000A amplifier in original packaging

and delivery by DPD (for £20 extra) £240 ono:
01299 270810 or email: as.parker@btinternet.com
(South Shropshire).

Classified
Welcome to Hi-Fi Choice Reader Classified,
a free private ads service for buying and
selling second-hand hi-fi components.
These pages are a must-read if you’re
thinking about buying used kit, or if you
have hi-fi you want to sell. It’s free – simply
submit your ad with no more than 50
words (we reserve the right to edit it if not),
remembering to include your email, phone
FOR SALE
MYRYAD MXT 2000 FM
tuner for sale, excellent,
mint condition, brushed
silver, finish, super FM
reception. £400 ono:
01483 472650
(Woking, Surrey).
AUDIOLAB 8000
CD player, totally mint
condition, remote
control, power lead and
instructions. Can demo.
£175. Collection or your
courier: 07852 61550
or email: derek.03.
forshaw@gmail.com
(Wigan, Lancs).
THORENS TD125
MkII turntable, chassis
only: £900. Linn Basik
IVX tonearm: £150:
07988 081094.
WORLD DESIGNS
KT88 XL power amp,
Phono 3S phono stage,
HD3S XL headphone amp,
Pre4 XL valve preamp,
PSU3 power supply. All
in as-new condition and
excellent working order.
Very little use. £3,500:
01159 754070 or
07531 288156.
Cash on collection only.
£2,500: 07505 583615
(Nottingham).
ICON AUDIO MB845
Mk.1 monoblock
amplifiers. Upgraded
to SE version with new
Mundorf capacitors. New
845 valves on one amp.
Boxed. Great powerful
sound. Sensible offers:
number and county. Simply email your ad 07717 752288 or email:
to: letters@hifichoice.co.uk. This service captain_b99@yahoo.
is open to private advertisers only. Just co.uk (Bristol).
one ad per household and please note CHORD COMPANY
that images are for illustration only and Clearway speaker cable
do not represent what is for sale. 2x 9m ChordOhmic
bananas, C-Digital 1m RCA
NAIM Nac 202 in upgrade: 07850 759256 both ends.AudioQuest
immaculate, clean, or email: julian@showex. Cinnamon USB-A-to-B
working condition all plus.com (Bedfordshire). 1.5m, Golden Gate 3.5mm
jacks both ends 2m,
fittings and bits supplied NOTTINGHAM
with original box (2012) Forest Optical 5m, RCA
ANALOGUE
Noise Stoppers x10. All
– so no bleed on logo. Hyperspace turntable,
less than two years old
Also NAPSC 2 brand new 10in Ace Space arm
and in excellent condition
in box never opened. and NA plinth. Excellent
with light use, sensible
£1,150.00. Selling due to working order/condition.
offers please. Email:
neil.teather@hotmail.
com (Cleveland).
PROAC Tablette
Reference 8 Signature
black speakers, little used:
£595. Musical Fidelity M6
Dac mint condition £600:
01704 628968
or 07968 769595.
EDWARDS AUDIO TT1
turntable in black with
C100 cart. Purchased
2016, but rarely used, with
all original packaging:
£200 ono: 07854 178012
or email: cllrmsmith@
hotmail.co.uk
(Addlestone, Surrey).
CHRIS ROGERS PRO9-TL quarter-wave transmission SONUS FABER
line speakers in teak wood veneer. Based on the Electa Amator speakers
original 1976 design from Practical Hi-Fi and Audio, complete with dedicated
these have been upgraded with new Audax HD12 wood/stone stands.
tweeters fitted with Russ Andrews’ Focus Rings and Fabulous sound.
new Peerless K040-MRF midrange, all replaced
Immaculate condition:
recently, £350 ono: nroberts202142@gmail.com
£2,100: 07741 416584.
(Ferndown, Dorset).
AVI Neutron IV speakers,
walnut, exceptional: £295.
Linn Klassic music system,
silver: £395. Roksan
Kandy 3 integrated
amplifier, stunning: £595.
Collection and view:
07792 555551 (Dorset).
THORENS TD125 MkII
turntable, chassis only:
£900. Linn Basik IVX
tonearm: £150:
07988 081094.
CELESTION F30
floorstanding speakers,
4 binding posts each,
height 36in: £150. Buyer
collects: 01761 568978
or email: stormknightuk@
gmail.com
PROAC Celef monitor
speakers, one owner since
1972. Tear in front fabric.
Includes stands. Offers,
please. 07710 068949 or
email: timfrere@gmail.
com (Dorset).
MITCHELL Gyro 'SE'
turntable, Mitchell
Tecnoarm 2 silver
tonearm. World Audio
WDPhono 3S phono
stage, WDHD3S
headphone amp, WDPre4
valve preamp, power
supply, WDKT88 valve
amp. Collection only:
0115 9754070 or 07531
288156 (Nottingham).
CYRUS Stream Xa
streamer/DAC. Owned
from new with all original
packaging. Just serviced
and upgraded by Cyrus.
Excellent condition £495:
07950 068162 or email:
cliffdartnall@mac.com
(Kent).
TOWNSHEND
Maximum Supertweeters
(1 x pair) matt black,
6 months old. VGC,
like new, boxed, with
instructions and
Townshend Piggy back

BUYING TIPS BUYING SECOND-HAND can be a great way to pick up a bargain. A formerly expensive second-hand component might well prove a better long-term bet than a
brand-new product if the price is right. DO SOME RESEARCH on which brands have a good service back up, so if something does go wrong, you can get it fixed. Unless you
purchase from a dealer, you’re unlikely to get any warranty, so it’s up to you to ensure the fitness of any gear that you buy. USUALLY speakers should be less prone to breakdown than
amps, and amps should be more reliable than CD players. But any abused component could be trouble – have a proper demo and judge the seller as well as the goods!

122 NOVEMBER 2021

Reader Classified ads
cables: £600.Will pay UK
postage. 07940 192313
or 01242 695407 or
email: roythrush60@
googlemail.com
(Cheltenham).
NAIM Nait 1 with red
LED. The front plate has
a little wear, otherwise in
excellent condition and
sounds superb £510 ono:
07833 626984.
CHORD
ELECTRONICS Hugo
TT2, purchased new
August 2020, as new
condition, boxed, with all
accessories, colour black.
I would like £2,995: email:
dave.drew@talktalk.net
(East Yorkshire).
PMC Wafer 1 ‘on-wall’
speakers in white. Perfect
working order and
unmarked except that I
have whited out the tiny
PMC badge on the side
of the screens. I have had
them and loved them for
about five years: £675:
01823 664222 or 07388
088978.
ATC CA2 MK2 preamp
and matching ATC P1
power amp. Excellent
condition with original
packaging, remotes and
manuals: £2,200 ono:
07956 959032 or email:
waynebtully@gmail.com
(Redhill, Surrey).
RUARK Prelude II
speakers, cherry finish
in excellent condition,
original manual: £175.
Alphason AV4/S rack,
1,270 x 395 x 560mm,
black, three shelves,
castors, good condition:
£65. All owned from
new. Collection only:
07484 667428 or email:
cmart75@btinternet.com
(Kent).
NEAT Iota Alpha speakers in Ebony Macassar finish.
Light use. As new condition in original boxes/inserts:
£950 ono. Cyrus CDi CD player, hardly used, as new
condition in original box/inserts £850 ono: 07951
738222 or email: Jbrogden1@gmail.com (Surrey).
PROAC Tablette 10
Signature speakers, cherry
finish, manufactured in
September 2018, excellent
condition. Original box
and packaging: £875
including UK courier: 028
41764088 or email: peter.
houston24@gmail.com
(County Down. N.Ireland).
ATC SCM7 v3 speakers,
cherry, perfect condition
with original box and
manual: £495: 07402
299243 or email:
frank8ush@ntlworld.com
(South Glamorgan).
CROFT integrated R
amplifier, four line inputs,
50W/ch, dual volume
model. As new and boxed:
£850 ono, can demo:
07889 807065 (Essex/
Herts border).
AUDIO
TRANSFORMER
conversion isolation box,
bought from Music First
Audio 2018. Excellent
condition in every respect.
Was £660 new, but will
accept £370 (or nearest
offer): email: ruane.hp@
blueyonder.co.uk (Essex).
REVEL Concerta 2 M16
loudspeaker in gloss
white. As new. Only
one month old. With
original packaging. Will
send free. £550: 0781
1111718 or email: mark.
ruth1@ntlworld.com
(Nottingham).
DYNAVECTOR P75 mk4
phono stage, 2018, as new
£640: 07775 441059.
CREEK Wyndsor
turntable, RB 300
tonearm, LP1 speed
controller, 50mm acrylic
platter, belt driven, Ortofon
Tango cart. Instructions,
various bushes to accept a
choice of tonearm £780:
email: keithaustin1953@
gmail.com
Element
FOCAL Diva Utopia BE
floorstanders. Immaculate
burr ash cabinets. Double
boxed, owned from new.
£3,000 07999 645745
or email: cjw65b@gmail.
com (Blackpool).
ESOTERIC K-05X SACD
player £5,500. Accuphase
DAC-40 board with
coaxial, optical and USB
inputs and install CD
£550. Kimber 8TC speaker
cable 1x 8m and 1x 4m
plus AudioQuest SureGrip
banana plugs £750.
Technics ST-8080 FM
tuner £75 ono. Collection
preferred or delivery at
cost: 07985 975546
or email stevexsteve@
hotmail.com (Yorkshire)
REL Storm 5 subwoofer.
Perfect working order with
remote. Very heavy so
MUST collect. Can deliver
if resonable distance.
£500: 01981 242067
have minimal impact on the signal – with virtually nothing added,
Now standard on Element, Equator, Hyper & our new Ailsa cables.
Our high-precision Achromatic RCA and Z plugs are designed to
(Monmouthshire).
LINN Linto phono
nothing taken away – resulting in improved sound quality.
preamp, excellent
condition, plus Linn
RCA-to-5-point DIN
interconnect and new
power lead. £590: 01245
250375 or email: ruane.
hp@blueyonder.co.uk.
NAIM NAC 5, 5x2m pair
in white fitted with gold-
plated locking banana
plugs: £160. Can post: Element
01732 490492 (Kent). Achromatic
OKKI NOKKI Mk2 RCA
black, complete with S/PDIF
perspex lid. I’d prefer
to deliver if close by
otherwise it’s DHL
(included in price) £300:
01491 642030 or email:
dstockbridge@hotmail.
com (Oxfordshire).
CHORD Signature ARAY
1m mains cable, hardly
used, as new and boxed
£295. 2no sets Naim
cups and balls with 2no
455x345x10mm Fraim-
style grey toughened
glass £65: 07785 733292
(Chichester, Sussex).
ICON AUDIO Stereo 25,
new valves fitted 2015:
£400 (collection only).
Michell Iso/Hera phono
stage £250. Vermouth
Audio RCA interconnect,
4m length £100: 07922
atlascables.com
513810 (Nottingham).
 QUALITY USED HIFI
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SALE! UP TO 40% OFF!
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AUDEZE PARASOUND
Editor Steve Sutherland
BENZ MICRO PEERLESS ORTOFON 2M BLUE £160 Production Editor Jake Day-Williams
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Published by AVTech Media Ltd. All rights reserved, 2015. ISSN 0955-1115. The Publisher’s written consent must be obtained before any part

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and more.... Hi-Fi Choice, ISSN 0955-1115, is published monthly with an additional issue in July by AVTech Media Ltd, a division of MYTIMEMEDIA
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form and hand in at your local store, 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!
 1 NOW HEAR THIS!
Oticon, a Danish company
that makes hearing aids, has
launched MyMusic, which it
says is: “a brand-new way of
amplifying music to bring out the
details,” for people who suffer
from hearing loss. The company
says its Oticon More hearing aid:
“ensures we deliver you an
outstanding music listening
experience, whether you’re
streaming directly from a device
or listening live. Regardless of
your level of hearing loss, you
can once again enjoy every little
nuance of your favourite music.”
The new MyMusic programme is
available to select in the Oticon
ON app as and when needed.
Further information on Oticon
can be found on the company’s
website at: oticon.com.

REASONS TO BE
Exciting things
coming your way in
the month ahead

2GENESIS
REVELATIONS
Nonbinary is the just-published
autobiography of Genesis
P-Orridge, the founder of
Throbbing Gristle and Psychic
TV and massively inÁuential
groundbreaking artist who died
last year. The press release
reveals that the book, published
by Abrahams Publishing: “is the
story of a life of creation and
destruction, where Genesis
CHEERFUL
reveals their unwillingness to be
stuck – stuck in one place, in one
genre or in one gender. This is
Genesis’ Ànal work, shared with
hopes of being an inspiration
to the newest generation of
trailblazers and nonconformists.”
3ANDY,
A STAR
YOU’RE
The Velvet Underground: A
Documentary Film by Todd
Haynes is now on Apple TV+.
Haynes – director of the Bob
Dylan movie I’m Not There, the
Glam Rock Àlm Velvet Goldmine
and Superstar: The Karen THE SOUNDTRACK the amount of e-waste produced
Carpenter Story – has been globally was 44.4-million tonnes
working on the documentary WILL FEATURE and is expected to rapidly rise
about the legendary band to 77.4 by 2030. This growing
managed brieÁy by Andy Warhol
WELL-KNOWN AND amount of e-waste is fuelled
for years and, to celebrate its RARE VU TRACKS by higher consumption rates
release, Republic Records of electrical and electronic
and UMe are putting out the become the Àrst ever Cradle to equipment, mainly driven by
accompanying soundtrack, Cradle-certiÀed speaker in the increasingly changing trends,
which will feature: “both consumer electronics industry, but also shorter product
well-known and rare Velvet which means it’s been applauded lifetimes and increasing
Underground tracks”. for creating a long life-cycle obsolescence. One of the
product with a view to enhancing recommendations to reverse

4 BANG ON!
Bang & Olufsen’s Beosound
Level portable wi-À speaker has
the prospect of a sustainable
future and reducing
environmental impact. In 2019,
this trend within the consumer
electronics industry is to try to
extend the life-time of electronic

126 NOVEMBER 2021


devices. B&O says that designing
products for longevity has
always been a focus for it and
the Cradle to Cradle certiÀcation
paves the way for more rigorous
and measurable steps to ensure
that its customers feel motivated
to protect, repair and upgrade
both their hardware and
software so they can enjoy
a lifetime of music.
5 EMBLEMATIC
Eminem has launched
a new merchandise line in
collaboration with young
designer Millinksy. The Capsule
Collection features shirts,
hoodies and caps which
reference a number of the
rapper’s tracks, including The
Real Slim Shady and Without Me.
Millinsky is the pseudonym of
22-year-old designer Alexandre
Dalliance who has previously
worked with Arctic Monkeys
and The Rolling Stones among
others. “I wanted to reference
Eminem’s whole career to
honour everything he’s done to
inspire me, but also to millions
of people my age. I’ve always
felt honoured to work with every
single artist I had the chance to
work with, but this one feels
extremely special,” Dalliance
said in an Instagram post. Check
out the collection at: shop.
eminem.com/collections/
eminem-x-millinsky.
6 COSMIC COMICS
Z2 comics is releasing three
graphic novels in the next few
weeks. Freddie Mercury: Lover Of
B&O’S BEOSOUND
LEVEL HAS BEEN
PRAISED FOR ITS
LONG LIFE CYCLE
Life, Singer Of Songs is told in the
singer’s own words, with each
chapter: “giving a glimpse into
the many facets of his life”. The
novel: “will give true insight
into the many experiences that
helped shape the young Farrokh
Bulsara and his compelling
existence, both on and off
stage.” The 136-page softcover
and hardcover editions of the
graphic novel are available
to buy now.
Z2 is also releasing a graphic
novel called Apocalypse 91: The
Revolution Never Sleeps created
by Public Enemy’s Chuck D
in celebration of the 30th
anniversary of Public Enemy’s
fourth LP, Apocalypse 91… The
Enemy Strikes Black. In a press
release, Chuck explains that the
REASONS TO BE
CHEERFUL
last few years and we wanted to
do something extra special now
that we can do things again,”
Burgess says. The event will
raise money for the Music Venue
Trust. Record shops involved in
the festivities include Piccadilly
Records, Mars Tapes, Vinyl
Resting Place, Clampdown
Records, Eastern Bloc Records
Vinyl Revival and Wax and
Beans in Bury.
8STRESS FREE
Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi
has announced a new CBD
project offered a chance to tincture called EXHALE,
revisit his past as a visual artist, designed to help combat anxiety.
having graduated from New Described as an “anti-anxiety
York’s Adelphi University with a elixir” in a press release, EXHALE
BFA in Graphic Design: “This is the third collaboration after
graphic novel iss a new take on SLEEP and WAKE between Jónsi
the artwork I’vee been making, com
and VONA, a company which
growing naturallyally from describe itself as: “a
describes
the paint and pens that collectiv of artists,
collective
express what’s on my research and
researchers
mind and reÁect ct farm united by a
farmers
what’s happening ing share passion for
shared
around us,” he said. explo
exploring sensory
The book will expe
experiences”. Jónsi
be offered in sai of EXHALE:
said
four editions, “A
“Anxiety affects
including a pe
people globally,
standard print fro all walks of
from
in softcover and d lif including me.
life,
hardcover forms,ms, So it just made
as well as deluxexe se
sense for us to
edition and superper fo
focus our efforts
deluxe edition ar
around creating
ded
bundles. Included an non-habit
in the latter is a fo
forming, natural
limited-edition
vinyl repressing g of
Apocalypse 91… The Enemy
re
remedy
anx
anxiety.”
for
EXHALE is
said to contain Broad-Spectrum
Strikes Black. CBD (meaning 0 percent THC
Last but certainly not least so it won’t make users high), as
there’s Joan Jett And The well as frankincense, holy basil,
Blackhearts 40 x 40, to celebrate l-theanine, vitamin B6 and reishi
the 40th Anniversary of the I mushroom extract. Bottles cost
Love Rock ‘N’ Roll and Bad £50 each and are available now.
Reputation LPs. The new
anthology has been created by
a host of female artists from
around the world and will come
9 THE STORE
THAT JACK BUILT
Jack White’s Third Man Records
in both hardback and paperback has announced the opening of a
covers. Deluxe versions are also new record store in London –
available via Z2’s website: the label’s third outlet and the
z2comics.com. Àrst outside the US. Located at 1
Marshall Street in Soho (W1F
7ALL THE FUN
OF THE FAIR
The Charlatans’ Tim Burgess has
9BA), the new store ofÀcially
opened to the public on 25
September. Personally designed
announced the return of his by White, he says the aim was
Vinyl Adventures Record Fair to create: “a physical space to
across Manchester on 5 help keep record sales and live
December, taking place in performances alive after such
multiple locations. “It’s been a tough period for everyone”.
a thrill putting on our Vinyl The store comprises a two-level
Adventures Record Fairs these retail space, an intimate live
NOVEMBER 2021 127
 THE HOME OF REAL HI-FI

Your ide
e gu
ultimatworld of
to the nd hi-fi
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OUT !
NOW

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music venue named The Blue
Basement, Third Man Records’
European HQ and will feature
a token-operated recording
booth where artists and the
public can record their own
music straight to vinyl.
10 FRANK’S
ODYSSEY
Frank Ocean has launched a
new luxury company called
Homer, which, according to
its press release: “represents
carving history into stone”. The
brand kicked off with a
collection of “Àne and high”
jewellery, as well as printed silk
scarves. The products are all
handmade in Italy and use
18-karat gold, recycled sterling
silver, hand-painted enamel and
diamonds that are grown in a
state-of-the-art lab in America.
The full catalogue can be viewed
in the Homer store at 70-74
Bowery, New York or at:
homer.com.
11LED MASTERS
Becoming Led Zeppelin,
the Àrst-ever authorised
documentary of the band,
premiered at the recent Venice
Film Festival. Featuring
never-before-seen footage, in
addition to new interviews with
surviving members Jimmy
Page, Robert Plant and John
Paul Jones, it also includes
archival interviews with the
late drummer John Bonham.
“With Becoming Led Zeppelin
my goal was to make a
documentary that looks and
feels like a musical,” director
Bernard MacMahon said in a
REASONS TO BE
CHEERFUL
BECOMING LED
ZEPPELIN IS THE
FIRST AUTHORISED
DOC ON THE BAND
The Clash at a checkpoint in
Belfast fascinated me, and Àlled
me with visions of what it was
actually like to be in a band.
When the opportunity was
handed to me to do just that in
1991, I made sure we were
armed with cameras to catch all
the tiny details of life on the
road, in the studio and beyond.”
13PHILLY
BOOTS!
YER
To celebrate the 50th
anniversary of Philadelphia
International Records, the disco
label, founded in 1971 by genius
songwriters/producers Kenneth
Gamble and Leon Huff, Legacy
statement. “I wanted to
weave together the four
diverse stories of the
band members before
and after they formed
their group with large
sections of their story
advanced using only
music and imagery
and to contextualise
the music with the
locations where it was
created and the world
events that inspired it.”
A general release is yet
to be announced so
keep a look out.
12 YOUNG AT ART
So Young: Suede
1991-1993 is a photo journal
Recordings has released a series
of vinyl Best Of... compilations
including The Best Of
compiled by drummer Simon Philadelphia International
Gilbert documenting his arrival Records and six dedicated to
in the band through to when the some of the label’s most
group’s self titled debut album inspirational acts… Billy Paul,
reached number one. It’s a: “rich Harold Melvin & The Blue
collection of previously unseen Notes, The Intruders, Lou
archive photography, which Rawls, The O’Jays and the
captures Suede at every moment wonderful Teddy Pendergrass O
of their formative years”,
according to the
publisher, while
Gilbert adds: “So
Young is the book
that’s been in my head
for over 30 years.
When I was getting
into music I was more
interested in seeing
bands away from the
bright lights of Top Of
The Pops. Photos of the
Pistols in the pub or
NOVEMBER 2021 129
 Next Month
LEBEN RS-30EQ
“A fabulous sounding device that brings a considered level
of ‘valve magic’ to a very capable phono stage,” is just one
of our laudatory conclusions to next month’s review of this
impressive phono stage.

ALSO:
REVIEWS Q Acoustic M20 HD active standmount,
Melody Action Ultra integrated, Etymotic Evo
in-ears, Elipson Music Centre Connect HD, Falcon
Acoustics IMF200 speaker, Tom Evans Groove
+ SRX Mk 2.5 phono stage, Mission QX-2 MkII
speaker and a six-way Group Test of DACs.
FEATURES An investigative piece on Dolby Atmos,
our comprehensive Buyer’s Guide and sharp-as-nails
Opinions, all your hi-fi questions answered by our
team of experts, Reasons To Be Cheerful’s roundup of
cool stuff to look forward to, plus Music Reviews and
Audiofile news on all the latest product launches

DECEMBER ISSUE ON SALE 4 NOVEMBER

 Authentic sound, naturally
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Enjoy a better-class experience of the music, radio, podcasts and TV you love.
The premium Mu-so Wood Edition wireless speaker system combines almost 50
years of authentic audio expertise with the latest music-streaming technology
and easy playback from all your devices. Crafted from expertly lacquered,
sustainable hardwood, with a unique woven speaker grille, it’s the natural choice
for exceptional sound and styling in your home.

Awards for the Naim Mu-so family

2020

naimaudio.com
 EXPERIENCE BRINGS
perfection
It is exactly 40 years since
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loudspeaker to the world.

The Franco Serblin family continue

his passion to this day for the
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instruments such as lutes from
master luthiers of Cremona and the
violins of Stradivari & Guarneri and
their use of wood, strings, the forms
and harmony of their constitution,
to inspire their own
creations.

With Italian craftsmanship

these loudspeakers reach a
level of elegance and performance
that can only be borne out of a
lifetime’s experience, knowledge
and skill.

With the Accordo line of products,

he followed the design patterns
that were particularly dear to him.

A sound, a voice capable of

reaching the depths of the soul…the
essence.

absolute sounds ltd.

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