Tag Archives: 24-bit/192kHz
REVIEW: Marantz HD-AMP1 is a classic in the making
New Marantz HD-AMP1 combines retro style with a specification that’s right up to date – and a superb sound
REVIEW: Astell & Kern AK500 system
Nothing looks quite like the extraordinary Astell & Kern AK500 system ‘stack’ – but if you’re expecting it to be style over substance, think again… The Astell & Kern AK500N is unusual enough: a high-end CD ripping/storage/network player, all housed in a near-cube with styling apparently inspired by the Matterhorn, powered by internal batteries and […]
REVIEW: AK Jr – Astell & Kern’s new kid on the block
It may be designed as an entry-level addition to the acclaimed digital music player range, but this £399 machine is has serious intentions – and it’s now available in red, too! UPDATE: The sleek little Astell & Kern AK Jr. digital audio player is now available as a limited edition in red. Selling for the […]
Korg adds DSD DAC complete with A-to-D for recording LPs
New Korg DS-DAC-10R offers DSD128 decoding/encoding, and has built-in phono stage for simple recording of vinyl to hi-res audio Just announced by Korg is the DS-DAC-10R, combing the functions of hi-res digital-to-analogue conversion and analogue-to-digital for recording to DSD. Selling for £439 when it hits the shops in January 2016, the new model even has […]
UPDATED: High-resolution audio – now with added fibre…
My latest music-network upgrade is another run of fibre-optic cabling – and it’s made an amazing difference UPDATE 08.06.15: More fibre, more sound! Well, I’ve just introduced some more fibre optics into my audio system, and this time the sound really has taken a leap forward. I took a bit of a kicking from the […]
SPES: magical, mystical sounds from an ancient tradition
I’m greatly enjoying the latest recording from one of my favourite labels, 2L, which combines Western choral singing with traditional Sami musical styles. The Sami are the indigenous people who live in part of the far North of Norway, Sweden and Finland, and are sometimes known as Lapps or Laplanders. The new release, SPES, is […]
Naim does DSD with new NAC-N 272 preamp/DAC/network player
New from Naim is the £3300 NAC-N 272, a combined network music player, DAC and preamplifier – and for the first time in a Naim product it can play DSD files, either from local storage such as USB devices or streamed over a home network. The reason I was down in Salisbury last week – […]
REVIEW: Technics R1 and C700 systems tested
I’ve now had a chance to review both the Technics C700 Premium system and the Reference R1 set-up, and the results are very promising So, almost a year since I first heard the beginnings of the Technics revival, the boxes started arriving containing the review samples. And having now listened to both the R1 Reference […]
Two-channel audio alive and well in Japan’s megastores
So hi-fi as we know it is on its last legs, is it? The huge selection on sale in a couple of Japan’s consumer electronics superstores suggests otherwise… Some will have you believe that hi-fi as we know it is on its way out, replaced by small speakers, Bluetooth whatnots and streaming services, but having […]
Why Classé is ignoring the AV features arms-race
New Classé Sigma SSP processor, launched with two matching power amps, plays it simple in the quest for ultimate sound quality Interesting afternoon at the London Bowers & Wilkins office yesterday, hearing about – and hearing – the new Classé Sigma series with company CEO Dave Nauber. The range is designed to slot in below […]
WORDS AND MUSIC 
Recent Comments