NAD’s Masters series are the products where engineers are given free rein to make the best equipment they can. We have tested a number of products from the series, among them the integrated amplifier M32 and the media server M50.2. The newest member of the family, the NAD M10, does not look like his older …
Italian Gold Note is a brand that we have not tested before, but we have seen them at hi-fi fairs, where they piqued our curiosity. The company is based in Florence, and the people behind it have been designing hi-fi for 25 years. In the first years as an OEM supplier to other brands, but …
The sound from my records sounded freshly washed and revitalized. It did not matter which pickup I used. An affordable Audio-Technica delivered sound quality I associate with more expensive pickups, and with an expensive Rega pickup it opened up even more, and a Ortofon pickup kicked open the door to a higher analog sky. All …
In the space of just a few years, French manufacturer Devialet has gone from being an obscure producer to being a name on all hi-fi enthusiasts’ lips. As a sort of hi-fi answer to Tesla, they’ve challenged accepted truths and sought new, intelligent ways of making great hi-fi. Their advanced SAM technique that adapts the …
It is big, powerful and has endless powers. It is perhaps the most useful amplifier they make, regardless of whether you need all the power. For McIntosh’s most powerful stereo power amplifier, it has no flaws whatsoever. Apart from being quite expensive, there is nothing to fault on the McIntosh MC462. Of course, it does …
The reason why Hegel has ranked high with us regarding their amplifiers is due to their understanding of what creates high quality sound. Namely, the absence of noise and distortion. The amplifier’s task is simply to amplify the electrical music signal coming from the audio source, neither more nor less. This is much harder to …
People generally don’t favour a lot of bulky crates for their amp solution, but this doesn’t mean there’s any less interest in the really good stuff. On the contrary! It’s just that the market seems to be gradually moving away from separate solutions with pre and power amps towards a single hefty integrated amplifier. It’s …
American Emotiva is known for its often very large and massive amplifiers at surprisingly affordable prices. Here we have embarked on the Emotiva BasX TA-100, which in terms of weight and power is in the lighter layer of the company’s product line. This is something as rare as a stereo receiver – ie amplifier and …
Little compares to the powerful dynamic control and the bottomless bass that a real power amplifier possesses. Although it borders on overkill for most of us, not to mention most speakers, there is something special about the sound of a powerful, 1200 W amplifier. Just like a super car, you are not prepared for a …