HiFi Rose is a relatively unknown quantity, but the South Korean company has made a name for itself in a very short time, with music streamers that surpass most of what we’ve seen. The RS150B, for example, looks unlike anything we’ve encountered before. With a 14.9-inch touchscreen taking up the entire front, it oozes high-tech, …
Matrix Audio has set out to pack big things into a small package, with the Element M2. It has a host of digital inputs, and both HDMI ARC and USB DAC inputs are available, in addition to coax and optical. A separate I2S input is also available in the form of an additional HDMI port. …
I’ve always been fascinated by valve amplifiers. Although the use of valves in amplifiers is basically an anachronism, there is something about the sound from them that I never cease to be excited by. That’s probably why valve amplifiers are still being made and sold. The sound, that is, that can have some organic qualities …
When we get a new NAD amp in for testing, we usually remark that it has the same grey and unadorned design that NAD has had for decades. This is actually not entirely true. NAD, like its competitors, has continually tweaked its design in line with changing fashions and technologies. Today’s NAD amplifiers may be …
Danish company Tangent makes hi-fi equipment at prices that everyone can afford. And although the price is on the small side, we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the sound quality on several occasions. However, it came as a surprise when Tangent launched the PreAmp II and PowerAmpster II in early summer. Partly because they launched the …
New hi-fi manufacturers at the serious end are not often seen. And Elipson is far from new. But since 1940, the illustrious French company has been known solely for its loudspeakers. Often with sci-fi-like round shapes. But now Elipson has broken out as an amplifier manufacturer with the P1 preamplifier, which we test here. There’s …
We know French Elipson for their loudspeakers. We’ve tested a few of them, from the cheap Prestige Facet 6B to the more luxurious Legacy 3210, but the company, which has more than 80 years of hi-fi experience, also makes electronics. The Elipson A2700 is a power amplifier of no-nonsense design. Although it never gets completely …
The Marantz NR1200 is a full-sized network amplifier with more connectivity and features than any other in its class, including five (!) HDMI inputs and an HDMI output with audio return. This is where you connect your TV, so you can include your stereo in your TV entertainment. There are also a couple of digital …
The smallest amp in the test is from NAD and is called Amp1. That doesn’t mean it is less capable. With Chromecast streaming over Wi-Fi, it supports the vast majority of music services, and they’re controlled in the usual way from their native apps. Connecting the amp to the network is super easy: just open …
The Citation family from Harman Kardon consists mainly of wireless speakers and soundbars with built-in streaming, but the Citation Amp is an amplifier designed to drive a set of traditional speakers. That means you can blow the dust off your old favourite speakers and include them in the modern home. Many people think it’s difficult …
NAD has recently had success with small but serious amplifiers, where you only need a pair of speakers to get a complete system. At the more expensive end we have the M10, which has everything you need in one box, including the streaming platform BluOS – which is the same as in Bluesound’s products. Including …
Citation is the name of Harman Kardon’s family of speakers and amplifiers with built-in music streaming. But where other multi-room manufacturers like Sonos and Bluesound use their own locked technology, Harman Kardon uses standardized streaming technologies like Google Home and Apple AirPlay 2. This allows you to connect Citation products with other streaming products using …
A construction as simple as a turntable does not have to cost a fortune. Place a motor and a turntable in a simple cabinet – it does not have to be more advanced than fiberboard – put on an arm with low friction and mount a pickup. Done! It’s not going to play very well, …
Vinyl is romantic and the CD medium still provids good sound. But streaming is just convenient. For most people, the Internet’s endless variety of streaming has replaced – or at least supplemented – the physical audio media. Argon Audio Solo is a streaming receiver that can be used as a wireless, digital upgrade for your …
The well-known Tivoli radio has turned digital a long time ago. For better or worse, but mostly for the better. At least now when the beginner’s flaws are gone, and the radio has been given more functions. Because with AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in, the Tivoli Model One Digital is in the 2nd generation, with …