CD sales are on the rise, according to figures from the Recording Industry Association of America – RIAA . The figures are nowhere near the peak years of 1995 to 2005, and interestingly, vinyl sales are higher. But the point is that interest in CDs is actually growing. In addition, millions of households around the …
Audio-Technica, please put this turntable back into production! It’s viable, it looks great, and it plays really well. There’s nothing to worry about. Audio-Technica has only built 3,000 copies of the transparent acrylic turntable. Created for Audio-Technica’s 60th anniversary, it’s completely sold out. Unopened boxes of the AT-LP2022 are already going for double the price …
As someone with all of Beethoven’s symphonies and piano concertos on my shelf, I took the news of an Ortofon pickup bearing the composer’s name with a shrug. According to the press release that came out in 2020, they had taken a perfectly good 2M Black and added an exclusive pin. Big deal. Besides, it …
You don’t need to break the bank to achieve high-quality sound, even if you have a discerning ear. This became clear to us during our testing of the Wiim Mini last year. This unassuming, plug-and-play music streamer delivers high-resolution audio, making it an excellent option for those seeking an elevated listening experience without a hefty …
If you know Reloop at all, it is in most cases for their turntables for DJs. In other words, turntables where robustness and longevity matter more than sound quality. Therefore, when they launched their first turntable for home use, it was met with a slight shrug of the shoulders. They called it the Reloop Hi-Fi …
Receiver. Taste the word. It sounds a bit like Dad’s old Tandberg Sølvsuper, or Beomaster. A solid product with FM, MW, turntable input and a separate button labelled ‘Tape’. For the tape recorder. A receiver is almost the antithesis of hi-fi, a lowest common denominator, a product that brings together all the necessary functions in …
Actually, there was nothing wrong with the player from Technics. When we tested it as recently as 2020, we concluded that there weren’t many players like it on the market, certainly not with the qualities it possessed. Technics may not have been satisfied after all. Because now they have upgraded the player to this version …
The Primare player is basically similar to the Technics SL700M2 and Marantz SACD 30n, except that it does not have audio input and support for SACD playback. Like the other two, it’s solidly and convincingly built, with a quiet CD mechanism (from TEAC), and it combines CD playback with high-resolution streaming of most formats. Except …
The benefits of combining streaming with an amplifier are obvious. You have everything in one place, no cable clutter, and one remote control for everything. Another alternative to a separate music streamer is CD streamers. There aren’t many, but they exist and they’re targeted at people with a CD collection that’s still in use. This …
The earlier versions of Auralics Aries and Altair were long among the best music streamers. Therefore, we had certain expectations for the new Altair G1.1, which is an Aries with built-in DAC and analog outputs. We were not disappointed. The player looks similar to its predecessor, but the aluminium grey base plate hints at something …
Despite having no buttons or screen, the Naim player is one of the best choices in this price range. As a music streamer, it lacks almost nothing else, and even though it’s in its fifth year since the launch of the ND5 XS 2 in 2019, it’s still better than most in its class. Behind …
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. …
The Madison from Wattson Audio is extremely minimalist, with no remote control and no cables except for a power supply. As the importer recommended we upgrade to one from Sbooster. As said, so done. The Madison has no display, instead two red LEDs show source and audio level. In fact, you can choose between variable …
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 …