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 …
If I say that you should definitely take the chance to listen to something ineffective that gets very hot and doesn’t deliver much power, you might think that I have totally lost it. If, at the same time, I tell you it’s a valve amplifier, you’ll probably shake your head and smile with condescension. Because …
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 …
The massive McIntosh powerhouses have always been in the top class of amplifiers. The new MA9500 is no exception, but I wouldn’t have thought it would be audibly better than its predecessor. Not that there’s no precedent. The first really good and powerful integrated amplifier we tested from McIntosh, the MA7000 in 2008 – which …
Argon Audio shows that you don’t have to buy from traditional manufacturers to get a quality turntable. Compared to Thorens, Rega or Pro-Ject, Argon Audio is barely out of kindergarten. But that doesn’t stop them from making successful products. The turntable, which looks confusingly like a Pro-Ject player, is a simple belt-driven design with electronic …
A good pair of headphones needs an amplifier to drive them. We’re not talking about low-cost headphones for a hundred Euros or so – they’ll probably do fine with the headphone output of your existing amp, and you might even get acceptable quality from the output of a laptop. But more expensive headphones deserve better. …
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 …
With super-simple operation, the Pro-Ject A1 is a turntable that won’t make you wince. Anyone can play records on it – it’s so easy to use, you don’t have to touch anything except the start button. It also has a built-in phono stage, which is a preamp for the low output voltage of the pickup …
In the 1980s and early 90s, portable music players were synonymous with analogue cassette players clipped to your belt. They were all popularly called a wallman, even though Sony made the original and copyrighted the word Walkman (with a capital W). The Walkman name lives on Today, such cassette players are long dead and buried …
Never mind that the turntable is called Pro. It’s not intended for professional use at all, and you’ll never see a DJ with two Pro-Ject turntables like this. The Debut Pro, as it is somewhat misleadingly called, is a turntable for those who are bored with the old turntable. It’s a turntable for music enjoyment. …
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 …
Ask ten experts about the best portable music players on the market, and at least a couple of them will say Astell & Kern. They’re known in the hi-fi industry for making some of the best – and most expensive – DAP’s. With the A&ultima SP2000T, A&K have taken things up a notch by including …
In the 80s and early 90s, portable music players meant analogue cassette players you could clip to your belt. All of them were called walkman, although Sony had the original, and also copyrighted the word: Walkman, with a capital W. The Walkman name lives on Today, cassette players like these are mostly dead and …