The slimmest of Canton’s new, five-strong Reference floorstanders blends style with established technologies
Calling your speakers ‘Reference’ is quite a bold statement, but then again making grand claims is not exactly unknown in the hi-fi industry! Canton’s Reference speakers – the top-tier of Germany’s largest loudspeaker manufacturer – is the product of a fierce R&D exercise and comes seven years after the previous flagship range, Reference K, was introduced. It’s a comprehensive series to boot, comprising six models of which only one is a standmount (the Reference 9) and all others are floorstanders.
From SL-1200GR to 'GR2, Technics' adherence to the theory of 'marginal gains' ensures its most popular direct-drive deck remains at least one step ahead of the competition
Following the debut of its first direct-drive models over 50 years ago [see PM's boxout, p75], many versions of Technics' iconic SL-1200 model have appeared, all able to trace their technical and industrial design back to the original. Neither have enthusiasts been short of choice - when the legendary spinner returned in 2016, after a six-year hiatus, the brand introduced four SL-1200 tiers. The 'GR' or 'Grand Class' occupied a middle position, with the apex SL-1200R version and heavier 'G/GAE' models catering to hardcore audiophiles, and the more affordable 'MK7/ M7' units aimed at budding DJs.
Jackson Browne For Everyman Featuring David Crosby, Glenn Frey, Joni Mitchell and more, Browne's second LP is a flagwaver for the 1970s Cali dream. Steve Sutherland hears the 180g reissue
Lana knows what I'm on about. In the song 'Brooklyn Baby' from her brilliant 2014 LP Ultraviolence, Ms Del Rey complains, 'They think I don't understand the freedom land of the '70s'. She was born, you see, in 1985 and Lana - known to her mum and dad as Elizabeth Grant - is deemed by those who should know better to be too young to appreciate the '70s aesthetic.
Project V1-L tops Japanese brand’s interconnect lineup
Cable specialist Furutech has a new flagship interconnect. Priced
at £4930 and £5060 for RCA- and XLR-terminated 1.2m lengths,
respectively, the Project V1-L features a ‘hybrid’ three-layer
configuration...
UK speaker maker Neat Acoustics
has leveraged designs from its
Ultimatum range for a new, more
affordable Momentum Jet series
debuting with the J-S standmount
and J-6 floorstander....
Powergrip’s YG3 ‘clean power unit’ has
launched in the UK priced £2799 and is
designed to manage mains distribution in a
multi-component system via 12 output sockets
rated...
Not to be confused with one-time US loudspeaker brand Thiel, Germany's Thiele is a boutique turntable/tonearm manufacturer established in 2021 by Helmut Thiele. Formerly chief designer at Thorens, Thiele's own-brand debut TT01 deck and TA01 arm are now in the UK courtesy of distributor Absolute Sounds.
The slimmest of Canton’s new, five-strong Reference floorstanders blends style with established technologies
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