Our hi-fi history is often passed over by academics and museum curators, believes Jim Lesurf, which is why books such as Stephen Spicer’s celebration of Leak are so worthwhile
I was recently delighted and excited to hear that a new edition of Stephen Spicer’s book on the history of Leak – Firsts In High Fidelity – has been released. The original edition appeared as a large-format paperback in the year 2000, and it’s a fascinating account of the story of the people involved, the company, and its products.
Barry Willis has turned some impressive profits reselling vintage audio gear, but these are the exceptions that prove the rule. In fact, much of the time he’s left counting the cost..
An enduring bit of wisdom cautions against extravagant purchases – the must-have new car, for example, that loses 20% of its value the moment it’s driven off the dealer’s lot. Something similar happens with high-end audio, but worse, because were you to try selling your latest cost-be-damned amplifier or ultra-performance DAC two weeks post-purchase, you’d be dismayed to learn that you might recover only 50% or so of what you paid.
What’s the best method for turning your analogue LPs into a digital stream? Barry Fox seeks the solution as he digs into a confusing world of dongles, A/D converters and open source software
Experts will tell you it’s easy to make a digital copy of a music stream, or LP, to play in a car or carry around. You ‘just’ suck analogue music out of your hi-fi, feed it into a computer and then ‘just’ send it to a memory device or burn to a blank CD. Yes, but it’s only easy when you already know exactly how. I’ve recently got my hands dirty finding out the easiest ‘how’ for people who want to listen to music, not burrow down computer rabbit holes.
Most computers no longer come with a disc burner. But they do come with USB sockets and for £20 you can buy a portable optical burner that literally just plugs into a USB socket. Software (or an ‘app’ in modern parlance) is needed to copy music to a blank CD or USB memory stick that plays at the press of a button.
Ultra-sensitive two-way speaker ready for any amp?
Smaller than the company’s debut Elypsis 1512, but still standing 1.2m tall courtesy of its integrated stand, Stratton Acoustics’ two-way Element 12 (£32,000) marries a 300mm paper cone bass/mid driver to a ...
ATC has returned to its long-running SCM20 standmount speaker design for a new limited edition model marking the company’s 50th anniversary. Just 150 pairs of the SCM20ASL Limited Edition will go on sale, priced £10,500 and sporting an exclusive blue lacquer finish with...
New preamp and power amp add to tube-free catalogue
Following on from its all-solid-state REX 500 power amplified, Balanced Audio Technology (aka BAT) has launched a solid-state preamplifier in the shape of the VK-85. Joining the company’s trio of SuperTube preamps, and priced £12,500, the unit is said to result from a new design strategy and employs N-channel MOSFET drivers in the amplifier circuit and a fourth-generation implementation of BAT’s ‘Super Pak’ power supply topology.
With its white baffle and walnut or black wood veneer finishes, Mission’s 750 is instantly recognisable as the speaker manufacturer’s latest ‘retro’ model, although unlike the 770, it is not a resurrection of an earlier design...
Available now for £11,995 each, the solid-state C55 and tube-based C2800 are new DAC/preamplifers from McIntosh. Both claim extensive connectivity, including seven analogue inputs split between XLR and RCA, two phono ins both selectable for MM or MC cartridges...
Towering 13-driver loudspeaker set to stun at the UK Hi-Fi Show LIVE
First conceived by Vivid Audio’s founder and designer Laurence Dickie while he was quarantined in a hotel during the Covid pandemic, the five-way Moya 1
loudspeaker has now broken cover, complete with a £400,000 price tag.
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