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Audiophile Vinyl
Audiophile: Vinyl, February 2021
Ken Kessler  |  Feb 26, 2021
This month we review: Charles Mingus, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lou Reed and Margriet Sjoerdsma.
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Audiophile Digital
Audiophile: Digital, February 2021
Ken Kessler  |  Feb 26, 2021
This month, we review: Joni Mitchell, The Everly Brothers, Nilsson and The O'Jays.
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Rock
Rock, February 2021
Mike Barnes  |  Feb 26, 2021
This month we review: Casper Clausen, Flying Moon In Space, The Left Outsides, and Passenger.
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Jazz
Jazz, February 2021
Steve Harris  |  Feb 26, 2021
This month we review: LAN Trio (Argüelles, Laginha and Norbakken), Elina Duni, Rob Luft, Patrick Cornelius and Blue Note Re:imagined.
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Classical
Classical, February 2021
Christopher Breunig  |  Feb 26, 2021
This month we review: CBSO/Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla, RAM Soloists Ens/Trevor Pinnock, James Ehnes, Andrew Armstrong and Budapest Fest Orch/Iván Fischer.
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Disc PlayersIntegrated Amplifiers
Rotel CD11/A11 Tribute CD Player/Integrated Amplifer
Review: Andrew Everard,  |  Feb 25, 2021
hfnoutstandingWithout any sense of irony, the man most identified with rival brand Marantz for 40 years is posthumously recognised for his work in 'tweaking' Rotel's budget CD and amp

Synchronicity is a strange thing: for whatever reason of scheduling, I found myself embarking on this review a year to the day since the passing of audio legend Ken Ishiwata. The anniversary was marked by his daughter with a YouTube video of some joyously retro Latin music performed by an all-Japanese vocal group. 'Instead of making this a very sad day,' she wrote, 'we would like to share one of his favourite songs with you. He used to play this all the time, it brings back lovely memories and a smile upon our faces'.

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From the VaultLoudspeakers
A New Reference?
John Atkinson  |  Feb 23, 2021
hfnvintageJohn Atkinson lives with the KEF R107, its new range-topping contender

An understated revolution in loudspeaker design has been taking place in Kent. KEF's Technical Director Laurie Fincham has put together a team of engineers who have been quietly but thoroughly examining the fundamentals of moving-coil, box loudspeaker behaviour, spinning off a regular series of products, starting with the original R105 nearly a decade ago.

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Loudspeakers
B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition Loudspeaker
Review: Andrew Everard,  |  Feb 22, 2021
hfncommendedThe flagship of B&W's Anniversary Edition takes the range to a new price level, and promises performance to match

The special editions have been coming thick and fast this year, and this is the second recent 'tuned' range from Worthing-based Bowers & Wilkins, following hot on the heels of the 700 Series Signature models. We've reviewed the 702 Signature floorstander [HFN Sep '20], and the formula for the 600 Series Anniversary lineup is a familiar one: new finishes, and some mild performance tuning.

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Vinyl Release
Donovan: What’s Bin Did And What’s Bin Hid
Steve Sutherland  |  Feb 19, 2021
Steve Sutherland listens again to the debut LP that catapulted a teenage singer to stardom as over half a century later the album is re-released on 180g vinyl

Dylan digs Donovan!' This was the headline on the front cover of British weekly Melody Maker, on the 8th of May 1965. It wasn't true of course – not remotely so.

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Pre/Power Amplifiers
Audio Research REF 6SE Preamplifier
Review: David Price,  |  Feb 18, 2021
hfnoutstandingThe REF 6 replaced Audio Research's long-serving REF 5 tube preamp back in 2015 but five years of running production updates have now culminated in this 'SE' refresh

The Audio Research Corporation is a company with provenance, a truth that's instantly apparent when first setting eyes upon its new £16,998 REF 6SE line-stage preamplifier. Indeed, its history shouts out at you, from the iconic styling with shades of its 1970s SP-series preamps, to the industrial-quality construction which underlines that it's built to last. Rather like its manufacturer, in fact.

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