LATEST ADDITIONS

When Arcam launched its HDA line in 2019 claiming ‘a complete redesign of the look and internals’ of its hi-fi hardware, it was necessary to take the first part of that statement with a pinch of salt. Amplifiers like the SA30 [HFN Jul ’20] might have benefited from some extra chrome details, but the smart-if-conservative styling wasn’t that far removed from the company’s earlier FMJ and Solo series. It’s only now, thanks to a ‘brand redesign’, that Arcam’s range of amplifiers and sources appears properly overhauled.

Everywhere, from the alphabet to Roman numerals, V comes before X, so you might expect Wilson Audio’s Sabrina V to be a lesser version of the SabrinaX model [HFN Dec ’20], which was an upgrade of the original Sabrina [HFN Aug ’15]. Not so: the Sabrina V is a redesigned and rethought version of the X, with changed and improved components, sharpened up styling, and a significant price increase.

With a selection of cartridges that runs to 90 models, you might wonder what a new range could bring to the Ortofon fold. That impressive figure includes the legendary SPU moving-coils, the once-futuristic but now-familiar Concorde and OM moving-magnet lines, the affordable 2M models, and high-end MCs costing well into the thousands [HFN Mar ’22 & Jun ’25]. This crowded house has now been expanded by the four-strong moving-coil MC X Series, and it will prove a relief to some that the truly exceptional top cartridge, the MC X40 reviewed here, costs £875. Yes: under a grand.

This month we review: Les Arts Florissants/William Christie, Hallé/Thomas Adès, Ensemble Modern, New College Choir, Oxford/Quinney