LATEST ADDITIONS

Mike Barnes  |  Feb 05, 2026  |  First Published: Mar 01, 2026

This month we review: Heavenly, The Cribs, Whitelands, Sleaford Mods

Ken Kessler  |  Feb 05, 2026  |  First Published: Mar 01, 2026

This month we review: Neil Young, George Martin, Atomic Rooster, Little Feat

Ken Kessler  |  Feb 05, 2026  |  First Published: Mar 01, 2026

This month we review: Stella Cole, Joan Baez, Buckingham Nicks, Rick James

Review: Ken Kessler,  |  Feb 05, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingAs old as Hi-Fi News itself, Quad’s iconic full-range electrostatic stays fresh courtesy of new upgrades

Apocryphal it may be, but one of the lingering mysteries about Quad was why MD and chief designer Peter Walker never went ‘high-end’ with bigger amps or speakers. His answer was always that his amplifiers and speakers were ‘adequate for most needs’. While that’s true, one cannot deny the efforts of others to make Quad’s inaugural ESL go louder and deeper. So while the ESL 2912X may not be the cost-no-object/size-no-object electrostatic that some devotees of the brand might dream of, I wonder what Peter Walker would have made of the not inconsiderable £12,999 asking price?

Review: Andrew Everard,  |  Feb 05, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingCompleting the now six-box Varèse ‘stack’, dCS’s latest CD/SACD transport caters for those who want physical media as well as streaming. But does it have a ‘sound’?

It’s tempting to imagine a Frankenstein-like cry of ‘At last our creature is complete!’ emanating from the Cambridge HQ of dCS. The arrival of the company’s Varèse CD/SACD transport, retailing for £32,500, should come as no surprise to followers of the company’s flagship digital solution [HFN Feb ’25]. Bringing the complete Varèse ‘stack’ to a total of six units – the User Interface, Core, Master Clock and dual Mono DACs – the eagerly anticipated Transport also lifts the all-up price just north of £260,000.

Review: Jamie Biesemans,  |  Feb 03, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingFrom the Danish loudspeaker brand that brought us the £85k KORE flagship comes this colourful pint pot with an arrow aimed straight at the heart of the budget scene

Over the past few years, DALI has established a firm presence in the premium loudspeaker market with impressive feats of engineering realised in its KORE flagship [HFN Dec ’23] and Epikore [HFN Feb ’25] ranges. However, the company that 40 years ago started as a budget brand for Scandinavia’s HiFi Klubben chain is making something of a return to its affordable roots with the Kupid. At £299 a pair, these pint-sized ‘bookshelf’ speakers are a universe away from the £85,000 KORE, but both are said to be built according to DALI’s ‘core’ design principles.

Review: Mark Craven,  |  Feb 03, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingAussie brand Halcro is in no rush – three years after the rebirth of its iconic turn-of-the-century Eclipse power amp, it has released a partnering preamp. Line-only, of course!

There’s boutique hi-fi and then there’s boutique hi-fi. Halcro, the famed Australian marque, at present has just three models in its catalogue – and one of those is the mono sibling of its Eclipse Stereo power amplifier [HFN May ’23]. Its only other offering is this new Equinox preamp with pricing to match the Eclipse, both selling for the same £44,000 in Halcro’s standard powder-coat finish, or a cool £50,000 for one of the ‘Signature’ premium paint versions.

Review: Mark Craven,  |  Feb 03, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfncommendedNew to the UK is this Lithuanian speaker brand with an artisanal approach. We hear its mid-level floorstander

If you thought bespoke cabinet details and custom colourways were the preserve of the very high-end loudspeaker market, maybe it’s time to think again. AudioSolutions, hailing from Vilnius in Lithuania, offers an extensive customisation programme for its mid-level Figaro series – so extensive, in fact, that there are apparently over 500,000 possible configurations for the M2 floorstander auditioned here. Despite that, pricing begins at £9750. Not pocket change, of course, but hardly outrageous either..

Review: Adam Smith,  |  Feb 03, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingThis Cambridge-based turntable brand celebrates its 30th anniversary in style – the Relveo is its first ‘new’ deck design in 12 years, complete with 2nd-gen Altus tonearm

The birthday cake supplier to the audio industry has been having a busy time over the last couple of years, but it seems they are needed once more. This time, cards and presents should be sent in the direction of Cambridge, as AVID HiFi has reached the ripe old age of 30. And what better way could there be to celebrate than with a new turntable? Hence the Relveo, which retails for £5500, or £6900 with the partnering Altus V2 tonearm.

Review: Jamie Biesemans,  |  Feb 03, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingCelebrating 30 years since the launch of its first amplifier, Canor’s latest ‘Performance Line’ model is a novel tube/transistor integrated with touchscreen volume rotary

There’s a back story to the Virtus A3, Canor’s curious integrated dual-mono hybrid amplifier. I first encountered the design at the brand’s impressive factory in Prešov, eastern Slovakia, but this was in the summer of 2023, long before production versions rolled off the line. At the time the amplifier looked close to completion and was demonstrated playing into FinkTeam’s Borg loudspeakers. However, changes to the specifications along the way, including a decision to increase its power output to 2x100W/8ohm, ensured its development took rather longer than anticipated.

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