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Disc PlayersIntegrated AmplifiersNetwork Audio Players/Servers
AVM Inspiration CS 2.3 All-In-One Solution
Review: James Parker,  |  Jan 10, 2022
hfncommendedThe latest all-in-one compact Class D streaming system from the German company features an enhanced network audio platform – but that's only the start of its appeal

As the model designation suggests, this isn't the first all-in-one network audio system from German high-end company AVM. Replacing its existing Inspiration CS 2.2 model, the new Inspiration CS 2.3, selling for £5250 in black or silver finishes, with a chrome 'Cellini' finish available as a somewhat glitzy extra-cost option, is based around the company's latest streaming platform.

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Inside the Studio
Ardent Studios
Steve Sutherland  |  Jan 07, 2022
It was where Big Star were born, Primal Scream embraced the Blues, and Isaac Hayes made Hot Buttered Soul. Steve Sutherland has the story of Ardent Studios in Memphis

Over there in the corner is a teetering tower of folding chairs. On the chairs are sheets of glass. And around the tower are something like 100 microphones, all set up and ready to capture what comes next. And what comes next is cacophony as the band hurl cinder blocks at the tower in an attempt to simulate the sound of a car crash.

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Loudspeakers
Paradigm Founder 120H Loudspeaker
Review: Andrew Everard,  |  Jan 06, 2022
hfnoutstandingThe flagship of Paradigm's Founder range has power and precision to delight – and it's a whole lot of fun, too!

At first glance, you may think 'we've been here before' as these Paradigm Founder 120H speakers, yours for a couple of pence short of £8600, look very much like the 100F model [HFN Jul '21]. Yet there's more than enough going on with this flagship design from the Canadian manufacturer to set it apart from the next model down, and justify the £3200 price differential over the £5400 Founder 100F.

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Investigation
Under the covers... The Who Sell Out
Johnny Sharp  |  Jan 04, 2022
Johnny Sharp on the creation of the artwork for The Who's late '60s album The Who Sell Out

If you want an illustration of just how quickly pop evolved in the 1960s, you only have to look at the first two years of The Who's recording career. That was the stretch of time between their flinty, mod-informed R 'n' B rock debut LP – 1965's My Generation – and a cheekily post-modern third album that seemed to mock the very idea of pop music as anything more than a vehicle for commerce.

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Pre/Power Amplifiers
darTZeel NHB-18NS/NHB-468 Pre/Power Amplifier
Review: Andrew Everard,  |  Jan 03, 2022
hfnoutstandingLook beyond the ostentatious livery and tongue-in-cheek labelling, and darTZeel's flagships are revealed as sensational amplifiers, with a sound as imperious as it is refined

If you want an amplifier with a face, not a fascia, start saving up for a darTZeel. Designer Hervé Delétraz has a sense of humour – turning an on/off button into a 'nose' with selector/volume knobs as bulbous eyes and grinning LEDs beneath. Then there's this Swiss manufacturer's mix of golden fascias and red casework, already iconic as the brand's house style over its two decade timeline.

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Hi-Res Downloads
Hi-Res Downloads, December 2021
Hi-Fi News Staff  |  Dec 31, 2021
This month we review and test releases from: The Gesualdo Six, Steven Wilson, A Bad Think, Thunder and Ayron Jones.
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Audiophile Vinyl
Audiophile: Vinyl, December 2021
Ken Kessler  |  Dec 30, 2021
This month we review: Rod Stewart, Terry Callier, Joni Mitchell and Ladies Choice - The Pen Of Swan Records.
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Audiophile Digital
Audiophile: Digital, December 2021
Ken Kessler  |  Dec 30, 2021
This month, we review: The Yardbirds, Little Steven And The Disciples Of Soul, Ringo Starr and Tina Turner.
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Rock
Rock, December 2021
Mike Barnes  |  Dec 30, 2021
This month we review: Billy Bragg, Efterklang, Howlin Rain and Vanishing Twin.
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Jazz
Jazz, December 2021
Steve Harris  |  Dec 30, 2021
This month we review: Terence Blanchard, Chick Corea, Donald Edwards Quintet and Relief.
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