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Review: Mark Craven,  |  Feb 03, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingChinese brand Topping is a hi-fi forum favourite – with its flagship DAC packed with innovative technology and selling for under £2k, its reputation looks to be deserved

Has there been a single defining hi-fi story in the last 20 years? Some might say the rise of streaming services deserves to be the subject of Chapter One when the history books are written. Others may argue for the unexpected resurgence of the vinyl format, or the birth of multiroom audio. And then there’s the arrival of ‘disruptor’ brands that have challenged the status quo with units – typically focused on digital playback – that combine leading-edge functionality with affordable pricing. The likes of Eversolo, FiiO and WiiM all fit this category, and so does Topping, manufacturer of the D900 DAC.

Review and Lab: Paul Miller  |  Feb 02, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnedchoiceScottish cables are made from stern stuff, and Atlas has created three ranges to match your system’s mettle

If you’ll pardon the pun, there’s been a redrawing of the map at Atlas with the Scottish cable company now clearly dividing its wares into three distinct ranges dubbed 'Upgrade', 'Aspire' and 'High End'. The Ailsa Duo OCC interconnect featured here is joined by the established Hyper cable in the brand’s mid-ranked Aspire range, both these cables now bearing the ‘Duo’ moniker.

Review: Tim Jarman,  |  Feb 02, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnvintageLaunched two years before the advent of CD, Aiwa’s AP-D50 was the world’s first automatic front-loading turntable with photoelectric auto-return mechanism

Aiwa’s 30 series micro system [HFN Dec ’24] was a fine example of the Japanese urge to miniaturise familiar objects to make them even more desirable to the consumer. It was part of the Micro Systems craze that swept through the hi-fi industry in the late 1970s and early ’80s, in which most of the major manufacturers got involved. Amplifiers, tuners and tape decks were shrunk to an impressive degree, but one key part of the hi-fi chain presented more of a challenge. The turntable, effectively dimensioned by the size of the records it played, was difficult to make any smaller without losing functionality and quality.

Ken Kessler  |  Feb 02, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026

Bob Dylan, fire-breathing dragons and a certain bespectacled wizard... Ken Kessler spotlights 20 recent stage and screen soundtrack albums available on vinyl and SACD

Who can explain the raft of ultra-desirable, super-luxurious soundtracks released this past year or two? If anyone thought the genre – once a dependable source of demo LPs and tapes for audiophiles – was past its best, this batch is so on trend that one can only imagine an invasion of Gen Zers taking control. Soundtrack albums have made a comeback and I for one am not complaining.

Martin Colloms  |  Feb 02, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026
hfnvintageMartin Colloms applauds the polished performance of this French-made belt-drive turntable and matching ‘pseudo-unipivot’ linear-tracking arm

In the UK, the turntable market has been dominated for a number of years by Linn’s LP12 – now well-priced by audiophile standards. Many attempts have been made to produce and sell better and more costly models, but it turned out that a far higher price had to be paid to achieve a genuine sound improvement. Enter the French products of Pierre Lurné – a turntable lineup which has enjoyed success for some years on the continent, but has only recently become available here.

Review: Andrew Everard,  |  Feb 02, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026

This month we review and test releases from: Ketil Bjørnstad, Doug MacLeod, the Julia Hülsmann Quartet, London Symphony Orchestra/Davide Alogna/Miran Vaupotic, and Livingston Taylor.

Peter Quantrill  |  Feb 02, 2026  |  First Published: Feb 01, 2026

The summit of solo-violin writing before Bach, this 17th century cycle of devotional sonatas attracts highly individual responses on record, finds Peter Quantrill

Peter Quantrill  |  Feb 01, 2026

This month we review: LPO/Vladimir Jurowski, Anna Urpina, Zoë Martlew, Sol Gabetta

Steve Harris  |  Feb 01, 2026

This month we review: Nigel Price Organ Trio, Pete Horsfall, Aaron Parks, John Taylor

Mike Barnes  |  Feb 01, 2026

This month we review: Dry Cleaning, Plantoid, Ólöf Arnalds, and Magic Fig

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