LATEST ADDITIONS

Jazz

Jazz, January 2021

Steve Harris | Jan 29, 2021

This month we review: Joel Ross, Joshua Jaswon Octet, Django Bates and Dave Brubeck.

Classical

Classical, January 2021

Christopher Breunig | Jan 29, 2021

This month we review: Yves Saelens, Lucile Richardot, Het Collectief/Reinbert De Leeuw, BBC Philharmonic/John Wilson, Ida Ränzlöv, The Mozartists/Ian Page and Philharmonia Orchestra/Santtu-Matias Rouvali.

Hi-Res Downloads

Hi-Res Downloads, January 2021

Hi-Fi News Staff | Jan 28, 2021

This month we review and test releases from: RLPO/Vasily Petrenko, Don Gruisin, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig/Herbert Blomstedt, Philhofer Jazz Quartet and Robert Dean Smith, Dame Sarah Connolly, Berlin Radio SO/Vladimir Jurowski.

From the Vault

Reel-To-Reel Recorders

Martin Colloms | Jan 27, 2021 | First Published: Jun 01, 1978

Martin Colloms hears four top-quality open-spool decks

The last year or so has seen the emergence of a new generation of high-quality open-reel tape decks, of which four are investigated here. As the price span ranges from £500-£600 for the Sony and Revox models to £850 for the Technics and £950 for the basic Pioneer assembly, these units are not strictly comparable, although their relative performances are nonetheless interesting.

Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO Turntable

Review: Ken Kessler, | Jan 26, 2021

Launched in 1999, the original Debut turntable set the bar for starter vinyl packages. Twenty-one years later and the 'Carbon EVO' raises it to pole-vault standards...

Deck/arm/cartridge/dustcover: check. Price £449: check. A choice of nine finishes including wood veneer, or gloss or satin colours: check. Everything included in the package readying it for connection to a phono stage: check. That list tells you Pro-Ject's best-seller remains, after two decades, the go-to 'turnkey' record deck for newcomers (or seasoned audiophiles on a budget). The basic recipe is unchanged but refined, which is why it has sold over 1,000,000 units. Rest assured, however, that this latest incarnation, the Debut Carbon EVO, is far more than a merely cosmetic upgrade.

Loudspeakers

Lu Kang Audio Spoey230 Loudspeaker

Review: Mark Craven, | Jan 25, 2021

Designed and handcrafted by the father and son team at Lu Kang Audio, the Spoey230 is the heavyweight flagship standmount of this artisan range from Taiwan's Taipei City

The last time you bought a television you probably came across no more than five or six different brands. But what about the last time you bought loudspeakers? It's one of the joyful aspects of hi-fi: the industry is very broad here, supporting a diverse range of manufacturers with different design ideals, resulting in an equally diverse choice for enthusiasts.

Classical Companion

Carlos Kleiber: Conductor

Christopher Breunig | Jan 22, 2021

Admired by his colleagues yet unpredictable for managers, he was a perfectionist who lived in his father's shadow. Christopher Breunig looks back at this reclusive genius

Iam very slow on the uptake. But now I know what's wrong: the quavers are too low on nicotine. They need a little bit more tar – they have to be a bit more venomous…' And: 'the side-drum has to edge its way in. It has to be very conspiratorial, a schizophrenic back and forth between sentimental and rumbustious'. Not the sort of rehearsal instructions orchestral players would be used to – but then, Carlos Kleiber was different.

Integrated Amplifiers

Supravox Vouvray Integrated Amplifier

Review: Tom Anderson, | Jan 21, 2021

This famous French brand was launched in 1956 – the very same year as Hi-Fi News – and continues to cut a very distinctive path. We test its latest tube/hybrid integrated

When your brand has been around for over 60 years, designing a new integrated amplifier becomes a matter of balance. You need to weigh up the company's rich heritage with electronics that compete with the best new kids on the block. Perhaps something to caress the ears with valve warmth and character, combined with the grunt of a transistor output to drive even the most reticent of speakers? Enter the Supravox Vouvray.

Vinyl Icons

Ry Cooder: Paradise And Lunch

Johnny Black | Jan 19, 2021

Session guitarist, composer of film scores and here, on his fourth album, the roots-rock multi-instrumentalist reached into his musical bag to breathe new life into a diverse selection of obscure songs. It was a commercial failure, but it's no less compelling...

Rated among the finest of Cooder's 17 solo albums, Paradise And Lunch, his fourth release, is easily deserving of Vinyl Icon status.

Integrated Amplifiers

Pass Labs INT-25 Integrated Amplifier

Review: Mark Craven, | Jan 18, 2021

The typically modest, functional styling of this 'entry-level' mostly-Class A integrated amplifier belies its less-than-modest capabilities, with power and sound to spare...

There's something comforting about a product with a singular focus, and Pass Labs' INT-25 fits that bill. A line-only integrated, it steers clear of the digital inputs, network functionality and onboard phono stage offered by many competitors. Instead, it presents itself simply as a conduit between your source(s) and speakers, combining a FET-based preamp and Class A power amp and nothing else. If that sounds somewhat 'basic', Pass Labs' history and the amplifier's £7200 price tag should suggest it's anything but. As does its mastery of music – but I'm getting ahead of myself…

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