LATEST ADDITIONS

Ken Kessler  |  Feb 01, 2026

This month we review: Emma Smith, Genesis, Alanis Morissette, The Pentangle

Ken Kessler  |  Feb 01, 2026

This month we review: Van Halen, Christone Kingfish Ingram, Stone Temple Pilots, and Supertramp

Peter Quantrill  |  Feb 01, 2026

When modern art is big business and critically lauded, why does modern music upset and even enrage many listeners? Peter Quantrill discovers a book that promises an answer

Jim Lesurf  |  Feb 01, 2026

Jim Lesurf’s quest to unearth more information about the early days of UK hi-fi led him to the British Library. Then came a paradoxical situation straight out of the pages of Catch 22

Barry Willis  |  Feb 01, 2026

Suffering from Critical Listening Syndrome? To be fully engaged in your music, says Barry Willis, you need to stop worrying about every aspect of the system sound – or you’ll never be happy

Barry Fox  |  Feb 01, 2026

Artificial Intelligence appears to be here to stay, despite its ‘hallucinations’. When it comes to music, however, Barry Fox is yet to be convinced it knows how to write a catchy tune

Review: Andrew Everard,  |  Jan 28, 2026  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2026
hfncommendedA new owner, new engineers and the most significant release of ‘high performance, high value’ amplifiers in the brand’s 55-year history. We test the mid-series pre/power

The announcement in the summer of 2024 of new products from Audio Research Corp. (ARC) was not only the company’s largest-ever simultaneous release, but also, it said, ‘a fresh start [signalling] a promising future’, and ‘a renewed commitment to inclusivity and accessibility in the world of high-fidelity sound’. With the pre/power pair here priced north of £21,000, one might take that latter claim with a pinch of salt, although with the brand’s Reference Series pitched comfortably higher [HFN Apr ’25], these things are relative.

Review: Andrew Everard,  |  Jan 23, 2026  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingSwelling the ranks of the hi-fi world’s bijou separates, Métronome launches a compact version of its ‘Digital Sharing Converter’ with partnering streamer and CD transport

The miniature hi-fi trend continues – those short of space or simply seeking an inconspicuous yet high-performance set-up can rejoice. The new arrivals here come in the form of the £4200 DSS 2 network transport and £4300 DSC mini DAC from French company Métronome, as part of its ‘Digital Sharing’ range that also includes the £4400 DST CD transport.

Review: Mark Craven,  |  Jan 07, 2026  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingJBL’s iconic Project Everest and K2 are joined by three new ‘Summits’ – the Makalu, Pumori and Ama

With its three new Summit series loudspeakers, JBL is continuing its journey through the Himalayas. The Makalu and Pumori floorstanders, plus the standmount Ama auditioned here, join its existing ‘Project’ Everest DD67000 [HFN Aug ’14] and K2 S9900 [HFN Aug ’10] flagships in taking their name from the world’s highest peaks. Like those two models, they also come with prices that demand a head for heights, even if the Summit Ama – at £14,998 – can be said to be relatively affordable when compared to the Everest at £79,998.

Review: Jamie Biesemans,  |  Jan 06, 2026  |  First Published: Jan 01, 2026
hfnoutstandingA compact amplifier that’s ready to integrate with every conceivable streaming platform and playback service – does Eversolo’s aptly named Play redefine the budget ‘all-in-one’?

In the wake of well-established products such as the Sonos Amp and Bluesound’s Powernode, we’ve seen a slew of compact all-in-one amplifiers from brands including Denon, Marantz [HFN Aug ’24] and WiiM [HFN Nov ’24]. Now Chinese company Eversolo enters the fray with an offering that, while not the most affordable of its ilk, is keenly priced if you consider its extensive list of features. The Eversolo Play, at £599, even boasts a touchscreen displaying the Android-based interface also found on the brand’s DMP-A10 [HFN May ’25] and DMP-A8 [HFN May ’24] streaming DAC/preamps.

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