LATEST ADDITIONS

Jazz, February 2021

Steve Harris | Feb 26, 2021

This month we review: LAN Trio (Argüelles, Laginha and Norbakken), Elina Duni, Rob Luft, Patrick Cornelius and Blue Note Re:imagined.

Classical

Classical, February 2021

Christopher Breunig | Feb 26, 2021

This month we review: CBSO/Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla, RAM Soloists Ens/Trevor Pinnock, James Ehnes, Andrew Armstrong and Budapest Fest Orch/Iván Fischer.

Disc Players Integrated Amplifiers

Rotel CD11/A11 Tribute CD Player/Integrated Amplifer

Review: Andrew Everard, | Feb 25, 2021

Without any sense of irony, the man most identified with rival brand Marantz for 40 years is posthumously recognised for his work in 'tweaking' Rotel's budget CD and amp

Synchronicity is a strange thing: for whatever reason of scheduling, I found myself embarking on this review a year to the day since the passing of audio legend Ken Ishiwata. The anniversary was marked by his daughter with a YouTube video of some joyously retro Latin music performed by an all-Japanese vocal group. 'Instead of making this a very sad day,' she wrote, 'we would like to share one of his favourite songs with you. He used to play this all the time, it brings back lovely memories and a smile upon our faces'.

From the Vault Loudspeakers

A New Reference?

John Atkinson | Feb 23, 2021

John Atkinson lives with the KEF R107, its new range-topping contender

An understated revolution in loudspeaker design has been taking place in Kent. KEF's Technical Director Laurie Fincham has put together a team of engineers who have been quietly but thoroughly examining the fundamentals of moving-coil, box loudspeaker behaviour, spinning off a regular series of products, starting with the original R105 nearly a decade ago.

Loudspeakers

B&W 603 S2 Anniversary Edition Loudspeaker

Review: Andrew Everard, | Feb 22, 2021

The flagship of B&W's Anniversary Edition takes the range to a new price level, and promises performance to match

The special editions have been coming thick and fast this year, and this is the second recent 'tuned' range from Worthing-based Bowers & Wilkins, following hot on the heels of the 700 Series Signature models. We've reviewed the 702 Signature floorstander [HFN Sep '20], and the formula for the 600 Series Anniversary lineup is a familiar one: new finishes, and some mild performance tuning.

Vinyl Release

Donovan: What’s Bin Did And What’s Bin Hid

Steve Sutherland | Feb 19, 2021

Steve Sutherland listens again to the debut LP that catapulted a teenage singer to stardom as over half a century later the album is re-released on 180g vinyl

Dylan digs Donovan!' This was the headline on the front cover of British weekly Melody Maker, on the 8th of May 1965. It wasn't true of course – not remotely so.

Pre/Power Amplifiers

Audio Research REF 6SE Preamplifier

Review: David Price, | Feb 18, 2021

The REF 6 replaced Audio Research's long-serving REF 5 tube preamp back in 2015 but five years of running production updates have now culminated in this 'SE' refresh

The Audio Research Corporation is a company with provenance, a truth that's instantly apparent when first setting eyes upon its new £16,998 REF 6SE line-stage preamplifier. Indeed, its history shouts out at you, from the iconic styling with shades of its 1970s SP-series preamps, to the industrial-quality construction which underlines that it's built to last. Rather like its manufacturer, in fact.

Loudspeakers Vintage

Technics SB-7000 Loudspeaker

Review: Tim Jarman, | Feb 17, 2021

Bass-heavy behemoth or technical tour de force? We hear a range-topping speaker first launched in 1975 that promised 'true waveform fidelity'. How will it shape up?

Although the Japanese dominated much of the hi-fi scene during the 1970s, there was one important area where their reach was more limited. That was the loudspeaker market. Yes, the companies' catalogues may have been full of glittering arrays of tempting models, but dealers outside of Japan seldom had that many in stock for interested buyers either to see or hear.

Inside the Studio

Rockfield Studios

Steve Sutherland | Feb 16, 2021

Steve Sutherland kicks off a new series with the story of a farmhouse that became the world's first residential recording studio, and a home to hitmakers for over 50 years

The TV was out the window, still plugged in… The double-bed was broken in half... It was just like a hand-grenade had gone off in the room... The whole studio got smashed to pieces, the living room, everything got blitzed… There were smashed windows… just devastation…'

Loudspeakers

Scansonic MB6 B Loudspeaker

Review: Andrew Everard, | Feb 15, 2021

Bucking the trend – Scansonic goes for the slender, multi-driver approach for its flagship design, to impressive effect

The MB series is the high-end range from Scansonic, and the MB6 B the flagship of the latest iteration of this lineup. Yet in an arena where bulky, room-dominating speakers prevail, this design takes a different approach. Yes, it's tall, at just over 1.4m, but the company has kept it slender – at under 18cm, the front baffle is narrower than that of many a much smaller design. For example, even the little B&W 606 standmount speaker is a centimetre wider than this floorstanding tower.

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