From the Vault

The Mark Levinson N^o30 can be regarded as the ultimate exposition in digital decoding design at the present state-of-the-art. A matching transport, called the N^o31, will soon be made available, for the designers are anxious not to be found wanting in any department – save, it must be said, that of economy.

Sexy hardware – strange use of the term ‘sexy’. But Wadia’s new CD player is sleek in a catwalk model/Euro-chic way, the same reasons why a hot Italian V12 can be regarded as sexy. More accurately, the Wadia 6 is severe, a mere glance at its styling, finish and hewn-from-solid build quality telling you that it’s no toy. You don’t have to lift it to know that it’s chunky... like 35lb worth of chunk.

The giant professional KM1 apart, KEF has been pretty quiet in the large loudspeaker market during the past year or two. The Reference series has run on without much fanfare, and most of the action has been with the budget ‘C’ range, particularly the highly competitive Coda, now in Mark 3 guise.

Experience has shown me that you don’t get something for nothing, so I don’t expect the state-of-the-art in hi-fi to cost the same as a toaster. Regular readers will note, however, that I do champion those rare components which defy their price tags, and get no greater pleasure than I do from learning that you don’t have to take out a mortgage for a taste of the best.

The BBC’s outside broadcast engineers often have to work in cramped conditions, for example in OB vans, where the steady proliferation of equipment puts cunning stowage, tidy habits, and a strict diet for the occupants at a distinct premium. Studio monitor loudspeakers are particularly difficult to locate sensibly in these circumstances, and the design aim behind the LS3/5a was the provision of a small but high quality monitor.

You don’t have to be a marketing analyst with a subscription to the Financial Times to understand why SACD might win the format war. Clearly, the SACD crew has delivered more hardware and (most importantly) in the order of ten times more software than DVD-Audio, according to the estimates of music vendors I’ve canvassed. All of which makes the arrival of a high-end SACD player with a mid-range price point something worth considering.

The Point 5 from Nightingale Acoustics is a very unusual loudspeaker, which might be said to wear its heart on its head. Starting at the other end, its body is a basically rectangular cabinet made of 19mm particle board with an integral front panel that is stepped inwards by 24mm over the top 180mm, the two levels being joined by a slope.