Hi-Fi News Staff

Welcome to the latest, 148-page January issue of Hi-Fi News & Record Review – the heartiest read in hi-fi by far – on sale 21st December. Our cover star this month is the Air Force V turntable, the most affordable and compact model from the TechDAS range, still featuring an air-bearing and vacuum pull-down feature plus the capacity to accommodate no fewer than four separate tonearms. This issue also features the first full review of Marantz's SA-KI and PM-KI Ruby SACD player/DAC and integrated amplifier, launched in celebration of Ken Ishiwata's 40 years with the brand. This, plus the first technical exploration of DS Audio's new DS-W2 'optical' pick-up and, in our Investigation strand, a frank discussion about inspiration, innovation and hi-res audio with the master of the melodious synth – Jean-Michel Jarre – as the man himself spins-up his latest album, Equinoxe Infinity.

A contributor for 30 years and editor for the last 10, Paul Miller oversaw the return of Hi-Fi News & Record Review to its specialist roots and yellow border and re-established its technical prowess on the world stage. He's tested more hi-fi than anyone in the business. Not bad for an ex-organic chemist. Paul is also the President of EISA.

The European Imaging and Sound Association celebrates the year's most desirable hi-fi hardware Welcome to the EISA Awards for 2017-2018. For 35 years EISA has been selecting the most innovative, cutting-edge products for its prestigious EISA Awards. The Awards are debated and voted upon by groups of specialist judging panels covering the full spectrum of consumer electronics and photographic products, including Hi-Fi, Home Theatre, In-Car Electronics, Photo, Video and Mobile Devices. Key to the success and relevance of the annual EISA Awards lies in the evolution of its categories, always reflecting the changing trends and technologies of the consumer electronics world.

The Duette 2 is a thorough revamp of the 2006 original, with its aesthetics enhanced by design cues that first appeared in the larger Wilson models – the optional stand, too, is a visual treat. Like the original, the Duette 2 uses the separate Novel crossover, its outboard status increasing the internal volume of the speaker so it still has ample space for an 8in woofer. Mounted inside the newly-designed stand, the crossover is mechanically isolated in its own dedicated enclosure. Upgrading the tweeter has involved the inclusion of a rear wave chamber, which is said to attenuate spurious energy ‘generated at the rear of the driver that would otherwise leak out of the acoustically translucent dome’.