Lab: Paul Miller

Sean Kim, the Marketing/Sales Executive Director at HiFi Rose, has stated that the brand wants to ‘liven up the hi-fi market and have it embrace new technology faster’. That’s quite an ambition, and, to be fair, the South Korean company has already proven itself to be a successful disruptor – a case in point being the buzz generated by its ‘steampunk’ RA180 amplifier [HFN Jul ’22], and its network streamers sporting massive, customisable touchscreens [HFN Jun ’21 and Mar ’22].

For anyone of the opinion that a standalone digital-to-analogue converter is not much more than a DAC chip, output circuitry and a power supply, the EMM Labs DA2i is going to come as something of a shock. It’s big and hefty – more amplifier-size at a full 440x160mm (wh) and weighing in at 16kg – and will set you back £34,995 in either silver or black finishes.

The AD-812 is the perfect CD player for those who dislike banks of buttons and legions of flashing lights. It has only nine controls and the simplest possible display, with no remote control or hidden menus with extra functions concealed within. While it might be marketed today as a stripped-out audiophile product, in 1986 it was simply a no-frills, straightforward player.