Lab: Paul Miller

Review: Mark Craven, | Feb 23, 2023 | 0 comments

Traditional, all-analogue amplifiers have an advantage over their digitally-packed contemporaries as there's simply less to go 'out of date'! That's the theory...

These days, the letter 'i' included in a product name will have some people assuming there are networking features onboard – blame BBC iPlayer or Apple iTunes, I suppose. It's therefore worth stressing that Simaudio's £1900 MOON 250i is an all-analogue integrated amplifier (that's what the 'i' stands for here, of course), lacking digital connectivity and DAC, or any networking talents whatsoever. If this counts as an old-school approach, then there's at least one good reason for it – the 250i has now been in the Canadian company's stable for a decade.

Pre/Power Amplifiers

Musical Fidelity M6x 250.7 Multichannel Power Amp

Review: Mark Craven, | Feb 21, 2023 | 0 comments

The Austrian brand's first multichannel power amp is designed not just for home theatre systems but also to service bi- or even tri-amped stereo set-ups. Is this a trend?

Musical Fidelity is no stranger to big power amplifiers. Its top-of-the-range monoblock, the £3599 M8s-700m, claims a 700W/8ohm output and weighs in at 35.5kg, and the company sells a stereo model in the M8 series too, the £3999 2x500W/8ohm-rated M8s-500s. But perhaps what few expected from the brand, considering its range also consists of DACs, streaming amps, phono stages and CD players – everything a two-channel audiophile could want, in other words – is a seven-channel amplifier. Which is what we have here, in the shape of the M6x 250.7.

Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

Nagaoka MP-500 Cartridge

Review: Adam Smith, | Feb 20, 2023 | 0 comments

The flagship of Nagaoka's 'Moving Permalloy' range can trace its lineage back to ADC's 10E pick-up from 1964. Has this top-of-the-range cartridge stood the test of time?

For many audiophiles the transition from using a moving-magnet (MM) cartridge in a 'starter' system to a moving-coil (MC) by way of upgrade is something of a rite of passage. However, as Japanese cartridge specialist, Nagaoka, is keen to remind us, other options are available. The debate goes something like this: given that some superb MCs can be had from around £300 and up, one might ask who is going to buy an MM that costs nearly double this, such as the Nagaoka MP-500. This flagship pick-up retails for £799 or £899 in MP-500H guise, the latter pre-mounted into a rather swish Nagaoka-branded headshell.

Integrated Amplifiers

Icon Audio ST40 MkIV 6L6 Integrated Amplifier

Review: Ken Kessler, | Feb 16, 2023 | 0 comments

Designer David Shaw has stripped the best-selling Stereo 40 tube amp back to its basics and replaced its KT88s with 6L6/KT66s for a less 'power hungry' musical experience

Who'd have believed that the world would be awash with affordable valve amps in the 2020s? Certainly not those who recall the desperation of trying to source fresh tubes during the era when solid-state ruled and valves were yet to make a comeback. But now the choice is so vast that you can look beyond nursing vintage Leaks or Quads, with the risks that entails. Arguably the doyen of affordable valve amps is Icon Audio, its latest the absurdly cost-effective integrated Stereo (ST) 40 MkIV 6L6, starting at £2200.

Headphones

Apogee BOOM Headphone Preamp

Review: Jamie Biesemans, | Feb 13, 2023 | 0 comments

This 2+2 hardware/software audio interface was crafted with budding musicians, video producers and live streamers in mind. So, is there anything here for the audiophile?

It's not unusual for pro-facing audio brands to entice hi-fi consumers with dedicated products – SPL [HFN Jul '21] and RME, for example, are companies that have created head-fi-orientated DACs – and even attend hi-fi shows. Yet Apogee hasn't taken that route with its £329 BOOM. This compact, table-top device is resolutely aimed at what you might loosely call 'creators'. Gameplay streaming, podcast development, music production, light studio duties, that kind of thing.

Integrated Amplifiers Network Audio Players/Servers

HiFi Rose RS520 Streaming Amplifier

Review: Andrew Everard, | Feb 09, 2023 | 0 comments

Combining the network streaming capability of the RS150 flagship with the GAN-FET Class D amplification of the RS180, the RS520 aims to be the 'all-in-one' for everyone

Another smart move from the Korean tech specialist? That certainly seems to be the case with the latest arrival from Seoul-based HiFi Rose, which has rapidly established itself as a major player in the network audio/video market with a string of excellent streaming players. Having taken what looked like an abrupt turn with the launch of its bonkers-styled – but great-sounding – RA180 integrated amplifier [HFN Jul '22], it's now delivering on the promises made by the company's Sean Kim, interviewed for that review. We're yet to see the simpler, more affordable RA280 integrated amp, but here's the company's all-in-one streaming amp, the RS520.

Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

SME Model 12 MK2 Turntable

Review: Adam Smith, | Feb 06, 2023 | 0 comments

SME's flagship Model 60 turntable was more than an aspirational torch-bearer for the UK brand – it set the tone for revisions that will trickle down through the entire range

Every hi-fi era has its buzzwords, and while variations on the theme of 'digital' and 'high-res' have permeated our collective consciousness over the past few decades, the 2020s have so far proved thick with references to 'trickle-down technology'. Brands have always launched flagship products to showcase technologies that eventually 'trickle-down' to middle and entry-level ranges, but nowadays there's almost an expectation that this osmosis of tech will happen swiftly, and wholesale.

Loudspeakers

Wilson Audio Alexia V Loudspeaker

Review: Ken Kessler, | Feb 02, 2023 | 0 comments

It's V for Victory as Wilson's Alexia loudspeaker is more than simply 'tickled-up' with a host of detailed revisions

Ah, the sweet spot! Positioned in the exact middle of a seven-model range of Wilson Audio floorstanders, between the Sasha DAW [HFN Mar '19] and Alexx V [HFN Jan '22], the new Alexia V – by accident or design – now occupies that most coveted of spaces. One of hi-fi's inexplicable phenomena, a 'sweet spot' seems to exist in pretty much every hi-fi model range, from turntables to amps to speakers, when a stand-out in performance relative to size and cost just happens. Yes, the new Alexia V is that special.

Network Audio Players/Servers Outboard DACs

Auralic Altair G1.1 Network-Attached DAC

Review: Jamie Biesemans, | Jan 26, 2023 | 0 comments

Now benefitting from the latest updates to Auralic's Lightning streaming platform, the 'starter' Altair DAC also features a raft of mechanical and detailed design improvements

Although Auralic (promoted as AURALiC) only launched the Altair G1 in 2020, the Chinese brand already has its G1.1 update available. It appears together with the Aries G1.1 as the new and more affordable options within their respective tiers, with the Altair and Aries G2.1 [HFN Oct '21 & Feb '21] being the more expensive models. However, as all Auralic products share a very similar chassis design and carry names that aren't very descriptive, it's sometimes difficult to discern which box does what.

Disc Players Integrated Amplifiers Network Audio Players/Servers

AVM Ovation CS 8.3 Black Ed. All-In-One Solution

Review: Jamie Biesemans, | Jan 24, 2023 | 0 comments

AVM's flagship all-in-one network/CD music system combines cool-running power with huge flexibility while the top 'Black Edition' features a custom finish and selected tubes

Nowadays there's a wealth of all-in-one units available but AVM was one of the brands to spot the trend early on. That partly explains why, even in an industry that loves extensive model ranges, the company has an impressively large product offering – including five streaming receiver solutions. And there's little concession to price in this range, so the top-of-the-line £14,950 Ovation CS 8.3 model boasts ample power reserves, a full range of streaming capabilities and a slot-loading CD player.

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Lab: Paul Miller

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