Hi Fi News Jan-19

Once again, it was a huge pleasure to meet so many longstanding Hi-Fi News readers, alongside what seems to be an increasing number of new hi-fi aficionados, all drawn by the unique high-end experiences and UK premieres unveiled at our recent Hi-Fi Show Live event in Windsor. Until the next Hi-Fi Show Live, this was the only chance for enthusiasts to see and hear so many exclusive brands in one location, but as our visitors discovered, we have even grander plans for 2019… After six amazing years at our Windsor venue, and with visitor numbers at an all-time high, it’s clear that we have now outgrown this conference hotel. And so, for 2019, the UK-branded Hi-Fi Show Live moves to the iconic Ascot Grandstand where the flexible and capacious exhibition…

Premiered at this year’s Hi-Fi Show Live in Windsor [p24], the massive ULTIMA preamp and monoblock power amplifiers from Chord Electronics are timely reminder that there’s more to this brand than portable headphone amps DACs. Launched to celebrate forthcoming 30th anniversary, this preamp and twin mono power amps (all £30,000 each) are monsters by any standards, the power amps 480x350x670mm (whd) 86kg each. The preamp is but still weighs a massive 30kg. The monoblocks are rated at 780W/8ohm (for 0.05% THD), rising to 1.4kW/4ohm and 2.5kW/2ohm. Each output stage comprises 64 of Chord’s proprietary dual die lateral MOSFETs, rendered highly linear by the use of dual-feedforward error correction. Preamp input and output provisions are extensive, with four balanced and unbalanced inputs. Three outputs are available, each balanced or unbalanced. Separate…

Wilson Audio’s thorough refresh of the Sasha, the £40k Sasha DAW, carries the initials of company founder Dave Wilson in homage following his death last year. The bass section is substantially changed with the twin drivers of new design, adapted from that used in the Series 2. Internal volume has been increased, port design reduces noise, the front is now angled and thicker X-material panels further reduce cabinet resonance. The internal volume has likewise been increased in the all-new upper module which uses the mid and tweeter drivers from the WAMM Master Chronosonic, mated by new crossover circuit. Sensitivity is quoted 91dB and nominal impedance as 4ohm. Wilson Audio, 0208 971 3909; www.absolutesounds.com www.wilsonaudio.com…

PIONEER UNIVERSAL Filling the vacuum left by the closure of Oppo Digital, Pioneer’s UDP-LX800 is its new flagship universal disc player, capable of handling all optical media from CD to BD. Claiming to ‘provide a new state-of-the-art benchmark for 4K UHD Blu-ray and SACD playback’, its features include battleship construction and a dedicated power supply for the audio circuitry. Priced at £2200, the UDPLX800 is only available in black. www.pioneer-audiovisual.eu HEY KLIPSCH Klipsch’s ‘The Three’ tabletop stereo system has Google Assistant installed – so it’s a loudspeaker you can talk to. As we’ve come to expect of Klipsch [HFN Nov ’18], modern technology is combined with what it terms ‘midcentury’ (that’s last century) design, which means traditional appearance with, here, wood veneer top and bottom panels and spun copper switches…

Mytek’s reputation for making compact, versatile and keenly priced digital products will be enhanced this month with the launch of the Brooklyn Bridge streamer/DAC/preamp, which adds a Wi-Fi streamer to the well-regarded Brooklyn DAC+. In the same compact footprint, the Bridge combines replay of PCM material with sampling rates of up to 384kHz via USB and 192kHz via S/PDIF, Ethernet and Wi-Fi. DSD256 compatibility is offered via USB only, with DSD128 via Ethernet and DSD64 on other inputs. It also incorporates MQA decoding, a high-current headphone amplifier, analogue line level and MM/MC phono inputs, an audio interface function that allows all digital inputs to be routed to computer via USB, and precision analogue and digital volume controls. Mytek EU, Poland, +48 22823 7238; www.mytekdigital.com…

First product in Ayre’s new entry-level 8 series, the EX-8 integrated ‘hub’ amplifier, is now available in the UK. Five variants are offered with different arrays of inputs, beginning with Analogue only (£5750); ‘digital base’, which adds S/PDIF inputs (£6750); USB, which is digital base plus asynchronous USB (£7250); Net, which adds Ethernet input to digital base (£7500); and Full, which has all the digital input options (£7750). With Ethernet input the EX-8 is Roon-ready and pre-configured to stream Spotify, Qobuz and Tidal. Sampling rates up to 384kHz and DSD128 (via DoP) are supported via USB, with 192kHz and DSD64 capability via the other digital inputs. Rated at 100W/8ohm, the power amp section features Ayre’s familiar zero (global) feedback and Double-Diamond output stage. Ayre Acoustics Inc., Colorado, 05602 054669; www.ayre.com;…