Hi Fi News July 2020

As one more issue of Hi-Fi News goes to press under lockdown we give thanks not only to the frontline workers but also to the gift of music recreated by the equipment at the heart of our shared passion. This is a time to count our blessings and appreciate that ours is a ‘home hobby’ – to tweak, to play and to listen… and to keep us all sane. Publishers across the board have been forced to make tough choices, as have very many businesses, but I took the decision at the outset that none of the editorial staff working across our three UK titles would be furloughed. Hi-Fi News will continue to offer everything that our loyal readers have come to expect: the highest quality writing, fully independent lab testing,…

BARRY FOX Investigative journalist supreme, Barry is the first with news of the latest developments in hi-fi and music technologies DAVID PRICE An avid collector of audio treasures, and life-long hi-fi addict, DP lends his ears and experience from analogue to digital KEN KESSLER is a long-serving contributor, luxury goods writer and champion for the renaissance in valves and ‘vintage hi-fi’ MARK CRAVEN Editor of our sister title Home Cinema Choice, Mark’s passion for music extends from stereo to multichannel and Dolby Atmos STEVE HARRIS Former Editor of this very title from 1986 through to 2005. A lifetime in audio and a love of jazz makes Steve a goldmine ANDREW EVERARD has reviewed hi-fi for over 30 years and is still effortlessly enthusiastic about new technology, kit and discovering new music STEVE SUTHERLAND Editor of Hi-Fi…

Swedish loudspeaker specialist, Marten, says its new Parker series was originally planned as an update on its Heritage line but resulted in something ‘more radical than an upgrade’, with ‘stepchange’ improvements to cabinet design, crossovers and drivers. Shared across the Duo two-way standmount and Trio and Quintet 2.5-way floorstanders are custom 1in ceramic tweeters and 7.5in ceramic midbass units, joined by rear-facing 9in passive bass radiators – four in the case of the Quintet [pictured], resulting in a claimed low frequency extension of 24Hz (–2dB). Sensitivity is rated at 88dB for the Duo, 91dB for the Trio and a very high 93dB for the Quintet. The tapered cabinets are available in Piano Walnut, Matte Walnut and Piano Black finishes, and use multi-layered 35mm ‘M Board’ material to combat resonances. Both floorstanders…

Newly announced by US brand PS Audio, the £3000 Stella Strata integrated amp combines numerous technologies leveraged from its costlier models. These include the ‘GainCell’ preamp/volume stage [see HFN Apr ’20] coupled with a wired/wireless-capable streaming facility that features a tried-and-tested ESS Sabre DAC. While PS Audio’s recent M700 and S300 power amps have used Class D modules, the class or type of amplification behind the Strata’s quoted 200W/4ohm output is not clearly specified. Its broad range of inputs look generous, however, and include balanced (analogue) XLRs, with digital sources supported by optical and coaxial S/PDIF, asynchronous USB and I2S. The PS Connect app acts as a controller for streaming from Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and other platforms. PS Audio, Colorado, US, 07738 007776; www.psaudio.com, www.signaturesystems.co.uk…

TALKING TONEARMS Talk Electronics has announced two new tonearms, the £350 A500 and £600 A600. Compatible with Rega turntables as standard and with mounts available to order for 9in, 10in and 12in Jelco and SME fittings, both models are uni-pivot designs (with hardened stainless steel pivots points) and can be fitted with the user’s own choice of cable. The pricier A600 replaces the aluminium arm tube of the A500 with carbon fibre. www.talkelectronics.com TUNGSTEN TOES Available in 33mm-high and 47mmhigh versions (£1350 and £1750, respectively), TungstenGroove’s vibration isolation feet are designed to stabilise hi-fi components without requiring removal of the original feet, and combine an inner chamber filled with dense tungsten powder between tungsten alloy end plates. A ‘Speaker Edition’ of the larger foot allows for custom-sized threads to accommodate different models. www.tungstengroovesaudio.com…

Danish speaker manufacturer System Audio is the latest addition to distributor Karma-AV’s stable, with the latter announcing UK availability of System Audio’s full range of floorstanding, standmount, on-wall and subwoofer models. These include the Legend Silverback active towers with driver-dedicated amplifiers, priced from £2400 to £7000 per pair; passive Legend speakers (£1450 to £5000 per pair); and the 11-strong entry-level passive Saxo range [the SA Saxo 60 is pictured here]. To streamline the active set-ups, System Audio also offers a 192kHz/24-bit capable wireless hub (WISA certified) for analogue and wired/wireless digital source connection. System Audio A/S, Denmark, 01423 358846; www.systemaudio.com, www.karma-av.co.uk,…