Hi-Fi Choice June 2021
Hi-Fi Choice is the essential guide to audio excellence in the home. It is a no-nonsense guide to the finest products available, from vinyl and valves, to multi-channel digital audio and high-fidelity video. Hi-Fi Choice sorts the best from the rest with rigorous test processes and a highly experienced team of reviewers.
in this issue
welcome
As Paul McCartney once remarked: it’s an ever-changing world in which we live in. Take NFTs. Up until a couple of months ago, most of us thought these letters stood for the National Film Theatre. But then, suddenly, literally out of the ether – kaboom! – there are these thingummybobs called Non-Fungible Tokens, which everyone’s talking about but hardly anyone appears to understand. They exist and yet… they don’t really. You can own them if you pay tons of money, sometimes millions, and yet… you don’t really ever actually possess them. On the one hand, there are those who claim NFTs are going to completely revolutionise the music industry while there are others who insist they are (I quote): “the most disgusting thing on the planet right now”. One thing’s…
audio evo-lution
PRICE: £650-£2,250 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: CAMBRIDGEAUDIO.COM CAMBRIDGE AUDIO HAS launched Evo, its all-in-one music player which the company says: “gives you instant access to all the music in the world,” and “represents an evolution in hi-fi: an all-in-one music player that combines timeless design, cutting-edge technology, streaming smarts and incredible audio performance into one streamlined and compact box. You simply need to add speakers to start enjoying music.” Designed in London, the Evo sports walnut wood side panels to complement the black anodised aluminium cabinet and comes with a choice of formed black side panels made from Richlite, a new material that’s produced primarily from recycled paper. The side panels can be switched out according to each customer’s preference. Completing Evo’s design is a dual-concentric rotary dial and large 6.8in LCD display panel…
good lux!
PRICE: £500 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: BANG-OLUFSEN.COM BANG & OLUFSEN has launched a new headphone, the Beoplay HX, which offers digital ANC and up to 35 hours of play time. Featuring two custom-designed 40mm drivers with neodymium magnets and bass ports to ensure optimal bass performance, the Beoplay HX uses four mics for calls and the sound is further enhanced due to improved speech delivery, while the listening experience is immersive thanks to the introduction of Digital Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation, which blocks out unwanted interference without compromising on sound quality. Lightweight (285g), measuring 195 x 200 x 53mm (WxHxD) and designed for durability, the HX boasts an ergonomic design with a revamped headband that has a centre-relief zone for long-time wear. The earpads are made from soft lambskin with memory foam that adapts to…
tape that and party
PRICE: $239 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: RXREELS.COM If you’re into your reel-to-reel and fancy a spruce-up, American company RX Reels has just the treat for you. Produced using upcycled aviation-grade carbon fibre for superior strength, durability and weight, RX Reels has launched a new range of 10.5in tape reels with quarter-inch spools, which it says: “will not warp or bend and will allow your tape deck to look just as good as it sounds”. The brainchild of RX’s Kevin Root, the range was created when: “It occurred to me that the tape deck was the focal point of my system and the reels were the focal point of my tape deck. But since a typical reel is either plastic or aluminium, they weren’t quite giving me the same visual wow factor as the…
wood tidings
PRICE: £1,600 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: NAIMAUDIO.COM NAIM AUDIO HAS introduced a new premium Wood Edition of its Mu-so 2nd Generation wireless speaker system. Available alongside existing models, the new Mu-so Wood Edition is designed in sustainable Ayous hardwood, treated and lacquered to give the appearance of a Light Oak finish. The Mu-so heatsink also has a new anodised aluminium tint, with the speaker finished by a neutral-toned, woven front grille. Mu-so Wood Edition offers wireless streaming controlled from the Naim App or direct from your devices to Spotify Connect, Tidal and Qobuz, while Chromecast Built-in gives access to Deezer, Google Play Music and more, including Google Assistant compatibility. AirPlay 2 adds Apple Music streaming and Apple Home integration, including Siri voice control potential. It also works as a Bluetooth speaker. The Mu-so Wood…
sonic boom!
PRICE: £550 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: PANASONIC.COM Panasonic has unveiled its new SC-PMX802 system and network player incorporating Technics JENO Engine amplifier. The system’s three-way speakers feature silk dome tweeters, which the company claims are capable of reaching frequencies as high as 50kHz, while their wooden cabinets come with a black finish on the front. Another feature of the new system is CD High-Res Re-Master processing, while similar technology is employed to re-master music streamed via Bluetooth or MP3 files from a USB source. “We recognise that many consumers have CD collections that they don’t want to replace. CD High-Res Re-Master lets them hear those songs with a fresh feel,” explains Masaaki Suna, General Manager Home AV Group, Panasonic Marketing Europe. “The changing ways listeners want to hear music are addressed by the SC-PMX802.…
