Hi-Fi Choice

www.hifichoice.com Issue No. 491 August 2022 “Time was when the words ‘budget’ and ‘floorstander’ would trigger any self-respecting audiophile’s Spidey sense, and for good reason. Budget floorstanders hardly ever sounded as promising as they looked, too often relying on an expedient amalgam of lightweight, unbraced cabinets, cheap drivers and cheesy crossover components. The best that could be hoped for was generous loudness, appreciable bass of questionable quality and an impressive amount of fibreboard for your money…. None of this holds true now.” This is from our introduction to this month’s Group Test of affordable floorstanding loudspeakers priced under a grand – something that’s been much requested by readers, especially those looking to build a system from scratch or upgrade with an weather eye on expenditure. Technological developments have improved affordable…

PRICE: £500-£1,700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: DENON.COM DENON INTRODUCED A trio of new products at the Munich High End Show: the PMA-1700NE premium amplifier, the company’s first HEOS Built-in integrated amplifier in a standard-size chassis, the PMA-900HNE integrated amp and the matching DCD-900NE CD player with USB playback. The PMA-1700NE high-current integrated delivers a claimed power output of 140W per channel (into 4ohm and 70W into 8ohm), features a built-in phono stage that caters for both moving-magnet and coil carts and an optical digital input and subwoofer out that additionally lend themselves to hook-up to a TV. Offering connectivity for both analogue and digital sources, the PMA-1700NE also provides support for hi-res music up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 from a computer using the USB-B input mated to a master clock and…

PRICE: £1,200 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: NUPRIMEAUDIO.COM ADMM.UK.COM ADMM DISTRIBUTION IS handling the UK distribution of the NuPrime PRA-9X, a fully balanced stereo preamp with MM phono input and 6.3mm headphone out for increased source flexibility. Alan Ainslie, Managing Director of ADMM told HFC: “The PRA-X9 offers the performance and build the industry has come to expect from NuPrime, with the added bonus of vinyl record integration via a very high-quality RIAA adjustable phono input, configurable for load and capacitance. True balanced input and output allows integration into high-end balanced systems and makes driving active speakers so simple. All in a stylish compact housing matching the NuPrime 9 series components”. As mentioned, top of the featurelist is the RIAA moving-magnet phono amplifier circuit with adjustable input capacitance and impedance for precise…

PRICE: £109-£1,900 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ASTELLKERN.CO.UK ASTELL&KERN HAS BEEN rather busy of late, launching three new products: the KANN Max digital audio player (DAP), the AK HC2 Dual DAC cable and Pathfinder in-ear monitor. The KANN Max portable DAP is the fourth addition to its KANN series and boasts a higher power output (15Vrms) than its predecessor, the KANN Alpha (HFC 473). It comes housed in a more compact and lightweight chassis and is equipped with an ESS ES9038Q2M Quad-DAC, proprietary TERATON ALPHA Sound Solution technology able to support playback of files up to 32-bit/768kHz alongside native DSD512. Bluetooth comes in the shape of v5.0, supporting aptX HD and LDAC, while a Replay Gain function adjusts volume playback from sound sources up to 24-bit/192kHz. A&K’s Pathfinder in-ear claims more powerful…

PRICE: £1,300 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: NADELECTRONICS.COM NAD HAS INTRODUCED its C 389 HybridDigital DAC amplifier, which the company describes as: “the perfect cornerstone for an audiophile-grade stereo system combining exceptional sound quality with the flexibility and the long-term value offered by NAD’s latest Modular Design Construction platform, MDC2”. Featuring the same ESS Sabre DAC used in the brand’s up-market Masters Series amplifiers, the C 389 boasts a digital section built around a 32-bit/384kHz ESS Technology Sabre DAC chip and for the output stage it uses a customised version of NAD’s HybridDigital UcD design, with multiple UcD amplifier modules in balanced bridged configuration and a switch-mode power supply. Delivering a claimed 130W per channel of continuous power into 8/4ohm, the company claims the C 389: “can produce real-life listening levels with…

PRICE: £12 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: AUDIO-TECHNICA.COM Audio-Technica has released 300 limited-edition slipmats featuring artwork by calligraphy and lettering artist Eugene Berd, who is based in Kyiv, Ukraine. The company has revealed that 100 percent of the sales will be split evenly between the largest children’s hospital in Ukraine and the animal charity, UAnimals. A-T told HFC: “The current events in Ukraine made Eugene look for expression in new forms, trying to connect people around the world and raise awareness about some of Ukraine’s iconic symbols — ablue/yellow palette of colours and flowers, representing peace and life. At the beginning of the war, Eugene’s Reddit post on ‘How do I prepare for a war?’ went viral, receiving thousands of comments and shares. Since then, he has also posted an acclaimed diary,…