Hi-Fi Choice July 2019

www.hifichoice.co.uk Issue No. 451 June 2019 In a world peppered with single-box speaker systems, it can sometimes seem as though today's music fans have forgotten all about stereo. As a child of the seventies, the importance of a stereo soundstage – achieved by placing a pair of speakers apart and positioning yourself equidistant from both in the optimal listening 'hot spot' – is something that still dictates my cabinet placement at home and remains my preferred way of engaging with music. Although many one-box designs do a good job of creating a room-filling sound, thanks to sophisticated DSPs, for me nothing comes close to a two-speaker setup. Some designs generate a musical soundstage better than others, but Kudos' Titan 505 reviewed on p42, creates one of the most believable 3D…

www.hifichoice.co.uk Issue No. 451 June 2019 In a world peppered with single-box speaker systems, it can sometimes seem as though today's music fans have forgotten all about stereo. As a child of the seventies, the importance of a stereo soundstage – achieved by placing a pair of speakers apart and positioning yourself equidistant from both in the optimal listening 'hot spot' – is something that still dictates my cabinet placement at home and remains my preferred way of engaging with music. Although many one-box designs do a good job of creating a room-filling sound, thanks to sophisticated DSPs, for me nothing comes close to a two-speaker setup. Some designs generate a musical soundstage better than others, but Kudos' Titan 505 reviewed on p42, creates one of the most believable 3D soundscapes…

Offering 2x 250W power output, the H390 has the same streaming platform as Hegel’s flagship H590 PRICE: £4,900 AVAILABLE: SEPTEMBER CONTACT: 0047 22605660 WEB: HEGEL.COM Norwegian brand Hegel has something of a reputation as a maker of outstanding power house integrated amplifier designs, and quite rightly so. After reviewing its £9,000 flagship H590 just a couple of issues ago in HFC 449, we're intrigued to hear of the introduction of the £4,900 H390 integrated streaming amplifier, announced at Munich’s High-End show held in May – see full Show Report starting on p10. Set to replace the H360 integrated amplifier when it arrives in early autumn, the H390 is said to offer a power output rated at 2x 250W, include the same streaming platform found in the top-of-the-range H590 and will…

Offering 2x 250W power output, the H390 has the same streaming platform as Hegel’s flagship H590 PRICE: £4,900 AVAILABLE: SEPTEMBER CONTACT: 0047 22605660 WEB: HEGEL.COM Norwegian brand Hegel has something of a reputation as a maker of outstanding power house integrated amplifier designs, and quite rightly so. After reviewing its £9,000 flagship H590 just a couple of issues ago in HFC 449, we're intrigued to hear of the introduction of the £4,900 H390 integrated streaming amplifier, announced at Munich’s High-End show held in May – see full Show Report starting on p10. Set to replace the H360 integrated amplifier when it arrives in early autumn, the H390 is said to offer a power output rated at 2x 250W, include the same streaming platform found in the top-of-the-range H590 and will additionally offer AirPlay…

PRICE: £11,000-£18,360 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 01622 721444 WEB: CHORDELECTRONICS.CO.UK SHOWCASED AT MUNICH’S High End event last month – see full show report starting on p10 – Chord Electronics has unveiled two mono power amplifiers that utilise the company’s Ultima technology, which first appeared in its flagship mono power amplifier design launched last year. The Ultima 2 and Ultima 3 – priced respectively at £18,360 and £11,000 each – are both smaller mono power amp designs featuring trickle-down tech from the £30k flagship that’s claimed to be one of the world’s most advanced amplifier topologies. Rated at 750W and 480W respectively, the Ultimas use 32 proprietary MOSFET power devices inside an aluminium casework and come fitted with balanced and unbalanced connections and high-quality loudspeaker terminals.…

PRICE: £11,000-£18,360 AVAILABLE: NOW CONTACT: 01622 721444 WEB: CHORDELECTRONICS.CO.UK SHOWCASED AT MUNICH’S High End event last month – see full show report starting on p10 – Chord Electronics has unveiled two mono power amplifiers that utilise the company’s Ultima technology, which first appeared in its flagship mono power amplifier design launched last year. The Ultima 2 and Ultima 3 – priced respectively at £18,360 and £11,000 each – are both smaller mono power amp designs featuring trickle-down tech from the £30k flagship that’s claimed to be one of the world’s most advanced amplifier topologies. Rated at 750W and 480W respectively, the Ultimas use 32 proprietary MOSFET power devices inside an aluminium casework and come fitted with balanced and unbalanced connections and high-quality loudspeaker terminals.…