G Point Audio Appointed Sole UK Dealer for Contrast Audio

02. September 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Hifi News, Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , ,

G Point-Audio has today announced that they have been appointed exclusive representative for Ukrainian artisan  loudspeaker manufacturer Contrast Audio. The announcement broadens the range of products available from G Point and reaffirms their philosophy of “offering the best sound quality money can buy”.

Contrast Audio are a manufacturer with 10 years experience in the design and manufacture of acoustic systems based on their own highly linear drivers. All their loudspeakers are built on the principle of minimum crossover interference (first order filter), which gives “high sensitivity and accurate sound”. The drivers use only natural materials (paper cone, paper coil of magnetic system, wooden phase corrector, etc.).

There are five models in the Contrast Audio, plus a range of interconnects and loudspeaker cables which match those used in the speakers themselves.

The finish of the loudspeakers is said to be exemplary with five piano lacquer colours available as standard and any colour available on request.

 

 

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Icon Audio Stereo 60P MKIIIm

29. August 2012 · 3 comments · Categories: Hifi News, Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,

Not everyone needs an integrated amplifier and not everyone has the room for monoblocks. The ST60P from Icon Audio is the company’s first stereo power amplifier and has no selector, no volume control and the input socket is directly connected to the grid of the first valve.

It has a big power supply, big output transformers, and uses the new KT120 valve.
The new KT120 has 50% more power than the KT88 tube.

The Ultra Linear/Triode switch on the amp allows switching from 80 watts to 40 watts of triode sound.

A built in bias meter simplifies keeping biasing.

Specifications and Features

Built in “Easy Bias” Meter
Hand wired point to point
Class A, Triode front end
Output circuit Ultralinear or Triode switchable
4x KT120
KT88/6550 compatible
2x 6SL7 first stage valves
2x 6SN7 output driver valves
Valve Voltage regulator
Valve warm up, protection circuit
80w RMS* per ch Ultralinear 8Ω KT120
65w RMS* per ch Ultralinear 8Ω KT88
35w RMS* per ch Triode mode 8Ω KT120
Typical gain 70 (High) 20 (Low sensitivity)
Signal to noise level better than -97db
One line level inputs
Tape monitor circuit
44W, 40D, 23H, 35kg

 

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Hifi and Live Music.

21. June 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Comment · Tags: , ,

Well today is Fete de la Musique in France and this is the one day of the year where towns and villages across the country put on a great deal of free music in their streets and bars. The whole country comes out in a big celebration of all things musical and a great time is had by all…needless to say it’s banging it down with rain here at the moment.

This got me thinking about live music and where hifi fits into all this. Hi-fi aficionados often claim that they are looking to recreate that “live experience” and I wondered where this came from and what it was about the “live” experience they wanted to recreate. The majority of my experience of live rock and electronic music is being surrounded by drunken mid-twenty somethings combined with pretty average sound reproduction and hi-fi it certainly is not. If that’s the experience folk are looking for then surely it can’t be that difficult to recreate; a couple of cases of cheap lager, turn the music-centre up full whack, get too many friends around and there you go…for the festival experience take the whole lot out into the garden and roll around in the mud. More »

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Dream Hifi

20. March 2012 · 5 comments · Categories: Comment · Tags: , , ,

Is is it a bit sad to have a dream hifi? It probably is you know, but I bet a pound to a penny that the vast majority of folk reading this have dreamed of owning a particular set up. Well perhaps they haven’t physically dreamed it as that would be a bit wrong, but you get my point I’m sure. More »

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Audio Physic Virgo Mk2 Speakers

16. March 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Loudspeakers. · Tags: , , ,

Audio Physic Virgo Mk2 Speakers

I’d heard Audio Physic (AP) speakers several times at Shows, and the overriding impression had been of a dynamic and quite exciting sound, but with a tonal thinness that really did not appeal to me.   Box Swapper though I am, AP speakers never made it on to my Want List for that reason.

But I kept reading reviews and forum comments about how wonderful they were, and the soundstage performance was nearly as legendary as the weird speaker positioning that AP recommends!  The company byline of “no loss of fine detail” also appealed.

A pair of Mk2 Virgo came along on eBay with a nice Buy It Now price, and not too far to drive to collect them.  I succumbed, more out of curiosity than anything else … it would be easy enough to move them on the following week, after all.

Audio Physic are a well-established German speaker company, who make a wide range from small standmounts to large floorstanders and massive subwoofers.  They are obsessed with soundstaging, and recommend that their speakers be placed well out into a room and widely spaced compared to what most folk are used to.  The listening seat should also be crammed back against the rear wall.  Well, interesting, but we’ll see …. More »

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PS Audio Power Plant Premier “mains re-generator”

12. March 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Accessories · Tags: , , , ,

A bit of background …

The mains supply could be seen to be at the very heart of the performance of your audio system. If you accept this then, If your mains is significantly distorted then effects flow through the electronics and end up distorting the reproduced sounds from your loudspeakers in a variety of subtle and not so subtle ways.

A mains supply re-generator uses reconstruction techniques to either build a mains waveform from scratch, or repair it ‘on the fly’  to produce a less distorted electrical sinewave.

Founded in 1974, PS Audio must be one of the longest established American hi-fi manufacturers. Headed up by hifi legend Paul McGowan, PS Audio has led the field in mains regeneration for hi fi and AV systems.  In the late 1990s PS Audio announced the P300 mains re-generator.  This introduced mains regeneration to the mass market – previously high end Japanese manufacturer Accuphase had already introduced a re-generator, but at a very high end price! More »

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Is the Acceptance of Mediocrity Killing the Hifi Industry?

07. March 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Comment · Tags: , , , , , ,

It seemed that just a few short years ago, you couldn’t visit any major town or city without tripping over audiophiles in the foyers of hotels all intent on seeing the latest and greatest in hifi.  Well perhaps not, but there did seem to be more shows of an international bias, drawing crowds from far and wide.  Today, it’s refreshing to see shows such as the Wigwam Festival (this year re-named the Pie-Fi show due to its location at Melton Mowbray, home of the Pork Pie!) in addition to trade shows and fairs.  It demonstrates that hifi is alive and kicking, but for me there’s still one issue with many hifi shows.  They are speaking to the “converted” and are geared at either demonstrating wares to the hifi buying public or showing off very individual systems for those already bitten by the bug. More »

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Naim Announce NDS Network Player

06. March 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Hifi News, Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,

Naim has announced a new addition to its network player range -  the NDS. The new reference network player joins the NDX and ND5 XS and completes Naim’s range of streaming separates sources.

The NDS is an audiophile source, capable of playing and streaming audio over a home network at up to 24bit/192kHz resolution. It offers internet radio yet forgoes a DAB and FM radio tuner to minimise noise. It includes three S/PDIF digital inputs for connection to external digital sources, such as a computer or CD player. A front-panel USB port complets the feature set – either connect an iPhone or iPod digitally to allow the NDS to control and play stored audio or play audio from a USB memory stick, even hi-resolution WAV or FLAC files, with full on-screen control. The NDS will support all the main file formats. WAV, FLAC, AIFF, ALAC, AAC, Windows Media-formatted content, Ogg Vorbis and MP3 files are all catered for, as is gapless playback.

In true Naim reference engineering style, the NDS requires the use of an external power supply. The XP5 XS, XPS and 555 PS are all suitable matches. Performance can be further enhanced by the addition of a second Burndy cable (in the case of 555 PS only) splitting out the analogue and digital sections, which a second 555 PS will bring about even greater gains.

Like its fellow network players, the NDS can be controlled by Naim’s n-Stream control app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The app also alows control of a Naim system’s inputs and volume. The supplied remote and front-panel interface provide simple and easily accessed control.

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SME309 V’s Michell TechnoArm (A)

01. March 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Analogue · Tags: , , , ,

Tonearm Shoot-out.

Early on in my hifi journey, the days when I had to scrimp and save for months to afford my first half reasonable turn table (Dual 505 Mk2), it often struck me just how overpriced some hifi accessories were, most especially the humble tonearm. “Why?” I thought, “all a tonearm does is hold a cartridge at one end, balance at the other and contain some cabling to send the signal to the amp”.  In some ways, I still do consider tonearms (some of them) to be ridiculously priced compared with the cost of manufacture, but the same can be said for just about anything in retail marketing, so there has to be something about a good tonearm to help you past that initial shock of “how much?”

So what is the “tonearm x-factor”?  For me, it’s a tonearm that’s superbly precision engineered, has been carefully thought out in respect of ease of use and adjustability and performs well with a wide variety of cartridges without introducing distortion or its own “colour”.  Not too much to ask?  I put it to the test when I took delivery of a demonstration ‘309 and a Michell TechnoArm(A)

The source kit used for the test was a Gyro SE, and EAR 834P phono stage and Dynavector DV20xl low output MC cartridge with the appropriate tonearm mounting boards for the arms. More »

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Computer Based Hifi and Me

29. February 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: Comment · Tags: , , , ,

Now don’t get me wrong I do like computers. I use a computer daily. I’m even using one now to write this article. Computers have enabled me to work from home, do that away from the UK and even allows me communicate in real time with folks all over the world at the push of a mouse button. I get computers and I use one daily despite my sausage fingers and one fingered typing style!

Computers allow me to take photographs, edit them and see them almost immediately – no more trudging down the chemists with my roll of film and waiting a week before it comes back from the processing laboratory to view my snaps – No siree. I can catch up on the day’s news, share a joke with friends and even read the latest audiophile news and reviews on Hifi Pig (shameless plug). I can stream videos to my desktop and watch the latest antics of LOL Cats should the drudgery of work become all too much for me to take. More »

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Parasound Halo A21 Stereo Power Amp

29. February 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Amplifiers · Tags: , , , , , ,

American muscle amp, blingy appearance, heatsinks along the sides.

Yawn – not another one?

Certified for THX – why are you wasting my time with this AV stuff?

Move along, nothing to see here for a 2-channel audiophile.

But wait – it’s wonderful! More »

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Cyrus CD8x

28. February 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: CD Players · Tags: , , , , , , ,

Ho-hum … Cyrus?  Not a lot of audiophile credibility there!

Cyrus comes in for more than its share of flak on some of the online hifi forums, especially some of those that I frequent.  So I was more than a bit biased against the brand and I never would have gone out of my way to try it, to be honest.  But a swap deal was offered, so I thought I might as well give it a try – after all, Cyrus gear is easy enough to sell on.

In due course, the Cyrus CD8X arrived.  Neatly packed, well made in the famed half-size ‘shoe-box’ format. More »

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Horning Agathon Ultimate Loudspeakers

27. February 2012 · 4 comments · Categories: Loudspeakers. · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Design and Construction

I first came across these unusual ‘speakers a few years back when looking for replacements to a pair of Lumley AB300’s I owned, as I was after a high efficiency loudspeaker without some of the stereotyped high efficiency design colourations, and was lucky enough to find a pair courtesy of Jim at Audiolincs in Leicestershire. A 2 ½ hour drive later had me sat in his listening room with a pretty mammoth pair of loudspeakers facing me from about 9 feet away.  Build quality on these is up there with the very best.  Solid wood (not veneer) panel fronts are used for the substantial edgings with veneer to the main panels.  The panels themselves are very substantial and made from ¾ inch thick ply, heavily braced. More »

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Isotek Release “Ultimate System Set-Up Disc”

26. February 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Hifi News, Uncategorized · Tags: , , , ,

A new CD compiled by IsoTek, the pioneering brand of power conditioning products for hi-fi and home cinema systems, aims to improve the sound of audio systems by ensuring they are set up correctly and ready to perform at their best.

The Ultimate System Set-Up Disc comprises 20 tracks to test and fine-tune key elements of two-channel system performance, and is designed to be both practical and easy to use. The CD includes a selection of superbly performed, recorded and produced music from the legendary Opus3 audiophile record label, each one chosen to test specific elements of audio performance, together with a unique sequence of specially prepared sounds and test tones to help with things like speaker positioning and system optimisation.

Isoteks Ultimate System Set-Up Disc

The disc begins by testing stereo and phase, with further tests for basic speaker positioning, then stereo and front-to-back soundstage depth. These tracks (1 to 12) help to fine-tune the way a system is set up, in order to optimise its performance.

Tracks 13 and 14 provide a frequency range test – a useful way to examine the bandwidth that a system is able to deliver. The disc then concludes with six music tracks that have been specially selected from the Opus3 catalogue, each one capturing a certain quality associated with two-channel replay, be it timing, atmosphere, soundstaging, dynamics or bass depth.

The six music tracks from Opus3 include an interpretation of Frank Zappaʼs Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat by the Omnibus Wind Ensemble, Everybody Loves My Baby performed by Eva Taylor, Bachʼs Toccata and Fugue in D minor with organ played by Matthias Wager and a track from Eric Bibbʼs new album, Blues, Ballads & Work Songs.

The Ultimate System Set-Up Disc is available now from IsoTek stockists, priced at £19.95.

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A Cacophony of Cartridges -Part 1

26. February 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Analogue · Tags: , , , , ,

Five Dynavector MC Cartridges shoot it out.

INTRODUCTION

Cacophany? Well, OK, that’s a bit harsh – all of these sound very presentable in their own ways.   But it’s amazing the variety of sonic presentations that are to be found.

This ongoing set of mini-surveys covers a range of medium-priced cartridges, mostly moving coil (mc) but a few moving magnet (mm) types as well.  Both high and low output.

Retail prices of cartridges cover an amazingly wide band from just a few tens of £ up to crazy multiple £thousands.  I’ll be focussing here on some costing in the region of £100  to a few £hundreds, with a few tending toward the £1k mark. More »

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Infinity RS2.5 Standard Ribbon Hybrid Loudspeakers

25. February 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Loudspeakers. · Tags: , , , , , , ,

Day The First ….

I’d been ecstatically happy with the Leema Xavier speakers I bought on an “eBay whim” a few months previously, and this year’s hifi budget allocated by swmbo (aka Lindsey, my wife) was pretty much depleted anyway. So I was looking forward to the rest of the year settled down with the highly musical Xaviers. Life could be worse.

But a few days ago we came into a bit of an inheritance and swmbo allocated a top-up to the 2009 hifi budget (what a fine lass she is!). What’s a box-swapper to do? …. I hoofed it on to eBay pronto, that’s what, to see what was cookin’!

I saw these on auction with a couple of days to go …. did a bit of on-line research, and promptly fell in lust with them. A query to the seller resulted in the offer of personal delivery for £40 petrol money – you cannot be more reasonable than that.

So, here they are, arrived around noon yesterday.

Big cabinet – 51 inches high, 18 wide but only 11 deep. 12 inch woofer and the legendary EMIM ribbon midrange and EMIT high frequency units.

The Infinity RS 2.5 in Situ Chez Jerry

The bass unit crossover is set at 300Hz.

They weigh-in at 53Kg each.

I’ll forego detailed sonic description for now, as after a few hours listening and positional tweaking they simply seemed to be the best speakers I have ever heard. More realistic vocals I have not heard from a speaker. Maybe it’s just a “1st day pride of ownership” thing. We’ll see.

They sound just fine with the covers in place, so that’s the way they are in my room. More »

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