Hifi Pig

Mark at Origin Live has been in touch to tell us all about the company’s new website. Hifi Pig has had a good look through it and it’s very comprehensive indeed as well as feeling fresh, clean and easy to navigate.

Not only do they include information regarding their own products but they’ve also added useful information about choosing the right equipment for you, matching system components, room acoustics and much more.

Origin Live advertise on Hifi Pig so click through on one of their ads and take a look at their new look site.

British manufacturer Ruark got in touch to give us a heads up about their new R7 which is set to become the company’s flagship product.

It’s a bit of a departure from the usual hifi in that Ruark are branding the R7 as “The Radiogram Redefined”. Now those of you not young enough to remember the radiogram may be scratching your head, so how about music-centre?  Ok, it’s a CD player that plays conventional red book CD as well as MP3 discs but it’s more than that. Bluetooth with lossless aptX replay is built in so you can stream from your phone, as is DLNA Wi-Fi to allow streaming from external computers or server.

But there’s more, including a DAB+/FM/Internet radio and you can also plug in your TV, DVD or even a turntable.

The R7 can be controlled from the front panel or the nifty looking RotoDial remote which used RF so you don’t even have to point the controller at the “radiogram” to control it.

The unit has dual concentric 5.5” drivers and long throw 8” subwoofer built in as well as amplifiers delivering 160 watts, so it really is an all in one box of tricks.

The Ruark R7 can be placed on the supplied spindle legs for a great retro look or can sit on an existing sideboard on its puck feet.

It will be available in a rich walnut finish in Autumn 2013 and will cost £2000.

Anthony Sallis is the Technical Director at NuNu Distribution, UK Distributors for Audiophile Base support systems, Astin Trew electronics, Belles audio electronics, Creaktiv system enhancing products, Oracle Audio Technologies turntables and CD replay devices, Renaissance Amplification, SCS audio isolation concepts and TAD Labs.

In Hifi PIg’s ongoing series of Behind the Brands interviews find out what Anthony thinks about the hifi industry, where he started, his influences, his musical taste and much more.

Ok, it’s a headphone amplifier but it’s also a DAC and a SPDIF to USB converter. Dan has been working overtime the last few weeks reviewing hifi kit for our readers and this is his latest.

“Miniwatt is based in HongKong and for the past 5 years have been creating miniature high quality products such as the S1 tube amplifier and n3 headphone amp. Most recently they have created the n4, a high current headphone amplifier, which can also be used as a USB to SPDIF converter and USB Dac featuring an Asynchronous USB input in order to control jitter and error correction. The inbuilt Dac reaches resolution levels of 32bit 192khz.”

Check out in full what Dan makes of the Miniwatt n4 by reading the full review.

Following feedback from a good number of our readers, Hifi Pig has revamped its review section of the site. We’ve done away with the cluncky click through images we previously had and moved towards a simple directory with the title of the item under review and a small photograph. You can now scan for the review that interests you and simply click through to read it in full.
On the main reviews page you’ll see all the reviews chronologically listed over several pages but if you’re looking specifically for DAC, Turntable, headphone reviews etc then you can do so using the drop down from the main menu and they’ll then all be listed for you…again in chronological order.
Other changes and additions to the site are under way including something that we think will be of great interest to everyone out there in hifi land.
Check out the new pages and let us know what you think by posting a comment or dropping us a line.

Krell has announced the UK release of Foundation, the latest in a long line of A/V processors from the company. 

As well as all the AV functions you’d expect the 7.1-channel processor also features balanced audio outputs, automatic setup and room EQ. A slim new form factor allows placement in smaller equipment racks.

In addition to 10 HDMI 1.4a inputs, the Foundation has 2 HDMI outputs, both of which feature Audio Return Channel. With ARC, a display device is able to send audio back down the HDMI cable to the processor. This is beneficial for those with televisions with built-in web streaming capability like Netflix or Pandora, so the streaming audio can use the full home theater system instead of just the TV’s speakers.

The Foundation includes a new Krell development – Intelligent HDMI switching. Intelligent HDMI switching is a combination of circuitry and software that optimizes HDMI operation. Various parameters including the monitor’s electronic ID and source video resolution are stored in non-volatile memory. All 10 source inputs are always active so source, channel, video resolution, and audio format changes are instantaneous.

The Foundation will allow owners to take full advantage of the best audio soundtracks available, with decoding of Dolby Digital, Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-ES Discrete, Matrix, and DTS-HD Master Audio. In addition, a full suite of post-processing modes are included, including Dolby Pro Logic IIx and DTS Neo 6. Krell’s proprietary surround modes, Party, General Admission, Front Row, and On Stage, offering a different way to listen to favorite tracks.

The Foundation also features Krell’s Automatic Room Equalization System (ARES), to ensure the best possible performance from every theatre. ARES analyzes all the speakers in the system, their location, phase, and distance from each other, to determine the best crossover frequency, delay, and more. In addition, ARES incorporates the acoustics of the room to determine unique EQ curves for each of the 7.1 output channels.

Features/specs

·         5 Analog inputs (4 unbalanced, 1 balanced)

·         6 Digital audio inputs (3 Toslink, 3 Coax)

·         10 HDMI 1.4a inputs

·         2 HDMI outputs (both with ARC)

·         Intelligent HDMI switching

·         6 Analog video inputs (3 component, 3 composite, transcoded to HDMI)

·         RS-232, Ethernet, RC-5, 12v Triggers (4)

·         Balanced and Unbalanced outputs

·         Analog Zone 2 output

·         Dual Subwoofer outputs

·         ARES (Automatic Room Equalization System)

Available in the UK from July the Foundation is priced at £6500

Cyrus Audio, has launched the new Stream Xa, a standalone uPnP network music player with internet radio.

The new Stream Xa is a wired/wireless source component offering reproduction of digitally stored music files, a world of internet radio and audiophile-grade sound quality for digitally connected devices. Based upon Cyrus’s established StreamX₂ platform, the new Stream Xa adds a DAC module with streaming music capability up to 24-bit/192kHz-quality. The Stream Xa’s  has six digital inputs (3x S/PDIF; 2x optical; 1x USB and its rear-mounted USB-A input also offers direct connection to digital-output-compatible Apple devices.

Cyrus’s UPnP network engine is compatible with a wide range of Network Attached Storage (NAS) drives, computers and many other UPnP-compatible media servers and its TuneIn internet radio functionality offers in excess of 80,000 global radio stations.

The streamer’s functions can be accessed using two Cyrus control systems: the free Cadence iOS* app and the supplied n-remote controller, a two-way control unit that makes browsing a networked music library simple, while also giving full control of the Stream Xa at the touch of a button. The n-remote also has an infra-red learning capability so that it can learn to control other products in the home. The direct RF (radio frequency) link from the n-remote provides a robust connection to the streamer, allowing fast and reliable control. The n-remote makes it possible to browse a music library by artist, album, genre or access internet radio stations.

The Cyrus Cadence app is completely bespoke and gives users visibility over networked music, extensive streamer feature control. Designed to complement (rather than replace) the n-remote, the app will ‘drive’ many features, such as changing inputs, browsing connected devices etc. as well as

The Stream Xa in detail

Enclosure: Cyrus pressure die-cast chassis

Material: Lightweight Aluminium non-magnetic alloy

Power Supply: Low noise SMPSU plus torodial transformer

Outputs: SPDIF (RCA) digital x1

Communications: MC-BusTM System Bus

Aux digital inputs: 3 x S/PDIF, 2 x Optical, 1 x USB A

USB A input: Rear, iPod digital compatible. Made for iPod certified.

Format Compatibility: Internet radio (Windows Media-formatted content, MP3 streams, MMS Playlists (M3U, PLS), MP3, AAC (up to 320kbit/s, CBR/VBR) Apple Lossless (digital from iPod) Windows Media-formatted content-9 (up to 320kbit/s) WAV and FLAC (up to 24-bit/192kHz via UPnP or USB)

Digital output: Optical 500mVp-p SPDIF

UPNP   Hi-Res up to 24 bit/192kHz (WAV and FLAC)

Sample rate supported: Up to 192 kHz

Dimensions (HxWxD): 73x215x360mm, 2.8×8.4×14.1 (inches)

Finish: Quartz or Brushed Black 

The Stream Xa is available now priced at £1,250 (includes n-remote)

Electrocompaniet have announced the launch of their new media streaming device, the ECM-2.

The ECM-2 has a straightforward and intuitive interface, can be controlled by a tablet, a smartphone or the attached display and will play music, movies, pictures and television programs from its built in 1Tb hard drive, USB disks… or it can of course stream from a network attached storage device.

It will play all the popular formats including Vorbis, WAV, MP3, AAC+, AC3, DTS, ALAC, FLAC etc at 192kHz/24bit

The new device combines the streamer with the Electrocompaniet’s ECD 2 DAC and will be available from the end of August at a retail price of €4900.

Kent (UK) based Crystal Acoustics is launching the Blu-DAC, a Bluetooth receiver/DAC combination that offers a system solution allowing you to wirelessly stream music from your tablet or smartphone to any existing music system.

BluDAC is a plug and play solution that lets you connect it into your amplifier or receiver via either analogue stereo or optical digital connections, and it will wirelessly stream music from your mobile device using the AptX Bluetooth codec.

Within its bijou dimensions, BlueDAC contains a Wolfson DAC which given its popularity and reputation can only be a good thing!

Tony at NuNu Distribution contacted us with news of a new product from the Belles brand. The Belles Power Modules A10 pre amplifier is an all new solid state design concept for the company and has taken over 12 months to come to fruition.

The A10 is a two box unit comprising a dedicated off board power supply plus the pre amplifier itself. Interestingly as well as line level inputs the A10 also features a phono stage for both MM and MC cartridges plus an onboard DAC using Wolfson Microelectronics WM8740 chipset with USB and SPDIF inputs.

The A10 has five analogue inputs (One pair of fully balanced), two digital inputs (USB and SPDIF both 24/192 Khz), one pair of single ended (RCA) and one pair of fully balanced (XLR) outputs plus both monitor input and RCA outputs.

Tony commented “The Belles A10 does not sound solid state in any way and has a natural musical flow that is grain free and totally un American sounding. The off board power supply is fully isolated and has ultra linear regulation on all of the rails, giving superb staging and separation characteristics. The included phonostage is seriously good, suitable for both MM & MC and can cater for all but the ultra low output cartridges.”

Price is around £3700

Our very own Paul from Reference Fidelity Components has announced that in addition to his own products, he is now a dealer for Jolida valve amplifiers and other valve based products such as the company’s new FX series tube DAC.

Paul said “Jolida are designers and manufacturers of high quality audio products and are based in Maryland, USA where they assemble their products.  Jolida choose not to have their amplifiers and other products assembled in the Far East, although some components such as PCBs are manufactured in their own factory in China. However, the critical power and output transformers are manufactured in Germany”.

Jolida employ some nifty protection circuitry in their designs to protect loudspeakers, internal circuitry and valves – if a short or overload is detected the amps automatically go into “safe mode”… which is reassuring! 

An integrated 50wpc valve amplifier with remote control, multiple inputs and a bypass to enable use as an integrated or power amp comes in at less than £1500.

Given Paul’s new found status as a fully fledged dealer he has informed the Hifi Pig team that he will no longer be available to review items for us. We thanks Paul for his support and efforts with Hifi Pig and wish him every success with his new venture.