Melco has partnered with SongKong, from JThink who developed the Jaikoz tagging software. SongKong for Melco is primarily a simple to use solution that automatically re-tags a complete music folder, or a complete collection, in a consistent manner, in accordance with the rules and algorithms optimised for large collections including Classical and Jazz. The rules are clearly stated and can be amended by the user. More »
UK based manufacturer Graham Slee is a name well known in audio circles and Graham has recently been in touch
with Hifi Pig to tell us about an interesting concept the company has hatched, to help their current customers and attract new ones. Whilst this isn’t news per se; it is certainly new to us and we thought it would be interesting for Hifi Pig’s readers.
The Owners Club Forum is basically a forum in support of the Graham Slee brand. Graham wanted the forum to be a relaxed and respectful place for owners of his products to engage with himself and other owners. The forum is used to educate and advise, sending out detailed information about Graham Slee products and announcing new products. Market research is another key element as is sharing reviews of the products. There is also DIY information demonstrating that Graham really knows his stuff when it comes to electronic design. Non owners are welcome to join as they can then try out products through the loaners program and hopefully go on to be owners! Members are signed up manually so that spammers are kept out and there is also a loyalty program that rewards active contributors to the site, the more you post the better discount you get.
The Loaners Program is part of the forum. Graham has found volunteers to act as organisers of the program in the UK and Western Europe, the USA, Australia and Canada. These volunteers are sent the full range of Graham Slee products to keep in their ‘toy Cupboard’. The program is designed to be like a lending library so that people can try before they buy rather then buying a product cold, trying it and then returning it to try something else. Graham argues that while the old way of doing things is completely within the consumer’s rights it is not the most efficient way of doing things, with the need to repackage items to then be resold as used items having an environmental impact. With the Loaner Program members contact the organiser for their region through the forum to put in their loan requests and then just pay for the item(s) to be shipped to them. The general loan period is 2 weeks, after which the loaner sends the item back to their regional organiser and, if they are happy with the product, they can submit a review and of course go on to buy their own if they so wish.
At Hifi Pig we think that this is a great idea and wish Graham Slee and his team every success.
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.
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
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 »
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.
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!
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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Hifi and Live Music.
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. More »