Hifi Pig

Bluesound, a leading manufacturer of wireless multi-room music systems, proudly announced today that its award-winning line of wireless speakers and digital music players have been designated as hi-resolution audio (HRA) products by the Japan Audio Society (JAS). Since its debut at CES 2012 as the world’s first wireless multi-room music system to fully support high-resolution audio, Bluesound has been responsible for many innovations in multi-room lossless streaming, and the company continues to stay committed to the development of hi-res audio. More »

NAD Electronics today announced two new additions to their prestigious Masters Series.

The M32 Direct Digital Amplifier (£3700 SRP) is a top-of-the-line, BluOS ready integrated amplifier with a host of features that offer maximum flexibility and excellent efficiency with reduced noise and distortion. M32 also includes a phono input and a dedicated headphone amplifier to accommodate music lovers of all kinds.

M50.2 Digital Music Player (£3700 SRP) will offer high resolution music listening, multi-room wireless streaming to other BluOS™ enabled speakers, 24/192 storage, and CD ripping all in one elegant component. M50.2 is a top-of-the-line, BluOSÔenabled player that is an extension to the company’s popular 40th anniversary M50/M51/M52 Digital Music Suite combining the functions of both the M50 and M52 into one sleek package. Offering only digital outputs, but including AES/EBU and HDMI, the only addition needed is a complementary DAC or Digital Preamp such as the companies own M12 and M17 models. More »

A range of “MQA” music, the new hi-res format, will be launched on HIGHRESAUDIO at the HIGH END show in Munich. Customers will find an initial, hand-picked selection of high-quality releases from renowned labels including 2L, Acoustic Music Records, Bauer Studios / Neuklang, Eudora Records, Jazz Arts, Personality Records, Mons Records, Ozella Music and Triplet Records. Other labels and a broader range of recordings will be added in the coming weeks. More »

Analogue Works, whose turntable we use on a daily basis, are showing all of their turntables in Atrium 4, Level 2, Room F217 along with Rogue Audio amplification and EgglestonWorks loudspeakers at this year’s High End Show.

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Grimm Audio adds three new products to its catalogue, expanding their range of integrated music playback systems. The most prominent novelty is the LS1be. This loudspeaker features a new Berylium tweeter with a CNC milled aluminium waveguide, jointly developed by Grimm Audio and Seas. To match the performance of this tweeter, the amplifier and converter electronics of the LS1be received careful tweaking say the company.

Grimm Audio selected Hi-Macs for the new cabinets, a modern and very rigid material.

Counterweighting the treble performance, a new LS1s-dmf subwoofer was added for the low end. Mechatronics expert Rob Munnig Schmidt developed a Digital Motional Feedback system that, by means of feedback from an accelerometer on the cone, “reduces distortion by a 30 times”.

To offer the LS1 quality to a broader audience, Grimm Audio introduces the LS1a. This is a more cost effective sibling of the LS1, where the company focussed on maintaining all important aspects that make up the LS1, and compromising only in areas where this was passable.

Visit their room E118 at Munich High End 2016

Entotem say they are pleased to announce an addition to their Plato product range – The Class A amplifier Plato. This new power amplifier enhances Plato’s multi award winning sound while still providing all the features of the Plato Control App – all within the one unit.

Entotem have made a number of software and hardware enhancements to their existing Class B design to achieve this unique approach:

• They have increased the size of the base plate and made other key hardware changes to manage heat.
• They have enhanced the PCB layout to eliminate interference and amended some key components to support the highest audio quality.
• They have modified the output transistor configuration to enable full Class A operation, eliminating crossover distortion.

Even with the above changes Entotem say that heat is still a challenge and so they have significantly improved the power efficiency of their approach to output transistor biasing. By sampling the input signal in the digital domain Entotem are able to continuously modify and scale the output transistor biasing so that it can provide full instantaneous Class A operation.

Entotem have already launched Plato Lite early in 2016 and this is intended for all those people who already have HiFi Equipment, but want to take advantage of Plato’s vinyl recording and music streaming capabilities

Entotem released an iOS App in February 2016 to support the remote operation and playing of Plato by both iPADs and IPhones.  The iOS app will have a different user interface to the Android version and will be familiar to Apple users. This first release will provide the majority of the functions that can be accessed by Android devices, with a further release due in 2016 to enable full matching of the functionality.

Another introduction to Plato’s functionality is the integration of a high-resolution music download service from High Res Audio. This was launched in February 2016 and the service will now show as an additional main menu option within the Plato control App.  Once a High Res Audio user account has been opened, the user will be able to search for Hi-Res Albums and tracks and when the download has been purchased store it directly into the media library within Plato, to be then selected for local play or streaming throughout the home.

Plato users will be able to copy any music or video stored on Plato to any other device that can be located on the home network that also has a Plato App i.e. tablet or phone.  This will be for Android devices now and for iOS devices later in 2016. This allows greater flexibility for Plato users to enjoy their media and to make it portable with them if they leave the house. Entotem have also made enhancements to the video search and overall video experience after feedback from customers and these new enhancements are now available.

When Entotem launched Plato in 2015 the company committed that the Plato App would develop over time and customers would be able to leverage their investment in Plato by accessing new developments, and these announcements are evidence of that commitment.

The Plato system along with the new Plato app developments can be seen throughout the first half of 2016 at shows and exhibitions in UK and Europe.

Dave Belcher, Entotem’s Development Director says “ The iOS app has been a major project for Entotem that we started in the autumn last year and we expect to complete the full range of what Plato can do to be released for our iOS customers early in 2016 as the major part of the project has now been delivered.”

Plato can now be found at selected Hifi Stores in the UK as well as in Germany, where a distributor has been appointed to sell Plato. Other countries are being investigated and in particular the USA and Canada.

During the High End Show in May Entotem will be providing a variety of demonstrations featuring the full Plato range and visitors will get the chance to meet the technical team that built such an innovative product. Entotem will also be able to update visitors to the show on our further plans around streaming services and the other exciting new product developments we are working on to be launched later in 2016.

Estelon are unveiling of the Y-Series débutante loudspeakers, the Model YB, to be conducted at High End Show in Munich (May 5-8) at the MOC; Atrium 4; Room F216.

“Hand-crafted in the atelier of Alfred Vassilkov, Model YB seamlessly combines exceptionally rich, natural life-like sound and the exquisite Estelon aesthetic design” says the company who never fail to impress at High End.