UK HIFI SHOW LIVE HEADFI REPORT

HiFi PiG’s resident Headfi expert also popped along to Ascot for the UK HiFi Show Live 2023, here is his report on the Headfi, headphones and portable audio he found there.

This is only the 2^nd time this event has been held at its new home – Ascot Grandstand – however it is one of the biggest shows in the UK HiFi show diary and this year boasted a larger headphone-oriented area. 

The excellent Eric covered the main attraction so I took some time to see what headphones and headphone-related equipment was on show – in-between having my own look around the speakers and setups on show. 

DALI were there in full force, showing off the new EPIKORE 11 which sounded incredibly natural with the Gryphon monoblocks powering them. But at the back of the room they had their new iO-12 headphones, pitched as a wireless model for audiophiles these are not going to be cheap (£999). There are a few brands pushing high end wireless tech, and the iO-12 use DALI’s patented Soft Magnetic Compound (SMC) technology. With 50mm Custom Drivers, Active Noise Cancellation, 35-Hour Battery, aptX Adaptive Bluetooth and USB-C/3.5mm wired connections.

Unfortunately, the demo rig was not playing particularly good music to listen to them properly, but they did have a good sense of control with great body and texture to the sound. I do hope to spend some more time with these in the future. 

Cambridge Audio had their MXN10 streamer paired with the DACMAGIC 200M – running into a pair of the lovely Meze 99 Classics. A smooth and easy to drive headphone these aren’t the best set to really test an amp, but they are highly enjoyable headphones that will sound great out of most devices. It’s great to see them being used by Cambridge Audio to show off their gear. 

Signature Audio Systems were representing Kennerton, Ferrum and Matrix Audio at the show. There was a Ferrum HYPSOS/WANDLA/OOR stack on show, that’s a hybrid power system, DAC and headphone amp stack. This stack was paired with the Kennerton Gjallarhorn headphones, a closed-back, dynamic driver headphone with a horn-shaped baffle. 

Along from this they had the range of Matrix Audio streamers/amps, products that I am very fond of from both a design and audio perspective. They have the Element M2 paired with the Kennerton Magni, another great looking system. 

I found my way to the Panoramic headphone area – a nicely sized area dedicated to headphones and associated gear. Whilst the list of brands wasn’t huge, it was nice to see the headphone side of things being properly represented at a HiFi show. 

There was the full dCS stack paired with the Meze Empyrean – this stack comprises of a network streamer/DAC, Master Clock and Headphone amplifier. I’ve listened to this system at CanJam and it is very impressive, able to drive most headphones with ease it has an effortless sound that’s highly enjoyable. dCS also make things a little different to other DAC brands, so they are well worth having a read up on – delivering musically engaging setups is what they are all about. 

I had a quick chat with James from K&S Distribution who was there with the Audeze CRBN + Stax SRM-700S energiser system. I spent some time with this pairing when the CRBN was released and they deliver a slightly different take on the electrostatic sound whilst also having many of the same traits. They have a slightly warmer, more engaging sound than some other electrostats but they still do not quite have that punch and dynamics that planars and dynamic drivers can pull off. Electrostatic setups are worth auditioning to see if you like them, but it is always great to see more options on the market. 

HiFonix brought along some impressive setups as always –including the T&A Solitair P paired with the T&A MP200 and HA200. 

Meze Elite paired with the fantastic Feliks Audio Envy amp, this one stood out to me with a clean and clear sound that was very natural in its tonality. The Meze Elite are not as lush as the Empyrean, making the Envy a great pairing amp wise. 

The epic Viva Egoista 845 amp was on show, fed by a Moon audio streamer and powering the HiFiMAN Susvara. This setup manages to make the Susvara sound very smooth and ever so slightly soft, something a lot of people will enjoy. 

They also brought along the Kallyste Amethyste paired with the Camerton Binom-ER, a setup I also listened to at CanJam London and one that is very enjoyable. 

Last but not least they also had the Dan Clark Audio Expanse – these look lovely and use their 4^th generation of planar driver with a new tuning system promising clean and clear sound quality. 

Innuos had some streamers on display hooked up to an EarMen ST-Amp and the Meze 109 Pro. The Meze 109 Pro and a very popular headphone, and have been for the last year, with a clean yet natural sound that is extremely well balanced and easy to listen to. 

Astell & Kern had a few DAPs on show paired with Audeze LCD-X’s and Meze Audio Elite’s – proving their players can provide enough grunt for most headphones out there. 

JBL had a stand, this is not a brand you would normally (nowadays) associate with audiophiles, and their headphones usually get dismissed as “consumer” grade. After reviewing the Tour One M2 I found myself enjoying them a lot more than expected – this is brand that seem to want to appeal to those who appreciate high quality sound as well as convenience. I will be curious to see how far they take this, but Harman have the resources to create some fantastic headphones should they want to. 

Yamaha had their little isolation booth with their new YH-5000SE headphones and HA-L7A headphone amp/DAC – these have been pictured before so I decided to feature the disassembled planar driver instead. Honestly, it’s refreshing to see Yamaha back in the game when it comes to audiophile grade equipment, long may it continue. 

Lastly, Focal were showing off their range of headphones from the wireless Bathys, Utopia with the Naim Uniti Atom Headphones Edition to the closed back Stellia. It is worth noting the Bathys were one of the first “expensive” closed back wireless headphones on the market, and they have quite the following now, so it will be interesting to see where this segment of the market goes. 

I really enjoyed the UK HiFi Show Live, it was my first time attending and I thought the space was well thought out, plus it is a huge venue for a show. I was pleased to see that high end headphones are becoming a main stay in the UK HiFi market and that there is more presence of headphones and associated gear at the usual shows. Long may this continue.

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Oscar Stewart

For all the UK HiFi Show Live 2023 coverage from Ascot, click here