The latest digital quarterly publication from Audio T - The UK's oldest, independent specialist Hi-Fi retailer - Est. 1966.
MusicatHome + SPRING2022 LOVEMUSIC . LOVEFILM EARMEN! DISCOVERONEOFTHELATESTBRANDSTOJOINTHEAUDIOTFAMILY
THEMANBEHINDTHE BRAND: XUANQIANWANG OFAURALiC
INTRODUCINGTHEREGA MK3CD/DAC
THEAL NEWMOJO2FROM CHORDELECTRONICS ANDMORE..
TAKEALOOKATTHE LINNKLIMAXLP12 TURNTABLE
TAKEALOOKATTHEEMIT RANGEANDFINDTHEBESTMODELFOR YOURSPACE
DYNAUDIOEMIT10INBLACK
FOLLOWUSONSOCIALMEDIA
LINNKLIMAXDSM
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CONTENTS
04 -ThebrandnewMojo2fromChordElecrtronics 06 -KEFReferencenowfeaturingMAT 08 -ChordCompanyPowerHAUSMainsBlock 12 -AudiolabOmnia-Thealencompasingaudiosolution 13 -NeatAcoustics-ThinkinginsidetheBox 14 -AURALiCAltairG1audiostreamer 18 -IntroducingtheMcIntoshMA252 20 -AnupdatefromBlueSound 23 -PresentingtheTradutoDACfromEarMen 24 -Ful-SpectrumportableaudiofromColibri 26 -RoksanAtesa 28 -DynaudioEmit30FloorstandingSpeakers 32 -WhichDynaudioEmitSpeakersareforyou? 34 -LinnKlimaxLP12-Turntable,ArmandCartridge 40 -DaliOberon 44 -Bowers&Wilkins800DiamondSeries 46 -RoksanputsontheRedLightforStreaming
48 -Hearthat?It’sMonitorAudio! 50 -KEFKC62,Maximumbasfromminimumspace 52 -ManBehindtheBrand-XuanqianWangofAURALiC 56 -TheLinnSelektDSM-TheMostConfigerableStreamer 60 -Don’tletlooksfoolyou!JERNLoudspeakers 64 -SonusFaberLuminaSeries 66 -OneVision-RegaSYSTEMONE TM 70 -SonusFaberOmnia-TheHomeAudioSolution 72 -IntroducingtheRegaSaturnMK3CD/DAC 75 -MusicforyourEarsandEyes-RuarkAudio 76 -IntroducingtheHisense120L9TriChromaLaser 80 -Dynaudio:TruthThroughEmotion
86 -ATechnicalTourDeForce-AURALiCG2.1 90 -GetingtoknowtheInnuosSenseApp 91 -TheInnuosPhoenixNET 93 -Wheretofindus
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CHORDELECTRONICS MOJO2
adjustment, a buton-lock feature for traveling,plusthefulyloslestonecontrols. NewUSB-Cdatainput Digitalinputshaveincreasedtofour,thanksto anewUSB-Cdatainputforgreaterflexibility; USB-Cisfeaturedalongsideoptical,coaxial andMicroUSB. Beterbateryandcharging Mojo 2 benefits from greatly improved baterymanagementformuchfastercharging rates,coupledwithahuge75%reductionin powerlosforcooler,moreeficientcharging. Capacityisupby9%,resultinginbeter eficiencyandimprovedbaterylife,whichis nowbeterthaneighthours. UHDDSPfeatures The unique UHD DSP enablesfine-tuning acrosthefulfrequencyrangewith18steps ofadjustmentperfrequencybanding:lower bas,mid-bas,lowertrebleandhightreble.
Atthestartof2022,ChordElectronicslaunchedthe Mojo 2 portable DAC/headphone amplifier, a revisited,reimaginedandre-engineeredMkIversion oftheaward-winningoriginal. Mojo 2 isa pocket-size device which,although primarily designed formobile use,can also be permanentlyconnectedtohomeaudiosystemsto upgradesoundquality. Featuringground-breaking,world-firsttechnology,the newMojo2benefitsfromseveralnewfeatures,chief ofwhichisarevolutionary‘loslesDSP’,thefirstofits kindintheworld.Thisinnovativenew technology enablescomprehensivetoneadjustmentsrightacros the frequencyrange,withoutanydegradation in soundquality. ThetechgivesMojo2unrivaledcompatibilitywith today’s wide-ranging choice of headphones, regardlesoftypeandsonicsignature,plusflexibility withdiferentsourcecomponentsanddigitalfiletypes whenusedathome. Afurtherkeyfeatureistheintroductionofanewmenu system,bringingmute,afour-setingcros-feed
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Clas-leadingbuildqualityandUK made TheMojo 2isentirelydesigned, engineered and handmadeinthe UK.Itbenefitsfrom aircraft-grade, bead-blasted aluminium casework, finished with ahigh-qualityblack anodise. Mojo2isavailablenow inblack (only).
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GowireleswithPoly Mojo 2 can also be taken wireles.Itisfulycompatible with Chord Electronics’Poly streamer/server, enabling high-resolutionstreamingand upto2TBofsolid-statelibrary storage and playback when usingthemicroSDcardslot.
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“A description was needed to convey the idea thatevery loudspeakerissubjectto scrutiny atal stagesofasembly, culminatinginafinaltestcomparisonwithalaboratory-maintained reference standard.Hence the method became the name: Reference.” - RaymondCooke,OBE–KEFFounder THEREFERENCE NOWWITHMETAMATERIALABSORPTIONTECHNOLOGY
Thiscircularmaze-likedisksitingatthebackofthe Uni-Qdriverarayismadeupofatotalof30tubesof diferentlengthsandsizes,eachtunedtoadiferent frequencytoabsorbawidebandwidthofsoundwith extremelyhigheficiency.Theresultisapurer,even morenaturalacousticperformance. ACLASSAPART Hand-builtbymastercraftsmenatthesameriverside locationwhereKEFwasfoundedin1961,everymodel inTheReferencerangeisbuilttoKEF’sexceptional standards.TherangeincludesTheReference5Meta andReference3Metafloorstandingspeakers,the Reference1Metastand mountspeakerand the Reference 4 Metaand Reference 2 Metacentre speakersthatcanbeusedasleft-centre-right(LCR) speakersplustheReference8b,apowerful1000-wat subwoofer.High-fidelityperformancewithcomplete multi-channelversatility.
The Reference has continualy set the benchmarkforloudspeakerssinceitslaunch in1973.Theperfectreproductionofrecorded sound iswhatTheReferencehasalways stoodfor. DETAILREMASTERED Now,inthelatestevolution,TheReference incorporates KEF’s latest innovation: Metamaterial Absorption Technology (MAT)™ - advanced engineering meets inspireddesign. AtrulyrevolutionarytoolinKEF’sacoustic armoury,MATismathematicalyoptimisedto absorbthemaximum unwantedsoundfrom therearofdriverintheminimumofspace.
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The new technological advances make The Referencerangeevenmoreimpresive.Attheheart ofTheReferencerangenowsitsabespoke12th generation Uni-Q with MAT driveraray. The buildingblockofourKEFsignaturesound,the latestiterationofthepioneeringUni-Qtechnology helpsto eliminate 'sweetspot'restrictionsof conventionalspeakers giving you freedom of positioningwhiledeliveringnaturalsoundevenly throughouttheroom.
Theexpertlyengineeredcabinetsarefinishedina sumptuous high-glos or richly detailed, pair-matchedwoodveneerstocomplementthe strikinglydistinctivefrontbafle. Fivefinishesareavailable,acombinationofthree cabinetfinishesand five drive unitcolours: High-GlosBlack/Copper,High-GlosBlack/Grey, High-Glos White/Blue, High-Glos White/ Champagne,andSatinWalnut/Silver. Visitwww.uk.kef.comtofindoutmoreorcontact yourlocalAudioTstoretohearhowtheKEF Referenceplacesyourightattheheartofany performance.
M etamaterial A bsorption T echnology
ALLINTHEDETAILS Designed to partner the Reference 1 Meta speakers,theS-RF1floorstandsprovidetheperfect platform foryourspeakersto perform. With integratedcablemanagementalowingwirestobe hidden,thestandsmatchthesamesleekdesignof thespeakers.
htps:/youtu.be/pSfQLDzB3X8
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High-performancemainsdistributionblock PowerHAUS
•HandbuiltinEnglandbymusicandcinemalovers •Pureperformanceandreliability •Freefromnon-esentialandnoisycomponents •Createdtomeetourowndemoroomneedsandnowavailablefordiscerninguserseverywhere
•Designedusingoptimummaterialsand40yearsofHi-Fiindustryexperience •UniqueChordCompanyARAYtechnologyminimisesHFandearthnoise •ProtectionfromRFIviaheavily-shieldedARAYwiring •Robustaluminiumcasingandheavy-duty16Apowerinput •Conformstoalpowersafetyregulations
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PowerToThePeople ChordCompanyhasbeenbuildingandusingmains powerdistributionblockssincethecompanybeganin 1984.Whatstarted outasabasicnecesityfor poweringequipmentanddemonstratingthecable ranges has now become a crucialpartin the musical/visualperformance of an entertainment system. Manydiferentmainsblockdesignsandconstruction methodswerestudied,borowed-from andtweaked overtheinterveningyears.Somewerebeterthan othersandwhileminorperformanceimprovements werenoted,manyofthedesignswouldnotpas safetyregulationsfordomesticorcommercialuse. Oncetheoptimum wiring and shielding methods (including the unique Chord Company ARAY technology)wereestablishedandtheblocksmetthe company’s precise performance expectations the prototypes were independently examined and certifiedtoalappropriatesafetystandards. Thein-houselistening testswerecaried outvia prolongedsesionsinthecompany’sdemoroomusing awideselectionofequipmentandmedia. Listeningtestsarealsostronglyrecommendedforany potentialcustomerssotheycanfulyappreciatethe levelofnoise-reductionandwhatthatcanbringto theirmusical/visualexperience. WelcomeToTheMachine TheUK-designedandasembleddevices,whichare availableinbothUKandEurospecifications,distil Chord Company’sdecades-long understanding of signalandpowertransfer,andbenefitfromaunique versionofthecompany’stime-provenproprietary ARAY technology, MainsARAY, which has been specialyadvancedforpowerdistribution. Virtualy every component utilised inside the PowerHAUS is uncompromising and has been manufacturedspecificalyforitsintendedpurpose. Acordingly,bothM6andS6modelsarenon-switched andavoidfiltersandneonpowerindicatorswhichcan generate noise and reduce quality.Their solid aluminium construction minimises the unwanted efectsofmicrophony,too.
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The PowerHAUS blocksbenefitfrom specialy selected, high-quality,heavy-gaugecablesthroughout,withsockets chosennotjustfortheirreliability,butalso theirsound performance.A high-performance16-amp IEC alowsthe PowerHAUSblockstocopewitheventhemostdemanding homeaudiosystems. Availableintwoperformancelevels,theflagshipM6(Master) and entry-level S6 (Studio), the six-way PowerHAUS distributiondevicesaretheresultofoneofthelongest product development phases the company has ever undertaken. TheflagshipM6ofersthebestperformanceandutilisesthree hybridMainsARAYsfitedinparalel(ratherthaninseries)to thebusbars,removinghigh-frequencynoisewhilstremaining outsideofthecircuit.Ratherthanbeingstar-wired(whichis susceptibletoRFI),thewiringisrunalongthreebusbarswhich arealisolatedfromeachother.Theearthbusbariskeptasfar awayasposiblefromboththeliveandneutral. TheS6retainsmanyofthecorefeaturesoftheflagshipM6, but is more afordable and represents a significant improvementoverstandardmainsdistributionblocks.
PowerHAUSS6 TheS6retainsmanyofthecorefeaturesoftheflagshipM6,butismore afordablewhilstrepresentingasignificantimprovementoverstandardmains distributionblocks.
Technicalspecification: Outputsocket: 6xUKorEuro Inputsocket: 16Amp Outletrate: 13Amp(UK)/16Amp(EU) Ratedpowerand/orcurent: Max16A Supplyvoltage: 100v-250v Frequency: 50/60Hz
PowerHAUSM6 No-compromiseperformanceviathreehybridMainsARAYs-removing high-frequencynoisewhilstremainingoutsideofthecircuit.
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AUDIOLABOMNIA TheAlEncompasingAudioSolution
Bluringthelinesthatgeneralydi ff erentiateHi-Fi andlifestyle,Omniabringsalofthepedigreethat helpsmakeaudiolabelectronicstheconnoiseur’s choice. Yet, indulgence in design, material aesthetics,andusabilitymeanithasalofthe functionalitytomakeitasleek,convenientand easy-to-usecentrepiece,foranuncompromising homeaudiosystem. TheaudiolabOmniamaintainstheaward-winning, instantly recognisable, audiolab design cues. Unfusyyetstrikinginappearance,thecurved, brushedaluminiumchasisis‘typicalaudiolab’but evolvedtosuitthemodern-daylivingenvironment. Omniaisatractivebutdiscreet,o ff eringtheperfect balanceforlivingroomsandlisteningroomsalike. Inaworldwheremusicismoreavailablethanever andsourcesmorevariedthanever,Omniadoesn’t discriminate.Howeveryoulistentoyourmusic, Omniahasgotyoucovered.Tosum itup,the audiolabOmniaisaCDplayer,integratedamplifier, wireles streaming player, DAC, headphone amplifier,andpre-amp–inonesingleunit!
FindoutjusthoweasyittousetheOmniaand set-upPlay-Fihere-
VIDEO htps:/youtu.be/13wzcuM1TFo
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THINKING INSIDETHEBOX
Neat Acoustics celebrated their 30th Anniversary in 2021 with the launch ofa limited-edition version of the legendary “Petite”loudspeaker. Only100pairsofthisspeciallitlespeakerhave beenproducedandeachpairistestedby Neat’sfounderandMD,BobSurgeoner. The Petite 30 has been tremendously wel-received,andthedesignisafitingtribute toNeat’sveryfirstloudspeakerfrom1991. ThePetite’slegacyisstilcanbefoundinno les thanfivestand-mountmodelsinNeat’s curentrangefrom thetinyIotaandelegant MotiveSX3,tothemightyUltimatum XLS, maintaining the company’s reputation for producing large-scale sound from compact cabinets. The latest two stand-mount designs,the MinistraandMajistraemploysomecleverand novel thinking, with features unique to speakersattheirpricepoints. Theisobaricprinciple(whereanidenticalbas driveris“hidden”behindthefrontunit)isa trickle-down feature from the flagship Ultimatum Series,asisthedecoupledfront baflewhichhousesthemaindrivers.Isobaric loading meansthatextended and powerful bas canbereproducedfrom amuchsmaler cabinetthanusual,andthebaflearangement minimisestheefectofcabinetresonanceinthe lowerfrequencies. Coupledwithahigh-endribbontweeter,the performanceoftheMinistraandMajistrais breathtaking in its realism and musical coherencewithalthehalmarksthathave madeNeat’scompactspeakerssocherishedby musicloversformorethanthirtyyears.
TheMajistrahasrecentlybeenthesubjectofvery favourablereviewsandhasbeenawardedwith “Best Buy” from The Ear,“Applause” from Stereonetand“HighlyRecommended”from AV Forums. “BobSurgeonerhascreatedaloudspeaker ofsublimequalitieswhichwilnotfailto impres,no materthe chosen source material. Expertly engineered and exquisitelydesigned,theMajistraiswel worthitsaskingpriceandprovesthat,when itcomestoaudiotransducers,yourealydo getwhatyoupayfor.Punchingwelabove itsweight,thismodeltrulydeservesaBest Buybadgefrommesinceitisfarbeterthan manyadesignI’veheardatseveraltimesthe price.” - TrevorButler,TheEar.netJan2022
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REPRODUCEDFROMHI-FI+
ByAlanSircom AURALiCALTAIRG1DIGITAL AUDIOSTREAMER
“Itabsolutelyknocksthattight,fast,leading-edge drivenpercusivesoundoutofthepark.”
HeadingintoandoutoftheGreatLockdownof 2020,wealneedmusicinthehome,andthus need a musicsource thatisatonce good sounding,reliable,easytonavigateandoperate, andinparticular‘instalerfriendly’.Atatimewhen wearestilreluctanttoletanyoneintoourhomes andlisteningrooms,aproductthatrequiressome ‘heavylifting’–beitphysical,mentaloreven financial–ishardtojustify.Whichiswhyit’s perhapsno surprise thatthe ALTAIR G1 by AURALiCisverymuchindemand. Let’sunpicktheabovebecauseIsuspectitmay cometo defineaudio long afterthecurent ‘unpleasantnes.’TheALTAIRG1isanelegant, ‘justaddamplifier’al-in-onedigitalsolution.
Weighinginatashadeunder7kg,it’snotgoingto taskmostpeoplewhenitcomestohaulingitonto a shelf. Having a set of understandable connections(foraproductin2020)andusing AURALiC’snowrock-solidLightningappforboth set-up and use,geting itto makesound is comparatively unthreatening (as in ‘not as plug-and-playasaCDplayer,butdoesn’trequire anengineeringdegreetomakeitgo’)andthe priceisn’tintheheartstoppingcamp.Forthe appreciablefuture,Ibelieveit’sproductslikethe ALTAIRG1–asdistinctfrom aproductthat weighsasmuchasaplanet,ismorecomplexto understandthanacourseincelestialmechanics, andcoststheearth–thatwilsetthestandards fortomorow’sHi-Ficomponents.
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Intermsofwhat’sinsidethatG1chasis,the ALTAIRisalmostlikea‘greatesthits’of AURALiC.It’ssortofwhathappenswhenthe ARIESandVEGA platformsdrinkalitle wineandlistentosomeBaryWhitetracks, anditsblood-lineincludesmorethanalitle bitofG2aswelasG1.Grantedit’sinaG1 seriespresed-aluminium instead ofthe ‘forged by the dwarflords ofMoria’ clamsheloftheG2,buttheinternalorgans oftheALTAIRG1areimpresivegivenit’s thecheapestentryintothefulAURALiC streamingplatformandDACsolutions.The hardware platform inside that case is AURALiC’sproprietaryTeslaG2systemwith 1GBofRAM actingasacache.Giventhat meanstheALTAIRG1couldbuferanentire CDandstilhaveroomformore,thisisboth impresiveandusefulforstreamingsources. ThosestreamingsourcesincludeTidaland Qobuzandthenewaddition;thehigh-res service HRA,and itsupportsto 32-bit, 384kHzPCM,512DSD,andMQA(although notpureMastersQuality).Italsoalowsthe userto unsampled CD-qualitytracksto high-resolutionsamplingratesshouldyou choose.It’salsoaRoonendpoint. The rest of the building blocks are impresive,too.Itincludesthecompany’s ownPurer-Powerlinearpowersupplyand includes dual Femtosecond clocks. Its Ethernetconnectionisrobustenoughto workwelwithWi-Fievenifit’sbestwith wired connections.Itcan be used with optionalinternalstorage(there’sanoptional 100SSDmountingkit,whichiswelworth considering),externalUSB storage,ora UPnPmusicserveronthenetwork.Itcanbe usedasapre-amplifierinitsownright(with bothbalancedandsingleendedoutputs) andasacomponentinanexistingsystem.It also includes a very tasty headphone amplifierinitsownright,outputingtoa 6.35mm stereo jack. Sadly, balanced headphoneoutputisn’tonthemenu.Lastly intermsoffeatures,intheDACsection, therearefouroptionsforsetingthedigital outputtoyourpreferences.Theyarecaled ‘Dynamic’,‘Precise’,‘Smooth’and‘Balance’.
Couplethatwiththesamplingoptionsandyoucanfine tunethistoanysystem. Intermsofsystemthen,IusedthisinasystemthatIfelt matcheditscontext,connectingit(viatheSynergistic ResearchFoundationcablesreviewedinthisisue)toa MarkLevinson5805(reviewedinisue176)anda ful-specPrimareI35foranupcomingreview,inboth casesoutputingtoapairofAudiovectorR1Aret stand-mounts (also reviewed in isue 176).The equipmentsatonQuadraspireequipmenttableswith notweaks,podsorplatforms;again,reflectingthe system context a product of the ALTAIR G1’s magnitude. TheimageshereisverymuchonaKraftwerktip.That’s notabadreflectiononwhattheAURALiCALTAIRG1 doessowelsonicaly.Itabsolutelyknocksthattight, fast,leading-edgedrivenpercusivesoundoutofthe park.It’sfast-paced,upbeat,energetic(withoutbeing frenetic),andstartsandstopsinaheartbeat.Andwith thecombinationofarewardingsoundandtherecent pasingofFlorianSchneiderofKraftwerk,it’shardnot to delve deep into Kling-Klang studio’s past masterpiecesoutofrespect. Ofcourse,ifaltheALTAIRG1didwasleading-edge detail,you’dquicklytireofitsperformance.
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Fortunately,ithasthesustain,decay,andrelease partsofthewaveformwelsuitedtoo.Andifyouset asidevoltage-controledoscilatorsforstringsand soundboards,theALTAIRG1isthereforyoutoo. It’spretymuchthesoundofthefulAURALiCstack withjustsomeofthedetailandsoundstaging precisionsandeddown.Thedepth,articulationand eventhatremarkableabilitytosetoutthelayersin asoundstageofthebighitersarealmost
completely are almost completely unatenuated,though.Playsomethingdense andcomplicated–whateverthegenre–and theALTAIRG1portraysitcohesively,andwith goodbas depthandtexture.Andtoneand articulationareoutstanding,evenonfemale vocalslikethoseofJoyceDiDonato.I’dcite furthermusicalreferences,butI’verunoutof space!
“Toneandarticulationareoutstanding,evenon femalevocalslikethoseofJoyceDiDonato.”
AndroiduserscanuseanyOpenHomeapp (BubbleandKazoobeingpopularoptions)asa replacement,Ifeelyoumis outontheful AURALiC experience(inparticularinterface andaces speed).Roondoeseventhescore however.TheALTAIR/Androidpartnershipisn’t sohobbledthattheansweris‘buyaniPad’,but theALTAIR/Applepairingisoneheckofa bromance.Atthesametime,desktopusersare limited to set-up only..but I’m not as concernedbythat:theALTAIRG1isdesigned to end theneed foralaptop ordesktop computerin the audio system,so ifthe computer’s last act is to set up its replacement..sobeit! Thereisn’ta‘gamechanger’atthemoment becausesomanyaspectsofthegameofHi-Fi aretakingabitofarestrightnow.ButIfeel stronglythatthenearestwegettoagame changeristheAURALiCALTAIRG1.
AkeyelementintheALTAIRG1isitsCD-drive chummines.PlugaUSBCDdriveintotheALTAIR G1anditwilactasahigh-qualityCDplayer,orrip toaharddrive.Thisisnotasecentricasitfirst seems;IhaveanumberofCDsfromthedayswhen Iwasamajorinvestorinpolycarbonateandnotal ofthem arelikelytobeplayedenoughtojustify ripping,whileothersmightbecompilationswhere manyofthetracksarebestleftonthedisc.Indoing this,IusedtheexcelentMelcoD100opticaldisc drive,butyoucouldjustaseasilyhookupAstel& Kern’sownCD RipperMkIoranyoneofthe afordable USB CD drives designed for the computermarket. There’snotalottodislikehere.AURALiCusesits standardG1case,whichdoesn’thavethesame ‘hewnfromsolid’appealofthemoreexpensiveG2 casework,butgiventhatwouldaddsubstantialyto thepriceandtheG1caseisstilverysturdybyaudio standards,that’snottoobig aproblem.More importantly,LightningisaniOSappand,while
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Sure,it’samoremodestproposalnexttothedigitalbigguns(includingthebiggunsfromAURALiC itself),butIcan’thelpbutfeelit’stherightproposalforthejobrightnow.Bestofal,that‘moremodest proposal’makesfew concesionstoperformanceinabsoluteterms.It’seasytoset-up,easytouse,fun tolistento,andispricedtoappealtoawideraudioenthusiastbasethanmanyofitscontemporaries. Intheaudioworldof2020andbeyond,itmakesaltherightnoisesandticksaltherightboxes.
TECHNICALSPECIFICATIONS Type: DigitalStreamer
FrequencyResponse: 20Hz–20kHz0.1dB THD+N:<0.0002%(XLR);<0.0003%(RCA), 20Hz–20KHzat0dBFS DynamicRange: 124dB,20Hz-20KHz, A-weighted StreamingFileFormats: AIFF,ALAC,APE, DIFF,DSF,FLAC,OGG,WAVandWV,AAC, MP3,MQA,WMA SamplingRate: PCM:44.1KHzto384KHzin 32BitDSD:DSD64(2.8224MHz), DSD128(5.6448MHz),DSD256(11.2896MHz), DSD512(22.57892MHz) ControlSoftware: AURALiCLightningDSfor iOSAURALiCLightningDSforwebbrowser (devicesetingonly).OpenHomecompatible controlsoftware(BubbleUPnP,Kazoo).Roon (RoonCorerequiredseparately) AudioInputs: DigitalInputs:AES/EBU, Coaxial,Toslink,USBAudio.Streaming Inputs: Networksharedfolder,USBDrive, OptionalInternalStorage,UPnP/DLNA MediaServer,nativeTIDALandQobuz Sublime+streaming,InternetRadio,AirPlay, Bluetooth,Songcast,RoonReady AudioOutputs: Balanced: XLR(4.5Vrmsat0dBFS,output impedance10ohm). Unbalanced: RCA(4.5Vrms at0dBFS,outputimpedance50ohm). Headphone: 6.35mmHeadphoneJack(output impedance5ohm) Networkconnections: Wired: GigabitEthernet. Wireles: 802.11b/g/n/acTri-BandWiFi Dimensions: (W DH):34 32 8cm Weight: 6.8kg Manufacturer: AURALiCLIMITED
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IntroducingtheMA252Integrated AmpliferfromMcIntosh
Winningmultipleawardsworldwide,theMA252 bringsMcIntosh’stimelesperformanceatalower pricepoint,alowingmoremusicloverstoenjoy themusictheyloveontheirownMcIntosh. OtherMcIntosh hybrid modelsin the series includetheMA352andMA12000. PerfectPartners Forhigh-qualitySACD/CD/DACplayback,addthe MCD85SACD/CDplayer Forhigh-qualityvinylplayback,addtheMcIntosh MT2Turntable. Forhigh-qualitystreaming,add the McIntosh MB50StreamingAudioPlayer.
TheMA252IntegratedAmplifieristhefirst hybrid integrated amplifierinafamilyof hybridsfromMcIntosh. Takingretrodesigncuesfrom thelegendary McIntoshMC275Vacuum TubeAmplifier,the MA252combinesthebestvacuum tubeand solid-statecircuitdesigntocreateanamplifier that’svisualyandsonicalystunning. The MA252 delivers 100wpc and has a multitudeofinputs,includingaMovingMagnet phonoinputforturntables.McIntoshhaseven incorporatedbas andtrebletonecontrolsto fine-tune your music to your personal preference.A ful-rangesubwooferoutputis alsoincludedforthosewhowanttousean activesubwoofer.
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ANUPDATEFROMBLUESOUND
2021sawhugegrowthinthepopularityof wireles multi-room platform Bluesound, reflecting increasing recognition of the performanceofbothitshardwareandof BluOS-thepowerfulstreaming software whichunderpinsit. Whilstthe audio pedigree ofthe hi-res platform iswel-known,the flexibility of BluOS'sfeaturesetisalsoakeydiferentiator forthebrand,andwelworthinvestigating. "Becauseoftherateatwhichuser-adoption isgrowingglobaly"saidKeirLivock,UK BluOS ChannelManager for distributor Anatech,"Bluesound are able to keep investingintotheplatform'sdevelopment- andsotheynow havealargeteam just working on new BluOS features and improvements.Manywel-knownaudiophile brandsouttheredon'thavethisluxury,and soBluOScontinuestopulaheadofthe competition,initsfeaturesetandusabilityof theapp."
BluesoundAV November’smajorFirmwarereleaseprovidedDolby Atmossupportto Bluesound’sPulse + Soundbar, addingrichdetailandtextureintosupportedcontent. ThereleasealsorevisedthewayinwhichaBluesound AVconfigurationismanaged,usingthesoundbar’s twin-radiostocreateameshednetworktofurther enhancestabilityandperformance.
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June2021saw thelaunchof vastlyimprovediterationsofthe award-winning Node and Powernodestreamingproducts, providing an improved DAC, motion-sensitivetouchcontrols, an updated quad-core procesor, USB output functionality (Node), and increasedpoweroutputfrom60 to 85W RMS (Powernode).In particular BluOS’s Preset butons on the new touch displayaddarealconvenience boost;alowingnotonlyplaylists and radio stations but also inputssuchasanaloguesources -withvolumepre-set-tobe pickedatthetouchofapanel buton.Thisisarealboonfor those who regularly need a certainfunction,asthatfunction cannowbeacesedinseconds, withoutuseoftheapp. Gen3NodeandPowernode Elsewhereintherangeflexiblefeaturesinclude2-way apt-XHDBluetooth(alproductsexceptPulseFlex2i), optionalbaterypackforcompleteportability(Pulse Flex2ionly),andtheoptionnotonlyofBluesound’s ownwirelessubwoofer,butalsotouse3rdpartywired subwoofers with Bluesound streamers and AV products,ifrequired. ContactyourlocalAudioTtoarangeademoof Bluesound,anddiscoverthediference.
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PRESENTINGTHETRADUTTODAC
SophisticatedConversion At the heart of the Traduto design is the ES9038Q2M chip from renowned component manufacturer ESS Sabre. Audio files up to 32bit/768kHZorDSD512canbedeliveredrapidly withoutstandingperformance. EarMenhavealsoselecteda16-coreXU216chip fromXMOSforhardwaredecodingdutiesboasting doubletheclockspeedovermanyalternativesas welasfourtimesthememory.Armedwiththiskind ofprocesingpower,itcomesasnosurprisethat FSR,MQA and MQA Studio formats are al supportedinflyingcolours. ChoosingYourVehicle Modern listenersare blesed with a wealth of diferentsourcedevices,fromCDplayerstophones, consolestolaptops,gameconsolesandbeyond. Bearing thisin mind,EarMen have included a comprehensiveselectionofinputchoicesontherear paneloftheTradutotoacommodateasmany devicetypesasposibleincludingdigitaloptical, digitalcoaxialandUSBdata. Additionaly Traduto shipswith Qualcomm HD Bluetooth5.1receivingcapabilitiesrightoutofthe box.Thisofersrobust,highqualitywireleslistening experiencesandoptimisespowerconsumptionfor longeraudioplaybackperformance. Finalyoutputoptionscomewithachoiceofeither left/rightunbalancedRCAphonos,ora4.4mm for balanced.
FromChicago-basedaudiophilemanufacturer EarMen comes a brand new digitalto analogueconverterdesignedtoupthesonic performancegameofcompactaudiosystems. TheFulBalancingAct TheEarMenTraduto(roughlytranslatedfrom “translator"inEnglish)isanultrahighresolution DACfeaturingfulybalancedarchitecture.From thechiptotheoutputsontherearoftheunit, audioisamplifiedbutotherwiseuntouchedto deliverexquisiteclarity. Traduto’scircuitisbuiltonagoldplatedPCB withimprovedpowerfiltering.Byreducingthe draw ofcurent,thecircuitdodgescommon interferencefromWiFi,mobilephoneandeven Bluetoothsignalswhichmaybepresentfrom neighbouringdevices. SophisticatedConversion AttheheartoftheTraduto designisthe ES9038Q2M chipfrom renownedcomponent manufacturerESS Sabre.Audio filesup to 32bit/768kHZ orDSD512 can be delivered rapidlywithoutstandingperformance. Traduto’scircuitisbuiltonagoldplatedPCB withimprovedpowerfiltering.Byreducingthe draw ofcurent,thecircuitdodgescommon interferencefromWiFi,mobilephoneandeven Bluetoothsignalswhichmaybepresentfrom neighbouringdevices.
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FULL-SPECTRUMPORTABLE AUDIO-COLIBRIFROM EARMEN RoyBrockington
Sportingasleekandstreamlineddesign, EarMen’slatestmultifunctionalDACand headphoneamplifieraimstosetanew standardinportablelistening-alwith thepowerofasingleon-boardbatery. LesIsMore
Armedwiththeabilitytoprovide clear,ful-spectrumaudioevenon thego,EarMen’snewlyannounced 'Colibri'isaheadphoneamplifier, preamplifieranddigitaltoanalogueaudio converteralinone. EarMen'sbaterypoweredColibriDACandheadphone
ampColibrideliversnaturalanddetailedlisteningfromalmostany chosendigitalaudiosourcedevice,complementingmid-highrange frequencieswithimpresivelowendsandprovidingneatlydividedstereoseparation.
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ESSInside AtthecentreofColibri’sdesignisthecrown jewelofESS’sSABREPRO range.TheES9281 PRO DAC ofers incredibly cuting edge performance sporting the highest dynamic range,pristineresolutionandminimalharmonic distortionplusnoise.Poweredbyaninternal batery which provides up to 5 hours of continuous playback, Colibri alows true immersivemusicalenjoymentinanylocationa listenermaychoose.Thebatery’sultra-cleanand stableDCcurentnotonlyavoidsnoiseincuring sideefectssuchasRFIorEMIpolution,butalso ensuresthatnopowerisdrawnfromthesource devicealowinguserstolistenwithoutfearof drainingtheirphonebatery. Multi-FormatSupport Keepingupwiththeverylatestindigitalaudio trends,Colibriiscompatiblewithamultitudeof diferenthigh-resformatsformaximumdetailin
listening. High resolution PCM files are supportedupto32bitat385kHz,whileDSDis coveredinbothDSD64andDSD128formats. Lastbutnotleast,Colibrialsoincludessupport forthepopularandawardwinningMQAformat for immensely detailed Master-Quality Authenticatedclarity. ModernLooks Along with its modern styling from miled aluminium andglas-surfacedsides,Colibrihas alsobeenintuitivelydesignedtoprovideeaseof aces to alnecesarycontrolson the go. Butonsconvenientlysituatedonthesideof eachColibrialowcompletecontrolofthemusic remotelywithouttheneedtoconstantlyrefer backtothesourcedevice.
FINDOUTMOREHERE
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DYNAUDIO EMIT30 FLOORSTANDINGLOUDSPEAKERS ByAlanSircom
Right,Ihavepromisedtomyselfthatthisreviewwil containnoswearing,butinalhonestyit’shardnotto getalitleswearyinthepresenceoftheDynaudio Emit30becauseitisafloorstandingloudspeaker withanexcelentperformanceandapricetagofjust £1,300perpair.Imean,Iknowaudiophileswhohave spentmore**ingmoneyon13Afusesthanthat.So, I’mfindingithardtocontainmyself.Emitistheentry pointtotheDynaudioproductline.It’saconscious atempttodeliverthesortofperformancethat’s ‘hard’(read:‘nexttoimposible’)tofindatthisprice, andthat’sadoublyimportantconsiderationgiven thatformanythismightbetheirfirstever‘proper’ loudspeaker. Therangecomprisestwostand-mountmodels(Emit 10andEmit20),twofloorstanders(Emit30andEmit 50)andacentrechannel(Emit25C).They’vealbeen designed,styled,tuned,tweaked and optimised in-house at Dynaudio Labs in Denmark. The company’sstate-of-the-artJupitermeasuringfacility –avastmeasuringaray–playedakeyroleintheir creation.WewentwiththeEmit30asitseemstobe insomethingofasweetspot.Infact,thatsweetspot isbesthighlightedbyjusthowharditwastogeta pairoftheseloudspeakers.Dynaudiocanbarely makethem fastenoughtokeepupwithdemand; evenbeforetheproductrangewaslaunched,dealers were pointing theirbank acountsatDynaudio knowingtheEmitrangewilsellikeacomplete, wel… IpromisedIwouldn’tswear. Giventhecostoftheseloudspeakers,theEmit30 usessomedownrightimpresivetechnologyinits drivers,enclosureandeventheport.Ifyoujudgea loudspeakerbyitsweight(it’snotanidealmeasure, andtherearealotofexceptionstoprovetherule, butgeneralyaweightierspeakermeansadeader cabinet,whichitselfmeansthedriversdon’thaveto fightacivilwarwiththeirenclosure)thentheEmit30 wilimpres.Ithasacabinetmadefrom18mmthick MDF panels,wrapped in one ofthree laminate finishes;wewentwithWalnut,butthere’salsothe veryontrendwhiteandblack(fortunatelynotthe
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“Thisisatrulyexcelentloudspeaker,notsimply‘forthemoney.’It hasthedetailandclarityofmanygiant-kilerscoupledwithalotof bas”
blackashveneerthatthe1980swouldlikeback).There’s amagnetisedgrile,too,butthespeakerisbestused‘au natural’. AlEmitspeakersusetheCerotartweeterfromtheEvoke series,whichinturnisbasedontheEsotarFortytweeter from Dynaudio’s SpecialForty anniversary speaker. Cerotar’scustom AirFlowmagnetismadefromstrontium carbonateferite+ceramic,whilethe28mmvoice-coilis madefromaluminium–aDynaudiosignature,thatiseven usedinthecompany’slegendaryEsotar3high-frequency driver.Meanwhile,theingeniousHexishelpscontrolthe resonancesbehind the diaphragm which then helps controlthemovementinthedomeitself.Doubtles, someonewilseetheword‘strontium’andstartreplaying episodes ofChernobyl.Save yourselfthe horors; naturaly-ocuringstrontiumcarbonateisnon-radioactive andcommonlyusedinfireworksandmagnets.It’sthe strontium-90isotope(aby-productofnuclearweapons andacidents)thatisthestufofnightmares. Emit’smid/basdriversarealsobasedonthosefoundin theEvokerange.TheirdiaphragmsaremadefromMSP (MagnesiumSilicatePolymer)–amaterialdevelopedby Dynaudiotocreateanidealcombinationoflightnes, stifnes anddampingforincredibleacuracy.They’re bondeddirectlytothecopper-cladaluminium voice-coil asemblyforevenmorecontrolovertheirmovement. Thedriveralsofeaturesadual-stackedferite-ceramic magnetforgreatercontroloverthedriver’smovement and excursion.Emitspeakers also feature a new dual-flared bas-reflexport,optimised to reduceair turbulenceandminimiseunwanted‘chufing’,particularly withdeep notes.And thatatentionto detaileven extendstotheinternaldampingmaterial,whichhasbeen measureddowntothegramfortherightcombinationof dampingandopennes. Mostloudspeakerstakesometimetorunin,andtheEmit 30isnoexception;fromcoldoutoftheboxyoucouldbe lookingatahundredhoursorsobeforeeverything setlesdown.Fortunately,thechangesaresubtleand gentlyprogresive(ratherthanahundredhoursofaural painandacompletechangeofcharacterattheend).
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Thisisatrulyexcelentloudspeaker,notsimply‘for themoney’.Ithasthedetailandclarityofmany giant-kilerscoupledwithalotofbas,bothbas depth and the dynamic range offarbigger loudspeakers.Thisresultsinaloudspeakerthathas thescaleandenergytohandleMitsukoUchida playingBeethoven’slatepianosonatas[Deca].At thisprice,youeithergetthetechnicalbrilianceof herplayingortherangeofemotionssheconveys. It’swhatseparatesthehigh-endfrom themerely ‘good’;ontheEmit30youmanagetohearboth thatinformationandthepasionbehindtheplaying. Thisaloneisrare,butcouplethatwiththesenseof spaceandsolidityofimagetheEmit30produces andyougetthefeelingofarealsizedconcertgrand pianobeingplayedbyarealhumanbeing… and thatcombinationdonerightisincrediblyhardtofi ndinloudspeakersthissideofabout£3,000. Suchloudspeakerswilneverselindrovesifthey only play to the clasicalorjaz-end ofthe spectrum,butthepianoisadificultinstrumentto getrightonanumberoflevelsandtheEmit30does welinalofthem.OK,soitdoesn’thavethefiligree ‘spacesaroundthenotes’innerdetailofsmaler, exceptionalywel-designedtwo-waystand-mounts, orhigh-end models thatcostas much as a
container-loadofEmit30s,butthatisn’tthe point.Play anything from dance music to power-chord-drivenrockandyougetthesame result.TheoriginalZZTopline-uphasrecently gone,buttheyleftbehindalegacyofswampy recordingsofnote,including‘LaGrange’from TresHombres[London],andhereittakesonthat needtoplayairguitar,airbas (thanks,Dusty) andairdrums. Something not commonly discused in loudspeakersisthedesign’sabilityto ‘jink’; abruptlychangedirectioninlinewiththemusic. Thisisaqualitythatiscloselylinked to a speaker’sabilityto‘time’,butit’sasmuchabout trackingchangesinmelodyasitistodowith tempo.TheEmit30‘jinks’surprisinglywel. Realydeepelectronicbasnotescangetalitle ponderousunderextremeconditions,butyou wil have to be playing ‘Chameleon’ by Trentemøler[TheLastResort,PokerFlat]or similaratnearparty levelsto reach those conditions.Fortherestofitsplayingenvelope, theEmit30efectivelyturnsonadimeora sixpence… ifwestilhadsixpences. Frankly,therewasn’tanythingIthrewattheEmit
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30thatdidn’tperform wel,and that’sanimportant consideration. Sure,wecanusecarefulyselectedpiecesofmusicthatare designedtosoundgoodorbringoutthebestinasystem, butintherealworldthattheEmit30ocupies,thoseare optionalextras.Thisisaloudspeakerthatneedstomake goodsoundswhenpumpingsomegrimefromaphoneto aBluetoothDAC,orbeltingoutsomeK-Poporpracticaly everythingyoucaretoname.OK,sothere’snoexpectation tomakeabadrecordingsoundwonderful,butthereisan expectationfortheEmit30tonotmakeabadrecording soundworse,andthat’swhattheydoexceptionalywel. Ofcoursetheysoundgreatplayingnicelyrecordeddinner jazplayedatgenteellevels,buttheyalsoholdtogetherat highervolumeswithrelativelycompresedmusicwithout makingyourearsbleed.Ifanything,theEmit30eronthe sideofforgivenes,becausethatsurprisinglydeepbotom endandnot-too-peakytweeterbringoutthebest,evenin theworst. It’shardtolookattheEmit30’slimitationswithoutlooking atthem throughthefilterofhow litleapairofthese loudspeakerscost.Youaren’t buying a cabinetwith a depth offinish thatdraws admirationfrom pasingFrenchpolishersandfurniture restorers,youaren’tbuyingaloudspeakerwithacrosover network or drive units made from Platinum-coated Unobtainium(althoughwhatyougetontheEmit30gets surprisinglyclose),andyouaren’tpayingforbearded Nordicartisanstoasemblethesespeakerstoyourprecise specifications.Yes,youcangetalthesethingsinanew loudspeakerfor £1,300perpair… ifyouhaveatimemachinesetto1971.If youdon’thavethattimemachinetohand,thoselimitations begintolookverynit-pickyindeed. There’saphraseusedinaudio;the‘mug’seyeful’.It summonsupimagesofproductsthatlooklikeabargain, butanynotionsofqualityquicklystopattheword‘look’. TheDynaudioEmit30istheabsoluteoppositeofamug’s eyeful;itoferssuperbvaluecoupledwithoutstanding performance.They are every milimetre a Dynaudio loudspeaker,withthefamilysoundandadeep,pounding basthatmatchesperfectlywiththeroomsinwhichsucha loudspeakerwillive.It’sasophisticateddesignthatcuts fewcornerstoachievethatlowprice.Notonlyisitagood speaker,theDynaudioEmit30throwsdownagauntletto otherbrands;ifDynaudiocandosomethingliketheEmit 30,whythe**can’tyou?
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WHICH DYNAUDIO
Emit10inwalnut
EMITSPEAKER SHOULDYOU CHOOSE?
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Confusedaboutwhethertogo forastandmountspeakerora floorstander?Notsurewhether youneedacompactversionora somethingalitlebigger?We’ve gotyoucoveredinthisguide Ifyou’re new to hi-fi(maybe you’re makingtheleapfromaBluetoothset-up orsystem-in-a-box),thearayofchoice you’remetwithcanbebewildering. There’salottotakein,andalottotake into acount. Sound quality is paramount,ofcourse,butthere’salso spaceandaesthetics.There’snopoint crammingapairoflargefloor-standing speakersinatinyroom,forexample– performance would sufer, and it probablywouldn’tlooktoogoodeither. Andwhatdoyoudoifyouwanttobuild ahomecinemasystem?Thatmeansalot morespeakers,andwhereyouputthem isevenmorecrucialifyouwantthebest results. Wondernomore.Dynaudio’snewEmit familyhassomethingforeveryone,and they’vecomeupwiththishandy‘choose yourownadventure’guidetochoosing theperfectpair(orpairs)foryourroom.
Emit50inwhite
Emit30inwalnut
Emit10inwalnut
CLICK HERE TOFINDTHEEMIT SPEAKERSFORYOU
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BYCHRISKELLY TURNTABLE,ARM&CARTRIDGE LINNKLIMAXLP12
Ihave been involved in reviewing Hi-Fi equipmentforsometimenow,butonly ocasionalyhaveIbeengenuinelyexcited butalsonervousaboutreceivingapieceof equipmenttoaudition.Whentheeditortold methathisrequesttoLinnAudiofora reviewsampleoftheirrange-toppingLP12 had been approved, I actualy got goosebumps.Forthoseofusofacertain vintage,theLP12hasbeenanobjectof desireforseveraldecades.Firstintroduced intheearly‘70s,itisalmosthalfacentury sinceitfirstarivedandalthoughatime travelerfromthosedayswouldrecognisea 2022 LP12,itwould in factbe avery diferentmachinefromitsforbears.Ibought myfirstLP12backinthesummerof2018.It wasapre-ownedmodelfromtheearly‘0s, butIwasabletohaveitbroughtprety muchuptodatewithawholelotofnew parts.InfactalthatremainedoftheoneI boughtwastheItoktonearmandthedust cover.Thisabilitytoupgradeandmodernise anLP12isoneofthekeystoitslongevity.
Unlikemanymoremodernturntables,theLP12needsa specialisttobuildit,toinstalitandtomaintainit.Thus LinnaskedAlexScot-Simons,themanagingdirectorof StoneAudioinPooleandanLP12specialist,tobuild andthendeliverandinstalthereviewmodelontheir behalf,andhekindlytookonthetask.Inthefirstweek ofDecemberhe arived and unloaded the partly asembleddevicealongwiththepiecesheneededtofit in situ,and then went through the meticulous instalationofthedeckonthetopshelfofmysystem rack.TheKlimaxisthetopofthecurentLP12lineup. TheKlimaxhasaUrikaIphonostagebuiltintothe flutedwalnutplinthandanEkstatikMCcartridgefited totheEkosSEtonearm.TheexternalDCpowersupply isthenew Radikal,asurprisinglyheavydeviceina machinedaluminium case,whichinthereviewsample wasanodisedinsilver(anodisedblackisalsoavailable). BecausethepowerinletontheRadikalisrecesed underthecasing,itprovedimposibletouseanymains cable except the one supplied, so no hefty Furutech-pluggedaftermarketoptionscanbeused.As theLinnsuppliedoneworkedsowelthiswasnotan isue,butImentionitforthoseofyouwhohave investedinexpensivemainscables.
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Alexspentalotoftimefinetuningtheinstalation,in particularmakingsurethattheturntablewascompletely level,whichisevenmorecriticalforanLP12thanfor almostanyotherturntable.Finaly,weatachedapairof AudioquestFireRCAinterconnectstotheanalogueinputs onmyLyngdorfTDAI3400amplifier.Thehingeddustcover wasliftedoftheplinthforreplay,andarecordchosenat randomwasputontotheturntableplater–Alexsimply wantedtoensurethatalwaswel,andsuggestedthatwealow themachinetowarmupafteritsjourneytoDevon.Thusasured, hebademefarewelandleftmealonewiththeKlimaxLP12. Operationaly,thisLP12isverysimilartomyown.Thereisa
rockerswitchonthefrontleftcornerofthetopplate.Presitonceanditturnsredandtheplaterstarts moving,quiteslowlyatfirst,takingabout25secondstoreachitsmainoperationalspeedof33.3rpm, aboutthesameasmyownLP12withLingo4PSU.Onceitreachesthisspeedtheredlightdims,and usingthedampedarmliftmechanismontheEkosSE,thepreciousdiamondisplaceddownwithgreat gentlenes,whichIfoundveryreasuring,asthecantileverontheEkstatikcartridgelooksmuchlonger andmorevulnerablethanthatonmyownDynavectorcartridge.Theprospectofmycackhandednes damagingitwasneverfarfrommymind.AsthereviewperiodprogresedIrelaxedmore,andactualy foundtheKlimaxnomoredificulttousethanmyowndeck,whichishardlysurprising.
SoundQuality LP12usershavelongvaluedtheabilityofthis turntable to communicate the rhythmic heartbeatofthemusictheyareplaying,andIam veryhappytoreportthatthisultimateversion stilpacksthatalmostvisceralpunch.Itmaybe themostrefinedLP12yetbuilt,butitlovesto getdowninthemoshpitandboogiealongto themusicwhenappropriate.Ontheotherhand itcanalsodosubtleandevengentlewhen required,able to reproduce solo piano and acousticguitarwithgreatfineseanddelicacy. Iputtotogetheraveryeclecticmixtureof recordstoplayontheLP12,andIdidnotfind anythingtowhichitdidnotdofuljustice.
Istarted,asIoftendo,withBobDylan’sBloodOn TheTracksonMobileFidelity’sexcelentpresing, andheretheinstrumentationwasclearlysetout acros the soundstage,the acoustic guitars sounding distinctivelydiferentand thatvoice placedforwardintotheroomontheopeningtrack TangledUpInBlue.Aspreviouslymentioned,the rhythmicdrivecariedthesongalongbeautifuly, andtheendresultwastotalyengrosing.My original1973presingofDarkSideoftheMoonon theHarvestlabelsoundedincrediblyfresh,asit didwhenIfirstcariedithometoplayonmy GarardSP25MkIVwhenitwasreleased,butwith levelsofdetailanddepthsofbaswhichwereway beyond the capabilitiesofalmostanyreplay systembackthen.
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AsitwasDecemberIbroughtoutmycopyof Handel’sMesiah,performedbytheAcademy ofAncientMusicunderChristopherHogwood, with the choirofChristChurch Cathedral, Oxfordandfourexcelentsoloists,including perhapsmyfavouritesoprano,EmmaKirkby. ThiswasreleasedontheL’OiseauLyrelabel, ownedbyDeca,in1980andIhaveplayedit manytimessincethen.Neverhasitsoundedas goodasitdidthroughtheLinnKlimax.Whether inthechoralpiecesortheindividualarias,this was a wonderful, emotional listening experience,onlyslightlyinteruptedbyhaving toturnthetwodiscsover.
FromthenontheKlimaxneverputafootwrong, nomaterwhatIaskedittoplay,findingtiny nuancesinrecordingsthatIthoughtIknewwel, suchStephenStils’Manasas,wherehewas joinedbymusiciansincludingChrisHilmanof ByrdsandFlyingBuritoBrothersfameandthe twinpercusionatackofDalasTaylorondrums and JoeLalaoncongas,timbalesand other percusioninstruments.Ifyouarenotfamiliar withthisdoublealbumitishighlyrecommended. Itsfoursidesareeachgivenatitleandeachsticks toamusicalgenreasitsmaininfluence,withrock, country,bluegras and bluesalgeting their momentsinthesun. Jaz wasalsoverywelservedbythisLinn.I switchedto45rpm(theswitchturnstogreenat thisspeed)andplayedalfoursideofAnalogue Productions’The Sound Of Jaz (originaly releasedonColumbiain1958)whichhasjusttwo tracksperside.Thesoundwasravishing.Every musician’splayingwascariedintotheroomwith totalrealism.Pluckeddoublebashaddepthand the warmth of that huge wooden body resonating,anddrumssoundedcrispandvery real.
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Agoodmodernpoprecording,suchasGeorgeEzra’sStayingAtTamara’scameacrosrealywel,with thesinger’sverypleasingbaritonebeingprojectedwelintotheroomandthequalityoftheproduction veryeasytohear.TheLinn’spaceandtimingrealypropeledthemusicforward.Iamnotgoingto cataloguethelargenumberofrecordsthattheKlimaxLP12playedformeduringitsfourweekstay,but itconsistentlydeliveredanextraordinarylisteningexperience. Conclusion Let’saddrestheelephantinthevirtualroom.Yesthisisanexpensiveturntable,anditmaybebeyond thefinancialreachofmanyofus.However,ifyouareinthemarketforamachineatthispricepoint,I wouldbeverysurprisediftheKlimaxwasnotonyourshortlist.Itcomesloadedwithanextraordinarily goodmovingcoilcartridge,arobustandextremelywelengineeredpowersupply,atonearmthatcan holditsownagainsttheverybestandasuspendedsubchasisdesignthathasalmosthalfacenturyof experiencebehindit.Italsohasadustcover(whichshouldnotbeunder-estimated),abeautifulwooden plinthandlookswhichhavestoodthetestoftime.
IfyoualreadyownanLP12,andyouarewonderingwhethertostartonthepathtowardsupgradingit toKlimaxspecificationalIcansayis–goforit.ThisistheverybestturntablethatLinnhasever produced,andithasarivedwiththeknowledgeandexperiencethatcanonlycomefromalmosthalfa centuryofresearchanddevelopment.Itisamajorachievement,evenbythatcompany’shighstandards. IfyouarealreadyintovinylreplayandwonderingwhethertheLinnsoundisforyouandarebalkingat theKlimax’sprice,youcanstartwithalowerspecificationmodelandovertime,inconjunctionwitha goodspecialistdealer,buildituptothefulKlimaxspecification.Manyhavetroddenthatpathandare stilveryhappyLP12userstothisday.IknowthatIshalalmostcertainlynowtakeastepalongthat path,byupgradingtotheKarouselbearingforexample.
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WhatIcouldnotdo,astheKlimaxwashereonloanandasacompletepackage,wastrydiferent cartridgesormyownphonostagewiththerestoftheplayer.TheUrika1wasoriginalysetupforLinn’s previoustopendcartridgetheKandid(whichisstilavailable),andluckilytheloadingsfortheEkstatik areobviouslysimilar.However,itisnotuserconfigurableinthewaythatastandalonephonostage worthyofthisturntablewouldbe,whichmeanswhetherornotyourcartridgewilworkwelinthis contextisinthelapofthegods.IbelievethatthealdigitalUrika2canbeconfiguredbytheuserbut thiswilonlyworkwithinan-alLinnsystem,andisthereforebeyondthescopeofthisreview.
Somepotentialbuyersmaybedeteredbystoriesofthe LP12’sneedforregularservicing,andthatitissomehow abitofafaftouse.Whileitdoesnoharm tohavea skiledengineercheckiteveryfewyears,inpracticeonce itisinstaledthisisaneasytouseandveryunfusy turntable.Giveitasolidbasefromwhichtoplay,protect itfrom externalvibrations,andyouwilhaveamusical companionfortherestofyourdays. IstartedthereviewperiodafterAlexhadleftmeslightly nervous,slightlyinaweoftheKlimaxLP12.Bythetime hecametocolectitlastweekitwasacloseandtrusted friend,andthefourweekswhichIspentwithitwerea genuinedelightandareminderofhowmucharealy goodrecordplayercandoforthesoul.
SPECIFICATIONS: LinnLP12Klimax
Type:suspended-subschasis,belt-drive turntablewithexternalpowersupply Speeds:331/3RPM,45RPM. SuppliedTonearm:EkosSE Drivemechanism:rubberbelt SpeedControl:electronic Motor:brushedDCwithmovingcoilrotor Platertype:12-inchzincaloywithfeltmat Platerweight:notspecified Mainbearingtype:LinnKarouselsinglepoint Plinthmaterial:wood&metal Analogueoutput:singleendedRCAsockets Acesories:dustcover Dimensions(HxWxD):140x445x356mm Weight:notspecified Waranty:5yearpartsandlabour LinnEkstatik
Type:movingcoilcartridge Body:aluminium,bronze Cantilever:sapphire Stylus:micro-ridge Trackingforce:2g
Inputloadimpedance:100Ohms Outputimpedance:notspecified Nominaloutputvoltage:0.45mV@3.54cm/s ChannelBalance:notspecified Separation:notspecified Mas:7gm Waranty:5Yearpartsandlabour
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DALIOBERON Likeitsmythicalnamesake,Oberon standsfornobilityinthefaceofthenorm
Listentoyourfavouritemusiclikeyou’venever hearditbeforewithDALI’sOBERONseries. TheOBERONseriescomprisesofsevenmodels andisDALI’sfirstentry-levelloudspeakerto incorporate theirpatented SMC technology, drasticaly reducing non-linear magnetic distortion. With oversized tweeters, wide-dispersion wood-fibrewoofersandstrikingDanishcabinet design,theDALIOBERON line-upprovidesa speakertosuiteverylisteningscenario.Two compact stand-mounts,three floor-standing models,awal-mountedoptionandacentre speakercompletetheseries. Boththedrivermaterialsandgeometryapplied intheOBERON serieshasbeenselectedto achieveawidedispersionpaterninthelistening area.Thesameprincipleshavebeenappliedin the design ofthe crosover,so you wil experienceawel-integratedsound,evenwhen listeningatasignificantof-axisangle.Thisis importantasyouarerarelyseateddirectlyin frontofyourloudspeakerwhenlistening to music.ThisisthereasonwhyalDALIspeakers arenotdesignedtobetoed-in. TheDALIOBERON1stand-mountspeakermay beultra-compact,butitstilpacksamightyaudio punch–makingittheperfectsolutionforsmaler roomsordiscreetsetups.It’slargersibling,the DALIOBERON3,combineseaseofplacement withtrueaudiophileperformance.
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