Hi-Fi Choice - Issue 490 - July 2022

134 Pages·2022·21 MB·English

Rockin’ reads: Our pick GROUP TEST: Get out-and-
oof the Summer’s best about with our choice of six
musician memoirs ace in-ear headphones
PASSION FOR SOUND
Issue No. 490 July 2022
BOSS PLAYER
Rega’s Saturn Mk3 heads up the compact disc revival
RETRO CHIC
Grado’s SR325x
stylish open-back
headphones
BUYING
GUIDE
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FOREVER YOUNG
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what the future of music
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Complete genius NEWS EXTRA:
Launches from Eclipse, Pro-Ject,
Audiolab’s Omnia – a new all-in-one Harman Kardon, Bang & Olufsen,
Cambridge Audio, Elipson
system that delivers the goods
and more...
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INTRODUCTION
Welcome
PASSION FOR SOUND
www.hifichoice.com Issue No. 490 July 2022
50 The big news is that CD sales
PS Audio just rose for the first time in 17
aspen FR30
years in the US. According to
data from the RIAA (Recording
Industry Association Of America)
orders for compact discs went
from 31.6 million in 2020 to 46.6
million in 2021 – increasing by 47
percent. The last time sales of CDs were travelling
northwards was way back in the early Noughties, the
peak clocking nearly a billion discs shipping in the
US in just one year. Streaming still accounts for the
lion’s share of the music industry’s income in 2022,
and the vinyl revival, despite the supply hiccups,
63 continues apace. But CDs are back in business,
Lypertek the combination of their collectable physical
PurePlay Z5
presence, their handy size and their favourable cost
in comparison with vinyl seeing a renewed affection
for the little silver frisbees. Now, thanks to Rega and
its new Saturn Mk3 (p56), there’s a stellar player to
90 enhance your listening pleasure. It’s this month’s
Angel Olson cover star and: “across hours of listening to anything
Big Time
we can think of, makes music an emotionally
pleasurable experience”.
Also in this issue you’ll find a Group Test of cool
in-ear headphones, an appreciation of the guvnor of
all things funky, Mr George Clinton, and a bumper
Audiofile section of all the new kit that matters.
BADGES EXPLAINED Have fun
OUR AWARDS
Steve Sutherland Editor
Angela Ricciardi Follow us: tfawcitetbeor.cook.mco@mH/ihFiifCichhooiciceeM.caog.u k
Olson picture credit: ECApjouurDwHdotIagsOdTrteuOIaddCcneR ttEddso’:Si tt ndoh ge at lhti vaoersere RPwhpierEegorC hffdeoO suertcMmla tmnsMad etnEhaecaNrted taD oEfD : GWCcwbaaoRiInndmNOn goNpeUenarE lPs,yr Raa aT hyn:tEasidvSv i etteTh at oielslns! ets SUITE 6G, EDENhi fHicOhoUicSeEm, aEgNaTzEinRePRISE WAY,
Angel performance EDENBRIDGE, KENT TN8 6HF
JULY 2022 3
Contents
hifichoice.com Issue No. 490 July 2022 BUYING
GUIDE
N6 AEuWdiSof i&le OPINION GROUP TEST 1c0o0m+p eosnseennttisa l
34 p109
The latest news on the hottest products
from the world of hi-fi coming your way
Achieve perfect
73 Letters
personal stereo with our
Put your points of view and queries on pick of the best in-ears
audio matters to our team of experts
84 Opinion
The Hi-Fi Choice team say it as they see
it as they discuss the issues of the day
90 Music Reviews
The month’s essential new CD, vinyl
and hi-res releases given a work out
READER SERVICES
109 Buying Guide
Our hottest hi-fi component picks
122 Reader Classifieds
Sell your unwanted hi-fi for FREE here
130 Next Issue
The sonic treats to look out for next month
FEATURES
27 Hi-Fi Show Live
The ultimate high-end hi-fi experience
is back, get your tickets now!
100 Music Legends
George Clinton and Parliament, the
perfect mix of funk, rock, R&B and sci-fi
104 Dealer Visit
Manchester’s Richer Sounds, a store
with a special approach to hi-fi
129 Reasons
To Be Cheerful
Our pick of the most exciting things
coming your way this month
104 6 100
Dealer Visit: Richer Sounds Audiofile: Eclipse TD307MK3 Music Legends: George Clinton
4 JULY 2022
CONTENTS
JULY 2022
“George Clinton revolutionised
black music in the Seventies,
deconstructing soul music until it
60 turned into a funk-rock monster“
Grado SR325x
George Clinton, Music Legends p100
TESTED THIS MONTH

28
Aurender N200
REVIEWS CHOICE EXTRAS
Kit testing 106 Ecosse
28 Aurender Director MD2 SE digital interconnect
N200 network-enabled media storage 106 MCRU
device/streamer (Main Test)
Ultimate MKIII speaker cable
50 PS Audio
107 True Colours
50
aspen FR30 three-way floorstanding
Industries
ABR-loaded loudspeaker (Exotica)
PS Audio aspen FR30 Python II speaker cable
56 Audiolab
107 Russ Andrews
Omnia all-in-one-system
GQ headphone extension cable
58 Ophidian
Voodoo three-way GROUP TEST
floorstanding loudspeaker
60 Grado Earbuds £140-£650
SR325x on-ear, open-back 36 Apple AirPods Pro
56
dynamic headphones 38 Astell& Kern AK Zero1
Audiolab Omnia 63 Lypertek 40 Audio-Technica
PurePlay Z5 true-wireless ATH-CKS50TW
pson noise-cancelling earphones 42 Denon AH-C830NCW
m
or Tho 66 Rega 44 Klipsch T5 II ANC
mie Lam Eamlicpitl iMfieKr5/C/SDa tpularny eMr K3 integrated 47 Technics EAH-AZ60
m/Ja
o 70 Rotel
utterstock.c R7o0tel RA-1592MKII RA-1592MKII integrated amplifier
Picture credit: Sh(George Clinton) Never miss an issue – turn to p126 for our latest subs offer
JULY 2022 5
T H E L AT E S T I N D U S T R Y N E W S …
A fresh angle
New directive speakers from Japan
PRICE: £300 EACH AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: ECLIPSE-TD.COM/UK
JAPANESE COMPANY ECLIPSE neodymium main and sub-magnet banana-terminated speaker cables,
has launched a new loudspeaker, the system, which the company says plus a new cable-routing design,
company’s fi rst in seven years. The delivers a wider frequency with the ability to accommodate
TD307MK3 is a compact, full-range response, especially in the bass larger cables and obscure them
standmount which replaces the region: the TD307MK3 has a from view. Eclipse says: “Achieving
TD307MK2 and features the same quoted 80Hz–25kHz range. great sound quality for music,
technologies as Eclipse’s more Eclipse claims the fi breglass cone movies or TV is simple with the
upmarket option. Boasting an also benefi ts from greater speed, integrated angle adjustment, which
integrated mounting bracket with lower vibration, greater dynamics, a provides -25 to 30° of movement
angle adjustment, the new speaker lower noise fl oor and vibration has when placed horizontally, plus 0
enables wall or ceiling mounting been reduced by 50 percent over to 90° degrees when used on a
and benefi ts from a 65mm full-range its predecessor with an 80 percent wall or ceiling”.
fi breglass drive unit upgrade (the increase in linearity. The new speakers measure 135
fi rst time fi breglass has been used Further improvements include a x 212 x 184mm (WxHxD), weigh
in the TD307 series). The new driver new terminal arrangement that approximately 2kg and come in
is supported by a larger ‘repulsive’ accepts both bare wire and black or white.
6 JULY 2022
AUDIOFILE
JULY 2022 7
AUDIOFILE
Going for a spin
New deck from Cambridge Audio
PRICE: £1,700 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: CAMBRIDGEAUDIO.COM
BRITISH COMPANY CAMBRIDGE
Audio has launched a new fl agship
turntable, the Alva TT V2 designed for
spinning vinyl in a traditional hi-fi setup
or wirelessly streaming to Bluetooth
headphones, amps or speakers.
The new vinyl spinner is an update of
the Alva TT (HFC 453) and is a direct-
drive model with built-in switchable
phono stage and aptX HD Bluetooth
streaming. It retains the original Alva
TT’s heavy aluminium top plate and
polyoxymethylene (POM) platter,
pre-installed Alva MC cartridge and
the aptX HD Bluetooth that allows
24-bit/48kHz hi-res streaming.
New features include an improved
tonearm with detachable headshell
(offering listeners an easy upgrade path),
a switchable phono stage and the ability
to toggle Bluetooth on/off as needed.
The switchable phono stage – based on
the company’s Alva Duo – offers listeners
the fl exibility and choice of using the
Alva TT V2 with the phono stage in their
existing stereo amplifi er, while also
making it easy to upgrade their system’s
components over time. Meanwhile, being
able to switch the Bluetooth transmitter
off when it’s not needed means a
shortened signal path and reduced
energy consumption.
8 JULY 2022
WORLD’S
FIRST THX
CERTIFIED
DOMINUS
SPEAKERS
“It’s rare to find an audio product,
let alone a loudspeaker, that is
beyond reproach. The S7t is one
such loudspeaker.”
Stereophile, December 2021
“...undoubtedly a technically clever
loudspeaker, but engineered for
one simple goal – making great-
sounding music... you should
definitely think about buying them.”
Hi Fi News, April 2022
Visit karma-av.co.uk for further information and full specifications…
01423 358846 karma-av.co.uk
AUDIOFILE
Take it E-asy
New plug-in-and-play turntable range
PRICE: £270-£370 AVAILABLE: NOW WEB: PROJECT-AUDIO.COM/EN HENLEYAUDIO.CO.UK
PRO-JECT HAS INTRODUCED the E1, anti-resonant main platter made from E1 is fi nished with turntable-ready phono
a true plug-and-play turntable in a trio of strengthened ABS Polymer, a DC drive motor cables fi xed to the underside of the tonearm.
different variants. The standard E1 is designed with damped mounting for added isolation, a It has a standard phono-level output, for
to be connected directly to an external phono wood main plinth mounted on anti-vibration connecting to a phono stage and is priced
stage, while the E1 Phono has one built-in. feet, a turntable-ready RCA cable and a dust at £270. The E1 Phono features a built-in
And for those looking for wireless cover. The turntables measure 420 x 112 x switchable moving-magnet phono stage, so
transmission, the E1 BT offers Bluetooth 330mm (WxHxD) and weigh 3.5kg. that you can connect directly to a line-level
streaming built-in as well. The E1 Phono features a built-in switchable input or still make use of an external phono
The E1 range boasts electronically moving-magnet (MM) phono stage while stage and is priced at £300. And fi nally the
controlled playback speeds (33 and 45rpm), the E1 BT features the built-in switchable E1 BT features a switchable moving-magnet
an 8.6in tonearm with aluminium tube and MM phono stage and Bluetooth wireless phono stage with Bluetooth version 5.0
purpose-designed headshell, a pre-adjusted transmission. Both come with gold-plated wireless transmission so you can output at
Ortofon OM 5E cartridge with elliptical stylus RCA connectors. The fi nish options are gloss line level, phono or wirelessly via Bluetooth.
profi le, a sub-platter drive system, an black, matt walnut or white and the standard It’s priced at £370.
10 JULY 2022