When the Naim CDX2 was released in 2003, it appeared that Compact Disc was starting to weaken in the face of competition from SACD and DVD-Audio. So it appeared bold of Naim to launch a new CD player right into the market for high-end universal machines. It seems to be a lot of money to […]
Yoshiaki Sugano’s Koetsu cartridges were characterized by his unique combination of skills. He was described as a musician, artist, calligrapher, and even a swordsman. According to legend, his life was a study of his hero, Honami Koetsu, a 17th-century Japanese painter. Sugano san’s Supex cartridges, which were released in the 1970s and put moving coils
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The Lecson AC1/AP1 preamplifier/power amplifier combination was released in 1974, and it was one of the most remarkable pieces of industrial design the world had ever seen. Allen Boothroyd and Robert Stuart, the two men behind it, established themselves as one of the best design teams in British hi-fi history. The Meridian brand was introduced
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One Naim insider calls this one-box music machine as “a gateway drug.” In reality, it’s unlikely that it’ll be able to compete with Bose and B&O on their own turf, given both businesses – particularly the latter – invest so much of the retail price in advertising. Bose’s name is well-known, but Naim’s is not.
When you hear “Made in Japan,” you immediately think of large corporate consumer electronics giants like Sony and Matsushita. Few people realize that, exactly because the Japanese home hi-fi market is so large, there’s opportunity for a thriving set of specialist manufacturers producing devices that are vastly different from your average Yamaha AV receiver… This
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Meridian has been a leader in the field of innovation since its founding in 1977. Bob Stuart and Allen Boothroyd, the company’s founders, had already worked on some of the most innovative hi-fi devices of the 1970s, including the Lecson AC1/AP1 and the Orpheus. The M1 active loudspeaker was Meridian’s bold debut when they first
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Linn had a problem by 1979, however it was a pleasant thing to have. The problem was that while the £298 Sondek LP12 turntable was flying off the shelves, not everyone could afford the company’s new Ittok LV II tonearm, which retailed for £253. Instead, a major portion of sales went to Rega, whose £46
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The Michell GyroDec, which is now over thirty years old, has become a famous British vinyl classic. It was one of the first ‘skeletal’ designs, with a vestigial sandblasted aluminium chassis rather than a traditional hardwood plinth, when it was introduced in 1981. This, together with the five gold-plated brass weights dangling from the platter
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Tonearm enthusiasts had a fantastic year in 1987. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, not one, but two – then three – buses arrived at the same moment. The first was the SME Series V, which has gotten a lot of press; many consider it to be “the finest” arm in some ways,
Turntables are in and out of fashion. Many start off strong, but as time goes on, they deteriorate into mediocrity. Others, on the other hand, seem to persevere, and perhaps this is a measure of their greatness? Linn’s Sondek LP12, Technics’ SL-1200, SME’s Model 30, Garrard’s 301/401, Rega’s Planar 3 and, of course, Michell’s iconic
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