It was difficult to get a competent affordable amplifier in the late 1970s. For showroom attractiveness, brushed aluminum-fronted Japanese versions with tone controls and power meters flooded the market. Sound quality had received little attention; most sounded bland and inoffensive at best, and terrible at worst. New Acoustic Dimension, a relatively new firm, saw a […]
The audio ability of a loudspeaker is inversely proportional to its aesthetic beauty, according to one of the universal principles of hi-fi. True, the Holy hi-fi provider has allowed an unique exception to this rule for a few high-end panel speakers, but other from that, it appears to apply to practically everything. So when I
The Marantz SA-12S1 is a big one, at 458x126x379mm, and is often finished in the company’s signature champagne gold. Twelve professional-grade Crystal CS4397 DACs and twelve custom HDAM copper-plated op-amps were installed inside, all of which worked in dual differential mode. Marantz’s proprietary Super-Ring toroidal transformer, as well as a separate transformer for the fluorescent
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The ARO is one of the most unusual performance-focused tonearms ever built, reputedly made “hand in glove” for the Linn Sondek LP12 turntable and Troika cartridge. The narrative begins in 1987, when Naim Audio decided to end its particular partnership with Linn Products; Linn was a manufacturer of electronics (remember the LK1/LK2? Some might not!
The monoblocs Trio/Kenwood Stereo Control Amplifier Model L-07C and DC Power Amplifier Model L-07M are from another era. Hi-fi was a very popular hobby across the Western world – and one of the three essential things to buy, along with a house and a car – when it was launched in 1979 at the height
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McIntosh is a prestigious brand with a long history of providing high-quality items. The massive MC275 power amplifier is in its sixth iteration, with the first one debuting in 1961. The famous McIntosh Unity Coupled Circuit, designed by company co-founders Sidney A. Corderman and Gordon Gow, featured an unique transformer to offer wider bandwidth with
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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
Koetsu Red Signature Review Read More »
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
Meridian F80 Review Read More »
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.
