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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Many consider the Linn Ittok to be the world’s first super-arm. It was designed by a Mr. Ito to Linn’s specifications in the late 1970s and originally built for Linn by the Denon Parts Company of Japan (no related to the electronics brand). It underwent several adjustments over the years, including a new counterbalance, until
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In 2007, Didier Hamdi, a flamboyant ex-motorsportsman, bought the well-known French hi-fi manufacturer Micromega, relegating company founder Daniel Schar to engineering duties. The CD-30, released in 2010, was one of the first items of the new era. On the surface, it didn’t appear to be anything extraordinary. It was a decent player, but it didn’t
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Rewind to 1987 in Glasgow. Linn Products, which had earned its name with the Sondek LP12 turntable, was well aware that the new Compact Disc format was beginning to eat into its sales. The company’s response was to expand its loudspeaker lineup while also moving away from the first generation of boxes (Kan, Sara, and
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