Paul Miller, pointing out the complexity in the low-end CD market, demonstrated how pandemonium prevails when too many manufacturers compete for the same budget dollars. In his January issue review, he assessed Marantz’s latest entrance at the £200 pricing point, highlighting the dangers of rushing to market and issuing a run with shoddy parts. Which, […]
Marantz CD-52 MKII SE Review Read More »
The ambassador from Marantz is treating us like royalty. Only the KI-Signature badges set the CD player and amplifier out from the rest. Not for individuals who simply listen to music in the background. Both the amplifier (left) and the CD player have substantial copper plating and beefed-up power supply, which are trademark Marantz/lshiwata features.
Marantz CD6000 KI Review Read More »
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… a firm called Marantz released the CD43, CD53, and CD63 line of CD players. They were arguably the best available at their respective price points at the time, or at least among the best available. And they enjoyed long and happy lives, spawning models
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Whest Audio’s PS.30RDT was released in 2009 as a near descendant of the company’s flagship MC REF V, and it cost a whopping £2,799 when new. It comes in a single 430x280x72mm box with a Whest MC REF V Hybrid filter and an ultra low noise bipolar opamp DIP8 chip severely biased towards Class A.
Whest Audio PS.30RDT Review Read More »
If you’ve been paying attention over the last few decades, you’ve probably heard of Yamaha’s legendary NS-1000M loudspeaker, which was first released in 1978. It had an unforgettable sound, thanks to highly inventive Beryllium midrange and treble dome drivers that were a tenth of the weight of standard designs, housed in a super-thick sealed cabinet
Yamaha NS-5000 Review Read More »
The Zu Druid, made in Ogden, Utah, is one of the more intriguing floorstanding loudspeakers I’ve seen. This specific fourth generation model, from 2006, is a fan favorite. The one-and-a-half-way speaker is equipped with a full-range driving unit and a super tweeter that eliminates the need for a crossover. The impedance quoted is 12 ohms
Zu Druid IV Review Read More »
Back in 1977, Realistic described their Minimus-7 ‘Metal Cabinet Speaker System’ as “little simply in size, not in performance.” It’s still astonishingly capable and relevant in 2021, given how few micro speakers have been released in the last forty-five years or so. There’s not much to it — a simple 100mm ‘high compliance woofer’ –
Realistic Minimus-7 Review Read More »
Sony Corporation was Japan’s most well-known manufacturer of high-end electronics in 1991, offering everything from Trinitron televisions and MiniDisc recorders to portable video cameras and CD players. Basically, if you wanted a ‘good’ TV or hi-fi, you could skip the hassle of looking around and just get a Sony, which was always likely to be
Sony ST-S770ES Review Read More »
Wharfedale is a well-known British loudspeaker brand that peaked in the 1970s, during the height of the British hi-fi boom, when it was controlled by the Rank Organization. The company, founded in 1932 by Gilbert Arthur Briggs in his Ilkley house in the Wharfe Valley, invented and constructed all of its own drive units, or
Wharfedale Glendale 3XP Review Read More »
We periodically see exciting new variations on the loudspeaker theme; manufacturers sometimes come up with better cone materials for their mid/bass units, and occasionally unique tweeters appear. Ribbons have recently regained popularity, although other types have also come and gone. One of the most intriguing to yours truly was the Linaeum ‘figure of eight’ dipole
Realistic Optimus Pro LX5 Review Read More »
