The last of four posts showcasing highlights from US-based hi-fi magazine The Absolute Sound’s prestigious Editors’ Choice Awards for 2017, this time featuring those all-important hi-fi accessories.
From cables and connectors to racks and record cleaning machines, Editor-in-Chief Robert Harley and his team ‘rack up’ their top product recommendations from across the world of audio. Whatever your need or problem, there’s an award-winning accessory that can sort it out.
Further highlights from US-based hi-fi magazine The Absolute Sound’s prestigious Editors’ Choice Awards for 2017, this time focusing on all things vinyl-grooving. From turntables to cartridges, Editor-in-Chief Robert Harley and his team of expert reviewers offer their top product recommendations from across the world of hi-fi.
Continue reading Clearaudio, Kronos & Transfiguration among top ‘tables & cartridges in The Absolute Sound Editors’ Choice Awards 2017
More highlights from US-based hi-fi magazine The Absolute Sound’s prestigious Editors’ Choice Awards for 2017, this time focusing on electronics.
From phonostages to power amps and DACs to disc players, Editor-in-Chief Robert Harley and his team of expert reviewers offer their top product recommendations from across the world of hi-fi.
“2016 was dominated by turntables,” writes Paul Rigby in online magazine TheVinylFactory.com. “The year began with the news that Amazon had sold more turntables than any other home audio product over Christmas. While these decks aren’t the kind you’d wish on your worst enemy, it’s clear the appetite was there.”
Indeed – and it shows no sign of abating. According to new data just revealed by the Entertainment Retailers Association, more money was spent on vinyl album sales than digital album downloads in the UK last week” (see full story: Vinyl is killing the MP3 industry).
So if you’re a digital die-hard who’s finally considering a foray over to the vinyl side, or a turntable toe-dipper who bagged an Amazon cheapie but now hankers after an upgrade, you’re in luck. “Turntable manufacturers of all stripes have been busy and very proactive, releasing a swathe of top quality designs that will suit all budgets,” notes Rigby. But how do you choose between them?
Continue reading Clearaudio Innovation Basic & Timestep EVOke in The Vinyl Factory’s 15 best turntables of 2016
Due to be aired on Channel 5 this Wednesday 16th November, the latest episode of The Gadget Show turns its attention to turntables and asks the question, just how much should you spend on a new deck?
Well it’s that time of year again. The air chills, the days shorten and we retreat indoors for a glass of something fortifying and to reflect on the year’s highs and lows. And what better way to do it than with a copy of the Hi-Fi News Yearbook 2016 with its round-up of “the hardware that turned our heads and the music that stirred our souls” over the past 12 months. This year’s bumper 172-page issue features a real “feast of audio dreams”.
It’s a common conundrum. You covet the superior sound of a high-end audio system, but you’d rather not have to take out a second mortgage to fund it. Thankfully, you don’t have to, as there are plenty of superb-sounding hi-fi components that won’t break the bank.
Bewildered by the choices on offer? Fortunately help is on hand with The Absolute Sound’s Buyer’s Guide To Affordable Audio 2016, created to help maximize your purchasing power and your hi-fi system enjoyment.
The 2016 What Hi-Fi? Awards have now been revealed. There are 102 individual winners across 27 categories, showcasing the best hi-fi, home cinema and portable audio products on the market.
“Who would have thought that four decades after What Hi-Fi? was founded in 1976, vinyl would still be going strong?” asks the magazine’s Andy Clough.
And who would’ve thought that, in 2016, one little turntable would be celebrating its sixth win…
Continue reading Is this some kind of record? Clearaudio Concept bags its sixth What Hi-Fi? Award
Clearaudio recently extended their renowned Innovation range of turntables with a new model, the Innovation Basic. While it’s actually anything but ‘basic’, the price is very competitive and brings the Innovation range within reach of a greater number of music lovers.
Adam Smith puts the Innovation Basic to the test in his review for the October 2016 issue of Hi-Fi News.
Continue reading ‘Unreservedly recommended’: Hi-Fi News reviews Clearaudio’s new Innovation Basic turntable
“We endeavour to include a wide selection of hi-fi equipment in Hi-Fi Choice, ranging from so-called entry-level systems right up to those exotic items that most of us can only drool over,” begins Neville Roberts in the magazine’s October 2016 issue.
While both the entry level and the middle ground of the hi-fi spectrum are well catered for, at the top end there sits a sparse range of audio elite “where price tags can often approach that of a small house”. Affordable only to a tiny minority, “do they really have
a place in today’s audio lineup?” asks Roberts. It’s a good question and one that he pondered in depth at the recent UK launch of Clearaudio’s Statement v2 turntable – claimed to be one of the world’s finest – hosted by Dorset retailer Stone Audio.
Continue reading Is ultra high-end audio worth the expense? Absolutely, says Hi-Fi Choice’s Neville Roberts, after an encounter with the Clearaudio Statement v2 turntable
David Denyer PR | The hi-fi specialist 