Category Archives: Sound Fowndations

Turntable speed accuracy: Hi-Fi World editor Noel Keywood explores Clearaudio’s Stroboscope Test Record, among others

“Pitch slurring,” “warbling” and “watery pitch” are just some of the unwanted results when a turntable suffers from speed variation, writes Noel Keywood in the November issue of Hi-Fi World. “Subjectively it isn’t an obvious issue until you hear the same music played on a pitch-stable turntable,” and then it’s “like taking off misty glasses.” Unfortunately, the problem is surprisingly common. Fortunately, there are some handy gadgets that enable DIY solutions.
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Clearaudio’s Charisma V2 cartridge earns a Golden Ear Award from The Absolute Sound

Each autumn, the editors of US-based hi-fi magazine The Absolute Sound pick out their audio peaks and pinnacles and crown them worthy winners of the annual Golden Ear Awards.

In 2018, Associate Editor Neil Gader singles out Clearaudio’s Charisma V2 phono cartridge. “Like its name implies, you’ve either got it or you don’t. This cartridge has got it,” he writes.

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Clearaudio Concept among Wired magazine’s ‘best record players’

“We may be in the streaming age, but this hasn’t stopped vinyl sales booming. Audiophiles and analogue devotees, as well as digital converts, are rediscovering the joys of records,” writes Wired magazine, which has just singled out (no pun intended) its best record players for any budget in 2018.

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“Smack-you-in-the-face-obvious”: The Audio Beat’s Roy Gregory has no doubts about the performance-enhancing abilities of Furutech’s NCF Booster & Booster Signal

“Cable risers are not exactly news, nor are they universally used, accepted or even recommended. In fact, even those who advocate them have trouble agreeing on what they do or how they do it,” writes reviewer Roy Gregory in The Audio Beat. “None of this is, of course, any reason to ignore them,” he adds, having recently been provided with a set of Furutech’s NCF Boosters and Booster-Signals to review. “They have become utterly indispensable,” he concludes.  

Continue reading “Smack-you-in-the-face-obvious”: The Audio Beat’s Roy Gregory has no doubts about the performance-enhancing abilities of Furutech’s NCF Booster & Booster Signal

“10/10”: The Audiophile Man reviews Furutech’s NCF Boosters & NCF Booster-Signals

If you’re still pondering the question of whether, how much, or why hi-fi cables affect the quality of your system’s sound, you’d do well to check out reviewer Paul Rigby’s comprehensive article on the matter over at The Audiophile Man.

Rigby sets out to review Furutech’s new NCF Booster and NCF Booster-Signal, two highly innovative accessories designed to tackle cable noise. Following a chat with Furutech’s engineers, however, Rigby’s review becomes a series of detailed tests and experiments, as he discovers just how great a difference cable noise can make and, more important, how best to address it.

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Optical cartridge pioneer DS Audio upgrades ground-breaking DS-W1 model to create new DS-W2

PRESS RELEASE

Four years ago, Japanese company DS Audio broke new ground with the world’s only optical phono cartridge, borrowing technology developed and honed in various scientific, industrial and medical applications. The company’s debut model, the DS-001, was only released in its native Japan but the overwhelming response it received soon led to a second model, the DS-W1, and to worldwide distribution. Since then, the range has grown with the addition of the flagship DS Master 1 and entry-level DS-002 models.

The new DS-W2 is a direct replacement for the DS-W1 which will now be phased out. It offers significant design enhancements over its predecessor. The DS-W2 now occupies the middle position in the company’s range of optical phono cartridges, delivering improved performance over the entry level DS-002 and incorporating an appealing amount of trickle-down technology from the flagship Master 1.

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What Hi-Fi? vinyl special: Clearaudio Concept & Innovation are two of “15 of the best decks you can buy”

“Budget, staggeringly expensive, ripping or old-school…” – there’s a deck for everyone in the July issue of What Hi-Fi? And two of the fifteen five-star masterpieces listed are from German analogue experts Clearaudio: the £995 ‘Concept MM’ and £17,330 ‘Innovation Wood’.
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Furutech adds to best-selling NCF Booster range with new NCF Booster-Signal

PRESS RELEASE

Following the considerable success of Furutech’s remarkable accessory, the NCF Booster, the company has introduced a second companion edition, the new NCF Booster-Signal. Prepare to be surprised at the clear and positive difference that this innovative duo can make to your system’s performance.

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Flagship Magnepan loudspeaker and phono cartridges from DS Audio & van den Hul are The Absolute Sound’s Products of the Year 2017

The Absolute Sound’s Product
of the Year Awards are the US-based magazine’s the most exclusive and prestigious honours, paying tribute to the very best components of the previous year. The award-winners are an elite bunch, since only one or two products are selected each year in just a handful of product categories.
Continue reading Flagship Magnepan loudspeaker and phono cartridges from DS Audio & van den Hul are The Absolute Sound’s Products of the Year 2017