Category Archives: Sound Fowndations

‘Unreservedly recommended’: Hi-Fi News reviews Clearaudio’s new Innovation Basic turntable

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

Gamut RS3i among The Absolute Sound’s ‘6 Super Speakers’

If you’re in the market for one heck of a pair of high-performance loudspeakers but feel daunted by the array of choices on offer, check out the latest issue of The Absolute Sound. The October 2016 edition of the US audiophile magazine includes in-depth reviews of six ‘super speakers’, including the Gamut RS3i – the little guy with the surprisingly big soundstage.

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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

“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

Powering on: Isotek’s EVO3 Initium power cable earns another five stars in Hi-Fi World review

“Power cables can be something of a conundrum,” admits Jon Myles in the September issue of Hi-Fi World. “There’s no doubt replacing the stock lead supplied with your CD player, amplifier, pre-amp or tuner with a specialised model can make a difference to sound quality. But at the top end prices can seem prohibitively expensive compared to the benefits.”

Enter IsoTek’s new EVO3 Initium which, at just £65 for a 1.5 metre length, promises to deliver a cost-effective upgrade to your system.

Continue reading Powering on: Isotek’s EVO3 Initium power cable earns another five stars in Hi-Fi World review

Clearaudio extends Innovation turntable range with new entry-level ‘Basic’

PRESS RELEASE

Clearaudio’s Innovation range of turntables now has a new entry point, the Innovation Basic. Borrowing technology from the three esteemed members of the Innovation family – the Innovation, Innovation Compact and Master Innovation – the new Basic packs a raft of features into its elegant bijou form and delivers stunning performance at a more accessible price.

Continue reading Clearaudio extends Innovation turntable range with new entry-level ‘Basic’

What Hi-Fi turntable special: Clearaudio Concept comes out on top (again!)

The August 2016 issue of What Hi-Fi features a ‘turntable special’, with “decks for every budget, from £120 to £1,700.”

Leading the pack is Clearaudio’s Concept, the only ‘table to scoop the full five stars across every rating. And not for the first time, since the Concept has already bagged a veritable glut of What Hi-Fi awards in recent years.

Continue reading What Hi-Fi turntable special: Clearaudio Concept comes out on top (again!)

“So different – and so special”: Roy Gregory reviews DS Audio’s DS-W1 optical cartridge for Hi-Fi Plus

While electro-magnetic pick-up technology continues to dominate the vinyl scene, there have always been alternatives or variations on the theme, suggests Roy Gregory, writing in the June 2016 issue of Hi-Fi Plus.

“It’s not too hard to understand why,” he surmises, “gives the all too audible flaws inherent in, and challenges presented by, both moving-magnet and moving-coil designs. Throw in the essential mechanical crudity of the process and it’s hardly surprising that designers and end-users alike crave a more sophisticated and elegant solution.”

The solution under review is Japanese DS Audio’s DS-W1 optical cartridge.

Continue reading “So different – and so special”: Roy Gregory reviews DS Audio’s DS-W1 optical cartridge for Hi-Fi Plus