In the latest group test by Hi-Fi Choice, six sub-£1,000 moving coil cartridges battle it out to discover which is “the king of spin.” Just nudging in at £999, van den Hul’s most affordable model, the DDT II Special, takes the prize.
Continue reading “Outstanding” van den Hul DDT II Special MC cartridge wins Hi-Fi Choice group test
“Sometimes its difficult to enthuse about pick-up cartridges thanks to their workmanlike, matter-of-fact sound,” writes Nick Tate in the July issue of Hi-Fi News. But Tate has no trouble enthusing here. “Within seconds of its stylus hitting the groove, the Crimson XGW Stradivarius sings like a canary…. Suddenly you’re marvelling at the almost supernatural tightness of the syncopation between bass guitar and drum kit, and the soaring lyricism of the lead guitar.”
“Don’t be fooled by its petite exterior,” writes David Price in the magazine’s June issue, “this new integrated may be small in stature but it’s certainly not in sound.”
Continue reading “Little wonder”: Hi-Fi Choice recommends Exposure’s compact and very bijou XM5 integrated amp
“Whether driven by craft-beard sporting Millennials or nostalgic baby boomers, the vinyl resurgence shows no sign of slowing,” notes the ‘Tech’ section of yesterday’s Sunday Times.
In view of which, Matt Bingham selects three of the best turntables upon which to spin your discs. Among the three is Clearaudio’s multi award-winning ‘plug and play’ Concept turntable package.
“Sometimes you write reviews. Sometimes you write raves. And sometimes you write love songs,” says David W Robinson, Editor-in-Chief of online audio magazine Positive Feedback. Robinson’s recent review of a full system from Gamut Audio, while certainly not overly sentimental, could almost be a ballad. What inspired him to such devotion?
Earlier in 2017 Exposure Electronics launched its exciting new ‘XM’ series of hi-fi components, cleverly packing an impressive complement of high-end features into a compact and affordable design. Now, the XM3 phonostage and XM5 integrated amplifier are joined by the new XM7 preamp and XM9 mono power amp.
Like the violins, violas and cellos crafted by the Stradivari family during the 17th and 18th centuries, almost all of van den Hul’s phono cartridges are personally hand built and tuned by Dutch master cartridge designer Mr A.J. van den Hul himself. But has van den Hul now cracked one of the key secrets of the famous Stradivari sound? The new ‘Stradivarius’ edition of his Crimson phono cartridge would suggest so….
“For years, one of the best-kept secrets in hi-fi has been that the single most cost-effective upgrade you can make to any system (regardless of price or ambition) is to provide it with a dedicated AC supply equipped with a parallel, clean ground,” writes Gregory. “That might seem like a bold statement,” he acknowledges, “but consider the issues for a moment and the logic is unassailable.” Indeed it is, when we consider that the AC supply is basically the raw material from which our systems are striving to recreate the musical performance, while at the same time providing the sink down which all unwanted electrical noise is supposed to drain. “Which leads us directly to the crucial question of noise floor….”
Continue reading “The highest possible recommendation”: Roy Gregory is thoroughly convinced by Computer Audio Design’s Ground Controls in a recent Hi-Fi Plus blog
“DS Audio enjoyed instant impact since its birth five years ago for having the sheer guts to release a new (or forgotten) cartridge technology in the post-vinyl era,” writes Ken Kessler in the June issue of Hi-Fi News. Having been charmed by the company’s original DS-W1 model, what will Kessler make of the new entry-level ‘baby’ DS 002?
Clearaudio’s Performance turntable “has evolved almost beyond recognition over the last decade,” notes Nick Tate in the June issue of Hi-Fi News. “Will the new linear tracking TT5 arm propel it further?”
David Denyer PR | The hi-fi specialist 