You may not know it yet, but no matter how much you’ve invested in your hi-fi system, if you’re a “doubting Thomas” when it comes to anti-noise accessories then your sound is being “swamped by parasitic noise” and “trapped under sonic rubbish”, writes Paul Rigby on webzine The Audiophile Man. Thankfully, effective solutions are available and, while the best ones may not be cheap, they come at at a fraction of the price of your beleaguered components. Continue reading “Accessories are just as important as the main components” concludes Paul Rigby as he reviews Furutech’s NCF Clear Line signal optimizers
“This winner takes them all”: the Hi-Fi Plus Award 2023 goes to… Computer Audio Design’s USB II-R cable
“Computer Audio Design (CAD) helped change how audio enthusiasts view USB, thanks partly to its USB II cable,” writes Hi-Fi Plus in the magazine’s annual Awards edition. This game-changing cable has since evolved into the USB II-R, which not only wins a coveted Hi-Fi Plus Award, but also comes out as the absolute top of its kind, “against any known contender.” Continue reading “This winner takes them all”: the Hi-Fi Plus Award 2023 goes to… Computer Audio Design’s USB II-R cable
DS Audio launches new PH-001: the best phono cable for high-performance optical cartridges
PRESS RELEASE: DS Audio’s optical phono cartridges have earned worldwide acclaim for their incredibly low noise floor and astonishing sonic performance. Now, designer Tetsuaki Aoyagi has turned his attention to creating the best possible phono cable for the ultimate optical cartridge performance.
“Musical joy”: the Hi-Fi Plus Award goes to… Exposure’s VXN phonostage
‘Tis the season for audio awards, in which our favourite audiophile magazines single out the hi-fi kit that has most impressed their editors and expert reviewers over the course of the year. In the 2023 Hi-Fi Plus Awards, UK brand Exposure’s top-of-range VXN picks up the gong for ‘best phonostage (up to £10k)’. Continue reading “Musical joy”: the Hi-Fi Plus Award goes to… Exposure’s VXN phonostage
A device you “remove from your system at your peril”: The Ear selects CAD’s Ground Control GC 1.1 among its best hi-fi of 2023
‘The best hi-fi of 2023’ is a collection of products that audiophile webzine The Ear’s reviewers consider to be the very finest they’ve enjoyed over the year. Among them is Computer Audio Design’s (CAD) GC 1.1 Ground Control unit, “an essential audition for anyone with a half-decent system”. But, buyer beware: once you’ve heard how your system sounds without the detrimental effects of high-frequency noise, there may be no going back!
Redefine your system: The Absolute Sound’s Buyers’ Guide goes above and beyond with Computer Audio Design’s GC1 Ground Control & Furutech’s Pure Power 6 NCF distributor
When it comes to hi-fi accessories, it pays to make smart choices. There are certain products, painstakingly developed by highly skilled audio engineers, which have the potential to transform the sound of your system so dramatically that you’d be forgiven for wondering if it’s the same system. US magazine The Absolute Sound singles out several such inventions in its 2024 Buyer’s Guide.
Continue reading Redefine your system: The Absolute Sound’s Buyers’ Guide goes above and beyond with Computer Audio Design’s GC1 Ground Control & Furutech’s Pure Power 6 NCF distributor
Above and beyond: Aesthetix’ valve / tube electronics score highly in The Absolute Sound’s Buyers’ Guide 2024
The November issue of US audiophile magazine The Absolute Sound features the review team’s annual Buyer’s Guide, which somehow wouldn’t seem complete without an abundance of entries for Californian valve / tube experts Aesthetix.
Changing the analog game: The Absolute Sound’s Buyers’ Guide 2024 singles out the genius of DS Audio’s optical cartridges
Japanese innovators DS Audio launched their first optical phono cartridge onto the worldwide hi-fi stage back in 2013. Since then, designer Tetsuaki Aoyagi has continued to advance and refine the state of the art, achieving level after level of ground-breaking – and arguably peerless – sonic performance.
DS Audio replaces Master 1 optical cartridge with new third generation, ‘semi-flagship’ Master 3
PRESS RELEASE: DS Audio’s Master 1 optical cartridge was originally launched as the brand’s flagship model in 2016. Since then, flagship status has been justifiably captured by the peerless Grand Master and Grand Master Extreme models, featuring DS Audio’s ‘third generation’ of optical cartridge technology. Now, the Master 3 brings the brand’s third generation features down a price point, bestowing the new Master 3 with ‘semi flagship’ status.
A rare peek behind the scenes: Michael Fremer tours Clearaudio’s German factory
This year, German analogue innovators Clearaudio celebrate 45 years of being at the leading edge of high-end audio. Rather than mounting their usual main floor exhibit at the Munich High End show, this year the company chose instead to throw its own event before the show for its distributors, customers and friends around the world. The Absolute Sound’s Michael Fremer was among those invited to attend and, for those not lucky enough to be there in person, he kindly made a video of his experiences, featuring some fascinating insights into the company’s people and processes.
Continue reading A rare peek behind the scenes: Michael Fremer tours Clearaudio’s German factory
David Denyer PR | The hi-fi specialist 