Russ Andrews has introduced a MKII version of its X Block mains extensions with the addition of a female IEC to allow daisy-chaining of additional X-Blocks. There is also a new Grounding Terminal, which can be used either as the designated connection to earth from the company’s RF Router or SuperRouter output, using the mains earth as the final path to ground; or connected to an input on the RF Router/SuperRouter where an external earth rod is utilised, thereby integrating the X-Block into the Grounding System. The new IEC output can be used to connect one of the company’s mains filters – such ..read more

Choice, it’s a wonderful thing. And while once upon time what you listened to was limited to the records, compact discs or even tapes that you had on your shelves, now it’s more a case of choosing the streaming service that best suits your taste – offering you more music than your shelves could ever hope to hold. And while streaming has seen the options of what you listen to increase beyond all imagination, how you choose to do so has followed suit. Do you go down the all-in-one route, opt for an integrated amplifier with streaming built-in or take your pick from the multitude of standalone co ..read more

Austrian Audio has launched its first headphone amplifier – the Full Score one, which the Vienna-based company claims: “redefines the standards of audio excellence at its price point” and is designed to compliment The Composer headphone. Featuring AA’s True Transient Technology – the company’s first product to do so – the Full Score one is a described as featuring a: “fully discrete analogue amplifier design, free from integrated circuits in the signal path, ensuring pristine sound quality with minimal noise”. It’s able to accommodate a wide range of headphone impedances, from 10 to over 300oh ..read more

It’s all right to stream. Compact disc and vinyl collections are personal and precious but once sampled, instant access to ‘all the music in the world’ is a hard habit to break. Part of the attraction is that it’s almost harder not to get connected. If you own a smartphone and a pair of earbuds, you’re just an app store click away. But if proper hi-fi sound quality is the goal, network streaming capability aided by a decent DAC is the way to go and the good news is that the necessary tools are built into a wide range of kit these days, from integrated amps to active speakers. Those shooting fo ..read more

Busy times over at FiiO with the launch of its new M23 Digital Audio Player (DAP) and K19 balanced hi-res desktop headphone amplifier. The M23 features the flagship AKM AK4191EQ and AKM AK4499EX DAC combination, will playback PCM audio files up to 24-bit/384kHz and DSD256, and also supports MQA. Alongside physical 3.5mm single-ended and 4.4mm balanced headphone outputs, and both single-ended/balanced line-outs, the M23 boasts Bluetooth wireless connectivity with aptX HD and LDAC. Featuring a Dual Power supply, when using external USB power, the M23 has a ‘Desktop Mode’ so it can be used both a ..read more

Welcome to the May issue It was before my time so – much as I’d love to – I can’t take any credit, but whoever chose the name of our magazine must have been touched with genius. Hi-Fi Choice – could there be a title more fitting to today’s market? Not only is there more kit on offer than ever, but there’s more opportunity to personalise your system to your individual taste. It’s not just the different brands and price ranges they inhabit either. It’s also increasingly about what each component can do for you, often confounding its description. And that’s exactly what Ed discovers in this month ..read more

Some 63 years after its debut, the Sandwich 150 and Sandwich 250 take the blueprint established by the original Leak speaker. Debuted in 1961 to tackle the problem of how to make driver cones both very light and extremely stiff, Leak claims its sandwich cone construction is as relevant now as it was in the Sixties. The Sandwich 150 and 250 speakers update the concept using modern materials, design technologies and manufacturing techniques, incorporating a stiff aluminium skin for the outer surfaces (where the stresses are greatest) bonded to a core of aircraft-grade polymethacrylimide structur ..read more

MOON by Sim Audio has unveiled its new North Collection of components. First out of the blocks is the £11,000 MOON 641 integrated, which the Canadian company says will drive: “even the most demanding of loudspeakers”. Boasting a new MDCA (MOON Distortion-Cancelling Amplifier) design, it features an independent circuit with precise signal correction to significantly lower noise and distortion, with a claimed 125W into 8ohm loads and 250W into 4. Next up is the MOON 681 Network player/digital-to-analogue converter, which boasts a 4.3in OLED screen to display cover art with song and artist names ..read more

Direct from California comes the 205mm In-Ceiling Speaker by Sonos and Sonance, extending the Sonos Architectural line of passive speakers. This new one provides installers and customers with a fresh size option that the company says sits: “discreetly within the ceiling and delivers powerful, balanced and clear sound”. Designed and tuned by Sonos and custom-built by Sonance, the 205mm In-Ceiling Speaker features an enlarged driver and high-excursion motor: “for a smooth midrange, stunning deep bass down to 32Hz, and a greater listening area. A 30mm tweeter and newly optimised waveguide ensures ..read more

US distributor Harman Luxury Audio Group has confirmed its new JBL DA Series distribution amplifiers are about to go on sale in the UK. Engineered to work with any existing JBL architectural loudspeaker, the 8-channel DA850 and 16-channel DA1650 provide four and eight zones of audio, respectively, in a compact 1U design while offering bridgeable outputs to meet high-power requirements. Both the DA850 and DA1650 offer a claimed 50W for each of their Class D channels into 8ohm loads and 110W into 4ohm. By bridging their outputs, rated power increases to 185W into 8ohm loads. For additional flexi ..read more