Author Archives: realspin
Aiwa AT-9700
Tuners are rarely objects of desire. Even the best examples of the breed struggle to arouse passions like, say, high end turntables or monster open reels. But Aiwa’s AT-9700 was different – ultra modern in the nineteen seventies sense of
Aiwa AT-9700
Tuners are rarely objects of desire. Even the best examples of the breed struggle to arouse passions like, say, high end turntables or monster open reels. But Aiwa’s AT-9700 was different – ultra modern in the nineteen seventies sense of
Marantz CD-54
The first Compact Disc players arrived in 1982 and reached British buyers a year later. This generation has since become largely forgotten, which is a shame because – ironically – many sound far more ‘analogue’ than much of today’s high end esoterica. The Marantz
Marantz CD-54
The first Compact Disc players arrived in 1982 and reached British buyers a year later. This generation has since become largely forgotten, which is a shame because – ironically – many sound far more ‘analogue’ than much of today’s high end esoterica. The Marantz
Mission 760
Farad Azima launched Mission Electronics in 1977, and in 1978 the 770 loudspeaker debuted – the first ever to use a polypropylene mid/bass driver. It garnered much praise, and gave an image of a bold, innovative, modern company in a traditionally very conservative
Mission 760
Farad Azima launched Mission Electronics in 1977, and in 1978 the 770 loudspeaker debuted – the first ever to use a polypropylene mid/bass driver. It garnered much praise, and gave an image of a bold, innovative, modern company in a traditionally very conservative
Sugden Masterclass IA-4
Launched a decade ago at £3,499, this monster integrated amplifier was a Sugden A21a on steroids. With substantially boosted power and extra facilities, the IA-4 set out to bring that crystalline Class A sound to a wider audience. The most obvious difference
Sugden Masterclass IA-4
Launched a decade ago at £3,499, this monster integrated amplifier was a Sugden A21a on steroids. With substantially boosted power and extra facilities, the IA-4 set out to bring that crystalline Class A sound to a wider audience. The most obvious difference
Nakamichi 480
It’s easy to think of Nakamichi as a purveyor of frighteningly expensive esoterica. Thanks to its much vaunted Dragon and MusicLink ranges, the company achieved legendary status. Like Luxman, MacIntosh, Revox or Goldmund, its marque enjoyed guilt-edged, twenty four carat gold-plated
Nakamichi 480
It’s easy to think of Nakamichi as a purveyor of frighteningly expensive esoterica. Thanks to its much vaunted Dragon and MusicLink ranges, the company achieved legendary status. Like Luxman, MacIntosh, Revox or Goldmund, its marque enjoyed guilt-edged, twenty four carat gold-plated
The Electric Recording Company
For every sneaker-wearing, sideburn toting rock fan looking for a promo of The Beta Band’s Dry The Rain, the record collecting scene has a monied middle-aged man with a bulging Paypal account and a desire to buy precious vintage classical music –
The Electric Recording Company
For every sneaker-wearing, sideburn toting rock fan looking for a promo of The Beta Band’s Dry The Rain, the record collecting scene has a monied middle-aged man with a bulging Paypal account and a desire to buy precious vintage classical music –
DAT defies Death Row!
It’s tragic that so many tape recorders are scrapped when there’s something relatively minor wrong with them. Heads can be cleaned – or even relapped – belts replaced and dry solder joints refreshed, restoring them to their former glory, yet few
DAT defies Death Row!
It’s tragic that so many tape recorders are scrapped when there’s something relatively minor wrong with them. Heads can be cleaned – or even relapped – belts replaced and dry solder joints refreshed, restoring them to their former glory, yet few
Pioneer PL-600
A fine turntable that seems to have slipped down the back of the sofa, so to speak, Pioneer’s PL-600 was extremely impressive when it came out in 1979. Streamlined and futuristic, it was a generation ahead of the company’s previous record players. It was
Pioneer PL-600
A fine turntable that seems to have slipped down the back of the sofa, so to speak, Pioneer’s PL-600 was extremely impressive when it came out in 1979. Streamlined and futuristic, it was a generation ahead of the company’s previous record players. It was
The Smiths – The Smiths
The passing of time often takes the edge off great albums, rendering them merely ‘good’ after a decade or so of weighing up their relative merits. Others seem to get better with age, going on to becoming iconic of their
The Smiths – The Smiths
The passing of time often takes the edge off great albums, rendering them merely ‘good’ after a decade or so of weighing up their relative merits. Others seem to get better with age, going on to becoming iconic of their
Q Acoustics 2050
An interesting story, this. The two key protagonists are Karl Heinz Fink from Fink Audio Consulting in Essen, Germany, and Steve Reichert from Armour Group in Cambridge, England. The former is one of the best speaker designers of his generation, and
Q Acoustics 2050
An interesting story, this. The two key protagonists are Karl Heinz Fink from Fink Audio Consulting in Essen, Germany, and Steve Reichert from Armour Group in Cambridge, England. The former is one of the best speaker designers of his generation, and
Ariston RD80
Ariston Audio produced a range of fine turntables for a decade and a half, despite being no darling of the British hi-fi press. The Prestwick company got consistently good reviews, but never quite managed to enthuse hi-fi hacks of the day
Ariston RD80
Ariston Audio produced a range of fine turntables for a decade and a half, despite being no darling of the British hi-fi press. The Prestwick company got consistently good reviews, but never quite managed to enthuse hi-fi hacks of the day
ALBA 2200
When you say “British hi-fi”, you automatically think of Linn, Naim, Rega, Cyrus, Creek – companies that came to the fore in the nineteen seventies and eighties. For older audiophiles, the names that acquired their cachet in the sixties like Quad, SME,
Pioneer A-400
Pioneer’s A-400 integrated amplifier came out in the spring of 1990, to a rapturous reception in the UK. Part of the dynamic was the fact that Japanese amplifiers had – until then – been regarded with great suspicion in the British
Pioneer A-400
Pioneer’s A-400 integrated amplifier came out in the spring of 1990, to a rapturous reception in the UK. Part of the dynamic was the fact that Japanese amplifiers had – until then – been regarded with great suspicion in the British
The Quadraphonic Story
Surprising as it might seem to some, the very first domestic quadraphonic recordings weren’t vinyl-based at all, but open reel – which was seen by many as the only serious music carrier around. A handful of music companies released 4-channel prerecorded reel-to-reel
The Quadraphonic Story
Surprising as it might seem to some, the very first domestic quadraphonic recordings weren’t vinyl-based at all, but open reel – which was seen by many as the only serious music carrier around. A handful of music companies released 4-channel prerecorded reel-to-reel
Inspire Monarch
For audiophiles of a certain age, ‘direct-drive’ symbolises an entire generation of cheap, mediocre Japanese turntables that flooded mass market retail outlets like Laskys and Comet in the late nineteen seventies and early eighties. At the time, the British hi-fi press didn’t
Inspire Monarch
For audiophiles of a certain age, ‘direct-drive’ symbolises an entire generation of cheap, mediocre Japanese turntables that flooded mass market retail outlets like Laskys and Comet in the late nineteen seventies and early eighties. At the time, the British hi-fi press didn’t
Naim NAT 01/NA PST
If you’re ever unclear about Naim Audio’s philosophy, then look no further than this. Within the small (86x206x300mm) case of the NAT 01 are the purest fragments of the company’s DNA. Purposed for the highest fidelity reproduction of FM radio broadcasts,
Naim NAT 01/NA PST
If you’re ever unclear about Naim Audio’s philosophy, then look no further than this. Within the small (86x206x300mm) case of the NAT 01 are the purest fragments of the company’s DNA. Purposed for the highest fidelity reproduction of FM radio broadcasts,
April Music Stello DP200
April Music founder Simon Lee is an enthusiast who loved hi-fi so much that he abandoned a stable job to import esoteric foreign brands into his native South Korea; he then subsequently decided to start making his own designs too. Some interesting products
April Music Stello DP200
April Music founder Simon Lee is an enthusiast who loved hi-fi so much that he abandoned a stable job to import esoteric foreign brands into his native South Korea; he then subsequently decided to start making his own designs too. Some interesting products
Marantz CD-52 Special Edition
When launched in 1982, opinions were strongly divided about the sound of Compact Disc. Initially there were two distinct CD player tribes – the Philips-based machines and the Japanese ones. The former, such as the Philips CD100, had DACs which only ran
Marantz CD-52 Special Edition
When launched in 1982, opinions were strongly divided about the sound of Compact Disc. Initially there were two distinct CD player tribes – the Philips-based machines and the Japanese ones. The former, such as the Philips CD100, had DACs which only ran
A tale of two Sonys
What do hi-fi designers actually do nowadays? Some would say “not a lot”, as technical refinements all too often seem reduced to devising new software applications to run on platforms whose architecture was laid down twenty or so years ago. Electronically, hi-fi has been
A tale of two Sonys
What do hi-fi designers actually do nowadays? Some would say “not a lot”, as technical refinements all too often seem reduced to devising new software applications to run on platforms whose architecture was laid down twenty or so years ago. Electronically, hi-fi has been
Rega Planet
Had a fourteen year old Roy Gandy got his way when his mother asked him whether he wanted a record player or a TV, this object may never have existed. Despite pleading for the former, he got the latter, prompting him
Rega Planet
Had a fourteen year old Roy Gandy got his way when his mother asked him whether he wanted a record player or a TV, this object may never have existed. Despite pleading for the former, he got the latter, prompting him
zStereo 