Author Archives: realspin
Canor TP134
This £2,495 Hungarian-made integrated is a serious attempt by a niche manufacturer to produce an affordable, decent sounding valve amplifier. It’s an EL34 pentode-based integrated design that’s said to work in full Class A mode up to about 10 watts, going on to
Canor TP134
This £2,495 Hungarian-made integrated is a serious attempt by a niche manufacturer to produce an affordable, decent sounding valve amplifier. It’s an EL34 pentode-based integrated design that’s said to work in full Class A mode up to about 10 watts, going on to
Monitor Audio Silver 1
A BMW 1-series in speaker terms? There’s absolutely no sign whatsoever that this £500 British-designed standmounter is a budget product, or indeed a mid-price one. The quality of the finish is so good that those who know nothing about hi-fi
Monitor Audio Silver 1
A BMW 1-series in speaker terms? There’s absolutely no sign whatsoever that this £500 British-designed standmounter is a budget product, or indeed a mid-price one. The quality of the finish is so good that those who know nothing about hi-fi
Heaven 17
The early eighties were the high watermark for electronic music. A new wave of electronic synthesisers appeared in the late seventies, opening up the floodgates for a generation of bored kids, just as guitar-driven punk rock had a few years
Heaven 17
The early eighties were the high watermark for electronic music. A new wave of electronic synthesisers appeared in the late seventies, opening up the floodgates for a generation of bored kids, just as guitar-driven punk rock had a few years
Mr B, The Gentleman Rhymer
“I was looking for an excuse to become Mr B for ages”, says Mr B. “Some good friends and I had this rule that if we went out drinking in the autumn, we would have to wear suits instead of T-shirts
Mr B, The Gentleman Rhymer
“I was looking for an excuse to become Mr B for ages”, says Mr B. “Some good friends and I had this rule that if we went out drinking in the autumn, we would have to wear suits instead of T-shirts
Professor Elemental
In the luxury of his opulent Brighton office, Professor Elemental is reclining on a sumptuously upholstered Edwardian chaise longue, Pith helmet to one side, cup of tea in hand. “Oh do come in”, he beckons. Within minutes, I am hearing
Professor Elemental
In the luxury of his opulent Brighton office, Professor Elemental is reclining on a sumptuously upholstered Edwardian chaise longue, Pith helmet to one side, cup of tea in hand. “Oh do come in”, he beckons. Within minutes, I am hearing
Podium One
Launched in the UK in 2006, this was the brainchild of Shelley Katz – an accomplished classical musician who began his studies at the Conservatoire de Musique in Montreal, and went on to the Julliard School in New York. As a soloist, chamber musician
Podium One
Launched in the UK in 2006, this was the brainchild of Shelley Katz – an accomplished classical musician who began his studies at the Conservatoire de Musique in Montreal, and went on to the Julliard School in New York. As a soloist, chamber musician
Spotted: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
In the fading late October light of a dank, misty car park just a stone’s throw from historic Runnymede, near Windsor – where Magna Carta was signed eight centuries ago – an altogether shadier and less salubrious event is captured for posterity… Here
Spotted: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
In the fading late October light of a dank, misty car park just a stone’s throw from historic Runnymede, near Windsor – where Magna Carta was signed eight centuries ago – an altogether shadier and less salubrious event is captured for posterity… Here
Heybrook HB2
“I started Heybrook with my friend Stuart Mee because we both realised we would love to own a small loudspeaker with a very wide bandwidth, and such a thing didn’t seem to appear at the time”, says Peter Comeau. It
Heybrook HB2
“I started Heybrook with my friend Stuart Mee because we both realised we would love to own a small loudspeaker with a very wide bandwidth, and such a thing didn’t seem to appear at the time”, says Peter Comeau. It
Esoteric K-03
Launching a £9,495 silver disc spinner in the middle of a global recession isn’t always a recipe for success, but in 2011 that didn’t seem to worry Esoteric. Here was a beautiful, statement optical disc player that made anything from
Esoteric K-03
Launching a £9,495 silver disc spinner in the middle of a global recession isn’t always a recipe for success, but in 2011 that didn’t seem to worry Esoteric. Here was a beautiful, statement optical disc player that made anything from
SME M2
Aside from the Rega RB300, the SME 3009 is the best selling tonearm in history. It began production in the early nineteen sixties, and was still in production at the turn of the new millennium, clocking in four decades of faithful service. Its
Harman Kardon Hk1500
The comings and goings of corporate America don’t often intersect with the hi-fi world, but indelibly stamped Harman Kardon’s 1978 range. When company founder and CEO Sidney Harman was invited to become an undersecretary of the Department of Commerce in
Harman Kardon Hk1500
The comings and goings of corporate America don’t often intersect with the hi-fi world, but indelibly stamped Harman Kardon’s 1978 range. When company founder and CEO Sidney Harman was invited to become an undersecretary of the Department of Commerce in
Sony TC-158SD
Launched in 1976 at a non-inconsiderable £220, for a while this was Sony’s top portable stereo cassette recorder. It was intended for professional audio applications, but lent more towards the domestic home recordist than rival machines from the likes of Uher.
Sony TC-158SD
Launched in 1976 at a non-inconsiderable £220, for a while this was Sony’s top portable stereo cassette recorder. It was intended for professional audio applications, but lent more towards the domestic home recordist than rival machines from the likes of Uher.
Sony TA-73
Since the late nineteen sixties, Sony always had an entry-level hi-fi range – one that offered obviously better quality than lesser brands but wasn’t a full-fat Sony product with impressive styling and specification. The TA-73 (and its matching ST-73 tuner
Sony TA-73
Since the late nineteen sixties, Sony always had an entry-level hi-fi range – one that offered obviously better quality than lesser brands but wasn’t a full-fat Sony product with impressive styling and specification. The TA-73 (and its matching ST-73 tuner
Hitachi Lo-D HA-5700
The nineteen seventies saw Japanese companies experimenting with different types of output devices in a bid to bring better sonics and greater power – for example, Sony and Yamaha launched super sounding but unreliable V-FET amplifiers at the beginning of that decade. But
Hitachi Lo-D HA-5700
The nineteen seventies saw Japanese companies experimenting with different types of output devices in a bid to bring better sonics and greater power – for example, Sony and Yamaha launched super sounding but unreliable V-FET amplifiers at the beginning of that decade. But
Naim NAIT 5
The first Naim NAIT embodied the nineteen eighties move towards minimalism – less was more. So there was nowhere to go for the NAITs that followed (the 2 and 3) except bigger. They got progressively higher powered and less minimalist – the 2
Naim NAIT 5
The first Naim NAIT embodied the nineteen eighties move towards minimalism – less was more. So there was nowhere to go for the NAITs that followed (the 2 and 3) except bigger. They got progressively higher powered and less minimalist – the 2
Rotel RCD-1570
Although production is based in Zhuhai, China, this fifty-five year old company has engineering offices in the UK, USA, Japan, Korea and China, and a sixty-strong R&D team including design input from the UK. This CD player is something of a
Rotel RCD-1570
Although production is based in Zhuhai, China, this fifty-five year old company has engineering offices in the UK, USA, Japan, Korea and China, and a sixty-strong R&D team including design input from the UK. This CD player is something of a
Hiroshi Kowaki, Eclipse TD
“Most consumer audiophiles don’t know our brand,” says Hiroshi Kowaki, Eclipse TD’s design supremo. And those who do, I would submit, struggle to understand it. Launched in 2001, the Eclipse TD 500-series was way ahead of its time. Lest we
Hiroshi Kowaki, Eclipse TD
“Most consumer audiophiles don’t know our brand,” says Hiroshi Kowaki, Eclipse TD’s design supremo. And those who do, I would submit, struggle to understand it. Launched in 2001, the Eclipse TD 500-series was way ahead of its time. Lest we
Hitachi DA-1000
When you think of a first-generation CD player, then it’s either Philips or Sony that springs to mind. However, there were many other machines that were sold to eager aspiring digiphiles, which didn’t receive the same attention or achieve similar
Hitachi DA-1000
When you think of a first-generation CD player, then it’s either Philips or Sony that springs to mind. However, there were many other machines that were sold to eager aspiring digiphiles, which didn’t receive the same attention or achieve similar
Townshend Audio Maximum
Supertweeters really work, bringing not only better treble extension but superior midband focus too – especially when you’ve got a good source with an extended top end in the first place, of course. So when the Maximum was launched in the early part
Townshend Audio Maximum
Supertweeters really work, bringing not only better treble extension but superior midband focus too – especially when you’ve got a good source with an extended top end in the first place, of course. So when the Maximum was launched in the early part
Sony CDP-X33ES
The nineteen nineties would prove to be the decade that Compact Disc truly came of age. Whereas eighties players had usually been eccentric – sometimes even strange – by 1990 the breed was fast becoming refined into what we would
Sony CDP-X33ES
The nineteen nineties would prove to be the decade that Compact Disc truly came of age. Whereas eighties players had usually been eccentric – sometimes even strange – by 1990 the breed was fast becoming refined into what we would
zStereo 