Hi-Fi Choice

Hi-Fi Choice is the essential guide to audio excellence in the home. It is a no-nonsense guide to the finest products available, from vinyl and valves, to multi-channel digital audio and high-fidelity video. Hi-Fi Choice sorts the best from the rest with rigorous test processes and a highly experienced team of reviewers.

Welcome

Assembly line • Falcon Acoustics introduces its second Complete@Home loudspeaker kit

The small Bang • Bang & Olufsen unveils its new portable wireless speaker

Creative New Yorkers • Impressive new launches from vintage US specialist

A kind of magic • Cambridge Audio conjures up new DAC/headphone amp

Into the Ether

Darling buds • ComfoBuds take on Apple Airpods

Referential treatment • No-expense-spared tube amp from Minnesota

2’s Company

Flex-ible friend • New neckband in-ears from the US

Open and shut case

ZEN masters • iFi launches upgrades and asks for your help.

Gallic flair • Saint-Etienne’s Focal offers two new headphones

A fair Cop • New top-of-the-range integrated from Denmark

IN BRIEF

Staging a comeback • Hegel’s change of stance when it comes to phono stages has to be seen as vinylistas’ gain. The only disappointment in the case of the V10, is that it didn’t come to the decision earlier

Unique group tests • Our Group Tests are supported by rigorous and exhaustive listening tests carried out by experts

Fortress of solitude • With working from home looking very much like the ‘new normal’, headphones are becoming essential. Ed Selley tries out six heavyweight contenders

Audeze LCD-3 £1,790 • The Audeze is a comfortable and capable headphone – so long as there is a little volume behind it

Audio-Technica ATH-ADX5000 £1,950 • It might not be terribly pretty, but this big AT offering has some enviable performance traits

Denon AH-D9200 £1,400 • This flagship might be the smallest model here, but it still manages to pack a hefty sonic punch

Fostex TH909 £1,650 • The Fostex does clever things with magnets to demonstrate a very compelling magnetism of its own

Grado GS3000e £1,800 • Grado’s latest wooden wonder is likely to delight and mildly infuriate would-be owners in equal measure

HIFIMAN Arya £1,350 • As the most affordable model in the test, the Ayra is still able to demonstrate some very worthy qualities

Group test verdict • Six serious pairs of headphones, but there can only be one winner. Head master Ed Selley breaks down the results

Prime suspect • VPI’s most popular vinyl spinner enjoys bespoke Audio-Technica MC cart and Nordost RCA tonearm cable updates

No Quarter Given • Celebrating 25 years as the entry point to B&W’s speakers, Ed Selley thinks this one has a commendable sense of occasion

Scandi drama • Even by the standards of compact speakers the M20 is small. Andrew Everard tunes in

System addict • System Audio has hard-bitten audiophiles in its sights, but can wireless speakers hit the spot? David Vivian reckons this one might

Champagne Three single-minded Supernova • Three single-minded maestros of the Japanese high end combine to create a system that has Ed Selley mad for it

Red devil • Cliff Joseph discovers that iFi’s new flagship DAC/amp proves that the devil really does have all the best tunes

It’s oh so quiet! • Yamaha’s latest wireless noise-cancelling offering is a thoroughly engineered solution. Ed Selley gets to grips with it

Out of time • Wharfedale’s E70 is one of the most fascinating speakers of its generation, says David Price

Hi-fiChoices • YOUR LETTERS & QUESTIONS ANSWERED

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