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.

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V for Victory • Fabulous new floorstanders from the USA. Only lottery winners need apply.

RECORD STORE DAY • RECORD STORE DAY’S final event for 2022 is Black Friday, which takes place on Friday 25 November at all participating indie record shops. While not quite as fulsome in volume as the year’s earlier events, it still offers up a tasty smorgasbord of titles for those seeking to complete their artist collections or buy that elusive Xmas pressie for a vinyl junkie loved one. Without further ado, here’s the HFC pick of the Black Friday drop

Small wonder! • Best known for its Silverback speakers, lSystem Audio has a newbie in its range of compact saxo floorstanders

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

Coiled for action • A low-output moving-coil cartridge needs a fine phono preamp to shine. David Vivian lines up six contenders that won’t break the bank

Cambridge Audio Alva Duo £300 • Style is scarce at this end of the market, but it isn’t the only way the Duo dares to be different

iFi Audio ZEN Phono £150 • How little can you spend on a phono stage and expect rewarding performance? iFi throws down the gauntlet

MoFi StudioPhono £350 • From the company that gave us the excellent UltraDeck and StudioDeck turntables comes this budget offering

Pro-Ject Phono Box S3 B £350 • No surprise to find Pro-Ject with skin in this game and on paper the S3 B could well be the Phono Box to beat

Rega Fono MC MK4 £275 • When it comes to phono preamps, Rega doesn’t rest on its laurels as the fourth version of the Fono MC shows

Simaudio MOON 110LP v2 £500 • MOON doesn’t do cheap and cheerful, but it does offer high value and the 110LP v2 simply oozes class

Group test verdict • Amazed by how diverse phono preamps can be, David Vivian ends a week of listening by picking a winner from a group of exceptional quality

Heading for the top • Aimed at very high-end headphone users, dCS’s Lina Network DAC, Master Clock and Headphone Amplifier have arrived

Direct action • Cambridge Audio’s quirky but appealing Alva TT gets a refresh and Ed Selley is on hand to see if it stands up to the best

Momentous • Sennheiser’s flagship wireless headphone gets a new design, lower price tag and improved battery life. Cliff Joseph tunes in

Full circle • Neat goes back to where it all began with its reworked Petite. Ed Selley decides if this is all shameless nostalgia or progress

Silver server • Melco’s music library isn’t just a way to organise digital audio, it promises superior streaming, too. David Vivian is impressed

Bon Anniversaire • As part of its 40th Birthday celebrations, Triangle has upgraded its iconic Antal floorstander. Ed Selley crashes the party

Lovely bubbly • Ultrasonic RCMs are the modern choice for record cleaning, but at a high price. David Vivian tries a more affordable option

x appeal • Cliff Joseph pops on the latest addition to B&W’s Px range and discovers it excels in both wired and wireless modes

Hi-fi choices

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