2018-12-01 Sound + Image by Omar Estrada

AV Receiver of the Year $2,000 – $5,000 AVENTAGE RX-A3080

Up to $500 off when you trade-in your AV receiver!*

WUDGH LQ \RXU $9 UHFFHLYH HLYHU 8S WR Rȧ ZKHQ \RX

*Yamaha Trade and Save promotion valid to 31st December 2018 at participating dealers. Terms and Conditions apply. Refer to au.yamaha.com m for full terms and conditions.

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SPECIAL AWARDS ISSUE AUSTRALIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S No.1 GUIDE TO AUDIO AND AV Vol.32#1 AWARDS A$9.99 NZ$10.99 www.AVHub.com.au

AWARDS 2019

BEST HI-

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WINNIN VALUE

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603 Stereo Loudspeakers

With our ﬂagship 3-way, ﬂoor standing 603 speakers, every movie and musical performance is rendered in lifelike, full scale detail. The 603 brings together our improved Decoupled Double Dome tweeter, Continuumequipped FST midrange driver and agile new paper-cone bass drivers, ensuring your favourite performances are delivered with power, insight and emotion.

Don’t be fooled by the compact size of the HTM6 centre channel speaker, it is more than capable of delivering the full measure of dialogue and impact from its dual, heavy duty 130mm Continuum bass/mid drive units. Like the 603, 606 and 607 stereo models, HTM6 also comes in a new matte black or matte white ﬁnish, featuring a magnetically attached, colour coded grille cover and other detail touches, just as you would expect from Bowers & Wilkins.

606 / 607 Stereo Loudspeakers

HTM6 Centre Speaker

ASW Subwoofers The New 600 Series includes three active subwoofers, ranging from the compact ASW608 to the immensely powerful ASW610XP. Each boasts an audiophilestandard, highly efficient Class D amplifier to capture every spine-tingling, floorshaking sound that you hear.

The compact 607 and mid sized 606 bookshelf mid-sized loudspeakers distil the essence of our latest technologies in their advanced 2-way designs. Whether for stereo duties in your favourite listening room or as front and rear channels in a full surround sound system, both offer remarkable Bowers & Wilkins performance from their sleek, modern enclosures.

1 1

Bring storied sound to every moment with th he New 600 Series speakers from Bowers & Wilkins. Since 1966, we’ve m made technological advances to design the perfect loudspeaker, and our latest innovations bring that heritage to music and movie lovers alike. Ou ur speakers are used in leading recording studios around the world, such ass the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, because of their true-to--life response. Bowers & Wilkins brings music and sound to your ears the wa ay it was meant to be heard. The 600 Series now features our exclusive, award-winning Continuum cone, which creates layered sound with a detailed, natural soundscape. The Continuum cone was developed over an eight-year period and was ﬁrst featured on our ﬂagship g p 800 Series Diam mond. Today, y this sees its wayy into the sixth generation of the critically acclaimed 600 Series, offered in both stereo and surround sound. Enjoy everry moment thanks to the storied sound of the uncompromising yet affordablyy priced New 600 Series. With our upgraded version of the proven Decoupled Double Dome Tweeter, the New 600 series delivers pure and precise highs. Our innovative Continuum cone is one of a kind. Developed over eight years, it outperforms higher priced competitors and ensures your music truly comes alive.

With an all new paper-cone driver, experience real bass power from all your music.

BowersWilkinsAU

W Bowers-Wilkins.net

P 02 9196 8990

E info-au@bowerswilkins.com

Storied Sound for Every Moment The 600 Series brings over 50 years of innovation to our most affordable loudspeaker range, making the Bowers & Wilkins listening experience available to the widest possible array of customers. Since its debut in 1995, 600 Series has set the benchmark for speakers in its price category. Offering unrivalled performance for a modest outlay, each of the previous five generations has won legions l i off fans f and d countless tl awards, d with ith over 300,000 300 000 units it sold ld in i the th mostt recentt Series 5 alone. The NEW sixth generation 600 Series integrates technology like the Continuum cone, born in the flagship 800 Series, offering hi-fi quality unlike any comparable speaker before it.

Incredible value

603 The ﬂagsh hip of the range is the 3-way, ﬂoor stand ding 603 stereo loudspeaker.

Share your B&W story at BowersWilkinsAU BowersWilkinsAU

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Awards categories TV & VIDEO

SPECIAL AWARDS ISSUE

contents 16 SOUND

+IMAGE AWARDS 2019

Bang a gong, we are on!

Television of the Year ‘Best Buy’ LCD TV of the Year ‘Best Buy’ OLED TV of the Year UHD Blu-ray Players of the Year TV Recorder of the Year Soundbar of the Year AV Projectors of the Year

19 20 22 24 26 28 30

HOME CINEMA AV Receiver of the Year under $1000 AV Receiver of the Year $1000-$2000 AV Receiver of the Year $2000-$5000 AV Receiver of the Year over $5000 AV Processor + Power Amplifier of the Year

33 34 36 38 41

MUSIC SOURCES Turntable of the Year under $7500 Turntable of the Year $750-$1500 Turntable of the Year $1500-$3000 Turntable of the Year over $3000 Phono Stages of the Year Music Player of the Year Multiroom Source of the Year CD Player of the Year DAC of the Year Portable Audio Player of the Year

42 43 44 45 46 48 50 52 53 54

INSTALLATION ‘GOLD’ AWARDS Audio Solutions Len Wallis Audio Wavetrain Cinemas WestCoast Hi-Fi Midland

42 TURNTABLES

56 57 58 59

HEADPHONES

Winning ways to get back to black... from $599 to $52k!

Headphones of the Year under $500 Headphones of the Year $500-$1000 Headphones of the Year over $1000 Wireless Noise-Cancellers of the Year Headphone Innovation Award

60 61 62 61 63

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

60 HEADPHONES Start here to discover our magnificient seven headgear award-winners...

SHOW PICS

96 THE AUSTRALIAN HI-FI & AV SHOW

Audio Style System of the Year Amplifier of the Year under $1000 Amplifier of the Year $1000-$2000 Amplifier of the Year $2000-$10,000 Amplifier of the Year $10,000-$20,000 Amplifier of the Year over $20,000 Pre-amplifier of the Year Pre-Power Amplifiers of the Year Multiroom Amplifier of the Year

65 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 74

LOUDSPEAKERS Speakers of the Year under $2000 Loudspeakers of the Year $2000-$10,000 Loudspeakers of the Year over $10,000 Active Loudspeakers of the Year Installation Speakers of the Year Subwoofers of the Year Smart Speaker of the Year

76-77 78 79 80 81 82-83 85

SPECIAL AWARDS Multiroom System of the Year Most Downloaded Lifetime Achievement Award Judges’ Choice

86 88 88 90

Music music everywhere... 3

Home Cinemas By Len Wallis Audio For the best seat in the house… For unparalleled experience and expertise… For quality design, equipment & installation… And for customer service that is second to none… Choose Home Cinemas by Len Wallis Audio.

“an incredible home cinema experience!” “light years ahead” “exceeds expectations”

Trading Hours Monday-Wednesday, Friday: 9-5.30 Thursday: 9-8 Saturday: 9-5 Sunday: closed 64 Burns Bay Road Lane Cove NSW 2066 02 9427 6755 sales@lenwallisaudio.com.au www.lenwallisaudio.com.au

SPECIAL AWARDS ISSUE AUSTRALIA’S No.1 GUIDE TO AUDIO AND AV Vol.32#1 AWARDS A$9.99 NZ$10 99 www AVHub com au

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Netflix nine ways wonders of today’s today s streaming ultiroom platforms! As you’ll om the products selected by the s judges in this issue, many of ost interesting new components have streaming platforms built in; they’re capable of app-controlled and now often voice-controlled access to music from Spotify Connect and/or Tidal and/or many others… And often able to command or receive to and from other devices in the home, delivering a multiroom audio system and more — all linked and controlled from your phones and tablets. There’s a cost to these technologies being included, of course, but it’s invariably worth it for the significant extra abilities, and not least because the quality of most streaming services when received direct to a piece of decent hi-fi is a firm step-up from your standard Bluetooth-from-the-phone streaming solution. These built-in platforms can bring both control and quality. They can also have a notable effect on system building, as the streaming/multiroom platforms do enforce a degree of brand loyalty. Once you have an amplifier, say, with a particular platform, and assuming you use it and enjoy it, you’re more likely to buy other products with the same technology; sometimes you pretty much have to. Few platforms are inter-operable (through Roon has become a great integrator), and the obvious conclusion is that you don’t want half your home on one platform and half on another. Nor do you want to duplicate too much, mind you. It’s all too easy these days to end up with an audio system which has a smart source, maybe several smart sources, and a smart amp, and even smartish speakers — and perhaps a smart TV as well. If all these are on the same platform and are together in the same room, you’ve paid for it several times over, but you can only use one of them at once. And it’s not only the hardware cost of the module itself to consider, there are also the licensing fees the manufacturers pay. It all adds to the price of your product. So in this situation you might actually be better with a HEOS music player, a BluOS amp and a set of Chromecast-equipped speakers — you’ll have more options for both services and future interoperability. Although your head may explode as you swipe between apps trying to remember what is where. It’s the same in TV & video — indeed here sometimes the duplication is extreme, notably for Netflix, since that’s seen as a ‘must-have’ for any self-respecting connected video device. Consider for a moment — how many ways can you access Netflix?

Let me count the ways y in myy home. Netflix is in my Android TV (dedicated button), it’s in both of two PVRs (one with a dedicated button), it’s in my Oppo Blu-ray player (dedicated button), and I think it’s in my UHD Blu-ray player. I could use my Chromebook or my iPhone or my iPad, or my wife’s Motorola Android phone. So that’s nine ways to access Netflix, and that’s just in the lounge room! Even discounting any hardware/software development costs required in implementing the Netflix stream, I assume each piece of hardware at least will incur a licensing fee for that — so many times that’s been paid in this one room! Oh and I forgot the AppleTV… that does Netflix too, though for this and the phones/tablets Netflix will have created its own app... and possibly paid fees in the other direction. Given this profusion of Netflixes, an interesting question is whether some devices get better quality streams than others, even through the same internet connection. This is difficult to test within the swirling variables of the real world, but I can firmly if anecdotally suggest that it’s certainly true of ABC iView. Watching the same show from iView on different devices, some platforms throttle back resolution while others happily pull something bearably close to HD. The AppleTV often seems to win out, though factors like scaling quality are also part of the equation. In audio, comparative quality of streams is not an issue. So far as I’m aware, all internet radio streams are equal within the selected format, all Spotify Connect streams equal unless deliberately requested lower in hardware. So in audio systems, it’s less about which device receives, more which DAC you use to convert it. If you have a great standalone DAC which has onboard MQA, say, you might not want to stream Tidal directly into your amplifier’s streaming section; you might be better off playing from your computer into the DAC, or even using the Tidal app on a networked disc player (from CD to UHD BD) with its digital audio output into the DAC. Or something. Duplication isn’t too great a disaster — it’s always better to have too many options than not enough. But why waste your money buying smarts for a system that already has the same smarts? Sometimes it’ll be smarter to buy something dumb. Cheers! Jez Ford, Editor

WINNING VALUE!

E V

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Volume 32 No. 1 Dec 2018 / Jan 2019 AWARDS sound.image@nextmedia.com.au www.avhub.com.au Editor Jez Ford jford@nextmedia.com.au Art Director Kristian Hagen Additional Design Paul Saint Contributing Editor Greg Borrowman Contributors: Greg Borrowman, Stephen Dawson, Jez Ford, Derek Powell. Advertising Sales Manager Lewis Preece Advertising Traffic Di Preece dpreece@nextmedia.com.au Divisional Manager & National Advertising Sales Manager Jim Preece jpreece@nextmedia.com.au Production Manager Peter Ryman Circulation Director Carole Jones

Sound+Image Subscriptions 1300 361 146 or +61 2 9901 6111 Locked Bag 3355, St Leonards NSW 1590 Subscribe online: www.avhub.com.au/si DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS for iPad, Android tablet, PC and Mac Apple Newssstand, Google play or on Zinio via www.avhub.com.au/sidigital (All links at www.avhub.com.au/si)

Locked Bag 5555, S Leon eonard eo o ards, rd NSW SW 15 159 90 Ph: 02 9901 6100 Fax: 02 9901 6198 t di www.nextmedia.com.au Executive Chairman David Gardiner Managing Director Hamish Bayliss Sound+Image is published six times a year by nextmedia Pty Ltd ACN: 128 805 970 Building A, 207 Pacific Highway, St Leonards, NSW 2065 © 2018/9. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed by Bluestar WEB Sydney, distributed in Australia by Gordon&Gotch. The publisher will not accept responsibility or any liability for the correctness of information or opinions expressed in the publication. All material submitted is at the owner’s risk and, while every care will be taken, nextmedia does not accept liability for loss or damage, nor for loss or damage to material or products submitted for editorial review, advertising or any other purpose. Equipment or material supplied to this company should be covered by an insurance policy for the period that the item/s may be in transit to us, in our possession and in transit back to you or your warehouse. The submission of product or material for editorial inclusion in this publication signifies acceptance of the above mentioned conditions. No takers for our secret small-print freebie at last month’s show! Whassup folks? While articles & advertisements on recording and/or downloading techniques may appear in Sound+Image, readers should not construe this as authorising or inciting them to make recordings of downloads of copyright material. In all cases we suggest you contact the manufacturer and/or supplier of the recording to request permission to record or download material. Privacy Policy: We value the integrity of your personal information. If you provide personal information through your participation in any competitions, surveys or offers featured in this issue of Sound+Image, this will be used to provide the products or services that you have requested and to improve the content of our magazines. Your details may be provided to third parties who assist us in this purpose. In the event of organisations providing prizes or offers to our readers, we may pass your details on to them. From time to time, we may use the information you provide us to inform you of other products, services and events our company has to offer. We may also give your information to other organisations which may use it to inform you about their products, services and events, unless you tell us not to do so. You are welcome to access the information that we hold about you by getting in touch with our Privacy Officer, who can be contacted at nextmedia, Locked Bay 5555, St Leonards, NSW 1590.

No ceiling required to binge big.

THE BIG SCREEN E XPERIENCE WITHOUT THE BIG INSTALL ATION HASSLES

Break free from the limitations of traditional entertainment systems with the Epson EH-LS100. A seamless, simple and subtle big screen solution that sits just centimeters from the wall – so fits in with your décor. No long cables, no shadows or glare to disrupt your viewing experience. Stream your favourite flix or turn your room into the ultimate gaming arena and at the touch of a button transform your room back. It’s why the Epson EH-LS100 is the ultimate in big screen entertainment without the big installation hassles.

Binge big with Epson visit: www.epson.com.au/projectors

THE HI–FI HEADLINES NEWSLETTER No.241

HOME-GROWN!

untech Senator. Duntech holds a very special place in the heart of many Australian audiophiles. Not only were they undisputedly one of the finest speakers ever built, they were designed and manufactured here in Australia. Unfortunately the company folded late last century and the name languished for some time, until local speaker manufacturer Kiat Low from Orpheus Loudspeakers acquired the company in 2008, and spent many years improving on the original design. Kiat has produced something special with his new Duntech Senator. We are not sure what impresses us most about this speaker. They are in every way worthy of carrying the Duntech badge. Just as impressive is the price – the Duntech Senator sells in Australia for $20,000 the pair, this is a remarkable speaker for the price. When you compare them to many ‘name’ speakers at the same price the difference is more than considerable. To top it off the build quality and finish would be one of the best we have seen at any price. The only downside is availability. The first two (sizeable) production runs were sold out to overseas markets. Hopefully by the time you receive this the third production run will be available, but if not there could be short delay in supply. We have been promised a pair for our floor though, so feel free to come in and have a listen.

alcro Eclipse. One of the finest amplifiers ever built was from Australian company Halcro – in 2002 Stereophile carried the DM58 on its cover, calling it ‘The best amplifier ever’. Unfortunately, despite such worldwide acclaim, following a take-over in 2008 the brand disappeared. In 2015 Halcro was acquired by Adelaide company Magenta, and under the watchful eye of the original founder, Bruce Candy, Halcro have spent the last few years on further research and development of this fabulous amplifier. We have been promised the first Halcro Eclipse pair of mono-block power amplifiers (pictured right) to come off the production line, and should have them in store well before Christmas. Keep an eye on our social media and website – we will be shouting from the rooftops when they arrive. The Halcro Eclipse amps will sell for $126,000 the pair.

rigadiers Mu.2 Special Edition. Another notable Australian speaker manufacturer is Serhan+Swift – previously BrigadiersOneAudio, the company responsible for the Brigadier Mu.2 we have been enthusing over in previous newsletters. Serhan+Swift have just released a Special Edition version, with a new crossover utilising more exotic components, and cabinets ﬁnished in hand-oiled timber veneer has elevated what was already a remarkable compact speaker to an even higher level. If you are in the market for a high quality bookshelf speaker you should have a listen to these – they don’t come much better.

64 Burns Bay Road, Lane Cove, NSW 2066 (02) 9427 6755 sales@lenwallisaudio.com.au

www.lenwallisaudio.com.au

KEF • Hisense

LSX: how KEF shrank the wireless LS50W...

EF has popped out a colourful family of LSX wireless stereo speakers, which roughly halve both the size and price of the company’s successful LS50W model. It’s even less in volumetric terms, indeed — the LSX is 24cm high rather than the LS50W’s 30cm, and its width is more than halved, making it slightly slimmer from the front, and reducing its final volume to around a third that of the LS50W. But it is “not simply a baby LS50W”, insists Ben Hagens, KEF Product Specialist (pictured below), who spoke at the launch of the LSX in the trendy Smart Artz Gallery in South Melbourne. This is about KEF changing what hi-fi can be — a product for the 95%, not the 5%, he said, noting wisely that “You shouldn’t have to spend more time learning about a product than using it.” Ease of use is one thing; performance is another. KEF’s specs indicate little loss of low-end extension from the shrinkage —

the quoted -6dB figure for the LSX goes to 49Hz, compared with 43Hz for the LS50W. In addition to shrinking the enclosure, the LSX uses a smaller version of KEF’s coaxial Uni-Q driver, combining a 19mm aluminiumdome tweeter within a 115mm magnesium/ aluminium-alloy mid/bass cone, compared with the 25mm/130mm combo in the LS50W. One useful change is the banishing of the connecting cable, the LSX speakers able to talk wirelessly and share music up to 24-bit/48kHz, while adding an Ethernet link between them raises this to 24-bit/96kHz. Their internal amplifiers deliver a quoted 30W to the tweeter and 70W to the woofer; this compares with 30W and 200W in the LS50W. Once the master speaker is networked (dual-band Wi-Fi or Ethernet), two integrated KEF apps allow the LSX speakers to stream Spotify Connect and Tidal directly, and files via DLNA from home shares. They are due to gain Apple’s AirPlay 2 in the new year (which will allow a degree of multiroom use and voice control from Siri), in addition to their Bluetooth streaming which includes the aptX

codec if your Android phone supports it (no AAC codec for Apple users, perhaps because AirPlay is on the way). And there are physical inputs — optical digital (very handy for TV audio), and an analogue minijack. There’s a wired subwoofer output so you can connect a powered subwoofer, and a small remote control is also provided. While the LS50W has been appearing in various bespoke finishes, KEF has gone all out from the off with the LSW, releasing the five colours shown above. The white is a full gloss finish. The Black, Blue, Red and Green (this last a Signature edition for designer Michael Young, who oversaw design for the LSX) have their contoured front baffle in a matte finish while the sides are wrapped with fabric from Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat (the same source harman/kardon has chosen for its upmarket Citation range; see previous issue). We applaud the idea of bringing better sound to the masses through such an easy and neat piece of design. The new KEF LSX Wireless Music System is priced at $1895 per pair. More info: au.kef.com

Hisense brings OLED Hisense has made good on a promise from CES in January that it would have OLED TVs here by the end of the year. The new Hisense OLED is now available in 55-inch and 65-inch models at $3499 and $4999 respectively. They deliver Wide Colour Gamut, High Dynamic Range (HDR10 but not Dolby Vision) and a 200Hz Smooth Motion Rate from a slim metal-framed UHD panel. But the company is keen to diferentiate OLED from its ULED models, which may remain a better pick for use in open-plan well-lit rooms. More Hisense OLED info at oled.hisense.com.au

Smart speakerss get screens

AMAZON’S ECHO SHOW

oogle’s Home Hub (above left) will be bringing the idea of a screen-equipped smart speaker right to the forefront of Australian consumers’ minds heading into Christmas. Promoted as a ‘Connected Home Display’, it delivers useful (hopefully) visual information via a seven-inch touchscreen. But it is far from alone. JBL/Harman previewed its JBL Link View (below) at IFA in Berlin back in September, and as our Award in this issue indicates, we reckon it’s got the edge in at least one key area. Amazon has just made the Echo Show officially available here in Australia (pictured above right), joining the Echo Spot, with its small circular screen. And outlier Lenovo in fact beat them all to market here with its large 10-inch Smart Display; an 8-inch version is also available.

By contrast Amazon’s screen-equipped Echo Show models don’t do YouTube at all. You can watch subscription Prime Video and “video Flash Briefings from Sky News Australia, Fox Sports and more”. The Amazon device uses Alexa, of course, which puts it in a different eco-system entirely. But Alexa’s market leadership in the US has seen it adopted by a good many smart-home companies and recently audio companies too — it can be used to control HEOS devices from Denon and Marantz, for example, and recent Yamaha products too. Amazon’s Echo Show (second gen) has a tablet-sized 10-inch display, matching the larger Lenovo, while the Echo Spot screen is a mere 64mm-diameter circle.

GOING GOOGLE

THE CAMERA ANGLE

The Google, JBL and Lenovo models all use Google Voice Assistant and Chromecast technology. As we’ve seen in smart speakers, Google itself can gain from its market position — so while all the Google-equipped ‘screens’ can play YouTube videos, Google is giving purchasers six months of free access to YouTube Premium, so YouTube Music ut and general YouTube can be enjoyed without any ads breaking in and requiring a press (orr shout) to be dismissed. d JBL, on the other hand, has demonstrated a consistent lead in audio quality on its smart speakers, and now we have the Link View in for review, we can report that its sound is indeed impressive, notably well imbued in the bass, and able to play at some level without distortion spoiling the party. The smarts otherwise seem pretty evenly assigned to the Google-equipped devices, with a a Chromecast inside for audio streaming (none of them offers a video Chromecast, however). Both will be able to link with Google-compatible smart home devices, including security cameras.

Both JBL and Lenovo’s Google devices have a 5MP front-facing camera. That allows you to make Google Duo video calls, which may make separated families very happy, though you can’t Skype or, of course, Facetime, so everyone will need to get with the Google program. The Echo Show has a camera, enabling calls to the Alexa app or another screen. But Echo device with a screen it seems Google’s Home Hub is

camera-free, with its central lozenge carrying not a camera but an ‘ambient EQ light sensor’ to ensure the screen dims to match the lighting in your room.

NOT SO SUBTLE While these smart-screened speakers are the ‘latest things’, perhaps we should not assume that everyone will begin shifting from smart speakers to smart screens. For one thing they are more intrusive, sitting there with their screens always on, and taking up far more tabletop space than a smart speaker. While a smart speaker is easy to ignore, a smart screen catches your attention, so that anyone worried about smart speakers “always listening” will likely be twice as paranoid, especially now that cameras on some models mean that they could be “always watching” as well. (The ‘camera off’ switch on the JBL Link View is not only interesting in being extremely prominient, it also puts a visible orange flap over the lens, to accentuate the fact that you’re not being watched.) The privacy concerns of smart speakers have yet to create a backlash significant enough to damage their growth. But smart screens may find their prominence in the home, and especially in the bedroom, will work against them. them

Google • Alexa • JBL • Sonus faber

Sonus faber’s Amator III Italian high-end loudspeaker manufacturer Sonus faber took the opportunity aforded by the Rocky Mountain Audio Fair to show its new Sonus faber Electa Amator III to audiophiles for the first time. Developed to commemorate the company’s 35th anniversary, which took place earlier this year, the Electa Amator III is a small (375 × 235 × 360mm) two-way bass-reflex stand-mount design that features a newly-developed 180mm-diameter bass/midrange driver (MW18XTR-04) that has a real-time air-dried cone that’s made with a blend of traditional cellulose pulp, kapok, kenaf and other natural fibres. This driver is crossed at 2.5kHz via a first-order crossover network fitted with Clarity Cap polypropylene bipolar capacitors and low resistance Jantzen inductors to a 28mm diameter silk dome tweeter with what Sonus faber calls a ‘damped apex dome’ (DAD). The bass reflex cabinet is typically Sonus faber, with a triple-layer constrained sandwich construction using sheets of solid walnut and a base made of 30mm-thick Carrara marble with a brass sheet between it and the cabinet. Both the front bafle and the rear panel are covered in black leather. Sonus faber specifies the frequency range of the Electa Amator III as being ‘40Hz to 25kHz’, the sensitivity at 88dBSPL (2.83V/1m) and the nominal impedance as 4Ω. The Australian retail price of the Sonus faber Electa Amator IIIs, which includes a pair of black anodized aluminium stands, filled with damping material and mounted on a Carrara marble base, is $16,995 per pair.... For more information, contact Australia’s Sonus faber distributor, Synergy Audio Visual: www.synergyaudio.com

Add wireless streaming of hi-res audio ﬁles to any sound system with HEOS Link.

www.heos.com.au

Mcleans Smarter Home Entertainment • Digital radio

TALKING SHOP with

MCLEANS SMARTER HOME ENTERTAINMENT

t Sound+Image we always recommend buying from a proper hi-fi shop which can recommend the right gear for you. This issue we talk with Bill Mclean, from Mcleans Smarter Home Entertainment in East Gosford, where Bill and Margaret Mclean have been servicing the audio & AV needs of the Central Coast and beyond since opening what was one of Australia’s first audio-visual home entertainment stores in 1982.

SOUND+IMAGE: What’s exciting you in the industry at the moment in terms of what’s happening, what’s changing? BILL MCLEAN: Back to the 70s! — with young people coming and buying turntables; that’s the exciting thing that’s happening. And they’re buying records secondhand and new, doing what we used to do — reading the covers and learning about the musicians and the mastering place where it was done; it’s fantastic. And there’s new vinyl being pressed of the music that they want to buy as well. S+I: And how do they go when they realise they have to buy a system to plug their turntable into? BM: That does come up! But that’s exactly what we want to happen, isn’t it. And these are music lovers that we haven’t been seeing who are the ones coming in buying the turntables. There’s a mix of the guys and ladies who want to be home sharing the music with their friends while they’re kicking back and doing their thing, but it’s also bringing in the music lover who wasn’t spinning vinyl,

they were just listening to headphones in a lot of cases, streaming. Now they’re getting into music in a bigger way, and involving significant other halves in that process because it’s now set up in the lounge room, not just headphones... and involving their friends when they come over, handling this piece of vinyl and the cover. That’s the best thing. S+I: What about home cinema, is there movement there? BM: Well the larger speakers that used to populate the lounge room in a 5.1 system are definitely being pushed aside and soundbars are happening, but there are also more dedicated cinemas, and amongst a lot of retailers you talk to, you find they’re doing more custom jobs and dedicated cinemas. So 5.1 in the lounge room is being pushed down to a soundbar, but there are other rooms being built specifically for film. Of course this has been around a long time but I think it’s now matured and there’s a certain market that wants this in their home at that level. S+I: Is there acceptance of Atmos and immersive soundtracks?. BM: Well that’s the interesting thing. In a cinema most definitely. In a home environment, maybe not so. But enthusiasts who already have a system are adding Atmos, just like they’re doing 4K, so that’s a market, that’s happening.. S+I: Can you recommend some music to our readers, perhaps a dem track and why you use it?

BM: I’ve got a lot of demonstration music, and I’m always searching for new music to play… I think one of the best things to happen for me in finding that music is Tidal, and Roon. If we’ve got a genre of music we like, and we might have a few albums from an artist that we like listening to, then in Tidal we can find the other five, ten, twenty albums that artist has done, we can go through them and find music we enjoy... and also find the best recording quality of that artist. Quite often I’ll spend time going through 50 albums from an artist and suddenly there’ll be a couple of gems, you put them on and immediately the artist is in the room, the band sounds absolutely fantastic. So that’s how I find a lot of good recordings. One particular example? Well, last week, we had some friends come up from Adelaide and they stayed with us, and they had a listening experience in our listening room at home, which is a dedicated two-channel room but also involving a cinema as well, and on the Tuesday night were having a few drinks before going out for dinner, and I asked him what he’d like to hear... he brought up an artist which was disco music, and then we played some more disco music — which we might not normally listen to, ending up with Michael Jackson. We had an absolutely fantastic time, purely based on being able to look at all those albums on Tidal, pick one that I already knew sounded great... and next thing you know we were going to be late for dinner because we were on such a trip with the music!

4.44m DAB+ digital radios in Australia, but not much growth in coverage... Australia ranks fourth for cumulative DAB+ digital radio sales, with an impressive 4,444,000 units entering the market since 2008, bolstered by the 60% of new cars sold here which have DAB+ receivers, and the 4800km of roads on which they can receive signals. But the figures from World DAB show that our coverage is not growing much — from 63% of the population in 2013, it has risen only to 65%, since it is limited to five metropolitan areas. Norway remains the only UK country to have turned off FM entirely, with the UK 37,483,000* and Switzerland both reviewing the possibility.

Germany

Norway

Australia

Italy

Switzerland

11,835,0004

5,600,000*5

4,444,0006

3,700,000

3,609,0007*

Do you remember the first time you became obsessed with an album and kept it on repeat for weeks? Or the first time you loved a track so much you had to play it at full volume? Our newest hi-fi system, the Edge Series, is built in celebration of those moments. Stunning home audio that gives you the purest possible sound, a ‘British’ sound, where nothing is added and nothing is taken away. It’s just you and your music.

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For us, innovation must always serve function. For example, raising our bezel by 2mm has improved the grip. Just a little. When you care about watches, just a little matters a lot.

Aquis Date

AWARDS

AWARDS 2019 t’s our equivalent of a ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation — chosen from a full year of reviewing, not only in Sound+Image magazine but in Australian Hi-Fi, Audio Esoterica and Best Buys & AV V — plus on AVHub.com.au and a rush of late arrivals as we approach the Awards cut-off date for judging. Held every year since 1989, our Awards are judged on sound and/or image quality, feature sets, build quality, appearance, ease of use and ergonomics, all rolled up into a valuefor-money equation. Our grand presentation evening, famed for its industry-leading levels of mingle tingle, was held this year at the unpithilynamed but beautifully-appointed Como Melbourne South Yarra MGallery by Sofitel, in a new cocktailstyle event hosted by our Editor Jez (he on the left) and attended by the glitterati of the audio and AV industry for a formal but informal evening. We were entertained also by the wondrous Mary Webb, performing songs from her album ‘Love Like Planets’ (it’s on Spotify, but best on 180g double-vinyl!). The evening is for the industry, but the Awards themselves are for our readers, our guide to the finest and best-value gear available today and into 2019. This Special Issue brings them all to you — our ultimate buying guide, and a celebration of the joys that well-reproduced music and movies can bring. AWARDS EVENING SPONSOR: The Chester Group AWARDS EVENING AV: AV Dynamics AWARDS EVENING PHOTOGRAPHY: Jasmine Fisher Photography

Mary Webb performing songs from her album Love Like Planets.

AWARDS

THE T ROLL OF HONOUR: Alphabetical Index of the 2019 Awards Arcam HDA SA20 Astell&Kern A&norma SR15 Audio Analogue AAcento Audio Solutions audio-technica ATH-M50xBB audio-technica AT-LP7 Bel Canto ACI 600 BenQ TK800 Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 Bowers & Wilkins DB1D Cambridge Audio Solo clearaudio Innovation Cocktail Audio X45 Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Progression Preamplifier Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Progression Stereo Definitive Technology Demand D9 Denon AVC-X8500H Denon AVR-X2500H Denon DRA-100 Dynaudio Music 1 Dynaudio Xeo 20 GoldenEar Triton Reference JBL L100 Classic JBL Link View Len Wallis Audio Loewe bild 3.55 OLED Marantz ND8006 Marantz NR1509 Marantz SR8012 Mark DÖhmann McIntosh MA9000 Meridian 251 Powered Zone Controller Music Hall mmf 1.5

67 54 68 56 60 43 70 30 78 83 46 45 48 73 73 76 38 34 65 85 80 79 90 85 57 22 52 33 38 88 69 74 42

Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ NAD C 368 with BluOS NAD T 758 v3 Panasonic DMR-UBT1 Panasonic DP-UB9000 Panasonic TH-65FZ950U OLED Parasound JC 3 Jnr. Pioneer SX-10AE Prism Sound CALLIA PSB Speakers M4U 8 Q Acoustics 3050i Rega Planar 6 Revel Performa3 F208 Richter Thor 10.6 Roon Samsung HW-N950 Sennheiser HD 569 Sennheiser HD 660 S Sennheiser HD 820 Sonoma Model One Sony STR-DN1080 AV receiver Sony UBP-X700 Sony VPL-VW760ES TCL 55X4US Trinnov Altitude16 Trinnov Amplitude8m Wavetrain Cinemas WestCoast Hi-Fi Midland Wisdom Insight L8i Yamaha Aventage RX-A1080 Yamaha Aventage RX-A3080 Yamaha HPH-W300 Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500 Yamaha R-N303 D

72 67 37 26 24 19 46 66 53 61 77 44 78 82 86 28 60 61 62 63 88 24 30 20 41 41 58 59 81 37 36 60 50 66

TVs & VIDEO

Television of the Year

anasonic takes an LG.Display OLED panel and makes it greater still by applying its legacy of image processing expertise, plus all its latest TV technologies, led by the 4K Pro HDR suite. This includes its HCX (Hollywood Cinema Experience) processor, able to optimise brightness, colour and contrast on the fly using a completely new system of dynamic Look-Up Tables. Also making its mark is the Hexa Chrome Drive Pro, which claims more accurate colour reproduction by breaking colours into six components rather than just RGB, before displaying them using, er, RGB, plus white, since LG.D OLED has that extra white pixel. TV tech is laced with such claims, of course, but Panasonic’s top TVs truly deliver on their promises, and this $5299 65-inch FZ950 sets the benchmark for image quality. There is one model above this — Panasonic’s top FZ1000 OLED TV, but that comes adorned with a ‘tuned by Technics’ Blade soundbar. We suspect that Sound+Image readers will be wanting a sound system rather better than that, and the soundbar can’t be removed (well, not without leaving an odd bit of metal sticking out). Hence we’ve dropped down to the FZ950, which has all the screen tech, without the soundbar. Why wouldn’t you buy this TV? Well the smarts, though strong, can’t match those of an Android TV — the app count is far more limited. While there’s built-in Freeview for catch-up, there’s only ABC and

SBS as separate apps. There’s Netflix and YouTube, and Amazon Prime (no Stan), but for music very little — TuneIn internet radio yes, but no Spotify or Tidal, for which you’re reduced to sending via Bluetooth. But with an external sound system, you can likely access audio streams elsewhere, so here picture quality is our number one priority. And we remain convinced that as a base technology OLED delivers the ultimate TV screen performance at present, with Panasonic hitting top levels of ‘wow’ delivery, especially in a darkened room. More info: www.panasonic.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“We remain convinced that as a base technology OLED delivers the ultimate TV screen performance at present, with this Panasonic hitting top levels of ‘wow’ delivery, especially in a darkened room.” LEFT: Panasonic Australia’s Mark Hubbard collects the award for the FZ950 OLED.

TVs & VIDEO

‘Best Buy’ LCD TV of the Year

TCL 55X4US JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Android smarts and QLED LCD image quality combine in this high value television — and TCL is now showing it can do more than just high value. This is a company to watch in 2019.”

n this category we’re looking for quality and abilities at the right price, and that’s exactly what was delivered by our winner, from TCL, currently the world’s third biggest TV maker, and a company that had 8K models on show at IFA in Berlin this year, and supposedly on the way (yes, even to Australia) for the middle of next year. But our ‘Best Buy’ LCD TV of the year delivers QLED quality and Android smarts at the right price — currently listed at $2199 but (as with most TV models) often available significantly below that. Its 55-inch panel offers Ultra-HD resolution and supports incoming HDR signals; TCL brands the TV as HDR800, which we take to mean a maximum brightness of 800 nits, but it uses QLED technology, and these Quantum Dots deliver precise wavelengths of light at maximum efficiency for exciting our retinas, so it can seem brighter than its specification would imply. It’s a nice looker physically too, the top portion of the screen being just panel and very thin at just 8.6mm, according to our measurements, with the electronics section below (connections all usefully on the side), and underneath the panel is a forwards-facing, cloth-covered speaker system designed (or at least signed off) by harman/kardon. You get two remotes, one including voice control for use with the Android interface, which of course offers all manner of apps including catch-up

services, while there’s also support for FreeviewPlus, and even time-shifting and recording of TV using USB storage. The picture defaults were very good, though we’d recommend pulling down the sharpness from 50 to 13 (or less), turning on local dimming, and perhaps switching off the overscan that defaults on for less than full-HD broadcasts. And while we reviewed the 55-inch, we’ve no reason to believe the 65-incher (at $3299 RRP) would be any less the performer. Definitely a range to watch. More info: www.tclaustralia.com.au

TCL Australia’s Mark Zhang collects the Award.

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TVs & VIDEO

‘Best Buy’ OLED TV of the Year

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“It’ss a smart UHD LED TV, and a OL mium German prem del too, yet it’s mod here in Australia at a price that riva als those from m mass-market brands. Hence our ‘best buy’ award.”

Loewe bild 3.55 OLED ow can a Loewe be one of our ‘best buy’ TVs? Aren’t they German premium tellies? And this an OLED TV as well — the cream of TV technology, and therefore pricier (given only LG.Display can yet supply the panels, and recently raised its prices). So yes, the ‘best buy’ here is relative, with the bild 3.55 OLED having an RRP of $4499 for the 55-inch. But we think it’s justified, as it recognises the remarkable achievement of bringing a premium German brand all the way to Australia at a price which competes with and in some cases beats LG’s own mass-market models. And the tech is strong, with, for example, full support for High Dynamic Range not only using the base-level HDR10, but also the dynamic metadata of Dolby Vision. There’s nothing like a thin panel to make a TV look great; here the Loewe is 4.8mm-thin at the top, thicker at the bottom so as to fit in electronics and connections. It sits on a swivel stand, although there are various other mounting options available. Slung underneath the panel is a soundbar which delivers far better than average TV sound, though we reckon a TV this good deserves an external sound system, for which ARC is supported, and also a digital

audio output, unusually on coaxial rather than optical, which will allow longer cable runs to a sound system. There are also useful extras, such as three USB sockets, one of which is USB 3.0 and supports recording and time-shifting if you plug in a hard-disk drive (not a stick). The TV can also act as a DLNA server, so that you can play back the recordings on any DLNA-compatible video device. Nice! Loewe’s carefullybuilt (and often updated) operating system comes with a wide range of apps, including Netflix and YouTube. Tweaks to the default settings we’d recommend — firstly turn off the overscan; even UHD inputs get scaled, which is kinda weird. Then bring down the sharpness, which defaults to 3 on a scale of 0-5 — 0 is what you want. We’d also recommend changing the ‘Film quality improvement’ (motion smoothing) from its default ‘intensive’ down to ‘middle’ or ‘soft’.

Those items sorted, relax and enjoy an OLED picture which is a delight at all times, and often a downright thrill. Colours are spot on, and wonderfully rich. Dark elements are delivered beautifully, with plenty of detail, especially with an HDR source, but even lower quality sources shine through the cunning of Loewe’s processing. A great set, brought here at a pleasing price. More info: www.indimports.com

Indi Imports’ Paul Riachi collects the award.

AWARD-WINNING ENTERTAINMENT AT EVERY LEVEL.

Deno De non n CE C OL-N N The One. For All. With the Denon CEOL-N10 your so ound possibilities are nearly endless. Listen to your fa avourite CD, stream your playlists via Spotify, De eezer Premium or Tidal, go multi-room with the bu uilt in HEOS technology, l gy using Bluetooth or your ur network network. ®

Enjoy Internet Radio and AirPlay2. And d the most convenient thing: Control this Mini HiFi system easily via your voice with Amazon Alexa voice compatibility.

Denon AVR-X8500H The Heart Of The Wireless Network. Denon’s ﬂagship AVR-X8500H powers the next generation of home theatre with the world’s ﬁrst 13.2-channel receiver that supports the latest immersive audio fformats, mats including inc Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro-3D. Built-in HEOS technology supports Amazon Alexa and takes music listening to

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Best Buy Product Compact Music System 2018-2019:

Denon CEOL N10 Best Buy Product Home Theatre Ampliﬁer 2018-2019:

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TVs & VIDEO

JUDGES’

UHD Blu-ray Player of the Year under $ $500

COMMENT

“No ‘bare bones’ player despite its low price, Sony nails the basics and then adds extensive networking extras.” TVs & VIDEO

Sony UBP-X700 s a new optical disc format, one might have expected early UHD Blu-ray players to be pricey. But to support its success, a strong set of relatively inexpensive models have emerged, notably from Panasonic and Sony. The X700 is no ‘bare bones’ player either, having extensive network and online abilities in addition to playing CD, SACD, DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray, with both HDR10 and Dolby Vision supported. It has a second HDMI output for audio only, plus optical

digital audio out, plus network streaming functionality that includes high-res audio via DLNA, Spotify Connect, YouTube, Netflix, Foxtel Play, iView and SBS On Demand... and the choice of Etherent or Wi-Fi with which to enjoy them. A fully-featured disc player, then, and what’s the price? Just $349. Need a disc player? You won’t do better than this at the price. More info: www.sony.com.au

UHD Blu-ray Player of the Year over $500

Panasonic DP-UB9000 lready recognised by our colleagues at EISA, through whom we enjoyed early access to this player, Panasonic’s high-specification universal disc player has come to market at the perfect time to benefit from Oppo’s ending production of what have for many years been the ‘go-to’ high-end disc spinners. In comes Panasonic $1649 UB9000, similarly high-spec for video and for audio as well, with balanced output connections, multiple high-end DAC channels operating at 32-bit/768kHz (playing WAV files up to 32/384kHz), isolated power supplies for analogue and digital sections,

and a two-layer chassis using thick steel plate and aluminium for high rigidity... more like a high-end hi-fi audio player than your average Blu-ray player. For video it plays UHD Blu-rays with HDR10 and Dolby Vision for High Dynamic Range, in addition to standard Blu-rays, DVDs, CDs... and streaming online services as well. The UB9000 is now the 4K player to beat, and represents a new reference in disc spinning. More info: www.panasonic.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Panasonic has loaded all its years of expertise into this new reference in disc spinning.”

Distributed in Australia by: Cogworks, Coolum QLD P: 1300 168 729 admin@cogworks.io www.cogworks.io

TVs & VIDEO

TV Recorder of the Year

y ‘TV Recorder’, we mean personal video recorder (some say digital video recorder), as used for recording TV shows to watch later. While there are some pretty smart ‘go-to’ solutions in the PVR market at the moment, Panasonic’s third award-winner this year really does deliver something different, effectively combining five functions into the one box — this is not only a digital TV receiver and a twin-tuner personal video recorder, it also includes a 4K Blu-ray drive for playing UHD Blu-rays, supporting all the standard UHD Blu-ray features, although not Dolby Vision. This disc drive can also record to recordable Blu-rays at full-HD, or to DVDs at a variety of qualities — a useful bonus for archiving things you really want to keep when you’re running out of hard-drive space — though with a big 2TB hard drive installed, that may take a while! And there’s more... there are USB ports and network connectivity (Wi-Fi and Ethernet) which allow the unit to play video and other media (including photos) from storage plugged into the front and back USB ports

(also from SD cards straight out of your camera using a slot at the front), or over your network from shares elsewhere on a computer or NAS drive. This goes for music up to high-res audio, as well as video playback. One final ability is to act as a DLNA server, and it performed this function brilliantly, serving up recordings made on the UBT1 as if from a network share, to play on other network players — very handy for starting a show in the lounge and then moving to the bedroom, say. Using Panasonic’s TV Anytime, it is even possible to watch recordings remotely (i.e. from anywhere in the world) on a portable device, although we found this tended to stream the video at rather lower resolution than full HD (those with a faster internet connection than ours may achieve better results).

Dolby Vision aside, this is as good a DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra-HD Blu-ray player as there is. It produces the best free-to-air TV picture available. It’s also a fine recorder (though others offer more than two tuners) with a large capacity and archiving abilities even to recordable Blu-ray. The $1099 UBT1 demonstrates that a combo device can be well worth it. More info: www.panasonic.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Not only a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ but also a master of each one, the UBT1 combines a 2TB PVR with UHD Blu-ray and a whole lot more...”

1300 130 336

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TVs & VIDEO

Soundbar of the Year

Wireless rears Soundbar + subwoofer

Samsung HW-N950 his is largely an iterative advance on the HW-K950 soundbar system which Samsung introduced last year, and which won our top soundbar category in our 2018 Awards. It is, in fact, rather more than a soundbar, since the system includes wireless rear speakers (wireless in signal terms; they each require a mains socket) in addition to the front bar and subwoofer. So that’s true physical surround being delivered, not the more common ‘virtualisation’ used in soundbar solutions, which rarely works effectively. And further, each rear speaker plus the front bar have upfiring drivers to deliver the height component of soundtracks in Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, both of which are supported by the N950. The result is genuine 7.1.2-channel home cinema delivery from the grand total of 17 drivers, and genuine home cinema immersion in a fully-formed soundfield. Of course getting the drivers in place is one thing — delivering decent quality of sound is another, but here

Samsung Australia’s Himal Jekishan collects the Award.

Samsung also comes up trumps, this being another fine sound system backed by the company’s California Audio Lab, and making use of the world-class measuring facilities there to cancel any predicted distortion and so deliver not only full-bodied movie soundtracks but also excellent performance with music — which is something soundbars are notoriously poor at achieving. So highly praised has Samsung been for its soundbars in the last couple of years that we can’t fathom why they have branded the bar here to harman/kardon — sure Samsung owns Harman and all its brands, but these products should simply proclaim boldly Samsung’s new abilities at delivering high-quality audio. There are all manner of bonuses — it can be controlled using Alexa, it has 4K passthrough of HDMI inputs, and Samsung’s ‘Smart Things’ app enables potential integration with other products. But it’s the core audio performance that wins our gong, and for this unit again returning soundbars to a genuine surround-based level of home cinema. Mind you, think just a little before rushing to buy. Can you fit those rear speakers in your lounge, and provide mains power to them? If not, you might

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“True (not virtual) 7.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos and DTS:X performance creates a true home cinema space, and enjoyable music delivery too. consider the smaller (and less expensive) soundbar plus subwoofer MS750 solution, or the amazing bar-only performance of the HW-MS650, which won one of our soundbar awards last year. But for the full monty, at least short of a dedicated receiver and surround package, the $1999 HW-N950 is another soundbar system triumph for Samsung. More info: www.samsung.com.au

HOME CINEMA

AV Projector of the Year under $5000 0

JUDGES’

fter we’d reviewed a series of projectors based on Texas Instruments’ clever XPR technology, which creates Ultra-HD resolution from multiple hits of a lesserresolution panel, BenQ’s TK800 is the first we’ve seen to nail not only 4K resolution but also the frame rate — some others seem inexplicably unable to deliver 24 frames per second or a direct multiple, resultin ng in judder. The TK800 avoids that (excepting only 50Hz interlaced material, which is converted to 60fps — but

HOME CINEMA

“Ultra-HD projection using TI’s clever XPR tech, solving the frame-rate issues, all at an amazing price.” give it 50Hz progressive output and it’s fine), and given it’s also currently one of the least expensive 4K XPR projectors at $2199, we’re delighted to give it this award. As with many of our winners, you can read our full review on avhub.com.au. More info: www.benq.com.au

AV Projector of the Year over $5000

Sony VPL-VW760ES hile Ultra-HD projection is now available at lower prices thanks to various solutions, the use of genuine UHD or 4K panels is still relatively costly, though the main brand to do so, Sony, has been introducing true 4K models at ever more affordable prices. This VW760ES is up at $22,999, yet has proven the installation projector of choice for many home cinema installers in larger spaces, combining as it does the benefits of 2000 lumens bright-

COMMENT

ness from an advanced laser-diode light source together with the same 4K SXRD panel technology found in Sony’s professional cinema projectors. Laser sources deliver far longer life than a bulb, while Sony’s MotionFlow and other image processing remain the industry’s best. For real ‘cinema at home’ bigscreen 4K quality, the VW760ES is simply stunning. More info: www.sony.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“True 4K resolution, laser light source, brilliant processing. Sony has high-end home cinema nailed.”

Available at leading electronics retailers. Visit jbl.com.au.

Available at leading electronics retailers. Visit jbl.com.au

Music family

Meet Music: the world’s most intelligent wireless music system. It adapts seamlessly (and automatically) to any room or position. It senses and adapts to surrounding noise levels. And it even creates instant personalised playlists of the music it knows you’ll love with Music Now. Just push play…

HOME CINEMA

AV Receiver of the Year under $1000

JUDGES’

he AV receiver of today is a long way from the AV receiver of old, which provided just amplifier channels and a radio tuner, with inputs for other sources (with up to five cables per source!). HDMI has simplified the input process, while the use of more efficient Class-D amplification has made it possible to reduce heatsinking and therefore size. Yet most receivers are still double the height of a hi-fi stereo amplifier. Marantz is among the few to take advantage of this to deliver an AV receiver which is described as ‘slimline’, although since it’s the height that’s reduced rather than width, we prefer the term ‘short-arsed’. Both the NR1609 ($1299) and our winner here, the NR1509 at $999, have this useful size advantage, yet there’s remarkably little in terms of compromise over a larger design. The NR1509 has five channels of amplification, enough for standard 5.1-channel surround sound, though not for the newer innovation of height channels, so it supports Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, but not Dolby Atmos or DTS:X — for those you’d need to step up to the seven channels of the NR1609. But the NR1509 is fully compatible with Ultra High Definition (4K) sources, including 60Hz content, and

High Dynamic Range in both HDR and Dolby Vision, across all six of its HDMI inputs. There are three line-level audio inputs which can be used with composite video inputs or for audio sources; just one each of optical and coaxial digital inputs (perhaps the only input limitation for some users, but you do get a phono input for a turntable, hoorah!). Perhaps the biggest bonus is that even at this level Marantz has included the HEOS platform, bringing full streaming abilities, Bluetooth, AirPlay, high-res audio playback, Spotify Connect and other streaming services, app control and even voice control from both Alexa and Google devices. The inclusion of HEOS potentially puts the NR1509 at the heart of a wireless multiroom system. The single biggest limit over larger receivers is the power rating, which is 50W per channel at hi-fi specification, whereas larger receivers quote far higher. But Marantz is one of the world’s great

COMMENT

“Space-saving size is just the start of this five-channel Marantz receiver with full-UHD compatibility plus HEOS streaming and multiroom abilities. If you’re not going Atmos, it’s a bargain. amplifier makers, and we found those 50W channels to have plenty of control when driving speakers of average or higher sensitivity; you might need more for tough speakers or a giant room, but for a moderate home cinema set-up, and certainly a lounge room with 5.1-channel surround, the NR1509 is ideal — décorfriendly, a fair selection of inputs, the whizz-bang addition of HEOS streaming and multiroom, and the cachet and quality of Marantz behind the amplification circuits. This is why we’ve returned to this range of ‘slimline’ receivers year after year in our Awards. More info: www.marantz.com.au

HOME CINEMA

JUDGES’

AV Receiver of the Year $1000-$2000

COMMENT

“ As an AV receiver plus multiroomcapable audio hub, the AVR-X2500H is quite the achiever, with eight HDMI inputs, seven h l off At channels Atmoscapable power, and the HEOS platform as a huge bonus.”

Denon AVR-X2500H

t has been suggested that the annual upgrades for AV receivers are a bummer, because a year out from purchase, something better is sure to come along. While undeniable, the improvements are invariably useful, and thus worthwhile, since the value equation rises ever upwards, while prices tend to remain constant. So as with the Marantz on the previous page, the inclusion of the HEOS platform in this Denon receiver delivers all manner of streaming and multiroom abilities, including high-resolution playback, while this year’s model also gains a turntable phono input over its predecessor, recognising the apparently inexorable revival of vin ts eight o g HDMI in each of composite and component video, and a strong selection of audio inputs, plus Bluetooth. Meanwhile the core receiver functions are strong, with seven channels of amplification rated at 95W each into 8 ohms (two channels driven across the full audio bandwidth at inaudibly low levels of distortion). So that’s enough for 7.1-channel on the floor, or 5.1.2 channels to

include two height channels for Dolby Atmos or DTS:X soundtracks, both supported by the Denon. For all reasonable conditions (i.e. not extremely difficult speaker loads), we reckon this $1599 hits a sweet-spot of price against performance and features, especially as its video processing also proved to be excellent, including UHD/60Hz, and the ability to bypass all processing for maximum purity. As an AV receiver plus multiroom-capable audio hub, the AVR-X2500H is quite the achiever. More info: www.denon.com.au

QualiFi’s Ralph Grundl collects the Award. Q

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AV Receiver of the Year $2000-$5000

Yamaha Aventage RX-A3080 s noted by Yamaha Music Australia’s Simon Goldsworthy when collecting this Award, this is the ninth year running that Yamaha’s RX-A30X0 receiver (where X gets one bigger each year) has won our award in this price category. Indeed as you can see opposite, the lower-level RX-A1080 (at $2099) also gets a Highly Commended award within this price bracket. What gives the Aventages their advantages? Overall it’s the way this range, and this the highest integrated receiver model within the range, continues a tradition of solid performance, fine facilities and a satisfying user experience. For $2999 the RX-A3080 gives you the versatility of nine high-quality amplifier channels, so that’s all you need for Dolby Atmos/DTS:X in 5.1.4 (five on the floor, four for height) or 7.1.2 channels (seven on the floor, two height) — and it has processing for more, so you can upgrade to 7.1.4 by adding two external channels of amplification. Flexible redirection capabilities are provided, including the ability to drive a second zone, for which there’s also (new this year) a dedicated second-zone HDMI output. The attention to sound quality is significantly above what has traditionally been the case on AV receivers. Besides the 150W per channel rating (full-range, all channels driven, 0.06% distortion) into eight ohms, there are high-level ESS Sabre DACs used for conversion, and balanced XLR outputs available for the front stereo

channels on the 7.2 pre-outs (there is also one balanced audio input). Yamaha is one of the few companies that has a DAB+ tuner built into its receivers (along with FM, but not AM). For modern connectivity it has Ethernet, 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (with support for the Apple-friendly AAC codec). And there’s the enormous bonus of Yamaha’s MusicCast platform included, which adds AirPlay and multiroom options and Bluetooth sending, in addition to app control over streaming music services via the network. New this year, there’s even compatability with Alexa voice control from any of Amazon’s Alexa smart speakers. With Yamaha’s use of ‘Scenes’ it’s easy to switch between one set-up for movies and another for stereo, and one thing that impresses us most is just how good this Aventage sounds with music — limitless authority over speakers, with enormous reserves available. If anyone tells you that AV receivers don’t do music, give them a crank of this one. You’ll see why it keeps Yamaha’s crown in place. More info: au.yamaha.com

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Solid performance, fine facilities and a satisfying user experience — Yamaha’s top integrated receiver keeps its crown.”

Yamaha Music Australia’s Simon Goldsworthy celebrates the ninth year of Aventage victory.

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AV Receiver $2000-$5000

NAD T 758 v3 his NAD was reviewed only last issue in Sound+Image, and we praised it then for its combination of purity and power, along with extras that include high-quality DIRAC sound optimisation, plus the BluOS multiroom platform. BluOS, the platform behind and so compatible with all Bluesound products, comes as a module included in the $2399 price. And indeed these modules are one of the things we love about the T 758 v3 and other NAD products — they can allow hardwarelevel upgrades at a later date, keeping your product current without having to buy a new one. We’d note

that the digital AV module used here is fairly short on HDMI inputs (just three), and that some of the set-up is less hand-holdingly simple than for some rivals. On the other hand we found the quality of power to be exceptional (and understated as usual by NAD, which quotes 2 × 110W), so that if the configurations fit your system, this is a solid and upgradeable receiver which should be firmly on your shortlist. More info: nadelectronics.com.au

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JUDGES’

COMMENT

“A solid and upgradeable seven-channel amp with an onboard BluOS module.”

AV Receiver $2000-$5000

Yamaha Aventage RX-A1080 JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Seven channels plus the versatility of Scene switching and MusicCast make this a contender.”

ompared with the category winner opposite, the RX-A1080 has seven rather than nine channels, each rated at 110W rather than 150W, and a lower level of ESS Sabre DAC for the audio conversion (but hey, still ESS Sabre). There are a few more limitations on its video processing (such as resolution changes when invoking menus over scaled video). But with its lower price of $2099, it makes a strong case for those who don’t need quite the power or flexibility offered by the top-level integrated Aventage. Nine sets of binding posts allow useful flexibility in setting up different

‘Scenes’ to switch between, there’s still Alexa compatbility and Yamaha’s MusicCast multiroom streaming platform to play with. Its high-res audio abilities are impressive. So if you only want seven channels of power, you’ve got some weighing up to do before deciding whether to save yourself a sweet $900. We very much doubt you’ll be disappointed with the overall performance here. More info: au.yamaha.com

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AV Receiver of the Year over $5000

JUDGES’

o here we see a genuine evolution in AV receivers, brought about by the rise of immersive soundtracks using height channels, notably Dolby Atmos, but also DTS:X and Auro-3D. These soundtracks are also delivered in a new way — not using a fixed channel count but having beds and objects which a receiver can render out to whatever system you have installed. Since this might be a 7.1- or even 9.1-channel system with either two or four height channels, that’ll require 11 or 13 channels of amplification, more than any AV receiver could deliver. Until now! This is a new awards category for a new breed of receiver. The Highly Commended Marantz goes up to eleven, as Nigel Tufnell would say, while this Denon AVC-X8500H goes to a staggering 13 — enough to fully deliver 7.1.6 or 9.1.4, or something less with the leftover channels used for a second zone, or for the overhead ‘Voice of God’ speaker required in Auro-3D. And being a premium receiver, these are not piddly low-powered things: each amplifier channel is rated at 150W of output into eight ohms, across the full audio bandwidth, and with just 0.05% THD (measured with two channels running at a time). Denon has incorporated its custom-made DHCT (Denon High Current Transistors) discrete monolithic amplifiers, and all channels support four or six-ohm speaker loads, in addition to eight ohms, via an advanced menu setting. There are eight HDMI inputs and three HDMI outputs, all specced to UHD at 60Hz including High Dynamic Range compatibility for both HDR10 and the superior Dolby Vision. Other inputs are there many indeed, and again that H in the model number indicates the HEOS streaming and multiroom platform, giving access to Spotify Connect, internet radio, Bluetooth,

AirPlay and high-res network streaming, all handled by high-quality DACs within. And HEOS also now allows voice control from Alexa or Google devices. As the $5999 price indicates, this is a high-end all-in-one AV control centre and amplifier built for users that require the full monty, and then some! It delivered first-class performance in our testing, and is as future-proofed as you could hope for, short of long-term standard changes. A beast, yes, but with a pure heart. More info: www.denon.com.au

COMMENT

“A new breed of receiver with 13 high-quality channels of power, but also superb connectivity and HEOS streaming & multiroom. A beast!”

Marantz SR8012 HIGHLY COMMENDED: Given the common parentage under Sound United, it’s no surprise to find Marantz moving alongside Denon into this new super-receiver category. The $5740 SR8012 ofers 11 very respectable channels of 140W into eight ohms, all channels also supporting four ohms, and enormous flexibility (instead of 7.2.4 you could for example use the amps to biamp every speaker in a 5.1-channel set-up). You get eight HDMI inputs, Dolby Vision HDR, Auro-3D, and despite its potential complexity, one of our favourite activities was to select 2-channel playback for stereo

music — we reckon it would take a very golden ear to realise from the sound that this is an AV receiver not a high-quality stereo amplifier. And again, HEOS streaming and multiroom brings endless additional abilities (see the Denon review). Can you plug in your turntable? Of course you can! This is a receiver with the lot. www.marantz.com.au

A LEGEND IS REBORN. Introducing the JBL L100 Classic.

A modern classic. The JBL L100 loudspeaker was released in 1970 and quickly became the most popular loudspeaker of its generation. Now, the L100 Classic has arrived for a new generation of music lovers. With its retro design and iconic JBL styling, the L100 Classic pays homage to its predecessor but is updated with modern acoustics including a newly-developed titanium dome tweeter mated to waveguide with an acoustic lens for optimal integration with the midrange. What you get is exceptional dynamic range, high-resolution detail, and powerful bass response. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just listen to your music, be moved by it. Fall in love with your music all over again. Learn more about the L100 Classic by visiting www.jblsynthesis.com.

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AV Processor + Power Amplifier of the Ye ear

16 8m s comprehensive as the winners of our top AV receiver awards are, there is a level above to which the finest home cinemas can aspire. As with pre-power amplifiers in stereo hi-fi, the top level of cinema sound is delivered by separated processors and power amplifiers, and this year we spent time with a combination which is now being widely praised as the ultimate home cinema processing solution. Indeed the French company Trinnov also makes units for the professional market, where they are used in real cinemas as well as such places as Fox Studios, the BBC, NHK and, naturellement, France Télévision. Such a professional level of product doesn’t come cheap. The Trinnov Altitude16 processor is $23,999 (a 32-channel version is also available), while the eight-channel Trinnov Amplitude8m power amplifier $11,499, and of course if you’re using all 16 channels of processing you’ll be needing two of those. The processor is unlike anything we’ve previously seen, particularly in having two very different sections. First is a fairly traditional digital preamplifier with DAC and ADC capabilities (developed by Trin nnov for f its pro gear) and rather more advanced than n usual in its switching capabilities. But alongside this is a computer. A real Linux-based computer, not just a conceptual one. Why? Because Trinnov doesn’t buyy surround sound decoder chips from the standard suppliers. It uses its own custom software in a generaal-purpose computer to do the surround decoding (and, it seems, the speaker and room optimisation). Ratther than waiting for chip companies to incorporate new standards like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, Trinnov runs th he code into its computer, claiming thereby to be 18-24 months faster

to market. New features or performance improvements can be delivered by software update. So how’s that for future proofing? This software also allows highly complex and effective EQ, bass management and room calibration. We imagine most people considering Trinnov for the home cinema will be working with an installer, so won’t have to work out their system, but note that the Altitude16 is primarily digital in its inputs — seven HDMI, two each of optical and coaxial digital audio, but only two analogue inputs, one of them on balanced XLR, and no analogue video inputs at all. It does, however, support network audio streaming up to 96kHz sampling, and also fully supports Roon. All audio outputs are on balanced XLR. So unsurprisingly the 30kg beast of the Amplitude8m has balanced inputs only, using the audiophile-level Ncore

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“A processor offering the ultimate in home cinema flexibility, with a multichannel power amp offering the quality of the very best in stereo hi-fi.” Hypex Class-D amp modules (also favoured, perhaps not coincidentally, by our top stereo amplifier this year, the Bel Canto ACI 600, see p70). These promise 200W each into eight ohms, 300W each into four ohms. We found the results astonishing in tone, in power, in clarity. The ultimate home cinema combination? Well, let’s just say we’ve not heard better in our 30 years of AV publishing. More info: www.cogworks.io

MUSIC SOURCES

Turntable of the Year under $750

Music Hall mmf 1.5 JUDGES’

COMMENT

“For getting back to the black stuff, to hear the way vinyl can deliver ‘mood’ better than digital, we salute this exceptionalvalue performer.”

he Music Hall mmf 1.5 is a three-speed (33⅓, 45 and 78rpm), belt-driven turntable — with dustcover — that comes complete with a tonearm into which has been preinstalled a ‘Melody’ moving-magnet phono cartridge. And it also has a built-in phono preamplifier, so the mmf1.5 can be connected directly to the line input of any amplifier… quite handy given that in recent years not a few amplifier manufacturers have done away with phono inputs on their products (though most are now rushing to put them back again!). If you don’t think there’s anything at all remarkable about the previous paragraph, it’s because you haven’t peeked at the recommended retail price of the Musical Hall mmf 1.5. No need to peek; we’ll tell you. You’ll get change from six hundred bucks. Why do we think that’s remarkable? Because we have reviewed a great many turntables whose dustcover is an optional extra that will set you back around $100. And most turntables don’t have a phono preamplifier built in, so if you need one, you’ll be up for anything from $150 for a basic no-frills model, to... well, see our phono stage awards for more on phono preamplifiers. Then there’s the cartridge that comes supplied with the mmf 1.5. The Melody is made especially for Music Hall by audio-technica, whose most popular low-cost cartridge is the AT-95, which usually retails for around $80. So if you had to buy a dustcover, a preamp and a cartridge, you’d be up for $330, which is already more than half what Music Hall is asking for its mmf 1.5, with which all three come as standard.

And check the finish! — most budget turntables look like budget turntables, whereas Music Hall has made the mmf 1.5 as flash as possible, from its high-gloss cherry-wood veneered finish and nicely engineered S-shaped tonearm (which has a removable headshell) to its high-quality hinged Perspex dustcover. And it has a high-quality heavy-duty rubber platter mat, not your flimsy felt. The sound it delivered was also excellent for the price, presenting admirable detail, good channel separation and excellent frequency extension in both the bass and the treble. It also tracks remarkably well… if noticeably less so on the innermost tracks of an LP. For getting back to the black stuff, to hear the way vinyl can deliver ‘mood’ better than digital, we salute this $599 exceptional-value performer, which also looks exceptionally good into the bargain. More info: www.convoy.com.au

Convoy International’s Steve Burton collects the Award for Music Hall.

MUSIC SOURCES

Turntable of the Year $750-$1500

audio-technica AT-LP7 ur sibling magazine Australian Hi-Fi recently splashed this turntable on its cover with the headline “Best Value Turntable Ever!” — with not so much as a qualifying question mark, so impressed were they with its performance and price. Indeed audiotechnica has been nailing a rising range of turntables — the AT-LP5 won an award two years ago at $799, and we’re fans of the $469 entry-level AT-LP3 as well. Meanwhile this AT-LP7 sells at $1399. It’s a two-speed (33⅓ and 45rpm) belt-driven deck that comes fitted with a J-shaped tonearm that has a removable AT-HS10 headshell. Naturally the headshell itself is in turn fitted with an audio-technica cartridge… in this instance one from the company’s 500-Series line, the VM520EB moving-magnet phono cartridge, which has

a 0.3×0.7 bonded elliptical stylus and audio-technica’s ‘dual magnet’ geometry, where the two magnets are positioned in such a way as to mirror the angles of the groove walls. The stylus is easily removable, enabling easy, cost-effective stylus replacements when necessary (and/or easy upgrades). Again here a phono preamplifier is built in, so you can plug the output directly into the line input of any integrated amplifier — or switch it out of circuit if you’d prefer to use your own separate phono preamplifier. The single-piece platter is 20mm thick, made from polyoxymethylene, a non-resonant polymer. There’s no slip-mat — it’s intended that you place your LPs directly onto the platter surface… though you could easily add an after-market one. And performance? The AT-LP7 both measured well and sounded exceptional at its price. Once up to speed (using servo control), the platter maintains speed very accurately; motor and bearing noise is so low that it’s inaudible; and immunity to external vibration is also

very good. It delivered a rich sound, full but never overpowering in the bass, with precision and timing that lent itself wonderfully to piano tone, and resolution that seemed far beyond its price level. So, best value turntable ever? Well yes, it might be so. More info: www.audio-technica.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“A turntable that performs far above its price, whether playing through its own built-in phono stage or an external one. It makes your vinyl sing.”

MUSIC SOURCES

Turntable of the Year $1500-$3000

JUDGES’ he UK’s Rega will need no introduction to vinyl fans — this turntable brand survived through the supposed death of vinyl by expanding its electronics offerings, but now finds itself in an enviable position to service those rediscovering the black arts with a series of new and upgraded turntables. Last year its entry-level Planar 1 took out one of our awards; this year we were transported by the delivery from the $1999 Planar 6. You might think this looks a fairly bare-bones kind of turntable for the price (which doesn’t include cartridge: the two standard offerings are the pictured and reviewed yellow moving-magnet ‘Exact’ cartridge factory-fitted as a $2399 package, or the moving-coil Ania cartridge, a $2799 package). But Rega doesn’t believe in large and solid plinths. Mass absorbs energy, reasons Rega, and slowly-released energy adds coloration, and lost energy equals lost music. For Rega it’s all about lightness, stiffness and bracing. It aims for the lightest possible chassis, with the stiffest possible brace. So the dark

surface of the plinth is no common plastic but a Polaris high pressure laminate, between the layers of which lies an aerospace-developed ultra-lightweight polyurethane foam core called Tancast 8. Similarly the platter has two layers — one smoked-Pilkington glass, one OptiWhite clear — bonded together so that the outer edge is thicker than the centre, thereby achieving a stabilityenhancing flywheel effect without increasing the platter mass to a level which might affect the bearing. And there’s an outboard power supply with electronic speed change and user-adjustable fine electronic speed adjustment, something which was previously only available on the range-topping RP10, showing how Rega trickles its higher levels down as technology allows. Set-up is enjoyably simple, and within 15 minutes we were enjoying its sound — the Rega/Exact combination defining soundstaging more clearly than our reference at the price, tightening the image of, say, a central vocal, but still delivering all the spatial impression of live recordings. The best vinyl sounded clean as a whistle, tight as a platypus pocket, even at full climax — not a hint of compression, distortion or soft edges, but full-on bass and in-yer-face impact.

COMMENT

“The The Planar 6/Exact combo is tight, accurate, musical and friendly to use, while the offboard electronic speed control carries accuracy to the next level. A wonderful turntable.” (This through a Musical Fidelity phono stage.) And while its immediately notable merits had a focus on delicacy and detail, it could also rock out and create immense bass impact with the right recordings; we loved the way it could energise the room with a well-recorded LP like Philip Glass’ ‘1000 Airplanes On The Roof’. Clearly, Rega’s light and rigid engineering focus is a success. The Planar 6/Exact combo is tight, accurate, musical and friendly to use. It was always going to feature in our Awards. More info: www.synergyaudio.com

MUSIC SOURCES

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“The Innovation is a magnificent turntable from Germany’s clearaudio — showing how fine engineering can culminate in thrillingly musical vinyl delivery.”

Turntable of the Year over $3000

n this category of ‘Turntables over $3000’, the sky is, clearly, the limit, and the clearaudio Innovation as we reviewed it in our high-end publication Audio Esoterica (below) was a combination including tonearm, Concerto V2 cartridge and Absolute phono stage which totalled $52,480, of which the turntable itself and the phono stage account for $19,995 each (the deck is $15,995 in its black/wood version). The Innovation is the second-tier model in a range of four similarly-designed turntables, the others being the Master Inno ion Compact I and Innovation Basic, th this range st s below Clearaudio’s top-line del, the Statement. The platter on th Innovation is enormously thick — a 15mm sub latter of stainless steel topped b a 70mm-thick main platter of highdensity opaque acr ic support by a ceramic magn tic bearing (for which the compan claims a patent), while the lower dr e platter uses an inverted bearing. e chassis is made of wood and alu inium laminations, the curious shape of which is said to reduce resonan We listened to it fitted with the nine-inch vers n of the Clearaudio Universal piv ted arm, made of carbon-

fibre that’s stepped down through three different diameters. The anti-skating mechanism is magnetic, using a highstrength neodymium magnet. So heavy is the platter that it takes 10 seconds to come up to speed, but of course it’s worth any wait to enjoy the stunningly beautiful sound produced from good vinyl pressings: crisp, and delightfully fresh and vibrant vocals, zero audible wow, flutter or bearing noise — indeed the purity and silence ackground were remarkable in ore of a surprise was themselves. orn w well it delivere plain old ordinary pressin thanks to its impeccab tracking and delivery stereo imaging: you real feel the ‘drive’ of a soun the all-compelling pus to tell the story throug musical expression. Th is a wonderful turntbl delivering vinyl at its . best. More info: advanceaudio.c .au

MUSIC SOURCES

JUDGES’

Phono Stage of the Year under $1000 0

COMMENT

“The Solo proved a fine and reliable base-level movingmagnet phono stage, delivering clean and clear amplification.” MUSIC SOURCES

f your amp doesn’t have a phono input, or if you want to upgrade it (few things affect the delicate output of a turntable like your phono stage), the UK’s Cambridge Audio released this excellent entry-level phono preamp this year, the $299 Solo. It’s almost black-box simplicity in terms of use — it’s for moving magnet cartridges only (a ‘Duo’ is available if you also need to handle moving coil cartridges), and it has a non-defeatable rumble filter which we found

Solo assisted its clean and clear amplification, especially for turntables with any bearing noise. Despite fears of bass loss or phase distortion from such a rumble filter, the Solo delivered no audible ill effects, and proved a fine and reliable phono stage. More info: www.synergyaudio.com

Phono Stage of the Year over $1000

Parasound JC 3 Jnr

t’s 10 times the price of the phono stage above, but as noted, the phono stage is a critical element in vinyl replay, not only amplifying the tiny signals a thousand-fold, but also in charge of the crucial RIAA EQ applied to vinyl recording and reproduction. This is the third iteration of the JC 3 from Parasound’s owner Richard Schram and his designer John Curl, a full-width and full-depth component with all the options you should need for mm or mc cartridges — indeed the $2995 JC 3 Jnr allows a simple selection (via toggle switch) between ‘fixed’ input impedance (47kΩ) and ‘variable’ input impedance (50–500Ω), plus also between three gain settings: 40dB,

50dB and 60dB (gain selection is also via toggle switch). And the ‘variable’ setting is truly and unusually variable, because it’s accomplished via a rotary potentiometer, with the interesting advantage that it’s possible to fine-tune the impedance ‘on-the-fly’. Straight out of the box, without any warm-up at all, the Parasound JC 3 Jnr sounded great. Stereo imaging was superb, musical delivery impeccable, indeed often breathtakingly beautiful. More info: www.networkav.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“The JC 3 Jnr shows the value of a fine phono stage — superb stereo imaging and impeccable (often breathtaking) musical delivery.”

THOR Series 6 FASTER & MORE POWERFUL PORT TUNING ROOM BASS ADJUSTMENT NEW TRI-MODE DSP CONNECTIONS FOR HI FI & HOME THEATRE SYSTEMS

r a e Y e h t f o r Subwoofe ,000) (under $5

It s Black & White, Thor Series 6 Faster & More Powerful than ever before! Designed for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Entertainment demands the Thor Series 6 has been totally redesigned to look great and sound even better. Smaller than before yet faster and more Powerful delivering accurate, fast deep bass for a powerful Musical or Home Theatre Experience.

For more information and to find a dealer visit www.richter.com.au

MUSIC SOURCES

JUDGES’

Music Player of the Year

COMMENT

“The X45 is a rare do-it-all source, and importantly aims to do it all at an audiophile level of reproduction. Whether streaming, ripping CDs, playing highres from its internal drive, or recording and editing vinyl, the X45 is a delight to have in control of your music.”

Tivoli Hi-Fi’s Geoff Haynes collects the award for Cocktail Audio.

Cocktail Audio X45 hat do we even mean by ‘Music Player of the Year’? Well with so many paths to playback of music these days, we can give awards to CD players, to streamers, to a turntable — but how should we recognise a box that attempts to do pretty much everything in one unit? That’s certainly where Cocktail Audio sits with its do-it-all solutions, some of which even include the amplification as well. The X45 is more the do-it-all source, and importantly it aims to do so at an audiophile level of reproduction. Its outputs are available not only on the usual unbalanced RCA sockets but also from balanced XLR sockets. It uses a high-quality toroidal power transformer, with separate supplies for digital and analogue circuits. Its conversion uses dual ESS Sabre 9018K2M chips, widely regarded as the world’s best, and capable of handling high-res PCM files in pretty much any format up to 32-bit/384kHz, as well as DSD native to DSD256, with MQA-compatibility as well, so that you can take advantage of high-res streaming from Tidal. Other streaming services are, of course, also available, and the X45 enables access to Spotify, Deezer, TuneIn’s airable internet radio service, and a number of others like Qobuz and Napster which are not, yet, officially, available to Australia. We were delighted to find it Roon Ready, should you choose to invest in that music-serving software (see p86). For all this networking the X45 usefully has a Gigabit-capable Ethernet connection. You can plug a computer into its USB-B input to play directly into its DAC. You can plug a turntable into its moving-magnet phono stage and play your black vinyl (and record it, and cut it up and store it). There is an additional analogue input, and digital inputs on coaxial, optical and AES/EBU sockets. But in addition to receiving music, it also gives. That CD slot on the front panel is for ripping as well as playing, and round the back is space for a hard drive potentially up to 8TB capacity, with room for more to

be attached via two high-speed USB-A 3.0 slots. Once you have a good selection of music in there, the joys of preloaded music become obvious, especially with such well organised access. As high-res files get ever larger, they become more prone to the limitations of your home network, but hard-drive storage makes them immune to that, and guarantees seamless playback (and gapless works great too). And we’re still not done — there are DAB+ and FM radio tuners inside, and AirPlay is available too. Given all this you might find it remarkable that there’s no Bluetooth here. But we like to think this is a quality decision — why make such a capable machine then subject it to the mediocre bit-reduction of this poorest of transmission standards? We spoke once with Cocktail at an IFA booth in Berlin, and they confirmed that the Bluetooth omission was a quality-based call. Via either balanced or unbalanced outputs, the X45 just got out of the way of the music; we couldn’t ascribe any particular presentation to it, other than transparency to source. one of its great achievements is its ease of use for a device so capable, and we love the huge supplied printed manual with pictures, which helps with the more complex tasks, like cutting up your recordings into individual tracks. At $4999 it is not a cheap source, but add up its constituent abilities, and you realise what a bargain it is, even without considering the saving in rack space. More info: www.tivolihifi.com

AWARD WINNING SOUND

IT’S WHY WE ARE CALLED AUDIO SOLUTIONS

We leave it to the experts to talk about what we do and this year they chose our latest installation as the Gold Award winner in the 2019 Sound & Image Awards. STEREO INSTALLATION GOLD AWARD &YHMS SPYXMSRW JSV ' ; 1Y\QER &*

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Contact

1195 Botany Road Mascot NSW 2020 02 9317 3330

www.audiosolutions.net.au info@audiosolutions.net.au

MUSIC SOURCES

Multiroom Source of the Year

MusicCast Vinyl 500 JUDGES’ t is hard not to love a turntable that does Tidal... and Spotify and internet radio and high-res network streaming... a turntable that has AirPlay and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and Ethernet. You can plug it into an amplifier, but you can equally send its output wirelessly to speakers all around the home, and have everything under app control. Gee whizz. For such is Yamaha’s new $899 Vinyl 500, into which the company has installed its MusicCast streaming and multiroom platform — so it’s a turntable which has a fully-equipped streaming source hidden within. If you do plug it into an amp, there are two separate outputs which can be switched between — one RCA pair at phono level, and another pair at line-level. For fairly obvious reasons the MusicCast sources will emerge only from the line-level sockets! For some of these sources you could even use voice control, since MusicCast is

now Alexa-controllable (though it seems Alexa has not yet developed the skill set required for flipping over LPs). All this would come to naught were the turntable itself a stinker, but this is not the case. It is a belt-drive deck with a straight 9-inch tonearm and adjustable headshell, anti-skating, and a moving magnet cartridge, Yamaha delivering both an impressive aesthetic and solid performance for the price. Set-up was quick and easy, the usual belting and counterweighting, plus here attaching the headshell, setting anitskate and pressure. A full review will appear soon (but this Award indicates our general conclusion...). More info: au.yamaha.com

COMMENT

“Yamaha has created something entirely new, hiding the MusicCast streaming & multiroom platform inside a turntable. Radical!”

CINEMA DESIGN GOLD AWARD West Coast Hi-Fi Midland for Krix Series MX

Experience The Best in Award-Winning High-End Audio and Home Theatre Home of the Krix Wall of Sound (MX30) installation awarded GOLD AWARD WINNER for 2019 in the Sound+Image awards.

We are the biggest and best High End Hi-Fi destination in Western Australia and one of only two ‘World of McIntosh’ stores in Australia. But don’t just take our word for it, come in and experience it for yourself! You will be guaranteed to feel goosebumps auditioning our McIntosh, Audio Research Sonus Faber and Focal HiFi systems. And as we all know, you cannot fake ‘goosebumps’. Audio Research Reference 160M Power Amplifier

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MUSIC SOURCES

CD Player of the Year

Marantz ND8006 t wins our CD Player of the Year, but in fact it’s rather more than that. Indeed the CD mechanism gets a pretty brief description these days in Marantz literature next to all the other digital goodies, though it is of course a high-quality tray-loading transport mech with all the accuracy you’d expect from Marantz’s 30+ years of experience in control and stabilisation. It plays CDs and recordable CDs (and MP3, WMA and AAC files burned to CD, if you must), though we note no SACD compatibility here. But it can also be used as a DAC, with two optical inputs, one coaxial input, a USB slot on the front for sticks or drives, and the essential USB-B socket on the back for playing direct from your computer. There is also the choice of Ethernet or Wi-Fi networking, which then allows networking streaming as well. For all these the NA8006 can play high-res audio as well as CD quality and below, with slightly different top-outs depending on the input — you can play up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and 2.8/5.6MHz DSD files from the optical, coaxial and USB slot inputs, or over the network, assuming your network speed supports it. From computer, however, this rises up to a thoroughly futureproofed 32-bit/384kHz maximum for PCM files (it seemed to accept 768kHz, indeed) and 2.8/5.6/11.2MHz DSD through the USB-B input. And there’s more. With the network connected the ND8006 gains the ability to stream via Apple AirPlay, which also makes it accessible at CD quality to Roon software. There is Bluetooth, though it has no AAC

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“More than a fine CD player, the ND8006 can be your DAC as well, and with HEOS onboard, also your network playback unit for all manner of online and local music — all delivered to a very high quality. or aptX so is limited to the base-level SBC codec. Hopefully you can avoid Bluetooth by downloading the HEOS app — because the ND8006 is one of the increasing number of products to include the HEOS streaming and multiroom platform, which now allows voice control from Alexa and Google smart devices. Equally important, however, is the quality within — at $1990, this is no entry-level unit. It’s solid, and it’s heavy for a source, and within it’s all built with Marantz’s audiophile-grade design and componentry, including the company’s

HDAM modules and ESS9016 Sabre DACs. So technically solid, and musically fine, playing beautifully into amplification of its own level or, indeed, significantly above. Marantz refers to it as “a unique complete digital music source player”, and we think that’s a fair description, though rather too long for an awards category. More info: www.marantz.com.au

QualiFi’s Paul Astbury collects the Award.

DAC of the Year

MUSIC SOURCES

Prism Sound Callia DAC here was a little category confusion around here this year — so many products doing more than one thing, and later on you’ll encounter another ‘DAC’ in our preamplifier category, because amongst other things it has inputs and a volume knob, so it’s clearly more than just a DAC. Nor should one describe the $2695 Prism Sound Callia as “just a DAC” — the UK digital specialist knows a thing or two about digital conversion, being an old hand in the professional audio sphere. Prism Sound’s first professional DACs and ADCs rapidly became popular in recording studios around the world, and its world-first AES/EBU interface analyser became the standard tool for broadcasters around the world, including the BBC, NHK, NBC, CBS, ABC and CCTV. It is a relatively new name in home audio, but with products like the Callia, it should become known in this arena pretty fast as well. The Callia is physically quite small (285mm wide) and correspondingly light, at 2.1kg. As with our preamp winner it has a volume knob (and a lovely one, surrounded by a ring of blue LEDs that illuminate to give a visual representation of volume setting) in control of its line outputs, of which there are both unbalanced and balanced — so you could use it as a preamp, but a fairly limited one, given only three inputs, all digital: one USB-B for connection to a computer, plus one coaxial digital and one optical digital input. Input switching is managed automatically, with the Callia automatically detecting an active

digital input and switching to it, after which it ‘locks’ into position and shows the format of the data stream on the front panel. Internally, Prism Sound does most of its processing using in-house algorithms, via a Spartan-6 FPGA and 32-bit ARM Cortex microcontroller along with Prism Sound’s own clocking circuitry, which it calls a ‘CleverClox’. This is a hybrid phase-locked loop that locks the Callia’s clock to the selected SPDIF source with better than ±50ppm local clock accuracy, resulting in ultra-low jitter, claimed to deliver >60dB/decade above 100Hz jitter rejection. Although some Cirrus Logic CS4398 DACs are on the PCB, Prism Sound reportedly uses only their final switched-capacitor stage. The results are thrilling to hear, with even the most complex music delivered with the ‘weave’ of the music intact while at the same time uniting the threads into a glorious tapestry of sound. It was always enjoyable, and frequently jaw-dropping in comparison

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“A pro digital company turns to the audiophile market and delivers a doozie of a DAC in the Callia. Its conversion of digital sources is thrilling to hear. to our previous references at the price... and an additional bonus in its awesome headphone output, which has its own dedicated volume control, and drove the toughest of our headphones with outstandingly transparent sound. Given its potential minor role as a preamp, a remote control might have been a nice inclusion... but the Callia’s musical prowess sweeps away any such niggles. More info: www.prismsound.com

MUSIC SOURCES

Portable Audio Player of the Year

Astell&K A&norm SR15 stell&Kern is the high-end portable division of iRiver, and if iRiver did dn’t quite invent the concept of an aud diophie portable device, it was right in amongst the first of them, and has since takken the art to its extremes — currently expressed in the $4999 SP1000, which is tagged, a little oddly, ‘A&ultima’. The tag for our 10cm-high award-winner, thee more affordable $999 SR15, is the still-odd but raather less inspiring ‘A&norma’. Who wants to be norm mal, or indeed Norma? We’d say the player is far beyo ond normal, given its use of dual Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC chips in a mobile device, with which it supports up to 24-bit/192kHz high-res PCM files (and varriants in various losslessly compressed formats), and DSD64 natively. It will also play 352.8 and 384kHz conteent, but scales them down to 176.4 and 192kHz (we suspect you may not notice). Likewise, it’ll handle DSD128, but converts this to 176.4kHz PCM for decoding. Storage? It has 64GB of storage built in, which h isn’t a vast amount in these days when a single high-ress album might fill several GB, but it supports a single miccroSD card of up to 400GB for more. To enjoy the fruits of its conversion you can plug headphones into the standard 3.5mm minijack stereo output, but it also offers the increasingly popularr 4-pole 2.5mm output for balanced headphones. And wh hen you’re back home, you can switch it to line-out mode and play through your hi-fi, or use its Micro-B USB port into an external DAC for even more superior con nversion (if you’re lucky enough to have it). It supports th he On-The-Go standard. The Micro-USB can also be used for charging the unit and transferring music. You can also listen using wireless headphones, as the SP15 has built-in Bluetooth, with support forr the aptX HD codec, should your receiving headphon nes also support this codec; similarly it will use the original aptX codec for headphones without the HD version. The original aptX is a mildly lossy codec delivering somewhere below CD quality; aptX HD is a mildly lossy codec squeezing in up to 24-bit/48kHz. There’s also Wi-Fi for firmware updates and music downloads. Control is via an 84mm touch-screen at a funky angle on the front, about as sensitive and easy to use as a typical phone, while within is a locked-down, heavily customised version of Android. On the right side is a rotary volume control. At the top there’s a power button;

on the left small buttons for forwards, backwards, play/pause. Enough of the specs, how’s the sound? Unimpeachable, we thought, delivering superb detail and an impressive driving quality, the SR15’s output level easilyy sufficient to drive even difficult headphone loads to thrillingly high levels. Noise and distortion levels are entirely below audible levels (for full measurement info, see the review in our Oct-Nov issue of Sound+Imagg ). If you’ve lusted after A&K but can’t reach to the highest models, the SR15 may be what you’ve been waiting for. More info: www.busisoftav.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“So much highperformance high-res tech in a 10cm-long player! Astell&Kern may call it ‘norma’, but we call it ‘exceptiona’.”

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INSTALLATION

Stereo Installation: Gold Award

Audio Solutions light change to our installation awards, this year — they’ve been dominated by home cinemas in the past, and we ontinue to recognise those, as featured in ound+Image and our Yearbook, but we were keen also to recognise hi-fi stereo installations. So we have two sections this year, in which we are giving Sound+Image Gold Awards for the highest levels of custom installation. And our first Gold Award goes to Audio Solutions in Sydney’s Mascot, for this stereo installation in a purpose-built space. The home-owner here is a longterm customer. “He has been a client since the beginnings of Audio Solutions, so that’s more than 15 years,” says Tony Stantzos, co-owner of Audio Solutions. “We’ve built many systems for him over the years in the many houses he’s built or renovated.” Those ‘many houses’ are an indication of the owner’s job heading a team that tackles major projects in urban design and master planning, as well as apartments, houses, public buildings and more. So it’s no surprise to find that this music room was purpose-built for his new system as an extension to his existing house. “It’s another living space that has a connection to different outdoor areas”, the owner explained to us. “It’s really a retreat for relaxing and listening to music, away from kids’ movies and family-room action. The

existing system is a more all-round 5.1-channel set-up for music, DVDs, TV and Apple TV, whereas the goal for the new system was pretty simple: the ability to play only pure two-channel hi-fi in vinyl, CD and streamed HD music formats... a system that the kids have no control over!” The equipment was chosen early in the piece, which explains how very neatly the selected two-channel components fit in the new space. The speakers are, clearly, the B&W 800 D3 in their very latest satin white, while the Japanese Luxman electronics provide the choice of both compact disc and vinyl sources plus streaming, with the C-900u control amplifier and two M-900u power amps. The result? “Transformational,” says the owner. “Sound that I’ve never heard, from both CD and vinyl. The Audio Solutions team did what they always do — deliver painlessly, maintain their interest in the project, always remain accessible and nothing is ever a problem.” More info: audiosolutions.net.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“A thrilling system in a dedicated architectural space, for a long-term client who describes the result as ‘transformational’.”

Audio Solutions’ Tony Stantzos collects.

INSTALLATION

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“A world-first solution in doubling up on Naim’s Statement power amps in a staggering hi-fi system that aims for the ultimate in performance.”

Len Wallis collects the Award for his team.

Stereo Installation: Gold Award

a system the r has n over years, with the last eight years or so working with the team at Sydney’s Len Wallis Audio. The speakers are Soundlab Ultimate electrostatics, while the Esoteric brand dominates the Finite Elemente Master Reference Pagoda equipment racks (right), with transport, twin mono DACs, power supply and clock. An Aurender server/streamer is bottom centre, with Shunyata Hydra power distributors on the right. Until last year the amplification had been Krell, but after long discussions and much listening to Naim Audio’s Statement pre-power amplification, the owner decided to make the change. But this wasn’t to be a ‘standard’ Statement, despite the UK company describing the usual version as “the pinnacle of Naim Audio engineering knowledge and artistry”. Together with Len Wallis Audio’s Charl Du Plessis, the owner planned to double-down on the power amps. “My thoughts were to maximise the control of the speakers by utilising four power amps in passive bi-amp configuration,” Charl told us. But the pre-amp in standard configuration couldn’t be used with four power amps — so this installation required a world-first with input direct from Naim, changing the secondary output to another

fully balanced output that could be use in the planned bi-amped configuration. But there was more. The owner had always had a mind to add subwoofers to his Sound Lab speakers, but Charl had been reticent to blend these fast panels with conventional cone-style subwoofers, whatever the level. Another set of international discussions ensued, and Sound Lab’s Roger West agreed to supply special bass panels to operate from 800Hz down, with the main speakers handling upwards to 40kHz. We’ll keep schtum for now on further planned changes to this system, but watch our pages next year! For such effort and dedication to ultimate performance, this system wins our second Stereo Installation Gold Award. More info: www.lenwallisaudio.com

INSTALLATION

Cinema Design: Gold Award

Wavetrain Cinemas in Cinemas is no stranger r Awards, or indeed to s — it announces itself as alia’s most awarded cinema n company. And we were particularly impressed this year by a challenging project delivered with great success. We had the full story in Sound+Image only last issue, describing how it combines two projection systems on the one screen — firstly a high-level 4K home cinema projector for the delivery of movies, but also a second system using a commercial projector fitted with a short-throw lens in order to achieve an image across the entire width and height of the room, to create an ‘art wall’, a full seven-metre-wide feature wall to show projected art.

Speakers behind the acoustically-transparent screen.

The challenges weren’t restricted to the dual purpose and the tricky shortthrow across the shorter length of the room. Ambient light was also an issue, with a window to the right of the screen; the solution used three blinds in total, plus blockout and the sheer curtains. The audio system also delivers through Wavetrain’s famous attention to detail, achieving a low noise floor through the use of a projection hush box, active cooling of the racks, and a complete redesign of the air-conditioning system. Wavetrain specified Pro Audio Technology speakers in 5.2.4 configuration, driven by two of the company’s multichannel amplifiers. Two subwoofers behind the screen were carefully located to cancel two standing waves across the width of the room and one in the height, along with judiciously-applied absorptive and diffusive room treatment. The owner is clearly delighted with his unique space, and we award Wavetrain for pulling off this tricky brief to its usual spectacular standards. More info: www.wavetrain.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“A difficult dual brief delivered to Wavetrain’s usual spectacular standards.”

Wavetrain’s David Moseley picks up the trophy.

INSTALLATION

Cinema Design: Gold Award

WestCoast Hi-Fi Midland JUDGES’

COMMENT

“A theatre of dreams for a home cinema fan who achieved his plans with help from the industry’s best.”

WestCoast’s Scott Stay collects the Award.

the second time WestCoast Hi-Fi nd has collected one of our lation Awards — and both times it een for a cinema incorporating the rkable Krix Series MX ‘Real Cinema at Home’ concept — a unique modular behind-screen speaker system which has been nicknamed the ‘wall of sound’, using Scott Krix’s infinite baffle wall with modular speaker units and with thick, acoustic absorption material built into the construction. We should also give credit to the owner, who was so keen to get his home cinema right that he knocked down his previous house and redesigned a new one, working everything outward from the new cinema space! During his research he had called Krix for information on some possible speakers, and ended up getting personal help from Scott Krix himself on the best solution for his space. And when he heard the Series MX on demonstration at WestCoast Hi-Fi Midland, he knew he’d found his sound. So this is a 9.2.4 cinema with two rows of seating, with the Krix Series MX behind the screen, including two 18-inch subwoofers, then six Krix Phonix speakers on surround duties, and four Krix Atmospherix speakers used in-ceiling for height channels. Wanting “plenty of headroom” for power he went with Yamaha’s Aventage MX-A5000

11-channel power amp paired with the CX-A5100 processor. But to power the MX-30 front channels, he added the 5 × 200W Mcintosh MC205 home theatre amplifier to provide the all-important detail and headroom to the wall of sound. The projector is a Sony true 4K model, illuminating the 160-inch screen. The finish is impeccable, and the sound “amazing, a true ‘cinema sound’,” says the owner Mark, “and musical as well. I guess that’s the design of the ‘wall of sound’ — horns and vocals, mmmm!” Info: www.westcoasthifi.com.au/midland

HEADPHONES

Headphones p of the Year under $500

amaha PH-W300 JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Yamaha’s $249 headphones deliver cabled sound and quality of build that far exceeds their price, and there’s Bluetooth as well for convenience.” Sennheiser HD 569 HIGHLY COMMENDED:

his award seemed to take even Yamaha by surprise — we don’t know why, as we regularly find high-value headgear from the company, and we still hold a particular flame for the HPH-200 in 2011, and the quirky yet rock solid HPH-M82 back in 2014. Though these are similarly priced at $249, the new HPH-W300 are rather superior to either of those — Bluetooth-equipped fully overear designs with impressively black packaging and a studio-level feel of build, especially the solid steel adjusters that slide into the well-padded and comfortable headband. The black headshells themselves are predominantly plastic, yet conceal a careful two-chamber design, the circuitry all in an outer chamber and the 40mm driver isolated within. We’re pleased to see the main controls are kept on hard buttons for powering up and for Bluetooth pairing, remembering that they can be also be used unpowered with the provided cable — indeed the ‘Hi Res Audio’ logo on the box refers to their cabled ability to deliver a frequency response quoted to 40kHz, whereas of course via Bluetooth you’re limited to below CD quality, although you’ll get the best possible result here given the inclusion of both the AAC codec for iPhone users and the aptX codec for Android phones which support it. We certainly preferred the cabled sound to Bluetooth, but the latter was fine enough for music on the go, while via cable they were punchy, powerful and musical far beyond their price. While there’s no active noisecancelling, the firm fit of the cushioning seals you well enough for earth-bound travel noise to be minimised, while their midrange strength cuts easily through any background noise. Big bargain, right here. More info: au.yamaha.com

Things we like best in headphones — a reasonable price, an nd good fundamental sound. So we thank Sennheiser for the HD 5699, entry model to the HD 5 series. The company undersells them rather as merely “a flexible option to the home entertainment space””. We loved them. Sure, they are plain Janes to look at — pretty much entirely without adornment, predominantly plastic with theeir closed outer cups slightly strangely covered in velour. Theree are no sonic adjustments, no EQ options, and they don’t need them, because it’s a natural balance, full in the bass and lively in the midrange. The top end isn’t wide open sparkling, despite a response quoted to 28kHz, but we certainly never felt anything was missing — indeed we enjoyed their gloriously musical sound, keeping them to hand on the commute (a bit large, and non-folding) and at home over an extended period when far costlier designs weere available for use. They have an RRP of $299.95, but shop around a little and you should find them nearer $220. sennheiser.com m.au

audio-technica ATH-M50xBB HIGHLY COMMENDED: This is the latest version of the ’phone created for audiotechnica’s 50th celebrations back in 2012, since when not a year has gone by without a special or limited edition arriving with tweaks and/or some new colour scheme — last year the M50x went red, but this year’s colour is blue. These are closed headphones at $279, using large 45mm drivers backed by copper-clad aluminium voice coils and neodymium magnets. Their first achievement is their high level of passive isolation to shut out exterior noise, but even better is the delivery of a powerful and punchy sound that’s very well supported in the bass; they ofer a studio-style flat response to a perceptual sweep but their delivery of music is nevertheless notably full in the bass up to the lower mids. This gives great substance to all manner of material, along with open but smooth treble allowing full soundstaging and a fine tone. Totally solid, highly enjoyable. www.audiotechnica.com.au

HEADPHONES

Headphones of the Year $500-$1000

Sennheiser HD 660 S hese decidedly superior open-backed home headphones from the German canmeisters get the full and large hard case treatment, the all-encompassing blackness of the HD 660 S design nestling into black foam in a presentation which says ‘Welcome to an audiophile headphone’. Which is exactly what you get for your $799.95 (significantly less on the street); sound is visibly first with the HD 660 S. Through the hex-grille of the headshells the rear of the newly developed driver is visible; this uses a specially manufactured precision stainless steel fabric adapted to the contour of the diaphragm, backed by “extremely light” aluminium voice coils. You have the choice of cables with a full-size 6.35mm plug or a 4.4mm Pentaconn balanced stereo plug, and they proved able to deliver tunes both old and new as if piped fresh from the studio, reminding you of the benefits brought by removing that reflective closed-back (though see the HD 820 overleaf!) — music feels effortless and free, and entirely non-tiring. A joyous headphone. More info: www.sennheiser.com.au

HEADPHONES

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Open-backed hom me headphones which h deliver tunes both old and new as if piped fresh from the studio, with music flowing effortless and free.. A joyous headphone e.”

Wireless Noise-Cancellers of the Year

Speakers M4U 8 rom the sister brand of NAD and Bluesound come these Bluetooth-equipped versions of a previous award-winner (the noise-cancelling M4U 2). Brilliant in every way is the $599 M4U 8 — the big and powerful active sound, their ability to deliver in-the-room as well as in-your-head delivery, and the most sensible set of controls for wireless NC we’ve ever had the pleasure of using (no tricky touchpads here). Some may think them a little large, even a little firm to the head; it matters little once under their spell. Even via Bluetooth the sound quality is good; vocals are crisp, music big and energetic without trangressing any frequency band. Back on cable, they’re rich and full, almost entirely free of bloat in the bass, and wonderfully musical. Our new reference for wireless NC. More info: psbspeakers.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Our new reference for wireless noise-cancelling headphones, a delight from ease-of-use to sound quality, both cabled and via Bluetooth, and with excellent noise-cancelling.” 61

HEADPHONES

Headphones of the Year over $1000

Sennh HD 820 es, a third award for Sennheiser in our headphone categories this year, after only one in the last two yearrs combined — it is a sign of how effectivve the longstanding German marque has beeen in countering the absolute flood of brands and models that have attacked a market in which Sennheisser was always a clear leader. And here we have the company’s reference model, the HD 800, given a new leasse of life and a far wider set of applications by being ad dapted from an open design into a closed one. This is not as easy as it might seem — if you just sealed th hem up you’d be bouncing the formerly free back waves from the drivers straight back into the heaadphone and the results could quite easily be mush. So the cleverness here is in Sennheiser using a concave (from the outside) sheet of toughened glass, its curve carefully calculated to redirect reflected sound d to a dampened outer chamber where a new absorber has been fitted. With reflecctions thus minimised, we have a clossed headphone which sounds open. Though not, to our memory anyw way, exactly like the HD 800, which we’vee always thought rather light (though realisticc) in the bass. With this HD 820 we formed no such opinion, at least while we were listen ning using their 4mm balanced cables into Senn nheiser’s own HDV 820 headphones amplifier. Wh hether it’s the reinforcement of the closed design or the quality of the amp and its balanced signal, there was pleenty going on downstairs, and yet not the slightest comp promise to the open performance of the earlier incarnatio ons. The headphone/ amp combination delivered a truly sophisticated sound, and classical fans will simply swoon over the tonal detail and separation granted orchestral material. The build and presentation are luxurious, as you’d hope for headphone costing $3499; the earpads are a luxurious microfibre fabric, and fit is both balanced and light — they weigh 360g withou ut their cables, and there’ll be no wear fatigue preventing the long listening sessions which their performance wiill surely encourage. The diaphragm is the same legendarrily large 56mm ring design as in the HD 800, rather than n a cone-type. This has various benefits — instead of sou und emerging as from a point source, the ring radiato or delivers a more planar wave, which may allow the ear and brain to better localise different sounds, while in distortion terms a ring dramatically reduces cone break-up. How we missed them when they went back! But we keep their memory as a reference. More info: www.sennheiser.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“We raise a glass to Sennheiser’s idea of raising curved glass on its reference design, creating a closed headphone h that h sounds d not only open, but better than the original.”

Sennheiser Australia’s Anastasia Scales collects their two trophies.

HEADPHONES

Headphone Innovation Award

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“A new drum-skin ‘cell’ take on electrostatic headphones together with its own headphone amp and some wildly effusive packaging — the Sonoma is a remarkable debut.”

ny fan of high-end headphones will be unlikely to require conversion to the joys of electrostatic headphones, which are an aspirational high for head-fi lovers everywhere. Renowned for speed and detail, electrostatic designs replace the usual cone speaker inside a headphone with a flat diaphragm held at a fixed charge, while a dedicated headphone amplifier biases and modulates the voltage across perforated metal grids (stators) on either side. (Not to be confused with planar magnetic designs, in which the signal is applied to the diaphragm itself, positioned between fixed magnets.) At least, that’s how electrostatics have worked for the last 60 years. But Warwick Acoustics, based in the UK, has come up with a different take, which does away with the grid between the diaphragm and your ears, instead using only a back grid of stainless steel mesh, to which the usual high bias voltage is applied, modulated by the audio signal. A diaphragm of HPEL (High Precision Electrostatic Laminate) sits where the front grid would normally be, tightened across a series of large open cells on a spacer layer to create a series of small ‘drum skins’,

all driven in parallel from the rear grid. The sound from each cell’s drum skin combines with the others, but unwanted resonances should average out, avoiding the specific resonant peak of a larger single driver. The amplifier is part of the Model One system, the two components together selling here at at $7499 — such is the price of such high-end and new technology, hence our innovation award, rather than a value-based ‘Product of the Year’ type award. The amp accepts a digital coaxial input or USB-B from your computer, plus two analogue options, selected by three lovely toggle switches. Unlike some electrostatics, the first impression is not one of open skies and scintillating top-end jangle, rather the timing of the M1’s performance is a

revelation, and will thrill classical fans in particular. An audition is recommended for these remarkable headphones. More info: www.busisoftav.com.au

BusiSoft AV’s George Poutakidis collects the Sonoma award.

Multi-room Source of the Year Yamaha MusicCast VINYL 500

/YamahaAVAU

@YamahaAVAU

au.yamaha.com

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

Audio Style System of the Year

JUDGES’

irst question here is how to describe this unit which includes so many functions? Is it a stereo amplifier (the group into which we’ve lumped it) or is it a system? Denon, of course, has a long and illustrious history in producing very conveniently-sized micro systems, though this is something rather larger, between those offerings and full-sized component hi-fi. And in many regards it is the quintessential modern amplifier — handling conventional analogue inputs, plus digital inputs handled by an internal DAC, and then transformed by Wi-Fi and Ethernet, Bluetooth and Spotify into a streaming networking music player as well as amplifier. And as its ‘receiver’ tag implies, it also has radio on board, though this is internet radio rather than ye olde FM and AM. So perhaps we might call it a stereo receiver with benefits, or, given its above average looks, an audio style system. It’s a solid and impeccably neat unit 280mm wide and about 100mm high, and you’ll need another half dozen centimetres to let its rear Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna stand upright. It has a luxurious metal casing that forms the top plate then wraps around to meet the base. Round the back are two pairs of analogue RCA inputs (no phono option for a turntable here), and four digital inputs — two optical and one coaxial, plus a USB slot on the front panel which can play back from a smart device (no USB-B for playing a computer straight in). Then there’s the network connection to be made — either by Ethernet or by Wi-Fi. The binding posts for the speakers are full-sized and good for bananas, bare wire or small spades, and there’s also a subwoofer output and a pair of RCA line-level outputs which can be made variable if using the Denon as a preamp directly to separate power amps.

The DRA-100 sound was impressively clear and clear from digital sources, whether a USB stick of content plugged into the USB socket (powered USB drives can also be used), or files sent over the network using DLNA, or our iPhone plugged into the front USB slot. Denon covers the mains targets of low-res WMA, MP3 and AAC files, plus FLAC, WAV and AIFF up to 24-bit/192kHz, Apple Lossless to 24-bit/96kHz, and dsf/ dff DSD files at 2.8 or 5.6MHz. The power is quoted at 2 × 35W into 8 ohms, and using average sensitivity speakers we never wanted for level in a medium-to-large sized room. This is Class-D amplification, but a specific variant of it, since Denon is using Qualcomm’s Direct Digital Feedback Amplifier (DDFA) technology, which uses pulse width modulation in a closed-loop architecture with a discrete output circuit, all aiming to correct for nonlinearities of power supplies and output stages, so it doesn’t sound like ‘Class D’. And it was certainly only at full pelt that you could pick it as having less musical magic than a big Class-AB amp of higher pricing levels — you can, of course (as ever!) spend more to get more. But for its price of $1799, and considering the DRA-100’s wide abilities, the Denon provides excellent value. More info: www.denon.com.au

COMMENT

“If you want neatness and style in a unit that has streaming and networking along with external inputs and your amplification, Denon’s DRA-100 is a must-audition.”

QualiFi’s Phil Hawkins collects the Award.

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

Amplifier of the Year under $1000

Yamaha R-N303 D hen we reviewed this smart amplifier back in our June-July issue, we spent much of our time trying to work out what was wrong with it. It’s loaded with networking abilities including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay, Spotify and all the benefits of Yamaha’s MusicCast multiroom system; it even looks pretty good, presented with the design cues of Yamaha’s finest stereo components. Yet the price is just $699. Something has to give, right? Of course there is more available in the world of amplification in terms of sheer drive and headroom, and those seeking the finest expression of music may wish to expend further funds up Yamaha’s range of stereo hi-fi. Yet it’s a matter of some wonder that Yamaha can deliver so much in the way of connectivity at this price, and still here include amplification of a power and quality that proved able to drive all but difficult speakers with dynamics and musicality. It quotes 2 × 100W into eight ohms, though measured with an allowance of 0.2% THD, a little high by hi-fi amplifier standards, so the more directly comparable figure would be rather lower. Meanwhile, look what you get. It has six physical audio inputs in all — four analogue line-level (in the US they get a turntable input, a disappointing omission here for vinyl lovers), and two digital inputs, one optical, one coaxial. So the only obvious omission besides turntable is USB, with neither USB-B for a computer nor a USB-A slot for plugging in sticks, drives or a smart device. The back panel also has a single antenna connection for the DAB+/FM included — there’s no AM here, but internet radio can be easily accessed through its MusicCast abilities. As described elsewhere, MusicCast is Yamaha’s streaming/multiroom platform, with app control, access to streaming services, Bluetooth (both receiving and sending), AirPlay and network music

shares. If you have more than one MusicCast unit in the home, you can share by grouping rooms for playback. There are two sets of speaker outputs, though to run two sets at once (not that we ever suggest doing so), Yamaha specifies speakers of 16 ohms and higher, and eight ohms even if you use only one set of speakers; a restriction worth noting “to avoid overheating” Yamaha says. As a relatively budget amplifier, then, Yamaha is giving you a huge amount for your money here; it’s an entry-level triumph. More info: au.yamaha.com

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Remarkable at the price, given it comes loaded with abilities including the MusicCast streaming & multiroom platform, and still delivers a clean musical output.”

Pioneer SX-10AE HIGHLY COMMENDED: This is a perfect example of why we give Highly Commended awards. Pioneer’s $599 SX-10AE is almost entirely analogue — but only ‘almost’, because it does have Bluetooth. It has four sets of RCA line-level inputs, no physical digital inputs, and certainly not any network ones. Plus there are aerial connections for the FM and AM tuners (no DAB+). So it’s not for everyone, since most people will require some type of digital intput — optical from a TV, say, or USB-B for a computer. But if you don’t, then this is a great amplifier for the money. The performance was punchy and

musical, and remained very, very clean even as we pushed the volume levels high. And remarkably smooth with classical music. Even via Bluetooth, especially from an iPhone, we enjoyed fine-sounding music. So while it’s not for everyone, if the inputs suit your needs and you have a limited budget, do have a listen to the Pioneer SX-10AE stereo receiver. It may be just what you’re after. More info: www.pioneeraudio.com.au

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

he latest HDA range from the UK’s Arcam is the first since the company was acquired byy Harman (which is itself owned by Samsung). Yet the new range — two integrated amplifiers and a CD player — confirm that Arcam isn’t about to change its ethos under new ownership; they conform to classic Arcam values, though of course updated for the demands of 21st-century users. Our winner is the higher of the two amplifiers, which is distinguished not so much by additional facilities or abilities, but by its genre of amplification. Whereas the $1695 SA10 uses traditional Class-AB circuits, this SA20 has Arcam’s widely-praised version of Class-G, developed by a team including the great John Dawson. In brief this hybrid amplification utilises two power supplies, the lower one delivering pure Class-A amplification up to a certain point, with a

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Arcam brings its successful implementation of Class-G amplification to its classic style of integrated amp with impressive results — you can enjoy the quality of Class-A for most listening, but with a big bucket of additional power in reserve when using the amp in anger.”

Amplifier of the Year $1000-$2000

second higher supply added only when “extreme” power is required, which Class-A can only do at low efficiency (and so with high levels of heat generated). Arcam’s success has been in implementing that crossover point successfully, so that the quality of sound betrays no shift from one to the other; indeed it proved exceptional for the price in its clarity, transparency to source and ability to deliver not only high levels of power but transient impact and slam. It’s the first time Class-G has been included in an Arcam amp at this level. Facilities are strong, with five analogue inputs including an excellent phono stage, plus three digital inputs

— two coaxial, one optical, so note there is no USB-B or slot (the rear USB slot is for upgrades pg only), y also no networkingg other than for control purposes), nor any Bluetooth streaming here. All analogue inputs are line-level RCA, perhaps surprising giving the matching CD player offers balanced XLR outputs. This is more a classic amplifier in input terms, then, not a dancing streaming new-age do-it-all design, and that plays further to its purity, its wonderful quality of sound. We enjoyed the Class-AB SA10 model as well, but the Class-G of the $1995 SA20 does take performance to the next level. More info: www.advanceaudio.com.au

NAD C 368 with BluOS

HIGHLY COMMENDED: It’s a NAD amplifier with benefits — rear slots that take modules to expand the amp’s abilities. On the C 368 we had for review, one of these MDC’ slots was filled with a BluOS 2 module, which adds $500 to the price ($1999 including it), and this adds a huge raft of abilities, bringing networking as well as streaming — you can play music directly from the internet using music services, and can also access files including high-res FLAC, Apple Lossless and WAV up to 24-bit/192kHz from anywhere on the local network, or from

sticks or hard drives attached to the module’s USB slots. And you can control it using the lovely BluOS app on tablet or phone. This expands on the three analogue inputs including phono, Bluetooth, two each of optical digital, and coaxial digital, plus the built-in Chromecast (which ofers a second multiroom ecosystem), while its fine sound is delivered by the company’s HybridDigital amplification involving the innovative Hypex UcD “analogue Class-D” technology. It’s a clever, innovative and upgradeable amplifier. More info: www.convoy.com.au

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

Amplifier of the Year $2000-$10,00 00

JUDGES’

f amplifiers were listed in a phone book, this one would clearly be at the top of the first page. It would be an Italian phone book, of course, with the brand beingg designed g and manufactured entirely in Italy, near Pisa. The new AAcento bears many similarities to the company’s Maestro Anniversary released a few years earlier, but it is significantly less expensive at $5590 (compared with over $12,000). One of the key differences is its lower power rating of 100W per channel into eight ohms compared with 150W from the Maestro — though as our colleagues at Australian Hi-Fi comment, that difference is less than many will think. Doubling a power output, say, doesn’t double the available volume — you would actually need an amplifier that’s 10 times more powerful in order to do that (a difference of 10dB). If you do the maths, 150W is only 1.76dB more powerful than the AAcento’s 100W. And the smallest difference said to be perceptible to the human ear is generally held to be 1dB when using test signals and 3dB when using music, so really, the additional grunt will be primarily useful in giving higher power output into low impedances and with transients if you have inefficient speakers. Otherwise much of the internal circuitry of the AAcento is either identical to or insignificantly different from the Maestro. Build quality is also identical. The remote control is also identical. So all in all, then, we found the performance from this amplifier to deliver excellent value given the price. Its power was able to deliver amazing dynamic capabilities without a single moment when we thought more was required. We loved its presentation of pace,

rhythm and timing, the way the AAcento was able to separate complex and contrastingly syncopated rhythms, and to deliver beautiful high-frequency g q y sound. Vocal delivery might be a highlight among the highlights, for both male and female singers alike. From the dusky sounds of Frank Sinatra to the wails of Minnie Riperton to the strangeness of Björk, the sadness of Joni Mitchell, the croak of Leonard Cohen or the raspiness of Bob Dylan, the AAcento just nailed their sonic deliveries individually, so it’s almost as if you’re listening to the same music you’ve always owned, but it’s suddenly been miraculously re-mastered to extract the absolute highest fidelity. The AAcento also shares the same basic control and protection circuits of the Maestro — something Audio Analogue calls ‘microcontroller-based equipment management’. It allows clever tricks, such as being able to control all the amplifier’s functions using the single rotary control on the front panel (a remote control is also provided), including selection between the five inputs, which include a fine phono stage switchable between moving magnet and moving coil (neither this nor the front panel headphone output appear on the

COMMENT

“A truly special stereo hi-fi amplifier lifi from f Italy, I l the AAcento combines clever design and tech with a thrilling performance.” Maestro, we note), three further analogue RCA inputs and one XLR balanced pair. This last has what Audio Analogue calls a ‘native’ differential input, because according to designer Andrea Puccini the negative terminal, which would normally be part of a feedback loop, can be used for signal, because the AAcento does not use global feedback. Audio Analogue’s AAcento would seem to offer rather more bang for your buck than the Maestro, and is a true hi-fi design at a highly competitive price. It can make your music live anew. More info: www.absolutehiend.com.

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

Amplifier of the Year $10,000-$20,000

McIntosh MA9000

t looks pretty darned serious. And it is serious; this is the largest integrated amplifier McIntosh has ever built. But it’s also some of the the best fun you can have sitting on a couch — it’s no wonder that McIntosh has such a highly developed brand loyalty, because what the brand offers is unique. There’s the look, there’s that wonderful teal glow from the meters and emerald back-illumination to the logo. But there’s also a remarkable level of versatility and connectivity that is often missing from such high levels of amplification. For example, we seriously doubt you’re ever going to use all the inputs thatMcIntosh has fitted to the MA9000. There 10 ten analogue inputs and six digital inputs, so 16 in all! Six of the analogue inputs are unbalanced line-level types, and two are balanced line-level inputs. The remaining two are phono inputs, one for moving coil cartridges, the other for moving magnet cartridges. On the digital side, the DA1 digital audio module inside the MA9000 (upgradeable should new formats come along) has two coaxial digital inputs, two optical digital inputs, a USB-B input for computers, and one MCT input (a DIN connector used to provide a digital connection between the MA9000 and McIntosh’s SACD/CD players). The DA1 Digital Audio Module contains an 8-channel, 32-bit DAC that McIntosh uses in its quad balanced mode. The USB input can process PCM signals

up to 384kHz and DSD signals up to DSD256 and DXD384kHz, while the other digital inputs can all process PCM up to 24-bit/192kHz. More versatility — those 12 small rotary controls are equaliser controls for 12 bands, providing a super-evolved tone control. The input selector ‘remembers’ whether you want to use equalisation on one or more of the inputs. There are separate binding posts for different impedance speakers, ensuring correct service of the available 300W per channel. And that’s where the MA9000 proves itself to be ear-candy as well as eye candy — insightful with the details, nimble with dynamics, and with a neutrality that extends way up into the treble register, or perhaps a little warm at the extreme top end, but this we much prefer to the steeliness of some high-end solid-state amplifiers. And there is surely more power here than you’ll ever need. When reviewed this amp was $19,995; as we went to press it rose to $21,995, above the category limit... but the Award stands, as an investment in sheer pleasure. More info: www.synergyaudio.com

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“The biggest McIntosh integrated amplifier ever, the MA9000 is an investment in sheer pleasure.”

Synergy’s Philip Sawyer collects the Award.

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

Amplifier of the Year over $20,000

Bel Canto ACI 600

t’s hard to imagine greater contrast between the McIntosh on the previous page and the ACI 600 from another American amplifier brand, Bel Canto. There isn’t a single knob or button to be seen on the expansive front panel — and it’s certainly expansive since the ACI 600 is 483mm wide, though only 97mm high. The decision is surely aesthetic, since there can be little other excuse (we’re rejecting cost, given the RRP of $36,900) for putting the 6.35mm headphone socket on the back. Indeed aesthetics factor into the whole concept of this integrated offering from the company’s ‘Black’ line. Essentially what Bel Canto has done is take three of its top-of-the-line individual components, and put them all in the one sleek chassis, under the control of a sophisticated electronic controller. This is a smart move by Bel Canto, because some people don’t like ‘stacks’ of components, while others don’t like the small form-factor chassis the company uses for components in its other product lines. Buyers get a single great-looking component that ‘does it all’ and can be upgraded to accommodate future developments in audio. Nor are there giant heatsinks flanking the ACI 600’s width, despite its rating of an impressive 300W per channel continuous into eight ohms, and 600W into four ohms. The minimal accounting for heat dissipation is partly down to the type of power on offer, which is provided by N-Core modules manufactured by Dutch

Class-D specialist Hypex (these are, says Bel Canto, custom designs that are manufactured exclusively for Bel Canto). Of course the mere mention of Class-D has long caused many audiophiles to turn up their noses. But this is part of Bel Canto’s great achievement here — the company (and Hypex) has been instrumental in proving that Class-D done right can deliver magnificent performance, along with the inherent benefits of efficiency, which have never been under debate. Yet for all the power and fire of the bass, the midrange was gloriously rich, superbly linear and wonderfully delicate. As for any thoughts of high-frequency Class-D sound being brittle, the treble from the ACI 600 shimmered like threads of gossamer in the moonlight, according to our poetically-inclined colleagues at Australian Hi-Fi. Indeed they summarised its high frequency performance in one word: ‘perfect’. The rear panel has an American flag (this ia genuinely ‘Made in the USA’) and in input terms it has two line-level inputs and a phono input (yep, in a modern

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“It’s not for making Class-D sound this good that we give the award, but for such a superb amplifier regardless of type. The ACI 600 is a near-faultless high-end design.” high-powered Class-D amplifier! — and you can adjust the sensitivity through four different gain settings and five different load impedances to suit both moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges). The digital section has one each of optical, coaxial, USB-A, USB-B and AES-EBU; the USB-B is good up to 24-bit/348kHz, including MQA, and DSD to DSD128. It’s not for making Class-D sound this good that we give this award, but for such a superb amplifier regardless of type. More info: www.absolutehiend.com

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OPT

APP CONTROL

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

JUDGES’

Pre-amplifier of the Year

COMMENT

“It’s a DAC, it’s a headphone amplifier, it’s a phono preamplifier, and since it has a volume control, it’s reasonable to label the combination as a preamplifier. As for performance, list your favourite characteristics for a piece of high-fidelity equipment, and we reckon the Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ will meet or exceed them all.”

mes A A. Michener in his 1971 novel ‘The The Drifters’ Drifters ndulges in a bit of cheap psychologising, uggesting hi-fi fans are principally interested n a sense of control. That flies in the face of the inimalism of the past few decades: the shedding one controls and graphic equalisers, and the preference for having only a volume knob for control. That said, when it comes to digital audio there are things that are worth controlling. Michener’s mythical control freak would love the $3199 Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ because it has adjustments for just about everything. Hi-fi purists will love it too, for its other virtues… and, perhaps for those adjustments too. First, though, why is a DAC winning our preamplifier category? Well, it is a DAC, yes. But it is also a headphone amplifier. And it has not only digital inputs but also an analogue line-level input and even a phono input for a turntable. Put all that together with the volume knob on the front, and there’s really nothing missing to make it not a preamplifier, though those with a wide range of analogue sources would need to find something more comprehensive. Its digital input section, though, is plentiful, with two coaxial digital inputs, one optical, a USB-B socket for use with a computer, and an XLR input for the professional AES/EBU digital audio standard. The USB-B connection supports up to 32-bit PCM at 384kHz, and DSD to DSD128. It is also fully MQA-compatible. There’s also a word clock I/O, so you can externally clock the DAC if you want to get that deep into things. Its own built-in clock is the Mytek Femtoclock Generator, rated at 0.82ps jitter. By way of comparison, even with 384kHz sampling, the interval between each sample is 2,600,000 picoseconds. Control is via the four buttons on the front panel, along with the knob. It’s pretty straightforward and you soon learn how to do it. There is also a control panel for Windows if you’re principally using it via your computer. The supplied remote control looked very familiar, because it is the one that came with Gen 2

AppleTVs AppleTVs. We have no problem with that, since we always thought this to be a miraculously simple design. The front-panel display is also among the best we’ve seen, whether in its clean simplified version or the fussier, fuller display. If you like to know exactly what you’re listening to, you’ll love the level of information given here. If you like options, you’ll be happy too. You can choose between a digital volume control and an analogue one. Or you can bypass this so that it only affects the headphones, while the line and XLR outputs bypass the volume control (in this configuration it does, strictly, stop being a preamp). Watch out, though, as the output in this mode from a full-scale 16-bit PCM signal is the more pro-level 5V RMS, rather than the 2V output more common on consumer gear. The sound delivered by this DAC was — how to put it? — perfect to the limits of our listening capabilities, let’s say. Noise? None. Our measurements showed an amazing -109.4dBA noise level. Distortion was low. THD was 0.0013% for all signals. IMD was around 0.0045% for 16-bit signals, and 0.003% or better for 24-bit signals. Control? As good as it gets. Tonal balance? Exact. List your favourite audible characteristics of a piece of high-fidelity equipment, and the Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ will meet or exceed them. If you want the highest quality of sound and control from your DAC or pre-amplifier, look to the Mytek Brooklyn DAC+. More info: www.addictedtoaudio.com.au

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

Pre-Power Amplifiers of the Year

Stereo JUDGES’

e could fill this small space left available by the product’s enormous brand plus model name in talking merely about the needle displays, or the best-looking volume control we’ve ever seen (black surround and copper-coloured inlay, and actually a rotary encoder that drives a stepped precision resistor ladder via high-linearity relays). The Progression Preamplifier has a DAC option, which is a first for Dan D’Agostino, while its main circuitry is all discrete, fully-complementary and balanced from input to output, and negative feedback is not used, yet the circuit is so clean that Dan D’Agostino says its bandwidth extends beyond 100kHz, and that THD measures lower than 0.006%. In the stereo power amp (with that magnificant combination meter, inspired by Swiss watches, we gather), D’Agostino’s Super Rail technology ensures the output of the Progression

amplifier could never be starved of voltage — the power supply comprises a near-3000VA 240V transformer and a capacitor bank with a storage capacity of 400,000μF. Nor are you ever likely to run out of power to drive your speakers — whatever they may be — because the output stage here uses 24 bipolar output transistors per channel, which Dan D’Agostino says will deliver 300W into eight ohms, down to 1200W into two. D’Agostino has never been shy about charging what he thinks his products are worth. The preamplifier costs some $33,995 (and add $6895 to include the DAC module), and the power amplifier also $33,995. But if you want the best... More info: www.advanceaudio.com.au

COMMENT

“A stereo preamp and stereo power amp that not only deliver the very heights of hi-fi performance, but look awesomely desirable into the bargain.” 73

STEREO AMPLIFIERS

Multiroom Amplifier of the Year

JUDGES’

t might be considered brave to come to market with a new multiroom platform when so many rivals are now in the market. But then Meridian is no newcomer. It had Sooloos as an app-like control system before there were really such things as apps. The wonderful Roon software platform (see p86) began as a development right out of Sooloos. So the company’s new 200 Series is more a case of delivering smaller and installation-friendly ‘zone’-based devices which can easily spread Meridian’s existing expertise into multiroom zone-based audio. And it has the significant advantage of having high-quality and high-resolution embedded into its DNA, as it were. The $2679 ‘251’ is a zone controller with amplifiers; also available is the 218, essentially the same but without amplifiers, so you can plug it into an existing system or a pair of active speakers. They’re both small, half rack-width, so that two can be mounted as shown below. From one point of view the 251 is a stereo amplifier with some conventional inputs, both analogue and digital, with a high-quality switching preamplifier, DAC, and two channels of Class-D amplification. But from the point of view of a Meridian system, it’s also an endpoint for the company’s Sooloos music management platform.

Sooloos, which can run on an iPhone or iPad, PC or Mac, provides a beautiful and clever interface with which to control playback of a file-based music collection, and of Tidal, which integrates seamlessly into the Sooloos interface. So control is entirely virtual — there’s no physical remote provided, though you could choose to add Meridian’s new MSR2 handheld system control for $499. The units themelves can be hidden away. The 251 proves itself a pint-sized power pack loaded with streaming goodness, and in many ways is quite brilliant, a dream to use both in terms of reliability of operation and discovery of music online or in your own collection. Tidal and MQA files are its bread and butter. As a traditional amplifier its inputs are somewhat limited, and we’re not fans of the bare-wire Phoenix screwclamp connector blocks in a hi-fi context. But the 251 proves its point many times over. More info: www.cogworks.io

COMMENT

“This is multiroom done smaller, neater, and in several significant ways, better.”

Cogworks’ Paul McLean collects the Award.

THE ‘AWARD-WINNING’ BEL CANTO’S NEW ACI 600 – IS IT ‘THE ULTIMATE INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER’? '$ 1 $/ $.Ѷ 3 +/ /# / $/ҁ. )*/ %0./ ) $)/ "- / (+'$‫ ޔ‬-Ѷ $/ҁ. '.* Ѷ ./- ( -Ѷ +- Ҋ (+'$‫ ޔ‬-Ѷ +*2 - (+'$‫ ޔ‬-Ѷ ) # +#*) (+'$‫ ޔ‬-Ѷ '' $) /# *) *(+ / # ..$.ѵ Don’t take our word for it come and listen for yourself. AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR OVER $20,000

Bel Canto ACI 600

AACENTO – NO COMPROMISE AAcento is the new ‘no compromise integrated amp from Au udio ) '*"0 ) /# ‫ޔ‬-./ +-* 0 / *! /# ) 2 0- '$) ѵ / $) *-+ +*- / . a mix of simple design and reference sound performances to ccreate the best sound with the best value for money available on the m market. AMPLIFIER OF THE YEAR $2000-$10,000

Audio Analogue AAcento

# 0- - )" $. .$") /* ( 3$($. /# )0( - *! ! /0 0- . !*those users looking for the widest range of functions and conneections in a single product. We hope you agree.

AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA THROUGH

ABSOLUTE HI END . 0488 777 999 . info@absolutehiend.com . www.absolutehiend.com

LOUDSPEAKERS

Standmount Speakers of the Year under $2000

Definitive Technology Demand D9 n our first loudspeaker price break, we have separate awards for standmount and floorstanding speakers — it seems likely that most people will be looking for one or the other. And for standmounters it was an easy call once we’d spent time with Definitive Technology’s Demand series, a trio of standmount models in which this pair, the D9, is the middle child, between the smaller D7 and the larger D11. The Demands are unusual in several respects. With their magnetic cloth grilles on, they’ll blend quietly and effectively into any décor. But things are transformed visually if you choose to use them grilles off, as you then face that full silver baffle with the stylish driver technology on show. The tweeters are positioned off-centre, each to one side of the cabinet (there are clear ‘left’ and ‘right’ labels on the back of the speakers), and angled outward by five degrees. There’s a tangerine-like ‘Patented Linear Response Waveguide’ at the centre of the mid/woofer (133mm on the D9s), designed to extend both on- and off-axis frequency response. And most unusual of all is the oval passive bass radiator measuring nine by five inches, which is positioned on the top. Of course Definitive Technology has been harnessing this kind of back energy in its speakers for years. We’ve just never seen a radiator on top of a standmount before. While middle children are notoriously ignored and subsequently troublesome, the D9 is both unignorable and a delight to have playing in your home. A particular highlight is their soundstaging, wide beyond the physical position of the D9s, and with wonderfully convincing

imaging abilities. How precisely defined and separated were the three intertwining horns on Little Rootie Tootie from the 2012 Monk tribute… how full-sized and spacious the sax solo at the close of Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side, how well-shaped the Yamaha piano on the 1993 Nonesuch recording of Gershwin’s ghost playing his double-tracked piano-roll recording of Rhapsody in Blue. The question over a passive radiator is often that it may well add substance to the sound, but does it do so with precision? Here the passive drivers’ contribution included some nice power and resonance to the bottom notes of the bass guitar, and real impact when led by the motion of the front driver. Classics were full and real, while brighter bigger mixes of the modern world showed the D9s’ skills with detail and timing. We kept coming back to the pricing here — $1295 is a sock-blowingly good price for the performance level and the fit and finish quality of the Demand D9. There are dedicated stands available, but even sensibly benched they render sensational sounds for the size and price. More info: www.advanceaudio.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Beautiful finish, clever driver technology and simply sensational sound for the size and price.”

Advance Audio’s Brendon Brauer collects.

LOUDSPEAKERS

Floorstanding Speakers of the Year under $2000

Q Acoustics 3050i JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Their high quality look is matched by their performance — close intimacy when required, but also able to deliver a full and driving delivery with weight and grounding.” he UK-based Q Acoustics rarely offers anything other than excellent value. In this latest ‘i’ update of its 3000 Series, these 3050i floorstanders seem a particular bargain, at $1399 for the pair, yet exuding a sense of quality even just from their styling. They stand a little oveer a metre tall, the enclosures having curved edges where thee sides meet the top and bottom panels. The wrap finish is availaable in w white, black, grey or English Walnut, and our review speakers useed the last of these, a superior wrap seeming indistinguishable from a real-wood veneer. It also fully covered the front baffle beh hind the small magnetically-secured grilles. Should you wish h to usee them with the grilles removed, you’ll see the drivers are fittted witth stylish metal rings. It’s a high quality look. Of course, we’re more about the sound than the look. And it d doesn’t lag behind. The twin 165mm bass/midrange drivers witth a 22mm tweeter between them deliver a detail and tone th hat allo ows a close intimacy when required, but is also able to deliveer a fu ull and driving delivery with weight and grounding on larger ore lively material. In our listening the 3050i speakers remain ned mo ballanced even when played at rip-roaring levels (and we made a point of partnering them not only with high-quality electronics but with realistic levels of power, from a mid-price AV receiverr, forr example, likely the kind of partner which many users will give theem). They could tame the top-end a little, usefully so when a reccording was a touch too bright. They were delightfully comfo ortablle with gloriously recorded jazz, and with fireworks solo pian no. Waant some speakers to produce music suitable for head-banging acttivities? Again, the Q3050i floorstanders delivered, and only in the more complex sections of sustained loudness did a slight con nfusion surface in the low and mid treble, showing the ultim mate lim mits of a speaker at this level. But that was only in the thrashiest of moments turned up perrhaps too far. It was clear from our time with these speakers thaat they don’t play favourites with with style or genre. The Q Acoustics 3050i loudspeakers provide remarkable performancee at a remarkable price. More info: www.indimports.com

LOUDSPEAKERS

Loudspeakers of the Year $2000-$10 10,000 000

Revel Performa3 F208 evel is a dedicated high-end brand founded by Harman International in 1996, and the F208s were designed by Kevin Voeks, Director of Engineering at Revel since that time, previously the head designer at Snell, and before that at Mirage. The heritage shines through here in the $9995 F208 floorstanders, first introduced in 2014. How come we’re awarding a product that’s four years old? This happens sometimes when an existing model comes in for review, or gets new distribution in Australia, and then so impresses us that we can’t help but give it the recognition it deserves. These gorgeous floorstanders were just such a pair — energy without aggression, so accurate, so musical, so natural-sounding that we were captivated. Revel’s Performa3 Series falls exactly in the middle of Revel’s five different series (not counting its architectural speakers), yet the curvy cabinets are similar to those used for the company’s flagship Ultima2 Series, being formed with contiguous wood layers and finished in high-gloss piano black or genuine American walnut using a process Revel says: “is developed and overseen by Italian luxury cabinet-makers and exceeds automotive finish quality”. But it’s their sound that wins the award — the sonic purity of the treble, an incredibly realistic stereo image, neutral midrange, deep bass and the ability for the drivers to ‘stop’ when required. It’s all here. More info: www.convoy.com.au

JUDGES’

“These Revels are gorgeous loudspeakers to look at, but it’s their sound that wins the award — energy without aggression, so accurate, so musical, so natural-sounding. We were captivated.”

Bowers & Wilkins 702 S2 HIGHLY COMMENDED: What we liked best about the $6500 B&W 702 S2 loudspeakers was that everything we played through them sounded great. Rather than aiming for studio monitor-like accuracy, B&W instead seems to have engineered this design to make whatever music you play through them sound richer, more musical and more exciting… in a way almost larger-than-life, yet at the same time not. The result is that the B&W 702 S2 speakers will be able to fill even the largest room with great sound at high volume levels. The cabinet of the 702 S2 is cornered rather than curved like the company’s higher models, and that seems to have left funds for a goodly dose of ‘high-tech’ driver technology, including the classic ‘tweeter on top’ in its jet-engine-like aluminium housing, the 25mm ‘carbon’ dome diaphragm on the front a brandnew design for B&W. The ‘Continuum’ midrange weave has trickled down in an amended form from the flagship 800 Series D3, as has the triple-layer ‘sandwich’ of the three 165mm-diameter bass drivers, and though here the sandwich is of paper with inner layers of expanded polystyrene, the combination n delivers a rich bottom-end that works wonderfully well across genres in this friendly and successful design. More info: www.bowers-wilkins.net

COMMENT

LO OUDSPEAKERS

Loudspeakers of the Year over $10,000

GoldenEar Triton Reference he sky is the limit in our top speaker award, but we didn’t need to go too high to find this year’s winner, the truly remarkable Triton Reference. As is GoldenEar’s oeuvre, it’s partially active and partially passive... a so-called ‘hybrid’ design. Amplifiers (each rated at 1800W) are built in to power the multiple bass drivers in each cabinet, but you use an external stereo amplifier to drive the midrange drivers and the tweeters. The configuration is complex enough that the ‘cutaway’ image here can be helpful! — the three front-mounted 6×10-inch sub-bass drivers are supplemented by four 10x9-inch side passive radiators that are driven by the rear energy from the active drivers. Midrange is delivered by two 153mm drivers that incorporate a low-mass voice coil and a newly-developed cone with a butyl rubber surround, flanking the High-Velocity Folded-Ribbon tweeter with its extra-large neodymium magnet. One of the most obvious differences between the new Reference and previous Triton models is the hand-rubbed piano gloss-black lacquer finished one-piece monocoque cabinet in place of the black cloth covering used on previous models. The result is a pair of truly ‘high-end’ loudspeakers which, although $17,995, are far, far more affordable than almost all their high-end competitors, and sound a whole lot better than many of them as well. GoldenEar’s famous claim of ‘making the high-end affordable’ is entirely realised in the Triton Reference. More info: www.networkav.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Truly high-end speakers which nevertheless deliver on GoldenEar’s claim to ‘make the high-end affordable’.”

Network AV’s Claver Harper collects the Award for GoldenEar.

LOUDSPEAKERS

Active Speakers of the Year

Dynaudio Xeo 20 he Xeo 20s not only look stylish and sound fabulous (especially when you turn them up), they offer the simplicity of an active speaker solution, with Bluetooth convenience when you need it, while providing best quality from the flexible and high-quality inputs, both on the speakers themselves or by adding the Dynaudio Connect box, from which they can stream

BusiSoft AV’s Michael Di Meglio and George Poutakidis brought their double act to the stage for Dynaudio’s second award.

connected sources at high-res quality. Dynaudio has made sensible changes with its latest iteration of the Xeo concept — the Xeo 20s are prettier, more curvilyedged and without the IR receiver that sat atop the Xeo 4, and requiring no link cable, so that while there is a Master and a Slave, the two communicate wirelessly with each other. We enjoyed them most giving them a clean digital signal via their optical input, but Bluetooth streaming was not much the inferior sound. Rear switches adjust for positioning, and offer the further ability of transmitting to a network of other Xeo units in the home. Since no amps are required and all you need is a phone (and additional sources as desired), their price of $3399 also starts to look quite the bargain as well, for this clever compact system that can expand in both directions. More info: www.busisoftav.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Not only the simplicity of an active speaker solution, but expandable inputs and outputs, with Bluetooth convenience when you need it, and best of all they sound great when you crank them up.”

Installation Speakers of the Year

LOUDSPEAKERS

Wisdom Insight L8i

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Planar magne etic highs that mak ke these line-sourrce speakers as dreamy with h music as when firing out a movvie soundtrack.”” the smaller non-planar Insight P2i models, the system went farr beyond the expected rapid dynamiccs for movie sound. Planar magneetic designs share with electrostatics peed a unique ability to deliver sp and detail to music that is likely to astound anyone used to regular tweeters. It’s a differrent presentation style, and one we’d recommend you hear before heading down the usual boxx-andore cone surround solution. Mo info: www.networkav.com.au

nstallation speakers are made to be heard, not seen. So while we (as fans of audio tech) would rather enjoy peering at the pair of 61cm planar magnetic film membranes and the eight more conventional racetrack-shaped woofers in each of these 131cm-high Wisdom Insight L8i speakers (they’re priced at $12,000 each), you’re never going to see that in any self-respecting home cinema. At most you’ll see them grilled, but more likely they’ll be entirely hidden away in some barnstorming home cinema such as the one below. We’ve long had a great admiration for Wisdom Audio’s line source speakers, of which the Insight range is three from the top, though the L8i maintains the principles behind the highest models, and the technologies too. A line source is very different to the ‘point source’ of conventional box speakers. The energy dispersion spreads in what might be described as an expanding cylinder, hardly at all vertically, drastically reducing floor and ceiling reflections compared with the spherical expansion of the sound wave from a cone. The perceived volume of line speakers doesn’t decay in the same way either, and you get a far more generous ‘sweet spot’ both front to back and side to side. Though we heard them in a home cinema context, with a system including

LOUDSPEAKERS

Subwoofer of the Year under $5000

Richter Thor 10.6 s Richter’s MD Brian Rodgers remarked when collecting this award on the night, the company’s Thor subwoofers have a probably unparalleled success in collecting awards. We had no hesitation in adding this one, for the latest $1499 Thor 10.6 design. Richter’s Senior Engineer Dr Martin Gosnell was tasked with developing the new model to be smaller and lighter than any previous Thor subwoofer. He not only succeeded (at 44 × 31 × 39cm the Thor 10.6 is 20% smaller than the Thor Mk V, and 30% lighter too), he also raised the internal amplifier power to 450W from the previous 300W to extract the highest levels of performance from the newly-designed high-performance 254mm long-throw bass driver. Perhaps most remarkable of all, Richter has also made it look significantly prettier (you know, for a subwoofer). With the grille fitted you can’t can t see the twin tuneable bass

reflex ports, while the the front-firing of both these and the driver means you can recess the subwoofer into a wall — or into a cupboard or cabinet — to completely remove the subwoofer from the listening room. Even out on display, it’s no eye-sore, with no vinyl to be seen, just a very classy matte-painted surface.. It’s also versatile, with more configuration options than any previous Richter subwoofer, and with better-quality fittings as well. The low pass filter is not only adjustable, it’s also defeatable. In addition to the usual rotary volume level and crossover controls, there are three modes of DSP equalisation for ‘Music’, ‘Merlin’ and ‘Home Theatre’; the ‘Merlin’ Merlin mode is designed to integrate

perfectly with Richter’s award-winning Merlin bookshelf loudspeakers. And there are both balanced and unbalanced LFE inputs, plus speaker-level inputs, accessed via multi-way gold-plated speaker terminals. As for performance, Richter has succeeded where most other subwoofer manufacturers have not, delivering a small subwoofer that doesn’t sound small at all, exhibiting marvellously deep bass performance, with tuneful, rhythmic musical delivery and superbly low levels of distortion. Add the extraordinarily high level of connectivity, multiple EQ modes and classy finish, and the Richter 10.6 will surely extend the fame of Thor. More info: www.richter.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Aussie company Richter has succeeded where most other subwoofer manufacturers have m not. It’s managed tto build a small and vversatile subwoofer that doesn’t sound small at all.”

Rich hter’s Brian Rodgers collects the Award.

LO LOUDSPEAKERS

Subwoofer of the Year over $5000

Bowers & Wilkins DB1D JUDGES’

COMMENT

“That B&W’s new DB1D subwoofer is hugely powerful was not surprising, given its 2000W of power driving two 12-inch bass drivers. What iss surprising is the accuracy of the built-in room equalisation and the versatility of other settings using an iOS/Android app.

he DB range unveiled by B&W in 2017 represents the most powerful active subwoofers the company has ever produced. They are possible partners for the company’s 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers, and they use the Aerofoil cones introduced in that series, the composition of which remains, along with most of B&W’s other drivers at present, a secret, though the properties of Aerofoil are touted as

ultra-stiffness combined with lightness, the perfect formula for delivering controlled and precise bass. Top of the heap in this flagship subwoofer collection is the $7900 DB1D, with not one but two 12-inch Aerofoil drivers working in opposed directions to deliver maximum output yet with the minimum of unwanted vibration within a cabinet already designed for extraordinary rigidity (and available in the same Gloss Black, Satin White and Rosenut finishes that distinguish the 800 Series D3). That the DB1D subwoofer sounds hugely powerful was not a big surprise, because in this all-new design B&W is using 2000W of Class-D power to drive these opposed cones. What was surprising was the effect of B&W’s dedicated iOS/Android app, which replaces the usual knobs and dials to provide control over output, to offer ‘presets’, and additionally to assist

users with set-up wizards and general troubleshooting. Your phone connects to the DB1D via Bluetooth. This app goes further, able to adapt the digital preamp to deliver processing such as Dynamic EQ and particularly Room EQ which proved highly effective; we also like the fact the B&W provides a manual setting capability (again via the app) so you can over-ride the correct settings if you’d rather. Despite the secrecy around materials, the performance matches the hype, both the manner in which this subwoofer effortlessly plumbs the depths of home cinema sound, and the relative ease with which it’s able to integrate into a stereo system (and not just alongside B&W speakers) given the versatility of its app and the digital rather than analogue processing this delivers. The DB1D is powerful, agile and innovative. More info: www.bowers-wilkins.net

B&W Australia’s John Martin collects the DB1D Award.

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SPECIAL AWARDS S

Smart Speaker of the Year

JUDGES’

he smart speaker market has just graduated to include screens — Google’s Home Hub and the Amazon Echo Show have both arrived... but neither company has a good record when it comes to sound quality. JBL, on the other hand, is a loudspeaker company that has got smart, selling frankly astounding numbers of its wireless speakers, then being very quick to implement Google Voice Assistant into its Link smart speaker range, and now bringing this touch-screen Link View to market in Australia at a remarkable price of just $349 (and as we write, available for $80 below that). It is a useful thing? Hell, yes. It has an audio Chromecast inside, so it works within the Google Home app, streams Spotify, and groups with other rooms. It has Bluetooth as well. Slightly disappointingly it doesn’t work as a video Chromecast, but the 8-inch touchscreen can access YouTube, Google-compatible security cams, and Google-stored photos and videos. There’s a 5-megapixel camera which you can use for making calls using Google Duo (though not Skype or Facetime). And it can play music. Now usually we suggest that if you use a Google Home or Home Mini, you set its default music output to something else — a Chromecast plugged into your hi-fi, say, or direct to an Android TV with an attached sound system. But JBL’s Link speakers achieve far better standalone sound, and the Link View is no exception, its stereo speakers firing forward to deliver a solid sound at desktop distances from YouTube or Spotify; bass went down to the 40s of hertz with some peaks and dips up to 100Hz (a loud 75Hz test tone had it shuffling across the benchtop), and it hit full strength

from perhaps 140Hz. We couldn’t find a Bluetooth button, so were impressed that saying ‘Hey Google, enter Bluetooth pairing mode’ was understood and implemented, for easy direct streaming. Is a screen better? We discuss that on p10 this issue; there are pros and cons. But if your answer is yes, then the JBL Link View is one cool and effective early example of the new breed. More info: www.jbl.com.au

COMMENT

“It’s a smart Google Voice-equipped speaker with a screen and camera. But its crucial difference is the quality of its sound.”

Dynaudio Music 1 HIGHLY COMMENDED:: Not voice-controlled but certainly smart in the way it does things, the $699 Music 1 is the smallest of Dynaudio’s Music range, and proves a fine small wireless sp peaker which delivers big bass and level enough even to take outside to the patio to party (for which it can operate on battery power). Being only 22cm high, you can’t expect the full hi-fi qualities of agility and tunefulnesss, and it’s a surprise to find Spotify Connect omitted, while DLNA and high-res are available only by third-party apps. But with Tidal the Music app is smart and neat, and the speaker highly musical. More info: www.busisoftav.com.a au

SPECIAL AWARDS

Multiroom System of the Year

ur Multiroom System Award has previously gone to platforms which are primarily hardware-based, or at least purchased as part of a device — think Yamaha’s MusicCast, or Bluesound, or HEOS, or Sonos. Last year we gave it to Chromecast, which had snuck up on everyone by stealth and created a multiroom audio system in many homes without people even realising it was there. That won’t happen with Roon, because it’s software, for which you have to subscribe at $119 per year, or a lifetime purchase of $499. And in this day and age, many people don’t see the value inherent in software. But Roon is remarkable in three key ways. Firstly it combines all your own music, wherever you might store it, in iTunes or Windows or on a NAS drive in the attic, and it rolls all this together in an intelligent and attractive interface. It learns about your collection and suggests interesting ways to navigate it, like all the different albums on which a particular session drummer might play, or shuffling everything from a quirky independent record label. It’s easy to move around your collection via connections you’d never previously noticed. It can also combine your collection with Tidal to deliver everything in the world under this interface, though that’s an additional subscription, and it’s important to emphasise that Roon works perfectly well without Tidal. Secondly, it uses your home network to deliver all this music to devices throughout your home. If you’re

using your computer this could be an attached DAC. It could be any device which is defined as ‘Roon ready’. But more recently Roon has been able to address any iOS device, anything that has AirPlay, Sonos devices, and most recently of all, anything with a Chromecast in it. That’s loads of possibilities! And thirdly but certainly not leastly, it is a stickler for audio quality — it’s baked into its core, as it were. Touch the coloured dot on its interface and it shows you exactly what is happening to the file from its source through to its final destination. Is your AirPlay device down-ressing high-res? Are you getting a real double-unfold of MQA from Tidal through your DAC? Roon tells you. We must declare that Roon has given us a licence; we haven’t had to stump up the money for Roon. But if they took it away again, we’d have no hesitation in paying for it. Like any software, it occasionally slows up with your system. But there is no better way to control your music, to ensure the best possible quality of delivery to multiple devices, or to enjoy the sheer wonder of musical discovery. More info: roonlabs.com

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“Roon has become a peacemaker between hardware platforms. There is no better way to control your music, to ensure the best possible quality of delivery to multiple devices, or to enjoy the sheer wonder of musical discovery.”

CELEBRATING THE YEARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST PRODUCTS

GLOBAL AWARDS 2018-19 visit www.eisa.eu for the winners

EISA is the unique collaboration of 55 member magazines and websites from 27 countries, specialising in all aspects of consumer electronics from mobile devices, home theatre display and audio products, photography, hi-fi and in-car entertainment. Now truly international with members in Australia, India, Canada, the Far East and USA, and still growing, the EISA Awards and official logo are your guide to the best in global consumer technology!

TESTED BY THE EXPERTS Q WWW.EISA.EU

SPECIAL AWARDS

Most Downloaded

his Award is decided by our readers, as it recognises the review which had the most reads on AVHub.com.au (often including downloads of the original magazine pages, which we load up as PDFs with many online reviews). And this year the most read review was for Sony’s STR-DN1080 AV receiver — and it’s still there to read, so feel free to add to its numbers! The others in our top five were the Cambridge Audio CXA-80 amplifier, our First Listen report on the B&W 700 Series, Yamaha’s RX-A3070 AV receiver, and another Sony, the UBP-X800 UHD Blu-ray player. These weren’t our

SPECIAL AWARDS

most-read of all, though — the lisst was topped by several pieces that have been running for more than a year, including ‘How to play Tidaal Master high-res files on your Macc’, and the evergreen (and ever usefu ul) ‘How to set subwoofer controls’. The counter is now ticking aw way at AVHub.com.au to determine which reviews will feature in nextt year’s awards. Indeed for all your tech news and reviews (our photo ographic and Australian Guitarr titlles are there too) head to AVHub.com m.au; sign up for newsletters to get the latest content direct to your inboxx.

Lifetime Achievement

Mark Döhmann e is, of course, far too young, really, for a Lifetime Achievement award (although he had a stint developing software for bionic engineering, so that some suspect he may now be augmented). But Mark Döhmann has an impressive CV as a turntable designer that stretches back to 1982. Of course there’s no forgetting the Continuum Caliburn, which offered a performance benchmark for vinyl arguably not seen since the days of the big Rockport turntables and the Micro Seiki 8000II. Then in 2014, he was enlisted to spearhead a new statement turntable project, under the stewardship of the Audio Union company, accompanied by other key leaders including tone-arm designer Frank Schröder; Allen Perkins, designer of the multi award-winning Spiral Groove SG1 turntable bearing; and Dr. David Platus, founder of Minus K technologies, world leader in the field of vibration isolation for applications as diverse as microscopy, spacecraft ground testing and neuroscience. The result of this collaboration was the Helix 1, and then the Helix 2, both Sound+Image Award winners and recognised as the highest level in the art, science and engineering of turntable design, the benchmark in noise suppression and isolation. But this award is for more than Mark Döhmann’s track record in innovation and design. We’re also recognising his attitude to collaboration, his easy recognition of the input of others, and his desire to communicate his passions within the industry and especially to the music-loving public, at events like the Turntable Masterclasses he ran at both recent shows in Melbourne. For all this and more, we’re delighted to present this year’s Sound+Image Lifetime Achievement Award to Mark Döhmann.

Mark Dohmann with Australian Hi-Fi’s greg borrowman (top) and Jez Ford (centre).

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SPECIAL AWARDS

Judges’ Choice

ssi ur Judges’ Choice Award is not necessarily presented every year — it is reserved for something which doesn’t quite fit into a conventional category, but which the judges want to recognise special And from first announcement of as something special. the JBL L100 Classic, through to their recent time in our test rooms, these speakers have been a ‘wow’ — not for everyone, but sure to excite a certain subsection of fans of a certain age, those perhaps who always lusted after the original and iconic L100, which was released in 1970 and became the company’s p y best-sellingg speaker p ever.

“Not only JBL’s all-time best-sellers, but, from all indication ns, they were the best-sellingg loudspeakeer system of the decade,” Harman Interrnational’s Jim Garrett told d us back in January at CES in Las Vega Vegas, where thee new models were unveiled. The new w version was designed for JBL by Ch hris Hagen — it is, of course, an updated design, and uses JBL’s newly-developed 25mm titanium titaniumdome tweeter fitted with a waveguide, a 125mm-diameter midrange driver that has h a cast-frame and a pure-pulp cone, and a 305mm wood-pulp bass driver. But th hey feature the same attrractive, 1970sm style retro ‘Quadrex’ foam grille in a choice of three d colours — the orange and blue pictured above, plus b black. b And the new modeels retain the classic JBL tonee to oo — a taste of the goldeen age of hi-fi. The price in Australia is $8495. More A in nfo: www.convoy.com.au

JUDGES’

COMMENT

“A taste of the golden age of hi-fi... the L100 Classic is indeed classic JBL.”

™

service | sales | installation

NETWORK MUSIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR OVER $1000 Cocktail Audio X35

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Judged “Music Player of the Year” by Sound+Image, whose experts declared “The X45 is a rare do-it-all source, and importantly aims to do it all at an audiophile level of reproduction. Whether streaming, ripping CDs, playing high-res from its internal drive or recording and editing vinyl, the X45 is a delight to have in control of your music.”

MUSIC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Cocktail Audio X45

uhd

The Town Ben Affleck was directing his way back to success when he made ‘The Town’. Although only eight years old, it shows how UHD Blu-rays can reveal quality flaws as well as highlights.

even appear in the first, Gone Baby Gone (2008). He directed it and the next couple, but left his brother Casey to star. The third was Argo (2012). That, of course, won best picture Oscar and was the first movie since 1989’s ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ to have “apparently directed itself”, since Affleck was not nominated as best director. The middle entry is The Town. Like Gone Baby Gone this draws on Affleck’s native affinity for his home town of Boston, but it’s chiefly a heist movie. The closest in style would be Michael Mann’s Heatt (1995). Affleck and Jeremy Renner lead a crew of hard-core, hyper-competent robbers. They kind of work for ‘The Florist’, Pete Postlethwaite in his second-last role before succumbing to pancreatic cancer. Of course, things don’t always work out they way they should. And of course there’s a romantic development. The movie is highly enjoyable, so long as you don’t mind rooting for violent bank robbers. Affleck’s character is distinguished by not being as Video bit-rate (Mbps) of ‘The Town’ main feature on the Blu-ray disc. brutal as the others.

n 1997 Ben Affleck won the Oscar for the Best Screenplay with his friend, Matt Damon. Affleck’s role in Good Will Huntingg was as supporting actor. Following that he appeared in a range of movies, including the astonishingly silly Armageddon, the underwhelming actioner Pearl Harbor, and the weak Marvel comic Daredevil. But it was Gigli — a romantic comedy/crime movie from 2003 that made Affleck, it seems, almost a laughing stock. Gigli scores 2.4/10 on IMDB. Affleck is a smart man. (Reference: Oscar for Good Will Hunting). g In 2008 he started creating a redemptive trio of movies. He didn’t

Although 2010 isn’t all that long ago, the film has in parts an old-fashioned look. Especially things like the swooping, panning views of the city. They’re a little sharper, a little more detailed. They’re a little brighter and a little less grainy. But they still look like they could have come from one of 20 movies made in the 1990s or 1980s. This movie was shot on film — Kodak Vision3 500T 5219 to be precise — but it being 2010, the ‘cinematographic process’ was digital. That’s things like editing, colour grading and correction and so on. And that meant telecining the film into a digital format. So even though there aren’t any robot fights or space-ships, the movie passed through a digital pipe. A 2K digital pipe. This UltraHD rendition is, therefore, upsampled from a 2K source. I know about the ‘four times the resolution’ claim for UltraHD, but in the real world, even with the latest, newest-shot content, the resolution differences between Full-HD and UltraHD aren’t particularly obvious. With stuff that’s passed through a 2K bottleneck, that’s even less so. To be clear, though, the 2K of the ‘cinemato-

reviews by Stephen Dawson

SPECS

THE TOWN 2010 – Roadshow Entertainment MOVIE: SOUND:

graphic process’ is probably not the 1920-pixel width of Full-HD. If it’s, say, 2048 pixels in width, translation to 3840 pixels is going to produce a sharper result than 1920. But what you’re really getting is slightly better colour, and markedly better contrast provided by HDR. You’re also getting greater exposure of weaknesses in cinematography and processing. And so at various points through this movie we see occasional soft images where the focus just wasn’t quite spot on. And more peculiarly, we see some processing artifacts. For example, at 32:22 there is a scene where Affleck and Rebecca Hall are having a conversation in a community garden. Hall is in magnificently sharp focus, finely detailed and a delight to the eye. Behind her is greenery and flowers, appropriately out of focus. Except that the purple flowers with yellow centres have been artificially sharpened. Accidentally, I’d guess. A touch of sharpening on Hall provides part of the clarity that’s great about this scene. But it has also hit the out-of-focus flowers, and some of these have clear ghost lines around them from the sharpening process. Had this been done at 4K, it probably wouldn’t have been visible. But done at 2K, with the result presented in UltraHD, it’s as clear as day.

That clarity also lets you see other things. Like a speedo showing 82 miles per hour in a car going the wrong way down a street, dodging traffic (57:32). Now that strains credibility. The sound is delivered in 5.1-channel DTS-HD Master Audio. It’s effective and involving, although much of the dialogue is delivered in a kind of mumbling Bostonian which can be hard to make out (at least to non-Bostonians). There’s lots of shooting, but one lesson not drawn from Heat was to present gunfire at a level hinting at its true brutal impact. Sadly. The Blu-ray disc included in the package provides both the theatrical version of the movie and a 153-minute extended addition. Rather than using seamless branching, the disc packs two full versions of the movie (along with half an hour of ‘focus points’). The result is that the Blu-ray version has a bit-rate of less than 14Mbps for both movie cuts. It will be interesting to see Affleck’s new movies. He’s largely returned to starring (particularly as Batman). His most recent directorial effort, Live by Night, was apparently mediocre, but he’s attached to Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution. If he’s half as good Billy Wilder was in 1957, that’ll be something to look forward to.

PICTURE: EXTRAS:

DIRECTOR: Ben Afleck STARRING: Ben Afleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Pete Postlethwaite, Chris Cooper RUNNING TIME: 125 minutes RESTRICTIONS: Rated MA, Region Free

UHDBD PICTURE: 2.35:1, 2160p/24, HEVC, HDR, BT.2020 SOUND: English: DTS-HD Master Audio; English Descriptive Audio, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2/0.0; French, German, Italian, Spanish x 2, Portuguese, Czech, Polish, Russian, Thai, Turkish: Dolby Digital 3/2.1 SUBTITLES: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Arabic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Turkish EXTRAS: Resume Playback, Commentary

BD PICTURE: 2.35:1, 1080p/24, MPEG4 AVC @ 13.95Mbps (Theatrical), 13.97Mbps (Extended) SOUND: Theatrical: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 24/48 3/2.1 @ 2722kbps (core: DTS 24/48 @ 1509kbps); Commentary: Dolby Digital 2/0.0 @ 192kbps; French, German, Italian, Spanish: Dolby DIgital 3/2.1 @ 448kbps; Extended: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 16/48 3/2.1 @ 2153kbps (core: DTS 16/48 @ 1509kbps); Commentary: Dolby Digital 2/0.0 @ 192kbps SUBTITLES: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Arabic, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Swedish EXTRAS: Theatrical and extended cuts, Additional Scene indicator on extended cut; Focus points available from theatrical version, 6 Featurettes/Focus Points (1080p/24 - 30 mins); Commentary

uhd

It A rare success of a Stephen King horror adaptation for the big screen, ‘It’ uses the full force of UHD image and sound quality. Send in the clown... surprise hit at the cinema when it was released late last year, anaging a US$700m international box office from a budget of US$35m, Itt was also something quite rare — an excellent adaptation to screen of a Stephen King horror novel. Most of the finest King-based movies have been from his relatively small number of nonhorror stories. The Shawshank Redemption still sits at #1 on the IMDB chart, ahead of the two Godfathers. Apart from The Shiningg and the first Carrie, though, King horror has worked best on the page. Part of the problem has been ratings watchfulness. ‘It’ appeared on the small screen in 1990 as a three-hour miniseries. There are themes in this movie that certainly couldn’t be done on TV then, and still can’t be with an American PG13 rating. This version is ‘R’ in America and ‘MA15+’ here. And that means blood — at one point lots and lots of blood in what is surely a nod to scenes in The Shiningg and Carrie. Even before the opening title we are shown graphically that no one is safe. Especially children. ‘It’ is Pennywise, a monster which mostly assumes the form of a clown, played to enormously creepy effect by Bill Skarsgord. It appears every 27 years to eat. The meal is children.

Only children can see ‘It’ and its works. Yet they aren’t just hallucinations, and one by one they’re disappearing. The movie is set in 1989, the filmmakers taking cues from Stranger Things, with a group of 13-year-olds first being creeped out by Pennywise, then attacked. This being Stephen King, they’re also being harassed by a group of older teens (see Stand By Me). Pennywise eventually enlists one of those older teens unknowingly in his scheme. One of the young actors is Mike from Stranger Things. We are with each of the younger teens as they experience Pennywise’s scares, and in each case it is effective, with a decent score and solid underlying bass drone to unsettle the viewer. Everything contributes to winding up the tension. In addition to the bullies and monster, the girl of the group, Beverly, is being sexually abused. But the kids are more than victims. Young Bill is determined to find out what happened to his younger brother. He leads the group into confrontation with Pennywise. This is one King I haven’t read. I understand that the book is a two-part piece, with the second part set 27 years later for another confrontation. No surprise then that ‘It: Chapter 2’ is due for release in the middle of 2019.

SPECS

IT 2018 – Roadshow Entertainment MOVIE: SOUND:

PICTURE: EXTRAS:

DIRECTOR: Roar Uthaug STARRING: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Kristin Scott Thomas, Derek Jacobi, Alexandre Willaume, Tamer Burjaq, Adrian Collins, Keenan Arrison, Andrian Mazive, Milton Schorr and Hannah John-Kamen RUNNING TIME: 135 minutes RESTRICTIONS: Rated MA, Region Free

UHDBD PICTURE: 2.39:1, 2160p/24, HEVC, Dolby Vision, BT.2020 SOUND: English, French, German: Dolby Atmos; English, French, German: DTS-HD Master Audio 3/2.1; Italian: DTs 3/2.1; Spanish, Czech, Polish, Russian: Dolby Digital 3/2.1 SUBTITLES: English, French, German, Itallian, Spanish, Dutch, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Swedish EXTRAS: Resume Playback

BD PICTURE: 2.39:1, 1080p/24, MPEG4 AVC @ 23.90Mbps SOUND: English: Dolby Atmos (embedded: Dolby Digital 5.1EX @ 448kbps); English: DTS-HD Master Audio 16/48 3/2.1@ 2274kbps (core: DTS 16/48 3/2.1 @ 1509kbps); Spanish, Hindi, Japanese (hidden), English Descriptive Audio: Dolby Digital 3/2.1 @ 448kbps SUBTITLES: English, Spanish, Bulgarian, Croation, Estonian, Greek, Hebrew, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovenian, Spanish, Hindi, Japanese (Hidden) EXTRAS: Digital Copy; 11 Deleted Scenes (1080p/24 - 14 mins); 3 Featurettes (1080p/24 - 46 mins)

reviews by Stephen Dawson

DESIGN + PERFORMANCE

Video bit-rate for the standard Blu-ray version of ‘It’

As I’ve hinted, the sound of this movie is first-class. Much of the atmosphere is established through it. Weirdly, the Dolby Atmos audio is backed up with a DTS-HD Master Audio version. Likewise the French and German versions also come with both audio formats. Italian gets standard DTS and there are a few more languages in Dolby Digital. Polish is in a voiceover translation rather than a dub. It’s 2018, so no surprise that the movie was shot on digital: 2.8K and 3.4K ARRIRAW. It’s 2018, yet according to IMDB a 2K digital intermediate was used. Isn’t it about time that these were upgraded to 4K? Notwithstanding that, the movie looks gorgeous. And it looks like it was shot on the highest quality film stock, except without any grain. The summer colours of ‘Maine’ (most of the shooting was in Canada) are lush and beautiful. The dark scenes are rendered with great depth, and there is intense contrast. The UltraHD Blu-ray scores Dolby Vision encoding, so there are 12 bits of depth available at any instant, with the scale potentially moving from scene to scene. The thing is gorgeous to look at — all the better to let us admire Pennywise’s many, many teeth.

Embodying the spirit of the Jamo brand, STUDIO 8 series delivers contemporary design, high performance, and balanced, natural sound. In traditional bookshelf and floorstanding speakers and with optional Dolby Atmos ® integration. Home theatre and music systems never looked so good. jamo.com.au

DANISH SOUND DESIGN

Australian Hi-Fi & AV Show 2018

SHOW & tell... Too many rooms, so much music! You can get more in-depth reportage on AVHub.com.au, but here are some all-too-brief highlights, with apologies to the many stunners not included. ABOVE are the amazing Aries Cerat Symphonia Limited Edition loudspeakers in ‘liquid carbon’ and ‘liquid copper’ finishes, flanking an array of Aries Cerat amplification and DAC, a Vertere record deck and Pink Faun 2.16 streamer as source.... RIGHT: the $8999 Woo Audio 3ES, flagship electrostatic headphone amp; these were powering the MrSpeakers Voce electrostatic headphones... BELOW: Japanese valve manufacturer Takatsuki released its very first valve amplifier, the Takatsuki TA-S01 integrated, price $23,000... BELOW RIGHT: a selection of BOE (Built On Enthusiasm) Vintage Bluetooth radios — modern streamers using classic radiogram cases and drivers.

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AudioConnectAU

AudioConnectionAus

Australian Hi-Fi & AV Show 2018

SHOW & tell... ABOVE: Yamaha’s new versus classic demonstration delivered a great (and perhaps brave!) pair of rooms, presenting the new 5000 Series C-5000 preamp, M-5000 stereo power amp and the heralded GT-5000 turntable, connected to the much-awarded NS-5000 flagship speakers, while next door (right) were classic NS-1000 loudspeakers, the legendary GT-2000 turntable, a C4 Control preamplifier and a rare MX-1000 power amp with its bouncing lights. RIGHT: The Davone Solo loudspeakers, designed in Denmark as homage to the Verner Panton 1-2-3 chair, and yes, that’s the forthcoming new Halcro Eclipse superamplifier there in the middle, reborn under Magenta Audio... BELOW: Just one of a set of suites populated by Tivoli Hi-Fi, this one with the Australian debut of the new Marantz Ruby components, playing through Definitive Technology BP9080 tower speakers... BOTTOM RIGHT: Bricasti’s founder and designer Brian Zolner, who made the 17,000km trek from Massachusetts to Melbourne to demonstrate the shiny new Bricasti M21, switch-selectable for whatever digital inputs and DAC method you like, and network capable too, in a system which was producing one of the sweetest sounds of the Show this year.

03 9578 8658 info@soundgallery.com.au www.soundgallery.com.au

HD 820

For the love of sound. Take your time. Listen. Experience the unparalleled sound of the new HD 820 dynamic closed back headphones. German engineered, these hand crafted ear pads cushion the listener and provide excellent attenuation of ambient noise, whilst unique domed glass covers over each transducer reflect sound to minimize resonances. Without doubt, a new benchmark in audiophile sound quality. sennheiser.com/HD820