May 2022

Many Great Articles And Reviews Within This Issue
Hi-Fi World's May 2022 issue features high-fidelity in futuristic form.
Editorial By Noel Keywood

  Difficult to explain why a premium digital-to-analogue convertor should measure badly, especially from top Japanese manufacturer Teac. They don't clearly state what is different about the UD-701N, only listing technicalities such as optional one-bit or multi-bit operation. This doesn't say a lot, even to a digital engineer. Instead you are expected to listen and make up your own mind – not always so easy. Our Rohde & Schwarz UPV audio analyser however showed very clearly what this convertor was doing and how it differed from the norm – as set by ESS and their dominance of the world-wide market. You can find out on p10 about Teac's complex, specialised network DAC, including how it sounds unlike all else.

Pushing technology very hard on another front comes NAD, with their C 399 Class D amplifier. In the same way Teac's UD-701N is bafflingly complex, so is advanced Class D, but again measurement showed the C 399 overcomes all Class D weaknesses in terms of load sensitivity, delivering perfect results into a real loudspeaker. Add in so much more – including loudspeaker tuning – and this amplifier is a tour-de-force that is worth knowing about. You can find out about it on p40.

Teac (Japan) and NAD (Canada) are not alone in trying to move technology forward. FiiO (China) adopt a similar approach with their new M17 digital audio player. This is a machine that shoehorn's top quality parts into a just-portable package, for headphone quality that is beyond reproach. It can also be used to drive a hi-fi system. Find out more about all this on p66.

Many people would rather not struggle with apps, Wi-Fi and the need for a home network. For them the CD soldiers on and we keep a close eye on developments. That's why we're pleased to bring you a simple approach by Pro-Ject with their CD Box S3. You can read more on p19.

Our May 2022 issue features high fidelity in futuristic form. It can be technically challenging, but the payback is great sound quality. I hope you enjoy reading about it.

— Noel Keywood
Editor, HiFi World

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