Australian Hi-Fi Magazine January / February 2014

 

   Since 1969, Australian Hi-Fi Magazine has kept audiophiles up to date on all the latest advances in audio technology and the hi-fi components available to enjoy music. All equipment reviews and music reviews are written by professionals who are experts in their respective fields, and are checked for accuracy by experienced sub-editors. Every audio component reviewed in Australian Hi-Fi Magazine is also independently tested by a NATA-certified test laboratory, whose test results and graphs are published with each review, together with a detailed technical analysis of those results. Australian Hi-Fi Magazine also maintains a complete database of all Australian and New Zealand distributors of hi-fi equipment, along with updated listings of the brands they distribute. Australian Hi-Fi Magazine is published six times a year and on sale at thousands of news agencies throughout Australia and New Zealand, as well as being available in selected audio stores across the country plus International mail and online via digital download.

 

3 In This Month's Issue...
Loud Music: Ruins your hearing... and your tastebuds...
Editorial By Editor Greg Borrowman

 

Features
6 Audio News
Wharfedale Diamond 100, Thorens TD 206/209, Trigon Audio, Oppo Darbee, Duntech DSM-15, Icon Audio ST845, Cayin CS-55A, Gryphon Kalliope, Cyrus Anniversary, VAF DC-X63, Sennheiser HD25 Aluminium, Rockport Atria, Manley at Krispy, Legend Aketha, Jamo Torsten, Magico S3, dCS Vivaldi, Sonus Faber Olympica, Chord Hugo, YG Acoustics Hailey and, to close, Encel Stereo. End of an era.

34 Bose Gets in Touch
A completely new and revolutionary wireless range from Bose is set to put the cat amongst the pigeons, says Rod Easdown.

46 Six Nights in Hawaii!
This issue gives you the chance to win six nights in Hawaii, for two people, including airfares, breakfasts and transfers, just by subscribing... or renewing your subscription... and at a discounted rate!

50 Sound Travels
Tom Waters visits an audiophile who loves his vinyl and is building a wonderful and diverse collection to play on a true high-end system.

 

Equipment Reviews
20 Marantz PM-11S3 Integrated Amplifier
There's nothing like taking a good product and making it better, and if anyone should know how to do this it's Marantz, which has been at it for 62 years

26 Focal Chorus 706 Loudspeakers
Why did these speakers win a Gold Medal (Diapason D'Or) from a French classical music magazine? We set out to find out...

38 Sunfire HRS-10 Subwoofer
'The bass from the HRS-10 subwoofer is, literally, unbelievable. And when I say 'literally', I mean it. Even I could not believe the depth and level of bass it was producing,' said Jutta Dziwnik.

42 Project RPM 1.3 Genie Turntable
It may be the spitting image of Disney's 'Mickey Mouse' cartoon character, but it's anything but a Mickey Mouse design!

54 VTL MB-125 Amplifier
A toggle switch provides the option of running this amplifier in either a low-powered triode mode or its full-power (tetrode) mode, so for some, it offers the best of both sonic worlds...

 

Music
64 Rock On
It's taken three years, but Peter Gabriel's Scratch My Back and I'll Scratch Yours project is complete, with help from Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Randy Newman, Brian Eno, Regina Spektor, David Byrne and others, and with fine results, says Jez Ford.

66 Super Fidelity
Yet more famous archival material is being transferred to hi-res digital… and to hi-res vinyl, with John Sunier finding that Blood Sweat and Tears sounds better on remastered LP than it ever did on CD or SACD.

68 Jazz Track
John Shand reckons that Ted Vining won't die wondering what might have happened if he'd really applied himself, not if Blow is any guide. As for the sound of Tomasz Stanko's trumpet...

70 Blu-ray Reviews
Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Montreaux, in 16-bit/48kHz, with accompanying hi-res video… does it get any better than this? Yep, says Stephen Dawson, because in addition to stereo, there's a DTS-HD Master Audio surround mix too!

 

Departments
Audio News 6
Audiophile Recordings 66
Blu-Ray Reviews 70
Dealer Directory 72
DVD Reviews 70
Editor's Lead-In3
Esoterica 49
Jazz Track 68
Hi-Fi Marketplace 71
High End 54
Rock On 64
SoundSites 19
Sound Travels 50
Subscriptions 46
Super Fidelity 66

 

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Previous Issues

2014
January / February

2013
November / December