Australian Hi-Fi Magazine May / June 2020

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Australian Hi-Fi Magazine May / June 2020

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.

Features
3 Editor's Lead-In
Editor Greg Borrowman discusses coronavirus cappucinos and why record companies weren't all bad for the audio industry.

6 Audio News
New dates for Melbourne Home Entertainment Expo, Astell&Kern A&Norma 25, APL DSD-AR DAC, Aqua Audio LinQ Network Audio Interface, Ayon Audio S10 MkII, Earmen TR-AMP, Astell&Kern A&Ultima SP2000 Gold, Line Magnetic Australia, Audio Research REF 750SEL and REF6SE, Klipsch Heresy MkIV, Parasound Zonemaster 2350, Shure Aonic 50, Theory Audio Design, KEF KF92, Rode Wireless GO, Yamaha A-S3200, JBL Boombox 2 and Kyron Brabham Edition.

38 Factory Tour
Budapest is not only one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, it's also the home of Heed Audio.

Equipment Reviews
18 Sonus faber Olympica Nova II Loudspeakers
Sonus faber has started building its own drivers in-house and also making cabinets with unusual para-aperiodic tuning. Trust us, you'll be able to hear the difference!

26 Technics EAH-F70N Headphones
They certainly look the part, and they bear the famous Technics brandname, but can these new wireless noise-cancelling cans topple the two market leaders?

30 Boulder 866 Integrated Amplifier
Is Boulder's new 866 the perfect amplifier? It may well be, but even if it isn't, it's an amplifier you will keep... and enjoy!... for the rest of your life.

42 iFi Zen Blue Bluetooth Streamer
There are lots of low-cost BT streamers available, but not many that put a priority on good sound, so it was great to be able to finally find one that does...

44 Marantz HD-DAC1 Headphone Amp/DAC
The HD-DAC1 sounds great, is very practical, and would be the perfect DAC and headphone amplifier for the great majority of music lovers... but not, it would seem, for all.

Australian Hi-Fi Magazine March / April 2020

54 Metronome AQWO SACD/CD Player
If you're going to built your first-ever SACD player, it would make sense to make sure it's not a 'me-too' design, but how far out on the design limb should you go? One French company knows!

64 Chario Constellation II Delphinus Speakers
Since this tiny Chario currently holds the Sound&Image award for 'Best Loudspeaker of the Year' in the under-$5,000 category, we thought we'd take a look at what makes a winner.

Esoterica Section
50 Sound Travels
We meet an audiophile who's so fanatical that he built his speakers to be a part of his home, which we guess means he won't ever be able to move!

54 High End Review
Many high-end audio manufacturers say their components have a 'signature sound', which you're going to like or not. But wouldn't it be nice to be able to change that sound to suit yourself, rather than them?

Music
68 Top Picks
And what picks they are! Bare bones, Bec Sandridge, Caution: Thieves, DZ Deathrays, Knocked Loose and Turnover. Matt, Sarah and Anna have sure been working hard!

69 Rock On
It's not all rock this issue, but it's all good! Particularly good is that there's now a 4CD set that memorialises Cream's Goodbye Tour of the USA that includes 19 previously unreleased tracks.

71 Jazz Track
This month, Sid Smith brings us some jazz out of the left field, with albums from Samuel Hallkvist, Kit Downes, Martin Archer, Asaf Sirkis and Sylwia Bialis, Lumen Drones and Julia Hulsmann.

82 Musician Profile
Each issue we profile a unique musician. This time around it's bassist Tracy Wormsworth. We look at her work with not only the Waitresses and the B-52s, but also with Toshi Reagon, Houston Person, Sting and Des'ree.

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