November 2013
In This Issue...
Editorial By Noel Keywood

 

  Icon Audio's Stereo 60 MkIII amplifier on our front cover this month might have been used in Bank power station before it became Tate Modern and they did away with massive voltmeters. But that is all part of its retro chic. As are the glowing valves and its eerily iridescent voltage regulator. The real point of interest though are those lovely looking KT150 valves that conjure up visions of another London building, the Gherkin, just a little way from Bank. These look altogether more modern – and that's the point: they are a new design, better built, more robust and with a better sound than much of what has gone before. You can find out more about this amplifier on p10 of this issue.

Music streaming from computer to hi-fi is a popular activity these days and nearly every manufacturer is in on the act. Cyrus are easily able to hold their own in this field, as you'll find when reading our review on p14 of their new Stream Xa, with its glorious colour-screen remote control.

A venerable idea in high fidelity is the active loudspeaker. With electronic equalisation and power amplifiers on-board, actives have a lot of potential benefits. Unfortunately, they are usually squandered in the design process. Quadral of Germany take a stab at an active, bringing us the Orkan VIII active that we review on p28. See how it manages to avoid the pitfalls to come out shining.

On page 83 we look at another active loudspeaker, but this time at the other end of the size and price scale, the NuForce Cube. It's powered and it uses NuForce Class D amplifiers. In spite of its tiny size it even has an on-board DAC to convert digital to analogue. OK, it isn't true high fidelity but it is a fascinating little loudspeaker that will wow onlookers.

From old ideas updated like modern power valves or active loudspeakers, to new technologies like streamers, this month's Hi-Fi World has it all. I hope you enjoy its great selection of products and reviews.

 

--- Noel Keywood, editor.

 

Subscribe!
Click here to subscribe to Hi-Fi World