Volume 5 No. 3     July To September 2011

 

Reviewed In This Issue

4 STAN'S SAFARI No15
Stan explores the relationship between drive unit area and the quality of bass reproduction

7 LETTER FROM SHENZHEN
Peter Comeau, based in China, describes how the Far East has become the engine of hi-fi growth

9 SERBLIN'S STATEMENT
Franco Serblin headed Sonus Faber for many years. Now independent, he's introduced a speaker under his own name

12 LISTENING TO STORAGE
Computer audio can be as fickle as analogue, as Andrew Harrison discovers when comparing different hard and solid state drives

30 CROSSOVER RESISTOR SOUND
Even this relatively passive component can affect the sound of a loudspeaker

32 ULTIMATE EXPOSURE
All too easily overlooked, Exposure's ‘high end' MCX system well deserves close attention

37 EMINENT LFT-8b
Jason Kennedy tries out an interesting hybrid panel speaker from the USA

39 THE RHYTHM KING PART 2
The second and concluding part of our feature on a radical BMR-based DIY speaker project

43 ABBINGDON'S BEST SHOT
Stan Curtis tries out AMR's top CD-77 CD player, which doubles as a top class DAC

46 TOURAJ'S TOP TURNTABLE
Under continuous development for nearly twenty years, Roksan's signature TMS 3 remains very much ‘work in progress'

48 VERY NEAT INDEED
A five-driver stand-mount is a rarity, but Neat's Ultimatum XLS nonetheless makes plenty of sense

50 BITS & PIECES
Short reports on interesting items from Arcam, Vita Audio and Synergistic Research

53 EMITT WHO?
Paul Darwin looks at the musical career of the man who was dubbed ‘the one man Beatles'

55 THE BEST OF CLASSICAL
Colin Anderson picks some more recent classical music releases

58 ROCK, POP & OTHER NICE MUSIC
Nigel Finn selects half a dozen new rock/pop releases

60 SUBJECTIVE SOUNDS
Introducing the Rubikon, an LP12 upgrade that's half the price of a Keel. And KEF's Blade is now a commercial reality. Serblin's Statement on page 9

15 PRE-EVOLUTION
Pre-amp design is constantly evolving, but PM still searches in vain for the ultimate combination of features and sound quality.

17 ULTIMATE PASSIVITY
Transformer technology can set the best sound quality agenda for high end system control

22 TRADING PLACES
The patterns, trends and dubious practices that affect the way hi-fi is marketed and sold

25 ROBERT KODA'S TAKUMI K-70
The unusual 3-box configuration helps create an outstanding stereo power amplifier

28 THE RAAL DEAL
Chris Binns isn't the only audiophile who considers this Serbian ribbon one of the very best HF units around

Townshend Glastonbury Pre -1, page 20 Eminent LFT-8b, page 37

 

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