Blogs
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Insights from AXPONA 2018 part three
|In commissioning our three-man team to find the best at AXPONA, I expected there to be some overlap. While Chris Martens focused on personal audio, Eric Neff and I concentrated on the halls and floors ...read more -
Insights from AXPONA 2018 part two
|As discussed elsewhere, AXPONA has moved to a new venue, the spacious Renaissance Hotel and Convention center in Schaumberg, IL. near Chicago. The extra space was well used as this was the largest AXPONA ever ...read more -
Insights from AXPONA 2018 part one
|Rather than offer our usual and typically quite elaborate show reports, the Hi-Fi+ team this year decided to take a simpler, less-is-more, freeform approach to our coverage of AXPONA 2018, which was held April 13th ...read more -
First Listen – Naim ND5 XS 2, NDX 2, ND 555 streamers
|Naim Audio changed its Uniti line of integrated amplifier/streamer products in 2016/17. This left the Classic models holding to Naim’s older streaming system. That is all to change (almost) with the launch of three new ...read more -
Meet Your Maker: Caelin Gabriel of Shunyata Research
|As part of our Hi-Fi+ Guide to Audio Cables & Power Products 2017 (available as a free download online at hifiplus.com/buyers_guides/6/) we spoke to Caelin Gabriel of Shunyata Research about his discoveries in cable and ...read more -
Hi-Fi+ Awards: Cables
|Digital Audio Cable Clearer Audio Silver-Line Optimus Reference 75 This pure 75 ohm digital interconnect cable (£975/1.5m as tested) is a coaxial design, featuring a central 6N (99.9999%) OCC silver central conductor, and micron-thick silver-plating ...read more -
Hi-Fi+ Awards: Accessories and Power Products
|Accessory Vicoustic Multifuser DC 2 The Portuguese firm Vicoustic aims to “provide the best products for acoustic treatment” with the goal of “enhancing rooms for great sound combined with the best possible design.” A fine ...read more -
Hi-Fi+ Awards: Personal Audio electronics
|Portable headphone amp/DAC Chord Electronics Hugo2 The original Chord Hugo revolutionised the notion of what could be done with portable audio. Now the new £1,800 Hugo2 almost doubles the original’s already impressive number of filter ...read more -
Hi-Fi+ Awards: Earphones and CIEMs
|Cost-no-object earphone/CIEM JH Audio Lola JH Audio is the brainchild of Jerry Harvey, who began his career at Westone, went on to co-found Ultimate Ears, and now creates some of the world’s finest custom-fit in-ear ...read more -
Hi-Fi+ Awards: Headphones
|Cost no object headphone HiFiMAN Shangri-La HiFiMAN’s Shangri-La system is an all-out, cost-no-object assault on the pinnacle in headphone performance. The system consists of a set of Shangri‑La electrostatic headphones with a ‘Nanotech’ driver whose ...read more -
Hi-Fi+ Awards: Analogue Audio
|Turntable VPI Prime Signature With the Prime series, VPI has really hit something of a modern-day sweet-spot for turntable users. The products have that right combination of authoritative sound quality coupled with great modern style, ...read more -
CanJam NYC 2018 Show Report from Ultimate Headphone Guide: Part Four
|This is the last of four illustrated descriptions of the new and exciting products seen at CanJam NYC 2018. Part One: hifiplus.com/articles/canjam-nyc-2018-show-report-from-ultimate-headphone-guide-part-one-1/ Part Two: hifiplus.com/articles/canjam-nyc-2018-show-report-from-ultimate-headphone-guide-part-two/ Part Three: hifiplus.com/articles/canjam-nyc-2018-show-report-from-ultimate-headphone-guide-part-three/ NAD NAD is the sister brand to ...read more -
CanJam NYC 2018 Show Report from Ultimate Headphone Guide: Part Three
|This is the third of four illustrated descriptions of the new and exciting products seen at CanJam NYC 2018. Part One: hifiplus.com/articles/canjam-nyc-2018-show-report-from-ultimate-headphone-guide-part-one-1/ Part Two: hifiplus.com/articles/canjam-nyc-2018-show-report-from-ultimate-headphone-guide-part-two/ Part Four: hifiplus.com/articles/canjam-nyc-2018-show-report-from-ultimate-headphone-guide-part-four/ HeadAmp The wheels of change turn slowly ...read more -
CanJam NYC 2018 Show Report from Ultimate Headphone Guide: Part Two
|This is the second of four illustrated descriptions of the new and exciting products seen at CanJam NYC 2018. Part One: hifiplus.com/articles/canjam-nyc-2018-show-report-from-ultimate-headphone-guide-part-one-1/ Part Three: hifiplus.com/articles/canjam-nyc-2018-show-report-from-ultimate-headphone-guide-part-three/ Part Four: hifiplus.com/articles/canjam-nyc-2018-show-report-from-ultimate-headphone-guide-part-four/ Campfire Audio Campfire Audio has earned a ...read more -
CanJam NYC 2018 Show Report from Ultimate Headphone Guide: Part One
|Ultimate Headphone Guide is a new bi-annual publication that represents a joint venture between The Absolute Sound magazine and its sister publication Hi-Fi+. My name is Chris Martens and I have the privilege of serving ...read more