Welcome to Undo ita weekly column where we summarize all the latest big (and small) happenings in the world of hi-fi and home cinema.
This week, our team has been busy. First, our senior staff writer visited Denon and Marantz in Japan to test the companies’ reference systems.
Then, at home, our reviewers are hard at work testing Sony’s wireless headphones.
Here’s what you need to know.
Denon and Marantz’s reference system is very impressive
Denon and Marantz are two of the biggest names in home audio. These two are behind some of the top hardware we still use as references in our review rooms.
That’s why our senior staff writer took the time to check out the firm’s reference systems while visiting its HQ in Japan. Bringing together over £200,000 of hardware and fitted into a bespoke room, it was quite an experience.
Read the full story: Denon and Marantz took me to hi-fi and home cinema heaven with its £200,000 reference system, and it sounded out of this world.
Is reel-to-reel making a comeback?
Reel-to-reel has never been “standard” the way vinyl, CD or tape has. But that hasn’t stopped it from getting its own renaissance.
Throw a rock in audiophile circles, and you’re likely to hit at least one enthusiast who swears by or is at least interested in the format.
Eager to understand the appeal, last week our regular contributor, Joe Svetlik, took the time to speak with other enthusiasts, producers and record labels fueling the format’s resurgence.
Read the full story: Forget vinyl, reel-to-reel tapes are the last words in sound quality – and they’re making a comeback
We tested the Sony 1000X The Collexion
Sony’s wireless headphones have been winning for a while. Jump to our current What Hi-Fi? List the award winners, and you’ll see many examples that prove that point.
Because of this, we had the pleasure of reviewing the 1000X The Collexion wireless over-ears last week. Sitting above their five-star siblings the Sony WH-1000XM6, the Collexion are direct competitors to the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, Dali IO-8 and Focal Bathys.
They feature a completely new design and a bespoke carbon-fibre 30mm drive unit, and Sony is positioning them as their most premium and refined wireless offering to date.
There is undeniable truth to that boast, with The Collexion offering a spacious, open and mature sound with exceptional levels of textual detail. But, they didn’t deliver on the one important thing we care about: fun.
Read our in depth Sony 1000X Collection Review
Naim’s NAC 552 / NAP 500 DR impressed our reviewers
Last week, we tested the latest generation Naim NAC 552 / NAP 500 DR. The first version of the setup was introduced 25 years ago, and although the latest iteration looks the same, Naim has been making subtle improvements to it over the years.
This latest version in our test room, is a very different animal from the original. That’s also why this remains a great choice for serious hi-fi fans looking for a premium amplification solution to drive their high-end setup.
Although they require careful cooperation – as the combination is not sensitive to its ability to reveal component faults – when matched correctly the results are excellent. As we say in our NAC 552 / NAP 500 DR review:
“The Naim NAC 552/NAP 500 DR pairing remains the best performer and the best we’ve heard at this level. Highly recommended.”
Read our in depth Naim NAC 552 / NAP 500 DR Review
The interior is a skinny on turntable design
What makes a great turntable? It’s a difficult question that developers and members of our review team have spent entire careers trying to answer.
Last week, our deputy editor, Andy Madden, took up the challenge, interviewing some of the top names in turntable design on the topic. And, as is often the case with hi-fi, the answer, if you can call it that, is incredibly complex…
Read the full story: “The smallest difference in a part can make a big difference to the sound” – hi-fi engineers discuss the subtle art of dynamic design
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