The Latest
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- Written by Mark Busby Mark Busby
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 15 August 2025 15 August 2025
Musical Fidelity M6xTT Turntable
The nineteenth century architect Louis Sullivan proposed that in design "Form Follows Function". What if that was reversed and function followed form? We could end up with beautiful creations like the Musical Fidelity M6xTT turntable, a transparent acrylic creation that not only looks gorgeous but produces sublime music too! Read on for the full low-down on this high performance looker…
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- Written by Mark Busby Mark Busby
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 August 2025 01 August 2025
Skyanalog G-1 MKII Moving Coil Cartridge
The moving coil cartridge has been around now for nearly 80 years and, with continuing interest in new vinyl, the MC cartridge shows no decline in popularity. Ongoing research into the interaction between materials has allowed cartridge designers and engineers to identify additional musical playback attributes from these devices. And yes, thoughtful engineering is exemplified by the Skyanalog G-1 MKII MC cartridge.
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 August 2025 01 August 2025
PrimaLuna EVO 300 Hybrid Power Amplifier
The best of both worlds… such an attractive concept. Merge the positives and strengths of divergent philosophies, varying points-of-view, in order to form what could potentially be a superior outcome. That was the core basis for the development of the EVO 300 Hybrid power amplifier from renowned electronics specialist PrimaLuna. The company’s engineers must have considered, “Is it possible to fuse ideals and technologies in the one product?” Could marrying the rich tonality and naturalness of vacuum tubes with the power, authority and dynamic expression of solid state circuitry unify into a single, truly exceptional amplifier?
Cyrus Debuts New Full Width 80 Series
Due for arrival in time for Christmas 2025, the new 80 Series from Cyrus represents the evolution of the company’s famed half width products to a standard size allowing enhanced circuit design and product functionality.
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- Written by Mark Busby Mark Busby
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 15 July 2025 15 July 2025
Lyra Analog PhonoPipe Phono Cable
Founded by a trio of vinyl replay artisans including American cartridge designer Jonathan Carr, Japanese master craftsman Yoshinori Mishima and Norwegian business strategist Stig Bjorge, Japan-based Lyra Analog has been manufacturing cartridges and components since 1986. Originally established under the name Scan-Tech, then rebranding to Lyra Analog in 1991, the company’s products are renowned for their exceptional transparency and dynamic capabilities. Lyra Analog’s mission is to create enduring products that combine original design, advanced engineering and optimal materials application. So, are those values reflected in the ‘PhonoPipe’ phono cable?
- Details
- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Features Features
- Published: 09 July 2025 09 July 2025
Feature – REL Acoustics Carbon Special Line Array Audition at Sydney’s Audio Solutions
Bass: It’s the foundation of music… the bedrock. Whether it’s the dramatic punctuation of an orchestral crescendo, the gut-shake of electronica, or the concussive slam of metal, visceral low-frequency energy is a fundamental aspect of the musical experience. In any genre of music. So, as I head to Audio Solutions, the famed house of hi-fi indulgence in Mascot, near Sydney’s airport, I feel like I’m lifted by a thermal and am almost airborne with anticipation. I’m going to audition REL Acoustics’ unfathomable power configuration: dual Carbon Special subwoofer line arrays, a six-pack of three subs per channel, monstrous dual stacks whose sheer acoustic energy will likely have my skinny jeans flapping to the bass beat. And potentially realign my skeletal frame. Yet, such force is not necessarily what this powerful line array is all about… there’s nuance behind the roar.
AudioQuest Debuts New Brave Heart Loudspeaker Cables
Despite its “junior” status compared to models in AudioQuest’s upper echelons, the new Brave Heart loudspeaker cables feature the company’s latest advanced materials and technologies.
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- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 01 July 2025 01 July 2025
Audia Flight FLS20 SACD/CD Player
Going out on a limb here… in a couple of years’ time, maybe less, the shiny digital disc might just be hip again. Like vinyl became lit a few years ago and still thrives. Mind you, while music streaming has evolved to ‘audiophile’ levels of performance, to many music lovers the CD still has the sonic edge. Of course, countless discs fill collections worldwide satisfying enthusiasts’ music experiences while reflecting the audio zeitgeist. Heck, you can even pick-up a mint previously-loved CD at a suburban market for a couple of bucks and it’ll play like new. For these reasons, and many others, a growing number of audio makers are offering CD players and disc transports with a view to meeting an underground demand. Audia Flight’s elegant FLS20 is a new disc spinner designed to handle both Red Book CD and the niche, yet persistently desirable, SACD format. Plus, the forthcoming streamer board will complete the FLS20’s digital playback suite, offering music lovers a unified digital music playback solution. So, care to go for a spin?
STAX Launches New SR-007S ‘Earspeaker’
Japan’s STAX, a pioneer of electrostatic headphone technology, evolves its iconic SR-007 headphones with the new SR-007S Earspeaker.
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Abbey Road Limited Edition Homage to Famous Studio
Bowers & Wilkins’ new 801 D4 Abbey Road Limited Edition is a tribute to its relationship with the legendary studio that has, for 45 years, employed the company’s speakers as its primary monitors.
SpectraFlora Launches New Aphelia 8 Loudspeakers
SpectraFlora’s new Aphelia 8, which was shown at the recent Australian Design Show, expands the company’s portfolio with a downsized version of the flagship Celata 88.
- Details
- Written by Edgar Kramer Edgar Kramer
- Category: Reviews Reviews
- Published: 15 June 2025 15 June 2025
Focal Diva Utopia Active Wireless Loudspeakers
The wireless speaker space has been an instrumental disruptor in terms of the way the mass market now consumes music. Overwhelmingly, wireless speaker technology has been concentrated in the extremely affordable section of the market. There are literally hundreds of inexpensive products from the portable to the sizable. For the average consumer, the value on offer is indisputable. Mostly, these products feature streaming technologies of all casts (pun intended), heavy DSP, long-life battery power, weather sealing and more. They provide easy access to music to an audience which may, we positively propose, eventually discover the wonders of high-end audio. It’s at that point, at that now realised singularity, that Focal’s Diva Utopia enters stage left. It aims to provide convenient functionality in a package which, in one step, transcends the category from mass market ubiquity to, in comparison, a level way beyond the stars. Yeah, a high-end, wireless loudspeaker system designed to perform at ‘audiophile’ levels.
