LATEST ADDITIONS

Fresh from resurrecting its 1980s-era AE1 passive standmount as the AE1 40th Anniversary [HFN Jan ’26], Acoustic Energy has turned attention to its active sibling. Priced £1250, the AE Active replaces the long-running AE1 Active as the British brand’s solo active solution.

Having launched its range of active DSP-controlled floorstanding Utopia loudspeakers in 2024 with the Diva [HFN Dec ’24] and following that debut with the larger Diva Mezza in 2025, Focal has now unveiled a flagship design in the shape of the Diva Alta.

It's not hard to see why the arrival of the 800 D5 series is a Big Thing. While the 800 range has not been around since Bowers & Wilkins' formation 60 years ago, the launch of the first 801 model in 1979 served as a wake-up call for the entire loudspeaker industry. Over the years it has demonstrated what can be achieved by designing speakers based on a 'scientific', R&D-driven approach.

A quick web trawl shows that there are now more than a dozen cartridges on the market costing over £10,000, with Kuzma's CAR-70 at roughly $42,000. Ulp! Premium models from Glanz, Clearaudio, ZYX, et al aren't far off that. I suppose it was only natural that Ortofon would find it prudent to top its range of over 50 models with the new MC Vertex costing £12,999, almost double that of the second dearest in its catalogue, the MC Diamond [HFN Dec '22].<