LATEST ADDITIONS

Loudspeakers
Audiovector R 8 Arreté Loudspeaker
Review: Andrew Everard,  |  Mar 06, 2023
hfnoutstandingFor over 40 years and two generations, this family-run speaker specialist has epitomised the best of Danish design

Everything about the Audiovector R 8 Arreté is impressive, from the size and scale of the speaker – it stands 144cm tall and weighs over 72kg – to the seemingly fiendish complexity of the design, which appears to have drivers firing and venting in all directions. The piano-lacquered Italian Burl Walnut veneer, seen here, is gorgeous too, and offered alongside Italian Grey, black and white finish options.

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Vinyl Icons
Tears For Fears: Songs From The Big Chair
Johnny Sharp  |  Mar 03, 2023
For the follow-up to their debut record The Hurting, the philosophically inclined pop duo built a 24-track studio and battled their label's desire for a commercial synth sound. The eight-track album that resulted put them in a prime position to rule the world...

No pain, no gain may be a familiar mantra across the arts, but it's hard to imagine an act today weaving pop gold from the teachings of psychotherapy. Yet Tears For Fears managed to top the charts with not one but two collections of songs based around such themes.

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Integrated Amplifiers
Western Electric Type 91E Integrated Amplifier
Review and Lab: Paul Miller,  |  Mar 02, 2023
hfnoutstandingIf you're a fan of the legendary 300B triode, who better to produce an application for that valve? Western Electric's 91E integrated amplifier may be your dream come true

Pedigree? You want pedigree? How about the inventor of the 300B triode? Western Electric's provenance beats all comers, the company dating back to 1869, which kinda trumps any other manufacturer's claims for longevity. Here it is 154 years on with the Type 91E integrated amplifier to dazzle those wedded to single-ended triodes (SETs), yet with enough modern details, both sonic and functional, to ensure it is regarded as a 21st century tube amplifier.

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Hi-Res Downloads
Hi-Res Downloads, February 2023
Andrew Everard  |  Feb 28, 2023
This month we review and test releases from: Mette Henriette, Alina Ibragimova, Manfred Honeck/Pittsburgh SO, Vince Mendoza/Metropole Orkest and Art Ensemble Of Chicago.
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Audiophile Vinyl
Audiophile: Vinyl, February 2023
Ken Kessler  |  Feb 27, 2023
This month we review: The Eagles, Kenny Dorham, Daryl Hall & John Oates and The Harlots Of 42nd St..
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Audiophile Digital
Audiophile: Digital, February 2023
Ken Kessler  |  Feb 27, 2023
This month, we review: Kris Kristofferson, The 8th Wonders Of The World, Bonnie & Taylor Sims and The Young Rascals.
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Rock
Rock, February 2023
Mike Barnes  |  Feb 27, 2023
This month we review: Robert Coyne, Kitten Pyramid, Unkle Bob and Josephine Oniyama.
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Jazz
Jazz, February 2023
Steve Harris  |  Feb 27, 2023
This month we review: Richard Galliano New York Tango Trio, Bill Frisell, Emmet Cohen and Enrico Rava & Fred Hersch.
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Classical
Classical, February 2023
Peter Quantrill  |  Feb 27, 2023
This month we review: Bavarian RSO/Sir Simon Rattle, La Serenissima/Adrian Chandler, Myriam Barbaux-Cohen and Regula Mühlemann/CHAARTS.
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Disc PlayersVintage
Philips CD380 CD player
Review: Tim Jarman,  |  Feb 24, 2023
hfnvintageThis late '80s player may have been built to a price using a DAC suited to portables, but it promised few compromises when it came to sheer sound. How will it shape-up today?

One of the many impressive achievements of the early CD era was the way in which the price of players remained constant, or even fell, as the technology used inside them improved. The first machines were masterpieces, beautifully constructed utilising the best materials and processes. However, it was soon realised that when it came to the basic task of playing a disc, much could be stripped away, and in the years that followed the format's release this was exactly what began to happen.

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