Month: July 2014
Exogal Comet DAC
US manufacturer Exogal (out of this galaxy) launched their Comet DAC at the Munich High end show but we somehow missed out on it so here is the latest news from them. The base configuration includes balanced and unbalanced analogue outputs, digital volume control, and asynchronous USB input with audio signals being processed using Exogal […]
Marantz and The Chord Company Join Forces
Marantz have joined forces with The Chord Company whereby people who buy their NA-11S1 network audio player and DAC will receive a free set of Chord Company cables worth over £1000. The offer is only available from participating Marantz “Premium” dealers and the offer will end on 31st August 2014. Participating dealers include: Musical Images […]
Nifty Dividers For Vinyl and Other Media
Here’s an interesting and practical concept that we’ve just come across and I’m sure will be a bit of a boon for vinyl collectors wanting to keep track of their valuable records. Basically these simple but clever dividers are a collection of typographic laser cut wood panels for alphabetizing and organizing vinyl records as well […]
Belles Soloist S1 Phonostage
As Hifi Pig readers will surely be aware, the last 3 years a resurgence in Vinyl playback has been very evident, and to that end Belles has produced its first phono stage in some years. The Belles Soloist S1 phonostage has been designed taking into account the problems that arise from playing a record, namely […]
Sonneteer Orton Gets MK IV Status
The good people at NuNu Distribution got in touch with Hifi Pig to tell us that as a part of a series of events marking the 21st year of Sonneteer the Sonneteer Orton integrated amplifier has been elevated to MK IV status. The Sonneteer Orton name will be familiar to many Hifi Pig readers I’m […]
Free Classifieds For Secondhand and Used Hifi
Hifi Pig is pleased to announce that we have added a FREE CLASSIFIED SECTION to our website as an extra small service to our readers. Listings are FREE to both trade and public to sell used equipment with no fees whatsoever. The pages are brand new and will populate as users add their listings to […]
Quad Announce Vena Amp With Streaming
Quad celebrates 78 years In business with the launch of Vena: a compact integrated amplifier sporting a wide range of digital and analogue inputs, plus wireless streaming over Bluetooth with aptX support. Just 313mm wide, the diminutive Vena updates the familiar Quad aesthetic, yet remains distinctly ‘Quad’. A neat row of source-selection buttons and a […]
Lampizator DSD DAC With No DAC Chip
Now this is interesting we thought. Lampizator’s new DAC, the DSD DAC , is the first true DSD converter that works purely in the analogue domain… ie. There is no DAC converter chip or any digital processing going on in the thing at all. The company comment says “The combination of tubes, DSD and Duelund […]
Audeze at Stereo Exchange – Diary Date
Audeze, maker of award-winning planar magnetic headphones (we have some in for review to be published in August), components and accessories is going to be a part of Stereo Exchange’s inaugural Headphone Event on Thursday, July 31st from 1 to 9pm at 627 Broadway just above Houston Street in New York City. You’ll have the […]
Soledge Introduce Alto
French Hi-fi manufacturer Soledge has announced their latest product from the Canto line the Alto, a DAC/Network music player. The company says the Alto has been developed to satisfy customers who are lovers of music but who also demand the latest audio quality and design. Alto has the ability to connect to any type of […]
Puresound Announce Aurorasound HEADA Balanced Drive Headphone Amp for UK
Pure Sound has announced the UK arrival of the Japanese made Aurorasound HEADA Balanced Drive Headphone Amplifier. As conventionally configured, the Left & Right channels of a headphone amplifier drive the voice coils of the Left & Right driver. However the return path for each channel is joined as one before returning to the amplifier’s […]
ReVox Announce Joy CD Player
Swiss audio manufacturer ReVox have announced a new CD player they are calling the Joy which they are claiming to be their highest performing to date. The new CD player matches other products in the Joy range and is available in black or white with a black or white glass front panel. The Joy CD […]
Various Artists – The Brazilian Scene
The Brazilian Scene is a collection of tunes from Antonio Carlos Jobim with Herbie Mann (“One Note Samba”), Baden Powell with Herbie Mann (“Consolacao”), Zé Maria with George Ben, Gilberto Gil, Luiz Bonfa (“Murmurio”), Radamés Gnattali and Heitor Villa-Lobos all with a laid-back Brazilian theme which is just perfect for the long awaited summer. Brazilian […]
Annie Ross, The Tony Kinsey Quintet and Christopher Loque – Songs From The Establishment and Red Bird
Christopher Loque was a poet, edited columns True Stories and Pseuds’ Corner for Private Eye and even wrote a pornographic novel too. He protested with Bertrand Russell against nuclear weapons and is an all-round “true original”. “Loque Rhythms” (1963) is his poetry set to music arranged by Tony Kinsey, Stanley Myers and sung by British […]
Eighth Wonder – The Remix Anthology
“Fresh as the moment when the pod went pop”. Patsy Kensit first entered the UK’s collective consciousness at the age of 4 when she fronted the well loved and iconic Birds Eye peas television advert…I still remember it and I’m sure many others do too! Eight Wonder were formed by Kensit’s brother Jamie who put […]
Richard Schumacher – Right of Way
Born in 1955 in Boston but growing up in Hamburg, Richard Schumacher first began to make a name for himself as a session player in the 70s with the likes of Udo Lindenberg and Carsten Bohn’s Bandstand. In the 80’s he studied jazz composition and arrangement at the Berkley School of Music whilst in the […]
Pioneer PLX-100
We at Hifi Pig HQ make no secret that we’ve been long time fans of the Technics 1200 turntables, but as you will know it’s out of production now! Fear not, for Pioneer now have an alternative in the form of the PLX-100. Whether or not this quartz locked, high torque, direct drive turntable that […]
THIEL Audio Embarks on Brand Revitalisation and Appoints New CEO
THIEL Audio has announced that as part of a complete brand revitalization plan, the company’s headquarters has been relocated to the Nashville, TN area and new ownership has appointed John Wittman as CEO. Wittman joins THIEL Audio with a successful track record in consumer products, manufacturing, distribution and most recently the publishing industry. “Being a […]
KR Audio To Offer Valve Repair/Duplication Service
KR Audio based in Czech Republic and manufacturers of the world renowned Kronzilla amplifiers, have announced a new service to repair or duplicate rare and antique valves. The company says that if it is possible to repair or restore a tube then they will do this but they can also duplicate non-working tubes. As the […]
Robson Acoustics Announce Flagship Loudspeaker
Robson Acoustics have announced the new flagship model from their Voltaire range of loudspeakers. “Voltaire IV Reference is capable of producing a holographic soundstage, pin sharp imaging and bass control like no other loudspeaker” says the company’s press release. The new flagship model is designed around twin 10” bass/mid drivers from legendary British manufacturer Volt […]
Miyajima Phono Cartridges Available In UK
Japan-based Miyajima has been making phono cartridges for more than three decades. Although they were only discovered by American and European audiophiles in recent years, they have since received rave reviews all over the world. With several patents under his belt, Noriyuki Miyajima is a passionate music-lover, a true artisan manufacturer and his cartridges are […]
Alexander Chapman Campbell – Sketches of Light
Stuart Listening to More Classical Music Shocker… and again quite enjoys it! Now I don’t know if it’s my impending birthday (I’ll be 47 nurse tells me) or what, but the last two classical music albums I’ve listened to I’ve really enjoyed a great deal indeed. Alexander Chapman Campbell is a solo pianist who decided […]
Ensemble Plus Ultra – From Spain to Eternity, The Sacred Polyphony of El Greco’s Toledo
“A crack squad of the finest British early music singers” Early Music Today said about Ensemble Plus Ultra, but as regular readers of my reviews will know I’m no fan of classical music, but only a few weeks ago I was mentioning to Linette that I really quite liked the odd bit of choral music…and […]
Egg – The Civil Surface
Well, this re-release on Esoteric Recordings is certainly one for the progressive heads. The year is 1969 and Egg emerged from an earlier quartet with Steve Hillage going by the name of Uriel, but Egg founding members were Dave Stewart (No not the one of Eurythmics fame) on the organ, Mont Campbell on bass and […]
New Products From Russ Andrews
Well known UK retailer Russ Andrews contacted us to tell us about a trio of new kit have in stock. PowerKord Mains Cables £150 – £440 PowerKord-100™ is the first in Russ Andrew’s range of new PowerKords and builds on the PowerKord-100™ with the PowerKord-300™ having twice as many separately-insulated woven conductors. PowerKord-500™ is the […]
Computer Audio Day
Computer Audio Design (CAD) contacted the Hifi Pig office to tell us that they will be demonstrating all things computer-audio this Wednesday (23rd July) at Walrus Sytems in London from 12 noon until 8pm. This “Computer Audio Day” will allow visitors to put questions to key industry figures and CAD’s owner and chief engineer, Scott […]
Pro-Ject Stereo Box Phono
Henley Designs, who distribute Pro-Ject in the UK, contacted the Hifi Pig office to tell us all about the new Stereo Box Phono from Pro-Ject. The Stereo Box Phono from Box Design by Pro-Ject Audio Systems combines an integrated amplifier design with one of the best selling hi-fi phono stages of recent years to create […]
