Hifi Pig

Blumenhofer Acoustics got in touch to tell us about their new loudspeaker, the Genuin FS3MK2

This loudspeakers bears several new features:
– Harmonic construction
– 25cm (10″) (instead of 20cm 8″) paper woofer based on the company’s own development
– easy time alignment system on top of the main cabinet matching the style of the other Genuin loudspeakers
– floor ported bass reflex duct (instead of front)
– Blumenhofer made and developed HDF horn

The speaker is high efficiency, with a flat impedance curve that is tube friendly and has a switchable impedance linearisation for the cross over frequencies

The price is 9750€ per pair.

On preorder now, first deliveries on mid of October 2015.

Linn launched its Exakt technology in September 2013 and Series 5 further adds to this family by delivering two new Exakt systems – the Linn 520 System and the Linn 530 System. The elegant Linn 530 System provides  the power, precision and incredible musical accuracy of a loudspeaker filled with technology – Exakt electronics, 300W of power amps and an Isobarik bass system – all from a discreet 30 litre cabinet size. The little sister, the 520 System, exudes all the musicality and finesse of an integrated Linn speaker with the same Chakra power amplification and Exakt electronics from a chic and compact 20 litre design. Both systems have jewel-cut glass stands and top plates in a choice of three finishes – grey, white or black. The Akurate Exakt DSM is the hub of a Series 5 system, and has connections for all music sources, whether that’s streaming music from online streaming services such as TIDAL and Qobuz, playing your treasured music collection or connecting a turntable. Series 5 features a new textile speaker covering – Linn Fabrik – which has been designed to provide an elegant, contemporary and customisable look. The three new Linn Fabriks have been selected for their acoustic and aesthetic properties and are available in eleven different colours. A completely new manufacturing process was developed to secure the position of the Linn Fabrik on the loudspeaker and prevent it from vibrating. Once fitted to the speaker, the loaded settings for each Linn Fabrik allow Exakt to eliminate the effect of its frequency-dependent absorption as well as the acoustic resistance that it adds to the drive units. Linn has partnered with iconic fabric designers, Timorous Beasties and Harris Tweed Hebrides, to create new speaker cover collections – due for release in early 2016. With more collections launching throughout 2016 and beyond, it is possible to update your Series 5 speaker with new Linn Fabriks that will match the changing design of your home.

530 System: Prices start from £12,000

520 System: Prices start from £9,250

Customer can choose from Linn’s first collection of 11 Fabrik covers and the choice of a grey, white or black top plate and stand.

Linn has launched Exakt support for three more loudspeaker models from other manufacturers. The performance improvements of Exakt are now available for Kef Reference 5, PMC Twenty26 and JBL K2 S9900, in addition to the existing list of supported speakers which includes B&W Nautilus and 802 Diamond, Kudos Super 10, Super 20 and Titan 808. They have also also launched three new Exaktboxes .

Majik Exaktbox-I

Linn’s first Exakt product in the Majik range not only has all the capabilities of an Exaktbox, it also contains power amplification, making this an extremely flexible proposition for those looking for an accessible route to Exakt. Supporting a full Exakt Engine, along with 8 channels of digital-to-analogue conversion and 8 channels of 100W Chakra amplification, the Majik Exaktbox-I is a one-box, first-step upgrade to Exakt. Not only does it have enough channels to target any current or historic Linn speaker up to 4-way, as well as all eight models with Exakt support, it’s also software re-targetable so customers are able to change their speakers whenever they choose and keep their Exakt source.

Akurate Exaktbox

This is the second Akurate Exaktbox, with six digital-to-analogue conversions,for targeting loudspeakers requiring up to 3 channels of amplification. Linn’s existing Akurate Exaktbox with 10 outputs remains the perfect choice for those with 4- or 5-way loudspeakers. However, many of Linn’s historic loudspeakers are 3-way and this Exaktbox offers a dedicated Exakt product for them, as well as customers with 2-way speakers. Like the Klimax Exaktbox, the 6-way Akurate Exaktbox can be run in stereo mode, where a single Exaktbox targets a pair of 3-way speakers, or deliver higher performance in dual mono mode where the entire processing of each Exaktbox is dedicated to a single speaker.

Exaktbox Sub

The Exaktbox Sub has been specifically designed to work with all subwoofers, delivering seamless integration with a customer’s Exakt System and eradicating all of the issues associated with the addition of an analogue subwoofer to any music system. With a small discreet form, the Exaktbox Sub can be placed wherever it suits and even hidden out of sight if desired. It houses two channels of Akurate Exakt crossover and digital-to-analogue conversion, and there are RCA and XLR outputs on the rear which enable flexible configuration options, from separate left and right channels (using two subwoofers) to a mono or stereo connection for a single subwoofer. It can be used to target any subwoofer by simply adjusting the subwoofer gain to blend into the speakers.

Pricing and availability

All three new Exaktboxes are available now.

Exakt support for Kef Reference 5, PMC Twenty26 and JBL K2 S9900 will be available from November 2015.

The 6-way Akurate Exaktbox is priced at £3,500, the Majik Exaktbox-I is £3,950 and the Exaktbox Sub is £1250.

For almost 40 years, Bowers & Wilkins have produced generation after generation of 800 Series loudspeakers. Now, on the eve of the company’s 50th anniversary, they say that ‘the latest 800 Series Diamond redefines what is possible from a loudspeaker system, it is the result of an intensive seven-year project to make the best better. A combination of tireless research and development, advanced engineering, and countless hours of listening by the very best ears in the business have produced a range of loudspeakers that places the listener closer to the recording than ever thought possible.  The improvement can be heard from the first note.’  The fundamental evolution of the range is such that almost all of the component parts are different from the outgoing 800 Series Diamond.  As Bowers & Wilkins Head of Research Martial Rousseau says, “This is not an update. This is a completely re-imagined design.  One of the few remaining elements is the Diamond tweeter. We found it impossible to improve on the performance offered by diamond, although behind the diamond dome, the motor system was improved considerably.”  The exceptional Diamond dome may have been retained, but the rest of the loudspeaker has been thoroughly over-hauled. The changes involve a vast number of technological, engineering and acoustic innovations. Most striking is the transformation of the midrange drive units. A new Continuum cone, developed in-house by Bowers & Wilkins engineers, replaces the Kevlar cones that have long been a major factor of the 800 Series’ famously realistic midrange performance.  The Continuum cone takes the best acoustic aspects of Kevlar further.   Bass performance has also been dramatically improved by the introduction of the Aerofoil cone, which considerably reduces distortion thanks to a new variable profile cone geometry more advanced sandwich construction. These innovations, when teamed with dramatically improved cabinets, more robust Matrix bracing system, a new solid body tweeter assembly and the vastly improved Turbine head midrange enclosure means distortion has been reduced dramatically.

The new design is industrial and it is both a radical departure and, paradoxically, a subtle change that preserves Bowers & Wilkins’ unique design aesthetic; a slender, more modern design that remains true to Bowers & Wilkins long tradition. With distinctive aluminium pods on all models securing and decoupling drivers from the enclosure, and the Turbine head constructed from a single piece of aluminium sitting on a sleek reverse-wrap cabinet on the “headed” models, the luminously finished cabinets are crafted from layers of wood, curved into shape under intense pressure.

Testament to Bowers & Wilkins desire to manufacture consistently class-leading loudspeakers, the entire manufacturing plant in Worthing, West Sussex, UK was redesigned specifically for production of the new 800 Series Diamond, an enormous investment in tooling, materials and processes to ensure that every model produced is a perfect replica of the reference master. Throughout the range – from the studio-quality 802 D3 to the more accessible 805 D3 – there is something to suit every audiophile preference. Imagined, designed and produced in the UK, Bowers & Wilkins say that the new 800 Series Diamond range is the pinnacle of British acoustic engineering achievement.

Prices  (US) – Availability Early October

800 D3 – To be announced Spring 2016

802 D3 – $22,000 a pair

803 D3 – $17,000 a pair

804 D3 – $9,000 a pair

805 D3 – $6,000 a pair

HTM1 D3 – $6,000 each (centre channel)

HTM2 D3 – $4,000 each (compact centre channel)

At the Berlin IFA 2015 show, Ministry of Sound launches its full connected range of multi-room wireless speakers. Adding to the Audio M and the Audio S Plus, there are two new connected speakers, the Audio M Plus and the Audio L Plus: both have been engineered to work together in any configuration with any number of speakers in a single multi-zone home music network. Once in place, your chosen configuration of Audio M Plus and Audio L Plus speakers are all smoothly controllable via the Ministry of Sound Audio app (available now on iOS and Android). The app delivers top-quality music streaming via Spotify Connect – with both Tidal and Deezer also to be added within the coming weeks.

The Ministry Audio app also offers instant streaming of all the Ministry of Sound Radio channels, as well as a unique, one-touch ‘Live From The Club’ feature: at the touch of a button you can live stream the party from London’s world-renowned Ministry of Sound nightclub, every Friday and Saturday night.  Both the connected speakers also feature tap-and–swipe touch control to change volume and skip tracks, apt-X Bluetooth, NFC Bluetooth pairing and a 3.5mm auxiliary analogue input for wired connection to an external device. The Ministry of Sound connected speakers are equipped with Libre Wireless Technologies Wi-Fi capability, which provides class-leading stable and high-quality wireless audio transmission to any number of connected speakers, for the best possible experience of home multi-room music.

Available now the Audio M Plus is £199 and the Audio L Plus is £299

Today at the IFA show in Berlin, Crystal Acoustics presents in full for the first time its WiSound Multiroom range of products, a series of wireless speakers and complementary devices that offer a uniquely flexible and easy-to-use way of organising a multi-zone music network.

The full range includes the Cuby 9 standalone wireless speaker, the Teevy 6 MR soundbase, Teevy Bar soundbar, WiSub subwoofer, the Tower 5 and Tower 6 floorstanding stereo speakers, and the Monitor 1 and Monitor 8 stereo speakers. It also includes the Widaptor, a small Wi-Fi transmitter/receiver that can be attached to any pre-existing audio setup you wish to keep, incorporating your old audio products into your new multi-room music network, all neatly controlled from the smartly designed WiSound app (available now on iOS and Android). In addition, all of the Crystal Acoustics Wireless Multiroom speakers use the company’s unique WiSound technology, a proprietary tech utilising multiple drivers and ingenious processing to employ the acoustic reflections in each room to ensure the speaker delivers exactly the same tonal balance no matter where the listener is in relation to it. This eliminates the ‘sweet spot’, makes music listening intrinsically more social, and makes the performance of the product far less dependent on placement.

Dali have introduced the Zensor Pico and Zensor Pico Vokal, an ultra compact, high quality speaker range with a very small footprint.

Designed for people living in a smaller space, the Zensor Pico are, essentially, a scaled down Zensor One (about 30% smaller). They use exactly the same 25mm treble driver, married to a 4.5in mid-bass driver, all housed in a tiny bass-reflex cabinet that’s designed for on-wall or near wall mounting (both models have integral keyhole mounting brackets), making them ideal for small/mid-sized rooms.  There are plenty of mix and match options but Dali recommends home cinema fans make a beeline for the Dali Zensor Pico 5.1 System. This comprises two pairs of the Pico speakers, a Pico Vokal, plus the award-winning E-9-F Subwoofer. With a 170 watt power amplifier driving its 9in aluminium bass driver, this downwards ported design (to enable near wall positioning) gives a response down to 35Hz (+/- 3dB).

Available in Black, White or Light Walnut, enabling you to mix and match the Zensor Pico with other members of the Zensor family.  Available now at £159 for a pair of Dali Zensor Pico, £79 for a Pico Vokal and £779 for the Zensor Pico 5.1 System.