A 2010s amplifier that is normally very reliable, providing a dealer’s incompetent technician doesn’t carry out unnecessary ‘service’ work. Fortunately an easy fix had this one making music again. Fantastic amplifiers from an era where they were simple, analogue and well built.
Category: Hi-Fi
Aiyima A08 PRO Bluetooth Amplifier Reviewed
a cracking little desktop amp with high-res bluetooth for about £120. It has plenty of power to drive sensible loudspeakers and appears to be well built. Some of its internal components are running close to their ratings, especially with a 48V power supply.
Aiyima A07 MAX Amplifier Reviewed
Aiyima’s A07 Max is a fantastic budget (around £100) amp if you want to assemble a tiny system with plenty of power. The flexibility to use it as a stereo amplifier or to pair them up as monoblocks in stereo, bi-amped or even tri-amped configurations is a tremendous advantage for the money.
Magnat Signature Edelstein Loudspeakers Reviewed
wonderful loudspeakers that deserve to be front and centre of a two-channel system. These are mini speakers with a massive sound and which represent something unusual in audio – genuine value for money.
WiiM Pro Plus Streamer Review
the best combination of hardware and software I’ve seen in the hi-fi streaming sector to date, and represents the kind of value for money that is never given the recognition it deserves by the industry, especially the press. If you want to stream audio to a hi-fi, this is the little box you should buy.
Spartan 30 Headphone / Line Preamplifier By Michael Fidler Reviewed
A small desktop headphone amp with line preamplifier, ideal for miniaturised systems with active speakers. What it lacks in modern conveniences it makes up for in linearity, power and low distortion.
Acoustic Research AR48S Restoration Part 1
Dodgy drivers thwart my attempt to restore these classic Acoustic Research AR48S speakers, for now.
Technics RS-B11W Cassette Deck Thoughts & Repairs
Technics proved that doubling the decks didn’t mean halving the performance and the results speak for themselves. Probably one of the best bargains in cassette decks at the moment.
Sony TC-WR645S Cassette Deck Repairs
A well-featured machine even if it wasn’t Sony’s finest in terms of its construction quality. These make decent recordings, and are fine playback decks especially if you want the convenience of autoreverse. I’d probably still go for the more modern TC-WE475 or TC-WE675 for its simpler mechanics and better build quality
MM Pro By Michael Fidler Phono Stage Reviewed
As far as I can determine, £600 is enough to buy you the finest moving magnet phono stage currently in production. And that phono stage is the MM Pro by Michael Fidler. I will stand by that statement until someone shows me verifiable scientific data, not just audiophile hyperbole, to prove otherwise.
Technics RS-M225 & RS-M17 Cassette Decks Overview & Belt Replacement
Two successive generations of Technics cassette deck, entirely different yet strikingly similar at the same time.
Aiwa AD-F500 Cassette Deck Repair & Review
My experience working on the AD-WX727 and AD-wX929 twin decks, the latter returning for a second round left a bitter taste in my mouth. But they did produce some decent hardware in the same era and this, the AD-F500, is one of the more economical examples. It has proven itself to be competitive in its performance and good value on the used market for the right price.
Aiwa AD-WX929 Double Cassette Deck Repair
Better than the WX727 in some areas, it does an acceptable job playing back pre-recorded tapes. But the best thing the WX929 has going for it is a few extra metal components which add to its scrap value.
Sivga Luan Open-Backed Headphones Reviewed
A pleasant if not strictly neutral listening experience. Beautifully built and generously accessorised out of the box. if you seek exquisite build quality, a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience, and maximum value for money, you’ll find all three here.
Yamaha CDX-496 Belt Replacement & Review
a run of the mill CD player from the mid-2000s when mainstream hi-fi separates were teetering on the verge of extinction. A no-nonsense ‘Natural Sound’ CD player, Well worth the money.
Sony CDP-361 Belt Replacement & Review
Ordinary in its appearance and almost empty inside, Sony’s CDP-361 is more than a flimsy metal box filled mostly with air. Easy to service and very little in them to go wrong, If you’re after a high-quality, fully functional CD player, or transport to feed discs to your DAC, the CDP-361 and its ilk should make your shortlist.
Aiwa AD-WX727 Repair & Thoughts
reasonable sound despite its shortcomings in build quality. But proceed with caution, free is about £5 too much.
Eltax Acura CDP-70 CD Player Reviewed
The UK retailer Richer Sounds once licensed some of the big names in hi-fi that had fallen out of fashion. Ariston, Eclipse and Eltax, just to name a few. Eltax were better known for their loudspeakers, and through Richer Sounds produced a lot of budget-conscious models in the days when you could still buy a…… Continue reading Eltax Acura CDP-70 CD Player Reviewed
Pro-Ject VC-S3 Record Cleaning Machine Reviewed
The VC-S remains ahead of the competition. Most record cleaning machines are, in reality, primitive, dysfunctional, uncomfortable loud, poorly constructed and ugly enough to upset a blind man’s aesthetic senses. It’s a wonder some of them work at all. The VC-s has some way to go in terms of refinement, but it’s still one of the best looking and most efficient record cleaning machines you can buy.
Denon SC-M5K Bookshelf Loudspeakers Reviewed
Manufactured in the late 1990s by Mission, sold to partner Denon UD-M5 stereo receiver or the UD-M7 component stereo system. Loads of them around now for bargain prices. Great little speakers for a small room or compact system.