Category: Hi-Fi

Adventures in MiniDisc & Sony MDS-JE770 Repair

I had every intention of starting a small MiniDisc collection, but ultimately it’s not going to happen. The MiniDisc technology was cutting edge on its introduction and something that few if any home computers could replicate. These days however the MiniDisc is easily outshines by the most basic digital players. While it’s a nice format, it’s not difficult to see why it has faded into obsolescence.

Yamaha KX-580 Cassette Deck Review

What? A cassette deck review in 2017? A little anachronistic, surely? A few weeks ago, I mentioned to AA’s own Ashley that I’d been getting a bit nostalgic for the defunct format, especially after seeing Andy Hall’s extensive collection of Beatles cassettes on his great YouTube channel. Search him, and you’ll see what I mean. I mentioned to Ashley that my favourite cassette deck had been my Yamaha KX-580 SE which I’d owned from new since 1999, and which I’d sadly sold for the price of a plate of beans on toast a few years later. I’d also thrown away a lot of tapes that I’d kept in the loft, when I made a necessary downsize in accommodation. I couldn’t quite kick the cassette habit though, and shortly after I bought a NAD 613 deck.

Pro-Ject Primary USB Turntable Review

Pro-Ject’s primary is a great value budget vinyl spinner with an enjoyable sound, fuss-free setup quality build and clean looks. Opt for the USB model and you get a capable phono stage and a USB interface too. If you’re starting out or need a turntable to spin some old favourites, this could well be it. Highly recommended.

Arcam A29 Integrated Amplifier Review

Arcam’s A29 packs some clever tech, useful features and bags of power into a sleek, slimline chassis. There are no digital bells and whistles here – only pure analogue goodness with cracking headphone and phono stages onboard to boot. With the ability to seamlessly interface with Arcam’s rSeries components and more analogue inputs than many will ever need, the A29 can form the basis of a system that is as complex as you want it to be. It’s a lot of amp for what is – in hi-fi terms at least – little money. But is it any good?

Tannoy Mercury 7.4 Review

a pair of Mercury V4s formed the basis of my first true hi-fi system, at the time fronted by Yamaha amplification and a vast array of source components. Components came and went, though the V4s remained the one common denominator for many years. The mercury 7.4 takes everything that made the Mercury range great and improves upon it in every area.

Will A Cheap Turntable Damage Your Records?

Shopping for a turntable? You’ll have undoubtedly seen the surplus of budget-priced models from the likes of Crosley, Ion, GPO and many others, sold by high street retailers and online retailers such as Amazon and eBay. Many claim that these sub-#100 turntables will cause irreparable damage to the vinyl they play. Wanting to offer some conclusive evidence either way, we purchased a GPO Stylo and conducted an experiment to see what it really takes to damage a vinyl record.

The Original Technics 1200, a history and review

In October 1972, The Matsushita Electric Company, more commonly known today as Panasonic, launched a new mid-priced hi-fi turntable under its Technics brand. Its specifications could be matched only by the SP10, the world’s first direct drive turntable introduced just 2 years earlier by the same company, a turntable that had quickly become the standard for broadcast and recording applications. This turntable was, of course, the Technics 1200. Beginning with the MK2 iteration introduced in 1978, the Technics 1200 was the turntable that played a definitive roll in the birth of the modern DJ, extended disco mixes and the development of hip hop.