Focal Introduces New Dune Finish to the Bathys Wireless Headphones
Bathys was Focal‘s first foray into the modern world of wireless headphones. Not a task they took lightly. They have long been masters of getting audiophile sound out of their headphones, but creating a wireless ‘pair of ‘cans’ brings a whole new set of challenges. Sound is the most important factor of course but in … Read more
Innuos is a modern hi-fi success story, founded in 2009 the company quickly rose to become a well-known brand within the digital sector of the market. Innuos have mastered the art of music servers, offering a range from the affordable PULSEmini to the flagship STATEMENT. The company believes their products “unleash the full potential of … Read more
Following the March introduction of Melco’s all-new flagship digital music library, the SSD-based N1-S38, the Japanese digital music specialist has announced the new N5-H50, which draws heavily from the N1 and introduces a HDD and simplified features for greater affordability (£7,499); the N5-H50 will made its world debut at High End, Munich and will have … Read more
We are thrilled to be adding the new Quiescent T1000SPA stereo power amplifier to our range of demonstration equipment available within our high-end showroom based in Marylebone, London. Quiescent is a relatively new name within the audiophile world but the company has history under its former guise of Vertex AQ, who have long been recognised … Read more
Following the success of the APEX upgrade for the Vivaldi and Rossini ranges last year, British digital experts dCS have announced the highly regarded upgrade is now coming to the Bartók DAC and headphone amplifier. According to dCS, Bartók APEX “retains the original’s powerful, dynamic and detailed soundscape and adds elements of resolution and refinement … Read more
Legendary brand McIntosh are dipping their toes into new territory with the upcoming release of their new MHT300 AV receiver, their first such product since 2003. The McIntosh range has always been extensive and their long history with both AV processors and amplification makes this a logical product for the New York based company. Described … Read more
Italian loudspeaker maestros Sonus Faber have today announced the latest upgrade to their popular Homage collection. The new range includes reimagined versions of the Amati, Serafino and Guarneri loudspeakers as well as the Vox centre speaker. The story of the Homage collection begins in 1993 with the creation of the Guarneri, a timeless and innovative … Read more
Legendary British hi-fi innovators Naim Audio have announced the release of their ‘New Classic’ range which consists of three new products which are expertly engineered and brimming with new technology – all in service of the sound. Designed and engineered by specialists in Salisbury, the ‘New Classic’ range is crafted with care and built to … Read more
Estonian brand Degritter has quickly become a popular name within the hi-fi industry since launching their first product, the Degritter Ultrasonic Record Cleaning Machine, just a few years ago. Today, they have announced their latest version, the new MARK II. The key innovation of the new model comes in the form of a newly designed … Read more
Bathys is an exciting new product from high-end speaker and headphone manufacturer Focal. This is their first wireless headphone with active noise cancellation, something that is highly sought after from a set of true audiophile headphones. At £699 Bathys are placed at an attractive price point. Benefiting from the brand’s 40 years of experience in … Read more
Utah based speaker manufacturer Wilson Audio is known for their constant stream of R&D. They continually strive to improve their speakers and as such have now brought many new innovations to one of their most popular models, Alexia. The new Alexia V version will be released later this month. The differences from the Alexia Series … Read more
Welsh subwoofer experts REL have released two new top-of-the-range models replacing the former No.25 as their flagship offering. The No.32 is no small subwoofer. At 85kg in weight it delivers 1000 watts and features a mammoth 15’’ pure carbon fibre driver. The cabinetry requiring three weeks of labour to complete. The new No.31 model gives … Read more
Focal are reducing the price of three of their most popular headphones models for the remainder of this month. The entry-level closed back Elegia will be available for £499 (down from £849), the newest model Celestee will be £799 (usually £999) and the incredibly popular Clear MG model will now be available for just £1,199 … Read more
Test Session – Pairing Speakers with the Audio Research I/50 Amplifier
The key to a great system is often the synergy between components. Matching the amplifier with the right pair of speakers can make a huge difference to your enjoyment. We recently received the new Audio Research I/50 valve integrated amplifier. The company told us in their press release that “The I/50 gives 50 watts per … Read more
We are pleased to announce we now keep the highly anticipated Audio Research I/50 valve integrated amplifier on demonstration in our Central London showroom as well as in stock. The I-50 is the first of a new range from Audio Research. Starting at £5,198 it is the entry product for the brand which has been … Read more
Product Spotlight – Degritter Ultrasonic Record Cleaning Machine
A good record is not just fun to play, it can often be an investment too. It’s 2022 and the vinyl revival is in full swing. The price of vinyl is going up and rarer records are going for higher and higher prices. The key to capitalise on both of these factors of vinyl – … Read more
Linn have this week announced a number of new products for their legendary turntable, the Sondek LP12. The Linn LP12 has been a mainstay in hi-fi since its introduction in the late 70s. It is as popular today as it has ever been and Linn have been tireless in developing and upgrading it for the … Read more
Devialet Reveal Limited Edition Deep Blue Phantom II Speaker
French innovators Devialet have today announced a new limited edition version of their popular Phantom II 98db wireless speaker. The new Deep Blue version will be limited to 1,000 pieces in the first wave, although Devialet have said there may be 2 or 3 more waves depending on demand. Devialet claim it is ‘Inspired by … Read more
Anyone who has visited KJ West One in the last few years probably realises that we are keen on Shunyata Research mains cables and conditioners. As one of our top brands, we consistently demonstrate and sell Shunyata cables as a sure-fire way to elevate a great system to an incredible one. So when Guillaume of … Read more
British digital aficionados dCS have announced a major software improvement to their extremely popular Bartók DAC / headphone amplifier. Named Bartók 2.0 the update sees performance upgrades, which, until now, were exclusive to the Vivaldi and Rossini platforms. 2.0 is a significant update to the mapping algorithm that controls the dCS Ring DAC. It also … Read more
McIntosh have released their new flagship CD player, the MCD12000 SACD/CD Player. The new disc-spinner also works as their reference-level DAC, by enabling up to seven digital devices to benefit from its top-performance internal ESS digital-to-analogue convertors and is Roon Tested. The MCD12000 utilises two ESS Sabre Pro ES9038PRO 32-bit DACs each giving ESS’s HyperStream® … Read more
Bassocontinuo Introduce McIntosh Editions to their Classic Line Stands
Italian rack company Bassocontinuo are known for producing incredibly sleek looking audiophile stands that are extremely adaptable and versatile to your needs. One thing that Bassocontinuo offer which is unique to them, is the opportunity to tailor the colour scheme of your rack to your equipment. As such, they now offer a McIntosh styled variation … Read more
Following the launch of the dCS Ring DAC™ APEX, and the new Rossini and Vivaldi APEX models, dCS have announced the release of a new, limited-edition version of the Vivaldi One—the extremely popular all-in-one Network Music Player and CD/SACD Player. The Vivaldi One was originally released in 2017 to mark dCS’ 30th anniversary. Inspired by … Read more
Being one of the top hi-fi showrooms in Europe, we naturally read and hear about a lot of products. We are constantly listening to and assessing new products. Generally we already have some idea of the brand or the product. Rarely are we truly shocked. So when one of our distributors told us his reference … Read more
Linn’s Organik DAC Now Available As An Upgrade for Previous Generations
Last year Linn undertook the massive project of designing and building their own DAC, completely from scratch, as with all Linn products, they felt it was only worth doing if the result would be significantly better than their previous designs utilising meticulously optimised 3rd-party chips. Since its release in the newest generation of their flagship … Read more
As London’s largest McIntosh dealer, we are proud to keep an unrivalled selection of their best products in our Central London store available for demonstration. The McIntosh range is constantly evolving. Few manufacturers in the world have such an extensive range of products from Bluetooth receivers to 2KW mono blocks. Two of the most popular … Read more
Product Spotlight – Engström ARNE Integrated Valve Amplifier
Engström is not a household name yet in the audiophile world, the Stockholm-based family company was only founded in 2008 but their reputation in the UK is growing. The two co-founders, Lars and Timo Engström, are the chief engineer and industrial designer respectively. The ARNE is the company’s first integrated amplifier. Like the other Engström … Read more
French manufacturer Devialet are well-known to audiophiles for their sleek ‘Expert’ amplifiers and impressive ‘Phantom’ speakers but this week the highly regarded company is entering a new market with the release of a new soundbar entitled ‘Dione‘. As with all their products Devialet doesn’t just want to produce what everyone else is doing, they want … Read more
British digital audio innovators dCS have today unveiled details of APEX – a major update to the hardware portion of the dCS Ring DAC. The APEX project has involved months of intensive R&D looking at and developing ways to improve their flagship DAC. Technical Director Andy McHarg describes the process as ““We have a very … Read more
Highly Regarded X-Quisite Cartridges Added to the KJ Collection
X-Quisite is a new name when it comes to analogue, having released their first products just two years ago. However the man behind these cartridges is certainly not new to audiophiles. Micha Huber invented the incredible Thales tonearm and spent many years working with EMT to develop their cartridges and phono stage releases. He is … Read more
