kindly contributed by Nipper Varney covering his Origin Live DC100 motor kit. “When half the price of this Origin Live DC100 Motor Kit will buy you an Audio Technica record player complete with motor, PSU, arm, cartridge and phono stage that is able to provide quartz accuracy for speed control first time and every time (as well as three speed settings and the ability to adjust speed) there is no getting away from £530 being expensive for something which is just tasked to turn a platter at one of two constant speeds, especially when the Speed-Box casework is so cheap that it requires masking tape on the back to label the adjusters. That it is also far noisier and much more temperamental (in needing to settle down over days to work optimally) than my Technics SL1200GR turntable, which is silent even with my ear right beside it, is also undeniable.”
Spartan 10 By Michael Fidler Retrospective Review
The review below was kindly contributed by Nipper Varney. This review was written some time ago and is reference in Nipper’s recent phono stage comparison contribution. The Spartan 10 has now been discontinued, replaced by the Spartan 15, so I am publishing this as a kind of retrospective as there are certainly plenty of Spartan 10s out there ‘in the wild’.
Phono Stage Comparison – Classic Audio Spartan & Pro, Pro-Ject, Ifi
The review below was kindly contributed by Nipper Varney. Michael Fidler of Classic Audio asked me if I would consider publishing a review of his latest Spartan 15 phonostage contributed by Nipper. I agreed and what follows is a fantastic in-depth comparison of a number of phono stages, including the Spartan 15. Also featured are the Spartan 5, Spartan 10, MM PRO, MC PRO, and units from Pro-Ject and Ifi too.
Edifier WH950NB High-Res Bluetooth Headphones Reviewed
The Edifier WH950s offer you a lot for your money. They’re ideal for a busy digital lifestyle where conveniences like the excellent active noise cancellation implementation come into their own. While they’re not the last word in sonic fidelity, they do offer everything you might expect from a high-end pair of Bluetooth headphones.
Cambridge Audio MXN10 & AXN10 Streamers Reviewed
Rock-solid performance, sonic neutrality and an abundance of features, all in a tiny box. What’s not to love?
Kali Audio LP6 Active Monitors Reviewed
the LP-6 is the very foundation of what a great reference monitor should be. You can be confident that your productions on these monitors will translate as you intended across all manner of systems and devices. And they’re a joy to listen to as well, when you want to kick back and chill with your favourite tunes.
MC Pro by Michael Fidler Moving Coil Phono Stage Reviewed
The finest technical performance of any phono stage I can find on the market at any price. The MC Pro will shake up this stagnated industry for the better. It demonstrates that real-world performance is not wizardry or pseudoscience, but competence and ability. The audio industry needs more of both if it is to stand a chance of survival, and Michael Fidler is a clear frontrunner.
Technics ST-600L FM/ AM Tuner
An excellent tuner that never seems to get a mention. Tuners in general are quite unpopular these days. This humble late ‘80s tuner is a capable performer though, and a neat, discrete package that modestly hides its true colours.
Sivga Oriole Headphones Reviewed
similar to the Robin, as one would expect given their obvious similarity. I prefer the style, and they’re as impeccable in build and finish as any other Sivga headphone I’ve tried. Unlike plastic-laden rivals for similar money, they should last a lifetime if you look after them.
Cambridge Audio A5 Repair & Review
Resurrecting an original Cambridge Audio A5 integrated amp. A very clean sounding amp, that sounds a lot more powerful than it is. Quite capable of cranking out the tunes into the right speakers; just know its limits.
Building the Hypex DIY Preamplifier Kit
The DIY preamplifier kit from Hypex is a brand new product fresh off the production line. It is a fully analogue design with modern conveniences including remote control, flexible signal routing, and a large monochrome display. Herein I document the build and show how easy it is for anyone to construct this high-end preamp, regardless of experience or technical ability.
Building Hypex Nilai500 DIY Class D Amplifier Kits
Can you assemble a puzzle? If so, you can put together a Hypex amplifier. Herein the build of the new Hypex Nilai500 DIY monoblock power amplifiers.
Majority Oakcastle DAB500 Compact HiFi Stereo System Reviewed
a nicely made and finished bookshelf music system that provides plenty of functions for most casual listeners. A decent CD player, an excellent tuner, Bluetooth streaming, USB audio file playback and an AUX input for your telly or turntable.
Majority Robinson 2DAB DAB Radio Adapter / Tuner Reviewed
A tiny top flight tuner and Bluetooth receiver that offers excellent performance and clever BestTune tech.
Majority Oakcastle HIFI200 Compact HiFi Stereo System Reviewed
Too expensive for what it is, with much better systems even from majority themselves available for similar money. It does have a nice tuner though, useful alarm and timer functions, handy Bluetooth connectivity and USB playback.
Spartan 5 by Michael Fidler Phono Stage Reviewed
A diminutive little box, in which is a simple but objectively and subjectively top-class circuit typology. The Spartan series should be underlined at the top of your shortlist. They represent high-end objective performance and save you a boatload of cash.
Ifi ZEN Stream Network Bridge Reviewed
The objective of hi-fi is to reproduce the source as accurately as possible, and that is pure transparency. That’s what the ZEN stream offers.
Musical Fidelity MX Stream Streaming Transport Reviewed
The MX Stream delivers bit-perfect audio to your DAC of choice and does so without character, noise or fuss.
Fosi Audio TB10D Mini Class D Amplifier Reviewed
Have you ever typed “amplifier” in to Amazon or eBay? Do so, and you’ll find a plethora of miniature amplifiers, many with outrageous power output claims and with various features. Some give you Bluetooth, SD card and USB playback and even an FM radio. Some have an output for a passive subwoofer (good luck finding…… Continue reading Fosi Audio TB10D Mini Class D Amplifier Reviewed
Edifier STAX Spirit S3 High-Res Bluetooth Headphones Reviewed
Cutting-edge Bluetooth headphones for the wifi generation, packing some of the best tech currently available, supporting the latest wireless codecs, offering outstanding comfort, portability and battery life, and with some of the best planar-magnetic headphone drivers on the market. They may not be pure STAX, but they’re worthy of the STAX name through and through.