Naim improves its award-winning DACs with increased performance and DSD playbackNaim today released firmware updates to both the Naim DAC (colloquially known as the nDAC) and the DAC-V1. Both multi-award winning DACs have a strong following and large installed base and demand for DSD playback has been strong from some international markets. More information and…
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Focal’s DNA in a unique pair of in-ear headphones
Focal, the French loudspeaker manufacturer, has developed its first in-ear headphones starting from first principles. The result: Sphear breaks with conventions and proves that high-fidelity in-ear headphones can be used for hours without discomfort.
Enhanced functionality for Naim network players
Includes Bluetooth (aptX), DSD, BBC HLS playback and improved multiroom capabilities.
From today the Naim ND5 XS, NDX and NAC-N 172 XS network players will be shipped with Bluetooth (aptX) compatibility.
The Pono Player: musically worthwhile or just good clickbait?
I don’t like the hype around it, the software or the website but I do love the player itself.
I hear a level of sound quality and musical performance, from CD resolution and hi-res files, that I’ve not heard before from portable devices.
Naim’s new NAC-N 272 Streaming Preamplifier
Naim today confirmed the arrival of a new product, the NAC-N 272, in its core range: a performance upgradeable preamplifier including full network audio and zero S/PDIF jitter DAC.
New range of Naim high-end interconnects and speaker cables
Today Naim revealed its new Super Lumina range of high-quality interconnects and speaker cables, developed in parallel with Statement, its flagship amplification system.
The brief was simple: design a range of cables that would complement and allow the maximum performance of Statement as well as Naim 500 Series and Classic products. Starting with a blank page, Naim’s engineers specified each element of the cables based on the results of thousands of hours spent in the listening room testing prototypes.
To reach their goal required a deep understanding of material science and the influence of cable and connector construction on sound quality.
Keith Monks discOvery mini One Sapphire Limited Edition
Keith Monks Audio today unveiled the new discOvery mini One Sapphire Limited Edition Record Cleaning Machine. This exclusive model takes all the benefits of the discOveryOne so successfully launched in 2013, and then improves on it. The Sapphire is the smallest ever Keith Monks and features a vacuum gauge, hinged lid cover and the Keith Monks Classic precision wash system built in. Each Sapphire machine and its accompanying certificate are individually numbered, and both display a reproduction Keith Monks original signature.
The discOvery mini One Sapphire is a limited edition of 45 production units worldwide.
Bose QuietComfort 20i
The QC 20i’s noise cancelling is superb, they take away most of the roar of the train, the clatter of the tracks and some of the noise of the louder passengers, however there is one small foible with the noise cancelling: on a train when another train passes in the opposite direction the QC 20i’s pop. The odd pop is a small price to pay for the amazingly good noise cancellation.
Amazon Fire TV in, Apple TV and Sony SMP-N200 out
The Amazon Fire TV arrived on Friday and immediately replaced both the Apple TV and the Sony network media player in my family room system. One box instead of two, one SMPS instead of two and one ethernet connection instead of one.
The beauty of the Amazon Fire TV box is that I can now easily watch Netflix or Amazon Prime Video without changing inputs of my DAC or TV. Less chance for a macro to go wrong.
Hi-res digital recording of vinyl: Is it needed?
Having purchased a Thunderbolt ‘sound card’, the Zoom TAC-2, to make life easier when measuring loudspeakers it was too much of a temptation not to try recording some vinyl. This post is even simpler, linked below are four recordings of an excerpt from the same Nat King Cole track. The only change between recordings was the sampling rate. All are 24Bit Aiff files, one is 44.1, one. 88.2, one is 176.4 and the largest is 192kHz sampling.