12 January 2025: For many audiophiles, bookshelf speakers have a natural edge over massive floor-standing setups, which often demand more space and acoustic treatment than most rooms can offer. Their compact footprint effortlessly carves out a compelling near-field listening space—whether in a study, a bedroom, or on a desktop. Most importantly, they excel at leveraging a limited volume, using precision engineering to extract a pure, uncolored mid-to-high frequency detail.
This “refined power” is the foundation of the Eversolo SE100, a new passive HiFi bookshelf speaker. Renowned in the audio industry for its rigorous acoustic standards and forward-thinking industrial design, Eversolo has solidified its competitive edge and technological influence in the global HiFi market. The launch of the SE100 marks Eversolo’s extension of its deep acoustic R&D from signal processing to physical sound generation.
As the embodiment of Eversolo’s “BLACKEDGE CORE,” the SE100 is a heartfelt offering to all music lovers who seek true sound. Breaking from traditional speaker designs, it introduces a unique “geometric aesthetics.” The 1:1 square cabinet design seeks visual harmony, paired with a deep PU starry matte finish, exuding sophistication and texture. The high-density MDF damping material absorbs standing waves and resonances, laying a solid “foundation” for pure sound.
The SE100 features the much-anticipated BLACKEDGE CORE Two-way architecture. With audiophile-grade components, the precise crossover architecture ensures phase and time consistency, delivering a sound that is natural, coherent, and highly cohesive. This pursuit of “consistency” achieves an ideal balance between energy distribution and detailed presentation.
The high frequencies are a standout feature of the SE100. It uses a 25mm premium silk dome tweeter with a neodymium magnet driver. Eversolo introduces the concept of “airy presentation,” referring to the excellent extension of frequencies from 10kHz to 20kHz and beyond. This outstanding resolution and high magnetic density allow the sound to emerge not rigidly from the cabinet but rather like morning light passing through mist, creating an airy “space” where instruments’ spatial relationships are clearly defined.
Accompanying the tweeter is the 5.25-inch paper-pulp cone mid-bass driver. Despite advancements in materials, paper-pulp cones remain the top choice for those seeking a “natural, full-bodied” listening experience due to their superior natural damping properties. The custom driver in the SE100 delivers warm, textured vocals, with bass notes that dive deep with ease, embodying a relaxed vitality in every beat.
Equipped with a high-purity oxygen-free copper voice coil, the SE100 drives rapid transient response with ample power. Whether facing grand musical movements or spontaneous rhythm changes, the SE100 transitions seamlessly from subtle nuances to explosive peaks in milliseconds, delivering a punchy, clean, and dynamic listening experience.
After achieving phase and time alignment, the tuning team meticulously selects every capacitor and inductor value through extensive listening. Supported by data from Eversolo’s acoustic laboratory, the SE100 maintains a flat frequency response across its core range, ensuring pure, accurate sound reproduction, with bass extending solidly down to 50Hz.
Notably, the SE100 also demonstrates high adaptability to various environments. It not only reconstructs the listening space with precise imaging but also seamlessly fits into IKEA KALLAX shelving units. This “modular” integration allows high-quality acoustic equipment to blend harmoniously into home décor, from study rooms to living rooms or desktops.
Additionally, the SE100 features a custom magnetic acoustically invisible grille, made from low-diffraction fabric, offering protection while maintaining full high-frequency extension.
Eversolo SE100 is not just a product that refuses to compromise on specifications, but a work that exceeds imagination in both sound and aesthetics. It harmonizes precision acoustics with classic home décor, creating a perfect match between top-tier sound and living spaces.
For modern audiophiles who value quality living, this is not just an upgrade in audio, but a reimagining of desktop aesthetics.
Welcome to a very special hi-fi+ Awards. Fate (and producing a dozen issues a year) has colluded to make this issue a combination of our 250th edition and our annual Awards special edition. We have scoured the last 12 months of issues to find the best products we’ve seen across a range of categories.
In the past, we had very fixed categories for our annual awards, but that doesn’t fully reflect the current shape of the audio industry. While some categories remain constant, others change and branch out into new avenues. For example, a few years ago, there were so few streaming integrated amplifiers that the category did not need to exist. Now, we have enough to make them distinctly different from integrated amplifiers, without the need for a streamer or DAC. It’s not that one has eclipsed the other; it’s not that one is obsolete and the other state-of-the-art. These are now two divergent lines of ‘integrated amplifier’ that demand their own Awards. To lump them all together as ‘integrated amplifiers’ does the reader no favours, as it adds to confusion rather than pointing out the best we’ve tested.
Similarly, we have sometimes found categories where new products were commonplace a few years ago have reached a zenith. Thus, the category hasn’t received as many new products this year. Portable Audio DACs are a fine example. There are doubtless new models coming soon, but there aren’t enough yet for us to choose an example this year.
Each year we say this, but it’s worth repeating. The best in each category may or may not combine to build the best systems. There have been many cases over the years of people buying an Award-winning source, amplifier, and loudspeakers only to find the pairing a sonic mismatch. Our view of our awards is that they are a finger pointing the way. That finger often points to a good dealer who can assemble a system around that component, blending it with other devices like a master cocktail mixologist.
This is also why we include Highly Commended products. Not everyone likes the same things, and not every component works beautifully with every other. Our Highly Commended products are the result of the audio world being so good at its job, picking the very best from the already excellent is sometimes a very nuanced decision. By including Highly Commended products, we introduce a wider selection of outstanding devices to your next shortlist.
Awards and celebrations
Combining this Awards issue with our 250th also means we get to think about past masters in audio. There’s an interesting question surrounding the best of the past with today’s finest products. How do they compare? I think in many respects, the outstanding products this year are as good as we can get at the moment. They hold no comparison with even the finest past glories of 26 years ago; things have moved so far forward.
Sonically speaking, the very best in digital audio today leaves everything from even five years ago in the dust, so looking back to the last century is almost not worth it. And while things might seem less clear-cut in other aspects of audio design, I still maintain that today’s audio outperforms nearly everything from the 1990s, and today’s best is the best you’ll ever hear. Hopefully, that trend continues, and the sound of good audio in five or ten years keeps getting better.
We’re still a long way from achieving sonic realism in the home, and even the best audio systems cannot fully replicate the whole live experience. But they get ever closer; the top-end has the drama, scale, detail and dynamics to take your breath away, but even the most affordable audio gets closer than ever now!
One thing is sure: your next hi-fi product is on the following pages of this magazine! I hope you enjoy the search for the best as much as we did.
Welcome to a very special hi-fi+ Awards. Fate (and producing a dozen issues a year) has colluded to make this issue a combination of our 250th edition and our annual Awards special edition. We have scoured the last 12 months of issues to find the best products we’ve seen across a range of categories.
In the past, we had very fixed categories for our annual awards, but that doesn’t fully reflect the current shape of the audio industry. While some categories remain constant, others change and branch out into new avenues. For example, a few years ago, there were so few streaming integrated amplifiers that the category did not need to exist. Now, we have enough to make them distinctly different from integrated amplifiers, without the need for a streamer or DAC. It’s not that one has eclipsed the other; it’s not that one is obsolete and the other state-of-the-art. These are now two divergent lines of ‘integrated amplifier’ that demand their own Awards. To lump them all together as ‘integrated amplifiers’ does the reader no favours, as it adds to confusion rather than pointing out the best we’ve tested.
Similarly, we have sometimes found categories where new products were commonplace a few years ago have reached a zenith. Thus, the category hasn’t received as many new products this year. Portable Audio DACs are a fine example. There are doubtless new models coming soon, but there aren’t enough yet for us to choose an example this year.
Each year we say this, but it’s worth repeating. The best in each category may or may not combine to build the best systems. There have been many cases over the years of people buying an Award-winning source, amplifier, and loudspeakers only to find the pairing a sonic mismatch. Our view of our awards is that they are a finger pointing the way. That finger often points to a good dealer who can assemble a system around that component, blending it with other devices like a master cocktail mixologist.
This is also why we include Highly Commended products. Not everyone likes the same things, and not every component works beautifully with every other. Our Highly Commended products are the result of the audio world being so good at its job, picking the very best from the already excellent is sometimes a very nuanced decision. By including Highly Commended products, we introduce a wider selection of outstanding devices to your next shortlist.
Awards and celebrations
Combining this Awards issue with our 250th also means we get to think about past masters in audio. There’s an interesting question surrounding the best of the past with today’s finest products. How do they compare? I think in many respects, the outstanding products this year are as good as we can get at the moment. They hold no comparison with even the finest past glories of 26 years ago; things have moved so far forward.
Sonically speaking, the very best in digital audio today leaves everything from even five years ago in the dust, so looking back to the last century is almost not worth it. And while things might seem less clear-cut in other aspects of audio design, I still maintain that today’s audio outperforms nearly everything from the 1990s, and today’s best is the best you’ll ever hear. Hopefully, that trend continues, and the sound of good audio in five or ten years keeps getting better.
We’re still a long way from achieving sonic realism in the home, and even the best audio systems cannot fully replicate the whole live experience. But they get ever closer; the top-end has the drama, scale, detail and dynamics to take your breath away, but even the most affordable audio gets closer than ever now!
One thing is sure: your next hi-fi product is on the following pages of this magazine! I hope you enjoy the search for the best as much as we did.
In the language of conrad-johnson, the CAV-60 is not an ‘integrated’ amplifier; it’s a ‘control’ amplifier. However, many companies (most notably Quad) historically referred to preamplifiers as ‘control amplifiers’. So, we’re going with the more commonly used ‘integrated amplifier’ term to avoid confusion.
However, the company has a point. Like the CAV-50, CAV-45 and CAV45-S2 that preceded it, the CAV-60 is a power amplifier… with some controls. The CAV-60 takes that minimalism to new levels. Before, there were three inputs on a source-selector knob. Now, there are just two on a front-panel toggle switch. This sits next to a volume control. That’s it! No balance control, no remote control. Just a power switch, a toggle switch and a potentiometer. It’s matched by two RCA line inputs on the rear panel.
Similarities
Keen-eyed c-j watchers might note a striking similarity between the CAV-60 and the Classic 62. We tested the Classic 62SE in Issue 148. Not-so-keen-eyed will also spot the similarity, as it’s one of the first things mentioned on the CAV-60’s web page. Like the Classic 62, this amplifier uses three 6922 double-triodes for voltage gain and phase-splitting duties. It also features two pairs of EL34 power tubes operating in ultralinear mode. And, also like the Classic 62, the result is an amplifier that delivers 60W into four ohms.
To accommodate the inputs and the potentiometer, the CAV-60 features larger-value electrolytic capacitors in the power supply. Elsewhere, as its stablemate, the conrad-johnson CAV-60 bristles with carefully selected high-grade parts. These include metal-film resistors in the audio signal path, and polypropylene capacitors everywhere except for the power supply reserve electrolytics mentioned earlier. Even these are bypassed by polypropylene caps.
Too much minimalism?
Just two line inputs seem at first to push the ‘minimalism’ argument a little too far. But, thinking on this with my 2025 head, do you really need more? Yes, if you run a turntable, disc player and a streamer as separate devices, then the CAV-60 is not for you. But for most people today, a streamer has replaced the disc player. Tuners and tape machines are now comparatively obscure devices in modern systems, too.
So, it might be two inputs is enough for a small system, and anything larger requires a more complex system. Which, in the language of conrad-johnson once more, means separate preamplifier and power amplifier. Given the Classic Phono equaliser and Classic 62 power amplifier, a matching ‘Classic’ line preamplifier might be nice. However, as it stands, that role is taken up by the ET6/ET6SE.
Easy set-up
Set-up is easy. As there is no C-J preamp in the circuit, the CAV-60 does not invert absolute phase. So, there is no need to swap positive and negative terminals at one end of the cables. Plug in the seven tubes as shown in the manual. In fairness, you’d struggle to make them fit any other way. Regardless, audio thuggery and delicate pins in tube/valve seats don’t mix. Make sure there everything is connected before powering up. Then, adjust the bias controls of the EL34s with a plastic screwdriver (supplied) until all four LEDs on the top plate blink out. Warming up takes about 15 minutes and while there is an improvement over time, the CAV-60 doesn’t feature the company’s own Teflon caps and their glacial run-in.
I used the CAV-60 to great effect with a pair of Franco Serblin Accordo Goldbergs, which sadly were finally picked up mid-way through the test. However, KEF’s LS60 Meta and even my trusty old Wilson Audio Duette Twos were a fine match.
Decent
Any decent line-level source works fine here; I even used a middle-of-the-range Audiolab CD player, and the CAV-60s inherently lovely, forgiving sound helped bring out the best from it.
Yes, the CAV-60, having no gain stages in the ‘preamp’ section, is contingent on having a source component with sufficiently high gain and low output impedance. However, it seems the way the CAV-60 copes with less-than-optimal gain and output impedance sources is to go warmer and smoother. Detail – especially high-frequency detail – isn’t lost unless you are trying to drive long interconnect cables. All of which means, you’d have to actively try to make the conrad-johnson CAV-60 sound bad. OK, if your music tastes begin and end with raw-sounding punk then the smoothing out might not be to your tastes. But I think most would find an amplifier that sounds ‘a little creamy’ in its worst case to be a wholly good thing.
You can keep your roof on
The amplifier is not a roof-raiser, but neither is it a delicate flower. And in many respects, it straddles the divide between the conrad-johnson sound of old and its modern interpretation. That older sound was inviting and extremely musical, but a little too ‘lush’ and warm for today’s listeners. The newer sound is more focused and forward, but some might want a touch more warmth. The CAV-60 has some of that ‘glow’ to the sound without making it sound too warm or retro. Also, those wedded to the classic Brit-fi rhythm-oriented sound will find this has more emphasis on ‘space’ and ‘grace’ rather than ‘pace’.
It shines in making an expansive soundstage that is particularly adept at resolving image depth. This is easy to hear when playing vocals in front of the rest of the musicians, such as Joyce DiDonato [Stella de Napoli, Erato]; the CAV-60 doesn’t over-project sounds into the room, so her voice is just slightly forward of the loudspeakers, but the orchestra falls back deep into the room. This sounds exceptionally natural and the extension to the scale of your room is as well-received as it is completely natural sounding.
Perfectly matched
This soundstage is perfectly matched by a sense of coherence across the frequency range. The acid test for this is piano, and in particular ‘Peace Piece’ by Bill Evans [Everybody Digs Bill Evans, Riverside]. This pastoral jazz improvisation is deceptively simple and almost mediative, but with a few deliberately discordant notes in the latter passages. A less coherent, less cogent presentation can disrupt the meditative flow or even make those later bars sound hard and angular. Here, it just flows beautifully.
The CAV-60 also shows outstanding dynamic range. This is perhaps more micro- than macrodynamic, but it’s great at both. Listening to Laura Marling’s ‘Soothing’ [Semper Fermina, More Alarming Records] the slight breaks in her voice and the deft playing of the bass line are easily defined on the micro-dynamic level, yet the changes from loud to soft in that sparse instrumentation are tracked extremely well too.
This suggests an amplifier of excellent detail resolution, and that is the case. However, this is not one of those amplifiers that throws detail at the listener. Instead, it’s a more refined and effortlessly informative design. The staging, coherence and dynamics stand out, but that ability to lay open a piece of music without laying it bare is a characteristic of classic conrad-johnson and absolutely holds here too.
Least preamp possible
But perhaps most of all, the CAV-60 holds to the ideal of having the least amount of preamplifier between source and system. There’s a group of hardcore audiophiles who reject any kind of active gain stage, preferring instead to rely on ‘a pot in a box’ passive preamp and short runs of cable between that and the power amplifier. This gets rid of the box and the cable – it just places that ‘pot in a box’ inside the amplifier itself. It gets no purer than that… and it sounds that way.
We live in a world where convenience trumps performance. The conrad-johnson CAV-60 is the soft-spoken counterargument to that modern world. Without a spread of inputs and remote control, it’s always going to be a niche choice. However, if you value how your system sounds instead of how easily you can switch sources, the CAV-60 has what it takes in all the right places. Like the Classic 62, it’s a great-sounding power amplifier. It’s a power amplifier with just the right amount of preamplification to add some control without sacrificing performance.
Technical specifications
Type: stereo integrated tube amplifier
Inputs: two RCA stereo pairs
Power output: 60W/4Ω per channel RMS both channels driven
Naim Audio has two big things to its, er, name: brand loyalty and product longevity. It has recently changed and streamlined its range. However, there are still products in the lineup that have deep roots in the past. The current NAP 250, for example, is not too far removed from the original models first launched more than 50 years ago. So, the 26-year-old Naim Audio 500 Series and Statement (launched in 2014) are mere striplings!
We won’t repeat old specifications, but a brief recap is in order. In 2000, Naim Audio surprised its regular buyers with the range-topping NAC 552 preamplifier and NAP 500 power amplifier. These two amps cost significantly more than previous Naim Audio amplifiers. The power amplifier was notably larger and more powerful than anything the brand had made before. Then, in 2014, Naim Audio did it again with the Statement. The statement delivers an amplifier bigger, more powerful, and more expensive than anything else the brand has produced.
Long-running short-run
Naim Audio’s Statement was initially intended as a short-run product rather than the brand’s flagship. However, it became so popular that it remains in the catalogue. It was always classed as separate entities – the NAC S1 preamplifier and the mono NAP S1 power amps. However, most considered it a complete entity, rather than the ultimate steps in the Naim Audio amplifier chain.
This situation creates a conundrum for Naim Audio users. Many long-standing users have invested decades in gradually building their systems. Remember the ‘brand loyalty’ discussed in the first paragraph? For many, the only alternative to a Naim Audio product is another Naim Audio product.
Naim Audio users often trade in their existing audio electronics to fund their next purchase. However, the more streamlined 2026-era Naim Audio line doesn’t have the same upgrade path. This reflects broader buying trends. But regardless, many brand loyalists with 500 Series products are eyeing the Statement. But moving from 500 to Statement is a significant physical and financial step. Not everyone will be able to make that leap in one big jump.
The question is, how does someone make that move piecemeal? Does approaching this in a stepping-stone manner undermine performance? Is there a way to jump from the top of the 500 Series to the Statement models in stages? Perhaps most importantly, can you live with one of the intermediary jumps for a long time? Or, will it always demand you make the full jump to Statement?
Girthy choice
It’s a big problem. At the time of writing, the combined cost of the 500 preamplifier and power amplifiers is shy of £52,000. The complete Statement costs almost £235,000. The 500 amp models occupy three regular and one large shelf on an audio rack. Meanwhile, the Statements stand at chest height and are ‘girthy.’ Making the wrong choice is costly and requires a lot of floor space.
To test this, you need both preamplifiers and power amplifiers from the 500 and Statement lines. You’ll need to be familiar with both, then compare the preamplifiers and power amplifiers in one line with the corresponding devices in the other. Moreover, this experiment could have failed on the first attempt. What if the performance of the 500 is incompatible with that of the Statement? Suppose each pre/power combination must stay in its respective lane? The fact that there are over a thousand words to go in this feature should alleviate that fear. If this were an exercise in keeping the 500 and Statement separate, it would be more of a paragraph than a feature.
Rest Easy
However, the easy part is the rest of the system. Anyone contemplating the move from 500 Series to Statement is likely already ‘sorted’ in their front-end options, and I suspect most will likely have a Naim Audio ND 555 with one or even two NAPS 555 DR power supplies, maybe fed by a Naim Audio Uniti Core, and/or a turntable of similar gravitas.
It’s also likely that if the person has already gone this far down the Naim Audio route, they will have loudspeakers that will benefit equally from the power of either 500 or Statement. Except for possibly some changes to interconnect cable options, swapping 500 and Statement is as close as it gets to a straight substitution. Except for the shelf space.
The hierachy
Naim Audio’s traditional hierarchical system-building approach relies on a top-down approach. Even as far back as the ‘chrome bumper’ Naim systems of the 1970s and 1980s, the approach was to upgrade the preamplifier before the power amplifier. This often meant adding a power supply to an existing preamp. However, it wasn’t uncommon to find people starting with a NAC 42 preamp with a NAP 110 power amplifier. They would then upgrade the preamp with the SNAPS power supply, upgrade the preamp to the NAC 32.5 or NAC 62, and then upgrade the power supply to the HICAP before changing the power amplifier.
The names and numbers may have changed decades later, but the ethos remains. Although the range of upgrade options is now intentionally limited, it remains a part of the plan: if you begin with the NSC 222 streaming preamplifier and the NPX 300 power supply, you will likely transition to the combination of NSS 333 streamer and NAC 332 and possibly add a second NPX 300 long before you consider upgrading your power amplification.
Past meet present
While we compare Naim’s past and present, let’s unpack why things have become more straightforward. While reducing the number of ‘SKUs’ (Stock Keeping Units) is generally considered a good thing in any business, that’s not the whole reason. Put simply, outside of those who obsess over the Naim catalogue, the array of streamers, preamps, power amps, and power supplies left many bewildered. The ‘chrome bumper’ range of one integrated amplifier, three preamps, two power supplies, and two of the four power amplifiers in the range, all priced relatively closely, with near identical performance and a lot of interchangeability, might have been the stuff of dreams in the 1980s; it’s ‘information overload’ today.
Regardless, Naim’s preamp-first approach hinted at how things should progress, and sure enough, the hierarchy still works. The combination of Statement NAC S1 preamplifier and NAP 500 DR power amplifier pulls a lot of hitherto untapped performance out of the already highly prized 500 Series amp. It shows details and power in the reserve that we never knew existed until the Statement preamp joined in.
Thereness
Perhaps more importantly is a sense of ‘thereness’ to the musicians you get teased with the 500 Series. Music has an uncanny sense of being played in the same room as you; live events like Christy Moore singing ‘Black is the Colour’ [Live at the Point, Grapevine] is one of those classic Brit-fi audiophile recordings for a reason; his guitar and vocals are a perfect indicator of a system’s ability to keep time.
The Statement/500 amps do that perfectly, but more significantly, you get this uncanny feeling of standing in a concert hall in front of an outstanding musician and raconteur. Bringing it up to date with ‘Willow’ by Taylor Swift or ‘Paris, Texas’ by Lana Del Rey and the same thing happens. They are in the room with you; detail, dynamics, coherence, stereo separation… all of those good things happen too, but you are always drawn to the music.
Track leading
Equally important is how one track leads to another, like a game of musical table tennis. Once again, the 500 amps more than hint at this supremely musical activity, but the Statement/500 combination forces you to make the jump from Lana Del Rey at the piano to Chilly Gonzales andJarvis Cocker playing ‘Tearjerker’ [Room 29, DG]. The more I listened, the more I wanted to listen. Pop turned to jazz turned to classical and came back to electronica. Nothing got in the way of the music, and no type of music got in the way of the Naim amps. It was just… sublime enjoyment of music.
I think it was midway through ‘Bending Hectic’ by The Smile [Wall of Eyes, XL] that I really got it. I’ve never quite shaken off the notion that this was a Radiohead side hustle before. A good side hustle, yes, with elements beyond Radiohead, but still very much a Radiohead project in my mind. Here, Wall of Eyes is its own entity. The Statement NAC S1/NAP 500 DR combination is subtle and deft enough to make that most minute of musical distinctions seem clear and immediately understandable.
When green becomes white
The only genuine concern regarding this pairing is the physical mismatch of the tall, thin preamplifier and the more conventional power amplifier. In addition, if your NAP 500 DR is from the earlier eras of Naim Audio, it will have a green glowing logo in place of a white one, and that might be a bit visually jarring (ones made after October 2023 came with white logos and LEDs as standard, and such is the peculiar obsessiveness of Naim-watchers, this change was an absolute dead-cert hint that the Naim 500 series was only weeks away from its end… 18 months ago). In operation and sound… chef’s kiss!
The other way around (Naim 552 preamplifier with Statement NAP S1 power amplifiers) works, but it also doesn’t. It’s electrically perfect; signals still pass from the streamer to the loudspeaker, and on a surface level, there’s nothing wrong with the combination until you listen to it.
Higher Order
The Statement pre/500 power raises performance to a higher order. The other way doesn’t simply lower the Statement power amps to 500 levels; it fundamentally undermines the sound, making the overall performance less cohesive and fluid than expected from Naim. If you ‘upgrade’ in this manner, you’ll listen to music less and miss the sound of your 500 power amp. No one will ever claim that upgrading the NAC 552 preamp/NAPS 555 DR power supply to Statement is beneficial. So, 552 preamp/Statement power? The short answer is no. The long answer is no-o-o-o-o!
Finally, is the Statement/500 combo worth it, not as a stepping-stone, but as a complete amplifier system on its own? Absolutely. There’s a visceral punch the Statement pre and power amps deliver that nothing else in the Naim Audio catalogue – and few other things made outside of Salisbury – can hope to match. The 500 gets close, and unless your loudspeakers are approaching full-range designs, the impact of the stentorian bottom end of the Statement is constrained by the speakers anyway. Is the full-thickness Statement better? Of course. Will that tick away in the back of your head every time you listen? Not unless you want it to! Saying “I’d be delighted with an amplifier costing £112,000” is faintly ridiculous, but adding “in the context of a £235,000 amplifier” puts it into some form of cash-rich perspective. And some will always feel the pull of the complete Statement.
Oomph
This test was a lot of fun. There is still a lot of oomph to be extracted from the Naim NAP 500 if you raise the preamp game. The Statement NAC S1 really is as good as it claims to be. More than a decade after its launch, it is about as good as it gets right now. And the two sing together in a way that makes you question the need for the Statement NAP S1 power amplifiers. Or at least, that question goes on hold for a while. Although I’ve said this isn’t a stepping stone, I can’t help feeling that it’s precisely that for many current Naim 500 users. It’s putting you on the way to the Statement. Once you try that NAC S1 in your system, you’ll know what the fuss is all about.
It’s an odd listening session, though. The NAC 552 preamplifier, with its power supply, is no slouch. Although it may be a quarter of a century old, it still represents a pinnacle of performance and technology. Improving that performance without sacrificing what makes Naim Audio equipment sound so good isn’t easy. It takes upgrading to a Statement NAC S1.
Welcome to a very special hi-fi+ Awards. Fate (and producing a dozen issues a year) has colluded to make this issue a combination of our 250th edition and our annual Awards special edition. We have scoured the last 12 months of issues to find the best products we’ve seen across a range of categories.
In the past, we had very fixed categories for our annual awards, but that doesn’t fully reflect the current shape of the audio industry. While some categories remain constant, others change and branch out into new avenues. For example, a few years ago, there were so few streaming integrated amplifiers that the category did not need to exist. Now, we have enough to make them distinctly different from integrated amplifiers, without the need for a streamer or DAC. It’s not that one has eclipsed the other; it’s not that one is obsolete and the other state-of-the-art. These are now two divergent lines of ‘integrated amplifier’ that demand their own Awards. To lump them all together as ‘integrated amplifiers’ does the reader no favours, as it adds to confusion rather than pointing out the best we’ve tested.
Similarly, we have sometimes found categories where new products were commonplace a few years ago have reached a zenith. Thus, the category hasn’t received as many new products this year. Portable Audio DACs are a fine example. There are doubtless new models coming soon, but there aren’t enough yet for us to choose an example this year.
Each year we say this, but it’s worth repeating. The best in each category may or may not combine to build the best systems. There have been many cases over the years of people buying an Award-winning source, amplifier, and loudspeakers only to find the pairing a sonic mismatch. Our view of our awards is that they are a finger pointing the way. That finger often points to a good dealer who can assemble a system around that component, blending it with other devices like a master cocktail mixologist.
This is also why we include Highly Commended products. Not everyone likes the same things, and not every component works beautifully with every other. Our Highly Commended products are the result of the audio world being so good at its job, picking the very best from the already excellent is sometimes a very nuanced decision. By including Highly Commended products, we introduce a wider selection of outstanding devices to your next shortlist.
Awards and celebrations
Combining this Awards issue with our 250th also means we get to think about past masters in audio. There’s an interesting question surrounding the best of the past with today’s finest products. How do they compare? I think in many respects, the outstanding products this year are as good as we can get at the moment. They hold no comparison with even the finest past glories of 26 years ago; things have moved so far forward.
Sonically speaking, the very best in digital audio today leaves everything from even five years ago in the dust, so looking back to the last century is almost not worth it. And while things might seem less clear-cut in other aspects of audio design, I still maintain that today’s audio outperforms nearly everything from the 1990s, and today’s best is the best you’ll ever hear. Hopefully, that trend continues, and the sound of good audio in five or ten years keeps getting better.
We’re still a long way from achieving sonic realism in the home, and even the best audio systems cannot fully replicate the whole live experience. But they get ever closer; the top-end has the drama, scale, detail and dynamics to take your breath away, but even the most affordable audio gets closer than ever now!
One thing is sure: your next hi-fi product is on the following pages of this magazine! I hope you enjoy the search for the best as much as we did.
Welcome to a very special hi-fi+ Awards. Fate (and producing a dozen issues a year) has colluded to make this issue a combination of our 250th edition and our annual Awards special edition. We have scoured the last 12 months of issues to find the best products we’ve seen across a range of categories.
In the past, we had very fixed categories for our annual awards, but that doesn’t fully reflect the current shape of the audio industry. While some categories remain constant, others change and branch out into new avenues. For example, a few years ago, there were so few streaming integrated amplifiers that the category did not need to exist. Now, we have enough to make them distinctly different from integrated amplifiers, without the need for a streamer or DAC. It’s not that one has eclipsed the other; it’s not that one is obsolete and the other state-of-the-art. These are now two divergent lines of ‘integrated amplifier’ that demand their own Awards. To lump them all together as ‘integrated amplifiers’ does the reader no favours, as it adds to confusion rather than pointing out the best we’ve tested.
Similarly, we have sometimes found categories where new products were commonplace a few years ago have reached a zenith. Thus, the category hasn’t received as many new products this year. Portable Audio DACs are a fine example. There are doubtless new models coming soon, but there aren’t enough yet for us to choose an example this year.
Each year we say this, but it’s worth repeating. The best in each category may or may not combine to build the best systems. There have been many cases over the years of people buying an Award-winning source, amplifier, and loudspeakers only to find the pairing a sonic mismatch. Our view of our awards is that they are a finger pointing the way. That finger often points to a good dealer who can assemble a system around that component, blending it with other devices like a master cocktail mixologist.
This is also why we include Highly Commended products. Not everyone likes the same things, and not every component works beautifully with every other. Our Highly Commended products are the result of the audio world being so good at its job, picking the very best from the already excellent is sometimes a very nuanced decision. By including Highly Commended products, we introduce a wider selection of outstanding devices to your next shortlist.
Awards and celebrations
Combining this Awards issue with our 250th also means we get to think about past masters in audio. There’s an interesting question surrounding the best of the past with today’s finest products. How do they compare? I think in many respects, the outstanding products this year are as good as we can get at the moment. They hold no comparison with even the finest past glories of 26 years ago; things have moved so far forward.
Sonically speaking, the very best in digital audio today leaves everything from even five years ago in the dust, so looking back to the last century is almost not worth it. And while things might seem less clear-cut in other aspects of audio design, I still maintain that today’s audio outperforms nearly everything from the 1990s, and today’s best is the best you’ll ever hear. Hopefully, that trend continues, and the sound of good audio in five or ten years keeps getting better.
We’re still a long way from achieving sonic realism in the home, and even the best audio systems cannot fully replicate the whole live experience. But they get ever closer; the top-end has the drama, scale, detail and dynamics to take your breath away, but even the most affordable audio gets closer than ever now!
One thing is sure: your next hi-fi product is on the following pages of this magazine! I hope you enjoy the search for the best as much as we did.
With a 30-year track record, the Norwegian Hegel brand has established itself as a significant player. It offers a range of well-regarded integrated and pre/power amps, plus a CD player and phono stage. I’ve had good experiences with their integrated amps/DACs/streamers in the past. Therefore, I was particularly keen to get my hands on the Hegel H400 streaming integrated amp, which replaces the old H390.
Although the external changes to the £5,900 H400 integrated amp with built-in streamer and DAC may be subtle – new knobs and slightly revised casework – there are significant changes beneath the surface. The main updates include a brand-new streamer with enhanced functionality and a completely new DAC, both based on those used in its larger counterpart, the H600. It also features an improved power supply and enhancements to the preamp section. Additionally, it comes with a new app. When I unpacked it, the unit was impressively heavy and felt well-made and finished, which is always the case with Hegel products.
Control freak
This dual-mono Hegel H400 amplifier packs 250 watts of Class AB power into 8 ohms. It also boasts a high damping factor of 4,000. Hegel says this ensures tight control over the drive units in your speakers.
Like all Hegel integrated amps, the H400 features a dual-mono layout. This provides separate voltage- and current-gain stages for each channel. It also has completely separate power supplies for the input, voltage gain, and current stages. The custom-designed Hegel transformer features dual power windings. These feed independent high-speed rectifiers and high-capacity power supply capacitors, all intended to reduce distortion and increase dynamic range.
Like its other integrated amps, the Hegel H400 includes Sound Engine technology, which uses adaptive feed-forward error correction. Feedback corrects the errors and distortions that occur at each stage of amplification. However, rather than applying global feedback by simply comparing output to input, Hegel uses local. This involves adaptive feed-forward error cancellation, which it says preserves the original detail and dynamics.
The streaming platform and DAC in the H400 are based on those in the H600. The DAC features the highly respected ESS 9038Q2M chipset. It also employs a new digital-to-analogue conversion technology known as synchronised upsampling. This, along with its Direct Master Clock technology, is said to minimise jitter and conversion errors. Hegel has also carefully considered its circuit board design to reduce noise.
Keeping it simple
The best description of the Hegel H400’s front panel is ‘minimalist’. The central display screen, which shows input and volume, is flanked by a rotary knob on the left for selecting your chosen input. Meanwhile, the right-hand knob adjusts the volume. Naturally, the remote control duplicates these functions. The rear panel includes one set of speaker connections, variable and fixed line-level outputs. It also has one balanced line-level analogue input (XLR), and two unbalanced line-level analogue inputs (RCA).
The H400 does not have a phono input so that that vinyl fans will need a separate external phono stage. The built-in DAC has digital inputs via three optical Toslink sockets, one coaxial S/PDIF socket, and one USB port. Hegel also provides a BNC DAC loop, allowing users to upgrade to a higher-quality external DAC at a later date.
Unusually, Hegel has intentionally excluded Wi-Fi from the H400. The unit connects to your network solely via Ethernet. As Hegel’s Sales and Marketing Vice-President, Anders Ertzeid, confirmed to me, this decision was made to prevent any chance of RF interference and noise from entering the audio circuits. This preserves the sound quality.
The Hegel H400 streamer supports popular streaming platforms, including AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Roon Ready, Google Cast, and UPnP. Users can control the amplifier directly through these services. The Hegel Control App also enables users to adjust playback volume and select a specific input. Furthermore, it provides access to internet radio and podcasts. However, it does not offer access to the Qobuz streaming platform, which is my preferred source of high-quality streaming music.
The H400 also supports multi-room operation through Roon, AirPlay, and Google Cast.
Oh so easy
I, for one, found the H400 easy to set up, and it was a pleasure to use. Rear panel connections have clear labels. Additionally, the front panel doesn’t overwhelm the user with information. It displays only volume and the selected input, and, under that, much smaller, the resolution of the chosen digital source material. Additionally, the Hegel H400 automatically recognises connected digital audio sources and switches to the correct input. Therefore, you don’t have to select the input manually.
I installed the Hegel Control App to see what it offered for internet radio and podcasts. However, if those are not of interest to you, you could certainly limit yourself to third-party control apps such as mConnect. I used mConnect because it allowed me to access Qobuz, which is not available on the Hegel app.
Sound quality
Eager to test it thoroughly, I inserted the H400 into my usual setup. The CD source was the excellent Audio Note CDT Five transport, paired with the company’s DAC Five Special. It drove either the Russell K Red150 Se or Audio Note AN-J LX Hemp speakers. The speaker cables were QED Supremus Zr, and all other interconnects were from Audio Note. I provided the streamer with an Ethernet signal through an English Electric switch box and a Network Acoustics eno2 network filter.
Another good integrated amp/streamer stood on standby. This served as a benchmark for assessing the H400’s competitiveness at its asking price.
I began by searching for some of my favourite tracks on Qobuz, using the mConnect app. First up was ‘Broad Daylight’ by jazz singer/songwriter/pianist Ben Sidran. I was immediately impressed by Hegel’s balanced presentation, grip, and effortless power. Sidran’s vocals were crystal clear and expressive, while his piano playing was effectively conveyed. Fast runs of notes were nimbly captured by the H400. The track flowed well, and the bass line was well-defined and tight. It was also rhythmically strong. The competitor amp/streamer had a warmer balance, was a little more ponderous in rhythm, and was not as open in the vocals or piano.
Stay jazzy
Continuing with jazz, I then played the title track from the Harlequin album by keyboard legend Dave Grusin and guitar virtuoso Lee Ritenour. Ivan Lins’s vocals in the intro were clear and open on the Hegel H400, while Grusin’s piano had excellent definition and space surrounding it. Ritenour’s guitar was fluid and well-defined in terms of voicing and note shape. The percussion and drums were snappy, tight and detailed. The H400 effectively conveyed the delightfully quirky rhythm of this track. I felt Hegel provided more insight into what each instrument was doing than my benchmark competitor.
Switching to CD as a source, I played a track from one of my favourite guitarists, ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ from Peter White’s Groovin’. Hegel conveyed White’s guitar sound very well, offering excellent insights into how he crafted each note. The percussion was crisper and easier to follow. Additionally, the reggae-style, lilting bass line was weighty and tuneful. I felt the H400 once again delivered a more detailed, clean, and open sound.
Open and expressive
I was keen to hear what it could do with female vocals, so I spun up ‘Get Here’ from Oleta Adams’s Circle of Life album. Her voice was very well conveyed on the Hegel—open and expressive—while the piano had excellent presence and definition. The bass line was well controlled and seemed a bit weightier and more purposeful than on its rival. The drums also had exceptional power and snap.
I briefly compared the H400’s built-in DAC to that of a well-respected mid-priced CD player. Its performance is impressive. In fact, if you have a CD player priced below £2,000 with a digital output, it is worth checking whether the H400’s built-in DAC might deliver better sound.
I also used the Hegel Control App to enjoy internet radio and podcasts, which alone makes the app worth downloading.
Compelling
I really liked the new Hegel H400. It is well-made, easy to use, and robust. It offers a clean, detailed, and musically compelling sound that lets you hear what’s happening in the music. Additionally, it conveys its emotional and rhythmic impact with remarkable ease. It features an excellent streamer and delivers impressive performance from CD sources. It’s a fantastic purchase at this price, and not including it on your shortlist would be a mistake if you have between £5,000 and £6,000 to spend on a streaming integrated amp.
Technical specifications
Type: Dual-mono class AB integrated amplifier with built-in streamer and DAC
Power output: 250 watts into 8 ohms
Analogue inputs: One balanced XLR, two unbalanced RCA
Digital inputs: One coaxial BNC, one coaxial RCA, three optical, one USB, one Ethernet
Digital outputs: One BNC
Line level outputs: One unbalanced fixed, one unbalanced variable
Streaming: Spotify Connect, Roon Ready, Tidal Connect, Google Cast
Right back from the first days of Linn loudspeakers, there have always been active models. From the original Sara and Isobarik through to the latest 360 flagship, Linn has always had active (formerly ‘Aktiv’, in Linn-speak) models in the range. However, the active models have also always been at the top end of the catalogue. The Linn 119 stand-mount loudspeaker, the replacement for the venerable Majik 109, is an active drive from the ground up.
In fairness, from the outset, the Majik 109 had an active loudspeaker option. However, it was more of a sideline. Also, in fairness, the Majik 109 was 16 years old when it was discontinued. Linn’s Aktiv technology required a lot more electronics in the chain. That wasn’t the trajectory for Linn’s entry-level loudspeaker of 2008. Times change, and technology has moved on. The 119 is far more ready for active power. The 119 driven by Linn’s Exakt technology is a core part of the company’s 2025 (and beyond) plans.
Changes
Linn’s Majik 109 used a 19mm fabric-dome supertweeter covering all frequencies above 6kHz. There is also a 30mm soft-dome tweeter covering 1.5–6kHz, and a 127mm woofer. The supertweeter and tweeter combination (sitting in front of a port) was known as the 2K array. It was derived from the 3K and 4K arrays in more up-market Linn loudspeakers. However, the development that went into the 360 flagship spelt the end of these arrays. The technology in that loudspeaker then filtered through the range, right down to the 119.
The enclosure’s size harks back to the original Linn Kan. This was Linn’s more tuneful, ‘can do’ response to the classic BBC LS3/5a. The 119 is almost identical in size to its predecessor. The Majik 109 is about a centimetre deeper. Both are bass reflex designs. Where the 109 used its front ‘scoop’ for its port, the 119’s rear-firing port needs a little more ‘breathing room’. However, foam bungs are provided for use against a rear wall.
As in the 360, the supertweeter is history. The 19.55mm Sonomex dome tweeter sits behind a tweeter guard styled like the Linn logo. A 160mm Nextel-coated paper mid/bass unit also joins the party. This makes a loudspeaker that’s weighing in at a shade over seven kilogrammes. That makes it almost two kilos heavier than its predecessor. The price has increased, too.
Active or passive
The 119 can be provided in active or passive form straight from Linn’s Glasgow factory. Alternatively, passive loudspeakers can be prepped for active use at a Linn dealer. In theory, the move from one to the other could be performed in situ. It’s even potentially ‘doable’ by a customer if they’re very distant from their dealer. It’s not a complex upgrade (mostly involving the careful removal of a crossover), but Linn’s famed attention to detail puts the upgrade in the hands of professionals.
The more complex part is the change to the amplifiers. Traditionally, this called upon a series of model-specific ‘Aktiv’ cards to be installed in a Linn amplifier. However, today all it takes is the regular all-purpose power amplifier cartridges, which are then programmed using software to teach them which drive unit on which model of speaker their output is tailored. You need cartridges for each driver, of course.
Linn has stopped using terms like ‘Majik’, ‘Selekt’ or ‘Klimax’ for its loudspeakers, reserving those names for LP12 turntable variants and electronics. At present, an Exakt active upgrade is beyond Majik-level amplification, but the Selekt DSM is such a flexible platform, it lends itself to the process.
A quick Selekt DSM recap is in order. With two different finishes, the choice of three DAC options and four levels of amplification – from ‘none: streamer only’ to ‘multi-channel home cinema amplifier’, the Linn Selekt DSM is the company’s ‘Flexible Friend’ (citing a popular credit card TV advert from the late 1970s that ran until 30 years ago doesn’t date me, oh no).
It’s hammer time!
I’m no stranger to an Allen bolt. However, I think casually mentioning that most things can be ‘fixed’ with a hammer is why Linn sent me two of everything. Linn sent two pairs of 119s and two Linn Selekt DSM integrated amplifiers/streamers. One set was purely passive; the Selekt DSM had a standard stereo amplifier cartridge, and the 119s had passive crossovers. The other moved the crossover inside the Selekt DSM, doubling the number of amplifier modules inside the amp in the process, with the 119 configured for active drive.
The Selekt DSM is a known quantity to hi-fi+, having tested the streamer only version in Issue 164. The amplifier modules are 50W/8Ω, 100W/4Ω Class D designs. However, while these amp modules were not tested in the previous review, Linn’s overall musical presentation remains the same; these are extremely clean, tight and muscular amplifiers with a characteristic ‘dry; like a martini, not a desert’ sound. There’s no artificial richness or warmth here, but the sound isn’t cold or dead. It’s just that Linn places the demands on the recording rather than the electronics to create any sense of lushness or legato-like flow to the music.
In search of space
The Linn toolkit includes Space Optimisation, which allows the listener or installer to enter room parameters and characteristics and apply correcting DSP to the output of the amplifier. This differs from the room correction provided by companies such as Lyngdorf/Steinway-Lyngdorf or Trinnov because it doesn’t use microphone measurement to provide the room compensation. It instead relies on inserting room size, construction, the presence of windows and doors, furnishing and the position of the loudspeakers to build a sophisticated ‘4D’ model of the room.
In an ideal setting, the listener sits at the apex of an isosceles triangle in a slightly non-parallel rectangular room, in the real world sometimes that’s impossible. Maybe room or domestic demands mean that triangle becomes more scalene or even obtuse. Maybe one loudspeaker needs to be closer to the rear wall than the other. Or perhaps you sit in the corner of a large L-shaped room. By entering those parameters into the Manage Systems webpage, you can accommodate almost any limitations. Moreover, even in ideal conditions, Space Optimisation works well. Switching it in and out clearly removes some of the overt bass booms and cuts in most rooms and simply makes the room less of an impactful element in the overall sound.
Mild but wild
Space Optimisation’s DSP impact on music is mild, too; it trades a little bit of temporal precision for a better in-room performance and unless most of your listening is the glitchy rhythms of Autechre or Squarepusher, it’s a trade-off you’ll happily accept. And in the 119, it also means you don’t need to use bungs in close-to-wall settings.
There are also some Custom Filters buried deep in the Advanced menus of the configuration settings. While these can tailor the tonal balance of a pair of loudspeakers, they are buried for a reason; they aren’t tone controls. Think of them as slightly more useful than that weird package-carrying hook thing on a Swiss Army Knife.
The 119 is the perfect partner for the Selekt DSM. The loudspeaker is extremely detailed and open sounding, with excellent bass. Even without Space Optimisation in place, they more than deliver the goods. They also deliver a surprisingly big and articulate sound, both in terms of soundstage and just sheer scale. Unless you are listening in an aircraft hanger of a room, if you close your eyes and listen, at no point will you get a sense of a stand-mount loudspeaker in the room. In fact, you’d lay bets you were listening to a far larger three-way design.
Energetic
It’s a clever combination of an energetic yet not over-enthusiastic sound. It gets under the skin of the music, whatever music you’re playing. However, ‘fun’ loudspeakers are often ‘inaccurate’ loudspeakers and that’s not the case here. This is an extremely accurate, transparent and faithful representation of the music, with exceptionally deep bass. While clearly made for Linn’s own amplification, I used it to great effect with amps like the Primare I35 Prisma, too. That deep bass, articulate and big sound shone through regardless.
Musically, it took everything I threw at it with aplomb, whether the amplifiers had the Linn logo or not. The precision shone through when playing string quartets, such as ‘Entr’acte’ by Caroline Shaw and the Attica Quartet [Orange, Nonesuch]. Sometimes with two-way stand-mounts, this music can get a little lost, sounding cerebral and nothing more. The 119 brings out the emotion and ‘juiciness’ of the music (juice factor has nothing to do with the orange on the cover, honestly). Play something swampy and ZZ Top shaped, or complex hip-hop like ‘Homerton’ by Loyle Carner [Hugo, AMF] and you are met with the same detail and precision, but the vibe always remains powerfully present.
While we never reviewed the Majik 109, I always had a soft spot for its fast and fun performance. But the 119 makes its predecessor sound flat and drab. The combination of detail and energy puts the 119 at the top of the ‘bookshelf’ or ‘mini-monitor’ tree. More importantly, this means the 119 passes the golden rule of active loudspeaker design; don’t try make a mediocre design better with an active crossover and amplifiers. The Linn 119 has all the right elements in place in its passive design, so it bodes well when suitably ‘beefed’.
Such a little jump
Moving to active with Exakt technology seems like such a small physical jump. The bi-wire terminals at the rear of the 119s become direct connections to bass and treble, and an extra cartridge slot is filled at the back of the Linn Selekt DSM. In fact, if you use Linn’s own K40 bi-wire cable, unless you take a close look at the terminations at both ends, you could easily pass the upgrade off as a product recall or repair. This gets closer than ever to that elusive ‘invisible upgrade’ that every audiophile in history has tried – and usually failed – to get past their partners. However, once you get the active system in place, the ‘invisible upgrade’ switches to ‘what did you just change?’ in that accusatory ‘that sounds like you spent holiday-grade money on the hi-fi’ tone.
Active 119s call on a series of Exakt filters in the ‘Manage Systems’ part of the user configuration webpage. This shapes the Exakt engine within the Selekt DSM and allows some degree of fine-tuning of the 119’s profile. These don’t change the fundamental characteristics of the loudspeaker but can highlight one of its strengths or go for a more balanced presentation.
Going Exakt takes Space Optimisation to Space Optimisation+ levels, which takes the timing control down to the more granular level of per-driver control. Put simply, it simultaneously makes Space Optimisation do its job a little better while making those minor temporal effects on the music shrink to close to zero.
Practical application
All of which would be nice in theory, but the practical application in the Linn 119 is stunning. The loudspeaker effectively disappears, acting like a point source in soundstage terms and a direct injection of music into your head in all other aspects. Suddenly, the passive 119 sounds like it was dynamically compromised. It wasn’t, but the degree of snap and focus to the sound coupled with a performance that sounds like most of the loudspeaker got out of the way that Exakt Aktiv brings to the party is hard to miss.
It’s not simply extra information – although play any Rolling Stones recordings from this century and you can almost hear the crepitus in Keef’s arthritic hands. Nor is it just extra dynamic and volume headroom – although playing Mogwai at a fair lick can loosen fillings at 30 paces. It’s the level of musical communication the Exakt-configured 119s bring that takes a great loudspeaker and transforms it.
All the V’s
Music here is a vivid, vivacious and visceral experience. Listen to one of Nick Cave’s more harrowing albums and those emotions run deep. You could turn the most hawkish person you know into an anti-war campaigner if they spent an hour with these speakers and Polly Harvey’s Let England Shake [Island].
Exakt takes the good basic formula of the Linn 119 and shows what that loudspeaker is capable of. And, it turns out, that’s quite a lot! And there’s no going back – I tried switching back to the passive Linn Selekt DSM and 119 and, while it was still an excellent performer, it had lost that magic that active drive delivered. Could I still live with the passive version? Absolutely, but having had a taste of what they can do, the mental gymnastics required to move back to passive are too great. This means be careful of Yoda-ing yourself in the demonstration: “Do, or do not. There is no ‘try’.” If you have an active demonstration, be prepared to have active loudspeakers. It’s that simple.
Nit-picking
The downside with active is nit-picking at best. It locks you into a Linn ecosystem and specifically an ecosystem that includes the Linn Selekt DSM integrated amp. Yes, there are active crossovers (I’d be interested to hear this through the Kudos Audio Sigao Drive and other amplifiers, for example). Still, you lose Space Optimisation+ and other options in the process. In addition, doing so with third-party electronics would likely drastically raise the cost of amplification, making the exercise difficult to justify on economic grounds. However, sonically speaking, the Linn 119 is more than up to the task. And that’s the point; the Linn 119 is capable of pushing the limits of what you can expect from a two-way stand-mount of this size, to the point where everything else in the system gets really expensive, to keep up.
The 119 could be the gateway into that Linn ecosystem. This is an excellent passive two-way stand-mount loudspeaker – one of the best, in fact. Many will use the 119 at the end of decent electronics from other brands. For some, the temptation to switch to active is going to keep getting under their skin. Sooner or later, they’ll hear how far Exakt has raised the bar. Even if they don’t make the jump at that point, they’ll probably opt for a Linn Selekt DSM. That way, the option is open for the future. Then, it’s just a short hop to Exakt active drive. That’s it; you’re a ‘Linnie’, and you are picking out the finish on your LP12 plinth. Best of all, you’ll do all this with a big smile on your face. All thanks to the music the 119s make.
Standard features: Utopik Power Supply, Wireless Streaming via WiFi, Bluetooth and AirPlay 2, Support for FLAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, DSD (64/128/256), MP3, WMA (except lossless), AIFF, AAC and OGG at up to 24-bit/384kHz resolution, MM/MC Phono Stage, Analogue Input (RCA Pair), Space Optimisation, Exakt Ready
Standard inputs: Ethernet, HDMI ARC, Toslink S/PDIF and coaxial S/PDIF (in/out, configurable), USB Type B, RCA line level, MM phono, MC phono
Standard outputs: HDMI 2.0, Exakt link, RCA subwoofer out, ¼” headphone jack
Amplifier sections: 100W into four ohms (Class D) modules
The Deer Head Inn is situated the Delaware Water Gap close to the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey and seems an unlikely place to find a famous jazz venue, it wouldn’t be so well known if it weren’t for a Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Paul Motian performance in 1992. It was the first place where Jarrett played his first gig as a leader in 1961 at the unlikely age of 16, such is the way of the prodigal. At theDeer Head Inn was up until now the only performance released by this particular trio, and according to Jarrett “Not only had I not played piano at the Deer Head for 30 years, but I hadn’t played with Paul Motian for 16 years. So, it was like a reunion and a jam session at the same time”.
In this era, the majority of Jarrett’s performances were with the so-called Standards trio with Gary Peacock on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums. Still, for reasons unmentioned, Paul Motian stood in on this occasion. Motian, you may recall, played with Bill Evans’ most celebrated trio alongside Scott LaFaro and was in Jarrett’s American quartet with Dewey Redman. Motian brings a different flavour to the table, which must, in part, be why this was such a successful date.
The Old Country – More from the Deer Head Inn is, as the title suggests, a second volume of performances from this September 1992 date and takes its title from a rarely heard Nat Adderley tune. All the titles on this release are standards, albeit some are more familiar than others; it’s not hard to hear why the set opens with Cole Porter’s ‘Everything I Love’. The playing is inspired in its verve, and the musicians are clearly having a whale of a time. Not least Jarrett, who soon lets rip with brilliant improvisation that is full of joy. The energy and excitement are infectious, and you can’t help but be carried away.
Jule Styne’s ‘I Fall in Love Too Easily’ follows with a beautiful solo piano intro that brings intimacy to the fore; it’s interesting to contrast this sound with that on the recent Tord Gustavsen Trio release Seeing, which is naturally a much more pristine studio recording. Yet, the quiet playing here is somehow enhanced by its live nature, which gives it more poignancy and charm.
Monk’s trademark tune ‘Straight No Chaser’ follows with high energy and a great live sound that can’t quite disguise Jarrett’s ‘yodelling’, he clearly can’t stop himself from joining in when a tune is swinging so fluently. Once again, he illustrates the piece precisely before following his heart and digging deep into the groove. Unlike some of the more navel-gazing players, Jarrett takes the listener with him, and soon the ‘vocals’ become irrelevant because the spirit of the piece is so well communicated. There is a bass solo on this number, and thanks to Peacock’s skill and the positivity radiated throughout the piece, it fits right in.
‘All of You’ is another Cole Porter number, which has a gentler feel and a sweetness that suits the title. It’s a piece that could all too easily become schmaltzy, but this trio stay on the right side of the divide and reveals its inner soul. The title track is a clear standout among a robust selection of eight pieces. It features some beautiful piano and fabulous accompaniment, but it’s the quiet middle eight that really grabs you.
‘Golden Earrings’ is a down-tempo tune where there’s space for the atmosphere in the room to reinforce the live feel and likewise to hear the nuances of Peacock’s double bass playing. It’s one of those tracks that makes you appreciate just how good these musicians are at listening to one another. There is a rare synergy, yet the rhythm players here were relatively unknown to each other. This tune draws you into its intricacies rather than having your feet dancing, and this makes for a good contrast to the earlier numbers.
The Old Country – More from the Deer Head Inn is an excellent performance, superbly captured and sounding remarkably fresh considering its vintage. Jarrett is clearly in his element and sharing the love with both his bandmates and the small audience. It’s not hard to hear why the venue was so full and that people were standing outside the building to get an aural glimpse of greatness in action.
World Machine, the sixth studio album by Level 42, was the record that changed everything for the British jazz-funk-pop band fronted by singer and slap-bass legend, Mark King.
Released in 1985, it broke them internationally and was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic – the single, ‘Something About You’, one of their most successful songs, reached number 6 in the UK and the top 10 in the US.
The follow-up single, the ballad ‘Leaving Me Now,’ was also a UK hit.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of World Machine, the group embarked on a 28-date tour of the UK, during which they played the album in its entirety, as well as other songs from their impressive back catalogue.
hi-fi+ spoke to King, who was in his home studio on the Isle of Wight, where he was born and grew up, about just how vital World Machine was for the band’s career and asked him to share some of his earliest musical memories and influences.
SH: This year, you’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of World Machine. How does that feel?
MK: It’s great that this article is for a hi-fi magazine because World Machine was very high fidelity – there was no expense spared in production techniques. We were always ‘go ahead’ in the studio – we used the latest technologies that would make the audio quality extremely high.
We had a great team, with our co-producer, Wally Badarou, and our fantastic engineer, Julian Mendelsohn. We recorded at some of the best studios in town – Sarm [West], Red Bus Studios…
For World Machine, you worked at Maison Rouge Studios, in Fulham…
Yes – that was great. We had such a nice time there that we did a lot of the work for the follow-up album [Running in the Family] there too.
What was great about Maison Rouge was that it had a bar and a bistro in the lobby.
During the World Machine sessions, we were all in awe of the fact that the great John Barry was in there, working his way through a bottle of brandy, which was extremely impressive to us. I’m a big John Barry fan.
World Machine got to number three in the UK albums chart, but also made number 18 in the US Billboard 200. It was an important album for you because it broke you internationally, and it took you into the mainstream…
It did – and we meant to do that; it was planned. We’d just got to the end of our initial contract with Polydor – we’d been bouncing along quite happily, but we’d always be doing maybe 60,000 copies in a territory, excluding America, which was somewhere we’d found quite hard to get a foothold in.
I don’t think they really knew quite what to do with us or what we were about, and, more importantly, we hadn’t delivered the music that they could run with and would be attractive to them.
That was uppermost in my mind, and I remember talking to Wally Badarou about it and I tried to explain it to our then manager, John Gould, but he wasn’t quite on the same song sheet as me.
I knew that we had to focus on making our music more broadly appealing – some people said that it was self-indulgent, but we didn’t see it that way.
In hindsight, I can understand why people might have thought that, because there were instrumentals… but that’s what we did.
We were players and that’s where we came in, but if we wanted to move on, we had to smell the coffee, as somebody said back at that time, and try and come up with something.
Now, that’s easier said than done – I’d defy anybody to say, ‘Right – I’m going to go and write a hit record…’
Well, maybe Amy Wadge and Ed Sheeran could knock one out…
It certainly wasn’t easy for us, but we did it. We had a chordal run up to a chorus that Phil [Gould – drummer] had been suggesting while we were writing – it had been hanging around and it suddenly came of age… That became ‘Something About You’, then Boon [Gould – guitarist] delivered a wonderful lyric, and I was able to chuck in what became the verse melody and chord sequence – it was a real group effort.
When we’d written that song, I think we all felt that there was something different, and once we nailed that, it opened the floodgates to write other things, like the ballad, ‘It’s Over’, [from Running in the Family] because we were so much more open to ideas. It worked out great and it changed everything – Polydor signed us for another five years. Job done, really.
Have you got a favourite song on World Machine?
The title track is a fave, and I’m seriously looking forward to focussing on getting the tour ready. I always put a lot of time into creating the set and the arrangements of the songs. Obviously, we’re going to be playing all the songs from World Machine…
Will you play them in the order they’re on the album?
I don’t know, as I haven’t really started on it yet. I’ll find out if that’s going to be the best running order when I string it all together.
The album itself is only 45 mins, but with the technology that’s available and the ideas that I’m inspired by and want to expand on with those tunes…
The track ‘World Machine’ is going to be a great intro song for the set, so I’m 99% sure it’s going to start with that, because I can really develop it. Who knows? You might be sitting there 15 minutes into the gig and we’re still playing ‘World Machine…’ We’ll see how it goes.
Even though there were commercial pop songs on World Machine, there were still some nods to your jazz-funk roots, like the track ‘Physical Presence…’
There were. That’s a bass and guitar riff … a really loping thing… and it’s a pretty classic Level 42 track in that respect.
Going back a few albums before, we had a song called ‘Kansas City Milkman’ that is kind of similar. I was probably looking for another ‘Kansas City Milkman’, as it always worked great… What is it they say? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
You’re constantly touring, but the last new music you released was the Sirens EP in 2013…
I still noodle – I’m talking to you now, sat in my studio, and I’ve got my trusty old bass here, which is the first bass I ever had – the old girl, as she’s called.
I pick it up, stuff comes, and I get inspired, but I don’t get inspired as much as I did back then, because we’ve kind of done it.
I know that if I’m going to go out live, we’ve got such a good catalogue of songs that it would be remiss of me not to deliver those to the fans that are coming to see the shows, because they will want to hear them. They don’t necessarily want to hear what a 66-year-old, comfortably off guy is going to come up with… Is he going to write a song about his Tesla, or something? I’ve got enough songs in the bag…
If you go and see Bob Dylan, I’m sure you want to hear the great songs that he’s written and not necessarily hear what his take is on things now. I think we all know what his take on things now would be – Trump’s a w*****, etc, etc.
Do you get a lot of young people at your gigs?
For sure – that’s why we’re still able to go out, and business gets better. I can assure you that our promoter, AEG, would not be booking us if business was dropping off. That’s not the way it works. We just do better and better business. In November, we played to over 5,000 people at Indigo at The O2.
How do you listen to music? Are you a hi-fi person?
I would love to say, ‘oh, yeah, my Linn Sondek and all the gear is set up…’ I’m terrible. How do I listen to music? Mainly in the car. In all my years of working in studios, mastering and everything else, the best way to hear music back is in a situation that everybody else is going to hear it in. It’s quite rare that people are in the most pristine, wonderful, acoustic environment – nine times out of ten, you’ll be listening to music en route somewhere, in a car.
I guess you’re always travelling, as you tour so much…
Yes – exactly. When I’m listening to stuff, I’m always travelling. With Spotify, you can get anything at any time. That’s a wonderful thing to have, but, at the same time, it almost spoils everything because nobody is as interested in the idea of an album as a concept or a complete package anymore.
The last thing we recorded was Sirens – it’s an EP. I cottoned on to the fact that there’s not a lot of point in coming up with 12 songs… I’ve got six songs that I’m happy with, let’s go with those and if they go down brilliantly, we’ll write another six the next year.
People will just cherry pick anyway. On that EP, we had a song called ‘Build Myself A Rocket’, and, according to our PRS, it was the third most popular Level 42 song after ‘Lessons In Love’ and ‘Something About You.’
That was just incredible – what a bizarre selection. You would’ve thought it would be ‘Hot Water’, ‘Love Games’, ‘It’s Over’, or ‘Running in the Family.’ People just choose one track from the EP they like, and they download it, rather than the whole thing.
What are your earliest memories of hearing music?
Getting up one Christmas morning, when I was four or five, and my dad had bought my sisters a record player. They both had two seven-inch singles each – Rachael had The Rolling Stones and Belinda had The Beatles and something else… It was fantastic because they were the only records we had, and they got played to death. I found myself loving The Rolling Stones more than The Beatles back then, because I liked that whole blues vibe.
I think one of the records was ‘Little Red Rooster’ or ‘Not Fade Away.’ Having two older sisters was marvellous, because they had their finger on the pulse of what was happening, and I was getting exposed to it a lot sooner than my friends were. My first real love was Cream.
How did you get into jazz?
I was obsessed with drumming, and I absolutely loved Ginger Baker. Then, through getting Melody Maker and New Musical Express I got to hear about a guy called Buddy Rich and, when I was nine years old, boom, that opened up a whole new world. I saw him on a chat show and was blown away, and then I went down lots of other rabbit holes.
Welcome to a very special hi-fi+ Awards. Fate (and producing a dozen issues a year) has colluded to make this issue a combination of our 250th edition and our annual Awards special edition. We have scoured the last 12 months of issues to find the best products we’ve seen across a range of categories.
In the past, we had very fixed categories for our annual awards, but that doesn’t fully reflect the current shape of the audio industry. While some categories remain constant, others change and branch out into new avenues. For example, a few years ago, there were so few streaming integrated amplifiers that the category did not need to exist. Now, we have enough to make them distinctly different from integrated amplifiers, without the need for a streamer or DAC. It’s not that one has eclipsed the other; it’s not that one is obsolete and the other state-of-the-art. These are now two divergent lines of ‘integrated amplifier’ that demand their own Awards. To lump them all together as ‘integrated amplifiers’ does the reader no favours, as it adds to confusion rather than pointing out the best we’ve tested.
Similarly, we have sometimes found categories where new products were commonplace a few years ago have reached a zenith. Thus, the category hasn’t received as many new products this year. Portable Audio DACs are a fine example. There are doubtless new models coming soon, but there aren’t enough yet for us to choose an example this year.
Each year we say this, but it’s worth repeating. The best in each category may or may not combine to build the best systems. There have been many cases over the years of people buying an Award-winning source, amplifier, and loudspeakers only to find the pairing a sonic mismatch. Our view of our awards is that they are a finger pointing the way. That finger often points to a good dealer who can assemble a system around that component, blending it with other devices like a master cocktail mixologist.
This is also why we include Highly Commended products. Not everyone likes the same things, and not every component works beautifully with every other. Our Highly Commended products are the result of the audio world being so good at its job, picking the very best from the already excellent is sometimes a very nuanced decision. By including Highly Commended products, we introduce a wider selection of outstanding devices to your next shortlist.
Awards and celebrations
Combining this Awards issue with our 250th also means we get to think about past masters in audio. There’s an interesting question surrounding the best of the past with today’s finest products. How do they compare? I think in many respects, the outstanding products this year are as good as we can get at the moment. They hold no comparison with even the finest past glories of 26 years ago; things have moved so far forward.
Sonically speaking, the very best in digital audio today leaves everything from even five years ago in the dust, so looking back to the last century is almost not worth it. And while things might seem less clear-cut in other aspects of audio design, I still maintain that today’s audio outperforms nearly everything from the 1990s, and today’s best is the best you’ll ever hear. Hopefully, that trend continues, and the sound of good audio in five or ten years keeps getting better.
We’re still a long way from achieving sonic realism in the home, and even the best audio systems cannot fully replicate the whole live experience. But they get ever closer; the top-end has the drama, scale, detail and dynamics to take your breath away, but even the most affordable audio gets closer than ever now!
One thing is sure: your next hi-fi product is on the following pages of this magazine! I hope you enjoy the search for the best as much as we did.
The sound of excellence delivered your way
Whether you prefer the feel of print or the convenience of digital, hi-fi+ keeps you connected to the world of high-performance audio.
