Unveiled in September, the Hegel H150 is now available throughout Europe.
Positioned between the H120 and the H190v, it features the triangular angle seen on the front panels of the Viking CD player (VU57 FR review) and the D50 DAC (VU60 FR review). However, while it retains a width of 43 cm and a height similar to that of the two sources (10 cm), its depth is 45 mm, which is still within the very accommodating standard of 35 cm.
Like all the Norwegian manufacturer’s integrated amplifiers since the first current model (H95), the H150 not only features analogue inputs, but also digital inputs, in this case on a four-layer SynchroDAC technology, directly derived from that of the Viking. Like the H120, it has a pair of RCA inputs and a pair of XLR inputs, in addition to a pair of variable RCA outputs, but it is the first model in the catalogue to also feature a phono (MM) input, which was previously only available from the H190v.
With a nominal power output of 2 x 75 Watts into 8 Ω in class AB, and a phenomenal damping factor of 2 000 thanks to SoundEngine2 technology, the H150 can power even energy-hungry speakers thanks to its impressive power supply, derived from a large, very low-noise toroidal transformer. Compatible with Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Apple AirPlay, Google Cast & UPnP, it is still awaiting Roon certification and does not have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Thanks to its RJ45 Ethernet connection and numerous digital inputs (1 x S/PDIF; 2 x Optical; 1 x USB-B; 1 x USB-A data), it can play all files up to PCM 192kHz/24-bit.
Available now, the H150 confirms the trend towards making modern integrated amplifiers true all-in-ones. It is available in white or black for 2 990 €.
Revised last year in a new SE version, with a Master Sound Discrete DAC redesigned from scratch based on two FPGA chips implemented in dual mono, the K-01XD SE & K-03XD SE CD/SACD players are appearing at the end of this year in a “Black Edition” version limited to 50 units each.
While black versions have always been available occasionally from Esoteric, the Japanese brand has long justified these models with an anniversary, such as a decade to celebrate. More recently, the 05 series, which includes the N-05XD preamplifier-streamer and the K-05XD, has become available in gray or silver as standard, without extending this option to the 03 and 01 series models.
At the end of this year, the K-01XD SE and K-03XD SE are available in black, but in a limited edition. The main reason given by the brand’s teams is that some Americans with McIntosh or Mark Levinson systems would prefer a CD/SACD player with Esoteric’s VRDS-ATLAS mechanism, but are reluctant to invest because they don’t want to spoil their black system with a silver component.
The idea may seem secondary, but this very limited edition will delight users and collectors alike with both sound and image quality. Because while an Esoteric may lose a little of its personality in black, inside, nothing has changed. Both devices maintain some of the most reliable and accurate transport mechanisms on the market (even better on the K-01XD SE with the ATLAS 01, which is 20 mm thick compared to 18 mm on the ATLAS 03). The capacitors still achieve a filtering capacity worthy of the largest mono amplifier blocks, with 26 double-layer super capacitors with a total capacitance of 650,000μF on the K-03XD SE, and almost triple that on the second (71 EDLC; 1,850,000μF)!
Preferably used with their XLR analog outputs, given the perfectly symmetrical structure of the two CD/SACD players, they also have a pair of RCA outputs and two digital outputs, in addition to offering four digital inputs to directly integrate the DAC, notably via a network transport.
With a difference of only a few thousand yen in Japan, the prices of these Black Edition models should remain fairly similar to those of the classic silver versions in Europe, i.e. close to 20 000 € for the K-03XD SE and 29 000 € for the K-01XD SE.
Tested in our issue 60, the Grado Signature HP100SE and S950 are the latest additions to Grado’s headphone catalog. They are now joined by the more affordable S750.
The first to feature the new 50 mm (2 inches) diameter S2 transducers, the S750 combines a composite carbon fiber and paper diaphragm with a lightweight copper-plated aluminum voice coil. Introduced on the HP100SE, the detachable cable system with 4-pin mini-XLR connectors has been retained, but in this version the 6.33 mm jack cable features a lighter and softer Signature Gold braided design. The headphone design allows you to switch to a balanced cable if required.
But if there’s one thing to focus on with this new Grado, it’s the second model of ear pads. Here, the New York brand seems to have listened to the recommendations of its customers and distributors by introducing a new foam design for model B. As we mentioned in our article on the S950, the sound quality became exceptional when the foam pads supplied with the headphones were replaced with leather pads manufactured by ZMF. This is because the B foam pads were too thin and therefore uncomfortable, as well as placing the sound image too close to the ear canal, and the A version (both still included in the packs) was too wide, causing a slight dispersion of the bass. Now, the S750 model comes with B ear pads, which feature foam on the inside of the ear cup to improve comfort, and eight slits to optimize airflow for better sound balance.
Assembled in Brooklyn like the other Signature models, the Grado S750 is more compact and has a smaller headband than the other two models in the series. It is priced at 500 € less than the S950, at 2 000 € (1 695 $), and is available to order from November.
Going even further than the Orfeo Grande, French manufacturer Jean-Marie Reynaud presents a new floorstanding speaker.
Auralis takes its name from a Greek combination of aura, ear (auris) and elevation (alis), with a more modern appearance than the manufacturer’s current floorstanding speakers and a cabinet covered in beautiful wood.
With a 2.5-way design, the Auralis combines an 18 cm (7’’) bass driver with a paper cone treated with seven layers of carbon, with a mid-bass driver also made of paper, but covered with seven layers of carbon and polyetheretherketone, with an aluminum ogive in the center. To energize them, a 38 mm (1.5’’) vented coil is placed behind each membrane. Inherited from the compact Voce Grande, the 120 mm (0.5’’) AST tweeter is based on a pleated diaphragm principle designed to pinch the air between its folds and expel it extremely quickly. It can handle frequencies up to 28 kHz.
The MDF cabinet is covered in Woodscore XO finish with walnut veneer, stained with a polished cognac piano varnish. With a triangular load, this speaker has a nominal impedance of 4 Ω and a sensitivity of 89 dB. It is decoupled from the base by a polymer specifically validated to suppress vibrations. A front-firing port at the bottom allows bass frequencies to be expelled without feedback from the rear wall, down to low frequencies of 35 Hz.
Weighing 45 kg per speaker and measuring 1.15 m in height, the new Auralis remains relatively easy to amplify, with a single pair of terminals on each side at the rear. It is available for pre-order now, with delivery starting in February 2026, at a price of 18 000 €.
A year and a half after launching the Capella active speaker, Triangle has announced a new model for early 2026, at the same price of 2 499 €. Presented in a new English green finish, the Capella 2 also swaps walnut for oak, in addition to retaining the black (now neutral like white), white, and blue models. And while they have also evolved slightly on the passive side, it is mainly the hub that has been modernized.
New Hub 2.1 The hub is now covered with a rubber coating in the same color as the speaker and can be connected to the network via RJ45, whereas the first version only offered Wi-Fi. Based on a 1.5GHz Cortex A53 Quad-Core processor, this hub lives up to its name, as it still allows you to integrate an analog source via the line input and has three optical inputs, one coaxial input, two USB (data & audio) and one HDMI eArc, in addition to an output for connecting the system to a subwoofer. Compatible with Roon, Qobuz Connect, Chromecast and, of course, UPnP, the Capella 2 hub improves its Bluetooth with a AptX 5.2 chip, compared to 4.2 for the previous model. In addition, the Triangle smartphone app allows for automatic calibration of the speakers to the room, which is easy to set up with a small ZEN microphone supplied with the device.
2-way active speakers In addition to the part connected to the hub using WISA technology, these new speakers are of course active and each feature a 2 x 50-watt Class D amplifier. Thanks to this and a DSP to optimize power according to needs, the Capella 2 can freely express both speakers. The horn tweeter (TZ2530MG) is now based on a new 25 mm magnesium/aluminum alloy dome, while frequencies below 3.6 kHz are handled by a 16.5 cm midrange driver with a natural cellulose pulp cone. The bass also benefits from airflow directed downward by a vertical vent, which also allows the speakers to be placed relatively close to a rear wall. Matching stands in five finishes are available as an option for 279 € per pair, with the speakers themselves remaining at the same price as the first Capella models, namely 2 499 € per pair.
