Ortofon surprises with the launch of a new series comprising four moving coil cartridges.
Called MC X, this series is priced in the same range as the Danish manufacturer’s Quintet series, starting with the MC X10 just below the Quintet Red ($349) and ending with the MC X40, which is equivalent to the Quintet Black ($999).
Integrated into a chassis reminiscent of a diamond shape, which is also drawn on the front, the four MC cartridges are black and differ only in their number, inscribed on the side. Inside, they incorporate the same elements but differ from the Quintet series in that they feature a new silver wire cross coil, integrated with rubber dampers on an internal stainless-steel frame with a honeycomb structure, to which a vapor deposition surface treatment has been applied. To excite the coil, a new magnet system with a monobloc pole cylinder integrated into a rear magnetic yoke has been developed.
The MC X10 (299 €) leads the way with an aluminum cantilever and elliptical stylus, which changes to a nude elliptical stylus on the MC X20 (499 €) and a nude fine-line stylus on the MC X30 (699 €). The MC X40 (999 €) goes further by incorporating a nude Shibata stylus and a boron cantilever. Each model weighs 8.6 g and has an internal impedance of 6 ohms, requiring a recommended phono preamp load impedance of just over 50 ohms, so obviously requiring devices capable of reading low-level MC cartridges. We cannot wait to hear them!
A highlight of the 2024 Munich trade show and one of the most popular products of the 2025 edition, the Sirocco showcases the expertise of French manufacturer Atohm and its creator Thierry Comte.
New satin black finish Equally exciting, the compact 1.24 (test VU#57) and the 2.24 floorstanding speaker (test VU#60) both received a Remarkable rating, in both cases unanimously from the editorial team. But while they were originally available in walnut or light oak finishes, these two speakers are now also available in satin black, which joins the existing satin white.
Center speaker prototype Currently consisting of only two models, the Sirocco series is likely to expand rapidly, as the Franche-Comté-based manufacturer has just teased a prototype center model on its Facebook account. Currently planned as a two-way speaker, it features two mid-bass drivers and a central tweeter, with a rear-facing port.
We plan to return to the manufacturer’s headquarters in September, and we will tell you more then!
Some products in this line have not been released this year, but this series gives us the opportunity to highlight French electronics manufacturer YBA.
Defined by its minimalist light gray chassis and high-end design, the Signature series is the brand’s latest offering, still under the leadership of its creator Yves Bernard André. Superior to the Passion series, it now consists of four products:
– a power amplifier delivering 2 x 200 W into 8 Ω or 2 x 400 W into 4 Ω (with a substantial 1000VA power supply);
– a pair of mono blocks with the same power on each channel;
– a preamplifier with 7 analog inputs (5 unbalanced RCA; 1 XLR; 1 RCA phono), three analog outputs (2 XRL & 1 RCA) and three digital inputs (1 x coaxial; 1 x optical; 1 x USB Audio) capable of handling 32-bit/768 kHz PCM and DSD512 files;
– a top-loading CD player with dual-mono design, with the option of transport output via a coaxial digital output.
Unlike other inferior products from the manufacturer which feature radiators on the sides, these very pure electronics are all quite heavy, with the CD player weighing in at no less than 30.5 kg and each amplifier weighing 42.5 kg. The prices reflect the quality, at 16 500 € for the CD player, 17 500 € for the preamplifier, 20 500 € for the stereo amplifier and 37 000 € for the pair of mono power amplifiers.27/07/2025
Well known for many years, the “small” Lucia and Lunna speakers from French manufacturer Jean-Marie Reynaud have been upgraded to MkII versions.
In both cases, the bookshelf and floorstanding speakers retain their overall architecture, but many of their components have been modernized, starting with the drivers.
Lucia MkII Integrated into a new 19 mm thick MDF cabinet, the Lucia MkII’s 13 cm diameter mid-bass driver is designed with a treated paper cone and a soft rubber center cone, integrated into a more rigid aluminum basket and energized by a 25 mm coil on a ventilated aluminum basket, with a double magnet. The 25 mm textile dome tweeter with neodymium magnet is installed in a small tuned chamber. A 2-way passive filter with symmetrical 12 dB/octave slopes and a crossover frequency of 3500 Hz, as well as pure copper internal wiring, ensure that everything works together perfectly.
Lunna MkII The speaker uses the same new features, but in a 2.5-way configuration with two long-fiber paper cone mid-bass drivers, powered by 30 mm voice coils with a magnet that incorporates a copper ring to reduce distortion. Its bandwidth gains 20 Hz in the bass compared to the Lucia’s membrane, as it is measured by the manufacturer up to 40 Hz, compared to 60 Hz for the smaller model, while the speaker’s sensitivity is much more flexible, at 89/91 dB compared to 86 dB for the Lucia MkII.
In addition to the satin black finish, a satin black Woodscore version is available for both models, with the smaller Lucia MkII also available in pearl white. And the good news is that the prices remain affordable, with the Lucia MkII priced at 850 € and the Lunna MkII at 1 990 €.
Unveiled in Munich alongside a CD player (B1xCD) due to be released soon, Musical Fidelity’s B1xi is an integrated amplifier without a network module.
Tribute to the ‘90s versions, the B1xi returns to the concept of a class AB amplifier designed to handle sources via analog inputs, although it does add a digital card to directly integrate an internal DAC chip. As justification, and even though we didn’t ask for it, since we still fully understand this type of product, the British brand explains that all the budget not spent on Wi-Fi and Ethernet components allows for improved quality of analog components, while avoiding network interference and keeping the retail price down.
The amplifier section, built entirely from discrete components, delivers up to 60 W into 8 ohms and 100 W into 4 ohms peak, but this Class AB power creates much less distortion up to 50 W and 80 W (THD = 0.09%). The power supply is managed by a generous low-noise toroidal transformer, filtered by two large capacitors for the amplifier section and separated into two other sections to independently power the digital board and the preamplifier section.
As on previous models, the volume potentiometer sits in the center of the extruded aluminum front panel, next to the input selection buttons, four of which are asymmetrical analog inputs that can be integrated into RCA connectors on the rear panel, the latter supporting phono turntables with MM cartridges. The optical, coaxial, and HDMI eArc digital inputs allow playback of files up to PCM 192 kHz/24-bit, and although it is clearly stated that there is no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth is available on a 5.1 module.
The well-designed B1xi adds a 3.5 mm line input and a 6.35 mm headphone jack on the front panel, as well as a 5V USB-C output port on the rear panel to power a small streamer. This will keep hi-fi alive for a long time to come, with all the latest technology, at a reasonable price of 799 € (£699 / $879).
