Following the success of the Neo iDSD, iFi has now treated us to a network variation simply called ifi Audio Neo Stream. This all-in-one device is as comprehensive as it is connected, incorporating almost all of the technologies developed by the brand, and is presented as THE cornerstone of any good system.
Lindemann’s Musicbook family is designed to replace all or part of the various components in a hi-fi system. It comprises four items of equipment, including two power units, an all-in-one and a DAC streamer preamplifier. It is this last piece of equipment, of very high quality and impeccable finish, like all the other elements in this family, that interests us here: the Lindemann Musicbook Source 2.
Today, with streaming gaining more and more market share and seemingly set to dominate, Pro-Ject is introducing a new CD player, the Pro-Ject CD Box RS2 T. Isn’t this going against the grain? But we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. First and foremost, the brand is banking on the attachment to physical media that many users still feel. This behaviour is partly responsible for the revival and success of vinyl and can also be seen with audio CDs. In short, physical media is an integral part of the recorded work and nothing beats the feel of the actual disc.
Unveiled at the Paris Audio-Video Show, the new Luxman D-07X immediately passed through our hands for its first test outside Japan. We were therefore able to spend more than ten days analysing in detail one of the very first models, the one used for MQA certification, and the brand’s second implementation of the best Rohm conversion chip, currently only available on the larger D-10X. Like the D-10X, the D-07X can read very high-quality files, in addition to offering high-class CD and, above all, SACD playback.
After the first Node, Node 2 and Node 3, here comes the Bluesound Node X, created to celebrate the brand’s tenth anniversary. Offered as a time-limited version, this new opus has plenty of convincing qualities. So give it a listen before you let yourself be seduced!
Among the most interesting products on show at the Munich High End trade fair was the HiFi Rose RS130, a new high-end network transport whose technology stands out in particular for its ability to enter directly via fibre, for both USB and Internet connections. While we wait for the manufacturer’s USB SFP hub, we took a look at the new transport and its magnificent 15.4’ screen in USB 3.0 with an external hard drive, and of course in RJ45, to bring out all the musical purity of a network source distinguished above all by its neutrality.
A pioneer in network playback with the Klimax DS, released in 2007, Scottish company Linn, which is now celebrating its 50th anniversary, continues to reinvent itself and, with the latest generation, the LINN Klimax DSM 3, presents one of the most accomplished players in the world.
