Hi-fi World

Ive got to say I do like this mag, it could almost be a zerogain publication! have a flick through June's ed and have a look at whats in. You can certainly tell that the journo's frequent these very boards.

Just thought Id say.

 

Noel Keywood's review of the Tact SDA power amp and look at the workings of Class D is very interesting.... just a few issues ago he was berating all solid state amps and saying digital amps were the worst thing that could ever happen. Total volte-face since then!

 

totally agree. they tend to focus on real world products and not mortgage level esoterica (hifi news).

i am concerned by the cable group test in this months issue AND a straight faced report of some £900 power leads. in all fairness they don't 'big them', but it's still a worry.

the letters page also is by far the most concise, interesting and often witty mail page around.

in fact, it is like a forum

 

Is there much trolling?

 

The letter pages are the best of any mag I buy, non of this 'dear hi-fi choice I love you so much I want your babies' nonsense. Can you imagine HFC or HFN running a review of the T-Amp, let alone actually praise it!

 

HFN would probably have Ken Kessler praising it as the new state of the art, and Alvin Gold two pages later saying it sounded like a pile of poo. Only a precious few reviewers seem able to curb their enthusiasm these days.

 

I have subscribed to this Mag for 3 or 4 years now and have been a regular buyer since its inception in the early 90's ( it was also the cheapest when it fr irst came out, undercutting the rest by about a quid).
I have noticed that over the last few months , (since the last editor change ?) the brand with the illuminated green logo's and blind sheep like following has been looked upon in a very favorable light....

 

hmmmmmm I cant quite put a naim to the brand your talking about. Actually they do seem to get quite alot of favourable coverage and at £2.3k Id want my DVD player to sound good!

That clearaudio champion would look pretty nice i my room

 

Wasnt HiFi World the one that was raving about £200 DVD players out-performing £1000+ CD players a few years back? They lost a lot of credibility with me after that episode.

 

I thought the magazine was better when Simon Pope was the editor.

Met him a few weeks ago, a very level headed chap.

Still appreciate Noel Kayward in particular.

The mag will always be a favourite of mine because they championed the valve when it wasnt the everyday product we see now.

Good on em.!

 

hmm I have just about every issue, esp the early ones, and they were the best, it went to pot totally after about 96-97.

I think with David Price as the editor(tho he has his faults as a reviewer, saying everthing's the best ever(it may be!!) he's a nice guy, it is returning a little to its roots, its better, tho I hang out on the world audio forum, and they all moan about how little the diy emphasis is now, it prinicipally was a diy mag, and they were up in arms for a bit.

but yes its less glossy and commercial, I think hifi mags have a bit of a problem, diy is really a geeks game I would say, and the other side is the toys tag status side of it, there is a tinyish market for diy so it doesn't reach to many readers, and the other way to get readers is go for the what hifi/choice route of glamour and tabloid hifi. its an every changing tough market that has to compete with lots of interests....just look at all the mags in a big whsmiths.

 

well

there are no legs in hi fi mags any more as the web can beat them to it.
next massive super product and they really do sound fantastic is the nuforce monoblocks no one on here heard them yet ?

 

Yes, I have heard them at a local dealer, I mentioned them on here a couple of weeks ago, with little response.

I will have a pair for a trial at home next week end.

The pair I would really like to hear are Henry Ho's ICE based H2O's. Great reviews on the Apogee site, very good review on 6 moons.

Ken

 

Ken,

Please let us know how you get on with the Nuforce, it sounds an interesting D-class development although I would like to know more about their claims.

The Henry Ho H20 is based on the non ASP ICEPower modules with a linear PSU. I can get hold of the modules (non ASP version) and I was thinking of building some monoblocks based on them. The ASP datasheet worries me bacause of the weedy switched mode PSU that is using. I think is it a complete solution as used by Acousitc Reality and JAZZ.

There seems to be lots of Danish/Dutch companies coming up with D-class based modules (LCaudio, Hypex...). I would like to hear some before I decide to build something based on these products but unfortunately is very difficult to get any reviews or detailed datasheets.

 

The Power Supply is what intrigues me most on the Nu Force. Switch Mode that does not seem to have a problem with low impeadence speakers, does not add up to me, but they sound pretty good driving a mixture of ribbons and ceramic drivers in the dealer show room.

First H2O review.

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/h2o/m250.html

The New York Home Entertainment Show is on this weekend, it will be the first formal showing of the H2O's. Early reports are saying one of THE rooms to visit!

Ken

 

Big on Accuphase, then. About time, too

 

I was thinking of Macintosh but i suppose any old frivolous, superfluous, and unneccessary illuminated green logo will do

 

That's McIntosh to you, son and those boys are blue, anyway. The Mean Green Machine is Accuphase all the way.

 

Yes indeed I started reading it from about issue 2 or 3. It was a really good down to earth magazine with some interesting vintage articles and a good spread of everyday hifi and a little bit of daft money stuff.

Even used to like their DIF sections. The horn speaker was an interesting project.

Have to say though I now no longer buy hifi mags and hifi hasnt been a true passion of mine for about 6 years now.

 

begineer

does that sainsbury based hi fidelity one man band "name" acoustics lot use an illuminated lime green badge so all its customers can have special logos (company brand device) that match or am i thinking of my friend lynn's amazing music appreciation devices.....actually lynn is a prat. :JPS: