TINY TECH TO BRING YOUR

DIGITAL MUSIC BACK TO LIFE

DIGITAL MUSIC

TURNYOUR COMPUTERINTO HI-FI

TURNYOUR CCCCOMPUTERINTO

TERINTO HI-FI

SPEAKERSWe test the best £1000 can buy

TECH FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE MUSIC AND MOVIES

Furutech ADL Stride Use it with your smartphone!

Furutech ADL Stride

Meridian Explorer Loves hi-res music!Meridian Explorer

Audioquest DragonFlyStill our favourite USB DAC?Audioquest DragonFly

Arcam rPAC Ideal desktop system!Arcam rPAC

Headphones Is it worth spending big money on little earbuds?

Great AV amps How to get home cinema thrills for less than £300!

NEW BUYING GUIDE!ALL THE SPECS ● ALL THE FACTS ● HINTS AND TIPS ● THE BEST ADVICE

+ THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TABLETSNEW

● ● ●

ULTIMATE GUIDE

Apr

il 20

13 £

4.99

ww

w.w

hath

ifi.c

omw

ww

.wha

thifi

.com

WELCOME

We’re all pragmatists to a certain degree, but

some compromises and conveniences are a step

too far. The one where you store huge quantities

of music on hard disk, for example (good), but as

a result it sounds, um, terrible (not so good).

That’s why we’re pleased to present our USB

DACs Supertest (p26) – there’s no easier or

more affordable way to turn a computer into an

authentic, no-compromise hi-fi source. And for

the opposite end of your system, we’ve a test of

superb loudspeakers (p74) with six similarly

uncompromised solutions to all hi-fi dilemmas.

But there’s always a place for convenience, of

course, as the 16 bonus pages of the Ultimate

Guide (p51) amply demonstrate: everything

you could possibly need to know

about every tablet worth owning,

without compromise.

www.whathifi.com 3

Simon Lucas, Editor

Now is the time for new

adventures in hi-fi

Find us on...

What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision: 7 international editions, 1.6m readers

twitter.com/whathifi tiny.cc/playlist2013

youtube.com/WhathifiTVfacebook.com/whathifi.com

whathifi.com

My products of the month

Experience & heritage

We’ve been hard at

work helping the

world discover the

best in hi-fi and

home cinema for

more than 35 years,

and have getting on

for 100 years of reviewing experience under our collective

belts – so you can count on our expert opinions.

Dedicated test facilities

We test every

product in the

magazine or at

whathifi.com

against its peers

in our bespoke £1m

reviewing facilities.

And we test every product as a team, so our opinions

and conclusions are always the result of collaboration.

We spot big trends firstMP3 player tests before the iPod even

existed? High-def video before it even

had a name? That was us. We keep you in

touch with big stories and future trends.

Reviews youcan trust

Meridian Explorer Supertest p36

The latest venerable British hi-fi brand

to enter the USB DAC fray, Meridian

Audio has delivered a great little device

B&O BeoVision 11 Temptations p88

I want this beautiful, high-performance

television and, what’s more, I want the

loft apartment it deserves to be put in

★ France

★ India

★ Indonesia

★ Russia

★ Serbia

★ South Africa

★ Spain

Our products of the month

www.whathifi.com 111

Need more info?Go to whathifi .com

Cambridge Audio Azur 751BD 800 08.11/GT ★★★★★ Ideal for those who want more than a budget player

2 1 1 8ch 9x43x31

Denon DBP-2012UD500 04.12/GT ★★★★★ A price cut makes this disc spinner even more appealing

1 0 1 8ch 11x43x32

Marantz UD7006550 04.12/GT ★★★★★ A splendid master of all trades

1 0 1 8ch 11x44x33

Marantz UD70071000 12.12/FT ★★★★★ With the right system, this is Blu-ray heaven

1 1 1 No 11x44x31

Marantz UD80042449 03.10/FT ★★★★★ A brilliant player – if you want one box to do it all

1 1 1 8ch 12x44x39

Onkyo BD-SP809500 04.12/GT ★★★★★ A fine choice, but not an all-rounder

2 1 1 No 10x43x31

Oppo BDP-93EU500 04.12/GT ★★★★★ Perfect for the midrange Blu-ray player market

2 1 1 8ch 8x43x31

Oppo BDP-95EU900 08.11/GT ★★★★★ A thoroughly desirable premium player

2 1 1 8ch 10x43x31

Connect your HDMI cables

If you’ve just got a Blu-ray

player and a TV, one HDMI

cable will link the two. If

you plan to use an AV amp

as well, you’ll need to buy

two cables: one from

player to amp, the other

from your amp to your TV.

Sort out your sonic links

All AV amps now accept

surround sound via HDMI.

The next-best bet is to use

your BD player to decode

the sound into multiple

channels. Or use a coax or

optical digital cable (above)

for DVD-quality sound.

Go to the on-screen menu

The key factors to check

are aspect ratio (16:9),

resolution (1080p, if your

TV can take it) and 24fps

mode. If you own a 1080p

TV, set its aspect ratio to

‘exact scan’ or ‘dot-by-dot’

mode, too

Connect to the internet

Some players have wi-fi

capability but many rely

on wired connections, so it

pays to have ethernet to

hand. You’ll get access to

network-based media

sharing, plus streamed

services such as BBC iPlayer.

Link in your media library

There’s a good chance you

can use the same ethernet

link you made in step 4 to

access stored media. All

you need is a PC or NAS,

network-attached storage,

linked to your network

using an ethernet cable.

Fine-tune your TV

Nearly there… Dig out a

THX-certified DVD or Blu-

ray with the ‘Optimizer’ in

its set-up menus and you

can fine-tune your picture

to look its best. This will

help you calibrate colour,

contrast and brightness.

How to… Set up your blu-ray

www.whathifi.com 111

media library

od chance youu

same etherneet

de in step 4 toto

ed media. Alll

s a PC or NASS,

ttached stororagege,

your networork

ethernet caablee.

FFinne-tFi une your TV

NNearly there… Dig out a

TTHX-certified DVD or Blu-

ray with the ‘Optimizer’ in

its set-up menus and you

can fine-tune your picture

to look its best. This will

help you calibrate colour,

contrast and brightness.

108

LCD, LED & plasma TVsUp to £500£500-£1000

This should buy you a basic TV set with a decent range of connections£1000+

Spend more and you’ll get additional features such as internet TV Better picture processing technologies and more luxury features

Sony KDL-40HX853Awards 2012: Best 40-42in Television

Sony KDL-32HX753Awards 2012: Best 32in Television

Panasonic TX-50P50GT50Awards 2012: Best 50-52in Television

The shortlist

LCD, LED & PLASMA TVS

LC

D, L

ED

& p

lasm

a T

Vs

Also consider

Product £ Tested Verdict

Up to £500 Celcus LCD40S913FHD 250 02.13/ST ★★★★★ Big screen on a budget: a real supermarket special

LED 40 1920x1080 ● 3 97x22x66

Finlux 26F7030240 12 12/GT ★★★★★ A very fine and flexible passive 3D 26in screen

LED 26 1920 1080● ● 2 29 65 45

Type

Size

Reso

lutio

n

Smar

t

3D Free

view

Free

sat

HD

MI

Dim

ensi

ons

(hw

d, c

m)

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

4 www.whathifi.com

p08 First TestsThe headline act is the

Yamaha RX-A1020 (a

£1000 AV receiver),

followed by powered

speakers from Roth,

the Pioneer A-70

stereo amplifier, a

Blu-ray player from

Cambridge Audio, and

the multi-talented

Musical Fidelity M1

SDAC. And finally, we

get our hands on the

new Sony Xperia Z.

p26 Supertest: DACsWe’ve tested nine USB DACs from

well-established brands to find the one

that’ll do wonders for

your digital music

collection. With

prices ranging

from £150 to

£350, one of

these DACs is

sure to take

your fancy...

CONTENTS

Blu

-ray

pla

ye

rs

u-ray players£100£300 Fine picture quality and a decent range of features

+ Build quality improves, as does sound quality

Top-end players tend to sacrifi ce features for performanceTested

Verdict

06.11/GT ★★★★★Thoroughly admirable in isolation

1 1 0 No 12x34x56

06.12/ST ★★★★★An enjoyable and vibrant performance

1 1 0 No 4x43x19

08.12/FT ★★★★★

A good quality, stylish Blu-ray player

1 1 0 No 2.7x18x18

01.11/GT ★★★★★3D Blu-ray player with great pictures

1 1 0 No 6x43x21

06.11/GT ★★★★★This budget Blu-ray excels for the money

1 1 0 No 4x43x18

09.11/FT ★★★★★

Product of the Year - Blu-ray players. Awards 2011

1 1 0 No 4x43x18

06.12/GT ★★★★★Best Blu-ray player £100-175, Awards 2012

1 1 0 No 4x43x18

05.11/FT ★★★★★

Capable of sensational picture and sound quality

2 1 0 No 3.5x43x18

05.12/FT ★★★★★

A superb Blu-ray spinner from Panasonic

1 1 0 No 3x43x18

07.12/FT ★★★★★

A truly captivating disc spinner

2 1 1 8ch 6x43x24

01.11/GT ★★★★★A decent enough effort - but there are better options

1 1 1 8ch 6x44x25

01.12/FT ★★★★★

This budget deck is a real rival for the top performers

2 0 1 No 9x44x25

03.12/ST ★★★★★Essentially, you can’t go wrong with this disc spinner

2 1 0 8ch 9x43x25

01.11/GT ★★★★★Very, very close to being at the top of the pile

1 1 0 No 4x43x22

07.11/FT ★★★★★

Best Blu-ray player up to £120. Awards 2011

1 0 1 No 4x43x20

11.12/FT ★★★★★

Best Blu-ray player up to £100, Awards 2012

1 0 1 No 4x20x23

06.11/GT ★★★★★Sits at the top of the tree with the best in class

1 1 0 No 4x43x20

12.12/FT ★★★★★

An excellent budget Blu-ray player that also does 3D

1 0 1 No 4x43x20

08.12/FT ★★★★★

Best Blu-ray player £175+, Awards 2012. PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

2 1 1 No 4x43x19

Aw.12/FT ★★★★★Super slim PS3 feels less special, but it’s still multi-talented

1 1 0 No 6x29x23

01.11/GT ★★★★★A solid performer at an excellent price

1 0 1 No 5x36x23

04.12/GT ★★★★★A very talented Blu-ray player

2 1 1 8ch 9x43x31

08.11/GT ★★★★★Ideal for those who want more than a budget player

2 1 1 8ch 9x43x31

04.12/GT ★★★★★A price cut makes this disc spinner even more appealing

1 0 1 8ch 11x43x32

04.12/GT ★★★★★A splendid master of all trades

1 0 1 8ch 11x44x33

12.12/FT ★★★★★

With the right system, this is Blu-ray heaven

1 1 1 No 11x44x31

03.10/FT ★★★★★

A brilliant player – if you want one box to do it all

1 1 1 8ch 12x44x39

04.12/GT ★★★★★A fine choice, but not an all-rounder

2 1 1 No 10x43x31

04.12/GT ★★★★★Perfect for the midrange Blu-ray player market

2 1 1 8ch 8x43x31

08.11/GT ★★★★★A thoroughly desirable premium player

2 1 1 8ch 10x43x31

HD

MI o

utO

ptic

al o

utCo

-axi

al o

utM

ultic

hann

el o

utD

imen

sion

s(h

wd,

cm)

t out your sonic linksAV amps now acceptGo to the on-screen menuThe key factors to check

Connect to the internetSome players have wi-fiLink in your media libraryThere’s a good chance you

Fine-tune your TVNearly there Dig out a

up your blu-ray

Blu

-ray

ps

lay

ers

u-ray players£100£300 Fine picture quality and a decent range of features

+ Build quality improves, as does sound quality

Top-end players tend to sacrifi ce features for performance

fi

Tested Verdict

06.11/GT ★★★★★Thoroughly admirable in isolation

1 1 0 No 12x34x56

06.12/ST ★★★★★An enjoyable and vibrant performance

1 1 0 No 4x43x19

08.12/FT ★★★★★

A good quality, stylish Blu-ray player

1 1 0 No 2.7x18x18

01.11/GT ★★★★★3D Blu-ray player with great pictures

y

1 1 0 No 6x43x21

06.11/GT ★★★★★This budget Blu-ray excels for the money

1 1 0 No 4x43x18

09.11/FT ★★★★★

Product of the Year - Blu-ray players. Awards 2011

1 1 0 No 4x43x18

06.12/GT ★★★★★Best Blu-ray player £100-175, Awards 2012

1 1 0 No 4x43x18

05.11/FT ★★★★★

Capable of sensational picture and sound quality

2 1 0 No 3.5x43x18

05.12/FT ★★★★★

A superb Blu-ray spinner from Panasonic

1 1 0 No 3x43x18

07.12/FT ★★★★★

A truly captivating disc spc inner

2 1 1 8ch 6x43x24

01.11/GT ★★★★★A decent enough effort - but there are better options

1 1 1 8ch 6x44x25

01.12/FT ★★★★★

This budget deck is a real rival for the top performers

2 0 1 No 9x44x25

03.12/ST ★★★★★Essentially, you can’t go wrong with this disc spinner

2 1 0 8ch 9x43x25

01.11/GT ★★★★★Very, very close to being at the top of the pile

1 1 0 No 4x43x22

07.11/FT ★★★★★

Best Blu-ray player up to £120. Awards 2011

1 0 1 No 4x43x20

11.12/FT ★★★★★

Best Blu-ray player up to £100, Awards 2012

1 0 1 No 4x20x23

06.11/GT★★★★★

Sits at the top of the tree with the best in class

1 1 0 No 4x43x20

12.12/FT ★★★★★

An excellent budget Blu-ray player that also does 3D

y

1 0 1 No 4x43x20

08.12/FT ★★★★★

Best Blu-ray player £175+, Awards 2012. PRODUCT OF THE YEAR

2 1 1 No 4x43x19

Aw.12/FT ★★★★★Super slim PS3 feels less special, but it’s still multi-talented

1 1 0 No 6x29x23

01.11/GT ★★★★★A solid performer at an excellent price

1 0 1 No 5x36x23

04.12/GT ★★★★★A very talented Blu-ray player

y

2 1 1 8ch 9x43x31

08.11/GT ★★★★★Ideal for those who want more than a budget player

2 1 1 8ch 9x43x31

04.12/GT ★★★★★A price cut makes this disc spinner even more appealing

1 0 1 8ch 11x43x32

04.12/GT ★★★★★A splendid master of all trades

1 0 1 8ch 11x44x33

12.12/FT ★★★★★

With the right system, this is Blu-ray heaven y

1 1 1 No 11x44x31

03.10/FT ★★★★★

A brilliant player – if you want one box to do it all

1 1 1 8ch 12x44x39

04.12/GT ★★★★★A fine choice, but not an all-rounder

2 1 1 No 10x43x31

04.12/GT ★★★★★Perfect for the midrange Bl

ru-ray player market

2 1 1 8ch 8x43x31

08.11/GT ★★★★★A thoroughly desirable premium player

2 1 1 8ch 10x43x31

HD

MI o

utO

ptic

al o

utCo

-axi

al o

utM

ultic

hann

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imen

sion

s(h

wd,

cm)

t oouuttt yyoyour sonic linksy

AV aamAV aampps now accpss now acceptept

Go to the on-screenreen menu menuenuThe key factors to checkk

Th kThe key factors to checkkConnConnect to the iConnect to the int

Connect to the intect to the inte intererernetnetnetSome player

SoSome players have wi-fis have wi-fi

Link iLink inLink ink in your media lib your media library

your media libraryThere’s a gore’s a good chance you

There’s a good chere’s a good chance you

Fine-tune your TVNearNearly therely there Di

uuuuupup your blu-ray

Revamped hi-fi guide!1500 products rated p103

With new categories and key tech specs, we’ve made it easier for you to pick the best kit for your cash.

How to...

Pick the perfect TV screen size p110

Set up a Blu-ray player p111

Find the right headphones p141

Unleash your smartphone p156

For a full list of specifications and other

useful info visit whathifi.com

>04 >13

New Buyer’s Guide…two mags in one!

26DACs

f the montf the mont

Mission SX2 Group Test p74

“Big standmounters that deliver scale

and authority few rivals can match.”

Ketan Bharadia Technical editor etan Bharadia Technical editor

Panasonic PT-AT6000E p86

“There’s nothing like watching a

Blu-ray on this brilliant projector.”

Joe Cox Deputy web editor

B&O BeoVision 11 Temptations p88

“A 40in screen with a big price tag

but blessed with a brilliant picture.”

Andy Madden Reviews editor

Pioneer VSX-922 Group Test p42

“An amp with midrange features

that’s simply excellent value.”

Verity Burns Multimedia editor

In-ear headphones

72

What’s in this issue

HRT microStreamer Supertest p26

“This tiny and talented USB DAC

is a treat for any digital music library.”

Kashfia Kabir Multimedia journalist

www.whathifi.com 5

INSIDER

Our ratings explained

We always test products as a team, and always compare them with their

peers – which is why our ratings are the most authoritative in the industry

+++++

++++

+++

++

+

One of the best

A serious contender

Worth a look

Disappointing

Awful

If it’s one of our winners,

you know it’s top quality

7442

p42 Group Test: AV receiversWe’ve met these talented AV receivers

before, but not at these tantalisingly entry-

level prices. We’ve got two Award-winners

from Sony and Yamaha, and a half-price

Pioneer – all under £300.

p51 Ultimate Guide: TabletsWith a plethora of tablets flooding the

market, how do you know which is the

perfect one for you? We’ve put together an

exhaustive guide to the 14 most popular

tablets, with prices from £160 to £600: pick

the one that suits all your needs.

Insider: Panasonic v Sony p22How the Japanese manufacturers are looking to strike back against the Korean giants in 2013

Playlist p96Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie is

charmingly macabre, while The Flaming Lips give us The Terror

Subscription: Magazine p100Buy three issues for £3!

Sign up today and save 17% on the full cost of a mag subscription

p68 Advice CentreGot a burning hi-fi question? Our team of

experts deal with your queries and show

how to get the best from your kit.

p72 Round-up: EarphonesIf your entire music system revolves

around a smartphone or tablet,

why not treat yourself to some

premium in-ear headphones?

Take your pick from our

round-up of six pairs priced

from £125 to £200.

p74 Group Test: Hi-fi speakersThese quality standmounters from Au-

diovector, B&W, KEF, Mission, Opera and

Tannoy may cost you a pretty penny (£700

to £900), but they’re sure to make your

music sing.

p86 Head-to-Head: ProjectorsWe pit JVC’s new £3000 projector against

the Award-winning Panasonic PT-AT6000E

to see which one delivers the best big-

screen cinema thrills.

p88 TemptationsStupendous £6500 electrostatic speakers

from Quad, a trio of hi-fi separates from

Heed, and a futuristic and elegant TV from

Bang & Olufsen – we’re tempted.

Stereo speakers

Tablets

AV receivers

Projectors86

51

Why we’re No.1

UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE

TEST METHODOLOGY

Our experts work together on every single product review

The world’s no.1 home entertainment buyer’s guide

No other guide reviews all its products in rooms like ours, or with a team like ours

We’re the place to go for expert and impartial reviews

STATE OF THE ART SUITE

OF TESTING ROOMS

Acoustically treated, with top products used for comparison

THE WORLD’S FOREMOST

TEAM OF EXPERT TESTERS

With more than 100 years of full-time reviewing experience

No other mag has such a team

of experts, working full-time

in a dedicated suite of test

rooms, debating every verdict

From a gaggle of greatturntables to the latest laptopand DAC combo, we test all music and movie-playing tech

We examine the latest

products before anyone else,

and bring you our verdicts on

brand-new tech like 4K TV

We provide buying advice

across all media: mag, web,

Facebook, Twitter and our

videos on whathifi.com

8 www.whathifi.com8 www.whathifi.com

FIRST TESTSExclusive reviews of the latest kit

EXCLUSIVE

The RX-A1020 is the second AV receiver

we’ve seen from Yamaha’s new 2013

range – and we have high expectations.

Yamaha is on a roll when it comes to

turning out machines to take the all-

important place as the brains and the

brawn of your home cinema system.

At the end of last year, the company

scooped not one but two What Hi-Fi?

Sound and Vision Awards in this category,

cornering the market with two excellent

models at the affordable entry-level and

‘step-up’ price points.

Furthermore, the first of Yamaha’s 2013

receivers, the £2000 RX-A3020, walked

EXCLUSIVE REVIEWS

Sony Xperia ZPage 20

Can anything tip the Nexus off the Android throne? The Z might just manage it…

Musical Fidelity M1SDAC£800 Page 14

A well conceived DAC with a fluid, full-bodied sound and Bluetoothon board.

PICK OF

THE REST

>

away with a glowing five-star review last

month. That simply leaves this £1000

category as the one slice of the market

Yamaha has left to conquer. Naturally, we

can’t help but fancy the RX-1020’s chances.

Plenty to shout about

There are four models in the Aventage

range, with this the second-most affordable.

Predictably, it follows down a similar

path in terms of build, specification and,

ultimately, performance as the top dog

in the Aventage range that we saw last

month. It simply shears off a few features

and a little power along the way.

So, this is a 7.2-channel AV receiver

offering two zones of entertainment – you’ll

have to pay more to get more channels and

zones. Yamaha claims a rated power of

110W per channel into 8 ohms; again, you

can get more – 140W, then 150W – on the

two models above the 1020 in the range.

Elsewhere you won’t find the company’s

HQV video processing, nor a handful

of more niche features – namely High

Resolution Music Enhancer and

Component Upconversion. We’re not

sure many people will greatly miss these.

And that’s about that: there’s a lot else

still very much on the spec sheet, such as

Whether it’s thundering through Thor or

tiptoeing through Coraline, the RX-A1020

just seems to find its work so easy and fun

Yamaha RX-A1020 | AV receiver | £1000

Stunning in every way

of sound modes, networking capability

for streaming music from DLNA devices

such as NAS drives or PCs, Apple AirPlay,

and internet, FM and AM radio. But then

this is a £1000 AV receiver… of course it

does a heck of a lot.

Easy to set up and use

The unit itself looks smart with a two-

tone front fascia and a variety of Yamaha

construction technologies that ultimately

claim to give the receiver the most solid

foundations upon which to work its magic.

This includes the company’s Anti

Resonance Technology (ART) Wedge

and Rigid Bottom Frame. The proof of

that particular pudding can only come

in the eating, though. And, once we’ve

sampled it, we’re happy to report the

proof is well and truly here.

The YPAO set-up and calibration with the

integrated microphone is a doddle, taking

just a few minutes. It proves very accurate

in terms of speaker distance and levels,

too (although we had to adjust our centre

channel from ‘small’ to ‘large’).

And then we’re in business. For this sort

of money, the power and dynamics on show

are superb. With The Amazing Spider-

Man playing in our reference Marantz

4K passthrough and upscaling, not to

mention support for 3D passthrough. You

get the same number of HDMI inputs and

outputs on every model in the range (eight

in and two out, with the latter letting you

run two video outputs at the same time),

complete with Audio Return Channel, plus

a front-mounted USB input that supports

playback from iOS devices and memory

drives. Legacy video connections, plus

digital and analogue audio inputs and

outputs, are also present and as numerous

as you’ll find anywhere in the range.

There’s a full complement of supported

surround-sound codecs, a huge choice

Want more? Visit whathifi.com

for even more product reviews!

Powered speakersRothOli POWA-5

£250 p12

Blu-ray playerCambridge AudioAzur 752BD

£800 p16

Stereo ampPioneerA-70

£800 p19

www.whathifi.com 9

WHAT IT HAS TO BEAT...

Pioneer SC-LX56 | £1300

★★★★★

Our current Award-winner was tested

at £1300 but is now widely available

at closer to £1000, making this a real

contest. Power and weight is where

this Pioneer excels, plus there’s

wired and wireless connectivity

and a neat remote app. You’re really

spoiled for choice at this price!

The Android army just got stronger thanks

to the Xperia Z – it’s a fantastic smartphone

and one the Google Nexus 4 should fear

Sony Xperia Z – Page 20

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Powerful, exciting surround sound;

detailed and musical in stereo; easy to use;

extensive features, including AirPlay and DLNA

AGAINST Nothing of note

VERDICT Delivering excitement, detail

and precision, the Yamaha RX-A1020 is a

brilliantly capable all-rounder

Total build £7750

10 www.whathifi.com

FIRST TESTS AV RECEIVER

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DAY1

Time was, we

wouldn’t overly

trust auto-

calibration tools, and would

inevitably do our own

manual check. We still do,

but in this instance the

results were bang on.

We can’t resist

cranking it. The

Yamaha’s power

and control invites you to

push it to its limits, so we

run through some explosive

test scenes. It toughens up

only at ear-splitting volume.

Remote control

apps are all the

rage and Yamaha

has joined in as well as

anybody. The GUI may

leave a little to be desired

but the app looks nice

and does its job well.

Dialogue Level

Adjustment tackles

the issue of voices

getting lost when the centre

channel is over-awed by the

others. Ratchet up the level

a touch for a more natural

improvement to the sound.

While we could

play films all day

on this AV receiver,

music sounds great too.

AirPlay is a nice touch, as is

the USB input on the front

for iOS devices, but Android

support would be nice.

DAY2

DAY3

DAY4

DAY5

UD7007 Blu-ray player, it’s an exciting,

tense, atmospheric experience – everything

we’d expect, in fact, when enjoying an

excellent test disc.

There’s impressive detail in quieter

scenes, speech is handled nicely (you

can boost it if you want; we didn’t feel the

need) and there’s plenty of authority on tap,

with good control and clarity – even when

the action ratchets up. Bass hits will jolt

you up right in your seat – but fade away

just as impressively – while surround

effects sweep around the room with

speed and agility.

Excellent across the board

The RX-A1020 just seems to find its work

so easy – and so enjoyable – thundering

through Thor, tiptoeing through the

magical animation of Coraline and simply

revelling in entertaining when we play

some music Blu-rays. Beyonce’s I Am…

Yours Blu-ray has plenty of energy and it’s

brilliantly conveyed, the Yamaha proving

adept at holding a tune, and placing sounds

and instruments in the soundstage.

It’s more of the same when playing a CD,

streaming music from our MusicM8 NAS

drive or listening via a connected Apple

device on the front USB slot. We prefer

music in stereo generally, but it’s worth

experimenting with the 17 (count ’em) DSP

modes, to see if one takes your fancy. We

settled for stereo or Pure Audio.

If you’re streaming music, it’s worth

downloading Yamaha’s Control App, which

lets you browse connected media on your

phone or tablet. It comes in handy when

using the internet radio too, as well as

adjusting volume, changing inputs and

other basic controls. Streaming works well,

though the on-screen menus – throughout

the GUI – look a little uninspiring. But it’s

a means to an end rather than the focus…

It’s easy to love this receiver. It looks the

part and has tons of features, but ultimately

the RX-A1020 simply gets down to the

business of delivering brilliant sound with

minimum fuss. There’s excitement, power

and scale, coupled with the great timing,

control and attention to detail. We had high

expectations: this Yamaha utterly delivers.

BUILDERSYSTEM

Pair the Yamaha with this kit and you’ll

find yourself in home cinema heaven

SURROUND SPEAKERS

KEF R100 5.1

£2750 ★★★★★

This Award-winning setup excels in

cohesion and expression. Simply stunning

BLU-RAY PLAYER

Marantz UD7007

£1000 ★★★★★

Available for a fair bit less now, this Marantz

is supremely capable with audio and video

PROJECTOR

Panasonic PT-AT6000E

£3000 ★★★★★

Still our big-screen king, the AT6000E can’t

be rivalled for natural, filmic delivery

We’re astonished at

just how much Yamaha

has managed to

squeeze out of this

receiver for just £1000

Round the back

TECH SPECS

Channels 7.2 • Claimed power 110W per

channel • HDMI in/out 8/2 • Ethernet/wi-fi

Yes/no • Video upconversion 1080p/4K •

3D/4K compatible Yes • Dimensions (hwd)

18.2 x 43.5 x 43.2cm • Weight 15.1kg

1 Wireless is optional

Note the ethernet connection for networking. There’s no wireless, though there’s an optional YWA-10 wifi dongle for £75.

2 Use two displays

Twin HDMI outputs can deliver to two displays and even do it simultaneously, should you want to run two different zones.

3 Upscaling to 4K from all sources

All those legacy inputs are there for a reason: the Yamaha will upscale any low-quality video, right from composite up to 1080p or even 4K.

4 Multi-zone setup

Two zones are offered on the 1020. Step up to the 2020 or 3020, at £500 and £1000 extra respectively, to get three.

3

21

4

FIRST TESTS POWERED SPEAKERS

12 www.whathifi.com

Powered speakers are a neat option: an

amplifier built into the speaker cabinet

gives you positioning flexibility and avoids

the need to invest in a separate amp.

It’s no wonder, then, that British

company Roth Audio has ventured into this

realm. The POWA-5, from the well-respected

OLi range of affordable speakers, is the

firm’s first attempt at powered speakers.

Driver and slave

With the POWA-5, one speaker contains

the amplification, power and connections,

while the other functions as a conventional

passive loudspeaker. Inside the master

speaker, there’s a 2 x 40W Class D amplifier

powering a 25mm soft-dome tweeter and a

13cm mid/bass Kevlar cone. To get started,

plug the speaker into the mains, and then

connect a short length of cable between the

powered speaker and its passive twin.

The next step is to connect the speakers

to a source, and it’s here that the POWA-5s

show off their versatility. Housed at the rear

panel of the powered speaker is an array

of analogue and digital connections that’s

pretty impressive given the £250 price tag.

A pair of RCA line-level inputs allow you

to connect the speakers to a CD player,

while you can improve the sound coming

out of your TV by connecting it to either

of Roth’s two digital optical inputs.

There’s a 3.5mm auxiliary input to play

music from MP3 players but, best of all,

there’s also a built-in Bluetooth receiver,

which means you can wirelessly stream

music from any Bluetooth-enabled device.

Whether you’re using Apple, Android or

Windows, you can play your tunes straight

from your smartphone or tablet – a fact

that’s sure to be popular with buyers.

And, to top it all off, there are two

USB ports to charge your devices and a

subwoofer output (just in case you want

some extra bass to create a 2.1 system).

Roth OLi POWA-5 | Powered speakers | £250

Plug in, then take it nice and easy

Rating ★★★★

FOR Good build and connectivity; Bluetooth

streaming; pleasant sound; affordable price

AGAINST Not the subtlest or most exciting

performance; we would have liked a display

VERDICT Great features for the price, but this

is not the class-leader in outright sound quality

Also considerEpoz Aktimate Micro

£260 ★★★★★

Trade the Bluetooth option for

an iPod/iPhone dock, and

these Epoz Aktimates are a

fantastic desktop option.

Smartphone

Google Nexus 4

★★★★★

The best Android smartphone on the

market. Pair it with the POWA-5s via

Bluetooth for a seamless experience.

Music Streaming Service

Spotify Premium

£10/month ★★★★★

Definitely worth paying the subscription

for the smartphone app and unlimited

playback of countless songs and albums.

System builder

The POWA-5s themselves are solidly

built standmounters (aside from the

slightly flimsy volume control) that

come in three high-gloss finishes of

black, red or white. They’re also a good

size to position anywhere in the room,

although they aren’t quite as compact

as the Award-winning Epoz Aktimate

Micros if you’re after a desktop solution.

Strong, weighty sound

Start spinning Amanda Palmer’s The

Bed Song and the POWA-5s deliver a

strong and solid sound, the piano notes

having satisfying weight. There’s good

integration between the drivers; the top

end is comfortable and doesn’t have any

harsh edge to it, while the bass lines are

chunky. The bass can tip towards being

a bit boomy – especially when placed on

a desk, less so when on stands – but you

USE IT WITH

AppleMacbook ProAny laptop with a

digital optical will do,

but the MacBook is

our choice for its

easy-to-use interface

and flexible storage.

LIVING WITH IT

Mount the POWA-5s on stands if you can – placed directly on a desk they’re

likely to cause a fair bit of vibration

Housed at the rear panel of the powered

speaker is an array of analogue and digital

connections that’s pretty impressive given

the POWA-5’s affordable £250 price tag

can adjust the bass and treble levels using

the dinky remote, which helps a little.

Play Don’t Give Up by The Noisettes,

and the POWA-5s seem to plod along a

little bit, preferring ease over excitement

and agility. It’s also not the most refined

or precise sound – a touch more subtlety

could liven up the Roths’ performance.

Still, on the whole they are perfectly

pleasant to listen to. They offer a gentle

and undemanding musical experience.

Put it altogether and, for the modest

outlay of £250, you’re getting a great

set of features and good sound quality.

There are class rivals that deliver a

livelier and more insightful sound, but

the POWA-5s are a versatile, easy-going

pair of speakers that represent good value.

Listen to Nick Cave’s The Lyre of Orpheus and

this DAC is right at home. The open, expressive

presentation works beautifully, with Cave’s

passionate vocals rendered with real clarity

14 www.whathifi.com

It’s hard to pigeonhole products such as

the M1SDAC. As the name implies it’s

a digital-to-analogue converter – but there’s

more here. It’s a forward-looking device

that recognises phones and tablets are

viable music sources and should be

celebrated rather than ignored. To that

end the M1SDAC accepts Bluetooth apt-X

signals, and makes a serious attempt to

make them as listenable as possible.

Not that traditional hi-fi areas are

ignored. This electronic brick will also

accept analogue signals from two line-level

sources, deliver sound to a pair of

headphones and drive a power amplifier.

So, for those who feel the need to put

this product into a specific category: the

M1SDAC is a DAC/Bluetooth receiver and

decently equipped preamp. Not bad going

for £800, if it sounds good.

This is a nicely built unit. It’s finished

well and has a clear enough display. That

large control knob on the front panel

governs the volume levels and, when

pushed, produces a change in input.

As with most modern DACs, high-

resolution music streams are firmly on

the menu. As is typical, the optical input is

limited to 24-bit/96kHz, but the USB,

co-axial and AES/EBU inputs will accept

full-fat 24-bit/192kHz signals.

PC software for hi-res

Many Windows-based PCs won’t stream

192kHz music through their USB output

as standard. Musical Fidelity provides USB

driver software for Windows Vista, XP and 7

to make it possible. Any recent Mac should

just stream the highest-resolution files

without issue.

Once we wire our MacBook to the

M1SDAC we’re pleased with the results.

Through its asynchronous USB input,

playback is stable and solid. Listen to Nick

Cave’s The Lyre of Orpheus and this DAC is

Musical Fidelity M1SDAC | DAC | £800

Serious hi-fi for the Bluetooth age

right at home. The Musical Fidelity’s open,

expressive presentation works beautifully

here, Cave’s passionate vocals coming

through with real clarity. The sound is

composed and fluid, avoiding the clinical,

sometimes mechanical edge some digital

equipment still imparts.

The lovely midrange is underpinned

by a deep, powerful bass performance that

gives a really firm foundation to the music.

That bass is rarely overplayed though, and

always has the speed and tunefulness to

keep up when necessary.

Transparency and fluidity

Have a listen to higher-resolution

recordings, such as Kate Bush’s 50 Words

For Snow or The Rolling Stones’ Gimme

Shelter, and the good news continues. The

Musical Fidelity is transparent enough to

show the sonic gains made by the increased

resolution, and sounds notably more fluid

with material such as this.

It’s not all positive news though. Despite

all the good things the M1SDAC does, it’s

not the most rhythmic of devices. It’s good

enough at defining the individual notes of

The Dead Weather’s 60 Feet Tall, but can’t

convey the momentum of the song or the

sense of rhythmic interplay as well as

Audiolab’s £600 MDAC.

This shortcoming is less apparent when

listening through the M1SDAC’s optical

input. Compared with USB there’s a loss

of sonic punch and solidity, but the MF

sounds a little more enthusiastic when it

comes to conveying timing information

with this input. The Audiolab is still better

in this respect though, and adds a little

more dynamic punch to the proceedings.

Move to Bluetooth and we’re impressed.

Pairing is as easy as we hoped it would be,

and the sound quality is decent. In absolute

terms, recordings sound less transparent

than the wired alternatives, but the

USE IT WITH

The TerrorThe latest album from

The Flaming Lips

repopulates the outer

reaches of avant-garde

electronica. A great

workout for the SDAC’s

fluid dynamics. (See our

full review on p97.)

Volume control

The M1SDAC could do with a speed-sensitive volume control. It’s

a little slow to track big changes and requires lots of knob-twirling.

Bluetooth

Pairing is fuss free. Thanks to aptX, the Musical Fidelity latches

on to the signal within seconds and delivers a stable connection.

Aerial

Musical Fidelity provides a detachable aerial with a magnetic

base. This gives greater freedom as to where the aerial can be

placed. Alternatively, the aerial can be screwed directly into the

back of the M1SDAC.

USB

As is the fashion these days, the M1SDAC has an asynchronous

USB input. This puts the DAC in charge of information flow – an

arrangement that usually leads to a better sound.

Feature facts

HEADPHONES

AKG 550 £180

★★★★★

Rugged yet comfortable, these have

an entertaining sound. Closed-back

too, so you won’t disturb others.

SMARTPHONE

Google Nexus 4

★★★★★

With its slim design and premium feel, the

Nexus 4 is a brilliant realisation of Android

backed up by top-notch performance.

LAPTOP

Apple MacBook £800

Any decent computer will work

here. Just fill it full of uncompressed and high-res music

files and connect to the M1 SDAC via its USB input.

System builder Total build £1780

www.whathifi.com 15

DAC PREAMP FIRST TESTS

Rating ★★★★

FOR A full-bodied, open sound; fluid dynamics;

authoritative bass; refinement; good features

AGAINST A shortage of rhythmic drive

VERDICT A forward-looking product with a

refined sound but not quite enough sparkle

presentation is still good enough to allow

us to enjoy The xx’s Coexist. The production

may be sparse but there’s plenty going on

here, with complex rhythmic interplay

between instruments and beautifully

recorded vocals. There’s a good amount of

detail on offer, and it hangs together well.

Bluetooth, particularly in aptX form, is

a feature we wish more manufacturers

would include.

Move on to analogue sources and the

M1SDAC disappoints just a little. It sounds

smaller and less transparent than we hoped.

There’s still evidence of good detail retrieval

and fine handling of dynamics, but it

doesn’t quite hold our attention as well as

we’d like. We think the headphone output

is a good one though. It sounds solid, meaty

and in control. There’s a degree of stability

and composure here that’s mighty pleasing.

There’s no denying that the M1SDAC is a

useful box. It’s thoughtfully conceived, and

we’re particular fans of the Bluetooth

capability. It’s up against some mighty

rivals though. Audiolab’s MDAC may be a

few years old now, but it’s £200 cheaper and

we think delivers a more involving sound.

The Musical Fidelity counters with a more

full-bodied sonic presentation and a more

comprehensive specification. And that’s

enough to secure our recommendation.

A tidy appearance

and good build

quality combine with

generous features

and an open sound

1 Flexible aerial

The top-corner location for the aerial point is convenient if you’re not going the detachable way (see panel).

2 Analogue in

It’s rare to see analogue inputs on a DAC, but it means the SDAC can act as a hub to an analogue/ digital system.

3 Digital out

Digital outputs may seem out of place, but they open the door to recording or processing possibilities.

3 Pro touch

An AES/EBU digital input is more usually associated with professional kit, but it boosts the SDAC’s flexibility.

Round the back…

1

2

4

3

Colours favour a natural rather than punchy

palette, but regardless they deliver lovely

subtle detail, while motion is handled well,

with little sign of digital noise or instability

16 www.whathifi.com

Now here’s an eagerly awaited product.

Having made the leap from Blu-ray player

to universal disc player with the 751BD,

the new Cambridge Audio 752BD wants

to be your complete network media hub.

Not only will it play any audio or video

disc you can think of, it offers more inputs

and outputs than any reasonable person

could possibly need, and now has better

support for portable media, streaming

networked content and standalone

streaming services. With high-end

components taking care of audio and

video processing, this is much, much

more than just a 3D Blu-ray player

(although it’s one of those, too).

A proud heritage

Cambridge Audio made the high-end of the

disc player market its own with the release

of the 751BD, the predecessor to this

product. In an age of basic Blu-ray players

costing £50 and, more pertinently,

Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD | Blu ray player | £800

Universal player has universal appeal

Then you can use an app such as PlugPlayer

to access your library and playback controls

from your phone or tablet. (Cambridge

Audio hasn’t ruled out adding this feature

to later incarnations of its own remote

control app.) A smart new on-screen

interface will also guide you to streaming

services such as YouTube and Picasa.

Powerful processing

And you can connect sources directly, too.

Two HDMI inputs, as well as digital coaxial

and digital optical inputs, ensure you can

connect anything from an Xbox 360 or PS3

to a Sky+HD box to make this a real hub for

your home entertainment.

So why would you do this? Well, there’s

the convenience of course, but the real

benefit comes in making use of the video

and audio processing inside. The 752BD

uses a Marvell Qdeo video processor, which

will upscale any video source to 1080p or

even 4K (should you have a compatible

USE IT WITH

Amazing Spider-ManIt might ‘only’ be a

summer blockbuster,

but if you’re looking

for a great test disc,

this film has it all.

1 Backlit remote The handset has had a redesign, and now has backlit keys. It’s nice to hold and use, even if the core controls feel a little cluttered. It’s still one of the better remotes we’ve seen on such a device.

2 Streaming The ability to play content from a UPnP/DLNA device is a great feature. You can even control it all using a smartphone app such as PlugPlayer. But we are underwhelmed by the streaming services: why aren’t BBC iPlayer and Netflix on board?

3 Quality DACs Audio inputs are upsampled to 24-bit/192kHz by the onboard Wolfson DACs. Cambridge Audio tells us there’s essentially a DacMagic inside. It’s perhaps no surprise to find the digital filters found on the DAC are here, too. They’re very subtle, but definitely worth experimenting with.

4 Easy to live with In terms of all-round usability, we definitely think this is an improvement on the previous model. Discs load more quickly, the on-screen menus are clearer and the remote is an improvement. Plenty of picture controls are available within the BD752’s menus too, in case you want to further tweak your display’s settings.

Living with it

1 Networking options

You can go wireless or wired, with an Ethernet socket and a supplied wireless dongle for one of the three USB inputs.

2 HDMI input

The input on the back is ideal for a set-top box, but the one on the front supports MHL for using phones and tablets.

3 Use two displays

Twin HDMI outputs let you separate audio and video or connect up two displays – a TV and projector, for example.

4 Digital audio

The digital inputs are a great feature, with the optical input ideal for feeding the audio from a Sky+ HD box.

Round the back…

Award-winning £100 Blu-ray players

packed with internet connectivity

and more, Cambridge Audio sought

higher ground, packing its players not

just with features and functions but

the necessary components to help the

performance justify the premium.

And the 751BD was undoubtedly a

success, taking home a five-star review

when it first emerged just under two

years ago. It has since gone on to be

the company’s best-selling product –

which is no mean feat for a brand that

traditionally, in the UK at least, majors

on budget hi-fi separates.

Handles whatever you throw at it

The 752BD really can play just about every

video and audio format you can think of:

3D Blu-ray, DVD, CD, SACD, DVD-A and

rewritable discs, AAC, FLAC, MP3 and WAV

– it has it covered. And as well as playing

discs, it can also accept files from a USB

stick (there are now three USB inputs),

or even a smartphone or tablet. This

new feature comes courtesy of the

MHL-compatible HDMI input on the

front, which lets you play music and

video directly from compatible devices.

Also new is the ability to connect to

your network via ethernet or wi-fi (with

the included dongle), and stream music

directly from UPnP or DLNA devices.

display). What’s more, all audio sources, be

they stereo or surround sound, have access

to the five Wolfson DACs, meaning they too

can be upsampled, to 24-bit/192kHz.

On the outside, it’s pretty much as

you were, except for those extra inputs. The

752BD still looks like a Cambridge Audio

product, which is no bad thing. The metal

case is well put together too, but we’re not

sure it screams – or even murmurs – that

it’s a slab of electronics worth £800.

With all this at your disposal it’s hard

to know what to do first. We fire up the

Blu-ray of The Amazing Spider-Man:

1 2 3 4

www.whathifi.com 17

Cambridge Audio 752BD Marantz UD7007

Disc formats BD, DVD, CD, DVD-A, SACD BD, DVD, CD, DVD-A, SACD

File formats AAC, MP3, FLAC, WAV, WMA AAC, MP3, FLAC, WAV, WMA

Outputs 2 x HDMI, RCA, opt, coax, 7.1 2 x HDMI, RCA, coax, XLR

Inputs 2 x HDMI, 3 x USB, opt, coax 1 x USB

Network Ethernet, wireless dongle Ethernet

Streaming UPnP/DLNA/YouTube/Picasa UPnP/DLNA/YouTube/Netflix

Dimensions (hwd) 8.5 x 43 x 31cm 11 x 44 x 31cm

BLU-RAY PLAYER FIRST TESTS

Rating ★★★★

FOR Huge amount of connectivity; easy to use;

sounds crisp and detailed; great picture quality

AGAINST Lacks sonic punch and subtlety with

films; good but not great with music

VERDICT Features and functions combine

in fine style here, but it’s not the last word

when it comes to audio performance

pumping video and audio out via HDMI,

the sound is solid and crisp. Detail is

good and there’s real pace and agility,

while dialogue is clear. Deep bass notes

are short and sharp and you can push

it nice and loud without any danger of

the sound hardening up.

It doesn’t have quite the excitement or

dynamic power we expect, however. Action

scenes that should fill the room sound a

little smaller than on similarly priced rivals.

Great picture quality

We’re more impressed with the picture.

Colours favour a natural rather than

punchy palette, but they deliver

impressively subtle detail. Motion is

handled confidently and there’s little

Of course, there’s still the subject of

stereo music. Connected to our reference

hi-fi system and using the stereo outputs,

we worked our way through every bit-rate

going for digital music and the 752BD had

no problem playing any of them. It sounds

good, too, although even with hi-res audio

it still lacks a little excitement next to

rivals, and gives detail and subtlety away to

cheaper dedicated players (as we’d expect).

This is an incredibly versatile machine.

Rivals are thin on the ground, and almost

non-existent if you want all these features

and functions. Its performance is strong

across the board, too – but not quite as

entertaining and fulfilling, especially

sonically, as the price tag demands.

If you want a performance machine

as your complete content hub, you’ll be

happy with the 752BD, but for pure picture

and sound performance, it can be pipped.

This Marantz universal disc player picked up a cracking

five-star review at the back end of last year with a

£1000 price tag hanging around its neck. And now

that it’s widely available for less than £700, it makes

for a supremely competitive product. It too can play

3D Blu-ray, DVD, SACD and DVD-Audio discs, among

others, and also offers basic network streaming. It

doesn’t have any digital inputs, however.

MarantzUD7007★★★★★

The competition…

The 752BD might

look basic on the

outside, but under

its all-metal chassis

lies some deeply

impressive tech

sign of digital noise or any other picture

instabilities either. DVDs look great,

too – and the 752BD even has a DVD

24P mode that gets the best out of discs

made at this frame rate.

There’s plenty more to enjoy, too. A new

interface makes using the streaming feature

a doddle, sniffing out our network without

problems and letting us use the machine

as a DLNA receiver from our networked

hard-drive. The selection of streaming

services might not be too exciting but

YouTube looks good (although it did prove

prone to buffering in our test rooms).

1 Stage craft

Conveniently, the Pioneer’s phono stage can switch between moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges.

2 Ample input

Three line-level inputs might not seem generous, but they should be more than enough for external sources.

3 Power only

If you want to integrate the A-70 into a home cinema set-up, use it as a power amp via the RCA sockets.

4 Hi-res ready

Both the coaxial digital and asynchronous USB sockets can accept 24-bit/192kHz for full-fat downloads.

Round the back…

2

1

3 4

STEREO AMPLIFIER FIRST TESTS

www.whathifi.com 19

We haven’t seen much in the way of

statement stereo kit from Pioneer over

recent years, but this could all be set to

change thanks to this new addition to its

ranks, the A-70 stereo amplifier.

Out of the box, the Pioneer makes a

mighty impression. It’s a big unit, more

than 17kg, so it’s not just your speakers that

are guaranteed a workout. The chassis is

verging on bomb-proof, with solid

aluminium front and side panels: 35mm

and 18mm thick respectively. Under the

hood lies 130W of Class D amplification.

Plenty to play with

The fascia looks quite busy, with rotary

knobs for balance, tone controls, volume

and changing input. The weighting of

the input dial is spot on, with a hint of

resistance followed by a satisfying clunk

as you flick between options. However, the

other knobs turn a little too easily.

Features include a 6.3mm headphone

socket, a ‘loudness’ button to engage during

party-on listening, a ‘direct’ button which

allows you to bypass the tone controls for a

supposedly purer sound, and buttons that

switch between the two sets of speaker

terminals. The A-70 even offers a moving-

magnet and moving coil-compatible phono

stage. It’s unusual to have such flexibility,

but we’re certainly not complaining.

Pioneer A-70 | Stereo amplifier | £800

Full-feature powerhouse keeps it clean

Rating ★★★★

FOR Robust build; impressive feature set; clear,

clean presentation; tight, solid, powerful sound

AGAINST Not the last word in timing or subtle

dynamics; bass can be a touch too lean

VERDICT The Pioneer excels in many areas,

even if its sound falls short of class-leading

Also considerArcam FMJ A19

£650 ★★★★★

With lively-sounding

speakers, the A19 will deliver

a wonderfully big, open, faithful sound

CD player

Naim CD5si £995 ★★★★★

Naim isn’t short of experience when it comes to making

CD players, and the CD5si packs a punchy, entertaining

sound. This makes it a

great match for the A-70.

Network audio player

Pioneer N-50 £400 ★★★★★

If your music is stored on a NAS,

then use this great-sounding network

streamer to beam tunes through the

A-70. The matching aesthetic is a nice bonus.

Stereo speakers

KEF LS50 £800 ★★★★★

These Award-winning speakers

work well with the Pioneer, their

open soundstage and solid bass

complementing the amp’s clarity.

System builder Total build £2995

So how does it sound? The Pioneer

presents music in an exceptionally open,

clean fashion. Hit the ‘direct’ button and the

soundstage becomes even more explicit and,

in the process, tightens up the sound. Spin

The Police’s live Boston performance of So

Lonely and there’s plenty for the A-70 to get

stuck into. There’s stacks of detail across

the board: highs are crisp and to the point,

while notes from Sting’s bass guitar sound

tight and sharply defined, if a little lean.

TOP TIPTake care matching the

A-70 with speakers – we had great results with KEF’s LS50s

but were surprised to find the Mission SX2s were

less well suited

When it comes to keeping pace with the

track though, the A-70 struggles to maintain

a sense of order and rhythm – the timing

feels ever so slightly out. The story is the

same whether through line-level or USB

input. Also, strangely, the sound is

somehow more musclebound and less

precise through the headphone socket.

The A-70 is impressively put together,

and the specification list is very generous.

It delivers an exceptionally clear and

powerful sound, but it’s a touch too

clinical and falls short rhythmically.

It’s good, certainly – but not great.

Web pages and ebooks are rendered beautifully

on the Full HD screen, and at 443 pixels per

inch, the Z’s display puts plenty of breathing

room between itself and rivals like the iPhone 5

20 www.whathifi.com

Sony has lagged behind the pack in the

mobile world for a while now. The likes of

Samsung, HTC and – with the Nexus 4 – LG

have all outclassed the Japanese tech giant.

We’re sure it hasn’t been fun but instead

of bowing out, Sony’s taken its time and is

now upping the smartphone stakes in style.

The Xperia Z is a 5in, 1080p quad-core

smartphone that’s also waterproof and

4G ready. Hot under the collar yet?

A 5in screen might seem excessive but

you’ll soon rely on that extra space for

watching films, editing images and scrolling

through the web. It might be tricky to hold

one-handed for some, though, so it’s worth

trying the handset before you buy one.

Sony’s jump to a Full HD display is

obvious to the naked eye when working

with high-res images and text. Web pages

and ebooks are rendered beautifully and

at 443ppi (pixels per inch), the Z’s display

puts plenty of breathing room between

itself and rivals like the 326ppi iPhone 5.

Sony has also worked hard to improve

the screen in areas other than resolution,

using expertise from its Bravia TV division.

To that end the Xperia Z includes Mobile

Bravia Engine 2 tech, which is designed

to improve sharpness and contrast.

Turning it on results in pictures and

home-made movies appearing

oversaturated, but there is an improvement

in definition – so it’s there if you want it.

Sony Xperia Z (16GB) | Smartphone

Be afraid, Google: there’s a new Android in town

Aside from Sony’s software tricks, the

Xperia Z’s screen offers up smooth motion

and bags of detail when watching HD flicks

on Google Play. The Sony prefers a cool

colour palette majoring in detail, something

rival handests struggle to deliver. Watching

an episode of Top Gear, skin tones and

textures of Messrs Clarkson, Hammond

and May look entirely believable.

Viewing angles are a problem, though,

which means that when sharing a photo

or video with a friend, the TFT display

can appear too washed out to be watchable.

Viewed head-on, though, it’s a stunner

– one of the best screens we’ve seen yet

on an Android phone, in fact.

This is one of the best-looking handsets

we’ve encountered, with Sony’s new

OmniBalance design getting all the small

details spot on – and many of the big ones,

too. The chassis, for instance, is made from

shatterproof tempered glass, which gives

the Xperia Z a stylish look compared with

the Samsung Galaxy S3. It’s a solid-feeling

unit, and all the ports and card slots are

tucked away under flaps so as not to ruin

the lines. That includes a microSD slot

(up to 32GB), which is good news as Sony

is selling the Z as a 16GB device.

A water-resilient design

Another reason for everything – including

the headphone jack – being covered is that

the Xperia Z is waterproof, with wet-finger

tracking – so it remains usable when soggy.

It can spend up to half an hour submerged

in water, and can also handle jets of water.

This is great if you happen to listen to

your phone in the shower with a pair of

waterproof headphones, but having the

flap for the headphone socket out and

exposed all the time seems like a recipe

for disaster – especially if it ever snaps off.

With Android Jelly Bean 4.1 on-board,

the Xperia Z is lagging ever so slightly

behind the version 4.2-toting Nexus 4,

but Sony says that its flagship will get

the update this March. As it is, navigation

around homescreens, apps and menus

is very swift indeed – due partly to Sony

cleaning up its unnecessary widgets. For

example, its social media hub Socialife has

been hidden away in the app drawer and

Timescape has been ditched altogether.

The Xperia Z does, however, feature

Google Now, the automatic personal

assistant which can come in handy for

checking transport times quickly, as well

as Wisepilot for turn-by-turn navigation

and a spruced-up lockscreen for quick

access to the camera and music player.

Powerful, but a battery-hog

Sony seems to have finally got the balance

right between tweaking Android and

making it easy to dive into its media portals.

That’s before we even mention its stellar

performance, thanks to the quad-core

Qualcomm chip running the show.

Day-to-day use is as snappy and lag free

as we’ve come to expect from the Nexus 4

and Galaxy S3, and for power it’s up there

with the pumped-up Galaxy Note 2.

When playing Rihanna’s Stay or

streaming an episode of House of Cards, the

Xperia Z doesn’t shine with the supplied

headphones. To be fair, they’re better than

other pre-packaged buds we’ve come across

– they fit well and sound relatively weighty,

but they’re little boring-sounding. Go for a

decent pair such as the B&W P3s, AKG

K451s or even the £35 SoundMagic E10

earphones and the Sony has more of a

chance to impress. There’s plenty of detail

to soak up and agile, solid bass to admire.

There’s a hint of brightness too, but nothing

we’d consider distracting – which makes

the ClearAudio+ feature, which boosts

mids and treble to inject more excitement

into the sound, seem rather redundant.

The Sony Xperia Z has some new 1080p bedmates in

the form of the Huawei Ascend D2 and the HTC One, and

we’re expecting a Full HD phone from Samsung too. But

it’s not all about pixels. The iPhone 5 offers a stunning

picture, great audio and a huge selection of quality apps,

– although you’ll still be paying a premium. On the other

hand, the superb value of the Nexus 4 is very tempting,

spoiled only by the lack of 4G and expandable storage.

Google Nexus 416GB★★★★★

Apple iPhone 564GB★★★★★

The competition…

USE IT WITH

AKG K451Our 2012 Headphones Product of the Year sound superb and match the Xperia

Z’s distinctly grown-up design. They’re fun and authoritative with music, and

crisp and nuanced when it comes to speech-heavy movie soundtracks.

Apple iPhone 5 Google Nexus 4 Sony Xperia Z

Screen size 4in 4.7in 5in

Resolution 640 x 1136 (326pppi) 768 x 1280 (318ppi) 1080 x 1920 (443ppi)

Processor Apple A6 1.5GHz quad-core 1.5GHz quad-core

Storage 16GB, 32GB, 64GB 8GB, 16GB 16GB (with microSD expansion)

Battery 1440mAh 2100mAh 2370mAh

Operating system iOS6 Android 4.2 Android 4.1

Weight 112g 139g 146g

4G Ready Yes No Yes

www.whathifi.com 21

SMARTPHONE FIRST TESTS

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Solid build; attractive design; excellent

picture; quick in use; detailed, punchy sound

AGAINST Poor viewing angles; feel is a matter

of personal taste; blacks could be richer

VERDICT A smartphone triumph for Sony

and a real rival for the Google Nexus 4

As long as brightness is left on automatic

mode, the Z should last the day without

recharging – helped out in part by switching

on the clever Stamina mode. This turns

off all data when the screen is off – which

means waking up in the morning to the

same battery percentage you saw before

bed. Otherwise, the Z’s beefy battery drains

just as quickly as any other big-screened

flagship, which could be a letdown.

The Sony is also 4G Ready, which means

you can take your pick between standard

contract prices or shack up with EE for data

speeds up to five times faster than 3G. You

might find that battery takes a hit with a

4G SIM – so it’s a choice between a phone

that lasts the day and faster downloads…

Galaxy S3 in that respect. Leaner and

meaner than previous Sony handsets, it’s in

the details that the Xperia Z really shines:

a 16GB device with expandable storage

to make room for all those HD downloads,

a waterproof chassis and a Stamina mode

that means your smartphone’s standby is

your new faithful friend.

1

3

What’s NFC tech?

Near field communication (NFC) hasn’t so much

stormed onto the smartphone scene as crawled

its way slowly to the top of most flagship and

midrange spec lists over the past few years. The

tech standard means two NFC enabled phones or

devices can send and receive data by touching or

coming within a few centimetres of each other.

The Xperia Z can handle all the usual NFC tricks:

from pairing to specific headphones or speakers,

paying for your Starbucks coffee and altering your

phone’s settings by touching Smart Tags. With the

Z, Sony has also introduced one-touch sharing of

photos, videos and music by tapping the handset

to the remote of some of its new Bravia TVs.

2

Of course, a smartphone needs a camera,

and the Z’s 13.1-megapixel snapper does

a decent job. With intuitive controls

borrowed from Sony’s Cyber-shot cameras,

the Xperia Z matches the best of 2012’s

smartphone cams rather than building on

them. It takes fine shots outdoors and in

good light, but even though the Superior

Auto mode is quick to adjust, it’s not the

best at getting rid of noise in low light.

Full HD video shot with the rear camera

is smooth, though, and there’s a high

dynamic range option for stills and video.

The 1080p screen is the stand-out

spec here. There’s much to love about the

display – and if it’s an eye-popping picture

you want, the Xperia Z rivals the Samsung

3

We know it keeps

things waterproof,

but having this flap

over the 3.5mm jack

open all the time is

very frustrating

Power and volume

controls are along the

right edge, along

with the micro SIM

slot. Surprise! It’s

behind another flap…

Sony’s selling the Z

as a 16GB model, but

thankfully you can

expand the memory

using the microSD

card slot on the edge

1

2

INSIDERINSIDER

After their recent turmoil, can Sony and Panasonic get back on top?n top?After their recent turmoil, can Sony and Panasonic gget back onn top?

the form of a way out of the

ongoing losses they have seen in

recent years.

Panasonic hosted its annual

European Convention to flesh out

its plans for the year ahead, and

television – and plasmas

specifically – dominate. While the

company’s own brief venture in

to mobile phones seems to have

22 www.whathifi.com

News * Analysis * Opinion

INSIDERFuture tech

JAPAN BEGINSTHE FIGHTBACK

 While consumers have

been enjoying some of

the most exciting

technological advances in recent

memory over the last couple of

years, times have proved tough

for some of the biggest-hitters

in the industry.

And that’s putting it mildly:

feeling the pinch more than most

have been the Japanese consumer

electronics giants, for so long the

leaders in terms of innovation,

sales and any other barometer

you choose to measure.

Not so big in Japan

The lethal combination of a

faltering Japanese economy, the

earthquake and tsunami of 2011,

and a super-strong currency, set

against a (relatively) new wave of

Korean and Chinese superpowers

with money to burn, has spelt

disaster for the twin giants

Panasonic and Sony. As we’ve

SONY

Smartphones, tablets and gaming

will be crucial for Sony, with TV and

home cinema relegated in importance

reported extensively on whathifi.

com, the two have reported some

terrifying figures in recent times,

made some heavy cuts to various

departments – notably their TV

divisions – and moved ever-more

manufacturing out of Japan.

But hope springs eternal. A

new year means a new start and

both Panasonic and Sony face a

big challenge if they want to once

more compete at the very top

tables, and get back in the black.

Is plasma the answer?

This month both companies have

set out their stalls for 2013, and

embarked on what they hope will

be the road to recovery and

success – or at least recovery, in

And don’t forget about China...It’s not just Japan and Korea fighting for supremacy: one rather large

competitor looms large over both nations’ famous companies. And that’s

China: this year’s CES saw that country’s consumer electronics

companies take a giant step in to the western market, Haier and Hisense

making their presence felt with stands as huge as anything the Japanese

and Korean players had to offer.

Chinese company TP Vision effectively controls its joint-venture deal

with Philips’ TV division (while the Philips audio and video divisions have

been bought by Japanese company Funai). Who’s to say other

companies won’t follow suit? How about a Kuro-killer made in China?

been knocked on the head, phone

interaction is clearly seen as

crucial to the appeal. The flagship

ZT60 plasma range is aiming to

lay to rest the legend of the

Pioneer Kuro sets once and for all:

Panasonic showed the ZT60 and

Kuro side-by-side, and its new

model looked very impressive .

Meanwhile the new GT60

range looks to hit the nail on the

head for price and performance,

as did its GT50 predecessor.

A new smart TV interface, voice

and gesture controls and further

emphasis on remote apps will

define the Panasonic TV range in

2013. And the firm has a joint

venture with Sony to develop

OLED screen technology.

Xperia and PlayStation

For Sony, mobile products, digital

imaging and gaming are the key

areas for recovery. That means

the new Xperia Z (see review

p20), new tablets (page 64) and

the PlayStation 4 will be

absolutely crucial, bolstered by

Sony Entertainment Network’s

range of music and video content.

As a result, the company’s AV

division (including TVs) looks set

to play second fiddle for 2013.

Sony’s PS4 announcement last

month proved suitably elusive,

but with hardware due in time for

Christmas, it was clear the new

platform will have an emphasis

on mobile –with the ability to play

games across phone and tablet

devices – and social, with the

ability to share content and game

play at the centre of things.

Will it be enough? The fight for

consumers’ attention – not to

mention their cash – is tougher

than ever, and Panasonic and

Sony have it all to play for, and all

to do, to get back on top in 2013.

www.whathifi.com 23

INSIDER

Elipson Sound Tree

Now showing in Selfridges in

London, the Elipson Sound Tree is

a £15k set of hanging speakers. See

whathifi.com for more details

THX your system

Need a hand setting up your

system? Try the THX tune-up app.

Available across iOS devices for

£1.49, an Android app is due soon

Develop desirable products and customers will buy them

 The once mighty giants of Japanese industry

have been having a torrid time of late, with

losses mounting, sales declining and rivals from

Korea, China and the USA (among others) stealing

market share at an alarming rate. It’s a long time since

Sony ruled the roost in the portable audio market

with the Walkman, the advent of MP3 and Apple’s

runaway success with the iPod leaving one of the

world’s top electronics brands floundering. And it’s

still playing catch-up in the tablet market, the mighty

iPad still selling in staggering numbers. Samsung is

proving a much tougher competitor for Apple, as the

endless legal battles between the two prove.

Things are hardly much better in the über-

competitive TV sector, with over-capacity and price

erosion on the high street leading to a massive

restructuring of Panasonic and Sony’s loss-making TV

businesses. They’re not alone: even Philips has

thrown in the towel and sold out to its partners TP

Vision in China and Funai of Japan, while Sharp is

lurching ever-nearer to falling into the hands of

electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn/Hon Hai.

But if there’s one thing that Apple has proved

beyond doubt, it’s that if you create the right product,

customers will buy it: that was the genius of Steve

Jobs. The announcement of the forthcoming PS4 last

month, and a renewed focus on mobile and gaming,

suggest that Sony may finally be getting its mojo back.

But the likes of Apple, LG and Samsung won’t give

up without a fight, and they still have the cash (and

innovation) to keep the pressure on Japan Inc.

Brand editor Andy Clough

PS4 CONFIRMED

The Sony PlayStation 4 is coming in time

for Christmas, but Sony didn’t confirm

much else at the New York launch event

What we say

“Panasonic’s flagship ZT60 plasma range

aims to fill the gap left by the legendary

Pioneer Kuro plasma once and for all”

Sales in Sony’s Home

Entertainment and Sound

division, including TV, were

17.9% down

¥765bn (£5.4bn)Panasonic loss forecast

Oct-Nov 2012 (vs 2011)

2Q Acoustics Concept 20 £350Take a look at the Concept 20 stereo

speakers. Available in black or white,

and yours for £350 a pair – you’ll have to pay

£200 a pair for the stands – they are claimed to

have addressed “the fundamental problem of

distortion caused by cabinet resonance”. Bold

claim. Head online now to read all about them.

3Sonos PlayBar £600Sonos has made its first step into the

home cinema market with the Sonos

Playbar. Hoping to – in Sonos’s words – “to

crash the home theatre party”, the Playbar

connects to your TV via a single optical cable

and can form a cinema system by linking with

two Play:3 speakers. Details at whathifi.com.

4Cyrus Anniversary £17,000Cyrus Audio is celebrating its 30th

anniversary by producing a limited edition

Anniversary “ultimate hi-fi system”. Only

30 will be built, and each will cost £17,000.

There are five components in the system:

the CD XT SE2 CD transport; Stream X2

network music player; DAC XP+ with

preamp; two X 300 power amps; and two

PSX-R power supplies. More pictures online.

1Geneva WorldRadio £270Available in a choice of red, white and black

finishes, this is a sharp-looking, multi-talented

music system. The WorldRadio combines DAB/

DAB+ and FM radio reception with Bluetooth

connectivity, allowing you to stream music from

smartphones, tablets and computers, including any

music apps, internet radio services and more. The

Geneva can run on mains or battery power, with a

claimed six hours of use from the rechargeable

battery. It’s out now, so look out for a review soon.

TOP 5 New launches

Audioengine W3 adapter

A sender and transmitter kit, the

£125 W3 can turn any system

wireless, by connecting via

normal audio in and outputs

5Cambridge Audio Minx Air 100 £330Wireless speakers from Cambridge

Audio? Yes indeed. Two in fact. The Minx

Air 100 and Minx Air 200 are AirPlay and

aptX Bluetooth speakers, and have internet

radio, and both RCA and aux inputs, too.

They use the BMR drivers for added sound

dispersion and offer varying power, with

the bigger Minx Air 200 including a sub for

£430. See our exclusive unboxing video

online at whathifi.com now.

24 www.whathifi.com

IIIIINNNNNNNNNNSSSSSIIIIIDDDDDEEEEERRRRRINSIDER

3

5

2

1

4

SUPERTEST

26 www.whathifi.com

USB DACs

For more TV news, reviews and

buying advice, visit whathifi.com

Adding a digital-to-analogue converter to your computer or laptop produces a very satisfying musical equation. The choice is now wide and the quality high, and there’s one to suit your taste

Whether ripping CDs into various file formats,

downloading high-resolution songs, or streaming

music from services like Spotify or Rdio, your

computer is fast becoming the main hub for your music

system. But let’s face it: a computer’s sound quality isn’t really

up to scratch. So what’s the best way to elevate your computer-

based music into the realms of hi-fi? Simple: add a DAC. A

digital-to-analogue converter with a USB connection is all you

need to bridge the gap between your computer and stereo

equipment (or headphones) to create a system that’s

convenient, versatile and, most importantly, sounds fantastic.

We’ve put together a tantalizing selection of nine DACs, all

from established brands and all vying for that prime spot next

to your computer. Turn the page to see which DAC suits your

hi-fi needs and budget best.

PC + DAC = HI-FI

Join us on Spotify

tiny.cc/playlist2013

www.whathifi.com 27

28 www.whathifi.com

For more than two years now, Arcam’s

rDAC has been our go-to DAC of choice.

We’ve loved it since we first tested it in

2010, and when we gave DACs their own

category in the 2011 What Hi-Fi? Sound

and Vision Awards, the rDAC won itself a

place among the decorated equipment.

In fact, until very recently we’d have

been hard pressed to recommend

another DAC that delivers such fantastic

value for money. When it comes to

creating a natural bridge between your

digital music collection and your

existing hi-fi set up, the rDAC still

reigns supreme.

So what makes the rDAC so special?

Simply put, it is one of the most musical

and engaging DACs we’ve ever heard at

this price. Whether you’re playing a

320kbps file from Spotify, a WAV

recording or that elusive 24-bit/192kHz

hi-res song, the rDAC faithfully delivers a

smooth and engaging performance.

Key to the rDAC’s performance is the

combination of the Wolfson WM8741

DAC chip and asynchronous USB

technology, which aims to significantly

reduce the level of jitter (timing

inaccuracies) that can be found in

computer-based music.

Play a WAV recording of Regina

Spektor’s The Flowers using the USB

connection, and there’s a wealth of detail

on a confident and authoritative

soundstage. The piano notes are struck

with appropriate weight and agility, and

Regina’s voice is conveyed with plenty of

subtlety and attention to the various

nuances of emotion. Silences are

handled with aplomb, and there’s a

depth of engagement that’s hard to find

elsewhere at this price.

Hi-res, high qualitySwitch to streaming more hi-res files

using the coaxial input (which handles

up to 24bit/192kHz, while the optical

and USB inputs are restricted to

24bit/96kHz) and the rDAC revels in the

high-quality files, with the increased

clarity and detail definition working in

the rDAC’s favour.

Stream Elephants by Them Crooked

Vultures over Spotify, and the rDAC

maintains its melodic approach, with

fluid dynamics and agile timing that

make it easy to listen to for hours on

end. It’s a testament to the Arcam’s Rating ★★★★★

FOR Good build and design; fluid dynamics;

subtle with detail; agile timing; engaging

and enjoyable sound

AGAINST No headphone output

VERDICT Melodic and engaging, this Award-

winning rDAC remains a top-notch performer

SUPERTEST USB DACS

No matter what the

source, the solidly built

rDAC delivers a smooth

and engaging sound

talents that it can apply the same

full-bodied and dynamically subtle

sound across all types of music files.

The rDAC itself is a compact and

good-looking box: the cast aluminium

chassis gives it a sleek look, and the

power supply and connections (coaxial

and optical inputs, type-B USB input and

a pair of line-level RCA outputs) are

hidden away on the rear panel. A single

button on top selects the input, with

corresponding indicators hanging over

the edge of the box lighting up neatly.

Our only gripes are that there is no

headphone output, and that it may not

be as winningly portable as some of the

other DACs in this test. On the other

hand, Arcam does make a wireless

option for around 80 quid more.

There’s no stopping the rDAC – it’s an

entertaining and superbly capable DAC

that we’d proudly display as part of our

desktop music set-up.

ARCAM rDAC £300 ★★★★★

It’s a testament to the rDAC’s

talents that it can apply the same

full-bodied and dynamically subtle

sound across all types of music files

www.whathifi.com 29

If we were missing the headphone

output on the Arcam rDAC, Arcam’s got

a pocket-sized alternative up its sleeve.

The Arcam rPAC doubles up as both a

DAC and a headphone amplifier, all

housed in a compact box that eschews

the need for mains power.

The rPAC weighs just 300g, making

it light and portable enough to carry

around in your bag if you’re using your

laptop on the move. Connections are

minimal but practical: a type-B USB

input, a pair of line-level RCA outputs

and a headphone output.

You can use the line-level outputs to

connect to your existing hi-fi set up, but

we imagine the rPAC’s most popular use

will be between a laptop/computer and

a pair of headphones.

Rather conveniently, the rPAC comes

with its own mini-USB to USB cable, but

we found the wire length to be a bit too

long, leading to tangled complications.

In comparison, the supplied USB wires

of other portable DACs in this test – such

as the HRT microStreamer and the

Meridian Explorer – are much shorter

and more practical.

The only distinctive marking on the

rPAC’s compact case is the volume

control buttons: tap or hold to change

the volume when using it with

headphones. Reminiscent of the rDAC

design, a single light indicator flashes

red-to-green when the rPAC is in use,

and blinks when changing the volume.

Just plug ‘n’ playPlug in a pair of headphones to the

rPAC’s 3.5mm socket, and you’re good

to go. The rPAC’s USB input handles file

types up to 24bit/96kHz, which is ample

opportunity to boost the sonic

performance of your laptop when

playing all types of music files.

Play a WAV recording of The Noisette’s

Don’t Give Up, and the sound is clear

and detailed, with an smooth overall

balance. There’s much of the dynamism

and agile timing that we appreciated in

Arcam’s rDAC, along with a great sense

of naturalness to voices. Instruments are

rendered with weight and rich textures,

and overall it’s an enjoyable sound.

There’s no sense of hardness or

brightness to be found at all, which is

great when you don’t want to wear your

ears out with insistent, hard electronic Rating ★★★★

FOR Portable build; smooth performance;

natural, enjoyable sound; good balance

AGAINST Faces some stiff competition from

new – sometimes more compact – rivals

VERDICT More desirable alternatives exist,

but the rPAC still has plenty of merit

USB DACS SUPERTEST

beats. However, some might find the

presentation just a touch too smooth,

and it’s true that other DACs, such as the

Audioquest DragonFly or the HRT

microStreamer do offer a more attacking

vibe. To round off the comparison, the

HRT goes that extra mile in revealing a

greater deal of subtlety and depth, with

punchier basslines.

In essence, the rPAC has the same

sonic characteristics as the rDAC – but

it’s a semi-skimmed performance

compared with the rDAC’s full-fat,

authoritative and detailed delivery.

The rPAC’s portability and great price

tag of £150 still makes it a desirable hi-fi

option, but there are some new DACs on

the block now. The emergence of even

more compact and capable alternatives

(the HRT, Meridian Explorer and

DragonFly) means the rPAC has had a

star docked. But don’t be deterred: it’s an

enjoyable DAC that’s worth your money.

If you like a smooth

sound and appreciate

the rPAC’s portability,

£150 isn’t much to pay

ARCAM rPAC £150 ★★★★★

The rPAC weighs just 300g, making

it light and portable enough to

carry around in your bag if you’re

using your laptop on the move

30 www.whathifi.com

You’ll be forgiven for your double-take

at the star rating. Our most recent 2012

DAC Product of the Year down to four

stars already? Yep, we were surprised too.

But with plenty more portable USB

DACs popping up in what was once a

very niche market, the competition is

hotting up even more – and that makes

us very excited indeed.

When the Audioquest DragonFly first

arrived at our offices, it was the first of

its kind: a DAC and headphone amplifier

all tucked into the size and shape of a

USB memory stick. All you have to do

is plug it into the USB port of your

computer, slot a pair of headphones

into the DragonFly’s sole 3.5mm output,

and voila! – you’ve transformed your

computer into a full hi-fi system.

The design of the DragonFly makes

a long-lasting impression as well: the

matte-black finish is smooth and the

DAC itself has good weight, lending it

the classy feel of a high-quality product.

The neatest feature is the DragonFly

logo embedded in the stick – it lights up

with different colours depending on the

type of file being played: 44.1kHz

(green), 48kHz (blue), 88.2kHz

(amber), and 96kHz (magenta). The

asynchronous USB DAC can handle files

up to the full 24-bit/192kHz, but they are

downsampled to 96kHz first.

It’s elegant, yes, but it’s not just a

pretty face: the DragonFly charges along

with a bold and energetic attitude, full of

rich, clear detail in an open soundstage.

There’s fast and agile timing, along with

a good deal of muscle in the lower

frequencies. There’s also a good sense of

depth that allows you to engage with the

music, and vocals are delivered with

plenty of emotion.

Attack and energyIf you’re looking for a DAC that favours

attack and aggression, the DragonFly is

ideal: it has an endless supply of energy

that ensures a fast, punchy sound –

albeit with a touch of hardness to the

overall presentation. Play Rage Against

the Machine’s Killing In The Name and

you get the full impact of the anger

and intensity behind Zach de la Rocha’s

vocals and the heavy guitar riffs.

Despite all that, the DragonFly

no longer has the monopoly on its

particular brand of portable USB DAC: Rating ★★★★

FOR Great design and build; highly portable;

bold dynamics; agile timing; clear detail

AGAINST The slightly hard edge to the sound

can become tiring; not the last word in subtlety

VERDICT We still love this little device, but

newer rivals have pushed it off top spot

SUPERTEST USB DACS

A paragon of great

design and portability,

the DragonFly also

offers real sonic bite

new rivals in the shape of the HRT

microStreamer and Meridian Explorer

have emerged, and their impact can be

seen in the DragonFly’s new star rating.

Play a WAV recording of Oasis’s

Wonderwall, and both the HRT and

Meridian DACs manage to uncover

another layer of subtle detail that

gives more depth and space than the

DragonFly (which seems just a bit too

hard and insistent in comparison).

Don’t get us wrong – the DragonFly’s

attacking sound is exciting, but it may

not suit long periods of listening as the

hardness can start to grate.

New rivals may have ousted the

DragonFly from its throne in terms of

outright sonic performance, but there’s

no escaping the fact that it’s still an

extremely attractive piece of kit to own.

It’s super-portable, has a great design,

and delivers a solid and exciting sound:

the DragonFly still has lots of appeal.

Audioquest DragonFly £215 ★★★★★

It’s not just a pretty face: the

DragonFly charges along with an

energetic attitude, full of rich,

clear detail in an open soundstage

www.whathifi.com 31

The Furutech ADL Stride has been

tested before, gaining a four-star rating

for its efforts. But in a Supertest among

its class rivals, its price, portability and

sound quality take a beating. But first,

let’s remind ourselves what this DAC

and headphone amplifier can do.

Part of Furutech’s entry-level line

of products, the Stride supports native

playback of up to 24-bit/96kHz music

files, which is plenty of scope to boost

the music playing from your iTunes

collection or Spotify playlist. Any

higher-resolution 192kHz files will

have to be downsampled to 96kHz.

There are a number of ways you can

use the Stride. First, plug your favourite

pair of cans into the 3.5mm headphone

output, and run a cable from your laptop’s

USB port to the Stride’s mini USB input.

Alternatively, you can use the headphone

output to take the signal into a stereo

amplifier and out to your speakers.

Thirdly, feed the signal from your

smartphone’s headphone output into

the Stride’s 3.5mm line level input. Of

course, that last application is a slightly

clunky way of marrying a smartphone

with this DAC – we reckon it’s more likely

to be used in a laptop system.

Adding to that set-up is the Stride’s

rechargeable battery, which means it can

deliver a claimed 80 hours of playback

when charged (via mains or USB).

There’s a slim volume wheel tucked

into the corner as well.

The Stride has a wedge-shaped

aluminium casing: it’s an odd shape and

not as classy-feeling as its rivals. We find

that the rPAC (its closest rival here in

concept) has a nicer feel to it and is a

neater, more compact option. £325 is

quite a lot of money to spend on a DAC,

especially for use on the move, and the

comprehensively equipped Lindy is the

only other one here over £300.

Bringer of balanceSo how does the ADL Stride sound? Play

In the Cold, Cold Night by The White

Stripes (Spotify, 320kbps) and there’s

a good sense of balance across the

frequencies, with clear highs and

weighty lows. There’s no unwieldy bass

and the midrange sounds clear and direct.

Meg White’s vocals are detailed and

melodic, although we’d have loved a

greater depth of detail to fully flesh out Rating ★★★

FOR Flexible connection; clear, well-balanced

sound; decent detail; 80 hours of playback

AGAINST Class leaders offer more detail, nicer

build quality and greater convenience; price

VERDICT Better-sounding, cheaper rivals mean

the Furutech is not the best portable option

USB DACS SUPERTEST

the moments when the song dips low

into quieter passages. Go up the scale in

sample rates and the detail quality hikes

up, with instruments nicely spaced out,

although the HRT microStreamer has

better spatial awareness and a more

open soundstage.

What’s clear in this company is that

the Stride doesn’t quite have the

rhythmic precision to battle against the

best in class. The rPAC isn’t the most

insightful of DACs in this test, yet it is a

notch above the Stride in delivering a

musical and engaging performance.

There’s a sense of solidity to the

plucking of strings from the Stride, but

we’d like tauter and more agile rhythms

with precise edges to tie all the

instruments together.

It’s by no means as dull a performer as

the Lindy, but the Stride is outclassed by

cheaper, more portable and much more

sonically talented performers.

Such a lofty price

tag demands sonic

excellence, and that’s

what’s missing here

Furutech ADL Stride £325 ★★★ ★★

There’s a sense of solidity to the

plucking of strings from the Stride,

but we’d like tauter and more

agile rhythms with precise edges

32 www.whathifi.com

A DAC-and-headphone-amplifier tucked

into a tiny, portable shell that’ll do

wonders to the sound quality of your

computer-stored music? That’s the HRT

microStreamer down to a tee.

High Resolution Technologies is no

stranger to producing great-sounding

USB DACs – the £150 Music Streamer II

was a 2011 Award winner – and they’ve

pushed the envelope even further with

the microStreamer.

Comparisons with the Audioquest

DragonFly were rife in our offices, along

with references to the newly launched

Meridian Explorer. The microStreamer

is a light aluminium enclosure with an

asynchronous USB design. This means

that it, rather than the circuitry in your

computer, controls the data flow, leading

to more accurate timing and better

all-round performance.

Clear informationThere are neat little icons on the fascia

to identify the line-level and headphone

outputs, as well as indicate mute status.

The microStreamer is capable of playing

files up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution, and

LED indicators on the side light up

amber to show which kHz sample rate

– 32, 44.1, 44, 88.2, 96 – is playing. It’s

nice to see such an informative system

packed onto such a small surface area.

Some might prefer the built-in USB

connector design of the DragonFly, but

the microStreamer is dinky enough to fit

into the palm of your hand, and we like

the flexibility of connecting it to your

computer’s USB port with a very short

(supplied) cable. That way, there’s no

danger of knocking it out or damaging it

when moving your laptop, as you might

with the DragonFly’s design.

Let’s come straight out with it – no

other USB DAC of this design betters the

brilliantly musical and dynamic

performance of the microStreamer.

Stream Rage Against the Machine’s

Killing In The Name on Spotify, and the

sound is solid and muscular, with no

hint of hardness. The ability to start and

stop notes with precision is combined

with a superbly agile sense of rhythm

that allows the microStreamer to zing

through the track with confidence.

Enthusiasm and energy walk hand

in hand with refinement and elegance

here. A live recording of Yann Tiersen’s Rating ★★★★★

FOR Enthusiastic and engaging performance;

fast and agile timing; subtle and insightful

detail; tiny, light and portable build

AGAINST Nothing at this price

VERDICT The best portable DAC/headphone

amplifier you can buy now? A resounding ‘yes’

violin solo Sur le Fil is revealing: the

sense of space around the performance

is amply conveyed, and the bow scraping

across the strings feels raw and tangible.

Attention to detailIt’s the microStreamer’s ability to dig up

layer upon layer of detail in a recording

that delivers such an immersive

experience. Voices are full of subtlety

and rich textures that connect

emotionally with the listener.

The Meridian Explorer shares a similar

level of detail retrieval and balance, but

the microStreamer is just a touch more

transparent, melodic and insightful.

Last but not least, this little block will

cost you just £180. It’s incredible value

for money: from its size and ease of use

to its wonderfully engaging sound, this

little DAC will have you replaying your

entire digital music collection just to

hear how good it can sound.

Let’s come straight out with it – no

other DAC of this design betters the

musical and dynamic performance

given by the microStreamer

Judge me by my size,

do you? Unwise – this

tiny DAC has abilities

to belie its dimensions

HRT microStreamer £180 ★★★★★

SUPERTEST USB DACS

www.whathifi.com 35

If there were a prize for the most

connections and features on a DAC,

this LDAC-Pro from German cable and

connectivity specialists Lindy would

win easily. Perhaps that’s what’s

spawned the eyebrow-raising price – it’s

the most expensive DAC in this test.

So, to those connections. Not only

does the LDAC-Pro provide all the digital

inputs you could possibly want, it also

– unlike other DACs in this test – offers

an analogue input and both balanced

and single-ended outputs. Then there’s a

volume control so you can feed into a

power amp or active speakers and use

the Lindy as a preamp. On the front

panel, a 6.3mm headphone socket sits

next to a 3.5mm line level input, while

the power and mute buttons sit on the

top of the box. And breathe…

Cosmetically, the mains-powered

Lindy is a hefty, solidly built box – it

won’t rate highly in the portability

stakes, and will need shelf space. It

comes finished in black and, rather

unusually for a DAC, it has a front-panel

display. This shows the input source, the

sample rate of the file playing and the

volume. That’s quite a lot of information

to pack in, but it’s clear and easy to read.

Go into the menus, and you have the

options of choosing the input source,

the sample rates (we preferred to keep it

on bypass for native resolution),

headphone impedance, and to switch

between the fixed or variable volume

control. You can scroll and select using

the Lindy’s rotary volume control. And

to round off the list of features, the

Lindy even comes with a remote.

Clear but uninvolvingSo after all that, does the sound quality

live up to this dazzling array of features?

Well, not quite. Stream a 24-bit/192kHz

recording of Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk

by The Unthanks over the coaxial input,

and the Lindy delivers clean and clear

notes, along with a good amount of

weight to the sound. There’s a decent

balance across the frequencies, too. But

there’s little hint of any subtlety in detail

or dynamics (particularly in the rather

one-dimensional treble) – crucial to fully

conveying this bleak and haunting song.

The nuances in Rachel Unthank’s

unusual vocals are lost, and there’s little

depth to the layers of sound, making it Rating ★★★

FOR Exhaustive complement of features and

connections; clear and weighty sound

AGAINST Its presentation is short on insight

and subtlety; not the best with timing

VERDICT The Lindy’s appeal lies in its full

specification rather than in its sound

USB DACS SUPERTEST

difficult to connect with the music. Use

the Lindy directly as a preamp, however,

and there’s a touch more dynamism.

The Lindy delivers the bare bones of

a track, but without much involvement

in the melody or emotional content.

Play The Noisette’s Don’t Give Up

(WAV recording, USB input) and it’s clear

part of the Lindy’s laidback sound is

down to its timing. This funky, upbeat

song demands a fast, razor-sharp sense

of timing to keep its hectic momentum

going, and the Lindy falters at this point.

The Musical Fidelity may have a less

substantial sound, and the Micromega

and DragonFly might be on the hard

side, but they all have good timing on

their side to keep things interesting.

In the end, the Lindy’s matter-of-fact

sound fails to deliver a truly convincing

performance, despite having all the

connections you’ll need. And at £350,

that leaves it trailing its best rivals.

We applaud the

LDAC-Pro’s flexibility

and featuring – if only

it sounded a bit better

Lindy LDAC-Pro £350 ★★★★★

The Lindy delivers clear notes,

with a good amount of weight to

the sound, but there’s little hint of

any subtlety in detail or dynamics

36 www.whathifi.com

Meridian’s Explorer comes neatly

packaged in an impressive, slender black

box. It also ticks all the right boxes for its

elegant, portable design. The aluminium

case is slightly longer than both the

microStreamer and DragonFly, but it’s

still small and light enough to fit in your

hand or be carried in your pocket or bag.

The DAC is an asynchronous USB

design, which means that the Explorer,

rather than the internal timing circuitry

of your computer, is in charge of

controlling the flow of data. This is

preferable, as the timing circuits inside

the Explorer are of a much higher quality

than those typically used in computers,

so you end up with fewer digital timing

errors (jitter), leading to a better sound.

Higher sample ratesThe Explorer employs USB 2.0, which

allows full native playback of high-res

192kHz sample rates. This is opposed to

USB 1.0 – as in the HRT microStreamer,

for example – which limits the sample

rate to 96kHz, higher-resolution files

having to be downsampled.

We imagine the 3.5mm headphone

output will be the most popular option

when the unit is used as a portable

headphone/laptop solution. But you can

also take a line-level out to a stereo

amplifier, or use the digital optical

output (cleverly integrated into the same

socket) for additional signal processing

or for recording with minimal jitter.

Using the Meridian is easy. Mac users can

just plug and play, while Windows people

merely need to install a driver, which is a

quick and simple procedure.

Elegance, tech-spec and ease of use

are all very well, but sound quality is the

key, and the Explorer certainly delivers

a smooth and captivating performance.

Stream Sad February by The Unthanks

over Spotify, and the delicate music is

full of rich textures that convey the

haunting quality of the song, the string

instruments working together in an

open and well-placed stereo image. The

sound is clean too, with substantial

basslines and high frequencies that have

space to soar without excess brightness.

Change gears to a WAV recording of

Elephants by Them Crooked Vultures,

and the Meridian shows off its timing

talents by reproducing the fast rhythms

with energy and confidence. Rating ★★★★★

FOR Refined sound; subtle detail and precise

timing; good design; plays 192kHz files natively

AGAINST Up against some really capable rivals

that are cheaper

VERDICT The Explorer’s design and assured

sonic performance makes it a top contender

SUPERTEST USB DACS

Those beguiling looks

are backed up by some

tidy tech and fine

sound quality

How does it stand up to its rivals? The

Explorer’s refined and balanced

approach delivers a much more rounded

performance when compared with the

more hard-edged sound of the

DragonFly, and it shares the melodic and

subtle talents of the HRT microStreamer.

The HRT microStreamer has a slight

edge in delivering a more transparent

and insightful sound – as well as more

agile and exciting timing – but we think

some listeners will appreciate the

Explorer’s smoother approach, which is

easier on the ears for extended listening.

Tempting combinationWith its elegant finish, ease of use and

impressive sound quality, it’s easy to see

why anyone would fall for the Explorer’s

charms. Meridian has made its mark in

this portable DAC market, and it more

than holds its own against current rivals.

We’d highly recommend an audition.

Meridian Explorer DAC £250 ★★★★★

Stream Sad February by The

Unthanks, and the delicate music

is full of rich textures that convey

the haunting quality of the song

www.whathifi.com 37

The penultimate DAC on our Supertest

list comes from French manufacturer

Micromega. The Micromega MyDAC is

part of the company’s new ‘My’ range

of compact and affordable audio

components – a line-up which will also

include an MM/MC phono amplifier, a

headphone amplifier and a wireless

streamer, among others.

But first, the MyDAC – unleashed at

the 2012 High End Show in Munich, the

device is designed and built in France,

and will cost you £260. The compact box

comes in a matt-black (as in our review

sample) or a glossy white finish. It’s a

surprisingly light box, weighing just

300g. That’s the same as the smaller

Arcam rPAC, but the Micromega MyDAC

doesn’t quite have the same premium,

weighty quality of build and finish as

rivals like the Arcam.

We’d also be careful when connecting

up the MyDAC with the rest of your

system, as we found that heavy cables

can drag on the light box and move it out

of position. The rear panel houses all the

connections, which include the mains

power, a pair of line-level RCA outputs,

and digital optical, coaxial and type B

USB inputs. On the front, there’s an

anodized aluminium rotary wheel: turn

it to switch between standby mode, and

the USB, coaxial or optical inputs.

The asynchronous USB design ensures

low jitter levels and allows playback of

24bit/192kHz files, while a switch at the

rear panel gives you a choice of USB 1.0

or 2.0 operation. This is a nice touch

from Micromega, as not all computer

drivers are compatible with the class 2.0

option (which allows for high-resolution

24-bit/192kHz files), and the class 1.0

option (up to 96kHz) ensures better

compatibility. Two USB master clocks

inside are aimed at reducing jitter levels.

Pace and punch aplentyStart playing some tracks from a laptop,

and the Micromega delivers clear and

punchy notes. Select Elephants by Them

Crooked Vultures, and the MyDAC drives

the tune along with plenty of energy,

fully conveying the grungy, attacking

sound. There’s solid weight to all the

instruments, while decent dynamics and

timing work effectively together to

produce a fast-paced and exciting

perfomance – just what the track needs.Rating ★★★★

FOR Attacking sound; good timing; exciting

performance; USB playback of 192kHz files

AGAINST Not the most subtle of performers;

can sound a bit too hard and bright

VERDICT If you like your music to have an

attacking edge, then this DAC’s for you

USB DACS SUPERTEST

There is a slight hardness and

brightness to the edge of notes, however

– rather like the Audioquest DragonFly

– which means tracks that thrive on

excitement and attack pair up well with

the MyDAC, whereas gentler pieces of

music have an unnaturally hard edge to

them (as witnessed on a WAV recording

of Amanda Palmer’s The Bed Song).

It’s an approach that the MyDAC lends

to all types of music, and it’s hard to

ignore. From Spotify streaming to the

higher-resolution 24-bit/192kHz files,

there’s an obvious jump in quality, but

the Micromega’s tonal character lingers.

Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 3 (in

24-bit/192kHz) could do with more layers

of detail and melody wrapped around it

for a more involving listen.

The Micromega MyDAC falls just short

of being an all-round wonder, then. But

don’t let that deter you: this DAC has

heaps of energy and attack.

Great for that punchy

beat-based album; not

so hot for your gentle

chill-out collection

Micromega MyDAC £260 ★★★★★

There’s solid weight to instruments,

while decent dynamics and timing

work together to produce a fast-

paced and exciting performance

www.whathifi.com 39

The dust had barely settled on the

V-DAC II from its first test (four stars in

our February issue) when the unit was

back out to do battle with its peers as

part of this Supertest.

The Mk II version of Musical Fidelity’s

V-DAC made a favourable impression

when we first listened to it. That’s

because it shines with a clean and clear

sound, and offers a good helping of

detail mixed in with some fluid and

smooth dynamics that keeps you

engaged with the music.

Like the Arcam rDAC, this USB device

has a sweet, melodic touch across the

frequencies, with the mid and top ranges

getting particular attention. Whether

you’re listening to Norah Jones, Nelly

Furtado or Josh Homme, their voices

sound natural and sparklingly clear.

There’s plenty of space for high notes

to thrill on an open soundstage, but they

never sound thin or harsh.

In terms of outright attack and

aggression, the V-DAC II has a more

polite and refined presentation. In

comparison, the Micromega and rDAC

have much more weight and solidity to

anchor the music down, and lend it a

stronger and punchier performance. As

it stands, the V-DAC II’s smooth and

sweet sound can come across as slightly

insubstantial. There’s no bright or brittle

treble to be found, but more muscular

and deeper lower frequencies would’ve

given the V-DAC II a fuller and richer

sound. Take Beethoven’s Moonlight

Sonata in 16-bit/44.1kHz – the music

ebbs and flows with ease, but we’d love

to hear a touch more precision and

robustness to the piano notes.

Compact dimensionsCosmetically, the V-DAC follows in the

footsteps of the rest of the products in

the company’s V-Series: the DAC is a

half-width design in a solid casing that’s

finished in brushed silver. It’s compact

enough not to disrupt the neatness of

any desk, and surprisingly light in

weight given its appearance of quality.

On the inside, there’s a Burr Brown

DSD 1796 DAC chip, and the

asynchronous USB design of the V-DAC

II aims to reduce any timing errors that

hampers music played from a computer,

and allows for playback of high-

resolution files up to 24bit/192kHz. Rating ★★★★

FOR Fluid dynamics; smooth and refined

detail; very clear sound; compact build

AGAINST Could do with more weight and

precision; no headphone output

VERDICT We love the way the V-DAC II

delivers its clear and dynamic performance

USB DACS SUPERTEST

Unlike most conventional designs

where the connections are all hidden

away on the rear panel, the inputs and

outputs are situated on the right and left

sides of the V-DAC respectively. RCA

outputs to connect the DAC to your

stereo amplifier feature on one side,

while the mains power connection and

coaxial, optical and type B USB inputs

are neatly spaced out on the other. The

coaxial input can handle files up to

24-bit/192kHz, while the optical and

USB inputs go up to 24-bit/96kHz.

Smooth and engagingWhile the V-DAC II’s smooth aural

presentation may not be for those who

favour a more attacking and punchy

style (they should, perhaps, look to the

Micromega MyDAC), its wonderfully

clear and musical approach, together

with its engaging dynamics, will win

over many other listeners.

Clarity gets the nod

over weight – both

musical and physical

– on the V-DAC II

Musical Fidelity V-DAC II £200 ★★★★★

Take Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata

in 16-bit/44.1kHz, and the music

ebbs and flows with ease, but we’d

love to hear a touch more precision

USB-compatible DACs are entering the mainstream,

and our two winners – one portable and one static

– are the vanguard of an impressive new wave

HRT microStreamer£180 ★★★★★

Arcam rDAC£300 ★★★★★

THE WINNERS

VERDICTTEST

40 www.whathifi.com

SUPERTEST USB DACS

If you were ever in any doubt about

whether or not computer audio could

attain the heights of hi-fi, worry no

more. As computer-based music grows

in strength and popularity, DACs (and

especially DACs with a USB connection)

are increasingly coming out of their

niche market and enticing music lovers

everywhere with their talents.

The nine DACs we gathered for this

Supertest come in all sizes and shapes

and features, with only one common

criteria: a USB connection. We have four

mains-powered DACs from Arcam,

Lindy, Micromega and Musical Fidelity

that demand a place on your shelf or

desk, while the remaining five – from

Arcam, Audioquest, HRT, Furutech,

and Meridian – are USB-powered and

truly portable.

Spoilt for choiceWe felt a bit like a child in a sweetshop

with all these DACs at our fingertips. In

fact, this is the first (and will possibly be

the only) time that we’ve been able to

carry the entire contents of a Supertest

in just two hands. And, at prices ranging

from £150 to £350, these DACs are surely

soon to be a must-have hi-fi staple for

anyone with a digital music library.

DACs are enticing music lovers everywhere

and, at prices ranging from £150 to £350, these

ones are surely soon to be a must-have hi-fi

staple for anyone with a digital music library

For a full list of specifications and

other useful info visit whathifi.com

So, to the larger contenders first.

Crossing the £300 threshold were the

Lindy LDAC-Pro and the Furutech ADL

Stride, the two most expensive DACs in

this test, but sadly price isn’t always

indicative of sound performance. While

the Lindy is decked out with more

features than you could shake an iPod

at, it disappointed with an unexceptional

sound that seemed to have little

interest in the music it was playing. The

Furutech usefully has a line-level input

to use with smart devices, but it doesn’t

have the dynamic punch or detail of its

more capable rivals.

In four-star territory we’ve got the

sweet and midrange-rich sound of the

Musical Fidelity V-DAC II sitting next to

the exuberant attacking style of the new

Micromega MyDAC.

Both these devices are impressively

good at what they do, but neither has

the all-round performance of the Arcam

rDAC. A 2011 Award-winner, this £300

unit has remained a firm favourite

thanks to its splendid dynamics and

engaging level of detail – it just keeps

the listener hooked on the music

playing. It was easy to pick the Arcam

rDAC as our first winner: if you’ve got

over £200 to spend on a standalone

DAC that bridges the gap between your

computer and your stereo system, the

rDAC is the ideal option.

It wasn’t that straightforward when

it came to our second winner. The

emergence of neatly designed,

great-sounding pocket-sized USB DACs

has really upset the apple cart. The

Arcam rPAC was the best portable

option before this new breed of petite

DACs came along, and it’s still in the

game with a friendly sound reminiscent

of the rDAC, and even friendlier price

tag of £150, but it’s just short of the

insightful and weighty performance

found in its class rivals.

The biggest surprise concerned the

Award-winning Audioquest DragonFly:

its sleek design and colour-changing

logo still has a moth-to-flame attraction,

but the subtle dynamics and insightful

detail of the HRT microStreamer and

the Meridian Explorer superceded it.

Those two contenders easily merited

five stars, but of the two it was the

unassuming HRT microStreamer that

truly captivated us with a stunningly

agile-paced performance that reveals

layers of subtlety hitherto unheard with

a just a pair of headphones and laptop.

Factor in its £180 price tag and it was a

no-brainer: the microStreamer is the

perfect sub-£200 option for a brilliant

portable system that’ll keep your music

sounding superb.

Facts & figures

www.whathifi.com 41

USB DACS SUPERTEST

Arcam rDAC £300 ★★★★★

Lindy LDAC-Pro£350 ★★★ ★ ★

Meridian Explorer DAC £250 ★★★★★

Micromega MyDAC £260 ★★★★ ★

Musical Fidelity V-DAC II£200 ★★★★ ★

Arcam rPAC £150 ★★★★ ★

Audioquest DragonFly

£215 ★★★★ ★

Furutech ADL Stride

£325 ★★★ ★ ★

HRT microStreamer

£180 ★★★★★

USB in 1 • Coaxial digital in 1

• Optical digital in 1 • RCA in

0 • RCA out 1 • XLR out 0 •

Optical digital out 0 •

Coaxial digital out 0 •

Headphone 0 • Wireless No

Finishes 1 •Dimensions

(hwd) 4 x 16 x 11cm

USB in 1 • Coaxial digital in 1

• Optical digital in 1 • RCA in

1 • RCA out 1 • XLR out 1 •

Optical digital out 1 •

Coaxial digital out 1 •

Headphone 1 • Wireless No

Finishes 1 •Dimensions

(hwd) 5 x 14 x 22cm

USB in 1 • Coaxial digital in 0

• Optical digital in 0 • RCA

in 0 • RCA out 0 • XLR out 0

• Optical digital out 1 •

Coaxial digital out 0 •

Headphone 1 • Wireless No

Finishes 1 •Dimensions

(hwd) 2 x 3 x 10cm

USB in 1 • Coaxial digital in 1

• Optical digital in 1 • RCA in

0 • RCA out 1 • XLR out 0 •

Optical digital out 0 •

Coaxial digital out 0 •

Headphone 0 • Wireless No

Finishes 2 •Dimensions

(hwd) 3 x 14 x 14cm

USB in 1 • Coaxial digital in 1

• Optical digital in 1 • RCA in

0 • RCA out 1 • XLR out 0 •

Optical digital out 0 •

Coaxial digital out 0 •

Headphone 0 • Wireless No

Finishes 1 •Dimensions

(hwd) 10 x 17 x 4cm

USB in 1 • Coaxial digital in 0

• Optical digital in 0 • RCA

in 0 • RCA out 1 • XLR out 0

• Optical digital out 0 •

Coaxial digital out 0 •

Headphone 1 • Wireless No

Finishes 1 •Dimensions

(hwd) 3 x 10 x 6cm

USB in 1 • Coaxial digital in 0

• Optical digital in 0 • RCA

in 0 • RCA out 0 • XLR out 0

• Optical digital out 0 •

Coaxial digital out 0 •

Headphone 1 • Wireless No

Finishes 1 •Dimensions

(hwd) 1 x 2 x 6cm

USB in 1 • Coaxial digital in 0

• Optical digital in 0 • RCA

in 0 • RCA out 0 • XLR out 0

• Optical digital out 0 •

Coaxial digital out 0 •

Headphone 1 • Wireless No

Finishes 1 •Dimensions

(hwd) 3 x 7 x 12cm

USB in 1 • Coaxial digital in 0

• Optical digital in 0 • RCA

in 0 • RCA out 0 • XLR out 0

• Optical digital out 0 •

Coaxial digital out 0 •

Headphone 1 • Wireless No

Finishes 1 •Dimensions

(hwd) 1 x 3 x 6cm

BUILDERSYSTEM BUILDERSYSTEM

Laptop

Apple MacBook Pro £999

We love the Pro’s ease of use

and slick interface for storing

all types of music files.

Stereo amplifier Rega Brio-R £480

★★★★★

The rDAC will sound terrific

with the wonderfully rhythmic

and agile Rega.

Speakers Wharfedale Diamond 121 £230

★★★★★

These speakers impressed us

straight out of the box and will

ably complement the rDAC.

Laptop

Apple MacBook Pro £999

The simple plug-and-play

operation with the HRT is a

match made in hi-fi heaven.

Headphones

Philips Fidelio M1 £160

★★★★★

A warm and natural-sounding

presentation goes hand in

hand with high levels of detail.

Perfect partners for the Arcam rDAC: Perfect partners for the HRT microStreamer:

Total £2009 Total £1339

Performance

Features

Build

Performance

Features

Build

Performance

Features

Build

Performance

Features

Build

Performance

Features

Build

Performance

Features

Build

Performance

Features

Build

Performance

Features

Build

Performance

Features

Build

BEFORE YOU BUY

File resolution

It’s easy to get hung up

on specification. Many

of the DACs in this test

top out at 24-bit/96kHz

through USB rather than

delivering the full

24-bit/192kHz. How

important this is

depends on the music

files you use. If you buy

from iTunes or at best

rip uncompressed from

CDs then that lower

96kHz limit is still far

beyond what you’ll need.

But if you’re dedicated

to the highest-resolution

recordings, make sure

your DAC will cope.

42 www.whathifi.com

TEST AV RECEIVERS

 An AV receiver is one of the most important parts of a

home cinema setup, working as the messenger

between the speakers and their audio source. It

directs the speakers to do the right things at the right time,

puts the much-needed oomph into your system when

required, and picks out the finer details that are lost when a

soundtrack is played through a TV’s built-in speakers.

But not many of us have thousands to spend on a home

cinema setup. Luckily the affordable end of the market is

getting ever more competitive, with pricier options sharing

more and more of their features with far cheaper models.

It’s this constant pushing of the bar that makes the

sub-£300 sector so interesting, not to mention constantly

changing. On test we have the Sony DTR-DH820, a 2011

Award winner for Best Home Cinema Amplifier under £350,

the Yamaha RX-V373 – the product that knocked the Sony

from its Award perch last year – and the Pioneer VSX-922, a

mid-range amp that has halved in price since we last saw it.

Pioneer VSX-922page 44Last year this was a four-,

then a three-star amp – but

that was at twice the price

Join us on Spotify

tiny.cc/playlist2013

You’ll be amazed at the genuinely cinema-like quality you can get from an entry-level AV receiver. Try one of these three and you won’t go far wrong…

CHEAP THRILLSJUST SEEK OUT SOMEHOME CINEMA JOY CAN BE YOURS:

AV amps

Sony STR-DH820page 452011’s Best Buy: a price

cut won’t do its capable

performance any harm

Yamaha RX-V373page 462012’s Best Buy is a highly

capable device, but it’s

here to be shot at

44 www.whathifi.com

When we first reviewed the VSX-922

last year, it scored a respectable four

stars. That dropped to three towards the

end of the year as competition stiffened.

But now it’s less than half its original

£500 asking price, and it’s become a

mid-level amp in an entry-level market.

We need to take another look.

For, of course, the 922 is packed with

features not usually seen in amps made

for this price point. A seven-channel

amp with a claimed 105W of power per

channel, it also offers dual subwoofer

outputs, giving you extra flexibility

for your setup.

Network connectivity is possible via

wired ethernet connection or Pioneer’s

optional USB wi-fi dongle. Then you’re

able to take advantage of internet radio

capability, AirPlay compatibility for

Apple devices, or DLNA for streaming

from any DLNA-supported gadget in

your home. It will even stream high-res

24bit/192kHz files should you have any

stored on your computer or NAS drive.

As for inputs, you get a generous six

HDMI ports and two USB ports – one for

the wi-fi dongle, a second for connecting

an external iDevice or USB key.

Speaker setup is easy enough with the

included microphone. The auto

calibration procedure is easily the most

thorough on test, lasting around 10

minutes and making for a very accurate

setup. There’s also a free-to-download

app that can help you – among other

things – make sound field adjustments,

switch between connected sources,

control bass and treble levels and adjust

video parameters. It’s a clear and

easy-to-use app and, should you

wish, can largely make the included

remote redundant.

Excellent power for the priceAt the original £500, we wanted

a more powerful sound from

the VSX-922, but at this price

it sounds much bigger than

its competition. In the

sandstorm scene of Mission:

Impossible Ghost Protocol, the

sound of the sand whips up all

around you with an impressive

level of detail, putting you right in

the middle of the storm. Sound

spreads naturally throughout the room,

jumping between the speakers with a

striking level of accuracy, and delivering

an experience that sounds all the more

realistic because of it.

The Kremlin explosion scene is also a

great way of showing off what this amp

can do. There’s real force and precision

behind every one of the blasts, and even

when things get busy and rubble

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Feature-packed; network functionality;

detailed, powerful, accurately placed sound

AGAINST It doesn’t have the very last word in

dynamics or subtlety

VERDICT A highly specified all-round

performer that excels at its new price point

TEST AV RECEIVERS

showers down around you, the VSX-922

remains focused and composed.

Music is also delivered with great

timing and precision, be it a movie

soundtrack or CD. The treble is crisp,

dialogue is clear and well defined, and

there’s real oomph in the lower

frequencies. It’s not the last word in

excitement – the Yamaha probably pips

it when it comes to conveying more

subtle dynamics – but its

performance in most other

areas goes a long way to

make up for this.

It’s hard not to keep

referring to this Pioneer’s

price drop. At its original

price point it was being

far outclassed by its

competitors; but at around

£245 right now, this is a

seriously impressive package

with so much to like.

PIONEER VSX-922£245 ★★★★★

Auto calibration

MCACC (Multichannel Acoustic Calibration

System) is Pioneer’s auto-set-up software. It’s

been developed with the help of Air Studios in

London. The system not only sets speaker

sizes, distance and level, but can also

equalise the output from each channel.

The process takes several minutes

but is pretty accurate.

This Pioneer has seen

its price slashed in half

– and it’s a serious

contender as a result

www.whathifi.com 45

Sony has had mixed success with its AV

amplifiers in the past few years, but with

the release of the STR-DH820 as the

successor to the excellent, Award-

winning STR-DH810, it seemed things

were finally looking up. Following in its

predecessor’s footsteps, the DH820 won

our 2011 Award for Best Home Cinema

Amplifer under £350, and remains one

of Sony’s go-to options.

However, a lot can change in two

years. Knocked off its Award-winning

perch by its group test buddy, the

Yamaha RX-V373, does the now cheaper

STR-DH820 still remain a keen option

for the entry-level home cinema market?

On paper, it’s certainly an impressive

package for its price. It offers seven

channels where many competitors offer

only five, and there’s a generous 100W

of power behind each channel. There’s

Dolby Pro Logic IIz on board too, so

you’re able to swap out your surround

back speakers for a front height option,

should you wish.

3D support is on board, as is 1080p

video upscaling, and you’ll get four

high-speed HDMI inputs for connecting

all your equipment – not particularly

generous but about par for the course at

this price. With no ethernet port you can

forget about network connectivity or

any sort of music streaming through the

Sony, though there is a USB port on the

front for hooking up any iPad, iPhone or

iPod and playing both video or music.

Set-up of the amp is simple for home

cinema newcomers: Sony’s Digital

Cinema Auto Calibration (DCAC) worked

quickly, and largely accurately, with the

included microphone to get our speakers

calibrated easily. We felt the subwoofer

needed turning down a few dB from

the suggested setting though, so

it’s worth keeping an eye on that.

The Sony in action We watch the opening

scenes to Quantum of Solace,

and the DH820 does a good

job of conveying a growing

sense of uneasiness from the

edgy violin soundtrack, before

the weighty roar of the Aston

Martin’s engine punctuates the

start of a tense car chase. The

sound of gunfire flies around with a fair

sense of space, though it’s not the most

natural spread of sound that we’ve heard

at this price. And, while it does well at

the big show-stopping moments where

power is key, it’s not the last word in

detail or dynamism compared with

some of its newer competitors.

Switching to a music Blu-ray of

Beyoncé in concert and, in Halo,

Rating ★★★★

FOR Great value 7.1 channel amp; 3D support;

1080p video upscaling; easy to set up; power

AGAINST No network functionality; lacks

detail compared with rivals; not a ‘big’ sound

VERDICT A capable, if not faultless, option for

those looking for a sub-£250 7.1 channel amp

Beyoncé’s voice powers through the mix

with strength and enthusiasm. It can,

though, feel somewhat removed from

the live instruments beneath it, leading

to a less engaging sound than with other

amps on test. Conversely its CD

performance shows good timing and a

respectable level of detail for an

enjoyable all-round sound.

The years since the DH820’s

release haven’t been the kindest.

Some excellent competitors

have entered the market, as

well as higher-specified

options dropping into its

price point, which means

its performance is not the

revelation it was in 2011.

That said, it’s extremely

affordable and it makes for a

solid, capable option if you’re

looking for a very affordable

seven-channel amp.

SONY STR-DH820£230 ★★★★

Speaker matching

This Sony needs care with speaker

matching. Its sonic balance is a little brighter

and harder than the Yamaha and Pioneer, so

make sure the partnering speakers have

well-behaved treble and plenty of

refinement. The Q Acoustics 2000i 5.1

package (£600) makes a perfect

match for the 820.

Our budget amp Award

winner from 2011 has a

battle on its hands with

new rivals on the scene

46 www.whathifi.com

Yamaha made quite an impact on last

year’s home cinema amplifier scene. It

stormed our Awards and beat regular

winners Onkyo, Pioneer and Sony to win

two of the four gongs, including Product

of the Year for the Yamaha RX-V673.

The cheaper RX-V373 picked up the

Award for best AV amp under £350 –

and it’s now even cheaper, offering an

outstanding value-to-performance ratio.

It’s ‘only’ a 5.1 system (100W a channel),

so you don’t have quite the flexibility for

your speaker set-up as with the other

amps here, but at the level it’s aimed at,

this is unlikely to be a huge issue.

There are four high-speed HDMI

inputs, offering 3D support and

future-proofing 4K pass-through

technology. There’s a USB port in the

front for plugging in your iDevice or

thumb drive for music playback, but you

won’t find networking options on board

for any wireless streaming here. That

might be expected at this price point,

but we do find the lack of video

upscaling disappointing – it’s a feature

you’ll find in some of its competitors.

Another niggle is that there’s only one

set of binding-post connectors – for the

front speaker channel. The rest of the

channels make do with spring-loaded

connectors. It’s a cost-saving exercise, so

not something unseen on kit at this price,

but nevertheless it’s something the

other amplifiers on test manage to avoid.

Still, what it might lose out on in the

battle of the spec sheets, it more than

makes up for in performance. Setup isn’t

quite as easy as for the other two amps

on test, but once done (and you do have

to do it only once, after all), you’ll reap

the rewards with every listening.

Big sounding, yet subtleDuring the opening scene of The

Dark Knight, the Yamaha picks

up subtleties that had been lost

or less defined when listening

to the same scene with the

Sony. As the camera pans over

the city buildings, the faint

hum of traffic is heard all

around you, the uneasy single

note of the soundtrack drawing

you into the action that’s to come.

Then, the weighty thud of the glass

window being blown out, packing

enough punch to make even a veteran

watcher of this scene jump.

It’s ‘big-sounding’ for its price,

and it spreads sound smoothly and

expressively around the room – so much

so that you don’t really miss the rear

surrounds of a 7.1 system. From the

voices of the Joker’s minions to the

soundtrack underneath, you feel

Rating ★★★★★★

FOR Impressive dynamics and detail; 4K

compatible; an immersive, expressive sound

AGAINST Only 5.1 channels; no 1080p video

upscaling; spring-loaded connectors

VERDICT Produces a dynamic, exciting sound

not often heard at this level. A class act

TEST AV RECEIVERS

involved in every uncomfortable minute

of the bank robbery as, one by one, the

sound of tight, controlled gunshots

pierce the mix.

The Yamaha is a master of dynamics

too. When playing Beyoncé’s live

Blu-ray, all the nuances of her voice are

conveyed well and with enthusiasm,

with impeccable timing and a strong,

well-balanced connection to the

instrumental accompaniment

beneath. CD performance

offers more of the same,

with great rhythm and

impressive separation.

This is an accomplished

addition to any entry-level

home cinema setup. It

might not be the most

stylish or best specified

option here, but its excellent

performance speaks for itself. It

remains a worthy five-star winner.

YAMAHA RX-V373£230 ★★★★★

USB connection

The Yamaha may be a stripped-down affair

but it still allows direct connection of an iPod/

iPhone to its front panel USB socket. This is a

direct digital connection, making the most of

the sound quality of your iDevice, and it will

charge your portable even if the Yamaha is

switched off. A USB thumb drive

can also be connected.

2012’s Best Buy in this

category, the Yamaha

proves it’s still a top

contender in this class

www.whathifi.com 49

AV RECEIVERS TEST

A massive price slash means it’s impossible

to look beyond Pioneer’s super performer

Pioneer VSX-922£245 ★★★★★

 Perhaps a rather predictable

winner of this test: the features

and performance of the once

£500 Pioneer VSX-922 are just too

much for the true entry-level options

on test to compete with. That’s not to

say it was a complete whitewash.

The Sony STR-DH820 loses a star, but

it remains a capable choice for those

looking for a well-featured sub-£250

seven-channel amp. Unfortunately, two

years on from release, its sound quality

can no longer quite hold its own.

The Yamaha showed exactly why we

picked it as an Award winner. What it

may lack in the style department, it

more than picks up where it counts – in

its performance. A genuine entry-level

option, it offers class-leading sound and

the best handling of dynamics here,

conveying subtleties that some higher

priced amps can’t manage.

Channels/power 7/105W • HDMI in/out 6/1 •

Component in/out 1/1 • Optical digital in 1 •

Ethernet/Wi-fi Yes/optional • Tuner/presets FM/

MW/internet/63 • Video Upconversion Yes • Auto

set-up Yes • 3D/4K capable Yes/No • Weight 9.8kg •

• Dimensions (hwd) 17 x 44 x 36cm

Channels/power 7/100W • HDMI in/out 4/1 •

Component in/out 2/1 • Optical digital in 2 •

Ethernet/Wi-fi No/No • Tuner/presets FM/MW/

LW/60 • Video Upconversion Yes • Auto set-up Yes

• 3D/4K capable Yes/No • Weight 8.5kg •

• Dimensions (hwd) 16 x 43 x 32cm

Channels/power 5/85W • HDMI in/out 4/1 •

Component in/out 2/1 • Optical digital in 2 •

Ethernet/Wi-fi No/No • Tuner/presets FM/40 •

Video Upconversion No • Auto set-up Yes •

3D/4K capable Yes/Yes • Weight 7.5kg •

• Dimensions (hwd) 15 x 44 x 32cm

Pioneer VSX-922£245 ★★★★★

Sony STR-DH820£230 ★★★★

Yamaha RX-V373£230 ★★★★★

But it was the Pioneer VSX-922, with

all its mid-range bells and whistles, that

won us over in the end. The array of

features offered with a sub-£250 price

point is really quite extensive – in

particular its network connectivity that

adds even more functionality to your

system. Of course its performance,

which saw it lost in the competitive

£500 marketplace, shines at its new

price point, offering a big, detailed and

accurate sound that’ll place you right in

the middle of the action during those

‘show-stopper’ moments.

A predictable winner it may be, but

it’s also a reminder that it’s wise to

consider better-specified, discounted

kit when looking at equipment in

your price-point. The Pioneer VSX-922

is proof that you don’t always get

what you pay for – sometimes, you

might just get more.

Facts & figures

VERDICTTEST

THE WINNER

BLU-RAY PLAYER

Sony BDP-S390 £90

★★★★★

You can’t go wrong with this fantastic budget

Blu-ray player. It offers excellent pictures and

Smart functionality for under £100. And you

might be able to find it even cheaper.

SPEAKER PACKAGE

Q Acoustics 2000i 5.1 package

£600 ★★★★★

A 2012 Award winner, this 5.1 speaker package

produces a large, exciting sound with

impressive scale and detail for both

movies and music.

TELEVISION

Sony KDL-46HX753 £900 ★★★★★

A terrific set, this TV combines a great look

and build with excellent HD performance,

strong blacks and a superb motion

performance.

For a full list of specifications and

other useful info visit whathifi.com

Total build £1835

BUILDERSYSTEM

Kit to make the Pioneer shine

A tablet

for everyone

Don’t like Apples? We’ve got

Windows and Android tablets

here, too – so whatever you

prefer, there’s something

here for you.

Essential (free) apps

There’s an app for everything – and many of them are free.

We’ve paired up these tablets with the best

widgets out there.

www.whathifi.com 51

TABLETS

A tablet

for everyone

Don’t like Apples? We’ve got

Windows and Android tablets

here, too – so whatever you

prefer, there’s something

here for you.

Essential(free) apps

There’s an app for everything – and many of them are free.

We’ve paired up these tablets with the best

widgets out there.

www.whathifi.com 51

Watch blockbuster movies on the train. Access a world’s-worth of music. Make video calls to other continents.

Organise your life. And even remote-control your house.

A tablet does all this – and more! Find out how in our tablet special over the next 15 pages… >

Volume controls

The volume rocker is

positioned sensibly –

it’d be hard to knock it

accidentally however

you hold the iPad

To have and to hold

The iPad is lovely in the

hand – not too heavy,

not too light and no

sharp edges, either

52 www.whathifi.com52 www.whathifi.com

There’s no two ways about it. Without

the original Apple iPad, there would

be no ‘Tablets’ section in the Buyer’s

Guide section of this magazine – or,

for that matter, any interpretation

of the word ‘tablets’ beyond headache

remedies and the ones Charlton

Heston smashed in that film.

Having singlehandely invented an entire

market segment, though, Apple naturally

hasn’t stood still. The original iPad

launched in the UK on May 28th 2010 – and

less than three years later it’s this fourth

version that’s at the top of the sales charts.

Retina Display is a doozie

And equally naturally, this 4th generation

iPad is the best yet. It features a pin-sharp

‘Retina Display’ (Apple claims the iPad’s

2048 x 1536 resolution gives sufficient pixel

density to make pixelation invisible at

realistic viewing distances), an A6X

processor, 720p FaceTime camera for

video calls and dual-band wi-fi for optimum

wireless performance. It also uses the

new Lightning connector that’s proved

so vexatious for third-party manufacturers

of speaker docks and the like.

It’s the Retina Display that initially sets

the iPad apart – despite its rather eccentric

resolution (which is native to nothing at

all), it makes web-browsing, movie-

watching or photo-editing a vibrant,

crisp and endlessly inviting experience.

Apple iPad (4th gen) £480 (32GB)

TABLETS

The 4:3 screen ratio can easily be spun as

a drawback – that oddball screen resolution

means widescreen movies watched in

landscape feature black bars top and

bottom – but we’ll trade image size for

higher picture quality every time.

Watch a clip from Anna Karenina in

HD and edges are superbly drawn, while

fine costume details are crystal clear.

There’s commendable depth to the image,

and colours are nicely judged. Clean

white tones offer punchy contrasts, and

while the iPad has no trouble generating

deep, convincing blacks, they’re detailed

and subtle with it.

Change up from iTunes to one of the

numerous video streaming services the

Apple is compatible with and the quality

remains constant. Even standard-def videos

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Superb screen; audio quality;

huge selection of apps/music/movies;

splendid build quality; battery life

AGAINST Charging takes time; not cheap

VERDICT Even more desirable than before

Protect and survive

The iPad’s a typically slick bit

of Apple design, but some kind

of protective cover is in order

in case it proves a bit too

slippery.

TECH SPECS

Operating system iOS ��Screen 9.7in

��Resolution 2048 x 1536 ��Processor

Dual-core A6X ��Storage 16GB, 32GB, 64GB,

128GB ��Expansion card slot No ��HDMI

output No ��Battery life 10 hours ��Wi-Fi

802.11a/b/g/n ��3G Optional ��Bluetooth 4.0

��Dimensions (hwd) 24 x 19 x 1cm/652g

There’s just no arguing with the way that

swipes, pinches and zooms are resolved on

the iPad screen – it’s a pleasure to use and sets

a high bar for its (suddenly plentiful) rivals

upscaled by the iPad to match its unique

screen resolution through the Netflix app

look a treat. It will obviously never look

as clean and composed as high-definition

content, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

The A6X processor is a big success too:

little tasks like opening apps and switching

between menus happen really quickly,

while the more memory- and processing-

hungry jobs such as gaming are handled

without alarms. The complex gameplay

and graphics demands made by the likes

of The Walking Dead pose the iPad

absolutely no problems whatsoever.

Where sound quality is concerned

the iPad is among the most musical tablets

out there. Play an Apple Lossless file of

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ We No Who U R

through the built-in speakers and there’s

a class-leading sense of openness and

separation to the presentation – although

it’s rather at odds with the physical

appearance of the iPad’s speakers.

Guitars sound textured and packed

with detail, while dynamic upheavals are

communicated explicitly and handled

confidently. It’s an ongoing source of

frustration that Apple doesn’t support

FLAC, but WAV is on board for those

who want to make the absolute most

of the iPad’s sonic prowess (and aren’t

all that fussed about metadata).

In terms of specific applications there

has been much wailing and gnashing of

teeth over the idiosyncratic nature of

iTunes 11, but in every other respect the

slick and logical iPad operating system

makes the most of the numerous apps

available in Apple’s App Store. There’s just

no arguing with the way that swipes,

pinches and zooms are resolved on the

iPad screen – it’s a pleasure to use and sets

a high bar for its (suddenly plentiful) rivals.

Who will take a bite out of Apple?

With the kind of processing power the

iPad’s packing and the impeccable nature

of its all-round performance it’s easy to

see a) why the iPad is so popular and b)

why it’s inspired so many rivals. Being

a class-leader means you’re there to

be shot at, of course, but there’s no doubt

that its rivals have their work cut out.

Button it

It’s a mark of just how

good iOS is that you

only need one physical

button to use it…

www.whathifi.com 53

Need to know...

Apple’s iLife apps such as iPhoto, iMovie

and GarageBand let you create, as

well as consume, content. The screen is

good enough to make serious movie and

photo editing viable, but even beginners

can carry out tasks to impressive effect.

If you want to output your movies over

HDMI, by the way, you’ll need a Lightning

Digital AV adapter – yours for a mere £39.

Killer apps Don’t leave home without these…

GarageBand can turn

even the tone-deaf

into a proto-Phil

Spector. Composing

couldn’t be simpler.

Twitter is perfect for

the iPad – the Retina

Display makes those

endless pictures of cats

and parties look great.

Soundcloud lets you

hear truly eclectic

material from artists all

over the world – it’s the

place for new music.

Skype uses the iPad’s

great camera and

screen to give you free

video telephony. The

future’s finally here!

McIntosh AP1 VU

meters! Backlit in

trademark cool blue!

Never forget that this

is a hi-fi magazine...

54 www.whathifi.com

Has Acer nailed the Windows 8

hybrid-tablet conundrum? The 10.1in

W510 might not be the most premium

looking device, but it’s portable, and

comes with a detachable keyboard.

Windows 8 is colourful, inviting and

finger-friendly, if a little unintuitive, and

can handle regular software like PC games.

There’s also a dual-core Intel Atom chip

inside and a USB 2.0 port in the dock – but it

must be noted that the W510 doesn’t have

the power to replace a laptop (18 hours of

combined battery doesn’t hurt, though).

So-so picture and sound

The 16:9 screen looks lovely with movies

in landscape orientation (and a little odd

in portrait). Streaming Planet Earth from

Netflix or loading your own HD content,

the 1366 x 768-pixel TFT display offers a

sharp, watchable picture with excellent

contrast – though it’s not as accurate on

colour as the likes of the Sony Xperia

Tablet S, and can’t match the iPad for pixels.

The built-in speakers aren’t half bad,

though they are placed where your hands

rest and the headphone jack is annoyingly

You might remember Toshiba’s slim,

budget AT300 tab from last year and

this refreshed model sports similar specs

in a slightly chunkier package with one

big upgrade: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean).

So the AT300SE is certainly slicker

than its predecessor when navigating

your way through apps but can still

be a little sluggish here and there. Still,

it’s a capable value option with two

cameras and a microSD slot for extra

storage, although it’s let down by the

shoddy metallic-looking plastic back which

wimps out at the first sign of a scrape.

Lacklustre video performance

As with the previous model, the AT300SE

is surprisingly listenable with headphones

in offering up good balance even if there’s

little of the dynamism of the iPad or Nexus.

Give the tinny speakers a miss, though…

Film buffs are spolit for choice with

Google Play and Acetrax, accessed through

Toshiba Places, but picture quality is only

so-so in both standard- and high-definition,

with washed out colours and blacks that

aren’t as inky as we’d like.

Acer Iconia W510 £530 (32GB)

Toshiba AT300SE £300 (16GB)

on the top edge – bad for trailing cables.

Cans on, the W510 overdoes it slightly. For

less money, the VivoTab produces a more

accurate, balanced sound.

Considering its price, there’s not much to

recommend the W510 over cheaper, better

quality units unless the keyboard is a must.

The AT300SE is nice enough to navigate,

but with a less than durable finish,

uninspiring video and Toshiba dropping

ports such as microHDMI, it just doesn’t

represent great value for money. We’d

recommend trying a smaller tab or

spending more on the Google Nexus 10.

Rating ★★★

FOR Full Windows 8; keyboard dock included;

good combined battery life

AGAINST Unintuitive OS; so-so AV quality

VERDICT Keyboard and battery aside, you can

get more Windows 8 for your money elsewhere

Rating ★★★

FOR Low price, decent sound with

headphones; up-to-date Jelly Bean OS

AGAINST Video could be better;

sometimes slow in operation

VERDICT A low price but not low enough

to be worth the sub-par performance

Killer appsDon’t leave homewithout these…

Killer appsDon’t leave homewithout these…

MX Player (£free)

One of our favourite

Android video players,

this has user-friendly

seek, brightness and

volume controls plus

tricks like looping

videos and subtitles.

Bluestacks App

Player (£free) Run

Android apps on your

Windows tablet.

Mainly for tweakers

who want more

games, video players

and music apps.

Movie Vault (£1.25) If

you’re willing to wince

a little at the quality,

you can stream over

1000 obscure titles,

B-movies and horror

films. Sleep tight…

TuneIn Radio (£free)

From Birdsong Radio

to Radio Bublé, this

well categorised app

has 60,000 radio

stations, some internet

only, to choose from.

TECH SPECS

Operating system Windows 8 • Screen

10.1in • Resolution 1366 x 768 • Processor

1.8GHz • Storage 32GB • Expansion card

slot microSD • HDMI output Micro HDMI •

Battery life 18 hours (with dock) • Wi-Fi

802.11a/b/g/n • 3G No • Bluetooth Yes •

Dimensions (hwd) 26 x 18.7 x 0.9cm/580g

TECH SPECS

Operating system Android 4.1 • Screen

10.1in • Resolution 1280 x 800 • Processor

NVidia Tegra 3 • Storage 16GB • Expansion

card slot microSD • HDMI output No •

Battery life (music/video) 10 hours • Wi-Fi

Yes • 3G No • Bluetooth 3.0 • Dimensions

(hwd) 26.1 x 18 x 1cm • Weight 625g

Format-

friendly…

Jelly Bean plays plenty of file

formats, and the built-in Media

Player makes fast work

of sorting out any

tunes you load.

Expensive downloads

Xbox Movies has a good selection, but be warned: new

releases can cost as much as £14.99 (versus £11.99

on Android).

TABLETS

Considering the number of companies

Google works with – this Nexus 10 is

produced by Samsung, while LG (Nexus

4) and Asus (Nexus 7) provide other

products in the line-up – there’s a nice

coherence to the range’s design. That

said, the Nexus 10 is a bit of a plain

Jane next to the 4th-generation iPad.

There’s nothing humdrum about the 10’s

screen, though – its 2560 x 1060 resolution

equates to an iPad-stuffing 300 pixels per

inch (the same resolution as the print in

this magazine, in fact). And as it’s a 16:9

aspect ratio, widescreen movies fill the

screen nicely. Elsewhere, 32GB of memory,

Bluetooth, NFC and wi-fi support make for

a decent specification, even if the absence

of any SD-card slot and the lack of 3G (even

as an option) are fairly glaring omissions.

Fantastic picture quality

Build quality is fine in isolation – the Nexus

10 feels sturdy and fairly light – but has

a bit of flex where the iPad, for example,

feels rock-solid. And the tightly grouped

power and volume controls aren’t that

easy to operate with complete certainty.

The Android 4.2 ‘Jelly Bean’ OS, on the

other hand, is slick. Web-page loading

times are good, and the overall feel is one

of swift and well-sorted responsiveness.

Thanks to that screen ratio, widescreen

movies are a much easier watch than on

an iPad, and picture quality is excellent:

Google Nexus 10 £390 (32GB)

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Slim and light; good sound and video;

fast interface; lots of Google Play content

AGAINST Lacks tablet apps; no 3G option

VERDICT A superb display and quick interface

make the Nexus a good and well-priced option

colours are natural, edges are crisp and

there’s more than enough detail on display.

It’s the most watchable tablet we’ve seen.

Sonically it’s a more qualified success,

but thanks to a clean, detailed midrange,

ample (over-confident on occasion)

low-end presence and a spacious overall

presentation the 10 is a vigorous listen. Its

slim speakers are tucked left and right of

the screen in landscape mode, but the best

way to listen is with decent headphones.

Consider too its fairly agressive price

and it’s hard not to be impressed. There

could be more tablet-specific apps, but

the Nexus 10 gets the fundamentals pretty

much spot on. It’s a serious contender.

Before you buy…

The front camera is just 5 megapixels

and in use proves to be merely average.

Picture quality is defiantly so-so and

we can’t imagine it being used by

any semi-serious photographer.

The Nexus 10’s cover is a bit humdrum,

too – you have to pull a patch off the rear

casing to connect it, which is neither

quick nor neat. The iPad does better.

Killer apps Don’t leave home without these…

Angry Birds Star Wars (£free)

Never played Angry Birds? You’re in

for a treat – there really is a reason

it’s so popular. This Star Wars version

is far more than a simple cash-in, too.

Snapseed (£free) The award-winning

Snapseed is one of the best – and most

extensive – photo editing apps that you

can get. You can choose to auto correct

your snaps, or tweak every last detail.

Rdio (£9.99 per month) Rdio offers

unlimited ad-free music and 18 million

tracks. Follow friends and artists to

discover new music through likeminded

folk and sync songs for offline listening.

TECH SPECS

Operating system Android 4.2 • Screen

size 10in • Resolution 2560 x 1600 •

Processor Dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 •

Storage 16GB • Expansion card slot No

• HDMI output No • Battery life (music/

video) 10 hours • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n •

3G No • Bluetooth Yes • Dimensions

(hwd) 26 x 18 x 1cm • Weight 603g

Thanks to that 16:9 screen ratio,

widescreen movies are a much

easier watch than on an iPad,

and picture quality is excellent

www.whathifi.com 55

Touch and go

There are three controls at the foot of the screen: ‘back’,

‘home’ and a button that calls up all of your open

applications.

TABLETS

56 www.whathifi.com

That Google and Samsung have given the

iPad’s halo a wobble with the Nexus 10’s

better-than-Retina screen might not

come as a surprise. But you might not

expect real competition in terms of

molten desirability backed by superb

picture quality and a brilliant keyboard

dock coming from the Asus stable.

The Transformer Pad Infinity has been

around for a while now but it still stands

apart from the current crop of Android

tablets. First, there’s the top-class build. It

really does look like £600 worth of tablet,

which can’t be said for anything else but the

iPad, with a sturdy, brushed aluminium

casing, reassuring weight and a sliver of

plastic on the back to improve the wi-fi.

The screen’s the star

Then there’s the Infinity’s mighty 10.1in

Super IPS+ display. At 1920 x 1200 pixels

it’s better than Full HD and serves up

smooth motion, deep blacks and excellent

detail when watching 1080p movies from

Google Play. The Infinity is also one of

our favourite tablets to use outside, as the

picture quality barely suffers and text on

webpages is rendered crisply regardless.

Asus hasn’t made too much of a mark

on the Ice Cream Sandwich interface either,

so if you’ve used Android tablets before

you’ll be met with the same customisable

home-screens, app drawer and multi-

tasking along with pre-installed widgets.

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity £600 (64GB)

Rating ★★★★

FOR Full HD screen; beautiful build; best

keyboard dock around

AGAINST iPad sounds better; expensive

VERDICT A very capable iPad alternative

and one of the best Android tablets around

Only the fact that it could sound a

lot better keeps it from joining the iPad

and Nexus at the top table. It’s far from

unlistenable, with plenty of agility, but isn’t

as refined as it could be – and its audio is

certainly no match for that great picture.

The Infinity does very different things

and does them well. The battery-boosting

dock is fantastic, video is impressive (if not

the absolute best) and it’s speedy in use. It’s

a shame about the sound, not to mention

the Infinity not being available in smaller

sizes than 64GB. Still, if Apple is out of

the question and you need a tablet that

is built more solidly than the Nexus 10,

the Infinity is among Android’s finest.

Should I buy one?

Asus isn’t short on well-specced tablets

these days, so if your budget doesn’t

quite stretch to the Transformer Pad

Infinity but you like the hybrid design, you

might want to consider the Windows 8-

toting VivoTab ME400 or the original

(and now slightly ancient) Transformer

Prime, which has the same build but a

lower-resolution screen.

Killer apps Don’t leave home without these…

TED (£free) A host of videos on topics

ranging from noise pollution and the

effect it has on our brains to virtual choirs

and architecture’s influence on music.

There’s an audio-only option, too.

OfficeSuite Pro 6+ (£9.41) Great for

reading and editing Word, Excel and

Powerpoint documents on the go.

You can use all the standard keyboard

shortcuts with this app, too.

Stick it! (£1.49) Similar to the Galaxy

S3’s Popup Play feature, Stick It! Is a

floating video player that can handle

most popular formats and means you can

check emails without pausing movies.

TECH SPECS

Operating system Android 4.1 ��Screen

10.1in ��Resolution 1920 x 1200 ��Processor

1.6GHz ��Storage 32GB, 64GB, (8GB cloud

storage) ��Expansion card slot microSD

��HDMI output Micro HDMI ��Battery life

(music/video) 9.5 hours (14 with dock) ��

Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n ��3G No ��Bluetooth 3.0 ��

Dimensions (hwd) 26.3 x 18 x 0.9cm/598g

The Transformer Pad Infinity also

has a battery-boosting keyboard

dock that turns it into a fully

fledged Android-toting netbook

Keyboard warrior

The keys aren’t great to use for long stints and the trackpad

can be erratic, but it’s still far better than typing on

a touchscreen.

58 www.whathifi.com

Looking to bring the success of the

Transformer series to Windows 8 is

the VivoTab ME400. This Asus tab

has a 16:9 HD screen, 64GB of storage

and an optional Surface-style, magnetic

“TranSleeve” keyboard cover.

It’s a full-fat Windows slate with the Intel

guts needed to run proper programs fairly

well, but the split OS (there’s a tablet-style

skin and a regular desktop interface) can

be irritating sometimes. To-ing and fro-ing

between modes is quick, though, and the

Start button is reassuring.

Impressive video performance

We had high hopes for the display and

while the HD isn’t of the Full variety, it’s

still bright and renders skin-tones and

colours more accurately than rivals such

as the Acer Iconia W510. Motion is handled

well and viewing angles are superb, too.

There’s just the single speaker round the

back of the VivoTab, so it might not come as

a surprise the sound is more convincing

with a pair of cans involved – it’s a much

more relaxed, natural sound than the Acer,

which is good over long listening sessions.

The comically long-named Samsung

Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 might have been around

for a while, but the manufacturer’s

reputation, along with decent price-

cuts, means it’s still very popular.

It certainly still looks the part. The

chassis is plastic, but it’s a bit more stylish

and sophisticated than the likes of the

Kobo and Kindle Fire HD. It’s fair to say

that the home screen is a bit remedial,

but at least it’s fairly customisable.

Wide range of apps available

Running Android means you get access to

all the usual app suspects, including Spotify

and Netflix. If you’re more of a locally

stored files fan, you’ll be pleased to hear

that the Tab 2 7.0 plays formats such as AVI,

MKV and FLAC natively out of the box.

The screen is bright and vibrant, and

while its relatively low resolution doesn’t

dig up the greatest amount of detail, it still

looks fairly sharp. What’s more, it treats

lower-res video more kindly than most,

sharpening up rough edges quite nicely.

Music is also decent. There’s plenty of

bass and clear mid-range, and while a little

Asus VivoTab ME400 £400 (64GB)

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 £160 (8GB)

Light and easy to hold with comfortable

curved edges, the VivoTab doesn’t match

the Microsoft Surface on the opposite page

for build quality, but otherwise it offers

more storage and the full version of the

Windows OS for the same price. Add its

excellent music and movie skills and the

VivoTab looks like a pretty good deal.

more sparkle at the top and punch all over

wouldn’t go amiss, this is a listenable

presentation that never annoys.

At the full price of £200 we wouldn’t get

too excited about the Tab, but we’ve seen

it for as little as £160 – and for that sort of

money this is a very capable all-rounder.

Rating ★★★★

FOR Full Windows 8; accurate picture

and sound; lots of storage capacity

AGAINST Creaky build; basic keyboard

VERDICT If you’re tempted by the Surface, the

VivoTab is a very convincing Windows 8 rival

Rating ★★★★

FOR Nice looks; good native format support;

vibrant, clean video; weighty audio

AGAINST Needs more musical excitement

VERDICT Find it at the right price and the

Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 still has plenty to offer

Killer appsDon’t leave homewithout these...

Killer appsDon’t leave homewithout these...

TECH SPECS

Operating system Windows 8 • Screen

10.1in • Resolution 1366 x 768 • Processor

1.8Ghz dual-core • Storage 64GB (32GB free

cloud storage) • Card slot microSD • HDMI

out microHDMI • Battery life 9.5 hours •

Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n • 3G No • Bluetooth 4.0 •

Dimensions (hwd) 26.5 x 17.1 x 0.9cm/580g

TECH SPECS

Operating system Android 4.0 • Screen

size 7in • Resolution 1024 x 600 pixels

• Processor 1GHz • Storage 8GB, 16GB •

Expansion card slot Yes • HDMI out No

• Battery life (music/video) 9 hours •

Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n • 3G No • Bluetooth

version 3.0 • Dimensions (hwd)

19 x 12 x 1cm • Weight 341g

An oldie,

but a goodie

It might be getting a little long

in the tooth, but the Galaxy Tab

2 7.0’s nice way with music

and video still means it

has a lot to offer.

Flipboard (£free)

Aggregates your

Twitter and Facebook

social life in a flappable

virtual mag, with the

ability to pull in news

from favourite sites.

Just your type?

Unlike the Asus, this keyboard doesn’t offer extra battery life, ports or a sturdy base

– still, it’s a light and elegant solution.

Rowi (£free) This nifty

Twitter app has three

columns for feeds/

interactions, the

tweet or profile you’re

viewing and photos

or trending topics.

Audible (£free) Want

to rest your peepers?

Audible has tons of

audiobooks, some

free, from World War Z

to Andrew Marr’s A

History of the World.

New Star Soccer

(£free) Flick your way

to footballing stardom

in perhaps the finest

casual (and most

incredibly addictive)

game on tablets.

TABLETS

Microsoft joined the tablet market a

little later than most of its competitors,

finally jumping on the bandwagon with

the Surface RT in late 2012 and releasing

it at the same time as its tablet-friendly

Windows 8 operating system.

The pressure was on to see if the Surface

could really draw consumers away from the

established options and, of course, if it

would actually be any good.

Great design and versatility

It’s obvious that Microsoft put a lot of

thought into the Surface’s design, aiming

to offer something different to the growing

number of ‘me too’ devices on the market.

With its detachable keyboard and 10.6in

screen, it walks the line well between a

device for work and play, (but is a little

heavier than its rivals at 680g).

We found performance to be a mixed

bag. You can use gestures to get around

the, but they don’t seem as intuitive as

they could be. Heavy multitasking also

caused sluggishness, and the new version

of Internet Explorer 10 didn’t load web

pages as quickly as other browsers we tried.

Picture quality is good and entirely

watchable, but the 1366 x 768-pixel screen

sees it easily outclassed by the likes of the

Nexus 10 and iPad. Edges can look soft,

colours washed out and textures somewhat

unrealistic, although the 16:9 aspect ratio

does make films fill the screen perfectly.

Microsoft Surface £390 (32GB)

Rating ★★★

FOR Solid build; detachable keyboard; decent

headphones sound; USB and SD card sockets

AGAINST Lack of apps; can be sluggish

VERDICT A good attempt at an all-rounder,

but the Surface just falls short

As you might expect from built-in

speakers, there’s not much to write

home about here, but plug in a decent set

of headphones and you’ll get a perfectly

listenable sound. Detail is good and it

manages to dodge harshness at the top

end, though the iPad will always show

up its rivals for dynamics and refinement.

The Surface is certainly far from perfect,

but we’re not sure that even really matters.

It’s a unique proposition, and those who

consider it will praise it for its flexibility

and features. Despite its flaws, it’s still

a reasonable first effort from Microsoft,

and with some refinements we’ve no doubt

that the Surface could get even better.

What about apps?

Apps are a slight sticking point for the

Surface. With Apple’s App Store and

Google Play for Android each nearing

the one-million app mark, the Windows

Marketplace has some significant

catching up to do. There isn’t even a

BBC iPlayer app, for instance – although

you can still use the service in the

Internet Explorer 10 web browser.

Killer apps Don’t leave home without these...

Wikipedia (£free) 20

million articles on

every subject to solve

all those arguments

down the pub.

Fresh Paint (£free)

Mix colours, choose

brush types and pick

your paper texture to

create a masterpiece.

Skype (£free) Keep

in contact with people

across the world with

Skype and Surface’s

720p front camera.

4oD (£free) Catch up

on the best of Channel

4, E4 and More4

programming old and

new with this free app.

Music Maker Jam

(£free) Create a hit

using loops, adjusting

their key and tempo

and adding effects.

TECH SPECS

Operating system Windows RT • Screen

size 10.6in • Resolution 1366 x 768

• Processor 1.3GHz quad-core NVIDIA Tegra

3 • Storage 32GB, 64GB • Expansion card

slot Yes • HDMI Yes, micro • Battery life

(music/video) 8 hours • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n

• 3G No • Bluetooth 4.0 • Dimensions

(hwd) 27.5 x 17.2 x 0.9cm • Weight 680g

The Surface is far from perfect,

but we’re not sure that even really

matters. It’s a unique product, with

plenty of flexibility and features

www.whathifi.com 59

A stand that delivers

The Surface has a neat trick up its sleeve in its built-in

kickstand. Flick it out at the back and you can enjoy a

movie hands-free.

TABLETS

60 www.whathifi.com

Few are the manufacturers who can

force the mighty Apple onto the back

foot but, by shrewdly deciding to launch

this smaller device rather than attempt

to muscle in on the iPad’s territory,

Google not only offered consumers a

viable Android alternative but also gave

itself a real head start on the iPad Mini.

Unsurprisingly, it took the resources of

more than one company to pull this off.

That’s why the Nexus 7 is produced in

partnership with Asus, which knows a thing

or two about Android tablets. Thanks to

this alliance, the Nexus 7’s 1280 x 800-pixel

HD screen is driven by the latest version of

Android – 4.1.2 (aka Jelly Bean).

Excellent across the board

And a very impressive tablet it is, too.

As is the Asus way, build quality is superb:

it doesn’t feel plasticky or cheap despite

being very light and super-slim, and the

textured rubber case feels pleasingly solid.

It’s easy to hold in one hand and makes

full-sized tablets feel a bit cumbersome.

The Jelly Bean operating system and

quad-core Tegra 3 processor combine

to deliver a fast, fluid experience, and

the selection of apps available from

Google Play is pretty good – staples like

BBC iPlayer are in place, and there’s an

extensive selection of books, games,

music and movies (including HD

offerings to rent or buy) available.

Google Nexus 7 £160 (16GB)

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Price; build quality; well-realised OS;

good sound; detailed video

AGAINST Needs more tablet-specific apps

VERDICT Portability, price and performance

give the Nexus 7 serious appeal

HD streaming delivers fine black tones,

in terms of depth and detail, and a well-

judged colour palette. Contrasts could be

punchier, but whites are clean and detailed,

and the fairly regulation screen ratio keeps

black bars to a minimum when watching

widescreen movies. And with its support

for MP3, WAV and FLAC music files, the

Nexus 7 makes its spacious, balanced and

commendably dynamic music reproduction

available at a variety of quality levels.

So, performance is more than up to

scratch and the super-competitive price

confirms the five-star rating. If you require

an alternative to the ubiquity of Apple

and its iPads, your search is over.

What are my options?

The battery isn’t replaceable, but it

provides a claimed nine hours of HD

video playback, 10 hours of web browsing

or 300 hours on standby – all pretty

much par for the course.

These figures are true for all three

versions: the 16GB model reviewed

here, a 32GB variant (£200) and a

£240 32GB cellular model.

Killer apps Don’t leave home without these…

Onavo Extend (£free) Using

3G? This crunches down the

data you use for apps, email

and web surfing to make your

data allowance go further.

Sky Go (from £free) If

you’re a Sky subscriber you’ll

get access to the movies,

sports and entertainment

included in your package.

Pocket (£free) Whenever

you find an interesting link

online, send it to Pocket and

it’ll be saved offline on the

Nexus so it can be read later.

IVSO Slim-Fit Folio Case

(£13) There are plenty of

Nexus 7 cases, but we like

this thnks to to the good

price and integrated stand.

TECH SPECS

Operating system Android 4.1.2 ��Screen

size 7in ��Resolution 1280 x 800 pixels

��Processor NVidia Tegra 3 quad-core ��

Storage 16GB, 32GB ��Expansion card

slot No ��HDMI output No ��Battery life

(music/video) 8 hours ��Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n

��3G Optional ��Bluetooth Yes ��Dimensions

(hwd) 20 x 12 x 1cm ��Weight 340g

Its performance is excellent and

the price is right. If you require an

alternative to the ubiquity of Apple

and its iPads, your search is over

Less is

more

At just 340g the Nexus 7

weighs little more than half

a full-sized iPad. It still feels

solid and built to last,

though.

USE IT WITH…

Amazon’s move into ebooks, MP3s and

movie streaming (via LoveFilm) leaves

few pies for the company’s fingers to

get in, and with the Kindle Fire HD

it’s combined all its services into one

mega-pie of media consumption.

The Kindle Fire HD is a chunkier tablet

than its 7in rivals, and a rather nondescript

one too, but the lightly rubberised back

panel does make it comfortable to carry

and a little less likely to slip from your grasp

than some others. It’s solid too, although

we wouldn’t expect to see it come out

on top from a fight with the pavement.

A well-stocked walled garden

Although it’s an Android tablet, the

operating system has been heavily

modified to make it more user-friendly.

That also means the Fire HD doesn’t

connect to the Google Play app, movie and

music store, but it does have alternatives.

Amazon curates its own version of the

full app store, and it covers most bases

(Spotify, Sonos, Netflix, plus many popular

games), but still misses some big-hitters

(YouTube and Sky’s apps, for example).

A click on the Videos tab takes you to

LoveFilm, for which a free one-month trial

is included (it’s £4.99 thereafter). The app

is beautiful and lets you stream thousands

of movies, although the catalogue is

still light on new blockbusters and you

can’t download movies to watch later.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD £160 (16GB)

Rating ★★★★

FOR Sharp, vibrant video; smooth, enjoyable

sound; user-friendly; LoveFilm integration

AGAINST Ring-fenced system; no option

to download videos; bigger than rivals

VERDICT A great option for heavy media

consumers, Amazon or Lovefilm fans and

those looking for a first, user-friendly tablet

You can transfer files from your PC at

least, and wherever they come from the

Kindle delivers them with lovely contrast

and detail, and vibrant but natural colours.

For music you’ve far more options. MP3s

from Amazon are stored in the Cloud for

free and can be downloaded to the Kindle,

or you can opt for Spotify or transfer your

own files (lossless FLAC is supported, too).

We like the Kindle’s sound quality: it’s

fairly rich and full-bodied with decent

punch in the mid-range and treble, and

good clarity. Even the speakers are decent.

If you’re all about media, the Kindle Fire

HD makes a compelling case for itself,

especially if you’re a keen Amazon shopper.

… after these messages

The price quoted above is for the version

‘with special offers’, which means

whenever you turn the screen on from

sleep you’ll see an advert, usually for

something Kindle-related. These aren’t

too intrusive, and can actually point

you in the direction of something good

– but an extra tenner will buy you the

version without them if you wish.

Killer apps Don’t leave home without these…

VLC Player (£free)

Play a wider range of

formats – in greater

clarity – than the Fire

HD’s own video app.

Cut the Rope (£0.63)

The cartoon graphics

of this cute, taxing

puzzler look lovely

on the vibrant screen.

Spotify (£free) It

doesn’t have all apps

but it does have

Spotify, and for many

that will be enough.

BBC iPlayer (£free) As

brilliant as ever, iPlayer

is fantastic for catching

up on TV and radio,

and now streams live.

Jamie’s 20 Minute

Meals (£2.49) Videos

and shopping lists

make this a must-have

app for the kitchen.

TECH SPECS

Operating system Custom Android

��Screen 7in ��Resolution 1280 x 800

pixels ��Processor 1.2GHz ��Storage 16GB,

32GB ��Expansion card slot No ��HDMI

output Yes ��Battery life (music/video)

10 hours ��Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n ��3G No

��Bluetooth Yes ��Dimensions (hwd)

19 x 14 x 1cm ��Weight 395g

Amazon curates its own app store,

and it covers most bases, including

Spotify, Sonos and Netflix

www.whathifi.com 61

Stripped down

If you’re after full-fat Android and the breadth of content it contains, the Kindle isn’t for

you. But its simplicity is also its strength.

TABLETS

62 www.whathifi.com

Like the Kindle Fire HD, the Arc comes

from a company with a background in

ebooks and e-readers, to the extent that

in the UK it’s affiliated with WH Smith.

Also like the Kindle, it has a 7in, 1280 x

800-pixel screen and costs £160.

The Kobo is a more compact device,

though, and unlike the Kindle has the

standard Android 4.0 operating system,

albeit with a neat homepage skin that

involves you collecting and arranging apps,

pictures, books and the like into nicely

presented folders called Tapestries.

Like films? Then you’ll like this…

For movie lovers there’s lots to like here.

You can rent or buy SD and HD movies

from Google Play, there’s native support

for AVI files and you can add MKV playback

through an app such as MX Player. And

video playback is impressive – there’s just a

touch of noise to the Google Play download

of Looper, but colours are very natural,

detail’s decent, and motion’s generally very

solid. Overall we certainly prefer the video

performance to that of the Kindle Fire HD

– it’s just that bit sharper and more neutral.

Of course, with Google Play comes

access to millions of apps and tonnes

of games. While the Kobo Arc is far

from a powerhouse, especially next to

the Tegra 3-toting tablets you’ll find here,

it’s perfectly capable of playing casual

games such as Cut the Rope and Temple

Kobo Arc £160 (16GB)

Rating ★★★★

FOR Full-fat Android at a good price; nice

Tapestry system; nice good, natural video

AGAINST Woolly, lethargic audio

VERDICT Not one for music buffs, but for

everything else this is a great budget option

Run 2 without hassle, the latter zipping

along smoothly, with sharp definition

and very good detail.

Music is a more qualified success. On the

one hand there’s great format support as

well as all the usual music apps, but on the

other hand the delivery via headphones is

rather woolly and lethargic. Mind you, it

does have front-firing speakers that provide

very direct, clear audio by tablet standards.

It’s a great shame, as otherwise the

Kobo could be the perfect choice for

those looking for a cheap Android tablet.

If movies and general app use are your

priorities it’s well worth a look, but if music

matters there are better options available.

The book store

The Kobo might do everything a normal

tablet does, but still leans quite heavily

towards reading. By telling it the types of

books you like when you first set it up it

can tailor its recommendations for you,

and you get a big discount for your first

ebook purchase. An e-ink device is best

for serious reading, but we also found the

Arc’s LCD to be pretty kind on the eyes.

Killer apps Don’t leave home without these…

Temple Run 2 (£free)

Avoid obstacles and

collect coins as you

try to escape a gorilla-

bear-thing. Addictive.

Kindle (£free) Don’t

fancy the Kobo book

store? Bolster your

options with the

Amazon Kindle app.

Marvel Comics

(£free) Colour LCD

displays make comics

look great. Marvel’s

library is a good start…

Dropbox (£free)

Cloud storage as it

should be – easy to

use, widely available

and lots of free space.

Soundmagic E10

(£35) Our favourite

budget ’phones are the

best choice to give

the Kobo a little punch.

TECH SPECS

Operating system Android 4.0

• Screen size 7in • Resolution 1280 x 800

pixels • Processor 1.5GHz • Storage 16GB,

32GB • Expansion card slot No • HDMI

output No • Battery life (music/video)

9 hours • Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n • 3G No

• Bluetooth No • Dimensions (hwd)

19 x 12 x 1cm • Weight 364g

Colours are natural, detail’s decent,

and motion’s generally very solid.

Overall we prefer the Kobo’s video

to that of the Kindle Fire HD

Well

organised

The Arc’s Tapestries let you

organise content into folders

– so, for example, you could

group apps with ebooks

and pictures.

USE IT WITH…

Forced to react for once, rather than

dictating terms, Apple’s response to

pocket-sized tablets from Google,

Amazon et al is every bit as

accomplished as you’d expect.

In the hand the Mini feels like a quality

item, and it’s perfectly weighted: light

enough to be portable, heavy enough to

inspire confidence.

Picture perfect

At 7.9in the screen is a little larger than

its main rivals. Combine that extra screen

acreage with a slim bezel, and web

browsing seem a much less confined

experience than on, say, a Google Nexus 7.

The 1024 x 768-pixel resolution means the

iPad Mini is optimised for 4:3 content,

though – so widescreen movies have

generous black bars top and bottom.

Despite this drawback the picture is

outstanding, almost revelatory, indeed.

There are lavish levels of detail, punchy

contrasts, beautifully judged colours and an

impressive depth of field.

Plug in a worthwhile pair of headphones

and the Mini is a dynamic, engaging and

You may have never heard of Versus

before, but the company is starting to

make waves by offering impressively

specced tablets at very low prices.

Take the TouchPad 10.1 for example:

it’s a 10.1in dual-core tablet running

Android 4.1, and it’s available at the likes of

John Lewis for just £170. Now if that sounds

too good to be true it’s because it sort of is,

but the Versus does have things going for it.

A very useful workhorse

Despite having a largely standard version

of Android 4.1, the Versus isn’t particularly

snappy; it also seems to lack the power

to play HD MKV files smoothly. On top

of that, the screen’s panel structure is

visible as faint lines behind whatever it’s

displaying. It’s a shame, as it has decent

colour balance and detail, and standard-

definition files play fine.

It’s much better for sound, though. Plug

in a pair of decent headphones and you’ll

get good clarity, nice punch, and decent

bass and control. Only a bit of brightness

at the top spoils the party, but given the

price we’re prepared to forgive that.

Apple iPad Mini £430 (64GB)

Versus TouchPad 10.1 £170 (16GB)

endlessly listenable performer. Basslines

are solid and well-defined, rhythms are

handled confidently and vocals in the

midrange are detailed and characterful.

Add dual-band wi-fi (for another £100

you can add 3G), the iPad 2’s A5 chip and

an unfussy user experience, and it’s

obvious Apple has hit the bullseye. Again.

For web browsing, social media and

remote controlling your network-

connected home cinema and hi-fi devices

there’s little to complain about (other than

those screen lines), so as long as your

expectations aren’t higher than the price,

the Versus can be a useful tool of a tablet.

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Great with video and music; excellent

operating system; outstanding build quality

AGAINST Not cheap by any measure

VERDICT It’s hard to shake the feeling that

Apple may have the tablet market sewn up

Rating ★★★

FOR Big tablet for small money; good audio;

HDMI output; expandable storage

AGAINST Flawed screen; patchy performance

VERDICT No good as a video player, but for all

of those other things the Versus is very capable

Killer appsDon’t leave homewithout these…

BBC iPlayer (£free)

Catch up on the week’s

TV and radio – and also

stream live. And don’t

forget, you can now

download shows

to watch later, too…

IMDb (£free) The iPad

Mini is pretty much

made for mid-movie

trivia searches – which,

of course, requires

the excellent Internet

Movie Database app.

Killer appsDon’t leave homewithout these…

TECH SPECS

Operating system iOS • Screen size 7.9in

• Resolution 1024 x 768 pixels • Processor

A5 dual-core • Storage 16GB, 32GB, 64GB

• Expansion card slot No • Battery life

(music/video) 10hrs • Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n

• 3G Optional • Bluetooth 4.0 • Dimensions

(hwd) 20 x 14 x 0.7cm • Weight 308g

TECH SPECS

Operating system Android 4.1 • Screen size

10.1in • Resolution 1280x800 • Processor

1.6GHz dual-core • Storage 16GB, 24GB,

48GB • Expansion card slot Yes • HDMI

output Yes • Battery life (music/video)

4 hours • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n • 3G No •

Bluetooth 2.1 • Dimensions (hwd)

26 x 17 x 1cm • Weight 550g

www.whathifi.com 63

Outta iSight

The 5MP iSight rear camera is similar to that on the iPod

Touch (minus the flash). In good light, photos are

very decent.

Manual

setup needed

There’s no step-by-step

first-time setup here, so you’ll

have to hop into the Settings

menu to connect to wi-fi

and add accounts.

Google Currents

(£free) The latest

version of Google’s

news aggregator and

mag-subscription app

has a lovely interface

and is great at serving

up relevant stories.

Sonos (£free) The

Versus is an affordable,

big-screen way to

operate your system.

In fact, it’s over £100

cheaper than the old

dedicated 3.5in remote!

64 www.whathifi.com

This is the successor to one of our

favourite Android tablets, the Tablet S,

but while the Xperia name has been

added, the Tablet S’s most obvious

design feature has gone – the big wedge.

Thankfully, the new Xperia Tablet S is a

far slimmer and sexier device, and it still

has a fold along one of the long edges that

makes holding it in portrait mode nicer

than other tablets. It’s splashproof, too –

just don’t lose the little USB-port cover.

It’s a shame that Sony didn’t see fit to

give the Xperia Tablet S a full HD screen,

but 1280 x 800 pixels is still respectable,

and in action the 9.4in display is rather

lovely. It’s got the sort of colour neutrality

that we’ve become accustomed to from

the company’s Bravia TVs, and given that

no Android movie service yet delivers

1080p video to tablets, there’s no detail

loss incurred by the Sony’s resolution.

Movie downloads to rival iTunes

Talking of movies, one of the Sony’s big

advantages is Movies Unlimited, perhaps

the best on-demand service after Apple’s

iTunes. Here you can rent or buy thousands

of films, many on the same day that they’re

released on Blu-ray, in HD, and either

stream them or download them for later.

And the picture, from downloaded and

PC-based content, is good. Again, the colour

realism really impresses, but there’s also

vibrancy, sharpness, good motion handling

Sony Xperia Tablet S £330 (16GB)

Rating ★★★★

FOR Lovely design; especially nice to hold in

portrait; great video quality; Movies Unlimited

AGAINST Not Full HD; sounds a touch soft

VERDICT Still one of the best Android

tablets around, especially for movie buffs

(by tablet standards, at least), and lots of

detail, albeit not as much as you’ll find on a

Retina iPad playing one of the 1080p

movies from iTunes. Still, as a movie-

watching device this is a great option.

It’s got a good handle on music, too,

whether you’re streaming from Spotify,

Music Unlimited, or playing a locally stored

FLAC or MP3. This is a clear, well-projected

performance with oodles of weighty bass.

It’s a little softer than some, though.

It all adds up to an accomplished do-it-all

tablet, and one of our favourite Android

devices around. The problem is that the

iPad with Retina Display is just £70 more

expensive – and worth every penny.

Gaming

You don’t need much power to get the

likes of Angry Birds or Cut the Rope

running, but Google Play also has plenty

of more advanced and more demanding

games these days, and for those you need

some grunt. While it’s not the very fastest

tablet around, the presence of nVidia

Tegra 3 silicon in the Sony means it’s

pretty capable in this department.

Killer apps Don’t leave homewithout these…

TECH SPECS

Operating system Android 4.0 • Screen

9.4in • Resolution 1280 x 800 • Processor

1.3GHz • Storage 16GB, 32GB, 64GB •

Expansion card slot Yes • HDMI out No •

Battery life (music/video) 5.5 hours

• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n • 3G Optional •

Bluetooth 3.0 • Dimensions (hwd)

24 x 17 x 1cm • Weight 570g

In action, the 9.4in screen is rather

lovely, displaying the sort of colour

neutrality and realism we’re used

to from Sony’s range of Bravia TVs

Grand Theft Auto 3

(£2.99) Still one of the

finest games around,

and it’s surprisingly

brilliant on tablets.

The Walking Dead,

Vol. 1 (£5.81) The

graphic novel that

preceded the TV show

is a gripping read.

Sony Media Remote

(£free) If you’re a

Sony TV, BD player or

home cinema owner

this lets control it all.

BeyondPod Podcast

Manager (£free)

Simply the best app for

getting and playing

podcasts on Android.

Adblock Plus (£free)

Get rid of all of the

adverts that get in the

way of your gaming

and browsing.

Sony vs Apple

If your choice comes down to Apple vs Android and you pick

Google’s lane, the Experia Tablet S certainly won’t

disappoint you.

TABLETS

Between laptops and tablets sit hybrids

often referred to as a convertibles.

The Dell is one such device, in that it’s

available with a detachable keyboard.

It’s also available in tablet form, though,

and that’s how we’re tackling it.

The wide-aspect ratio should make it

more movie-friendly, but the overall look is

a bit plasticky and there’s a little creak and

rattle in the casework. Get it going, though,

and the new Windows 8 Start interface is a

colourful, customisable pleasure, and while

it takes a while to get used to where all the

features are (generally in a menu you pull

in by swiping from the right), within a

few hours it’ll be close to second-nature.

A pleasure to use

The Dell’s version of Windows 8 is RT

rather than full-fat Pro, so you can’t install

standard Windows programs on it. Instead

you’ll be relying on the Windows 8 app

store, which might not get close to the

Apple App Store just yet but does cover

most bases and is growing quickly.

You do still get access to the traditional

Windows desktop with RT, and although

navigating the little icons can be a little

fiddly, you can easily drag-and-drop files

and access other computers and devices

on your network with ease – something

that Android and iOS devices can’t claim.

Windows 8 also comes with Xbox Movies

and has Netflix available at the Store. The

Dell XPS 10 £340 (32GB)

Rating ★★★★

FOR Colourful, customisable and fairly flexible

OS; very nice video; useful optional keyboard

AGAINST Sounds a bit bright; not the best built

VERDICT Not perfect, but the Windows 8 Dell

is an appealing alternative to the usual suspects

former might be a little expensive

by on-demand standards, but it’s also

well appointed with new releases that

look superb on the Dell’s HD Ready screen,

with Looper being presented with bags

of detail, really nice, natural colours and

just the right amount of authentic grain.

It’s a shame, then, that the sound quality

through headphones can’t match that.

It’s got enough clarity and bass weight to

handle movie soundtracks reasonably well,

but it’s too easily coaxed into brightness.

That’s not to say we’re not keen on the

Dell. Movie performance is very good, the

app count is growing, and Windows 8 offers

features that other OSes can’t. Give it a go…

Optional keyboard

The XPS 10 is available bundled with

a keyboard dock at a premium of £120.

That’s obviously pretty steep, but as

well as making it easier to take advantage

of the Microsoft Office suite that’s

pre-installed, it also boosts battery

life to up to 18 hours and adds USB

and HDMI outputs, so for some

it will certainly be worth it.

Killer apps Don’t leave home without these...

Netflix (£free) For a

£5.99 monthly fee

you’ve got instant

streaming of movies

and TV shows. Brill.

mobile.HD (£2.59)

The Dell doesn’t play

MKVs, but mobile.HD

does without needing

any conversion.

Xbox SmartGlass

(£free) SmartGlass

turns your tablet

into an Xbox remote

and second screen.

MediaMonkey

(£free) Plays formats

that Xbox Music

doesn’t, including FLAC

and 24-bit/192kHz.

Cocktail Flow (£free)

This really demands a

download, especially

if you fancy trying

your hand at mixology.

TECH SPECS

Operating system Windows RT • Screen

10.1in • Resolution 1366 x 768 • Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz • Storage

32GBm 64GB • Expansion card slot Yes

• HDMI out Requires adapter • Battery life

(music/video) 9 hours • Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n

• 3G No • Bluetooth 4.0 • Dimensions

(hwd) 27 x 18 x 1cm • Weight 630g

Looper looks superb on the Dell’s

HD Ready screen, with bags of

detail, really nice, natural colours

and just the right amount of grain

www.whathifi.com 65

All things to all men?

Add the optional keyboard and the XPS 10 is a tablet/

laptop/netbook, all in one – that’s got to be worth a look…

66 www.whathifi.com

Samsung’s attempts at challenging the

iPad have never been as successful as its

iPhone-bothering smartphones. But that

could change with its latest and arguably

most formidable large-screen tablet yet.

But while its features look good on paper,

first impressions are less impressive.

Costing the same as the iPad for the 16GB

model, it features a plastic build that looks

and feels cheap. We expect better for £400.

Still, get it up and running and things

start to improve. The 10.1in screen is bright

and colourful and, with a 1.4GHz quad-core

processor under the hood, it’s responsive as

you swipe through its five customisable

homescreens. Even the most power-hungry

tasks are handled without issue.

Nice sound but so-so video

Since we last tested the Note 10.1, it’s had

an upgrade to Android Jelly Bean, Google’s

latest operating system – and gets a faster,

smoother, more intuitive experience. The

Note’s S Pen stylus also becomes more

useful with new features including better

handwriting recognition, though we found

little use for it in day-to-day use.

Samsung is keen to push its services for

video, games and music through its various

hubs. The Music Hub is powered by 7Digital

and offers a decent library of content to buy

from a slightly high 99p per track. TV and

movie selection is less impressive – third

party services offer a much better selection.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 £400 (16GB)

Rating ★★★

FOR Bright screen; speedy interface;

impressive speakers; enjoyable sound

AGAINST Video lacks detail; cheap build

VERDICT An underwhelming effort from

Samsung – it needs some serious refinement

The screen resolution is disappointing.

At 1280 x 800 it’s the same resolution as

the 7in Google Nexus 7, so HD detail is

way off its closest rivals. Colours are bright

and punchy, but not the most natural.

Audio performance is better, though.

Many tablets have iffy speakers, but, the

Note’s are a pleasant surprise, and capable

of going pretty loud without distorting.

Sound is detailed and punchy, if not hugely

subtle, but if you’re streaming music from

Spotify, say, you’ll be suitably entertained.

The Note 10.1 is a promising proposition,

but it’s let down by a disappointing screen

and a poor build quality. In this market,

it’s a simple case of must try harder.

Stylus included

The Galaxy Note 10.1 comes with a stylus,

but that doesn’t mean it has regressed

to using the spongy touchscreens of

old. In fact, the Note 10.1 will work well

with both your finger and the stylus.

There are dedicated apps for the S Pen

built in to the Note 10.1 too, including

‘S Note’ for making quick handwritten

notes. Useful? We’re not totally sold…

Killer apps Don’t leave homewithout these...

TECH SPECS

Operating system Android 4.1 • Screen

10.1in • Resolution 1280 x 800 • Processor

1.4GHz Exynos quad-core • Storage 16GB

• Expansion card slot Yes • HDMI out No •

Battery life (music/video) 8 hours

• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n • 3G Optional •

Bluetooth 4.0 • Dimensions (hwd)

26 x 10 x 0.9cm • Weight 583g

The Note’s speakers are a pleasant

surprise, capable of going pretty

loud without distorting and giving

a decently detailed, punchy sound

Shazam (£3.59) Never wonder what

‘that’ song is again – fire up Shazam

and in a few seconds it can tell you the

name of the song and artist, and will

even give you a link to play it in Spotify.

Swiftkey (£1.49) Swiftkey offers more

intelligent autocorrection, learns words

you use often, can understand three

languages and can even predict your

next word before you’ve typed a letter.

Chrome (£free) You won’t find Google’s

browser of choice pre-loaded on the

Note 10.1. Add it for quicker searching,

faster browsing and shared bookmarks

with your computer or smartphone.

More Memory

The Note is only available in a 16GB form in the UK, but its inclusion of a microSD card

slot means you can add up to 64GB more.

TABLETS

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Which amp would go

with my B&W PM1s?

“I have £900 to spend on a high-quality

dock system for my iPod Classic. Would

Bang & Olufsen or Parrot do the trick?”

68 www.whathifi.com

ADVICE CENTREADVICE CENTREADVICE CENTREGot a burning question? It’s nothing our team of experts can’t handle – just drop us a line

PROBLEM I have a pair of

Mission MX-1s hooked up to a

Denon D-M39DAB micro system

with some nice QED wire – but as

much as I love this system, I

can’t really move it around. So,

I’m looking for a secondary

system with which I can use my

iPod Classic 120GB as the source

(all my music is stored in WAV

format). However, I don’t want

to lose quality, so I’m looking

for a premium iPod dock.

The B&W AirPlay A7 speaker

looks very tempting, but my

iPod will connect to it only via

the 3.5mm connection – which

seems a little pointless.

I have about £900 to spend.

On my shortlist at the moment

are the B&0 BeoSound 8 and

the Parrot Zikmu by Phillippe

Starck speaker. What can I do?

Forum name: JoshCohenMorgan

SOLUTION Even with that high

budget, you could do a lot worse

than audition the JBL OnBeat

Xtreme (£450). It continues

to impress us with its weighty,

punchy and exciting sound

via its iPod Classic-compatible

30-pin dock, and it also supports

Bluetooth in case you decide to

go down that road in the future.

We felt the BeoSound 8 was

a tad pricey for what it offers,

and docked a star. But it’s still a

good piece of kit – especially if you

crave mega-volume – and the

design looks great. We wouldn’t

bother with the Parrot Zikmu.

Finally, don’t discount the

B&W A7. Try it with the 3.5mm

connection on your iPod Classic

and you might be pleasantly

surprised; plus, again, it offers

a bit of futureproofing should

you ever decide to go wireless.

Premium portables

The JBL OnBeat Xtreme offers

amazing value – and sound –

for its £450 sticker price

Lightning strikes

Bluetooth or AirPlay could

still be an option if you’ve a

Lightning-connected device

and an older dock.

PROBLEM I’ve just bought some

B&W PM1s, and am now after an

amp for around £1000-£1500 to

pair with these and also to drive a

pair of B&W 620 floorstanders in

a second room. I have an old Denon

PMA720AE at the moment. Would

you expect a big difference in the

sound for this kind of budget?

Forum name: sjmbyrne

SOLUTION The Roksan Caspian

M2 amp works really well with the

PM1s. It’s also worth having a listen

to Naim’s Nait XS (£1495). The vast

majority of amplifiers at this price

don’t have speaker outputs that

can be switched,

however, so

you might have

to make other

arrangements

for sound in the

second room.

Kit testing

If you’re trying products in

a shop, take as much of your

kit with you as you can – as

well as your own CDs. It

levels the playing field…

The £350 Rotel RA-10 is a natural

partner for your turntable thanks

to its cracking phono stage

www.whathifi.com 69

ADVICE CENTRE

DAC’s the ticket

LoveFilm on a CRT telly?

PROBLEM I have a good old

CRT TV that I was thinking

of upgrading to a flatscreen.

However, there’s nothing at all

wrong with the TV I have and

I’m not happy throwing it away.

It’s connected to a Humax

PVR and a Sony DVD player

via analogue means – there’s

no HDMI connectivity on

any of my components.

What is the best option

available to me for streaming

LoveFilm, watching BBC

iPlayer and accessing

Facebook, YouTube and so

on? I’d prefer to use a wired

internet connection.

Roy Campbell

SOLUTION You’ll need

something with a composite

output to be able to connect

to your CRT telly. The Sony

BDP-S390 (£80) fits the bill,

and will also grant you access

to plenty of streaming services –

including LoveFilm and iPlayer.

It could also take the place of

your old Sony DVD player.

However, remember that

nothing it sends to your TV will

be displayed in high-definition.

The best move, if you can bear

it, would be to bin the ageing

tech and switch to a flatscreen

– check out our February 2013

issue and whathifi.com for

some absolute bargains.

Can my vinyl system sound too detailed?

PROBLEM I want to set my

Mac Mini up as a music server.

I’m pretty set on the Yamaha

A-S500 amp for this, but I’ll

need a DAC as well.

I’ve heard that the HRT

Music Streamer II USB and

microStreamer are good – but

would the Arcam rPac work

well through an amp/speaker

set-up, too? I know it’s more

designed for headphones…

I will only be looking to

connect my Mac to the DAC,

so multiple inputs aren’t

necessary. My budget is £150.

Forum name: Beese

SOLUTION You’re in luck – there’s

a Supertest of USB DACs starting

on p26 in this very issue!

For your purposes, the perfect

DAC would be the test winner –

the HRT microStreamer USB

(£180). If you can stretch to the

extra 30 quid over your £150

budget, you won’t be sorry. Not

only is this DAC compact and

portable, it’s superbly talented

too – and will inject fresh life into

your music library thanks to its

deft way with subtle detail. Works

brilliantly with headphones, too.

If £150 is your absolute ceiling,

though, the Arcam rPAC is a

great option. It serves up a nice,

melodic – and entertainingly

dynamic – sound.

And while you’re right in

saying that it’s primarily a

headphone-centric box, you can

still use it with a speaker-based

system: simply use its stereo

phono outputs to connect

to your amplifier’s analogue

inputs, and you’re good to go.

PROBLEM I have a Technics 1210

Mk2 turntable and I’m looking

for an amp and speakers to

complete the system, but I’m

not sure what best suits vinyl.

After some research I’ve

narrowed it down to a Yamaha

A-S500 or Marantz PM6004

amp with Monitor Audio

Bronze BX2, KEF Q100,

Tannoy Revolution DC6 or

Arcaydis DM1 speakers.

I like the idea of the Yamaha

with the Monitor Audios, but

I’ve heard that they put out

a very detailed sound, which

might be a bit much playing

vinyl. What do you think? My

budget is £500-£800 for the lot.

Forum name: johnnyelton

SOLUTION You’ve got a great list

of hi-fi options, there: the Yamaha

A-S500 and Marantz PM6004 are

both excellent Award-winners,

although they do have very

different sonic characteristics. The

Yamaha (£330, but you can get it

for even less if you shop around –

we’ve seen it for £230) delivers a

slightly bright, but fast and

exciting sound, while the Marantz

(£310) is a smoother, richer ride.

If your main source is your

turntable, though, we’d have

to recommend the Rotel RA-10.

A 2012 Award-winner, it’s a great

amplifier at £350, but what

really makes it special is its

phono stage, which sounds

absolutely beautiful.

As for your worries about

having too much detail in your

sound, don’t worry. You can

never have enough detail!

The Monitor Audio BX2s (£250)

are one of our long-standing

budget favourites for delivering

detailed, precise and dynamic

sound, or you could try the Q

Acoustics 2020i standmounters

(£145). These deliver great insight

and attack, along with real

composure across all music

styles. They’re also unfussy when

it comes to positioning, so you

can back them up against a wall

without too much drop in quality.

Of course, for best results, prop

them on some stands such as

the Soundstyle Z2s (£70).

Incidentally, the Arcaydis DM1s

you mention are being revised at

the moment, so it might be best

to hold off until the new versions

are out and have been reviewed.

The HRT microStreamer

is a really talented DAC (5p

piece not included, though)

A smart Blu-ray player

with analogue-friendly

outputs can deliver online

services to older televisions

CDs? Pah!

UK trade body the BPI says

99.6% of all singles sold are in

digital form – so it’s no wonder

Denon has nixed the CD

player in the Piccolo.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

PROBLEM I’m looking for a

wireless system that will give

decent quality from lossless

files; I’m really particular

about precise-sounding bass.

I’m not into the Marantz

M-CR603 AirPlay system as I’ve

heard some less than positive

comments on your forums about

its bass refinement. The B&W A7

is sadly out of my price range.

I know it’s designed to be a

cinema amp, but I’m considering

the Sony STR-DN1030 and

coupling it with a pair of

Q Acoustic 2020i speakers.

Would this be any good,

taking into account the fact

that AirPlay is less than

perfect by its nature?

I have a budget of no

more than £450.

Nadim Othman

Share your wisdom!

Got tips of your own? Visit

the ‘About the mag’ section

at whathifi.com/forums

and let us know!

SOLUTION Using an AV amp just

to get wireless audio is overkill,

but you do have other options. If

you want an all-in-one system, try

the Denon CEOL Piccolo (£260) –

it romped home with five stars in

our March issue thanks to its vast

feature count: AirPlay, Spotify,

Last.fm and streaming from a NAS;

a 30-pin dock and USB port for

Apple devices and other players;

high-res support… the list goes on.

Just add the Q Acoustics 2020is

(£150) and you’re up and running.

Or, you could go down the

separates route. We suggest

giving the Rotel RA-10 (£350),

Marantz PM6004 (£240) or

Yamaha A-S300 (£160) amps

a whirl. Pair them with the

2020is and an Apple AirPort

Express (£80) and you have

your AirPlay system.

70 www.whathifi.com

Advice from the forumsPort whine?

I have a pair of Monitor Audio RX8

floorstanders. My devil of a two-year-

old pushed the bungs so far into the

ports in the top of the cabinets that

they dropped inside. The speakers

are closed units – the only thing that

I could open is the cable panel at the

bottom, and there’s so much stuff

inside that the bungs couldn’t fall all

the way down. But after turning them

upside down, and with help from

a pair of chopsticks, the bungs are

now back where they should be!

Forum name: drlindgren

Wireless dilemma

Using an AV receiver just to get wireless

audio is overkill – there are plenty

of cheaper, more versatile options…

Build me an AirPlay system

PROBLEM I’m looking for a

new surround sound system.

Should I go for an AV amp

and separate speakers, or is

it better to buy an all-in-one?

I’ll be using the system

with my PS3 (for games and

Blu-rays), Freeview/Freesat

viewing, DLNA streaming

and AirPlay from an iPhone 5.

I’d like the speakers to be

as wireless as possible; can

you get battery ones?

My budget for all this

is around £500-600.

Forum name: TeeHachCee

SOLUTION You don’t say how

big your room is, but for your

budget an all-in-one system

would be just the ticket.

Consider the Sony BDV-N590

(£400). This Award-winner can

connect to your PS3 (as well

as play discs from its Blu-ray

drive), stream via Ethernet

or wi-fi and play files from an

iPod via its dock or USB input.

It doesn’t have wireless

speakers, however. We haven’t

tested any battery-powered

speakers, and we’re aren’t

totally convinced of the merits

of mains-powered wireless

units as it is. As you say, there

will be wires somewhere, be

they mains or speaker cables

– so you might as well go for the

simpler speaker-cable option.

You can sort the AirPlay by

adding an £80 Apple AirPort

Express to your system. This

will let you stream from your

compatible Apple portable

or any laptop running iTunes.

PROBLEM I have just bought

a Samsung UE46ES7000

TV and I was wondering

whether I should get a sound

bar to improve its audio

performance. I was thinking

of buying a Yamaha YSP-2200

– is this a good choice?

Finally, what would be

a good Blu-ray player to

complete my package?

Richard Willis

SOLUTION Regardless of how

good a flatscreen is to look at,

we’ve yet to encounter one

that blew us away when it

comes to audio – so the

YSP-2200 (£800) is a fine choice.

An Award-winner in both 2011

and 2012, it’s a great way to

beef-up the Samsung’s sound.

It produces a proper surround-

sound experience, too – not

simply a wider stereo image.

But, of course, it doesn’t come

with a Blu-ray player. You could

do a lot worse than go for Sony’s

Award-winning BDP-S790 –

especially as the company is

about to update its range. We

tested it at £200, but chances are

you’ll be able to find it for less.

To submit questions for publication in our Advice Centre section,

email soundadvice@whathifi.com. Unfortunately we can’t reply

personally to individual emails, but if your query is urgent, the

community at www.whathifi.com/forums might provide the answer

If you’re spending £2000 on speakers,

a good rule of thumb is to spend at

least half that on your AV receiver

PROBLEM I have a Sony TV, HDD

and BDP-S790 Blu-ray player, all

controlled with my TV remote.

My next project is to invest

in a home theatre system. I want

the B&W MT-60D set-up, but

I’m torn between the Yamaha

RX-V673 and the Sony STR-

DN1030 amps. I hear the

Yamaha works well with the

ADVICE CENTRE

Top tips for going digitalBuy a CD, rip it, and then never

touch it again – but listen to it

anywhere. Here are a few things

to consider when making the

jump from disc to digital…

Get adequate storage

Music collections generally only

expand – so equip yourself with

a large hard-drive (or one that

can be upgraded in the future).

Use the good stuff

Storing your library as 128kbps MP3s

is pointless. Go for uncompressed

audio, Apple Lossless or FLAC. As the

saying goes: rubbish in, rubbish out…

Try before you buy

Being able to access a stack of albums

is only fun if you’re in tune with your

navigation interface. Try out different

systems before parting with any cash.

B&W MT-60D speakers: which receiver?

B&W by preventing brightness,

but on the other hand I like the

idea of adding another Sony

product for integration with my

TV. How does the DN1030 sound

with the B&Ws? Will this give

results as good as the Yammy?

James Hayward

SOLUTION The B&W MT-60D

package (£1950) and both the

Yamaha and Sony amps you

mention (£500 each) are great in

their own right, but putting them

together probably isn’t the best

idea given their price disparity

– the speakers simply won’t

operate to their full potential.

If you have your heart set on

the B&W, we’d step it up on the

amp front and opt for the Yamaha

RX-A1010 to get the very best

results. But that brings the total

cost to £3000ish excluding cables.

The other option is to stick

with one of the cheaper amps

and go for a less-expensive

speaker package. The Dali Fazon 1

setup (£1500) or the Zensor 5

package (£1200, and great if you

have room for its floorstanders)

will go nicely with the Sony amp.

Alternatively, if you prefer the

sound of the Yamaha, we suggest

the Award-winning Monitor

Audio Mass system (£800).

Want to boost the sound from

your TV? Yamaha’s soundbar

even gives virtual surround…

The £200 Sony BDP-S790

is a great Blu-ray player –

snap it up while you still can

The Yamaha RX-A1010

(£1000) is a great engine for

the B&W speaker system

The MT-60D package delivers

thumping cinema sound, but

in a living room-friendly formBetter TV sound

The midrange is the star here: it’s

detailed, dynamic and natural

sounding, with vocals in particular

sounding nuanced and emotive

72 www.whathifi.com

Take your portable music to the next level with these serious in-ears

Atomic Floyd SuperDarts£200�★★

We were quite taken with the SuperDarts:

from the injection-moulded steel enclosures

to the Kevlar cord and smart three-button

remote-and-mic unit, it’s clear Atomic Floyd

places immense pride in its designs.

Once plugged in and with a WAV of Brother

Love’s Turn It Up! playing on our iPhone 4,

though, that first impression unravels. The

low frequencies, while very weighty, lack the

definition we’d like. Kick-drums ‘whump’ not

‘thwack’, and a nicely detailed midrange is

swamped by all that rumbling. It’s a shame.

But it’s the treble that we have the biggest

issue with. It has an airy, open quality, sure

– but with it comes a brittle edge that makes

longer listening sessions quite tiring. That

said, there’s reasonable detail on offer.

If bass is your bag, give them a whirl – but

we can’t recommend them next to rivals here.

EarSonics SM1£160�★★★

French company EarSonics has gone down

the in-ear monitor route with its SM1s.

They’re decidedly non-fancy-looking, with no

inline mic or remote, a basic black finish (with

a braided cable for tangle-resistance), but

functional: to wit, they come with two pairs

of silicon tips and two pairs of foam ones.

Third Eye Blind’s Semi-Charmed Life is a

good test of dynamics and bass composure,

and with it the SM1s show themselves to have

an easygoing nature. It’s the midrange that’s

the star here: it’s detailed, dynamic and

natural sounding, with vocals in particular

sounding nuanced and emotive.

However, overall these headphones sound

a little… flat. We can’t help but wish for more

entertainment here, more life. It’s all just that

little bit too controlled and closed-in around

the edges. More energy would be a boon.

These in-ear monitors

form an incredibly good

seal against the hubbub

of the outside world

PREMIUM EARPHONES MEAN PROPERHI-FI EVERYWHERE

We love the SuperDarts’

build quality, but it’s

not all good news when

it comes to their sound

Join us on Spotify

tiny.cc/playlist2013

www.whathifi.com 73

Klipsch Image X7i£170�★★★★★

The X7is sit just below the Award-winning

X10is in Klipsch’s range, and are no worse off

in build quality terms for its smaller price tag.

Getting the ball rolling with Hepcat’s No

Worries, we find ourselves grinning at the

bouncy, entertaining sound. It’s an upfront

presentation, but warm with it – and pretty

balanced across the frequency range. There’s

plenty of bass here and it’s detailed too,

which says a lot for the X7is’ dynamic ability.

A slight loss of composure in really complex

parts is the only fault we could find.

Vocals are warm and revealing, while

percussion sounds as realistic as we could

hope for at this price. The treble is similarly

articulate, integrating well with the midrange

and providing a polished sheen to music.

The X7is deliver in every aspect of their

performance; it’s a well-deserved five stars.

EARPHONES ROUND-UP

Klipsch has gone for

energy and warmth

with the X7is, and it’s

an addictive combo

What can we say? These

in-ear monitors are

simply the best we’ve

heard at this price

Martin Logan Mikros 70£150�★★★★

Martin Logan is best known for its huge

high-end electrostatic speakers – so it’s

interesting to see the company turn its

attention to our ear canals.

Everything is present and correct, with

reasonably punchy bass (a little more thud

wouldn’t go amiss), natural-sounding and

articulate midrange (which could be a tad

more open) and sparkly, sweet-sounding

treble (which lacks just the last touch of

gloss). A few qualifications, then, but

definitely on the right path.

Dynamics are good, too, with shifts from

quiet to loud dispatched without issue and

plenty of space given to instruments. We

particularly like the energy the Mikros 70s

impart, and we’re happy with the detail on

offer, too – although in absolute terms it isn’t

quite up there with the Sonys and Shures.

Shure SE425£200�★★★★★

Let’s not beat around the bush, eh? These are

fantastic. Why? It’s all in the detail: get some

music going and it’s almost as if the Shures

disappear, leaving you with just their sound.

To say it’s immersive is an understatement:

the level of finesse on offer is astonishing.

They’re energetic, too, and more than

capable of handling the likes of Extreme’s

tight rhythms and punchy rock.

The midrange performance is as solid as

you like – and that vein of detail continues all

the way down the frequency range. Vocals are

nuanced and placed to the fore, and yet never

conflict with other elements in the same

frequency range. Move down to the bass and,

while the Shures don’t pack as much punch

as the Sonys or Klipsches, there’s a decent

amount of thud. These in-ear monitors won’t

wow on the catwalk, but that’s just nitpicking.

Sony XBA-2iP£125�★★★★★

These are our current Award winners – and

one look at these Sonys’ star rating should be

enough to dispel any doubts you might have

about their ability.

Get them fired up with something upbeat,

such as I Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie

& the Blowfish (you know you have a soft

spot for it) and you’re immediately met with a

lively, yet still easygoing sound. It’s a nice

character that lends a natural tone to vocals.

The treble is revealing and polished, while

bass notes hit with conviction and speed. We

particularly like the agility with which the

2iPs handle tight, funky rhythms. Our only

slight gripe – and it is a very slight one – is

with the 2iPs’ tendency to get a little strident

in the upper-midrange/lower treble area.

The Sonys simply offer a complete,

rounded performance: a splendid buy.

Our current Award-

winners more than

stack up against far

pricier competition

If you like your music

to be presented with

a matter-of-fact approach,

these are just the job

The midrange performance is as

solid as you like, and that vein of

detail continues all the way down

the frequency range. Outstanding!

Bowers & Wilkins CM5page 77We last tested the CM5s

in 2009. So has four years

told on them?

Audiovector Ki1 Superpage 76Industrial-looking units

from Denmark, that can

easily be upgraded

Tannoy Precision 6.1page 83The entry model in

Tannoy’s Precision range

excels in certain areasBowers & Wilkins CM5page 77We last tested the CM5s

in 2009. So has four years

told on them?

Audiovector Ki1 Superpage 76Industrial-looking units

from Denmark, that can

easily be upgraded

Tannoy Precision 6.1page 83The entry model in

Tannoy’s Precision range

excels in certain areas

74 www.whathifi.com

TEST £700-£900 STEREO SPEAKERS

Because yourmu

www.whathifi.com 75

£700-£900 STEREO SPEAKERS TEST

If you’re a music lover, one listen to theseu’re a musiicc lloovveerr, oonnee lliisstteen to thesequaquality sppeeakers should convince yyoouu ttheyy’rree an investment for a contented lliiffee

Join us on Spotify

tiny.cc/playlist2013

KEF LS50page 78Award-winning KEF

specials look great and

sound simply terrific

Opera Mezzapage 80Stylish and sophisticated

speakers from Italy sound

really rather good as well

Mission SX2page 79Already fine speakers

have had a price cut

of a whopping £150

76 www.whathifi.com

If your first glimpse of the Ki1 Supers

was from a distance in a hi-fi dealer,

you’d be forgiven for giving them a quick

once-over and walking on.

Out of the box, these speakers look a

little uninspiring and insubstantial. The

grey, magnetic grille combined with the

cherry wood looks very 1970s, and the

aesthetics don’t really improve with the

grille off. Peel it away, and beneath lies a

face fixed with more bolts than a

Meccano factory. The pock-marked front

baffle is in stark contrast to the clean

lines of others in this line-up.

On the plus side, the Audiovectors

have a particularly small footprint. They

are also fully upgradeable – and so

unique in this company. The Ki1 is

available in three guises – Standard,

Super and Signature – so you can

upgrade these Supers to Signature

status. This involves you sending the

speakers back to the factory in Denmark,

where the drivers and crossover are

upgraded (hence the easily accessible

bolts), the cabinets refurbished and

you’re charged the difference between

the price of a pair of Signatures and

Supers, plus 30 per cent to cover costs.

Sit back and spin some music, and any

misgivings about their appearance soon

fade away. The Supers are exceptionally

likeable speakers. They’ll take any

musical genre and give you a hugely

enjoyable, well-mannered and well-

balanced sound. Play The Rolling Stones’

Jumpin’ Jack Flash and Mick Jagger’s

vocal sounds smooth and refined.

Smooth, yet still with enough biteBut this smoothness doesn’t stunt the

speakers’ detail levels here, or elsewhere

in the frequency range – electric guitars,

for example, still have bite and a natural

resonance. Even the jazziest, most

complex tracks are dispatched with ease.

For such small speakers, the Supers

also generate decent bass weight. Low

frequencies sound solid and substantial,

and although rivals can go a little lower,

these diminutive standmounters don’t

sound out of their depth.

Rating ★★★★

FOR Hugely likeable sound; compact design;

decent bass weight

AGAINST Fussy aesthetics; lack scale and

authority of class-leaders

VERDICT These pint-sized speakers lack

far-reaching dynamics, but are easy to live with

TEST STEREO SPEAKERS

Should you take up the

option to biwire?

Biwiring opens up the soundstage and

gives greater depth. You lose a little

cohesion as a result, but the Ki1s

sound no less listenable.

All those bolts mean

the Ki1s Supers can

easily be upgraded to

the Signature version

It’s only really with dynamics that the

Supers lose out compared with close

rivals. When it comes to far-reaching

dynamics and scale, the Ki1s don’t have

that extra gear. This limited headroom

prevents them communicating dynamic

shifts in the same way as some rivals.

Carmina Burana sounds rhythmical and

refined, but those towering crescendos

sound a touch weak-willed compared

with the very best at this price.

But this doesn’t detract from speakers

that charm with an enjoyable sound. If

you want unobtrusive speakers that are

easy to live with, yet still pack a punch,

the Ki1 Supers deserve an audition.

AudiovectorKi1 Super £800 ★★★★★

www.whathifi.com 77

You may surprised to learn that the

CM5’s last outing on these pages was

way back in 2009. Over that time, a great

many speakers have come and gone, so

we’re interested to hear whether the

B&Ws can still hold their own or if

they’ve fallen behind the pack.

It’s a testament to their design and

engineering that the CM5s certainly

don’t look dated. These classy-looking

speakers are available in four distinct

finishes (rosenut or wengé wood, satin

white and gloss black, pictured) and still

look as alluring as ever. And the level of

engineering you’ll find inside the cabinet

is still among the most advanced in the

speaker sector. Key to their performance

are B&W’s trademark yellow Kevlar mid/

bass driver and the Nautilus tube-loaded

aluminium tweeter. At the rear sits one

of B&W’s Flowports, designed to reduce

chuffing at high volumes.

Play The Streets’ Empty Cans, and the

CM5s place Mike Skinner’s vocal in the

limelight. The sense of clarity and

confidence given to the midrange is

highly impressive. It sits coherently

within a spacious soundstage and the

B&Ws make a fine point of

communicating the sense of anger and

frustration in Skinner’s delivery.

At the same time, though, your

attention is drawn to hints of fizz and

tizz in the treble. The high frequencies

don’t display the same sense of

refinement as some rivals in this test – so

much so that it proves overly distracting.

Go very loud with impressive easeSwitch to Rihanna’s Only Girl In the

World and again the B&Ws feed the

listener with an open and airy

soundstage. Crank up the volume and

you can push the speakers extremely

hard – to levels, indeed, where lesser

rivals would scream in submission.

Having said that, the CM5s struggle to

match those rivals for drive and

ambition – there’s no real snap or attack

to the track. Each rhythmic clap sounds

polite rather than potent, and the

speakers’ apparent reluctance to power

Rating ★★★

FOR Attractive design; don’t mind being

pushed hard; focused, open midrange

AGAINST Treble lacks refinement; weak

punch; sound pedestrian compared with rivals

VERDICT The CM5s are decent, but they lack

the ability needed to trouble the new breed

STEREO SPEAKERS TEST

Take a little care with

placement

The CM5s work best when given room

to breathe. 40cm from a wall should

be sufficient to reinforce low

frequencies without them

sounding too boomy.

along dampens your enthusiasm for

what should otherwise be an upbeat,

uplifting tune.

We experiment with a switch to

biwired listening – and music takes a

more interesting turn. There’s a greater

sense of precision and focus across the

frequency range, low frequencies sound

more distinct and the CM5s sound a

little more sure of themselves. Still, this

doesn’t result in any surge in eagerness

from the speakers.

The Bowers and Wilkins CM5s have

always been decent-sounding speakers,

but they now find themselves lagging

behind some supremely talented rivals.

Try biwiring the CM5s.

We found it brought

a greater sense of

precision and focus

Bowers & WilkinsCM5 £780 ★★★★★

Tac

p

The CM5s w

to breathe

be suffi

frequ

so

78 www.whathifi.com

If there’s one speaker all the others in

this test should fear, it’s the KEF LS50.

This special edition speaker (designed to

celebrate KEF’s 50th anniversary) has

picked up high praise and multiple

awards across the board, including one

of our own Product Of The Year gongs.

Indeed, we’ve already dubbed these

standmounters, “easily one of KEF’s

most musical efforts in years.”

All eyes are immediately drawn to the

KEF’s trademark Uni-Q driver array,

finished in rather distinctive Rose Gold.

It may look like a single unit, but it’s

really a 25mm aluminium dome tweeter

in the centre of a 13cm magnesium/

aluminium-coned mid/bass unit. The

thinking behind this is to improve

dispersion and aid integration. What

looks like a grille to fend off wayward

fingers is in fact a waveguide designed to

improve high frequencies.

Not only have the drivers been

engineered to a high standard, but so too

have the cabinets. The curved front

panels are made from DMC (Dough

Moulding Compound): a polyester resin

combined with glass fibre and calcium

carbonate and chosen for its mass and

inertness. The elliptical ports on the rear,

designed to tune the bass, are unusual in

that the inside of each is flexible. KEF

claims this is more effective at reducing

any unwanted midrange distortions.

They look and feel like special speakers,

with neat touches too, such as the raised

KEF logo on top of each gloss cabinet.

Amazing bass for the size of boxAnd all these ingredients combine to

produce a speaker that sounds simply

astoundingly good. For boxes that stand

just 30cm high, the LS50s deliver a

ridiculous amount of bass. And it’s not

just the quantity of bass on offer – spin

Massive Attack’s Teardrop and there’s

power, depth and agility all on show too.

But it’s still balanced and beautifully

integrated. Yes, your attention is drawn

to the amount of bass, but that’s more

because you can’t quite believe the

speakers’ low-frequency ability.

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Design; premium feel; outstanding bass

for their size; transparent and detailed

AGAINST They demand quality electronics

VERDICT The KEF LS50s have set a

ridiculously high benchmark. It’s going to take a

superhuman effort to top them

TEST STEREO SPEAKERS

Easygoing about room placement

The LS50s aren’t particularly fussy

about positioning. They will sound

perfectly acceptable close to a

wall – but do perform better

given ample room to

breathe.

The insides of the rear

ports are flexible –

a move designed

to reduce distortion

Then there’s the soundstage. The

KEFs set up a huge stereo image with

impressive breadth and depth. Spin

Paloma Faith’s Just Be and the LS50s set

a wonderfully musical scene with open

yet precisely positioned vocals and

piano play – they’re a sheer delight to

listen to as highs and midrange are

delivered with an exquisite blend of

detail, dynamics and sincerity.

We were gushing in our praise of the

KEF LS50s when we first reviewed them

in 2012, and our opinion hasn’t changed.

The more you listen to the LS50s, the

clearer it is that you’re listening to a pair

of very special speakers.

KEF LS50 £800 ★★★★★

www.whathifi.com 79

No two words gets a consumer’s tail

wagging more than ‘price drop’. And this

is exactly what’s happened to the SX2s

(indeed the entire SX range). Previously

£850, the SX2s are now yours for £700.

A price reduction is all well and good

but, of course, it’s all for nothing if the

Missions are not up to scratch sonically

in this incredibly tough test.

As it is, though, the Missions perform

admirably well. On the surface, the SX2s

have a fresh-looking design. They stand

out from the crowd thanks to their large

proportions (they’re the largest speakers

here by some margin), the curved

cabinet sides and top, and also the driver

arrangement: a 16cm metal/fibre cone

above a 25mm titanium dome.

This is done because Mission claims it

aids time alignment – the intention

being to make sure the sound from each

drive unit arrives at the listener’s ears at

the same time.

The SX2s certainly seem to have been

designed for use without their

magnetically-held grilles. In place, the

grilles don’t sit flush with the front

of the cabinet due to the protruding

metal faceplate.

Spin The Strokes’ Someday and there’s

a real sense of drive to the track. The

edges of guitar notes are wonderfully

defined: prominent without protruding.

Bass notes sound deep yet clear and

concise – there’s no wooliness, nor do

they lag behind the rest of the track. The

tune’s upbeat tempo is maintained and

followed to the last.

Scale, power and timingSwitch to the Moon soundtrack and

Welcome to Lunar Industries, and the

Missions capture the essence and drama

of the track in a way that some rivals

struggle to communicate. It’s a striking

combination of scale, power, timing and

dynamics. That large cabinet serves low

frequencies well too – there’s weight

and authority in spades. Add to this a

broad, inclusive soundstage and the

SX2s conjure up a captivating and

engrossing atmosphere for the listener.

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Fresh look; capable of impressive scale;

comfortable with multiple music genres;

AGAINST Size could overwhelm small rooms;

ill-fitting magnetic grilles

VERDICT Dependable and capable, the SX2s

produce an authoritative sound at a fine price

STEREO SPEAKERS TEST

What happens when

you biwire them?

Switch to running the Missions biwired

and there’s an improved sense of

spaciousness, but bass, midrange

and treble don’t knit together

quite as cohesively.

Spin a few different types of track and

you soon realize the Missions are the

kind of speakers you can just put on and

forget about. But don’t confuse this with

them sounding forgettable. The fact is,

there’s no real chink in their armour.

There’s a fullness to lows, emotion to

the midrange and decisive, accurate high

frequencies which all makes for a very

entertaining combination.

You can listen without fear that

you’re going to be preoccupied with

any particular area of the frequency

range, and this can only be a good thing.

Those five stars would suggest it’s a very

good thing indeed.

The SX2s come with

grilles, but they don’t

fit terribly well, so we

wouldn’t use them

MissionSX2 £700 ★★★★★

80 www.whathifi.com

You can always trust the Italians to

bring some style and sophistication

to a Group Test. Opera’s Mezzas are

undoubtedly classy speakers and their

fit and finish definitely make them one

of the more attractive and desirable

pairs in this group.

Unbox the speakers and each

veneered cabinet feels solid and sturdy

to the touch. And, adding to their visual

appeal, each Mezza tapers in slightly to

the rear – these are cabinets fitted with

the precision and grace of an Italian suit.

The trim and finish is no less smart:

a strip of leather runs around the edge of

each cabinet giving a plush, refined feel

to the unit. Suffice it to say, you certainly

don’t feel shortchanged for your £850.

Each speaker contains one 25mm

fabric-dome tweeter and a 13cm

treated-paper, mid-bass driver. Looked

at straight on, the Mezzas don’t look as

showy as the KEFs, B&Ws or Tannoys of

this test. There’s a lot to be said for the

elegant way the drive units blend into

the front of each cabinet.

Sonically, the Mezzas do their best to

charm and seduce. After a quick

audition, your attention is drawn to their

smooth and sweet midrange. Spin Kylie’s

acoustic treatment of I Should Be So

Lucky and Ms Minogue’s vocals are

sharp and precise.

Take a bit of care with placementOpera recommends positioning its

smaller speakers around 30cm from a

back wall. In practice we wouldn’t

really place them any further away

from a boundary. Put them well out

into free space, and you’ll find that the

midrange and treble have a tendency

to veer towards the shouty and

even get a touch edgy.

Given their dimensions, the Operas

still manage to bestow the listener with

a decent amount of bass. They don’t

sound malnourished at all and cope with

the excursions during Eminem’s Without

Me reasonably well. The speakers

capture the basic flow of the song well

and manage to sketch out the general

Rating ★★★★

FOR Smart appearance and finish; balance,

unified sound; good detail, well-defined bass

AGAINST Timing could be a touch better; low

frequencies lack authority

VERDICT Look suave and sound good, but

don’t possess the sonic assertiveness of some

TEST STEREO SPEAKERS

Get the base right for solid effective bass

Biwiring the Mezzas isn’t an option,

but careful positioning and a pair of

solid speaker stands will help

solidify those low

frequencies.

The Mezzas are

beautifully finished,

so will grace any room.

They sound good, too

path of even complicated tracks such as

Thelonious Monk’s Played Twice.

Low-level dynamics, though, just

aren’t delivered with enough grunt and

aggression when the need arises. The

Mezzas are fine with the first few

seconds of Madonna’s Sky Fits Heaven

but when the track shifts up a gear, the

Operas don’t quite have the reserves in

the tank to cope.

In true Italian fashion, the Mezzas

look super-smart and are dressed to

impress. Sonically, they’re steady as

opposed to stunning, but there’s still

plenty to admire about the way they go

about their business.

OperaMezza £850 ★★★★★

For further informa on, contact your local dealer or visit www.cyrusaudio.com

www.whathifi.com 83

You could say the 6.1s have been

thrown straight in at the deep end. This

model may be the entry into the new

Precision range but that doesn’t stop it

being the most expensive in this test.

They certainly look like the money’s

worth, the gloss black finish and curved

cabinet sides giving a pleasing aesthetic.

The single Dual Concentric driver looks

understated and the way it’s mounted

into the cabinet leaves the front of the

speaker looking neat. Despite their

decent size, they feel a little lighter and

less premium than some rivals.

The 6.1s use the same dual-motor,

dual-magnet WideBand Dual Concentric

driver found in the hugely successful

Revolution DC6T SE. This driver

technology sees a 25mm titanium-dome

tweeter recessed in the 15cm paper pulp

cone, in a similar style to the KEFs.

Tannoy claims this helps with focus,

integration and dispersion.

And those are certainly areas where

the 6.1s show no signs of weakness.

You’re presented with a focused, direct

sound, with no vagueness to the

soundstage. Instruments and vocals are

rigid and regimental in their positioning.

Jessie J’s impressive acoustic version of

Domino showcasing the Tannoys’

precision and thrusting dynamics. They

deliver her strong vocal with gusto,

while piano strokes and guitar strums

are expertly and confidently defined.

Spin some classical music, such as

the Minnesota Orchestra’s version of

Études-Tableaux and the 6.1s dig up a

serious amount of detail and display

impressive agility. High notes sound

crisp and agile, and the track bounds

along without hesitation.

Just a little light in the bassOver a prolonged listen, though, your

attention is constantly drawn to the

midrange and treble. Surprisingly, the

Tannoys sound just a bit lightweight.

There’s a lack of solidity to lows which

means bass notes don’t sound quite as

gutsy when compared with rivals. Even

putting the rear-ported Tannoys up

Rating ★★★★

FOR Impressive yet understated appearance;

excellent levels of detail; focused soundstage

AGAINST Sound a little lightweight in the

lower midrange and upper bass

VERDICT Rhythmic, detailed speakers but a

lack of solidity leaves them sounding unbalanced

STEREO SPEAKERS TEST

Biwiring is well worth

consideration

Biwiring the Tannoys opens up the

soundstage and gives frequencies a

little room to breathe. This allows

their focus and precision to

shine even brighter.

against a wall doesn’t encourage quite

enough reinforcement and firmness.

The knock-on effect of this

lightweight presentation is that

vocals have a slight hardness and

edge to them, which does detract

from the overall sound.

In many ways these Tannoy’s excel:

for detail and resolution they’re

particularly tough to beat and they

produce a wonderfully focused

soundstage. But their ultimate chances

in this test have been scuppered by their

lightweight, unbalanced approach to

music. More solidity in the bass would

have nailed down that elusive fifth star.

If you’re after detail

and resolution, the

Tannoy Precision 6.1s

deserve an audition

TannoyPrecision 6.1 £900 ★★★★★

www.whathifi.com 85

STEREO SPEAKERS TEST

There are some fine speakers in this test but

we have to doff our cap to KEF’s LS50s –

they’ve set an unfeasibly high benchmark

KEF LS50£800 ★★★★★

 What can you do? It just so

happens that KEF has

chosen this particular

moment to produce one of the most

talented speakers you can buy for any

money, never mind £800. There’s no

other speaker here that combines

stunning looks and outstanding sound

quality to such fine effect. They’re

finely honed and unbelievably

accomplished speakers.

In the SX2s, Mission has seriously

entertaining speakers at an even more

affordable price. Yes, they’re rather

large standmounters and you’ll need a

fair amount of space to accommodate

them, but find the room and you’ll be

subjected to a persuasive display of

authority, scale, dynamics and timing.

They’re a fine alternative to the KEFs.

This Group Test has been a baptism

of fire for Tannoy’s Precision range. In

Sensitivity (dB/W/m)

88 • Impedance 4ohms

• Max power handling

100W • Biwirable Yes

• Finishes 4 •

Dimensions (hwd)

26 x 14 x 22cm

Sensitivity (dB/W/m)

88 • Impedance 8ohms

• Max power handling

120W • Biwirable Yes

• Finishes 4 •

Dimensions (hwd)

34 x 20 x 28cm

Sensitivity (dB/W/m)

85 • Impedance 8 ohms

• Max power handling

100W • Biwirable No

• Finishes 1 •

Dimensions (hwd)

30 x 20 x 28cm

Sensitivity (dB/W/m)

85 • Impedance 6ohms

• Max power handling

100W • Biwirable Yes

• Finishes 5 •

Dimensions (hwd)

38 x 23 x 37cm

Sensitivity (dB/W/m)

88 • Impedance 4ohms

• Max power handling

70W • Biwirable No

• Finishes 3 •

Dimensions (hwd)

32 x 20 x 33cm

Sensitivity (dB/W/m)

88 • Impedance 8ohms

• Max power handling

150W • Biwirable Yes

• Finishes 2 •

Dimensions (hwd)

33 x 22 x 26cm

Audiovector Ki1 Super£800 ★★★★

B&W CM5£780 ★★★

KEF LS50£800 ★★★★★

Mission SX2£700 ★★★★★

Opera Mezza£850 ★★★★

Tannoy Precision 6.1£900 ★★★★

many respects – detail, resolution and

timing, for example – the Tannoys

perhaps even pip the Missions, but

their leanness and relative lack of

balance robs them of a fifth star.

What the Audiovectors lack in

outright scale and dynamic clout, they

more than make up for in terms of

listenability. Their pleasant, even-

handed approach to music means you

can sit back and relax in their company.

In true Italian style, the Opera Mezzas

look the part, but sonically they’re

steady as opposed to stunning.

We’re surprised to see B&W bringing

up the rear, but the CM5s are now

starting to show their age. They

haven’t turned into a three-star

speaker overnight, it’s just that the

combined array of talents in this test

leaves them sounding off the pace,

lacking drive and excitement.

Facts & figures

VERDICTTEST

THE WINNER

CD PLAYER

Audiolab 8200CD £800

★★★★★

The Audiolab is a brilliant buy, capable of

exceptional sound quality and blessed with

digital inputs for optimum flexibility.

AMPLIFIER

Heed Audio Obelisk £1290

★★★★★

Don’t let the Heed’s simple style or modest

35W per channel fool you. This is a

wonderfully musical and loveable amp.

SPEAKER STANDS

Custom Design FS104 Signature

£200 ★★★★★

The KEFs, like all the speakers in this test,

require a solid stand. At this price, we’ve found

none better than these Custom Designs.

For a full list of specifications and

other useful info visit whathifi.com

Total build £3090

BUILDERSYSTEMThe KEFs deserve appropriate kit to allow

them to sing to their full potential

It’s the brilliance of the picture

that’s most exciting. We forget

about the projector, utterly

absorbed in what’s on the screen

It’s quiet in operation (Panasonic

claims just 22dB), and the PT-AT6000E

packs in all the necessary connections.

Three HDMI inputs is plenty – most

people will use an AV receiver for

switching sources – and there are PC,

component and S-Video inputs.

But it’s the simple brilliance of the

picture that’s most exciting. We find

ourselves forgetting about the projector,

utterly absorbed in what’s on the screen,

with no flaws or instabilities to jolt us

out of the action. This LCD Panasonic

projector remains a worthy champion

and a superb all-rounder for the money.

3D comparison

Both projectors come with two pairs of 3D glasses in the box.

Panasonic’s connect via infrared, while JVC offers the choice

of infared or RF connected glasses. The brighter, punchier

colour of the JVC helps when you’re looking at 3D – the

brightness is fine without alteration. On the Panasonic you

can adjust the darkness of the specs and we also bumped up

the overall brightness. Ultimately, the Panasonic is easier on

the eye, and produces a more composed picture,

free of noise or crosstalk.

FOR Easy set-up; thorough specification;

detailed, realistic pictures; great black levels;

good 3D performance

AGAINST Very little for this money

VERDICT Endlessly watchable, this remains a

classy big-screen all-rounder

86 www.whathifi.com

There’s a new challenger in town to take on the

might of our Award-winning Panasonic projector

 Brilliant big-screen images in HD

and 3D are yours for less cash

than ever. JVC and Panasonic

are the top dogs once you get into

serious cinema territory, so here

we’ve pitted the Award-winning

PT-AT6000E against JVC’s brand-new

DLA-X35BE to find out who takes the

spoils at £3000. Sit back and enjoy…

Panasonic PT-AT6000E £3000 Rating ★★★★★

The Panasonic PT-AT6000E projector

swept all before it in 2012, turning up

just in time to grab our Product of the

Year Award. Taking a good look at this

projector again, it’s easy to see why.

Out of the box, the ‘6000 takes very

little adjustment to get started. There’s

no digital lens control, but a joystick

hidden beneath a removable cover on

the front of the unit makes it pretty easy

to get the picture in place. The dinky

remote control offers a small selection of

backlit buttons, useful in the dark.

Watching HD, as you must as often as

you can with a projector, the Panasonic

serves up natural, detailed images. Edges

are sharp without making the picture

look unnaturally layered, while colours

are brilliant thanks to deep blacks, bright

enough whites and a full colour palette

inbetween that’s perfectly judged.

More affordable projectors often fall

down with motion handling. The jump

in outlay here gets you a far more stable

delivery, with very little sign of blurring

or loss of focus. Even with standard-def

content the ‘6000 remains assured, easy

to watch and packing plenty of insight.

Effective with 3D as wellPanasonic’s 3D glasses – you get two

pairs of fairly comfortable ones included

– are now infrared rather than RF, and

the connection seems more robust as a

result. 2D-to-3D conversion delivers a

surprisingly watchable picture, and

works nicely for gaming. Switch to the

real thing and there’s an

enjoyable, subtle depth and

only minimal crosstalk when

really pushed.

There’s no motorised

control with the

Panasonic, but

manual set up is easy

Light heavyweights

free of noisse or crosstalk.nois

How they compareHow they compare

The projector market is arguably the

only AV category where JVC remains

truly competitive. Thankfully the

company has a fine reputation for its

home cinema machines, which the

DLA-X35BE, as the entry-level model of a

six-strong line-up of projectors new for

2013, will want to uphold.

This 3D, Full HD, D-ILA projector looks

great, with a little more flair to its design

compared with the Panasonic model. On

paper it’s also impressive, with a claimed

50,000:1 contrast, 1300 lumens

brightness and 2D-to-3D conversion as

well as native 3D playback. It’s a standard

Full HD resolution, in line with price

rivals. All the models above it in the JVC

line-up offer 4K resolution (the next

model up, the DLA-X55RBE, is £5000).

Beautifully simple to set upThe motorised lens is a great feature for

getting the projector set-up. You can use

the remote to move the lens up and

down, left and right, and zoom and

focus. Getting the picture in position

couldn’t be easier. As is often the case

with projectors, we find there isn’t too

much need to do massive adjustments

with the picture settings either.

Two HDMI inputs seems a little tight

but shouldn’t be an issue for most people

– there are component and PC inputs,

too. The long, TV-like remote control

has clear backlit buttons and basic,

intuitive menus. A 3D transmitter is

supplied – a small matchbox-sized

device that plugs in at the back and

talks to the two pairs of USB-

rechargeable active-shutter glasses.

The X35 produces punchy, dynamic

images. Watching Blu-ray content,

there’s impressive contrast, with dusky

scenes showing strong blacks and bright

whites. In fact, contrast is a little

over-cooked, even after we dial down the

settings and experiment with the various

picture modes (we settled on ‘natural’).

Bright scenes do look great, though:

sharp and clean. Colours are impressive

but after prolonged periods we prefer the

Panasonic’s more natural, filmic quality.

It’s just not as easy to sit back and enjoy

the JVC. Our eyes are also distracted by

the less-than-iron grip on fast motion. By

contrast, we find even the lowest Clear

Motion Drive setting too unnatural.

3D pictures benefit from the punch

and brightness, but again motion isn’t

flawless and we generally feel our eyes

working harder to piece together a

picture that looks at times more like

layered 2D.

There’s much to enjoy with the X35BE

– it’s bright, sharp and colourful. But for a

more natural, realistic and enjoyable

experience, it’s pipped by the Panasonic.

FOR Easy motorised set-up; bright, punchy

colours; detailed and sharp

AGAINST Contrast is a little over-cooked; some

motion issues

VERDICT Good but not great, this JVC has

plenty of appeal if you like bright pictures

www.whathifi.com 87

DLA-X35BE£3000Rating ★★★★

Setting up the JVC

is a breeze with

its motorised

lens controls

PROJECTORS HEAD TO HEAD

Panasonic PT-AT6000E JVC DLA-X35BE

Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080

Type LCD D-ILA

Weight 8.7kg 14.8kg

Rated fan noise 22dB 23dB

Throw ratio 1.18–2.36:1 N/A

Rated contrast 500,000:1 50,000:1

Aspect ratio 16:9 16:9

Max image size 300in 300in

Dimensions (hwd) 15 x 47 x 36cm 18 x 46 x 47cm

Rated brightness 2400 lumens 1300 lumens

Phono audio in 0 0

PC in 1 1

S-Video in 1 0

HDMI in 3 2

RGB Scart 0 0

Component in 1 1

Accepts 1080p Yes Yes

>

88 www.whathifi.com

 What makes a television

luxurious? Are cutting-edge

engineering and a great

performance (at a suitably high price)

enough, or is there more to it than that?

The common path, followed by all the

industry giants, prioritises technology

above all else. The most expensive sets

have the most advanced features and, if

you’re lucky, greater attention paid to

the cosmetics. This makes for exciting

products, though it doesn’t take long for

new technology to trickle down to more

affordable price levels.

Bang & Olufsen has always done

things differently, partially because it

has to. This relatively small company

just doesn’t have the development

resources or economies of scale of the

big boys. However, once something is

developed elsewhere, such brands can

fine-tune the performance.

Bang & Olufsen’s strength is in its

understanding of the luxury market and

what the people that buy such products

want. High performance and quality

build are important, of course, but

there’s also the ability of the product to

make people feel good when they use it.

That’s something the LCD-panel-based

BeoVision 11 does with ease.

Elegance and convenienceIt starts with the elegant look of the set

and continues with the neat motorised

pedestal stand. There’s also an option of

a motorised wall bracket for those who

don’t want to take up floor space. In

both cases, the motorised support can

swivel the TV to preset viewing angles

and tuck it away when it’s not in use.

But there’s far more to this set than

just fancy supports. It has a surround

sound processor built in (see panel

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11-40Real luxury and top performance meet in this feature-laden television

Price £5250 ★★★★ ★

What makes it special? Superb build, ease of use and some truly well-conceived features

Tempted? B&O promises great picture and sound from this set as well as class-leading flexibility.

If it all proves to be true this screen will be a truly tempting proposition

Profile

Add any speakers from

B&O’s range and the

BeoVision’s processor

will configure them

below). It means the BeoVision can be

the heart of a complete surround

speaker set-up without having all the

complexity of a separates system.

There’s also the rather handy option

of adding a 500-gigabyte internal hard

disk for recording broadcast TV, though

it’s a pricey feature at £694. By current

standards that storage space isn’t

massive, but it’s enough for around 120

hours of high-definition broadcasts or

double that for standard-definition

material. Our review sample had one

fitted and it worked well. The recording

procedure is easy, and the pictures are

pretty much indistinguishable from

those of the original broadcasts.

The BeoVision 11 is available in three

screen sizes: the 40in under test here,

together with 46in and 55in options. All

are Full HD, of course, and 3D capable

with active glasses. The 3D glasses aren’t

Brand integration B&O’s customised surround sound

The BeoVision 11’s built-in home cinema

processor module can make it the brains

behind a complete surround-sound system.

Once connected to any B&O speakers

the BeoVision can use them in differing

configurations, from basic two-channel

stereo to a full-fat system with surround

backs plus height and width channels. The

processor knows what the speakers are

capable of and manages bass output

accordingly. It also has dedicated sound

modes for different types of programme.

www.whathifi.com 89

High performance and quality build are important,

of course, but there’s also the ability of the product

to make people feel good when they use it. That’s

something the LCD BeoVision 11 does with ease

supplied as standard, and cost a hefty

£120 each – far pricier than the slicker-

looking alternatives supplied by the likes

of Samsung. B&O needs to be more

competitive in areas such as this.

Similarly, Smart TV is present, but

is limited compared with cheaper

mass-market alternatives. There’s BBC

iPlayer, You Tube and access to the

internet, but little else that excites.

The BeoVision 11 is a DLNA TV, so it

can stream video and music from a

home network. It can do these things

wirelessly without fuss too. As is normal

these days, there are dedicated iPad and

Android control apps, which are handy

for the use of a QWERTY keyboard when

surfing the net.

Professional set-upB&O intends the dealer to install this TV,

and we would go along with that even if

you’re charged for the pleasure. It’s the

only way to ensure it works as intended

because set-up is not straightforward.

That said, the basic picture and sound

menus are simpler than the norm.

B&O engineers have sensibly mounted

the BeoVision 11’s light sensor on the top

edge of the TV, as opposed to on the

front panel. This allows it to take account

of the light conditions behind the set as

90 www.whathifi.com

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Elegant style and impressive build; terrific

picture with rich colours, strong contrasts and

surefooted handling of motion; impressive list

of features; superb sound

AGAINST Limited Smart TV apps; 3D glasses

aren’t supplied as standard and cost £120 each

VERDICT Looking for a truly luxurious TV that

delivers a great performance too? This is it

TECH SPECS

Type LCD with

edge LED

Full HD Yes

Screen Size 40in

Resolution 1920

x 1080

Accepts 1080P/

24fps Yes HDMI 6

Component In No

USB In 2

RGB Scart No

Composite With

supplied adapter

Dimensions (hwd)

89 x 96 x 6cm

Weight 41kg

We love the BeoVision’s colours. They’re rich

without being overbearing and nuanced enough

to convince with difficult-to-reproduce textures

Bang & Olufsen BeoVision 11-40

In detail: the active speaker system

One of our most common complaints against

flat-panel TV sets is their sound quality. The

drive towards ever-slimmer cabinets has left

little space to fit decently sized drive units.

The BeoVision 11 is an exception. Here, the

engineers have managed to fit a three-way

pair of fully active stereo speakers. The driver

complement includes a 19mm dome tweeter,

5cm midrange unit and a 10cm woofer.

All these drive units are powered by

dedicated 32W ICEpower Class-D amplifiers.

That’s 6 x 32W of power in total, and it allows

the BeoVision 11 to output a maximum

volume level of over 100dB.

Listen in, and all that effort is soon justified.

This is the best-sounding flatscreen we’ve

ever reviewed. The sound has weight and

authority, and the kind of clarity that’s usually

the province of dedicated audio kit.

We’re not saying this is a replacement for a

proper separates surround system, mind, but

it’s a formidable achievement for a television.

well as in front of it, giving more

effective contrast settings.

It’s a mark of the inherent rightness of

the BeoVision’s picture that we felt no

great need to play around with its

settings. This TV looked lovely with the

Blu-ray of John Carter. No matter what

you think of the film’s script and story

there’s no denying that there are plenty

of visually spectacular scenes on show,

and this B&O makes the most of them,

with its impressively crisp detail and

strong handling of contrasts.

We love the BeoVision’s colours.

They’re rich without being overbearing

and nuanced enough to convince with

difficult-to-reproduce textures such as

skin or grass. We’re equally happy with

motion handling. It’s stable and

composed, even when provoked by the

large-scale battles scenes set on Mars.

Switch to 3D with Avatar, and the

BeoVision’s active set-up produces good

results. There are slight image stability

issues with fast motion – no worse than

the best of its active rivals, we might add

– but the 11-40 still impresses

with its composure, colour

rendition and detail.

Move to some standard-

definition, DVD source

material and the

BeoVision continues to

shine. Sure, there’s the

expected drop-off in terms

of precision, but the picture

remains remarkably clean

and watchable. Picture

noise is held at low levels

and specifics such as

colour, contrast and motion are handled

very well. Much the same holds for

off-air broadcasts on Freeview HD.

Channels broadcast in standard

definition and HD look as good as we’ve

seen them, and the surefooted handling

of motion together with the high levels

of detail work well with games too.

Sound effortWhere the BeoVision pulls ahead of any

rival we’ve tested is in its sound quality.

The general standard of sound from

flatscreen TVs remains poor, but the

BeoVision is different. It packs in a pair

of generously sized three-way active

stereo speakers (see panel, above). It

sounds excellent for a TV, and is

perfectly useable without a dedicated

surround system. That’s the first time

we’ve thought that about a flat-panel TV.

In fact, B&O even promotes the idea of

using this TV as a dedicated audio

system as part of its Master Link set up.

While we would crave something of a

higher quality for music replay that’s not

a totally outlandish idea.

Compared with conventional offerings

the £5k price tag of this 40in TV looks

way over the top. But once we started

using it, the BeoVision 11 soon charmed

its way into our affections. If the price

doesn’t offend you, buy with confidence.

Which other flatscreen

TVs are blessed with a

powerful three-way

speaker configuration?

Siting the light sensor

on top of the TV rather

than on the front makes

it much more effective

The chunky metal

remote control is neatly

laid-out and feels

suitably luxurious

． ． ．

92 www.whathifi.com

 Until last year we knew

Hungarian manufacturer Heed as

the company that makes some

rather fine budget phono stages. Then

along came the Obelisk si Award-

winning amplifier last year to change

that impression. This pre/power

combination is the natural step up from

that terrific little integrated.

The preamplifier has plenty of

line-level inputs, and space on its circuit

boards for an optional phono stage

(£145) and DAC (£265). It comes with

a remote control, but it’s of the flimsy,

credit-card type we normally find

supplied with budget iPod docks. Such

a handset has no place in a product at

this price level.

The preamplifier can be used as a

stand-alone unit, or with an optional

outboard power supply called the px.

We’ve chosen to go with the extra unit

because the preamplifier sounds so much

better when used this way (see panel).

The Obelisk ps stereo power amplifier

is rated at 60 watts per channel into an

8-ohm load, and that output goes up to

a reasonable 90 watts per channel as the

speaker impedance halves.

Full-bodied and detailedStart listening and any misgivings about

the finer points of finish (where’s that

aura of luxury?) are pushed to the back

of our minds. Everything we liked in the

integrated’s sound is here, only better.

The great thing about this combo is

that it concentrates the listener’s mind

squarely on the music, delivering it with

real enthusiasm. The bass is a touch on

the rich side and the midrange is a little

prominent, but the deviations aren’t

Heed Obelisk pre/px/psA minimalist pre/power amplifier combo that majors on musicality

Price £1350/£880/£1350 ★★★★

What makes it special? Taking the engineering principles behind the terrific little

Obelisk si integrated amplifier, and using far better quality components, results in

this attractive three-box combination

Tempted? We’re big fans of the si integrated. If this trio builds on its strengths it should be terrific

Heed Obelisk pre/px

Rating ★★★★ ★

FOR Lively; rhythmic; dynamic; well featured

AGAINST Poor remote; finish could be better

VERDICT This is a superb-sounding preamp,

but Heed needs to make it feel more luxurious

Heed Obelisk ps

Rating ★★★★ ★

FOR A fast, rhythmic performer that is exciting

to listen to; full-bodied midrange

AGAINST Bass could be tauter; lacks authority

VERDICT Engaging and a pleasure to listen to,

even if it’s not the classiest in terms of finish

Profile

massive enough to sound unbalanced

– there’s just an appealingly full-bodied

sound that delivers an awful lot of detail

but never sounds overtly analytical.

Vocals are impressively handled,

sounding simply beautiful with great

recordings such as The Unthanks’ Last.

Move onto something larger scale such

as The Dark Knight Rises OST and it

becomes clear that the power amp isn’t

a powerhouse. There isn’t quite the

sonic authority, bass tautness or image

scale of some rivals, but rhythms are

delivered in a resolutely surefooted –

even class-leading – manner.

These Heeds aren’t flawless; we’d like

more attention paid to the finish and

there are rivals that sound more

authoritative, but this is a combo that’s

involving and exciting in a way few

rivals can match.

Heed Obelisk pre/px/ps

Outboard power Why the px is worth it

The Obelisk preamplifier can be self-powered or

used with an outboard power supply, the px. This

costs £880, which looks like rather a lot of money

when we take a look inside, despite the obvious

quality of some of the components used.

That said, the sonic benefits are obvious.

Without the px the preamplifier sounds tidy and

precise. Attach the power supply and everything

gets better. The sound becomes larger and more

expressive. There’s greater detail on offer and an

improved handling of dynamic contrasts. The pre’s

tonal balance, however, remains unchanged.

www.whathifi.com 93

The great thing about this combination is that

it concentrates the listener’s mind squarely on

the music, delivering it with real enthusiasm

Ultra-minimal styling,

but there’s nothing

minimal about the

sound this trio produces

We designed the

Obelisk pre to

follow the layout

of the Obelisk si

integrated’s

well-tried preamp

section, but set

out to raise the bar in every detail. We

combined a traditional, discrete-circuit

topology with a ’short signal path’

approach and top-grade components,

custom-made by Noratel and Mundorf.

We like to make our equipment

easily upgradeable and – unlike many

preamplifiers that have dumbed-down

internal power supplies to highlight the

benefit of power-supply upgrades – the

pre has a sophisticated and generously

sized on-board power supply. Even so,

its performance can still be enhanced

by adding the Obelisk ps.

For the px we chose a sophisticated,

fully-regulated, double-filtered circuit

arrangement which eliminates

interference from the mains supply. It

features high-grade, custom-made

components such as a Noratel mains

transformer and Mundorf capacitors.

With the ps we went for an enhanced

Obelisk si power stage in a separate

case, with improved PCB layout,

higher-grade components and a more

substantial power supply. It shows that

you can push the envelope of the

non-DC-coupled power stage design to

achieve a less ‘processed’ sound with

more natural decay of tones.

Behind the music* Attila Olah,R&D manager

94 www.whathifi.com

There are few hi-fi

products that truly merit

the term ‘legendary’.

Quad’s electrostatic

speaker is one of them

The electrostatic tech

gives a striking look –

and sound, if the ESLs

are properly positioned

Quad ESL-2812

Behind the music* Peter Comeau, Director of Acoustic Design

We started by

redesigning the

power supply

layout to eliminate

creepage – charge

flowing between

adjacent

components – and uprating the

components to Vishay resistors and

Murata capacitors. This improves the

power supply’s stability and reduces

modulation and external noise.

There’s a new grille cloth (for

superior audio transparency and a

smarter look), and the grille support

has revised ribs to reduce resonance.

The sides of the base are formed from

high-density plywood to further dampen

resonance. Matching gold-plated

terminals for new audio connection

PCBs and wiring complete the picture.

www.whathifi.com 95

 Despite the protestations of

various marketing departments,

there are few hi-fi products that

genuinely merit the term ‘legendary’.

Quad’s electrostatic is one of them.

The original was launched back in

1957 and, through four generations (this

is the fifth), these electrostatics have set

the standards in a number of sonic areas

that, even today, most struggle to match.

The electrostatic operating principle

still seems clever and innovative, even

after all these years. Essentially, it

consists of an electrically charged Mylar

membrane placed between two metal

grids. As music plays, the charge on the

grids changes polarity and makes the

membrane move, so creating sound.

In the ESL-2812, the internal power

supply – needed to deliver the charge for

the thing to work – has once again been

upgraded. Its layout is revised and the

quality of components improved. It now

includes audiophile favourites such as

Vishay resistors and Murata capacitors.

An electrostatic doesn’t have a

cabinet as such. It has a supporting

frame for the diaphragm, and this

structure has been further strengthened

and damped for this new model.

Despite the raft of detail changes,

Quad’s electrostatic remains what it has

always been. It’s an obtrusively wide

product, looking for all the world like

a shrunken room partition. It’s a passive

speaker but it still requires mains power

to work, and needs a great deal of care in

room positioning and system matching.

The ESL-2812s, like the generations

before them, throw out as much sound

backwards as they do forwards, and very

little to the sides. This means a bit of

thought has to be put into placement.

Ideally, these speakers should be used

well away from rear walls, but can be

placed near a sidewall without issue.

In our listening room we heard a

clearer, better-focused sound after

placing sound-absorbing material

– heavy curtains or similar – over

reflective surfaces behind the speakers.

We got good results with our Bryston

BP26/4B SST2 reference amplifier but

things got even better when we used

Audio Research’s LS27/Reference 75

valve-powered combination. We also,

predictably, got good results with Quad’s

own II-Eighty valve monoblocs too.

Set-up is all importantIt’s worth taking the trouble to get

everything spot-on, because once you

do you’ll find the 2812s are exceptional.

They sound terrifically cohesive – not a

quality to be underestimated. There’s

a real sense of unity to the sound which,

once heard, makes most conventional

speakers sound just a little broken.

Electrostatics tend to excel in the

midrange and these are no different.

Take a listen to a 24bit/96kHz file of

Kate Bush’s 50 Words For Snow and the

2812s deliver Kate’s vocals with plenty

of subtlety and focus. There’s a mass of

detail but the sound never feels overtly

analytical. The presentation is wholly

Quad ESL-2812These elite stereo speakers flatly (and we mean that) refuse to conform

Price £6500 ★★★★★

What makes them special? These speakers are anything but conventional. They do without a

cabinet, crossover or multiple drive units

Tempted? Quad’s electrostatic has been a landmark product in hi-fi, and this fifth-generation

model enjoys a whole raft of improvements. Tempted? You bet

Rating ★★★★★

FOR Excel with vocals in the midrange;

sky-high detail; smoothness; cohesion

AGAINST Fussy about positioning and

partnering kit

VERDICT Still a terrific electrostatic speaker,

in certain respects it remains unmatched

Profile

unforced and natural. It’s a solid,

well-planted sound that extends well

beyond the speakers themselves.

There’s a touch of excess richness

around the bass and a slight lack of

brilliance to the treble, but put it

together and it’s a smooth presentation.

Listen to Beethoven’s Midnight Sonata

and the ESLs excel. They sound

dynamic and immensely insightful too.

Move to the likes of The Dead Weather’s

60 Feet Tall and these Quads prove

adept at delivering crisp rhythms and

the complex interplay of instruments.

If you have a large room or simply

want greater bass reach and scale, Quad

makes a larger version of this speaker

called the 2912, for around £8000.

Compared with conventional

alternatives, these electrostatics sound

immensely clean and a touch dry. Some

will want something that sounds more

overtly impressive – many conventional

floorstanding alternatives will do, at

least over a short listen. But if you value

cohesion, insight and an unexaggerated

smoothness we can’t think of an

alternative that does these things better.

These are passive

speakers but still

require their own

power supply

Special Features

Disc 1

New feature original short:

Captain Sparky vs. The Flying

Saucers – A short featuring

Victor and Sparky’s home movie.

Miniatures In Motion: Bringing

Frankenweenie to Life – An

in-depth tour of the London set,

including footage showcasing

the hundreds of artists who

worked on the film.

Frankenweenie Touring Exhibit

– explores the artistry of the

film’s puppets, sets and props in

a showcase that’s travelling

around the world.

Original live-action

Frankenweenie short

Specifications

Duration 87m

Audio English: DTS-HD

Master Audio 7.1

Picture 16:9 – 1.85:1, 1080p

96 www.whathifi.com

MOVIES + MUSIC + GAMES

Frankenweenie Blu rayOut Now

★★★

You have to be careful when

people say things like “a return to

form”. It doesn’t mean anything –

because everyone’s got a different

idea of what a director’s best work

might be. We will say this, though:

Frankenweenie is a return to...

whatever Tim Burton used to do.

How? It’s stop-motion, for a

start. A wise move, considering the

level of success that Burton

achieved with A Nightmare Before

Christmas. After the disastrously

messy Dark Shadows, it’s good to

see something totally different.

Frankenweenie is a quirky

retelling of a classic horror story

where a mad scientist brings a

dead creature to life. This time

Victor Frankenstein is a boy, and

the monster is his dead dog.

A remake from 1984…

It’s no coincidence that Burton has

chosen this story. He already tried

it once in 1984, as a live-action

short. So it’s a remake; but is it a

necessary one?

The animation looks fantastic:

some of the models are seriously

creepy, creating an uncomfortable

edge that a live-action production

would struggle to match without

seeming ridiculous.

The animation makes the whole

affair macabre and yet still

charming. Somehow, it feels fairly

normal to see children play with

dead animals. There’s also room to

cram in classic horror tropes,

which are mimicked and lovingly

mocked in equal measure.

Beyond this, however, the film

doesn’t have much to offer. Most

ideas (and homages) are used by

the third act, at which point things

begin to feel distinctly recycled.

The Blu-ray picture is excellent:

it’s sharp enough to see the models’

textures, while the blacks and

whites present strong contrast.

The audio is par for the HD course,

without any real sonic set-pieces.

Frankenweenie is a return to

form for Tim Burton in that he’s

managed to identify some of his

better ideas. We like his creepy

brand of charm. What he needs

now are some fresh ideas.

It’s a quirky retelling of a classic horror

story where a mad scientist brings a dead

creature to life. This time Frankenstein

is a boy, and the monster is his dog…

Disc of the month...

Tim Burton piles on the charm

The movies, music and games to test your system

LISTPLAY

Spotify highlights Join us on Spotify tiny.cc/playlist2013

The Cardigans: Lovefool

There are certain elements

in the WHF?S&V office that

consider this an oldie. Others among

us remember it like it was yesterday.

Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye: The

Things I Will Not Miss A lesser-

known Bacharach & David tune,

delivered in smoother-than-smooth

style by authetic heavyweights.

alt-J: Breezeblocks The standout

track on Mercury Prize-winning

album An Awesome Wave, this is a

slice of literate, intelligent indie-pop

that can’t fail to improve your day.

The Troggs: From Home So long,

Reg Presley. You were a brickie, a

mystic and a crop-circle aficionado.

Oh, and you really knew your way

around a timeless pop song.

Listen to it this way

The system

Cyrus 6a £700 ★★★★★

Energetic and thoroughly engaging,

with a long-term upgrade path

Audiolab CD8200CD

£800 ★★★★★

As insightful as CD players get, with

digital inputs for extra flexibility

KEF LS50 £800 ★★★★★

Supremely transparent, effortlessly

natural... the KEFS are superstars

The system

Rotel RA-10 £350 ★★★★★

Gutsy, detailed, with a fine phono

stage, this is an adaptable amp

Pro-ject Debut Carbon

£300 ★★★★★

Thrillingly musical and balanced

Wharfedale Diamond 121

£230 ★★★★★

Open, eloquent and a great match for

the electronics, these speakers sing

Listen to it this way

Sometimes, appearing lazy and

offhand is more taxing than being the

hardest-working band in showbiz.

Certainly The Strokes seem to work

harder at jaded insouciance than

most – but since 2001’s nigh-on

perfect Is This It it’s a strategy that’s

paying decreasing returns despite the

stylistic ticks and mannerisms the

band has acquired along the way.

Keeping it shapeless

There’s no denying Comedown

Machine sounds like a recording in

search of an identity. From the

startlingly ’80s shapes of Tap Out

and One Way Trigger (featuring a

keyboard sound and riff A-Ha would

have thought a bit much back in the

day) to Julian Casablancas’ baffling

falsetto, there’s an aimlessness and

shapelessness to the majority of

these 11 songs. Only on Welcome To

Japan (“what kind of asshole drives

a Lotus?”) and 50/50 do the band

sound engaged and energised. In

fact, it’s only here that they sound

like they may all be in the same

room at the same time.

Well-balanced recording

Sound-wise, Comedown Machine is

a quite nicely balanced recording,

with low-frequency warmth and

weight offering a nice counterpoint

to the periodically shrill keyboard

sounds and occasionally rattling top

end. The system we’ve selected

below has all the drive and punch

the recording requires but won’t

provoke those sometimes

troublesome high frequencies.

Specifications

Duration 37m 49s

Standout track 50/50, a sub-three-

minute burst of The Strokes as you

want to remember them.

www.whathifi.com 97

PLAYLIST

Download, CD Download, CD, vinyl

GAMES, MOVIES& FORTHCOMING

RELEASESp98

>Music

“A kind of religious, un-building,

relentless, crawling, strange head

song dissolving into eerie abstract

pieces of electronic mumbles... the

overall effect is disturbing and

unrewarding…” And there you have it,

from the horse’s mouth. For their 13th

album, The Flaming Lips are sticking

closely to the career arc that has seen

them begin as pyschedlic oddballs

(1987’s Oh My Gawd!!!, 1990’s In A

Priest Driven Ambulance), collide

winningly with the indie mainstream

(1999’s The Soft Bulletin, 2002’s

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots) and

subsequently drift away again on a

strange orbit only they understand.

It’s not all disturbing…

In fairness, there are substantial

sections of The Terror that aren’t

disturbing and unrewarding. Try To

Explain, for instance, is built on a

pretty and quite conventional chord

sequence and melody, even if it’s

partially submerged beneath

ominous, pulsing electronics. And

the 13-plus minutes of You Lust have

a vaguely narcoleptic, soothing

quality that’s at strong odds with

the electronic noise terror that

makes up the likes of Turning

Violent and You Are Alone.

Stereo focus, dynamic headroom,

and close attention to details and

textures are the big demands The

Terror places on your set-up. Low

frequencies, which are plentiful and

very deep, need careful attention

too if they’re not to subsume the

midrange. The system below has all

of these attributes and more.

Specifications

Duration 55m 10s

Standout track Try To Explain,

which manages to be pretty and

sinister at the same time.

THE FLAMING LIPSThe Terror Out April 1st

★★★★

THE STROKESComedown Machine Out March 25th

★★★

Watch it this way

The system

Sony KDL-46HX853

£1250 ★★★★★

A scorchingly accomplished TV

Panasonic DMP-BDT220

£155 ★★★★★

Superb in 2D and 3D; great sound too

Yamaha RX-V673

£500 ★★★★★

A big- and bold-sounding entertainer

Dali Zensor 5 5.1

£1300 ★★★★★

Prodigious performance and value

oo

er

98 www.whathifi.com

MOVIES + MUSIC + GAMES

Bioshock InfinitePS3/Xbox 360 Out now

★★★★

Crysis 3PS3/Xbox 360 Out now

★★★★

Metal Gear Rising: RevengeancePS3/Xbox 360 Out now

★★★

Tomb RaiderXbox 360 / PS3�Out now

★★★★★

Medieval fantasy-fest

One of the most inventive and

gloriously realised game settings

ever, the floating city of Columbia

is the real star of Bioshock Infinite.

The combat is shallower than

you might expect, but this is still

undeniable fun with a great story

to pull you through.

20 years after the events of Crysis 2,

New York is now part ruin, part lush

forest, and all adventure playground.

When using the new bow and sneaky

tactics this is a supremely enjoyable

(and beautiful) experience, but it’s

let down a little by uninspiringly

mediocre storytelling.

The latest Metal Gear ditches Solid

Snake for a largely mechanised

version of Raiden, who spends the

short campaign hacking limbs off

cyborgs for reasons that in classic MG

style are largely incomprehensible.

The action’s good, but the plot, acting

and abundant exposition are not.

The unfeasibly large breasts are gone,

with Lara Croft portrayed far more

realistically in this reboot. It’s gritty,

grown-up and gorgeously presented,

and if there’s a little inconsistency in

the way Lara’s character develops

we’ll forgive that for the brilliance

found every where else in the game.

Movie shortsTwilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2

It’s a bit late to jump on or off the

wagon for this teen vampire saga. It’s

a high note for the fans, while the rest

of us can be glad it’s all over. Maybe.

Untouchable

Uptight, white, disabled man gets

a laid-back black helper. It’s charming

and fun, but clichéd and not for those

allergic to life-affirming experiences.

The Maltese Falcon

One of Humphrey Bogart’s most

iconic adventures hits Blu-ray for the

first time, in a fresh batch of gorgeous

steelbook editions from Warner.

Hope Springs

Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones

do marriage counselling. It’s a low

point for the Iron Lady; TLJ’s bored

grumpiness may not be an act.

On screen Games

George RR Martin’s epic saga, A Song

of Ice and Fire, continues to be

adapted. And we’re now on book

two, A Clash of Kings. There are more

characters, spread out over more

locations. There are more claims to

the Iron Throne, and kings, er, clash.

This season is much more slowly

paced than the last one, and there’s

no clear narrative arc to form the core

of the story. There’s plenty going on,

though: it all leads to an epic finale,

even if it takes its time getting there.

As we’ve come to expect from

HBO, the production is stunning.

From the sets and costumes to

fights and special effects, there’s

little to separate it from something

you might find at the cinema.

While it may not necessarily be

appropriate to compare a television

show to a movie trilogy, episode

nine’s Battle of Blackwater is just as

entertaining and visually stunning

as Helm’s Deep from Lord of the

Rings: The Two Towers.

With The Hobbit some way off,

this is as good an epic fantasy as

you’re going to get. If you want 10

episodes of fighting, food and sex,

there’s plenty to be happy about.

GAME OF THRONES SEASON 2 BLU-RAYOut Now

★★★★

www.whathifi.com 99

PLAYLIST

TV treats for Spring

What we are waiting for...Movies (Blu-ray)

End of Watch (March 18) Stylish and

stylised thriller in the mockumentary

manner about two of LAPD’s finest

(Jake Gyllenhall and Michael Pena).

Movies (cinema)

John Dies at the End (March 22)

Paul Giamatti? Bubba Ho-Tep director

John Coscarelli? Wild psychotropic

conspiracy thriller? Yes please.

Music (download, CD)

Depeche Mode – Delta Machine

(March 22) Back! Back! Back! We’re

disproportionately excited about the

imminent return of The Mode.

Movies (Blu-ray)

Jack Reacher (April 22) Admittedly

it’s a stretch (no pun intended) for

Tom Cruise to play a 6’ 5” hero, but

this will be action-packed and loud.

March in Hi-Def

Drama

Doctor WhoBBC 1 HD – March 30th

New TARDIS, new companion,

new adventures in time and space

– that’s right, Doctor Who is back

on our screens this Easter, with

the second half of series seven

starting on 30th March. There are

plenty of treats in store for us:

Mark Gatiss and Neil Gaiman

return as writers, there are villains

new and old, a smattering of guest

stars (Jessica Raine, Diana Rigg,

Warwick Davies), and we’ve been

promised the return of everyone’s

favourite interspecies crime-

fighting trio of Madam Vashtra,

Jenny and Strax.

More importantly, Jenna

Louise-Coleman joins Matt Smith

as the Doctor’s newest

companion, Clara Oswin Oswald,

who has already died twice in two

separate incarnations. With

showrunner Steven Moffat pulling

all the strings, we’re likely to get

more questions than answers, and

we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Geronimo!

Revolution Sky 1 HD – late March

Geek credentials don’t get better

than this. Revolution’s pilot

episode (airing late March) has the

trinity of executive producer J. J.

Abrams (Lost, Star Trek, Star Wars

Episode VII), writer/creator Eric

Kripke (Supernatural), and

director Jon Favreau (Iron Man)

behind it – enough to get anyone

excited. The show’s premise

revolves around an event – the

Blackout – that switched off all the

electricity in the world.

Fast forward 15 years and a group

of revolutionaries fights against

militia-rule in a dystopian world,

in search of a pendant that could

reverse the effects of the Blackout.

Game of Thrones Sky Atlantic HD – April 1st

The epic fantasy series is back!

Season three (which will air in the

UK a day after its US premiere)

will be based on the first half of A

Storm of Swords, the third of the A

Song of Ice and Fire novels by

George R R Martin. A bevy of new

cast members – including

Mackenzie Crook, Ciaran Hinds,

Diana Rigg, Thomas Sangster –

join the continuing war between

the ruling families of Westeros to

claim the Iron Throne. New

allegiances in King’s Landing just

might offer Sansa Stark a way out

of the clutches of the Lannisters;

Jon Snow and the Night’s Watch

come face-to-face with the King

Beyond the Wall; and Arya

Stark runs into the

Brotherhood Without

Banners in the

new season.

ElementarySky Living HD – March 5th

The US modern retelling of

Sherlock Holmes set in New York

City may have been met with

initial scepticism, but it has since

silenced many critics thanks to

the show’s talented leads: Jonny

Lee Miller puts his own spin on

the Great Detective, while Lucy

Liu’s Joan Watson’s exasperation

with the petulant genius is a joy.

The series returns with Holmes

suspended from the NYPD. John

Hannah guest stars as Holmes’s

drug dealer, we meet Clyde the

tortoise, and hear the first

whispers of ‘M’…

Sport

2013 Formula 1 coverageSky Sports F1 HD – March 17th

The 2013 season starts with the

Australian GP on March 17th,

where all eyes will be on Lewis

Hamilton after his switch to

Mercedes. And will anyone be able

to challenge the formidable

winning streak of Red Bull and

Sebastian Vettel? Sky Sports F1 HD

will show live coverage of the race

from the Albert Park Circuit in

Melbourne, along with the

Malaysian GP on March 24th.

More importantly, Jenna-Louise Coleman

joins Matt Smith as the Doctor’s newest

companion – who has already died twice

In Formula 1 this season, will anyone be

able to challenge the formidable winning

streak of Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel?

www.whathifi.com 99

s – including

rook, Ciaran Hinds,

Thomas Sangster –

inuing war between

milies of Westeros to

n Throne. New

n King’s Landing just

ansa Stark a way out

es of the Lannisters;

d the Night’s Watch

-face with the King

Wall; and Arya

to the

Without

he

Malaysian GP on March 24th.

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FIRST TESTS

GROUP TESTS

SUPERTESTS

iPAD EDITIONApril issue available on iTunes now

The No.1 source of clear, expert and independent advice

BUYER’S GUIDEBUYER S GUIDE

QR (quick response) codes

For full reviews, get a barcode

scanner app on your smartphone.

Scan these little squares and

they’ll take you to the relevant

section on whathifi.com

Monitor Audio WS 100

“It’s hard to believe that these speakers cost

just £250. The hunt for excellent desktop

speakers just got a little easier.”

Denon CEOL Piccolo

“A Piccolo plus Spotify equals a superb

listening experience, and for some people

that’s as far as they’ll ever need to go.”

Welcome to the UK’s best guide to TVs,

hi-fi, home cinema and mobile, with star

ratings for more than 1500 products

Why our ratings count

Find what you need

We can help

Where other magazines rely on isolated writers

reviewing in a range of locations, our star ratings are

decided by an expert team of reviewers working

together, in a state-of-the-art testing facility

Within the Buying Guide you’ll find all our

favourite four- and five-star products,

including our Award-winners – to help

you pick the best kit for your budget

LCD, LED & Plasma TVs 108

Home cinemaBLU-RAY PLAYERS 111

PROJECTORS 112

AV RECEIVERS & AMPLIFIERS 113

SUBWOOFERS 115

SURROUND SPEAKERS 116

Hi-FiCD PLAYERS 120

DACS 121

TURNTABLES 122

RADIOS 123

HI-FI SPEAKERS 130

STEREO AMPLIFIERS 135

PREAMPS 136

POWER AMPS 137

iPOD DOCKS 138

WIRELESS SPEAKERS 139

HEADPHONES 140

All-in-one systemsSTEREO SYSTEMS 144

SURROUND SYSTEMS 146

SOUNDBARS 147

Network systemsMEDIA SERVERS 150

MEDIA STREAMERS 151

SET-TOP BOXES 154

Smartphones, tablets & MP3 playersMUSIC/VIDEO PLAYERS 155

TABLETS 155

SMARTPHONES 156

AccessoriesHDMI CABLES 157

DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS 159

ANALOGUE INTERCONNECTS 160

MAINS PRODUCTS 162

SPEAKER CABLES 162

SPEAKER STANDS 164

AV & HI-FI RACKS 165

HEADPHONE AMPS 166

PHONO AMPS 166

CARTRIDGES 166

Inside

The No.1 source of clear, expert and independent advice

www.whathifi.com 103

BUYER’S GUIDEBUYER’S GUIDE

Ced Yuen, Buyer’s Guide Editor

All the latest kit, all

the latest ratings…

Exciting new additions...

We’ve updated each entry

to include key tech specs,

and added new categories

too. For more info, visit us

on whathifi.com

PANASONIC

DMP-BDT220

★★★★★£155Great 3D pictures, a solid online offering and stonking sound. You simply can’t go wrong at the price

Your essential system set-ups

BEST BUYS

SONY BDP-S390

★★★★★£90Simply astonishing performance and pictures for less than £100. Smart functionality too: you can’t go wrong…

PIONEER VSX-922

★★★★★£245Now available for less than half of its previous asking price, this amp offers awesome precision and heft

Q ACOUSTICS

2000i 5.1 PACK

★★★★★£600 Our 2012 Award winner produces sound with impressive scale for movies and music

SONY BDP-S790

★★★★★£200What a bargain! Not only is this a superb 2D and 3D Blu-ray player, it is also the first to upscale to 4K ultra high definition

PIONEER

VSX-LX56

★★★★★£1300Up-to-date spec – with a fine iPhone app for remote control – plus great performance

YAMAHA RX-V673

★★★★★£500Our AV amp Product of the Year 2012, the 673 entertains with big bold dynamics, fine timing and a great deal of detail

DALI ZENSOR 5 5.1

★★★★★£1300 This is a brilliantly realised speaker set-up, and cracking value for money. Timing is confident, rhythms natural

KEF R100 5.1

★★★★★£2750Best Buy for 2012, the R100 5.1 is simply superb with demanding film soundtracks – but is great in stereo too

MARANTZ

CD6004

★★★★★£310A sound that makes it one of the most competitively priced budget machines around

ROTEL RA-10

★★★★★£350Our stereo amp Product of the Year has a level of control and poise above and beyond what we’d expect at the money

Q ACOUSTICS

2020i

★★★★★£150Refined, exciting and detailed – the 2020is deliver an endlessly listenable performance

AUDIOLAB

8200CD

★★★★★£730This player, with its stunning sound, great DAC and digital inputs, is a big achievement

ROKSAN KANDY K2

★★★★★£795A refined amp with full-bodied tonal balance, this is a deeply impressive piece of hi-fi for the money

TANNOY DC6 T SE

★★★★★£1000Purposeful looks mate with a solid sound to produce a pair of exciting, agile and nuanced floorstanders

LEEMA ANTILA

IIS ECO

★★★★★£2995A natural sound and expert timing turn a five-star player into an even better five-star player

LEEMA TUCANA II

★★★★★£3425A robust, powerful yet subtle amplifier, the Leema’s broad spread of talents makes it worth every penny

PMC TWENTY 23

★★★★★£2100They’re petite, but these Best Buys are wonderfully expressive, with firm control and superb detail

SONY

KDL-46HX853

★★★★★£1250A superb Best Buythat really shines when fed a high-definition image. Brilliant…

PANASONIC

PT-AT6000E

★★★★★£3000Superb in 2D, this projector also excelsat 3D. Edges are sharp, pictures have depth and stability

SONY

KDL-32HX753

★★★★★£580Nothing in its class can hold a candle to this, the 32in TV Best Buy in our 2012 Awards

BLU-RAY PLAYERS RECEIVERS SPEAKERS CD PLAYERS AMPLIFIERS SPEAKERSDISPLAYS

Complete your home cinema system Grow your hi-fi system

DIGITAL TV

PROJECTORS SUBWOOFERS HDMI CABLES REMOTE CONTROLS

COMPACT SPKRS FULL-SIZE SPKRS EQUIPMENT RACKS TURNTABLES RADIOS MICRO SYSTEMS

MP3 PLAYERS HEADPHONES AUDIO CABLES

Pro-ject Debut Carbon £300

Rega RP3/ELYS2£550

Rega RP6/Exact £1000

Pure One Flow £100

Pure Revo Axis XS £200

Arcam T32 £480

Denon D-M39 DAB £360

Ruark Audio R4i £550

Cyrus Streamline2 £1400

Apple iPod Shuffle From £39

Apple iPod Nano From £115

Apple iPod Touch 64GB £330

AKG K451 £80

Grado SR80i £110

Beyerdynamic MMX 101 iE£100

Audioquest FLX- SLiP 14/4 £5.80/m

Atlas Elements Integra £45

Supra USB 2.0 £30

Sky+HD 1TB £250

Samsung SMT-S7800 £200

Humax DTR-T1000 £280

Tannoy HTS101 £500

Monitor Audio MASS £800

B&W MT60D £1950

Q Acoustics 2000i 5.1 Pack £600

Dali Zensor 5 5.1 £1300

B&W CM9 Theatre £4200

BenQ W1200 £1000

Epson EH-TW4400 £2000

Panasonic PT-AT6000E £3000

B&W ASW610 £400

B&W ASW610XP £700

Velodyne SPL-1000 Ultra £1400

Audioquest Pearl £26

Wireworld Chroma 6 £60

Chord Company Active HDMI £115

Target CL430 £188

Atacama Eris Eco £460

Audiophilebase StarBase £1180

One For All Zapper £10

Logitech Harmony One £125

Logitech Harmony 1000 £280

TOTAL£1515

TOTAL£810

TOTAL£3205

TOTAL£2525

TOTAL£7250TOTAL£8520

GET THEBEST KIT

FOR YOURBUDGET

104 www.whathifi.com

audiblefidelity

May 2013 issue on sale 5th April

Future TV technology – it’s here now!OLED? 4K? We bring you up to speed with the latest innovations

STEREO AMPSSUPERTESTYour amplifier is the beating heart of your stereo system, and if you’ve got £700 or so

to spend there are some superb options out there. But which is best for you?

Here’s where you find out...

DESKTOP SPEAKERS

Great sounding, cost-effective ways to get your workstation rocking!

PLUS

NEXT MONTH

BRAND-NEW BLU-RAY PLAYERSWe test the very first new machines of 2013!

BLUETOOTH

YOURTUNES

How to combine the ultimate in

convenience with super sound quality

Haymarket Media Group, Teddington

Studios, Broom Road, Teddington TW11 9BE

EDITORIAL 020 8267 5000

Brand editor Andy Clough

Editor Simon Lucas

Managing editor Jonathan Evans

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Assistant production editor John Steward

Buyer’s Guide editor Ced Yuen

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THANKS THIS ISSUE

Camilla Chapman, Sophie Charara,

Alan Eldridge, Max Langridge,

Tom Parsons, Andy Puddifoot

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MANAGEMENTGroup publishing manager Ollie Stretton

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