FEBRUARY 2016 ₨100
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Hello/02/16 Inching closer to spending almost a decade here at What Hi-Fi, it was time to make some drastic changes. That’s just what we have done with this edition. You’ll be greeted by a brand-new design inside and out, which includes a spruced up Tests section, iconised SuperTests, overhauled Buyer’s Guide with more visual appeal and less clutter and loads more. What hasn’t changed is our incisive and direct communication that makes buying the kit of your dreams as easy as possible, without lengthy discourses on the state of hi-fi. Of course, the amount of products we review has also gone up and this means there’s a pool of features, hands-ons and Off-theShelf tests too. One of the most controversial topics these days is the actual benefit of Hi-Res audio files and our mega test of official websites offering such downloads should set the record straight. Music isn’t expensive, but audiophiles demand more than just music, they demand to feel the actual emotion of the artist and these files are definitely not ones you would buy on an impulsive online shopping spree, so read before you plunge into the ether. I hope you enjoy our new look and please do send in your suggestions and feedback, you’re part of the community since you’re reading this, aren’t you? Nishant Padhiar, Editor
Raheja Xion, 4th/5th Floor, Opp Nirmal Park, Dr B Ambedkar Marg, Byculla (East), Mumbai 400 027. email us whathifi.edit@haymarketsac.com Call us 022-23787500 / 23787400 EDITORIAL Editor Nishant Padhiar Deputy Editor Yatish Suvarna Editor (Web) Farhan Kapadia Editor-Special Projects Vaibhav Sharma Sr. Correspondent Kaizad S Billimoria Staff Writer (Web) Karan Lohan Sub Editor Shanth Swaroop Deputy Art Editors Kritika Dayal Sr. Designers Sahaya Johnson, Sukhdeep Singh Head Business Solutions Debolin Sen Marketing Sr. Manager Kunal Marjadi Executive Jayson Lobo ADVERTISING Group Head Harvinder Pal Singh Chief Manager Amjad Khan Regional Head Amit Ahlawat (North) Managers Nackeeran (Chennai), Kanika Sood (Delhi), Prasad Brid (Mumbai) Asst. Manager Ratan Deb (Mumbai), Neha Singh (Delhi) Advertising Co-ordinator Sonal Jain PRODUCTION Sr. Manager Sanjeev Govekar Deputy Manager Prasad Gangurde CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION General Manager Gilbert D’Souza Head-Circulation Satish Kumar (North) Regional Manager P Vijayakumar (South) Asst. Manager Saravana D, Vimal Sharma Sr. Executive Ashok More (West) Executives Tapan H, Yogesh S, Anil Raghav Manager Subscription Mahesh Malusare Co-ordinator Rajesh Salian INTERNATIONAL Managing Editor Jonathan Evans Brand Editor Andy Clough Managing Director David Prasher Chief Operating Officer Brian Freeman Chief Executive Kevin Costello Chairman Rupert Heseltine Licensing Account Manager Isla Friend CONTACT Mumbai Raheja Xion, 4th/5th Floor, Opp Nirmal Park, Dr B Ambedkar Marg, Byculla (East), Mumbai 400 027. email us whathifi.edit@haymarketsac.com Call us 022-23787500 / 23787400 New Delhi A2/9, Lower Ground Floor, Safdarjung Enclave, Africa Avenue Road, New Delhi - 110029 Tel : 011-46020600, 32444090, 32969125 Fax: 011-46020633 Chennai M H V Pinnacle, First Floor 8/27 Govindu Street, T Nagar Chennai 600 017. Tel: 044-65446363 Telefax: 044-4212 3230 Bengaluru No. 811, ‘A’ Wing, 8th Floor, Mittal Towers, M.G. Road, Bengaluru - 560001. Tel: 080-2559 3775 Secundrabad C/o. IBH Books and Magazine Dist. Ltd., #3-5-587, Vittal Wadi, Himayat Nagar, Lane Opp. ICCI Bank, Hyderabad 500 029
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Cambridge TVB2 First Test Because space is a huge issue and not everyone can afford a home-theatre
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www.whathifi.com February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 33
FEBRUARY 2016
CONTENTS “No longer must music downloaders suffer the oppression of compression ” Page 32
THE WORLD’S MOST
RESPECTED VERDICTS 4 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
One of the best ★★★★★ A serious contender ★★★★ Worth a look ★★★ Disappointing ★★ Awful ★
CONTENTS
THE HIGHLIGHTS This month we’ve the definitive word on these fine products: STEREO AMPS Parasound HINT AUDIO STREAMERS Google Chromecast Audio HEADPHONES 06 SOUNDBAR
24 CES 2016
Atmos surround, minus the ceiling speakers
What went on in Vegas? It’s our CES 2016 round up
Sony h.ear in NC MDR-EX750NA Jaybird X2 HI-RES AUDIO DOWNLOAD SITES 7Digital Bowers & Wilkins Society of Sound HDTracks Linn Records Naim Label Primephonic Technics Tracks SMARTPHONES Apple iPhone 6S Plus Google Nexus 6P Motorola Moto X Style
48 SMARTPHONES
60 WIRELESS SPEAKERS
A world in your pocket* (*if it’s a big pocket)
Award-winning KEF comes under pressure
Samsung Galaxy Edge S6 Edge+ Sony Xperia Z5 SOUNDBARS Yamaha YSP-5600 Cambridge TVB2 Roth Bar 2 LX TELEVISIONS Panasonic TX-50CX700 Sony KD-75X9405C Wireless Speakers KEF Muo Libratone Zipp
70 DIGITISE YOUR VINYL
75 OFF THE SHELF
Drag ’n’ drop your discs into the 21st century
The latest in AV put through its paces
Sony SRS-X88 Denon Envaya Mini DSB-100
81BUYING GUIDE
72SUBCRIPTION
110TOP SHELF
FIND THE BEST KIT AROUND, FAST! Our verdicts on every product worth owning
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SENNHEISER ORPHEUS The $55,000 USD Headphone www.whathifi.com February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 55
FIRST TEST
FIRST TESTS
RD EXCLUSIVE, IN-DEPTH VE
ICTS ON THE LATEST KIT
Yamaha YSP-5600 Soundbar ₨1,50,000
“Does what no other soundbar can do” FOR Truly immersive soundfield from a soundbar
Yamaha, meet Dolby Atmos – the surround sound technology that adds overhead sound to create an immersive cinema experience. Dolby Atmos, meet the Yamaha YSP-5600 – which, for a hefty ₨1.5 lacs, aims to provide a truly enveloping soundfield from above, without speakers in your ceiling. So how does Yamaha do it? The same way its YSP range of soundbars have always done surround sound: using multiple array speakers and proprietary IntelliBeam technology to precisely aim discrete channels of sound around the room. The YSP-5600 simply adds upward-firing drivers into the mix to support Dolby Atmos soundtracks. There are 46 speakers in total under the YSP-5600’s grille: 44 array speakers and two woofers. Of the arrays, 12 are used as ‘height’ channels – six upward-firing drivers on each side bounce sound off the ceiling at just the right angle to make it sound like sound is coming from above. Yamaha claims that the YSP-5600 produces the same effect as a 7.1.2 system. That's seven surround speakers with one subwoofer and two upward-firing speakers. All from one single bar. That's a bold claim.
Raindrops keep falling You’ll have to calibrate the soundbar to your room, so that it knows where to angle and bounce the output of those 44 speakers – a crucial step for this soundbar to work properly. A set-up mic is included, and the process takes roughly a minute.
6 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
AGAINST Hefty size makes placement difficult
YAMAHA MUSICCAST APP APP STUFF...
Yamaha’s MusicCast app makes setting up the soundbar with your home network and streaming from your smart device a bit easier. It’s also essential if you use the Home Theatre Controller (WLAN) app to control other aspects of the YSP-5600. It’s a pain having to use both apps (although you can switch between the two with one tap), but the HT Controller’s interface lets you adjust the YSP-5600’s sound beams, select the various sound modes and change the volume.
★★★★ ★ Play the Blu-ray of John Wick (one of the few discs with an Atmos soundtrack) and the Yamaha spreads sound across the room with remarkable accuracy. The soundfield is massive. You can hear surround-sound effects – the sharp ping of gunshots, the chirping of early morning critters, the club music – coming from beside you and behind you in a convincing manner. Does it really give you sound from above? Yes, it does. A Dolby Atmos demo track of raindrops falling is more in front of you rather than directly above your head – but the height remains. The final sound will be affected by how reflective your room is, but there’s scope to delve into the soundbar’s menu and tweak the parameters. The YSP-5600 will never fully replicate the effect of having physical speakers in the ceiling for Atmos, but delivering such a convincing sense of height and atmosphere from a single chassis is truly impressive.
KEY FEATURES
No need to add a subwoofer We can’t fault the YSP-5600’s surround precision, but we do wish it was a bit more revealing of a film’s soundtrack. Voices could be fleshed out a bit more clearly to convey nuances. We also want a touch more subtlety to shifting dynamics – as the film flits between quiet, conversational moments to tense fight scenes, we want a touch more build-up and excitement to the proceedings. A little more subtlety too would make the Yamaha soundbar just that bit more captivating to listen to.
DOLBY ATMOS
PASS-THRU
4K PASS-THRU
BLUETOOTH
FIRST TEST
“Not everyone can install a speaker package in their living room, let alone put speakers into the ceiling. For those people, the YSP-5600 is an elegant solution with a genuinely immersive effect”
The YSP-5600 has to accommodate 44 speakers, and is tall enough to obstruct your view of the TV
Even with those relatively small niggles, the Yamaha delivers a solid performance packed with detail and power. The low-end performance has ample weight, lending authority to the thwack of flesh hitting flesh as the fights get hairy. No matter how high we turn the soundbar’s volume up – and it can go pretty loud – the sound never hardens up at the top. The same can be said for stereo music when streaming over Bluetooth or internet radio. It could do with more transparency, but the sense of excitement and punch is still there. Yamaha also makes a partnering wireless subwoofer, but choosing that option hikes the price up and, quite honestly, the bar
doesn’t need it. The low-end is hefty enough on its own.
Obstructed view We can’t ignore the obvious elephant in the room any longer: this soundbar is huge. We had expected it to be fairly wide to accommodate that number of speakers inside, but it's the height that smacks us with surprise. Measuring 12cm, it’s tall enough to obstruct the bottom of the vast majority of modern televisions. That height will pose a problem for many, as you’ll want to position the soundbar directly below your TV so the sound matches what’s on screen. So, unless you have a TV that stands on stilts, you’re
looking at wall-mounting the TV at least. We wouldn’t place it on the shelf under your TV either, as that will block the upward-firing speakers from doing their job. Placement issues aside, the soundbar itself is a sturdy, well built object. It’s fairly slim, considering there are 46 speakers inside. There’s a reassuring weight to the metal chassis, the all-black finish is spotless and the simple control buttons all look neat and orderly. It doesn’t quite have the luxurious finish of the Dali Kubik One, but no other soundbar we’ve tested looks as
IN DETAIL...
The finish on the YSP-5600 is neat and, overall, the build is sturdy too
The control buttons along the top are simple and responsive
We wish the display was a little larger and clearer
The remote control is practical and the buttons respond instantly
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 7
FIRST TEST
ROUND THE BACK 1 CONNECTIONS There is built-in wi-fi, but we recommend using the ethernet connection hidden here
3
2 NO SHORTAGE OF INPUTS There are two optical, one coaxial and an analogue stereo pair
3 HDMI INPUTS There are four HDMI inputs all capable of 4K/60p pass-through. There’s a single HDMI output too
1
stylish as the Dali. We do appreciate the discreet look of the Yamaha – it’s not likely to stick out sorely in your living room. Our only major grievance is that the front display is too small and difficult to read behind the grille. We had to squint every time to read the scrolling text. You do get your money’s-worth in terms of features, though. The YSP-5600 comes with all the latest streaming tech you’d find in any of Yamaha’s top AV receivers. Along with standard Bluetooth and AirPlay streaming, you also get access to thousands of songs thanks to in built apps and internet radio.
WHAT IS DOLBY ATMOS?
Dolby Atmos adds a whole new dimension to the traditional surround-sound experience by adding overhead sound to create a more immersive soundfield. This can be done by adding matching pairs of in-ceiling or upward-firing speakers. The ideal layout for a home Atmos set-up is anything from 5.1.2 to 7.1.4 – that is, with five or seven surround speakers, one subwoofer, and either two or four Atmos speakers. Whichever combination you use, positioning is key to get that dome-like, enveloping sound. The Yamaha YSP-5600 does away with all of this, of course.
2
Streaming from your smartphone is swift and simple, especially when you use Yamaha’s MusicCast app (see panel). Even if you won’t be using Yamaha’s new multi-room feature (which streams music across MusicCast-supporting products), the app makes setting up the soundbar with your home network and streaming from your smart device that bit easier. The remote control is nice though – it is laid out logically, the big buttons respond instantly and it’s a more practical design than we’ve previously seen from Yamaha.
Is Atmos really worth it? It’s not all about streaming. You get a good selection of physical connections, all neatly tucked away at the back of the soundbar. There are four HDMI inputs with 4K/60p pass-through, and one HDMI output. There are also two opticals, one coaxial and a pair of analogue inputs. As well as Dolby Atmos, the YSP-5600 supports DTS:X, the other 3D sound format, but you’ll need to update the firmware at a future date for the full support. The YSP-5600 successfully does what it sets out to do: deliver overhead surround sound from a single soundbar. It’s a hugely impressive technological feat, but here’s the dilemma: is that Dolby Atmos support worth the premium price? There aren't many Atmos films out on Blu-Ray right now, and it looks that way for the foreseeable future. However, the ones we have heard are worth investing in, and it makes us excited for the future of surround sound. But we appreciate not everyone can install a fully separate speaker package in their living room, let alone add more into the ceiling. For those people, the YSP-5600 is an elegant solution with a genuinely immersive effect. Yes, it’s expensive. But there is no other soundbar on the market that does what the Yamaha YSP-5600 does.
SYSTEM BUILDER Build your own Atmos system with these
Television Samsung 65JS8500 ★★ ★ ★ ★ ₨4,40,900* A mighty fine TV to match that soundbar
Blu-ray player Sony BDP-S7200 ★★ ★ ★ ★ ₨13,990 Classy performance for a great budget price
Smartphone Apple iPhone 6S ★★ ★ ★ ★ from ₨45,499 Powerful performer is still the best
Total build ₨6,50,389
says
RATING ★ ★ ★★ ★ SOUND BUILD FEATURES
VERDICT Delivers an immersive performance with superb overhead surround sound and great features
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 9
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FIRST TEST
Cambridge TVB2 Soundbar ₨40,800
Cambridge nails the basics FOR Deep, tight bass; clear, solid mids; great integration
Over the past few years, Cambridge has found a comfort zone in soundbases. Its TV2, TV5 and Minx TV have all achieved five-star fame, collecting two Awards between them. So it’s not surprising the British company has the confidence to have a crack at a soundbar. Say hello to the TVB2. Our only criticisms of the company’s soundbases have centred on their basic remote controls and the absence of HDMI connections (although the latter is becoming a trend in TV audio solutions). But neither is a burden on the TVB2. Its remote is smaller and thicker than the one supplied with its soundbases, with an attractive brushed look and a button for almost every operation, including each individual input. Volume buttons have moved from bottom to top and now feel more natural. Not only are there three HDMI inputs joining single optical and analogue sockets, but one HDMI is an ARC connection too – for your Blu-ray player, games console or set-top box to plug directly into the bar, with only one HDMI cable running (from the bar) into your TV.
Not deep, nor wide, nor tall The task handed to Cambridge’s engineers was to produce ‘one of the most discreet’ soundbars on the market, but ‘without giving anything away in terms of sound quality or power’. They’ve certainly met the design brief. The TVB2 is a sleek bar, housing two of the company’s fourth-gen BMR (Balanced Mode Radiator) drivers and a compact, corner-friendly wireless subwoofer with a single down-firing 16.5cm woofer. It’s as space-economical and TV-friendly as we’ve seen in a bar/sub combo. Given the task of conjuring up a discreet, efficient package in your mind, you may come up with what Cambridge offers here. The 88cm bar nicely fits a 42in TV and, at only 7cm tall, shouldn’t block the screen if sat in front of it. It’s smartly dressed in a wraparound metal mesh grille – much like the Philips HTL5140 – with just a small 'Cambridge' badge for identification. A clear text display flashes through when input, volume and EQ are changed, turning off after a few seconds to minimise disruption. Everything is well integrated and out of sight. On one end are push
AGAINST Outshone for dynamics; not biggest sound
★★ ★★ There’s plenty of low-end weight, punch and precision delivered out of that subwoofer – something the TVB2 scores over the single-unit Q Acoustics Media 4, our two-time (and current) Award winner. The strength with which drums are being hit is reflected in the sound, and pianos come into their own with weight aplenty and harmonics intact. Subwoofer levels can be adjusted in increments (-6 to +6); but we don’t feel the need to bump it either way. Integration between the bar and box is seamless and the soundstage is watertight – if not the largest. You don’t get the breadth of sound or quite the enveloping experience that the wider-girthed Q Acoustics delivers, so a really large-screen telly might not be the Cambridge’s best accomplice.
controls to change volume and input, and on the other an NFC sticker, which you tap for instant Bluetooth pairing with any compatible smartphone. The connections are side-facing within two deep-seated panels, so plugging cables in is a bit tricky.
EQs are more or less equal None of the TVB2’s four EQ modes – TV, Music, Film and Voice – need to be avoided, although ‘Music’ is our first pick for its strict balance and clarity. ‘Voice’ pushes vocals forward slightly, which may be preferable for chat shows or comedy. The Cambridge offers a big step up in weight and solidity over a TV’s speakers. Easy on the ears, its clear, neutrally balanced presentation is one you can slip into (and hear the benefits of) right away. In Radio Days, Woody Allen’s nostalgic narration comes through solidly, the TVB2 doing well to carry its emotional weight. While the film’s background music is easy to miss through bog-standard TV speakers, the TVB2 gives it meaning and purpose, bringing it more into the story. The good news extends across the frequencies. Switch to Whiplash on Blu-ray and treble is on the comfortable side, crashing cymbals sounding substantial and detailed.
KEY FEATURES
WIRELESS (SUBWOOFER)
BLUETOOTH
Its rival defends its class-leading position with more expression and dynamic subtlety too. J.K Simmons’ shouting in Whiplash sounds like an assault – the fury in his voice is better communicated, adding an element of drama the TVB2 cannot. Cambridge hasn’t yet floored the budget soundbar market as it has the soundbase one. But the company has stuck to what it knows and has done a good job with the TVB2. It’s lovely looking, flexible to position and nails the basics well enough to be heralded a huge TV audio upgrade. If the Q Acoustics’ trapezoidal build isn’t for you, here is a good substitute.
HDMI 3 PORTS
says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ SOUND FEATURES BUILD
VERDICT Attractive, versatile and solidperforming soundbar that capitalises on Cambridge's soundbase expertise
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 11
FIRST TEST
Panasonic TX-50CX700 4K Television ₨1,75,000*
“Chic, like one half of a graphic designer's specs” FOR Good detail; nuanced colour pallet; pleasure to use
AGAINST Contrast could be better; uneven backlight
It was a summer of love for Panasonic: four consecutive five-star televisions between June and August, with one of those – the TX-40CS520 – grabbing the What Hi-Fi? Award. Ignoring the company’s first-ever OLED which was somewhat of an anomaly, this 50-incher is tasked with carrying the hot streak into the long hard winter. The TX-50CX700 certainly has a bit to offer: 4K television (with content accessible via Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube and USB drive), active 3D, an intuitive, Firefox OS-driven home screen and Freeview Play are the major attractions. In terms of connections, there are three for HDMI and the same again for USB, a LAN port, Scart connector, SD card slot, RCA input, and outputs for optical and headphones. For a set weighing in at ₨1.75 lacs, that's far from a miserly haul.
phone or tablet using the swipe and share function, or use it as a games controller for those accessible via the TV’s games store. Best of all, you can use it as a keyboard – after 10 minutes of attempting to navigate an on-screen keyboard to search with a television remote, we’re sure you’ll appreciate this useful, albeit modest, function. Other than it being tedious to type – a defect of all remote controls other than the select few with a keyboard built in – there’s no reason you’d need the app over the bundled remote control. It’s fairly basic, but simple to use and should withstand a fair bit of abuse, short of your dog chewing it to death.
Squared-off chic Once having admired its squaredoff chic, like one half of a graphic designer’s spectacles, we must begin by praising the fluidity of the menu. Panasonic’s shrewdness in placing emphasis on ease of use and navigation immediately gives it a head start on a clutch of competitors. You shouldn’t have to work for your telly – the customisable home screen and general pace of things here ensures you won’t. It might even suit you to use the Panasonic control app. As well as being able to use your Android or iOS device as a basic remote control – changing channels and settings, viewing the programme guide and what-not – you can do things such as wirelessly shift content between your telly and
12 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
★★ ★ ★
Valuable asset All settings menus are easy to locate, whether you’re using the supplied remote control or tweaking them via your phone or tablet, so we begin by switching off each of the TV’s self-adjustment features and fine-tune to our own liking. While contrast isn’t as extreme as perhaps we’d like – blacks don’t delve quite as deep as some competitors, for example – the subtleties within Panasonic’s complex colour palette give the picture an equally valuable asset. It is the colour detail in things such as hair or feathers that makes you believe in the picture much more than the most profound blacks or whites. Nonetheless, that palette is still vibrant when representing the unashamed gaucheness of daytime quiz shows – see Tipping Point or The Chase for example – but also capable of insight during the midnight
For a TV weighing in at ₨1.75 lacs, there's an impressive specification and numerous connections
broodiness of River or Les Revenants.
Resplendent glory We watch those last two using the internet streams abd catch-up apps. We don’t expect these to have the same picture quality as television or Blu-ray, but it is never painfully obvious we’re watching a stream. Given this is how many people now watch the bulk of their television, we are satisfied with the level of detail even in the darkest moments of programmes, as well as the
FIRST TEST
KEY FEATURES
50in SCREEN
4K
SMART TV
"For this price, you won't find many television sets – certainly not 50in TVs – that are such a pleasure to watch and to use"
consideration if you are checking one out yourself. Finally, there are no 3D glasses in the box, so you’ll have to buy your own if you’d like to take full advantage – they should set you back around ₨3000 a pair.
Hearty recommendation overall integration of these apps (which are responsive and take little time to load). We are pleased with the level of detail in standard and high definition, and watching via apps, so we test its 4K credentials with some of KQED Science’s Deep Look videos. While we learn how an owl’s velvety feathers with pointed tips have aided it in becoming such a silent night-time hunter, we are presented with the bird’s wing in all its resplendent glory.
Clean and fluid picture Now we can fully appreciate the delicate use of colour and tone and almost completely forget about any shortfalls in contrast. Moreover, with the motion processing bumped up to medium, we get a clean and fluid picture of the owl’s flight across the screen, which only serves to compound the realism of the Ultra HD. Sound, too, is surprisingly insightful. We
play a selection of live performances and, though quite clearly this won’t match the performance of a pair of stereo speakers, we enjoy a coherent, expressive and musical representation. That translates to the basics, as well: there is decent weight to voices, making them seem more natural, and a decent dynamic range caters for more complexly emotional performances. Stereo speakers or a soundbar would improve the sound, but are by no means essential.
That’s where the Panasonic loses a star, but this is still a hearty recommendation. For this price, you’ll not find many TV sets – certainly not 50-inch TV sets – that are such a pleasure to watch and to use. This isn’t quite the five-star standard of Panasonic’s summer offerings but, still, it remains a strong proposition.
Uneven backlight
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★
There are some niggles. Processing difficulties, for example: the fore- and background tend to separate in a way that makes things appear as if they were filmed using a green screen, or, if indeed they were, make it obvious. Our test set is also backlit slightly unevenly, which may or may not affect others but is worth taking into
says
PICTURE SOUND FEATURES
VERDICT We can have few quibbles with this reasonably priced 4K telly; it is good enough to justify the cost
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 13
FIRST TEST
Sony Xperia Z5 Smartphone ₨47,990*
“Sony’s ‘next big thing’ has clown-sized shoes to fill” FOR Improved sound quality; sharp photos; crisp, rich picture
AGAINST Only Full HD screen; not innovative enough
If you’re now thinking ‘what about the Z4?’ don’t worry – you didn’t sleep through it. While most of the world got the Z3+ in the summer to replace the Z3, in Sony’s native Japan it was officially called the Z4. Head-scratching, yes, but technically Sony is conforming to the sequential running order with the arrival of its new flagship smartphone: the Z5. It’s a punctual one, true to Sony’s six-monthly update that pacemakes the smartphone industry, and one that slots it between the Z5 Compact (a smaller version) and Z5 Premium (another smaller model but the world’s first with a 4K display. Ooh!) A little over a year ago, the Z3 stole our hearts as well as a place on our Awards podium. The Z3+ served up only relatively minor spec upgrades and it was crippled with overheating issues, so many will consider the made-for-but-not-in-Bond Z5 as Sony’s ‘next big thing’. And it has clown-sized shoes to fill.
is slimmer than those on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6s. It doubles as the power button and, as well as being kind of cool, works remarkably well. It’s exactly where your thumb naturally rests – if you’re right-handed, anyway. Lefties will most likely want to use their middle finger although it’s a little trickier to make sure it’s straight enough to be read. Set-up requires tapping (or ‘registering’) your selected digit a number of times – a rather patronising ‘Doing great! Keep it up!’
Uncomfortable in the palm Despite the Z3+ shedding weight and shaving millimetres over the Z3, Sony has taken a step back. The Z5 matches the Z3’s one-hand-friendly dimensions: 146mm tall, 72mm wide and 7.3mm thick. But don’t be fooled, the two are hardly dead ringers. For one, the Z5 straightens up, dropping its predecessor’s curves in favour of the flatter, more angular styling of Sony’s heritage ‘Z’ handsets – apparently not for old times’ sake, but to better accommodate a finger-scanner button on the right side. A frosted-glass back panel replaces the clear glass one too, so using shirtsleeves to wipe off grubby fingermarks every hour won’t be necessary. It’s not only more practical but looks and feels lovely too. It’s just a shame it’s framed by a sharp ridge. It doesn’t exactly draw blood but it feels uncomfortable in our palm, and for that we actually find the Z3 the nicer phone to hold. Sony says a lot of thought has gone into its fingerprint scanner, a small button that
14 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
★★ ★ ★ The Z5 is the first Xperia to support microSD cards up to 200GB (the Z3’s limit was 128GB), which should please the happiest of snappers and most hardcore of high-res music collectors. You might not need one though: 32GB internal memory is up from 16GB in the Z3. Overheating issues cursed the Z3+, so we’re surprised to see Sony has gone with the same 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor (with 3GB RAM). While the Z5 is better at keeping its cool, unfortunately the
"While most of the world got the Z3+, in Japan it was called the Z4. Head-scratching, yes, but Sony is technically conforming to the sequential order with the arrival of the Z5" eggs you on all the way – and you can register more fingerprints. It’s not compulsory either; if you want to check the time without picking it up, the double-tap wake-up and pin method is on hand.
problem isn’t entirely resolved. It takes only a few minutes of gaming to raise suspicions of it running warm, and ten to confirm them. It’s unpleasant rather than too hot to handle, but it’s less than ideal.
Happy snappers
Nice and fast in operation
With volume rocker and camera snapper buttons sitting just below, it does look and feel upside down. It’s not easy to change volume without changing grip so we feel it needs to be higher on the frame. The waterproof micro-USB charging port we first saw on the Z4 tablet returns, however the microSD slot is still covered by a waterproof flap and wouldn’t survive a dunk in the bath without it in place.
We can’t fault its operation elsewhere, though. It’s a faster mover than the Z3 and really flies through tasks, whether that’s loading the camera app or a third-party one. Despite taking a slight hit on battery capacity over the Z3+ (it’s 2900mAh as opposed to 2930mAh), the Z5 still claims a two-day battery life. We found it gets us roughly a day and a half of general use with
The clear glass panel on the back has been replaced by frosted glass. It's not only more practical, but looks nicer too
The Z5 has a micro-USB port and microSD slot covered with a waterproof flap, but we wouldn't dunk it
FIRST TEST
wi-fi on. We can largely vouch for the Stamina and Ultra Stamina modes, which restrict usage to core apps (calls, messages, camera, calendar etc) and is perfect for festivals; with the latter activated, 28 per cent gets us around 32 hours of scarce basic use and that was with screen brightness on maximum (which apparently eats into the battery a fair bit). Wireless charging has been left on the shelf, although the additional Quick Charge (UCH10) plug (around £20) sounds like a good charging accessory if it does what it claims: namely 5.5 hours use from a 10-minute charge, or a whole day from a 45-minute charge. Android Lollipop (5.1.1) comes preloaded and, although no official timeline has been confirmed, it is set to get the Marshmallow 6.0 update. We’re glad to see Sony has toned down its skin. There’s the usual Sony phone bloatware here – Xperia Lounge, What’s New and Playstation apps are present in the menus – but we’re glad to see it has been stripped back. In this respect, less is certainly more.
sonic character that we know and love. Except this time the experience is even more refined. Essentially, things are that bit clearer, meatier and more precise, most notably at the low-end. The guitar riffs in the opening to Muse’s Supremacy have more punch and wrecking-ball power than through the Z3, and drum slaps are more skintight. More weight has taken away the slight leanness of the Z3’s presentation too, and instruments and vocals alike sound clearer, as if they’ve been lassoed closer towards your ears. Spaciousness hasn’t been compromised to get that either – it remains a nicely open listen. You still get a good sense of drive and enthusiasm – Daft Punk’s Get Lucky has all the pop and fizz it should have, and then some – and rhythmically the Z5 is in step. Its dynamic prowess does a good job informing you that each piano key in the band’s Within is struck at a different intensity too.
The Z5’s picture is bright and clear and has a nicely grounded palette that makes videos look realistic
No 4K display here While the Z5 Premium packs a 4K display (the smartphone world’s first, in fact), the Z5 sticks with its predecessor’s 5.2in Full HD TRILUMINOUS display, with 428ppi. It’s a bit disappointing considering that in resolution terms it trails the LG G4 and Samsung Galaxy S6 on paper. And it shows. Both prove a touch sharper, even if it’s only noticeable when sitting them side-by-side. More obvious is their higher, more desirable brightness levels. Still, the Z5’s picture is bright enough in most circumstances – clear and clean too. And as long as the X-Reality picture engine isn’t on to big-up colours, it has a nicely grounded palette that makes internet streams and MP4 videos look realistic. Although the Z3 is actually slightly more insightful, the Z5 responds with richer, more nuanced colours. Whites are purer too. Blacks break even, although the Samsung’s AMOLED display easily takes it for depth, making blacks look more dark blue on the Z5.
Out-pixelling rivals Sony claims its new flagship is its best camera phone yet, and we have to agree. After sticking to 20.7MP in every smartphone since the Z1, Sony has upped the pixels this time to 23MP – that’s compatible with snaps taken in 4:3 ratio. In 16:9 (ie. fullscreen), it peaks at 20MP. More exciting than it out-pixelling rivals is the new hybrid autofocus, which Sony claims takes just 0.03 seconds. We can’t count that fast but what we do know is that it’s seriously quick – both when touching the screen to focus (a selection circle pops
A Z3/Z3+ mash-up
KEY FEATURES
SCREEN: 5.2in
RESOLUTION: 1920 X 1080
BATTERY: 2900mAh
up to help) and using the snapper button. We take photos with slight hand movement, as if trying to quickly snap a celeb walking by, and the result is more stable and reliable than other phones we tried. Generally, the results are impressive: photos are some of the sharpest we’ve seen, and up to scratch when it comes to detail and depth. The LG G4 is a little better at subtlety, though. Colours are pleasingly accurate too, though a little on the rich side, and brightness levels are good. Zoom goes up to 5x now, and we’re pleased with the clarity on offer (although keeping the phone dead still when snapping is imperative.) Elsewhere, there’s the wide-angled 5MP front camera seen on the Z3+ (up from the Z3’s 2MP), as well as 4K recording. It’s no surprise that the Z5 keeps hi-res audio support onboard, nor its signature
In some ways, the Z5 feels like a revised Oxford dictionary. The language and layout is the same, simply more words have been added. Sony has largely stuck to the same Xperia Z script – the Z5 feels like a kind of mash up of the Z3 and Z3+ – and in terms of operational speed, camera and sound quality improvements have been made. It’s a good phone and one that offers some really impressive flagship-like features, such as fingerprint scanner, 23MP camera, above-par battery life. But we don’t feel as though Sony has moved things on enough since the Z3, especially when in some areas (namely picture quality and design) it arguably hasn’t moved on at all. Has Sony run out of ideas? We hope not.
says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★ SCREEN SOUND FEATURES
VERDICT The Z5 is a solid flagship smartphone from Sony, but it isn't quite the innovative one we had hoped for
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 15
FIRST TEST
About the diameter of a McVites biscuits, the Google Chromecast audio has tiny circular grooves which evoke the image of vinyl records
Google Chromecast Audio Music streamer ₨NA
“Expand the capability of your dumb hi-fi system“ FOR Brings online streaming to offline devices; easy to use
AGAINST No multi-room audio available yet
Google knows a thing or two about streaming. You have only to look at the success of the Chromecast, which is now in its second generation. Now the company is turning its expertise to music streaming: meet the Google Chromecast Audio. It wants to bring wireless streaming to your offline speakers and amplifiers.
the back of your TV. Instead it plugs into one of your audio inputs: 3.5mm (cable included), RCA or optical. That means you can bring web-based music to a host of existing but offline devices: active speakers, soundbars and integrated amplifiers, for example. It’s a neat way to expand the capabilities of your ‘dumb’ hi-fi system.
Is this a record? What you get is a small disc the diameter of a McVites biscuit. At first glance it is almost identical to the new ‘regular’ Chromecast, but the Chromecast Audio has tiny circular grooves to evoke the image of vinyl records – a bold statement of intent to supplant the black stuff, perhaps? There are two hard-wire connections: a microUSB port used purely for power, with a mains adaptor included in the box, and a hybrid 3.5mm/digital optical output. The premise here is essentially the same as with the other Chromecasts. The device connects to your wi-fi network, streams directly from the internet and is controlled by smartphone, tablet or computer. The key difference here is that the Chromecast Audio does not plug into an HDMI slot at
16 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
★★ ★ ★ ★ KEY FEATURES
ANDROID
Ample compatible apps So where does the music come from? You’ll need a Cast-compatible app – there are many free and subscription options including Deezer, Rdio, TuneIn Radio, NPR and Google Play Music. More apps and services are promised in the near future. Sadly there’s no word yet on Tidal, but as for Apple Music, we’ll eat this hefty issue of What Hi-Fi? if it ever cooperates. Apps aside, you can play or ‘mirror’ directly from any computer running a Chrome browser. There will be a multi-room mode, for those with several units of Chromecast Audio. Assuming you already have speakers in different rooms, attaching this little dongle would be a cheap way to get them online and take the fight to the likes of
APPLE iOS
Sonos. The feature is not fully ready yet, but Google promises it will be made available with a future software update. We hook it up to a number of devices: a stereo amp in a full hi-fi system, a micro system, a portable speaker and even a pair of headphones. They all work flawlessly, with quick set-up and a stable connection. We are listening within minutes, and changing tracks on our smartphone is as responsive as on a physical remote control.
Free range – up to a point The Chromecast Audio’s wi-fi (802.11ac, 2.4 GHz/5 GHz) has a good range, thanks to multiple internal antennae, but don’t expect it to work where you don’t normally get a signal. No wine cellars, then, but your bathroom might be all right. Before you do any listening, we’d advise a quick dip into the settings. Activate the option for ‘high dynamic range’. Switched off by default, this stops the Chromecast Audio from really singing. If your set-up is half-decent, it will benefit from having it on. How the Chromecast Audio sounds depends on what device you use it on and what service you’ve chosen. As a general
FIRST TEST
Google Chromecast Audio brings web-based music to a host of offline devices, such as active speakers, soundbars and amps
rule, we’d say that you get a performance not far short of what you get when physically plugging in a device.
Slick, simple streaming We take an old Denon DM30 for a spin with both Chromecast Audio and a plugged-in LG G4, and the performance is broadly of a similar level. Next we try the Chromecast Audio with a B&W T7 Bluetooth speaker. That is perhaps somewhat redundant given the speaker’s built-in wireless capabilities, but Google is keen to stress that wi-fi has a huge advantage over Bluetooth: less compression. The performance certainly reflects that assertion: the Chromecast Audio’s wi-fi sound offers noticeably greater detail and dynamism than we get over Bluetooth. Connecting over wi-fi also means your music doesn’t get interrupted by the sound of text messages and alerts, as it can when using Bluetooth. The Chromecast Audio also saves you battery power, as your smartphone doesn’t handle the data. Google has been tight-lipped about the technical specifications, but we do know
the bitrates are dictated by what the apps can do. That means regular streaming apps have a maximum output of 320kbps. The Chromecast Audio is a simple and slick device with one goal in mind: to bring wireless music streaming to systems that may be in need of updating. Google has definitely achieved that objective. We are big fans of the original Google Chromecast, and we're hugely excited to see that bag of streaming tricks being used for music. In a world increasingly defined by the latest products, it is great to see something that rewards you for holding on to your existing kit.
says
RATING ★ ★ ★ ★★ PERFORMANCE FEATURES BUILD
VERDICT Google has achieved its objective of breathing new (online) life into your old hi-fi system. What's not to like?
SETTING UP CHROMECAST AUDIO Setting up is a breeze. Simply use the excellent Chromecast app to speak to the Chromecast Audio, then tell it to log into your home’s wi-fi. The most complicated thing here is deciding on what to name your new toy. We settled on ‘Tiny Dancer’. The Chromecast app is no longer just a set-up portal either. Now it also serves as a discovery tool: it lists all the apps in your drawer that are Cast-compatible, with
the option to download others. It also lets you manage your network connection settings and, more importantly, your sound settings. There is a ‘guest mode’, which lets other people control and play music on the Chromecast Audio without joining your home’s wi-fi. According to Google, this could lead to all manner of DJ battles taking place in your living room.
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 17
FIRST TEST
Sony h.ear in NCs In-ear headphones ₨9990
Sonys are shot down in flames FOR Comfortable and secure fit; crisp, fast and agile sound
AGAINST Lack insight and weight; bettered for dynamics
‘People who plug their keyboards into their hi-fi aren't idiots, that would be stereotyping'. ‘The latest iPhone is a huge 6s.’ Everyone loves a good pun – or even a couple of mediocre ones – including Sony, by sound of its latest buds. Pronounced ‘hear’ (their less puntastic model name is MDR-EX750NA), the h.ear in NCs have been released alongside the h.ear ons (on-ears) and two Walkman music players. The common gene in this product family? With Sony running with the idea that single-colour products are easier to coordinate than two-tone ones, they all share the same distinct, colourful finishes. The h.ears come in straight-up black, blue, yellow, pink or, like our sample, red. In fact, it turns out to be more of an attack of red than the elevator scene in The Shining, from the four sizes of silicone buds and 1.5m cable to the box it comes in.
So, how is it as a sound blocker? Pretty good actually. It certainly reduces the hum in our office and is just as effective at blocking out the constant murmuring that plagues the commuter train. Just don’t expect pure silence, or even the level of isolation you may have experienced through decent noisecancelling on-ears. It’s handy for calls too: voices are amplified, coming through loud and clear, and despite the in-line microphone falling at chest height, you can be heard just as well on the other end.
Comfortable and secure It’s a bold, attractive look, and one both our eyes and ears are fond of. The buds are long enough to burrow inside your ear snugly so even a slight accidental cable-tug doesn’t dislodge them, and we reckon they’re comfortable enough to last a transatlantic flight (by the way, a flight adapter joins the carry pouch included in the box). But the real talking point isn’t design, for these aren’t your average earbuds. With built-in noise cancelling, they aim to block out any outside racket using two tiny microphones – one outside and one inside the housing – to detect ambient noise and offset it with opposing sound waves. Sony claims the h.ears can run to 16 hours of noise cancellation before they require a two-and-a-half-hour recharge via the supplied microUSB cable. That plugs into a small battery box – the size of a pack of chewing gum, fixed on the cable near the 3.5mm jack and slim enough to easily slide into a trouser pocket.
Don't expect pure silence Further up the cable is a universal in-line remote for hands-free calling. On one side is a switch for turning noise-cancelling on and off, on the other is a single button to answer/end calls and perform basic playback operations: press once to pause, twice to skip forward a track and thrice to skip back one.
18 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
Lean side of the tonal fence But for a pair of headphones, sound quality is king and this is where the h.ears drop the ball. There are positives: we like how clean, crisp and agile the presentation is, and as we play Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel its fast, agile character is peppered with liveliness. Keyboards bound along, vocals are clear and focused, and cymbals sweetly simmer.
KEY FEATURES
★★ ★ The in-line remote allows hands-free calling and control of noise-cancelling, answering/ending calls and playback operations
Although the thrumming bassline isn’t as deep or driving as it should be, the Sonys do a good job of keeping its rhythmic structure alive. You need no comparison to hear that they sit on the lean side of the tonal fence, but although we crave a little more weight and solidity behind mids and lows, it’s not an uncomfortable balance. As an aside, we’d save the noisecancelling feature for when you really need it as the h.ear ins are a slightly subtler, more precise listen in passive mode.
Only a mini-victory The trouble is, the Sennheiser Momentum M2s, which rule the roost around the ₨10k mark, shoot them down in flames. Although not noise-cancellers, they offer far greater insight into Seal’s soaring vocals in Kiss from a Rose, communicating its stops, starts and dynamic lifts better, and giving them more space to breathe too. The faint accompanying instruments under the lead strings in Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto In F The Four Seasons (Autumn) Allegro are also much easier to detect, while the texture of violins is unmistakable. For compact in-ears, the Sony h.ear in NCs set their sights high: to shut out the world from you and your music. But it’s only a mini-victory, for if you are prepared to live with a little outside noise, you can get significantly more accomplished headphones for notably less money.
NOISE CANCELLING
says CABLE LENGTH: 1.2M
RATING ★★ ★ SOUND COMFORT BUILD
VERDICT These buds certainly put a wedge between your music and the noisy world, but need to sound much better
CES 2016 | roundup LHR LAS
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7 WHAT HI-FI? REVIEWERS
Las Vegas was the place to be, as the hi-fi and technology industries gathered for CES. So what went on in Vegas? We can reveal all...
Now playing The Best of Blur
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February 2016| What Hi Fi? | 23
CES showcases the weird and wonderful – including a lobster-inspired ‘hi-fi’ chair
OUR TEN ‘STAR’ PRODUCTS
1. Arcam SR250 2. Audioquest DragonFly 3. Dan D’Agostino Progression Mono 4. GamuT Lobster 5. McIntosh RS100 6. Monitor Audio Platinum II 7. Moon Neo ACE 8. Naim Mu-so Qb 9. Sony PS-HX500 10. Technics SL-1200G
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the annual showcase of everything big, shiny and new in the tech world. It’s a glitzy, hectic world of one-upmanship, where manufacturers pull out all the stops to dazzle with the latest advancements in technology.
Record decks turn the tables
However, unlike recent years, the biggest product news of CES 2016 wasn’t dominated by TVs. It was turntables. That’s right, the vinyl revival is in full swing, with long-standing companies taking the wraps off turntables that had showgoers gasping with delight. Technics stole the show by unveiling a fully working model of the new Grand Classic SL-1200G – a successor to the iconic 1210 direct-drive turntable that has been a hi-fi and DJ staple since 1972. The reported $4000 price tag set eyebrows waggling (especially since the original cost a third of that), but Technics argues that the updates to the new SL-1200G justify the new high-end price. We’re sure die-hard fans are already digging into their savings. It wasn’t just Technics who flew the flag for vinyl lovers. The Sony PS-HX00 is an affordable, belt-driven turntable at ₨40k that can also rip your records into hi-res files. DSD and WAV files are supported, and the PS-HX00 will be available from April. Audio Technica’s ₨18k (Approx.)
24 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
AT-LP60BT turntable has integrated Bluetooth, so you can listen to records using any wireless headphones, speakers or other receivers. Pro-Ject also showed off a wall-mountable vertical turntable, with its tracking force and anti-skate adjusted to fend off gravity. The belt-drive VTE is only a concept, but it looks pretty striking. Clearaudio stuck with a pure audiophile turntable: the new Innovation Basic costs $6000 without the tonearm.
Get ready for MQA
High resolution music was a hot topic at CES 2016: how to get it, how to play it, how to stream it. Meridian’s MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology, which packages hi-res music into smaller file sizes, has been on the horizon for nearly a year now, and we’re finally at a position where you can download, stream and play MQA content on existing devices. Onkyo Music, 7 Digital and Scandinavian 2L stores all carry hi-res MQA files you can download, while Tidal once again showed a working demo of MQA being streamed. The official launch isn’t official yet, but it surely can’t be much longer now. Existing hi-res player Pioneer XDP-100R will be able to play MQA files after a firmware update, while
HTC demoed a prototype of the One A9 playing MQA tracks – the first smartphone to do so. Bluesound also updated its new products to support MQA. All we need is more record companies to sign up and for Tidal to launch its MQA update, and MQA will be well underway and ready for everyone in 2016.
Headline-grabbing hi-fi
Naim grabbed headlines with its new Mu-so Qb – a smaller, more affordable version of the Award-winning Mu-so wireless speaker. The cube-shaped speaker costs ₨60k (Approx.) (compared with the Mu-so’s ₨1,39,875), but still includes all the streaming features, hi-res file support and UPnP functionality of its bigger sibling. It keeps the same aesthetics – the heat sinks, the impeccable aluminium finish, that gorgeous illuminated touchscreen/ volume dial. We can’t wait to get our hands on it. Naim wasn’t the only hi-fi company flaunting a wireless speaker. McIntosh revealed the RS100 – a $1000 wireless speaker that inherits the Gothic looks and blue power meters of its high-end amplifiers. There’s support for hi-res streaming, Spotify, Tidal and Deezer, and you can connect up to 16 speakers together in a multi-room system. Speaking of glowing power meters, Dan D’Agostino showed off its newest beast: the Progression Mono Amplifier. In a proud lineage of gleefully giant, powerful amplifiers with giant, glowing power meters, D’Agostino claims this
INSIDER
monobloc its biggest and most powerful amplifier to date, with an astounding 800W into 8 ohms. How much? $45,000 per pair. Honestly, we’re almost disappointed they’re not $45,000 each. Monitor Audio’s Platinum II series was out in full force (and picked up a What Hi-Fi? Stars of CES Award too), while Martin Logan unveiled its newest flagship electrostatic speakers, the Neolith, which will set you back $80,000 per pair. Which, incidentally, is the price of the new Tesla Model X. The GamuT Zodiac loudspeakers are so exclusive that only 12 pairs will be built each year (one for each astrological zodiac sign), and if you have to ask for the price, you probably can’t afford them. We certainly can’t.
Consider the Lobster
CES is also a showcase for the weird and wonderful – it is Las Vegas, after all – and among near-sentient refrigerators, huggable robots and rollable OLED screens, there was the GamuT Lobster ‘hi-fi’ chair. The crustacean-inspired seat uses special material behind the head to reflect music when you’re listening to your tunes. It’s comfortable, too. As much as we love ogling high-end kit with eyebrow-raising prices, you don’t have to be big, shiny and ostentatious to impress us. Audioquest had us buzzing with excitement for two new additions to its DragonFly DAC range: the DragonFly
Black ($99) is designed for smartphones and tablets, while the DragonFly Red is a higher-grade DAC at $199. Arcam also grabbed our interest with its brand new SR250 – a stereo receiver with all the connectivity and features of an AV receiver, including seven HDMI inputs, 4K support and 120W of Class G amplification. We’re also looking forward to testing the ₨2.5 lacs Moon Neo ACE – an all-in-one amplifier and hi-res streamer/DAC that looks as if it can play anything from just about any source. It even has a MM phono stage. All you need to do is add speakers.
The ‘Big Four’ flagship TVs
No CES would be complete without the announcement of new TVs. There’s more on the Big Four (LG, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony), but it was once again a case of manufacturers trying to one-up each other with the latest picture technology, improved smart TV features and slimmer bezels. There was even talk of 8K screens – but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The highlights are the UHD Premium specification (which complies with the new guidelines set for HDR 4K content) and TV manufacturers’ adoption of the logo, LG unveiling the first flat OLED screens, and Sony and Philips announcing Full HD TVs. Philips is bringing three-sided Ambilight to more TVs, while Sony’s Full HD TVs will range from 32in to 49in.
CES 2016 in numbers
83% # 1.3m OF TOP RETAILERS
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COUNTRIES REPRESENTED Source: CES 2016
Meanwhile, Hisense continues to bring affordable 4K picture to the masses. China’s number one TV brand launched 22 new sets at CES, from the affordable 4K 43in set 43H7C ($400 in US) to the flagship 65H10C curved screen ($2800).
2016: the year of 4K?
With 4K graduating from industry buzzword to becoming an affordable reality for consumers, the next step is the introduction of 4K Blu-ray players. Samsung and Panasonic were the first to demo working samples, though Samsung has the upper hand in offering pre-orders in the US for the UDB-K8500 player, costing $400. Panasonic’s DMP-UB900, however, is a bit pricier at just under €1000. The price of new technology is always going to be on the premium side, but we think Samsung may have won the early adopters over. You won’t have to wait long for content, either. Amazon is already offering pre-orders on films such as The Martian, Kingsman: The Secret Service, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Life of Pi and more in 4K Blu-ray – but only in the USA. Sony, intriguingly, doesn’t seem too fussed about implementing new technology in its 2016 products. A new Blu-ray player – the Sony UHP-H1 – can play hi-res audio and upscale to 4K, but doesn’t support 4K Blu-ray natively. A new home cinema amplifier, the STR-DN1070, is also missing crucial technology in Dolby Atmos. It’s a strange decision, especially since Sony Pictures are releasing films in 4K Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos soundtracks this year. You’ll have to look to its competitors if you want to experience Dolby Atmos in its surround-sound glory. Hot on the heels of Yamaha’s ‘world first’ Atmos soundbar are Samsung and Philips with their own takes on an Atmos soundbar. Unlike the simplicity of Yamaha’s YSP-5600 (which blasts out convincing Atmos surround sound from one single chunky bar), Philips includes a wireless subwoofer with its bar, while Samsung HW-K950 goes one further and throws rear speakers in to the mix. McIntosh also joins the Dolby Atmos gang, with its $7000 MX122 AV receiver supporting DTS:X and Auro-3D surround formats. Will 2016 be the year that 4K becomes a household technology across the world? Or is this the year of the turntable, even as hi-res music is becoming more and more widespread across devices and users? We can’t wait to find out.
February 2016| What Hi Fi? | 25
INSIDER
ANOTHER FEATHER IN LAKOZY’S CAP
One of the oldest establishments in the high-end audio circuit in India, Lakozy has been steadily spreading its reach through the country with its franchisee model. The newest one is under the management of Audio Nirvana in New Delhi, run by cofounder Shitij Khattar. This isn’t the first hi-fi boutique under the Lakozy name 26 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
with partners Audio Nirvana, but it is definitely more opulent and more spacious with a total of four demo rooms fully kitted out with products from PSB, NAD, Supra cables, Euromet, Revel, Mark Levinson, Lexicon, JBL Synthesis, JM Focal, Schneider Electric and Control 4 automation systems. In the wake of this brand new showroom,
The various rooms are designed to give customers a taste of serious audio, HT or custom install sound
the older one will be used as a service centre and warehousing facility now.
Room one caters to entry-level systems with a variety of sub-sat systems using a 60in Panasonic TV as the display. A concealed NAD AV receiver and other electronics drive the
INSIDER
Swanky new franchise outlet in the capital promises to satiate every audiophile’s appetite. Loaded to the door sills with equipment that caters to the music, movie or custom-audio customer.
Imagine T3 that has garnered an excellent review by our own Ed. Powered by the almost legendary NAD Master Series M12 and M22 pre/power combo, this system is one to listen for. The majestic Revel Ultima 2 Studio speakers also occupy the space and provide an option for demanding audiophiles. Audio Nirvana partner Ashish Kesarwani pledges that the Revel Ultima 2 Studio pairs well with Mark Levinson No.53 mono blocks and we don’t question that claim. This room started life as a bare shell and eventually was retrofitted with acoustic panels once the furnishings were finalised.
different speaker options and a tablet provides control for the entire set-up. Mr. Shitij Khattar claims that this room including the decor, equipment and installation can be be made available to the client in a mere seven days!
Room two is tuned for the music lover and thus, houses the towering PSB
Room three is designed to mimic real-world situations where the room is typically untreated and the client wishes to conceal all the equipment. So, while it has in-ceiling speakers from PSB and a more traditional 5.1 speaker system from French brand Focal, majority of the kit is hidden from view. At the touch of a button, the whole room comes alive; the projector and lift comes down, the hidden amp and Tata Sky set-top box is turned on, the HVAC is turned on and temperature is set as per the programming and the lights are dimmed. So, you come home from work and all you have to do is
press one button and you are set.
The last and final room takes your breath away. It’s a six-seater hometheater based on the JBL Synthesis project Array system. It’s a 7.4.5 system, so, it is ready for the new-generation Dolby Atmos or Auro 3D height surround formats as well. There are twelve speakers and four sub-woofers in this room and yet the entire equipment stack is either hidden or recessed. The electronics, including the projector are kept in another room so as to keep the noise levels to a bare minimum. The screen is a True Video 2.35:1 screen, achieved using a Prisma Sonic motorized lens and a 4K projector.
Worth a walk-in
According to Ashish Kesarwani, “We have reached this far owing to ethical working and great after sales support”. Shitij adds, “Myself and Ashish started this venture 5 years back. It has been a great journey. We enjoy what we do”. Lakozy and Audio Nirvana offer various services like turnkey home automation, pipe music, home-theatre equipment and interior, security and networking. Sounds like yet another quality service provider for movie and music fanatics in the capital city. February 2016| What Hi Fi? | 27
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V-Moda Crossfade goes wirelesss
Priced at ₨24,999, the V-Moda Crossfade Wireless headphones, available via headphonezone.in, houses a patent-pending dual-diaphragm 50mm driver that is a refined version of the award-winning Crossfade M-100 that was crowdsourced by hundreds of headphone aficionados and won 17 Editors’ choice awards. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery onboard claims to provide up to 12 hours of continuous playback.
Ecoxgear grabs a lot of eyballs at CES 2016
CES 2016 saw something more than just unique in Ecoxgear’s speakers that are not just waterproof but also solar powered. The two models with the mentioned features are named Sol Jam (pictured above) and EcoGear. The Sol Jam has an IP68 rating and integrated solar panels that comfortably power the speakers. Watch this space for its Indian launch.
Panasonic toots its Soundbar horn The latest soundbar from Panasonic, the SC-HTB3GW-K houses a bass-reflex multi-speaker unit assembly and also has separate controls to manoeuvre vocals and bass, along with a separate master control. Priced at ₨4190, the Bluetooth-compatible speaker also connects with smartphones and laptops to stream content directly. The soundbar has a power rating of 20W RMS and is now available locally.
28 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
One MIDI to rule them all Conventional keyboards, while dynamic and flexible, often had their own limitations– namely, when one wanted to add pitch and vibrato to a note or ‘bend’ between notes; a feature quite easily achieved in string instruments like the guitar and violin. Unveiled at CES 2016 with much fanfare, the revolutionary MIDI sports a squishy keyboard containing 25 Keywaves. Not keys, key waves, as these can be played on like a normal keyboard, but with the flexible material, sounds can be manipulated by deftly applying different levels of pressure for creating and controlling pitches, vibratos and even bends. From sliding between notes like a cellist to adding a prolonged vibrato while holding down on a note like a guitarist is now a breeze given the ergonomic and intuitive keywaves. Compatible with its in-house Equator software synthesizer and other popular software already present in the market, the Soli Rise is rightfully being touted as the future of the MIDI Keyboard.
Netflix just a button away on the new range of VU's 4K televisions No, we aren't going to incorporate silly "Netflix and Chill" jokes in our editorial. In fact, what VU has done, is no joke for its competitors. But, while grumpy competitors scurry to personate, the customers, specially the streaming buffs among you, smile as VU gets Netflix-ready tellys to town. And by town, we mean Flipkart. Announced at this year's CES, Vu, in an exclusive tie up with Flipkart, has finally launched its seven new smart TV models. Pricing is very competitive and start from a paltry ₨20,000 for the "Play" smart models to ₨37,000 for the "Iconium" smart models. There are five new additions made to the Iconium series. These additions range from 40in - 65in Ultra HD options. But only four of these models get the Netflix treatment. VU claims Netflix is enabled on the tellies with an in-built app and there's also a dedicated Netflix and YouTube button on the remote which makes life easier for those seriously lazy to go through the menus. VU also claims that the the 43in 4K Iconium will also prove to be the answer to all your gaming fantasies as it comes with pre-loaded gesture control games such as Ex- Outdoor stadium, Badminton, Baseball,Bowling, Dart, Easy Tennis, Funny Golf, Fun Tight Rope, Whac-A-Mole and many more. So you get to do much more than "Netflix and Chill".
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AUDEZE DROPS THE PIN AT CES 2016 Unveils two new revolutionary headphones at Las Vegas When a reputed, nay, revered name in the field of headphones– Audeze–decides to unveil its bag of goodies, especially on a global platform like say, the CES 2016, the world stops to listen. LCD-4 is the latest in the line of the well-known LCD series. It features thin nano-grade diaphragms and unique Double Fluxor magnet arrays for a powerful magnetic flux density– about 1.5 Tesla, which is supposed to be the strongest so far. While keeping true to the the signature look of the LCD series, it does feature a new suspension-type carbon fiber and leather headband. Audeze is somewhat of an authority when it comes to planar magnetic technology, as is clear from the immense popularity of the LCD series. Usually, given the dynamics in play, planar magnetic drivers are huge in size and usually end up being used in over-ear headphones. Debunking this stereotype is the Sine on-ear headphone that features all of planar magnetic technology, with a smarter and smaller form factor. Taking this up a notch, the Sine’s lightweight body can also be folded for easy mobility. Audeze headphones can be availed from its local distributor, Headphonezone.in.
The on-ear Sine (left) and the latest in the LCD series, the LCD-4 (right) were both major crowd pleasers
Audio-Technica makes Vinyl go the Bluetooth way The AT-LP60-BT Wireless Turntable is surely a sign of the times, one that has seen the resurgence of vinyl and a love for all things wireless. Enchantingly simple, all one needs to do is put in a vinyl record and the ATH-LP60-BT will stream it to any Bluetooth device such as wireless speakers or even a pair of Bluetooth compatible headphones The ATH-LP60-B was showcased at CES 2016, and it has a A 33-1/3 and 45 RPM speed selector which allows 12in LPs to be comfortably played on it. It has a built-in switchable phono preamp and offers wired as well as wireless connectivity. Yet to be launched locally, this is one turntable that will be eagerly awaited by vinylheads, young and old alike.
Panasonic introduces new breed of Viera There are three colour options available, black, white and navy
The TH-49CS580D is the latest addition to the Viera series and sports 'Hexa Chrome' technology. The technology claims to make the TH-49CS580D up to 57 percent brighter than a standard Full HD LED TV. As opposed to the usual usage of three primary colours for picture quality, the 'Hexa Chrome' technology employs up to six primary colours for more dynamic results. Also, along with built-in Wireless LAN, the ₨79,900 TV can sync wirelessly with other devices for seamless streaming of content. There’s also a TV Remote App to control the TV and synced devices and control and share contents.
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 29
DEFINITIVE ushers in the new Wireless series
• Go Wireless • Easy Installation • Just Plug & Play • App Enabled • Multi-room Audio
Witness the latest in wireless Soundbar technology, with inclusion of W Studio Micro in the Definitive Technology Wireless Collection
“The W7 sonically devastated the Play: 5, trouncing it in low-end and midrange clarity and high-frequency detail.” “The Definitive Technology Wireless Collection products are all sonically terrific. Play any one of them next to a smililarly priced Sonos, and if the comparison is solely on sound quality you’ll choose the Definitive every time.” “Sound & Vision” Magazine
E-2, Laxmi Industrial Estate, Andheri – Malad Link Road, Andheri (west), Mumbai – 400053. Email: anil@audioexcellenceindia.com | Website: www.audioexcellenceindia.com *Dealers enquiries welcome
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TOLAPUNFCHIESVE
1 Anthem AVM 60 ₨3,00,000 Announced as a part of its new range of MCA series of amplifiers and MRX series of AVRs, the AVM60 processor is the latest from the house of Anthem. The 11.2-channel preamplifier/processor features immersive audio decoding, future upgrades for compatibility with the latest video formats. Extremely flexible and audiophile-friendly, the AVM 60 is now available through its local distributor, Audio One.
1
Straight to the top of your wishlist 3
3 Definitive Technology W Studio Micro ₨90,000 The slim 3.1 wireless soundbar and music streaming system from Definitive Technology measures just 1.75in in height. Housed within the soundbar are independent amplifiers that power seven different drivers— four 3in drivers and three 1in aluminum dome tweeters— for elevated sound quality and impact. The W Studio Micro includes DTS Play-Fi as well to stream online content.
4 Avid Ingenium TT ₨TBA The Ingenium turntable utilises the key elements of the Diva II and has an exposed minimal design. Its basic package comes complete with a high-quality carbon fibre tonearm. Optional models offer standard 9in SME fitting, 12in SME fitting and also twin arm options. It is available via Absolute Phase, its local distributor.
4
2
2 FiiO X7 ₨49,990 A consistent performer in the realm of portable high-resolution audio players, FiiO launches the X7, which is its first Android-based player. The X7 claims to be the first to overcome Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) limitations. Featuring a customisable music app, allowing you a direct path to the DAC, thus ensuring lossless quality regardless of the audio file’s sample rate. Now available via its local distributor headphonezone.in.
5
5 Vifa Helsinki ₨68,900 The Helsinki is a petite, portable speaker that’s touted to have incredible sound. Available in willow green, misty blue, dusty rose or sandstone grey, the Helsinki packs rechargeable lithium batteries, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. The Vifa 50mm full range driver acts as midrange and tweeter at the same time and thereby handles the frequency range from approximately 250Hz up to 18kHz. Available now via Mz Audio.
February 2016| What Hi Fi? | 31
H I - R E S D O W N LO A D S E R V I C E S
SUPERTEST
VI VA ! LA R E S O LU TI O N !
THE TIME HAS COME. NO LONGER WILL MUSIC DOWNLOADERS SUFFER THE OPPRESSION OF COMPRESSION; THE HI-RES MOVEMENT GROWS APACE – AND YOU CAN BE PART OF IT, COMRADE
★
★
7DIGITAL ★
B&W SOCIETY OF SO ★
★
HDTRACKS ★
LINN RECORDS ★
★
★
UND ★
★
NAIM LABEL ★
PRIMEPHONIC
★
TECHNICS TRACKS
32 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
★
T
here was a time, not that long ago, when music downloads had a pretty bad reputation within the audiophile community. If they weren’t being used to pirate music, they were being used to squeeze sound quality to within an inch of its life, in order to make files small enough to download and store conveniently. Thankfully, times have changed. As internet speeds have got faster and storage has grown cheaper, the need for compromise has become less and less necessary. It’s certainly no coincidence that high-resolution music is now more accessible than ever. And that doesn’t just mean the number of places offering it. As our test will show, that has certainly increased, but so has the type of music making its way to the hallowed halls of high resolution. It’s no longer reserved solely for the likes of jazz, classical and rock’n’roll – you’ll now find pop, R’n’B, hip hop and techno recordings making their way to hi-res. If you’re looking in the right places, of course. And that’s where we can help. No matter what your taste in music, there is a hi-res download service for you – read on to find where your money is best spent.
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 33
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H I - R E S D O W N LO A D S E R V I C E S
PO WAVING THE FLAG FOR
P AND RAP
7Digital FOR Nice website; strong catalogue; good sound quality
AGAINST Filters for searches would be helpful
★★ ★ ★ ★
In the world of hi-res music downloads, few names are bigger than 7Digital. The company, which launched in 2004, has provided download services for everyone from Spotify to Samsung while running its own site offering millions of songs to download in MP3, CD quality and hi-res audio. Its time in the industry shows. The website is nicely designed and easy to navigate, not something all of its competitors have managed.
Dedicated hi-res section
It’s clean with minimal fuss – you’ll find some editorial context on a handful of featured albums, but suggestions are otherwise clubbed together in the likes of the week’s newest hits, genre highlights and artist best-ofs. There is also a search function, which is accurate and useful, bringing up artists, albums and tracks that might be of interest. 7Digital’s wider focus on music downloads means there’s lots of non hi-res music on the site, but you can easily spot hi-res recordings thanks to a “24-bit FLAC” badge on an album or song’s thumbnail. There’s a dedicated hi-res section, but a filtering system for picking recordings with particular sample rates wouldn’t go amiss. In terms of formats available, 7Digital is a little less flexible than HDTracks, for example, in that it will only allow FLAC downloads, meaning WAV and AIFF fans will have to look elsewhere for their file format of choice. This is unlikely to cause much upset, but it’s a consideration all the same.
Catalogue is a draw
If 7Digital’s design wasn’t draw enough for music downloaders, its catalogue certainly will be. While other services leave you feeling that hi-res music is reserved for the likes of jazz and classical music, 7Digital proudly waves the flag for pop, rap and everything in between. Having the four major record labels on board really shows. We do find current music is more likely to be in 24-bit/44.1kHz or 24-bit/96kHz than 192kHz, but that’s down to the record labels rather than 7Digital itself. From our time delving through it, we’d imagine the catalogue
KEY FEATURES RESOLUTION: UP TO 24-BIT/192KHZ
FORMATS: FLAC
would suit most needs, but if it is jazz or classical music you like, you might find a deeper catalogue for those genres in a more specialised store.
A go-to for downloads
Pricing is pretty competitive, with the same album usually coming up the same or cheaper compared to rival sites. It often runs sales too, discounting a handful of popular records each week. 7Digital is good at offering individual tracks for sale as well as full albums, plus there are 30-second previews to help you decide whether to buy or not. All good news then, and it continues when you go through to buy music. Once you’ve paid for your purchases, you’ll find them in the Your Music section of the website. Like most services of its ilk, you’re recommended to use a download manager to quickly download multiple tracks at once. It can be done one at a time – though this is quite time consuming if you have a lot. We download a handful of tracks and albums, including Elvis Costello’s Lipstick Vogue in 24-bit/192kHz, Björk’s Lionsong in 24-bit/96kHz and Alanis Morissette’s Forgiven in 24-bit/44.1kHz. The difference between sample rates is
negligible, as much as we can tell with these different tracks – all show excellent clarity and detail levels, with a full-bodied and enthusiastic character. The lively instrumental Lipstick Vogue is delivered with verve and drive, while Forgiven’s haunting vocals are as expressive as they are piercing. 7Digital has made its way in this industry by providing download services to other companies (see Technics Tracks), so it’s no wonder the service under its own name is one of the best. With a strong catalogue that offers high-resolution music from all genres and a website that makes buying music easy, 7Digital is an excellent all-rounder and a go-to for music downloads.
says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★ CATALOGUE FEATURES EASE OF USE
VERDICT Boasting a great catalogue and easy to use, this is one of the best sites out there for hi-res downloads
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 35
H I - R E S D O W N LO A D S E R V I C E S
THE NICHE OPTION
B&W Society of Sound US$60 (₨4000) /year FOR Value for money; solid, precise sound; good editorial
Bowers & Wilkins is a name you’d more usually associate with audio equipment than music downloads, but in mid-2008 it started the Bowers & Wilkins Music Club, which later became the B&W Society of Sound. It’s a little different to other hi-res download services in that it’s a subscription-based system with a much smaller catalogue than its competitors – so much so that they don’t even really feel like competition in the grand scheme of things. You pay US$60 for the year, and with that you get immediate access to download any and all of the current Society of Sound catalogue – currently around 30 albums. This rather bijou catalogue changes every month, with two albums added and two taken away. The Society of Sound album line-up is curated by Peter Gabriel and the London Symphony Orchestra, the selection split down the middle so half the albums are classical and the others are picked from Gabriel’s eclectic Real World Studios.
Rarefied, but good value
This obviously makes the Society of Sound great for people who enjoy these particular types of music, or for those who just like discovering new music at minimal cost. With access to around 54 albums over the first year, that works out at just US$1 an album, with future years working out at about US$1.40. With most other services you couldn’t even get a single hi-res track for that. Even better, owners of B&W kit can get access to the Society of Sound for free for the first three months by just registering their product, or anyone can trial a number of tracks for free (but at CD-quality only). You can also pay extra for a handful of on-demand downloads, which you don’t need to be a member to access, although this catalogue currently comprises a grand total of five albums. The website itself could do with a bit of work to make navigation easier, but it’s nice to look at, with a handful of featured albums on the landing page (the site sits within B&W’s main website) and a navigation bar across the top. B&W does a great job at editorialising its selections to give a deeper context to
AGAINST Website could be clearer; limited catalogue
KEY FEATURES RESOLUTION: 24-BIT/48KHZ
FORMATS: FLAC, ALAC
★★ ★ ★
them. Each album has a write-up with background information, and some photography to boot. There aren’t any track previews, nor is there the ability to download a single track at a time, so the write-up is handy to help you to decide if it might be something you’ll like. All the downloads are delivered in 24-bit/48kHz quality, and are available only as FLAC or Apple Lossless (ALAC). You download them in a zip file without the need for a download manager. We listen to Nielsen’s Symphonies 4 & 5 by the London Symphony Orchestra, picking out the first movement of the fifth for our comparison.
Solidity versus delicacy
We find the recording to be wonderfully detailed, rhythmically precise and well focused. Its wavering wind and brass introduction has a solidity and confidence to it that differs from the airy, more delicate sound we hear in the same music from Primephonic. Neither one feels necessarily right or wrong, but the difference will be recognisable through transparent kit to critical ears, and we lean towards B&W’s take on proceedings. Do watch out for naming conventions though – B&W is a little messy with
album titles, and we even had a typo in one, so you may want to overwrite album names for clarity. It’s hard to argue with the value of the Society of Sound, but its niche catalogue means it will have limited appeal, particularly as the new music you’ll get every month is completely out of your hands. It’s worth a punt if you’re up for new discoveries, but of course there’s no guarantee you’ll like what’s given. Whether you think that’s a gamble worth US$60 for the year is for you to decide – you could end up with a whole lot of music you don’t like, or you could just uncover your next favourite artist. We’re optimists here at What Hi-Fi?, and for that reason we’re awarding four stars.
says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★ CATALOGUE FEATURES EASE OF USE
VERDICT A great value way to get some hi-res music into your collection if you’re open-minded as to what it might be
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 37
H I - R E S D O W N LO A D S E R V I C E S
THE TRAIL-BLAZER
HDTracks FOR Good selection of music and file types; process is easy
AGAINST Cluttered website; individual tracks hard to buy
★★ ★ ★
High-resolution music might be hot property right now, but HDTracks has been pushing better bitrates for music downloads since it launched in 2008. The site offers tracks from CD-quality all the way up to 24-bit/352kHz (only around 70 albums, mostly classical), as well as a smattering of DSD files as well.
A touch old-fashioned?
It launched worldwide in 2013, no doubt partly in thanks to the re-invigoration of public interest into better quality digital music. Alongside 7Digital it’s now one of the most recognisable and established names in hi-res downloads. Unfortunately, it’s not quite managed to nail the website usability and breadth of catalogue to the same level as 7Digital. And it seems to be aimed at an older audience, which feels short-sighted. The albums presented on the HDTracks homepage as new include new releases from the likes of David Bowie, ELO, Enya and Roger Waters. For a fan of more current, popular music, HDTracks can look a little off-putting. The website design could do with a bit of reconsideration too. It’s not hard to use, just that list after list, and link after link, makes it quite a lot to take in.
Choice of file format
The homepage will offer you various shortlists for things like specially priced albums, genre top picks and bestsellers, while a list on the left will allow you to browse by artist, genre, label and more. There’s a separate hi-res section of the site that sifts out all the CD quality recordings, and unlike 7Digital, you’re then able to filter the results by genre, label or sample rate – which is welcome. The numbers here would suggest HDTracks offers just over 6000 hi-res albums, more than half of those at either 24-bit/44.1kHz or 24-bit/96kHz. The number of 24-bit/192kHz recordings comes in at just over 800. A choice of file format is offered, with the option of AIFF, FLAC, ALAC and WAV – not possible from a lot of competitors. The default is AIFF, so remember to click your format of choice before clicking through to buy. Pricing is on a par with 7Digital, with most albums costing between US$18 and 38 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
KEY FEATURES RESOLUTION: UP TO 24-BIT/352KHZ; DSD 2.8MHZ, 5.6MHZ
FORMATS: FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF
US$25. What is different is that few tracks are available for individual purchase, so you usually have to buy the whole album.
Patchy background info
Each album page offers up a tab with background on the artist and album. This was something HDTracks strives to offer with every download, but none of our selections come with them. HDTracks recommends its own download manager for your purchases, and it works quickly and easily to deliver them to wherever you choose. We go for a 24-bit/44.1kHz recording of Alanis Morissette’s angsty but excellent Jagged Little Pill, a 24-bit/48kHz album from Naim Edge artist Sabina and a 24-bit/192kHz version of ELO’s Out of the Blue. While they all offer strong levels of detail and a much more open sound than your average CD recording, in comparison to some of the competition we find HDTracks downloads to lack just a touch of drive and focus. It wouldn’t stop us using HDTracks – when listened to in isolation, they sound far from lackadaisical – but there is a hint of restraint to be heard against the livelier sounds from 7Digital, Technics Tracks and Naim.
Whether HDTracks is for you will depend on your musical taste, and whether having pop’s newest hits in your hi-res collection is top of your wishlist. We wish the site was less cluttered and a little cleaner, but we do welcome its ability to filter down choices, plus the ability to choose your file type will be a draw for some too. However, its catalogue lets it down for a wider audience. From our experience, sites like 7Digital offer most of what HDTracks does and then some – with the flexibility to buy individual tracks. HDTracks might have done a good job of waving the hi-res flag for some time, but it has a bit of catching up to do to keep up with the best.
says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★ CATALOGUE FEATURES EASE OF USE
VERDICT One of the most established HD download stores needs a refresh in look and catalogue to compete with the best
H I - R E S D O W N LO A D S E R V I C E S
MITED GREAT QUALITY, BUT LI
CHOICE
Linn Records FOR Good quality recordings; straightforward search function
AGAINST Pricey; cluttered website; narrow artist selection
★★ ★ ★
When Linn engineers were testing the flagship Sondek LP12 turntable in 1972, the story goes that the poor quality of the specialist test LPs used meant they just weren’t up to the job. By 1982 Linn had taken matters into its own hands, buying its own recordcutting lathe to press its own LPs instead. In 1984, it released its first – A Walk Across the Rooftops by The Blue Nile – and Linn Records was born.
Homegrown albums
Since then, Linn has embraced the move to digital from the very start. While it still produces CDs, SACDs and vinyl, it also releases every album on its label as a Studio Master download, all available on the Linn Records website. Its catalogue of artists specialises in classical, jazz and Celtic music (due to its Glaswegian roots), and there are now over 400 albums available to download, from CD quality up to 24-bit/192kHz in FLAC or ALAC only. Previously, Linn has partnered with Universal to sell some of its back catalogue through the Linn Records website, but all the albums now listed appear to be homegrown. This makes the catalogue feel a little limited. While it’s hard to really criticise it for selling Linn Records albums, it’s certainly a more specialised website, even compared with something like the classical-only Primephonic. For those who are interested in what Linn Records has to offer, though, all the recordings are found within the wider website, under the “browse” tab.
Search or scroll 400 tracks
The search facility allows you to select genre, record label (perhaps redundant now Universal aren’t involved) and format, as well as sort by title, artist or release date. Alternatively you can scroll through all 400 as they appear on one page, with a small thumbnail of the cover art and logos to show you what formats they are available in. While this page is relatively straightforward, the rest of the website is a little busy, but manageable. You’ll find Linn news and reviews along the navigation tabs at the top, as well as a link to Linn’s web radio stations and a list of tour dates for Linn artists.
KEY FEATURES RESOLUTION: UP TO 24-BIT/192KHZ
FORMATS: FLAC, ALAC, WAV
Back to the browse page, click into any one of the albums and you’ll be presented with your purchase options, a tracklisting (with clickable previews) and some album information and notes. It depends on the album as to how long this information is, but some are ridiculously so – and presented poorly in a way that doesn’t make for very appetising reading. It’s a niggle, but Linn could take a leaf or two out of Primephonic’s book for improving this side of the user experience.
Clear, lively sound
Pricing appears to be standard across the board at US$24 for either 24-bit/192kHz or 24-bit/96kHz and US$13 for CD quality. Individual tracks cost around US$1.70 or US$3.40 depending on length. This does seem on the pricey side compared with other download services, but if you’re specifically looking for a Linn recording we haven’t been able to find them anywhere else. We downloaded a selection of albums, including William Orbit’s 2009 album My Oracle Lives Uptown, which was released on Linn’s label. It’s a clear, lively sound, with plenty of drive and enthusiasm. Rhythmically it doesn’t miss a step, and there’s lots of detail too.
Move onto Haydn’s Symphony No 70 from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Robin Ticciati, and instruments are superbly layered with enough space to breathe. Big dynamic sweeps are handled with aplomb and there’s an absolute precision to the stopping and starting of notes. Great quality recordings from a fairly narrow pool of artists make this a rather specialised service, but for its intended audience it does its job. We’d like the website to be a little less busy and for the reams of editorial content to have a little more structure and direction to make it more useful though. Despite these niggles, Linn Records gets an encouraging four stars.
says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★ CATALOGUE FEATURES EASE OF USE
VERDICT Linn Records doesn’t have the most recognisable or largest catalogue of artists, but at least the tracks sound great
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 39
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H I - R E S D O W N LO A D S E R V I C E S
SMALL, ECLECTIC CATA
LOGUE
Naim Label FOR Lively recordings; eclectic choice; reasonable price
AGAINST Website could be better; catalogue is small
★★ ★ ★
Like its high-end hi-fi competitor Linn, Naim Audio couldn’t help but fancy a record label of its own when it launched the Naim CDS CD player in 1991. Naim apparently found commercially recorded CDs weren’t good enough to make the most of the CDS’s capabilities. So it started to make its own, and Naim Label began. This focus later expanded into digital downloads, and now, from nearly 200 albums available to download on its site, around half are in high resolution from 24-bit/44.1kHz to 24-bit/192kHz, with the rest in CD quality. That’s about half the size of Linn’s current catalogue, but it’s growing all the time. Naim Label is currently split into three – Naim Classical, Naim Jazz and Naim Edge, which brings a slightly more contemporary influence into the Naim Label catalogue – one Naim Edge artist, Eska, was recently shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize Album of the Year.
Tidy and accessible
Like Linn, the majority of recordings on the Naim Label website are from Naim Label artists, with the odd exception. For example, Imogen Heap has allowed the label to offer her 2014 album Sparks through its site, as has David Lynch with his The Big Dream album. Browsing the site for albums to download isn’t quite as straightforward as we’d like, but once you’re in the black and green world of Naim Label everything is pretty self explanatory, if not very inspiring. The main homepage is busy with small, uninviting text and a handful of suggested hi-res albums that will take you through to their download pages if clicked. There are separate tabs for the three subdivisions of Naim Label, but every page is the same, without any tailored suggestions – which seems like a missed opportunity to showcase the best talent from each. Dive into an album page, though, and Naim has got things fairly well organised. To the right of the page there’s a tracklisting, complete with previews, and options for digital downloads directly in a choice of WAV, FLAC or ALAC. There are also a few related album suggestions as well.
KEY FEATURES RESOLUTION: UP TO 24-BIT/192KHZ
FORMATS: FLAC, ALAC, WAV
There’s a small panel with notes on the album, plus related news and reviews. However, instead of serving up lashings of information like Linn, you just get a snippet that you can expand if you wish. It’s a small thing but helps keep the service tidy and accessible. Tracks are available to download individually, with full album prices certainly appearing to be a touch more reasonable than Linn. Most that we notice come in between £13 (₨1200) for 24-bit/44.1kHz and £17 (₨1600) for higher, but then some are as low as £7 (₨700) – or even free with some promotions.
Fiercely detailed tracks
We use Naim’s Download Manager to download Sabina’s new album Toujours, Max Raptor’s Mother’s Ruin and Imogen Heap’s Sparks and are impressed indeed with how good they sound, joining Linn at the top of the services we’ve heard in terms of sound quality. Tracks are fiercely detailed, with superb timing and excellent instrumental organisation. The title track on Max Raptor’s album is a lively rock track that goes big on drums, cymbals and intricate guitar rifts, and they all maintain their own identity within the track while still
working with each other perfectly. By contrast, Imogen Heap’s stripped back The Listening Chair is expressive and focused, with drive behind the bouncing vocals and a strong handle on dynamics. How far Naim Label can quench your hi-res needs will depend entirely what you’re looking for. This is a specialist service, concentrating almost entirely on Naim artists. Its catalogue is slightly smaller than its competitor, but then it’s also more eclectic, so it could attract a wider audience for that alone. But the website could still do with a bit of work to be as usable or as useful as 7Digital, Primephonic or Technics Tracks, and a bigger catalogue is required for us to give it the full five.
says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★ CATALOGUE FEATURES EASE OF USE
VERDICT Catalogue is too small for the full five, but it is a great sounding service with more eclectic options than some rivals
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 41
H I - R E S D O W N LO A D S E R V I C E S
YG A CLASSICAL FAN’S PLA
ROUND
Primephonic FOR Excellent catalogue; nice website; good search facility
AGAINST Narrow focus will appeal to classical fans only
★★ ★ ★ ★
Primephonic’s catalogue might be slightly limited in its focus, but it wears it like a badge of honour. Love classical music? Then this is the hi-res download site for you. But it is trying to be more than that. In its own words, it aims to be a “rich, ever-evolving source for classical music lovers”. Primephonic is keen to create a community of classical fans, allowing you to create your own profile to talk to other members, comment and share news articles, as well as offer up features on different periods and artists to help you expand your knowledge.
Striking, and well-designed
It’s a really well designed website, with easy navigation, striking visuals and clean typography that keep it interesting to explore. It’s refreshing to see classical music given such a modern twist. The calendar is another nice touch. It gives you an insight into births, deaths, milestones and memorable moments that happened in the classical world on this day throughout history, alongside links to related music and articles. The non-musical content available on the site is really quite impressive. Of course, it wouldn’t mean much without an equally impressive catalogue, and Primephonic doesn’t disappoint. It currently says it has tens of thousands of tracks available, from CDquality all the way up to 24-bit/192kHz, as well as DSD files too. Some albums are even available in surround-sound.
Flexibility on a budget
Each album has a write-up from Primephonic itself, as well as any press quotes, and a host of related content from suggested music to reviews and news articles. This is a classical fan’s playground. There is of course a more specific search function, which allows you to tailor your search results to get to precisely what you’re looking for. You can search by term, or filter down by artist, composer, period, conductor, release year or sample rate. You can sort results by release date or price, choose to focus on popular albums, new releases or those on sale. With so many albums to choose from, these options come in mighty useful.
KEY FEATURES RESOLUTION: UP TO 24-BIT/192KHZ; DSD 2.8MHZ
FORMATS: FLAC, WAV, DSD, FLAC Surround, DSD Surround
Prices are hard to compare with other sites, as much of the content available isn’t replicated elsewhere, but they seem reasonable. Standard-length albums in FLAC come in between €11 (₨800) and €16 (₨1100), with longer symphonies costing €20 (₨1400) and above. Where available, DSD files usually come pricier. A nice touch is that you are often able to buy individual symphonies (and the like) from a pricier full collection, as well as single tracks too, giving plenty of flexibility to users on a budget.
Narrow focus, wide appeal
Downloads are handled using Primephonic’s own download manager (unless you’re happy downloading one by one). It shows some instability and crashes on us a few times, but with a little persistence we are able to download our purchases. However, Primephonic is still a relatively new company, and we’d expect any teething issues to be smoothed out over time. We download a mixture of music, from big orchestral pieces to guitar sonatas, and find the quality to be consistent across the board. We are able to compare a Nielsen symphony with the same recording on B&W’s Society of Sound and find that
there is perhaps a touch more focus there. That said, Primephonic’s airy demeanour makes for a delicate, detailed listen all the same, with plenty of space for dynamics to breathe and develop. Primephonic might be narrow in its focus, but there’s no doubt classical fans will find it wide in its appeal, with a great catalogue, superb website and useful extra content, not to mention a growing community that make it so much more than just a download site. It doesn’t have the larger, more eclectic catalogue of 7Digital, but it’s not trying to. Its aim is to be both a source of classical music and a community for fans, and from our experience we’d say it has succeeded on both counts.
says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★ CATALOGUE FEATURES EASE OF USE
VERDICT With a strong catalogue and superb website, this is the place to be if you’re a classical music fan
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 43
H I - R E S D O W N LO A D S E R V I C E S
A SUPERB USER EXPERI
ENCE
Technics Tracks FOR Neat design; easy to use; vast catalogue; great sound
AGAINST Filters for searches would be useful
★★ ★ ★ ★
It’s been over a year now since Technics made its surprise comeback announcement at IFA 2014, unveiling new ranges and products that sent audiophile nostalgia into overdrive. What, perhaps, missed many headlines was the development of Technics Tracks, a hi-res music download service pulled together in partnership with 7Digital.
More than 7Digital rebadged If you were thinking Technics Tracks is little more than a rebadged version of 7Digital, you’d be wrong. Though it may well share the same back end with 7Digital (if you download tracks via 7Digital, they’ll show up in your Technics account too), it has been custom-built for Technics with a completely different look and feel. More importantly, it has an exclusively hi-res focus. Similarly to Technics’ new product line-up, the design of Technics Tracks is clean and minimalist, with a monochrome colour palette and flashes of yellow. It’s as easy to use and navigate as 7Digital and has a similarly wide music focus. Stripping out MP3-only albums (Technics Tracks features only music of CD-quality and above) means there is a slightly more audiophile focus. For example, on the homepage you’ll see classical and blues/jazz highlights – something you’re unlikely to find on 7Digital itself.
A satisfying musical balance
You’ll still see hi-res albums from the likes of Olly Murs, One Direction and Little Mix next to those from David Bowie, ELO and Enya in the new releases section, and Adele’s album is getting pushed alongside Roger Waters’ The Wall. It’s a balancing act and Technics has it just right. Next to the search bar at the top of the page there is a small button labelled ‘Explore’. Click this and you’ll get a drop-down menu with a few more options for delving deeper into the Technics Tracks catalogue, including a curated page called Technics Selections. Hi-res files are available in FLAC from 24-bit/44.1kHz up to 24-bit/192kHz, and have a ‘Hi-Res’ badge on their artwork to
KEY FEATURES RESOLUTION: UP TO 24-BIT/192KHZ
FORMATS: FLAC
help you differentiate them from CD-quality options. There is, though, no way to filter your selection by resolution, which is a shame. We also notice that, with a handful of albums, it’s worth doing a manual search to check for all available options. Justin Bieber’s Purpose and Grimes’ Art Angels, for example, appear on the homepage as CD-quality only but a manual search pulls up 24-bit versions hiding deeper in the catalogue. Still, with a reported ‘tens of thousands’ of 24-bit/192kHz tracks, and ‘hundreds of thousands’ of 24-bit tracks, there is bound to be the odd oversight. More editorial content is included in the shape of Technics Spotlights, which offers a ‘series of films to bring you closer to the artists’ featuring free-toview videos from artists talking influences and inspiration, alongside biographies and suggested albums.
Wallet-friendly approach
Getting back to paid content and, unsurprisingly, Technics Tracks matches 7Digital for pricing, meaning it’s reasonably competitive. A lot of albums sit between £13 (₨1200) and £19 (₨1800), while individual tracks are available to download for a couple of
hundred each. We download the excellent Black Messiah by D’Angelo and the Vanguard, Elvis Costello’s Man Out Of Time and Kendrick Lamar’s King Kunta and find tracks to be filled with the same full-bodied enthusiasm, focus and rhythmic drive that 7Digital has. The soulful introduction to D’Angelo’s Sugah Daddy is perfectly timed, with handclaps, piano chords and drums intertwining with precision. Vocals are expressive and clarity is superb. We have to hand it to 7Digital for creating an experience that feels fresh. With Technics Tracks, you get all the benefits of the 7Digital catalogue with a more hi-fi focus – and that makes for a superb user experience indeed.
says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★ CATALOGUE FEATURES EASE OF USE
VERDICT All the extensive catalogue of 7Digital with a hi-res focus makes this a superb place to shop for music
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 45
V E R D I C T H I - R E S D O W N LO A D S E R V I C E S
TEST WINNER
W
ith three five-star and four four-star sites in our test, it seems hard to go wrong when choosing a hi-res download service. But that’s not entirely true – what’s important is knowing what music you’re looking for and where best to get it. For example, classical music fans can’t go wrong with Primephonic. Focusing solely on classical might seem narrow-minded, but when Primephonic does it this well it wholly serves the audience it sets out to. With a broad catalogue, within that genre at least, extensive file formats on offer and a feature-filled website that delivers great editorial content, it’s no wonder it soared to a five. Linn Records and Naim Label fall into different camps, with smaller catalogues drawn from their own record labels and each not really serving a mainstream audience. Jazz and classical with a touch of rock is the order of the day, with only a few names on offer that
Technics Tracks ★ ★★ ★ ★
you’d spot in the charts (though Naim shows slightly more promise in this department).
Specialist emphasis
As such, neither service attempts to be particularly competitive in price, and both offer a selection of music that you would probably have to go looking for rather than are likely to stumble across. It feels rather churlish to penalise a record label for trying to promote its own output in the form of hi-res downloads, but their rather specialist emphasis and slightly clunky websites score both of these a four. B&W’s Society of Sound sits alone in its subscription-based offering, but offers great value for those into music discovery. With a single annual payment, it gives you access to 54 hi-res albums in the first year, all of which are curated by the London Symphony Orchestra and Peter Gabriel from his Real World Records label.
“It might seem hard to go wrong when choosing a hi-res download service. That’s not entirely true – what’s important is knowing the music you’re looking for and where best to get it”
Once again, this means that content is likely to be rather narrow in its scope, but if you just fancy boosting your hi-res library on the cheap, it’s hard to complain. It gets a four too. HDTracks is one of the biggest names on test, with a wide catalogue and among the best selection of formats too. That said, the catalogue ignores a lot of modern recordings that are available, and its website could do with a bit of a spruce up to boot. It’s our final four.
The other two five-star stars
That leaves our final two services – 7Digital and Technics Tracks – which each receive five stars. In many ways it’s hard to separate them, considering they are ultimately the same service. This means both look great, are easy to use and have hard-to-beat catalogues. What just gives Technics the edge is its focus on hi-res. Stripping out the MP3s that clutter up 7Digital (from a hi-fi fans perspective, at least) gives a much more streamlined site for those on the look out for CD-quality and high-resolution music. While praise has to go to 7Digital for its creation, we have to hand the win to Technics Tracks. February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 47
BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
GROUP TEST
SUPERSIZE ME Until recently, big screens were reserved for cinemas and living rooms. But now the leading smartphone manufacturers are in on the act. So if you want to go large, what’s the best new option?
48 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
W
ho doesn’t want to enjoy their favourite shows or the latest film on a big screen? With display sizes of 5.5in and 5.7in, these four smartphones are out to prove that bigger is indeed better. But these clever machines aren’t just mini-TVs you can carry around in your pocket. They’re skilful performers across the board, whether you’re listening to music, playing games, dabbling in amateur photography or simply reading an online review. With stunning designs and the latest, cleverest technology, Apple, Google, Motorola and Samsung all make compelling arguments for investing in large, shiny screens. But which one is the best? Turn the page to see which big-screen smartphone we think should be your next purchase.
BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
EVOLUTION OF THE SPECIES
1978
2016 Early on, advances in microchip technology allowed for ever-smaller handsets, but with the dawn of the smartphone, the introduction of touchscreens and the growth in easily accessible visual information, we started to think big again. February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 49
BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
E A BETTER SMARTPHON
BY APPLE
Apple iPhone 6S Plus ₨79,000 (128GB) FOR Stunning screen; crisp picture; class-leading sound
AGAINST No high-resolution audio support; expensive
It would be easy to dismiss the Apple iPhone 6S Plus as just a bigger version of the Award-winning iPhone 6S. After all, the only major difference is screen size: the 6S Plus clocks in at 5.5in, while the smaller one is 4.7in. But it’s not just a case of copying the iPhone on to a bigger template. The supersize 6S Plus is a confident performer, with design tweaks and features that make it a desirable phone in its own right.
What the iPhone 6S Plus gets right is the balance between a natural-looking picture and one that looks vibrant and exciting. The greater subtlety lends more depth to the picture, drawing you further in into what you’re watching. Shows or films on the bigger 5.5in screen are that bit more immersive. Whites in particular are stark – it’s most apparent when looking at web pages, where the crisp black text is punchy and clear to read.
Style and desirability
We’re not surprised the iPhone 6S Plus is a beautifully built smartphone. The neatly curved edges, the smart metal body and slick finish all scream premium quality. Everything is machined beautifully, from the sleek control buttons at the side to the speaker holes at the bottom. Until the arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, no other smartphone had matched the iPhone for style and desirability. There are tiny changes from the 6 Plus, though. It’s 0.1mm thicker all around to accommodate the new 3D Touch screen layer, and it has a tougher 7000-series aluminium unibody to combat any more instances of Bendgate. The more obvious difference is the weight. It’s only a 20g increase over the old 6 Plus, but it does feel slightly bulkier in hand. The smooth edges make the 6S Plus nice to hold, but the straightbacked design means it doesn’t fit as snugly in the palm of your hand as the curved backs of the Moto X Style or Google Nexus 6P. Those with smaller hands will find it a stretch to use. However, the iPhone 6S Plus’s screen hasn’t changed: it’s a 5.5in LCD display, with a 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution. That may not look like much on paper next to the Quad HD displays of the Samsung Edge+, LG G4 or Google Nexus 6P, but Apple’s Retina screens tend to hold their own. Play the latest Doctor Who episode and the 6S Plus delivers crisp detail, strong contrast and a confident colour palette. The Edge+’s AMOLED screen will give you deeper, lusher blacks and an appealing warm tone, but the 6S Plus reveals finer detail in shadows, and the clear brights punch through the gloom. It’s a captivating picture. 50 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
★★ ★ ★ ★
Assured sense of rhythm
Apple iPhones have long been one of the class-leaders for sound quality, and the 6S Plus has no desire to buck that trend. In fact, it has pulled its socks up and improved upon the 6 Plus’s good – but not great – performance. Timing has always been the iPhone’s strong suit, and the 6S Plus charges along with an assured and agile sense of
“Apple iPhones are one of the class-leaders for sound quality, and the 6S Plus has no desire to buck that trend” KEY FEATURES
SCREEN SIZE: 5.5in
24/192 HI-RES AUDIO: NO
SCREEN RESOLUTION: 1920 x 1080
rhythm. Notes stop and start with precision, and there’s stacks of detail surrounding each pluck of string or clunk of piano keys. Tonally, it sounds nicely balanced. There’s a solid and weighty character running throughout the whole frequency range, which means you get a lovely rich and textured bassline, while the top end never sounds thin or bright. Every song sounds taut and controlled, with instruments given plenty of space to breathe. Voices are pleasingly nuanced. Its performance is on par with the superb Award-winning iPhone 6S, if just a tiny bit more open. It’s a shame Apple still won’t support high-resolution music, as the iPhone 6S Plus would really do justice to betterquality files. It’s a lively, insightful performance that outperforms hi-res rivals such as the Samsung Edge+. Moving on to everyday usability, the 6S Plus’s performance is fast and
intuitive, thanks to the powerful 64-bit A9 chipset working in conjunction with the M9 co-processor and 2G of RAM. Each action is smooth, multi-tasking is a breeze, swiping from app to app is faultless. As has become the norm, Apple’s policy of making small tweaks here and there to make the whole user experience more seamless continues in the 6S Plus. For instance, TouchID is faster, reading your fingerprint in the same instant as you press the home button. It’s a small fix, but it makes a big impact on the iPhone experience. You can now also wake up Siri even when the screen is locked, with a “Hey Siri” command. Plug your headphones in, and the last music app you were listening to will pop up in the bottom of the screen. Siri’s integration runs deeper with iOS 9, too. It’s a more ‘proactive’ service, recognising your habits and suggesting apps according to how often you use them and at which the time of the day. The same goes for your contacts. It’s Apple’s answer to Google Now cards, although not quite as thorough. One standout feature is 3D Touch. The 6S Plus is equipped with a pressure-sensitive screen that unlocks the potential for a whole new dimension of interacting with your smartphone. Press down firmly on an app icon that supports 3D Touch, and a pop-up box will appear with shortcuts for the most used actions, such as taking a selfie, opening a tab in Safari, or composing a new message. You’ll get ‘taptic’ feedback to let you know when you’ve applied the right pressure – you have to press down surprisingly hard – or when the app doesn’t support 3D Touch.
Camera resolution boosts
The 6S Plus’s camera has also been given an update. The main camera has been bumped up to 12MP (from 8MP), while the front-facing FaceTime camera is now 5MP (instead of 1.2MP). We have always been happy with the iPhone’s shots, but the boost in pixels on the 6S Plus means you get sharper images, better zooms and more detail. The contrast and colour balance is like the iPhone’s picture performance: vibrant, subtle and true to life. The camera app itself is excellent.
BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
Coupled with the iPhone’s skilful metering, taking pictures that are in focus takes an instant. Optical image stabilisation minimises any handshaking effects in photos and videos. You can shoot in Ultra HD 4K and Full HD – and you can take cool-looking Slo-Mo videos. The built-in editing tools are slick and intuitive to use, too. A fun new addition is Live Photos, which turns your still snaps into giflike animations. When activated, it captures a three-second video when you press the shutter.
Eye-watering pricetag
Apple users will be familiar with their iPhone not lasting a full day without needing to be charged, but we wish the 2750mAh battery was bigger. You get a decent eight and a half hours in constant use, and we usually don’t need to charge it up until late evening, but the high demands of Apple’s Retina screen, 3D Touch and speedy performance rapidly eat through battery life. The battery-saver mode helps conserve the last few percentages, but be prepared to keep the Lightning charging cable with you at all times. Be warned: the Live Photos, 4K videos
and Apple Music downloads all take up considerable space. With no expandable storage, think carefully before you choose between the 16, 64 and 128GB models (Apple no longer does 32GB), but the bigger sticking point here is price. The starting price for the 16GB model is a cool ₨57,999. Compare that with Google Nexus 6P and Moto X Style offering 32GB for less than ₨50,000; the Samsung Edge+ falls between them for its two models. And for the full 128GB? Brace yourself: that’s an eye-watering ₨79,000.
That pricetag aside, the iPhone 6S Plus has impressed us. It’s a better smartphone by Apple’s own standards as well, with excellent sound quality finally getting it the fifth star that eluded last year’s model. This probably won’t be the device to win over non-Apple fans, though. That would have to be our Award-winning iPhone 6S. However, the 6S Plus is one smartphone we’d heartily recommend if you have deep pockets and want a bigger-screen experience. It’s a fantastic multimedia device, with the performance across picture and sound being one of the best we’ve seen in a smartphone this year.
says
RATING ★★★★★ SCREEN SOUND FEATURES
VERDICT Punchy picture, class-leading sound quality and premium build quality make this the best big-screen iPhone yet
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 51
BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
THE POWER MONSTER
Google Nexus 6P ₨39,999 (32GB) FOR Pure Android; sharp and colourful screen; fast charging
AGAINST Video not dynamic; music could be more detailed
The Google Nexus 6P is an all-new device. The 5.7in flagship smartphone boasts a lot of firsts: the first Nexus phone to have a metal design, the first Nexus to have a fingerprint sensor, and the first smartphone to feature the new USB-C connec tor. Google took a hit when the hugescreened Nexus 6 failed to live up to expectations last year, and there are plenty of big screen competitors around boasting fancy features and superb performances to boot. So will the new Nexus 6P make it a Google comeback?
The most obvious issue is a yellow tinge to whites. This shows up most on websites, where a creamy background means you won’t get that stark, clean contrast that you get from rivals like the Apple iPhone 6S Plus. Play the Paddington trailer in 1080p, and the warm presentation, while pleasant, isn’t totally convincing. Paddington’s hat looks more orange than the red it should be, skin tones are a bit more tanned than normal, and blue skies could be cooler and crisper. Next to the iPhone, finer details look soft and hazy. Blacks don’t go as deep and solid either, meaning landscapes and interiors lack a touch of depth and strong contrast. The iPhone 6S Plus delivers a more natural colour balance and subtler image, while even the Moto X Style is capable of a more solid, punchier and crisper picture.
Best-looking Nexus
The P in the name stands for ‘Premium’, and the new Nexus certainly looks and feels more elegant than previous plasticcoated models. Google has given the factory keys over to Chinese brand Huawei, which has milled the Nexus a slim, metal unibody casing. The build is solid, the anodised aluminium finish is smooth to the touch and, while it doesn’t look as spectacular as the metal and glass design of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, we think it’s the best a Nexus has ever looked. The 5.7in screen is a more manageable size than last year’s giant 6in ‘phablet’. It’s still a big screen, but the barely there bezels and subtly curved back make the Nexus 6P fairly comfortable to hold in one hand. Using it properly is a two-handed operation, though. As with the previous, Motoroladesigned, Nexus 6, the ridged power button and volume rocker sit at the right side of the smartphone. The 3.5mm headphone port is still at the top, but the SIM card slot has moved to the left. It’s a neat and tidy design. The Nexus 6P’s screen has a 2560 x 1440 Quad HD resolution and looks pin-sharp and appealing. App icons and text are etched with clean, crisp lines. On its own, the AMOLED screen is rich and colourful. There’s warmth to the colours that makes videos look inviting. Green trees look lush and nightscapes are punchy and glowing. Viewing angles are excellent when playing apps or watching videos. Place it next to any of its big screen rivals, though, and it’s clear that it’s not as dynamic and detailed in comparison. 52 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
★★ ★
“The sound is big and loud, but it doesn’t match the detail, timing or solid presentation of the class-leaders” KEY FEATURES
SCREEN SIZE: 5.7in
24/192 HI-RES AUDIO: 24-BIT/96KHZ
SCREEN RESOLUTION: 2560 X 1440
Doesn’t do justice to hi-res
Disappointingly, Nexus 6P’s music performance also fails to impress. Google continues to support FLAC files up to 24-bit/96kHz, but it’s a shame that the sound quality doesn’t do justice to the higher resolution. We play a range of songs, from a WAV file of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ By The Way to Adele’s Hello on Spotify, and the Nexus 6P doesn’t have the precision or dynamics to deliver a truly satisfying listen. Voices don’t sound convincing, while the tactile feel of guitar twangs and drum hits is missing. Notes could be clearer and more solid, too. The sound is big and loud, especially when played through the front stereo speakers. But it doesn’t match the detail, timing or solid presentation of classleaders like the Apple iPhone. The Nexus 6P’s camera has had an overhaul as well, with a 12.3MP rear camera that uses a two-stage flash. The
front camera has been bumped up from 2MP to 8MP, too. Shots are crisp and bright, but suffer from oversaturation and a lack of subtlety. You can shoot videos in Ultra HD 4K at 30fps, while standard features such as HDR, Panorama, timer, and burst modes also make a comeback. No new flagship smartphone would be complete without a fingerprint sensor, and the Nexus Imprint sensor is a rounded indent at the back of the smartphone, where your index finger naturally rests. We find it intuitive to use, although some may have to readjust their hold to reach the sensor. The Nexus has a feature called Ambient Display, which wakes the screen whenever you pick it up or have a new notification. You’ll still have to unlock it, though.
Fast and stutter-free
Google’s Nexus smartphones may not be at the top of the leader board when it comes to picture and audio performance, but the reason they’re so coveted is because of their pure Android experience. They’re the first to get the benefits of the latest Android updates, and sure enough, the Nexus 6P comes loaded with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. We’ve always liked pure Android for how clean and fast it is, stripped of any additional bloatware from other manufacturers. A 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor powers the Nexus 6P, with 3GB of RAM making sure everything is fast and stutter-free. Opening apps, playing high-graphics games and general swiping is incredibly smooth, with no lag in sight. The Marshmallow update is more about tweaks than a complete overhaul, with some great new features – such as Google Now on Tap, Doze, Android Pay – making the whole Android process even smarter and slicker. Now on Tap is the killer new feature that scans any app or webpage you’re on, and gives you related links so you don’t have to leave the app to start a new Google search from scratch. This works best on people, films, restaurant menus and music apps like Spotify. Hold down the Home app, and an overlay will appear with shortcut links.
BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
No charge until bedtime
The standout feature of the Nexus 6P is its hefty 3450mAh battery, which lasts throughout the working day without needing a top-up. In fact, coupled with Marshmallow’s Doze feature (which stops apps from using up the battery when not in use and when the screen is turned off) there were days when we didn’t feel the need to reach for the charger until bedtime. It’s also superfast when charging up. This is down to the new USB type C (or USB-C) connector, which promises faster charging and file transfer rates. And it sure is speedy. It’s an odd thing to get excited about, but it makes a huge impact when you can charge up the Nexus 6P from empty to 100% in just under an hour-and-a-half. Unlike previous generations, there’s no wireless charging support. Early adoption comes at a price, though. No other plug or device supports USB-C yet (Apple’s latest MacBooks uses USB-C for charging only). The cable supplied in the box is USB-C at both ends, so you won’t be able to plug in straight into your laptop. Google helpfully includes a USB-A adapter, which we’d take pains not to lose.
As before, there’s no microSD card slot on the Nexus 6P. But this is the first Nexus with the 128GB storage option, which you can get for ₨47,999. That’s pretty decent considering the iPhone 6S Plus equivalent costs upwards of ₨70k, while Samsung’s Edge+ maxes out at 32GB for over ₨50k. Last year’s Nexus 6 was the first time Google’s smartphone wasn’t the usual half-price of its rivals, but the Nexus 6P is still the far more affordable option. Other storage options are 32GB (for ₨39,999) and 64GB (₨42,999). You’ll need to choose wisely
to make sure you pick the one that meets your particular needs. The new Nexus 6P is a champion of Android, and purists will love the smarter features and slicker performance that comes with the latest update. But with rival flagships setting the bar high, the Nexus 6P’s picture and sound quality don’t quite meet the standards expected. It’s still enjoyable as a smartphone, though. The screen is exciting to use, the battery lasts, and the aggressive pricetag will make it an attractive buy for those wanting a flagship for a bargain price. The Nexus 6P is a decent smartphone, but this isn’t quite the triumphant comeback we were hoping for.
says
RATING ★★★ ★
★
SCREEN SOUND FEATURES
VERDICT The Nexus 6P improves on its predecessors, but ultimately fails to compete with current high standards
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 53
BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
PE THIS TIME, IT REALLY IS
RSONAL
Motorola Moto X Style ₨31,999 (32GB) FOR Fast interface; crisp screen; music performance; price
AGAINST Average battery life; some rivals feel more premium
Motorola’s stylish new smartphone has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. You can customise the Moto X Style’s design to your heart’s content, making it personal to you. It also offers nifty software features and tweaks that overlay the Android OS, and make the user experience even better and smarter. That’s impressive in itself. As a big-screen smartphone, the Moto X Style is also a fine device for watching videos and listening to music.
MasterChef kitchen looks clean and detailed, with edges sharply etched. The picture has a slightly warm presentation, but doesn’t look unnatural. Leafy vegetables and red meat look particularly appealing. The LCD display delivers deep, glossy blacks, with bright whites punching through the inky depths to give a strong contrast. Whites are much cleaner and punchier than on the Google Nexus 6P. You’ll see a more-natural colour balance on the iPhone 6S Plus, along with greater subtlety giving you a true impression of depth. Which you prefer is down to personal taste: Moto X Style’s approach favours richness.
Smart in every sense
This Motorola is called ‘Style’ for a reason: your customisation can be acheived via the Moto Maker website. Our review sample is a standard black affair, but you can go wild: change the soft back panel to a wood or leather finish, choose a black or white frame, and even change the accent colours (such as the colour of the speaker grilles and the metal strip at the back). The only disappointment is that you don’t get a fingerprint sensor. It’s not a huge omission, but we’re starting to get used to seeing it on top-of-the-range devices. The Moto X Style has a bigger 5.7in screen this year (compared with last year’s 5.2in), but it’s not too much of a stretch to use in one hand. That’s due to the seriously slim bezels, which make it feel notably smaller than the likes of the 5.5in iPhone 6S Plus. Motorola claims it has the highest ‘screen to body ratio’, and we can believe that: there’s only just enough space for the front stereo speakers. It’s nice to hold, too, thanks to its curved back and metallic flat sides. The rubber finish on the back panel also ensures a secure grip – it’s nowhere near as slippery as the Apple iPhone 6S Plus or Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+. The chunky back makes it thicker and heavier than rival designs, but we like how sturdy it feels and how comfortably it sits in the palm of our hand.
Hi-res holdup
There’s still no support for highresolution music, with Motorola sticking with 16-bit/48kHz playback of MP3, WAV, AAC and FLAC files. That doesn’t
“That Quad HD screen is just begging to have videos played on it, the 2560 x 1440 resolution looking bright and crisp” KEY FEATURES
SCREEN SIZE: 5.7in
24/192 HI RES AUDIO: NO
It shines with HD
That Quad HD screen is just begging to have videos played on it, with the pixel-packing 2560 x 1440 resolution looking bright and crisp. But the Motorola screen really shines with HD streams from Netflix. The 54 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
★★ ★ ★
SCREEN RESOLUTION: 2560 X 1440
mean the Moto X Style is a slouch in the audio department, though. Public Service Broadcasting’s Gagarin is a spirited listen. There’s drive and excitement throughout the song, with the medley of instruments blaring ahead with clarity and fine detail. They sound pretty solid, too. Voices may not be as richly nuanced as on the iPhone 6S Plus, and the rhythm could be tighter and more precise, but the Moto X Style is an enjoyable listen when paired with decent headphones. It’s a great deal more solid and cohesive than the Nexus 6P, and a touch cleaner and snappier than the Samsung Edge+. The front stereo speakers also deliver a loud, full-bodied performance. The Moto X Style currently runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, but there is a 6.0 Marshmallow update on the horizon. However, the Moto X Style comes almost as close to a pure version of Android as Google’s own. That’s because
there’s zero bloatware. Motorola uses Google’s own apps for music, movie and photo playback, with only a handful of tweaks to enhance the experience. Moto Voice (Motorola’s own voice assistant) uses Google’s search engine to execute commands, while Attentive Display cleverly notices when you’re not looking at the screen to save the battery. It’s a nice alternative to Marshmallow’s Doze feature, which stops apps from sapping up battery life when the screen is turned off. There are also some nifty features such as flicking your wrist twice to quickly open the camera app, and Moto Display, where you wave your hand over the screen to peek at notifications. But the best part is that Motorola never forces you to use any of these features, instead it gives you the option to jazz up the Android experience. Our review sample fails to recognise “OK Google”, so Moto Voice is a handy alternative for voice commands. It understands our voice perfectly, although Apple’s Siri is slightly quicker. Keeping features trimmed means the Moto X Style is no slouch when it comes to the interface, giving you that buttery-smooth performance of a top-notch Android. Under the hood, there’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with 3GB of RAM helping things run as smoothly as possible. Multi-tasking, playing games and opening apps are swiftly done, with barely a lag in sight.
Battle of the batteries
The Moto X Style packs a decent 3000mAh battery to handle its big-screen needs. It lasts eight and a half hours in our standard battery-drain test (a 720p video on loop at half brightness). While light users may be able to make it last until the end of the day, we find ourselves reaching for the charger in the afternoon. It doesn’t last as long as Samsung Edge+ or the Nexus 6P, but it does come with a Turbo Power charger, which will take you from zero to 20 per cent power in 10 minutes flat. Motorola claims its 21MP camera is one of the best in the business, promising better low-light snaps, faster
BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
focus, faster capture and improved colour reproduction. You can also shoot videos in Ultra HD 4K. The front 5MP camera has a trick up its sleeve, too: it has its own flash. It’s there to help minimise noise in low-light conditions, which is sure to spruce up your selfies. For the most part, the Moto X Style’s camera works admirably. The shutter is near instantaneous, employing a ‘tap anywhere on screen’ policy to focus and take a picture in one go. You can drag the focus wheel around and adjust the exposure any way you want, resulting in photos that are bright, sharply in focus, full of vibrant colour and not as overblown or warm-hued as pictures taken on a Google Nexus 6P. Whites, though, aren’t as clean and stark as on photos taken with an iPhone 6S Plus, which also does a better job of conveying a sense of black depth.
16, 32, 64GB – plus microSD
If you’re going to shoot HDR photos and 4K videos, you’ll want to make sure you have enough storage on board. The Moto X Style comes in 16, 32 and 64GB variants, but you can expand its storage up to 128GB thanks to a microSD slot hidden in the SIM tray at the top.
Considering many flagship smartphones are doing away with the microSD slot, it’s sure to keep the Moto X Style popular with storage hunters. It’s also quite the bargain. While the Google Nexus 6P holds the affordability crown among flagships, the Moto X Style isn’t far behind, with the 32GB model available for ₨31,999 or less online. That price will inevitably go up with storage options and choice of finishes, but it’s a terrific big-screen deal considering the iPhone 6S Plus starts at ₨57,999.
The Motorola Moto X Style is a pleasant surprise, its talented screen and enjoyable music performance making it more than just a style statement. This smartphone may not have the premium feel of the Samsung or Apple flagships, but we like how comfortable it feels to hold, how easy it is to use and how affordable it is compared with its rivals. Motorola’s enhancements to the Android operating system make the Moto X Style more fun to use than Google’s own Nexus 6P. And that’s high praise indeed. With custom designs, affordable price and exciting performance, we think the Moto X Style is a smartphone many will enjoy.
says
RATING ★★★★ ★ SCREEN SOUND FEATURES
VERDICT An enjoyable smartphone with a solid big-screen performance and plenty of nifty customisable features
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 55
BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
MORE SCREEN, MORE
EDGY
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ ₨53,900 (32GB) FOR Lovely screen; premium build; great video performance
AGAINST Rather expensive; lack of expandable storage
It’s been a good year for Samsung Mobile. After a few years of falling short of the competition, everything seems to have come together in the Galaxy S6, with plastic and faux leather replaced by metal and glass, and backed up by a performance that can’t be argued with. The S6 put Samsung back on the flagship map, then, but its curvier sibling, the S6 Edge, has been the surprise hit of 2015. Far from a gimmick, it instead delivers excellent performance alongside dashing good looks, winning the full five stars in the process. Its popularity shows that people are prepared to pay a premium for a really good-looking phone, and Samsung can’t make them quick enough to supply demand. Now, Samsung has decided the S6 Edge is worthy of a screen boost, delivering the Edge experience to those looking for a larger display. The result is the Galaxy S6 Edge+, and the good news for big-screen fans is it’s every bit as good as its smaller sibling.
Whether you’re streaming video online or watching downloaded movies, the picture on the S6 Edge+ certainly won’t disappoint.
It’s no slouch
Elsewhere, this is just a supersized version of the Edge. Of course you’re going to need slightly bigger pockets to accommodate its extra size (154 x 76 x 7mm), plus it’s around 20g heavier, but Samsung has nailed the screen-to-bezel ratio so it doesn’t feel big in your hand. In fact, it’s smaller than the iPhone 6 Plus – despite having a larger screen. We find it pretty easy to hold, but its size does mean some tasks will require two hands – even the biggest hands will struggle to stretch the thumb to the very top of the screen from the bottom. The premium glass and metal finish remains, with a choice of two colours at launch – black or the ever-popular gold.
“Whether streaming online or watching downloaded movies, the Samsung’s picture won’t disappoint”
AMOLED screen is a beauty
Since the screen is one of the biggest changes in the S6 Edge+, it seems a sensible place to start, with the jump in size from 5.1in to a Galaxy Notematching 5.7in the real headline change. The bright Quad HD Super AMOLED display remains, with a screen resolution of 2560 x 1440 with 518ppi (pixels per inch). This is a slight drop from the regular Edge at 577ppi, but it’s still higher than the likes of the iPhone 6 Plus (401ppi) by some margin. The drop in pixels per inch is ever so slightly noticeable, with a small loss of subtlety to images compared with the regular Edge. You’re getting a bigger screen in exchange though, and it’s still a gorgeously sharp and precise picture. Colours are rich and well judged, while blacks go deeper than you’ll find on the likes of the Apple or even last year’s Note 4. Skin-tones look natural, textures are portrayed with depth and believability, contrast is strong, whites doing well to really pierce through dark scenes. They can hold a slight bluey tinge to them off-axis, but that doesn’t take away from the overall experience. 56 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
★★ ★★ ★
KEY FEATURES
SCREEN SIZE: 5.7in
24/192 HI-RES AUDIO: YES
SCREEN RESOLUTION: 2560 X 1440
The unique curved-edge design is obviously a big feature here, but this time it’s a little more useful. As well as the People Edge UI, which displays favourite contacts down your ‘active’ edge with a swipe, there is also the Apps Edge. This is activated by swiping away from the edge twice, bringing up a selection of five customisable app shortcuts for easy access. We find it saves time over going to the homescreen and clicking a shortcut. The unibody design means there’s no microSD card slot, with onboard storage options available in 32 and 64GB varieties. That’s plenty for most, but power users will mourn the loss of the 128GB version on the original Edge. The S6 Edge+ keeps the same 64-bit octa-core Exynos 7420 chipset found in both the S6 and S6 Edge, but RAM has been upped to 4GB from 3GB to help keep thing running smoothly on the bigger screen.
And we have no complaints. Swiping through menus, launching apps or playing graphic-heavy games throws up no problems. You won’t be kept waiting when switching between windows, and webpages load without a stutter. The S6 Edge+ has received a suitable battery boost to help cope with that bigger screen, boasting a 3400mAh battery compared with the 3000mAh powerpack included on the Edge. We find we can get through a working day without needing to charge the phone, but it does of course depend on what you’re doing with it. Expect around 10 hours with a reasonable usage of browsing, music playing and gaming. As with the rest of the S6 family, the Edge+ benefits from Samsung’s fast-charging system, with the charger to make it possible included in the box. We managed to get to 19 per cent from empty in 10 minutes on charge, and a full charge took just under the advertised 90 minutes – two and a half times faster than the Galaxy S6. Wireless charging is also on board (you have to buy the charger separately) and is reportedly 33 per cent faster than the S6. A full charge takes a little longer at 120 minutes, but it’s still no slouch.
Hi-res music playback
The Galaxy S6 Edge+ offers highresolution music playback up to 24-bit/192kHz, and unsurprisingly, sounds much like its smaller sibling. Play anything with a bit of get-upand-go and there’s plenty of punch and attack to deliver an up-front and exciting performance. There’s no shortage of detail either, with insight to subtler tracks and the dynamic knowhow to uncover the differences between the soft and loud parts of tracks, not to mention the connection between them. It’s a refined sound, and tonally is pretty balanced – a little leaner than the likes of the iPhone 6. It could do with some more of the Apple’s rhythmic drive and expressive dynamics too. A new feature in the S6 Edge+ is the UHQ Upscaler, which Samsung promises is able to upscale MP3s to the quality of hi-res audio. In practice we find this function does very little to the sound of a track. It adds a touch more clarity,
BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
boosts volume and gives the treble slightly more bite, but at the expense of a little subtlety. It’s worth playing around with, but we’d leave the other processing modes well alone.
Same camera as on S6 Edge
The camera on the S6 Edge+ remains the same as that on the S6 and S6 Edge, offering 16MP with optical image stabilisation on the main camera and a 5MP wide-angle lens on the front-facing one. Both lenses offer f/1.9 aperture for good low-light shots and 4K video capture returns too at 30fps. It’s quick to launch from a double tap on the home button (0.7 seconds, if you’re interested), and that speed stays with the camera throughout, meaning you can fire shot after shot without delay. Results are great too – we keep it on auto mode for the majority of testing, automatically switching to HDR mode when needed, and it delivers good results in varying situations. Colours are true to life and there’s plenty of detail to images, even on zoomed-in shots. Bright sunlight can occasionally overexpose lighter details, but it’s largely reliable. Even low-light snaps fare well, delivering clear images with minimal noise.
Those wanting more control over their snaps can opt for the Pro manual mode, for tweaking things such as ISO, white balance and shutter speed. Other options include Selective Focus for a DSLR-like depth of field to your shots, and a Panorama option for wide landscapes. The S6 Edge+ also brings with it a few extra options, such as the Collage Video feature, which pieces together four six-second video clips into one collage, and a new Live Video streaming feature, which allows you to broadcast live to your contacts (either a selection or all of them) via a YouTube link. Only Full HD
footage benefits from optical image stabilisation – meaning 4K video goes without – while the slow-motion and fast-motion options will record only in a maximum of 720p. The overall premise of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is very simple – to bring a bigger screen to the Edge experience. There’s not a lot more to it, but that’s no bad thing – it’s still as desirable in both looks and performance, with a few additions that make sure the big screen offering is as good as the smaller one. It’s undeniably expensive, but if you have the budget, or can find a decent deal on contract, there’s no doubt that this is a brilliant performer.
says
RATING ★★★★★ SCREEN SOUND FEATURES
VERDICT This Samsung is a brilliant performer across most areas, making it a superb smartphone purchase
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 57
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ZU AUDIO BRINGS LIFELIKE SOUND BACK INTO THE LIVING ROOMS
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VERDICT BIG-SCREEN SMARTPHONES
TEST WINNER
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
T
he giant flagship smartphone competition is even fiercer than before, with Samsung and Apple locked in an endless game of oneupmanship. And neither Google nor Motorola can match them for picture and sound quality. The metal-clad Nexus 6P lets itself down with a relatively soft picture that loses out on contrast and clarity. Music performance is also less-than inspiring, lacking in precision, agility and a full-bodied performance. It’s a shame, as the Nexus 6P has never looked better. The Moto X Style, on the other hand, has more punch and clarity with video and music alike. However, an overly rich colour palette and the need for greater subtlety with music stops it from getting full marks.
Both incredibly desirable
The promise of pure Android will have many eyeing up the Nexus 6P, but we like Motorola’s clever little tweaks that enhance the Android experience further. They’re both decent smartphones for very decent prices, too, with each offering a storage option more affordable than those of the Edge+ and the 6S Plus. In the end it was always going to be a battle between Apple and Samsung. Both smartphones are at the top of their game, with superb performance wrapped up in stunningly finished designs. They’re incredibly desirable. The choice is simple if your loyalties lie with either Apple or Android. But in
pure performance terms, they’re oh-so-close. Apple’s screen is Full HD; Samsung’s is Quad HD. The sound quality from the Apple handset is remarkably precise, agile and insightful, but Samsung – the weaker of the two when it comes to sound – supports high-resolution audio. Apple’s performance is super-quick and smooth; Samsung’s is the same.
Makes your wallet weep
They both look gorgeous, but it’s Samsung’s stunning glass and metal design that keeps catching our eye. It’s stunning. The iPhone 6S Plus feels just a tad bulky in comparison.
“Samsung has taken huge strides to deliver a desirable smartphone” There’s also the matter of price, of course: the cost of Apple’s handsets is enough to make your wallet weep. And while the Samsung Edge+ is also on the pricey side, the few rupees between the two big screens could make all the difference. And so it has in this test. Samsung has taken huge strides to deliver a classy, elegant smartphone that is utterly desirable, and with its appealing picture quality and slick performance, the Edge+ wins out against the iPhone 6S Plus for its big-screen talents.
HOW THEY MEASURE UP
TEST WINNER
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
Google Nexus 6P
Motorola Moto X Style
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Screen size 5.5in • Resolution 1920 x 1080 • Dimensions 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm • Weight 192g • Storage 16GB, 64GB, 128GB • Expandable storage No • Battery 2750mAh • Camera Rear 12MP; Front 5MP • Fingerprint sensor Yes
Screen size 5.7in • Resolution 2560 x 1440 • Dimensions 159.4 x 77.8 x 7.3mm • Weight 178g • Storage 32GB, 64GB, 128GB • Expandable storage No • Battery 3450mAh • Camera Rear 12.3MP; Front 8MP • Fingerprint sensor Yes
Screen size 5.7in • Resolution 2560 x 1440 • Dimensions 153.9 x 76.2 x 11.1mm • Weight 179g • Storage 16GB, 32GB, 64GB • Expandable storage Up to 128GB • Battery 3000mAh Camera Rear 21MP; Front 5MP Fingerprint sensor No
Screen size 5.7in • Resolution 2560 x 1440 • Dimensions 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9mm • Weight 153g • Storage 32GB, 64GB • Expandable storage No • Battery 3000mAh • Camera Rear 16MP; Front 5MP Fingerprint sensor Yes
★ ★★★★
★★★
★ ★★★
★★★★★
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 59
WIRELESS SPEAKERS
G R O U P T E ST
PET SOUNDS
We want our music to be with us always. And that’s the beauty of these speakers. Each of this trio excels in a way the others can’t, but one has the all-round appeal to stand head and shoulders above the rest
60 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
THE HEART OF THE MATTER KEF Muo SOUND FEATURES BUILD
It’s the talent across the board that delights us here; articulacy, clarity, energy and rhythm all feature across a variety of music. Libratone Zipp SOUND FEATURES BUILD
Libratone puts the emphasis on flexibility, letting you connect up to six speakers via wi-fi and place them where you like in the house. Sony SRS-X88 SOUND FEATURES BUILD
That big, engrossing sound is one thing but, more than the others, the Sony also exudes the kind of build quality that signals real class.
RANGE OF WI-FI
KEF
10m
Libratone
10m
Sony
10m
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 61
WIRELESS SPEAKERS
? AUDIO PERFORMANCE
IT’S LOVELY
KEF Muo ₨35,000 FOR Clear, detailed, musical performance; build; looks
AGAINST Nothing of note
★★ ★ ★ ★
In 2008, KEF launched the high-end Muon speakers. They were limitededition aluminium towers, sculpted by industrial designer Ross Lovegrove, and they cost ₨1.4+ Crores per pair. Yikes! Thankfully, their pint-sized descendant is a lot more accessible. So it’s from high-end to bookend for the KEF Muo, a ₨35,000 portable wireless speaker. The Muo may be a lot cheaper than its inspiration, but the premium pedigree is immediately apparent. Lovegrove is on board again and he hasn’t strayed far from the original Muon design. That means the outer shell is mostly aluminium, which KEF says is inert and ideal for quashing unwanted vibrations.
‘Slimness’ is deceptive
The Muo’s wedge shape is not especially sleek, but a grille gives it the same sculpted hourglass aesthetic of the Muon. As far as portable wireless speakers go, this is one of the more attractive ones we’ve seen. It feels pretty tough, too, and its weight and structural integrity are consistent with something Colonel Mustard might use in the Library. It doesn’t have any waterproofing skills, however, which rules out taking the Muo to festivals or disastrous picnics. On the inside are two 5cm drivers and a bass radiator. The drivers are an unusual design where the diaphragm is a combination of dome and cone sections coupled with a flexible membrane. The idea is to emulate the behaviour and characteristics of KEF’s Uni-Q drivers in a simpler, more mechanical way.
KEY FEATURES
INPUTS: 3.5MM
BATTERY: YES, 12 HOURS
Top-grade Bluetooth
One of the key features here is Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX (superior Bluetooth if you have a compatible source), with a range of 10 metres. Pairing is swift, especially if you do it via NFC (near-field communication). You can pair with two KEF Muo units for a stereo configuration or a multi-room party mode. No Bluetooth? Then you can connect with a 3.5mm cable, though sadly that’s not included. Charging is via microUSB – a lovely braided cable included – and a full charge will give you around 12 hours of playback time. 62 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
NFC: YES
What about the audio performance? It’s lovely, that’s what. The KEF Muo is a versatile performer, capable of doing portable justice to the more demanding passages of Strauss’s Die Fledermaus and Prince’s Like A Mack alike. It brings an undeniable energy to the party.
A clear vision
The Muo’s performance is defined by clarity, tight timing and wide dynamics. Insight and panache is immediately apparent – an impression that never wavers as we switch from cheesy rock to commercial pop via cinematic soundtrack (Kiss, Taylor Swift and Star Wars, in case you’re wondering). This little thing is hugely musical. Considering the box is only a touch over 20cm long, it creates a good sense of space. Even so, there’s no getting away from the size of the thing and, as such, you shouldn’t expect it to rock the room. But what the KEF Muo lacks in scale and brute force it makes up for with articulacy. Small wireless speakers all too often sound cramped and confused, but this is not one of those occasions. Musical elements are well organised and given space to breathe. Even during the more
chaotic pieces – anything by Atoms For Peace, for example – it is never a struggle to make out various textures and polyrhythms. The KEF Muo can be used horizontally or vertically, and an internal sensor claims to optimise the sound based on its orientation. We prefer the sound when the unit is placed horizontally, as it feels more balanced and focused. It also benefits from the speaker’s rubber feet, which helpfully angle the speaker upwards a little. Well done, KEF. We think very highly of the Muo, which offers excellent Bluetooth sound alongside ease of use and designer looks. If you want affordable portable sound with a touch of luxury, look this way.
says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★ SOUND FEATURES BUILD
VERDICT Great, easily accessible portable sound with a touch of luxury and flair built in
WIRELESS SPEAKERS
TATION A RATHER HEADY REPU
Libratone Zipp ₨39,900 (Approx.) FOR Full-bodied sound; neat design; multi-room options
AGAINST Lacking some drive; slightly cluttered presentation
★★ ★ ★
Even for us, we thought, it’s a tad uncouth to anthropomorphise a wireless speaker you can unzip. Besides, what impressed us so much about the original Libratone Zipp, to which we awarded five stars three years ago, was not its colourful anorak but its performance. That’s how it became the company’s best-selling product to date and the one upon which it built its now rather heady reputation.
opening number Fiery Crash are creamily smooth, while the pizzicato strings of Imitosis are solid and steer well clear of sharpness. As ever, that body pays dividends with vocals, too: Bird’s voice is strong and purposeful without sacrificing its laid-back charm. There’s a good amount of well-organised detail here. The beginning of Plasticities, for example, with its plucked violins, organ, electric guitar and glockenspiel, is rhythmically coherent and airy.
Similar, but different
The new Zipp works on the same principle: it’s an upright, cylindrical design, devised to output 360-degree sound. That’s serviced by an integrated digital Class D amplifier, feeding a claimed 100W into a 10cm woofer. The low-end is tuned by a pair of similarly sized passive radiators. Two 25mm tweeters take care of the highs, aided by a 360deg reflector for dispersion. Input is more or less as you’d like – wi-fi, AirPlay, DLNA, Bluetooth, 3.5mm jack or USB – and the Zipp is willing to take on board high-res audio up to 24-bit/96kHz. If you don’t have your own digital music library, Libratone has added Spotify Connect and it’s also Apple Music-ready. You can store up to five of your favourite Internet radio stations – all controlled via the Libratone app. Most impressive as far as the company is concerned, however, is its new SoundSpaces Link. It is essentially Libratone’s take on multi-room, launched with the Zipp and its sibling the Zipp Mini, with nothing having to be set in place.
Energy levels
KEY FEATURES
Responding to demand
“Today’s consumers expect their sound to be ever-present, portable and flexible,” says Libratone CEO Jan McNair. So the new Zipp lets you connect up to six speakers via wi-fi and place them anywhere. It’s a tidy concept. As you may have noticed, the Zipp is no longer furry. There’s some debate, but we generally agree that the new mesh fabric makes the speaker look classier. And, Libratone claims, it helps the sound come through more cleanly. The rest is still plastic, which doesn’t make it feel as premium as some
INPUTS: 3.5MM; USB
BATTERY: YES, 10 HOURS
NFC: NO
competitors but at 1.5kg, down from 1.8kg, it is even lighter and more portable than last time. And the touch-sensitive dial is nice to use, with a handy ‘hush’ feature. Playing Andrew Bird’s Armchair Apocrypha album, the first thing we hear is how well the Zipp disperses the sound. This isn’t the loudest wireless speaker in this price bracket, but few spread the music so well – the result of the 360-degree reflector. You’d still need more than one to stoke a party, but you could position them almost anywhere. It’s a warm, full-bodied sound as well. The mid-heavy guitars and organ of
Changing tack with At The Drive-In’s Relationship Of Command album, the Zipp is quite capable of keeping up with the energetic rhythms. We’d like more drive, though. It’s not that the Zipp lacks feeling – it is satisfyingly expressive – but there is a slight shortage of impetus and punch. That isn’t entirely helped by quite a cluttered soundfield either, one that’s slightly more tightly tucked in than we’d like. Parts you’d like to hear can get lost when textures become congested, although the Zipp’s rhythmical sense and ability to bring melody to the front manage to keep its head above water. Undoubtedly the new Zipp is a success and a worthy sequel that proves this concept has the legs to keep up with a flourishing market. It probably doesn’t stand out as much as its predecessor, given the sudden ubiquity of wireless speakers at this price point, but its talents give Zipp the younger every chance of being as successful.
says
RATING ★★★★ ★ SOUND FEATURES BUILD
VERDICT The new Zipp is a step on from its predecessor, only marginally falling short when compared with class leaders
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 63
WIRELESS SPEAKERS
FEROCIOUS BUT ORGA
NISED
Sony SRS-X88 ₨28,482 (Approx.) FOR Spacious, detailed sound; bass weight; multi-room use
AGAINST Top rivals sound warmer and better rhythmically
★★ ★ ★
When we were children, this is probably what we thought things would look like in the future: robotic chrome, straight lines, blinking lights. That we also thought those things would be able to fly is rather beside the point. Regardless, the Sony SRS-X88 has plenty of other features that would have boggled our infant minds. Essentially, this is a pretty clued-up piece of wireless kit, heavily focused on delivering highresolution audio. For that, Sony has its own Big Three: the S-Master HX amplifier, which it claims will reduce distortion and noise; its Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, which upscales compressed files to nearer high-resolution quality (the SRS-X88 is happy to play AAC, WMA, AIFF, ALAC, DSD, WAV, MP3 and FLAC); and ClearAudio+, which Sony says optimises audio for clarity and separation.
Muscular inside and out And the SRS-X88’s stature, brawny and stout, hints at the set of drivers you’ll find behind its grille. Sony has armed it with a pair of 20mm soft-dome tweeters and two 4cm magnetic fluid mid-range drivers, sandwiching a 7cm subwoofer and a dual passive bass radiator. Generous indeed, as is the range of connections at its rear: USB types A and B, LAN and 3.5mm line in, as well as input for your mains adaptor. Yes; unlike the KEF and Libratone the Sony is mains-powered, so if you’re looking for portability, it’s out of the running here. Wirelessly, it will cope with Bluetooth (whose quality is claimed to be enhanced by Sony’s LDAC technology), AirPlay, wi-fi and DLNA. Google Cast and Spotify Connect are on board too. As we said: plenty of features. Rather a doddle to use, as well. Even if you don’t want to take advantage of its NFC one-touch pairing facility, connection is quick and hassle-free. It’s compatible with Sony’s SongPal app, too, which allows you to control music on various sources as well as build a multi-room system.
Music to match We want to feel the full weight of the Sony’s stock, so begin by playing Queens Of The Stone Age’s Songs For The Deaf. And wallop. You Think I Ain’t Worth A Dollar, But I Feel Like A Millionaire, bursts through like a kick in the teeth.
KEY FEATURES
INPUTS: 3.5MM; LAN; USB-A; USB-B
BATTERY: NO
NFC: YES
We are immediately made aware of how quickly the SRS-X88 goes from 0 to 60. It’s ferocious, but organised: while some competitors might let the guitars meld behind Nick Oliveri’s searing screams, this Sony keeps them working together but stationed apart on its generously sized soundstage. It leaves breathing space in that sense, but also dynamically there is another gear into which it can slip for fuzz-drenched guitar ornamentals.
Close analysis Most importantly, though, there is intensity. The sound isn’t only loud and spacious, it really feels like it’s trying to get somewhere. Take the frenetic drive of First It Giveth or Go With The Flow: there’s a movement in these songs that this speaker manages to capture where many struggle. There is only so much analysis a speaker such as this can offer but, as the drum kit is laid almost bare during the intro of A Song For The Dead, you can hear the modest size of space in which it was recorded. We draw back a little with Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois and are greeted by a sound not only as spacious as before, but capable of great delicacy as well. There is still impetus, but the SRS-X88 manages not to be heavy-handed with it. There is a good
amount of overall depth, thanks to that subwoofer and dual bass radiator, but we’d like that to support the midrange with a little more body and warmth. Libratone’s Zipp hits the spot more accurately here. Our only other caveat is that the SRS-X88 is sometimes left a little wanting rhythmically. With Shye Ben-Tzur’s Tawhid, for example, it sometimes gets slightly tongue-tied, thus making the oft-changing Eastern rhythms of this ethereal guitar song difficult to decipher. It doesn’t detract from our enjoyment of the rest of the sound, but the KEF Muo clearly has the edge here. Nonetheless, we like this speaker a lot, not least because of its sophisticated design and bold, spacious sound. It doesn’t trouble the KEF overall, but it shows the Libratone Zipp how to really party.
Says
RATING ★★★★ ★ SOUND FEATURES BUILD
VERDICT You’ll know when someone’s switched on a Sony SRS-X88: it has a sound befitting its muscular stature
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 65
VERDICT WIRELESS SPEAKERS
TEST WINNER
KEF Muo ₨35,000 ★ ★★ ★ ★
I
t isn’t terribly easy constructing a fair group test involving a recent Award winner. As the KEF Muo attained its crown as a portable wireless speaker, we knew a tussle with the mains-powered Sony SRS-X88 and the expectation-heavy Libratone Zipp would at least provide variety. That it does, but in all honesty the KEF’s superiority is immediately apparent. Sony offers us the weight and drive suggested by its muscular physique. The heavier the music, the more the SRS-X88 appears to thrive – its airy soundstage and smart organisation allow breathing space for the most cluttered arrangements. The Zipp has a less spacious sound, but spreads it intelligently in all directions. Despite its 360-degree dispersion, it loses no focus – vocals in particular are expressive, full-bodied and direct. Its versatile multi-room function is also undoubtedly to its credit, but it is the most expensive of the lot here.
SYSTEM BUILDER
STREAMING SERVICE Apple Music
An attractive interface and a strong catalogue of quality sound – more than enough to recommend without any hesitation
SMARTPHONE APPLE iPHONE 6S from ₨45,499
It’s not just about the terrific sound the iPhone offers; the 6S is the slickest and most intuitive version yet
But neither has the articulacy, clarity or rhythm of the Muo. We’ve spent a long time now with this speaker, and continue to be impressed by its level of detail and energy. Though limited by its modest shell in terms of space and frequency range – it won’t rock your kitchen top like the SRS-X88 – you’d still believe, eyes closed, that you were listening to something larger.
Secure at the top
In fact, despite having spent so much time with the KEF, we’re still waiting for a game-changing product to highlight any notable weakness with it at this price. So more than still being good value for its portable wireless speaker Award, the Muo is now beginning to fend off some of its heavier-set, mains-powered competitors as well. It perhaps isn’t as technologically versatile as the Zipp or muscular as the SRS-X88, but in terms of overall sound quality, this was a pretty routine victory.
HOW THEY MEASURE UP KEF Muo ₨35,000 ★★★★★
TEST WINNER Dimensions (hwd) 8 x 21 x 6cm Weight 0.8kg
Libratone Zipp ₨39,900 (Approx.) ★★★★
Sony SRS-X88 ₨28,482 (Approx.) ★★★★
Dimensions (height and diameter) 26 x 12cm Weight 1.5kg
Dimensions (hwd) 11 x 36 x 10cm Weight 2.7kg
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 67
FEBRUARY 2016
TEMPTATION EXPENSIVE, YES. BUT YO
U KNOW YOU WANT ON
E
Final Sonorous X HEADPHONES ₨₨NA
“Close to state-of-theart – in some areas” FOR Impressive bass authority; full-bodied midrange; refinement; pleasing resolution
I
f first impressions count, then Final has got things nailed with its rangetopping headphones, the Sonorous X. They arrive in an immaculately made fur-lined wooden box, and the first physical impression lives up to the packaging thanks to the combination of stainless steel, leather, and aluminium earcups covered in gold leaf. Blingy, maybe, but there’s no denying the solidity. They feel sturdy enough to last a lifetime, but they’re not flawless. Some metalwork isn’t as well finished as we’d hope for, with rough edges where the headband meets the earcups. At 630g, the Xs are heavy too. Heavy enough for us to feel a marked sense of relief every time we finished a long listening session. That’s despite a wide, well padded headband and soft, comfortable earpads. Detachable cable fits into the earpiece housing with lockable collars: just push and twist to secure
68 www.whathifi.com
AGAINST Sound lacks some drive and dynamic nuance; heavy; imperfect finish; price Great Great noise-blockers They’re an over-ear design, chunky enough to look large on almost anyone wearing them. Those earpads seal wonderfully though; with the hefty build that means these ’phones are great at blocking environmental noise. Inside you’ll find a 50mm titanium driver integrated into an aluminium front plate. The design’s impedance is claimed to be 16 ohms and maximum SPL is quoted at an ample 105dB. You’ll need a top-class source and amplification to justify Sonorous Xs, at a minimum something like Chord’s Hugo and a Mac with quality media-playing software. Anything below 16-bit/44.1kHz CD quality should be avoided.
Astonishing depth Give these headphones a few days to run in and it becomes clear that in certain respects they’re brilliant. We don’t think we’ve heard a pair of cans sound so authoritative. Listen to a piece of music loaded with bass information, like Massive Attack’s Angel, and the Xs deliver lows of astonishing depth and power. The song’s growling bass is thumped out with grip and agility, and low-end weight comparable to some of the biggest speakers. It’s not all low frequency muscle either. There’s plenty of texture too, rendering the double bass on Miles Davis’s So What as convincingly as we’ve heard. Move to large-scale dynamics and things stay positive. The ‘phones have plenty of reach on material like Tchaikovsky’s Marché Slave Op.31. Here the Xs exhibit
★★ ★✩✩ TECH SPECS Type Over-ear, closed • Wireless No • Surround sound No • Weight 630g • Connectors 3.5mm, 6.3mm • Cable length 1.5m, 3m
rich tonality, refinement and stability regardless of musical complexity. There’s more good news in the full-bodied midrange performance and insightful highs. The Xs dig up a lot of detail in vocal-based material such as Jill Scott’s Quick – but all is not perfect. Presentation is fluid, but we’re not fully convinced by the finesse. We miss the nuances in Scott’s voice, the low-level dynamic shifts that communicate emotion. The likes of Grado’s PS500s are better at revealing the attitude in this song. Material such as this shows up a lack of drive too. These headphones don’t communicate the changing momentum of music that well, or make the most of a hard-charging rhythm track. The result is a notable drop in entertainment levels. The Sonorous Xs are impressive in many ways. They’re close to state of the art in some areas, particularly when it comes to rendering the substance and body behind a voice or instrument. We’re also taken with their refinement and ability to deliver a terrific amount of insight into recordings. But we can’t overlook their shortcomings.
Says
RATING ★★ ★ ★ ★ SOUND BUILD FEATURES
VERDICT Excellent in many respects but don’t have the talent to justify their hefty price tag
The Xs dig up a lot of detail in vocal-based material, but they’re not perfect. We miss the dynamic shifts that communicate emotion
The leather, stainless steel and gold-leaf covered aluminium build is reflected in the Sonorous Xs’ price
Februarywww.whathifi.com 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 69 69
HOW TO...
URN THIS...
DIGITISE YOUR VINYL
FROM THIS...
...INTO THIS
They might not be considered cutting-edge tech, but for their look and feel, the cover art and easily readable sleeve notes – not to mention an exquisitely fluid analogue sound – you can’t beat vinyl. The only thing your record collection lacks is portability, but now you can take those LPs with you wherever you go…
70 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
H O W TO. . . D I G I T I S E YO U R V I N Y L
A DIGITAL REVOLUTION
W
e love records. We adore almost everything about them – their look, their feel, the large-scale cover art and easily readable sleeve notes. Most of all, we can’t get enough of their wonderfully fluid analogue sound. There’s just something about an immaculate record played back on a good record player that even the best of digital still struggles to match, let alone better. But in many situations – whether it’s listening to your iPhone or computer, or if you’ve made a move towards streaming – records just won’t do. There is always the option of buying the music again in file form (and some vinyl reissues come with download codes), but if you’ve already bought it once, the idea of paying for the same music again may not appeal. It’s also possible that older recordings may not have made the transition to digital anyway. That’s when digitising your vinyl becomes essential. But don’t expect making a copy of your vinyl to be as fuss-free as ripping your CDs. It isn’t. CDs are easy. Pop them into the disc drive of your computer and rip away. Records require a bit more work – but the results are worth it.
level or that there’s enough oil in the main bearing can make all the difference to the performance. Check your cartridge too. Is the tip free of fluff? Are the tracking force and bias adjusted correctly? These simple things can help produce a better-sounding recording. In stark contrast to the few seconds that ripping a typical track from CD takes, vinyl can only be recorded in real time. If a song lasts five minutes, that’s how long it will take to record. So take your time. Make sure the player isn’t jogged during the recording, and keep the playback volume low to reduce any degradation of sound caused by feedback from the speakers. Also make sure your records are spotless and dust-free. Ideally, they should be brand new and unused straight from the sleeve, but we understand that’s not practical in most cases. Please note: any hisses, clicks and pops will be recorded along with the music. While such sounds may – if they’re not too excessive – add character to vinyl playback, people tend to be less forgiving of such noises from a digital source. You can buy software to edit such sounds but it’s a time-consuming process, and if you’ve been overzealous all that additional processing may spoil the recording.
What do you need? There are numerous hardware configurations, but the basic building blocks are: a turntable (of course), a phono stage, an analogue-todigital converter with USB output, and a computer with suitable recording software. It seems complex, but the system can be simplified. There are many turntables on the market with a phono stage, analogue-to-digital converter and USB out built-in. Usually referred to as USB turntables, these are a convenient way to get music on vinyl into your computer. The downside is that most tend to be at the budget end of the market and concentrate merely on getting the job done rather than doing it particularly well. Simply put, your recordings won’t necessarily reflect the quality of sound possible from your records. If you already have a turntable, the best option is to buy a decent USB phono stage. We like the Rega fono mini A2D and there are decent affordable alternatives from the likes of Pro-ject too. Such units pack phono stage, analogue-to-digital converter and USB output in one neat box. Assuming you have a computer, you need some recording software. There are many on the market, some specifically designed for recording vinyl. Channel D’s Pure Vinyl comes in at the top end and offers a great deal of flexibility. It features built-in phono equalisation, for example, so you can feed the turntable’s output straight into the computer without needing a phono stage in the signal path. There
All in the details
EASY DOES IT To convert vinyl into digital, you’ll need a three-part system with record player, analogueto-digital converter and computer with software
are also powerful editing functions to help optimise the recording. It’s great, but the downside is a price of around US$299 – although a free 15-day trial offer is available. A more affordable alternative is VinylStudio. This includes many of the features of Pure Vinyl, including built-in RIAA equalisation, but costs just $30 (around ₨2000). For many people, even this may be a step too far. If that’s the case, we recommend Audacity software. It’s free and does a good enough job. At first the interface looks pretty complicated, and some of the editing functions take a while to figure out, but spend some time getting familiar with it and it works well.
Care and patience will be rewarded Before you start recording, make sure your deck is working optimally. If you haven’t checked its set-up for a while it’s worth doing so. Little things such as whether it’s sitting
What format should you record in? Storage is affordable so we’d be tempted to go down the high-resolution route. 24-bit/96kHz is the norm for many studios and seems a good compromise between quality and memory space used. WAV, AIFF or FLAC? It doesn’t matter so much as long as the kit you normally use is compatible. CD music or music files usually have metadata built in. In the case of music files this includes album art plus track information. Records don’t have this, so the information has to be entered in manually. The process is fairly tedious, especially if you’ve recorded a large quantity of music, but it’s essential, to make it easy to locate tracks once they’re in your computer’s music folder. Your computer won’t recognise individual tracks, so you’ll have to stop recording when you’ve finished recording each one. Tracks that flow into each other are an issue too. Mark these for gapless playback or you’ll have a few seconds of silence where there shouldn’t be. Once you’re done, it would be a right pain if a computer or NAS malfunction caused the data to be corrupted or lost. Ensure you have at least one back-up of your digital music library, two is even better. After going to all that effort to record your vinyl, it would be a shame if you had to do it all again. And the final stage? Sit back and enjoy. February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 71
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FEBRUARY 2016
OFF THE SHELF REFERENCE SYSTEM
We use only the best ingredients in the making of this magazine. This in-house system helps us to evaluate incoming products with more insight and accuracy, so you always get the best tests!
Denon AVR-X7200W
Dolby Atmos out of the box and an upgrade to Auro 3D on its way, this is the most future-proof AVR we could get our hands on, yet.
Arcam D33 DAC / UDP-411 BD/SACD Player
Capable of full high-resolution 24-bit/192kHz processing and SACD playback, this duo is state-of-art audio/video decoding
BlueSound Vault
All our CDs and music get stored and served by this elegant solution from the boys at NAD
Mark Levinson No. 585
An integrated amplifier with (almost) no equal, this 200 w/pc dual mono design is the pinnacle of cutting-edge tech along with a 32-bit DAC onboard for added ammo!
PMC Twenty Series speakers
AudioQuest cables
Using the Twenty.26 as mains, Twenty.C for centre, DB1 Gold and Wafer 1 for surrounds, this speaker suite is the ideal blend of neutrality and musicality
Working truthfully between the various components, the DBSequipped line of cables and interconnects helps us see and hear without any anomalies
REL S5 Subwoofer
The cleanest and fastest way to add real weight and dynamics to our system was to introduce the brilliant S5 to the music and multichannel mix. A true legend
Also part of the system: Samsung 75H6400 LED TV, Apple Mac Mini, Audirvana Music Player, JBL Synthesis S800 power amp, Definitive Trinity Signature subwoofer
OFF THE SHELF
Parasound HINT Integrated stereo amp ₨2,22,000
Serving up a buffet FOR Detailed and powerful sound, superb connectivity Possessing a virtually spotless reputation, Parasound has been prized for its audiophile-friendly products on a relatively low budget. Having reviewed the JC-1 mono blocks a while ago, we have no reason to doubt legendary amplifier designer John Curl’s ability to churn out great sound at any price. But as surprising as it is, Parasound has rarely done full-size integrated amps. The HINT, or simply, the Halo Integrated Amplifier is a first of its kind, and on paper alone, it manages to trounce every competitor by a mile. More connectivity, more flexibility and more components packed into one chassis gives it the necessary head start it needs to be a winner. Sporting a 160w/ch John Curldesigned power amp, full-featured preamp with an analog crossover, phono inputs and a DAC using the top-of-the-line ESS Sabre32 Reference chipset, this amp rapidly starts looking like a bargain based on its spec sheet alone. Since it is a part of the Halo line, it shares the same aesthetics as the rest of the range and it’s mostly around the back where the differences will be more obvious. Both the main Pre-out and the dedicated Sub-out have their own variable crossovers that can be tweaked between 40Hz-120Hz, making subwoofer integration blues a thing of the past. The only gripe we have is that the controls are at the back, so you better install this amp where the rear panel is easily
76 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
AGAINST Depth and finesse a tad on the shorter side accessible and brightly lit. While we’re on the topic of the back, may we add that it’s an ample one. Balanced ins and outs, optical/coaxial/USB digital inputs, 5 single-ended analog inputs and a theatre bypass with two subwoofer inputs, it’s everything but the proverbial kitchen sink in here. Parasound claims it has spent an
It manages to flatter even less than perfect recordings with its full-bodied delivery and will drive almost any loudspeaker obscene amount of time reducing distortion in this Class A/AB design and the dual mono block design only aids in elevating the performance to beyond a normal integrated amp's capability. Ergonomically, there are some differentiators like the dedicated colourcoded mute button, front panel subwoofer level control, tone bypass on the remote control as well as the front panel, headphone and aux 3.5mm jacks on the front panel and more. We fed some hi-res music files directly from our Mac Mini into the HINT, starting with Alan Parson's classic Mammagamma and the resulting sound was punchy, powerful and detailed but lacking a bit in depth. So,
we decided to let the amplifier settle and break in for a few days. And change it did. The slight brittleness on the top end faded away and the instruments gathered more texture around them. For its price, the HINT was punching above its weight but compared with our reference Mark Levinson No. 585, it did emit more background noise and wasn't as controlled in the LF. But then, it's also a quarter of the Levinson's price, so it's not really fair to compare. In its own right, the HINT provides plenty of positives to write home about. Its integration with a top-class home-theatre system is second to none, especially with subwoofers added to the mix. It manages to flatter even less than perfect recordings with its full-bodied delivery and will drive almost any loudspeaker without breaking a sweat. London Grammar's Strong sounds rich and intricate, with the bass lines keeping perfect time with the piano during the intro while the vocals are appropriately kept floating in space. There will be room for improvement by adding an external DAC of your choice that could be tweaked with different filters. But as a stand-alone, one-piece unit, the HINT hits at the sweet spot that will provide music lovers the performance that comes dangerously close to the dynamics of a pre/power combo.
Says VERDICT This isn't a compromised product in any way. Great value for your rupee!
TECH SPECS Power 160 watts x 2 (8 ohms) Signal/ noise ratio A-weighted: line in, 103dB Analog Inputs 5 x RCA, 1 x XLR, 2 x Subwoofer Digital Inputs Optical, coaxial, USB Dimensions (WHD) 17 x 5.9 x 16.1in Weight 15kgs
OFF THE SHELF
Roth Bar 2 LX Soundbar ₨29,990
Time to hit the bar FOR Wireless capabilities, design and looks TV screens are getting thinner and overall, the audio quality leaves a lot to be desired. Which is why, it would be nice to channel audio through a separate speaker system that will thrill you with full-blown, room-shaking sound. Therein is another problem, your living room, which is low on space. Which is why it would be wise to invest in a soundbar rather than a discreet multi-channel sound system. This one from Roth Audio, supports aptX Bluetooth streaming and is partnered with a wireless sub. The Roth BAR 2LX delivers 120W of sound output and powers four full-range drivers. But we know you need that bit of bang when you watch movies or listen to music and for that, the wireless subwoofer aims to impress. While the soundbar itself can be placed under the TV, on a table or wall-mounted, you can place the wireless sub up to 30-feet from the soundbar. Apart from supporting Bluetooth-ready devices, stereo RCA analogue and optical digital inputs are provided as well. The sub offers a small footprint that should help you tuck it away in a corner. There is not much to do when it comes to setting up the device, all you need to do is connect the sub to the unit via Bluetooth and then connect both to the source. All done in a few minutes. We first hooked the device to our iPad and played FLAC files
AGAINST Average sonic detail, subwoofer lacks punch via VLC. We got things rolling with The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness, a beautifully produced and performed album and straightaway things did not impress. Audio lacked definition and bass lacked the kick-in-the-gut type of attack. As the instruments join the party, there is very little sense of involvement when you listen to your favourite tracks. We played bass-heavy EDM tracks too, to
With a power rating of 120 watts the Roth Bar 2LX can get loud enough for a 100 square-feet room check if it will redeem itself here, but that was not to be. If at all, the system handled vocals decently and that was about it. With a power rating of 120 watts, the Roth Bar 2LX can get loud enough for a 100 square-feet room, but what we were looking for was detail and an involving soundstage. Two things that the unit tries hard to achieve, but fails. We have heard budget systems that sound better and cost much lower. The wireless capability is the only thing that has enticed us about this system so far. We moved on to movies next, playing it off the PS3 attached to the telly, Blu-ray discs were the media format of choice. We started with Avengers: Age of Ultron and in
the opening scene with explosions going off all over the place and debris being blown over, any decent speaker will have you crouched for cover, pulling you inside the movie. Well, that doesn't happen here. While the sub helps you to get into the thick of things, it does not impress one bit. Explosions sound dull and boomy. This is a common problem with a lot of wireless subs which emanates from small drivers and phase incoherency caused by delay in the wireless connectivity. The soundbar itself doesn't help reclaim any honour as dialogues lack punch and transients lack detail. Think of it like having to eat a pancake without maple syrup on it. It just doesn’t hit the sweet spot. The way we see it, ₨29,990 can get you other options such as the Onkyo Envision Cinema LS-T10 which retails for about ₨25,988 and the Yamaha YAS-103 which sells for roughly ₨27,000. You should probably give them a listen before putting your money down for this one, if at all. Easy setup is probably the only good thing about the Roth system, along with the fact that it looks stylish and elegant enough for any decor. For achieving home-theatre nirvana, you should look elsewhere.
Says VERDICT The Roth Bar 2LX tries to impress but fails due to lack of sonic detail
TECH SPECS Drivers 4 full-range drivers, Frequency Response 30~20,000Hz Inputs Bluetooth aptX, RCA Analogue Stereo (TV, Audio device) Optical Input (Toslink) Dimensions (WHD) BAR: 940 x 50 x 75mm, SUB: 154 x 270 x 261mm Weight 5.6kgs
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 77
OFF THE SHELF
Jaybird X2 Wireless In-ear headphones ₨15,999
Eye of the Tiger FOR Secure fit; perfect for workouts; battery life Simply put, this is a no-nonsense headphone and it’s here to mean business. Designed to be the perfect audio companion for workouts or any form of physical activity, the Jaybird X2 looks every part for the bit. Just a list of the X2’s features is proof enough of the amount of thought and research put in by the good folks at Jaybird to make sure that this is the only workout headphone you’ll ever need. The X2 comes with a total of six eartips, three silicon and three eartips designed in collaboration with Comply, specially for the X2. The patented ‘Secure Fit’ sports ear
AGAINST Bass could have a bit more volume; expensive cushions sure do provide a secure fit. Charging the X2 from the cable provided in the box takes about two hours tops. You can wear it normally, under-ear or loop it over the
You can wear it normally, under-ear or loop it over the ear for a virtually wire-free fit ear for a virtually wire-free fit – a blessing during workouts. A lifetime warranty against sweat, ‘Signal Plus’ technology that makes sure streaming from the audio device is a
Denon Envaya Mini DSB-100 Portable music player ₨12,500
Slim and heavy FOR Good detail with few parts; robust with good timing With slim and sleek looks, the Envaya Mini looks rather trendy. The build quality is good too – it feels robust, and splash-proof, making it ideal for festivals, parties or sitting by the pool. We ease the Mini in with Patrick Wolf’s Wolf Song, and it’s a performer, just like it’s predecessor. The wind opening is melodic and full, and the warmth of the violin and ukulele suits the magical woodland atmosphere. Wolf’s voice sounds natural, aided by the sound of the room that seems to be brought forward – here, this works well.
AGAINST Lack of composure with busy textures; distorted dynamics For the size and price, the sound is remarkably smooth and full. It is clearly defined and musical at low levels, and it doesn’t become harsh when you turn up the
Clearly defined and musical at low levels, and it doesn’t become harsh when you turn up the volume volume. Unfortunately, the bass sounds podgy, to the extent that it can smear the other instruments. Too much weight in the
breeze, among other features make the X2 seem impressive. We start off with Bonobo’s First Fires for the warm-up. The intro chimes in beautifully. It excels in clarity with hardly any congestion as the track progresses. The bass, though not very detailed, is definitely not muddy. Vocals are warm and the overall output is lush with appreciable imaging and depth. Up next, Free Tibet by the Hilight Tribe for some running, and the X2 is right there with you. The fit is great, the delivery is perfect for the workout and though there isn’t total sound isolation, we think it is sufficient enough to let the music set the mood while keeping you aware of the going-ons around you. Important, given that we do live in a country where you have to look both ways to cross a one-way street. With a battery that lasts a good 7-8 hours, the Jaybird X2 is indeed a workout partner that matches you beat for beat.
Says VERDICT Wireless, a strong secure fit, good audio and sweat-proof. We’re sold on this TECH SPECS Design In-ear Driver 6mm Noiseisolation Passive Impedance 16 Ohm Frequency Response 20Hz-20kHz Sensitivity 103 +-2dB Nominal impedance 16 Ohms Cord Length 540mm Weight 13.8gms
bottom end is concerning. It removes the venom from The Bronx’s Heart Attack American, and only takes things further the louder you play – which, let’s face it, for tracks such as this is usually all the way up. In doing so, it loses the detail and texture that makes the guitar and scream so brutal. The dynamics are also compressed. Small-scale sounds, such as at the beginning of Wolf Song, are big and bold, but the presentation shrinks as dynamic extremes become too demanding for the unit to handle. But most of this is forgiven given the sheer size and price of this handy unit. Never does it stop being easy to listen to, and the positives are plentiful enough to make this a good buy depending upon your priorities. Slim, well-built with a nice thumpy output, splash-proof with Bluetooth and AUX connectivity – this is pretty much a solid deal for gifting or personal entertainment.
Says VERDICT A fine speaker to take to parties, but can struggle when music becomes busier TECH SPECS Design Full range Drivers 2x40mm plus 1x 40x83mm passive radiator Power consumption 3mW(Standby) Connectivity AUX, NFC, Bluetooth Dimensions (WHD) 210 x 54 x 51 mm Weight 0.5kgs
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 79
BUYER’S GUIDE
BUYER’S GUIDE BEST BUYS
NOW WITH THE BEST BUYS IN EVERY CATEGORY
HI-FI INTEGRATED AMPLIFIERS
82
POWER AMPLIFIERS
83
CD PLAYERS
84
DACS
85
MUSIC STREAMERS
86
STEREO SPEAKERS
87
MULTI-ROOM SYSTEMS
91
TURNTABLES
92
WIRELESS SPEAKERS
93
HOME CINEMA
This is the definitive guide to the best home entertainment kit you can buy. From 75in TVs to smartphones, from portable Bluetooth speakers to Dolby Atmos surround-sound packages, here’s where you’ll find the perfect product, fast.
BLU-RAY PLAYERS
95
HOME CINEMA AMPLIFIERS
95
PROJECTORS
96
SOUNDBARS
97
SOUNDBASES
97
SPEAKER PACKAGES
98
TELEVISIONS
99
PORTABLE HEADPHONES
101
INSIDE From wall-sized 4K TVs, class-topping CD players and transports, to speakers and amplifiers of repute, we have it all, in a whole new layout. Shanth Swaroop, Buyer’s Guide Editor
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 81
BUYER’S GUIDE
BEST BUYS
HI-FI
Stereo amps under ₨50,000
The only products worth considering
AMPLIFIERS
THE BEATING HEART OF YOUR HI-FI SYSTEM
Marantz PM6005 ₨44,900 The PM6005 is a multiple Award-winner for good reason. Nicely made, well featured and with refinement and insight few rivals can match. Power 45W Inputs 5 line-in, MM Outputs 2 x speaker, headphone
Onkyo A-9010 ₨27,0000 Best stereo amplifier under ₨30,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Our favourite budget amplifier, this is arguably the most entertaining affordable amp around. It has agility and a wicked sense of rhythm. Power 44W Inputs 5 line-in, MM Outputs speaker, headphone
Arcam FMJ A19 ₨90,000
Stereo amps ₨50,000-₨1,50,000
Arcam’s entry-level amplifier is a terrific combination of sensible features, fine build and entertaining sound. Power 50W Inputs 6 line-in, MM Outputs Speaker, headphone, preamp
Cambridge Audio CXA60 ₨60,300
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best stereo amplifier ₨30,000-₨70,000, Awards 2015
This is a lively performer with expressive dynamics and a surefooted sense of rhythm. Build quality is impressive. Power 60W Inputs 4 line-in Outputs preamp, 2 x speaker, headphone
Naim Nait 5si ₨1,39,875 Naim’s starter amp is an exceptionally polished performer which combines drama with the insight and subtlety to match the very best. Power 60W Inputs 3 line-in Outputs speaker, headphone
Rega Elex-R ₨1,12,500 Best stereo amplifier ₨70,000-₨1,50,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Stereo amps ₨1,50,000+
Arguably the best-value amp Rega makes, with insight and the precise handling of rhythms that’s hard to better even at double the price. Power 72W Inputs 4 line-in, MM Outputs Speaker, preamp
Burmester 032 ₨17,79,221 An expensive product but feels it too. Plug the 032 into a system and it sounds lovely: top-class levels of resolution, authority and dynamics. Power 105W Inputs 5 line-in, MM, MC Outputs Speaker, ’phone, preamp
Mark Levinson No. 585 ₨13,60,800 Get past the cost of the Mark Levinson No.585 Integrated and you’ll find a startlingly capable product – one of the finest amplifiers on the planet. Power 200W Inputs 6 line-in Outputs Speaker, headphone
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AWARD WINNER
AMPLIFIERS CONTINUED Naim Supernait 2 ₨3,75,000
Rega Elicit-R ₨1,90,000
Stereo amps ₨1,50,000+
A terrific integrated amplifier. It’s punchy, with a low-frequency performance that brims with authority. Dynamics are strong too. Power 80W Inputs 5 line-in Outputs Speaker, headphone, preamp AWARD WINNER
Best stereo amplifier ₨1,50,000+, Awards 2015 Rega’s top integrated builds on the qualities of its smaller brother, the Elex-R. We haven’t heard a more precise amplifier for the money. Power 105W Inputs 5 line-in, MM Outputs preamp, speaker
Roksan Caspian M2 ₨2,44,000 A supremely rounded product with solid build, classy aesthetics and a brilliant all-round sound that works well with all types of music. Power 85W Inputs 5 line-in Outputs Speaker, preamp
GamuT D3i ₨9,09,000 This GamuT D3i is a brilliant performer with excellent detail and superb transparency. It isn’t packed with inputs, but will cope with most set-ups. Inputs 3 line-in Output Balanced, single-ended DAC No
Mark Levinson 326S ₨9,10,000 Power amps up to ₨35,00,000
This classy unit has a refined presentation and a spellbinding sense of control. Construction quality is deeply impressive. Inputs 7 line-in Output Balanced, single-ended DAC No
Burmester 911 Mk3 ₨24,65,077 The 911 is a real powerhouse, capable of delivering high power into difficult speakers without struggling. Refinement is top class, as is build. Power output 535W Mono/Stereo Stereo Inputs XLR
Cyrus Mono X300 Signature ₨3,25,000 Don’t let the Cyrus’s compact casework fool you. This powerhouse delivers high volume levels with a pleasing dynamic punch. Power output 225W Mono/Stereo Mono Inputs Phono, XLR
GamuT D200i ₨11,28,000 The D200i combines transparency, muscle and agility better than any alternative we’ve heard. Build and finish are excellent. Power output 220W Mono/Stereo Stereo Inputs phono, XLR
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CD PLAYERS & TRANSPORTS
CD players under ₨1,50,000
CD transports under ₨1,00,000
GET THE RIGHT PLAYER AND CD CAN STILL SHINE Cambridge Audio CXC ₨39,800
AWARD WINNER
Best CD transport under ₨50,000, Awards 2015
If you already have a DAC – the CXC is useless without one – we wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this transport over a standalone CD player. Type CD transport Outputs coaxial, optical
Cyrus CD t ₨1,28,000
AWARD WINNER
Best CD transport ₨50,000+, Awards 2015
An exceptionally talented transport, the CD t offers a level of insight, transparency and clarity you’d struggle to find elsewhere at this price. Type CD transport Outputs coaxial, optical
Marantz CD6005 ₨44,900
AWARD WINNER
Best CD player under ₨50,000, Awards 2015
Marantz’s CD6005 is rightly regarded as fantastic player, one that offers sprinkles of improvements on top of its superb predecessor. Type CD player Outputs coaxial, optical, RCA, headphone
Naim CD5si ₨1,39,875 The CD5si boasts a full-bodied, winningly enthusiastic approach to music. The absence of digital outputs means there’s no upgrade path. Type CD player Outputs RCA, DIN
CD players ₨1,50,000 and above
Burmester 069 ₨51,54,435 If you can get past the massive price tag then you have a wonderful player that ranks among the best, if not the best, we’ve ever heard. Type CD player Outputs 2 x coaxial, opt, XLR, RCA Inputs coax, opt
Burmester 089 ₨22,04,752 A top-class player that requires a suitably talented system to shine, the 089 is one of the best digital sources money can buy. Type CD player Outputs coaxial, optical, USB Inputs coax, opt
Cyrus CD i ₨1,59,000
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best CD player ₨50,000+, Awards 2015
Cyrus says this player is its best-sounding yet, and after listening to how confident and entertaining it sounds, it’s tough to disagree. Type CD player Outputs coaxial, optical, RCA
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CD PLAYERS & TRANSPORTS CONTINUED Cyrus CD Xt Signature ₨2,24,000 Looking for a top-class transport? The Xt Signature provides a sound that’s cleaner, crisper and more dynamic than its predecessor. Type CD transport Outputs coaxial, optical
Awards 2010
The Caspian M2 CD has been around the block, but it’s showing few signs of its age, showing skill with timing, dynamics and authority. Type CD player Outputs coaxial, optical, XLR, RCA
Roksan K3 CD Di ₨1,69,400 Few players at this price are as musical as the K3 CD Di. It promotes the character of your music, so you’ll never tire of listening to it. Type CD player Outputs coax, opt, XLR, RCA Inputs coax, opt
CD players ₨1,50,000 and above
Roksan Caspian M2 CD ₨2,21,800
Naim CD555/555PS ₨16,40,000 A CD player and a separate power supply, this might not look like much but there are few players better at revealing what’s on your discs. Type CD player Outputs RCA
DACS A DIGITAL-TO-ANALOGUE CONVERTER IS A MODERN HI-FI MUST Arcam miniBlink ₨13,800
AWARD WINNER
Best Bluetooth receiver, Awards 15
This receiver has serious dynamic clout, with a zingy and fluid rhythm. The 3.5mm analogue output means an adaptor is needed for trad hi-fi. Inputs Bluetooth Size (hwd) 2.5 x 3 x 4cm
A good desktop alternative to the Chord Mojo, with plenty more sockets and features. Smooth balance, fluid dynamics and subtle detail. Inputs USB, opt, coax Size 6 x 25 x 25cm Res Up to 24-bit/192kHz
Audioquest DragonFly v1.2 ₨14,700 This tiny DAC/headphone amp remains one of our favourites for its USB-stick size and fine sonic talents. Clear, detailed with a fantastic sense of timing. Inputs USB Size (hwd) 6 x 2 x 1cm Resolution Up to 24-bit/96kHz
Chord Mojo ₨45,000
DACS under ₨1,00,000
Audiolab M-DAC ₨69,000
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best DAC ₨40,000-₨80,000, Awards 2015
The majority of the Hugo’s performance for a fraction of the price. An enthusiastic performer that stays refined and superbly balanced. Inputs USB, opt, coax Size 2 x 6 x 8cm Resolution 32-768kHz/DSD 512
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DACS CONTINUED Oppo HA-2 ₨27,999
AWARD WINNER
The range of inputs makes this ideal to use with any laptop or smartphone. The engaging performance and detail retrieval is remarkable at the price. Inputs USB, optical Size 16 x 7 x1cm Res up to 384 kHz, 16/24/32-bit
Chord 2Qute ₨1,19,000
AWARD WINNER
DACS ₨1,00,000 and above
The 2Qute’s insight, accuracy and dynamic punch outshine rivals with aplomb. The colourful display and the shiny chassis continue to wow us. Inputs USB, opt, coax Size 7 x 16 x 4cm Resolution Up to 32-bit/384kHz
Bricasti Design M1 DAC ₨9,49,000 This high-end DAC is impeccably built. There’s power, rhythmic coherence and dynamic punch, but it majors in analysis of the music. Inputs USB, opt, coax, AESB, HDMI Size 6x43x30cm Res to 352.8kHz
Chord Hugo ₨1,59,999
AWARD WINNER
The Hugo benefits from the genius circuitry informing Chord’s latest products. It has superb timing, remarkable clarity and plenty of power. Inputs 2x USB, opt, coax Size 2 x 13 x 10cm Resolution Up to 384kHz PCM
Chord Hugo TT ₨3,19,000 This ‘table-top’ version is the basic Hugo design, but supercharged. The finish is gorgeous, and it sounds better than its cheaper siblings. Inputs USB, opt, coax Size 5 x 24 x 23 Res Up to 32-bit/384kHz
Naim DAC-V1 ₨1,75,000 Naim’s entry DAC is typical of the company’s sonic signature, combining a balanced tone with strong dynamics and fine organisation. Inputs USB, 2x opt, 3 x coax Size 9 x 21 x 32cm Res 24-bit/384kHz
MUSIC STREAMERS
Streamers under ₨1,00,000
THE BEST WAY TO SHARE YOUR TUNES AROUND THE HOUSE Bluesound Node 2 ₨50,000 Looking for a non-amplified streamer to hook up to your existing hi-fi? The Node is back, and better, with improved design and connectivity. DLNA Yes Inputs Toslink, 3.5mm Storage No
Cambridge Audio CXN ₨67,000
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best streamer ₨50,000-₨1,00,000, Awards 2015
Building on the success of Cambridge’s Award-winning Stream Magic 6 v2, the CXN features an all-new design and improved sound. DLNA Yes Inputs optical, coaxial, 3 x USB Storage No
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MUSIC STREAMERS CONTINUED Burmester Musiccenter 151 ₨17,90,235 This multi-talented machine is a streamer, server, CD player and ripper, all wrapped in one superbly made chrome-laden box. DLNA Yes Inputs optical, coaxial, USB Storage 4TB
Cyrus Stream Xa ₨1,79,000 Best streamer ₨1,00,000-₨2,00,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER Music streamers ₨1,00,000 and above
The two-time Award-winning Xa is a corker. Its half-width design won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but its truly entrancing sound surely will. DLNA Yes Inputs 2 x optical, 3 x coaxial, USB Storage No
Cyrus Stream XP2-Qx ₨2,69,000 An all-in-one music streamer that serves up an energetic, enthusiastic and immersive performance. Worthy of the sizeable asking price. DLNA Yes Inputs 2 x optical, 3 x coaxial, USB Storage No
Naim ND5 XS ₨3,45,000 Best streamer ₨2,00,000+, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
A forward-thinking design from an established hi-fi company. A brilliant sonic performance and a must-have if you’re after a do-it-all streamer. DLNA Yes Inputs USB, coaxial, optical Storage No
Naim NDS/555PS ₨11,80,000 Hear what this monster of a streaming machine can do and there will be no going back. Can afford the outlay? Lucky you DLNA Yes Inputs 2 x coaxial, optical Storage No
STEREO SPEAKERS THEY BRING THE MUSIC TO YOUR EARS – SO CHOOSE WITH CARE AWARD WINNER
Desktop Speakers up to ₨1,00,000
KEF Egg ₨39,000 Best desktop speaker ₨20,000+, Awards 2015
Our 2015 Best Desktop Speaker Over ₨20k have a distinctive design and flexible connectivity – and a stunning, consistent performance. Size (hwd) 27 x 13 x 17cm Powered Yes Finishes 3
Wharfedale DS-1 ₨16,500
AWARD WINNER
Best desktop speaker under ₨200, Awards 2015
Smart and terrific-sounding; if you’re after small, articulate, affordable desktops with Bluetooth streaming, you can’t go wrong. Size (hwd) 19 x 11 x 15cm Powered No Finishes 1
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STEREO SPEAKERS CONTINUED B&W 683 S2 ₨1,59,000
Floorstanders under ₨1,60,000
Tremendously talented speakers. We’re impressed by their power, scale and delicacy – they’re wonderfully versatile performers. Size (hwd) 99 x 19 x 36cm Powered No Finishes 2
Q Acoustics 3050 ₨75,400 Best floorstander under ₨80,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Another 2015 Award-winner, and no wonder. The powerful 3050s are so talented, they give speakers closer to a lakh a run for their money. Size (hwd) 100 x 20 x 30cm Powered No Finishes 5
Q Acoustics Concept 40 ₨1,27,000 If you want a talented set of speakers with an easy-going, welcoming sound, you must consider these. Size (hwd) 97 x 17 x 29cm Powered No Finishes 2
Tannoy Revolution XT 6F ₨1,41,000 Best floorstander ₨80,000-₨1,50,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
These Tannoys are something special – they fire out an infectious, entertaining sound that charms us. Superbly finished, too. Size (hwd) 100 x 27 x 32cm Powered No Finishes 2
Tannoy Revolution XT 8F ₨1,89,500 Few rivals will be able to match this combination of muscle and subtlety. Most of all they make listening to music fun. Size (hwd) 108 x 32 x 35cm Powered No Finishes 2
Floorstanders ₨1,60,000 and above
ATC SCM40A ₨6,99,000 The price looks steep but factor in built-in amplification and exceptional sound, and the SCM40As emerge as something of a high-end bargain. Size (hwd) 98 x 37 x 34cm Powered Yes Finishes 2
Focal Electra 1038Be ₨8,99,999 A hefty slice of the performance of Focal’s high-end Utopia range, at a fraction of the cost. Impressive detail, dynamics, bass and timing. Size (hwd) 125 x 30 x 40cm Powered No Finishes 2
PMC Twenty 23 ₨3,12,200 These PMCs show real class, serving up sound that’s both refined and exciting. The 23s stand on their clean insight and unfussy nature. Size (hwd) 92 x 15 x 33cm Powered No Finishes 4
PMC Twenty 26 ₨7,72,686* This range of speakers hardly puts a foot wrong. Here, it’s the insightful yet refined balance and impressive levels of detail that win the day. Size (hwd) 109 x 19 x 44cm Powered No Finishes 4
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STEREO SPEAKERS CONTINUED ProAc Response D40/R ₨6,33,000 As musical as they come, these are also as articulate, transparent and dynamic as any floorstander we’ve heard around this price. Size (hwd) 120 x 21 x 34cm Powered No Finishes 6
Spendor A6R ₨2,25,000
AWARD WINNER
Best floorstander over ₨1,50,000, Awards 2015
Spendor D7 ₨4,12,000 When it comes to insight and precision, these floorstanders set the standard at this price. Unfussy, and they deliver a huge sound for their size. Size (hwd) 95 x 20 x 32cm Powered No Finishes 6
Tannoy Kensington GR ₨12,80,000 Along with that traditional appearance comes real substance. These are gentle giants, balancing finesse with force in a mighty appealing way. Size (hwd) 110 x 41 x 34cm Powered No Finishes 2
Floorstanders ₨1,60,000 and above
Musical notes have dimension and depth, and vocals are conveyed with reality and emotion. Outstanding. Size (hwd) 87.5 x 19 x 28cm Powered No Finishes 5
Triangle Signature Delta ₨5,60,000 Terrific timing ability combines with strong dynamics and impressive resolution to produce speakers that can stand toe-to-toe with the best. Size (hwd) 123 x 37 x 39cm Powered No Finishes 3
Dali Zensor 1 ₨23,700 If you’re looking for a versatile, energetic pair of affordable speakers, give these a listen. They have a real feel for the the music. Good fun. Size (hwd) 27 x 16 x 22cm Powered No Finishes 2
Dali Zensor 3 ₨33,000
Monitor Audio Bronze 2 ₨42,000
AWARD WINNER
Best standmounter ₨30,000-₨45,000, Awards 2015
For their size, these Monitor Audio Bronze 2 dig deep in the bass. They’re tonally balanced and impressively detailed too. Size (hwd) 35 x 19 x 26cm Powered No Finishes 4
Q Acoustics 3020 ₨28,900
AWARD WINNER
Standmounters under ₨50,000
If they’re made by Dali, they’re going to be fun to listen to. These classy-looking speakers have plenty of punch and winning dynamics. Size (hwd) 35 x 21 x 29cm Powered No Finishes 3
Best stereo speaker under ₨30,000, Awards 2015
These lovingly constructed boxes deliver an exceptional combination of refinement, insight and dynamics. We can’t fault them. Size (hwd) 26 x 17 x 23cm Powered No Finishes 5
Q Acoustic Concept 20 ₨43,000 If you want a top-quality, sub-₨50K standmounter you ignore this one at your peril. Clarity and refinement shine through in abundance. Size (hwd) 26 x 17 x 28cm Powered No Finishes 2 February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 89
STEREO SPEAKERS CONTINUED B&W 685 S2 ₨65,000
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Product of the Year, Awards 2015
Standmounters ₨50,000 - ₨1,20,000
Put simply, the 685 S2s are superb. Hugely entertaining, with power, punch and excellent detail retrieval. Size (hwd) 35 x 19 x 32cm Powered No Finishes 2
KEF LS50 ₨1,10,000 These striking speakers are blindingly good. Get their partnering kit right and you’ll revel in the excellent bass, energy and fine articulation. Size (hwd) 30 x 20 x 28cm Powered No Finishes 1
Martin Logan Motion 15 ₨78,000 A talented and fun pair of speakers. We particularly like the lively, natural presentation, even if the low end could do with more punch. Size (hwd) 29 x 13 x 24cm Powered No Finishes 2
Triangle Esprit Titus EZ ₨78,500 Your hunt to find a supplier for the Esprits might take a while, but it will be worth it for the articulate and agile presentation you’ll hear. Size (hwd) 31 x 17 x 27cm Powered No Finishes 3
ATC SCM11 (2013) ₨1,42,000 Best standmounter ₨80,000-₨1,50,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
These are the most talented standmounters anywhere near this price. The transparency of their sound compares with far more expensive rivals. Size (hwd) 38 x 21 x 25cm Powered No Finishes 2
Standmounters ₨1,20,000 - ₨2,50,000
Dynaudio Xeo 4 ₨2,40,000 The active Xeo 4s (they have built-in amps) offer hassle-free set-up and an insightful, musical sound from almost any source. High-res support, too. Size (hwd) 28 x 17 x 25cm Powered Yes Finishes 2
Neat Motive SX3 ₨1,50,000 If you’re tight on space, or don’t need an overpowering sound, these articulate, fun-loving speakers should be a shoo-in for your shortlist. Size (hwd) 33 x 16 x 20cm Powered No Finishes 4
ProAC Studio 118 ₨1,25,000 Weighty, detailed bass, lively treble and a good natural balance overall. The energy of the 118’s performance will provide hours of enjoyment. Size (hwd) 38 x 19 x 24cm Powered No Finishes 4
ATC SCM19 ₨2,28,000
AWARD WINNER
Best standmounter ₨1,50,000+, Awards 2015
₨2,50,000+
It’s quite a trick for a speaker to be highly analytical with music yet never sound clinical or passionless. And yet so it is with the SCM19s. Size (hwd) 44 x 27 x 30cm Powered No Finishes 2
PMC Twenty 22 ₨2,80,000 Solid build and a quality finish are just the start; it’s a big, authoritative sound, perfect for those who like a natural kind of presentation. Size (hwd) 41 x 18 x 37cm Powered No Finishes 4
90 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
SYSTEMS SIMPLE DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN LOWER QUALITY Multi-room systems up to ₨1,00,000
Sonos System From ₨26,500
AWARD WINNER
Best multi-room system under ₨50,000, Awards 2015
If you don’t need high-res, Sonos is an obvious choice for multi-room. A great user experience alongside a full-bodied, insightful sound. Res 16-bit/44.1kHz App Mac, Android Formats MP3, iTunes Plus, WMA
Bluesound Generation 2 From ₨35,000
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best multi-room system over ₨50,000, Awards 2015
Bluesound’s Generation 2 has a more streamlined design and sounds as good as ever, offering high-res support and good connectivity. Res 24-bit/192kHz App iOS, Android Formats MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG
Best music system ₨50,000-₨80,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Stereo systems under ₨50,000
Cambridge Audio Minx Xi ₨51,300
This terrific system is a joy to use. It has a 24-bit/96kHz resolution limit, but that’s OK in light of its articulate and hugely likeable character. Inputs Analogue & digital Sources Streaming, internet
Denon D-M40DAB ₨49,900
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best music system under ₨50,000, Awards 2015
Denon continues to reign supreme on the micro-systems front. There are no Bluetooth or wireless features, but the sound makes up for it. Inputs Analogue & digital Sources CD, streaming, DAB, FM
Stereo systems ₨50,000+
Cyrus Streamline 2 ₨1,73,000 Cyrus expertly combines hi-fi credentials and streaming features with ease. The superb sound quality is second to none at this price. Inputs Analogue & digital Sources Streaming, internet
Naim UnitiQute 2 ₨1,87,965
AWARD WINNER
Best music system ₨80,000-₨2,00,000, Awards 2015
The epitome of a modern streaming system. The insightful, rhythmically precise, spacious sound is tremendous – and worth the high-end price. Inputs Analogue & digital Sources Streaming, internet, DAB+, FM
Systems jargon buster UPnP Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a series of protocols that allow devices easily to discover and communicate with each other over a network to share information.
DLNA DLNA focuses on media formats and management, allowing content (video, audio, pictures, etc) to be shared across devices, with the user able to manage said files. Most DLNA tagged devices are UPnP capable too.
CD-quality CD-quality refers to the resolution of an audio CD, which is 16-bit/44.1kHz. CD-quality should not be confused with high resolution audio.
High resolution High-resolution audio has a higher sampling frequency and bit rate than CD-quality audio. Hi-res files tend to use a range of sampling rates, the most common being 96kHz and 192kHz at 24-bit.
NAS NAS – Network Attached Storage – is an intelligent storage device. Content stored on a NAS can be accessed through a media streamer via a network.
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 91
TURNTABLES DECKS TO KEEP THE VINYL REVIVAL THRIVING
Turntables under ₨50,000
Pro-Ject Elemental ₨22,500 As plug-in-and-play as you’re likely to find, this is a quality entry-level record player for those taking their first steps in the world of vinyl. Speed 33.3 & 45rpm Size (hwd) 9 x 43 x 30cm
Pro-Ject Essential II ₨30,900 Best turntable under ₨40,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
A frill-free, entry-level product that gets all the basics spot-on. Easy to set up and even easier to enjoy, it’s an obvious Award-winner. Speed 33.3 & 45rpm Size (hwd) 14 x 46 x 36cm
Rega RP1 ₨45,000 The unadorned RP1 is an impressive turntable in its own right, with a good sense of drive and pleasing transparency. Speed 33.3 & 45rpm Size (hwd) 12 x 45 x 36cm
Clearaudio Concept ₨94,600
Turntables ₨50,000-₨1,00,000
Best turntable ₨80,000+, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
A thoroughly sorted, easy-to-own package with tremendous sound, combining punch, extension and tonal variation in equal measure. Speed 33.3, 45, 78rpm Size (hwd) 14 x 42 x 35cm
Pro–Ject 1 Xpression Carbon ₨70,800 The Pro-Ject 1 Xpression Carbon UKX is a terrific package for the price; it is balanced and insightful, rivalling the class-leaders in overall ability. Speed 33.3, 45rpm Size (hwd) 13 x 42 x 34cm
Rega RP3/Elys2 ₨72,000
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best turntable ₨40,000-₨80,000, Awards 2015
Turntables ₨1,00,000 and above
Few rivals are as fuss-free or sound so good, building on the balance, resolution and excitement of prior generations while adding more clarity. Speed 33.3, 45rpm Size (hwd) 10 x 45 x 36cm
Rega RP6/Exact ₨1,35,000 The RP6’s simple styling belies its engaging, detailed sound. One of the most expressive and enthusiastic turntables you can buy for the money. Speed 33.3, 45rpm Size (hwd) 12 x 45 x 36cm
Rega RP8/Apheta ₨2,97,000 A terrific turntable that sets standards at the price. A detailed sound delivered with superb agility, strong dynamics and exceptional precision. Speed 33.3, 45rpm Size (hwd) 12 x 45 x 36cm
92 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
WIRELESS SPEAKERS FREE YOUR MUSIC WITH ONE OF THESE STREAMING WONDERS Audio Pro Addon T3 ₨29,999
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best portable wireless speaker ₨20,000-₨30,000, 2015
This classy boombox from Audio Pro ignores gimmicks and focuses on delivering the best sound possible for an extremely tempting price. Size (hwd) 12 x 22 x 14 Battery Yes
Cambridge Audio Go ₨12,500 Awards 2014 Wireless speakers under ₨30,000
Few wireless speakers offer such a great combination of build quality, battery life and enjoyable performance as this former Award-winner. Size (hwd) 24 x 12 x 6cm Battery Yes
JBL Xtreme ₨24,990 The Xtreme delivers all the power suggested by its brutish physique, but is also capable of great subtlety and insight. Powerful and portable. Size (hwd) 13 x 28 x 12cm Battery Yes
Monitor Audio Airstream S150 ₨15,500
AWARD WINNER
Best mains-powered wireless speaker under ₨20,000, Awards 2015
Ultimate Ears Roll ₨8,495
£300-£500
The Airstream S150 boasts impressive clarity and detail with solid, weighty bass and an agile and dynamic delivery. Size (hwd) 27 x 12 x 14cm Battery No AWARD WINNER
Best portable wireless speaker under ₨10,000, Awards 2015
Super-portable, waterproof and with great sound, the Roll is the ideal on-the-go companion. We haven’t heard better for less than a ton. Size (hw) 4 x 14cm Battery Yes
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Wireless speakers ₨50,000+
Wireless speakers ₨30,000-₨50,000
WIRELESS SPEAKERS CONTINUED KEF Muo ₨35,000
AWARD WINNER
Best portable wireless speaker ₨20,000, Awards 2015
The Muo brings a touch of luxury with its detailed musical performance and great looks. You won’t get better without going mains-powered. Size (hwd) 8 x 21 x 6cm Battery Yes
Q Acoustics Q-BT3 ₨43,000 Few products are as versatile as these for the price: wireless speakers, soundbar replacement, iPod dock or powered stereo speakers. Size (hwd) 31 x 19 x 24cm Battery No
B&W Zeppellin Wireless ₨58,000 Eight years on, the Zeppelin speaker is still a must-have for the audiophile who wants fine sound in a convenient package. Size (hwd) 18 x 66 x 18cm Battery No
Naim Mu-So ₨1,39,875
AWARD WINNER
Best mains-powered wireless speaker ₨80,000+, Awards 2015
The Mu-so has a rich, powerful sound, a huge sense of scale and soaring dynamics – and it’s now been updated to accommodate Tidal. Size (hwd) 12 x 63 x 26cm Battery No
Getting the most out of your wireless speaker
Wireless tech explained The most used wireless transmission methods tend to be the following: aptX Bluetooth, regular Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay and Kleer (used by Arcam). AirPlay is Apple’s proprietary solution and works only with Apple devices. Bluetooth, and its higherquality aptX variant, will work with any Bluetoothcompatible device, while Kleer requires a dongle. If it were our money, we would opt for one of the Bluetooth variants – it’s versatile and the quality is fine, albeit lower than with a wired connection.
94 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
How much should you spend? This all depends on what you want your dock to do. If you fancy something to take to the park for picnics, then you’d want to consider a unit that has a good battery life. If you’re replacing a micro or mini system, then something like the B&W Zeppelin Wireless will do a commendable job. As ever, try before you buy, especially if you’re heading towards the premium range. A good tip is to take your library with you to the dealer/ retailer and play some of the greatest hits straight from your portable.
Choose the right file type Whichever one you go for, and especially if you’re connecting your device, it’s important to supply the dock with a high enough quality file. We find that 320kbps is as low as we’d go with MP3 files, with Apple Lossless, FLAC or uncompressed WAV far more preferable. If you use an Apple device, and use WAV files on your computer but don’t have space for them on your portable, iTunes has a handy option to sync slightly lower-quality versions of your tracks to your device.
Instant multi-room music If you’re looking to build a multi-room system, you’re in luck. Some docks won’t be able to play music on more than one device at a time (unless you have more than one which can stream to each other), but it does mean you can simply select each device on your portable as you move between rooms and have your music instantly switch between docks. Alternatively, you could fork out for a Sonos system – but that isn’t really the point. Wireless docks mean minimal set-up – always a bonus.
BUYER’S GUIDE
BEST BUYS
HOME CINEMA
The only products worth considering
BLU-RAY PLAYERS
ENJOY HIGH-DEF MOVIE THRILLS
Cambridge Audio CXU ₨1,25,600
AWARD WINNER
Best Blu-ray player ₨30,000+, Awards 2015
Pioneer BDP-LX58 ₨1,10,990 Rivals offer more smart content, but if that’s not an issue you’ll be wowed by the jaw-dropping movie experience from this 4K-upscaler. Compatibility Blu-ray, DVD, CD, SACD
Oppo BDP-105D ₨1,29,999
Blu-ray players ₨30,000 and above
A universal disc-player, packed with features and connections, that pushes the boundaries with both picture and sound quality. Compatibility Blu-ray, DVD, CD, SACD
It might seem a lot for a disc player, but if you want a quality component that’s as adept with music as it is with movies, you’ll want this. Top class. Compatibility Blu-ray, DVD, CD, SACD
HOME CINEMA AMPLIFIERS STUNNING SOUND THAT TRULY BRINGS MOVIES TO LIFE Denon AVR-X2200W ₨69,900
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best home cinema amplifier ₨50K-₨70K, Awards 2015
Yamaha RX-A850 ₨93,990
AWARD WINNER
Best home cinema amplifier ₨70K-₨1Lac, Awards 2015
In the sweet spot of balancing price, features and performance, this has a hugely entertaining combination of power and precision. Power 7 x 100W Dolby Atmos Yes
AV amplifiers ₨50,000-₨1,00,000
Our AV amp Product of the Year is an articulate and detailed amp, with stacks of functionality and future-proofing. Packed with features. Power 7 x 95W Dolby Atmos Yes
Yamaha RX-V679 ₨59,990 No Dolby Atmos but Yamaha does offer a big, spacious sound with decent detail and balance, though some others are more nuanced. Power 7 x 90W Dolby Atmos No
February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 95
HOME CINEMA AMPLIFIERS CONTINUED
HOME CINEMA AMPLIFIERS AV amplifiers ₨1,00,00 and above
STUNNING SOUND THAT TRULY BRINGS MOVIES TO LIFE Onkyo TX-NR3030 ₨1,90,000 Looking for high-end, high-quality surround audio? This amp delivers with a spacious, subtle sound, a plethora of features and Dolby Atmos. Power 11 x 185W Atmos Yes
Pioneer SC-LX59 ₨1,32,000
AWARD WINNER
Best home cinema amplifier ₨1,00,000+, Awards 2015
The SC-LX59 makes it six ₨1,00,000+ Awards in a row for Pioneer. This latest offering is better than ever, making it a class-leading receiver. Power 9 x 140W Atmos Yes
PROJECTORS
Projectors ₨1,50,000 and above
Under ₨1.5lac
BECAUSE A MASSIVE PICTURE IS HOME CINEMA BenQ W1080ST+ ₨1,25,000 Best projector under ₨1,50,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
This short-throw projector can sit less than six feet from the screen at max zoom – and looks brilliant thanks to its crisp, eye-catching pic. Throw ratio 0.69-0.83:1 Inputs 2 x HDMI, component Speakers Yes
Epson EH-TW7200 ₨1,80,000
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best projector ₨1,50,000-₨2,50,000, Awards 2015
Versatile and easy to set up, this one raises the bar for picture quality in the sub-£2000 arena with its realistic, subtle and punchy performance. Throw ratio 1.34-2.87:1 Inputs 2 x HDMI, component Speakers No
Sony VPL-HW55ES ₨3,16,667 Best projector ₨2,50,000+, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
This well-specified Sony produces a very natural picture that’s precisely crisp and bright, and demonstrates exemplary contrast. Brilliant. Throw ratio n/a Inputs 2 x HDMI, component Speakers No
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SOUNDBARS AN IMPRESSIVE WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR TV’S SOUND Under ₨50,000
Q Acoustics Media 4 ₨45,000
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best soundbar under ₨50,000, Awards 2015
Q Acoustics’ debut soundbar is remarkable value – even more so at its reduced price – and more than worthy of its two-time PoY status. Size (hwd) 9 x 100 x 14cm Inputs Optical, RCA Subwoofer No
Best soundbar ₨50,000+, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Soundbars ₨50,000 and above
Dali Kubik One ₨1,05,000
A gorgeous and complete package, Dali’s debut soundbar impresses with its hugely engaging sound and smart, well-equipped exterior. Size (hwd) 15 x 98 x 10cm Inputs Optical, 2 x RCA Subwoofer No
Philips Fidelio B5 ₨54,990 Thanks to two detachable (wireless, battery-powered) speakers, it can add surround sound or be a multi-room system. Great sound, too. Size 7 x 104 x 16cm Inputs 2 x HDMI, optical, coax, RCA Sub Yes
SOUNDBASES AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF SUPERIOR TV SOUND Soundbases under ₨30,000- ₨70,000
Cambridge Audio TV5 ₨37,100 The TV5 shares its TV2 sibling’s rich presentation, but with an extra driver and bigger chassis there’s better detail, clarity and dynamics. Size (hwd) 10 x 73 x 34cm Inputs Optical
Canton DM55 ₨69,000 Best soundbase under ₨70,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Replacing the DM50, the cheaper DM55 is even more appealing – its meaty yet subtle sound is a huge audio upgrade for your TV. Size (hwd) 7 x 55 x 30cm Inputs Optical, coaxial
Select the right cable for your system
Speaker cable What is it? Solid-core or stranded cable. What’s it for? Connecting multiple speakers.
Digital optical cable What is it? Cable that transmits audio as light. What’s it for? Transmitting audio in the digital domain.
HDMI cable What is it? A digital cable that transmits video and audio. What’s it for? To link HDMI sources.
Stereo interconnects What is it? Analogue cable. What’s it for? To replace your kit’s freebie leads.
Mains cable What is it? Heavy-duty cable upgrade. What’s it for? To replace your kit’s inferior mains cable. February 2016 | What Hi Fi? | 97
SPEAKER PACKAGES
Style packages ₨1,00,000-₨2,00,000
Style packages under ₨1,00,0000
GOOD SURROUND SOUND IS A MOVIE-MAGIC MUST
Q Acoustics Q7000i ₨68,000 Got ₨70K to spend on a sub/sat package? Spend it here. This compact set creates a cohesive and expansive soundfield, with strong bass. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 12 x 20 x 16cm Finishes 2
Tannoy HTS-101 XP ₨72,900
AWARD WINNER
Best style package under ₨1,00,000, Awards 2015
The latest incarnation of a multiple winner has a sonic character that retains its fast, spacious quality, but with extra detail and solidity. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 19 x 10 x 11cm Finishes 1
B&W MT-50 ₨1,76,000
AWARD WINNER
Best style package ₨1,00,000+, Awards 2015
These speakers sound crisp, clear and insightful, and the sub and satellites integrate so well. Value and versatility combined. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 25 x 11 x 16cm Finishes 2
B&W MT-60D ₨2,95,000 Compact and stylish (we love that sub), this package presents a dynamic, powerful sound that excels with surround sound and stereo music. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 25 x 11 x 16cm Finishes 2
Before you buy: equipment racks Choosing an equipment rack can be tricky. Here are a few things to consider…
1) Equipment supports have a difficult job to do. Ideally, they should isolate your system from external vibrations, so that it can perform optimally, but also act as a ‘sink’ for any internally generated vibrations – say, the effects of a spinning disc or the low-level buzz of a mains transformer. Make sure there’s enough air space around your kit to avoid it overheating, though. 2) Racks come in different sizes and lengths. Do you need a full-width bench-style rack? If you have lots of hi-fi equipment, a wider rack might suit you better if you have the space for it. For those with only a CD player or amplifier to support, there are rack companies which sell half-width versions.
MODULAR RACK Ideal if you plan to grow your system, but check its ease of assembly
3) Plan for the future by choosing a rack with a modular design. It’s a good halfway house if you have one eye on later system expansion. How easy it is to assemble may be something to consider in this situation, too; a fussy design could bring frustration. However, while another shelf won’t be cheap, it’s likely to be less expensive than investing in a new rack altogether.
“Equipment supports should isolate your system from external vibrations, but also act as a ‘sink’ for internally generated vibrations”
98 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
FULL-WIDTH RACK The solution for those with plenty of hi-fi equipment to support
SPEAKER PACKAGES CONTINUED Best traditional package under ₨1,50,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Traditional packages under ₨1.5Lacs
Dali Zensor 1 5.1 ₨1,12,200
Why did it win an Award? Because of the sound’s punchy dynamics, abundance of detail, expression, articulation and impressive integration. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 16 x 44 x 29cm Finishes 3
Q Acoustics 3000 Series 5.1 ₨99,500 A budget package that makes the sound from films come across as subtle, atmospheric and detailed. This is a fun listening experience. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 15 x 43 x 20cm Finishes 5
Monitor Audio Bronze B5 AV ₨2,42,500 Best traditional package ₨1Lac-₨3Lacs, Awards 2015
Traditional packages ₨1.5 Lacs+
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Our Speaker Package Product of the Year is beautifully designed, has ample punch, creates a spacious soundfield and is very musical. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 17 x 46 x 19cm Finishes 4
KEF R100 5.1 ₨3,13,000 Best traditional package ₨3,00,000+, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Gorgeous looks and superior sound quality – the R100 5.1 has both. There’s great scale, seamless integration, and an expressive midrange. Size (hwd) Centre speaker 17 x 53 x 31cm Finishes 4
TELEVISIONS MAKE THE FOCUS OF YOUR ENTERTAINMENT HUB A GOOD ONE AWARD WINNER
Televisions ₨50,000-₨1,10,000
Samsung UA40JU6470U ₨83,900 Best 40-46in TV ₨50,000+, Awards 2015
You don’t need a huge screen to appreciate the benefits of a 4K pic. This sleek 40in set combines features, functionality and performance. Type LCD/LED Screen size 40in Resolution 3840 x 2160
Samsung UE48J6300AK ₨1,04,900
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best 47-52in TV under ₨1,10,000, Awards 2015
It has a pronounced curve, but the picture quality is a fantastic proposition at this price. Astonishingly good Full HD performance. Type LCD/LED Screen size 48in Resolution 1920 x 1080
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Televisions ₨1,10,000-₨2,00,000
TELEVISIONS CONTINUED Sony KDL-55W800C £1,54,900 Ultra HD 4K screens may be grabbing all the headlines, but Full HD screens are still in the majority and this one sure has the flair to dazzle. Type LCD/LED Screen size 55in Resolution 1920 x 1080
Samsung UA48JU6470U ₨1,31,900 Best 47-52in TV ₨1,00,000+, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
This Samsung is special: super-sharp 4K, realistic textures, a smart interface, and a slim, attractive physique. Impressive. Type LCD/LED Screen size 48in Resolution 3840 x 2160
LG65EC970T ₨5,79,900 One of the very best TVs on the market, this LG is a lovely looking telly with a fantastic picture. Whisper it, but OLED is becoming accessible. Type OLED Screen size 65in Resolution 3840 x 2160
LG55EG960T ₨3,84,900 Televisions ₨2,00,000 and above
Best 52-60in TV ₨2,50,000+, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Top-drawer 4K Ultra HD resolution meets OLED technology, and the results are simply stunning. The price seems to be slipping too… Type OLED Screen size 55in Resolution 3840 x 2160
Samsung UA55JU7500K ₨2,41,900 Best 52-60in TV under ₨2,50,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
This 55in beauty produces not just excellent 4K content, but will make your HD TV channels and Blu-rays look awesome too. Type LCD/LED Screen size 55in Resolution 3840 x 2160
Samsung UA65JS9000K ₨4,40,900 Best 60in+ TV, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
005£-003£
This curved set combines excellent smarts with a gorgeous, insightful picture. If a big screen and 4K are must-haves, your search is over. Type LCD/LED Screen size 65in Resolution 3840 x 2160
Sony KD-65X9300C, ₨4,04,900 A great, and very big telly, its stunning picture (and brilliant sound) is everything you would expect from a flagship television. Type LCD/LED Screen size 65in Resolution 3840 x 2160
Gaming TVs
Input lag Televisions come with their own built-in latency, and high latencies lead to less-responsive controls. Manufacturers rarely mention these figures, but look online and you’ll find some useful sites that list television latencies.
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If you’re into gaming then a television that gives you an advantage is vital We’ve highlighted four areas to ensure you won’t be left on the losing side
Local dimming Local dimming works by dimming the backlight in the image’s darker areas, resulting in deeper blacks. TVs with good dimming can have excellent contrast, making for more vivid, expressive colours but they can also add to a TV’s latency.
Don’t believe refresh rates Higher refresh rates update the image faster, which should reduce motion judder. Console games run no faster than 60 frames per second, so refresh rates of 120Hz and more won’t hugely improve performance. A 60Hz set is more than capable.
Game mode Game mode disables processing modes thereby reducing input lag. That’s the good part. Less good is that contrast and image quality suffer, resulting in a drablooking image. A game mode can be useful, but it can also compromise the image.
BUYER’S GUIDE
BEST BUYS The only products worth considering
PORTABLE HEADPHONES
BIN THE BUNDLED BUDS, AND INVEST IN BETTER SOUND
Sennheiser Momentum M2 IEi ₨6990
PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Best in-ears ₨5000-₨10,000, Awards 2015
You wouldn’t think anything so small could sound so good for the cost. But good they sound, wonderfully smooth, expressive and balanced. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.3m In-ears under ₨10,000
FiiO EX1 ₨4,999 These monitors are nicely judged tonally, with plenty of detail. Add an expansive soundstage and you’re looking at great value for money. In-line controls No Cable length 1.2m
SoundMagic E10S ₨1999
AWARD WINNER
Best in-ears under ₨5000, Awards 2015
Paying ₨2000 for a pair of buds like these ranks as one of the simplest, most affordable and most satisfying upgrades available. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.2m
Shure SE425 ₨23,220 Best in-ears ₨10,000-₨30000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Sennheiser IE 800 ₨54,990
In-ears ₨10,000 and above
If you’re serious about the quality of your in-ear headphones, we’d point you here. The energetic, immersive performance is irresistible. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.6m AWARD WINNER
Best in-ears ₨30,000+, Awards 2015
You might think it a waste to spend so much on buds, but don’t make up your mind till you’ve heard these – they’re astonishing performers. In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.1m
Shure SE846 ₨84,700 Stunning detail, supreme tonal balance and extraordinary dynamics. You just need to ensure you use an equally talented source In-line controls Yes Cable length 1.2m & 1.6m
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Noise cancelling heaphones up to ₨30,000
HEADPHONES CONTINUED Bose QuietComfort 25 ₨25,200 These cans are a real treat. Their noise-cancelling capabilities are extraordinary, their clear, balanced sound a joy to hear. Quoted battery life 35 hours
PSB M4U2 ₨23,900 As well as obliging with a powerful delivery the PSBs offer a choice of listening modes (passive, active and noise-cancelling), to suit. Quoted battery life 55 hours
AKG K451 ₨4999 Great agility and precision timing combined with excellent build and compact size, makes the K451s a must-audition pair of cans. Type Closed Connection 3.5mm Weight 120g PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
On-ears under ₨15,000
AKG Y50 ₨7990 Best portable on-ears under ₨10,000, Awards 2015
Our Product of the Year cans for 2015 are portable on-ears, and deliver a rhythmic, clear, detailed, dynamic sound. At this price they’re amazing. Type Closed Connection 3.5mm Weight 190g
Philips Fidelio M1MkII ₨10,999
AWARD WINNER
The Fidelios offer an unusually smooth delivery and plenty of weighty, punchy bass. Clarity and precision are further strong points. Type Closed Connection 3.5mm Weight 166g
On-ears ₨15,000-₨30,000
Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H2 ₨15,990 Not only do these headphones look great, they also do a fine job of music reproduction – and offer great pride of ownership. Type Closed Connection 3.5mm Weight 155g
Beyerdynamic T51i ₨19,999 Awards 2014
It’s satisfying when great design, premium build and top performance all come together. These on-ears really do sound as good as they look. Type Closed Connection 3.5mm/6.3mm Weight 174g
B&W P5 Series 2 ₨18,800 Clear, precise sound, bags of detail, punchy rhythm – these gorgeous ’phones have the lot. We can’t think of anything to say against them. Type Closed Connection 3.5mm Weight 195g
System Killers
Mission Impossible Out now 102 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
Inside out Out now
Mad Max: Fury Road Out now
Ex Machina Out now
Fast and Furious 7 Out now
HEADPHONES CONTINUED Grado SR125e ₨13,200 On-ears ₨15,000-₨30,000
These might have looked at home on the ears of a wartime radio operator, but they sound great. Stay at home, though: they’re leaky. Type Open Connection 3.5mm/6.5mm Weight 363g
Grado SR325e ₨25,900 Best home on-ears £15,000-₨30,000, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
If you don’t mind the sound that leaks from them, you’re free to enjoy the fluid dynamics and wonderfully musical presentation. Type Open Connection 3.5mm/6.5mm Weight 330g
AKG K812 ₨99,052 On-ears ₨30,000 and above
For outright insight you’d have to spend thousands more than this on speakers before you get close to the resolution and agility on offer here. Type Open Connection 3.5mm/6.3mm Weight 390g PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
B&W P7 ₨33,000 Worth every penny. The solid build quality and comfy fit we expect, but the level of detail and dynamics swept us off our feet. Type Closed Connection 3.5mm Weight 290g
Shure SRH1540 ₨41,300
AWARD WINNER
Best home on-ears ₨30,000+, Awards 2015
Once the music starts you’ll focus on the expansive, beautifully balanced sound. There’s agility, enthusiasm and genuine musicality too. Type Closed Connection 3.5mm Weight 286g
Best wireless headphones ₨25,000+, Awards 2015
AWARD WINNER
Wireless headphones up to ₨40K
B&W P5 Wireless ₨28,950
All the characteristics of the P5 Series 2 without the wire. The Bluetooth connection works well and the sound is nigh-on as good as the Series 2. Folding Yes Quoted battery life 17hrs Wireless range n/a
Philips Fidelio M2BT ₨14,500 Bluetooth here is the superior aptX version. There’s also NFC connectivity and – most important – a rich, balanced, musical sound. Folding No Quoted battery life 10hrs Wireless range 15m
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HI-END AUDIO
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F L E H S P TO us he rp Sennheiser O
“There is a lot of drama even before you start to listen to anything, as you power up the amp and watch the tubes rise to life.”
FUTURE OF HEADPHONES? At CES 2016, Sennheiser showed us how good a pair of headphones can get. If you have waited for the perfect cans, these might be it.
T
his year at CES, one of the queues we had to wait most at was at the Sennheiser booth. Waiting to get a peek and a listen of its new otherworldly Orpheus headphones. With over a decade spent on development, the Orpheus has all the things going right for it as far as build quality and built-in tech goes. But then there is the price tag, which at $55,000 USD isn’t exactly affordable. Sennheiser might not even want to sell one, instead this is something of a note to the world, a thunderous roar, telling them that they have the expertise to build the best-sounding headphone in the world all over again. As we enter the cave of sonic bliss, straightaway the amplifier comes into view and it looks stunning. The exterior is made of marble, lots of it, the exact fine Carrara marble of the type Michelangelo once used for his sculptures. Chief engineer Axel Grell, in charge of the project, travelled to Italy to hand-pick the right one. Marble was used for its mass, purity and solidity, which is
110 | What Hi Fi? | February 2016
great for damping. The system is powered by a total of 8 vacuum tubes, along with a secondary amplifier built right into the headphones themselves. There is a lot of drama even before you start to listen to anything, as you power up the amp and watch the tubes rise to life. Then there is the headphone itself, carved out of gorgeous aluminium, kissed perfectly with leather. The ear-cups are massive enough to comfort the largest ears on the planet. The Orpheus uses the ESS SABRE ES9010 chip for digital-to-analogue conversion. There are eight internal DACs, with four parallel channels per ear, aimed at reducing distortion and noise levels. They are capable of handling high-resolution audio up to 32bit/384kHz (as well as 2.8/5.6 MHz DSD signals). Connections: balanced and unbalanced, plus digital optical,coaxial and USB inputs. It uses 2.4 micrometer platinum-vaporized diaphragms excited by magnets, claiming an unheard-offrequency response that bends the mind (8hz to
100kHz).We know the price of the Orpheus breaks your heart but this is not for everyone and it is pretty much guaranteed that future line-up of Sennheiser will feature tech that will be inspired by the mighty Orpheus. For now, we only can be in awe of this monumental bit of engineering and hope that we get our hands on them again, soon enough.
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S O P RA , R E V E AL T H E INV ISIBLE Drawing on twenty years of Utopia expertise, Sopra hones in on the Spirit of Focal, achieving the perfect compromise in a compact form factor that delivers the Focal sound. With three major innovations and two patents – the Neutral Inductance Circuit, the Tuned Mass Damper midrange suspension, and the Infinite Horn Loading housing for its Beryllium tweeter – Sopra advances the state of the art of sonic precision and transparency with rich harmonic textures. Its sleek design and matchless performance will thrill the senses like never before, bringing the intangible to life: the true essence of music. The longing for exceptional speakers in your living room is finally over!
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Mumbai, INDIA. Tel: +91 22 610 8820 email: info@preetiglobal.com website: www.preetiglobal.com Preeti Trading Corporation is the exclusive importer and distributor in India for Focal home, multimedia and automotive products.