http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2019 HI-FI WORLD 39
WORLD STANDARDS
NAIM NAC-N172 XS £1,650
A pre-amp/DAC/streamer package provides a
taught, rock-solid presentation with a tonally rich
midband and a superior sense of rhythm.
PRO-JECT STREAM BOX RS £1,095
Unusual valve-based streamer/preamp with
variety of inputs and a lovely liquid sound. Not
the most detailed but compensates with sheer
musical verve.
QUAD PLATINUM DMP £2,500
Combined CD/network player has all the usual
Quad elements but with added zest and detail
that brings life to everything you care to play.
DIGITAL SOURCES
ASTELL&KERN AK100 MKII £569
Portable high-definition digital player with superb
sound quality. Punchy and fast.
FiiO X3 £150
Fabulous value player with nice easy sound
and full range of abilities. Small and light. For
newbies.
LOTOO PAW GOLD £1,500
Reference quality sound; it’s like carrying your
hi-fi in your pocket. Equivalently large too, but
stunning headphone quality.
NAIM HDX £4,405
Interesting one-box network-enabled hard-disk
music system that gives superb sonics together
with impressive ease of use.
NAIM UNITILITE £1,995
A 50W amplifier with traditional Naim heft, a CD
player and vhf/fm radio, plus network input and
Bluetooth make this a great all-in-one.
PORTABLE SPEAKERS
BAYAN SOUNDBOOK £149.99
Superb design and great sound make for one of
the best portable Bluetooth speaker/radios on
the market. Not the cheapest – but worth every
penny.IRIVER IBA-50 £69
Big, warm sound with plenty of volume and clean
at high levels. Muscular sound compared to many
rivals.CABLES
BLACK RHODIUM TWIST £71/3M
Twisted to fight off radio frequency, the Black
Rhodium speaker cable is easy on the ear with
a fine sense of clarity and focus. A remarkable
performer at the price.MAINS CABLES R US NO.27 £95
Offers a sprightly pace with a precise nature. Fast
performance enhance frequencies and beautifully
etched detail.CHORD SIGNATURE REFERENCE £900
Majors on timing, detail and openess. Capable of
getting the best from most systems and a recom-
mended upgrade.TELLURIUM Q BLACK 280/3M
A deep, dark, velvety performer that’s neverthe-
less highly musical, it represents excellent value
as mid-price cables go.
TELLURIUM Q SILVER DIAMOND £804/M
An open, natural and transparent sound that is
difficult to beat, from these great loudspeaker
cables.HEADPHONES
AUDEZE LCD-3 £1,725
A planar magnetic ‘phone that offers monitor
quality. Strong sound with silky, dark quality that
others struggle to match.B&W P3 £170
Beautifully presented headphones from the
loudspeaker specialists. Feed them a good qual-
ity source signal and they reward with excellent
sound.JAYS V-JAYS £49
Wonderful little budget over-ear portable ‘phones
with a clean, clear sound to beat the best of the
rest at the price.NOBLE K10 £1,279
INC. FITTING
Custom fit in-ear phones with 10 drivers deliver
a sound that is out of this world. Personal and
perfect.OPPO PM-1 £950
Planar magnetic phones with a warm, easy but
big bodied sound that draws you in. Need a lot of
drive, but deliver superb bass.SENNHEISER HD700 £599
Tremendously fast with a strong, focussed, lower-
frequency range and a firm bass punch.YAMAHA HPH-MT220 £150
Purposed for indoor monitoring yet light and
comfortable enough to be used on the move.
Excellent sound quality marred only by a slight
warmth to vocals.