http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2019 HI-FI WORLD 61
CLASSICS
HEADPHONE AMPLIFIERS
GRAHAM SLEE NOVO 2009 £255
Dynamic headphone amplifier with a great sense of
timing. Crisp, clear treble and warm midrange gives
an involving sound.
MUSICAL FIDELITY X-CAN V8 2008 £350
Open and explicitly detailed sound plus serious
bass wallop. A great partner for most mid-to-high
end headphones.
CD PLAYER/RECORDERS
MUSICAL FIDELITY TRIVISTA 2002 £4000
When playing SACDs, the sweetest, most lucid and
lyrical digital disc spinner we've heard. Old school
stereo, pure DSD design. CD sound is up in the
£1000 class, too! Future classic.
MARANTZ SA-1 2000 £5,000
The greatest argument for SACD. This sublime Ken
Ishiwata design is utterly musically convincing with
both CD and SACD, beating most audiophile CD
spinners hands down.
SONY MDS-JE555ES 2000 £900
The best sounding MD deck ever, thanks to awe-
some build and heroic ATRAC-DSP Type R coding.
PIONEER PDR-555RW 1999 £480
For a moment, this was the CD recorder to have.
Clean and detailed.
MARANTZ DR-17 1999 £1100
Probably the best sounding CD recorder made; built
like a brick with a true audiophile sound and HDCD
compatibility.
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CD4SE 1998 £200
A touch soft in the treble and tonally light, but out-
standing in every other respect.
SONY TCD-8 DATMAN 1996 £599
Super clean sound makes this an amazing portable,
but fragile.
LINN KARIK III 1995 £1775
The final Karik was a gem. Superb transport gives
a brilliantly tight, grippy dynamic sound, albeit
tonally dry.
NAIM CDS 1990 £ N/A
Classic Philips 16x4 chipset with serious attention
to power supplies equals grin-inducing sonics.
TECHNICS SL-P12 00 1987 £800
CD version of the Technics SL-1200 turntable.
Massively built to withstand the rigours of 'pr' use
and laden with facilities - a great eighties icon.
SONY CDP-R1/DAS-R1 1987 £3,000
Sony’s first two boxer was right first time. Tonally
lean, but probably the most detailed and architec-
tural sounding machine of the eighties.
MARANTZ CD73 1983 £700
A riot of gold brushed aluminium and LEDs, this
distinctive machine squeezed every last ounce from
its 14x4 DAC -super musicalMERIDIAN 207 1988 £995
Beautifully-built two-box with pre-amp stage.
Very musical although not as refined as modern
Bitstream gear. No digital output.
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO CD1 1986 £1500
Inspired Stan Curtis redesign of Philips CD104,
complete with switchable digital filter. Lean but
tight and musical performer.MERIDIAN MCD 1984 £600
The first British 'audiophile' machine was a
sweeter, more detailed Philips CD100. 14x4 never
sounded so good, until the MCD Pro arrived a year
later.SONY CDP-701ES 1984 £890
Sony’s first bespoke audiophile machine used a
16x2 DAC to provide a clinically incisive sound;
supreme build quality allied to the pure unadulter-
ated luxury of a paperbook-sized remote control.YAMAHA CD-X1 1983 £340
Nicely built 16x2 machine with a very sharp and
detailed sound; sometimes too much so. Excellent
ergonomics, unlike almost every other rival of the
time.SONY CDP-101 1982 £800
The first Japanese CD spinner was powerful and
involving. Brilliant transport more than compensat-
ed for 16x2 DAC, and you even got remote control!ANALOGUE RECORDERS
AIWA XD-009 1989 £600
Aiwa's Nak beater didn't, but it wasn't half bad
nonetheless. Massive spec even included a 16x4
DAC!
NAKAMICHI CR-7E 1987 £800
The very best sounding Nakamichi ever - but lacks
the visual drama of a Dragon.SONY WM-D6C 1985 £290
Single capstan transport on a par with a Swiss
watch, single rec/replay head better than most
Naks. Result: sublime.PIONEER CTF-950 1978 £400
Not up to modern standards sonically, but a great
symbol of the cassette deck art nonetheless.
YAMAHA TC-800GL 1977 £179
Early classic with ski-slope styling. Middling sonics
by modern standards, but cool nonetheless!
SONY TC-377 1972 £N/A
A competitor to the Akai 4000D open reel machine,
the Sony offered better sound quality and is still no
slouch by modern standards
REVOX A77 1968 £145
The first domestic open reel that the pros used at
home. Superbly made, but sonically off the pace
these days.COMPACT DISC
TRANSPORTS
ESOTERIC P0 1997 £8,000
The best CD drive bar none. Brilliantly incisive,
ridiculously over engineered.
TEAC VRDS-T1 1994 £600
Warm and expansive sound made this a mid price
hit. Well built, with a slick mech.
KENWOOD 9010 1986 £600
The first discrete Jap transport was beautifully
done and responds well to re-clocking.DACs
DCS ELGAR 1997 £8500
Extremely open and natural performer, albeit
extremely pricey - superb.
DPA LITTLE BIT 3 1996 £299
Rich, clean, rhythmic and punchy sound transforms
budget CD players.
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO DAC MAGIC
1995 £99
Good value upgrade for budget CD players with
extensive facilities and detailed sonics.
PINK TRIANGLE DACAPO 1993 £ N/A
Exquisite; the warmest and most lyrical 16bit digital
audio we have ever heard.
QED DIGIT 1991 £90
Budget bitstream performer with tweaks aplenty.
Positron PSU upgrade makes it smooth, but now
past it.CABLES
MISSING LINK CRYO REFERENCE 2008
£495/0.5M
High end’ interconnects, with deliciously smooth,
open and subtle sound without a hint of edge.
TECHLINK WIRES XS 2007 £20
Highly accomplished interconnects at an absurdly
low price. Stunning value for money.
VDH ULTIMATE THE FIRST 2004 £250
Carbon interconnects that help you forget the elec-
tronics and concentrate on the music. Miraculous
transparency. Tight and tuneful bass mixed with air
and space.WIREWORLD OASIS 5 2003 £99/M
Excellent mid-price design with a very neutral, silky
and self-effacing sound. Superb value for money.TCI CONSTRICTOR 13A-6 BLOCK
2003 £120
Top quality ‘affordable’ mains outlet block, with fine
build and good sonics. Well worth the extra over
standard high street specials, which sound coarse
and two-dimensional by comparison.