Wired UK - 11.2019

ONE FOR ALL _

McIntosh RS200

Getting in on the burgeoning

high-end, all-in-one sector,

McIntosh’s new RS200 is

taking on the likes of Naim

and Devialet with its own

one-box streaming system.

The 650W amp delivers

power to two bass drivers,

four midrange units and two

tweeters, while streaming

comes via your choice of

AAC and aptX HS Bluetooth

support, DLNA for networked

files from a NAS drive, AirPlay

2 and DTS Play-Fi. It’ll work

with Alexa and, if you’re

in need of beefing up your

surround-sound set-up, it has

a dedicated soundbar output

and can link to the McIntosh

RS100 wireless surround

speakers. Deep-pocketed

audiophiles will appreciate

that this new addition

matches their other McIntosh

kit. £3,495 mcintoshlabs.com

by Android Oreo. There’s

also Freeview HD, Google

Assistant and Alexa, plus a

quad-core processor, 16GB

onboard memory and 25W

2.1 audio system – all for a

price that seems a lot more

department store than

designer. £1,200 philips.co.uk

ROCK THE BLOCK_ <

Airsound Air D1

It’s a brave brand that goes

from £200 soundbars to

a £12,000 speaker, but

Orbitsound – or Airsound as

they’ll soon be rebranded

• has pulled it off with the
  room-filling sounds of the
  50kg Air D1. Obviously, it can’t
  do actual stereo, but its pair
  of ten-inch custom designed
  neodymium woofers, five-inch
  mid, two four-inch drivers and
  a surface mounted one-inch
  textile dome tweeter powered
  by three class A/B amps –
  150W, 100W and 70W – offer a
  dynamic but precise delivery,
  whether you’re listening over
  Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (aptX) or
  plugged in for serious hi-res.
  £12,000 orbitsound.com

SLEEK SOUNDS_

Beyerdynamic LAGOON ANC

Beyerdynamic has crammed

active noise cancellation,

great sound quality and

long-haul battery life (24.5hr

battery life with ANC) into

these smart cans – but

it’s the extras that really

impress. As well as a built-in

EQ-adjusting hearing test to

tune the sound to your own

ears, they’ve ditched external

LEDs in favour of tiny lights

inside the ear cups that

highlight when it’s synching,

and to show left and right and

battery level. Given you rarely

need to know this info when

the headphones are on your

head, it makes perfect sense

• and keeps the exterior sleek.
  €399 beyerdynamic.com

ROYAL RADIO_

Ruark Tempo

Luxury furniture designer

Linley makes exclusive

and intricate wood items,

and while the firm is more

used to working with royal

households than hi-fi brands,

their special collaboration

with Ruark is a thing of rare

beauty. Hand-crafted in the

UK, the Tempo (a limited-

edition version of the R1 DAB/

Bluetooth radio) features

an exquisite marquetry

case in tones of Submarine,

Monday, Norwegian and

Beret colourways in four

different veneers, with a solid

sycamore chamfer, embossed

Linley brand stamp and a soft

goatskin-clad front panel.

£1,295 ruarkaudio.com

SILVER SCREEN_

Philips PUS9104

Collaborative tech often

misses the mark, but with

the launch of the PUS9104,

Philips and celebrated Danish

design firm Georg Jensen

have scored a bullseye. The

55in 4K UHD LED Ambilight

TV sports a sleek aluminium

bezel on three sides, with

a polished steel front edge

matching the two Georg

Jensen-branded steel-blade

feet. Philips’ Ambilight spills

coloured lighting outside

the frame to make images

feel more immersive, while

inside, the brains are supplied

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WORDS: CHRIS HASLAM. ILLUSTRATION: NEASDEN CONTROL CENTRE

11-19-GEgearoftheyear.indd 57 18/09/2019 14:18