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Hi-Fi World, one of a handful of old school “hi-fi” magazines from the UK, has published its December issue. It includes reviews of the following: Roksan Xerxes.20 Plus turntable Monitor Audio PL300 floorstanding speakers Linn Sneaky Music DS network music player Cambridge Audio DacMagic DAC Supertest of CD players under GBP 1,500 Spendor S3/5R vs. Amphion Prio 510 speakers Icon Audio Stereo 25 tube integrated amp Promitheus TVC preamp Arcam FMJ CD17 CD player and

Enjoy the Music.com‘s new DIY magazine has reviewed the Hawthorne Audio Sterling Silver Iris Duet speakers ($2,500). These are open baffle three-way designs with 15″ drivers and 95dB/W/m rated efficiency. Apparently they can be ordered as a kit or assembled. Reviewer Clarke Robinson was impressed: The visceral impact and rhythmic drive of the 15-inch drivers proved incredibly involving and fun to listen to. There’s a reason why muscle-car guys and subwoofer guys share the mantra

6moons has reviewed the Yamamoto A-09S tube stereo power amplifier (JPY 680,000-780,000). This is an “8wpc 300B stereo amplifier with tube rectification via 5U4G EML mesh plate.” Reviewer extraordinaire Srajan Ebaen liked it a lot and concluded: This amplifier’s gain structure and drive potential, especially when fitted with EAT or EML 300Bs and EML’s 5U4G rectifier, exceeds the norm to make it suitable for somewhat counter-intuitive loudspeakers. Benign LF load impedance behavior remains important for

Computer Audiophile has reviewed the Bryston BDA-1 DAC ($1,995). This is a defeatable upsampling design with “two independent linear power supplies and dual Crystal CS-4398 DAC chips.” Reviewer Chris Connaker liked its build quality and ergonomics but wished for a volume control and remote. He thought the soundstage was slightly closed-in compared to his Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC ($5,000), but he described the overall sound as top-notch. Here’s an excerpt: The Bryston BDA-1 external

StereoMojo has reviewed the Xindak MT-1 tube integrated amp ($579). This is a Chinese-made unit that is described as “a small class A integrated tube amplifier rated at a modest 12.5 watts per channel.” Reviewer William Schuchard was alarmed by a loose screw inside the unit (as well as what he called “Bright Blue LED Syndrome”), but he thought the amp sounded better than his Bryston B100 SST integrated amp ($2,999). He concluded: The mighty

TONEAudio has published another epic issue. At 159 pages, it appears to have a little something for everyone. The magazine has increased its music focus, with a wide variety of interviews and artist features, but it still has room for a dozen or more equipment reviews. Here’s the list: AV123 EL525T floorstanding speakers ($799/pair) Nagra VFS vibration control platform ($1,500) Loiminchay Chagall floorstanding speakers ($48,500/pair) Whest Audio PS.30R phono stage ($3,500) Paradigm Reference Signature S1

Sterophile has published its review of the Fried Compact 7 bookshelf loudspeakers ($1,795/pair). These are two-way designs apparently created in the spirit of the original Fried Q from 1976. Reviewer John Marks heard some top-end roll off and hollow coloration, both of which were confirmed by the uneven frequency response measurements. On the positive side, he noted: In their favor, the Compact 7s were incisively dynamic, and created a large and well-defined center image. Read

Ultra High Fidelity (UHF), a 26-year-old Canadian hi-fi magazine, has reviewed the Sugden A21SE integrated amp (CAD 4,999). This is the “Special Edition” version of Sugden’s venerable A21a integrated amp (CAD 3,249). The A21SE is a Class A design with 30 watts per channel into 8 ohms (40 watts into 4 ohms). Editor Gerard Rejskind, along with reviewers Reine Lessard and Albert Simon, liked the amp’s finesse and grace, but were less impressed with its

Home Entertainment has reviewed the BG Radia Z-92 floostanding speakers ($2,500/pair). Reviewer Steve Guttenberg was impressed with their innovative design (which includes a planar-ribbon tweeter), as well as the lifetime(!) parts and labor warranty. He also liked the crisp treble and spacious soundstage. For high volume listening, however, he noted: …the Z-92 handled power like a champ, but the music’s dynamic sock was a little restrained. As I played other discs I noted the same

Hi-Fi Choice, publishing online as part of TechRadar, has reviewed the Guru QM10 Proaudio two-way standmount speaker (GBP 1,595/pair). Although this model appears to be aimed at the pro market, reviewer Paul Messenger evaluated it for home use. He liked its time coherence but had issues with its mid-bass hump and “cuppy” speech performance. Ultimately, he gave it a five star rating(?) and concluded: Although it might superficially seem costly, the Guru QM10 represents an