Monthly Archives: August 2015

2015 has been a good year for hi-fi. A very good year. Such a statement has been strengthened with the fact that the fantastic Audiolab have recently unveiled a new trio of separates, including an amplifier, a CD player and the thing we are most excited about (well, we are audiophiles after all!) the DAC. More specifically, the newest version of the mindblowing M-DAC... the M-DAC+!

But what's it all about and why are we so excited in the first place?

 ... well, it's pretty much down to the new

We've been talking a great deal about sources this month, from streamers through to CD players. Heck, we even touched upon cassette tapes at one point! But no 'source' appreciation month is complete without touching upon what many believe to be the ultimate hi-fi source (yes, that might just include us!) the turntable!

This is where hi-fi as we know it began and thanks to the great vinyl revival of this rather spectacular decade, we have seen an enormous influx of new technologies, all of which have

High-resolution audio, or HRA. It's a term that's banded around a lot, even more frequently of late thanks to more and more technology adopting its practice (2015 is the year it hit the mainstream it would seem!) But have you ever wondered... what exactly is high-resolution audio? And, more importantly, why should you care?

Well, quite frankly, if you're into your audio (and I think it's fair to assume you are since you're reading a hi-fi blog) then high resolution is something you should definitely

Bluetooth speakers are a pretty must have item these days, and not just for the hi-fi crowd! Working in the industry we do, we can spot a trend a mile away, and Bluetooth speakers are destined to stick around for a very long time. A favourite amongst students, professionals, lifestyle-musos and audiophiles alike, this is a handy gadget which has displayed tremendous staying power, and is only getting better as time goes on (and technology improves!) The arrival of Bluetooth AptX (lossless Bluetooth)

One of the best things about this industry is that it's becoming more and more accessible to everyone all the time. When streaming first appeared as a viable source, it was only by spending a small fortune could you join the streaming ranks. While it is still possible to spend a pretty penny in your pursuit of streaming heaven, it's also possible to make a small upgrade to your existing system and turn it into a full blown hi-fi streaming system! This is no sorcery, it's pure innovation in the form

Stop the press! We have some pretty exciting news. Possibly the most exciting news of the year in fact! There's a new FMJ in the legendary line, one that we've been waiting for for a very very long time.

It's the Arcam A29! A compact but powerful integrated amplifier which gives the control back to the user!

Now, this is pretty special. Of course, everything in the FMJ range has been pretty special, but that's what makes the A29 so stand out.. it's the next step up! Building on 40 years of

Streaming. It's powerful, it's versatile and its potentially infinite. We're huge fans of it here at Audio Affair (I'm actually streaming internet radio through my work PC and via my Yamaha NX50s, just in case you were curious!) and even the most hardened analogue-aficionado will admit it's getting better and better all the time. Will it ever surpass CD or even vinyl in terms of sound quality? Some say never, some say yes and many will say it already has - including us! High resolution 24-bit is

When it comes to substantial standmount speakers... we're talking heavy duty speakers, they need a proper stand to support them.

The Partington Ultima was designed and developed to be the heaviest, most significant speaker stand on the market.

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR NEW SPEAKER STANDS

Partington Ultima speaker stands (60cm height and available in black or silver) are the ultimate Partington loudspeaker stands, their flagship model built to the highest standards and have been used in recording studios

Monitor speakers need to represent the truth in the music, to give you an accurate picture of what the instruments are doing... The Acoustic Energy AE1 Speakers are an excellent monitor, and have been for many years. The classically styled speaker features flat frequency response, and is undefeated as a favourite among many audiophiles.

Plus, it has been for almost 25 years!

It’s 26 years since the AE1 Reference first wowed reviewers and became the audio-industry benchmark for compact loudspeaker

What are the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0?

The Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 are the revised version of Sennheisr's incredibly popular Momentum range of headphones. They're full-size, style-driven headphones that perform just as well as the look. The basics of the Momentum range haven’t changed too much – sound quality, the look and most of the basic features are pretty much the same.

If you already own and love the first Sennheiser Momentum pair, you won't notice a huge improvement over the original, but Sennheiser