I have been reminded of this brand elsewhere. They have a reputation of being quite hasty and could have a mix of big yank/quick brit just right for MC and the gang.

http://www.spectralaudio.com/

How about something red from the past?

http://www.albarrymusic.com/

Being a P3 owner I like their kit. Upgrade paths, bi-amp options and complete systems available........

http://www.phonosophie.de/International/

Edited by user 28 December 2011 12:25:02(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

I am not sure of Critic's attitude to reviewing systems. I seem to remember Martin doing this a long time ago in HiFi News and particularly looking forward to this feature. At that time the systems were I think selected at various price bands.

I would be very interested in reading system reviews, possibly not chosen on a cost basis but, for example a system optimised for listening at low to moderate levels (I have never seen this done in any publication and yet there presumably are a number of people whose circumstances do not permit high level listening)

I would also like to see a comparison of a system optimised for maximum fidelity from perfect recordings and one which makes the most of all recordings including classic but poorly recorded performances (ignoring modern compressed recordings). Does ultimate fidelity compensate for the impossibility of enjoying a percentage of one's music?

In my more active dealer days the one request that use to irritate me the most was for " equipment that will make my bad records sound good". The only way for everything to sound "good" is to lower the fidelity so that everything sounds the same. A good system lets you know what is in the recording; you may not like it after you hear it. This is not to say that a system should be tuned to emphasize the slightest flaw in the recording unless you are a mastering engineer and are looking for them. I believe that a good system should be very transparent yet still be capable of playing a wide range of recordings with varying sound quality. Where the balance between absolute accuracy and being capable of dealing with less than perfect recordings lies is up to the taste of the listener.

The Wadax speakers from Spain:

http://www.wadax.eu/page_view.php?PageID=Speakers

The Blumenhofer Clara Luna Speakers:

http://www.blumenhofer-a...ClaraLuna/ClaraLuna.html

I would like to see the Jasmine phono stage reviewed but I am not sure there is a British importer for it. Has gotten a lot of positive notices over here; especially at its reasonable price.

we have asked but slow progress at present

MartinC

This dac looks to be just the ticket for computer audio users; getting good buzz over here. Haven't heard or seen one myself; just ran into it when looking for a computer friendly dac for a friend. I suggested the Metrum but it lacks some features he wants that this one has.

http://www.exasound.com/e18DAC/Overview.aspx

ATC now have a CD player, I would like to know what the Critic team make of it.

You're kidding, right? You're not? This is the principle that says if you charge enough for it, some rich idiot will decide they have to have it, purely because of how much it costs. (c/f Vertu phones business model...)

I mean, the Audio Note phono stage you tested was comic enough, with its hand-rolled-by-virgins-from-the-foothills-of-the-Himalayas transformers, or whatever its USP actually was, but £180k? Is the manufacturer trying to recoup their entire development cost on the first model? Or does the virgin from the Himalayan foothills actually come with it this time?