With the likes of most peoples Home Audio Systems going in the direction of surround sound setups and a lot of companies downsizing normal everyday musical component systems, it is good to see Sony still have a Home Audio Range based around enjoying music on simpler level! Yeah, sure you can go out and buy numerous plastic docks on the market that will do for the garage or the kids room but for the enthusiast having a big piece of plastic playing their music just doesn’t cut it! This is where the Sony MAP-S1 comes into place, as it can...

A couple of weeks ago I was approached about doing a review on the Sony MDR-XB920R Headphones, being a bit of a Basshead (Ok, that’s a slight understatement) it made sense for me to review a product that boasts having insane levels of bass. Straight out of the box the first thing I noticed was the hard carry case and how compact the Sony MDR-XB920R is when folded down into said carry case. I didn’t take much time to check what else came with them to be honest and went straight to my favourite part, listening to some music! I’m...

Pro-Ject’s track record with budget turntables is unrivalled. Over the years we’ve had various versions of Debuts, Genies and Essentials dominate this end of the record player market. This year it’s the turn of the Pro-Ject Essential II to shine. As the name implies this is a back-to-basics kind of product. There are no headline-grabbing materials or technologies here, just great build at a highly competitive price. Build quality The upgrade over the original Pro-Ject Essential is substantial. There’s a new, quieter and smoother motor, a different arm (now no longer a unipivot design) and a better cartridge in the form of...

As a starting point of this review Home Audio has always been an interest of mine, even from a young age where I would sit for hours listening to records on my fathers component system. So naturally when I was asked if I wanted to do a Product Review on the Sony STR-DH750 Receiver I had to snap up the opportunity right quick! Over the last few weeks I have spent numerous hours listening to music, testing features and demoing the unit to several customers watching for their reactions and also at the same time seeing how they responded to...

Now I must say right up front, I have had my eye on these for a while so when the opportunity came up we just had to have a set of these. Right time to unpack…. They are well packaged and unlikely to get damaged in transit. I’m already liking the size of these and looking forward to getting these babies going.   Time to connect them up and start running them in, planned a 15-20 hour run in time and definitely worth the wait. As I tried different types of music I was starting to get attached to them,...

Now the thing that stood out for me was the Carbon composite basket and the use of Neodymium this makes for a great combination. Looking forward to hearing these, again these guys have a home audio background which as you may/or not know is a must for me. Ok time to see what Polk themselves have to say about this product, see below… Description for MM6501 Component Set: Component mobile audio systems are the best for revealing all the excitement, all the intensity of your music. The MM6501 is the component system designed for anyone who wants an exceptionally high...

What Hi*Fi – A seriously good amp that balances muscle and subtlety with stacks of features at a great price. Sony raises the bar once again Tested at £500. Our Verdict A seriously good amp that balances muscle and subtlety with stacks of features at a great price. Sony raises the bar once again. Five Stars! For: Big, muscular sound Wide soundfield Lots of fine and subtle detail Rhythmic and musical Well-featured Easy to use Against: A touch of brightness at high volumes We can’t say we didn’t have high expectations of the STR-DN1050. As the successor to the Award-winning...

Right I know what you’re thinking, Mk2?? Well let me explain Digital Designs originally released these as a AW6.5s components and you picked your driver and crossover so here in NZ we released them as the AW6.5s pictured on the left and Mk2 on the right. The only difference is the crossover; drivers and tweeters are the same. Today the AW6.5sMk2 come with the BC Series crossovers part number DD-CC1 a high end Audiophile spec’d crossover. See below today’s DD-CC1 on the right and the old one on the left. As you can see both very nice and well constructed...