Previously known for passive loudspeakers, Heco’s Heco Direkt 800 BT incorporates an active all-in-one Bluetooth speaker into its direct line. Does the vintage design also prove itself in the compact class? We found out. Heco Direct 800 BT test The German company Heco has been active since 1949 and has since been developing a wide variety of hi-fi loudspeaker systems. Above all, Heco-Direkt is probably the most unusual series of the North Rhine-Westphalian company. Visually inspired by the rock’n’roll and car culture of the 1950s, the series not only stands out in the company’s own assortment. Always faithful to the prestigious vintage design, the...
One of my competitors said to me about 6 months ago. He would only stock speakers if they had good reviews from the couple of main reviewers. No reviews means no stocking or even testing. This struck me as a bit of a naive comment as what a reviewer hears and says and what the end user hears can be quite different. So I decided to check out some speakers and see how they reviewed. I chose the Heco Direkt Einklaqng, for a couple of reasons. The main one was when I looked at the speakers, I judged them on...
In order to give this a fair go, I didn’t read any other reviews of the RX-2010 and I’ve put in at least 40 hours of listening in a combination of music and tv/movies. I was looking for a small 8-10inch subwoofer to compliment my Wharfedale front speakers, Sony centre speaker and Sony AV receiver. But when I tested the Acoustic Research RX-2010, it blew my socks off. I was thoroughly impressed at the deep bass and believe that it would complement any system to deliver a deep enriching experience whilst not taking up too much floor space. Design –...
It’s gone up in price but the latest Marantz CD player is absolutely worth it Tested at £400 OUR VERDICT – 5 Stars Marantz remains a master of the affordable CD player FOR Big sound Good timing and focus Fine build and finish AGAINST Favours easy listening over out-and-out detail Meaningful increase in price over CD6006 At no point has it been broken – a string of What Hi-Fi? Awards dating back to the turn of the 21st century attests to that – but nevertheless Marantz has gone ahead and fixed its 6000 series CD player every year regardless. This latest version, the CD6006,...
DAP Acoustic Research offers brawny and energetic bass, musical and smooth midrange as well as free, transparent high notes. At the beginning of this year in the “internet” appeared information about launching a portable player of the Acoustic Research AR-M200. An American company with decades of experience probably associates every self-respecting audiophile. It is true that the AR department dealing with portable devices (apart from DAPs are headphones and accessories) is relatively young, but noblesse oblige, so the opportunity to test the new DAP from this stable I was very pleased. Encouraged by opinions on the topic of Acoustic Research portable musicians,...
These comfortable over-ear headphones serve up sound of the highest quality… Our Verdict 5 Stars Beyerdynamic has made a pair of headphones that sound as good as they feel For Nice bass detail Clear and organised Handles treble well Insightful midrange Against Nothing of note If we had to choose one word that encapsulates both the design and sound of Beyerdynamic’s Amiron headphones, it would be ‘comfortable’. But good reviews are usually longer, and more insightful than just one word – and the Amirons are talented enough that they’re worth writing about. Build and comfort You’re unlikely to have many...
PROS Dynamic, audiophile-quality performance. Sounds clear throughout the frequency range. Uses internal DAC and USB connection for purer audio playback. CONS Wireless streaming only available with an additional, optional accessory. Not for big bass lovers unless you add the separate subwoofer. BOTTOM LINE What the Audioengine A2+ stereo speakers lack in extra features, they more than make up for in accuracy and overall performance. While most of the consumer audio world has turned its focus to docks and wireless systems, Audioengine remains steadfast in its commitment to the standard two-piece, stereo, bookshelf-style speaker setup. When we reviewed the original Audioengine 2, no longer...
Disclaimer: I received the Acoustic Research M2 DAP from Acoustic Research, for purposes of reviewing it for Headfonia. The M2 will be returned to its owner at the conclusion of this review. The pictures in this review are property of their makers, these are not our pictures. Dale is doing this as a guest review. AR-M2 When I opened the shipping box, I was presented with a nice military-grade Pelican case containing the AR-M2 and accessories (USB cable and charger). The M2 itself is similar in size to the iPhone 6, but twice as thick and twice as heavy. Given the price...
PROS Wonderful audio performance. with excellent bass depth and clarity. Superb sense of space. Comfortable, secure fit. CONS Huge frame and open-back style earcup not ideal for on-the-go listening. Expensive. Lacks a cable with an inline remote control. BOTTOM LINE The magnetic drivers of the open-back Acoustic Research AR-H1 headphones deliver an excellent sonic experience with impressive accuracy and sense of space. We’ve reviewed only a handful of planar magnetic driver-based headphones thus far, like the Blue Ella and the in-ear Audeze iSine20. Now, we check out the bulky, beautiful, and—at $599.99—expensive Acoustic Research AR-H1. Even without its own internal amplifier like the Blue Ella...
Big, Loud, and Invredibly Fun to Listen To By William Gayde on March 22, 2018 When you’ve decided that your TV or monitor’s built in speakers just don’t cut it anymore, there are plenty of options to choose from. Of course, you can go to your local big box store and grab a pair of cheap bookshelf speakers, but for those that care about audio quality, you’ll want to do some research beforehand. Today I’ll be taking a look at the latest product from Audioengine, the A5+ Wireless Powered Speakers. Audioengine has had a long history of making high quality prosumer...
