This week Luxman announced its flagship L-509X integrated amplifier, Cambridge Audio revealed its Solo and Duo phono stages, and HiBy's R6 portable music player aims to be the most advanced Android player available.
On the reviews front we have Cambridge's CXUHD 4K Blu-ray player, Panasonic's TX-50EX750B 4K TV and Piega's TMicro 40 AMT standmount speakers.
News
Luxman launches flagship integrated amplifier: L-509X
Just before Christmas, Japanese audio brand Luxman has graced the hi-fi world with its new flagship L-509X integrated amplifier.
The L-509X is a 120 watts-per-channel class A/B amp and features a 600VA power transformer, MM/MC phono stage as well as a number of inputs and outputs.
It's out now and costs £8500.
Cambridge announces Solo and Duo phono stages
Cambridge's new phono stages, the Solo and Duo, will hit shelves in the New Year, along with the Yoyo (L) multi-room speaker.
The Solo is a dedicted moving-magnet phono stage, while the Duo also supports turntables with moving-coil cartridges. The Yoyo (L) is the company's third and largest speaker, and comes with Chromecast, Spotify and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Solo and Duo cost £150 and £250 respectively, while the Yoyo (L) will sell for £350.
HiBy R6 aims to be the "most advanced" Android hi-fi player
HiBy R6's aims to be the 'most advanced Android hi-fi player' with support for 32bit/384kHz audio.
The R6 has a Snapdragon 425 chip, 3GB RAM running Android 6.0 and dual ESS ES9028Q2M DACs. With 32GB of storage, wi-fi, Bluetooth and a USB-C connection, there's also support for FLAC, ALAC, WAV et al.
The R6 is supported by a crowdfunding campaign, so you can back it for the sum of £400.
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Reviews
A year ago there were just a few 4K players, now there's plenty. And Cambridge has joined the fray with its CXUHD.
It's an understated effort that delivers outstanding pictures and sound. Colours appear natural and detail is sharp, with the sound much more tangible and defined than that of its rivals.
You'll need a pricey set-up to support, but if that's what you have this will render your 4K collection in a superb manner.
Panasonic's new 50in TV is a good bet if you want 4K without breaking the bank.
It's a hefty TV, weighing 22.5kg - much of that comes from its adjustable metal stand that allows the TV to be extended giraffe-like.
In picture terms it presents a bright and colourful HDR image, but we reckon it could offer more subtlety and nuance too.
But it's a decent value TV at under £1000 - although you can find better TVs for a little more.
Piega's TMicro 40 AMTs are tiny, but in some aspects their stature works for them.
The build and finish is excellent, and the speakers are able to convey a precise and wide soundstage that's full of clarity and insight. Size does impact on the speaker's sense of scale, depth and overall authority, mind you.
Despite that, if you're looking for a quality speaker that can fit into a tight space, the Piegas are a great little pair.