This week on whathifi.com saw good news for HMV and PMC, but a change of tack for The Home Cinema Centre in Edinburgh (and a sale to get your teeth in to).
There was more on the much-rumoured Apple iRadio streaming service and new products released by Linn and Yamaha.
Another batch of product reviews included a pair of stylish headphones, a Bluetooth speaker with NFC, a Bluetooth DAC, a bargain home cinema projector a top-quality pre/power amplifier combination and a brand new smartphone. Read on for all the details.
NEWS
Finally some good news for HMV, as restructuring specialist Hilco, the company that bought the HMV debt back in January, has confirmed the acquisition of 132 HMV stores and 9 Fopp stores in the UK, potentially saving 2500 jobs.
The rumours continue to build that Apple is on the verge of launching a streaming music service to take on the likes of Spotify, Rdio and Last.fm. A summer launch looks increasingly likely, as Universal Music dropped hints of a new high quality music service around the corner.
Linn made headlines a few years back by ditching CD players and getting fully behind the streaming music revolution. And the move has paid dividends. This week saw the release of a new addition to the DS family, the all-in-one Linn Sneaky DSM.
Having originally popped-up on the US Yamaha site, we got official details and prices for the Yamaha AV receivers heading our way this year, including a surprise addition to the product range.
More news:
Closing down sale at Home Cinema Centre Edinburgh
Join us at the Gadget Show Live
Monster's latest headphones for DJs and musicians
REVIEWS
Wireless speakers are all the rage and Sony has got pretty much everything right with this latest model. The Sony SRS-BTM8 marries Bluetooth and NFC connectivity but most importanly delivers great sound for a knockdown price.
An £800 home cinema projector is something of a steal just for turning on and producing a picture, so when you find one that does it rather well we take notice. The Optoma HD25 is one such example.
The infamous Beats by Dre headphone brand is back again, with a trademark pair of over-ear cans with a stylish design. Sleek and understated(ish) design for a change, the sound sticks to a bass-heavy template on these Executive headphones.
We got to know about Heed Audio through the company's excellent phono stages. Now we have a new Obelisk preamp/power amp combination: and again, we're impressed.
More reviews:
By Joe Cox
