Displaying items by tag: spotify - StereoLife Magazine

Hegel is introducing two new integrated amplifiers built around the same core platform but aimed at different types of system. The H200, described by the manufacturer as "The Connected", combines a 2 x 150 W amplifier with a digital-to-analogue converter, network player, MM phono stage and headphone output. The A200, or "The Classic", retains the same power output and key circuit solutions, but is an entirely analogue design intended for use with external sources such as streamers and DACs. Both amplifiers employ a Class AB output stage delivering 150 W per channel into 8 ohms. The H200 and A200 are designed to remain stable into loads as low as 2 ohms, while the damping factor of their output stages exceeds 4000. Both models also feature Hegel's SoundEngine2 technology, which is designed to detect and reduce distortion at the point where it occurs, before it travels further through the signal path. The basic amplifier architecture is therefore shared, with the main differences concerning connectivity, features and the role each model is intended to play within a system. Rather than creating one heavily equipped amplifier for everyone, Hegel has developed two versions - a complete network-enabled model and a more traditional integrated amplifier without a digital section.

One of the awkward realities of network audio is that streaming platforms can age much faster than the hardware built around them. A DAC, analog output stage or power supply may remain perfectly capable for years, while changes in licensing, operating systems and service APIs can leave an otherwise expensive streamer without the latest Connect protocols. HiFi Rose has decided to address that problem with a piece of hardware rather than another firmware update. RW800, also known as Rose Air Lite, is a tiny streaming module designed primarily to add current network functions to existing HiFi Rose components, but it can just as easily leave the Rose ecosystem altogether and operate as an inexpensive standalone streamer in almost any audio system.

Ferrum has spent the last few years building a compact ecosystem around digital conversion, headphone amplification and power management, but one obvious piece has been missing - a network transport of its own. That gap is now filled by Broen, the Polish company's first dedicated streaming product and a natural partner for the Wandla DAC family and Hypsos power supply. The model was previewed at the Audio Video Show in Warsaw and the Paris Audio Video Show in late 2025, but has now reached its final production form. Its name means "bridge" in Danish, which neatly summarizes the concept - Broen is designed as a digital gateway between streaming services, local music libraries and an external DAC rather than another all-in-one streamer with conversion and analog circuitry squeezed into the same chassis.

The Wireless Box E is one of those small Pro-Ject components whose purpose becomes clear the moment you see where it is meant to sit - not on a hi-fi rack, but directly on the back of a loudspeaker. Instead of adding streaming to an existing amplifier, as the Stream Box E does, the Wireless Box E takes the idea further by turning a passive speaker into a wireless active audio system. It is a compact mono streaming amplifier that connects directly to speaker terminals, removing the need for a separate amplifier and allowing users to build a flexible, app-controlled stereo or multi-room setup with traditional passive loudspeakers.

Pro-Ject's smallest components have always had a practical mission - to add a specific hi-fi function without forcing the user to rebuild the whole system around it. The Stream Box E follows that logic in the streaming era. It is an entry-level multi-room streamer and preamplifier designed to bring network playback, app control, wireless multi-room functions and analog integration to existing amplifiers, power amps or active speakers, all in a compact metal enclosure. The Stream Box E continues Pro-Ject's long-running Micro Hi-Fi tradition, which began in the 1990s with compact components intended to deliver proper hi-fi performance without the size, complexity or cost of full-width equipment. In this case, the idea is not to create another large streamer for an already elaborate system, but to offer a small and affordable device that can modernize an older amplifier, form the control center of a minimalist setup or add streaming functionality to active loudspeakers.

Cambridge Audio is expanding its Evo series, a range of all-in-one systems designed for listeners who want a real hi-fi setup without building a traditional stack of separate components. This approach has become one of the most interesting directions in modern home audio. More people now listen through streaming services, connect their systems to a TV, sometimes return to vinyl, and still want to keep passive loudspeakers and full-scale stereo sound. From the beginning, Evo was created for exactly that kind of user - connect speakers, configure the network, and use a single device that combines an amplifier, streamer, DAC, and a broad range of inputs. Now the British manufacturer is taking the concept further with the Evo 300, the most powerful and most advanced streaming amplifier in the history of the series.

Yamaha has introduced two new AV receivers, the RX500A and RX300A, designed to serve as modern hubs for home entertainment - from cinema and music to gaming. The manufacturer is clearly targeting users who want to build a system around conventional loudspeakers and an AV receiver, but also expect the convenience associated with modern TVs, consoles and streaming devices. The RX500A is a 7.2-channel design, while the RX300A is a 5.2-channel model, but both support Dolby Atmos, four HDMI inputs compatible with current video and gaming standards, Bluetooth Multipoint and automatic room correction. These are not AV receivers designed only for home cinema in the traditional sense, but rather versatile control units intended to bring films, series, sport, games and everyday music listening together in one relatively easy-to-use system.

Harman Kardon has refreshed one of the most recognizable products in its catalog. The SoundSticks 5 Wi-Fi is a new version of the transparent speaker system that, for many years, was associated mainly with computers, desktops and its distinctive, almost sculptural form. This time, however, the emphasis shifts clearly toward a modern wireless system for everyday music listening. The transparent subwoofer and slim satellite speakers remain, but they are now joined by Wi-Fi connectivity, support for popular streaming platforms, Bluetooth 6.0, app-based control and lighting effects that react to the music. The SoundSticks 5 Wi-Fi is therefore not just another variation of a familiar design. It is an attempt to adapt this idea to the way music is used at home today - without signal cables, without a traditional source and, in most cases, without the need to connect anything apart from power.

Moon is expanding its Compass Collection with two new components that clearly move the series closer to technologies previously associated with the brand's higher-end reference designs. After the 371, a complete streaming amplifier, the company is now introducing a classic two-box system made up of the 491 network player and preamplifier, and the 461 power amplifier. It is an interesting move, because the Compass Collection was originally positioned as a more accessible, compact and practical answer to the flagship North Collection, but it is now becoming clear that the idea is not simply to simplify the range. The new components are designed to bring some of Moon's more advanced technologies into a more traditional two-unit system, where one device handles sources, digital-to-analog conversion, volume control, vinyl playback and headphones, while the other takes care of driving the loudspeakers.

Advance Paris has introduced the Nova series, a new flagship platform of hybrid integrated amplifiers designed to function as complete control centers for modern stereo systems while preserving the company's established tube-assisted analog architecture. Positioned above the Classic and Apex ranges in the manufacturer's lineup, the Nova platform represents Advance Paris's most ambitious integrated amplifier concept to date. The series includes two amplifiers - the A-i130 and A-i190 - together with optional streaming and Bluetooth expansion modules and a dedicated rotary remote controller. First previewed at High End Munich 2025, the lineup is scheduled to make its North American debut at AXPONA 2026, with global availability expected from May 2026.