Displaying items by tag: stereo - StereoLife Magazine

The decision has been made - we are buying a turntable. Everyone around us seems to be talking about the beauty of analog sound, so sooner or later we decide to begin our own vinyl adventure. Common sense may object a little, because what exactly is the point? Records are delicate, they have to be handled with care, and every twenty minutes or so you need to get up and turn the disc over if you want to hear the rest of the album. How does that make any sense in an age when a phone can give us access to millions of tracks, let us skip from one to another with a single tap, or simply keep playing for hours without any effort on our part? Users of streaming services could probably listen until retirement age and still not discover even a small fraction of the music available to them. So who actually needs a turntable?

In the world of loudspeakers, some designs command respect through advanced engineering, exotic materials and impressive specifications. Others do not look like spaceships, make no use of materials seemingly borrowed from z science-fiction film, and yet win people over with beautiful, musical sound and the simple fact that one can imagine living with them every day. Vienna Acoustics belongs firmly to the second group. The Austrian manufacturer has never built its identity around simulations, calculations and graphs alone, focusing instead on what makes its products appealing to the eye and the ear. The company was founded in 1989 by Peter Gansterer and Peter Haferl, whose goal was to bring together two worlds - solid engineering and the kind of aesthetics usually associated with fine furniture. Based in Rust, a small town in Austria's Burgenland region, the company now employs around 40 people. Among audiophiles, it is known for distinctive loudspeakers with exceptional cabinet work. Its catalog is dominated by models designed for stereo systems, and the names chosen for individual models will feel familiar to any music lover. Liszt Reference, Beethoven Concert Grand Reference, Haydn SE Signature, Mozart SE Signature - there is clearly a theme here. The last of these is the latest incarnation of one of the most important floorstanders in Vienna Acoustics' history, and also a very good example of just how differently hi-fi can be understood.

Buchardt Audio unveiled the S400 MK3, the latest generation of one of the company's most important loudspeakers and a model that has remained central to its lineup since the first S400 prototype appeared in 2016. What began as a compact standmount developed with the aid of the Klippel Near Field Scanner quickly became one of the most frequently recommended speakers in its class, largely because it combined a relatively small enclosure with unusually large-scale sound, generous bass weight, and a wide, room-friendly presentation. With the new S400 MK3, Buchardt is not presenting a mild refresh but what it describes as a complete redesign, retaining only a single part from the previous version - the binding posts.

Dual has introduced the CS 618Q, a direct-drive turntable that represents the most advanced model in the company's current lineup and a clear statement of intent in its ongoing revival as a serious analogue specialist. Combining quartz-controlled speed regulation, a precision gimbal-bearing tonearm and a factory-mounted Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, the CS 618Q is positioned as a ready-to-use premium deck aimed at listeners who want high-performance vinyl playback without moving into the complexity of fully manual audiophile platforms. Although the CS 618Q sits at the top of Dual's contemporary range, its design deliberately avoids unnecessary complication. Instead, the turntable follows a restrained, classic layout that echoes earlier generations of the brand's direct-drive machines. A brushed-aluminium control plate carries the speed selector and status indicator, allowing switching between 33, 45 and 78 rpm operation, while the overall proportions remain close to traditional hi-fi component dimensions for straightforward system integration.

Dynaudio introduced the Legend, a compact high-end standmount loudspeaker positioned outside the company's regular product ranges and conceived as a design-led model that combines reference-grade driver technology with furniture-level craftsmanship. Rather than forming part of an existing series, the Legend follows the tradition of special standalone releases such as the Special Forty, offering a distinctive interpretation of Dynaudio's core engineering philosophy in a compact enclosure intended for flexible placement and relaxed listening environments.

Wilson Benesch announced the Greenwich Turntable, a new model within its GMT analogue platform that establishes the entry point into the company's latest reference-level record playback architecture. Rather than representing a simplified derivative of existing designs, the Greenwich Turntable is conceived as the foundation of a modular analogue ecosystem in which structural, damping and isolation strategies evolve progressively through the GMT range while preserving a common motor platform. This approach allows owners to enter the architecture at the Greenwich level and move upward toward Prime Meridian and ultimately the flagship GMT One without replacing the core drive system.

Grado Labs revealed the Signature S550, the latest addition to its growing Signature Line of open-back headphones and the fourth model in the series following the earlier S950 and S750 variants. Designed as a wood-housed dynamic headphone tuned for a warmer and more relaxed presentation than some traditional Grado designs, the S550 combines the company's 50 mm S2 driver platform with Brazilian walnut earcups and a modular cable architecture intended to support both desktop and portable listening systems.

Jamo, one of the most recognizable names in European loudspeaker design, is preparing a return to the international audio market under new ownership and with a renewed development structure that brings engineering activity back to Denmark. The relaunch marks the beginning of a new phase for the Danish brand, combining continuity with its Scandinavian heritage and a broader strategy aimed at both traditional hi-fi systems and modern lifestyle audio solutions. The first products created under the new structure are scheduled to be presented at the Vienna High End Show, offering the first public glimpse of Jamo's direction after its restructuring.

Kanto Audio has introduced a redesigned generation of its speaker lineup, led by the new Tuk Grand flagship and accompanied by updated versions of the company's Yu4, Yu6, and Tuk models. The refreshed range represents a broader acoustic and industrial design revision across both powered and passive variants. Originally launched in 2014, the Yu series helped establish Kanto Audio's reputation for compact, accessible loudspeakers combining integrated amplification with modern connectivity. The Tuk followed in 2019 as a more performance-oriented model positioned closer to the hi-fi segment. With the introduction of the Tuk Grand and the redesign of the existing families, the company is now extending that concept with larger enclosures, revised driver integration, updated electronics, and a new visual direction intended to align more closely with contemporary interiors.

SVS has expanded its compact subwoofer lineup with the introduction of the SVS 3000 Micro R|Evolution, a new sealed-cabinet model designed to deliver reference-grade low-frequency performance from an enclosure measuring just 11 inches across. Positioned as a successor to the earlier 3000 Micro, the new version brings updated drivers, a more powerful amplifier platform, and significantly increased DSP capability while maintaining the lifestyle-friendly form factor that made the original model popular in space-constrained listening rooms.