Trending

A Speaker of Superlatives, Devialet ManiaThe Devialet Mania is not just another wireless speaker in an already crowded Bluetooth market—it is the first truly portable speaker from the French hi-fi brand Devialet, which has spent a decade and a half becoming known for its iconic amplifiers and spherical Phantom speakers. Into the Mania, Devialet has packed four years of development, proprietary Active Stereo Calibration (ASC) technology, 360-degree spatial sound, and luxurious craftsmanship—all into an enclosure barely larger than an Amazon Echo smart speaker. The result is a speaker consistent..

Ortofon MC X20: Three Reviewers, One Verdict — Astonishing Sound, Unbeatable Value The German reviewer admits Ortofon had fallen off his radar, until the new MC X series lured him back in. Even before he heard a note, the specs alone impressed him: silver coils, a resonance-optimised housing, and prices starting from just €299.On the turntable, the cartridge proved powerful yet remarkably subtle right out of the box, needing no run-in time at all. Spinning Steely Dan and Bill Evans records revealed speed, attack and groove, delivered with a relaxed, never-aggressive touch.His verdict: the MC X..

WAV, FLAC, DSD and PCM – how to coax music from digital files that comes closest to analog soundA few years ago, listening to music was simple. A CD player, an amplifier, and a pair of speakers made up an entire Hi-Fi system. Today, digital streaming has become the primary source of music. Millions of high-resolution albums are just a few taps away.But with the rise of services like Qobuz and TIDAL, a new question has emerged:If everyone is playing the same FLAC file, why don't systems sound the same?More and more music lovers are asking themselves this. At first glance, the answer should be s..

Some Things You Can't RationaliseThere are audio experiences that stop you mid-thought. Moments when you stop analysing and simply start listening. When the music stops working at sounding good and just — sounds.The Primare Allt-i-Ett is that kind of system.We say this with a certain degree of self-awareness. At INTEK Hi-Fi, we are firmly rooted in the world of separate hi-fi components — preamplifiers, monobloc amplifiers, dedicated DACs, turntables. We believe in the chain. In control over every link. And towards systems that compress all of this into a single box, we carry — let's be honest..

A Question That Refuses to DieWalk into any hi-fi shop, scroll any audiophile forum, or sit down for coffee with a friend who just bought their first turntable, and the same question surfaces sooner or later: which sounds better, vinyl or digital?The answer you'll hear most often is simple, confident, and wrong: "Vinyl sounds better because it's analog." This claim is repeated so frequently that it has hardened into something close to an article of faith. And yet, the moment you put it under the lens of engineering, physics, and the actual history of how music gets made, it falls apart.The rea..

Perlisten A3T: Speakers That Sound the Way Music ShouldWhen engineering follows the ear, not just the measurements Perlisten is a young American speaker manufacturer, founded less than a decade ago, that has already carved out a distinctive place for itself in the hi-fi world. Its philosophy is simple in principle, far less so in execution: a speaker shouldn't just measure well on paper — it should sound the way the human ear actually perceives music in a real room. The brand's name is a fusion of "perceptual" and "listening," and it sums up the approach nicely.The A3T we're covering today bri..

A New Era of Sound ReproductionIn the world of high-end hi-fi, we are accustomed to various marketing promises. Occasionally, however, a product emerges that shifts the boundaries of what is possible. PERLISTEN (Perceptual Listening) is a company that has taken the world of audiophile reviewers and enthusiasts by storm in recent years. Their PERLISTEN S5t model is not just another speaker; it is the result of years of research in psychoacoustics and advanced materials. Company Philosophy: Science Over MythsUnlike many traditional manufacturers who rely on "listen and tweak" methods, PERLISTEN ..

Where High-End Design Meets Raw PowerThe audiophile world has long awaited the next giant leap from the company that redefined the aesthetics and performance of modern hi-fi. The answer has arrived: Devialet Astra. If you thought the limits of a compact integrated amplifier had been reached, Astra is here to prove otherwise. As noted in the latest The Absolute Sound review, this isn't just an evolution—it’s a digital-analog masterpiece. Revolutionary ADH Technology ReimaginedAt the core of Astra lies Devialet’s patented ADH (Analog Digital Hybrid) technology. It is a fascinating feat of engine..