WHAT HI*FI?

WHAT HI*FI REVIEWS/AWARDS MONTH BY MONTH AT MARTINS

all the items we list below from What Hi Fi, Martins Hi Fi endeavor to keep in stock

JANUARY 2012

****
B&W P5 £249.00
What Hi Fi Said:  Pretty and desirable; speedy, vibrant sound with vocalists treated especially well. The P5s are wildly covetable items and they make plenty of aural sense too.

*****
JVC DLA-X30 £3000.00
What Hi Fi said:Effortless set-up; vivid colours, sharp edges; insightful detail; seriously impressive for a £3k picture, especially in 3D

****
Sony VPL-HW30ES £3150.00
What Hi Fi say: Nice looks; easy to use; dynamic picture, wmooth motion; quiet; very capable.

AWARDS EDITION

*****

Pioneer SC-LX85 Home Cinema Amplifier £2000.00

Pioneers Movie, Music and Streaming Powerhouse.

"Stunning sound quality, exceptional specification, class-leading usability, a supremey well-made unit.  Pioneers best is also its best yet; an extraordinary feat, and a true all-rounder"

Best Streamer £1000 -£2500

Cyrus Stream XP £2000.00

"Detail pours out, alond with soaring dynamics and the kind of precise punch that reveals the core musicality of your music"

BEST HOME CINEMA AMPLIFIER £1500+

"Pioneers superiority lies not in bald statistic but in the breathtaking quality of its execution.  Its DirectFET digital ampification is oth thermally efficient and compact."

Best Home Cinema Amplifier up to £1000

Pioneer VSX-LX55

"The VSX-LX55 is as handsome as weve come to expect from Pioneer, and as youd expect from an amp at this price, it positively bristles with socketry, including wtin HDMI outputs to support independent displays and now fewer tha 7 HDMI ins"

 Best iPod dock £150 -£400

Arcam, rCube £350

"This speaker dock is capable of picking up nuances and subtle details that rivals at and around this price can only dream of"

Best Subwoofer up to £700

B&W ASW610 £500

"The ASW610 is back in the winners enclosure for the fourth year in a row - and in fact that it now goes for around £500 when last year it was more like £450 hasnt made the slightest difference to its supremacy"

Best standmounter £1500+

B&W PM1 £2000

"PM1 are, pound for pound the most satisfying loudspeakers B&W has turned out in years"

Best DAC £200 - £400

Arcam rDAC £300

The rDAC sounds top-notch.  Tracks have plenty of room to breathe, and are pcked with weight , precision and natural expression.

Best traditional package £2500+

B&W CM9 Theatre £4200

"The CM9 Theatre dishes out the details as readily as an over-the-back-fence fishwife: no transient is too fleeting or nuance too subtle"

Premium desktop speakers

B&W MM-1 £400

"Getting hi-fi quality sound from a pair of desktop speakers built for use with a PC is no mean feat. but B&W has pulled it off with its high-class MM-1s"

Best turntable £1000+

Cleartone Concept £1000

"We havent come across any rival that combines the Concepts ease of use with excellent build quality and top-notch sound so effectively"

NOVEMBER 2011

B&W C5 in-ear headphones £150.00

four star rating from What Hi FI, they say , Power and weight unrivalled; dynamic; scale; premium look andfeel.

They certainly make an impression, but the sonic character won't be for everyone.

JVC DLA-LX3 £3400.00  five star rating

What Hi Fi say   Reigning top dog at this price, not about to give up without a fight.

Chord Chameleon Plus  5 star rating

What Hi Fi say   Another one of our Chord favourites has a revamp and emerges looking and sounding even better than before

Cyrus Stream XP £2000.00   5 Star rating

What Hi Fi say  Files sound great; natural; engaging delivery; awesome sense of timing.  If you build a streaming system around this you won't be disappointed.

Panasonic TX-P65VT30  £4000.00  five star rating

What Hi Fi say     Excellent with upscaled and HD content; gorgeous 3D picture; sounds surprisingly decent; two pairs of 3D glasses included.  65 inches is big, but if you can accommodate the VT30 you'll be rewarded.

Panasonic TX-P55VT30  £2600.00  five star rating and TEST WINNER

What Hi Fi say    The Brilliant Panasonic TX-P55VT30 overshadows all rivals, its an impeccable performer and well worthy of this victory.  As an all-round proposition for standard-def, HD and 3D theres no looking past this tremendous TV.

Pioneer VSX-LX55 Home Cinema Amp £1000.00  5 Star rating

What Hi Fi say   Genuinely helpful and enjoyable apps; airplay; agile, detailed and fast paced delivery.  An amp that's fun to interact with and thrilling to listen to, this Pioneer is superb.

Arcam rDAC wireless £370.00   5 Star rating

What Hi Fi say   spot on build and design; all necessary connections; wireless option; excellent sound.  The wireless option is bettered by using a cable, sound can be a touch bass-heavy.  We might settle for the wired option, but the rDAC's quality isn't up for debate.

SEPTEMBER 2011

Bowers & Wilkins CM8

What Hi F say , Striking looks, amazing midrange; punchy, weightly bass; detailed treble. 

The driver setup is a trademark  B&W 25mm Nautilus tube loaded aluminium dome tweeters, they are bi-wirable and feature B&Ws flowports to promote tighter, better defined bass,  Ideally the CM8's should be positioned in some free space, with a little toe-in

£1250

 Bowers & Wilkins P5

These are sophisticated looking on-ears headphones, they are the perfect, luxurious MP3 plaer upgrade.  The virtually leak-proof, closed back design makes them a good choice for most public places and easy enough to conceal about your person when not in use.

£250

 Bowers & Wilkins PM1

What Hi Fi 5 star award

A small, high-quality speaker packed with the latest generation B&W technology.

These standmounters work well with all types of music ad engage the listener better than just about any B&W speaker that What HIFI have heard in years.
Fast Conesive and surprisingly full sound; exception stereo image supertb intergration and timing, top class build and finish. Arguably the most engaging and entertaining speakers B&W has made in years.

£1995 plus stands

AUGUST 2011

PANASONIC TX-P50GT30 - 5 Star Rating

What Hi Fi says the GT30 contrasts its deep blacks with punchy, bright whites.  There's oodles of detail, and edges are solid even during fast-moving scenes.  Brillian picture performance with all sources; vast set of features; stylish looks

If you have got or are getting a seperate sound system, the GT30 is a truly surperb picture performer.

£1500.00

PANASONIC TX-P50VT30 5 Star Rating

What Hi Fi say: Last year, 3D Blu-rays tended to have slightly muted colours.  But here, it's all punchy and vibrant - with excellent motion, too.  Excellent all-round picture quality; very decent sound; excellent build; twin tuners; lots of web content; comes with 3D glasses.;

Top TV! the VT30 is a superlative performer in every way

£2000.00

ARCAM rCUBE  What Hi Fi 4 Star Review

What Hi Fi say; the compact size may mean a smaller sound, but the perk is an unbreakably cohesive sound. 

compact; solid build; cohesive sound; wireless options with multiroom potential; more portable than most.

£500.00

ZEPPELIN AIR - What Hi Fi 5 star review

What Hi Fi say: The Zeppelin Air easily has the scale to fill our good sized listening room and goes loud comfortably without distortion.

Iconic style; big sound; lashings of bass; wireless airplay streaming out of the box.

£499.00

CYRUS STREAMLINE - What Hi Fi Test Winner

The Streamline has fantastic insight and exception timing; smart remote; good build; energetic, driven sound.  A streamer straight out of the top drawer, this will work wonders with your digital music library.

£1600.00

JULY 2011

Spendor A3

What Hi Fi Review ****

"Being short doesn't mean you can't sing - Just look at Kylie!" say What Hi Fi.

The also say that these speakers have detailed midrance and treble, puncy sound, solid soundstage and assured timing - The A3's are talented for their size.

 S3/5R2 Speakers  ****

What Hi Fi find these speakers well finished and configured, balanced, natural and detailed sound.  A well judged, natural sound.

Cyrus 8XP

***** Review: What Hi Fi Say "Exceptionally detailed, transparent and precise delivery; lovely dynamics; excellent upgradability - the 8 XP is just sensational, with focus and precision that its rivals can't match."

JUNE 2011

Meridian Sooloos Control 15

Winner of What Hi FI 5 star review

They said "Design miracle: That touchscreen, complete with bespoke operating software, makes this great-sounding music server a delight to live with. Tempted? The first Sooloos system cost more than £11,000; this one costs less than half as much, yet , in many ways, remains the gold standard in servers"

£4750.00

What HiFi have given this projector a 5 star award. They said "Extensive spec, simple set-up; fine picture-making from any source. Does a hige, brightm details 3D picture sound appealing? its going to cost you... but it's definitely worth it!

£6600.00

JVC DLA-X3

What Hi Fi 5 star award winner "it looks like the company's 2011 projectors will be the ones to beat yet again!"

3D ready projector with 50,000:1 native contrast ratio, 3D viewing, D-ILA devices, 2x motorised zoom lens with motorised focus, new Clear Motion Drive, Picture modes for various video sources, Screen Adjustment Mode, flexible set-up and more

MARCH 2011

Focal Chorus 706V  ****

What Hi Fi say

"fast, upfront and open sound; intreiguing looks and sepcification.  Thoroughly enjoyable in most circumstances"

 Spendor A5

WHAT HIFI 5 STAR AWARD

They say " startling scale and punch; detailed and subtle too, endlessly listenable, these are accomplished beyond their price"

FEBRUARY 2011

B&W 685 SPEAKERS

WHAT HIFI 5 STAR AWARD
They say: "Big, coberent soundstage; impressive dynamic ability; boundless drive and attack.  Every bit as impressive as the first time we heard them, the 685s are yet another enduring B&W design"

JANUARY 2011

CYRUS 6XP INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

What Hi Fi says "Cyrus's excellent 6XP is a multiple award winner for a good reason.  When it comes to insight and precision few rivals come close. 

B&W 684 SPEAKERS

What Hi Fi says "Cast iron build quality: up-to-the-minute specification; exciting, engaging sound.  Bold looks and big sound makes this an authentic option"

 CYRUS CDXT SE+ AND CYRUS 8XPD

What Hi Fi says "purposeful, useful specification: authoritatve, unflappable and endlessly enjoyable sound.   Brains and brawn in equal measure from a system we'd never tired of listening to"

 B&W 805 Diamonds

What Hi Fi  say "These stereo speakers' innovative design is a high-end marvel.  A Diamond dome is a rare thing, and here it's mated to class-leading engineering in a compact, timeless-looking package.  terrific resolution with sweet treble and a liquid midrance.  These 805s aren't flawless. but that doesn't stop them from being mightily impressive"

NOVEMBER 2010

QUAD ELITE PRE AND POWER

What Hi Fi says " Neutral and well-balanced sound; range of features; compact dimensions; well worth consideration"

The Quad Elite Series has been developed employing the strongest design features derived from its 99 series predecessor, but exhibiting updated internal audiophile-class components, highly specified transformers, multi-layer circuit boards and the latest, most advanced software available.

What Hi Fi ***** review they said "Arcam's hi-fi pedigree is ably illustrated in this, the most musical, one-box AV amp we've tried"

The AVR600 AV receiver represents a tour-de-force of Arcam’s design skill and technical prowess.

What Hi Fi ***** Review, they said "sometimes you need to look beyond the test verdict to find the right product.  It's sprightly and engaging in Stereo"

This feature-packed AV Receiver is ideally suited to somebody who is looking for accurate audio performance, full iPod/iPhone integration, Internet radio and remote operation from an iPhone/iPod touch.

What Hi FI ***** Review they said " Beloved of home cinema enthusiasts, subs frequently do more harm than good in a music system.  Not so the PV1, its twin 20cm drivers are perfectly balanced and thrillingly fast - and not short of depth either."

PV1 - WHAT HIFI AWARD WINNER - BEST SUB WOOFER £500 PLUS

At one time, subwoofers that had any pretentions to good performance were big and ugly. Later, as engineers got to grips with designing robust drivers that could withstand high levels of electronic equalisation, they became small and a little less ugly. Yes, there were subwoofers that paid lip service to styling, but generally their performance was compromised.

What Hi Fi ***** Review they said " Dynamics, punch and detail to spare; organised, cohesive delivery; if your budget stops at £100, these are the best headphones around"

The new SR60i has an upgraded driver design, and they have enlarged and improved the mass distribution in the plastic housing.

What Hi Fi ***** Review, they said "Beautifully revealing, detailed, musical performance.  For pure sound quality, at this price it is a superb buy"

The SR80 provides an improved bass resonance, which enhances the overall detail. With the SR80i you will notice improved control of the upper and lower range of the frequency spectrum with both better supporting Grado’s world renowned midrange.

What Hi Fi have profiled the Classe SSP-800/CA-5200/CA-2200 and gave them a ***** review. 

they say" Powerful home cinema kit is nothing new, but a system able to match the best high-end Hi-Fi for stereo transparency is something very special.  If one system really can deliver the best of both worlds with minimal (or no) compromises on spec or performance, then who wouldn't be interested"

OCTOBER 2010

A 5 Star rating was awarded to the Pioneer VSX-LX53 by What Hi*Fi ; here's what they said:

Outstanding sound in multichannel; good in stereo; comprehensive spec; elegant styling.  The new class leader, thanks to crisp energetic sound and great flexibility.

Guide price £1199.99 but please call for latest price

Octobers What Hi*Fi gives a 5 star award to the VSX-920 and say: Good looks and bold spec; excellent auto set-up; exhilarating multichannel sound and acceptable in stereo too.  Purposeful, focused stuff -  this is a genuine contender and a must hear.

Guide Price: £499.90 please call for latest price

What Hi*Fi thinks the Chord Cobraplus could be the perfect tonic for a dull-sounding entry-level system, and so awarded it a 5 star rating.

Guide price £66. but please call for latest price

 What Hi*Fi rate the rDac with 5 stars; They say Well specified and well finished; substantial; responsive sound from any source.  Arcam has been here before, but never with such mainstream appeal and never at such an aggressive price.

the guide price is £299.00, please telephone for latest price.

SEPTEMBER 2010

The worlds number 1 home entertainment magazine What Hi-Fi Sound and Vision has awarded the AVR 2311 the highly acclaimed 5 stars. This was the magazines first review of a 3D capable Denon receiver. The review commended the product on replacing an already well regarded amplifier that had nothing of note in the demerits column. The review also comments “Ample spec, dynamic, hard-hitting and detailed sound” A statement which proves Denon authenticity.

What Hi Fi say:  The original Solo was good.  The Solo Neo is even better and that alone makes it a great buy with  improved transparency; can now stream music from a computer network; excellent tuner section; fine build. Bringing wireless and wired network audio streaming to Arcam's all-in-one music system, Solo Neo can stream numerous audio formats via wired or wireless ethernet from NAS drives and other network storage devices. Neo also features a USB connection for memory sticks or hard drives to extend its local audio capabilities too.

Guide price  £1350.00

What Hi Fi say: Another strong contender fromEpson  that is simple to set-up; smart, backlit remote; bright whites, vivid colours dynamic picture.

 What Hi Fi say: £800 wisely spent, can go a long way.  the Denon is prodigious value for money, with ample spec; dynamic, hard hitting and detailed sound.

The AVR-2311 AV receiver, with HDMI version 1.4a, can be connected to a TV and other video devices that support 3D video. This receiver supports not only Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio and other HD Audio formats but also Dolby Pro Logic IIz for enhanced vertical and horizontal spatial performance at the front, allowing you to experience the exciting ambience of 3D video and 3D acoustics. The AVR-2311 also provides numerous useful functions to enhance your viewing enjoyment, such as the ability to adjust contrast, brightness, chroma and other elements of picture quality, and a graphical user interface (GUI) that makes menu screens easy to understand. It also comes with a USB port to connect your portable player or iPod and iPhone directly to the unit and enjoy best digital quality.

Guide price £799.00  please call for latest price

What Hi Fi say This compact dock offers scintillating and class-leading sonic ability with accomplished performance across the board; stylish compact design and is great to use.

The iconic Zeppelin redefined what you could expect from an iPod speaker system. Digital music needn’t be harsh, brash, or unpalatable - it can be delivered in glorious high-fidelity. Plus, the device that provided this amazing sound could be a thing of beauty. Two years and an unprecedented collection of glowing reviews and prestigious awards later, Zeppelin has been joined by Zeppelin Mini.

Guide price £299.00  please call for latest price

AUGUST 2010

What Hi Fi say  "It's great to see a specialist hi-fi company try something different. The Chordette Gem is a fine product.  An effective upgrade to computer or music phone sound through your hi-fi; great build and finish  "

The Chordette Gem is the first in a new range of lower cost products designed to integrate within any existing HiFi system. The Gem has our unique Bluetooth Audio receiver technolgy to allow the transfer of music from a Bluetooth enabled phone, PDA or personal computer. The addition of a USB port also allows direct streaming of audio from a PC.

for full details please download information sheet here

Guide price £399.00

JULY 2010

WHAT HI FI 5 STAR AWARD: THEY SAID: AN EXCELLENT ALL-ROUNDER THAT DELIVERS DETAIL, DYNAMICS AND CRISP TIMING.

JUNE 2010

WHAT HIFI 5 STAR WINNER "FANTASTIC SOUND FOR A PC SPEAKER SYSTEM; IMPRESSIVE BASS FOR A SUB WOOFER-LESS DESIGN; CLASSY BUILD; EASY TO INSTALL"

MM-1s aren’t like other computer speakers. They’re true hi-fi speakers, shrunk to fit on your desktop. So they don’t just look great – they sound amazing, transforming your computer into a superb hi-fi stereo sound system. But then you’d expect nothing less from the makers of the award-winning Zeppelin iPod speaker, not to mention some of the most advanced studio speakers in the world.

£399.00

 WHAT HIFI 5 STAR AWARD WINNER THEY SAY "Another excellent Spendor speaker. It may look relatively ordinary but there’s much to impress in this performance - Amazingly clean and transparent sound; agility, seamless integration; relatively unfussy about positioning"

The Spendor A9 is a full-size 3-way floor standing loudspeaker. It has the resolution, dynamic range, and low frequency extension to realise the breathtaking detail which the finest digital media servers can now deliver from well-recorded hi-resolution uncompressed audio source material.

MAY 2010 

WHAT HIFI 5 STAR WINNER, "SIMPLY SUPERB PICTURE, MAJORING ON DETAIL, CONTRAST AND SHARP EDGES"

Full HD D-ILA front projector with 30,000:1 native contrast ratio, three D-ILA devices, 2x motorised zoom lens with motorised focus, Clear Motion Drive, Inverse telecine (reverse 2-3 pulldown), Picture modes for various video sources, Screen Adjustment Mode, flexible set-up and more.

£3750.00

WHAT HIFI 5 STAR WINNER "THIS IS PALPABLY THE MOST EXCITING, MUSCULAR-SOUNDING CABLE, ITS SONIC IMPACT BEING OUT OF ALL PROPORTION TO COST, THE BENEFITS TO PICTURE QUALITY ARE ALMOST AS DRAMATIC"

See the true picture, hear the whole story and get £20 off the award-winning HDMI Active cable at Martins Hi Fi 

Part-exchange your old HDMI cable with Martins Hi Fi experience the impressive sound and video quality of the 1.5m HDMI Active for only £95.00