Warped records are a thorn in the side of any record collector. Sadly, they are also far more common than we would like—particularly, in my experience, with new records. Whether that comes down to rushed manufacturing, insufficient cooling at the pressing plant, poor storage or careless shipping is difficult to say. Whatever the cause, it is frustrating to unwrap a … Read More

The original iFi ZEN Phono was my living-room phono stage of choice for quite some time. That should give you a fairly good idea of where I stood on it. There are plenty of affordable phono preamps that sound decent, but the original ZEN Phono stood out for combining a remarkably low noise floor with accurate RIAA equalisation, adjustable gain … Read More

Warped records can be a real thorn in the side for record collectors. Whether due to poor storage or manufacturing defects, we all have records in our collections that aren’t flat, resulting in degraded audio quality or a risk of damaging our cartridge’s cantilever. In extreme cases, warps can make a record completely unplayable, as the stylus can pop right … Read More

The S-DUO PRO by HumminGuru is the latest incarnation of their ultrasonic stylus cleaner and tracking for gauge. Is this a must-have turntable accessory, or is it just another hi-fi gimmick? The S-DUO Pro replaced the original S-DUO, introducing upgrades in the form of a rechargeable battery and built-in accessory storage. Rechargability, in particular, is a welcome upgrade, as some … Read More

Having quietly lived with the MM Pro phono preamp for just under a year, has this become my new reference phono stage of choice for moving magnet cartridges? Michael Fidler’s Classic Audio brand of boutique all-through-hole-circuitry phono preamps has gained a strong reputation across the vinyl community over the last few years. His engineer-led, attention-to-detail approach and refreshing honesty when … Read More

Fosi Audio continues to make a name for itself, delivering audiophile-grade equipment at surprisingly wallet-friendly prices. The Fosi Audio V3 Mono amplifier aims to offer monoblock performance (usually reserved for high-end systems) in a compact, accessible package. Having been suitably impressed with their Audio Box X5 phono preamp, can they impress me again with the V3 Mono? Listening to Customer … Read More