Hi-Fi News - January 2017

Welcome to the 140-page January issue of Hi-Fi News & Record Review – the heartiest read in hi-fi by far – on sale 16th December. Our cover features the new Renaissance ESL 15A loudspeakers from MartinLogan – its largest electrostatic/moving-coil hybrid design short of the flagship Neoliths [reviewed in our July '16 issue]. To drive these magnificent loudspeakers we have Luxman's mighty C-900u/M-900u pre/power combination – the apex of this brand's solid-state technology. For those readers looking for something a little more 'portable' we have the first in-depth review of AudioQuest's NightOwl Carbon headphones in addition to the analogue-only 'Golden' edition of Questyle's CMA800R headphone preamp. Vinyl fans have something to look out for too: the first technical review of Audio Alchemy's much-anticipated PPA-1 phono preamp, tested with the PS-5 outboard power supply, and the uprated mkIII version of Pro-Ject's Essential turntable/arm/pick-up package. Is this the best value deck on the market? Read our review to find out!