Buying speakers is always tricky but when it comes to vintage models not only is the choice bewildering, other factors come int play. So let Adam Smith be your guide...

Japanese giant Hitachi has developed some cutting edge audio technology over the years and are famous for the power MOSFET transistor. Here Haden Boardman looks at their skills in FM synthesised radio, with the FT-5500 tuners...

Haden Boardman uncovers a surprisingly common but forgotten about homemade valve amplifier from the 1950s. Soldering iron at the ready...

Tony Bolton is visiting Pro-Ject factory in Chech Republic. "Having reviewed a great many Pro-Ject turntables over the years I was pleased to be invited by UK distributor, Henley Designs, to visit the factory in the Czech Republic.The factory is in Litovel, a pleasant little city with a population of 10,000 in the Upper Moravian Vale. It straddles the River Moravia which is bridged by the 1692 Bridge of St. John, the third oldest bridge in the Czech Republic."...

Building blocks in many a budding hi-fi buff's first separates system, Dual's series of CS505 turntables is regarded with great affection to this day. We test the CS505-2 Review: Tim Jarman Lab: Paul Miller...

A couple of years ago I devised a very simple circuit that people could use to build a headphone amplifier/DAC. I named it the HeadDAC. The aim was to come up with a unit so easy to put together that someone with no previous experience of practical electronics would feel able to make one if they fancied. I 'unveiled' the design in the December 2010 issue of Hi-Fi News along with a link to details of the circuit in case any reader wanted to give it a try ...

Tubes glow in orange colour and produce nice "warm" atmosphere. Almost as if you were sitting in your parents house by the fire place. Music is magnificent. On every record I found new sounds, like another dimension. Feels as if tubes have extra power and can reach deeper on every record than solid state amps. It does not matter that it has more than 30 years on the clock. It can outperform most of modern amps. With Fisher I discovered that Hip hop music can be pleasant. Musical stage is wide and deep....

First seen in 1978, the 770 was the first and only product personally designed by Mission's dynamic founder, Farad Azima. But was this truly a landmark, or just a masterpiece of marketing? Steve Harris uncovers the story. Today, Farad Azima heads up netScientific, which funds and commercialises industry-driven research in bio-med fields. Among many other activities, he is a director of the Menuhin International Violin Competition and a trustee of the Iran Heritage Foundation....

These days Celestion are the pure 'Pro' side of Gold Peak industries loudspeakers division, the domestic side being represented by another classic hi-fi company, KEF. Celestion's fame in supplying guitar 'speakers is more legendary that even the company's domestic output. Celestion first appeared in 1924, making them one of the oldest names...

Many audiophiles are drawn to valve power amplifiers or solid-state designs with low feedback because they prefer their sound. Subjective impressions of the superiority of such designs are often presented as being mysterious and wonderful, and almost beyond rational analysis.Yet some of the reasons may be fairly simple to explain...

There is a recording and playback technology capable of capturing realistic spatial cues and playing them back so effectively that even done-it-all audio experts are often astounded. It's called binaural recording, sometimes done with dummy head with small microphones placed where the ears would be...

Not every upgrade you make to your kit has to cost the earth: try these for a quick AV fix:
- Calibrate your TV with THX
- Position your speakers
- Set the speakers volume
- Spring Clan!
- Load your speaker stands
- Make your speakers completely secure on their stands...

It was a momentous day for this relatively young company, now in its third year, with the pressing of its 500th album. I flew to the Music On Vinyl (wVw.musiconvinyl.com) factory with the identity of the disc a closely guarded secret but was soon to find out that it was an album by David Bowie, a great, iconic, artist and a fitting subject for such a significant number. And the album name? 'Ziggy Stardust'? 'Low'? 'Hunky Dory'? No it was 'Excerpts From Outside'. ...

Electronics have changed the world, and that includes the hi-fi world, out of all recognition in the last 50 years. But what about loudspeakers? They've got bigger and better, or more often smaller and better. They are sleeker and shinier, with some fantastic new materials technology. But when it comes to basic principles, most of the drivers and boxes we listen to could have been designed 30 or more years ago...

This years Bristol Show, based in the city’s Marriott Central hotel, was as busy as ever, in spite of gloom and doom arising from Europes economic woes. Even the weather was clement; the bitter winds that often sweep Bristol in February were replaced by sunshine. As a long established show, this one attracts a wide selection of exhibitors, including many from Europe. Here is what we saw...

The sound quality in the listening room does not only depend on the class of audio equipment. Significant influence has correct speaker position, the location of the listening position, size of the room, decorating materials and finally psychoacoustic ability to perceive and distinguish the sounds by the listener...

Once you have done your basic speaker setup, you are ready to enjoy the home theater entertainment experience. Keep in mind, however, that every room is different; you may be able to further improve the sound by going beyond the general guidelines and fine-tuning the speaker placement within your room. You could, of course, hire a professional installer; however, with just a little time and some careful listening, you can do it yourself...