Alan Sircom

Malaysia

Editor at Hi-Fi+

Chartered and certifiable journalist with no interest in ironing whatsoever

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Articles

Trilogy 914 preamp and 994 mono power amplifiers

2 days ago | hifiplus.com | Alan Sircom

Trilogy has a small but growing range of amplifier products. Two integrated amplifiers, three line-only preamplifiers, a stereo and two mono power amplifiers, two headphone amplifiers (one dedicated for use with electrostatic designs) and a phono stage. The 914 preamplifier and 994 mono power amplifiers are the latest in a long line of understated amplifier excellence. The founder and designer Nic Poulson made his audio bones in the BBC’s broadcast engineering department.
English Electric EE1 network noise isolator

3 days ago | hifiplus.com | Alan Sircom

Afew years ago, the concept of an audiophile-grade Ethernet noise isolator was unheard of. Today, it’s a prominent feature. The English Electric EE1 stands out as the latest addition to a rapidly expanding range of network accessories. English Electric, a sub-brand of Chord Company, draws its name from a classic British manufacturer of supersonic jet fighters. Chord Company saw the trade name was available and acquired it at, er, Lightning speed.
SME Model 60 One of One turntable

1 week ago | hifiplus.com | Alan Sircom

The SME Model 60 turntable is not just a product. You don’t purchase an SME to gain bragging rights or to join the turntable-of-the-month club. Instead, the SME Model 60 is your LP zenith, a sign of you reaching the vinyl summit. The SME Model 60 One of One turntable is the ultimate seal of that ‘forever home’ deal. The SME Model 60 comes in anodised black and silver with contrasting black detailing in its standard guise. But ‘standard’ is the wrong term.
Our Shared Hobbies And Interests Theme a meal around music... or vice versa? Editorial By Alan Sircom Hi-Fi+ April 2025

1 week ago | enjoythemusic.com | Alan Sircom

Home| High-End Audio Reviews| Audiophile Show Reports| Partner Mags | Hi-Fi / Music News High-Performance Audio Reviews Music News, Show Reports, And More! Celebrating 30 Years Of Service To Music Lovers April 2025Our Shared Hobbies And InterestsTheme a meal around music... or vice versa? Editorial By Alan Sircom There are some remarkably consistent commonalities with audio enthusiasts worldwide.
World Exclusive! Audiovector R 10 Arreté floorstanding loudspeaker

1 week ago | hifiplus.com | Alan Sircom

Audiovector has previously created a flagship loudspeaker, but never one as ambitious as the new R 10 Arreté. And given the R 10 Arreté is smaller and cheaper than the R 11 Arreté it replaces, that’s saying a lot. However, by leveraging the strengths and performance of the rest of the R-Series, this model sets a new standard for the company. In doing so, Audiovector positions itself on the same playing field as some of the ultra-high-end heavyweights.
Döhmann Audio Helix Two Mk3 turntable

2 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Sircom

This review can be summed up in a simple phrase; “the apple never falls far from the tree”. In Issue 221, we reviewed Mark Döhmann’s excellent Helix One Mk3. To recap, this large statement piece of a turntable from Australia is one of the ultimate ways to hold two tonearms and play vinyl to perfection through both. We also pointed out that if you wanted a smaller turntable and are content with just the one tonearm, then the Helix Two Mk3 makes a strong case to meet those needs.
Linn Klimax Solo 800 Power Amplifier

2 weeks ago | theabsolutesound.com | Alan Sircom

Most audio companies stay in their lane. They make electronics or turntables or loudspeakers. Some go ultra-specialist and make just one subsection of those fields, such as cartridges or preamplifier. A few brands make a complete system. But only Linn makes full-on audio ecosystems. And the difficulty with making a complete ecosystem is ‘point of entry’.
Modern Recording And Replay Techniques Enjoying great music and excellent equipment for playback. Editorial By Alan Sircom Hi-Fi+ March 2025

3 weeks ago | enjoythemusic.com | Alan Sircom

Home| High-End Audio Reviews| Audiophile Show Reports| Partner Mags | Hi-Fi / Music News High-Performance Audio Reviews Music News, Show Reports, And More! Celebrating 30 Years Of Service To Music Lovers March 2025Modern Recording And Replay TechniquesEnjoying great music and excellent equipment for playback. Editorial By Alan Sircom Because recording sound (and moving images) have been with us from birth, we have a tendency to take them for granted.
Shunyata Research Altaira

1 month ago | hifiplus.com | Alan Sircom

In a remarkably short time, Shunyata Research has become high-end royalty. The brand’s power products and cables are synonymous with high-performance audio systems. And now, with Altaira, the same approach comes to system grounding. ‘Altaira’ is an Arabic girl’s name meaning ‘high-flying bird’; the first-magnitude star ‘Altair’ is derived from the same root. However, due to persistent autocorrect issues, ‘Altaira’ was repeatedly changed to ‘Altair’.
Analog Relax EX500

1 month ago | hifiplus.com | Alan Sircom

How we make things often follows country stereotypes. Americans make ‘em ‘big.’ The English… ‘quirky.’ Germans… ‘reliable.’ Russians… ‘can be repaired with hammers.’ And a big part of the Japanese manufacturing zeitgeist is ‘artisan.’ It’s hand-crafting sword-making or pottery for the last 700 years, handing down the skills through the generations. Analog Relax is a part of that artisan tradition, yet it is not bound by it. This makes the brand one of the exciting newer brands on the vinyl scene.