John Reekie assembles the Bugle 2 phono stage kit from Hagerman Technology, and writes a short photo-essay to document the process. This follows on from the interview with Jim Hagerman about the Bugle 2 phono preamp that he successfully launched on KickStarter in 2013. “I’m not an accomplished vinyl aficionado, but I’m pleased with the Bugle 2, for a couple of evenings of leisurely assembly,” John writes.
Following on the heels of his interviews with KickStarter candidates Jim Hagerman and Gavin Fish, John Reekie asked Gunnar van Vliet of Planet of Sound for some insights into his latest product, also just launched on KickStarter. The compact Mies i100 integrated amplifier, billed as “The Ultimate Amplifier for Vinyl Lovers”, is scheduled to retail for an undeniably affordable $399 CAD.
With the December 2013 issue, Hifi Zine marked the end of 2013 and the publication of 15 issues! I am proud of what we’ve done here, and I think everyone who has authored an article here on Hifi Zine can also be justifiably proud of their work. I do believe that articles on Hifi Zine are in-depth, properly researched, well-written, and accurate. And it’s my intent, as publisher, to keep doing that.
“I recall a former workplace where, at the end of the day, I would shut down the tower computer under my desk and suddenly be struck by the whine of the hard drives and fans spinning down…” writes John Reekie on the motivation for his quest to make his listening desktop completely silent, and comes to some unexpected conclusions.
John Reekie describes the design of the HifiZine Mini Convertible, an active loudspeaker project using drivers from Seas of Norway and a miniDSP plate amp with B&O ICEPower for amplification and DSP crossover. The speaker can be configured as a small sealed monitor, or the base plate can be removed and replaced with a hollow stand, turning the speaker into a ported floor-standing speaker. This is the first artlcle in a series of three.
“I was intrigued a few months ago to notice that Jim Hagerman, of Hagerman Technology and Hagerman Audio Labs was running a project on KickStarter for the new version of the Bugle 2 phono preamp…” writes John Reekie. He asks Jim for his insights on the KickStarter experience.
Light Harmonic recently launched a new, inexpensive DAC and headphone amp called the “Geek” with a campaign on KickStarter. The Geek’s compact size and impressive specifications attracted John Reekie’s attention, and he asked Gavin Fish about the Geek and the Kickstarter campaign.
Of the music players available for the Mac, Pure Music stands out as the one with the most comprehensive feature set. One of those features is its active crossover, which can be used to implement an active speaker system of up to four ways. John Reekie explains how to use the Pure Music active crossover, together with the FabFilter Pro-Q equalization plugin for correcting driver and room response.
“I was intrigued recently to learn of a new electrostatic panel from Australian company Involve Audio,” writes John Reekie. Now available as a standalone panel together with the necessary power supplies and stepup transformer, the electrostatic panel offers interesting possibilities for the DIY speaker builder. John asks Charlie Van Dongen, chief designer of Involve Audio, and Rob Mackinlay of E R Audio, also involved in the design of the panel, for some inside info.
A relatively new entrant in the speaker market is Vapor Audio, notable for the use of top-quality drivers and an extremely solid cabinet construction method using laminated Baltic Birch ply. As a direct-sales manufacturer, their pricing also suggests outstanding value. John Reekie asks Ryan Scott, the designer and principal, if he would share his insights on loudspeaker design and his experiences on the path to become a speaker manufacturer.