New music and technology releases in November 2018
Deals on Wheels brings the latest in music and technology for November 2018
Edifier S350DB Speaker System
 |
|
Edifier’s TV-compatible speakers: better than a sound bar
|
No one listens to TVs without add-on speakers, right? The tinny sound would be unbearable. But instead of going the whole hog and delving into surround sound, the default purchase decision has for some time been a sound bar. Unfortunately, while the aesthetics of sound bars are discrete, their sonic profile is typically ordinary.
Edifier has bucked the trend by launching its S350DB speaker system, which gives the room a retro hi-fi feel while making the sound from your TV panel sparkle and thump with renewed clarity and heft.
If all you ever watch is broadcast TV reality trash, then don’t bother, but if you enjoy quality programming through one of the streaming services, then you’ll be amazed at how much genuine 2.1 sound adds to the experience.
With its titanium dome tweeters and eight-inch subwoofer, whether watching movies or playing games or kicking back to your favourite music, these Edifiers never fail to impress. And best of all, while they’re hardly in the high-end audiophile bracket, they’re a mere $599.99!
edifier.com
Denon AVC-X8500H AV Receiver
 |
|
Denon’s 13.2-channel receiver behemoth
|
If your plan is to become a home theatre connoisseur, however, then there are few more exciting or powerful beasts on the market than Denon’s new flagship audio-visual receiver, the AVC-X8500H ($7,999).
True multi-channel home theatre isn’t as popular as it once was for two reasons: the complexity of setting up a system properly and our tendency to live in smaller spaces and apartments, and behemoths like this risk making enemies of the neighbours.
But if you’ve got a large lounge and the determination, then nothing will impress the lads more than surround sound through a top amp and speakers.
Long gone are the days of mere 5.1 channel surround sound, and the new Denon sports a phenomenal, world-first 13.2 channels (along with all the latest sound and picture format compatibilities). With the right speakers, that’s going to sound better than your local cinema fleapit!
onlinehifi.co.nz
EAT E-GLO Reference Tube 2 Phono Stage
 |
|
EAT E-GLO’s phono stage looks like a reel-to-reel
|
For a long time, when vinyl records were out of fashion, many amps didn’t even have phono stages, and even now, serious audiophiles bypass built-in phono stages for dedicated boxes.
And there are few dedicated phono boxes as striking visually or such a sonic slam-dunk as the EAT E-GLO ($10,995).
While its design is utterly unique—its two heatsinks resembling a reel-to-reel tape recorder—as you would expect, it’s also no slouch sonically or technologically, with capacitance loading that will ensure the very best is got out of any MM or MC cartridge.
This all-valve unit is the perfect complement to EAT turntables, but will, of course, also provide dollops of magic when connected to other brands.
audioreference.co.nz
High Hoops—Seasons On Planet Earth
His name is Jordan Arts, he’s previously worked with Kids Of 88 and Leisure, and he plays everything as well as producing and engineering the first High Hoops album.
Seasons On Planet Earth is all about sensuous grooves, with his sultry voice and every instrument perfectly seasoned to get the bum wiggling or the head nodding.
Most of these songs would work in a club, but there’s much more to them than just beats and bass, and I can see this at many a summer barbecue this year, as well as being a slow-dancing favourite.
 |
|
High Hoops’ debut is a slinky, sensual groove-athon
|
Inspired by funk, disco, and house, Arts clearly knows his way around whatever passes for a recording studio these days, and the result is a slinky minor classic.
The Beatles—The Beatles
There’s a huge industry in mammoth anniversary box reissues of ‘legacy’ rock albums at the moment, and so many of them barely justify their existence. This, however, is different.
Known by most fans as ‘The White Album’, the self-titled 1968 release was a landmark recording in so many ways and still sounds fresh today.
This delightfully sprawling double album has some of the greatest Beatles songs (‘Yer Blues’, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’, ‘Helter Skelter’) along with some of the silliest (‘Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da’, ‘Why Don’t We Do It On The Road‘), but it’s the way the songs contrast and fit together with its vital performances that make every second count.
 |
|
The Beatles’ so-called ‘White Album‘ remixed and boxed up!
|
This month, a completely remixed version of the album will be released, along with various permutations offering extra material, including this six-CD/one Blu-ray box containing a plethora of demos as well as a surround sound version. The perfect Christmas present for old duffers like me.
Keep up to date in the industry by signing up to Deals on Wheels' free newsletter or liking us on Facebook.
.jpg)
.jpg)
