Welcome
Welcome to the 50th issue of our newsletter, which looks back at reviews and new music from June 2025, and looks forward to more fabulous audio products coming to hifiandmusicsource.com. Glastonbury is on the horizon, which is always something to look forward to. This Editor will be looking forward to Loyle Carner’s set tonight on The Other Stage. Click on the Glastonbury artwork below to see the full festival lineup.
New Reviews
There have been plenty of reviews this month, just gone, including from our growing team of writers.
Melco S1 Network Switch
The Melco S1 Network Switch, reviewed on June 20th, stands out for its superior build quality, mirroring that of the Melco N1-S38. Chris Baillie’s review highlights its dramatic ability to lower the noise floor, allowing speakers to seemingly disappear and music to flow unhindered. With the S1, expect significant improvements in realism, dynamics, resolution, and a free-floating soundstage, making it a critical upgrade for serious audiophiles.
Chris said;
The S1’s dramatic lowering of the noise floor allows the speakers to disappear, and music to flow across the room in an unhindered manner.
Campfire Audio Axion Earphones
Reviewed on June 17th, the Campfire Audio Axion earphones offer an immersive and warm sound experience thanks to their excellent isolation. They boast seamless connectivity with various devices and the convenience of USB-C.
We described the Axion earphones as;
an excellent and convenient USB-C option for the lazy everyday audiophile
These earphones are easy to drive from a smartphone and stay securely in place, making them a go-to for quality ad-hoc listening.
DALI EPIKORE 3 Loudspeakers
John Pickford’s review on June 12th showcased the DALI EPIKORE 3 loudspeakers, praising their exceptional sound quality, often found only in top-tier designs. These speakers deliver a refined and articulate sound with a naturally expressive midrange and sweet, harmonically rich treble. Their transparent and truthful presentation provides a satisfying listening experience free from artificial enhancements, all wrapped in a solid build and beautiful finish. John concluded;
Fed well-recorded music, the EPIKORE 3 sings sweetly as a songbird with refinement that would be difficult to better at its price point.
MBL Cadenza C31 CD/DAC and C51 Integrated Amplifier
On June 6th, Chris also explored the MBL Cadenza C31 CD/DAC and C51 Integrated Amplifier. This system delivers a warm, big, dynamic, and impeccably timed sound with powerful, driving bass lines. We highly recommend pairing these components together for a compact, aesthetically pleasing, and superb-sounding CD-based system that also offers the flexibility to integrate secondary digital sources. It’s truly a powerhouse combination.
North West Audio Show 2025
Ian attended the sweltering North West Audio Show 2025 last weekend, where Moor Amps showcased their new integrated amplifier. Moor’s Angel 6 is the Reference amplifier here at Hifiandmusicsource.com. Also on display were a few new releases from MELCO, including a new external clock for the S1 Switch. There were further highlights from Cyrus Audio with the latest 80 Series. Les Wothstenholme was also in attendance with Avondale Audio, and there were strong showings from Cambridge, Auden Distribution, ELAC, Kii, and ElectroMod.
Coming Up
Several reviews are scheduled for release in the coming weeks. We will be updating the Naim Upgrade story with a look at the Custom Install Naim Audio CI-102. This is a streaming integrated amplifier at a very attractive price point compared to other Naim Audio equipment. First heard at Bristol and priced at just £1299, with an understated look, it is a bit of a secret winner.
There will also be a look at a further bargain, the Linndy BNXe wireless headphones, which pack everything you need from a pair of headphones at a sub-£100 price point.
Next week, we will have a review of the very impressive Elipson Prestige Facet II floorstanding 24F loudspeakers. On the same theme, these loudspeakers are remarkably impressive at a price point that might be mispriced, in my view.
HF&MS has just taken delivery of the absolutely gorgeous Norwegian Arendal 1723 Monitors. These are the big brothers of the recently launched 1961 range. If the boxing and build quality are anything to go by, this is a review to look forward to. I was supposed to be running them in on receipt, but I couldn’t leave them alone with an on-loan New Naim NAP 250 (thank you, Naim Audio, again), as I tweeted on Wednesday.
We can also look forward to reviews of the Audiolab 9000 Series. We’ve the entire stack here, featuring the 9000N streamer, the 9000Q preamplifier, and the best-looking box I’ve seen in years —the 9000P power amplifier.
Finally, Ian will be receiving the updated QUAD 33, 303 combination in both stereo and monoblock configurations. A product he owned in the 70s, and he retailed thereafter, there’s quite a story there.
New Music
There have been some great releases this past month. Notably, U2 has released one of their Live shows from 1983 in Glasgow, a truly remarkable time. This Editor’s favourite London-based hip-hop artist, Loyle Carner, has a new release. Titled hopefully ! It’s a mature-sounding Carner with relaxed summer vibes, and it’s well worth a listen.
Other notable album releases this month include those from Benson Boone, GoGo Penguin, and Addison Rae (really!), and the Find of the Month is Obongjayar’s Paradise Now, a wonderful Afro-fusion piece of music that is cleanly produced.
Further Reading
