The HF&MS Reference System – March 2026
I have several comments and questions, requests mostly, about the Reference System here at HF&MS and the methodology used to review products. It is an interesting question as it has evolved over these years. This page is a statement of what is used, mainly by me, the Editor. There are a few other writers (see About) here at HF&MS who have their own systems. For example, Ian is mainly analogue and has vast retail experience dating back to the 80s; John has a studio background as well as an analogue preference, whereas Chris Bailllie, who writes here and for others, has a pure digital setup.
This piece is just on my Reference system. I put together a Reference piece a few years ago over a holiday period in 2024. The amplification is broadly the same, but a few components have evolved, such as the DAC. Music choices are also fairly similar, with nothing outstanding entering my listening sphere.
Of course, the HiFi system I need has to balance transparency and synergy. In my case, I’ve tended towards transparency, but as I’ll highlight in the cables section, this is a function of need rather than preference. Read on.
Sources
Digital Transport
The journey begins with the source. On the digital side, this is a streaming transport or a networked library; of course, a CD Player is still relevant. My preference on the streaming transport side would be an Auralic ARIES or their VEGA S1 with the external power supply. They are benchmark products in my view, and the Auralic Lightning DS app is second to none. However, I look forward to reviewing the Innuos Stream 3 (or maybe the half-width 1) in the coming months.
Here at HF&MS, the streaming transport I’ve settled on is the Eversolo DMP-A6. I was using a Volumio RIVO until it recently stopped working. The DMP-A6 is an excellent transport, featuring a streaming DAC offering exceptional value. The A6 has a brilliant 6-inch touchscreen, intuitive app control, and a functional self-fitted internal M.2 2TB SSD slot. One may argue that the A6 is bright and detailed, but it competes with much pricier systems, and it earned a Product of the Year recommendation in 2023.
CD Player
A CD player is still an excellent, uncluttered, simple digital source. Paired with a decent DAC, a CD player will always be up to date. Many reviewers lament OPPO’s exit from the HiFi arena, and their full-featured BDP 105D and UDP 205s are the CD spinners to seek out.
The BDP-105 is an outstanding Blu-ray player, and I use it as a dedicated audiophile CD player. Featuring ESS Sabre DACs, balanced XLR and digital outputs, and an excellent headphone amplifier, it delivers a detailed, warm, and controlled sound. Its intuitive app and versatile streaming capabilities make it a high-quality “jack of all trades.”
Turntable
On the analogue source side, turntables are a lore unto themselves. I have rebuilt a battered and broken Michell GYRO SE, the original iconic turntable. REGA has lent me a tonearm, and the Exact 2 cartridge needs an upgrade.
I have been placing Node Audio SS-1s under the three GYRO SE feet, which is probably not an optimal installation for the SS-1s. However, the arrival of the Titanic Audio Platform is an upgrade to the GYRO SE.
I’ll now focus the SS-1s under the loudspeakers with a further set of 4 SS-1s. I expect this will deliver a real upgrade in loudspeaker performance. See Further Isolation below.
Titanic Audio Anchor Plate Isolation Platform Highlights
DAC – Moor Amps manaDAC
I have used the iFi Audio Pro iDSD DAC for a good few years; it is flexible (with filters and different output options) and can be tuned to any flavour needed. The arrival of the Moor Amps manaDAC, however, has changed the game in the last six months.
The Moor Amps manaDAC is a minimalist, analogue-sounding DAC that prioritises musical purity over digital frills. Eschewing filters and DSD, it uses dual-mono PCM1794A chips and extensive power isolation to deliver a warm, vibrant, and transparent soundstage. It received an Editor’s Pick in December (2025) for its fatigue-free, organic performance.
REGA FONO MM
The GYRO SE needs a phono stage, of course. In this system, the REGA FONO MM is adequate. A classic Cyrus Phono Signature would not go amiss in this system, nor would the excellent MOON 110 LP v2 phono pre-amplifier. I might choose the Vertere PHONO-1 if I had to invest in this system; the new Cyrus Phono PPA 40 would be worth considering at that point. Until then, the FONO is good.
Amplification
Moor Amps Angel 6 Power Amplifier
The bedrock of this Reference review system is the Power Amplifier. The Moor Amps Angel 6 is a powerhouse 150W amplifier delivering effortless control and sparkling resolution. Featuring low feedback and high current delivery, it provides a transparent, open soundstage with remarkable dynamic range. It was an Editor’s Pick for its musicality and grip. Highly recommended alongside its matching Angel-Pre preamplifier.
This year, the baby sister to the Moor Angel 6, the Angel 4, is getting an upgrade, and the MkII promises more oomph than even the Angel 6. A Mk II Angel 6 will be hard to resist.
Loudspeakers
For several years now, the loudspeakers of choice have been the Kudos Audio Titan 505s. They are truly HiFi Premier League equipment. The innovative isobaric bass design offers class-leading bass from a stand-mounted loudspeaker. Additionally, the exceptional build quality and understated aesthetic allow them to melt into the walls. Having tested them with both Naim and Moor amplification, I can say they offer true, pure musicality and rank among the best loudspeakers I have heard for reviewing HiFi equipment.
Recently, the 505s have been challenged by the Martin Logan ESL Xs. These loudspeakers are a hybrid electrostatic design, and they are totally different to the 505s, offering an incredible holographic soundstage with a fatigue-free presentation. As a reviewer, however, the ESL Xs are nowhere near as revealing as the 505s, which is why they remain peerless for reviewing.
Kudos Audio Titan 505 Highlights
Loudspeaker Cables – Atlas Mavros and Tellurium Q
Cables are so polarising in the HiFi world; some will argue that a few meters of cable will have minimal effect, whilst others will debate that conductors’ resistance, inductance, and capacitance, and their influence on the amplifier, are critical to overall performance. Shielding should also mitigate Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), contributing to a lower noise floor. Whilst undoubtedly the laws of diminishing returns operate in HiFi, there is no doubt in my mind that cables are critical to a system’s overall performance.
Here at HF&MS, the Reference System uses Tellurium Q Ultra Silver II loudspeaker cable for the most revealing of setups. This cable is about as transparent as it gets. This cable comes out when libraries, interconnects, or a more detailed analysis is required. However, often I prefer to listen to Atlas’s Mavros cables for a more relaxed, longer listening session, such as with a turntable or amplifier, where a more considered approach is required.
Isolation and Racks
Networked Library
No Reference System would be complete without a noiseless networked media library. Following an extended review, the Melco N100 Media Server was purchased with a PLiXiR Statement Power Supply. It performs perfectly, all the time, no bother, it is just a perfect source. I have the Melco networked via an ADOT fibre-optic upgrade. This optical data upgrade isolates the Media Server from the electrically noisy router. As an upgrade, this has been one of the cheapest, most effective additions to the system.
The Room
Possibly the single most important element to high-quality listening is the room. As you can see from the main picture (with the orange REL T/9x stereo pair), the Reference system is in a roof space. The listening space in the room is approximately 4 meters wide by 8 meters long, with plenty of furniture and a couple of GIK Acoustics panels. Before laying the carpet, I installed an acoustic mat underlay (rubber) before putting a carpet down. In the ceiling, I have double Cellotex installed, and you’ll see my corners have rudimentary bass traps (cardboard boxes with polystyrene inside!).
SolidSteel Rack
Another upgrade to the Reference System a couple of years ago was a proper HiFi Rack, rather than relying on IKEA KALLAX units. SolidSteel came about after I reviewed the fantastic Serhan Swift Mu2 Mk II loudspeakers.
Further Isolation
The final icing on the cake will be upgrading my loudspeakers with a full set of Node Audio SS-1s with spike shoes.
Also forming part of this system is an Atlas EOS Modular 4.0 Six-Way Mains Distribution System.
Comments
Thoughts and Comments on this Reference System and whether you think it is any good will be read and commented on, of course! We all have an opinion! Comment below, Like, and Subscribe.
Music
One must remember when reviewing that this should be, and is for me, a music-first undertaking. I have many playlists, with many repeated tracks. Here are a few of my favourite Playlists and Albums in the gallery that follows.
