📬 Roundup: REL PL-1, Rega Nd9, Gaming headset and Eversolo power amplifier
Welcome to the October edition of the HiFi and Music Source newsletter! As the days draw in and autumn firmly sets in, listening habits naturally shift back indoors, making it the ideal season to focus on system upgrades, vinyl tweaks, and finding that extra bit of musical insight.
September has been an exceptionally busy month for us, headlined by our coverage of the StereoNET London Hi-Fi EXPO 2026. Beyond the show floor, we’ve had a diverse collection of gear through the listening room: from Rega’s Nd9 MM cartridge and a fast pair of REL Planar PL-1 subwoofers to Eversolo’s AMP-F8 Class-AB power amplifier.
And don’t forget the dorpo 10% discount is still open to HF&MS Newsletter readers. Get 10% off with code dorpohfms10. Valid until 31st October 2026. Applies to all dorpo Digital products, including their DMP-A1. Available from the dorpodigital.co.uk website. T&Cs apply.
The T&Cs are linked here. https://dorpodigital.co.uk/dorpohfms10-tandcs/
Grab a coffee, settle in, and catch up on all the latest reviews, show highlights, and industry news from the past month below.
Happy listening,
The HF&MS Team
🎧 New Reviews this Month
Click on the pictures for the full review.
Eversolo AMP-F8 (26 September) — By Simon Wilce
A deep dive into Eversolo’s Class-AB power amplifier, evaluating its performance, build, and drive within the system context.
Eversolo AMP-F8 Highlights
Edifier G5 MAX Wireless Gaming Headset (25 September) — by Monty James
A feature review of Edifier’s budget-friendly wireless gaming headset, covering build, comfort, and gaming/media audio balance.
Edifier G5 MAX Gaming Headphones - Highlights
Rega Nd9 MM Cartridge (18 September) — By Simon Wilce
Also reviewed by The Editor, a review testing Rega’s moving-magnet cartridge design, focusing on detail, tracking, and character in vinyl playback.
Rega Nd9 Highlights
REL Planar PL-1 Subwoofer Pair (9 September) — By Simon Wilce
An evaluation of the dual REL Planar PL-1 subwoofers, examining speed, low-frequency integration, and spatial weight. Here’s the Playlist used as well. Click on the image for the link.
REL Planar PL-1 Highlights
📰 HiFi News & Event Coverage
Click on the pictures for more details.
FiiO Launches Flagship FT15 Planar Headphones (18 September)
News coverage of the official announcement and specs of FiiO’s new flagship FT15 planar magnetic headphones.
StereoNET London Hi-Fi EXPO 2026 – Highlights (14 September)
A recap and photo-laden show report covering key rooms, standouts, and impressions from the London EXPO.
DALI BASIK SUB Announced (1 September)
Product release coverage introducing DALI’s new compact entry-level subwoofer line.
ADMM Appoints New General Manager
Industry update detailing executive leadership changes at ADMM, the company now managing DELA (formerly Melco) in the UK.
✨Coming Up on HF&MS
This month, we’ll take another look at the Nd9 cartridge now on the AVID Ingenium SE turntable, which is leading the vinyl revival here at hifiandmusicsource.com. To complement this fabulous turntable, we have the Degritter MkII ultrasonic record cleaner, which is turning out to be a revelation on some of my father’s old records from the 70s!
Ian is looking at the new-ish Onkyo P80 and M80, a pre- and power-amp combination, at a competitive price point. A new writer (TBA!) will also be reviewing the new Musical Fidelity M5xi integrated amplifier this month. First up, though, is the DELA S50 switch, an essential digital solution for the finest HiFi systems.
We also have the Eversolo AMP-F8 driving the Paradigm Premier 120B stand mounts, and this review is coming soon as well. I’m travelling to London this week for a secret product launch with the new portable iFi Audio iDSD GR2, and I will be taking notes!
🎵 New Music
I’m still very taken with The Durutti Column’s album called Ranascent. Other new music that caught my ear has come from- guess who: Taylor Swift. There was also a great release from TikTok fave Adela. Finally, I really enjoyed Justus Eichhorn’s classical album, The Source, a collection of beautiful piano pieces; his version of Liszt’s Liebesträume No.3 is perfect! Also look out for Agnes Obel’s album, released last week, called The Meaning of Flowers. If you’re after a bit of Art-Rock, try Protomartyr’s Hotel Usona; it might do it for you. It didn’t really do it for me, but the stereo separation on the second track is interesting.
Finally, on our kitchen stereo is Belle Malam’s Never Did; she went to music college with my daughter!
Further Reading
