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It's hardly news that pop can be simultaneously intelligent and fun, or that a music single can be both fun entertainment and a significant cultural artefact. Smash is evidence, as if any more were needed, that the Pet Shop Boys are sublimely good at that particular synthesis.

Considering the large number of singles included in this set, the number of naff ones is surprisingly small. Arranged…

Dvořák's Quartet 13 in G major is only a third longer than the popular American, but its broader scale feels unwieldy. The first movement's hearty, open main theme and lighter second are both appealing once you get past a schizophrenic, Punch-and-Judy introduction. In the Adagio, sustained straight tones lead to a warmly harmonized chorale; later, a warmer, cautiously affirmative…

Audible Spirits is a collective trio with unusual, perhaps unprecedented instrumentation. Matt Moran, cofounder of Diskonife, conceives the label as a home for free thinkers like himself. In his liner note, he says, "as musicians push the boundaries, those that came before us are always ... in the room." This is a standards project—one of the strangest…

A few months ago, the hi-fi world learned that Audio Research, perhaps the most storied hi-fi brand in US history (McIntosh would be the other choice), had a new owner. The company had overextended itself, then filed for "Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors"—somewhat like Chapter 11 bankruptcy but different. The company was then acquired by a group led by a Canadian, Valerio Cora of Acora Acoustics. In the September issue's Industry Update, I wrote, "Audio Research, that great American hi-fi company, is now Canadian."

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Recorded in 2006 but not released until now, Wynton Marsalis Plays Louis Armstrong's Hot Fives Hot Sevens was recorded live at the Rose Theater, the largest of three performance rooms at the Jazz at Lincoln Center facility. House label Blue Engine Records has now released this concert for streaming.…

Naim has long embraced two upgrade paths: the usual substitution route—replace an inferior component with a newer or better one—and progressive power-unit augmentation for components already installed. Setting aside for now the former route: Among many other changes, these…

The music source was the reference-level, "fully loaded" Naim ND 555 streamer powered by dual…

Ever since the company began trading in the early 1970s, Naim has embraced certain core engineering values. For good or ill, these have significantly differentiated their product line from the mainstream. Importantly, some of their connector choices have deviated from established hi-fi–industry practice.

Such ostensibly awkward decisions were not made on whims or merely to be exclusive. Take Naim's well-researched, early choice of the DIN specification, often combined with proprietary connection topologies and cable assemblies,…

Description: Balanced, two-channel power amplifier with soft startup. Analog inputs: Stereo pair XLR balanced; "legacy" single-ended adapter lead supplied. Loudspeaker outputs: 4mm sockets spaced for Naim Connector. Input impedance: 47k ohms balanced, 34k ohms single-ended. Gain: 29dB. Damping factor into 8 ohms: 36. Power output (nominal): 100W into 8 ohms (20dBW), 190W into 4 ohms (19.3dBW). Burst power: 300W into 2 ohms (18.8dBW) at 1kHz for 20ms. Frequency response: 1.4Hz–100kHz (+0, –3dB). Sensitivity: 1V (Gain: 29dB) for full output. THD+N: 0.013% at 1kHz…

Analog sources: Linn LP12 turntable with Keel chassis, Karousel main bearing, Radikal motor control, and Naim ARO tonearm. Naim SuperLine-SuperCap DR phono preamplifier. Lyra Delos and Hana MH cartridges.
Digital sources: Naim UnitiCore network, Roon Nucleus+ servers; Naim ND555 Streamer-DAC with 555 DR power supplies.
Preamplification: Townshend Allegri Reference control unit, Naim NSC 222.
Power amplifiers: Naim NAP 250 DR power amplifier, D'Agostino Progression 350 stereo power amplifier.
Loudspeakers: Magico A5, FinkTeam KIM, BBC LS3/5a…