Page 91 - Hi-Fi World (January 2020)

FEATURE

Christmas

Wishes

NAME: Jon Myles
STATUS: Hi-Resolution Digital Expert

Resident Rock lover and digital expert Jon Myles puts forward an intriguing list of present
possibilities.

BOB DYLANS CATALOGUE: £18.89 OR £43.99 (www.amazon.co.uk)
Bob Dylan’s catalogue is nothing if not all-encompassing. But if there’s one essential you must own it’s NY-
Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings’ latest Dylan bootleg series boxset. It spans Dylan’s pivotal musical
journeys to Nashville from 1967 to 1969, focusing on previously unavailable recordings made with Johnny
Cash and unreleased tracks from the John Wesley Harding, Nashville Skyline and Self Portrait sessions.
The 3-CD (£18.89) or 3-vinyl boxset (£43.99) are 50 tracks of pure delight to any fan of the ‘60s folk/
rock scene – and even those who are not. If you ever wanted to hear Bob Dylan at his rootsiest best with a
set of ground breaking tunes to go with it then this is the place to go. The packaging is also top-notch, which
only adds to the value...

CHORD COMPANY SHAWLINE X: £30 PER METRE (www.chord.co.uk)
Chord’s Shawline X is based around the Chord Rumour cable – a best-seller for 20-plus years – although with some
significant changes. The conductors are still silver-plated, insulated with XLPE and arranged in a twisted pair configu-
ration. But with the Shawline X Chord have taken the existing conductor layout but added a specially-chosen PVC
internal jacket to reduce mechanical noise, before applying the same high density, dual-layer foil and braid shield that
is used on the more expensive Chord Epic. Eminently neutral with plenty of detail, they are ideal for budget to mid-
priced systems since they don’t cost a fortune. Plug them in between any amplifier and loudspeakers and the chances
are you’ll definitely hear a difference above standard cables. At just £30 per metre they won’t break the bank.

AKG 72 HEADPHONES: £40 (https://uk.akg.com)
AKG’s 72 headphones offer amazing bang for your buck. Yes, they look fairly large (because they are) but as decently-
priced (just £40) home headphones go they are truly impressive. These 'phones are extremely comfortable to wear
thanks to the large padded ear cups and adjustable headband. They also sound great with a wide soundstage full of
detail. Bass also has a real kick to it but never becomes over-dominant. Plug these into your home hi-fi system and
you’ll be listening for hours. The only drawback will be fitting them into Santa’s sack due to their size!

LINDY IN-EAR PHONES: £50 (www.lindy.co.uk)
German company Lindy’s in-ear ‘phones are certainly different. The standout feature of their ingenious IEM-50Xs is a
proprietary dynamic bass tuning system — where a rotary twist control on each earbud opens the rear chamber to
add more depth to the low end. Aside from that the Lindys look fairly standard — coming in a standard black with
red trim with a flat, 1.2m tangle-free TPE cable. Small, medium and large sized ear tips are also supplied to provide
optimum fit for different users while a handy carry case is also packed in the box. Build quality is good for the price
while in use the Lindys prove light and comfortable.. £50.

iBOUTIQUE WATER SPEAKER: £74.99 (www.amazon.co.uk)
It’s Christmas – so it’s time to party. And what better for this than a piece of audio equipment that not
only produces sound but also entertains. The iBoutique 4th Generation Bluetooth 2.1 Home Theatre
Party Dancing Water Speaker System features 6 LEDs and water jets per satellite speaker, comple-
mented by a 3D LED light show on the subwoofer.
To say it looks colourful is an understatement. And it goes louder than the 3 Watt satellite
‘speakers and 5 Watt subwoofer would suggest. It can also be used with the PC as desktop speakers or
with tablets, iPads, smart phones, iPods or in fact anything that supports Bluetooth. £74.99

www.hi-fiworld.co.uk JANUARY 2020 HI-FI WORLD 91