Tuesday 15 March 2016

Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum

Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum

The G810 Orion Spectrum follows the G910 Orion Spark but, with its matt black finish and simple design, it has a more grown-up, understated feel. The material picks up fingerprints easily, but it’s undeniably solid. The feet can also be set to two different heights, which is useful, as the G810 feels flat without them.

Ducky Shine 5

Ducky Shine 5

Ducky is a Chinese company with a high reputation for quality, and the Shine 5 shows why. It’s built like a brick and the feet and cable are detachable to minimise potential breakages. The dedicated volume and calculator keys in the top right add no bulk and the bezel around the keys is thin. Meanwhile, a lovely brushed-metal effect provides a smart appearance that will suit any environment.

Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro S

Cooler Master MasterKeys Pro S

Cooler Master’s brand-new MasterKeys Pro S really takes advantage of its lack of a numeric keypad, having no extra keys or bulk and thus a very small footprint. Its minimalist aesthetics will stylistically fit practically anywhere, but belies both the quality of its materials and its surprisingly large feature set.

The smooth, matt plastic is mark-resistant and hefty steel reinforcement means it’s robust and reassuringly weighty. It grips smooth surfaces with ease even with its feet extended, and the detachable cable completes the picture of an extremely wellbuilt keyboard.

VPI Nomad

VPI Nomad

It must be quite a daunting task to name a new hi-fi product. So bizarre or tangential are so many of the titles, it often seems that manufacturers haven’t really bothered trying to come up with anything that relates to the product in question at all.

But naming this one the Nomad makes sense. Although we concede that it's highly unlikely that many nomadic tribes are actually interested in hi-fi, if they were this turntable from VPI would appear to suit many of their demands.

Audioquest JitterBug

Audioquest JitterBug

Upgrading your hi-fi system needn’t always involve a hefty blow to your wallet – an affordable little tweak here and there can make a world of difference. With a desktop audio system, it could be adding a little critter like the Audioquest JitterBug.

Slightly larger than your average USB memory stick, JitterBug plugs into your computer’s USB socket and acts as a link between your computer and DAC, whether it’s a standalone converter or housed in a headphone amp or traditional stereo amp.

The thinking goes there’s a lot of noise and interference coursing through the circuitry of your average desktop computer or laptop, the main source of which is your computer’s own power supply. JitterBug’s job is to act as a passive filter and dissipate any noise before the signal enters your DAC.

Pure Evoke C-D6

Pure Evoke C-D6

We were somewhat conflicted prior to testing the Pure Evoke C-D6. On one hand, we want to be able to recommend it – we don’t see many decent one-box systems at this price, so it would be nice if this could fill the gap. On the other, perhaps we don’t want a one-box system at this price. There’s a reason you can’t purchase a £250 house for example. You see, conflicted.