I make no secret of the fact that my main interest is in getting the best performance possible out of budget gear and it seems we are entering a bit of a golden period for budget hi-fi. It feels a bit like going back to how the market was when I was first getting into hi-fi - more choice and lots of interesting Japanese amps.
We have Sansui, resurrected by Paul Mitchell, launching new budget seperates - CD player, amp and streamer with a more expensive amp still to come.
For the first time in a while Pioneer seem to be taking hi-fi more seriously on a decent scale - it is out with the limited G-clef ranges and in with a whole raft of new integrated amps from below £200 upwards - A10, A20, A30, A50 and A70. Seems like the old days of Pioneer hi-fi! Then there are the matching CD players - PD10, PD30 and PD50 - and the already established N30 and N50 streaming units.
Denon are refreshing their budget ranges with the smartly styled 520 and 720 ranges of Amp and CD players and they also have a new DM39DAB and CEOL systems on the way.
Onkyo have new amps on the horizon and a new shoebox micro to compete with the new Denon.
Wharfedale are launching a new Diamond range with major changes from the Diamond 10 series - drive unit and port technology from the Jade series and the end of the curved cabinets.
This is all on top of the existing ranges from Marantz, Yamaha, NAD, Cambridge Audio, Rotel and Onkyo, and all the excellent affordable speakers out there.
Does anybody else feel we've never had it so good? Maybe we'll see Technics, Kenwood, Sony, and JVC back at some point as well? Who knows!
We have Sansui, resurrected by Paul Mitchell, launching new budget seperates - CD player, amp and streamer with a more expensive amp still to come.
For the first time in a while Pioneer seem to be taking hi-fi more seriously on a decent scale - it is out with the limited G-clef ranges and in with a whole raft of new integrated amps from below £200 upwards - A10, A20, A30, A50 and A70. Seems like the old days of Pioneer hi-fi! Then there are the matching CD players - PD10, PD30 and PD50 - and the already established N30 and N50 streaming units.
Denon are refreshing their budget ranges with the smartly styled 520 and 720 ranges of Amp and CD players and they also have a new DM39DAB and CEOL systems on the way.
Onkyo have new amps on the horizon and a new shoebox micro to compete with the new Denon.
Wharfedale are launching a new Diamond range with major changes from the Diamond 10 series - drive unit and port technology from the Jade series and the end of the curved cabinets.
This is all on top of the existing ranges from Marantz, Yamaha, NAD, Cambridge Audio, Rotel and Onkyo, and all the excellent affordable speakers out there.
Does anybody else feel we've never had it so good? Maybe we'll see Technics, Kenwood, Sony, and JVC back at some point as well? Who knows!