Editorial August 2026

August 2026

The one thing about valve or even hybrid valve amps as I currently have is that at some ludicrous power rating of around 800W a channel is that they run warm. Lekker in winter, unsure of the impact in summer but who cares? They sound absolutely magnificent and the Logies are literally singing along as a result.

And then we have to talk about cables. As those of you familiar with me know I am a little skeptical about cables and it takes a long time for me to form opinions on them. There is simply too much physics and anecdotal evidence and unrelated stories that abound on and offline to get me over the line in audible improvements between higher end cables. You need to temper that with the fact that I use silver wherever possible and that my go to standard are my expensive cables that I have had for years. Over time it is my belief that they are just better in performance with finer resolution requiring less brain fill in from my cortex.

I have had Alchemist Wires in the system for just over 6 weeks now serving duty as interconnects and speaker cabling. I love the look and feel of them and swapping them back for my go to I did notice a slight change in sound. I am not saying better or worse, but I am saying marginally different. However, where things get exciting is the topic for my next review coming shortly because we encounter a bit of a game changer in cabling. It baked my noodle and after all this time in listening that I can assure you, doesn’t happen often.

And then cars. I have to express that on a recent test the Volvo ES90 with it’s B&W ‘Abbey Road Studio’ sound on paper presents as gimmicky as any other ‘high end’ system fitted by an OEM to a premium vehicle ever sounds. There are exceptions of course but they are vanishingly few and far between with at best lip service being paid to present as ‘high end’ sound for a car. In this case however with native app streaming (yes!) B&W have smashed it so far out of the park that a new standard for OEM car audio has just been set. By far and away this is the most impressive system I have heard to date, spanning accuracy in a musical sense and in being able to create an actual sound stage. It is, in a word, phenomenal and if you ever get the chance to audition it you should do so with some properly challenging recordings to detail space, texture and ambience.

I tip my hat to B&W and to Volvo who clearly did what B&W told them to do and to build the doors of the car as speaker cabinets. Properly too.

What this serves to show is that premium music from premium streaming is becoming more and more mainstream. Far from killing the hi-fi hobby I think we are seeing more and more interest in musical reproduction and what makes music engaging, listenable, more real and more tangible day by day. What a time to be alive, to see the advances are being made in the universal language of communication.

If ever I have a prayer for world leaders it is for them to spend an hour a day with music. The world will improve immediately.

William Kelly

Publisher