HiFi Weekly

March 26, 2026

This week brings a fascinating mix of the future and the past. Yamaha is challenging the very concept of the rectangular speaker cabinet with mind-bending new designs, while Astell&Kern's sub-brand drops an unbelievable five-driver IEM for under $150. Plus, we've got major updates from Denon, Rega, and Weiss Engineering.

Top Stories

Yamaha Design Laboratory Unveils Four Radical Speaker Concepts

Yamaha's Design Laboratory is throwing out the rulebook with four non-rectangular speaker concepts. From tensioned aerospace foam strings to bidirectional horns, these experimental designs aim to physically interact with the room and eliminate traditional cabinet diffraction.

Denon Home Series Receives a Comprehensive Update with New 200, 400, and 600 Models

Denon is refreshing its Home series with the new 200, 400, and 600 models, bringing massive room-filling HEOS audio and virtual Dolby Atmos Music to sleek, interior-friendly designs.

Radiant Acoustics Presents First Floorstanding Speaker: Clarity 66

Moving away from closed enclosures, Radiant Acoustics has unleashed the Clarity 66. These premium floorstanders feature parallel Purifi Ushindi drivers and a specialized AMT tweeter for stunning phase coherence.

Unique Melody Announces Limited Edition Umbral Open-Back Headphones

In a world's first, Unique Melody's "Umbral" open-back headphones combine a massive 96mm planar magnetic driver with a low-voltage MEMS driver. Only 99 units of this breathtaking hybrid masterpiece will be produced.

Weiss Engineering DAC204 Mk 2 & DAC205 Mk 2

Swiss masters Weiss Engineering have overhauled their DAC204 and DAC205 units. The new Mk 2 versions boast the formidable ES9028PRO chip and four parallel DAC cores per channel to obliterate distortion.

New Releases

Rega Planar 6 RS Edition Turntable

Rega's acclaimed Planar 6 gets the RS treatment, adopting the ultra-precise RB880 tonearm from the flagship Planar 8 alongside a factory-fitted Nd9 Reference MM cartridge for exceptional vinyl tracking.

Emotiva BasX TA2+ Stereo Receiver

Emotiva's latest stereo receiver packs a serious punch with a 135W Class A/B amplifier while modernizing its connectivity suite by adding HDMI ARC and balanced XLR outputs.

Leak TruStream Network Player

Marrying gorgeous mid-century walnut aesthetics with cutting-edge digital performance, Leak's new streamer features custom architecture co-developed with Silent Angel and a premium ESS DAC.

Best Value Pick

Activo Scoop Five-Driver Wired Earbuds

Astell&Kern's sub-brand Activo just dropped the "Scoop" wired earbuds, packing an incredible five-driver array (three dynamic, two balanced armature) into a beautifully ergonomic shell. For just £99, this level of driver density and premium cabling is an absolute steal for budget-conscious audiophiles.

Community Question

Yamaha's new non-rectangular concepts are wildly unconventional—do you prefer the classic wooden box look for your speakers, or are you ready for avant-garde acoustic sculptures in your listening room?

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