LATEST ADDITIONS

We’ve waited a heck of a long time for Yamaha to launch a new home cinema hero to replace the venerable DSP-Z11. But rather than update that integrated design, the brand has opted to birth a pre/power combination as part of its premium Aventage line – and it’s a formidable creation.

Cambridge Audio is probably best known at the moment for its popular Minx compact speaker range, which uses Balanced Mode Radiator (BMR) drivers to generate a large soundstage that belies their diddy dimensions, and the success of BMRs inside the Minx models has led the boffins at Cambridge Audio’s London research centre to ponder how they could be implemented inside bigger speakers. The result is Aero, a range of four new designs that combine BMR drivers with conventional cone diaphragms.

'Bland' and 'cynical' aren't words we ever expected to find ourselves using when reviewing a Pixar film. But then we never imagined that the studio would release anything as crass and merchandise-motivated as this Cars spin-off. Still, this Blu-ray release is an absolute knock-out thanks to its dazzling AVC 1.78:1 1080p transfer and precision-engineered DTS-HD MA 7.1 mix. Best of all though is the inclusion of the award-winning Mickey Mouse short Croissant de triomphe in addition to all of the extras from the US release (which is a turn up for the books).

UK sonic specialist Naim Audio has taken the wraps off its new Statement range of separates at CES 2014, including a monstrous power amp with a premium price tag, tentatively listed at around $200,000. So you'll need serious money to drive a multichannel array...