Just stumbled across the September 2009 edition of What HiFi, which I think I bought to while away some time in an airport, rather than because I was wanting any kit:
It piqued my interest, though, despite Naim never having turned my head before (a combination of being too poor and disliking the Olive look). Less than two years later, I finally got round to buying a s/h CD5i and the rest is a fairly straightforward history of extremely enjoyable upgrades.
How time flies. Fifteen years ago, my daughters had just started primary school and What HiFi were reviewing the iPhone 3GS.
The cable article is actually rather interesting: they got in three readers, blindfolded them, played them the same few tracks several times, telling them they were changing something each time but didn’t reveal that it was just the cabling until after they’d finished and got everyone’s comments.
All three of them were amazed that it was just the cabling (mains, interconnects and speaker, progressively) changing - some admitted to previously being cable sceptics.
You do realise the damage it will do to the “all hi-fi mags are rubbish/I don’t read reviews” cohort to reveal that they may have got two things very right.
