Audio Pro Link 2

This isn’t the primary time Audio Professional has tried to – ahem – hyperlink some track streaming smarts for your current audio machine. This Hyperlink 2 is the corporate’s newest effort and includes a tidier glance in addition to some upgraded options with the intention to do the electronic audio trade. 

Within the time between the unique Hyperlink and the new Hyperlink 2, even though, it’s an concept that’s received traction at what may relatively be referred to as the ‘entry-level’ of track streamer. So does the Hyperlink 2 have what it takes to face out in what’s all of sudden a slightly aggressive marketplace?

Worth

The Audio Professional Hyperlink 2 is on sale now, and in the UK it’s to be had for £220, even though costs range throughout shops – some checklist it as top as £270. You’ll select one up in the USA for roughly $290, whilst consumers in Australia should phase with AU$480 (or one thing slightly love it) to protected one.

We’ve just lately examined the WiiM Professional Plus track streamer, and loved it to the level that we gave it a What Hello-Fi? Award for 2023. For the reason that the WiiM streamer sells for £219 within the U.Ok. (and $219 / AU$339 within the U.S. and Australia respectively), it’s evident the Hyperlink 2 goes to must make a powerful case for itself if it’s going to justify its asking value.

Design & Construct

There’s not anything fallacious with small or useful in a product like this, after all, yet nonetheless, it will be great to get slightly extra of an influence of the place your cash’s long past, past the best way the product plays. There’s no longer a lot of this with the Audio Professional Hyperlink 2, even though, even supposing it’s completely competently made and completed, it seems to be slightly affordable and feels inexpensive nonetheless.

It’s to be had in only one end (darkish gray) and at a tidy 36 x 180 x 126mm (hwd) it shouldn’t be too evident in your package rack in both visible or bodily phrases. The corners of the little cupboard are effectively rounded, and the capacitive contact controls on its most sensible are delicate and responsive. The controls to be had right here come with ‘energy on/off’, ‘skip forwards/backwards’, ‘quantity up/down’ and ‘play/pause’, whilst there also are 4 presets and controls for Bluetooth pairing and for scrolling thru inputs. The truth that they’re in black on a gloomy gray background makes them so much much less legible than they could be, even though. The similar is right of the 4 LEDs at the entrance fascia – they point out the chosen enter (wireless, Bluetooth, USB or line), yet till you dedicate them to reminiscence you’ve little likelihood of figuring out what’s what.

You’re some distance at an advantage with the Audio Professional Keep watch over app that’s unfastened for iOS and Android. It is probably not essentially the most in depth or essentially the most visually interesting, yet you’ll no less than see what you’re supposed to be doing – and it’s really easy to combine your track streaming carrier or products and services of selection too.

Wi-fi connectivity is by way of dual-band wireless and Bluetooth 4.2, whilst bodily connections are at the rear panel. They run to stereo RCA bits and bobs, an Ethernet socket, a USB-A slot, and coaxial and optical electronic outputs. The road-level analogue enter is especially helpful, because it permits you to hook up a supply (like, say, a pre-amplified turntable) after which re-stream to different Audio Professional audio system you could have round your own home.

Options

Wi-fi capability is the entire level right here, after all, and, in addition to (slightly atypical) Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity with elementary SBC and AAC codec compatibility, the Hyperlink 2 may be appropriate with Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Attach and Tidal Attach. Putting in place the Audio Professional within the first position is imaginable the use of Apple House, Google House or the Audio Professional Keep watch over app. The app additionally lets in integration of a large number of track streaming and web radio products and services, together with Qobuz, Apple Track, TuneIn, Amazon Track and vTuner. So far as set up and set-up are involved, the Audio Professional Hyperlink 2 may also be in a position in a trice. 

Main points of what’s what at the within the Audio Professional aren’t all that impending. Clearly there’s a digital-to-analogue convertor, as evidenced by means of the stereo RCA analogue outputs, yet whilst the Hyperlink 2 is appropriate with AAC, ALAC, FLAC, MP3 and WMA document codecs, there’s no MQA make stronger for Tidal. In a similar fashion, the Audio Professional’s talent to wirelessly movement analogue knowledge to different Audio Professional audio system manner there’s some A-to-D conversion on board too, yet there is not a lot in the best way of specifics. The answer of the inner DAC is not readily to be had both – now we have reached out to the logo for more info and can replace this assessment after we obtain a solution.

Sound

There’s no arguing with the tonal steadiness or the size of sound that’s on be offering right here. The Hyperlink 2 is a particularly open concentrate – it doesn’t inhibit the soundstage of the apparatus it’s paired with within the slightest, and received’t confuse it the place organisation is anxious both. The spaciousness of its presentation lets in even slightly dense, congested recordings like I Observe You by means of Melody’s Echo Chamber an considerable quantity of elbow-room – the Audio Professional opens it up and guarantees that each and every component of the track is saved at arm’s duration from the others. That’s no longer on the expense of coherence or solidarity, even though – the Hyperlink 2 items the recording as a resounding complete.

And the tonal steadiness is agreeable in its neutrality, too. At no level does the Audio Professional brazenly stick its oar in or try to modify the steadiness of the track – it’s naturalistic in its tonality from the ground of the frequency vary to the highest. Each and every house of the frequency vary will get a effectively judged quantity of emphasis, too, so the road from the ground to the highest is immediately and easy, and not using a spaces of the frequency vary understated or overplayed.

After that, even though, the Hyperlink 2 begins to want only some excuses making for it. Switching to a 16-bit/44.1kHz movement of Belle And Sebastian’s The Loneliness Of A Heart Distance Runner unearths a slight, yet particular, scarcity of dynamic expression – the entirety that occurs, consistent with the Audio Professional, occurs at a hard and fast point of depth from which it is vitally reluctant to deviate. And there’s a knock-on impact within the streamer’s relative loss of animation: it’s simply no longer all that vigorous a concentrate, and sounds matter-of-fact the place different, extra engaged designs make investments the recording with better spirit and power.

At the side of this slight loss of interest, there are different slight shortages too. Element ranges, as an example, are OK-but-nothing-special and the Hyperlink 2 isn’t essentially the most enthusiastic with regards to rhythms both. And that is despite the truth that it controls the assault and rot of bass sounds beautiful smartly – it’s no longer blurring or low-frequency overhang that makes the Audio Professional an unsure dancer.  

None of those shortcomings are particularly primary, yet they upload as much as a tool that doesn’t sound slightly as liberated or as attentive because it in point of fact must. And that is put into slightly sharp aid whilst you pay attention what the easiest £200-ish track streamers, such because the WiiM Professional Plus, can do…

Verdict

It is a fuss-free approach of bringing wi-fi streaming smarts to an audio machine of a antique, however the Hyperlink 2’s little deficiencies are made to sound important by means of the most efficient of its opposition.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Construct 4
• Options 5

MORE:

Learn our assessment of the WiiM Professional Plus

Additionally believe the step-up Cambridge Audio MXN10

Best possible track streamers: improve to a wi-fi machine