HIFI NEWS 1 AUGUST 2026: GRIMM, TECHNICS & MORE (TEXT & VIDEO)

Welcome to the HiFi News for 1 August 2026!

PA1 MONOBLOCK FROM GRIMM

Monoblock power amplifier, the PA1, is a compact 150W into 8 Ohms device that measures a mere 249 x 249 x 239mm but has a 15kg bulk.

The company’s first power amplifier uses a wide-bandwidth circuit architecture designed to tackle distortion, helped by an Amplimo toroidal transformer.

Based on Class AB circuitry, an aluminium PCB reportedly provides efficient thermal coupling.

Both single-ended and balanced inputs are included. A UK price somewhere around £20,000 to £22,000 is expected. 

Contact: www.grimmaudio.com

TECHNICS AND HANSEN

Here’s a strange one. Fritz Hansen – the Danish design company – and Technics are in cahoots! You know Technics but possibly not Fritz Hansen. It makes amongst other things, lamps. That’s right, lamps. Bulbs, switches, stick it on your table to illuminate your life. That kind of lamp. 

Seems that the company is issuing this 1936 re-creation, originally designed by Bauhaus designer, Christian Dell who died in 1974. The Kaiser Idell brand, now owned by Fritz Hansen, originally released the Luxus 6631-T lamp which offers the same styling and colouring as the direct-drive Technics SL-40CBT. A turntable I’ve never heard in the flesh, to be honest. 

There’s a deep burgundy thing going on. As you can see.

The collaboration was previewed at the 3daysofdesign 2026 as part of the Fritz Hansen Sound Club installation. Within the listening bar, the two designs were placed on original Fritz Hansen Bauhaus-style tables drawn from the archive.

Both of these products are limited editions. Both will launch to market in October 2026. Fritz Hansen will offer 200 lamps across Asia and Europe. The Technics turntable will be offered as a limited edition of up to 300 units, on display at select Fritz Hansen partner stores and available for purchase via Technics’ distribution, including in the US.

Price for the turntable will be $1,199, €999 with a guesstimate UK price of roughly £870. The lamp will fetch £819.

Contacts: www.fritzhansen.com & us.technics.com

MONITOR AUDIO RADIUS SERIES 4G

The company calls it a reinvention of their compact speaker range, comprising three speakers: the Radius 1, Radius 3 and Radius On-Wall, alongside a range of matching accessories including a custom floor stand, desk pad and two wall bracket solutions. 

The range includes C-CAM (Ceramic-Coated Aluminium/Magnesium) cone technology, RST III (Rigid Surface Technology) cone geometry, C-CAM Gold Dome tweeter and a new crossover design.

The speakers also include through-Bolt Driver Bracing to help rigidity between driver and cabinet while HiVe II (High-Velocity II) port design enhances bass performance.

Contact: www.monitoraudio.com

AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-WP900SE HEADPHONES

The new limited-edition version of the ATH-WP900 wooden headphones, created in collaboration with Japanese guitar manufacturer Fujigen features a 3-tone sunburst lacquer finish.

Crafted from solid ash wood and finished by Fujigen each pair showcases the natural grain of the wood and is supplied with a handwritten serial number card.

The ATH-WP900SE includes newly developed 53mm drivers, tuned specifically bring out the character of stringed instruments…oddly enough. 

Out now in limited numbers, how limited we don’t really know but the figure of 1,000 has been bandied about, the headphones are out now for £599.

Contact:  www.audio-technica.com

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