Cayin RU3 Review
December 20, 2025 § Leave a comment
The RU3 lower midrange is warm but never muddy; it adds a subtle density to the sound, ensuring that the vocals and instruments never sound thin.The upper midrange is neutral and flat in perceived response, which provides me with a clear sound. The overall midrange presentation is a little warm and delightfully full-bodied.I noticed that the RU3 treble, although extended, is slightly laid-back or relaxed in its presentation. There are a lot of details to be heard, and I don’t feel like anything is missing.
However, the relaxation in the treble makes the overall sound analog-like, which many people, including me, love. Which I also believe is the house sound of Cayin.
SME Model 35 Turntable and Series Vi Tonearm Reviews
December 20, 2025 § Leave a comment
Feed the Model 35 some purist-recorded jazz, though—such as Cannonball Adderley’s Somethin’ Else (Blue Note 1595)—and you’ll find yourself transported back nearly 70 years to a 1958 session that seems so real you’ll feel like slipping into your best lounge-lizard suit and taking up smoking again. What this recording revealed is that the SME is beautifully balanced across the entire frequency range—nothing was favored or emphasized. Adderley’s alto sax brimmed with reedy, brassy detail, while the steady, melodic bass rhythm of Sam Jones filled the room with its warm timbre and tone. With Art Blakey locking into the groove, every nuance of his technique was laid bare on the SME—every cymbal shimmered, and every snare strike cut through the mix with precision.
Surely this is why we audiophiles get so enmeshed with this expensive hobby of ours. It’s for the ability to come home after a tiring day at work, pour a glass of wine, sink into a favorite armchair, and revel in the sublime beauty of a record such as this. The SME made music appreciation so easy because it put me right there with the musicians. Apart from the Model 60, I can’t think of any other turntable I have heard that got me quite this close to the source. Its bandwidth, transparency, precision, and lack of artifice are world class.
Art Audio Opus 4 And Carissa Vacuum Tube Amplifier Review
December 19, 2025 § Leave a comment
Art Audio’s Opus 4 monoblocks managed to convey an impression to me of nearly as much depth of overall musicality as the 275 Watts of ultra-linear power of my other reference system amp, the CJ Premier 8A. I ultimately decided to keep the Carissa amplifier as part of my system to use with the Quad 57s and as an alternative for the 63s when they are not connected to the big CJ amps. The power, control, and sound along with the lavish and lovely looks of this latest revised Art Audio 18 Watt SET amp as designed by Tom Willis is highly recommended to be seen and heard.
Art Audio’s Carissa vacuum tube stereo amplifier has character, a distinctive beauty, and elegance that it continues to be part of my reference system. If you are looking for an elegant-looking design and musically refined, and lovely sounding amp in a more powerful rating range, then seek out an audition of the Art Audio Opus 4 monoblocks that have a diminutive look and weight yet produce a prodigious, powerful, and excellent quality output. Bravo to both Tom and Scott for their excellence in design, musical listening, and customer support throughout this evaluation period.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 Review
December 19, 2025 § Leave a comment
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/bowers-wilkins-pi6
It’s an admirable performance at this price range, but B&W is right to acknowledge its weaker noise cancelling. To be fair, the Pi6 does a respectable job of blocking out the deep rumble of an aircraft engine – it’s not quite in the same league as some of its noise-cancelling rivals, but it’ll still come in handy on a long-haul flight. However, our second test reveals that it’s far less effective at dealing with the more varied sounds of a busy airport, with voices and higher frequencies leaking through quite noticeably. Frequent fliers who require really effective noise cancelling when they’re travelling should perhaps look elsewhere, but if you just want a high-quality set of earbuds at a competitive price then the Pi6 is good value for money
ZMF Headphones Ori 3.0 $2199 Review
December 18, 2025 § Leave a comment
The Ori 3.0 mids are more front-and-center, more so than its bigger sibling, the Caldera Closed. More accurately, the 1-3k range is not so relaxed with decent lift and a more intimate vocal imaging experience.
The treble is gentle and controlled, so vocals and percussion remain relatively smooth-sounding. This gives the headphone a very comfortable listening character, particularly over long sessions, though those who prefer strong air or overt sparkle might find it reserved.
Pad and tuning plug selections will introduce performance tweaks, particularly in the lows. The thick lambskin pads lean into warmth and body, while the vented tuning plug sharpens the bass-to-mid transition, improving definition and separation.
Audio Note UK Meishu Phono Tonmeister Silver Integrated Amp | REVIEW
December 18, 2025 § Leave a comment
https://pt.audio/2025/11/14/audio-note-uk-meishu-phono-tonmeister-integrated-amp-review/
At the conclusion of the review, I had another concern. As much as in enjoyed my time with this amazing integrated amplifier, as much as I want to give it a 10 out of 10, the Konzertmeister and Kapellmeister out yonder on the horizon constantly remind me that it can get even better. That’s always the case with high-end audio reviewing, that it’s foolish to call something the best since you’ll probably find something else you like better in a couple of years. For example, you might conclude that the Meishu has distilled my love and admiration for the Allnic Audio T-1500 Mk. II integrated I’ve been yammering about for the last couple of years. The answer there is simple this: the Allnic costs less than half as much as the Tonmeister, and that’s an important consideration. By the same token, the Konzertmeister and the Kapellmeister, from my limited exposure at this point in time, surpass the performance of the Tonmeister but at a substantial cost. I’m sure there’s some 300B amplifier out there that retails for some ungodly amount and destroys all other amps in its path, but that’s just audiophilia nervosa rearing its ugly little head. If you can’t be with the one you love, in other words.
Audiophilepure 
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