Audiophilepure

It’s a touch warm-sounding, typical of iFi gear, but it gained a natural character that is not as coarse-sounding as the previous model.

To me, the best part of the iFi audio GR 2 is the DAC section, I have to say. It’s not just the fact that you get K2HD plus all the other goodies like XBass and XSpace through that line out, but the DAC is very sweet-sounding, revealing, and produces lots of nuanced detail.

The DAC is highly neutral without any of the coloration tools, although I wouldn’t consider the K2HD feature a coloration feature. It tends to produce a higher level of realism and body, especially in the vocal range.

Combine that with an amplifier stage that is now more undressed, or should I say more unveiled, and combined with the DAC, it makes a fun-sounding combo that is musical-sounding and less inhibited than the previous model.

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The notes are thick and substantial, giving vocals and instruments a very satisfying physical presence. This is not a lean or clinical midrange. The Apex delivers a rich and organic presentation where instruments have weight and vocals have body.

The tonality is particularly impressive. Vocals sound natural and convincing, while acoustic instruments benefit from the Apex’s slightly warm and organic character. The delivery is smooth, making the mids easy to listen to for extended periods.

At the same time, I wouldn’t describe the Apex as an exceptionally transparent IEM. More transparent and technically advanced options exist, though many cost considerably more. The Apex instead prioritises tonal quality and musicality over absolute transparency.

This is where the Apex’s tuning philosophy really comes together. The elevated bass, rich note thickness and smooth treble could easily have resulted in an overly warm or congested presentation. Instead, the midrange remains very clear and well defined, which is very difficult to achieve.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/2048-simaudio-moon-761-stereo-mono-amplifier

I also think the 761 is the amplifier most people should buy if they’re considering Simaudio’s North Collection. Although I haven’t heard the 861 in either of my rooms, I have little doubt it would be the better choice for loudspeakers that genuinely require more power than the 761 can deliver, or for buyers who simply want the flagship model regardless of price. For everyone else—including me—the 761 is no less compelling. Its output is more than sufficient for most loudspeakers, and it’s difficult to imagine meaningfully improving on its sound, whether at whisper-quiet or high listening levels. Throughout my extended evaluation, it remained transparent, authoritative, completely in control, and flawlessly reliable. Add Simaudio’s ten-year warranty, and the 761 becomes an amplifier I can confidently recommend to anyone seeking reference-quality sound for the long haul. It’s a great amp—and a keeper.

The sonic benefits conferred by the aR6-T4 were made more readily apparent with its removal from my system. With all components plugged directly into the wall, the soundstage shrunk, dynamics flattened, and there was a coarse grit that overlaid the overall presentation, leading to less verisimilitude, which, in turn, engendered less musical involvement. And, as good as the aR2p-T4 is, especially at its price point, the larger aR6-T4’s performance improved upon that of its sibling with greater transparency, enhanced soundstage recreation, and improved rendering of dynamic contrasts. These differences were subtle, but experienced over time in a system tweaked for resolution, they became difficult, impossible even, to live without. 

Musical enjoyment is a gestalt experience, where minute and disparate factors combine to create an end result that transcends the components involved in its creation. As a music-playback system becomes more resolving, even small improvements begin to have outsized impact. Audience’s aR6-T4 wrought such an impact to my system’s performance, proving that the subtle can be profound. Well done.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/burson-audio-timekeeper-voyager-v-400-max-power-amplifier

This assured sound was much to the fore in classical guitarist Sean Shibe’s Vesper recital [Pentatone PTC5187518; 192kHz/24-bit download]. Every note in James Dillon’s ‘12 Caprices’ landed with real impact before fading into the acoustic, resonant and yet with no blurring. And even with the longish silences here there was not a hint of the Voyagers’ fans running – instead, all the focus was on the image of fingers on strings, and the thrilling effect of thoughtful, totally concentrated musicianship.

Wrapping up with some good old-fashioned rock swagger, The Who’s ‘Baba O’Riley’, from Who’s Next: Life House [UMC 96kHz/24-bit download], sounded as dramatic as ever, The Ox’s grumbling subterranean bass and Keith Moon’s thundering drums underpinning Daltrey’s raw vocals and that familiar windmilling guitar. Meanwhile, The Rolling Stones’ skanking, slinking ‘Fingerprint File’ from It’s Only Rock ’N Roll [Polydor download] saw Keef’s guitar cannoning out from the speakers, Charlie Watts’ drumming as restrained and effective as ever, and Bill Wyman’s bass and synths driving it all along. It was a performance so captivating you could even forgive Jagger’s cod vocal theatrics. Burson’s Voyager Timekeeper amplifiers have it sorted – and in some style.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0926/Kimber_Kable_NEO_HB_NEO_CU_Review_Next_Generation_High_Fidelity_Audio_Cables.htm

Although not used in the review, there is a third cable type in the flagship NEO series. The NEO-AU. This one is made entirely of silver. It uses the same technology as the other two cables, but instead of copper, it uses silver. It is mentioned here for completeness’ sake.

The next cables provided were a pair of Kimber Select KS-1026 unbalanced, single-ended audio interconnects for connecting the streamer and CD player. They also served to switch between different configurations. The KS-1026 is the NEO-HB counterpart in the Select series. Though it must be said again that while they are both hybrids, they do not share everything. The NEO is a higher-level product, so one should not expect its performance to be equal.

The final two interconnects were unbalanced digital cables. Kimber decided to stop producing the one they had made in the Select range. They do make ones in other places, but for now, the only one that seemed to make sense was the D60, which comes from the Summit series. The D60 is a digital cable that goes back a very long time. It utilizes a solid silver core with dual-layer pure silver shielding, providing 100% circumferential coverage and bonded to the connector shell for absolute immunity to noise. They also included a prototype that I’ll mention later.