DALI Epikore 7 loudspeaker Review
May 23, 2026 § Leave a comment
https://www.hifinews.com/content/dali-epikore-7-loudspeaker
The Epikore 7 is a delight to listen to, demonstrating that tried-and-trusted DALI techniques can be brought to a higher level, creating a superb speaker which offers thrills and refinement in equal parts. The richness of its bass suggests that care needs to be taken regarding room interaction, but that aside it is a loudspeaker that enthrals as much with its sonic performance as with its lavish aesthetics
Quad PA-One+ Triode Vacuum Tube DAC / Headamp Review
May 23, 2026 § Leave a comment
https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0519/Quad_PA_One_Plus_DAC_Headamp_Review.htm
The PA-One+ easily handled the ramp up to the higher impedance LCD 3s reproducing a stage-side table at a dinner theater atmosphere for Dean Martin singing “Everybody Loves Somebody” [Everybody Loves Somebody in 24-bit/96kHz], with a natural laid back depiction of the upright bass, drums, and piano accompanied by an enveloping string section and a healthy choral group.
To test the balanced output I selected the MrSpeakers ETHER2s and a 24-bit/96kHz vinyl rip of Nicky Hopkins’ “No Time” from his epic album No More Changes. The piano had an authentic tonality set in a large hall, while the bass guitar was deep and palpable, the lead guitar sweet and melodic, as the steel guitar and organ provided a haunting ethereal background.
Listening to “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” by the Dickies [Killer Klowns From Outer Space in 16-bit/44.1kHz] on the 1MORE Triple Driver Over-Ear Dynamic Headphones the dynamic drivers did what dynamic drivers do, create an exciting and dynamic presentation, and the PA-One+ mellowed the sometimes strident high frequencies produced by the budget headphone.
EPZ 550 $549 Review
May 21, 2026 § Leave a comment
Subbass is subtle and stays behind the rest of the presentation, giving tracks a light sense of depth rather than a deep rumble. It is not bad by any means, but it clearly avoids the kind of pressure and weight that bass-heavy sets deliver.
The punchiness of its mid-bass is what feels most noticeably missing, as kick drums do not land with strong impact. There is still a slight thump to keep rhythm sections from sounding empty, but the EPZ 550 does not push mid-bass energy aggressively.
Despite that weakened energy, the drums and bass guitars earn back attention through excellent timbre and texture. Every small tonal shift, drum hit, and string detail comes through with wonderful accuracy, allowing everything to sound as natural as can be.
TAD A1000 integrated amp Review
May 20, 2026 § Leave a comment
https://www.hifinews.com/content/tad-a1000-integrated-amp
With those last two recordings, I began to get the feeling I was playing chicken with the A1000, trying to find music to unsettle it, and lose its way due to that underlying warmth. Having failed to do so, I fell back on something altogether more refined and glorious. Having just seen the excellent film The Choral, written by Alan Bennett and directed by Nicholas Hytner, I settled for the recently released version of Elgar’s The Dream Of Gerontius by the Huddersfield Choral Society and the Opera North orchestra.
Timed to coincide with the film, this Hyperion set [CDA68461/2] mixes drama with warmth and lushness. The TAD A1000’s easy-going but rewarding presentation did an excellent job of taking me straight to the heart of the piece, sounding grand and impressive while still delivering fine insight into both playing and singing.
Luxsin X8 $699 Review
May 20, 2026 § Leave a comment
https://www.headfonia.com/luxsin-x8-review/
I mostly used the Luxsin X8 as a desktop all-in-one with my DCA Noire X, Omne Hendeka, Hifiman Ananda Unveiled, and Sennheiser HD6XX headphones, as well as Letshuoer Mystic 8, Yanyin Baker, and Maytak Audio M6 IEMs. For soundstage testing, I used my Hypa17 amp, which drives the Fosi SP601 bookshelf speakers.
Let’s start with the boring stuff. The Luxsin X8 is dead quiet. Sensitive headphones, IEMs, and my 200W power amp showed no self-noise. The startup and shutdown sequence was also quite uneventful. A slight “tock” when the protection relay opens. The volume control, despite being fully digital, was to my ears transparent even at -40dB. Luxsin seem to be either using the DAC chip’s native volume control or a high-bit depth DSP for it.
Starke Sound SW15 Subwoofer | REVIEW
May 18, 2026 § Leave a comment
https://pt.audio/2026/04/25/starke-sound-brev-sw15-subwoofer-review
The question becomes this: are these state-of-the-art speakers systems finally getting it right? Have I been listening for the wrong thing? I thought about this during my first listening sessions with the Starke Sound SW15. Will the SW15 get it right/wrong? Or will the SW15 get it wrong/right? Well, the Starke Sound SW15 fell into the later camp, with the second drum beat deeper and more impressive. I thought I had an answer to this–has my view of the Yulunga Test changed because I’m using more grounding and noise suppression and power conditioning and that lower noise floor is the reason for the changing perspective? That was easy to find out, of course, by unplugging all those devices and listening again. Despite the fact that my entire system dropped down a notch of three in overall sound quality without this gear in the chain, the Starke Sound SW15 still delivered more impact on that second beat, and until I figure this out completely I’m going to move onto the next demo track, which is the title track from Radiohead’s Kid A.
There’s no doubt this is heavy electronica, but there are some synthesizer bass passages that just seem to dive underneath your floorboards and surface right underneath your listening chair like Esther Williams. The test, however is this: are those beats pronounced and full, or are they down a few dB? If your speaker doesn’t hit at least 50 Hz, those beats might actually disappear. It’s also common for a lesser transducer to make those beats sound slightly distorted and sloppy. With the Starke Sound SW15 and the Acoras, those notes are deep and round and full and clear. I’ve heard a little more decay with far more costly speaker systems, and perhaps more of those subtle textures and shadings that I look for in the Yulunga Test, but this is the first time I’m compelled to remind everyone of the price here.
Audiophilepure 
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