Quad ESL 2912X loudspeaker £12,999 Review
March 28, 2026 § Leave a comment
https://www.hifinews.com/content/quad-esl-2912x-loudspeaker
Sadly for me, these need more room than I could ever provide, my lust for them all but pre-ordained as I had fired up my ESL-63s in anticipation. Quad’s ESL 2912X does everything which made the original ESL-57 a hi-fi classic, although be warned if you’ve been nursing ’57s since Harold Macmillan was in Downing Street, as it’s less forgiving at the frequency extremes thanks to greater extension.
This loudspeaker unconditionally deserves recognition for its performance at any price, a mandatory consideration for panel speakers above £10,000. It does everything you could possibly want from a Quad electrostatic with no debilitating flaws nor compromises of any real import. It sounds as heavenly as its great-great-great-grandfather, and it looks sensational, too.
But the deal maker? Like every product made during the Peter Walker era, Quad’s ESL 2912X is a bargain so honest that it’s an indictment of its rivals.
SUPERSENSE ARCHIVAL TAPE EDITION NO. 3 JOHN COLTRANE – A LOVE SUPREME (JAPAN CUT TWIN SINGLE SIDE EDITION)
March 28, 2026 § Leave a comment
A Love Supreme” is the most famous and successful studio album of jazz saxophonist John Coltrane and still considered his masterpiece. Recorded in December 1964 at Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA, this record has been selected from the Universal Music Archive for our Archival Tape Edition. Today Supersense announce our most
Grado Announces Grado Signature S550 Headphones
March 26, 2026 § Leave a comment
The Signature S550 comes standard with Grado’s new B cushions and remains compatible with the full Grado cushion lineup, allowing listeners to tailor both comfort and sonic presentation to their individual preference. Like all headphones in the Signature Line, the S550 utilizes Grado’s Signature headband assembly. Integrated within the leather headband is a flexible metal support that allows the fit to be gently adjusted, enabling listeners to fine-tune how the headphone rests on the head and personalize comfort over time based on individual listening habits.
The S550 features the narrower leather headband strap, as used on the S750, and incorporates engraved metal gimbals, stainless-steel height rods, reinforced junction blocks, and controlled housing rotation to ensure durability, stability, and long-term comfort during extended listening sessions.
Patricia Barber • Modern Cool Review
March 26, 2026 § Leave a comment
https://www.theaudiobeat.com//music/patricia_barber_modern_cool_lp.htm
How does the sound of the new Impex pressing stack up to that of earlier pressings? It’s easily better than that of my prior favorite, the Premonition 180-gram reissue from 2014. In its day, this release easily bested the 1998 pressing and even the 45rpm Mobile Fidelity box set from 2005, and it gave rise to the false assumption that Modern Cool could never sound better. However, Impex dug a little deeper and found room for improvement. This latest release achieves better separation and definition of the instruments, with the band playing in a deeper and more realistic space. In that respect, the music seems less “in your face” because of the added depth and overall dimensionality. The music simply sounds less digital, closer to that of an all-analog recording.
Pro-Ject Signature 12.2 turntable/arm Review
March 25, 2026 § Leave a comment
https://www.hifinews.com/content/pro-ject-signature-122-turntablearm
Contributing to this moreish sound is the turntable’s superlative bass. The Signature 12.2’s innovative drive system and bearing, plus that weighty platter, combine to give good speed stability [again, see PM’s Lab Report] and a low end that is precise and richly textured. The rhythm section in Caro Emerald’s ‘Back It Up’ [Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor; Grandmono Records STEMRA GM006] bounced along, snappy and tight and deep. Meanwhile, Caroline van der Leeuw’s vocals stood proud of the accompaniment, and the Signature 12.2 brought bags of scale, punch and drive to the whole piece.
Even better, Neil Peart’s drums on Rush’s ‘Leave That Thing Alone’, from 1993’s Counterparts [Atlantic 7567825281], had floor-shaking impact. Geddy Lee’s basslines were sinuous, fluid and distinct. Turntables with less accomplished drive systems can cause the notes here to subtly merge into each other, but Pro-Ject’s deck was having none of it.
The new Night Flight LP, Exit Stage Left [Roof Jump RJR001LP] has musical magic in its grooves but the recording is somewhat ‘thick’ and stodgy. With the Signature 12.2 in charge, however, tracks like ‘A Song Upon The Window’ still had heart and soul. Again, the kick drum pummelled my speakers’ bass drivers, and the turntable stretched out the dense recording well.
iBasso DX340 Review
March 25, 2026 § Leave a comment
Chinese brand iBasso is looking to take the fight to the likes of Astell & Kern and FiiO with its latest premium portable music player.
The new DX340 is, says its maker, made “for discerning users who demand both sonic excellence and intuitive usability” teasing flagship performance and engineering in a portable, “elegant” form.
Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, the new player offers 256GB of internal storage, although this can be expanded to up to 2TB via the provided microSD slot.
Audiophilepure 
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