Audionet PRE G2 Linestage and MAX Monoblock Amplifiers $30,500 Review
December 31, 2017 Comments Off on Audionet PRE G2 Linestage and MAX Monoblock Amplifiers $30,500 Review
“If the ultimate goal in this industry is to create products capable of engaging the listener so completely that we become transfixed by an entirely fabricated deception, unaware that the time and space of the events unfolding before us are merely auditory illusions generated by a complex reconstruction engine, a conglomeration of electro-mechanical devices, then Audionet has earned its place among the handful of manufacturers pushing the limits. If you are looking to spend upward into the mid-six-figures on your main electronics pairing, I urge you not to part with a dime until you seek out and hear what the PRE G2 and MAX can do. If you value performance over all else, you are going to save a pile of money.”
Sonoma Model One Headphone System $4,995 Review
December 31, 2017 § 1 Comment
“The result is a fairly massive looking set of headphones that doesn’t feel it. Design geeks in the crowd will flip over the careful attention to fine detail, right down to the high level of fit and finish present thanks to high precision stainless fasteners. Finally, Sonoma collaborated with Straight Wire to design a custom cable from the ground up to transmit the maximum amount of audio information. The cable alone looks like something you’d buy in the aftermarket for $500 – $1,000. Who wants to buy a $5,000 pair of phones, only to have to upgrade the cable?”
AUDEZE ISINE 20 – LIGHTNING REVIEW
December 31, 2017 Comments Off on AUDEZE ISINE 20 – LIGHTNING REVIEW
“Audeze opted for an all plastic build for this, likely to preserve as much weight as possible. Regardless, they are clearly a well built product with great attention to detail. The Audeze ‘A’ stands bold in the middle of a pattern of grills venting the driver inside. The sound bore is long and while wider than most, it is a thin plastic and this could be the only risk I could think of, and that’s a small one. Cables are removable with the standard 2-pin seen for years in earphones and I like that, mainly because it means I can replace the linguine flat stock cable. It isn’t horrendous but it is the only thing I would change of the original package, I just have something against flat cables, maybe because I have got the likes of this one on so many cheap, tacky IEMs. ”
Zellaton Reference MkII Loudspeaker $150,000 Review
December 30, 2017 Comments Off on Zellaton Reference MkII Loudspeaker $150,000 Review
“o, you’re probably asking, why did I call speakers capable of such a fabulous magic trick “limited in appeal?” Well, almost by design (dipole radiation pattern, cones that are almost as light as membrane drivers and that aren’t gaining any backwave leverage from their enclosure), Zellatons don’t pack all the dynamic punch of ported or sealed-enclosure loudspeakers. (This is another way in which they resemble electrostats.) While big timp or kickdrum strikes will shake the room with the Zellatons, they won’t shake it the way, oh, Magicos or Raidhos do. Ditto for rock drumkit-and-Fender-bass lines, which are superbly defined in timbre and duration, but are subdued (in comparison to the best dynamic speakers) when it comes to clout.”
ELAC DISCOVERY SERIES DS‑S101-G MUSIC SERVER REVIEW
December 30, 2017 Comments Off on ELAC DISCOVERY SERIES DS‑S101-G MUSIC SERVER REVIEW
“The simple looking, yet elegant ELAC box is a secret power-up to your system. Roon is fast becoming the thing for music lovers to access their music, but – it must be said – the cost of entry can be a little steep for the as yet unconvinced. By building on a Roon Essentials backbone, the ELAC Discovery truly lives up to its name: a product that at once allows the user to discover their music in a deeper way, discover just how Roon enhances that deep listening concept, and for those still on the spinning-disc side of things to discover the world beyond their collection. And it’s easy to operate, install, and navigate for anyone who has a modicum of web skills (I’m far from black belt web-savvy, but I was up and running inside of 10 minutes flat, and two of those minutes were spent finding and loading the Roon app). Roon isn’t the future of music replay, but it’s certainly a major part of the future of music replay, and the ELAC Discovery DS-S101-G is the best and easiest way to experience that right now. Unless you are likely to hit that 30,000 track limit, this little box comes strongly recommended.”
Noble Audio Katana Flagship $1850 Review
December 29, 2017 Comments Off on Noble Audio Katana Flagship $1850 Review
“The Katana offers supreme luxury, tonal finesse and exquisite technicality, as it should. At $1850 USD, value has no place; this isn’t a product for the average listener, this is a statement. In line with this mentality, Noble pamper the buyer with a comprehensive unboxing and a meticulous build that catches jealous glances like few others. The Katana’s neutral to bright signature won’t suit every buyer, but that’s the ingenuity of Noble’s flagship offerings that cover both sides of the analytical/engaging spectrum. These aren’t realistic in-ears, but engaging ones.”
Constellation Audio Revelation Taurus Mono Amplifiers $39,000 – Review
December 29, 2017 Comments Off on Constellation Audio Revelation Taurus Mono Amplifiers $39,000 – Review
“Playing these two longtime reference recordings sent me down a rabbit hole. When I listened to The Trinity Session yet again, I was struck by how natural Margo Timmins’s voice sounded, and by all the air I could hear around it — a small but significant increase in resolution and clarity from what I’d heard with other amps. In The Mission, the sound of the woodwind instruments grabbed my attention — a breathy quality I hadn’t noticed before that made them sound more real, with a bit more presence. After having heard both recordings so many times over the years, I was surprised to hear something new. Which makes me think that while I’ve already spent several thousand words describing these amps, there may be still more to say about them — a telltale indication of a great hi-fi product.”
Sennheiser IE 800 S review
December 29, 2017 Comments Off on Sennheiser IE 800 S review
“There’s also an irritating amount of cable noise, which is impossible to ignore and to negate this you must sit absolutely still. For anyone planning to use the IE 800 S on the move, it is a disappointing return for what is a hefty wedge of money.”
SVS SB-4000 subwoofer $1,500 review
December 28, 2017 Comments Off on SVS SB-4000 subwoofer $1,500 review
“I moved on to recordings that didn’t make big demands on the SB-4000. When I played Spoon’s “Hot Thoughts” CD, the sub helped the 3020 speakers project a larger and deeper soundstage. I tested it further by turning off the SB-4000 and running just the 3020s. Right away the sound space seemed markedly smaller. Then turning on the sub didn’t just add more bass, the SB-4000 enlarged the soundstage. I’ve noted the same effect with other top-quality subwoofers over the years.”
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