Brainwavz Alara Planar Magnetic Headphones
January 28, 2019 Comments Off on Brainwavz Alara Planar Magnetic Headphones
Totaldac D1-Direct DAC $8,970 Review
January 28, 2019 Comments Off on Totaldac D1-Direct DAC $8,970 Review
“Each exquisitely rendered in photovoltaic relief from one another through the d1 like a strobe-light afterimage. As the almost falsetto harmonies of “doo-doo-doo-doo-do-doo-do-doo-doo” rise up glittering through the sound stage on a floating bubble of pure solid-gold energy I could feel my whole sofa vibrate in time. Just when you think their voices couldn’t go any higher the bridge hits and what has sounded etched on some sigma-delta DACs I’ve listened to this through, is glorious and liquid in its presentation, the totaldac’s R2R ladder and FPGA processing taming any treble burn completely and allowing their voices to soar up the scales. Pace, rhythm, timing – the hallmarks of PRaT – is what this cut is all about. Through the d1 every tonal and timbral nuance is presented without blurring or smearing with a speed on the leading edges of notes I’ve rarely experienced. Power, tonal accuracy, timbral delineation, a huge sound stage, three-point fadeaway jump shot decay and the ability to plumb frequency extremes without fatigue on upper regist
Qobuz ► It’s Better Than Tidal, AppleMusic, Spotify,
January 27, 2019 Comments Off on Qobuz ► It’s Better Than Tidal, AppleMusic, Spotify,
EXOGAL COMET DAC AND ION STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER REVIEW
January 27, 2019 Comments Off on EXOGAL COMET DAC AND ION STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER REVIEW
“The Comet has the usual array of digital inputs plus a single pair of analogue inputs in a billet machined case with a headphone socket on one side and an almost unreadable LCD display. It does look cool though and if you get the angle right it’s possible to discern the reflective text and numbers from the matte silver background. The information is pretty basic with the chosen input at the top above the selected output, the latter offering main, Exonet, or headphones, a numerical volume indicator sits below both. A cheap remote control is supplied that can be used to change any of these but the simple app that Exogal has developed is a nicer way to do it. The latter baffled me initially because the Comet has no network connections or Wi-Fi antenna, it does however have a short Bluetooth antenna and that’s how it connects to your smartphone or tablet. Users of streaming sources will realise that this is all fine, but when you are choosing tracks with the streaming app you don’t want to have to switch to another app just to change volume. One answer is to use a second touchscreen device but the remote is probably easiest; that said, the app does make it clear when the output is muted as is the case at switch on, which can save some head scratching. Since its introduction the Comet has had one upgrade and that’s a new power supply; this is a £400 extra in a nice aluminium box (albeit with a power inlet that’s a little deep for chunky IEC plugs) and this was supplied for this review. The Ion also has an external power supply in a less sexy plastic case.”
Destination Audio System Review
January 27, 2019 Comments Off on Destination Audio System Review
“Streaming the Xfinity X1 platform via the Krell Vanguard Universal’s first HDMI input, the latter’s HMDI output fed the Destination Audio 45 monoblocks directly via its variable output. Thus driven as a mere two-channel movie playback, my wife started to sit up. Paraphrasing Vivian, she said it was the first time she could truly appreciate the dialogs and the realism of all the busy happenstances on screen. Putting my profound, immediate dismay aside, it was a wake-up call on the inadequacy of the 5.1 home theater system. Now, she demanded my turning on the entire system whenever a movie was on. It was like watching it for the first time. She is a converted horn fan. What else could bring out the magic of the theater but a large horn system?
The Destination Audio Vista horns were the biggest horns I’ve experienced that were also efficient enough to run on less than two watts to drive the 105 dB sensitive horns to deafening levels. When playing records, I didn’t have to turn the volume on the 76 preamp past 11 o’clock; same as with the digital.”
SHANLING M5S $429 Review
January 26, 2019 Comments Off on SHANLING M5S $429 Review
“Shanling did an excellent job with this DAP! The pricing is fantastic for the quality received and it is punching way above the list price. The battery life is very good and the UI is not problematic at all for me. It offers slight customization in what icon folders will be front and center on the home page and also feels fantastic in the hand in terms of build quality.
The only lacking aspect is the relatively basic EQ system which is just not good enough for the very good fidelity offered from the system’s hardware. I hope they can improve that in future products. Beyond that, the M5s is a fantastic midtier DAP. I will certainly be recommending it to enthusiasts looking for something in the $500 range.”
CH Precision I1 Universal Integrated Amplifier $38,000 Review
January 26, 2019 Comments Off on CH Precision I1 Universal Integrated Amplifier $38,000 Review
“Even if the two phono- stages had sounded identical, there’d be strong advantages to using the I1’s phono card. I’ve already described the support for a variety of EQ curves, but since even the standard RIAA EQ takes place in the digital domain, it is far more accurate than the analog implementations of other phonostages. You’ll also spend far less for this $4500 board than for an external phonostage of equal caliber, and you’ll save the cost—both monetary and sonic—of yet another set of interconnects. Lastly, the I1 board has tons of gain. This is a phonostage that allows you to take full advantage of low-output MC cartridges, such as the Lyra Etna SL that Jacob Heilbrunn has raved about (see his review in Issue 266). The conclusion is that unless you’re willing to shell out for a truly extraordinary stand-alone phonostage, there are solid sonic and functional reasons to use the I1’s board.”
New! Sony DMP-Z1, 2019 Flagship Digital Music Player
January 26, 2019 Comments Off on New! Sony DMP-Z1, 2019 Flagship Digital Music Player
EgglestonWorks Kiva Loudspeakers $15,500 Reviews
January 25, 2019 Comments Off on EgglestonWorks Kiva Loudspeakers $15,500 Reviews
“I didn’t have that problem with the EgglestonWorks Kivas. To begin with, I found these speakers just plain listenable. Although Jim Thompson moved them around a bit in my room to optimize their sound, the Kivas never actually sounded bad anywhere. Yes, things got better as we dialed them in, but we never experienced an “Oh, no” moment when we wondered if these speakers would ever work in my room. Contrary to what some audiophiles would have you believe, a pair of good speakers doesn’t typically sound downright bad everywhere in your room except in one pair of spots, where they sound good only if your head is locked in one point-size sweet spot in aural space.
The Kiva’s listenability began with its tweeter. As I listened to “Little Paradise,” from Eliane Elias’s Dance of Time (16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC, Concord Jazz/Tidal), I immediately concluded that the Kivas’ big soft-dome tweeter were striking a nice balance of detail and tonal friendliness. The piano had enough sparkle to tickle the ear, but it never sounded strident or too hot — at all. This recording is slightly warm sounding to begin with, so perhaps this wasn’t the best test of upper-frequency balance, but still — the sound was just beautiful in my room, and required no effort on my part to enjoy it.”
Roon 1.6: Qobuz, improved Radio and new screens
January 25, 2019 Comments Off on Roon 1.6: Qobuz, improved Radio and new screens
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