Qobuz is bringing hi-res music streaming to the USA in 2019
January 9, 2019 Comments Off on Qobuz is bringing hi-res music streaming to the USA in 2019
PS Audio DirectStream DAC Review
January 9, 2019 Comments Off on PS Audio DirectStream DAC Review
“The hype is real. Snowmass is leaps and bounds better than the previous Redcloud OS – and you didn’t even have to pull out your wallet.
One could learn a lot about the designers from their best work. After having the pleasure of indulging in Ted Smith’s latest masterpiece, it’s obvious he is a music lover himself – and we’re reaping the benefits.
Snowmass reminds me of what we strive for when listening to music. It facilitates toe-tapping, dancing, and singalongs. What else do we want? For that, I really must commend Mr. Smith and PS Audio for continually providing appreciable value to their customers.”
KEF LSX $1099 Review
January 9, 2019 Comments Off on KEF LSX $1099 Review
“The room-placement freedom that wireless connectivity between the speakers unlocks will be a boon to urban apartment dwellers for their main system, or someone like me who is looking for that second system to add to their home or cabin. Hell you don’t even need wifi to run them thanks to Bluetooth 4.2 built-in. Look for the LSX to support full AirPlay 2 features coming in January.”
Chord Electronics Qutest D/A processor $1895 Review
January 8, 2019 Comments Off on Chord Electronics Qutest D/A processor $1895 Review
“Overall, a win on points to the PS Audio, but of course, it ought to sound better than the Chord, given that it costs more than three times as much. I therefore reached for our review sample of the original Mytek Brooklyn, which Jim Austin reviewed in November 2016. The Brooklyn cost $100 more than the Qutest (footnote 4) but includes a phono preamp, volume control, and headphone output, as well as offering MQA decoding. For the comparisons I set the Brooklyn’s reconstruction filter to MPh (Minimum Phase), which I felt dealt most gracefully with the overcooked Queen album. Even so, the Mytek’s balance was slightly more forward than the Chord’s, which meant it sounded a little louder despite the levels being matched.”
MarkAudio-SOTA Viotti Tower World Premiere $5995 Review
January 8, 2019 Comments Off on MarkAudio-SOTA Viotti Tower World Premiere $5995 Review
“First of all the Viotti Towers are classy to look at and they sound classy too; there’s nothing remotely uncouth about the looks or sound. Their sound is coherent and cohesive; at no point are you made aware of any change in character through the frequency bands, the five drivers per side operate as one, and they blend magically in glorious unison. I’d describe the Tower sound as sonorous rather than trying to play a nervous balancing act on a knife edge seeking to pierce your ears; this is crucial when several sources are in use all with their own sonic foibles. As for bass they are supremely capable. Some speakers are tilted towards the bass making everything sound bass heavy, the Towers are not like this. The Towers can produce thunderous bass, far more than I’d expected given the available cone area. Such bass is only reproduced when the source material demands it, though as you’d hope with speakers of this size the sound is rich with excellent body and realism.”
Balanced Amplifier Roundup – Jotunheim, Mjolnir 2, NFB 1AMP and Soekris 1541
January 8, 2019 Comments Off on Balanced Amplifier Roundup – Jotunheim, Mjolnir 2, NFB 1AMP and Soekris 1541
Cary Audio CAD-805RS monoblock power amplifier $15,995/pair Review
January 7, 2019 Comments Off on Cary Audio CAD-805RS monoblock power amplifier $15,995/pair Review
“Through that last day in my listening room, the sound of Cary Audio’s CAD-805RS monoblocks was thoroughly engaging: I enjoyed every record I played through them, and though their deep-bass response was too generous, it was never unmusical—and was often decidedly fun.
No less important, evaluated solely on the basis of the quality of parts and the apparent amount of labor that have gone into it, the US-made CAD-805RS offers good value. I have a rough idea of what it costs to make just the transformers in this amp; although $15,995/pair isn’t chicken chow, I find it difficult to imagine how two of these can be sold at retail for that price.
GoldenEar Technology Triton One.R Loudspeaker $5,998 Review
January 7, 2019 Comments Off on GoldenEar Technology Triton One.R Loudspeaker $5,998 Review
“To get a sense of how the speakers sounded in my room during his visit, Gross played a mix of demo tracks he typically uses at audio shows. Thankfully, he left that CD behind. One track, “Nomads,” by jazz bassist Buster Williams, really captured my attention. Listening to it, Buster’s standup bass sounded completely seamless as he wound his way from the highest to the lowest registers of the instrument. Cymbals and piano had a crisp, airy presentation, and a vibraphone floated across the soundstage in a strikingly 3D-like manner during Stefon Harris’ solo. The powerful sense of atmosphere that the One.R speakers conveyed conjured up memories of my time with the Triton Reference, which had a similarly vivid and realistic presentation.”
Connectivity guide SOtM and Sonore network bridges
January 6, 2019 Comments Off on Connectivity guide SOtM and Sonore network bridges
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