Paradigm Defiance X15 Subwoofer Review
March 18, 2019 Comments Off on Paradigm Defiance X15 Subwoofer Review
“media room, not for increased output, but rather to fill in some unavoidable dips at around 45Hz (with a sub on one side of my system) and 80Hz (with a sub on the other) caused by the geometry of my listening space. Given that I knew I would only be receiving one Defiance X15 for review, I disabled one of my reference subs beforehand and spent some time listening with only one sub, so as not to create an unfair comparison. In the end, I positioned the X15 on the left side of my system, if only due to the fact that it’s too wide to fit in the subwoofer spot on the right side. It is, after all, nearly three inches wider than my reference SVS PB-4000, which is itself snug as a bug on that side of the room.
Despite the wealth of connectivity, the tried-and-true unbalanced LFE input worked for my purposes. I ran one of the subwoofer outs from the Marantz AV8805 to it, and ran ARC via the app. Other speakers in the system consisted of a pair of GoldenEar Triton One.R towers, a GoldenEar Reference center, and a pair of Triton Sevens as surrounds. Crossovers were set at 80Hz, except the Reference Center, for which the crossover point was set at 100Hz.”
Shure KSE1200SYS electrostatic in-ear headphone system Review
March 18, 2019 Comments Off on Shure KSE1200SYS electrostatic in-ear headphone system Review
“A problem with armature-based IEMs, such as my Ultimate Ears 18 Pros, is that their vibrating reeds start to run out of excursion with high levels of low-frequency tones, producing “doubling” (second-harmonic distortion). This was not the case with either the KSE1500 or KSE1200SYS earpieces, which played the low-frequency, 1/3-octave warble tones on my Editor’s Choice (CD, Stereophile STPH016-2) cleanly and with full weight down to 32Hz, provided the sleeves were making good seals with my ear canals. The combination of low-frequency clarity and weight in “Happiness Is Easy,” from Talk Talk’s The Colour of Spring (DSD64 file ripped from SACD, EMI 591452), made the sparse interjections from Danny Thompson’s double bass and Alan Gorrie’s electric bass sound suitably forceful. No, in terms of low-frequency weight, the in-ear Shures still couldn’t match my long-term headphone reference, Audeze’s LCD-Xes, driven in balanced mode by Ayre Acoustics’ EX-8 integrated amplifier. However, the over-ear LCD-Xes weigh my head down after the first couple of hours; the lightweight Shures remained comfortable throughout far longer listening sessions.”
Analog Domain Artemis power amplifiers review
March 17, 2019 Comments Off on Analog Domain Artemis power amplifiers review
“Analog Domain amplifiers are designed to give you the freedom of choice – to enjoy your music at any level. They have the ability to play gently in a late-night listening session or to shake the house foundations on a mad party. They can be safely driven to the limit, even over-driven, retaining perfect control and resolution at any power level.
When speakers are locked and loaded optimally quite a few attributes move from their typical point of operation. A properly designed amplifier can remove quite a few primary speakers’ problems (like uncontrolled lower register). It might sound a bit controversy, but when loudspeakers drivers are handled with constant and matching power delivery, there is less sonic interaction with the room. The listening environment is simply less amplified, thus serving the more unaltered sonic projection. ”
Acoustic Geometry Offers Acoustic Treatment Kits at Best Buy Magnolia Locations
March 17, 2019 Comments Off on Acoustic Geometry Offers Acoustic Treatment Kits at Best Buy Magnolia Locations
“Acoustic Geometry also offers four Pro Room Packs (6, 8, 10, and 12) for dedicated listening rooms and home theaters, recording studios, and post-production rooms. Aimed at audio professionals and serious audiophiles, the kits are intended to provide “convenient and well-balanced room treatment solutions” through a combination of phase-coherent diffusion, “proven low-frequency room-mode mitigation,” and broadband sound absorption. All Pro Packs include fabric-wrapped panels, “ceiling clouds” (absorbers), curve diffusors, CornerSorbers, and mounting hardware.
The fabric-covered panels included with the Home Room Packs are available in “ship-from-stock” gray (Graphite) and beige (Serengeti) with other colors available via special order. Pro Room panels are offered in six readily available colors and 23 additional colors, which requiring longer lead time for delivery. Colors range from the popular Onyx and Birch to “unique color textures” such as Beach Glass and Sandy Pebble.”
Moon 390 Network Player/Preamplifier $5,300 Review
March 16, 2019 Comments Off on Moon 390 Network Player/Preamplifier $5,300 Review
“While high-res audio is a selling point of the Moon 390, it didn’t exactly need to be fed high-res audio to sound great. Listening to a 16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC stream of “Woodstock” by jazz supergroup Hudson, John Medeski’s acoustic piano solo had a solid, almost meaty, presence, while Larry Grenadier’s standup bass sounded sinewy and clean. The cymbals from drummer Jack DeJohnette’s kit also had a 3D-like quality that made them float realistically in space.
I wrapped up my assessment of the Moon 390’s digital chops by comparing the performance of its built-in DAC with the Pioneer universal disc player’s using a handful of reference CDs. In each case, the sound delivered by the 390’s DAC was more precise, layered, and clean. The performance of the Pioneer’s DAC, in comparison, was consistently more recessed and less engaging.
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 $2500 Review
March 16, 2019 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 $2500 Review
“For me, however, the 705 S2’s strengths made this single weakness seem minor. In fact, I can claim that B&W’s new Continuum driver, as implemented in the 705 S2, is largely responsible for luring me back into the fold of proud B&W owners: I’ve bought a pair of 705 S2s. And now that I’ve reinserted the miniDSP Dirac Live room-correction processor in the digital signal chain and recalibrated my system, I can say with confidence that the strengths ascribed above to the 705 S2 are, if anything, more evident, and the shortcomings eliminated. Now it’s time to look at buying a high-quality subwoofer to augment their sound. Overall, the Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 is easy to recommend.”
Audionet Stern and Heisenberg Amplifiers, Full Review
March 16, 2019 Comments Off on Audionet Stern and Heisenberg Amplifiers, Full Review
Astell&Kern A&Futura SE100 Digital Audio Player Review
March 15, 2019 Comments Off on Astell&Kern A&Futura SE100 Digital Audio Player Review
“Sonically the SE100 delivers the goods. If you want to tailor the sound, you can make and save your own EQ settings. My early Rolling Stones albums especially benefitted from some EQ adjustments. When I compared the default “normal” EQ settings with “EQ off,” the normal EQ setting had slightly lower volume coupled with a tighter, more controlled low end. I made several “UserEQ” configurations for “bad” recordings such as my Charlie Christian box set. I especially like the fact that you can easily erase especially egregious EQ experiments.
While the SE100 is certainly not inexpensive, it delivers a premium experience, with its physical style, ergonomic elegance, and sonic prowess. With its extensive networking, USB connectivity, and firmware updatability, the SE100 should remain a musical constant companion for many years in the future. Maybe that’s why it’s in Astell&Kern’s futura line.
AURIS NIRVANA $5250 REVIEW
March 15, 2019 Comments Off on AURIS NIRVANA $5250 REVIEW
“Rarely do you find an amplifier that acts like a musical instrument and is completely not invasive. Many lesser amps miss the mark with deficiency in one of the spectrums and adds electronic sound to the music. The Auris Nirvana had some of the best tonality I have heard in a tube amplifier and was faultless in its delivery of non compromised music. The Nirvana always made me feel like I was listening to live music. The treble was exceptional and sounded crisp and alive. There never was any harshness and the extension was at times unbelievable with endless musicality.”
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