Schiit Aegir amp Review
May 9, 2019 Comments Off on Schiit Aegir amp Review
“That depends on how loud you listen, the size of your room, the sensitivity of your speakers, and the music genres you enjoy. Big rooms soak up more power than small rooms, and high sensitivity speakers need less power to play at a given volume level than lower sensitivity speakers.
I split my Aegir listening sessions between two sets of speakers, the low sensitivity KEF LS50 and high sensitivity Klipsch Forte III speakers. Fueled by the Aegir, the LS50’s sound took on a burnished glow, with the tone richer and sweeter than I’m used to. Stereo imaging was superb, that’s what the LS50 is known for, but paired with the Aegir there’s more depth and body to the sound of vocalists and instruments on acoustic music.”
WOO AUDIO WA11 REVIEW
May 8, 2019 Comments Off on WOO AUDIO WA11 REVIEW
“The WA11 has absolutely no problem getting the 300 Ohm Sennheiser to blasting volumes. Loudness isn’t the problem of the Senn, as it’s an easier to drive headphone, but it can be very picky when it comes to sources. With the WA11 I feel it’s a good match. You will still get all the details from the Senn, but you will receive good amounts of body from the WA11, which makes a great blend of the two.
Don’t expect the bass of the HD800S to be elevated to levels of the Empyrean or even Diana Phi though, it’s still light on the lows, but mids are a notch denser with the Woo, which is also an area where the Senn could be improved on its own to me.”
Fluance RT85 Reference High Fidelity Turntable $499 Review
May 8, 2019 Comments Off on Fluance RT85 Reference High Fidelity Turntable $499 Review
“A few days later, I had my aha moment! I took delivery of a pair of Fluance’s new Ai60 Powered 6.5” Bookshelf Speakers (review coming soon). With powered speakers I was able to remove the amplifier from the equation and listen to a full Fluance system. This configuration was just great. Like all around great. Listening back to Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, the warmth all but disappeared and the overall sound was bright and crisp while retaining its low-end grunt. This proves that system matching is key. Potential buyers should look to audition Fluance RT85 with a few different systems first to achieve the sort of sound that they prefer.”
MARK LEVISON Nº585.5 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $33,995 REVIEW
May 7, 2019 Comments Off on MARK LEVISON Nº585.5 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $33,995 REVIEW
“I am firmly in the camp that believes that every component in the reproduction chain, has a ‘sound’ or distortion that it adds to the music source. In the recording studio, it includes the microphones, cables, mixing desk, software, and any number of additional processes before we even consume or playback the original performance. We can only attempt to get as close as possible to the musical truth.
The combination of components we choose will ultimately have a bearing on the final result, and that is what will dictate ‘synergy’ in your audio system. Why do I bring this up? Because initially, I felt I wasn’t quite able to obtain a level of synergy with the Nº585.5 and various loudspeakers that I was happy with at this level. I came close a couple of times but felt that since the amplifier was very likely voiced with fellow-Harman brands JBL and Revel speakers, which of course I didn’t have on hand, that I didn’t quite achieve the audio nirvana that I am personally looking for. This is not a criticism of Mark Levinson or the amplifier, but we are talking about a pairing of two critical components that have much to do with the tonal balance and overall enjoyment.”
Avantgarde Acoustic UNO XD Loudspeaker £21,500 Review
May 7, 2019 Comments Off on Avantgarde Acoustic UNO XD Loudspeaker £21,500 Review
“Another striking quality of this speaker is its super-precise midband and treble. Whatever else it does well – and it does much with great distinction – you always keep coming back to the sheer focus that the UNO XD provides. For example, Ride’s ‘Leave Them All Behind’ [Going Blank Again; Reprise Records WPCP-4776] is a very dense bit of guitar-driven indie rock from the early ’90s. As a recording it’s very much of its time – super dry and crisp with lots of detail. It’s a great challenge for any hi-fi loudspeaker, because of the wall of distorted guitars that runs throughout the track, and the heavy compression.
Despite this, the speaker delivered a remarkably finely-etched sound, capturing every last strum of the backing guitar, and each rimshot and cymbal strike. Indeed instruments separated out from one another with great clarity, so one could hear a host of different things under that heavy, effects-laden backing guitar layer. This speaker practically unpacks the production before your very ears.”
Cayin N5iiS $499 Review
May 6, 2019 Comments Off on Cayin N5iiS $499 Review
“Whether or not you listen to music on the go, there’s always room for one more piece of audio equipment. Herein lies my dilemma – I am head-over-heels in love with the musical presentation of the Cayin N5iiS, but I am having a hard time recommending it to people who, like me, focus on the user experience as a whole. Perhaps future firmware updates from Cayin will fix the noticeable lag in the response.
That aside, the N5iiS is a heavy portable powerhouse and will cater to listeners who want a player with both sound quality and connectivity options. Oh, and did I mention it has two (two!) TF card slots?”
Audeze LCD-4z Headphone $4,000 Review
May 6, 2019 Comments Off on Audeze LCD-4z Headphone $4,000 Review
“According to Audeze the 4z features their patented Fazor Element Waveguide to assist in reducing sound wave diffraction, their “most advanced diaphragm design” which consists of the company’s “exclusive nano-scale film [which] actually weighs less than the air it displaces.” Audeze says the benefits of these technologies “include faster response for better transient/impulse response, imaging, and the flattest, deepest, most accurate bass response of any headphone available.” They go on to claim that the Double Fluxor Magnet Arrays “nearly doubles the magnetic force: bringing the magnetic flux to 1.5 Tesla, nearly doubling the power driving the diaphragm for improved transient response and far greater resolution.” This type of nomenclature sounds fantastic to me… and in real-world listening I cannot refute these claims. The 4z are a slam dunk with spy-satellite resolution and detail, beautiful timbral and tonal colorations, lasting decay off upper-register notes (piano and keyboard in particular), a real sense of speed, deep, powerful bottom end and most importantly to me; real human-imbued musicality, rhythm and timing to their playback capabilities. They pretty much give you exactly what you’re feeding them from without flourish, attenuation or goosing.”
Read more at https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/audeze-lcd-4z-headphone-review#DkKdUtcCpL5810iQ.99
Burmester High-End Soundsystem (2019 Mercedes-Benz S-Class)
May 6, 2019 Comments Off on Burmester High-End Soundsystem (2019 Mercedes-Benz S-Class)
That difference in spec comes down simply to space, with different styles of car requiring compromises. For example, the S-Class coupé, tested here, loses the height speakers you find in the rear roof panelling of the saloon. The rear centre speaker has also been moved to nestle between the rear seats.
While the coupé gets a ring radiator tweeter partnered with a midrange driver in each of the front doors, the saloon gets a fancy pair of rotating tweeters that spin out of the corners of the ‘A’ pillar, close to the wing mirror. The saloon also has extra woofers positioned in the rear doors, which isn’t possible in the three-door coupé.”
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