SVS SB-3000 Subwoofer Review
July 17, 2019 Comments Off on SVS SB-3000 Subwoofer Review
“I like placing the sub right in the center if you are using one, or just inside or outside of the main speaker cabinets if you’re using two. This was my first time setting up two subs in my room, and I felt set up was no harder with the pair. After I adjusted for phase, I placed the subs about 6.5 inches inside the main cabinets, which are way out into the room. If you use this method you’ll likely not need to adjust phase. I didn’t. Once the subs were placed in this configuration, I started playing with the feature-rich SVS smartphone app. As it turns out I only used the volume (at -16dB), low pass filter (LFE disabled, 50Hz with a 12dB slope), and a preset I named LO VOL that boosted the gain 2dB for low volume listening. Phase was set at 0, and polarity stayed in the positive default. I used a couple of different frequency response phone apps to look at the room response. Since things were looking good, and sounding damn good, I didn’t feel I needed the parametric EQ or the room gain compensation. I used my favorite speaker accessory, the Gingko ARCHs under the Quads (see review HERE), and also under the rubber feet on the SB-3000s. When the set up was optimized, I started listening. ”
Klipsch RP-5000F Review
July 16, 2019 Comments Off on Klipsch RP-5000F Review
“Jazz alto saxophonist’s Lee Konitz’ Billie Holiday tribute album, Strings for Holiday, sounded lovely. Konitz’s breathy and soulful sax was accompanied by a small string chamber ensemble. Stereo imaging was big and spacious.
Compared with the JBL Stage A170 tower speaker I reviewed in late June the RP-5000F’s sounded more immediate and clearer. The A170 countered with a richer tonal balance, the RP-5000F’s midrange was more neutral, more accurate, and the treble had more sparkle and brilliance. The A170 was more laid back, it sounded hazier than the RP-5000F.”
Vivid Audio Kaya 90 Floorstanding Speaker Review
July 16, 2019 Comments Off on Vivid Audio Kaya 90 Floorstanding Speaker Review
“One other thing that may be worth considering for readers who employ their stereo systems as the foundation pf a multi-channel system: While the Kaya brochure lists center channel and surround models, they are not yet in production. I suspect the smaller, stand-mount models from Vivid may be a viable option, but it would be nice to have the full Kaya line available for those who want to build a multi-channel system.
Lastly, the aesthetics of the Vivid Audio Kaya line are appealing to my eye, but perhaps not for everyone, especially someone with more traditional design tastes. The Kaya line is understated for Vivid Audio, but these speakers are hardly ordinary looking, with their somewhat unusual, organic shapes.”
PrimaLuna EVO 400 preamplifier Review
July 15, 2019 Comments Off on PrimaLuna EVO 400 preamplifier Review
“We all know our father’s jazz records were about the sounds of acoustic bass, saxophone, and piano. In response to all that unamplified acousticness, Ventures’ records—especially those on the Dolton label—were all about the new, powerful, driving sound of electric guitars. (The Ventures, along with Chet Atkins and Link Wray, played a significant role in making electric guitars the most important instruments in 1960s popular music.) Therefore, any playback of their recordings that doesn’t convey the expressive reality of those guitars and their associated tubed amplifiers is a fail. The all-tube EVO 400 preamp and the ProLogue Premium amplifier triumphed: They brought the Ventures’ incomparable guitar sound to ravishing new life. The PrimaLuna tubes let the Ventures’ reverb-soaked essence fill my room; they made me feel like a “ho-dad” (a greaser/hot-rodder) and let me go “ten-over” until I wiped out.
BOWERS & WILKINS 603 FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKER £1,249 REVIEW
July 15, 2019 Comments Off on BOWERS & WILKINS 603 FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKER £1,249 REVIEW
“However, a favourite disc is the Lowell George solo album, Thanks I’ll Eat It Here[Friday Music], so I slipped it onto the turntable and was immediately impressed by the overall neutrality of the sound that was being delivered. Why pay more? I kept asking myself. I do have a pair of B&W’s 800 D3s tucked away in the speaker store, and they do have some advantages over this baby, no question. That they will deliver a (slightly) wider dynamic range, with rather better all-round distribution is impossible to deny, but I do find it difficult to justify a price differential of roughly 15×.
If there’s a better example of the loudspeaker being a slave to the rest of the system, I’ve yet to find it. Bowers & Wilkins’ 603 are entirely capable of reproducing just what they were being fed, no matter how high-end you go. However you look at it, the 603 is quite exceptional value for money.”
Bel Canto Designs e.One Stream Review
July 15, 2019 Comments Off on Bel Canto Designs e.One Stream Review
“In the e.One Stream, Bel Canto has created a device that is comfortable in mulitple guises as not only a DAC/Streamer/Seek app enabled all-in-one device for those seeking computer-audio playback, but also as a Roon end point and digital source for an external DAC of your choice. That it is capable of doing this with practically no colorations of its own on the sonic signal it’s passing along, is robustly constructed, includes a DSD/PCM (24-bit/192kHz) and MQA-decoder eqipped DAC that you can add to an existing system with minimal cash outlay to become cloud-music equipped (to audiophile standards) is testament to Bel Canto’s continuing commitment to those looking at expanding their listening choices without breaking the bank.”
Pro-Ject T1 Review
July 14, 2019 Comments Off on Pro-Ject T1 Review
“On the face of it, this Pro-Ject might seem most at home rendering tracks with lots of low-end, but songs stationed in the middle of the register actually feel most natural. The warmth offered here is pleasant and, while there appears to be some rounding off of the treble, we’re treated to a generally cohesive performance.
Sparser arrangements are also beneficial, however, because this isn’t the most spacious of soundstages and can sometimes be cluttered by a throng of instruments. Detail can be lost, and the presentation somewhat muddied.”
Constellation Revelation Series Monoblock Power Amplifier Review
July 14, 2019 Comments Off on Constellation Revelation Series Monoblock Power Amplifier Review
“It may seem like an obvious observation, but the Taurus paired with either the Pictor or Virgo III was particularly felicitous. Of course preamps and power amps made by the same manufacturer should sound good together, but this is especially true with Constellation pairings. Constellation’s preamps have a bit higher gain (26dB) than a lot of preamps and have such precision between the two phases of the balanced output signal that the preamp output can drive the amplifier’s Constellation Direct input that bypasses the power amp’s input stage. The typical buffering and assuring of perfect symmetry between the two phases of the balanced signal are simply not necessary when the amp is used with a Constellation preamp (in balanced mode). The sonic improvements yielded by using the Constellation Direct input are worthwhile. The soundscape opens up more, dynamic immediacy improves, and resolution becomes even finer. You have to turn up the volume to compensate for the bypassed initial gain stage, but I heard only sonic improvements in this configuration—no downsides or compromises.”
Fiio M11 Digital Audio Player Review
July 14, 2019 Comments Off on Fiio M11 Digital Audio Player Review
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