KEF Blade Speakers Review
November 6, 2019 Comments Off on KEF Blade Speakers Review
https://hometheaterreview.com/kef-blade-speakers-reviewed/
KEF’s goal was to not only create a full-range point-source speaker system with the Blade, but also one more forgiving on the listener. Their intent was to improve off-axis imaging so there was less dependence on the sweet spot. Sonically, the Blades do a very impressive job of delivering a convincing soundstage to not only the sweet spot listener but also someone sitting to the left or right. A properly acoustically treated audio room could very well further enhance the off-axis presentation. I found that precise micro adjustments to the side walls and front wall vastly improved the sonic character. Instruments seemed to float in their own space and there was a real sense of a black background for each one. While toe-in is recommended, I discovered foregoing toe-in widened the soundstage and improved the imaging. Naturally, this is very room dependent.
Mark Levinson No.5805 Review
November 6, 2019 Comments Off on Mark Levinson No.5805 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/mark-levinson-no5805
“Bluetooth, even of the aptX HD variety, may not seem an obvious place to start when testing an amplifier at this level, but we’re keen to see just how well the technology has been implemented. We use an Apple iPhone X loaded with the Qobuz streaming service and it connects quickly without fuss.
We listen to Nitin Sawhney’s Fragile Wind and like what we hear. The ML sounds clean and precise, rendering each sound with obvious care. It’s a musically coherent presentation, one that does well when it comes to communicating the momentum of the piece. Vocals come through with clarity and are nicely separated from the instrumental backdrop while dynamic shifts are conveyed with fluidity. “
LG’s V40 & Apple’s iPad as hi-res network streamers?
November 6, 2019 Comments Off on LG’s V40 & Apple’s iPad as hi-res network streamers?
ELAC Navis ARF-51 Active Loudspeaker
November 5, 2019 Comments Off on ELAC Navis ARF-51 Active Loudspeaker
https://www.hifinews.com/content/elac-navis-arf-51-active-loudspeaker
The driver complement kicks off with a concentric treble/mid unit, the 25mm soft-dome tweeter being mounted centrally within a 10cm aluminium-cone midrange for enhanced integration and focus, both the shape of the mid cone and a mesh grille helping control the tweeter’s dispersion. Below that sits a pair of 13.5cm bass units, again with aluminium cones, while within the speaker are the amplifiers for each driver. These comprise a 160W BASH (Bridged Amplifier Switching Hybrid) module for the bass, a similar 100W amp for the midband, and a 40W conventional Class AB amplifier that drives the tweeter.
ELAC may, rather modestly, describe these speakers as being ‘powered’, but by any accepted use of the term this is an active design, with separate amps for each drive unit, and a user-adjustable electronic crossover. There are ±1dB adjustments for the mid and treble, a +1/–4dB selector for the bass, and also a 60Hz/80Hz/flat high-pass filter, handy should you want to use the speaker in conjunction with a subwoofer. The idea here is that – at least when used wired – the speakers are ‘analogue in, analogue out’, with no digital intervention in the signal path. It’s worth noting that the amps used here are all analogue, including the BASH modules for the midrange and bass, which combine a modulated switching power supply with a conventional Class B amplifier [see Investigation,
SCHIIT AUDIO RAGNAROK 2 Review
November 5, 2019 Comments Off on SCHIIT AUDIO RAGNAROK 2 Review
https://www.headfonia.com/schiit-audio-ragnarok-2-review/
Vocals sound clear and well formed. They are emotional and have about the right amount of air in them, to not become congested or syrupy. Male and female singers both share a confident sound, that is again very realistic in size and colouration. Upper-mid instruments sound well proportioned and with good agility. They have very nice speed and precision.
Treble on the Ragnarok 2 sounds inoffensive. It’s a slightly cautious presentation that again is closer to neutral than anything else. Highs won’t cause any discomfort, as there is no sharpness or sibilance in them. The extension is okay, but for an amp of that price I’d have expected better to be honest. Highs have normal energy. They are crisp and decent shimmer, but they are definitely not overly bright. Which results in a fatigue free top-end.
Campfire Polaris Dual Hybrid Driver IEM Review
November 5, 2019 Comments Off on Campfire Polaris Dual Hybrid Driver IEM Review
Hifiman TWS600 wireless
November 4, 2019 Comments Off on Hifiman TWS600 wireless
https://audiofi.net/2019/10/hifiman-tws600-wireless-earphones-staying-out-of-the-way/
I had mixed results with the sound quality when I paired the TWS600 with different devices. Through my laptop, they sounded fine and I heard the Hifiman house sound with an exaggerated midrange. Peaks in the mids and lower treble made them sound aggressive, but this being the frequency band of human speech, made them good for phone calls.
Pairing the earphones with my Vivo X21 phone disappointed me, the results were harsh, especially at low level – instruments fading are accompanied with grainy white noise. This was most prominent when in a quiet environment (office, home, lining up at the bank, etc) where you don’t need to listen at high volume and want to hear the environment. There’s also a constant low-level background noise that’s common with Bluetooth earpieces.
Accustic Arts Audio Mono II monoblock power amplifier: $24,900 Review
November 4, 2019 Comments Off on Accustic Arts Audio Mono II monoblock power amplifier: $24,900 Review
“Although Voss confirmed by email that the amps had been broken in at the factory, Accustic Arts’ US rep, Randy Forman, told me that, in his experience, an extra 100 hours was needed. I played break-in tones 24/7 for five days. I encountered just two issues with the Mono IIs. The first was minor: The on/off buttons didn’t always depress smoothly. Although neither ever got stuck, they felt a bit chintzy. More concerning, the left-channel amp began to hum audibly on my last day of listening and continued to do so even when I removed it from the Niagara 5000 power conditioner and plugged it into the wall outlet. I checked to see whether appliances were running full force in the main house—the eightfold assault of washer, dryer, dishwasher, electric range, refrigerator, heat pump, and two computers—but the three wire-haired terriers had once again failed in their ongoing attempts to turn everything on and burn down the house. (They love the chorus of Aretha Franklin’s “Think,” which they bark in cadence, but have yet to embrace the notion of “Respect.”) Perhaps John Atkinson’s measurements will detect what the hum was about.
Audiophilepure 
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