Qobuz review
January 19, 2020 Comments Off on Qobuz review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/qobuz/review
That makes Qobuz £25 / $25 per month at its most affordable, and £300 / $250 per year at its most expensive. There’s no free tier, soon there won’t be an MP3-tier, and the hi-res tier is significantly more expensive than that offered by Tidaland Amazon Music HD.
Qobuz’s comparatively high price is partly justified by its exhaustive library of hi-res music. Recent figures put the total number of hi-res tracks at over 2m, while Tidal claims ‘only’ over 1m. Numbers rarely tell the whole story, but we regularly find hi-res albums on Qobuz that are available in only CD-quality on Tidal.
SMSL SP200 THX 888 REVIEW
January 19, 2020 Comments Off on SMSL SP200 THX 888 REVIEW
“The given power ratings are identical for both balanced XLR and single-ended outputs on the SP200, unlike the Drop THX amp which outputs considerably less power to its single-ended headphones. Swapping out single-ended for XLR cables on the MrSpeakers Aeon Flow Open does indeed prove that the sound pressure levels are identical for both XLR and 6.3mm connections, implying that the topology of the SP200 is not fully balanced from end to end. This being the case, the provision of the four-pin XLR output is there for convenience and compatibility more than anything else. But, it does mean that the SP200’s single-ended performance is markedly stronger than its competitors, and worth noting if you plan on using single-ended headphones. “
Cary Audio DMS-600 Network Audio Player Review
January 19, 2020 Comments Off on Cary Audio DMS-600 Network Audio Player Review
https://www.stereo.net.au/reviews/cary-audio-dms-600-network-audio-player-review
“The whole album was well recorded back in 1993, with the orchestra arranged masterfully – and Linda’s voice is recorded in a relatively uncompressed way. Her vocal track is mostly sung fairly quietly, but in a couple of places she allows us to hear some of her vocal range which can come over as sharp or even annoying at times. Despite this, played through the DMS-600 everything was well contained and never lapsed into harshness. The sound remained smooth and well apportioned, especially the orchestral strings. The saxophone solo can get a bit lively through some digital front ends, but was natural and enjoyable for the duration of the song. Despite this, the player didn’t make the track sound overly sanitised in an attempt to calm down any wayward tonal tendencies. Instead, it preserved all the detail, transparency and dynamics – in short, the Cary has the rare ability to play music without it sounding either bland and whitewashed, or too sharp and forward. The AKM DAC chips have the moniker of ‘Velvet Sound’, and in this case at least, it proved a fitting summary of the player’s character.”
Magico M6 $172,000 per pair Review
January 18, 2020 Comments Off on Magico M6 $172,000 per pair Review
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/magico-m6/
“The three MPod feet that support the tripod on which the enclosure rests are very sophisticated devices that do more than couple the speaker to the floor. Magico calls the MPod a “noise-channeling support system.” Cones and spikes perform the important function of coupling the speaker to the floor so that the cabinet vibrates less. This anchoring effect makes the cabinet more resistant to moving in response to driver motion. But cones and spikes don’t dissipate vibrational energy. The ideal loudspeaker-to-floor interface would thus provide the anchoring effect of spikes, along with vibration dissipation. That’s the theory behind the MPod. The device employs constrained layer damping that is tuned so that the MPod provides solid coupling to the floor below 300Hz, but attenuates noise and vibration above that frequency. The damping material, which was reportedly developed for NASA, is so thoroughly researched that the designer using it can specify the precise frequency at which the material begins attenuating vibration. Note that the MPod’s lower hemisphere isn’t connected with hardware to the speaker, but rather through the constrained layer damping mechanism. The MPod is usually shipped with a pin inserted through the device that is removed once the MPod is installed. Removing the pin engages the constrained layer damping structure. It is thus possible to hear the effect of the device by pulling the pin. Unfortunately, the review samples had made the rounds of audio shows and weren’t shipped with pins, so I was unable to hear this comparison.”
ASTELL&KERN ACTIVO CT10 PORTABLE DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER $299 REVIEW
January 18, 2020 Comments Off on ASTELL&KERN ACTIVO CT10 PORTABLE DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER $299 REVIEW
“The only glitch I experienced during playback was on DSD DFF 5.6 files played from a 128GB card. Every 30 seconds (or so) there occurred an extremely short drop out. IRIVER could not duplicate the bug when I sent them the file, but it occurred on two different CT10 players, so I suspect it was something to do with the card since these same tracks played correctly when the card was loaded into a A&K A&futura SE100. Overall the operational efficacy of the CT10 was on par with Astell&Kern’s other players. Its touchscreen responded with alacrity, and its menu options were well laid out.”
Pro-Ject Audio Systems X2 Turntable Review
January 17, 2020 Comments Off on Pro-Ject Audio Systems X2 Turntable Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/pro-ject-audio-systems-x2-turntable
I”t’s an able information retriever too. Great song though it may be, Crosby, Stills and Nash’s ‘Wooden Ships’ [Crosby, Stills And Nash; Atlantic SD 8229] is not up there in the pantheon of superlative audiophile recordings. Despite this, the X2 was able to fish deep into the mix to communicate a surprisingly large amount of what was going on. It focused on the lead vocals and that sublime solo electric guitar playing, showing off the beautiful harmonies of the former and gravelly texture of the latter. Yet there was plenty more to hear, including the surprisingly crisp rhythm guitar work set towards the back of the mix, and the electric organ alongside it. And although the listener could hear right into the proceedings to enjoy quite remarkable levels of insight, the deck never sounded overly analytical, as some rivals can.
The deck’s fine speed stability and overall control make for a stimulating listen. Yes, there can be the feeling on some recordings that things could do with a little more punch, but the X2 is entering the territory of turntables all able to turn in quite a captivating performance and all are strong in some areas rather than others. In short, the Pro-Ject X2 has much to offer considering its keen pricing. Indeed it’s proof that you can get a lot of sound per pound from turntables these days, even from almost ‘plug and play’ designs such as this.”
XDUOO TA-10 REVIEW
January 17, 2020 Comments Off on XDUOO TA-10 REVIEW
https://headfonics.com/2020/01/xduoo-ta-10-review/
“The entire low end of this TA-10 is firm, dense and plentiful. The stock tube is not known for excellent low-end depth, but this amp has it anyway, which is a testament to internal circuitry pairing. It isn’t always about just the tube, or just the DAC by itself, especially not in a hybrid design.
If you enjoy meaty bass, this is a great option and I would recommend you kick the stock tube out and hunt for a very warm replacement. You won’t regret it. Fun and musical headphones really sing with this model, bassy headphones and high levels of warmth are accentuated by the natural low-end experience the TA-10 offers.”
Adcom GFA-555se Stereo Power Amplifier Review
January 16, 2020 § 1 Comment
“The Adcom amplifier’s bass quality is more of the “rolling thunder” variety, making it difficult to hear individual bass strings vibrating. The $4495 Cary SA-200.2 ES and $2999 Benchmark AHB2 amplifiers far outperform the Adcom in the bass, being much more resolved and linear into the deepest bass. The 12 Watt single-ended Valvet amplifier also has greater resolution down low, although it does not offer a challenge to the macro dynamic prowess of the Adcom’s 300 Watts. The Magicos are 4 Ohm speakers.
The GFA-555se offers excellent dynamic performance. One can clearly appreciate the pop or attack when a drum stick hits the snare or hear a rim shot. Low level dynamics, the quiet shifting of intensity of a voice, or the way Brad Paisley changes the force with which he plucks almost every guitar string, is apparent and enjoyable.”
Campfire Audio Solaris SE T Review
January 16, 2020 Comments Off on Campfire Audio Solaris SE T Review
https://headfonics.com/2020/01/campfire-audio-solaris-se-first-contact/
“On the Solaris, this vocal passage sounds a little ‘steelier’ in tone but with more separation on the layers. The Solaris SE blends the layers a bit more and produces a bit more warmth and liquidity on the vocal timbre. You could say it generates a slightly softer hit on the percussion but without diminishing its presence. I get a feeling the Solaris SE is going to be a little more matchable as a result of that timbral tweak.
The Solaris SE mids driver generally sounds a little more even in positioning and presence than the original Solaris driver. I would define it as a more natural sound than the more excitable clean timbre of the Solaris original.”
Audiophilepure 
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