Vimberg Mino loudspeaker $31,000 Review
May 6, 2020 Comments Off on Vimberg Mino loudspeaker $31,000 Review
“In the midrange, the Minos sounded as clean and uncolored as the Dutch & Dutch 8c speakers that I also review in this issue. I found myself playing a lot of solo piano recordings with the Vimbergs. Not only did this loudspeaker love pianos, but its transparency and imaging accuracy clearly revealed the differences between different recordings. I followed Tor Espen Aspaas’s performance of the Maestoso from Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.32 in C minor, Op.111 (24/96 FLAC file from Mirror Canon, 2L 2L-49) with my own recording, made in 2000, of Robert Silverman performing the same movement (24/88.2 ALAC file, OrpheumMasters, no longer available). Aspaas’s piano sounded powerful and close-up, set within a supportive (Norwegian church) acoustic, while the Vimbergs made it only too clear that Silverman’s Bösendorfer piano had been recorded in too small a hall in Santa Monica. (In my defense, I had not been involved in the choice of the” hall, and when I set up my microphones, it proved impossible to move the piano.) But this was offset by the Minos’ lack of coloration, low-frequency clarity, and impressive dynamics, allowing me to be caught up in Silverman’s engaging interpretation.”
Devialet Expert 440 Pro Dual Integrated Digital Amplifier Review
May 6, 2020 Comments Off on Devialet Expert 440 Pro Dual Integrated Digital Amplifier Review
“The beating heart of any integrated is its amplification and the Expert Pro is no different. Devialet has been using a steadily software-refined form of what it calls ‘ADH’ amplification, or Analog Digital Hybrid, since the first D-Premier. The principle of ADH is a simple*, yet highly-effective one and offers a unique solution to heat generation and sound quality: an analog (Class-A) amp determines the load’s output voltage while passing off the associated current generation function to a Class-D (digital) switch amp. Having the Class-A ‘master amp’ entrusted with voltage/audio performance and the Class-D ‘slave’ amp with current/power requirements very nicely allows for the superior sonics of Class-A without the extreme heat generation associated with that type of amplification. Class-D runs cool in comparison and is how Devialet can stuff 220 watts into such a small enclosure and still have exquisite sound without burning your fingers off were you to touch the chassis”
LSA HP-1 PLANAR HEADPHONE REVIEW
May 5, 2020 Comments Off on LSA HP-1 PLANAR HEADPHONE REVIEW
“Soundstage lovers will love the wide and deep stage the HP-1 projects. Musicians appear in their own space and the imaging is rock solid and three dimensional and suitable for any type of music. A classical music lover will love the layering of the orchestra with the 3D imaging and you will be able to hear the remarkable inner detail in the recordings. Little details become noticeable that many lesser designs are unable to reproduce.”
Rega Aethos Review
May 5, 2020 Comments Off on Rega Aethos Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/rega-aethos
“Our initial impressions of the Aethos’s sound were disappointing. Despite being given days to stabilise, it wasn’t as dynamically expressive as we expected and didn’t convey rhythms with enough verve. We asked for another sample and we’re glad we did.
The second Aethos sample proves a notable improvement in both respects. It turns out that the cables for one of the channels had been disturbed (possibly during transit) with the result that distortion had increased on that channel. The second sample has no such issue and is very much Rega on top form. Given Rega’s track record, we would hope and expect any issues to be sorted quickly. “
My Current Portable Audiophile iPhone Rig Rundown
May 5, 2020 Comments Off on My Current Portable Audiophile iPhone Rig Rundown
Laufer Teknik The Note Speaker System Review
May 4, 2020 Comments Off on Laufer Teknik The Note Speaker System Review
“The Notes excel in making a superior recording sound magnificent. They also will completely eviscerate a poorly recorded song and leave it bleeding on the sidewalk. With neutral electronics and sources, this is a speaker system that will exactly portray the recording as it is on the system. Some songs have so little bass I wonder what’s wrong. Other have so much I want to get the remote and turn down the gain on the subs. This is a byproduct of accuracy to the recording. When you have this level of clarity, accuracy, dynamics and imaging, being true to the recording isn’t always a blessing.
The Notes are effectively a one-way, omnidirectional line array speaker with dynamic linearity, huge dynamics, amazing clarity and accuracy. This, however, comes at a cost: efficiency. They like power. Porzilli recommends a minimum of 100 WPC. To get the full, oftentimes shocking dynamics, a minimum of 200 WPC is suggested. My Esoteric A02 outputs a continuous 400 WPC into 4 ohms with a ceiling of 500 WPC so I had no issues at all. Because of the load sharing over so many drivers, these speakers are rated at a maximum of 2000 WPC.
It is assumed that most homes have eight-foot ceilings. However, it may be a problem accommodating one speaker just over seven feet tall, or a second version just over eight. For my listening room, with nine-foot ceilings, this was no problem at all.”
Sonos Amp $599 Review
May 4, 2020 Comments Off on Sonos Amp $599 Review
“Back to music and we play Alt-J’s Every Other Freckle, yet again enjoying the spaciousness on offer and revelling in the expertly painted tonal picture, which balances substantial bass with textured mids and glistening treble that refuses to brighten.
It’s an immediate, upfront delivery that’s instantly engaging and exciting. There’s oodles of punch here, but the Amp skilfully avoids ever veering into jarring hardness or irritating harshness, and there’s decent detail behind the initial hit of each note.
But the Amp does, when compared to streaming components of a similar price (and non-streaming amps at lower prices), lack the real hi-fi-like subtlety that comes from low-level dynamic delicacy. It’s a bold, attention-grabbing delivery, but one that struggles a little to peel back the layers towards the centre of a track and get to its emotional core.”
PMC fact.8 signature loudspeaker $12,000 Review
May 3, 2020 Comments Off on PMC fact.8 signature loudspeaker $12,000 Review
“Over a span of several weeks, the fact.8s were my primary sound source, including for casual listening. I adapted to their sound, except when I sat still and focused on a piece of music, at which time I was quickly reminded that I needed more richness in the upper and midbass. That prevented me from spending much time with orchestral recordings—my usual meat and potatoes—and it tilted my selections to small ensembles, solo voices, and simple, open instrumentation.
I revisited some old favorites, like the classic recording of Handel’s Concerto for Harp and Lute with Osian Ellis, Desmond Dupré, Granville Jones, and the Philomusica of London, on a Boston Skyline reissue (BSD 119). The delicate scoring, the definition of the solo instruments, and the strings and winds of the ensemble were clear and delectable here. And I should note that my Monitor Audio Silver 8 loudspeakers lacked the PMC’s upper-midrange and treble transparency, and its high-definition soundstage. But the Silver 8s provided more energy in the lower frequencies, achieving what seemed to me a more natural balance.”
Audiophilepure 
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