GOLD NOTE IS-1000 DELUXE NETWORK STREAMER/AMPLIFIER REVIEW
June 17, 2020 Comments Off on GOLD NOTE IS-1000 DELUXE NETWORK STREAMER/AMPLIFIER REVIEW
“If I’m honest about things, products like the IS-1000 Deluxe make a bit of a mockery of the whole review process. A review of the Gold Note amplifier taken early in its life will discuss the product in the context of an app that is completely different to the one used today, and as that app may form most of the way you interact with the Gold Note amplifier, that early review is almost completely invalid, and yet we live in a world of ‘exclusives’ where a follow-up six months later is lost in a sea of ‘now, now, now!’ reviews. The same applies to any streaming device.”
xDuoo TA-30 Tube Headphone amp and DAC
June 17, 2020 Comments Off on xDuoo TA-30 Tube Headphone amp and DAC
Innuos • ZENmini Mk 3 Music Server and LPSU Power Supply Review
June 16, 2020 Comments Off on Innuos • ZENmini Mk 3 Music Server and LPSU Power Supply Review
“USB ended up as my favorite connection for the ZENmini Mk 3, so I need to add a word about cable choice. In my system, the USB output was quite sensitive to the cable used, and you may not hear the ZENmini Mk 3 at its best without some experimentation. The inexpensive but good Oyaide Neo d+ Class A USB has always been an easy recommendation, but with the ZENmini MK 3 and the BorderPatrol DAC SE, the treble became spitty and harsh with an unmistakable glare. The wonderfully good and super-expensive Shunyata Sigma USB delivered a deep and rich soundstage with excellent image placement. But its cheaper stablemate, the Venom USB, was slightly cleaner in the lower treble in my system, so I settled on it for long-term listening. It’s nice to know that the ZENmini Mk 3 could resolve these differences while not costing more than the cable’s itself.
What are the disadvantages of the ZENmini Mk 3 and LPSU? The absolute need for Ethernet might be a small impediment, but Ethernet over either A/C devices or WiFi extenders worked great. The lack of Bluetooth or AirPlay could absolutely be a non-starter for some audiophiles, as would the inability to use portable hard drives as playback devices. I have heard more expensive units do a better job at fleshing out images in the back of the soundstage and, while the ZENmini’s bass was nimble, it certainly lacked some slam and body behind the initial bass hit. Finally, if you own the ZENmini Mk 3 but use it without the LPSU, you are missing out on much of its magic and you’ll need to find the funds to complete the pair.
Parasound Halo JC 1+ monoblock power amplifier $16,990/pair REVIEW
June 15, 2020 Comments Off on Parasound Halo JC 1+ monoblock power amplifier $16,990/pair REVIEW
“Michael Fremer concluded his review of the original Halo JC 1 by saying “There was nothing solid-state-sounding about the JC 1. . . . There was an honesty to the overall tonal and harmonic presentation that transcended technological stereotypes. Powerful, refined, smooth, organized, dynamic, transparent, and rhythmically supple, the JC 1 offered a combination of attributes that added up to many weeks of listening pleasure.”
After several weeks auditioning the Parasound Halo JC 1+ monoblocks, I don’t really have anything to add to what Mikey wrote in 2003, other than to note that even with its significant increase in price, the improvement in its sound quality and the explosion in recent years in the prices of high-end, high-power amplifiers keep the JC 1+ competitive. This is a superb-sounding amplifier that will get the best from every loudspeaker with which it is partnered. Well done, Mr. Curl.’
SteinMusic High Line Bobby M Loudspeaker Review
June 15, 2020 Comments Off on SteinMusic High Line Bobby M Loudspeaker Review
“There were a few other musical occasions where more slam would have been desirable, but obviously these are smallish speakers—even with the Bass Extensions in place—so there’s only so much one can expect given their driver complement and enclosure dimensions. That said, with their horns and other clever design elements, the Bobby Ms deliver more immediacy and nimble speed of attack than you might expect from speakers of this size. Reasonably powerful amplification benefits them, too.
The SteinMusic High Line Bobby M offered such pleasing and smoothly natural musicality and impressive dispersion that at times it was easy to forget I was listening to loudspeakers—a rare event. Nothing felt forced or aggressive. Any type of music I threw at the system just came through full of detail, with microdynamics galore, but without sterility, artificial spotlighting, or emphases in certain frequency ranges. I just wanted to keep on listening. Time seemed to pass as ephemerally as the soundwaves. No fatigue, either. ”
Simaudio Moon 700i v2 Integrated Amplifier Review
June 14, 2020 Comments Off on Simaudio Moon 700i v2 Integrated Amplifier Review
“Here’s what makes Simaudio’s Moon 700i v2 worthy of your consideration. First and foremost, it offers terrific clarity and transparency throughout the audioband, shortchanging or spotlighting nothing at all. If you want an integrated amp that comes admirably close to the ideal of a straight wire with gain, this model should be at the top of your shortlist. Add to that the best volume control I’ve ever used, and thoughtful functionality that lets the user tailor its inputs as that user sees fit, and the package becomes even more compelling. The Moon 700i v2 also has significant if not bottomless reserves of power, even into 2 ohms. Ally all of that to a beautifully built case and a ten-year warranty, and there’s little left to quibble about. In this second generation of their flagship integrated amplifier, Simaudio hasn’t messed with its winning formula. It’s easy to see — and hear — why.”
Sony WF-1000XM3S $228 Review
June 14, 2020 Comments Off on Sony WF-1000XM3S $228 Review
‘You have up to 20 different levels of attenuation which you can manually control from complete NC to almost nothing. You might think, well hold on, that’s nothing new since Huawei and 1MORE have that also with their pass-through mode. However, neither of these systems will automatically sense what you are doing and adjust accordingly. That is pure genius from Sony and it actually works.
The WF-1000XM3 built-in sensors will automatically detect if you are walking or resting and change the level of ambient sound to let in depending on your activity. You can also customize the settings before using them automatically to fine-tune it to your own preferences.
Those sensors will also automatically detect you taking out the WF-1000XM3 from your ear(s) and stop or pause any audio until you put them back in again. That only becomes an issue when I momentarily take out maybe one earphone to scratch my ear or readjust. If it is an issue for you then you can hop into the WF-1000XM3 connect app and turn it off in the system settings.”
Audiophilepure 
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