Limited Edition HD-25, Sennheiser 75th Anniversary
June 25, 2020 Comments Off on Limited Edition HD-25, Sennheiser 75th Anniversary
FIIO M3 PRO REVIEW
June 25, 2020 Comments Off on FIIO M3 PRO REVIEW
“We have seen the ESS ES9128P on some flagship audiophile phones and DAPs, however, the M3 Pro is expected to sound better than quite a lot of phones with entry-level DAC chipsets or poor implementation.
The overall sound is quite clean with some elevation in the lower-treble to help tease out a bit more perceived clarity and contrast. Overall, this closely follows FiiO’s developing house sound for the M series with a relatively neutral tuning up to the mids and good clarity.The upper mids are more aggressive than the higher-end models from FiiO but it works well with darker sounding IEMs that need a boost for the vocals to bring it forward.”
BURSON CONDUCTOR 3XP REVIEW
June 23, 2020 Comments Off on BURSON CONDUCTOR 3XP REVIEW
“The Conductor series use the SABRE32/ESS9038Q2M DAC and XMOS USB receiver chips. Its Customised USB driver by Thesycon Germany ensures low latency bit-perfect audio playback. The result is incredible processing power, accurately playing back DSD512 and 38bit/786khz audio. It also features a Qualcomm/CSR8675 Bluetooth 5.0 receiver. Playing back at 24bit/96khz with aptX HD audio codec.
So in short, the 3XP is a trimmed down version of the 3XR unit, with less power, a different power supply and no analogue inputs. Just like the other Conductor models, the 3XP comes with Burson’s special Cool Case technology. Burson likes to turn Class-A amplifiers from monsters with heat-fins into elegant, desktop-friendly machines. The case is made from high-density aluminium and electroplated to space-grey and the Cool Case basically is a unified heat-sink keeping the Class-A Conductor cool and optimized. That means the unit will feel warm, but it’s all normal. ”
Almighty Aegirs | Schiit Audio Review
June 23, 2020 Comments Off on Almighty Aegirs | Schiit Audio Review
Raidho TD1.2 Loudspeaker $24,000 Review
June 22, 2020 Comments Off on Raidho TD1.2 Loudspeaker $24,000 Review
“The TD1.2 is the highest-performing, small, stand-mounted two-way loudspeaker I have heard—and I have heard some of the best. Its winning combination of exceptional overall resolution, expansive soundstaging, and musical swing in the form of lightning-fast and robust dynamics is just wonderful. This is a speaker for the two-way enthusiast who is willing to acquire the best of breed.
The Raidho TD1.2 appealed to my heart and head, to my musical soul and analytical reviewer self, and to my underdog-winning delight every time I heard it belt out stunning dynamic slam. Everyone who’s heard the speaker in my system loved it and marveled that such accuracy, lack of grain, and musical beauty came in such a small package. A marvel, indeed. Highly recommended.”
Nordost QBASE Power Distributor $1599 Review
June 22, 2020 Comments Off on Nordost QBASE Power Distributor $1599 Review
“I swapped over to analog, QKORE fully engaged, and soon the complaints were replaced with compliments. “Yes! This is the sound we’re familiar with. Now it has sparkle and color.” Hmm, what’s going on?
By the next day I had it figured out. I’m always tinkering and I forgot I had doubled up the QKORE treatment on the DAC. A QKORE XLR wire was in the DIG_IN jack. In addition, the QKORE RJ45 wire was in its Ethernet jack. Doubling up made for a sonic improvement when the QKORE was only partially implemented. With full-bore QKORE, it was too much.
The QKORE effect compounds. Adding more is good…until it isn’t. You’ll know when that happens—you lose the treble and the sound becomes dull, overly cleansed, just like the guys on the panel said.
Installation
There is a family resemblance among these products. Build quality, materials, and cosmetics closely match, in line with what I’ve come to expect from Nordost. The color scheme is brushed aluminum and black, accented by a gold binding post for the QKORE wire. You won’t be embarrassed to display them on your rack.
At first, the QBASE sounds dark and tight. As the days pass, it lightens and becomes limber. Allow a full week for complete burn-in.”
All In One Vinyl Playback! | Andover Audio Spinbase$300 Review
June 22, 2020 Comments Off on All In One Vinyl Playback! | Andover Audio Spinbase$300 Review
Simaudio Moon 700i v2 Integrated Amplifier $14,000 Review
June 20, 2020 Comments Off on Simaudio Moon 700i v2 Integrated Amplifier $14,000 Review
“I’ve reviewed several pricey, high-end integrated amplifiers over the years, and each had some unique personality, in terms of physical design, performance parameters and, most important, sound. In that last parameter, the Simaudio Moon 700i v2 proved an exception — it didn’t peddle in euphony or coloration, artifice or parlor tricks. I heard an utterly balanced, wide-open sound that I found impossible to find fault with. It was ultra-resolving without sounding analytical, and extended and airy while in no way bright. That elusive character — defined, if at all, by its very lack of character — might not be to every listener’s taste, but there was no question that the Moon 700i v2 proved a gentlemanly steward for the musical signals I passed through it. It also let through, with unvarnished authenticity, whatever idiosyncrasies and foibles were committed by the components upstream or downstream of it.”
Pro-Ject Audio Systems VC-E Record Cleaner $499 Review
June 20, 2020 Comments Off on Pro-Ject Audio Systems VC-E Record Cleaner $499 Review
Setup was easy-peasy, but there’s an oddity in the VC-E’s design: the vacuum pump’s exhaust is blown up into the underside of the record being cleaned through a vent a few inches to one side of the spindle. I thought this a weird place for the vent, and wondered if there was a downside to having it there — such as blowing dust particles into the underside’s groove. Pro-Ject does include a clear protective plate, about the size of a 12” LP, to place over the vent. From the manual: “In regular cleaning scenarios, it is not necessary to use the protective plate. However, when cleaning many records . . . (8-10 in a row), and under certain air conditions (warm temperature and/or high humidity) steam from the ventilator outlet can become an issue. If this is the case, place the protective plate on top of the base plate of the clamp.”
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