Final A8000 Flagship In-ear Monitors
March 15, 2020 Comments Off on Final A8000 Flagship In-ear Monitors
Pro-Ject X2 Vinyl LP Turntable $1299 Review
March 14, 2020 Comments Off on Pro-Ject X2 Vinyl LP Turntable $1299 Review
https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/pro-ject-x2-vinyl-lp-turntable/
“I listened to all types of music while auditioning the Pro-Ject X2, not only for casual listening, but as a source for reviewing other types of gear that was passing through this system for audition. The $1495 Chord Huei phono stage was a great match for this turntable. I don’t think one needs to spend this much on a phono preamplifier to enjoy the Pro-Ject X2, but if one can afford it, I think it would be a great match. But again, one can still enjoy the X2 with a more modest phono stage. The Chord Huei made for an excellent review tool, and made it so I could accurately hear what the Pro-Ject X2 was sonically made of.
In the Huei review I talk about which LPs were in the record rack adjacent to the system, which contained albums by David Bowie, Killing Joke, Joy Division, King Crimson, and Michael Legrand. This list is a relatively limited one, and I suppose reveals what type of mood I was in during this review period! These records also revealed that the Pro-Ject X2 was able to handle very dramatic changes in amplitude due to the macrodynamic swings that are present on almost every album I played. The X2 proved that it was an excellent tracker, as I didn’t even think about whether or not this turntable / tonearm combination would be able to track these records. The records spun, I listened.”
KEF R3 Bookshelf Loudspeakers Review
March 14, 2020 Comments Off on KEF R3 Bookshelf Loudspeakers Review
https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/kef-r3-bookshelf-loudspeakers/
“The R3 are 3-way bass reflex speakers with the following compliment of drivers: 1 – 6.5′” aluminum composite woofer, and a 12th generation version of KEF’s venerable Uni-Q driver array. The Uni-Q is KEF’s combination midrange and tweeter driver, consisting of a 5.25″ midrange driver, paired with a 1″ aluminum “Tangerine Wave Guide” dome tweeter residing in its center. The Uni-Q driver design is unique in that it allows the midrange and high frequency bands to speak together with one unified voice, giving music a more natural, lifelike presentation. 15-180 watts of amplification is recommended. The R3 is 87dB efficient with a 38Hz – 50kHz frequency range on paper, although my ears tell me it reaches as low as 40Hz. Relatively easy to power with a 4 ohm impedance rating, minimum 3.2 ohm, I had no trouble driving the R3 to ear splitting levels with a 100 watt per channel NAD M10 currently in for review. As mentioned above, the R3 are rear ported and include a set of foam “bungs” used to help tune the bass as desired, based on room conditions and taste. The R3 also come with high quality bi-wireable binding posts. In fact, everything about these speakers is high quality, from the look, feel, build quality, and finish to the packaging. Naturally none of this would matter unless they also sounded as good as they look and happily they do.”
DITA Dream XLS IEMs Part 1: Unboxing
March 14, 2020 Comments Off on DITA Dream XLS IEMs Part 1: Unboxing
Qln Prestige Three Loudspeakers Review
March 13, 2020 Comments Off on Qln Prestige Three Loudspeakers Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2019/12/19/59hvvshkumcd2ft8l8oglik1j7r18c
All directions were followed. Run in was the standard 50 hours. They were plenty good cold, and, over the break in, continued to remain focused with a rich midrange and deep bass. I noted a little brightness toward the end of break in, in contrast to the smooth treble heard on initial setup, but this subsided quickly, and the Threes continued to improve through the two month review period with more coherence and enviable transparency.
Moving the speakers should be a two person job. All tools are provided to attach the feet and pucks. I placed the speakers 9 feet apart, 3 feet from side and back walls (music room: 14 feet wide, 18 feet in length with a 10 foot ceiling). Like many box speakers, they prefer a slight toe in. The Qlns worked beautifully in my room but I would imagine will work equally well in larger rooms.
Jeff Rowland Design Group • Daemon Integrated Amplifier $38,800 Review
March 13, 2020 Comments Off on Jeff Rowland Design Group • Daemon Integrated Amplifier $38,800 Review
http://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/jeff_rowland_daemon.htm
“The first thing to note is the absence of a ground post on the Daemon (I finally found something Rowland overlooked), meaning that I had to ground the tonearm via an unused input. With that minor inconvenience sorted, the HP boards delivered a nearly silent background, even at high volume levels. More importantly, they exhibited exactly the sort of easy musical expression and flow that you should expect from a good record player. Differences between cartridges were clear, with the benefits of the big Clearaudio particularly apparent. But what really intrigued me was just how comfortably the Denon DL-103 generator, rehoused in a milled-aluminum body, dovetailed with the Daemon amplifier’s sonic characteristics. Big and bold, rich and rounded, the ‘103 has never been a high-res cartridge, but its body, presence and broad tonal palette gave the Daemon just what it needed to make the most of an otherwise modest front-end. Sure, the added dynamic range, impact, separation and detail of the Goldfinger were sonically spectacular, delivered via the Daemon’s willing power delivery, but the Denon delivered spectacular value in purely musical terms.
SONUS FABER OLYMPICA NOVA I LOUDSPEAKER REVIEW
March 12, 2020 Comments Off on SONUS FABER OLYMPICA NOVA I LOUDSPEAKER REVIEW
“in the final analysis, I freely admit to waxing a little more rhapsodic than usual with the Sonus faber Olympica Nova I. Honestly, I think it’s because they appeal to me on a few different levels, as both an audio reviewer and as a professional artist. They certainly exceeded my expectations in terms of how I thought they would perform in my large studio space/listening area. They put out a sonic image bigger and sweeter sounding than they really had any right to. Their overall voicing character was immensely appealing, remaining enjoyable when listening both on and off-axis. Perceived upper-end detail was doled out in abundance without sounding oppressive, and bass response was surprisingly satisfying given how I set them up in the room. All that would be impressive enough for a typical box speaker, but in this case, the design of the Nova I adds a whole other dimension of value to my eyes. Its overall aesthetics, the beauty of its sculptural form, the materials used and the attention to detail in the overall execution elevates them to a higher level of artwork. This is acoustic alchemy in the truest sense. I’d also be lying if I said my Italian heritage didn’t bias me towards these speakers in one degree or another. But rest assured, if the Sonus faber Olympica Nova I sounded like an old FIAT I would have told you so. Far from it.
Quad Vena II Play Streaming Amplifier Review
March 12, 2020 Comments Off on Quad Vena II Play Streaming Amplifier Review
https://www.avforums.com/reviews/quad-vena-ii-play-streaming-amplifier-review.16996
“Now, after leaving it aside while we considered the merits of the Vena II Play itself, it’s time to talk about the bit that makes it a Vena II Play. On description alone, DTS Play-Fi sounds like an open platform equivalent of the barnstorming BluOS interface; support for many streaming services, UPnP for network audio playback and the ability to tie multiple Play-Fi devices together via the same control app. The catch has been that for a fair bit of the life of Play-Fi, the reality of the experience hasn’t met the promise. What’s interesting though is how my perception of the software has changed since IAG started to use it. It’s been a little less than a year and I’ve already seen more tweaks and improvements to Play-Fi than I have since between the Audiolab and the Arcam rPlay back in 2017. This is still not as good as BluOS but once I would have said it had no chance of ever getting there. Now I’m not so sure. “
Audiophilepure 
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