Elac Carina BS243.4 loudspeaker Review
January 3, 2020 Comments Off on Elac Carina BS243.4 loudspeaker Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/elac-carina-bs2434-loudspeaker
“I had high hopes for the Carina BS243.4 with Schiit’s new $799 Aegir power amplifier. If this combo could play demonstration-quality recordings with demonstration-quality sound, a better place.
I already knew the Elacs could do elegant and refined, but there remained in my mind some X-factor, some sonic issue I was not quite noticing. I felt this because, while I listened, my brain kept scanning the soundfield for anomalies, trying to decide whether the BS243.4s can focus and image with sufficient precision. I realized that, despite the Elacs’ good dispersion—or perhaps because of it—toe-in was working like the focus ring on a camera lens. But unfortunately, at this point in the review, my brain could not decide when the best focus had been achieved.”
JL Audio E-Sub E110 10” Active Subwoofer Review
January 3, 2020 Comments Off on JL Audio E-Sub E110 10” Active Subwoofer Review
https://www.stereo.net.au/reviews/jl-audio-e-sub-e110-10-active-subwoofer-review
While the e110’s modest 343x362x419mm dimensions can easily be characterised as svelte – at least in the world of subwoofers – its weight of nearly 24kg is anything but. Indeed it’s a very sturdy product, one that you wouldn’t want to drop on the cat. Understandably perhaps, it arrived double boxed, and this opened up to reveal the e110 inside a soft synthetic bag to protect its finish. Fully unpacked it was clear that it had a beautiful finish, in striking high-gloss piano black lacquer. I liked this very much indeed, but its reflective nature could be distracting in a dedicated theatre if that’s where you plan on using it.
The sealed cabinet – with an internal volume of 2.1 litres – has tapered edges, rather than the rounded edges now commonplace with many manufacturers. While notably different, this does give the sub a slight octagonal appearance. Removing the cloth speaker grille reveals the driver which has both the JL Audio logo, and a somewhat concave appearance. The rear is dominated by a grille, below which reside line-level inputs and outputs and high-pass inputs. The controls are on top of the cabinet at the back of the sub. It’s here that you’ll find a two-way low pass/high pass active crossover for integration into stereo systems that lack bass management. The e110 also offers a variable crossover from 25 to 130Hz, and 0- to 280-degree phase control for use when connected to an AVR’s subwoofer output. Volume and power controls, as well a switch to defeat the sub’s internal crossover, complete the picture.
PrimaLuna EVO 400 Preamplifier Review
January 2, 2020 Comments Off on PrimaLuna EVO 400 Preamplifier Review
https://www.tonepublications.com/review/the-primaluna-evo-400-preamplifier/
“The EVO 400 provides this in abundance. Yet, where some tube components take this to an extreme, where it is so lush and romantic, dynamics and resolution suffer, the EVO 400 is a modern tube preamplifier. Most tube families have their own voice – the 6922/6DJ8 based units have one range of sound, those based on the 6H30 another, and the 12AX7/12AU7 still another. There are even a few designs based on the 300B tube.
Without going into an endless playlist of tracks, the EVO 400 is definitely rich in tonal saturation and contrast without over embellishing. Great recordings sound great, yet mediocre recordings sound pretty good, unlike some overly “tubey” preamplifiers, where everything sounds pretty good, yet nothing sounds brilliant. All of your favorite audiophile clichés apply to the sonic landscape painted by the EVO 400: big, broad, three dimensional. This is that “reach out and touch – it” feeling that tubes accomplish with ease.”
Does Amazon Music HD Make the Grade?
January 2, 2020 Comments Off on Does Amazon Music HD Make the Grade?
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/hands-does-amazon-music-hd-make-grade
“Next, I shifted gears and cued up Van Morrison’s seminal 1968 offering, Astral Weeks (24/48). So many haunting, moving choices here, but the final track, “Slim Slow Slider,” has always been a particular favorite. I loved how John Payne’s counter soprano saxophone line wafted from the right channel into the left, playing off Van the Man’s otherworldly vocal delivery. Even the notable string buzz at 2:50 sent a chill down my spine.
Recently, I caught a rerun of Saturday Night Live hosted by comedian Chris Rock from November 2014, which featured the late Prince as the musical guest. The uninterrupted 8-minute medley performance by The Purple One and his then-backing band 3rdeyegirl was beyond electrifying. Would Amazon HD have each song from said medley in HD? Must be a sign o’ the times, because they sure did, so I created a Prince SNL playlist to give them all a proper spin”
Warwick Acoustics APERIO Electrostatic Headphone System $24,000 Review
January 1, 2020 Comments Off on Warwick Acoustics APERIO Electrostatic Headphone System $24,000 Review
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/warwick-acoustics-aperio-electrostatic-headphone-system/
Spaciousness and soundstaging? Oh my, yes. I got a glimpse of what the Aperio could do when I put on an old and well-loved audio chestnut, the title track from Andreas Vollenweider’s Caverna Magica [Savoy, 16/44.1]. “Caverna Magica” has long been famous for the way it produces enchanting 3D soundstages through most audio systems, but through the Aperio system I found there was suddenly not just a little but a lot more magic in the “Magica.” In fact, the Aperio took the song’s 3D presentation to a whole new level, creating a huge, resonant, cave-like environment, which Vollenwieder’s sumptuous-sounding harp filled beautifully. My point is that whenever there are useful spatial cues in music, the Aperio will find them and put them to great use.
I like to try to offer critical commentary where appropriate, but there really is nothing I can fault in the Aperio’s sonic performance. The only drawback I encountered—and it is one common to most electrostatic headphone systems I have heard—is that if I moved my head suddenly while listening, pressure levels within the earcups would change momentarily, causing a soft “clicking sound” from the diaphragms. Apart from that, the Aperio listening experience was an unalloyed joy.
Vandersteen 1Ci vs 2Ce Signature II
January 1, 2020 Comments Off on Vandersteen 1Ci vs 2Ce Signature II
Magico A3 Floorstanding Speaker Review
January 1, 2020 Comments Off on Magico A3 Floorstanding Speaker Review
“The cabinets are also simpler than the M, Q, and S Series Magico speakers, in that they have flat surfaces rather than curved components milled out of large blocks of aluminum. The flat front baffles mean more diffraction than with the M Series speakers. It is tradeoffs such as these that challenge designers; the question at the end of the day is whether Alon and the rest of the team at Magico made the right decisions. When I was visiting Magico, the company had just received a shipment of cabinets, and I looked at the fit and finish of a large group in case my review samples were a cherry-picked pair. All of the cabinets exhibited a very nicely grained brushed aluminum finish identical to my review samples.”
Audiophilepure 
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