Vandersteen Audio Kento Carbon Loudspeaker $39,475 Review
February 5, 2021 Comments Off on Vandersteen Audio Kento Carbon Loudspeaker $39,475 Review
If you are the type of listener who desires sound that is demonstrably more truthful to the signal feeding your speakers, the Kento Carbon is a product to evaluate. There is something unique about the way a time-and-phase-aligned speaker replicates the electrical waveform, making it sound of-a-piece from top to bottom. Some people are not sensitive to this impression; others are. If you are one of the latter, if you are able to distinguish this time-and-phase-aligned acoustic representation of the waveform and feel that the sound is truer to life and want that kind of sound from your loudspeaker, the Kento Carbon will surely make a most favorable impression when properly setup. Prepare to enjoy the listening experience with whatever type of music floats your boat. At the very least, an audition is highly recommended.
FIIO FD5 REVIEW
February 5, 2021 Comments Off on FIIO FD5 REVIEW
But, what’s really impressive is how natural and inoffensive the FD5 seems to be. Even when I cranked up the volume, or played my usual Techno tracklist, the IEM never threw me back. On this aspect, the FiiO FD5 sounds much more like an open-back headphone, than an IEM: wide soundstage, powerful low kicks, and a very nice layering, that keeps the voice upfront all the time.
Bass especially, feels amazing. It’s deep, clean, and dwells deeply into my eardrum, without overpowering the rest of the spectrum. It’s a cool rumble, one that carries you through your musical journey and leaves you in a better shape than you were when you embarked. Even more, if you can hook up some nice player like the FiiO M11 Pro,
Wilson Audio SabrinaX Loudspeaker £22,998 Review
February 4, 2021 Comments Off on Wilson Audio SabrinaX Loudspeaker £22,998 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/wilson-audio-sabrinax-loudspeaker
Surely such less-crowded pieces beg for intimacy? Smallness? Absolutely. And yet there was a feeling of all-embracing atmosphere, of presence, of – yes, air on a colossal scale. It happened again with Nancy Wilson’s Just For Now [Capitol Y1T 272; open-reel tape]. Her breathless, edgy take on ‘That’s Life’ was made all the more real by details which attested to the Wilson (Audio) bloodline. I wish Dave were alive to hear what Daryl’s design did with this 1967 treasure. You could sense the studio’s space.
So far, so subtle. But I really needed something that wouldn’t tax my tear glands, so I turned to the fabulous new release of The Crickets’ 1970s canon, A Long, Long Way From Lubbock [Rollercoaster RCCD3075]. It contains that lost masterpiece, Bubblegum, Bop, Ballads & Boogies, with Glen D Hardin, Elvis’ pianist, delivering the finest-ever cover of Huey ‘Piano’ Smith’s ‘Rockin’ Pneumonia And The Boogie-Woogie Flu’.”
Vinnie Rossi L2i Signature Edition Integrated Amplifier-DAC Review
February 4, 2021 Comments Off on Vinnie Rossi L2i Signature Edition Integrated Amplifier-DAC Review
Finding a suitable point of comparison for the L2i Signature Edition was difficult, given its uniqueness. No one will be cross-shopping the far-more-boutique Vinnie Rossi against my reference integrated amp-DAC, Hegel’s H590, with its whopping 301Wpc (8 ohms) output and its Scandinavian minimalism. The same goes for other high-priced integrateds I’ve recently reviewed, such as Simaudio’s Moon 700i V2 and Constellation Audio’s Inspiration Integrated 1.0. As good as those amps are, they’re not, well, special.
Gryphon Audio Designs’ Diablo 300 ($15,990), by contrast, is special. Like the Vinnie Rossi, this massive integrated can be ordered with an optional DAC ($5990) or phono ($2250) stage—but unlike the L2i-SE, not with both. The powerful Diablo boasts 300/600/900Wpc into 8/4/2 ohms, and is nominally class-AB but biased into class-A for the first 10W. It’s been several years since I’ve had the Gryphon in my listening room, but it made a strong impression on me. Its obvious power advantage means that it can be paired with any speakers in any room. It was a current monster, with staggering control of the bass, and its sound through its optional digital inputs was similar to the L2i-SE’s. But the Diablo’s appearance, best described as gothic noir, is the opposite of classy or elegant—it looks like an amp that demands respect, speaking more to the owner’s fight-or-flight response than does the Vinnie Rossi’s greater décor-friendliness.
50 Greatest Bargains in High-End Audio
February 3, 2021 Comments Off on 50 Greatest Bargains in High-End Audio
50 Greatest Bargains in High-End Audio
UPPER END
Magnepan MG 3.7i loudspeaker, $6600
Vandersteen Audio Treo CT loudspeaker, $8400
JL Audio Fathom f112v2 and f113v2 subwoofers, $4000/$5000
Aesthetix Mimas integrated amplifier, $7000
Rogue RP-5 and RP-7 preamplifiers, $3495/$4995
VTL TP-2.5i phonostage, $5000
Bryston BDA-3.14 streaming DAC, $4195
Dr. Feickert Volare turntable and Origin Live Silve
Dan Clark Audio Ether 2 Review
February 3, 2021 Comments Off on Dan Clark Audio Ether 2 Review
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/dan-clark-audio-ether-2
The contemplative opening of Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring is deep and moving but leads into a sprightly and energetic section that heralds the start of the exciting middle, and the Ether 2 propels me through the music. The piece concludes with a complex movement that was written to reflect youthful aspiration in the American heartland, and although it is really well handled, overall the imaging and clarity occasionally feels a little blurred during the crescendos.
Tempo and timing show no signs of weakness, however, and the Oscar Peterson Trio playing You Look Good To Me really gets my feet tapping. The performance is quite three dimensional with well-defined instruments, while the tuneful double bass is clearly located on the right-hand side of the soundstage with drums placed on the left just behind the central piano.
Vocal performances are captivating and Cécile McLorin Salvant’s Mad About The Boy has a remarkably smooth and easy-going sound. Salvant and all the instruments have their own clearly defined position and the piano is believable and refined.
Audioengine B-Fi Wi-Fi music streamer
February 3, 2021 Comments Off on Audioengine B-Fi Wi-Fi music streamer
Audiophilepure 
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