BorderPatrol DAC vs. Denafrips Ares
September 21, 2021 Comments Off on BorderPatrol DAC vs. Denafrips Ares
Mysphere 3 Headphones and Auris Audio Euterpe Headphone Amplifier Review
September 20, 2021 Comments Off on Mysphere 3 Headphones and Auris Audio Euterpe Headphone Amplifier Review
Design wise, Mysphere 3 and Auris Euterpe couldn’t be more of a polar opposite. Mysphere 3 leads with a form follows function design, a definite progression, if far more advanced, of the theme the thirty year old K1000 first pioneered. Modern stylistic elements, clean lines, stainless steel and aluminum with a uniquely tekk-y design, yield ear speakers, nay, headphones, that are sure to spark a conversation or three. Take Andy for example, who’s name has been changed to protect the guilty. “Hey, what are these things?” He quipped as he sat down to listen to some new records whilst on a recent visit to chez K. “Ear speakers these are”, I fired back. “Eh?” Picture a dazzled, otherwise healthy audiophile, my friend seemed to not know what I was speaking of. Well, you can’t blame the lad. Sort of. Mysphere 3 are definitely space-y looking, the very clean, lean lines of the headband and by comparison, small-ish looking and angled drivers provoke a certain sense of I-have-never-seen-anything-like-it sort of moment for the uninitiated
Triangle 40th Anniversary Comète Loudspeakers
September 20, 2021 Comments Off on Triangle 40th Anniversary Comète Loudspeakers
I investigated the bass further by taking an in-room averaged frequency-response measurement of the Comètes using my calibrated miniDSP UMIK-1 microphone and Room EQ Wizard, and I compared the results directly with my earlier measurements taken with Triangle’s Borea BR03s in the same positions. I found that, relative to 2kHz, the BR03s not only had 2dB more output than the Comètes at 50Hz, but also a measured -3dB point of 33Hz compared to the Comètes’ 38Hz. As a matter of comparison, most two-way standmounts with 6.5″ midrange-woofers that I measure in my room (always in the same positions) yield -3dB points around 32-35Hz. These measurements confirmed what I was hearing, or rather missing, in the bass with the Comètes—they lacked some extension not only in comparison to the BR03s, but to other speakers that had been in
Audeze LCD-5 Review, Measurements, Interview
September 20, 2021 Comments Off on Audeze LCD-5 Review, Measurements, Interview
HRS VXR Stand, Vortex and Helix Footers, and DPII Damping Plate $24,475 Review
September 19, 2021 Comments Off on HRS VXR Stand, Vortex and Helix Footers, and DPII Damping Plate $24,475 Review
I can only give an enthusiastic thumbs-up to the superb products that HRS is manufacturing. Latvis’ consummate devotion to his craft has resulted in a range of devices that is more than worth auditioning. His HRS products offer a useful reminder that the task of isolating audio equipment cannot be dismissed as an ancillary consideration. It’s essential.
AGD Gran Vivace Monoblock Amplifier Review
September 19, 2021 Comments Off on AGD Gran Vivace Monoblock Amplifier Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/agd-gran-vivace-monoblock-amplifier
My only concern is the vulnerability of the GaNTube, exposed and waiting to be smashed or knocked over. I would ask AGD to fashion a cage as per the smaller AGD Audion, but obviously more in keeping with the Gran Vivace’s modern look, rather than the Audion’s ‘steam punk’ plumage.
Most listening was undertaken sans preamp, as I’m currently fixated on sources with output controls, eg, most tape decks, phono stages for LP-only systems, etc. And why not? It eliminates all that circuitry, a set of interconnects and shortens the path; the only sacrifice is extra inputs. As the Gran Vivace has two selectable inputs, I fed the Otari MX5050 directly via XLRs, and used the single-ended input for other sources. Also, the partnering Andante preamplifier never made it past PM‘s lab tests, it proving faulty and was rejected.
First Impressions of the $250,000 Sonus Faber SE-17 Speakers
September 19, 2021 Comments Off on First Impressions of the $250,000 Sonus Faber SE-17 Speakers
Clearaudio Concept Dark Wood Active Turntable Review
September 18, 2021 Comments Off on Clearaudio Concept Dark Wood Active Turntable Review
And don’t be misled by Concept Active’s compact visage. There’s a misconception in audio circles that normal-scale components somehow “play small” in comparison to their big, brawny, and yes, sometime pretentious siblings. The Concept Active laid that assumption to rest from the very first slamming groove of “Come Together” to the final operatic fade out of “Her Majesty.”
From groove-one onward, I understood immediately why the Clearaudio distributor Musical Surroundings shipped the Concept Active with the low-output moving-coil option rather than the higher-output moving magnet. If the idea was to demonstrate how quiet and grunge-free a small discrete phono preamp could be (and how it might compare to a full-size stand-alone phonostage like my Pass Labs XP-17 or Parasound JC3+), then point taken. A dynamic, all-analog piano recording like Nojima Plays Liszt [Reference Recordings] exposes system nuances and system noises like few recordings I know. But this on-board phono rose to the occasion, expressing low-level detail and dynamic energy that knocked on the door of what the aforementioned “stand-alones” had to offer. Its character skewed slightly to a softer and rounder presentation, but overall it was superbly listenable and musically satisfying.
Circle Labs A200 Integrated Amplifier Review
September 18, 2021 Comments Off on Circle Labs A200 Integrated Amplifier Review
Rosewood is eclectic, too. Varying solo instruments including piano, melodica, Spanish guitar, and even accordion lace themselves well through what appears to be a soundtrack full of purpose. Unfortunately, I have not seen the movie. Regardless of how large the orchestra, or well-recorded, breathy strings would get, the A200 was able to hold the integrity of the delicate details in the music.
With my largest and most dynamic loudspeakers, “The Town Burns” was able to push the A200 to its limit where I felt the dynamics were not quite as extreme as they needed to be. It took ungodly volume levels to get there (peaks over 105dB at three meters) in an over-driven room, so I cannot feel bad about this miss. At all reasonable and high volumes, save the most extreme, the A200 truly shows what it means to be an extremely well-engineered piece.
Audiophilepure 
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