FIIO M11 PLUS ESS REVIEW
March 13, 2022 Comments Off on FIIO M11 PLUS ESS REVIEW
And, like the previous M11 Plus, you get… typical FiiO sound with gorgeous lows, vibrant voices, and clear highs. That said, the more I got accustomed to this new player, the more I heard how hard-hitting those same highs could get on my usual techno tracklist. It’s not painful or ear-piercing, but it can get damn close, notably if you choose sensible IEMs as I did.
Head to head against the Shanling M6 Pro 21, those are two very different animals, even if both share an ESS core. The lows are gorgeous, with just the right amount of “oomph”. Even more with the Audeze which, thanks to the super-wide membrane, exerts an almost deafening sound pressure. It goes deep, and the dynamic range seems absolutely insane compared to the total sum of elements you hold in your hand. In that regard, I think that FiiO did the right choice keeping the THX-AA chips as they give, in my opinion, the best bass from any player in this price reach.
Kimber Kable Carbon Series 16 and Carbon 18XL Cables Review
March 12, 2022 Comments Off on Kimber Kable Carbon Series 16 and Carbon 18XL Cables Review
Kimber Kable Carbon Series 16 and Carbon 18XL Cables
Naturally, I couldn’t resist a “way-back machine” moment, so I hooked up my trusty 4VS (now part of Kimber’s Base Series) and listened in on one of my acoustic favorites, the Rutter Requiem. There’s a reason why these cables were and are so popular. Their rich smooth midrange and general tonal honesty are hard to beat. Nonetheless, in comparison to Carbon, the 4VS’s had a mildly subtractive sound, with a narrower soundstage, a bit less top-end air, and lighter and less well-defined bass. Transients were also not as quick.
That said, what struck me most was the consistency of the Kimber’s voicing. There was nothing embarrassing about the performance of these 20-year old cables, which show a closer kinship to Carbon 8 than you might expect.
WELLS AUDIO DRAGON LEVEL III HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER REVIEW
March 12, 2022 Comments Off on WELLS AUDIO DRAGON LEVEL III HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER REVIEW
Headphone Amplifier coupled with the Wells Audio Cipher Level I DAC is the second most expensive Headphone Amplifier / DAC combination I have had on my desk, the legendary Questyle “Gold Stack” still reigning at $12,500, and things have progressed a lot since then and on almost every front the Wells Audio system offered superior and more musical performance. That is to say, though this is a high budget reference-quality proposition, if you have the resources it is well worth the expense. Music lovers, especially those with hard to drive headphones like the HE6se or the Abyss AB-1266, or as it turns out if you are an especial fan of Focal headphones, are going to want to give the Dragon a listen, and if you want to get the most out of your Dragon you’ll want a Cipher to go with it.
Bluesound NODE and POWERNODE Review
March 12, 2022 Comments Off on Bluesound NODE and POWERNODE Review
KEF new Blade loudspeakers $28,000 Review
March 11, 2022 Comments Off on KEF new Blade loudspeakers $28,000 Review
The Blade Two is not a trickle-down product that does a rough approximation of the Blade One to hit a lower price point. Priced at $28,000 per pair, the Blade Two does exactly what the Blade One does in large rooms, but the Blade Two low frequency system is designed to work better in smaller environments. Essentially, room gain will differ between large- and medium-sized listening rooms, and the Blade Two is meant for the latter so that bass overload doesn’t become a difficult issue.
Consider the Blade One Meta and Blade Two Meta to be KEF’s latest work on bringing this all together, remembering that work on the first Blade was begun in 2006 and continued for 5 years before it’s 2011 introduction. KEF has had 10 addition years to work on the Blade and get it even closer to the ideal. The improved linearity (same electrical or acoustic characteristics at all frequencies) in the Blade One Meta and Blade Two Meta are impressive achievements: nearly every parameter got better on an already outstanding speaker.
ASTELL&KERN A&ULTIMA SP2000T MUSIC PLAYER REVIEW$2499 Review
March 11, 2022 Comments Off on ASTELL&KERN A&ULTIMA SP2000T MUSIC PLAYER REVIEW$2499 Review
While this DAP supports Bluetooth, I was very happy to see it work as a Roon endpoint over Wi-Fi. I think the audio quality is better than Bluetooth and I love having all my music available on this DAP anywhere in the house.
For many audiophiles, the SP2000T is going to be priced out of their budget. Still, it’s rare to review something that is so feature-complete and not disappointing in some way. Astell&Kern have put a lot of thought into this product. In many ways, I think it is a better and more portable solution to home music listening than being tied to a high-quality headphone amp. For travel, it can’t be topped.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 true wireless Review
March 11, 2022 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins PI7 true wireless Review
ENLEUM AMP-23R REVIEW
March 9, 2022 Comments Off on ENLEUM AMP-23R REVIEW
Anyone looking for a fuller bottom end with these headphones needs to hear them on the AMP-23R as soon as they possibly can! Transparency and clarity were equally there in this pairing and I was so very impressed with the AMP-23R’s ability to portray even the smallest of details and nuances within a recording with complete ease. This amplifier was simply the best I’ve heard these headphones sound and I’ve heard the Susvara through many top-flight desktop headphone amplifiers (and several speaker amps as well). If you own these headphones, please check this amplifier out…you will not be disappointed!
A backyard record store! PLUS other cool viewer music rooms
March 9, 2022 Comments Off on A backyard record store! PLUS other cool viewer music rooms
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