JL Audio Gotham V2 Review
April 21, 2022 Comments Off on JL Audio Gotham V2 Review
https://stereo-magazine.com/review/jl-audio-gotham-v2-review
The Superbass mission should succeed. We STEREO editors have long been convinced of the value of high-quality subwoofer support thanks to such, admittedly rather rare experiences. There remains much more than “just” the bass as a benefit, the whole sonic picture becomes more relaxed, more natural and confident, audibly larger and wider, because the human brain immediately perceives through the lower frequencies and more clean energy in the lower registers that this has to be a large room; the sense of space is much more obvious. Otherwise sometimes sharp hissing sounds are softened. If you take the subwoofer out of the playback chain after the best possible measurement, room EQ and thus ideal integration and a few tracks you have heard, you are horrified at how much is suddenly missing.
JL Audio‘s flagship Gotham V2 stands as a technology leader, as “Formula One”, which is supposed to – and can – show what is possible in the lower layers in terms of outstanding quality. It masters both the depth down to below 20 Hertz and the ultimate precision with virtuosity – and not least thanks to the 4.5 kilowatt amplifier power and efficiency, it is a master of volume, which makes it an absolute reference for both music and cinema beyond our test experience. It thus eludes, for obvious reasons, its ass
Denafrips Hyperion Power Amplifier Review
April 21, 2022 Comments Off on Denafrips Hyperion Power Amplifier Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2022/3/11/denafrips-hyperion-amplifier
The Hyperion doesn’t jump out and assert itself in an immediate way. When it does make itself known it does so in a dignified manner. For context, it’s presentation sat right in between the two other amps I had on hand for comparison. Compared to the Cambridge EVO 150, rated at almost double the wattage, the Hyperion sounded similar at low or moderate volume. At higher volumes the Denafrips was a touch warmer in the bass, smoother in the midrange and silkier in the highs. This occasionally came at the expense of some soundstage dimensionality. My Parasound HCA-750A brought plenty of that old school Class A/B grit and liveliness but couldn’t compete with the Hyperion in terms of micro details. This becomes a matter of taste and equipment matching which leads me to thoughts on the speaker pairings I had available.
The soundstaging ability of the Focal Aria K2 936 kept things three dimensional when driven by the Hyperion. The tight bass response also proved a good match. The Aria’s gnarly impedance curve was no sweat for the Hyperion. With my Wharfedale Diamonds I preferred the more balanced Cambridge EVO 150, but this is because the Diamonds are a little loose in the midbass but more importantly, the Hyperion deserves higher-end company. Don’t rely on its sticker price as a benchmark. This is an amp meant to play with big league speakers. Just look for speakers with clean, responsive bass and avoid overly
Canton Vento 100 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
April 20, 2022 Comments Off on Canton Vento 100 Floorstanding Loudspeaker Review
To test its competence in the field of coarse dynamics, we of course listened to the legendary “TriCycle”, with which the Vento skillfully pins you into your seat. Tori Amos with her Montreux debut and the delicate sounds therein however also enchants the listeners, while the changing tempos in “Music” by the sadly recently deceased John Miles, for example, just pull you along with them. And cantatas from Bach are presented with a filigree lightness that provides sheer pleasure. The aspect of agility has increased even more in the new Vento, that’s for sure. A possible tonal weakness can also simply not be detected in the speaker, especially since the measurement diagram once again almost perfectly looks as if it was made with a ruler and thus stands to certify the highest possible balance.
It might sound obvious, but of course this Vento is the best of all time thus far – excluding the Reference K models, from which its development unquestionably benefited, for obvious reasons. Titanium graphite marks a further step towards the ceramic cone materials, that’s also for sure. It is a kind of intermediate step in making the membrane even better compared to the preceding generation. The difference in sound quality compared to the Reference is certainly no longer as great as the difference in price.
Copland CSA70 Integrated Amplifier Review
April 20, 2022 Comments Off on Copland CSA70 Integrated Amplifier Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/copland-csa70-integrated-amplifier
As one who has yet to be disappointed by anything from Copland, I’m pleased to say the run continues. Though known for a tube bias, I’d happily live with the CSA70 if I required a compact, comprehensive, affordable integrated amp that sacrifices very little. It’s a joy to use, styled as gorgeously as everything Copland makes, and it delivers the sound of a thoroughbred. With LS3/5As? It’s a wee miracle.
Focal Scala Utopia Evo Loudspeakers $53,598 Reviews
April 19, 2022 Comments Off on Focal Scala Utopia Evo Loudspeakers $53,598 Reviews
https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1092-focal-scala-utopia-evo-loudspeakers
During my listening tests, I found that several subtle nuances distinguished each speaker’s sound signature, but the two characteristics that most differentiated the Scala Evo and 7F were bass reproduction and cohesiveness of sound. The Scala Evos consistently revealed punchier, weightier, and richer bass notes with greater volume and impact, despite the use of only one 10 5/8″ driver per speaker compared to the 7F’s twin 8 1/2″ drivers. This made the Scala Evos unequivocally more fun to listen to, particularly at low-to-medium volume levels. But—and this is a big but—the bass note delivery through the 7Fs was unfailingly more resolved, tuneful, and deeper when called for, and it ultimately felt as if this part of the frequency range was communicated through a clearer lens with the Paradigms. To give an example, after queuing up Boz Scaggs’s 2001 album, Dig (16/44.1 FLAC, Virgin), and focusing on the deep and rhythmic bassline on “Thanks to You,” I found that the Paradigms cleanly laid bare all of the bass notes contained within this track, whereas the Focals rolled them off more quickly and at times failed to illustrate the deepest notes altogether. In terms of resolution, the bassline through the Scala Evos was less articulately defined.
Audio Note UK M1 Phono preamp & Empress Silver parallel single-ended triode monoblocks Review $3,394 Review
April 19, 2022 Comments Off on Audio Note UK M1 Phono preamp & Empress Silver parallel single-ended triode monoblocks Review $3,394 Review
The more costly Audio Note M3 preamp and models above it use two stepped attenuators, one for each channel, and they have the most solid feel of all. The in-house-made Audio Note stepped attenuators are superb but they require more user attention to ensure setting both channels to the same volume level. And because they are stepped, they can become somewhat noisy if dust gets onto them when making volume adjustments. It does not affect sound quality mind you, but it will require some effort to keep the volume pots clean if you live in a dusty environment.
I had been using the M3 Phono as my reference preamp for a couple of years when I decided to upgrade to the M6. Audio Note largely builds to order with the higher-level items in their product range. With the pandemic, the wait time was to be around 5-6 months for the M6 Phono. My M3 was an older version that used twenty-three resistors while current versions use thirty-six steps. This, if you were wondering, is why I did not review the M3 as it is no longer a current model.
MUNICH M1T DIGITAL TRANSPORT REVIEW
April 19, 2022 Comments Off on MUNICH M1T DIGITAL TRANSPORT REVIEW
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