Chario Aviator Amelia loudspeaker $7590 Review

June 15, 2022 Comments Off on Chario Aviator Amelia loudspeaker $7590 Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/chario-aviator-amelia-loudspeaker

Plenty of thought and care went into designing and making the Chario Aviator Amelias. Their delivery seems unforced and easy—but not “easy” as in laid-back. Easy as in effortless. They possessed a smooth, vivid naturalism. They’re big on immediacy—not shy about delivering a punch.

The Amelias sound bigger than they are. They were easily able to fill my high-volume listening room with sound. They share a bit of “omni” character with my MBL 120 loudspeakers, perhaps because of drivers on three of six surfaces dispersing sound throughout the room. The impression was of a wider, fuller sound than expected, though not to the extent of the MBL 120s, which are true omnis. I’d consider buying these if the time were right. It’d be easy to spend a similar amount of money and get inferior sonic results.

Alpine F1 Status and why it is the best car audio system ever

June 15, 2022 Comments Off on Alpine F1 Status and why it is the best car audio system ever

Acoustical Systems Aquilar Anniversary Tonearm & Palladian Moving Coil Phono Cartridge $22,995 Review

June 14, 2022 Comments Off on Acoustical Systems Aquilar Anniversary Tonearm & Palladian Moving Coil Phono Cartridge $22,995 Review

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0622/Acoustical_Systems_Aquilar_Anniversary_Tonearm_Palladian_Moving_Coil_Phono_Cartridge_Review.htm

A striking characteristic of Aquilar / Palladian combination is that when listening it is easy to shift between unfocussed and focused listening, from listening to a group of musicians playing a piece of music to honing in on particular aspects, a single instrument, or how different musicians are interacting with one another. For instance, when listening to jazz groups, it became possible to focus on interactions of the rhythm section – how the drummer and pianist, for instance, are supporting each other rhythmically, or how the bass and piano are harmonically interacting, and then how as a whole they are supporting the lead horn. This ability to listen deeply into the music remained intact with very complex music, and this is one of the most striking aspects of this arm and cartridge. There is no fuss with large-scale music; it remains completely coherent over all sorts of music, from solo guitar to hard-bop jazz group to symphony orchestra.

The exceptional ability to follow subtle musical detail with the Aquilar/Palladian is nevertheless not something that is overtly highlighted; rather, it is seamlessly integrated into the sonic picture. The overall sense of musical integration is striking, giving a palpable sense of musical balance. As with detail, so too with the rendering of dynamics, which are fast and natural, yet fully integrated into the musical presentation.

The Aquilar / Palladian throws a large, open, yet fully occupied soundstage. Spatial relations in depth and width among musicians are precisely and quite dramatically portrayed. It is a highly coherent soundstage, in which images are properly sized and spaced without losing in any way their harmonic integration. This provides for a dramatic portrayal of musicians playing music in a natural space.

Sonus Faber Minima Amator II $4500 Review

June 14, 2022 Comments Off on Sonus Faber Minima Amator II $4500 Review

https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/sonus-faber-minima-amator-ii

Things are sure-footed rhythmically, too, with the speakers conveying the energy of music well. They sound composed yet enthusiastic with tracks such as this, and remain comfortable even when pushed hard. We would still point you elsewhere if you routinely listen at ‘party’ levels, but for most people who have small to medium-sized rooms these Sonus Fabers will go loud enough.

A listen to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony shows that these little gems can generate a sound of impressive scale. They handle larger dynamic shifts well, without sounding like they have to strain to do so. Their impressive control comes to the fore when it comes to tracking a multitude of instrumental strands without losing sight of the music’s whole. These are the kind of speakers that put the spotlight on the music and allow the mechanics of hi-fi to fade into the background.

3HRS Best Voices & Super Bass – Hi-Res Audiophile 24 bit

June 14, 2022 Comments Off on 3HRS Best Voices & Super Bass – Hi-Res Audiophile 24 bit

SHANLING M7 REVIEW

June 13, 2022 Comments Off on SHANLING M7 REVIEW

The M7 aims to keep those qualities in a smaller chassis. And I honestly think Shanling managed just that. The new M7 is a wonderful compact player that ticks lots of boxes for an audiophile in terms of balance, separation, power, background and imaging.

The M7 is a balanced and brighter sounding DAP that takes a different route than the M8 and 9. The M8 is a very warm sounding device, whilst the M9 took it to a more balanced path with more space and air with fantastic refinement. The M7 is the least warm of the three, and that makes it sound a bit more analytical than the M9 in terms of presentation. It’s like the difference between the SP2000 and the SE180 (SEM3).

However, in terms of technical performance, it’s not too far away from the M9 with its resolution and transparency. It doesn’t have as much spaciousness and micro-detail as the M9, but the overall difference between the two is not night and day.

IsoTek V5 Aquarius power conditioner Review

June 13, 2022 Comments Off on IsoTek V5 Aquarius power conditioner Review

Oh, hell yes! It’s little wonder the EVO3 Aquarius proves popular with the Naim fraternity, because it has really good musical timing (more accurately, it gets out of the way enough to let the system play good timing), but the V5 Aquarius makes the EVO3 sound like it’s on strong antipsychotics. OK, so there’s no drooling or slurred speech involved, but where the EVO3 delivers good rhythm, the V5 is peppy, immediate and upbeat. It simply leaves the EVO3 behind. Given the EVO3 is already considered one of the most fast reacting power conditioners, and that the V5 leaves it almost for dead, this new chassis (and what it contains inside) is something of a revelation.

And the V5 reveals itself when playing some swampy country rock, such as Larry Jon Wilson’s ‘Ohoopie River Bottomland’ [Heartworn Highways, Light In The Attic]. This is a great and mostly unsullied recording, with an infectious beat but one that’s prone to getting lost in the ensemble. Any sense of reticence on the part of the power conditioner makes this track sound almost tired in the middle eight (the key change is so relaxed, you barely notice it until after it happens). Here, everything is just perfectly balanced and pitched. The EVO3 reacts fast to this kind of music, faster than many in fact, but the V5 just reacts faster.

 two GRADO cartridges, one is $12K

June 13, 2022 Comments Off on  two GRADO cartridges, one is $12K

YG Acoustics DC2 Crossover Update in Sonja 2.2i Loudspeaker $88,300 Review

June 12, 2022 Comments Off on YG Acoustics DC2 Crossover Update in Sonja 2.2i Loudspeaker $88,300 Review

Soundstage depth became more layered, and the interstitial haziness that sometimes clouds the spaces between images was cleared up. The soundstage seemed to open up a bit more across the board. How could improving phase in the lower overlap help imaging and the rendering of “space” around instruments to the extent I was hearing? I would expect this sort of soundstaging improvement if the upper overlap, closer to the frequency range where imaging information exists, had been improved. I cannot explain it, but it’s there. Whatever technical reasons are involved, the DC2 crossover brought about the same kinds of improvements in resolution, soundstaging, and dynamic agility that I heard when the ground-breaking YG BilletDome hybrid tweeter was introduced in early 2018 (see my Sonja 2.2 review)—which is to say, very rewarding performance increases, indeed. Is the pre-DC2 Sonja 2.2 still a great speaker? Yes, but better is better, and DC2 advances the Sonja further.

YG’s DC2 crossover improves the Sonja 2.2i’s overall sound quality more than I imagined was possible, and I presume similar or greater improvements are conferred on the upper Sonja models, as well. It is as if a key piece of a building were put in place, and the integrity of the entire structure became more robust. The DC2 crossover “unifies” more of the listening experience. YG has pursued both flat frequency response and a low relative phase angle with excellent results. The DC2 update further validates its approach. The time domain matters a lot in this game. I continue to be impressed with YG speakers, and the DC2-equipped Sonja 2.2i is another resounding success.  

Audio Analogue AAdac $4600 Review

June 12, 2022 Comments Off on Audio Analogue AAdac $4600 Review

https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/audio-analogue-aadac

Our next step is to use the Audio Analogue as a preamp, and it does its job superbly. Usually, when we do this with products the result is a bit of a disappointment. While the removal of a dedicated preamp such as our Burmester 088 should on paper result in a better sound due to the simpler signal path it rarely works that way. We normally get a small increase in detail but also significant losses in drive, dynamics and overall authority. That doesn’t happen here, with the AAdac delivering a lovely, rounded and entertaining sound. While a preamp of the quality of the Burmester – almost five times the price of the AAdac – still produces a better overall sound when included in our system, we think the Audio Analogue’s preamp section will more than hold its own in more price compatible set-ups.

Have you noticed that we haven’t mentioned the difference in performance between the various digital inputs or the way the various sampling rates and formats sound? We haven’t had to, as the AAdac is reassuringly consistent regardless of how it is connected. This speaks to careful and consistent engineering on Audio Analogue’s part.

Where Am I?

You are currently viewing the archives for June, 2022 at Audiophilepure.