HIFIMAN AUDIVINA HEADPHONE REVIEW
February 29, 2024 Comments Off on HIFIMAN AUDIVINA HEADPHONE REVIEW
The thick foam earpads are shaped to be thicker at the back and thinner at the front, helping to ensure a good seal completely around the ears. The pads are swathed in a soft tan leatherette while the contact patches are covered in breathable fabric. The interior of the pads is also covered in leatherette but, in addition, are perforated. The result of all these design attributes is to provide the HIFIMAN Audivina with an expansive soundstage and an experience more akin to open-back headphones.
The weight of the Audivina at 470 grams, while not featherweight, should be completely comfortable for the average person to manage for a few hours. I felt no fatigue from their weight at all. The clamping force of the headphones was quite reasonable and didn’t seem to cause any discomfort to me either.
Rogue Audio DragoN monoblock power amplifier$5995 Review
February 29, 2024 Comments Off on Rogue Audio DragoN monoblock power amplifier$5995 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/rogue-audio-dragon-monoblock-power-amplifier
The ESS Transtatic I is a hybrid-electrostatic loudspeaker (footnote 4). The fabric-wrapped 120lb cabinets are three-walled, open on the inside face. Low frequencies are transmission-line loaded and radiate from bass ports above each laminate-veneered loudspeaker pedestal’s cardinal directions.
Each speaker uses a 9″ × 12″ foam, flat-piston KEF B139 oval “racetrack” low-frequency driver and a rear-ported KEF B110 midfrequency driver, coordinated with an array of three RTR electrostatic panels. These drivers were fairly common in the 1970s, used by various manufacturers including Infinity. According to the specifications, the Transtatic I’s lows extend below 15Hz, the highs up to 32kHz, with a ±3dB range of 25Hz–20kHz. Admirably, ESS specified a minimum—not nominal—impedance, of 4 ohms. Sensitivity wasn’t specified, but I estimate it as in the vicinity of 90dB/W/m. The user manual suggests a minimum amplifier power of 60W and says it can take “greater than 650-watt musical peaks without distortion.”
Uncolored and unboxy, these are the best-sounding loudspeakers I’ve ever heard at low volume. For this review, I used them exclusively.
McIntosh ML-1 Mk II Dynamic Speaker Review
February 29, 2024 Comments Off on McIntosh ML-1 Mk II Dynamic Speaker Review
GoldenEar T66 Loudspeaker£6249 Review
February 27, 2024 Comments Off on GoldenEar T66 Loudspeaker£6249 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/goldenear-t66-loudspeaker
he result is a loudspeaker with a better balance overall. Not only is the sound less dense and compact in terms of imaging, but fine detail is presented in a more airy and open fashion. In other words, while never quite displaying ultimate resolution, the GoldenEar T66 has the audiophile character its designers were aiming for. Anyone used to the erstwhile ‘American’ tuning, which sometimes seemed more suited to home theatre than hi-fi, will be pleasantly surprised. The interplay between the T66’s passive drivers and its active woofers delivers spacious detail on an expansive soundstage that has the rock-solid foundation you would expect from a son of Triton. A benefit of the semi-active DSP-controlled approach is that the T66 generally remains in equilibrium, even at lower volumes.
ROGUE AUDIO RP-5 V2 PREAMPLIFIER REVIEW
February 27, 2024 Comments Off on ROGUE AUDIO RP-5 V2 PREAMPLIFIER REVIEW
I also heard and enjoyed all the ambiance of the venue. Take “Solar” as one example. Not only can you hear the audience noises, but I also hear the lifelike sound of Scott LaFaro’s fingers on the strings across a backdrop of sweet drumming and the “inconsiderate” audience making audience noise (and talking!) All this came to the fore on the bass solo.
Did I mention Evans’ piano yet? Well, it’s a versatile instrument: Bill Evans was a jazz virtuoso, and the RP-5 allowed all this to be front and center. So, the piano was melodic and percussive in equal parts. The Rogue provided a very natural representation of a real-world instrument. “Alice in Wonderland” was another standout where the piano in particular had a starring role throughout the forte passages during which the bass really anchored the ensemble. The Rogue RP-5 v2 made it all sound so musically satisfying.
DS Audio DS 003 Optical Phono Cartridge Review
February 27, 2024 Comments Off on DS Audio DS 003 Optical Phono Cartridge Review
Klipsch The Nines integrated loudspeaker system
February 26, 2024 Comments Off on Klipsch The Nines integrated loudspeaker system
https://www.stereophile.com/content/klipsch-nines-integrated-loudspeaker-system
I closed my eyes, forgot I was listening through little wooden boxes (and worked hard to ignore the vinyl ticks and clicks). Lo and behold, there he was in front of me, to my right, blowing that wonderful solo.
But can these speaker-gadgets rock? My acid test for speakers—for determining whether they have any hope of compatibility with my listening tastes—is the Rolling Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” from Sticky Fingers. The version I have preferred lately is on the Japanese SACD, which claims to be a “flat transfer” of the master tape. It preserves the dynamics I remember from the LP—nice, crisp drumbeats and distinct and varied guitars—as opposed to recent CD reissues, which are superloud with almost no dynamic range and so sound mushy. To my surprise, The Nines played the DSD file on my hard drive (ripped from the SACD by a friend who knows the “PlayStation method”) through the Foobar2000 player with the DSD/SACD plug-in.
Richard Gray’s Power Company RGPC 1200 Custom Solution $2600 Review
February 26, 2024 Comments Off on Richard Gray’s Power Company RGPC 1200 Custom Solution $2600 Review
The rhythm section of Bill Evans’ piano, Paul Chambers’ upright acoustic bass plucks, and Jimmy Cobbs’ ride cymbal shimmers with life and sets the stage for what’s to come. Miles Davis’ understated trumpet takes over, front and center, in “So What.” With Cobbs keeping time on the left channel, and Evans on the right, it’s very organic and lifelike (Miles Davis, Kind of Blue. Vinyl. Columbia Records, August 17, 1959). John Coltrane’s saxophone solos next on the right, then Cannonball Adderley takes over on the left. With the Panamax, it sounds very good, but the imaging seems a touch tarnished by comparison—most notably on Miles’ trumpet solo. Like brass burnished with buffing compound, the RGPC 1200 adds a little polish, luster, and life to the listening session.
Audionet Humboldt Integrated $58,750 Amplifier Review
February 25, 2024 Comments Off on Audionet Humboldt Integrated $58,750 Amplifier Review
https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1220-audionet-humboldt-integrated-amplifie
Audionet’s Humboldt integrated amplifier isn’t just a reference-level integrated amplifier; it’s a statement-level integrated amplifier. At a scarcely believable $58,500, it damn well should be. And after months of listening across a variety of partnering loudspeakers, I can report that it’s not only the highest performance class-AB integrated amplifier I’ve reviewed but also the most enjoyable. I found its combination of deep power reserves, extreme transparency, and cavernous soundstaging beguiling. Allied to a dead-neutral frequency response, I’m not sure you could ask for anything more from a topflight, modern integrated amp. It’s costly, but the best often is.
Audiophilepure 
You must be logged in to post a comment.