Moon 681 $12,000 Review
February 19, 2024 Comments Off on Moon 681 $12,000 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/moon-681
In our experience, Moon’s products tend to have a distinctive sonic character that majors on refinement, spaciousness and clarity. The 681 treads much the same path while delivering a level of insight that competes strongly with the class leaders. This streamer has an impressively clean presentation that digs deep into the fabric of the recording and paints on a pleasingly large-scale canvas. As we listen to a 24-bit/192kHz file of Mahler’s Symphony No.4 we can’t help but be impressed by the authority on show and the streamer’s ability to transition so fluidly from loud to quiet and back again. There is a strong sense of authority here, helped no doubt by the punchy and muscular way the 681 renders low frequencies.
There is no questioning the 681’s level of control and organisation either. It can follow low-level instrumental strands with ease while never losing grip of the musical whole and also keeps a steady hand when the music becomes demanding. Tonally things are full-bodied and balanced with no part of the frequency range getting undue emphasis. It is a smooth presentation with no sign of hardness or unwanted edge unless it is in the original recording to start with. Even then, the 681 is loathe to make a meal of things; an ideal trait if your music collection is built around what you like rather than recording quality.
Musical Fidelity M8xTT Turntable Review
February 17, 2024 Comments Off on Musical Fidelity M8xTT Turntable Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/musical-fidelity-m8xtt-turntable
In the top end, Musical Fidelity’s turntable is clean, silky and open. The tonearm worked superbly with my Clearaudio MC Essence cartridge, playing to its strengths of insight and clarity but without undue hardness or ‘spit’. This meant crisp yet smooth cymbals and percussion, and stringed instruments imbued with a sense of realism, but no screech or discomfort. The potential to use the M8xTT with other tonearms is appealing, and I can think of a few that I would be interested to try. That said, I have a suspicion that any swap would also serve to illustrate that MF’s in-house 10in tonearm really is something of a star, and well matched to the rest of the design.
While the M8xTT generally beguiles in terms of rhythm, impact and its ability to unravel complex melodies, some of the most memorable sessions I had with this deck involved material that was a lot simpler. The track ‘Anyway’ from Dutch singer Elles Springs’ Reveal album [Vertere Records VLR-001-ELLES] features nothing more than vocals, acoustic/slide guitars and acoustic bass, but the rendition offered by Musical Fidelity’s new turntable was both uplifting and insightful. Springs’ soft, airy vocals sounded lifelike as they projected from my loudspeakers, while the acoustic guitar, gently played in the background by Caroline Kamp, showed plenty of subtle detail.
GoldenEar T66 Loudspeaker $6249 Review
February 17, 2024 Comments Off on GoldenEar T66 Loudspeaker $6249 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/goldenear-t66-loudspeaker
The 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.
AUDIOPHILES Show Off Their Systems!
February 17, 2024 Comments Off on AUDIOPHILES Show Off Their Systems!
VERA-FI AUDIO VBH-1 (VIBRATION BLACK HOLE) Review
February 15, 2024 Comments Off on VERA-FI AUDIO VBH-1 (VIBRATION BLACK HOLE) Review
The Vibration Black Hole (VBH) isolation feet provides mechanical vibration attenuation and isolation using a novel two-stage constrained viscous layer damping (CVLD) technique whereby a compliant and viscous polymeric medium is placed in between two hard surfaces, thereby providing a mechanical impedance mismatch that dissipates the energy from mechanical motions/vibrations through the mechanical shear and compression of the viscous layer. By use of dissimilar materials (nylon/stainless steel/viscous polymer/silicone rubber) in multiple stages, the VBH provides an exceptional level of extra mechanical dampening between two components needing mechanical isolation.
ZMF ATRIUM CLOSED $2,499 REVIEW
February 15, 2024 Comments Off on ZMF ATRIUM CLOSED $2,499 REVIEW
The Atrium Closed has a fresh take on ADS damping and introduces the concept of gradual diffusion through multi-weighted materials and zoned sonic diffusion. ADS for closed headphones was developed in concert with the Atrium Open to address the joy of owning a closed headphone that isolates completely, provides satisfying sub-bass rumble, and has the musical linearity for any content in your collection. An acoustic damper is implemented utilizing a variable radius (flat or arched) and specific distance from the driver. The space created here allows for greater perceived depth through both diffusion and driver placement. The Atrium Closed damping system is equivalent to an artists favored brush or a writers proclivity for an analog typewriter. Zach Mehrbach utilizes ADS as a malleable tool to achieve the absolute pinnacle of sound from our proprietary drivers and headphone enclosures. The clarity, resolution, space and impact are byproducts of exhaustive measurements and listening tests to achieve an amazing headphone experience.
Pro-Ject X8 Evolution Audiophile Turntable
February 15, 2024 Comments Off on Pro-Ject X8 Evolution Audiophile Turntable
Audionet Humboldt Integrated Amplifier $58,500 Review
February 13, 2024 Comments Off on Audionet Humboldt Integrated Amplifier $58,500 Review
https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1220-audionet-humboldt-integrated-amplifier
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.
Vera-Fi Audio’s Vanguard Caldera Subwoofer Rebiew
February 13, 2024 Comments Off on Vera-Fi Audio’s Vanguard Caldera Subwoofer Rebiew
Three subwoofers and six pairs of Maggies later, I’d finally found what for me was the perfect sub: a REL T9. The REL was a UK-designed, Chinese made subwoofer that offered a very different experience from the other subs I’d owned: it produced shockingly musical and thunderously subterranean bass in a compact package. And for such a small format subwoofer, it seemingly had limitless power reserves, and blended seamlessly with the Magneplanars. It was, quite literally, an audio match made in heaven—that is, until it died a couple of weeks ago! In high-end audio, twelve years of perfect service is always a gift, but I still wasn’t ready to assign the REL to the scrap heap. After reaching out to their North American distributor, considering the age of the unit and type of damage it apparently sustained, repair wasn’t an option. Replacing the REL wasn’t an endeavor I was quite prepared to undertake—I didn’t even know where to start.
Audiophilepure 
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