Cayin N3Ultra Review
September 13, 2024 Comments Off on Cayin N3Ultra Review
At the heart of it all is a locked-down, highly optimized operating system based on Android 8.1, which has been stripped of its usual functions, including networking, to focus solely on delivering the best possible sound quality. This means no third-party apps are supported, allowing the N3 Ultra to bypass Android’s Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) to ensure bit-perfect playback. Navigating through the N3 Ultra’s OS is smooth, despite the rather low-end Snapdragon 425 processor and 2GB of RAM. This is where the software comes in, and the more optimized it is, the better for both the sound and the UI experience. The N3Ultra’s UI snappiness far exceeded my expectations and I was amazed to see it outperform the unlocked Android 13 DAPs with better processors I have. The 4.1-inch TFT touchscreen is responsive and fairly bright, with a good ppi, and displays album art and UI elements sharply. The capacitive home button below the screen acts as an LED indicator, changing colour depending on the sample rate of the file being played.
Burmester B38 Review
September 13, 2024 Comments Off on Burmester B38 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/burmester-b38
Listening to the B38, I was reminded of that famous commercial from Heineken about refreshing the parts that other beers cannot reach. The impact of this speaker’s 32cm woofer – unusually large for even a floorstander at this price – is immediately noticeable, delivering a bass performance with real extension, plus grip and control. Coupled to succinct, clean highs from the AMT tweeter, the resulting sound has plenty of dynamism, and the voicing shows no desire to add extra warmth to what’s already on the track. There’s energy and liveliness; a direct feel to the sound that’s simpatico with the loudspeaker’s physical style.
It’s a performance that worked wonders with Daft Punk’s ‘Da Funk’ [Homework; Parlophone CDV 2821], which begins with a deep, propulsive electronic bassline and rat-a-tat percussion underpinned by a thudding kick drum. Each element landed with rapid attack and decay, the space between beats making it easy to latch on to its nightclub groove. Furthermore, even at a listening level that could be described as anti-social, the B38 didn’t lose its clean, composed nature.
SW1X Lady Pearl Horn Loudspeaker First Impressions
September 13, 2024 Comments Off on SW1X Lady Pearl Horn Loudspeaker First Impressions
Wilson Audio WAMM Master Chronosonic Review
September 12, 2024 Comments Off on Wilson Audio WAMM Master Chronosonic Review
WAMM is my Mount Everest of loudspeakers, capable of presenting an entire symphonic orchestra or an acoustic singer / songwriter on stage right in one’s listening room. I often couldn’t believe what I was hearing when listening to music I know very well. The separation of musicians and instruments was likely the most amazing aspect of what I heard. It was the exact opposite of an entire orchestra that emanates from two loudspeakers. The WAMM’s presentation made Stravinsky Conducts Le Sacre du Printemps (Columbia Symphony Orchestra) sound like there was a loudspeaker for each musician on stage. The separation was mind blowing, and the entire performance retained amazing delicacy, transients, and musical engagement like I’d never experience.
I didn’t set out to write about this listening experience, but the more I listened to the WAMM Master Chronosonic the more I thought I had to at least share a little bit of what I heard with everyone who may never get the opportunity. Only 70 pairs of WAMM Master Chronosonic loudspeakers will ever be built, and the cost is certainly prohibitive for most people, including myself. I have to thank The Audio Salon in Santa Monica, CA for enabling this bucket list audio experience. The WAMM Master Chronosonic checks an item off my bucket list, and checks absolutely every sonic box imaginable for those of us who love music.
SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V $35,619 Review
September 12, 2024 Comments Off on SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V $35,619 Review
The Model 20’s transparency is highlighted when we switch to Orff’s Carmina Burana. The soundstage grows massively, giving a firm sense of the recording venue’s scale. The stereo imaging is as stable as it gets with the orchestra and massed choir firmly planted in place. There is never a hint of stress or loss of focus even as the music becomes dense and demanding. Dynamics are explosive and delivered with breathtaking impact. There is a palpable feeling of power here, and the kind of authority that one rarely hears, even at this level.
A cartridge largely dictates the tonality of a record player. The Ortofon Windfeld Ti is about as even-handed as they come, delivering voices and instruments in a natural way. That said, if you partner this cartridge poorly it wouldn’t be hard to make it sound a little thin and lacking in body. We would expect the selling dealer to advise on the specifics. Make sure that the partnering phono stage has enough gain and quality to cope with the Ortofon’s relatively low output, too.
STAX SR-X9000 Earspeaker $6,200 Review
September 10, 2024 Comments Off on STAX SR-X9000 Earspeaker $6,200 Review
Let’s start with the basics of how an electrostatic driver (whether headphone or loudspeaker) operates. Imagine an incredibly thin and light diaphragm material (in STAX’s case, about 2 microns thick) that can accept a constant voltage charge. This wispy material is suspended between two electrodes which receive a fluctuating and alternating voltage charge from the incoming musical signal. This static charge (+) versus alternating charge (+ and -) condition causes the diaphragm to precisely vibrate, accurately recreating the music. The advantages are that in this type of system, the speed and accuracy of reproduction, along with the inherent transparency of output are just naturally very good. There are no magnets involved either, so any magnetically induced distortion (hysteresis) is nonexistent. The tradeoffs (if you factor easy portability out of the discussion) are mainly in bass capability. The driver’s surface area needs to be larger to reproduce lower frequencies and (even though they are close to your ears) they can only be so big when you wear them on your head
PATHOS LÒGOS MKII INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $5,595 REVIEW
September 10, 2024 Comments Off on PATHOS LÒGOS MKII INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $5,595 REVIEW
As with any traditional integrated amplifier, the Lògos MkII is ready to play after input and output connections are made. During the review, the Lògos MkII was used to drive my Revel Ultima Studio speakers. The sources used are primarily the Auralic Aries G1 streamer and PS Audio PerfectWave Transport, connected through the PS Audio DirectStream DAC. Both the balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) outputs of the DirectStream DAC were connected to the Lògos MkII. These two connection types yielded different output levels for the same volume setting, but I did not notice sonic fidelity differences between them. I would be happy to use either type of connection in my system.
After sufficient break-in, the Lògos MkII convincingly erased my concern about the possibility of getting let down by its performance starting with the first note I listened to. This beauty could sing! And I should add that it could sing pretty damn well, and in fact, better than most. I was quite amazed by the way it sang too. Yes, it sounded full and smooth with no sharp edges along the midrange and high-frequency notes as with most tube devices, but it also exhibited sheer textures in its presentation with impressive bass authority. The ability of the Lògos MkII to move the woofers made it overall sound more powerful than its amplifier specifications suggested. The sheer musicality of the Lògos MkII was nothing short of excellent.
Audiophilepure 
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