FiiO S15 Android streaming Review
January 12, 2025 Comments Off on FiiO S15 Android streaming Review
Sonus faber Sonetto V G2 loudspeaker Review
January 11, 2025 Comments Off on Sonus faber Sonetto V G2 loudspeaker Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/sonus-faber-sonetto-v-g2-loudspeaker
I had these speakers in my living room system for nearly two months and thoroughly enjoyed them with a wide variety of music. I drove them with two high-quality rigs: my reference system and the T+A R 2500 R streaming receiver I reviewed in the August issue. The Sonetto V G2’s were at home in both setups, presenting full-range music at room-filling volume. Given their relatively modest list price of $6499 for the pair, that’s impressive.
To my ears, the Sonus faber Sonetto V G2 is an enjoyable, well-sorted speaker capable of producing full-range room-filling sound and bringing forward subtle details, with all the types of music I sent them. Given their price, this may be extraordinary. They don’t sound bright or glaring. Their low end is ample and satisfying. They rock, swing, and can reproduce a full orchestra.
What’s not to like? Their presentation is slightly smaller in scale than bigger, usually more expensive competitors. That’s a minor knock. If you’re in the market for full-range speakers and can’t spend what a car (or even a motorcycle) costs, check ’em out. Maybe our ears will agree.
7Hz Timeless II $223 Review
January 11, 2025 Comments Off on 7Hz Timeless II $223 Review
It’s a 14.5mm driver, we have more than twice the effective diaphragm than that of a 10mm dynamic driver. Of course, there is bass and it’s nothing short of jaw-dropping. There’s extension that goes all the way down; how low down, you might ask? Well, inspired by the company name, I went ahead and generated a 7Hz sine wave in Audacity and hit play. Naturally, no human can hear the 7Hz fundamental tone but what I heard made the hair stand up on my back and other hairy places. What I could hear was the Doppler modulation of environmental noise as the diaphragm wiggled the air. There was zero noise and no distortion and I almost got sick.
To fully show off the thunderous capabilities of the 7Hz Timeless II, electronic music is perfect. This time I chose Lorne and Monolake for a clean sub-bass to gauge how well the 14.5mm planar driver does and at all times it impressed me. Not only is there depth, but the driver also seems extremely clean to the point of what’s usually called “planar bass”. Even real kickdrum like on Shelby Lynne’s Just a Little Lovin’ came through with aplomb and even on high SPL’s the rest of the spectrum played completely unscathed.
Audio Craftsmen Victoria Speaker REVIEW
January 10, 2025 Comments Off on Audio Craftsmen Victoria Speaker REVIEW
Hegel Music Systems H400 Streamliner $6,996 Review
January 9, 2025 Comments Off on Hegel Music Systems H400 Streamliner $6,996 Review
So what are my overall impressions of the sound? I normally don’t review solid-state amps, so first off I was impressed with the tonality of the H400. I listened to Vaughn Williams’ Third Symphony by Richard Hickox and the London Symphony Orchestra [Chandos], and I was surprised by the richness of the orchestra. The strings had an amazing amount of air and the horns had a warm burned glow. While the Hegel H400 did an excellent job retrieving detail from the music, it never sounded etched or hard. Dynamically, the H400 is a little reserved compared to the SET amps I’m used to. It’s extremely quiet, which lets a lot of inner detail through. With the Super Pensil 12 speakers, the H400 projected an impressive soundstage.
I enjoyed the time the H400 was in my system. It is a beautifully designed integrated amplifier with a superb DAC. Everything about it is of the highest quality. If you want to make your first step into high-end audio, or yearning to go back to a simpler time in your life, the H400 Streamliner might be the integrated amplifier for you.
T+A elektroakustik’s New Pulsar S 130 Inherits Core Criterion Series
January 9, 2025 Comments Off on T+A elektroakustik’s New Pulsar S 130 Inherits Core Criterion Series
According to T+A, the development of this product was not merely cosmetic; it is part of a larger plan to apply foundational technologies across its new speaker lines. The company says that the Pulsar S 130 shares core design principles with T+A’s more expensive Solitaire and Criterion models. Prominent among these shared technologies is the Symmetric Directivity Design, which T+A claims reduces detrimental reflections and tonal distortions. This approach is said to center on controlling how sound propagates from the drivers, focusing the energy where it matters and minimizing unwanted room interactions. The German Federal Government recognized this design approach in 2024, according to T+A, suggesting that it is of interest in Germany’s technological and engineering landscape.
Pear Blue Audio Aras Turntable Review
January 9, 2025 Comments Off on Pear Blue Audio Aras Turntable Review
Wilson Audio The WATT/Puppy Review
January 8, 2025 Comments Off on Wilson Audio The WATT/Puppy Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/wilson-audio-wattpuppy
Ultimately, there’s a parallel here I simply have to declare. It is no secret that Daryl Wilson has taken everything that he learned at the feet of the maestro, his father David A Wilson, and used this knowledge not solely as a legacy but as a foundation for his own innate abilities. Just as every WATT/Puppy improved on its predecessor, so has Daryl moved beyond his father’s achievements to become one of the pre-eminent speaker designers of the 21st century. The evidence? The WATT/Puppy is a masterpiece.
Orchard Audio PecanPi+ Streamer Premium DAC $1499 Review
January 8, 2025 Comments Off on Orchard Audio PecanPi+ Streamer Premium DAC $1499 Review
he PecanPi+ Premium meshed seamlessly with the Starkrimson Monos. Whatever little these exceedingly neutral amps left behind in the audio signal was too insignificant to constitute a true sonic signature. The combo presented this demanding track superbly, lending great clarity to the midrange, in particular. Attack transients seemed rounded off slightly, however, and imaging was somewhat nebulous. Still, for some, the PecanPi+ Premium and Starkrimson Mono amps could put an end to chronic upgraditis.
As part of my audition of the Starkrimson Monos, I compared them to my First Watt F5 stereo amplifier and found that the two were very similar in sound. Whereas the Starkrimson Monos’ forte was their incisive imaging, the F5’s was its warmth and tonal accuracy. This made it a better match for the PecanPi+ Premium, and I therefore did most of my critical listening using this amp, not the Starkrimson Mono pair.
Audiophilepure 
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