Audia Flight FLS10 integrated amplifier $16,997 Review
February 19, 2025 Comments Off on Audia Flight FLS10 integrated amplifier $16,997 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/audia-flight-fls10-integrated-amplifier
Beyond the somewhat brutish (dare I say un-Italian) exterior, the FLS10 is a thing of beauty. It animates even speakers with difficult loads. Above all, it doesn’t just play music—it unlocks it. From heavy metal and EDM to jazz and pop and classical fare, the amplifier’s speed tended to stay one step ahead of my high expectations, and the reproduction never felt frantic or mechanical.
With a slightly mellow midbass and a potent, agile bottom end, the Audia Flight isn’t warm in a bloated, nostalgic way, but its sensuous shimmer keeps pulling you in. More than once, I perceived phantom tubes in the system, although my ears also told me that second-order harmonic distortion is reassuringly low.
The FLS10 sounded even more commanding than it looked in my room and on paper (200Wpc into 8 ohms, almost double that into 4). Basswise, the amplifier doesn’t produce slam as brutally visceral as my beloved Krell reference does, but for the first time I’m considering that the Krell may be overly prodigious, and that the Audia Flight has it beat for musicality.
Air Tight PC-1 Supreme MC Phono Cartridge Review
February 19, 2025 Comments Off on Air Tight PC-1 Supreme MC Phono Cartridge Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2024/11/10/air-tight-pc-1-supreme-mc-phono-cartridde
The Air Tight SP-1 MC Phono Cartridge is one of the finest I’ve reviewed and would be the star of any well-curated analog front end. It is easy to install and sounds sublime on many different genres of music. Yes, it is expensive at USD 12,975, but that’s the analog world we live in. If you’re a dedicated vinylphile and get to hear one at a local dealer, you’ll be forgiven when thinking of what you can sell to get one. It’s not quite in the same league as the ultra-expensive Analog Relax EX1000 I reviewed recently (and purchased), but it’s streets ahead of the fine Phasemation PP-2000 I lived with for a few years and better than my recently purchased wonderful IKEDA Kai reference—can you tell I’m a sucker for Japanese luxury carts? In any case, the AT is certainly one of the top moving coil cartridges available today.
Gryphon Audio Designs Diablo 333 integrated amplifier $24,900 Review
February 18, 2025 Comments Off on Gryphon Audio Designs Diablo 333 integrated amplifier $24,900 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/gryphon-audio-designs-diablo-333-integrated-amplifier
I was not ready for how truly excellent the Gryphon Audio Designs Diablo 333 integrated amplifier was going to be—what a fine world-class music maker it is. This is the first amp I have had in-house in some time that makes me question my marriage vows to my reference system. The Diablo 333 can power anything, while producing amazing lifelike dynamics, the blackest blacks, and the brightest colors.
The sheer amount of musical energy conveyed, and the detailed truth of that—you need to hear it for yourself. I could trade four boxes for one, and I am all about downsizing these days. For now, reviewing hardware as I do, I need to keep the flexibility of separate components. Is it as good as separates? Yes—it is. The Gryphon Diablo 333 is guarding its treasures, waiting to reveal them just to you.
Buena Vista Social Club Offers Membership to 180g 45rpm 4LP Edition From Analogue Productions on February 14, Plus First-Ever Reel-to-Reel Release
February 18, 2025 Comments Off on Buena Vista Social Club Offers Membership to 180g 45rpm 4LP Edition From Analogue Productions on February 14, Plus First-Ever Reel-to-Reel Release
Thanks to the widespread embrace of Buena Vista Social Club, the classic, traditional sounds of Cuban son, bolero, and danzón became a cultural phenomenon. The self-titled 1997 Buena Vista Social Club Nonesuch release has sold over 12 million copies worldwide to date, and it earned a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album (when the category was then known as Best Tropical Latin Performance).
Signature Buena Vista tracks, such as the Afro-Cuban grooves of “Chan Chan” and the tender, soulful melodies of “Dos Gardenias,” are said to “radiate the passion, joy, and authenticity of Cuban musical traditions” — and I can certainly confirm those sentiments from my own personal experiences spinning various editions of the LP on my turntable throughout the years. (The 2001 edition is simply breathtaking.) Given the album’s pedigree and presentation, we expect to hear great things from this new 45rpm 4LP edition of Buena Vista Social Club — and we’ll let you know exactly what we think of it in our forthcoming review
PS Audio Stellar Strata Mk2 integrated amplifiers Review
February 17, 2025 Comments Off on PS Audio Stellar Strata Mk2 integrated amplifiers Review
The unorthodox system configuration is to use stereo integrated amplifiers in what I like referring to as a faux mono configuration. Unlike the Pathi’s class A/B output which could be summed to mono, both the Billie Amp Mk2 and the PS Audio Stellar Strata Mk2 have class D amplifiers, meaning the two channels cannot be summed. Initially, I thought that precluded use with single wired speakers, but perhaps I could employ only one channel to drive single wired speakers. I have not tried it, but certainly will eventually. But before I do, I will ask about any potential strain/stress to the integrated amp if using only one channel. Better to ask than find out the hard way!
That brings up a point about alternative configurations. Most manufacturers don’t support such configurations, and the assumption is that the audiophile is on their own, meaning no warranty support. It is possible that PS Audio will not support the system configurations I discuss here and warn the user that it would void the warranty. I believe that what I have done in system configurations presents no harm to PS Audio equipment and would hope that the company supports the alternative configuration rather than condemn it. But I will say up front, the results are so good that I will continue to use it regardless of the company’s decision.
HiBy R6 Pro Max Review
February 17, 2025 Comments Off on HiBy R6 Pro Max Review
HiBy aimed to create a DAP with dynamic, detailed, and well-separated sound, and the R6 Pro Max delivers on these promises. It offers a dynamic and complete sound profile with controlled, impactful bass, crisp mids, capable tonality, and well-extended treble, making it a versatile choice for various music genres.
This model represents a meaningful upgrade over the R6 Pro II, with a bolder and more powerful presentation. HiBy has significantly refined its sound performance since launching its first DAP in 2017, now offering a mature and well-rounded audio experience across its range. The R6 Pro Max stands as a testament to this evolution.
Soundproof an Entire Room for Just $100
February 17, 2025 Comments Off on Soundproof an Entire Room for Just $100
Perlisten R18s THX Dominus 18″ Sealed Subwoofer Review
February 16, 2025 Comments Off on Perlisten R18s THX Dominus 18″ Sealed Subwoofer Review
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/perlisten-r18s-thx-dominus-18-sealed-subwoofer-review
This magical subwoofer transformed any and all the high-quality speakers I auditioned with it connected into true full-range powerhouses. The sub is so clean, it always sounds like an extension of the speakers, and never like a box on the floor huffing and puffing to dig deep, like so many other subs. Its poise and power create a sense of awe. No other audio component I have reviewed so instantly transformed the rest of the system, elevating the fidelity to levels you’d rightly associate with the very best sounding stereo systems in the world. And nowhere was this clearer than when I was using my TV as the streaming source, the Kantos as my speakers, and the mighty Perlisten to take care of all the bass the speakers could not handle.
Bottom line: The sub makes the system. Yes it’s great to have a five-figure AVR-based Atmos rig singing and dancing, but goddam it is mind blowing what a killer sub can do for a modest-sized and priced pair of active speakers. Only a serious expletive can do it justice: The Perlisten R18s is the shit!
Audiophilepure 
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