Dan Clark Audio NOIRE XO Open Back Planar Magnetic Headphone $1,299 Review
June 19, 2025 Comments Off on Dan Clark Audio NOIRE XO Open Back Planar Magnetic Headphone $1,299 Review
For openers, the Dan Clark Audio NOIRE XO Open Back Planar Magnetic Headphone is an apt and epic replacement for the ETHER2. It provides that same fun, popish warm sound, while adding a whole layer of detail and clarity, and reaching down into sub-bass territory usually allocated to closed-back headphones. Dan Clark Audio has done it again, the NOIRE XO definitely qualifies as a must-hear mid-priced reference headphone. It always astonishes me that every time they set a new bar in headphone performance, they are later able to shatter that bar with something new that makes you wonder how you were satisfied with the old sound for so long, though admittedly, for Dan Clark Audio, it’s not all that long between revelations.
Back when I first reviewed the original AEON Open, when the ETHER C Flow and ETHER Flow were the pinnacle of headphone performance, I said that if I was just entering the market and didn’t already have the ETHER C Flow, I would buy the AEON Open and AEON Closed rather than the ETHER C Flow, because they gave 90% of the performance and offered both sonic profiles. And today I am happy to say that the same applies to the NOIRE XO and NOIRE X, if you only have a budget for one $4,000 headphone, you would be better served to buy the pair of Dan Clark Audio headphones. Of course, if you have the $8,000 budget, go for the EXPANSE and the STEALTH, they remain my top reference headphones, though I only own the EXPANSE.
Audiovector Trapeze Reimagined Loudspeaker $19,950 Reviews
June 19, 2025 Comments Off on Audiovector Trapeze Reimagined Loudspeaker $19,950 Reviews
Should you buy this speaker? At nearly $20K, the Trapeze Ri is positioned in a crowded segment of the loudspeaker market and faces fierce competition, but it holds its own with confidence. This is a speaker for those who appreciate bold aesthetics, deep bass, and a rich, non-fatiguing presentation. It may not provide the same level of detail in a complex mix that some other speakers do, nor the same sharpness of imaging, but it offers an engaging musical experience nonetheless.
Whether you love the Trapeze Ri or hate it depends on your musical taste, the quality of your system’s components, and the nature of your listening room. My advice is to take a good hard listen. Try it first at your dealer. If you like what you hear, try it in your own listening room if you can. You may just fall under its spell.
World Premiere Review Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer $10,082 Review
June 18, 2025 Comments Off on World Premiere Review Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer $10,082 Review
The Colibri system gave me a front-row seat to the recording session. All of the playing had more urgency than I had noticed before. I could tell every member of the L’Orchestre De La Suisse Romande was sitting on the edge of their seats, focused on Ernest Ansermet at the podium. These pieces, like many of Stravinsky’s, can fall apart if the musicians aren’t in lockstep.
With the Colibri system, I gained new appreciation for Ansermet’s direction as the L’Orchestre De La Suisse Romande meshed like a fine Swiss watch. I also had a pleasant surprise during my listening session with this wonderful disc. When I was absorbing the opening movement of the “Symphony in Three Movements”, I was treated to several bass drum smacks that shook my living room. I had no idea that my 65-year-old piece of vinyl had that hidden in the grooves.
Playback Designs MPT-8 Dream Transport Review
June 18, 2025 Comments Off on Playback Designs MPT-8 Dream Transport Review
The MPT-8 Dream Transport is a natural partner for the MPD-8 Dream DAC, which was reviewed separately. I will be using the MPD-8 again in this review, but will focus on the MPT-8, and will use it with other DACs as well.
Fosi Audio V3 Mono Amplifier Review
June 18, 2025 Comments Off on Fosi Audio V3 Mono Amplifier Review
Unison Research S6 Black Edition integrated amplifier Review
June 17, 2025 Comments Off on Unison Research S6 Black Edition integrated amplifier Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/unison-research-s6-black-edition-integrated-amplifier
“The S6 Black Edition was created to exceed the musical performance of the standard S6 version,” Nasta told me in an email. “Compared to the standard S6, we gained more power, better sonic detail, and the lowest possible noisefloor. “In general, when we design an amplifier, we look for instrumental and musical performance as sound scene reconstruction. We try to recreate a sound event as close to reality as possible, without artifice, that can be listened to for the long term. All with a touch of Italian design.”
So far, this all sounds sophisticated but analog-purist: old school. But that’s not the whole picture: The S6 Black has a built-in DAC. The “DAC3” module uses a Sabre ES9018K2M DAC chip. Inputs include USB (supporting PCM up to 384kHz and DSD to DSD256), TosLink, and S/PDIF.
Nostalgia Audio Durandal $2419 Review
June 17, 2025 Comments Off on Nostalgia Audio Durandal $2419 Review
The Durandal aesthetics are very striking. This is a blend of blue and silver with a titanium nozzle tip, topped with an intricate blend of metals for the rim and faceplate.
At the center of the plate is a medieval longsword, which represents the historical Durandal (Excalibur in French), surrounded by a lattice-like weave and housed under a polished flat glass.
It is incredibly intricate and stylish, one of the more studied examples of good face plate work on an IEM, bested only by 3D-like creations I find favor with such as custom designs from the likes of JH Audio.
Of course, Nostalgia Audio has a track record in producing unique plate designs with the Tesseract’s anodized aluminum plate and a 3-way angular grid pattern with UV reactive patterning underneath. So, should I be surprised they have not tried something cool with the Durandal? Probably not.
Canton Reference 3 loudspeaker REview
June 16, 2025 Comments Off on Canton Reference 3 loudspeaker REview
https://www.hifinews.com/content/canton-reference-3-loudspeaker
Complementing other Canton Reference models, the Reference 3s also deliver a very engaging listening experience marrying controlled, substantial bass with warmth and convincing levels of detail. Soundstaging is not as immersive as it might be, but the musical ride is still potent, tactile and emotionally convincing. All this while letting you savour the softer look and superb finish of Canton’s new Reference lineup.
Audiophilepure 
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