December | 2025 | Audiophilepure

Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 Review

December 19, 2025 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 Review

https://www.hifichoice.com/content/bowers-wilkins-pi6

It’s an admirable performance at this price range, but B&W is right to acknowledge its weaker noise cancelling. To be fair, the Pi6 does a respectable job of blocking out the deep rumble of an aircraft engine – it’s not quite in the same league as some of its noise-cancelling rivals, but it’ll still come in handy on a long-haul flight. However, our second test reveals that it’s far less effective at dealing with the more varied sounds of a busy airport, with voices and higher frequencies leaking through quite noticeably. Frequent fliers who require really effective noise cancelling when they’re travelling should perhaps look elsewhere, but if you just want a high-quality set of earbuds at a competitive price then the Pi6 is good value for money

A DREAM Hi-Fi SYSTEM like no other

December 19, 2025 Comments Off on A DREAM Hi-Fi SYSTEM like no other

Audeze MM500 Review

December 19, 2025 Comments Off on Audeze MM500 Review

ZMF Headphones Ori 3.0 $2199 Review

December 18, 2025 Comments Off on ZMF Headphones Ori 3.0 $2199 Review

ZMF Headphones Ori 3.0 Review

The Ori 3.0 mids are more front-and-center, more so than its bigger sibling, the Caldera Closed. More accurately, the 1-3k range is not so relaxed with decent lift and a more intimate vocal imaging experience.

The treble is gentle and controlled, so vocals and percussion remain relatively smooth-sounding. This gives the headphone a very comfortable listening character, particularly over long sessions, though those who prefer strong air or overt sparkle might find it reserved.

Pad and tuning plug selections will introduce performance tweaks, particularly in the lows. The thick lambskin pads lean into warmth and body, while the vented tuning plug sharpens the bass-to-mid transition, improving definition and separation.

Audio Note UK Meishu Phono Tonmeister Silver Integrated Amp | REVIEW

December 18, 2025 Comments Off on Audio Note UK Meishu Phono Tonmeister Silver Integrated Amp | REVIEW

https://pt.audio/2025/11/14/audio-note-uk-meishu-phono-tonmeister-integrated-amp-review/

At the conclusion of the review, I had another concern. As much as in enjoyed my time with this amazing integrated amplifier, as much as I want to give it a 10 out of 10, the Konzertmeister and Kapellmeister out yonder on the horizon constantly remind me that it can get even better. That’s always the case with high-end audio reviewing, that it’s foolish to call something the best since you’ll probably find something else you like better in a couple of years. For example, you might conclude that the Meishu has distilled my love and admiration for the Allnic Audio T-1500 Mk. II integrated I’ve been yammering about for the last couple of years. The answer there is simple this: the Allnic costs less than half as much as the Tonmeister, and that’s an important consideration. By the same token, the Konzertmeister and the Kapellmeister, from my limited exposure at this point in time, surpass the performance of the Tonmeister but at a substantial cost. I’m sure there’s some 300B amplifier out there that retails for some ungodly amount and destroys all other amps in its path, but that’s just audiophilia nervosa rearing its ugly little head. If you can’t be with the one you love, in other words.

The D’Angelo Song That’s 100% REAL

December 18, 2025 Comments Off on The D’Angelo Song That’s 100% REAL

Building/Tuning Listening Rooms: Audio Set-Up Series – Tour and Learn

December 18, 2025 Comments Off on Building/Tuning Listening Rooms: Audio Set-Up Series – Tour and Learn

Topping D900 DAC Review

December 17, 2025 Comments Off on Topping D900 DAC Review

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/topping-d900-dac-review-r1393/

With the ABX testing out of the way, I put on “Hairshirt” from Darcy Proper’s superb hi-res remaster of R.E.M.’s Green. There’s little doubt that the D900 and XSP are tonally similar. Both are clean, modern-sounding Delta-Sigma DACs with clearly defined transients and ample treble extension. Still, it wasn’t hard to tell which one I preferred. The D900 imparts a touch more sibilance to Michael Stipe’s voice, flattens Mike Mills’s nimble bass, and over-emphasizes the leading edge of Peter Buck’s mandolin strings. The Topping also stages slightly closer to the listener and exhibits a hint of dynamic compression. While those traits might normally exaggerate lower-mixed instruments, the left-panned chime actually sounds more recessed through the Topping, with less pronounced echo, suggesting that the D900 just doesn’t resolve as well as the Matrix. That impression is reinforced by the Topping’s somewhat muddy low end. Are these differences enormous? No. Would they jump out in casual listening? Probably not. But they’re clearly audible under careful, level-matched evaluation.

Next up is the title track from the Mobile Fidelity SACD of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Texas Flood. As on “Hairshirt,” the D900 heavily emphasizes leading transient edges, rendering the XSP— whose transient presentation is hardly rounded or polite — the more nuanced of the two. On “Texas Flood,” this difference is most evident on Chris Layton’s snare. It’s a punishing crack through the D900, which also seems to boost the snare’s reverb. The Matrix, by contrast, better balances the snare’s wires and body and allows more space for its natural decay. Tommy Shannon’s bass is flabbier and less defined through the Topping as well. Most disappointingly, the D900 robs SRV’s guitars of the tonal nuance clearly audible through the Matrix, which makes it easy to hear that he’s using a mix of amplifiers. Finally, the Topping adds a hint of grain to Vaughan’s lead vocal, which remains smooth and unforced through the XSP.

SME Model 8/309 turntable/tonearm Review

December 17, 2025 Comments Off on SME Model 8/309 turntable/tonearm Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/sme-model-8309-turntabletonearm

There is one very important caveat, though, and that is you must always use the supplied record weight/clamp. A brief listen to the Model 8 without it revealed that it’s an essential part of the design. With the record weight absent, bass is less sure-footed, as is that signature SME sound. As PM postulates in his [see PM’s Lab Report], this may well be due to slight movement of the LP on the ‘slippery’, machined surface of the acetal platter [pic, above and p62]. The Model 8’s record weight prevents any movement of the LP on the platter, and makes a big difference to the sound.

With the weight firmly in place, the result is a turntable that doesn’t miss a thing. There’s a subtle tinge of warmth to the overall sonic balance that’s very appealing, but don’t interpret this as the Model 8 being all warm and fluffy and lacking any substance. Nothing could be further from the truth – the deck has a crispness and sense of focus that many other models around the price struggle to match.