GoldenEar T66 Loudspeaker $6900 Review

May 24, 2024 Comments Off on GoldenEar T66 Loudspeaker $6900 Review

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1859-goldenear-t66-loudspeaker

I compared the GoldenEars against my Monitor Audio Gold 300 5Gs ($9500/pair), which are designed in England and manufactured in China. Like the T66, the Gold 300 5G is a three-way design that also features an AMT-style tweeter. Monitor Audio calls its high-frequency driver a Micro Pleated Diaphragm, but the basic design principle is the same. The similarities between the two speakers mostly end there. Unlike the T66 with its powered sub, the all-passive Gold 300’s bass is generated by a pair of high-end but conventional 8″ woofers. To accommodate these large drivers, its cabinet is considerably wider than the GoldenEar’s, but not nearly as tall. Whereas the GoldenEar speaker augments its low end with a passive radiator on each side of the cabinet, the Monitor Audio has dual, rear-facing ports.

ROTEL RB-1582 MKII STEREO AMPLIFIER $1999 REVIEW

May 24, 2024 Comments Off on ROTEL RB-1582 MKII STEREO AMPLIFIER $1999 REVIEW

Because the minimum load impedance specified for the RB-1582 MkII is 4Ω and the maximum power consumption is rated at 550W (it would need to be >1600W for full power into a 2Ω load), I didn’t test with lower impedances. Within its stated design parameters, the RB-1582 MkII’s results are excellent with a doubling of power into a halved impedance on a single channel. It would be interesting to see what this amplifier could do with a larger power transformer as its ten transistors per channel are clearly capable of delivering 400 watts per channel (800 watts total) into four ohms and probably even more into lower impedances.

I’ll also mention that the protection circuitry on the RB-1582 MkII kicked in momentarily during disconnecting and reconnecting the unbalanced cables and at one point during high-frequency, high-power testing. This gives peace of mind that the amplifier knows its limits and will intervene if it sees something wrong. The protection circuitry was never activated during normal listening.

Always Impressive Alsyvox with Pilium

May 24, 2024 Comments Off on Always Impressive Alsyvox with Pilium

HiFi Rose RA280 Integrated Amplifier £2999 Review

May 23, 2024 Comments Off on HiFi Rose RA280 Integrated Amplifier £2999 Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/hifi-rose-ra280-integrated-amplifier

Anyone who has ever attended a live gig of the band will know the sensation of being overwhelmed by the sheer scale (and volume!) of their music, an experience the RA280 had a fair stab at emulating. This is a track in particular that benefits from a bit of roughness, and it’s testament to the RA280 that it doesn’t try and smooth things over too much. The amplifier packed a punch, especially with the large Focal Sopra No2s floorstanders.

Back to DALI’s Rubicon 2s and the Womack set sounded more reserved on these smaller, nominal 4ohm speakers, with the amp’s reduced bass emphasis being apparent. Yet there was still lots to love, such as the way it put all the intricacies of the violin playing of Janine Jansen, on the familiar ‘La Primavera’ of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons [Decca 475 6293; 96kHz/24-bit], on show.

TAD Grand Evolution One loudspeaker $65,000 Review

May 23, 2024 Comments Off on TAD Grand Evolution One loudspeaker $65,000 Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/tad-grand-evolution-one-loudspeaker

When I dropped the needle on “Black Cow,” my ears turned red from pure pleasure; you should have seen my face. Fagen and Becker went to extraordinary lengths to generate great drum tracks, chewing up drummers in the process. Pow! Each drum hit here was laid on me like it was some sort of firearm. Don’s unique vocals, delivered with that little lisp he has, were tactile and clear. Emerging from the TAD GE1’s, the diction was unique and excellent, each syllable precise, compared to my experience hearing this “Sgt. Pepper of the ’70s” album over so many years from so many stereos.

I had one more trick up my sleeve. The McIntosh C12000 preamplifier is part of Mac’s “Hybrid Drive” series. It is unique in having two pairs of XLR outputs, one solid state, the other tubed. I usually use the latter, as I am running the preamp into the solid state MC462 amplifier and like the hybrid mix. Would Aja, which itself is a hybrid of sorts (a blend of jazz with rock and pop), sound better full-bore solid state? Would the GE1 reveal this change?

  The Cascade DAC  

May 23, 2024 Comments Off on   The Cascade DAC  

Canor Audio Virtus I2 Integrated Amplifier Review

May 22, 2024 Comments Off on Canor Audio Virtus I2 Integrated Amplifier Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/canor-audio-virtus-i2-integrated-amplifier

This song feels like a nod to the trip-hop genre of Massive Attack and Tricky, with a spacious production and weighty, sluggish beats. It has a meditative aspect that suited the Virtus I2, as the amp’s warm but also slightly forward character created an encircling listen and delivered the synth notes with plenty of texture. This sonic signature was even more apparent during ‘Burning (For A New Start)’, where the reverb-heavy soundscape was perfectly matched to the Virtus I2’s rich balance

PlatiMon Virtual Coaxial One Speakers $6,000 REVIEW

May 22, 2024 Comments Off on PlatiMon Virtual Coaxial One Speakers $6,000 REVIEW


They also prove easy to drive, even with lower powered amplifiers. The BAT is big and dynamic, yet our reference ampsandsound Bryce monoblocks delivered the most delicate listening experience, with layer upon layer of inner detail. Should you purchase a pair of these, you will be surprised at how far you can keep upgrading equipment and still hear more musical information – these speakers are that good. The recently reviewed Enleum AMP-23R is a very close second place.

 NAD Masters M66 & M23 Review

May 22, 2024 Comments Off on  NAD Masters M66 & M23 Review

Dan D’Agostino Momentum C4 Preamplifier $50,000

May 21, 2024 Comments Off on Dan D’Agostino Momentum C4 Preamplifier $50,000

In normal operation, component heating can lead to performance and sonic degradation. Developed specifically for the Momentum C4 Preamplifier, a unique circuit maintains a stable bias so that temperature related anomalies are offset thus preserving performance during extended listening.  
Utilizing no negative feedback anywhere, core D’Agostino circuit concepts include a signal path that is fully complementary, direct coupled, and balanced from input to output achieving a frequency response flat to 120 kHz.
All signal gain is realized in the current domain using proprietary multiple-output current mirrors with nearly 30 times the linearity of other designs. Executed with four-layer circuit boards for superior signal quality, the use of four-layer boards dramatically reduces distortion and propagation losses as compared to the more commonplace, two-layer boards.