McIntosh Vs Audio Research: Which Integrated Amp is Best?
May 5, 2023 Comments Off on McIntosh Vs Audio Research: Which Integrated Amp is Best?
Wilson Benesch A.C.T. 3Zero $54,000 Review
May 2, 2023 Comments Off on Wilson Benesch A.C.T. 3Zero $54,000 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/wilson-benesch-act-3zero
Take a step back and you’ll find the 3Zero’s tonal balance is superbly judged. To our ears, it is as neutral as they come with both frequency extremes integrated so well that it becomes hard to talk about them as separate entities. This is a wonderfully unified sound that rivals what we hear through the very best electrostatic designs and is made all the more impressive by knowing that there are no less than five separate drivers involved. Note, those very same electrostatic designs can’t match the Wilson Benesch in punch and attack.
Our time with these speakers is a blur of music as we work our way through our collection, finding musical treats around every corner. Poor recordings are revealed as such without the speakers going out of their way to make things worse, while better recordings such as Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis or Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall burst through with musical energy firmly intact.
New Tien Audio Vacuum Vinyl Flattener $3000 Review
May 2, 2023 Comments Off on New Tien Audio Vacuum Vinyl Flattener $3000 Review
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2023/04/new-tien-audio-vacuum-vinyl-flattener.html
The use of vacuum technology in vinyl flattening machines has become increasingly popular due to its effectiveness. Unlike the traditional use of gravity to press, which is limited when faced with uneven records, vacuum technology can reach up to 1 kg/cm2, providing a more effective solution. Additionally, vacuum technology allows for heavy pressing without directly touching the track, reducing the weight of the machine.
The Ultimate Listening Room for Audiophiles? Update!
May 2, 2023 Comments Off on The Ultimate Listening Room for Audiophiles? Update!
Hegel Music Systems H30A Stereo/Mono Amplifier Review
April 29, 2023 Comments Off on Hegel Music Systems H30A Stereo/Mono Amplifier Review
Things are a bit more conventional at the top of the frequency range. The Hegel doesn’t sweeten the sound in any way, but it’s clear, free of any sense of grain, and true to the signal. There are tons of squeaky, high-pitched overtones on Piazzolla’s bandoneon, and on “Milonga del ángel,” the H30A got me right up front and close to the reeds. This old, thin LP is exceptionally well recorded, and delivers a clear window into the performance. At points, the highs can get the tiniest bit abrasive, especially when played at realistic levels, and the H30A didn’t tamp that down in any way. But I was easily able to listen through that nastiness, right into the heart of this terribly sad, beautiful music.
I want to dwell on that sadness, the feel, the sheer monstrous emotion of “Milonga del ángel,” and how it relates to stereo equipment. I could happily listen to this album in the shower, using a Bluetooth speaker propped up in the soap dish. But to get this music, to really, really get it, to understand what’s going on and find something new on each listen, my system has to be beyond reproach. With the H30A commanding my Aurelias, I got it. The H30A’s solidity of image allowed me to see inside the music and understand some of the more complicated transitions between the violin and bandoneon.
Are Nakamichi’s as Nice as They Say? Let’s Find Out.
April 29, 2023 Comments Off on Are Nakamichi’s as Nice as They Say? Let’s Find Out.
HiFi Rose RS250A Network Attached DAC Review
April 28, 2023 Comments Off on HiFi Rose RS250A Network Attached DAC Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/hifi-rose-rs250a-network-attached-dac
The RS250A offers the usual HiFi Rose combination of civility and musical excitement and is as adept with a large-scale classical recording or a heavy rock track as with audiophile-approved small ensemble content. Thus the calypso take on Cole Porter’s ‘Night And Day’ on Everybody Digs Bill Evans, in its 2007 remastered release [Riverside Records RLP-1129], found the player probing deep into the track’s knockout bass and drums – there are times when the pianist seems almost like a passenger. Yet it did so without calling attention to itself, allowing the listener to enjoy the virtuoso playing.
Even with the slightly rough sound of ELP’s At The Surgery release of live broadcasts dating back almost 50 years [X-Ray XRYCD015], which is a counterpoint to the whistle-clean Brain Salad Surgery album of the same time, the RS250A is all about the main event here – the musicianship and tightly locked interplay of the trio. Emerson’s whizzing and whirring synths mesh with Lake’s taut, unflashy bass playing and Palmer’s ‘max attack with total control’ mastery of his massive kit. This is the band at the peak of its pomp, for better or worse, and the massive sound was conveyed convincingly by the RS250A, bringing waves of nostalgia to this ‘I was there’ – well, at some point of the massive tour – listener. There’s even an 18-minute gallop through ‘Pictures At An Exhibition’ here, and a Palmer drum solo running to almost 12 minutes until it segues into a breakneck ‘Rondo’
KEF LSX II Wireless Loudspeaker $1399 Review
April 28, 2023 Comments Off on KEF LSX II Wireless Loudspeaker $1399 Review
I loved my time with the LSX IIs. The best pieces of equipment get slotted into my listening room and basically disappear if I’m not actively taking listening notes and comparing them to other gear. They become the medium through which I’m enjoying music and nothing else. The LSX IIs vanished almost the second they were set up, and I got over the brief learning curve and really dove into what they can do. After a day, their novelty wore off, and I found myself listening to music for the fun of it, and that’s really the biggest takeaway from this entire review. I was delighted by their sound, their ease-of-use, and all the important improvements KEF worked into the LSX IIs. If anyone’s looking for a pair of wireless speakers that can do just about anything at a genuinely reasonable price, these should be at the top of the list.
Audiophilepure 
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