Audiophilepure

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“The control and immediacy of the A 52+ made another track shine: “Good on the Ground” by the Vijay Iyer Sextet. In this freeform jazz cut, the saxophone and piano struggle for dominance over a driving layer of standup bass and drums. When I listened with the Parasound and MartinLogan combination, all instruments were distinctly conveyed, and the drums in particular had a muscular presentation. The standup bass seemed a bit softened in attack compared with the sound put out by my reference amp on this track, but overall I was impressed by the bass control I heard with most music.”

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“Only towards the end of this evaluation did it occur to me that I’d listened to more vinyl than I normally do. This was for a couple of reasons, but primarily because the Integrated 1.0 invites the listener to play the best analog. Such was the tonal honesty and transparency of this integrated that I just couldn’t stop myself from grabbing one vinyl favorite after another and in a sense rediscovering sonic charms and, in some instances, catching a tiny musical revelation that I’d heretofore missed. That’s what great equipment can do to an otherwise familiar audio system. It reignites a passion for the hobby that even on the best days can wane just a bit. The secondary reason was because I had Parasound’s new JC 3 Jr. phonostage on hand for a forthcoming review. I was eager not only to hear its overall performance but to compare it with my current reference phonostage, the superb John-Curl-designed Paraound JC 3+. And yes, Junior is definitely a chip off the old block.”

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“200Hz to 20Hz is stunning. Of course with 600 Watts per monoblock continuous, and peak power output of 1143.2766000000001 Watts, there was at least a two-fold of headroom to drive my speakers. Deep bass transients shows zero compression. Very impressive definition too; grip of the Gods capable of energizing the listening room without breaking so much as a drop of sweat. If anything, the woofers gave out at higher SPL levels/peak before the amp could get near 300 Watt continuous, let alone the 600 Watt rating. Thus this amplifier’s peak output limitation is not a factor at all… one would naturally assume.”

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“Some tube-transistor hybrid amplifiers are a mix of compromises and trade-offs, with the designer attempting to minimize each technology’s shortcomings while maximizing its strengths. I see the Absolare Integrated not as a product of compromise, but rather of distillation. The company has found a way to bring the magic of its all-tube Passion components to a product that is not only more affordable, but also more flexible because of its ability to drive a wider range of loudspeakers. Give the Integrated a listen; I suspect that many of you will be captured by its many charms, just as I was.”

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“I have no idea where my 24/96 FLAC file of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong performing “Summertime” came from, but the sound was delicious. Then again, this duo’s recordings are so resplendent in the midrange that it takes really poor equipment to make them sound less than great—so I was even more convinced of the ACI 600’s excellence by a recording of baritone Matthias Goerne singing “Meine Rose,” from Schumann’s Six Poems, Op.90, accompanied by pianist Markus Hinterhäuser on their recital Einsamkeit (24/96 WAV, Harmonia Mundi HMM 902243/HDtracks). Though I heard less transparency and detail in Goerne’s voice than I do through the far more expensive dCS rig, it was mesmerizingly sweet, warm, and expressive, and the piano sounded convincingly natural.”