Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II Review
August 28, 2016 Comments Off on Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II Review
” Here the Rogue delivers a muscular sound with wide ranging dynamics and plenty of punch. It’s not afraid of the seismic crescendos in this piece, and renders them with solidity and composure.”
2016 EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS: INTEGRATED AMPLIFIERS UNDER $1,000
August 24, 2016 Comments Off on 2016 EDITORS’ CHOICE AWARDS: INTEGRATED AMPLIFIERS UNDER $1,000
Hafler Transnova 9500 power amplifier Review
August 23, 2016 Comments Off on Hafler Transnova 9500 power amplifier Review
” The Sonic Frontiers was sweet and open through the midrange, with plenty of detail, but there was a definition and immediacy to the sound of the Hafler which I definitely preferred. It did not sound etched or artificial, but very open and detailed. The Hafler also had a sock in the low end which the Sonic Frontiers could not match. The Sonic Frontiers did edge out the Hafler slightly in warmth, fullness, ambience retrieval, and overall depth—but not by much. And not enough on these loudspeakers, in my judgment, to make up for the Hafler’s superior grip and overall control.”
PARASOUND HALO 2.1 CHANNEL INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER REVIEW
August 21, 2016 Comments Off on PARASOUND HALO 2.1 CHANNEL INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER REVIEW
” Am I biased towards Parasound Halo products? Yes, unquestionably, proudly. I own several pieces. Halo gear is reliable, well made and superbly engineered and can’t be beat for value. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t like the Halo Integrated – the sound, the features, and the pedigree. With an excellent DAC and an amplifier that has enough punch to handle any dynamics one would want. I’m scratching my head wondering what’s lacking.”
Constellation Audio Inspiration Stereo 1.0 Amplifier $11,000 Review
August 17, 2016 Comments Off on Constellation Audio Inspiration Stereo 1.0 Amplifier $11,000 Review
” Spending time with Constellation Audio’s Inspiration Stereo 1.0 amplifier has been a rewarding and educational experience: rewarding because it’s one of the better two-channel amplifiers I’ve heard; educational because I grew to understand and appreciate Constellation’s approach in trickling down technology to its more affordable models. Priced at $11,000, the Stereo 1.0 shares most of its circuitry and parts with Constellation models costing four to nine times as much. This undeniably makes it Constellation’s best value in a power amp. But in the high end, it’s not always just about value — it’s also about absolute performance, and the Stereo 1.0 has nailed that too. It achieves levels of transparency, power, control, tonal color, and dimensionality well beyond those implied by its price and specifications. I believe that Constellation Audio has created something special in the Inspiration Stereo 1.0. I’ll be sad to see it go. Highly recommended.”
MARK LEVINSON AUDIO SYSTEMS 585 INTEGRATED AMP AND DAC £10,500 – REVIEW
August 13, 2016 Comments Off on MARK LEVINSON AUDIO SYSTEMS 585 INTEGRATED AMP AND DAC £10,500 – REVIEW
“Levinson describes the 585 as its Swiss Army Knife and, while I get where that’s coming from, I think it’s selling this product short. The classic do-it-all tool will allow you to get most jobs done – just about. The 585 does pretty much everything and does it so well that it really does deliver on the simple is better promise of integrated electronics solutions. This is the heart and soul of a genuinely great, genuinely high-end system: just add source components and speakers, and you’ll end up with a set up that doesn’t just stand head and shoulders above its peers”
T+A Elektroakustik PA 2000 R Integrated Amplifier
August 10, 2016 Comments Off on T+A Elektroakustik PA 2000 R Integrated Amplifier
” Delving deeper, I never would have described my reference amp as sounding anything other than quiet and unobtrusive. Once again, though, the T+A honed the margins with greater acuity. Mark Knopfler’s muttered opening lines in “Brothers in Arms” weren’t spotlit against quite as “black” a background with the Hegel in play. In fact, I could hear white noise from the tweeter of one of my Monitor Audio Silver 10s from a couple inches away — something I could never do with the T+A. Is that white noise still audible from 8’ or 10’ away? Hard to say. The Hegel is a top-flight integrated, due in no small part to its highly competent built-in DAC section. The PA 2000 R was, overall, a bit better: just as transparent but offering greater dynamic contrast, a voicing more true to the source, and an overall build quality that puts to shame the folded-aluminum case of my H360. You get what you pay for — and as the PA 2000 R could push an insensitive loudspeaker like the two-way Magico S1 Mk.II to its breaking point, it’s something of a brute, too.”
QUAD VA-ONE Valve Amp Announced
August 9, 2016 Comments Off on QUAD VA-ONE Valve Amp Announced
” Now in its 81st year, Quad has been making valve amplifiers for home use since the late 1940s. The company’s latest model, the VA-One, brings the concept bang up to date; a compact integrated amplifier that fuses Quad’s traditional valve-based audio expertise with modern digital audio streaming.”
MCINTOSH C52 PREAMP AND MC301 MONO POWER AMPLIFIERS REVIEW
August 6, 2016 § 1 Comment
” These are not the fastest amplifiers around, and pacey rock like ZZ Top could have more tension, but if you want the music to wash over you the MC301 does a very appealing job, one that makes listening very easy. They are transparent to what comes before them as well; changing source proved that their dynamic capabilities are very much at the mercy of what’s coming down the line. Adding the C52 to the mix and using the same single ended interconnects brings a warming and smoothing quality to the sound that doesn’t get in the way of detail or the easy flow of the power amps; if anything it enhances this. ”
PASS LABS INT-250 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $12,000 REVIEW
August 1, 2016 Comments Off on PASS LABS INT-250 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $12,000 REVIEW
“A true reference integrated such as the 180Wpc MBL C51 made it a contest throughout most of the audio spectrum, but the difference in the Pass Labs’ raw power was telling in midrange dynamics and mid/upper-bass grip. In my experience only the Vitus Audio SIA-25 (Issue 218), a pure 25Wpc Class A integrated, has exhibited a more transparent top-end but its relatively low power removes it from the equation with lower-sensitivity loudspeakers.”
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