Audiophilepure

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1224/Wells_Audio_Innamorata_III_Stereo_Power_Amplifier_Review.htm

Jeff Wells has a never-satisfied mindset that strives for the ultimate reality. Last year in a conversation at the Capital Audiofest 2023 he mentioned that he has been voicing his amplifiers for 14 years. I can identify on a personal level with his hunt for the very best. Years ago I bought a wreck of an old Dynaco Pas 2 preamplifier and stripped it down to its bare bones. I replaced the old phenolic circuit board with a fiberglass board and searched for the best audiophile Teflon wiring, metal-film resistors, and plastic-film capacitors that I could find. I installed a new Zener-regulated power supply. After every part substitution, I placed the preamplifier into my system to listen for the results. I learned firsthand that nothing is unimportant, everything matters. And that in an electronic chain nothing can sound better than the poorest performing part.\

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/1024/Jadis_DA88S_MkII_Vacuum_Tube_Integrated_Stereo_Amplifier_Review.htm

In terms of what they expect from their components, the design team at Jadis has adopted a culture that strikes me as very much of a piece with the design approach that Fredrik Lejonklou has adopted for his line of electronics. Though Lejonklous and Jadis components sound very little like one another, they are very much alike in terms of their design briefs than Jadis and their ability to execute on it. Neither is satisfied to produce a particular sound, pleasant or otherwise. Neither seeks to be forgiving of poor source material. Each however is committed to creating a musical experience for the listener that brings them closer to some fundamental feature of all music – whatever its type or whatever the source.

In the case of Lejonklou, the intended function of his creations is explicitly to bring the listener in touch with music’s emotional content. As I hear it, the intended function of Jadis equipment is to bring the human elements of music, from its creation to its performance to the listener. Each excels at what it seeks to do in ways that no mere technical accomplishment can.

I had a chance to try briefly the Pre5 headphone feature and found it to be a decent performer, which should delight the headphone users out there. Therefore, without reservation, I could say that the Pre5 and REF501S were competent performers all around. Towards the end of the review, I swapped out the REF501S with its predecessor, the REF500S. The comparison revealed slightly different sonic characteristics between the two amplifiers. It seemed that the REF501S traded a slightly warm and laid-back presentation of the REF500S for better transparency and a slightly more intimate soundstage. To be clear, this comparison did not reveal that one was better than the other. In my opinion, the two amplifiers exhibited about equal level of performance; they are just slightly different in their musical presentations.

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/copland-cta407

Stereo imaging is expansive. There is admirable precision in the way this amplifier locates instruments from left to right while also layering them convincingly when it comes to depth. Few rivals we’ve heard can transport us to the recording venue so easily.

We are pleased to report that the built-in phono stage is a good one. As we listen to a range of music, from Mary J Blige’s No More Drama and Bob Marley’s Catch A Fire to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, it becomes clear that this phono circuit mirrors the ability of the line stages well. Its sonic character remains pleasingly balanced, controlled and revealing. We have no issues with excessive hum or high levels of background noise, which suggests a careful implementation of the phono stage circuitry.

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/bluesound-node-nano

That said, the Nano struggles more when it comes to providing a piece with sufficient dynamic perceptiveness to turn a pretty painting into an incomparable masterwork. Easygoing and robust as You And Whose Army? sounds through the Bluesound, it’s hard to escape the lack of drama that ensues as the track builds toward its supposed climax, with the titchy streamer tending to smooth over dramatic crescendos and decrescendos, to the detriment of a song’s emotional impact.

It’s easily beatable for rhythmic capabilities, too. That smooth nature could be less charitably described as a little leaden, and it’s certainly true that much of the sonic momentum of Hans Zimmer’s Up Is Down from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is cast overboard and lost in Davy Jones’ proverbial locker. Core rhythmic patterns are often poorly conveyed, a deficit that shows up particularly starkly when listening out for the distinctive drum pattern on Born To Die. Squint your ears and you’ll detect it, but it requires noticeable effort on the part of the listener. If you want more rhythmic snap and insight, the cheaper WiiM Pro Plus would be the logical alternative.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/moon-861-stereomono-power-amplifier

That’s the “revolutionary” bit. In addition, the size of the 861’s power supply and chassis have increased, as have output power and weight. Its dual-mono design, balanced circuitry, low-impedance proprietary Moon output transistors, and parts quality are similar to its predecessor’s. To meet European safety standards and allow a more secure fit, the company has replaced WBT binding posts with Furutech binding posts that accept bigger spades. Currently, however, the narrow opening for spade lugs is only on the bottom. That works well for people who don’t want their speaker wires to show but less well for owners with low racks who want to prevent cabling from touching the floor.