Audiophilepure

Once I remembered that I was supposed to be writing a review, I put on a few of my classic test tracks. Up first was Mika’s Live at Brooklyn Steel album. Listening to the song “Popular” you could feel the energy of the crowed. Mika’s voice was positioned more forward then I am used to, but the stage in general felt deeper. Instruments were well separated throughout the song and detail retrieval seemed to be consistent at high and lower volumes. As other songs on the album played, I continued to be impressed. The song “Tomorrow” thundered over my speakers and the clarity and depth of the stage was really felt. There were a few points where the sound stage lost a little definition, but these were also the most complex parts of the song (which again is okay in the context of a single ended DHT amplifier), turning the volume down slightly would restore the detail that was lost.

Listening to Use Me by Vanessa Fernandez, which is one of my favorite DSD albums, the Legendarium really delivered. The album played to all of its strengths. Female vocals came alive via the 2a3, and the minimalist soundstage was rock solid and picture perfect. Dynamic shifts were handled as well as I could ever expect and I found myself listening to the whole album, at times forgetting to write things down.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0423/OAD_Ultrafidelity_Vajra_Power_Amplifier_Review.htm

This was also demonstrated in the echoed repeated staccato of the Scherzo, where Ashkenazy’s left hand mirrors his right. The musical tension was conveyed perfectly by the Vajra. When Ashkenazy then sustains some of the notes a little longer, the gorgeous resonances of the Steinway filled my listening room with sound. There was also another telling reveal of the Vajra’s lack of background noise: before starting in on the Adagio, Ashkenazy takes a longer-than-his-usual pause, and in the silence I could hear his breathing, controlled though it was — something I can’t recall having ever heard before. The sonorities of the Adagio were delivered to perfection by the Vajra, as were the micro-variations in Ashkenazy’s finger-touch… and yet again, those trills!

https://www.stereophile.com/content/dan-dagostino-momentum-m400-mxv-monoblock-power-amplifier

D’Agostino’s Momentum M400 MxV mono amplifier exceeded my expectations. Its relatively compact size belies its stellar performance: massive bass, mellifluous midrange, and well-measured treble. The clarity and ease with which it handles even the most challenging recordings is remarkable. It is one of the most musical, truthful, satisfying amplifiers I’ve ever heard in my system and one of the most striking aesthetically.

Audiophiles wishing to experience the edge of the hi-fi envelope should visit a dealer or an audio show exhibiting the Momentum M400 MxV and listen to it. Those who audition a pair and are blessed with the wherewithal to seriously consider their acquisition will find it tempting, I suspect, to take them home.

If you click on my name in the header, you can see the equipment I used throughout the review process. I recently acquired the excellent Topping E70 Velvet DAC, which features a pair of the latest top-of-the-line AKM AK4499EX DAC chips (AKM’s production came back online mid-2022). The E70 Velvet presents digital music (especially DSD files) with an exciting level of transparency and musicality in combination with the already outstanding Euphony gear. And I’ve had the Ella Mark 3 amp set up in my larger listening room for several months now, connected to the Magneplanar LRS+ loudspeakers. I used an AudioQuest Blizzard w/DBS AC cable to provide power to the Ella Mark 3, and the entire system used balanced connections throughout. Since the origins of this review came from Robert Devcic’s interest in my impressions of the Ella with my Magneplanars, this was the logical place to start. A word of note: while the Ella Mark 3 doesn’t generate the kind of heat an amp that’s biased into pure Class A does, it gets somewhat warm to the touch with extended listening. In my experience with Ella, it sounds a bit cold from startup, and needs time to reach its normal operating temperature to achieve the ultimate in sound quality. 

https://www.hifinews.com/content/halcro-eclipse-stereo-power-amplifier

Similarly, with Chloe Chua’s recording of the Vivaldi Four Seasons with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, on Pentatone [PTC5187062, 96kHz/24-bit], the openness of the sound is as striking with the bite of the solo violin as it is with the combination of orchestral strings and organ. There’s wonderful attack in the massed strings in the allegro non molto opening movement of ‘Summer’, delivering a superb sense of exuberance.

Bring it down to the intimate trio jazz of Estonian pianist Tõnu Naissoo’s ‘Broken Hopes’, on his Turning Point album, remastered from the original Melodiya analogue release [APSoon Recordings APS02023; DSD64], and the Eclipse’s ‘maximum information’ presentation is perfectly suited to the music, creating that magical ‘in the room’ presence. It’s a trick it also pulls off with Van Morrison’s rootsy Moving On Skiffle album [Exile/Virgin Music 4819141]. Here the old boy’s world-weary voice is delivered with great character and focus, and the joyful performances of the band, with every contribution easily heard, add to the retro, light-touch feel.