he Gryphon Diablo 120 integrated amplifier review

June 21, 2023 Comments Off on he Gryphon Diablo 120 integrated amplifier review

Constellation Centaur II 500 Stereo £65,000 Review

June 18, 2023 Comments Off on Constellation Centaur II 500 Stereo £65,000 Review

https://www.hifichoice.com/content/constellation-centaur-ii-500-stereo

Without wishing to revert to being as crass as bringing up the thorny issue of cost, at a price that few people can ever get close to spending you’d hope that the Centaur II 500 Stereo would be deeply impressive – in fact you’d probably demand it. But it’s the level of performance it conjures up that really takes the breath away. Very few of us get to experience weekending in a luxury penthouse, flying a private jet to our own desert island or taking a Lamborghini Veneno for a spin at the weekend, but as a sonic equivalent to these high-end thrills little else comes even close. 

Yamaha A-S3200 Review

June 15, 2023 Comments Off on Yamaha A-S3200 Review

https://www.hifichoice.com/content/yamaha-s3200

Rhythmically the Yamaha is a battler. It doesn’t quite have the fluidity and lyricism of some similarly priced tube amps, but still makes music engaging and lively. This is achieved in two ways; firstly its midband has formidable transient speed, with a great rhythmic snap to the proceedings. Secondly, the bass is big and solid, but importantly has next to no overhang. There’s none of that spongy sensation that gives a pleasant bloom to proceedings, yet which slurs one note into the next. For these reasons, I find subtle pop songs like The Dolphin Brothers’ Catch The Fall sound surprisingly infectious through this bruiser. This big integrated amplifier is fast, detailed and lithe enough to make even relatively intricate music sound like it has a raison d’être.

Burmester 216 power amplifier £23,800 Review

June 14, 2023 Comments Off on Burmester 216 power amplifier £23,800 Review

The 216 represents a Burmester for the 2020s and beyond. It takes all that went before and improves on that without making sacrifices along the way. A good power amplifier should be impressive without being ‘obvious’; it makes an impression by perfect interpretation of the preamp and perfect control of the loudspeakers, and that makes the 216 damn near perfect!

MCINTOSH LABS MC303 THREE CHANNEL SOLID STATE POWER AMPLIFIER $12,500 REVIEW

June 8, 2023 Comments Off on MCINTOSH LABS MC303 THREE CHANNEL SOLID STATE POWER AMPLIFIER $12,500 REVIEW

Having owned a McIntosh MA6900 integrated amp for 20 years, I already had a good feel for how timeless a McIntosh amp is. I have beaten on the MA6900 in countless speaker tests, and could never get it to do anything bad. The MC303 takes this to a new level with even better dynamics and more powerful bass. At $4,167 for each of its 300-watt channels, it isn’t inexpensive. It does offer a lot of value in the ultra-high-end world of audio. Part of the allure of products from companies like McIntosh is the pedigree. People recognize a Rolex, a Mercedes, and a McIntosh amp. Rolex and Mercedes wish they had as bulletproof a design as does a McIntosh product. In my reference system, I currently have a Cambridge Audio Edge W power amp, a Michi S-5 power amp, a Rogers Fidelity KW-88 integrated tube amp, a NAD M33 integrated amp, and the previously mentioned McIntosh MA6900 integrated amp.

World Exclusive First Listen: Moon 761 and 791 Review

June 8, 2023 Comments Off on World Exclusive First Listen: Moon 761 and 791 Review

Mastersound 845 Compact integrated amplifier $10,495 Review

June 7, 2023 Comments Off on Mastersound 845 Compact integrated amplifier $10,495 Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/mastersound-845-compact-integrated-amplifier

The Mastersound Compact 845 hits all my sonic sweet spots: gorgeous, burnished tube tone, palpable instrumental texture, unerring naturalism, lush, rich, transparent midrange, solid bass, open treble, black background, precise layering of instruments and vocals—and the deepest, punchiest soundstage I’ve heard. It was also eerily quiet. Like the Audio Note Meishu Tonmeister integrated amplifier, I would be happy to live with this amplifier for the rest of my days. With the Compact 845, Mastersound moves to the front row in the hallowed hall of master tube-amplifier manufacturers, alongside Shindo, Audio Note, Air Tight, Line Magnetic, Luxman, and PrimaLuna.

Dan D’Agostino S350 Stereo Power Amplifier $27,250 Review

June 2, 2023 Comments Off on Dan D’Agostino S350 Stereo Power Amplifier $27,250 Review

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/0423/Dan_DAgostino_Progression_S350_Amplifier_Review.htm

As an audio reviewer, I feel as if I should have some negative criticisms, as no audio component is “perfect. I do not want to paint myself into a corner and say this is the best power amplifier on the market. At this level, there are going to be nuances between amplifiers that some audiophiles will prefer over others. And to be honest, I’ve auditioned nowhere near every solid-state power amplifier on the market. It would be interesting to compare the D’Agostino Progression S350 to an amplifier that costs double or triple its price. But one of those might not match my system as well as the D’Agostino Progression S350. One would be correct if they argued that I liked this amplifier so much only because it was such a good fit with the rest of my system. So be it.

The Dan D’Agostino Integrated Amplifier Review

May 29, 2023 Comments Off on The Dan D’Agostino Integrated Amplifier Review

My review sample of the Progression integrated amplifier included the DAC module only—not the phono stage module. I compared the Progression DAC module to my standalone dCS Bartok DAC for streaming and my collection of both high resolution and ripped CD files. The source for both was provided by my Aurender N-10 music server. I also compared these configurations to a direct Ethernet network connection to the Progression and its DAC module while streaming, and when using the Progression iOC App. Qobuz was my primary streaming service for all of these evaluations

Aavik P-580 Amplifier & C-580 Preamplifier Review

May 29, 2023 Comments Off on Aavik P-580 Amplifier & C-580 Preamplifier Review

https://www.monoandstereo.com/2023/04/aavik-p-580-amplifier-c-580.html

The Aaavik P-580 amplifier and C-580 capability of decoding even the smallest fragment of music and format it with the correct harmonic order to avoid the trap of music sounding univocal were further cemented with “Crossroads”  by Memphissippi Sounds from Welcome to the Land.

By achieving the density of higher-level acoustic focal points, Aavik P-580 and C-580 initiated a musical framework without impediment vicinity but allowed the proximity of notes to expand and breathe in space thus forming an objective acoustic space that was not subjected to the angulated holosphere sound effect.

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