Audiophilepure

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“Streaming hi-res music from Tidal and Qobuz produced the anticipated result: clean, defined, highly dynamic sound with plenty of punch. The 200 Integrated’s 110 watts per channel was something of an overkill for small two-ways at a 20-inch listening distance, but the effortless dynamics I heard confirmed my long-maintained belief that more power is always better than less power.”

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“While listening to the Benjamin Britten/Peter Pears/ London Symphony Orchestra version of Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius (2 LPs, London OSA 1293), something about the Jadis amp’s playback characteristics drew my attention to the harp, a key instrument in the work’s introduction. Each plucked note had pretty good—not top-shelf, but perfectly satisfying—physicality of attack, but even better decays: maybe a slight bit too much overhang, but in a pleasant, musically consonant way. And the physicality of those notes: Wow! Every one was gorgeous, every one a mini event.”

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“Initially, I didn’t even bother to check whether I was in Triode or Ultralinear mode, the power differences between the two never an issue for me as I’m no headbanger. I couldn’t wait to hear the thing but impatience is an ugly trait, and switch-on involved the usual waiting for the unit to settle down and come out of its mute condition. I was chomping at the bit. Those two minutes or so seemed an eternity…

It was worth it, for what issued forth was so extreme a jump in performance that I immediately thought about selling my wine cellar so I could acquire a REF160S of my own. As there had been so many changes to my system since I reviewed the monoblocks, I threw out the notion of using the same LPs and CDs in an attempt at repeating precisely the same test. Instead, I trusted my ears (and hundreds of hours with the rest of the system) to decipher the charms and merits of the REF160S. And it started with the bass.”

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“We haven’t compared the Soprano LE to the more commonplace non-LE version because the price differential between standard and LE is relatively slim, meaning there’s almost no point looking at the Soprano right now. Maybe when the 200 LE models are sold, we’ll revisit the Soprano in its standard guise; as it’s possible the great sound of the LE is built on the similarly great sounding foundation of the Soprano itself.

Regardless, the Synthesis Soprano SE is a lovely little amplifier in its own right, and those 200 owners will be getting something truly magical. If your speakers are sensitive souls, they will thank you for letting them work with so refined a Soprano. ”

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“The beating heart of any integrated is its amplification and the Expert Pro is no different. Devialet has been using a steadily software-refined form of what it calls ‘ADH’ amplification, or Analog Digital Hybrid, since the first D-Premier. The principle of ADH is a simple*, yet highly-effective one and offers a unique solution to heat generation and sound quality: an analog (Class-A) amp determines the load’s output voltage while passing off the associated current generation function to a Class-D (digital) switch amp. Having the Class-A ‘master amp’ entrusted with voltage/audio performance and the Class-D ‘slave’ amp with current/power requirements very nicely allows for the superior sonics of Class-A without the extreme heat generation associated with that type of amplification. Class-D runs cool in comparison and is how Devialet can stuff 220 watts into such a small enclosure and still have exquisite sound without burning your fingers off were you to touch the chassis”

https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/rega-aethos

“Our initial impressions of the Aethos’s sound were disappointing. Despite being given days to stabilise, it wasn’t as dynamically expressive as we expected and didn’t convey rhythms with enough verve. We asked for another sample and we’re glad we did.

The second Aethos sample proves a notable improvement in both respects. It turns out that the cables for one of the channels had been disturbed (possibly during transit) with the result that distortion had increased on that channel. The second sample has no such issue and is very much Rega on top form. Given Rega’s track record, we would hope and expect any issues to be sorted quickly. “

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“Back to music and we play Alt-J’s Every Other Freckle, yet again enjoying the spaciousness on offer and revelling in the expertly painted tonal picture, which balances substantial bass with textured mids and glistening treble that refuses to brighten.

It’s an immediate, upfront delivery that’s instantly engaging and exciting. There’s oodles of punch here, but the Amp skilfully avoids ever veering into jarring hardness or irritating harshness, and there’s decent detail behind the initial hit of each note.

But the Amp does, when compared to streaming components of a similar price (and non-streaming amps at lower prices), lack the real hi-fi-like subtlety that comes from low-level dynamic delicacy. It’s a bold, attention-grabbing delivery, but one that struggles a little to peel back the layers towards the centre of a track and get to its emotional core.”

https://hometheaterreview.com/parasound-halo-a-21-stereo-amplifier-reviewed/

“I’m sure a lot of people reading this review are wondering if the A 21+ sounds a lot like the original A 21. These thoughts are perfectly appropriate when nothing but a plus sign has been added to the model name. As a previous long-time owner of the original A 21, I feel confident in saying the A 21+ does in fact sound similar. However, I also feel confident in saying the sound is not a carbon copy.

In a sense, you’re getting an A 21, but with moreof everything. Specifically, the A 21+ offers more impressive dynamics, a more accurate stereo image, wider stereo separation, and I heard more impressive control over my speakers’ drivers on a regular basis. Like its predecessor, the A 21+ still punches well above its price point in overall performance and is still an amplifier that does most things right.”

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“Well, yes, to a small degree. For instance, take Charles Mingus’s almost violent The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (LP, Impulse A-35). Here, the trombone had better growl like a wild boar, the sax had better taunt and make an ugly sound, and the drums should pile up and knock you over. The 452 iQ didn’t quite kick it like my solid-state reference amp, but it came close enough that the music didn’t suffer. A well-regarded music writer visited recently to do some comparisons on a big rig for a feature he’s writing. After we’d finished his work, we had some fun. I played him the 45rpm lacquer of Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers’ “A Night in Tunisia” that I’ve been taking around to shows. That knocked him back! Then I hit him with the original Bob Ludwig–mastered (“RL”) version of Led Zeppelin II (LP, Atlantic SD 8236), and of course he was blown away by that, and so was I. Though the solid-state reference amp has greater “grunt” on bottom, never did the 452 iQ make me feel like I needed to switch amps so my guest could better appreciate the Led Zep tracks. The 452 iQ was an addictive-sounding amp, suitable for all kinds of music.”