Schiit Modi Multibit vs. Modi 2 Uber Review
December 20, 2016 § 1 Comment
” For those looking into the field of low cost DACs, some options do appear. Some of the more successful models take the form of small USB sticks with a single 3.5mm output. The new Modis set themselves apart in this regard with a full range of digital inputs and the more elegant RCA line level output for an approach that more precisely mirrors high end separates ready for an amplifier. Perhaps unheard of at this pricepoint, the application of the Schhit Magni 2U gets separates on the desktop for headphones at a $250 price tag ($200 if you opt for the older Modi). The emulation here has its appeal. Isolation has its benefits. The pluses stack up in fine order next to a cost that doesn’t stack very high at all’

Auralic Altair Wireless Streaming DAC $1899 – Review
December 20, 2016 Comments Off on Auralic Altair Wireless Streaming DAC $1899 – Review
” The Altair’s extended treble energy is obvious. It’s a little on the lean side; and can get a bit edgy when the volume is cranked. Although I felt the deepest octaves suffered at times from a slight lack of definition, overall bass reproduction was excellent; solid, front and center, and tuneful—seriously dynamic bass that reaches into deep space.”

Audio Note Level 5 System – Video
December 14, 2016 Comments Off on Audio Note Level 5 System – Video
dCS Rossini Player & Rossini Clock
December 3, 2016 Comments Off on dCS Rossini Player & Rossini Clock
” The combination of the dCS Rossini Player and Clock produced what was, overall, the best sound from digital I have experienced in my system. While not as laid-back as the sound of my long-term reference PS Audio DAC, it didn’t suffer from the glare that often accompanies digital components that concentrate on resolution at the expense of listenability. With the Rossini I got both, whether from CDs or files played via Ethernet or USB.”

Sonic.build Sonic DAC Review
December 2, 2016 Comments Off on Sonic.build Sonic DAC Review
” Let’s not beat around the bush; the ELAC is a better-sounding player. Tone colors are more varied and vibrant, strings pluck more brightly, voices sound richer and fuller, and the space of the recording is much more believable, open, and tactile. By comparison, the Sonic DAC bunches things up, darkens things down, and subtle details are glossed over. The Discovery takes that sense of sameness I heard with the Sonic DAC and adds a rainbow (I know, but that’s the way I hear it). If build quality is important to you, the ELAC is about a hundred times nicer. More or less.”

Nagra Classic DAC Review
October 30, 2016 Comments Off on Nagra Classic DAC Review
” Nagra Classic DAC is almost identical to the bigger, more costlier Nagra HD DAC. DAC’s boards are identical, with the difference in analog stage, where Classic DAC is in absence of tube and comes with a bit more simplified output stage. Classic DAC also looses the volume control and dedicated headphone circuit/output.”

PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream Junior Digital-to-Analog Converter- Review
October 11, 2016 Comments Off on PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream Junior Digital-to-Analog Converter- Review
” This chant was composed by the 13th-century German abbess and mystic Hildegard von Bingen, and the DSJ was sublime in its ability to preserve the acoustic of St. Jude and the grandeur of the music in this beautiful recording, and helped deliver the composer’s intent: to connect the listener with something higher. Again, the DSJ was notable for what it didn’t do, moving aside to let the music pass through unadulterated. Could the DSJ make me forget that I was listening to music in the comfort of my home rather than in an English church? Of course not — but it was still commendable for making it easier for me to imagine myself being there through its ability to convey detail and space in a natural, believable way.”

Mytek Brooklyn DAC $1,995 – Review
October 10, 2016 Comments Off on Mytek Brooklyn DAC $1,995 – Review
” The Brooklyn DAC drove the AudioQuest NightHawks to lovely levels of musicality. This combo actually worked really, really well as it imparted a full, rich, and musically sound sound. Of course which headphones will respond equally well, or better, or worse, is up to you and your cans. That being said, I see no technical reason for unhappiness.”

AURALiC ARIES MINI and Lightning DS Review
October 9, 2016 Comments Off on AURALiC ARIES MINI and Lightning DS Review
Switching to Keb Mo’s self titled album, it’s a bit easier to hear where the MINI is far better than other systems of similar ilk and where it doesn’t match up to its more advanced brethren, the original ARIES and ARIES LE. Compared to the Sonos Connect the MINI sounds like a breath of fresh air, with real body to the music and a naturalness that makes the Connect just sound skewed. Moving from the 16/44.1 version of this album to the DSD version brings a different sound altogether, that can’t be compared apples to apples with other devices because they don’t support DSD. Nonetheless, the MINI is a best in class component”


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