Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 Loudspeakers Review
March 7, 2019 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 Loudspeakers Review
“Differences in the midrange, as I focused on voices, were less obvious. The lead vocal in Blue Rodeo’s “Bad Timing” had slightly more presence through the M106es, but wasn’t as smooth as through the 705 S2s. In this track, there are a couple of moments when Jim Cuddy, perhaps leaning in too close to the mike, belts out a lyric that gives the sound an edge or glare that makes me wince, no matter what speakers I hear it through. I’m not sure why this occurs (it may be exacerbated by the size of my room), but what I am sure about is that the Revels made me wince quite a bit more than the B&Ws did. The Revels did, however, manage to score a point against the B&Ws. This and other recordings I played sounded a bit sibilant through the B&Ws, but the Revels had this aspect of the sound completely under control, with no sibilance to speak of.”
World’s Largest Horn Shatters Glass
March 4, 2019 Comments Off on World’s Largest Horn Shatters Glass
Sonus Faber SE $250,000/pair Review
March 2, 2019 Comments Off on Sonus Faber SE $250,000/pair Review
“Ware informs us that it takes about four months to build a set of SEs, and he has a few pair in stock (in popular finishes) so if the urge strikes, you can take them home today. As mentioned at the beginning of the review, LMC Home Entertainment in Scottsdale is the sole dealer for this speaker in the United States. It’s a great place to visit, so you might want to schedule a vacation around auditioning them. Southwest Airlines is offering some specials right now…
As much as I’ve tried to fill you in on what these spectacular speakers sound like, I still feel my words come up short. Should the SEs be on your radar, it will only take about 90 seconds into your favorite track to fall under their spell. At that moment, you will know everything.”
Manger Audio C1 Review
March 2, 2019 Comments Off on Manger Audio C1 Review
“It doesn’t take long to realise that this valve-powered preamp and the Manger speakers isn’t a happy match. The turgid and restrained performance has us switching to our long-term reference Gamut D3i preamp, which gives more balanced results. The presentation is notably more dramatic with a better sense of timing than with the Signature. We stay with the D3i for the rest of the test.
In their areas of strength, the C1s are right up there with the best money can buy. The use of that single in-house drive unit to deliver everything from low midrange upwards clearly works. It means the C1s have a seamless sense of coherence traditional multi-driver alternatives just can’t match.”
YG Acoustics Launches Hailey 2
February 27, 2019 Comments Off on YG Acoustics Launches Hailey 2
“Hailey 2 is distinguished first and foremost by the patent-pending BilletDome tweeter. BilletDome is YG Acoustics’ most complex mechanical invention to date: a resonance-free soft dome is supported by a stiff, light airframe machined from aluminum billet. The airframe weighs a mere 30 milligrams (a thousandth of an ounce), but its critical sections are up to 14 times thicker than a typical hard dome, so its structural strength is vastly superior even to domes made of the most exotic hard materials. This remarkable tweeter ends the age-old debate of hard dome versus soft dome, by combining the best of both.”
Dynaudio Xeo 20 wireless active speakers
February 22, 2019 Comments Off on Dynaudio Xeo 20 wireless active speakers
Devialet Phantom Reactor $1300 Bluetooth Speaker
February 20, 2019 Comments Off on Devialet Phantom Reactor $1300 Bluetooth Speaker
Monitor Audio Platinum PL100 II Loudspeaker $5,795 Review
February 19, 2019 Comments Off on Monitor Audio Platinum PL100 II Loudspeaker $5,795 Review
“Of the speakers that I have reviewed recently, the PL100 II sounds most similar to the $2140 Xavian Perla Esclusiva, but has deeper bass and a small increase in treble resolution. The Xavians are not as particular about toe in or room position. The $4,000 per pair Revel M126Be is higher resolution across the audible frequency range while being much more particular regarding the associated power amplifier.
This is a speaker that draws little attention to itself sonically and you don’t really think about them while the music is playing. The cabinets are very nicely finished. The almost 34 pound weight of each speaker is heavier than almost any other 2-way speaker, including some with metal or proprietary-material enclosures. They don’t impress as being spectacular sounding in any area, but are quite competent at delivering an enjoyable listening experience. ”
Audiophilepure 
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