Wilson Audio • SabrinaX Loudspeakers $19,000 Review
August 29, 2022 Comments Off on Wilson Audio • SabrinaX Loudspeakers $19,000 Review
https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/wilson_audio_sabrinax.htm
The soundstage presented by the SabrinaX was both wide and surprisingly tall for a smallish speaker, with good depth on many recordings. Jose Carreras’s Misa Criolla, by Ariel Ramirez, [Philips 420 955-2] is known for being beautifully recorded, with a great sense of acoustic space. In the beginning of the “Kyrie,” softly beaten drums light up the acoustic signature of the hall (Santuario de la Bien Aparecida). With the SabrinaX, for the first time I could hear slap echo in the hall, suggesting a larger recording venue. As the choir enters, I heard individual voices as they either blended with or stuck out from the chorus. And when Carreras enters, his voice emerged between the speakers, floating above the sound of the chorus. I was reminded why I love this performance, and the Wilsons transported me to the venue.

Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor Special Edition Loudspeaker $26,000 Review
August 28, 2022 Comments Off on Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor Special Edition Loudspeaker $26,000 Review
In the here and now, I find myself utterly delighted by what this speaker does well. The ESE images with the precision of the best small monitor speakers that I have encountered, but stages with greater conviction owing to its ability to play cleanly in my room into the low 30s, perhaps even lower. Its clean midrange, near single-driver coherence, and lack of overt coloration, all coupled with the ability to unravel the densest musical passages will endear it to anyone who loves classical music. By the same token its rich tone, airy top end, and class-leading micro-dynamic expressiveness will utterly delight jazz and pop fans. I can’t predict whether hard rock fans will line up to sing its praises, but at least one metal head friend holds the ESE in very high regard.

Vivid Giya G1 Spirit $69,000 Review
August 26, 2022 Comments Off on Vivid Giya G1 Spirit $69,000 Review
https://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/vivid-giya-g1-spirit-floorstanding-loudspeaker
I have liked every Vivid loudspeaker that has graced my system but the G1 Spirit is clearly in another league to those and most loudspeakers around. It redefines what a loudspeaker can do by eliminating so much of the distortion that is found with many of its competitors. The styling is not to all tastes but this is a fundamental part of why it is so successful at doing the job of turning an electrical signal into an acoustic one, a regular box shaped speaker will never be able to do this so well. If you really want to hear your music at its very best the Giya G1 Spirit is very hard to match.

GOLDENEAR BRX SPEAKERS $1,598 REVIEW
August 23, 2022 Comments Off on GOLDENEAR BRX SPEAKERS $1,598 REVIEW
For the AudioQuest wiring, the value question is more vexing. If you already have high-quality interconnects, power cords, and speaker wires, the cost of replacement may be prohibitive. On the other hand, if you’re wiring a new system or in the market for an upgrade, I strongly recommend that you at least audition the AudioQuest products. The good news is that AudioQuest is one of the most broadly distributed lines of audio wiring, and you may be able to audition it at a Magnolia kiosk of the Best Buy chain. If not, there are many companies that will allow a home evaluation, and even if you decide to return the wiring, shipping is quite inexpensive. I wouldn’t spend an equivalent amount on any other brand without at least auditioning the AudioQuest products.

Perlisten S7t tower speakers and D212s subwoofers $8,995 Review
August 22, 2022 Comments Off on Perlisten S7t tower speakers and D212s subwoofers $8,995 Review
That brings us to the intent of Perlisten to couple the S7t with Perlisten subwoofers. The S7t is an immensely gratifying speaker on its own, and those with space limitations especially would find it an exceptional performer. As it will not excite the room boundaries or create the bass reinforcement associated typically with speakers having higher output in the lower frequencies, it will sound exceptionally clean in a smaller space but with more output and presence than the bulk of bookshelf speakers. It is capable of being played quite loud without a sense of strain, but the real solution to a grander experience is to mate it with Perlisten subs. If you can, you need to get the subs. The S7t is gratifying, but the truly glorious experience with Perlisten is the combination of DPC-Array and the subwoofer(s). As I describe in relation to other speakers, the D212s transformed the S7t into a truly formidable speaker system.
When I was young, I spent time flying Estes model rockets. A smallish rocket with an A engine was impressive — that is until I discovered what a rocket with a B engine could do. If I recall correctly, the sizes of engines reached the E designation, which powered the largest of the standard kit rockets. Consider adding a pair of the D212s to be like moving the speaker system from a C engine to an E engine. It will blast off and previous performance of the S7t sans subs will seem only remotely powerful both in extension and output. If you want the ultimate Perlisten performance, you do not neglect the subwoofer.

ELAC Solano BS 283 $1,449 Review
August 20, 2022 Comments Off on ELAC Solano BS 283 $1,449 Review
No one is ever going to ‘plunge’ into ELAC Solano BS 238 ownership because these loudspeakers are not made for such people who act on impulse. Instead, they appeal to your less base instincts. This is the perfect choice for the studied listener. The ELACs simply do what they do with utmost precision and accuracy and the BS 238 make their attitude obvious right from the off. If you share this ‘detail and accuracy are paramount’ approach, the cerebral ELAC Solano BS 238 is the logical loudspeaker choice.

JBL L75ms $1500 Review
August 19, 2022 Comments Off on JBL L75ms $1500 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/jbl-l75ms
JBL has a habit of making fun, party-starting speakers, and this one is no different. Listening to Beyonce’s Break My Soul, we’re treated to an upbeat, energetic rendition. There is, of course, plenty of bottom end, so kick drums can’t be missed (sometimes to a fault), and are given a real live stadium feel. Basslines have weight and texture and are almost inevitably on the warm and smooth side.
For a change of pace we give R.E.M.’s Man On The Moon a spin (a Tidal Masters played over AirPlay 2) and the JBL just about joins us, albeit preferring to keep the pace higher than it really should be – not quite managing to convey the relaxed, almost lazy feel of the track. We still enjoy what we hear; guitars jangle along jauntily and there’s plenty of scale and breadth to the sound, but the Naim Mu-so 2, for example, offers a more natural, realistic presentation.

Perlisten S4b Loudspeaker £7200 Review
August 18, 2022 Comments Off on Perlisten S4b Loudspeaker £7200 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/perlisten-s4b-loudspeaker
If you’re partial to electronic music where effects are thrown across the soundstage, then you’ll appreciate this speaker pairing’s ability to lock in step for such acrobatics. With ‘100’ by Jon Hopkins [Contact Note; Linn Records; 96kHz/24-bit] it was a delight to follow the synthesiser effects as they moved smoothly between the speakers.
Not that such production techniques are new-fangled, as proven by the woozy breakdown of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’ [Led Zeppelin II; Atlantic; 96kHz/24-bit]. Coming after two minutes of hard-hitting blues rock framing Robert Plant’s triumphant vocals, this near-psychedelic section felt like it was from another planet. Perlisten’s small(ish) cabinets concocted a wall of sound bigger than you might expect, casting Plant’s wails high and wide. Then Jimmy Page let rip on his Les Paul and I was grinning from ear to ear.

Franco Serblin Accordo Essence £12,998 Review
August 15, 2022 Comments Off on Franco Serblin Accordo Essence £12,998 Review
The Accordo Essence is a truly unique proposition. They look stunning, curvaceous and fabulously constructed in a natural wood that assures the most anti-audio partners! Their sound, as I discussed earlier, bares a striking audio resemblance to the violins made in the golden age of Venetian violin making; not bright and sharp, but liquid and smooth, not known for their vast power, but a pleasingly balanced and warm sound. They seem to extract the best from a piece of music without being overly analytical and appeal to the actual music lover who just wants to enjoy their music. Even if that music arrives in a romantic rose-tinted way. It is worth careful partnering with a suitable amplifier. Valves are a sure-fire winner, but EL34s work best in my system. In these dark times, who wouldn’t permit this marvellous sonic indulgence?

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