Audiophilepure

https://stereo-magazine.com/article/cayin-introduces-new-tube-amplifier-cs-805a

Besides the two 805A output tubes, Cayin’s new CS-805A also features WE6SN7 tubes in the voltage amplification stage and 300B tubes in the driver stage for the output tubes. With an integrated bias indicator, bias adjustment for the 805A tubes is said to be straightforward; in addition, the 300B tubes can be levelled via a hum balance control. The negative feedback can also be switched between 0 and -3db via the included remote control.

That finish is perfect, a slightly textured satin-wood with real grain, and trim without visible screws or attachment points. Visually, the entire speaker seems to float and does so with all the style of a high-end piece of Italian furniture. This is thoroughly modern Sonus faber and I can’t really argue with anything in the design, as it also feels both appealing and classic in a way very few speakers do. The folks over in Arcugnano really know how to do it right.

For those familiar with Sonus faber, this is where they usually excel. But they’ve taken their pedigree to another level with the long thin bass port hidden into a back side feature of the curved cabinet, an para-aperiodic vented box design known as Stealth Ultraflex. The stringed grille, a long-time standard, is back as well. Once set up with feet and grilles, these speakers have gotten more compliments than any I’ve had before. “Can we keep them?” was a phrase uttered more than once during the review period.

https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1077-alta-audio-alec-loudspeakers

During the two-and-a-half decades that I’ve been reviewing audio gear, I’ve probably assessed more speakers than any other component type. One reason for this is, in my experience, there tends to be greater sonic variety among the different speaker models than there is within any other product genre. So I find loudspeakers more interesting to review than, say, source components. And although the process of setting up a pair of speakers takes longer than, for instance, an amplifier, speakers are usually easier to write about than other products—at least for me—because each pair has such a distinct sound fingerprint. It was therefore a bit perplexing that, even after about a week of casual listening to the Alta Audio Alecs, I didn’t feel I had even a partial measure of their sound.

The question implied at the outset of this article still looms. Is Cabasse’s Pearl Akoya “lifestyle?” Is it a true portable? Is it really high end? It’s actually the sum of all those things. And it’s something more—add a high-resolution streaming service, and it becomes a fully self-contained, high-performance system, and with that, you’re done, fini. And that’s a very attractive proposition whether you’re burning the midnight oil in a home office, kicking back at an outdoor BBQ, or just spending an evening relaxing to your favorite playlist in your den. If these scenarios describe you, Cabasse’s “go anywhere, go anytime” Pearl Akoya may be just the system you’ve been looking for. Heartily recommended.

Sonus faber, as demonstrated by the Olympica Nova II, has been slowly morphing their traditional sound into something that skillfully reconciles the difference between the professed music lover and the true audiophile listener. I can’t overstate that the sound is really very refined and the midrange is just stunningly good for a speaker at the $10,000/pair level.