Ray Samuels Audio B-21 Raider Electrostatic and Dynamic Amplifier Review
July 30, 2025 Comments Off on Ray Samuels Audio B-21 Raider Electrostatic and Dynamic Amplifier Review
Perlisten Audio D15s Subwoofer Review
July 29, 2025 Comments Off on Perlisten Audio D15s Subwoofer Review
THX Dominus is the next step in the certification from THX in terms of objective performance in a loudspeaker (a subwoofer is a loudspeaker, something we tend to forget). In objective terms, a THX Dominus certification means the speaker in question can deliver SPL levels of up to 120 dB in rooms of up to 6,500 cubic feet. This is more than double the 3,000 cubic foot requirement that THX Ultra has, and it demands that a subwoofer has some serious firepower. The fact that Perlisten was able to achieve Dominus status with a single 15-inch driver is remarkable. The listening sessions bring the subjectivity of good sound to the objectivity of good science built into this subwoofer. Being the greedy bass soul that I am, the thought of “what would a pair of D215s do in our theater room if a single D15s is bringing home such power?” Each D215s brings dual 15-inch drivers to the party, and the thought of having a quad pack of these drivers trying to dismantle our theater room is a fun concept, to say the least!
Vienna Acoustics Mozart Infinity Active Speakers Review
July 27, 2025 Comments Off on Vienna Acoustics Mozart Infinity Active Speakers Review
One could easily spend around $15,000 and several years of effort to build a complete stereo system. I know for certain that I have spent more than that. Or one could just buy a single pair of Vienna Acoustics Mozart Infinity active speakers. In one purchase, you can have a complete, very versatile, and very, very good-sounding stereo system.
NAD Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier Review
July 27, 2025 Comments Off on NAD Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier Review
Connecting the NAD M66 was similar to the experience of connecting my usual home theater setup, just with fewer output channels and HDMI connections. The NAD M66 can be configured via the touch screen on the front panel, but I opted for configuration via the BluOS iPad app. For viewing, I connected my LG smart TV via the HDMI eARC connection and used the internal LG apps for YouTube TV, Apple TV, Apple Music, and other video streaming services. I selected Roon for the second input, a local radio station for input 3, and my turntable connected via the balanced analog inputs for input #4. Because my turntable is about ten feet away from the rest of my system, I did not use the M66’s phono inputs, instead using the balanced outputs of my Musical Fidelity M1ViNL due to the somewhat long cable run.
MOONDROP Illustriousf $899 Review
July 25, 2025 Comments Off on MOONDROP Illustriousf $899 Review
The braiding of the cable isn’t ideal, with some visible gaps, and it occasionally tangles. The cable has a minimal design with grey polished hardware, a small splitter, and a tiny cinch. You can change the adapters by unscrewing and pulling them out.
Overall, the cable feels functional, and you won’t feel the need to replace it, as it pairs well with the IEM. For a premium price tag, I expected a better build, but that’s just me nitpicking, as MOONDROP has done a decent job otherwise.
MOONDROP has built some decent cables recently, and for the Illustrious price, they could have included one of those.
World Premiere Review!Genesis G7 Samba Floorstanding Loudspeaker $23,000 Review
July 25, 2025 Comments Off on World Premiere Review!Genesis G7 Samba Floorstanding Loudspeaker $23,000 Review
I could write a dissertation on the sound of this album as played through the Sambas. However, I listened to too many albums to focus solely on this one selection. Streaming Miles Davis’ of Bitches Brew Live (2011 release via Qobuz 24-bit/192kHz), it features excerpts of recordings from Miles’ electric band playing at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1969 and at The Isle Of Wight in 1970. The Newport tapes were engineered by the festival’s team of engineers but produced by George Wein. The Isle of Wight recording was made by Miles Davis’ longtime producer, Teo Macero. The reason for listing the producers was that the recording was spectacular, much better than many live sets during this era. The Genesis G7 Sambas expertly reproduced the results, providing me with a sonic picture of the event.
There aren’t any home speakers that can faithfully reproduce the sound coming from a 50-foot-wide and deep stage, with each instrument playing into a low-cost Shure SM50 microphone, but the Sambas were able to render the gestalt of the festival atmosphere. Each instrument, including Miles Davis’ horn, came in and out of focus when the distance to the mic varied. Yet the instruments were sonically scaled to perfection in the Samba’s soundstage, with its midrange reproduction being the standout in my listening room.
XENNS Mangird Top Pro $499 Review
July 24, 2025 Comments Off on XENNS Mangird Top Pro $499 Review
The low end is the Top Pro’s most impressive trait. It reaches deep, has a satisfying amount of sub-bass elevation, and slams when called for. Thanks to the dual DD setup, there’s improved layering and authority compared to Tea Pro. This is not a neutral bass; it’s tuned for weight and energy, but it doesn’t go overboard and feels tight all around.
Midbass is tastefully restrained, preventing any bleed into the lower mids. Compared to Monarch MKII, the Top Pro has a slightly warmer, rounder low end. It may not hit as fast or clean, but it feels more natural and fun in tracks with rolling bass lines. I found myself gravitating toward electronic genres, and I suggest you give Islandman a listen with these. It’s great. The bass has good texture and dynamism to keep things moving, especially with well-mastered tracks.
HIFIMAN ISVARNA Planar Magnetic $2,899 Review
July 23, 2025 Comments Off on HIFIMAN ISVARNA Planar Magnetic $2,899 Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2025/7/7/hifiman-isvarna-planar-magnetic-closed-back-headphones
The HIFIMAN ISVARNA (USD 2,899) is aimed at those who want to experience a couch-shaking illusion of low bass without a couch. However, it also gives respectful diligence to the mid-high ranges, which is paramount to HIFIMAN products. If you are a low-bass lover, then I highly recommend trying the ISVARNA; you are getting the new subwoofer technology and its current high-quality sound that HIFIMAN continues to bring to the table.
Nagra HD Phono phono preamp Review
July 22, 2025 Comments Off on Nagra HD Phono phono preamp Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/nagra-hd-phono-phono-preamp
The fascia is effectively divided in two with the Modulometer [see PM’s Lab Report] indicating the output level in dB and with an adjacent toggle to adjust its brightness in five steps, this next to a mono cartridge LED and rotary for setting the input loading. In the centre a ±6dB gain toggle acts on both MM and MC inputs, and to the right is an EQ rotary, mute switch and, lastly, the rotary that takes the unit from standby and selects the inputs of MC1, MC2, MM and the optional custom input (if fitted).
Inside are six valves – four EF806S-Gold pentodes in the EQ section and two E88CC/6922 triodes for the ±6dB gain block. The circuitry is dual-mono and pure Class A, naturally. For MC duties, the HD Phono employs a new generation of custom-made input transformer from a lineage that includes the original VPS transformer, in turn based on the Nagra IV-S tape recorder’s microphone input transformers. Talk about a pedigree! In Nagra lore, then, the HD Phono’s transformers are fourth-generation designs, offering 26dB of gain. The hand-wound transformer’s core is made with cobalt ‘and is cryogenically treated over the course of several weeks to improve performance’.
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