FERRUM AUDIO ERCO 2 REVIEW
August 9, 2024 Comments Off on FERRUM AUDIO ERCO 2 REVIEW
With the full reprogramming of ERCO’s software in combination with crucial changes in the analog circuitry, we are introducing a newer and better ERCO. The ERCO Gen 2 will bring our entry-level DAC one step closer to the performance levels of WANDLA, our flagship converter.
DAC-wise the ERCO 2 still features an ESS Sabre ES9028PRO chip but it now allows PCM up to 768k@32bit and DSD up to 512 (22.6 MHz / 24.6 MHz). For the full sample rate overview, check out the technical specs below. The ERCO 2 does render MQA for those who believe in and like to listen to the format.
The ERCO sports ultra-wideband ICs and according to Ferrum they’re fine-tuned for audio use to achieve the best possible analog quality. All digital ports are optimized for audio, MQA decoding and rendering is optimized for use with internal ARM chip. The signal path in this device is truly balanced
ONIX OVERTURE XM5 REVIEW
August 8, 2024 Comments Off on ONIX OVERTURE XM5 REVIEW
Inside, the XM5 features a flagship ES9039 PRO DAC chip, paired with two TPA6120A2 amplifiers, delivering 1W @ 32 Ohm. The player’s UI is based on the Ingenic X2000 platform for core music navigation and operation, and it supports Hi-Res Tidal streaming over WiFi.
While primarily a portable player, the ONIX XM5 is versatile, fitting into various roles. It can stream YouTube via Bluetooth, serve as a USB DAC/Amp with your laptop, provide digital output for standalone DACs, or act as an independent DAC for powerful amplifiers.
The XM5 boasts a 7000 mAh battery, 32bit/768 kHz and DSD512 support, an OLED touchscreen, an aluminium chassis, Bluetooth 5.2, and an XMOS XU316 chip for USB DAC connection.
MOJO AUDIO MYSTIQUE Y D/A CONVERTER REVIEW
August 8, 2024 Comments Off on MOJO AUDIO MYSTIQUE Y D/A CONVERTER REVIEW
I will say that the balanced output sounds significantly better than the single-ended, though that didn’t seem to be a problem with the VALI 2++, yet I feel the Mystique Y has a greater affinity to solid-state amplifiers, the soundstage was definitely larger with solid-state. (Note: Benjamin Zwickel, the designer, tells me that the single-ended output is the most direct, that the balanced output stage is after the single-ended, he posits that the improvement I hear is more on the side of the amplifiers than the DAC) There is also the question of noise floor which is the primary focus of the Mystique Y, tube amps just can’t compete with current solid-state, especially current mode amplifiers in noise floor and dynamic range though the VALI 2++ comes close being a hybrid.
Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated Amplifier $11,250 Review
August 7, 2024 Comments Off on Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated Amplifier $11,250 Review
It’s been some time since I’ve had a Diana Krall album on repeat play. But knowing how dependable her recordings are, I thought I’d give in to my hidden desires and listen to “Dancing in the Dark” from The Look of Love (24-bit/96kHz FLAC, Verve Records / Tidal). This choice was rewarded, as the Chord Ultima Integrated bathed me in a smooth, sweet, and detailed presentation that felt effortless. The rasp of the shaker positioned to the right sounded distinct and present, yet had a velvety texture. Krall’s unmistakable voice was ever so real, her expressive intonations and varied tone beautifully rendered by the Chord amplifier. Double-bass plucks were full and tuneful, well endowed with instrumental timbre. I was most impressed with the realism of the woody strikes on the slit drum. The Ultima Integrated laid out the images across a dark, elegantly lit soundstage. The images possessed soft contours—no cookie-cutter outlines here. These images appeared on a black backdrop, with nothing in between to detract attention from them. The soundstage width remained within the outer edges of my loudspeakers, though it stretched out more deeply than my front wall.
ESTELON AURA FLOOR-STANDING LOUDSPEAKER $19,900 REVIEW
August 6, 2024 Comments Off on ESTELON AURA FLOOR-STANDING LOUDSPEAKER $19,900 REVIEW
Though the AURA Loudspeakers are part of Estelon’s entry-level line, they still outperform many other excellent speakers I have reviewed over the years. They are not inexpensive, but their composite cabinetry, custom drivers, high-end internal wiring, generally excellent design, and form factor make them a “forever” speaker for many of us. As I mentioned before, the AURA whets my appetite to hear the bigger siblings in Estelon’s arsenal. Putting it into perspective, I can’t afford a Lamborghini either, but I’d still like to test-drive one.
It Isn’t Just the Music
August 6, 2024 Comments Off on It Isn’t Just the Music
https://www.stereophile.com/content/it-isnt-just-music
Until each track and album is tagged with reliable metadata—and your streaming appliance or app displays it—it’s impossible to know exactly what you’re hearing. Some listeners may not care, but we do, and we think others do.
Another form of control over music, and an important one, is search. Searching physical media may be laborious, but if your organization scheme is sound and you stick to it, you will find what you’re looking for, and you know when you’ve found it, since you’re holding it in your hands. Generally, streaming search engines are reliable and useful only for common, simple music. Search the same terms on Spotify and Qobuz, and you’ll likely get different results—maybe not for “Taylor Swift Red,” but try “Dorati Stravinsky” or “Copland Bernstein.” Many audiophiles have chosen Roon for this reason—because of its superior, cross-platform search capabilities. But from a search perspective, Roon is hardly ideal—and it doesn’t incorporate the two most popular streamers, Spotify and Apple Music. What’s more, though Roon adds data on many recordings versus what the streaming apps provide, that data is tied to titles and not to specific releases. For instance, multiple versions of Kind of Blue list all the engineers who ever remastered it instead of the correct person for that version
Warwick Bravura Electrostatic Headphones Review
August 6, 2024 Comments Off on Warwick Bravura Electrostatic Headphones Review
Triode Lab 2A3 EVO integrated amplifier Review
August 5, 2024 Comments Off on Triode Lab 2A3 EVO integrated amplifier Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/triode-lab-2a3-evo-integrated-amplifier
Triode Lab amplifiers employ negative feedback to reduce distortion, stabilize gain, extend frequency response, and perhaps also to lower output impedance—but not a lot. “All our amps have a minimal amount of negative feedback, which is needed for good sound quality, stable performance, refinement, noise control, etc.,” wrote Noam Bronstein. “It also increases reliability and the ability to drive more types of speakers.”
To better understand a designer’s sonic vision, I always ask about their reference systems. Frank Ng’s Triode Lab system is a study in contrasts: Esoteric SACD player/DAC and an Accuphase tuner serve up music on the digital side. A Linn LP12 turntable with a Nagaoka MP300 cartridge spins vinyl. Ng employs a variety of speakers, ranging from single-driver designs to two-way and three-way configurations, with a focus on high-sensitivity speakers including horns. Furutech, Cardas, and Finale cables complete the chain.
Diana Krall’s The Look Of Love – Acoustic Sounds Series
August 5, 2024 Comments Off on Diana Krall’s The Look Of Love – Acoustic Sounds Series
Verve Records writes: “Diana Krall’s The Look Of Love (Acoustic Sounds Series) is available now to pre-order! The Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging for the very best in audio and design. This revered recording from 2001 is a cinematic album of ballads and bossa nova tunes, coupled with the elegant piano playing and peerless vocals that are so, inimitably, Diana Krall. Pre-Order:
E.A.T. Fortissimo S Turntable
August 4, 2024 Comments Off on E.A.T. Fortissimo S Turntable
The Fortissimo S employs opposing magnets for platter support. This reduces the effective load on the bearing surface. The bearing has a unique inverted design topped with a ceramic ball and mounted in a steel alloy block. The shaft surface features a graphene-based low-friction coating that reduces friction to 1/6 of the EAT Forte S.
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