JBL Spinner BT $400 Review

May 14, 2024 Comments Off on JBL Spinner BT $400 Review

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/jbl-spinner-bt-review

Similarly with Mars from Holst’s The Planets, the JBL does a good job of capturing the drama and rollercoaster of dynamics and emotions that the track delivers. There’s a pleasant tone across the board with a good sense of texture from the sweeping strings to the regimented hits of the timpani drum. Low frequencies don’t sound too thick, or lightweight, and nor does it thrash out highs with reckless abandon. In this regard, the Spinner BT is well-behaved.

While we’re using the Arcam’s phono stage, we swap decks to the similarly priced and five-star Rekkord Audio F110. It’s a fully automatic deck but doesn’t have Bluetooth functionality or a built-in phono amp. Compared to the JBL it gives you a little more across the board. We find it sounds more confident and composed. There’s an even greater sense of musicality with elements flowing even more naturally.

Halcro Eclipse Stereo Power Amplifier Review

May 14, 2024 Comments Off on Halcro Eclipse Stereo Power Amplifier Review

The Frequency Response is 7Hz – 90kHz within -1dB and 3Hz – 215kHz within -3db. The maximum slew rate for both small signal and the maximum output voltage is 100V/μs, which is equivalent to a maximum output voltage at approximately 250 kHz.

To ensure trouble-free operation under any circumstances, the Eclipse amplifier is exceptionally well-protected. The power supply is protected against most mains transients. It will cut out if common faults are detected, such as over-voltage, master clock at incorrect frequency, or excessive temperatures. The power amplifier section is short-circuit proof and protected against most input overloads. It has over-current limiting and protection against overheating. It will cut out if a continuous DC offset appears on output or if the output current continuously exceeds 12 A average over a period of a few minutes. The latter may seem like a compromise, but Halcro has rigorously tested this and confirmed that this condition never occurs in normal music reproduction. Hence, it poses no limitations.

Chord teases Suzi pre/power amplifier concept

May 13, 2024 Comments Off on Chord teases Suzi pre/power amplifier concept

https://www.whathifi.com/news/chord-teases-suzi-prepower-amplifier-concept-thats-like-lego-for-your-hi-fi

The pictures above give an idea of what the Suzi pre/power will look like, but it’s hard to gauge more details or dimensions without seeing them in person. However, we know the Hugo 2 and 2go combo is about the size of a paperback novel, which gives an idea of just how compact the Suzi combo is. 

The Suzi preamp and Suzi power amplifier will be launching formally this autumn, at which time we’ll have full details, specifications and pricing to keep you up to speed.

Before that, however, we’ll be on the ground at the High End Munich show to bring you as many details and hands-on images as we can when we see Chord’s new Suzi products on display. Chord has one more product – this time a digital one designed by Rob Watts – to still reveal, so stay tuned for all our Munich show news and coverage as the event starts on 9th May

Octave Audio V70 Class A integrated amplifier $12,000 Review

May 13, 2024 Comments Off on Octave Audio V70 Class A integrated amplifier $12,000 Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/octave-audio-v70-class-integrated-amplifier

I started my vinyl listening with Bell Orchestre’s House Music (LP, Erased Tapes Records ERATP141LP-CA), a rock-classical hybrid instrumental work that includes several string instruments, group chanting, and a menagerie of seamlessly integrated studio sound effects. Via the Octave’s phono stage, the band sounded bigger than six members—more vaulted and sonically varied with a richer, more reverberant consistency. The V 70’s characteristic transparency, big-picture boldness, and the detail retrieval I’d heard with digital came through, if not quite to the same level. (That limitation could be a reflection more of the sources I was using than of the phono itself.)

Texture and transient tactility were conspicuous. On the first track, “Opening,” violin and double bass produced vibrant, rich-brown tone and vibrational texture that seemed serrated. The drums were focused, dynamically spry, and, judging by the arc of the drum hits, compact. The group chanting was almost Star Trek–y, with its extended-vowel, dashing-through–outer-space aura, vocally layered and luxuriantly toned. The phono stage emphasized the music’s coherency, both in the sense of a band playing together in the same room and in their creative complicity, the feeding-off-each-other group dynamic.

Musical Fidelity M8xTT Turntable $10,499 Review

May 12, 2024 Comments Off on Musical Fidelity M8xTT Turntable $10,499 Review

https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1229-musical-fidelity-m8xtt-turntable

The M8xTT is not a forward-sounding turntable, but it is a bit larger than life in all directions. Just to let all the haters know that I’m not stuck in the music of the last 40 years, I threw on Vladimir Ashkenazy’s 1973 recording of Franz Schubert’s Piano Sonata in G Major (London Records CS6820). I chose this record because it’s so huge, so massive—a piano piece that slows time down in a relativistic manner. I was spinning in orbit around the planet that is Ashkenazy’s piano, and the clocks run slower up there. The entire first movement, “Fantasie,” is an exercise in slow-motion capture—huge piano notes that swallow galaxies, with Ashkenazy carefully considering each key before he depresses it.

Esoteric K-05XD $12,000 Review

May 12, 2024 Comments Off on Esoteric K-05XD $12,000 Review

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/esoteric-k-05xd

The honest approach is thrown into even sharper relief when we play an SACD of Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring. This is a lovely clean Decca recording with the music conducted by Valery Gergiev and played by the Kirov Orchestra. Here we’re impressed by the clarity on offer and the sheer amount of information the Esoteric reveals. Just as impressive is the way this player manages to arrange all that information to deliver a stirring musical experience. This symphony is known for its drama, complex instrumentation and wild dynamic swings, and the K-05XD delivers the full experience with enthusiasm.

This player has a large-scale and authoritative presentation and images with pleasing precision. Instruments are layered with care and locked into position even when the music becomes demanding. We love the spacious nature of the soundstage and the general lack of clutter. The Esoteric’s impressive ability to dig up low-level details shines through in the convincing way it places the orchestra within the recording venue. There is nothing showy here, no attempt to make the recording sound more impressive than it is. Just a pleasingly accurate rendition of the original recording.

FIIO K19 REVIEW

May 11, 2024 Comments Off on FIIO K19 REVIEW

The K19’s aluminum chassis uses a thermally conductive material that directly contacts the internal components, efficiently transferring heat to the vast aluminum frame. The chassis also features a honeycomb mesh design on the top and bottom, enhancing heat dissipation through convection. I noticed that the K19 gets warm to the touch after half an hour. To compare, the surface temp is about the same as K9 Pro ESS. It appears that the aluminum chassis does a great job of heat dissipation. I also noticed that it gets slightly hotter when placed horizontally. Vertical positioning naturally promotes better passive airflow and heat dissipation. If you prefer using the K19 horizontally and want to maximize its cooling potential, consider alternative feet or stands that offer higher clearance underneath the device.

BASN MTPro Review

May 9, 2024 Comments Off on BASN MTPro Review

The MT Pros boast a clean, understated aesthetic, especially in the base silver and black colors. If you want something a little flashier, you can get a gold, blue, or even purple pair. Their CNC-machined aluminum shells feel solid and luxurious, while the MMCX connectors offer flexibility and future-proofing via a wealth of replacement cables.

The included 3.5mm 4-core crystal copper cable is braided and tangle-resistant, adding to the premium feel. However, some may find the cable a little stiff, but the addition of memory ear hooks is a plus in terms of fit. Speaking of fit, I found the BASN IEMs very comfortable, and the earpiece ergonomics were excellent in my case. The shape of the metal housings fit my ears like a glove. YMMV. Additionally, I like that they include a wide variety of silicone and foam ear tips since getting a good seal in the ear canal is crucial for the best IEM performance.

New Focal headphones for 2024! Azurys & Hadenys Review

May 9, 2024 Comments Off on New Focal headphones for 2024! Azurys & Hadenys Review

Sonus faber Lumina V Amator Loudspeaker Review

May 8, 2024 Comments Off on Sonus faber Lumina V Amator Loudspeaker Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/sonus-faber-lumina-v-amator-loudspeaker

While Sonus faber’s floorstander looks imposing in the pictures, the speaker is neither huge nor massively weighty, standing just under 105cm tall and, at 22.5kg, about light enough for one-person set-up, adding convenience to the room-friendliness. Positioning is no trickier, in no small part due to that downward-firing port. I spent some time moving the Lumina V Amators backwards and forwards in the room, finding very little difference wherever I placed them, and concentrated instead on experimenting with toe-in for the most coherent stereo image. Again, I was unable to effect any huge changes in this department, so stuck to my usual positioning with the cabinets aimed just slightly in front of the listening position.

With their rated 89dB sensitivity, 4ohm nominal impedance and a 50W minimum power requirement, these are not especially demanding speakers, and worked well with the various amplifiers I tried, ranging from Audiolab’s 9000A [HFN Aug ’23] up to my vintage Naim NAC 52/NAP 250 set-up. I should mention that magnetic grilles are provided, but it would be a shame to cover up the understated dark wenge or more exotic gloss red and walnut wood finishes on offer!

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