Audiophilepure

https://www.hifinews.com/content/elac-concentro-20-m-807-loudspeaker

During something of a folky interlude, I moved on to Folk Bitch Trio’s ‘That’s All She Wrote’ from Now Would Be A Good Time [Jagjaguwar download], enjoying the focus of the M 807s, the three voices distinct yet blending beautifully. Meanwhile, ‘Timbuktu’ from Les Amazones d’Afriques’ Amazones Power [Real World CDRW228] was offered with room-busting weight and beautiful resolution, a scale matched by the massive, unstoppable ‘Whirl-Y-Reel 1 (Beard And Sandals Mix)’, from Afro-Celt Sound System’s trendsetting Vol.1: Sound Magic [Virgin 7243 8 41736 2 3]. This eclectic mix of growling bass, unusual electronica and transcontinental instruments – Gaelic pipes whirling above synthesised sub-Saharan percussion – was totally joyful.

Loud and proud

And what about Peat & Diesel’s ‘Stornoway’, from their folk/thrash crossover set Uptown Fank [Wee Studio Records]? Well, the wistful opening sounded lovely and then, after a few beats on the drumstick, the musicians leapt into life – accordion, bass and drums blazing, and the snarling vocals clean and clear. Well, as clean and clear as they can be – this band carries its rawness as a matter of pride, and the effect was both infectious and irresistible via ELAC’s new flagships.

There is a reason I had chosen the HIFIMAN GOLDENWAVE SERENADE DAC/Headphone Amplifier as my solid-state reference DAC/Amplifier; it simply outperforms everything in its class and price range, it is only a quirk of fate that landed me with a DAC/Amplifier that costs over 20 times as much. As I said before, it will still get plenty of use reviewing mid-priced headphones that would be ill served by using a “price is no object” front end. Dynamic, musical, focused, and completely tonally balanced with the best chip-based DAC I have heard, the GOLDENWAVE SERENADE is probably the best value in a front end on the market, and as sneak preview, it is a strong contender for a Product of the Year Award, which I’ll be announcing later in the month.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/devore-fidelity-gibbon-super-nine-loudspeaker

The DeVore Fidelity Gibbon Super Nine joins the company of other DeVore Fidelity speakers that don’t require top-tier amplification but nevertheless thrive with it. Every speaker has a character of its own, but the best still manage to express the character of the partnering hardware—source components, those amplifiers—and each record. That might be the Super Nine’s most notable virtue.Or maybe its most notable virtue is its balance. The Super Nine’s treble is articulate and revealing but never bright or harsh. Its midrange is a clear, polished window. For so small a speaker, the bass goes deep, and there’s enough of it to satisfy with most kinds of music. A pair of Super Nines projects expansive, precisely layered images across a large soundstage. The music the Super Nines make is rich in tone and timbre. There was a time—and here the original Nine comes to mind—when DeVore speakers had a reputation for being laid-back. Not so the Super Nine. Highly recommended.