Grado GS3000x $1995 Review
December 18, 2023 Comments Off on Grado GS3000x $1995 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/grado-gs3000x
We tend to award five-star verdicts to great all-rounders. The kind of product that it is hard to pick holes in. That’s not the case with these Grados. They don’t feel as luxurious as the price point demands, even though they feel sturdy and durable. The GS3000x also give way to rivals when it comes to delivering low-end weight and authority. But, give them a signal of suitable quality and they also produce one of the most articulate and musical cohesive performances we’ve heard anywhere near this level. It is the kind of presentation that had us listening for hours on end and works well across a wide range of musical genres, from Nirvana to Nina Simone.
Estelon AURA loudspeaker Review
December 18, 2023 Comments Off on Estelon AURA loudspeaker Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/estelon-aura-loudspeaker
The instruments and their aural environments are remarkably similar to each other, but I detect a bit more focus in the BIS recording. And, although Zhang was recorded in a film/recording studio in Munich and Piemontesi in a small, modern concert hall in Lugano, neither recording offered much information about the acoustics of the recording sites. The contrast is in the playing. Zhang clearly relishes articulating individual notes, which he does with almost superhuman precision. Piemontesi leans toward a more legato expression, although the Estelons still let me hear each of the notes when I attended to them. Zhang’s delineations were thrilling in the “big” pieces, such as No.4, “Mazeppa,” and No.8, “Wilde Jagd,” but also surprisingly touching in the more delicate No.7, “Vision”; he kept me hanging on every note, with bated breath. Strangely, Piemontesi’s more fluid playing achieved more momentum in the big pieces and provided a much-appreciated grace in the delicate pieces. I listened to both performances several times via the AURAs. The experience was informative, enjoyable, and totally nonfatiguing.
ABYSS DIANA MR REVIEW
December 17, 2023 Comments Off on ABYSS DIANA MR REVIEW
Even though the bass and mids aren’t particularly elevated, they have good presence and impact. Bass is controlled, comes with a good impact and punch and the sub bass rumble is there where needed. The bass resolution and layering is good but it do is a little warmer sounding. At the same time that makes it engaging and really ear pleasing. The quality here is more important than the quantity, the levels really are linear and balanced.
Electrocompaniet ECI 80D Review
December 17, 2023 Comments Off on Electrocompaniet ECI 80D Review
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/electrocompaniet-eci-80d
The one asset you can’t measure with hi-fi is likeability, yet it’s obvious listening to Dream from Shawn Mendes’ Wonder on CD, that the ECI 80D has it in spades using its own on-board DAC. If it isn’t conspicuously fast or especially grippy, you’re barely aware without reference to the Hegel and Primare, both of which exhibit a strong temporal character. But the EC is tonally and harmonically richer as well as sounding deliciously fluid and supple, and such things tend to connect just as easily and powerfully with all kinds of music. The densely layered and slickly produced Mendes cut is delivered with detail deftly integrated into the larger musical picture rather than acutely analysed and an elusive sense of body and inner texture – tellingly apparent in the vocal – that leaner and more agile sounding amps often diminish. Perhaps predictably, routing in the Hugo 2 for decoding duties sharpens up timing and micro-dynamic acuity but the easy comfort and colour still remain intact.
Creek Audio 4040 A Integrated Amplifier + DAC $1200 Review
December 16, 2023 Comments Off on Creek Audio 4040 A Integrated Amplifier + DAC $1200 Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2023/11/4/creek-4040-a-integrated-amplifier
So what you’ll be getting is British design acumen with a smooth Class D amplifier section, an excellent streamer and DAC in a diminutive package for $1200 USD ($1495 CAD). It looks and feels very well made and will sit nicely in your audio rack. It doesn’t get hot to the touch and knowing how long these British integrateds last, you’ll be handing it down to your nephew or niece 30 years from now.
The 4040 A can be considered a super bargain in the audiophile world. Great functionality, very good sound, and well made. Winner, winner.
HIFIMAN ARYA ORGANIC HEADPHONES REVIEW
December 16, 2023 Comments Off on HIFIMAN ARYA ORGANIC HEADPHONES REVIEW
Dr. Fang Bian, the founder and president of HIFIMAN continues to innovate and refine his products. As new technologies are developed, often those features will be added to current models of headphones, pushing them closer to the ideal sound signature each model is known for. Behind every brand of headphones, there is a personality that shapes what we are hearing. In the case of Dr. Bian, he found inspiration in visiting various concert halls and noting the unique characteristics of each one. Somehow that seems fitting for the spacious airy soundstage the HIFIMAN sound is known for. The Arya Organics with the addition of the Nanometer Thickness Diaphragm, have taken the Arya line up to another level while amazingly lowering the price from the previous generation. They embody the best qualities of planar magnetic drivers, and for me, personally, they are an astonishing evolution from my 8-year-old HE400S headphones.
NAD C 3050 STEREOPHONIC AMPLIFIER $1,799 REVIEW
December 15, 2023 Comments Off on NAD C 3050 STEREOPHONIC AMPLIFIER $1,799 REVIEW
Sporting a retro appearance, the NAD C 3050 is a versatile, modern integrated amplifier that performs admirably in all its functionality. Moreover, its modular design allows for the addition of features by a simple module card insertion. The review sample has the MDC2 BluOS-D module that adds BluOS streaming and Dirac Live room correction features, which further enhance the versatility of the C 3050. More importantly, this versatility is backed up by its solid sonic performance, creating a combination that is hard to beat at its price point.
ARC, the Literal ARChive of Contemporary Music, More Than 3 Million
December 14, 2023 Comments Off on ARC, the Literal ARChive of Contemporary Music, More Than 3 Million
To that end, the organization is soliciting donations to assist in that endeavor — and you can find out more about how to help out by going here. According to an official ARC statement, initial donations will “provide the first step in constructing a new facility that will allow students, educators, historians, musicians, authors, [and] journalists as well as fans and general public access to the world’s rich musical heritage.” Furthermore, ARC adds, “donations for a new building are not only essential in supporting the archives and collections themselves, but will help the expansion of educational programming, community gatherings, listening events and more towards ARC’s ultimate goal of transitioning from an archive to a thriving, living public institution with the creation of The Center for Popular Music in New York.”
ARC also confirms that it has already received a generous, albeit anonymous, donation of $1M that will help move this extensive collection out of its current Hudson Valley space — but every little bit helps.
If the AP audience would like to hear more specifics about all the great LPs and other related collections and historical materials housed in the abundant ARChive directly from co-founder B. George, and why it should be properly preserved in perpetuity, we will endeavor to set up an exclusive interview with him in the not-so-distant future.
LampizatOr Pacific 2 DAC Review
December 12, 2023 Comments Off on LampizatOr Pacific 2 DAC Review
https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/1223/LampizatOr_Pacific_2_DAC_Review.htm
The tube complement of the LampizatOr Pacific 2 extracted a more robust presentation of saturation and color. The Elektra is an exceptional tool for reviewing but demands equally statement level everything else to get all it can give. For $20,000 less, the Pacific 2 was an exceptional tool for listening, no matter what I moved into or out of the system. As I remember with the Golden Gate 2, the Pacific 2 is more forgiving of the imperfections in the remainder of the system, cabling, recording, file format, room, everything. I could (and did) make it more accurate and detailed with tube swapping, but it just didn’t feel right with Pacific 2. My final preference for tubes was the Tungsram 200/600 4V rectifier with adapter, EML PX4 driver tubes in a balanced quad configuration. The LampizatOr wants to give you a big hug, not just a simple handshake.
The Pass Labs HPA-1 – A Superb Headphone Amp
December 11, 2023 Comments Off on The Pass Labs HPA-1 – A Superb Headphone Amp
I employ the Dan Clark Audio Stealth headphones for the focused portion of this review, and to provide a more worthy comparison, I forego using my $650 SGA-1 Soncoz Headphone Amplifier that, while an excellent value for the money, is a lighter-bodied pinot noir to the bolder HPA-1’s cabernet sauvignon. Hence, I enlist the services of the powerful, but discontinued Cypher Labs Prautes tube headphone amplifier with a rebuilt power supply.
I had been very impressed by the Prautes when I reviewed it in 2019, and Joe Jerzec, who was a reseller and lent me the review sample when he ran JAM’n Audio (he’s currently a partner at Purity Audio Design), lent it to me again. A veritable tank, only 50 units were made, retailing for $3900 (that would be $4714 in 2023 dollars, according to Amortization.org). One of its standout features is an impedance selector switch to accommodate various headphone and speaker impedances, as follows: 300 Ω, 100 Ω: Standard for many Studio headphones, 32 Ω: Standard consumer headphones, 8 Ω: Speakers or very low impedance headphones, and IEM: In-Ear-Headphones.
Now, the Stealth headphones have a 23 Ohm impedance and a sensitivity of roughly 86 – 87 dB/mW, so they’re not the most efficient headphones, meaning you have to crank up the volume on a headphone amp to hear them properly.
Audiophilepure 
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