Schiit Kickin’ Rekker $149 Review
October 5, 2023 Comments Off on Schiit Kickin’ Rekker $149 Review
The Saga+ did not sound exactly like my Pass XP12 ($6100) but it was far closer than I would have thought. Far closer. Grit, grain, attenuated frequency extremes? No. I was stunned at how good the Saga+ sounded. This is a really linear reproduction of music. My benchmark for good sound is not imaging or soundstaging or the visual elements of music, but tone and timbre, they’re absolutely essential to me. The Saga+ and the Pass XP12 were far more alike than I’d have thought. Far more.
Both are just a wee bit drier than a well balanced tube line stage, but, they’re both very good. Where the Pass stepped ahead was with nuance. Music was just more elegant, performances seemed just a bit better executed. I found myself holding my breath just a little more often with the Pass than the Saga+. If the cost of the Pass does not dent your pocket book, get it, it’s better. No question. If it’s a painful stretch, the Saga+ should be on your radar.
To contextualize, if a Saga+ system is not as rich as desired, I believe the listener should reach for a richer source or richer speakers first. This small, inexpensive preamp is a stunner. Of course, if you have thick or stiff cables… forget it, the Saga+ at six pounds is going to get pushed off your shelf.
Building a satisfying system is about knowing what you want and making complimentary choices to fill your bill. Were I starting as an audiophile today, I’d look at the Saga+ as maybe a starting and destination preamp for audiophiles that don’t want to spend decades and tons of money chasing their tails. Sure, better performance is available but that’s an endless and expensive climb, summiting with the Saga+ gets a great view of music at a silly good price. Overlook it at your wallet and time’s peril.
Crystal Cable Art Series Monet Speaker Cables $17,000 Review
October 4, 2023 Comments Off on Crystal Cable Art Series Monet Speaker Cables $17,000 Review
Circling back to Rich’s BIL, in this system the twenty large would definitely be better spent on speakers, amp, or source, but the reviewing lifestyle makes for strange bedfellows. That said, my basement is a dark dungeon compared to Rob’s living room, so it took until now, the last minute, to really get the full effect of just how elegant these cables are.
I guess at this point it goes without saying that there’s value here in the admittedly intimidating retail price of these cables, but it’s not just in sound quality. If you were to purchase the Monets for use in your system, you’d also be buying elegance and exclusivity. These cables aren’t for everyone, but man, oh man, do they stand out in a crowd.
IsoAcoustics Gaia I Footers $499 set of four Review
October 4, 2023 Comments Off on IsoAcoustics Gaia I Footers $499 set of four Review
This is a level one solution, and it does work to a degree. The IsoAcoustics footers alleviate the effects of these unwanted resonances by providing stability in the horizontal plane, and then fashioning a pathway to drain and dissipate vibrations from the speaker cabinet, or in case of the CLX ART, the speaker frame. This is more than a bit of smoke in mirrors, as these products have undergone both frequency response testing in anechoic chambers and laser scanning vibration measurements at the National Research Council of Canada facilities. There are measurable and repeatable effects in using the Gaia footers in our audio systems. These footers are engineered to work under a wide variety of speakers, which is to be expected since the design provides a pathway to sink and dissipate undesirable energy. If you use a speaker with traditional cabinets such as the Sonus faber Stradivarius that Robert Youman owns, or an electrostatic panel such as my Martin Logan CLX ART, you will find tangible benefits from this product.
VPI INDUSTRIES AVENGER DIRECT TURNTABLE $36,000 REVIEW
October 3, 2023 Comments Off on VPI INDUSTRIES AVENGER DIRECT TURNTABLE $36,000 REVIEW
The design and engineering involved in putting this thing together are beyond impressive. The direct drive system on this alien-looking device feels about as accurate as an atomic clock and seems strong enough to drive a mill wheel! The tonearm is a thing of engineering beauty and is a joy to dial in and use. The entire construct feels as solid and immobile as the rock of Gibraltar. The rock itself is actually less impressive as it doesn’t play music! I lucked out that both the Avenger Direct and Audio-Technica ART20 cartridge made for a superior-sounding pair. In hindsight, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise as that’s the company VPI works with to help design and produce its own Shyla and Goldy cartridges.
For most people, $36K is not a whim to go dropping on a turntable and VPI builds and sells several fine turntables at a variety of price points to satisfy many a vinyl buff. And while the (over) the top-of-the-line Vanquish turntable system is very much a statement piece, the Avenger Direct is more of a benchmark. It very much embodies everything you could possibly do to wring every last bit of analog goodness from the grooves of a record. And aesthetically, it’s a lust-worthy piece of gear to boot.
Ars-Sonum Armonía Stereo Amplifier $5250 Review
October 3, 2023 Comments Off on Ars-Sonum Armonía Stereo Amplifier $5250 Review
https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1827-ars-sonum-armonia-stereo-amplifier
Yes, some care needs to taken when choosing speakers to use with the amp—that’s true of almost all tube amps and other amps with similar or lower power outputs. That is where I (your friendly Ars-Sonum distributor) come in. I am more than happy to talk with anyone interested in a Ars-Sonum amplifier (new or used!) to answer any questions about compatibility with whatever gear and speakers the customer may have. As well, for those (tube-head) Ars-Sonum amplifier owners who wish to “roll” different EL34s (n.b., KT77s are not recommended), I am happy to test their set of EL34s in our Amplitrex tube tester and then try them in the Filarmonía or Armonía on my test bench to verify matching and that self-biasing measurements meet factory specs for the amp.
ATC SCM100ASLT ACTIVE LOUDSPEAKER $39,000 REVIEW
October 2, 2023 Comments Off on ATC SCM100ASLT ACTIVE LOUDSPEAKER $39,000 REVIEW
Beyond that though, it’s as if they have an almost bottomless lung capacity at their disposal. They can be pushed to really absurd levels and remain eerily clean-sounding and totally composed, almost daring you to push them further. And for such big speakers, they are incredibly light on their feet with an almost instant attack to the music throughout its entire operating band. It especially drives a stake in the heart of that long-in-the-tooth old chestnut “big driver equals slow bass” nonsense.
At almost $40K per pair, there are plenty of passive speakers that try to compete with these active ATCs. Some will legitimately get you close.
But for me, the ATC SCM100ASLT, don’t just look and sound exceptional, and have the studio pedigree, but they have a personality and character that makes them utterly unique and adds to the whole pride of ownership. They are special, and well worth auditioning if you have the opportunity. Oh, and when you do don’t forget to bring some Van Halen along to the demo and politely ask the dealer to turn it up.
Audio-gd Master 10 Mk.2 Integrated Amplifier Review
October 2, 2023 Comments Off on Audio-gd Master 10 Mk.2 Integrated Amplifier Review
I do want to test out the ACSS, which opens up the possibility of more reviews of at least two Audio-gd components and the specialized cables. This company sells an extensive line of DACs, headphone amps, preamps, power amps, integrated amps and cables. They manufacture both tube and solid-state components. I think I can open my schedule up to hear more from this intriguing company.
I was so impressed with the off-the-chart value of this integrated amplifier, in fact, that I was prompted to start listing our PTA Best Value nominees for 2023. As the halfway point of the year passed by quietly a few weeks ago, I haven’t encountered anything this year that’s this amazing for the money. I might even go as far to say that the Master 10 is easily my favorite product to come out of Underwood Hi-Fi so far. That says a lot.
Aurender A20 reference analog output network player $15,000 Review
October 1, 2023 Comments Off on Aurender A20 reference analog output network player $15,000 Review
As a result of these comparisons, I am confident that, barring an intrusion or new development, Qobuz distinguishes itself as offering superior playback HR files. If I didn’t get a complimentary subscription, would I pay for that sound quality improvement? Scanning my demo list, I see enough of the HR variants of files that I would pay to hear that music rendered better. Would I drop the Tidal subscription to get that result? Not unless I was confident the vast majority my music was duplicated on Qobuz. Barring that, I would keep both. At the time of the publication of this article, I am finding a significant number of tracks that appear on Tidal do not appear on Qobuz, so at the moment I am inclined to keep using both music services.
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic X $11,000 Review
October 1, 2023 Comments Off on Fyne Audio Vintage Classic X $11,000 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/fyne-audio-vintage-classic-x
Fyne Audio’s Vintage Classic X are always going to be something of a Marmite product. Their appearance will undoubtedly split opinion, but there is so much talent behind that olde-worlde aesthetic that we would encourage anyone lucky enough to be able to be in the market to put this one on the shortlist. Close your eyes if you have to. You will be glad you made the effort.
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO Review
September 30, 2023 Comments Off on Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO Review
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/pro-ject-debut-carbon-evo
I’m also impressed by the balance between accuracy and emotional content that it delivers. Without ever feeling anything other than consistently believable, it finds the angst and anguish in Christine And The Queens’ What’s-Her-Face, while capturing the very personal nature of the lyrics for vocalist Héloïse Letissier. The Carbon EVO never leaves you a simple onlooker to material, instead it involves and demands your attention in a way that is fairly unusual for such a relatively affordable design.
The foibles of the turntable by contrast are commendably limited. With a more aggressive pressing like The Desired Effect by Brandon Flowers, the Pro-Ject makes it clear that this is not a great piece of mastering. Some of this is down to the 2M Red cartridge that is bundled as standard. The Ortofon is a capable but somewhat unforgiving device and the Carbon EVO delivers its performance in an entirely unembellished way. Happily, the simple expedient of switching to a 2M Blue stylus (HFC 375), which I’ve always found to be a little sweeter in its presentation, significantly reduces, if not eliminates this and so represents a simple enough upgrade for any would-be owner.
Audiophilepure 
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