Audio Research Reference 80S Review
April 14, 2024 Comments Off on Audio Research Reference 80S Review
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/audio-research-reference-80s
Impressive though Audio Research’s Reference 80S undoubtedly is, there’s a sizeable elephant in the room that should perhaps be put to one side before we go any further. With a £15k price tag, this absolutely isn’t typical HFC fare, which almost immediately puts it out reach of most wallets. Which is a real shame as this is a quite stunning power amplifier that does the easy bit of delivering the power, while handling the more challenging side of subtlety and fine detail with absolute aplomb. In the highly unlikely event that you inadvertently stumble across that lost winning lottery ticket or a rich relative that you never knew about leaves you stacks of cash only on the understanding that you spend them on hi-fi exotica, this is an absolute must-have. For the rest of us it’ll have to remain a dream to aim towards. Regardless, there’s no disputing that the way the Reference 80S delivers the sort of precision that’s more commonly the realm of solid-state rivals from glass tubes is nothing short of miraculous.
Sun Audio Purified 4 Modular Loudspeakers $4,729 Review
April 14, 2024 Comments Off on Sun Audio Purified 4 Modular Loudspeakers $4,729 Review
Sun Audio feels the main advantage of keeping the electronics and software (e.g. power supply, amplifiers, DSP, DRC (Dynamic Range Compression), DAC/ADC, streamer) outside the speaker is that listeners can use the hardware and software they prefer and upgrade as they please. Another advantage is that the more ventilated and less resonant environment of the dedicated external enclosures reduces the mechanical wear of the electronics. As long as the speaker drivers remain undamaged, the loudspeakers are essentially future proof.
Schiit Audio’s Newest Tube Amp Costs $150
April 13, 2024 Comments Off on Schiit Audio’s Newest Tube Amp Costs $150
100V on the tube plate, rather than 60V, for increased linearity and gain
Topological improvements that lower overall feedback and maintain performance
A new optimized layout with better signal flow and ergonomics
All-new attractive advanced-form USA-stamped custom chassis
Massively improved ventilation and lower operating temperatures
Like all Schiit products, Vali 3 is made in the USA. The vast majority of components, including chassis and PC boards, are made by US companies in the USA. Wall-wart transformers are made in China. All assembly, QA, and testing, including 100% instrumented test and 100% listening test, are done at Schiit’s Corpus Christi, Texas facility.
GRADO SR325X $295 Review
April 13, 2024 Comments Off on GRADO SR325X $295 Review
To begin with, the comfort of the Grado SR325x is exemplary for a headphone in this price range, light with just enough clamping force to keep it secure, and though they are on-ear headphones the foam earpads are high enough density as to not be irritating. The build quality is top notch with the majority of the construction being metal with only the gimbal parts being plastic. The headband itself is metal with a leather jacket making the SR325x the ideal headphone for on-the-go use, though the cable is a little heftier than most portable headphones (one must after all make some sacrifices in the name of sound quality).
When it comes to sound the Grado SR325x provides performance you would expect from a headphone at two to three times the price, dynamic and musical, with a linear neutral tonal balance, and deep bass without boom or bloom and extreme clarity without being bright or abrasive
iFi Audio iDSD Diablo 2 Headphone Amp/USB DAC Review
April 12, 2024 Comments Off on iFi Audio iDSD Diablo 2 Headphone Amp/USB DAC Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/ifi-audio-idsd-diablo-2-headphone-ampusb-dac
Played via Tidal through Sennheiser HD 660 S2 headphones, the soundtrack of the new Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro [DG 486 5466; CD res] sounded a clear notch above regular Bluetooth. While aptX Adaptive and LDAC can also be quite good – there’s a lot of audiophile snobbery around the technology – a wired connection has always had the edge for me. I might have to rethink that stance, as from the exuberant intro detailing Bernstein’s last-minute substitution for conductor Bruno Walter, to the horns on ‘Anniversaries’, this sounded superb for something which professes to be ‘merely’ a mobile solution.
OCTAVE AUDIO V 110 SE INTEGRATED TUBE AMPLIFIER $9,500REVIEW
April 12, 2024 Comments Off on OCTAVE AUDIO V 110 SE INTEGRATED TUBE AMPLIFIER $9,500REVIEW
The reason a low output impedance is important is that, with the input impedance of a speaker being about 4-8 Ohms, the amplifier’s output impedance forms a voltage divider such that there is a voltage drop across the speakers. The ideal output impedance would be zero Ohms. Since this is not possible, what we would hope for is 1/100th output impedance compared to the input impedance of the device connected to the output. This is easy when connecting the output of a preamplifier to the 10 kOhms – 100 kOhms input impedance of a power amplifier. But for a power amplifier connected to a pair of speakers with 4-8 Ohms impedance, this is much more difficult. The output impedance of a solid-state power amplifier is usually less than 1 Ohm, but for a tube power amplifier, it is usually between 1 and 5 Ohms even with the output transformer. So, at least a small amount of voltage drop is inevitable with the tube amplifier. The V 110 SE has an output impedance of 2 Ohms.
Triangle Magellan Duetto 40th Anniversary Loudspeakers | REVIEW
April 10, 2024 Comments Off on Triangle Magellan Duetto 40th Anniversary Loudspeakers | REVIEW
With the Triangle Magellan Duettos in the system, I had the distinct sense that I was getting all of this incredible song. I heard all that sloppy detail, I heard all of the movement between the drummer, the bass player and two guitarists, and I could easily detect when they were playing off each other and when they were on their own, exploring unexpected key changes and dynamic swings. “Turn On” sounded absolutely wonderful and complete with the Duettos, in other words.
Audio Note UK IO Limited field-coil cartridge system $13,000 Review
April 10, 2024 Comments Off on Audio Note UK IO Limited field-coil cartridge system $13,000 Review
The cartridge and the Power Supply are such delicate equipment that in order to prolong their operational lifespans, AN-UK instructs the user to switch off the unit if not used for more than a few days. Throughout the owner’s manual, this instruction is mentioned several times, one of them especially noteworthy for its all-upper-case font and concluding exclamation mark. Of course, I just needed to hear from Peter if he had further to add, and he did: “Switch the cartridge power off if not being played for over fifteen minutes, and turn the Power Supply’s main power off if not used for more than several hours. Before turning the cartridge on for the first time, users are urged to break out a voltmeter and measure the voltage off the cartridge’s pins. The voltage/current should be set to around 1.2 volt at 0.4 – 0.5 amperes measured at the terminals on the cartridge, using an accurate and calibrated meter. This is to make sure that the energizing coil has the ideal voltage and current.” An electrician friend of mine stopped by and confirmed the measurement in exchange for a collector LP that he’s been lusting after.
Perlisten 7.7.4 Atmos Home Theater Tour
April 10, 2024 Comments Off on Perlisten 7.7.4 Atmos Home Theater Tour
Technics Grand Class SL-1200/1210GR2 Review
April 9, 2024 Comments Off on Technics Grand Class SL-1200/1210GR2 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/technics-grand-class-sl-12001210gr2-record-player
GR2 technology improves on our coreless story by removing even more micro vibrations and making way for improvements in the power supply,” wrote Technics US Business Development Manager Bill Voss, by email. “The progression from the legacy models to the new coreless models, which utilize higher tech and materials like magnesium in the G-model tonearm, zinc and special gel in the footers, and higher-grade plinth designs and improvements in tonearm sensitivity and ease of cable connectivity, laid the groundwork for audiophiles and allowed us to develop the more affordable, deejay-specific 1200MK7 and mainstream 100C/1500C models based on that technology.” As Voss mentioned, the GR2, which is built in Malaysia, features a new power supply, which the company calls “Multi-stage Silent”; it combines a “low-noise, high-speed power supply working at over 100kHz and a noise-canceling circuit inherited from our reference class SL-1000R turntable,” according to the Technics website. “This circuit measures the level of minute noise in the regulator output and cancels the noise by adding its inverse component current to the output,” Itani wrote. The website again: “By this method, a very low noise floor is achieved, enabling exceptional signal-to-noise ratio, improving the overall signal performance.
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