Raidho TD3.8 loudspeaker $103,000 Review
July 29, 2023 Comments Off on Raidho TD3.8 loudspeaker $103,000 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/raidho-td38-loudspeaker
Next, I played “Chorale,” an Anthony Fiumara–composed tribute to Philip Glass performed by the Dutch ensemble Slagwerk Den Haag. It’s a hyperdynamic recording of rich sonorous bells and other resonant percussion instruments. The album is called Vitreous Body (24/48 FLAC, Orange Mountain/Qobuz), no doubt a reference to Glass’s oeuvre (vitreous means glass-like). The bells and their incredibly long reverb t(r)ails were, again, beautifully delivered, with a subtle, sumptuous shimmer.
Rega Planar 10 Turntable $7895 Review
July 29, 2023 Comments Off on Rega Planar 10 Turntable $7895 Review
Rega has delivered a superb flagship vinyl spinner that competes closely with the very finest at its price point. Indeed, for a deck of this caliber, the price makes it something of a bargain. For 50 years, Gandy and his team have been steadily refining their distinct design and engineering principles, and the Planar 10 is a fully developed realization of their priorities. It’s incredibly simple to set up, beautifully made, and aesthetically pleasing. Combined with its captivating sound, those characteristics make it easy to recommend the Planar 10, without reservation. Few decks are capable of expressing the mood and atmosphere of music to this degree and I really enjoyed that particular quality in the Planar 10. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m heading back to that late-night bar in Rio. There’s a leggy Brazilian still waiting for me with a caipirinha
Woo Audio’s New Portable USB Headphone Tube Amplifier
July 29, 2023 Comments Off on Woo Audio’s New Portable USB Headphone Tube Amplifier
ASTELL&KERN ACRO CA1000T REVIEW
July 28, 2023 Comments Off on ASTELL&KERN ACRO CA1000T REVIEW
If you were to compare the DAC/AMP with its direct competitors – and not DAP – the simple fact that the CA1000T comes with a real screen would put the device in flagship territories. But, to my demise, the screen doesn’t belong to A&K Futura/Ultima series and remains (clearly) inferior to the one found on my SE180.
While my “old” DAP was given a vivid, sharp 5” 1920×1080 IPS screen, the CA1000T only tops at 720p, with much duller colors compared to the SE180. It’s not catastrophic either, but I’d have expected the DAC/AMP to come with a premium slab in view of its status.
PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream MK2 D/A processor Review
July 28, 2023 Comments Off on PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream MK2 D/A processor Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/ps-audio-perfectwave-directstream-mk2-da-processor
With the original DirectStream’s volume control set to its maximum of “100” and the Parasound monoblocks set to high sensitivity driving the KEF LS50s, I could hear no hiss with my ear pressed against a tweeter. (For my auditioning, I used the Parasounds set to their lower sensitivity and the PS Audio’s volume set to “76,” ie, 12dB below the maximum.) Repeating the exercise with the MK2, some noise was audible, but I couldn’t hear it if I moved more than a few inches away from the speaker. The level of this noise didn’t change if I lifted the USB ground via a Menu setting, and it wasn’t affected by the setting of the MK2’s volume control. It might be best, then, to avoid using the built-in volume control in a system with high-sensitivity speakers, like the Klipsch La Scala Alex Halberstadt reviewed in April 2023, where the music volume may need to be turned down to levels at which this noise becomes troublesome.
Estelon XB Mk II Loudspeaker $49,000 Reviews
July 25, 2023 Comments Off on Estelon XB Mk II Loudspeaker $49,000 Reviews
https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1192-estelon-xb-mk-ii-loudspeaker
In retrospect, I don’t think it hurt that the Estelon speakers’ backing cast of characters was at the absolute top of its game. My system has been building itself up over the past year, and right now, with the Hegel H30A amplifier fed by the EMM Labs DS-EQ1 phono stage and DS Audio’s DS 003 cartridge, I feel like I’ve entered another dimension. My own Aurelia Cerica XL speakers, as crazy-good as they are, really don’t do justice to this world-class front end.
No, it took the injection of the Estelon XB Mk IIs to show me what the rest of this kit can truly do. Now, the XBs are expensive speakers, by any stretch, but while I’d be an idiot to brand them a bargain, I truly believe there’s huge value here, given their world-class sound and outrageous, provocative, seductive looks.
I think it’s fair to contrast the XBs to the YBs I’ve lived with for the past three years. The YB is already a Class Three speaker, with its heroic build quality, high-end driver complement, and exceptional sound, and it stands out as a worthwhile purchase on its own merits. The XB, at an additional twenty thousand dollars per pair above the price of the current YB Mk II, is a big-ass jump, and you’d think it would need to be significantly better to justify that Honda-Civic-sized upcharge.
Dan D’Agostino Momentum M400 MxV monoblock power amplifier $79,950 Review
July 24, 2023 Comments Off on Dan D’Agostino Momentum M400 MxV monoblock power amplifier $79,950 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/dan-dagostino-momentum-m400-mxv-monoblock-power-amplifier
D’Agostino’s Momentum M400 MxV mono amplifier exceeded my expectations. Its relatively compact size belies its stellar performance: massive bass, mellifluous midrange, and well-measured treble. The clarity and ease with which it handles even the most challenging recordings is remarkable. It is one of the most musical, truthful, satisfying amplifiers I’ve ever heard in my system and one of the most striking aesthetically.
Audiophiles wishing to experience the edge of the hi-fi envelope should visit a dealer or an audio show exhibiting the Momentum M400 MxV and listen to it. Those who audition a pair and are blessed with the wherewithal to seriously consider their acquisition will find it tempting, I suspect, to take them home.
HIFIMAN AUDIVINA CLOSED-BACK PLANAR REVIEW
July 24, 2023 Comments Off on HIFIMAN AUDIVINA CLOSED-BACK PLANAR REVIEW
The HIFIMAN AUDIVINA Closed-Back Planar Magnetic Studio Headphones and HIFIMAN EF600 R2R DAC & Headphone Amp are everything promised and more, the synergy between these two products is simply jaw-dropping and I can’t see myself listening to the AUDIVINA with anything other than the EF600. Likewise, I experimented with other headphones, specifically the HIFIMAN HE6se and the Dan Clark Audio ETHER C Flow, but neither performed as well with the EF600 as the AUDIVINA. That being said, the EF600 seems to be ideally tailored to HIFIMAN headphones and would be a good match with anything from the DEVA to the SUSVARA.
Marantz Model 40n $2499 Review
July 23, 2023 Comments Off on Marantz Model 40n $2499 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/marantz-model-40n-review
A fully-fledged modern streaming system such as the Model 40n isn’t short of ways of listening to music. Once connected to your home network (ethernet and wi-fi are both available), you have access to plenty of streaming options at your fingertips. Music streaming services such as Amazon Music, Deezer, Spotify Connect and Tidal, and TuneIn internet radio station are available thanks to the HEOS platform and app (more on that later), while AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth are on board for easy streaming from mobile devices. If you’ll be using wi-fi or Bluetooth regularly, we’d recommend installing both antennae provided in the box for maximum stability and strong connection.
For those with servers and NAS devices filled to the brim with hi-res digital music files, the 40n can stream files from those over the network thanks to DLNA compatibility. It can handle playback of up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD128 files. Hardcore DSD fans and those looking for the upper limits of bit resolution (over 32-bit, DSD256) might want to look elsewhere, but considering the majority of our digital music files are within the 40n’s limits, we don’t find this a problem. Interestingly, the Model 40n uses an ESS Sabre ES9016K2M DAC chip inside, the very same one also used in the Award-winning Cambridge Audio CXA81 amplifier and the Evo 75 system, the latter of which can handle up to 32-bit files.
Audiophilepure 
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