Audio Technica AT-LPW50BTRW $499 Review
May 23, 2023 Comments Off on Audio Technica AT-LPW50BTRW $499 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/audio-technica-at-lpw50btrw
Spin Alice in Chains’ MTV Unplugged record and the AT-LPW50BT does a great job of bringing out the crunchy, sludgy textures of the guitar and fuzzy bass. The deck delivers enough clarity and subtlety to relay the tonal differences between Layne Staley’s nasal-edged, emotionally-charged vocals and Jerry Cantrell’s softer, more melodious singing. There’s a good sense of rhythm that drives the songs along and, while it could be more precise and punctual, it’s a hugely likeable presentation that’s comfortable to listen to.
Switch to Tom Waits’ Foggy Night live set and the atmosphere changes to a more intimate one, his wry vocals soaked in whiskey and smoke coming through clearly as he chats in between songs.
McIntosh MI502 Class D Power Amp Review
May 22, 2023 Comments Off on McIntosh MI502 Class D Power Amp Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/mcintosh-mi502-class-d-power-amp
I partnered the amp with sources including a Primare PRE35 [HFN Dec ’19] for a balanced connection and Oppo UDP-205 CD/SACD player [HFN Jul ’17]. Via both the result was a largely neutral sound, especially in the bass and lower-mid, and with the transparency to reveal the limitations of the source when given a CD rip of the title track of Prince’s Purple Rain [Warner Bros/NPG 9362-49132-0]. Pairing the McIntosh amp and Oppo disc-spinner created an easy-to-use two-box set-up that yielded a fine performance with Barb Jungr’s cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Sara’ on SACD [Linn Super Audio Collection: Volume 5; Linn Records AKP 389], where the delicate handling of her haunting vocal was countered by the weight and body of the piano that accompanied her.
Fyne Audio F704 £13,999 Review
May 22, 2023 Comments Off on Fyne Audio F704 £13,999 Review
Practically everyone who has written about Fyne Audio’s products has used this wordplay, but the F704 is a ‘fine’ loudspeaker. It’s the antithesis of ‘boring but worthy’ loudspeakers yet can be extremely civilised and refined. Music is an upfront, vibrant and visceral experience when played through the Fyne Audio F704, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. Sometimes we want a loudspeaker that hums along in the background, then we need a loudspeaker than can enthral and entertain, and sometimes we just need to party hard. The F704 is all those things!
Stein Music Bobby S Ultimate Loudspeaker $18,750 Review
May 21, 2023 Comments Off on Stein Music Bobby S Ultimate Loudspeaker $18,750 Review
Not inexpensive, the Bobby S Ultimate seemed high value to me with two-way speakers selling for $30,000 and more but not outperforming these beauties. Holger Stein, CEO and chief designer of these speakers, recently won the Counnas Innovation Award from the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society, a first for a designer from Europe. I have never tried anything he has designed that did not perform to the max for dedicated audiophiles and music lovers. The Bobby S Ultimate fit the bill for audiophiles who want the best two-way stand-mounted speakers available today and are most highly recommended.
Lumin U2 Mini Network Player Review
May 21, 2023 Comments Off on Lumin U2 Mini Network Player Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2022/11/15/lumin-u2-mini-streamer
The Lumin U2 Mini was a bit of a surprise. Yes, the buzz was strong about the company and the reviews have been stellar. But on first listen, I was disappointed (break in, break in break in!). As soon as the skies were blue, the U2 Mini made its presence felt very quickly. A very refined digital sound—there’s no way you’d confuse this with analog—and in the very best of the digital domain. I was also surprised at the very reasonable price of $2400. Sure, you have to buy a quality, well-matched DAC, but that’ll be fun research. Cables will be important, too. But while listening and making decisions, you’ll have great satisfaction knowing the all-important streamer brand new to your system is a little cracker. Very highly recommended.
Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X $5198 Review
May 20, 2023 Comments Off on Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X $5198 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/martin-logan-electromotion-esl-x
We switch to Bruce Springsteen’s High Hopes and the ESL X’s strengths continue to shine through. They communicate The Boss’s voice with all the grit and passion it demands, while maintaining a sense of composure when the production gets dense. It is a fast and emotive presentation; one that gets straight to the core of the music. The speaker’s lack of muscularity in the bass does affect the energy levels of some songs, particularly the gnarly version of The Ghost Of Tom Joad, but there is plenty of compensation in the way these hybrids put a microscope on the recording and uncover subtleties most rivals ignore.
Boulder 866 Integrated Amplifier £13,499 Review
May 19, 2023 Comments Off on Boulder 866 Integrated Amplifier £13,499 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/boulder-866-integrated-amplifier
Some integrated amplifiers might offer slightly more functionality as a system hub, but Boulder’s 866 is well specified, impressively built and a knockout performer. This has all the attributes of a muscle amp, but it’s not simply power which grabs your attention. Balance, detail and sweetness make listening sessions seriously enjoyable, and in this analogue/digital guise, it brings its talents to all your sources.
THIEAUDIO PRESTIGE $1,299 REVIEW
May 17, 2023 Comments Off on THIEAUDIO PRESTIGE $1,299 REVIEW
Each pair of faceplates are handcrafted by ThieAudio, with slight variations in appearance and finish. Speaking for my pair, I absolutely love it, as I am a big fan of the space, of the unknown! Overall, the design of the Prestige is visually striking and looks unique. As we have come to expect from Thieaudio, the quality, and workmanship is quite good. I didn’t find any flaws in the parts that are difficult and tedious to make by hand, such as the joints that connect the nozzle to the shell, and the ventilation holes required by the dynamic driver. The handcrafted ThieAudio units we have reviewed before were also flawless in these areas, so we can say that ThieAudio has a very strict quality control phase and we appreciate their attention to detail.
Parasound HINT 6 Halo Integrated Amplifier $2995 Review
May 17, 2023 Comments Off on Parasound HINT 6 Halo Integrated Amplifier $2995 Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2022/10/25/s1ywey29591p1wt0q9smr6fnpdka55
The DAC section of the HINT 6 provided a wonderful foil to the sameness of digital that can be apparent when streaming a variety of genres. Even great-sounding DACs can impart a common cleanliness to the sound of any recording played through them. Without being too revealing or edgy the HINT 6 DAC stepped out of the way of the music better than the outboard options I tried for comparison. Hoodoo Man Blues by Junior Wells and Buddy Guy (Delmark, 1965) is a classic slab of Chicago blues that sonically stands apart from most ‘60’s blues albums. The sound has an immediacy that is apparent on virtually any system. It’s a studio record that doesn’t sound like it came from a studio—it jumps right out and grabs the listener. This raw effect was more present when using the HINT’s own DAC than the Ferrum ERCO which kept things slightly more reserved.
Audiophilepure 
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