Arendal Sound 1723 Tower S Loudspeaker $3599 Review
February 23, 2024 Comments Off on Arendal Sound 1723 Tower S Loudspeaker $3599 Review
First on the CD tray was Jerry Garcia and David Grisman’s Shady Grove (Acoustic Disc ACD-21), one of my go-to discs. Whenever I set up a new pair of speakers, I start by positioning them exactly where my reference speakers normally stand. This has often been a useful starting point, but it doesn’t always work. With the Arendals, it didn’t: in that position, their imaging was more diffuse than I would have liked. I moved the two speakers several inches closer to each other and toed them in so that their tweeters’ axes passed just outside my ears. After some tweaking of the speakers’ positions and toe-in, while playing “Off to Sea Once More,” I was able to bring images into focus. Instrumental outlines were sharper and their positions on the soundstage were more precise. The greater coherence of the presentation solidified the image of the bluegrass ensemble at the front of the room. The more I listened, the more I agreed with Arendal’s characterization of their tweeter as sweet-sounding. It was incredibly smooth, making listening easy and inducing me to turn up the volume.
Phillips Design OH-16 Omnidirectional Loudspeaker $8,800 Review
February 22, 2024 Comments Off on Phillips Design OH-16 Omnidirectional Loudspeaker $8,800 Review
The intimacy of a musical performance is what we all strive to reproduce. The feeling of “being there” without putting up with the sky-high ticket prices, parking, and crowds. We all want to have Pink, singing in our Audio Room (but that’s probably not going to happen). The best we can do is to take the time (and what’s left of our savings) and assemble a sound system; that reproduces our music of choice, to the best of its capabilities.
With just hours to spare, the Phillips Design OH-16 omnidirectional three-way loudspeakers could do just that. They reproduce music with such a wide dynamic range that you would assume they stood six feet tall. They reproduce vocals with such detail and clarity, and in fact, you’d assume they cost twice as much. With the Bryston amplifier, the bass was present and properly forward and strong. Nice, tight, fast responsive bass.
Matrix Audio Element X2 Pure Network-Attached DAC Review
February 21, 2024 Comments Off on Matrix Audio Element X2 Pure Network-Attached DAC Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/matrix-audio-element-x2-pure-network-attached-dac
As a networked DAC/preamp, there are various ways to use the Element X2 Pure, but for much of my listening I ran it straight into the aforementioned Primare A35.2 power amp, streaming via Roon. This made for a fuss-free, clutter-free system and long, jukebox-style listening sessions where the DAC’s defined, open sound appeared suited to every flavour of music.
The genre-hopping exuberance of Amadou & Mariam’s Dimanche À Bamako album [Because Music; 44.1kHz/16-bit], where African, Middle Eastern and Western instruments bubble away in a blues/reggae-tinged melting pot, spotlighted the Element X2 Pure’s ability to capture timbral differences and microdynamics. The grooving gait and vocal presence of ‘Senegal Fast Food’ was so enjoyable I tried to sing along – despite not understanding the French lyrics
Trafomatic Rhapsody Integrated Amplifier Review
February 21, 2024 Comments Off on Trafomatic Rhapsody Integrated Amplifier Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/trafomatic-rhapsody-integrated-amplifier
Trafomatic’s Rhapsody ensured that I wallowed in the room-filling, full-blown orchestral readings of ‘White Christmas’, ‘Sleigh Ride’ and ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’, some wholly (or holy) instrumental, others with multiple voices to the fore. What was not compromised, despite the Rhapsody amplifier eschewing lushness for the sake of it, was that silky sheen which endears SET designs to the faithful. The best way to describe it is an inherent antidote to listener fatigue.
If there is any limit to this amplifier’s sheer command, it might prove to be the wattage, but that only affects your choice of loudspeaker. When paired with high-sensitivity models, the Trafomatic Rhapsody earns the most glowing testimony I can bestow on a product by simply stating one fact: my first listening session ran for seven uninterrupted hours. Yes, seven. The only downside? Looking at the smart meter in my listening room.
YG Acoustics Tor Stand-mount Speakers with Descent Subwoofer$10,500 Review
February 20, 2024 Comments Off on YG Acoustics Tor Stand-mount Speakers with Descent Subwoofer$10,500 Review
Luxman L-509Z integrated amplifier $12,495 Review
February 20, 2024 Comments Off on Luxman L-509Z integrated amplifier $12,495 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/luxman-l-509z-integrated-amplifier
Some amplifiers make you work to understand their meaning and message. Others shout their personalities like “Swifties” about to see their heroine. The Luxman L-509Z never shouts, barks, or begs. Its message is clarity, balance, coherence, seamlessness, quietude, and a certain invisibility—in keeping, I believe, with a Japanese audio aesthetic of delivering music artifact free, above all else.
As Luxman’s evolving noise-suppression technologies make the company’s amplifiers more silent, what is left behind is purity and focus. The L-509Z builds on tradition without losing the plot. It’s an exacting integrated amplifier with a good phono stage, a bevy of control options, and plenty of power. The Japanese company’s flagship integrated merits a “Sai-kōkyu” designation. We call it Class A.
Arendal Sound 1723 Tower S Loudspeaker REVIEW
February 19, 2024 Comments Off on Arendal Sound 1723 Tower S Loudspeaker REVIEW
This, my first encounter with Arendal Sound left a positive impression. The 1723 Tower S combines distinctive styling, rock-solid construction, and engaging sound at an attractive price. I can now appreciate the confidence behind the company’s generous return policy. With its smooth top end, the Tower S can be enjoyed for long periods and at high volumes without fatigue. If you’re a listener who prioritizes detail above all else, however, you may find other speakers in this price range more satisfactory.
Moon 681 $12,000 Review
February 19, 2024 Comments Off on Moon 681 $12,000 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/moon-681
In our experience, Moon’s products tend to have a distinctive sonic character that majors on refinement, spaciousness and clarity. The 681 treads much the same path while delivering a level of insight that competes strongly with the class leaders. This streamer has an impressively clean presentation that digs deep into the fabric of the recording and paints on a pleasingly large-scale canvas. As we listen to a 24-bit/192kHz file of Mahler’s Symphony No.4 we can’t help but be impressed by the authority on show and the streamer’s ability to transition so fluidly from loud to quiet and back again. There is a strong sense of authority here, helped no doubt by the punchy and muscular way the 681 renders low frequencies.
There is no questioning the 681’s level of control and organisation either. It can follow low-level instrumental strands with ease while never losing grip of the musical whole and also keeps a steady hand when the music becomes demanding. Tonally things are full-bodied and balanced with no part of the frequency range getting undue emphasis. It is a smooth presentation with no sign of hardness or unwanted edge unless it is in the original recording to start with. Even then, the 681 is loathe to make a meal of things; an ideal trait if your music collection is built around what you like rather than recording quality.
Musical Fidelity M8xTT Turntable Review
February 17, 2024 Comments Off on Musical Fidelity M8xTT Turntable Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/musical-fidelity-m8xtt-turntable
In the top end, Musical Fidelity’s turntable is clean, silky and open. The tonearm worked superbly with my Clearaudio MC Essence cartridge, playing to its strengths of insight and clarity but without undue hardness or ‘spit’. This meant crisp yet smooth cymbals and percussion, and stringed instruments imbued with a sense of realism, but no screech or discomfort. The potential to use the M8xTT with other tonearms is appealing, and I can think of a few that I would be interested to try. That said, I have a suspicion that any swap would also serve to illustrate that MF’s in-house 10in tonearm really is something of a star, and well matched to the rest of the design.
While the M8xTT generally beguiles in terms of rhythm, impact and its ability to unravel complex melodies, some of the most memorable sessions I had with this deck involved material that was a lot simpler. The track ‘Anyway’ from Dutch singer Elles Springs’ Reveal album [Vertere Records VLR-001-ELLES] features nothing more than vocals, acoustic/slide guitars and acoustic bass, but the rendition offered by Musical Fidelity’s new turntable was both uplifting and insightful. Springs’ soft, airy vocals sounded lifelike as they projected from my loudspeakers, while the acoustic guitar, gently played in the background by Caroline Kamp, showed plenty of subtle detail.
GoldenEar T66 Loudspeaker $6249 Review
February 17, 2024 Comments Off on GoldenEar T66 Loudspeaker $6249 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/goldenear-t66-loudspeaker
The result is a loudspeaker with a better balance overall. Not only is the sound less dense and compact in terms of imaging, but fine detail is presented in a more airy and open fashion. In other words, while never quite displaying ultimate resolution, the GoldenEar T66 has the audiophile character its designers were aiming for. Anyone used to the erstwhile ‘American’ tuning, which sometimes seemed more suited to home theatre than hi-fi, will be pleasantly surprised. The interplay between the T66’s passive drivers and its active woofers delivers spacious detail on an expansive soundstage that has the rock-solid foundation you would expect from a son of Triton. A benefit of the semi-active DSP-controlled approach is that the T66 generally remains in equilibrium, even at lower volumes.
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