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.
Starke Sound SW15 Subwoofer $699 Review
April 9, 2024 Comments Off on Starke Sound SW15 Subwoofer $699 Review
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/starke-sound-sw15-subwoofer-review
The opening salvo of Hans Zimmer Live in Prague is a medley consisting of “Driving”, “Discombobulate” and “Zooters Breakout.” Those three set the tone for the rest of this disc. They slowly build to a towering crescendo, beautifully crafted by the 70+ musicians that grace the stage by the end. Inevitably I’m playing this one loud. To put it more accurately, I’m playing this one loud. As the musicians start coming in the sound gets hectic and lively, yet the SW15’s seemingly enjoyed the challenge. The upright bass and electric bass guitars, drums, and tympani are all recorded on the hot side, but not excessively so. They underpin this composition, producing a sound that was rich, warm and inviting.
Forgoing what was fast becoming a trend in this evaluation—live recordings—I opted to close out the music section with a studio track instead, featuring a song from a very long time ago. From Pink Floyd’s seminal album Dark Side of the Moon, I went with “Time.” That pulsating double-beat that occurs at the beginning was lush and striking, despite the other instruments being recorded louder. The plucked strings from the bass guitar rang out with authority, immediately grabbing my attention. At first they have a very Rickenbacker sense to them, with the more trebly tone that bass guitar is known for. When the song kicks into the rhythm itself, it quickly becomes apparent Roger Waters is now using his more customary Fender Precision, with its meaty sound. The Starke Sound SW15 handled all of it with poise.
Take A Tour Of The ‘In’ Groove Record Store In Phoenix Arizona
April 9, 2024 Comments Off on Take A Tour Of The ‘In’ Groove Record Store In Phoenix Arizona
Edwards Audio TT4 Review
April 8, 2024 Comments Off on Edwards Audio TT4 Review
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/edwards-audio-tt4
Talk Electronics, Edwards Audio’s parent company, has invested heavily in machining facilities for its Surrey-based factory and is as proud to thump the ‘made in Britain’ tub as it is willing to take the Pepsi Challenge with any competitor on the matter of which sounds better? Running with the theme, the TT4 is, if anything, a still punchier prospect itching to chop down some popular big hitters – as it needs to be, of course, as counting on patronage solely because it isn’t a Rega or a Pro-Ject ain’t gonna work.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the slightly more expensive Rega Planer 2 and Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo to hand for comparison, but by pitching the TT4 against the considerably more expensive Rega Planar 6 (HFC 427) with Ania moving-coil cartridge (HFC 452) and Neo PSU as well as MoFi’s terrific StudioDeck +, we should get a reasonable idea how that contest might have turned out.
Questyle NHB12 In-Ear Wired Earbuds for iPhone Review
April 8, 2024 Comments Off on Questyle NHB12 In-Ear Wired Earbuds for iPhone Review
Male vocals are delivered with excellent tonal weight and clarity and not pushed forward of the instrumentation. Detail and texture are present throughout the range and there is no noticeable dip or uptick in presence into the lower treble.
Guitar notes have a strong edge and higher strings have just enough energy and detail to sound realistic into the upper midrange.
Piano notes are delivered with excellent accuracy and tonal weight; that aspect of the performance was the most impressive for me because it represents a genuine challenge for almost every IEM to get right.
Female vocals are clean, detailed, airy, and not pushed forward of the instrumentation.
The treble is clean as well with good percussion snap and cymbal hits are delivered with a great deal of accuracy and detail.
Roll-off is somewhere above my upper limit which gives the NHB12 a rather open top end with enough air and sparkle to keep from sounding closed in.
KEF R11 Meta Loudspeaker £5500 Review
April 7, 2024 Comments Off on KEF R11 Meta Loudspeaker £5500 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/kef-r11-meta-loudspeaker
The R11 Meta speakers carry off their bluff styling with some flair, being neither as large nor as unmanageable as they may at first appear. Yes, the balance here is very commercial, flattering relatively modest systems but responding well to an uplift in partnering electronics, but what’s wrong with that? These are impressive speakers, solidly built and designed to please – which they indubitably do.
Arcam A25 and ST5 Stereo System Review $2,298 Review
April 7, 2024 Comments Off on Arcam A25 and ST5 Stereo System Review $2,298 Review
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/arcam-a25-and-st5-stereo-system-review
When connected digitally, there is just a single volume control displayed on the A25; when using the analog connection from the ST5, each device has independent volume controls. As such, it was possible to overload the inputs to the A25 by maxing out the volume from the ST5 while the volume on the A25 was low. The slight distortion vanishes after balancing the gain between these units, and using the TOSLINK or digital coax connection completely eliminates it. I found no reason to use the analog connection, especially considering the ST5 uses a high-quality ESS ES9018K2M high-resolution DAC. This same DAC is used in the A25.
I prefer to stream Tidal, especially for sound quality evaluations. I queued up Norah Jones’ latest release, “Staring at the Wall”, a delightful collaboration with Leon Michels. The ST5 and A25 captured every nuance of this upbeat and insanely catchy song. Jones’s tripled vocals with lead and harmony were distinct, and even the slightly detuned piano was conveyed transparently. The overall mix has a raw, garage-studio quality, and all of the imperfections of the performance are captured.
GoldenEar T66 Tower Speaker $3,600/each Review
April 6, 2024 Comments Off on GoldenEar T66 Tower Speaker $3,600/each Review
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/goldenear-t66-tower-speaker-review-performance-evolved
It’s just that every time the equation turns to “spend the budget on more channels versus fewer, better channels” what’s achievable by focusing a budget on the most important channels in the system keeps slapping me in the face and saying “wake up!” The point of diminishing returns for ever-higher channel counts comes on a lot faster than it does when upgrading speakers in a fixed, modest number of channels. And the savings don’t just come from buying fewer speakers, it costs a lot more to buy an AVR or processor that does 11.4.4 channels than a unit with a more modest channel count. But, in my view, that’s more money that can instead go into great-sounding speakers, like the T66 towers.
I find a phantom center preferable to a dedicated center channel for a TV in a living room setup. The reason for that is the center channel always has to go beneath the TV or maybe above the TV. Neither of these locations is ideal and they visually detract from the aesthetic of two stylish tower speakers. Not that I am in any way opposed to center channel speakers, but if the focus is on home theater, by all means, use one. Plus if you go with a two-channel solution like the Technics, there’s no center channel option to begin with.
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