Allnic Audio T-1500 MK2 Single-Ended Stereo Integrated Amplifier $8250 Review
April 14, 2023 Comments Off on Allnic Audio T-1500 MK2 Single-Ended Stereo Integrated Amplifier $8250 Review
Imagine an open sound with beautifully saturated timbres, clear microdynamics and a vast potential for macrodynamics and you have the Allnic T-1500. The bass sound is not flatulent, but its not unnaturally hard and defined like a solid state amp might produce; there is an airiness and space in the treble range that create such a feeling of well being, that one cannot help but grin as one listens. I don’t believe I’ve stated this before, but in listening to the T-1500 I have felt a profound sense of gratitude. A sense that I have been so privileged to hear the music I love and respect played in the intimacy of my home by the finest musicians both living and passed on, and I feel I am sitting within the ranks of the symphonic players themselves.

McIntosh MP100 Phono Preamplifier Review
April 13, 2023 Comments Off on McIntosh MP100 Phono Preamplifier Review
I did end up doing some ripping of certain albums to my laptop just to experience it with the MP100. I ripped five different albums including the ones I used for reviewing the unit in its primary function. The process was easy, and the results were actually quite impressive. I recently dumped over 3000 CDs because I stream, listen to vinyl and reel to reel these days, and as part of our start to downsizing, getting rid of them seems the wise thing to do. Going back and forth between tracks downloaded through the MP100, and the same tracks on vinyl, I have to say that they sounded amazingly close to the original. The quality of the transfer was really far better than I expected.


Arendal 1723 S Speakers & Subwoofer 2S $7,996 Review
April 13, 2023 Comments Off on Arendal 1723 S Speakers & Subwoofer 2S $7,996 Review
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/arendal-1723-s-speakers-subwoofer-2s-review
Considering how long ago it was recorded, “Come Together” from the Beatles has a surprisingly good mix. You can attribute some of that to the exquisite Hofner bass Paul McCartney played, the sound of which is like no other. It absolutely poured out of the Subwoofer 2S, a virtuoso performance which helped create the signature heavy riff that is the very foundation of this song. Offsetting the bottom end were the 1723 S speakers belting out George Harrison’s distorted guitar, providing additional weight. John Lennon’s voice pierced through the instruments as if it was leading a parade. The sizzle from Ringo Starr’s symbols gently laid on top of it all. When I closed my eyes it was as though I could place each of them in the room.

APERION AUDIO VERUS III CONCERT V8T TOWER $3,998 REVIEW
April 11, 2023 Comments Off on APERION AUDIO VERUS III CONCERT V8T TOWER $3,998 REVIEW
I walk away from this review very impressed. Aperion Audio has designed a remarkable speaker that sounds fantastic and has a stunningly beautiful exterior. Everything about the Verus III Concert V8T exudes quality and refinement. From the packing material to the sound and build quality, I enjoyed these speakers. I hope more people will discover this company that has been making speakers for more than 30 years in our very own Great Northwest. I highly recommend the Aperion Audio Verus III Concert V8T towers if you are in the market for powerful, beautiful, and musically detailed speakers.

Topping LA90 Power Amplifier $899 Review
April 11, 2023 Comments Off on Topping LA90 Power Amplifier $899 Review
If you have mid- to high-efficiency loudspeakers that you love, you may find the LA90 to be an ideal power or integrated amplifier for your system, too. I can easily see a single LA90 as the “summer amp” in high-efficiency horn systems. I would not recommend that owners of 2-ohm Apogee Scintillas or Theil CS3.5s, or if you have a large room with only moderately efficient speakers, run out and buy a pair. Some loudspeakers simply need more power than even two LA90s can give.
But unless you have a friend who has already purchased an LA90, your chances of hearing one or trying one out before you buy are pretty much nil. If you are intrigued by the LA90’s potential, you’re going to have to take a leap of faith (with a 45-day return window from Apos or 30-day from Amazon) and buy before you try, just like I did. So, while I would usually finish a review by recommending you hear a product for yourself, that’s going to be difficult with the LA90. However, if you’re feeling lucky (like the signature dialog from the film The Mask), I encourage you to take a leap of faith and give the LA90 a try. I seriously doubt you will be disappointed by its capabilities or performance.

TECHNICS SU-R1000 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $9,999 REVIEW
April 10, 2023 Comments Off on TECHNICS SU-R1000 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $9,999 REVIEW
The following bench tests cover the preamp, phono, and digital front end of the Technics SU-R1000. Measurements were taken at the RCA Pre-Out jacks. Proprietary digital processing such as LAPC was bypassed for these measurements. It should be noted that any potential measured benefits resulting from LAPC or ADCT processing would only be encountered at the speaker outputs terminals due to the design of the SU-R1000. Therefore, these measurements may not entirely reflect the final sound signature of the SU-R1000 as sent to the connected loudspeakers. I am not equipped to perform headphone power output or power amplifier tests at this time.


Constellation Centaur II Stereo Power Amplifier Review
April 9, 2023 Comments Off on Constellation Centaur II Stereo Power Amplifier Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/constellation-centaur-ii-stereo-power-amplifier
The same goes with the lavish remastered set of Queen’s The Miracle [EMI 00602508911330]. Bob Ludwig’s overhaul of the album sounds magnificent, from the drive of ‘Breakthrough’ to the funk of ‘The Invisible Man’, and via Constellation’s amp, Roger Taylor’s drums sounded punchy, big and rich, John Deacon’s bass bubbled away, and Brian May’s celebrated Red Special was unleashed in shards of screaming solo. As I realised having sat through most of the boxset, this is no analytical amplifier, even though it has served that purpose well – it’s also a complete blast when you just want to kick back and play some favourite music.
Does that sound like the ideal amp? I reckon so: not only can it do all the clever hi-fi stuff, it also always remains a consistently enjoyable listen. Even when running hard it stays physically cool and sounds like it’s well within its capabilities. Or to put it another way, the Centaur II is always ready to give even more should you want it!

Loricraft Audio PRC6i Professional Record Cleaner $3929 Review
April 9, 2023 Comments Off on Loricraft Audio PRC6i Professional Record Cleaner $3929 Review
The second advantage of the Loricraft machine is that the automatic feeding of fresh thread means that there is never any contamination of a record by a dirty suction head, which is a problem on all machines that use fixed vacuum heads (i.e., all of the automated ones I am familiar with apart from Loricraft and the Keith Monks machines). I believe this gives both the Loricraft and the Keith Monks machines a unique and very significant advantage. In addition, the concentrated vortex really does an outstanding job of removing and sucking everything out of the groove compared to the wider-slot designs fitted to many machines. After around a minute, the record is visibly spotless and totally dry.
As I remarked before, I have owned most of my records from new, and always played and stored them carefully. Over the years, my cleaning regime usually involved little more than a Hunt EDA Mark 6 cleaning brush swept across the record before play to remove dust. I was rather surprised when cleaning my well-kept records to see the color of the dirty cleaning fluid that was returned to the storage jar of the machine. That’s proof, if any was needed, that age takes its toll on even the best-kept vinyl, and contamination is inevitable. Emptying the collection jar is a breeze and easier than having to take the whole machine to the sink.

NAD Masters M23 Stereo/Mono Amplifier $3749 Review
April 6, 2023 Comments Off on NAD Masters M23 Stereo/Mono Amplifier $3749 Review
I’ve had the privilege of hearing a lot of truly excellent amplifiers in my system over the past few years, and the NAD Masters M23 is one of the very best. In fact, it compares very well to my Anthem M1 monoblocks and the Bryston 4B3—my two favorite amps in the upper four-figure price range. While I still prefer the sound of my Anthems, I don’t consider the Bryston or the M1s to be substantially better in any area of performance. And since the M23 is roughly half the cost of those two other amps, it is a screaming bargain, and a great-looking one at that.


Triangle Magellan Cello 40th Anniversary Loudspeaker £11,000 Review
April 6, 2023 Comments Off on Triangle Magellan Cello 40th Anniversary Loudspeaker £11,000 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/triangle-magellan-cello-40th-anniversary-loudspeaker
German/Sierra Leonean artist Patrice has built a reputation for fusing diverse musical influences in an idiosyncratic style that one reviewer, in France’s Le Monde newspaper, labelled ‘sweggae’. Therefore, after the Cello 40th Anniversary’s strong performance with the Wagnerian orchestral works, it was reassuring to discover the speakers were equally adept at genre-hopping to Patrice’s thoroughly modern-sounding Super Album [Supow Music BEC5611325; 44.1kHz/24-bit], a re-release of some of his previous hits embellished with new instrumentation.
Across the ska-like ‘Soulstorm’ to the rap-infused ‘Change Today’ and the laidback delicacy of ‘Hippies With Guns’, these celebratory Magellans homed in on Patrice’s vocal antics as well as the extra instrumentation, including the muted trumpets on ‘Change Today’ and the beatbox sounds on ‘Hippies…’ that are arrayed playfully around the stage. Just as with Danheim’s songs, here the Triangle speakers polished their signature performance – not overwhelming, not massive, but refined, classy and cultured.

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