ASTELL&KERN SP3000 REVIEW
April 5, 2023 Comments Off on ASTELL&KERN SP3000 REVIEW
I absolutely like the design of the SP3000 and the build quality here is excellent, as we’re used to from A&K. Lay-out wise, the AK SP3000 is simple. On the top of the unit, you from left to right find the 3.5mm output, the 4.4mm output and the 2.5mm output. To minimize contact noise from the output jacks, a gold PVD coating method is applied to the headphone connectors. The power button which also serves as volume wheel is located on the right side of the player. Underneath the volume wheel we find the SP3000’s LED. The LED’s colour either changes depending on the volume level, or you can let it indicate the bitrate (24bit is green, 32 is blue, DSD is purple). I have chosen for the latter option myself.
Thorens TD 1500 Turntable with Ortofon 2M Bronze Cartridge $2999 Review
April 5, 2023 Comments Off on Thorens TD 1500 Turntable with Ortofon 2M Bronze Cartridge $2999 Review
. Like much of her catalog, it’s well produced, boasting spacious soundscapes and grandiose sonics; characteristics that were ably communicated by the Thorens. What the opening track, “Hunter,” lacks in the ink-black backgrounds of my copy of the album on CD, the LP makes up for in the richness of the cello and sheer voluminosity of the thumping electronic bass. One critique I’ve encountered of early suspended-subchassis turntables is that they tend to have a woollier grasp of low frequencies. While I’m not going to suggest my vinyl copy of Homogenic matched the vise-like grip in the bass conveyed by the same track on CD, the bass was still solid and clear. Loose or poorly defined bass was never an issue. Like my own Thorens, the TD 1500 strikes a good balance between conjuring up plenty of detail while still maintaining the warmth that suspended-subchassis turntables are known for. Once again, this could be attributed to how quiet the TD 1500 was in my system.
Jadis I70 £11,498 Review
April 4, 2023 Comments Off on Jadis I70 £11,498 Review
I’ve often joked that the hottest amplifiers arrive in the height of summer and during the coldest months of winter, all you get to review is Class D ice-boxes. That is certainly true of the Jadis I70; it rocked up as the temperature started to rise, and I didn’t give a damn. The sound it makes is so beguiling, so enjoyable and so musically ‘right’ that I simply couldn’t help listen no matter what the ambient temperature. This is quite simply one of the best sounding amplifiers I have ever heard.
TOPPING G5 REVIEW
April 4, 2023 Comments Off on TOPPING G5 REVIEW
The layout of the G5 is a fairly straightforward one. There is a volume wheel on the front, which also doubles as the device’s power button. A slight turn of the wheel, as if you were turning up the volume, is enough to power the unit on. There is also a 3.5mm line output, a 3.5mm headphone output, and a 4.4mm headphone output right next to the volume wheel. Topping has designed the case to prevent the volume wheel from accidentally rotating when the device is in your pocket. There are raised edges around the front panel of the G5. These edges create a barrier so you don’t accidentally hit the volume wheel in your pocket.
ELAC Miracord 80 Turntable Review
April 3, 2023 Comments Off on ELAC Miracord 80 Turntable Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/elac-miracord-80-turntable
The ELAC Miracord 80 is a well-designed and beautifully built vinyl player, with sufficient mass and control to give each recording gravitas and depth. Paired with the D96 cartridge it offers engaging listening to those seeking a high-quality plug ‘n’ play system, but it also presents a solid platform for upgraders looking to improve upon the deck’s already excellent out-of-the-box performance.
SHANLING M3 ULTRA REVIEW
April 2, 2023 Comments Off on SHANLING M3 ULTRA REVIEW
The Shanling M3 Ultra is a premium digital audio player with an attractive design and top-notch build quality. Shanling has been developing elegant-looking players using quality materials for years. They have the necessary know-how and they have a certain design language that is attractive and aesthetic.
The M3U’s aluminum body feels robust and durable, and the smooth, curved edges provide a comfortable grip. It is quite portable as well, with its compact chassis. The 4.2-inch touchscreen is responsive and easy to navigate, with clear and sharp visuals, despite the lower pixel density compared to higher-priced units like the M6U. The device features a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 4.4mm balanced output, all of which feels sturdy and well-made.
Stacore Advanced Cryo Ultra Platform Review
April 2, 2023 Comments Off on Stacore Advanced Cryo Ultra Platform Review
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2023/03/stacore-advanced-cryo-ultra-platform.html
There are two ways to look at the assembly and planning of high-end audio systems. Either you start from scratch with a clear focus and knowledge of what you want and have, or you add the equipment and appropriate paraphernalia as the system grows, changes, and expands.
There’s no doubt that Stacore Advanced Cryo Ultra is a top-notch product to work with if you are starting from scratch, if you are on the quest towards the end-game system, or if you have already assembled your dream high-end audio setup. The Stacore Advanced Cryo Ultra platform lends itself to all three approaches.
MELCO FLAGSHIP MUSIC LIBRARY THE N1-S38 $11,995 REVIEW
April 1, 2023 Comments Off on MELCO FLAGSHIP MUSIC LIBRARY THE N1-S38 $11,995 REVIEW
Melco (Maki Engineering Laboratory Company) was established by Makoto Maki in 1975 in Japan. Maki, an enthusiastic audiophile, established the company to design and manufacture the finest audio components of the time; the undoubted masterpiece of the Melco line was the turntable (introduced into the UK in 1980) which set new standards in music reproduction.
From those early beginnings, Melco developed into the largest computer peripherals manufacturer in Japan (Buffalo Inc.), offering advanced products based on rigorous R&D. These included wireless routers, Ethernet data switches and storage devices such as NAS drives. Now, the company is proud to revive the highly respected Melco brand, offering discerning audiophiles high-technology network audio components in the spirit of those much-revered early Melco products, while incorporating the very latest research into reliable, high-performance networked devices and storage. Melco-audio.com
Zesto Bia 200 Select power amplifier $15,900 Review
April 1, 2023 Comments Off on Zesto Bia 200 Select power amplifier $15,900 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/zesto-bia-200-select-power-amplifier
The Haut Brion—both versions—is a wonderful, expressive amplifier. But it has nowhere near the sparkle, precision, resolution, or extension of the Bia 200. It also lacks the Bia 200’s tight, well-controlled, tuneful low end. It compensates by seeming more immediate, organic, and natural than the Bia 200. Both exist to serve the music, but they do it in different ways. The Bia 200 is transparent, powerful, resolving, fun. Maybe it’s the top end that seems to go out for miles, or the sonorous bass, or how it steps out of the way of recordings and lets them shine on their own terms.
Different people expect to hear different things from their hi-fi—different versions of transparency, as Herb Reichert would say—even as they seek musical truth. We’re all wired for the particular sounds that make our particular hearts sing. The Bia 200 is wired in a way that, for the right person, can make that happen.
Stage III Concepts Ckahron Ultimate Statement XLR interconnects $16,500 Review
March 31, 2023 Comments Off on Stage III Concepts Ckahron Ultimate Statement XLR interconnects $16,500 Review
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