LSA VT-150 Integrated Review
March 31, 2023 Comments Off on LSA VT-150 Integrated Review
And, putting a $2,500-$3,000 amplifier in the context of the $7,500 to $15k system it is more than likely going to end up in will leave you thrilled with the purchase. If you’ve been dreaming of investigating a tube amplifier, I can think of no better place to start your journey. Perhaps at some point, we will commandeer a second one to investigate how these perform as monoblocks. For now, staffer Jerold O’Brien will be using this one on a daily. His daughter took the VT-70, so how can you argue with that?
Sony NW-WM1ZM2 $3699 Review
March 30, 2023 Comments Off on Sony NW-WM1ZM2 $3699 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sony-nw-wm1zm2
On the surface, all that versatility seems like a good thing, but we’re not convinced. Anyone willing to spend this amount of money on a portable music player values music replay above all else. They, in all likelihood, already have a smartphone, so all that other functionality is already taken care of, and the last thing anyone deeply engrossed in listening to music wants is a random notification or similar interrupting their enjoyment. Of course, notifications can be switched off, but we think this kind of unit makes the most sense when it concentrates on music replay and nothing else.
Our view is reinforced by the clunky way the NW-WM1ZM2 works when we swap between apps or use the touchscreen in general. Too often it’s the kind of slow and stuttering experience early Android phones used to suffer from, and is a world away in terms of slickness from current phone flagships, including those from Sony. There is no excuse for this given the unit’s price.
NAD Masters M23 Stereo/Mono Amplifier $3749 Review
March 29, 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.
IsoAcoustics zaZen II Isolation Platform $229 Review
March 29, 2023 Comments Off on IsoAcoustics zaZen II Isolation Platform $229 Review
How does the zaZen II stack up to state-of-art-isolation like my Critical Mass Systems four-tier Sotto Voce equipment rack? Keeping in mind that zaZen II is limited to relatively small, lightweight components, it nonetheless fared remarkably well. In comparison to the CMS, it couldn’t quite confer the weight or elicit the deepest background silences that underpin large-scale orchestral recordings or big bands, but on key issues like image stability and low-level resolving power the zaZen II gave this listener more than a glimpse of the transparency that intelligent isolation can impart.
On shelf or sideboard, the IsoAcoustics zaZen II will integrate almost invisibly with the décor of an existingden or living room. Visually low-impact, but sonically high-achieving, it provided an excellent foundation for smaller budget systems. The primary takeaway: zaZen’s steadying influence allowed more of the fruits of a musical recording to be revealed and enjoyed.
MOONDROP VOID REVIEW
March 28, 2023 Comments Off on MOONDROP VOID REVIEW
Moondrop Void Review
The Void actually has a pretty easygoing tonality, much like the 58X and 6XX. However, the main problem is the deficiency of its technical capability. PRaT-wise, it is not the fastest dynamic out there, and it has many rivals in this price bracket. There are the time-tested Sennheisers, the Hifiman’s HE400SE, Deva, etc. so the crowd is tough. Back to the sound, the midrange of the Void is clean enough with increased energy in the upper midrange.
The upper midrange has adequate extension and this particular section improves and introduces a bit of air to the overall presentation. The Void reproduces vocals adequately in Oi Va Voi’s “Refuge” track and I mostly enjoyed listening to female vocals with the Void. Unfortunately, it lacks finesse and agility and handles congestion rather ineffectually.
Listening to genres prone to congestion, such as metal, reveals a fundamental issue with Void, namely its lack of proper instrument separation. You feel the lack of transparency and resolution as the number of instruments on stage increases and that is, I believe, the one thing that I did not expect to hear from a Moondrop product. The Kato had a solid technical proficiency, but of course, I think it’s important to remember that the Void is the first full-size headphone Moondrop ever designed.
Audeze LCDi4 $2,500 Review
March 27, 2023 Comments Off on Audeze LCDi4 $2,500 Review
Audeze LCDi4 Review
With the help of the larger transducer, the LCDi4 capably outputs revered bass with both power and finesse. It is a bass which straddles along the lines of neutrality without borrowing warmth from elsewhere. Perhaps some may prefer more voluminous bass akin to the Campfire Audio Atlas or the 64 Audio Nio, however the LCDi4 yields a solid foundation which extends well into sub-bass territory.
Audiovector R 8 Arreté Loudspeaker £53,495 Review
March 27, 2023 Comments Off on Audiovector R 8 Arreté Loudspeaker £53,495 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/audiovector-r-8-arret%C3%A9-loudspeaker
The natural, open-voiced delivery of the R 8 Arreté also delivers wonderful string tones, so that Ensemble Allegria’s recording of Britten’s ‘Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge’ [Britten/Hagen/Strauss; Lawo Classics LWC 1241] offered crisp yet fluid performances enhanced by the striking sense of the musicians laid out before the listener. There was such speed and drive in the March of Variation 2, and Variation 5’s Bourée, while the final Fugue built superbly with attack in its growing scale.
The speakers are also completely at home with the BBC Symphony Orchestra/Martyn Brabbins recording of Vaughan William’s 6th Symphony [Hyperion CDA68396], with fabulous drama and superb brass timbres. The massive orchestral scale is delivered without any loss of definition and insight, turning to wonderful fluidity as the movement’s tone calms.
Sony NW-WM1ZM2 $3699 review
March 26, 2023 Comments Off on Sony NW-WM1ZM2 $3699 review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sony-nw-wm1zm2
The Sony NW-WM1ZM2 is a cultured-sounding player and beautifully made. It is an immensely capable performer that verges on excellent, even considering the money. Our issue with this product is much more about the limited power output, which means we struggle to use our favourite headphones, as well as the lack of sophistication in the way it works. Sony, by all means improve the sound for the next generation, but what you really need to do is concentrate on making that version better to use.
Western Electric Type 91E Integrated Amplifier Review
March 26, 2023 Comments Off on Western Electric Type 91E Integrated Amplifier Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/western-electric-type-91e-integrated-amplifier
On the title track, as he trades lines with Dianne Reeves, the listener is drawn into a duet that provides both harmonising and contrast. The listener who is most captivated by the emotional elements of a performance will revel in the way that the two singers’ peerless powers of expression are presented against a backdrop of rich textures and tones, especially the piano, dominant from the outset. It’s as if one has recreated a smoky nightclub in one’s listening room. It almost begs the audience to dress for the occasion.
As voluble as I am most of the time, I find myself at a loss to convey just how marvellous is this amplifier though I will repeat to the point of tattooing it on my forehead that it must be matched to speakers of high sensitivity. I can only dream about how it will sound with Quad ESL 57s, which were never designed to demand bags of power though, to be fair, plenty of users will still pair the 91E with traditional horns. But the experience with DeVore’s O/93s? It’s a marriage to join Krell/Apogee and Audio Research/Magnepan in the annals of high-end audio.
HIFIMAN SVANAR $1,999 REVIEW
March 25, 2023 Comments Off on HIFIMAN SVANAR $1,999 REVIEW
Hifiman Svanar Review
But, the real gimmick here doesn’t come from the driver, but from the housing. How? By mimicking a principle seen (and heard) in almost every opera theater: a secondary cavity designed to smooth frequency response intersection. An idea that popped up when the Hifiman team saw the ballet “Swan Lake” at the Moscow State Theater, where they were amazed by the secondary diffusion ceiling design, resulting in an extended soundstage.
Audiophilepure 
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