CH Precision • L10 Preamplifier and M10 Power Amplifier $104,000 Review
February 24, 2023 Comments Off on CH Precision • L10 Preamplifier and M10 Power Amplifier $104,000 Review
https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/ch_precision_l10_m10.htm
The spectral balance — the perceived evenness of tone from top to bottom — of these electronics is as ideal as I’ve heard, neutrality and transparency as absolutes. Again, I’ve cited Lamm products as exemplars here, but there is no doubt that they sound somewhat darker than the CH Precision L10 and M10. But the CH Precision take on neutrality is not the lean, gray, antiseptic kind of other so-called neutral electronics. The L10 and M10 are supremely balanced, never tipping one way or the other in pursuit of their neutrality. I’ve written in the past about the information gleaned from listening to different versions of the same recording. The equipment will or will not reveal the differences in the mastering and source materials, and they will make the recordings sound more alike or more different. The L10 and M10 were the very best at this that I’ve encountered, while never turning the music into an over-analyzed mess. And with the best versions of a particular recording, like the MasterSound SBM gold CD of Kind of Blue [Columbia Legacy CK 52861], it was easy to become involved in the music and forget about analysis. Again, the L10 and M10 come by this deep insight honestly, through purist means, and it has purely musical ends.
PRO-JECT PHONO BOX S3 B PHONO PREAMPLIFIER AND X2 B TURNTABLE $1799 REVIEW
February 24, 2023 Comments Off on PRO-JECT PHONO BOX S3 B PHONO PREAMPLIFIER AND X2 B TURNTABLE $1799 REVIEW
The Pro-Ject Phono Box S3 B phono preamplifier and Pro-Ject X2 B turntable combination is an excellent platform to build an analog playback system with. They produce an engaging and lively sound quality from vinyl records and are built to last. And to make them even better, there is a solid upgrade path to get even better sound quality out of both of them. The total combined MSRP price of the Pro-Ject X2 B turntable land Pro-Ject Phono Box S3 B phono preamplifier is $2,298 USD. For that amount, you get an excellent platform for playing records with a Sumiko Rainer MM cartridge pre-installed and the tonearm balanced. You also get a phono preamplifier which does a great job of extracting musical information out of vinyl records but also does it with a sense of energy and liveliness. That phono preamplifier will also let you connect two tonearms at once and adjust cartridge settings by pressing buttons on its face, which is a real rarity in its price range. And if you want to extend the performance of this combo, you can purchase it from an authorized Pro-Ject dealer for a Superpack which gets you an improved Sumiko MC cartridge and a Connect It Phono S mini-XLR cable at reduced pricing.
Aavik U-280 Integrated Amplifier/DAC REVIEW
February 23, 2023 Comments Off on Aavik U-280 Integrated Amplifier/DAC REVIEW
I’m not trying to be all Rod McKuen here, but this will give you an idea of what I heard with the Aavik U-280 and that huge assortment of products from Audio Group Denmark. I knew I was listening to a very low noise floor–I feel like I’ve had a lot of practice identifying low noise floors after spending the last couple of years investigating high-end audio grounding gear. I did learn, for example, that low noise floors have very little to do with putting your ear up to the woofer cone and trying to hear some sort of electronic presence. It’s more of the same philosophy about lowering the noise floor so that more music comes through. It comes across as lower distortion and razor-sharp transient images. It’s funny that in 2022, a lot of audio manufacturers are starting to talk about these same approaches in their ads and seminars and exhibition rooms. Audio Group Denmark is at the vanguard, it seems, and not the fringe.
Still, I was tempted. I was all set to cue an LP when suddenly I noticed that my ear was fairly close to the woofer of the Børresen Z1 Cryo and I thought well, I’m right here. Let’s see what happens with this Aavik U-280 and all the other stuff in the system
Sonus faber Sonetto III Loudspeakers $3999 Review
February 23, 2023 Comments Off on Sonus faber Sonetto III Loudspeakers $3999 Review
The differences did not end there, however. On the Lumina V, the percussive tom-tom drums, which seem to talk during the chorus, had wonderful attack-to-body transition, and never got lost to the background of the lead instrumentation and vocals. This character was similar in all aspects on the Sonetto III, except the space between the instruments was far greater, and the start/stop speed of everything was more defined. There may have been a hint of congestion at times in the upper bass with the Lumina V, however the Sonetto III had none of it and were extremely accurate. I would classify the Sonetto III to be dead-pan neutral in timbre. This works for them in many ways, however there is no hiding harshness when it is present in the recording with the Sonetto III. As “Small Things” grew to its dramatic ending, the Sonetto III grew with it, and maintained their composure at volumes louder than I would expect. This got me thinking this is what Sonus faber meant when they stated not to be fooled by their size. They did not sound as of they had 8″ woofers for sure, however they did sound rock-solid and were surprisingly room filling for their slight size.
AUDEZE MM-500 PLANAR MAGNETIC HEADPHONES $1,699 REVIEW
February 22, 2023 Comments Off on AUDEZE MM-500 PLANAR MAGNETIC HEADPHONES $1,699 REVIEW
If you’re looking for a fantastic pair of mixing headphones, look no further than these beauties. They are quite a step up from many other mixing headphones that I’ve heard and reviewed through the years. As well, if you’re an audiophile looking for a top-flight pair of headphones that will lay your recordings bare and allow you to experience them as the original artists’ always intended, these headphones will fit that bill to perfection. I can’t stress just how impressed I was with these headphones regardless of your personal use as they ticked off every box on the list of what I look for in a great pair of headphones! While the price point isn’t meant for newcomers, these headphones easily compete with other flagship headphones costing 2-3 times as much. You owe it to yourself (and your ears) to give these headphones an audition as you won’t be disappointed!
Auralic Altair G1.1 Network-Attached DAC Review
February 21, 2023 Comments Off on Auralic Altair G1.1 Network-Attached DAC Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/auralic-altair-g11-network-attached-dac
Listening further, it became clear these two filter options represent the extremes of what’s on offer. On the other hand, both ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Balance’ take a less outspoken approach, with the last of those two lacking a bit of liveliness when heard in my particular set-up. However, regardless of the filter selected, these sonatas by Bach are rendered engagingly with just the right amount of warmth and depth, giving you enough insight to focus on the nuances brought by each stringed instrument of the quartet.
Ultimately, the sonic character of the Altair G1.1 can be described by the same ‘do it all’ terminology as its functional description. This is a streamer/DAC that covers all bases and does so with panache.
PS Audio Stellar S300 Power Amplifier $1649 Review
February 21, 2023 Comments Off on PS Audio Stellar S300 Power Amplifier $1649 Review
Toward the conclusion of this evaluation, I challenged the S300 a final time. Thanks to the generosity of MBL’s North American distributor (for which I’m forever grateful) I still had the remarkable MBL 126 compact Radialstrahlers on hand. And if there was an octave range where the S300 might show a little temperament, it would be through one of the most transparent midrange/tweeter combinations I’ve ever experienced. Few loudspeakers are more revealing of timbre and texture or as transparent and sensitive to low-level detail as these marvelous omnidirectional three-way compacts. However, they are sensitive to electronics, demanding accurate, reliable. and generous amounts of power. I typically drive them with MBL’s own Cadenza C51 180Wpc integrated ($9800), a Jürgen Reis-designed Linear Analog Switching Amplifier (LASA). The Stellar S300 put forth an excellent effort driving the Radialstrahlers. On larger-scale brass and wind pieces like the sweeping Liberty Fanfare [Wilson Audio], they demonstrated superb command and control over the barrage of heavy percussion. But in direct comparison, the S300 lacked the epic bass extension and hard-core slam of the MBL C51, a trademark of Reis designs. The top end might have been a little drier, too, lacking the effortless harmonic bloom of the MBL amp. Nonetheless, the S300 put on an impressive show, to say the least.
THIEAUDIO ORACLE MKII REVIEW
February 20, 2023 Comments Off on THIEAUDIO ORACLE MKII REVIEW
ThieAudio Oracle MKII Review
As I mentioned above, the mid-bass of the MKII is surprisingly linear. And so are the midrange. The Oracle MKII utilizes midrange drivers of the Monarch MKII, which is, in my opinion, ThieAudio’s best IEM to date. The Oracle MKII has a similar, neutral and balanced midrange with great resolution, articulacy, and detail retrieval. The instruments are breathy, clean, and natural. The strings are clear and precise. Due to the enhanced subs, vibrations are a delight to follow. However, things do get complicated around the upper midrange region. The Oracle MKII offers a lot of energy right around here, and the instruments that feed directly from this region – hi-hats, cymbals, crashes – take up a bit more space on stage than I would like. This ultimately hurts the staging and layering, especially as the number of instruments on stage increases. So to all metalheads, rock aficionados out there, make sure you select a good source to pair with the Oracle MKII. My recommendation would be a Mojo 2 or a Topping G5. Avoid analytical sources to achieve the best tonal balance, imo.
Sonus faber Sonetto III Loudspeakers $3999 Review
February 20, 2023 Comments Off on Sonus faber Sonetto III Loudspeakers $3999 Review
It is not common to be able to compare two excellent loudspeakers from the same manufacturer, on the same systems, in the same room, for a long enough period to truly understand the differences between them. I am extremely thankful for this experience. Both the Lumina V, which still hold a spot in the listening line-up, and the Sonetto III represent the entry of what “real” Sonus faber loudspeakers can do. Undoubtedly, the Sonetto III present the sound in a manner that is worth their price of $3999.99 per pair. They are $1000 better than the Lumina V, however be warned: The Sonetto III is an honest and sophisticated loudspeaker capable of tremendous staging and dynamics that belie its small size. This means they will reveal weaknesses in recordings and problematic electronics. The Sonetto III however, are certainly recommended, and a great representation of modern loudspeaker technology.
Audiophilepure 
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