SENNHEISER IE 200 REVIEW

February 9, 2023 Comments Off on SENNHEISER IE 200 REVIEW

The IE 200 features gold-plated MMCX connectors which are recessed in its housing for greater stability and guidance (just like with the IE 300, IE 600 and IE 900). A 1.2 meter cable with a 3.5mm single ended termination is included with the IE 200. You get two different styles of ear tips — silicone and memory foam — and they are provided in three sizes. What is special with the IE 200 is the ear tip tuning option. Depending on how you place the ear tips, you can influence the bass presentation. While this system does work, I don’t really find it very usable, but I’ll get back to that later.

The IE 200’s dedicated web site can be found here. As said, the IE 200 is selling for only $149 USD or €149 Euro. Sennheiser however stresses that this time, accessibility does not mean compromiseSennheiser with the IE 200 is focusing on sound quality and while that does show in the packaging and accessories, I find it to be a good decision. Who doesn’t like great sound at a low price?

VPI Avenger Direct Turntable Package £36,500 Review

February 7, 2023 Comments Off on VPI Avenger Direct Turntable Package £36,500 Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/vpi-avenger-direct-turntable-package

Solo vocalists also benefitted hugely from the Avenger Direct’s abilities. The Kari Bremnes’ track ‘A Lover In Berlin’ from her Norwegian Mood album [Kirkelig Kulturverksted ARS-FXLP 221] seemed to soar free and unfettered from my speakers. Miss Bremnes’ voice was fabulous, larger than life and absolutely rock-solid in the centre of the soundstage, with a majestic sense of atmosphere and space accompanying it. The fine percussive backing effects were also sharply defined and easy to focus on, but never intruded on the main action. Everything was expertly underpinned by a taut and fulsome acoustic bass with a crystal-clear note structure. Superb.

Across the lower bass registers the Avenger Direct/Fatboy combo played a masterful hand, dealing back anything I cared to throw at it with weight and confidence. Whether it was the punchy synths on Kylie Minogue’s infectious ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ from her Fever LP [Parlophone 0190295846248], or the thunderous organ work of Bach’s ‘Toccata and Fugue’ from the Invitation To Denon/PCM Digital Classics Part 2 record [Nippon Columbia ST-6011], VPI’s deck sailed through without breaking a sweat. At all times there was a reassuring mass and momentum to the sound, combined with an ease and effortlessness that was captivating.

Luxman L-507z Review

February 7, 2023 Comments Off on Luxman L-507z Review

AVM Ovation CS 8.3 Black Ed. All-In-One Solution

February 6, 2023 Comments Off on AVM Ovation CS 8.3 Black Ed. All-In-One Solution

https://www.hifinews.com/content/avm-ovation-cs-83-black-ed-all-one-solution

It’s the successor to the CS 8.2 [HFN May ’17] and still employs Class D amplification from Pascal – a well-known supplier to pro audio brands, and recently featured in Dynaudio’s active Focus loudspeaker – next to an ESS-based DAC. The Pascal module is driven by a triode tube line/preamp stage in the CS 8.3, unlike the £12,950 Ovation CS 6.3, for example, which is solid-state throughout.

Shipped in its own bespoke flight case, the £15,950 Black Edition we have here takes the standard CS 8.3 model and gives it a discrete makeover with an exclusive finish and selected tubes. And no, although ‘Black Edition’ makes it sound like a limited offering, this flagship is here to stay.

Fyne Audio F502SP $6499 Review

February 6, 2023 Comments Off on Fyne Audio F502SP $6499 Review

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/fyne-audio-f502sp

As we listen to Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 in full flow it is hard not to be impressed by the F502SP. These are big speakers for the money and the benefits of their generous portions are obvious. First off, these floorstanders sound so much more authoritative than most rivals. They deliver the Beethoven symphony with breathtaking scale and solidity. Large-scale dynamic sweeps are rendered with ease, even at high volumes where smaller alternatives start to struggle.

These Fynes reveal an impressive amount of detail and arrange all that information in a cohesive and controlled way. There’s a crisp snap to the leading edge of notes and the ability to paint the rest of the sound envelope properly. This is a colourful presentation that’s bold and confident.

If you are after outright tonal neutrality or class-leading refinement then we would point you elsewhere, as these aren’t the most refined or balanced speakers at this level. Yet, the rivals that gain ground on sonic sophistication lose it when it comes to the more visceral aspects of music replay. These Fynes are terrific at pulling us into the music. They deliver sound with immense verve, even if ultimately they deliver less in the way of outright finesse

DALI KORE Loudspeaker £70,000  Review

February 5, 2023 Comments Off on DALI KORE Loudspeaker £70,000  Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/dali-kore-loudspeaker

https://www.hifinews.com/content/dali-kore-loudspeaker

The enclosure, meanwhile, is built by a Danish furniture manufacturer that specialises in ‘curved shapes’, using a 28mm-thick birch laminate composite. It combines structural elements made from die-cast aluminium, thermoset resin and cast composite, and is divided up internally so each section of the speaker is operating in its own space. The dividers also brace the cabinet and are formed from laminated birch shelves installed to create non-parallel surfaces. The role of this cabinet, which is finished in a striking dark veneer with textured accents? According to CEO Lars Worre, it’s to ‘hold the drivers, be airtight, and shut up’.

It’s also built to be relatively easy to position – DALI suggesting 3-5m between the speakers, 1-2m from the wall behind, and away from corners, while also advising against any toe-in if the set-up conforms to the classic ‘equilateral triangle’ layout. There’s a KORE ‘White Paper’ covering, among other things, the brand’s ‘wide dispersion philosophy’, and you can find it on the company website at http://www.dali-speakers.com/en/products/dali-kore/dali-kore. (Registration may be required.)

Executive summary? The company aims to optimise the dispersion characteristics of its designs so that direct and reflected sounds have a similar tonal character. What’s more, the KORE is designed as a stable, relatively easy load for amplifiers, with a nominal impedance rated at 4ohm, a minimum of 3.2ohms at 72Hz, and a sensitivity given as 88dB/W/m.

Audiolab Omnia $2299 Review

February 5, 2023 Comments Off on Audiolab Omnia $2299 Review

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/audiolab-omnia

It may be nearly half the price, but the talented Technics SA-C600 system shares more features in common with the Omnia than other rivals, especially the CD player. The Technics may not be as big-scaled, open or reveal as much detail as the Omnia, but it’s more adept at conveying enthusiasm, rhythmic precision and dynamic punch – all qualities that the Omnia could do with a healthy dose of. 

The rapid-fire keys – which time with stunning precision – and rousing sense of momentum in Gonzales’ Blizzard in B Flat Minor are more immediate and captivating through the Technics. The interplay of notes and precise edges in songs like Four Tet’s Circling or Massive Attack’s Teardrop is more tangible, too. While Omnia is more capable in hi-fi terms, we simply want a bit more punch and drive to the proceedings. 

MoFi Electronics SourcePoint 10 loudspeaker Review

February 4, 2023 Comments Off on MoFi Electronics SourcePoint 10 loudspeaker Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/mofi-electronics-sourcepoint-10-loudspeaker

We discussed the MoFi’s soft-dome tweeter, which, as well as being larger than usual for a two-way design, has a relatively large surround. Andrew explained that the surround acts as a ring radiator, emitting sound. He said that with a conventional tweeter, the surround’s output at very high frequencies may well be in the opposite polarity to that of the dome, resulting in a loss of output. “I knew I wanted a slightly larger diameter, 1.25″ rather than 1″, with a wide roll surround, because that gives you extra capability at the lower frequencies. Counterintuitively, if you put a wider roll surround on the tweeter, you actually improve HF response. You think it would interfere and cut off earlier, but it doesn’t; it actually extends it. … [T]he phases will be additive up to a higher frequency.” Andrew said the SourcePoint 10’s tweeter goes out to beyond 30kHz.

Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III Integrated Amplifier $3495 Review

February 4, 2023 Comments Off on Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III Integrated Amplifier $3495 Review

Circling back to my initial points about imperfections, and that all designs possess them—why else keep pushing the envelope?—it’s interesting to think about how, throughout audio history, certain memorable designs have identifiable shortcomings that don’t greatly detract from their overall excellence. I’ll cite the original Quad electrostatic speaker, the Rogers L3/5A mini-monitor, and the Audio Research SP6 preamp as examples of designs that so wonderfully capture the gestalt of the music that we’re able to live with and listen past their imperfections, because they are so very good at drawing us into and conveying the music.

Acoustic Signature’s Maximus NEO Turntable $9,200 Review

February 4, 2023 Comments Off on Acoustic Signature’s Maximus NEO Turntable $9,200 Review

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/acoustic-signature%E2%80%99s-maximus-neo-turntable-max-quiet-clean-soundstage-and-excellent-dynamics

Coming in at the $9,200 turntable ballpark complete with tonearm and cartridge included, the Acoustic Signature Maximus NEO combo as reviewed here goes up against the following: 1) J.Sikora Initial ($9,495 without tonearm or cart); 2) Kuzma Stabi R with one arm wing ($8,845, and no tonearm or cart); 3) Rega Planar 10 ($6,375, sans cartridge); 4) Thorens TD 124 DD ($11,999 w/TP 124 tonearm but no cart); and 5) SME Model 6 ($8,995 with SME M2-9 tonearm).

That’s some tall cotton to be measured against, to be sure. But the Acoustic Signature Maximus NEO turntable juts out its chin and demands an audition. It’s a well-built machine that’s dead-quiet, fast off the mark, super-resolving, and uber-lively. In short, it’s a maximally great turntable well worth checking out. Gut gemacht!

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