Pure Fidelity Harmony Record Player $9995 Review
December 26, 2022 Comments Off on Pure Fidelity Harmony Record Player $9995 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/pure-fidelity-harmony-record-player
Aural memory is notorious, but among ‘tables I’ve heard lately, the Pure Fidelity Harmony most closely resembled the Thorens TD 124 DD in terms of energy, inner illumination, and finely wrought detail; less so the Kuzma. All three—Pure Fidelity, Thorens, Kuzma—are exceptional; any one of them could be an end-point turntable for a lot of people.
The Pure Fidelity Harmony brings a beautiful sonic signature to vinyl but with enough transparency to reveal the unique personality of each LP. Every record played on the Harmony, from jazz and rock to electronic and classical, is an event. I couldn’t not listen: Each performance demanded my attention and rewarded it with a deep musical connection.
The Pure Fidelity Harmony is one of the finest analog playback machines I’ve heard, worth every penny of its $9995 asking price.
Kimber Carbon 18XL Factory-terminated loudspeaker cables £4526 Review
December 25, 2022 Comments Off on Kimber Carbon 18XL Factory-terminated loudspeaker cables £4526 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/kimber-carbon-18xl-factory-terminated-loudspeaker-cables
Combining all its topologies into one cable might not necessarily have been a recipe for success, but Kimber has pulled it off with Carbon 18XL. This heavyweight but not inflexible cable is about power and warmth rather than citrus top-end freshness, although its moderate capacitance will no doubt bring a little extra ‘zing’ to upper mid and treble with some amplifiers. It’s a great addition to the pantheon of high-end cables – less ‘me too’, more ‘can do’.
NAD M23 Class D Power Amp Review
December 25, 2022 Comments Off on NAD M23 Class D Power Amp Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/nad-m23-class-d-power-amp
I can tell you exactly the last track I auditioned through the M23: ‘Safari Inn’, an instrumental by Slash featuring Miles Kennedy and the Conspirators [World On Fire; Roadrunner Records RR75582]. Playback from CD, so nothing too exotic, but – wow – was I captivated. It starts out broody, with deep bass sliding to a stop above the drum track, and Slash’s distinctive Marshall/Gibson guitar tone laying down a bluesy riff. Then the soloing starts… and doesn’t let up for the next three minutes. I found myself stood before my speakers, playing air guitar, soaking up the NAD amp’s sheer power, drive and projection.
This black and silver slab rocks. And that was the last track I played, because I realised if I listened to any more I was in danger of having to buy an M23 for myself.
Technics SL-1200G turntable $3999 Review
December 24, 2022 Comments Off on Technics SL-1200G turntable $3999 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/technics-sl-1200g-turntable
Then again, I can think of few turntables that offer as much value as the SL-1200G. The quality of its engineering and execution makes typical audiophile products look slightly homemade, and I’m willing to bet that it will remain as bulletproof as the legendary DJ deck on which it’s based. Speaking of which, the similarity between the two is largely cosmetic: The SL-1200G offers performance that the SL-1200 could only dream of. Whether it’s the turntable for you depends on your sonic and musical priorities. The Technics isn’t for romantics: It will not make you smell the cigarette smoke at the Baobab Club in Dakar or feel the worn wood of the pews in Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. What it will do is reproduce the music on your records with faultless sonics and probably last into the next century. If this sounds appealing, try to audition one.
Gold Note DS-10 EVO £2,999 Review
December 24, 2022 Comments Off on Gold Note DS-10 EVO £2,999 Review
It sounds taut and controlled but never rhythmically over-rigid. Its tonal balance is just about spot-on, and it never strays into that rather matter-of-fact sense of resolution-first music style that some streamers/DACs do. In fact, its resolving power tends to feel entirely subsidiary to its bouncing sense of tuneful exuberance most of the time. But what I really enjoy about it is the way it puts all the musical elements together to highlight a performance. The top to bottom balance and certainly how it can layer the instrumentation is compelling.
Where some systems can bombard you with needlepoint resolution yet sound rather flat and uninteresting, the Gold Note has a real and attractive view of the soundstage and the shape of the music. It is also very quiet, which helps enormously and shows you perspectives and instrumental pictures and shapes with dimension and exceptional stability. It has real depth in more ways than one.
I admit to being surprised at how musically interesting this unassuming but highly efficient little machine is. I think it’s a great little package because it is always succinct and to the point. It sounds very good indeed, and as a gateway to the world of music outside your living room, I’d say it’s a pretty solid investment for anyone wanting to take that next step.
Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 $3400 Review
December 23, 2022 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins 705 S3 $3400 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/bowers-and-wilkins-705-s3
The starker comparison is against the more affordable and Award-winning KEF LS50 Meta speakers. They may not have the grand scale, clarity and refinement of the 705 S3 speakers – but the KEFs have a lovely tone and a beautiful way with detail, agility, dynamism and rhythmic drive that captures the heart and emotion of a song. Voices and piano notes sound that much more realistic and tangible. We connect with what’s being played immediately and are swept away by every song that’s played.
There are ways to carefully match the speakers to the rest of your system to get the best out of them. To offset that cooler tone, we’d recommend pairing the 705 S3 with the Naim Supernait 3 amplifier. This amplifier’s more robust presentation gives the sound some much needed substance and dynamic punch.
Decaffeinated DS Audio ION-001 Ionizer $1800 Review
December 23, 2022 Comments Off on Decaffeinated DS Audio ION-001 Ionizer $1800 Review
In my haste to dry the ST-50, I pressed it against my T-shirt—big mistake. The pad adhered to the material, so I had to wash it again to remove T-shirt lint. That mishap actually reassured me, as it proved that the adhesiveness of the pad survives the washing process.
So there you have it. All the troubles that vexed my analog life are now solved. I can flip records without suffering static snaps, cleaning my stylus is a pleasure, and I can finally relax and enjoy my system.
Planar in-ear headphone shootout: 7hz Timeless, Z12, Dioko
December 23, 2022 Comments Off on Planar in-ear headphone shootout: 7hz Timeless, Z12, Dioko
SPL Phonitor xe Review
December 22, 2022 Comments Off on SPL Phonitor xe Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/spl-phonitor-xe
This is a product that doesn’t go out of its way to hype up a recording to make it sound more exciting, but there is still enough in the way of rhythmic drive to get our feet tapping to tracks such as No Love. While Recovery is not the most bass-leaden album, there is still enough here to show that the amplifier is taut and tuneful at low frequencies. Subsequent listening to the bass-fest that is Massive Attack’s Heligoland reinforces the point.
We shift genres to Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring and the SPL responds with a controlled performance that brims with insight, punch and composure. The music’s demanding dynamic sweeps are delivered with power and there is a good impression of scale. By its very nature, listening to headphones usually comes second best to speakers when it comes to things such as scale or authority, so it’s fair to say that the SPL does a great job.
Audeze MM-500 $1,700 Review
December 22, 2022 Comments Off on Audeze MM-500 $1,700 Review
I have to say that the travel case is impressive, as usual with Audeze, but this one is extra special, and it has a different look. The cable that comes with the MM-500 is a single-ended 6.35mm one, I think it is their “Ultra High Purity Cable”. According to Audeze it is specially tuned with directional OCC high-purity copper strands that provide a low capacitance and low resistance path for the signal to travel from your amp to the drivers, maintaining unsurpassed clarity and precision. Like with the LCD-5, I immediately replaced it by my balanced Forza Audioworks Noir HPC mk2 cable, my favourite cable for Audeze headphones.
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