SVS Wireless Prime Pro System $899 Review

December 21, 2022 Comments Off on SVS Wireless Prime Pro System $899 Review

Aesthetically, the SVS Prime Wireless Pro Powered Speakers combine the classically handsome appeal of a traditional HiFi stereo system with modern digital flare from the front panel OLED display. Source, artist name, song title, input, volume settings and more can be displayed for an intuitive user experience.

Also on the front panel are six backlit preset buttons for instant, one-touch access to sources, favorite playlists, streaming services, podcasts, and more, just like a car radio preset.  

Knobs on the front panel allow users to toggle between sources and adjust display brightness as well as pause playback and set volume. The IR remote controls all the most critical functions and provides direct input buttons for HDMI, Bluetooth, Optical and Line In for easy switching between sources.  

Audio Analogue Bellini Anniversary and Donizetti £11,000 Review

December 21, 2022 Comments Off on Audio Analogue Bellini Anniversary and Donizetti £11,000 Review

The spectre of audio’s rose-tinted view of the past should be exorcised. We sometimes prize those classic big pre/power combinations from the 1980s, but if we listened to them today on a level playing field, I suspect a few of the Anointed Ones of audio wouldn’t hold a candle to this Audio Analogue pairing. It’s gentle, refined and sophisticated touch with music – that not only rolls with the punches but can also deliver a neat haymaker when required – is extremely alluring, especially for those who do not simply choose audiophile-approved recordings. The Audio Analogue Bellini Anniversary and Donizetti Anniversary is the pre/power combo that puts a smile on your face.

Grado Labs Opus3 moving-iron cartridge High Output version $275 Review

December 20, 2022 Comments Off on Grado Labs Opus3 moving-iron cartridge High Output version $275 Review

One drawback of the Grado Labs Timbre line is the stylus is not user replaceable, just like moving coil cartridges. Once the stylus is worn out you have to send it to one of the many phono cartridge re-tippers out there. Or, Grado Labs has a very generous trade-in program, so for about what you would pay for a new stylus for a moving magnet phono cartridge you can purchase a brand new Opus3. This would be the best alternative. It may take a couple of weeks to send your old Grado to the dealer and wait for the new one, especially if it is not in stock. For me, this is where the Audio Technica AT-3600L comes in handy as a temporary substitute.

There are reasons why Grado Labs phono cartridge have been around since 1953. The company may be better  known these days for making some of the best headphones in the world at really good prices. The same can be said about their phono cartridges. I am purchasing this phono cartridge and keeping it installed in my newly acquired Music Hall mmf-1.3 turntable. The $275 price tag got me really close in performance to my Hana phono cartridge. I have to give props to the recommendations of both Music Hall and Grado Labs, because this is a great combination. I now have a third option along with my AR and Thorens turntables. The Grado Labs Opus3 phono cartridge, just like the Music Hall mmf-1.3 turntable, is highly recommended.

Vermouth Audio Studio Monitor Loudspeaker $20,000 Review

December 20, 2022 Comments Off on Vermouth Audio Studio Monitor Loudspeaker $20,000 Review

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/1222/Vermouth_Audio_Studio_Monitor_Loudspeaker_Review.htm


Suppose one decides to go with something that isn’t as large as a floor-standing speaker but will deliver more volume and frequency extension than a stand-mounted mini-monitor. In that case, the Vermouth Studio Monitor is what you’re looking for. In my listening room, it had enough internal volume to produce serious bass. The two 6.5 mid-woofers produced a transparent midrange that filled the room with sound with a prodigious soundstage. Its ribbon tweeter was remarkably extended and had a musical sound that, regardless of how loud I played the music, was never fatiguing.

I heartily recommend the Vermouth Studio Monitor. Its audition proved that it was a surprisingly good-looking and great-sounding speaker, which is well worth its asking price.

SVS Prime Wireless Pro Powered Speakers Review

December 18, 2022 Comments Off on SVS Prime Wireless Pro Powered Speakers Review

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/svs-prime-wireless-pro-powered-speakers-review

SVS’ omission of a USB input, I have already mentioned. It’s not a deal-breaker for me, and likely not for most others. Another absence I felt a bit more keenly is the lack of any global equalization options built into the speaker hardware, such as bass-shelving options to compensate for near-wall/free-space locations, midrange EQ to aid desktop placement, or treble-tilt to adjust for room character or listener taste. I understand why SVS might elect to leave this out for simplicity’s sake and to keep owners from doing more sonic harm than good. Anyway, the Prime Wireless Pros are frankly too large for typical desktop uses.

At day’s end, these are mostly quibbles, though quibbling’s what they pay me for. SVS’ Prime Wireless Pro is an outstanding solution for a one-box or rather a two-box sound system that more than scratches the surface of what audiophile listening is all about. They’re accurate and dynamic to a fault, ultra-compact, easy to set up and use, and more than able to fill even medium-sized rooms at serious-listening levels without stumbling. You’d be hard-pressed to duplicate this recipe with individual components and passive speakers of similar size at twice the price. Or more.

Amazon Music Unlimited review

December 18, 2022 Comments Off on Amazon Music Unlimited review

https://www.whathifi.com/amazon/music-unlimited/review

For Prime subscribers looking to take advantage of the reduced subscription cost and the added CD-quality and hi-res tiers provided by Amazon Music HD, Music Unlimited makes a lot of sense. It’s certainly a tempting alternative to more premium services such as Tidal.

But Spotify does deliver more reliable, comprehensive functionality with superior curation. And its users have Spotify HiFi to look forward to. Amazon will also have trouble getting Apple Music users to swap sides, especially now that the latter also offers CD-quality and hi-res streams that sound fantastic.

It’s always going to be tricky to convince streamers who are already invested in a service to jump ship, but if you’re new to streaming, Amazon Music Unlimited has enough in its locker to get itself onto your shortlist.

ELAC Concentro S 503 Loudspeaker Review

December 17, 2022 Comments Off on ELAC Concentro S 503 Loudspeaker Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/elac-concentro-s-503-loudspeaker

This performance all comes together in a standmount speaker that isn’t without faults, but that on the whole sounds spectacular considering its size. Playing the iconic theme from ‘The Book Of Boba Fett’, composed by Ludwig Göransson [Walt Disney Records], it’s really all there. The epic scale, eye-opening wavefront when the massive percussion beats down, and the chants resounding away into the distance – it’s a magnificent, dynamic result.

For sure, the S 503 requires a bit of power, not that it bothered the Hegel Reference H590 amplifier [HFN Oct ’19] that I used. You just have to be prepared to give the volume knob a good twirl to realise a truly rousing performance. But trust me, you will.

Paradigm Founder 120H loudspeaker $8998 Review

December 16, 2022 Comments Off on Paradigm Founder 120H loudspeaker $8998 Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/paradigm-founder-120h-loudspeaker

Here’s one more example of how satisfying the Founders are. On some systems, ride cymbals played with a brush sound like white noise, the drummer’s taps barely discernible as separate events. With these speakers, there’s a crispness to the treble, neither forward nor recessed, that renders delicate cymbal work without smearing. Chico Hamilton’s ride cymbal on his quintet’s “Passin’ Thru,” from the album of the same name (16/44.1, Qobuz), is all there.

My main criticism of the 120H, and it’s mild, is that with most recordings, I didn’t find them completely involving at lower levels. They need to be played with some oomph to make recordings come alive. Below 75dB at the listening position, there wasn’t always enough kick, excitement, or presence. For me, this wasn’t a problem: I like my music loud.

AMG Giro MK II turntable $11,500 Review

December 16, 2022 Comments Off on AMG Giro MK II turntable $11,500 Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/amg-giro-mk-ii-turntable

While it may not be a Mercedes, the AMG Giro MK II turntable with the Benz Micro SLR Gullwing cartridge proved that another type of machine is capable of transporting you to wonderful, beautiful places. The elegance of the Giro’s design shows that a high-end turntable doesn’t need to look like someone’s junior high school science-fair project to be capable of creating beautiful music.

Five years ago, in his review of the original Giro, Herb Reichert wrote, “the AMG seems to have it all going on: exquisite style, superb build quality, ease of setup, ease of use, and the ability to steer cartridges and play records with the world’s finest record players.” All those observations apply to the MK II version, but now it can accommodate a wider variety of tonearms. Plus, even more than before, while it may look like a svelte supermodel, it can ball with the big boys.

ESOTERIC N-05XD $11,000 Review

December 15, 2022 Comments Off on ESOTERIC N-05XD $11,000 Review

Adding a master clock, a higher quality source, and an amplifier will definitely better fill the enormous stage with even more body, soul, dynamics, and life. After all, the highlight of the N-05XD is still its Master Discrete DAC. The forte of the DAC is its massive stage size and natural sound of the instrumental textures and tonality. It is so good that it managed to alter the genres of music that I normally listen to, as I seldom listen to classical or live recordings. Esoteric’s corporate philosophy has been the reproduction of the original sound performed by musicians in a studio or concert hall, and the N-05XD really delivers it.                                                                                                                          

At the asking price of $11,000 USD, the N-05XD has an outstanding DAC that it shares with Esoteric’s flagship, a good streamer with separate linear power supply, and a headphone amp that could adequately drive all headphones and IEMs along with a well-built preamp. It is no wonder that it has been crowned the best product of the year by many. Welcome to the age of the new Esoteric sound, welcome to the age of the new Japanese sound.

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