Mytek Digital Brooklyn Bridge II Roon Core preamplifier Review
September 16, 2023 Comments Off on Mytek Digital Brooklyn Bridge II Roon Core preamplifier Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/mytek-digital-brooklyn-bridge-ii-roon-core-preamplifier
For a modern audiophile comfortable in the streaming world, the Mytek Brooklyn Bridge II Roon Core can serve as the heart of a very capable music-listening system, now and for years hence. If physical media completely disappear, the BBII owner will be fine with a Roon subscription, some music-streaming subscriptions, and/or a large collection of music files.
The BBII has a fine-sounding DAC, tending transparent but perhaps a bit thin compared to the very best, including the much more expensive dCS Bartók (which may be less neutral-sounding than the BBII). The BBII is among the best I’ve heard in its price range, and it includes almost every digital-connection option—everything but I2S and HDMI.


Bowers & Wilkins 705 Signature Review
September 16, 2023 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins 705 Signature Review
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/bowers-wilkins-705-signature
B&W’s 705 Signature standmount faces up to its price rivals very well; it’s there or thereabouts on pretty much every performance metric. It has been carefully voiced to appeal across a wide range of music types, and delivers the sonic goods in everything from a small space to a medium-to-large sized listening room. Factor in excellent build and attractive styling, and a lot of people are going to like it. Despite the very stiff competition in this hotly contested market sector, it should fare very well indeed. Consequently, it comes warmly recommended.

Infigo Method-3 monoblock power amplifier $55,000 Review
September 15, 2023 Comments Off on Infigo Method-3 monoblock power amplifier $55,000 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/infigo-method-3-monoblock-power-amplifier
I’ve heard few amplifiers I’ve been as eager to return to time and time again as the Infigo Method 3 monoblocks. For smoothness, warmth, you-are-there beauty, color, and ease, they’ve taken me as close to my ideal sound as the best gear I’ve had in my system. Indeed, the Method 3 is one of the finest-sounding components I’ve been privileged to review. There may be amps with more powerful bass, but few so successfully combine modest energy consumption and unforced, utterly convincing musicality. Plus, they’re easy to move around.

Harbeth Super HL5plus XD loudspeaker $7995 Review
September 15, 2023 Comments Off on Harbeth Super HL5plus XD loudspeaker $7995 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/harbeth-super-hl5plus-xd-loudspeaker
The SHL5plus XD may, as Shaw said, be tuned to modern tastes interested in a wider range of music, but I found it less than ideal for rock. It’s hard to explain. They worked extremely well with electronic music (like Fuse, the new album by Everything But the Girl) and the rowdier tracks listed in my listening notes above. They’re tailor-made for well-recorded classical with its grandeur, spaciousness, and separation, and I very much enjoyed jazz through these Harbeths, especially female vocals. But when I played anything that required major boogie factor—ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Mastodon—I found I wasn’t satisfied. They seemed to lack the drive needed to fill my small room with convincing rebel sounds

MartinLogan Motion XT F200 Loudspeaker Review
September 14, 2023 Comments Off on MartinLogan Motion XT F200 Loudspeaker Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/martinlogan-motion-xt-f200-loudspeaker
With its sizeable heavyweight cabinet, five-strong driver complement and striking looks, the F200 clearly offers plenty of bang for your buck. Mirroring this is a performance that really comes alive with dynamic, bass-rich music, but one that’s equally adept at extracting fine detail when you switch tempo. Feed MartinLogan’s floorstander plenty of power, and you’re ready to sit back and enjoy the show.

NAD M33 REVIEW
September 14, 2023 Comments Off on NAD M33 REVIEW
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/nad-m33
Since seeing NAD’s M10 last year we were under the impression that it was all the system we could ever reasonably require, and so consequently it’s been one of our go-to recommendations on our Letters pages. However, the M33 seems to have raised the bar even further. In it’s full-size guise it offers the same style, flexibility and ease of use combined with a performance that’s just as arresting with analogue sources as it is when streaming. Throw in the futureproof peace of mind that comes with the upgrade slots, and it’s difficult to think of a safer pair of hands to underline the fact that what you’re investing your money in is something really rather special

MARTINLOGAN MOTION XT F100 TOWER SPEAKER REVIEW
September 13, 2023 Comments Off on MARTINLOGAN MOTION XT F100 TOWER SPEAKER REVIEW
With their high style and wonderful sonic performance, I was very impressed with the MartinLogan XT F100 towers and highly recommend them to anyone that is ready to take their music experience to the next level without sacrificing their kid’s college tuition.
It is not hyperbole to say that companies that make speakers that cost more than an automobile should be concerned that MartinLogan had designed a speaker that is sonically excellent yet costs thousands of dollars less. I know a few $10K pairs of speakers that don’t perform as well as the XT F100s. These speakers are an amazing bargain from a cost/performance ratio. I loved them. Highly recommended.

UNIQUE MELODY THE MULTIVERSE MENTOR REVIEW$4,499 Review
September 13, 2023 Comments Off on UNIQUE MELODY THE MULTIVERSE MENTOR REVIEW$4,499 Review
Overall, I would describe the presentation as being slightly soft, with just a hint of warmth for the musicality. It’s a very coherent tuning with a compelling and addictive tuning. The Multiverse Mentor can do anything without any effort, and it will always sound easy and natural to the ear.
Last thing I want to mention here is about the bass and bone conduction. I really like the typical feel and presentation this gives the bass and if you go from the MM to a regular monitor, you will feel something is missing. I know that some people don’t like the bone conducing experience, but I personally enjoy it. However, I listened to the new Raven from Empire Ears last weekend at Canjam London, and there the bone conduction is a whole different experience. It didn’t leave me with the same pleasing feeling as with the Multiverse Mentor, so if you can do try out the MM or any monitor using bone conduction, it just might not be for you.

Copland CSA 100 Review
September 12, 2023 Comments Off on Copland CSA 100 Review
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/copland-csa-100
The CSA 100 is a rare beast in hi-fi terms in that it manages to be almost absurdly competent, but never feels dull or soulless in doing so. There’s nothing within the extensive specification that feels anything other than exactingly thought out, but beyond that it rarely fails to delight across its many inputs and a very broad spectrum of music. Throw in the superb build and rather lovely appearance, and you have an absolutely outstanding amplifier that’s likely to delight anyone who spends any time with it.

Duevel Venus Review
September 12, 2023 Comments Off on Duevel Venus Review
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/duevel-venus
As mentioned earlier, the resulting soundstage is less ‘pin-point’ meaning that rather than the vocals on The Highwoman’s eponymous album being centre stage in front of you, there’s more of a sense of the whole band just being ‘there’ in the room. The result is that you can’t accurately locate definite positions for the multiple layers of instrumentation, and once you get used to this different way of listening the effect becomes addictive.
No matter what we play – and believe us, the volume is cranked up and a good time is had by all – the treble remains insightful and detailed with vocal sibilants being a particular highlight. The precision and crispness is incredible and the way that it arrives at the listening position before swiftly vanishing again is astonishing. Similarly the low end is impressively deep, while remaining taut and precise throughout. From the banging beats of Jamie XX’s Gosh to the more subtle, fruity warmth of Julianna Raye’s Indigo River, the results offer the same jaw-dropping encounter.

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