LIVING SOUNDS AUDIO TUBE PREAMP PLUS 2-WATT HEADPHONE AMP $799 REVIEW
September 30, 2022 Comments Off on LIVING SOUNDS AUDIO TUBE PREAMP PLUS 2-WATT HEADPHONE AMP $799 REVIEW
About Underwood HiFi: Founded in 1999 and still run by Walter Liederman, a 50-year audio industry veteran, Underwood HiFi was one of the first online-only audio dealerships, and is dedicated to providing extraordinary products at terrific prices, allied with unmatched customer service.
About Living Sounds Audio: LSA is one of three brands owned and sold direct by Underwood, with the others being Emerald Physics (speakers and electronics) and Core Power Technologies (AC line conditioning and cables). Elimination of middle-men enables these brands to be offered at amazingly low prices, backed by the reputation and service of Underwood Hifi.
Zu Soul 6 Review
September 29, 2022 Comments Off on Zu Soul 6 Review
Swapping out the hard floor bolts for a pair of tall carpet spikes resulted in an easy gap, and filled out the bass to more preferable levels as well as improving the mid range response just a tad. One might consider that out of the box Zu speakers take a little more tinkering than your average speaker, but even the most basic setup efforts require adjustments of some level to achieve any type of bespoke experience. Roughly a quarter inch to ⅜ off the top edge of carpet provided plenty of balance to the sonic equation, allowing for the bass to reach deeper and with obvious benefits to the overall presence. How much bass exactly? Pumping a full range paper cone driver does have its limits on both sizes of the frequency range. With the coaxial tweeter, Zu looks to make up a lot of the compromises with the supplemental driver.
Astell&Kern KANN MAX DAP $1300 Review
September 28, 2022 Comments Off on Astell&Kern KANN MAX DAP $1300 Review
After 3 weeks of listening to the Astell&Kern KANN MAX through a wide range of headphones and using it as my primary digital source with the Ampsandsound Kenzie Ovation Rev2, there is no question in my mind that it is one of the top 3 DAPs currently available regardless of price.
Operational quirks aside, there are items that need to be addressed by Astell&Kern when it comes to the UI. However, the KANN MAX is capable of driving almost anything in the headphone and IEM categories and delivering a state-of-the-art listening experience.\
ZMF Atrium Headphones Review
September 28, 2022 Comments Off on ZMF Atrium Headphones Review
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/zmf-atrium-headphones-review-r1137/
Looking beyond the frequency response, the Atrium’s channel matching (like both the Vérité’s and the Utopia’s) is excellent. In terms of distortion, my measurements show that that the overall level is roughly the same between the Vérité and the Atrium, with both having slightly less distortion than the Utopia when tested at my approximately 85 dB frequency sweep level. The big difference, though, is that the Atrium’s distortion leans much more towards the second harmonic. Whereas third-order harmonics compete with the second-order ones, particularly in the bass, on both the Vérité and Utopia, the second harmonic dominates across-the-board (including the bass) on the Atrium. While I don’t want to read too much into such low-level differences, that might help explain why the Atrium’s bass sounds so smooth and clean.
NOBLE AUDIO VIKING RAGNAR $4,000 REVIEW
September 27, 2022 Comments Off on NOBLE AUDIO VIKING RAGNAR $4,000 REVIEW
For a little under eight years, I have contended that the Noble Katana is one of the finest-sounding headphones made only outdone by the best of the over-the-ear Electrostatic headphones in airiness and detail, and the best over-the-ear Planar headphones in terms of bottom-end. Now, Noble Audio have outdone themselves with the Viking Ragnar. I can only think of a couple of price-no-object over-the-ear headphones that can stand up to the Ragnar sonically, in terms of speed, tonal balance, dynamic range, musicality, and soundstage, and none that surpass it. To my ears, it is simply the best IEM available, and among the very finest headphones period. And for those who prefer a little thump in their bottom end, there are the black foam eartips.
DAN CLARK AUDIO’S NEW EXPANSE $4,000 REVIEW
September 27, 2022 Comments Off on DAN CLARK AUDIO’S NEW EXPANSE $4,000 REVIEW
. I like having both when my house is noisy and I want to listen, I listen to the STEALTH, but as I am writing and the house is quiet the EXPANSE has made the music alive and more tuneful. If your looking for tonality and musicality either headphone will deliver.
Musicality is the most important aspect of any performance and the EXPANSE has a sound rarely if ever heard from any planar design. No matter what played the EXPANSE made the experience memorable. I found myself listening into the wee hours of the morning. Everything else became secondary and the EXPANSE allowed me to relax and get into the music. The soulful EXPANSE is a creative marvel with its ability to disappear. Comfortable to wear for marathon listening sessions it delivers everything you could want in reference transducers. Together with my reference Lina system, it’s headphone listening at its best. Once again Dan Clark sets a new benchmark in design. Highly recommended and a strong contender for product of the year.
Paravicini 312 Preamp and M100A Monoblocks Review
September 26, 2022 Comments Off on Paravicini 312 Preamp and M100A Monoblocks Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/paravicini-312-preamp-and-m100a-monoblocks
Hand on heart, I have to say that the departure of the 312 – which I adored to pieces – caused me a greater sense of loss than the M100As, but their absence, too, causes a lingering wistfulness. Quite what has happened, I don’t know. I suspect it’s like being reminded of one’s youth as one enters one’s decline; the temptation is quite clearly the hi-fi equivalent of those sad fiftysomethings who run out and buy Harley-Davidsons or Ducatis the instant they realise that they can no longer keep it up all night without the aid of scaffolding.
So maybe the 312/M100A is a young man’s plaything, because it is most surely an invitation to bang your head, listen loud, and leave the session drenched in sweat. This is the most butch combination I’ve heard in a long, long time. Alanis Morissette fans need not apply.
Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Closed REVIEW
September 26, 2022 Comments Off on Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2 Closed REVIEW
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/dan-clark-audio-aeon-2-closed
With its 2m cable and neat folding action for easy storage, it would appear that the Aeon 2 Closed is best suited to listening to music on the move and its comfortable earpads and lightweight design will certainly make your journey a congenial one. For those that like their lower frequencies, the impressive bass extension is a real boon although the treble could do with being a touch more extended. Having said that, the soundstage is spacious and insightful, meaning that at the price this deserves to be on your audition list.
JBL L52 CLASSIC BOOKSHELF SPEAKER $1,000 REVIEW
September 25, 2022 Comments Off on JBL L52 CLASSIC BOOKSHELF SPEAKER $1,000 REVIEW
Many small and inexpensive speakers claim greatness, but few achieve it. The JBL L52 Classic Bookshelf Speaker is one of the best of those few. It achieves big speaker status to a greater degree than pretty much any bookshelf/stand-mount speaker I’ve listened to. It produces a clean and clear sound that is balanced across the frequency range. It delivers strong but controlled bass that reaches lower than you’d expect. You can place them straight or toed, wide or narrow, and they’ll create a huge sound stage that goes far beyond the confines of your room. And they look amazing. The retro style in this case is simple and to the point. The real walnut veneer adds a touch of high-end and the grille can only be called cool. And if you don’t want them to stand out, get the black grille.
FIIO KA2 $69 REVIEW
September 25, 2022 Comments Off on FIIO KA2 $69 REVIEW
A very popular chip, issued from the MasterHiFi series and advertised as a “low power audio DAC with a high-fidelity headphone amplifier to provide a superior system-level audio performance”. And, history has proven that Cirrus really knows cirrus knows a thing or two about it, improving year after year, for the last decade.
As usual, this chip is more of an SOC than a simple DAC, embedding all kinds of features like advanced 32-bit oversampled multi-bit modulator with mismatch shaping technology, or an Integrated GND-centered, Class H headphone driver, helping brands like FiiO to create all-in-one devices, with smaller PCB.
Audiophilepure 
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