TEAC UD-701N ALL-IN-ONE MUSIC STREAMER $4,299 REVIEW
May 7, 2023 Comments Off on TEAC UD-701N ALL-IN-ONE MUSIC STREAMER $4,299 REVIEW
TEAC’s UD-701N impressed me with its transparency, speed, and detail retrieval. Impressive with its black background and its ability to add pieces made this an easy recommendation. The ability to listen at this level and a product that competes with much more expensive gear make this a bargain. If you want musicality and finesse with a dead silent background that is future-proof you should audition the TEAC UD-701N. Big thumbs up to what will be my new endgame reference system. Purchasing the unit gives it my highest recommendation
The Boulder 866. integrated amplifier Review
May 7, 2023 Comments Off on The Boulder 866. integrated amplifier Review
Focal Utopia 2022 Headphones $4999 Review
May 6, 2023 Comments Off on Focal Utopia 2022 Headphones $4999 Review
Brent chose a great pair of headphones for his swan-song review, even if he found the Utopia 2022s “a little soft on top” and sounding not quite “as spectacularly spacious” as some other competitive designs. These were obviously insignificant issues for Brent, because he declared that the Utopia 2022s are “among the world’s best” headphones: “From 12kHz on down (likely the range of hearing of most of the people who could afford these!), you cannot do better.” The praise in his review left us with no doubt that, like the original Utopias, this latest version of Focal’s flagship headphones fully deserved the Reviewers’ Choice award presented when the review was published—and these superb headphones also merit our Recommended Reference Component award this month.
Nessie Vinylcleaner ProPlus+ record cleaning machine $2495 Review
May 6, 2023 Comments Off on Nessie Vinylcleaner ProPlus+ record cleaning machine $2495 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/nessie-vinylcleaner-proplus-record-cleaning-machine
There’s something to be said for the Nessie’s pleasing method of action, which mirrors a turntable’s action (except for those frequent reversals of direction). The Nessie is well-suited for vinyl lovers who clean records frequently and like to be involved in the process—but not too involved. The Nessie made me want to clean my records, more often and more scrupulously.
The Nessie is not the least expensive record cleaning machine on the market—nor is it the most expensive; Music Direct calls it a Goldilocks machine. It made cleaning records easy and was fun to use—even habit-forming. It may sound goofy, but I mean it seriously: It’s a good way to spend more time with your records. Most importantly, it works: Records sounded better after a good Nessie cleaning—even new records.
HiBy Zeta tribrid IEM $1,399 Review
May 5, 2023 Comments Off on HiBy Zeta tribrid IEM $1,399 Review
There’s good detail with good extension. Yet, you shouldn’t expect Zeta to be the ultimate treble performer in this price range. It prioritizes the bass first, then mids, and then you start to realize it has good treble too.
It doesn’t hide anything from you, but it’s not a very crisp or bright treble response. If you like that kind of sound, Zeta might come a bit polite for your preference. Microdetail retrieval is nice too. The whole presentation is resolving, but again, a bit thicker than neutral.
Wilson Benesch A.C.T. 3Zero $54,000 Review
May 2, 2023 Comments Off on Wilson Benesch A.C.T. 3Zero $54,000 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/wilson-benesch-act-3zero
Take a step back and you’ll find the 3Zero’s tonal balance is superbly judged. To our ears, it is as neutral as they come with both frequency extremes integrated so well that it becomes hard to talk about them as separate entities. This is a wonderfully unified sound that rivals what we hear through the very best electrostatic designs and is made all the more impressive by knowing that there are no less than five separate drivers involved. Note, those very same electrostatic designs can’t match the Wilson Benesch in punch and attack.
Our time with these speakers is a blur of music as we work our way through our collection, finding musical treats around every corner. Poor recordings are revealed as such without the speakers going out of their way to make things worse, while better recordings such as Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis or Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall burst through with musical energy firmly intact.
New Tien Audio Vacuum Vinyl Flattener $3000 Review
May 2, 2023 Comments Off on New Tien Audio Vacuum Vinyl Flattener $3000 Review
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2023/04/new-tien-audio-vacuum-vinyl-flattener.html
The use of vacuum technology in vinyl flattening machines has become increasingly popular due to its effectiveness. Unlike the traditional use of gravity to press, which is limited when faced with uneven records, vacuum technology can reach up to 1 kg/cm2, providing a more effective solution. Additionally, vacuum technology allows for heavy pressing without directly touching the track, reducing the weight of the machine.
Are Nakamichi’s as Nice as They Say? Let’s Find Out.
April 29, 2023 Comments Off on Are Nakamichi’s as Nice as They Say? Let’s Find Out.
HiFi Rose RS250A Network Attached DAC Review
April 28, 2023 Comments Off on HiFi Rose RS250A Network Attached DAC Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/hifi-rose-rs250a-network-attached-dac
The RS250A offers the usual HiFi Rose combination of civility and musical excitement and is as adept with a large-scale classical recording or a heavy rock track as with audiophile-approved small ensemble content. Thus the calypso take on Cole Porter’s ‘Night And Day’ on Everybody Digs Bill Evans, in its 2007 remastered release [Riverside Records RLP-1129], found the player probing deep into the track’s knockout bass and drums – there are times when the pianist seems almost like a passenger. Yet it did so without calling attention to itself, allowing the listener to enjoy the virtuoso playing.
Even with the slightly rough sound of ELP’s At The Surgery release of live broadcasts dating back almost 50 years [X-Ray XRYCD015], which is a counterpoint to the whistle-clean Brain Salad Surgery album of the same time, the RS250A is all about the main event here – the musicianship and tightly locked interplay of the trio. Emerson’s whizzing and whirring synths mesh with Lake’s taut, unflashy bass playing and Palmer’s ‘max attack with total control’ mastery of his massive kit. This is the band at the peak of its pomp, for better or worse, and the massive sound was conveyed convincingly by the RS250A, bringing waves of nostalgia to this ‘I was there’ – well, at some point of the massive tour – listener. There’s even an 18-minute gallop through ‘Pictures At An Exhibition’ here, and a Palmer drum solo running to almost 12 minutes until it segues into a breakneck ‘Rondo’
Audiophilepure 
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