NAIM UNITI ATOM HEADPHONE EDITION $3,799 REVIEW
August 30, 2022 Comments Off on NAIM UNITI ATOM HEADPHONE EDITION $3,799 REVIEW
I found the Uniti Atom to be a little warm on the bottom end, while the mids and high were clear and sharp which should appeal to those looking for that live club sound and lovers of contemporary music. The soundstage was very recording dependant, yet large and full, and the Uniti Atom scaled up considerably with higher resolution music, working best with DSD.
As a fully integrated music server, the Uniti Atom is a wonderful value for the money, and the inclusion of a robust and dynamic headphone amp is just a bonus. Highly recommended.
Linn Klimax DSM AV DAC-Preamplifier $39,000 Review
August 30, 2022 Comments Off on Linn Klimax DSM AV DAC-Preamplifier $39,000 Review
https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1124-linn-klimax-dsm-av-dac-preamplifier
Linn’s new Klimax DSM has taken me on a rollercoaster ride, and I am in desperate need of an emotional rescue. On one hand, I found the analog input lacking in terms of transparency and dynamics, and I remain skeptical of the efficacy of the Space Optimization software. I’m also leery of the idea of spending this much money on a flagship DSM knowing that, based on Linn’s history, an expensive upgrade could be in the works. On the other hand, for a product of such vast capability, the Klimax DSM is an ergonomic marvel post-setup. The front display makes excellent use of its real estate in providing valuable configurable track information to the user. The theater of how the display lights up, seamlessly transitioning between volume and track information, and the way in which the beautiful glass dial illuminates to communicate volume information is second to none. The Klimax DSM is also built like a tank, enthralling to look at, enticing to interact with, and beguiling to listen to. Put simply, this is the best sounding DAC-streamer I have ever heard.
Wilson Audio • SabrinaX Loudspeakers $19,000 Review
August 29, 2022 Comments Off on Wilson Audio • SabrinaX Loudspeakers $19,000 Review
https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/wilson_audio_sabrinax.htm
The soundstage presented by the SabrinaX was both wide and surprisingly tall for a smallish speaker, with good depth on many recordings. Jose Carreras’s Misa Criolla, by Ariel Ramirez, [Philips 420 955-2] is known for being beautifully recorded, with a great sense of acoustic space. In the beginning of the “Kyrie,” softly beaten drums light up the acoustic signature of the hall (Santuario de la Bien Aparecida). With the SabrinaX, for the first time I could hear slap echo in the hall, suggesting a larger recording venue. As the choir enters, I heard individual voices as they either blended with or stuck out from the chorus. And when Carreras enters, his voice emerged between the speakers, floating above the sound of the chorus. I was reminded why I love this performance, and the Wilsons transported me to the venue.
Lumin P1 Music Server/DAC $8,500 Review
August 29, 2022 Comments Off on Lumin P1 Music Server/DAC $8,500 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/lumin-p1-music-serverdac
And that glorious ability with instrumental timbre is also much in evidence with pianist Jan Gunnar Hoff’s Steinway on his latest solo set, Home [2L 168; DXD], the level of detail in the often-reflective pieces here simply breathtaking. Combine the P1 with a suitably revealing system, and it’s hard not to be captivated by the ‘piano in the room’ effect of this masterful recording, whether with the contemplative ‘Magma’ or the imaginative improvisations on ‘Summertime’ and ‘Moon River’, both of which are a very long way from the usual ‘heard it all before’ interpretations.
As I spent much of my time using the P1 as a player into my usual reference set-up, streaming music from my network storage, I didn’t spend too long exploring the variable volume options on offer here, but perhaps the Leedh level adjustment does bring just a shade more detail when playing with low output settings, whether into a unity gain input on my preamp or straight through to the power amp. Mind you, the sound appeared even more convincing when the P1 was used purely as a player, running at fixed ‘full power’ output.
Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor Special Edition Loudspeaker $26,000 Review
August 28, 2022 Comments Off on Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor Special Edition Loudspeaker $26,000 Review
In the here and now, I find myself utterly delighted by what this speaker does well. The ESE images with the precision of the best small monitor speakers that I have encountered, but stages with greater conviction owing to its ability to play cleanly in my room into the low 30s, perhaps even lower. Its clean midrange, near single-driver coherence, and lack of overt coloration, all coupled with the ability to unravel the densest musical passages will endear it to anyone who loves classical music. By the same token its rich tone, airy top end, and class-leading micro-dynamic expressiveness will utterly delight jazz and pop fans. I can’t predict whether hard rock fans will line up to sing its praises, but at least one metal head friend holds the ESE in very high regard.
STORMAUDIO ISP CORE 16 PREAMP-PROCESSOR AND PA 16 MK2 POWER AMPLIFIER $12,999 REVIEW
August 28, 2022 Comments Off on STORMAUDIO ISP CORE 16 PREAMP-PROCESSOR AND PA 16 MK2 POWER AMPLIFIER $12,999 REVIEW
The exceptional clarity of the ISP Core 16 had the added benefit of improving the sense of imaging and sound-staging, which further drew me into the source material. While the core sound signature of the ISP Core 16 was completely neutral, you could easily tailor the sound to your liking by adjusting the target curve via Dirac Live. Despite its amazing degree of customizability, the ISP Core 16 proved surprisingly easy to configure and operate via a web browser or the StormRemote app. The fact that the Core 16 is upgradeable to HDMI 2.1 shortly is just icing on the cake. If you don’t think you’ll ever need more than 16 channels, the ISP Core 16 is the sweet spot in StormAudio’s lineup and a bargain in the reference-level preamp category. The PA 16 MK2 amplifier was equally impressive, driving my 13 speakers with authority from a single slim chassis. The PA 16 MK2 did little to color the sound, instead simply presenting things as they were on the source. If you are looking for absolute top-tier performance in your theater system, I highly recommend taking a look at the StormAudio ISP Core 16 pre/pro and PA 16 MK2 amplifier. I did NOT want to ship these babies back.
The Digital Side Of My Immersive Atmos Music System
August 28, 2022 Comments Off on The Digital Side Of My Immersive Atmos Music System
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/immersive/the-digital-side-of-my-immersive-atmos-music-system-r1128/
At first blush this system appears complicated. However, I’ve done all the legwork and know what works and what doesn’t. Most people can also use a single music server and an iPad for playback. I have to use everything because I have to understand how it all works and test it, so I can write about it.
The easiest route to Atmos music is to use something like an NVIDIA SHIELD with a hard drive full of MKV files, connected to a processor like a Lyngorf MP-40 or Trinnov Altitude16. For most people, this is all they’ll need and it can double as a home theater processor. I’ll write more about this option at a later date.
As an audiophile who loves music and understands technology, I had to implement the best system I could put together. This involved a mix of consumer and professional software, state of the art digital signal processing, and professional hardware. A system like this doesn’t exist as a package or from a traditional high end audio manufacturer. Perhaps soon we’ll see music servers and 12 channel DACs from our favorite companies, to play immersive audio.
Vivid Giya G1 Spirit $69,000 Review
August 26, 2022 Comments Off on Vivid Giya G1 Spirit $69,000 Review
https://www.the-ear.net/review-hardware/vivid-giya-g1-spirit-floorstanding-loudspeaker
I have liked every Vivid loudspeaker that has graced my system but the G1 Spirit is clearly in another league to those and most loudspeakers around. It redefines what a loudspeaker can do by eliminating so much of the distortion that is found with many of its competitors. The styling is not to all tastes but this is a fundamental part of why it is so successful at doing the job of turning an electrical signal into an acoustic one, a regular box shaped speaker will never be able to do this so well. If you really want to hear your music at its very best the Giya G1 Spirit is very hard to match.
Marantz Model 40n Streaming Integrated Amplifier $2,499 Review
August 26, 2022 Comments Off on Marantz Model 40n Streaming Integrated Amplifier $2,499 Review
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/marantz-model-40n-streaming-integrated-amplifier-review
Alexis Cole’s “Something So Right,” from The World’s Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recordings, Volume 2 (16/44.1 FLAC), sounded sophisticated and gorgeous. Cole’s voice, backed by the warm sound of Marvin Sewell’s guitar strings, came across as relaxed and liquid with beautiful midrange bloom. All of the sonic images were large and solidly planted against a quiet background. At the same time, the high-frequency glissando of Sewell’s fingers sliding between notes was cleanly reproduced without being grating, a common failing of components that don’t cost an arm and a leg.
If pushed to identify a minor quibble I had with the Model 40n’s sound, it would be that it produced a smidgeon less detail than some of its competitors. NAD’s C 399 integrated streaming amp, which I reviewed for the June/July 2022 issue and still have in-house, reproduced Sewell’s guitar strings on “Something So Right” with slightly more vibrational spring, though the difference was subtle and would likely go unnoticed without a contemporaneous comparison. Indeed, absent such a comparison, the long and metallic low-level dynamics of cymbal decays seemed fully resolved on the title track from Billy Cobham’s Total Eclipse album
ABYSS HEADPHONES DIANA TC REVIEW
August 25, 2022 Comments Off on ABYSS HEADPHONES DIANA TC REVIEW
Let’s be clear on it from the beginning: the Diana TC is an impressive sounding high-end headphone. For such a small full sized headphone, it delivers a huge sound from the 63mm planar magnetic drivers. To be honest, the Diana TC is an easy headphone to review. As long as you have some well-performing amps available, the TC will impress.
The Diana TC has a more neutral tuning. It’s that typical reference high-end tuning, but with a smoothness in the delivery, making it a very musical headphone as well. The TC is a highly transparent headphone and that makes the choice of amplification very important. It’s one of the reasons why we’re focusing on this so much in the next chapter of the review.
Audiophilepure 
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