Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERa Mono £79,995 Review

August 25, 2022 Comments Off on Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERa Mono £79,995 Review

To summarise the Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERa Mono in musical terms, I need ‘Spitfire’ from Public Service Broadcasting’s Inform Educate Entertain album [Test Card]. It’s not a demonstration quality track; just a pounding rhythm coupled to some noisy samples from the 1942 British movie, The First of The Few. It’s easy to get it wholly wrong on a big system, but get it right, and I’m back building Airfix kits; and this got it so right, I could smell Humbrol enamel!

The only downside to these amplifiers is that they spell the end for Karan’s existing KA M line of power amps. While these big power amps are not in the same sonic league as the Master Collection models, they are (somewhat) more affordable. I doubt something like the KA M 2000 would be a steppingstone to the POWERa Mono (and there will likely be a POWERb line that would make such jumps even harder to justify). Nevertheless, it would be nice to have something more attainably priced in the Karan portfolio just to make the Master Collection even more of a goal for some.

iFi Audio ZEN Air DAC $99 Review

August 24, 2022 Comments Off on iFi Audio ZEN Air DAC $99 Review

I must say, I immediately fell in love with that combo as the synergy between the headphones and the DAC/amp was excellent. The neutral tuning of the 560S meshed really nicely with the somewhat warm-sounding Air DAC, which made those headphones sing.

For a $99 Desktop DAC/amp, the Air DAC was pretty clean and transparent and had decent detail. It also pulled this off without undue harshness up top, which is always good when you’re dealing with entry-level gear such as this.

ZMF Atrium Headphone flagship Review

August 24, 2022 Comments Off on ZMF Atrium Headphone flagship Review

The perfect ZMF sound may lie somewhere in between the imaginary combination of the Atrium and the Verite, but the two share far more similarities than they do differences. For those looking for their first $2k+ headphone, make sure you check out Atrium if you have the opportunity. For those looking to add to their collection of high end headphones, the Atrium is a must have. It brings something different to the fold. Maybe a little something more than a dynamic driver is willing to give, and definitely something different than a planar can. In the end, it’s not attempting to be either, and why should it? The bespoke nature of the exterior echoes the subtlety of the sound quality. Natural, well constructed and reliable. An outstanding fit for a wide variety of listening rigs. Well done.

GOLDENEAR BRX SPEAKERS $1,598 REVIEW

August 23, 2022 Comments Off on GOLDENEAR BRX SPEAKERS $1,598 REVIEW

For the AudioQuest wiring, the value question is more vexing. If you already have high-quality interconnects, power cords, and speaker wires, the cost of replacement may be prohibitive. On the other hand, if you’re wiring a new system or in the market for an upgrade, I strongly recommend that you at least audition the AudioQuest products. The good news is that AudioQuest is one of the most broadly distributed lines of audio wiring, and you may be able to audition it at a Magnolia kiosk of the Best Buy chain. If not, there are many companies that will allow a home evaluation, and even if you decide to return the wiring, shipping is quite inexpensive. I wouldn’t spend an equivalent amount on any other brand without at least auditioning the AudioQuest products.

Schiit Audio Freya Noval Pre Amp

August 23, 2022 Comments Off on Schiit Audio Freya Noval Pre Amp

Schiit Audio Reacts To Tube Supply, Intros The Freya Noval Pre Amp

It has been discussed on many occasions, but like traffic in Los Angeles – the world’s supply of tube has the capability to ebb and flow… (and/or stop completely). Even though there has been a few market freakouts, the supply and resulting cost per tube has realistically only gone up a small margin, for now. West coast and Texas amp maker Schiit Audio isn’t waiting to see what happens next. Based on the success of their popular tube pre amp Freya +, the budget audiophile favorite is making moves to ensure that their future supplies of Freyas don’t run out.

From designer Jason Stoddard’s morning email:

The scarcity (and prices) of tubes has a lot of people worried about the future. So, we thought we’d take a couple of steps to help with this uncertainty:
We’re re-introducing LISST, our Linear, Integrated Solid-State Tube, a MOSFET-based replacement for the 6SN7s used in our popular Freya+ preamp. This gives Freya+ purchasers a tube-like (tube-esque) option that won’t wear out like tubes

Perlisten S7t tower speakers and D212s subwoofers $8,995 Review

August 22, 2022 Comments Off on Perlisten S7t tower speakers and D212s subwoofers $8,995 Review

That brings us to the intent of Perlisten to couple the S7t with Perlisten subwoofers. The S7t is an immensely gratifying speaker on its own, and those with space limitations especially would find it an exceptional performer. As it will not excite the room boundaries or create the bass reinforcement associated typically with speakers having higher output in the lower frequencies, it will sound exceptionally clean in a smaller space but with more output and presence than the bulk of bookshelf speakers. It is capable of being played quite loud without a sense of strain, but the real solution to a grander experience is to mate it with Perlisten subs. If you can, you need to get the subs. The S7t is gratifying, but the truly glorious experience with Perlisten is the combination of DPC-Array and the subwoofer(s). As I describe in relation to other speakers, the D212s transformed the S7t into a truly formidable speaker system.

When I was young, I spent time flying Estes model rockets. A smallish rocket with an A engine was impressive — that is until I discovered what a rocket with a B engine could do. If I recall correctly, the sizes of engines reached the E designation, which powered the largest of the standard kit rockets. Consider adding a pair of the D212s to be like moving the speaker system from a C engine to an E engine. It will blast off and previous performance of the S7t sans subs will seem only remotely powerful both in extension and output. If you want the ultimate Perlisten performance, you do not neglect the subwoofer.

NOBLE AUDIO KADENCE REVIEW

August 21, 2022 Comments Off on NOBLE AUDIO KADENCE REVIEW

It has been a while since I listened to this kind of refinement, balance and reference tuning. Nowadays most of the IEM world is focused on hybrids with tremendous bass impact, sparkling highs and lush mids. Even the budget models are playing on that field. And yes, that is also the case with Noble itself, with the Kublai Khan.

Noble Audio Kadence is having none of it. It’s all about the colourless, neutral and reference sound here. No frequency is in front or dominating the sound in any way. Everything is in place and under control at all times. It’s a neutral and uncoloured monitor as a direct result of that, and it’s technically very strong. From that reference perspective, this is one of the best monitors I’ve ever listened to. Let’s dive into the details about it.

Tape Decks Editor Choice’s from $8,000 to $90,000

August 21, 2022 Comments Off on Tape Decks Editor Choice’s from $8,000 to $90,000

This completely refurbished, three-box, 15ips, Tascam reel-to-reel tape deck, with bespoke enclosures, boards, parts, damping, and wiring, is the best effort yet from tape maven Greg Beron—and one of the two most lifelike source components JV has yet heard in his home. Though the speed, color, resolution, and, above all else, vanishingly low noise of the DS Audio Grand Master optical cartridge and EQ units have pushed vinyl playback considerably closer to the sound of tape, LPs still aren’t as naturally full in tone, continuous in duration and intensity, or audibly complete in their presentation as R2R tapes through the UHA SuperDeck. Of course, two-track open-reel tapes have built-in sonic advantages—not the least of which is the sheer amount of information laid down in their wider tracks and the higher resolution with which those tracks are scanned—all of which you can hear, par excellence, with Beron’s great new machine. Given the price of pre-recorded R2R tapes, the SuperDeck may be a wealthy man’s game, but if you have the dough and a hankering for the sound of the real thing, it will be tough to find a better full-sized tape player. 

ELAC Solano BS 283 $1,449 Review

August 20, 2022 Comments Off on ELAC Solano BS 283 $1,449 Review

No one is ever going to ‘plunge’ into ELAC Solano BS 238 ownership because these loudspeakers are not made for such people who act on impulse. Instead, they appeal to your less base instincts. This is the perfect choice for the studied listener. The ELACs simply do what they do with utmost precision and accuracy and the BS 238 make their attitude obvious right from the off. If you share this ‘detail and accuracy are paramount’ approach, the cerebral ELAC Solano BS 238 is the logical loudspeaker choice.

Cambridge Audio CXA61 Integrated Amp Review $1,099

August 20, 2022 Comments Off on Cambridge Audio CXA61 Integrated Amp Review $1,099

I was expecting (and hoping for) a lot of power, and the Cambridge amplifier did not disappoint. The Cambridge Audio CXA61 delivers 60 watts/channel into 8 ohms and was designed to play with very low levels of distortion at any volume. 

I found this to be overwhelmingly true as I experimented with all types of music at many volume levels. The amp is incredibly responsive, sounding equally fantastic at low and high volumes. Some high-end equipment sounds rather “mid-fi” at lower volume levels but I found the CXA61 to be quite engaging in this manner. 

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