ELAC Miracord 80 Turntable Review
April 3, 2023 Comments Off on ELAC Miracord 80 Turntable Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/elac-miracord-80-turntable
The ELAC Miracord 80 is a well-designed and beautifully built vinyl player, with sufficient mass and control to give each recording gravitas and depth. Paired with the D96 cartridge it offers engaging listening to those seeking a high-quality plug ‘n’ play system, but it also presents a solid platform for upgraders looking to improve upon the deck’s already excellent out-of-the-box performance.
SHANLING M3 ULTRA REVIEW
April 2, 2023 Comments Off on SHANLING M3 ULTRA REVIEW
The Shanling M3 Ultra is a premium digital audio player with an attractive design and top-notch build quality. Shanling has been developing elegant-looking players using quality materials for years. They have the necessary know-how and they have a certain design language that is attractive and aesthetic.
The M3U’s aluminum body feels robust and durable, and the smooth, curved edges provide a comfortable grip. It is quite portable as well, with its compact chassis. The 4.2-inch touchscreen is responsive and easy to navigate, with clear and sharp visuals, despite the lower pixel density compared to higher-priced units like the M6U. The device features a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 4.4mm balanced output, all of which feels sturdy and well-made.
Stacore Advanced Cryo Ultra Platform Review
April 2, 2023 Comments Off on Stacore Advanced Cryo Ultra Platform Review
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2023/03/stacore-advanced-cryo-ultra-platform.html
There are two ways to look at the assembly and planning of high-end audio systems. Either you start from scratch with a clear focus and knowledge of what you want and have, or you add the equipment and appropriate paraphernalia as the system grows, changes, and expands.
There’s no doubt that Stacore Advanced Cryo Ultra is a top-notch product to work with if you are starting from scratch, if you are on the quest towards the end-game system, or if you have already assembled your dream high-end audio setup. The Stacore Advanced Cryo Ultra platform lends itself to all three approaches.
MELCO FLAGSHIP MUSIC LIBRARY THE N1-S38 $11,995 REVIEW
April 1, 2023 Comments Off on MELCO FLAGSHIP MUSIC LIBRARY THE N1-S38 $11,995 REVIEW
Melco (Maki Engineering Laboratory Company) was established by Makoto Maki in 1975 in Japan. Maki, an enthusiastic audiophile, established the company to design and manufacture the finest audio components of the time; the undoubted masterpiece of the Melco line was the turntable (introduced into the UK in 1980) which set new standards in music reproduction.
From those early beginnings, Melco developed into the largest computer peripherals manufacturer in Japan (Buffalo Inc.), offering advanced products based on rigorous R&D. These included wireless routers, Ethernet data switches and storage devices such as NAS drives. Now, the company is proud to revive the highly respected Melco brand, offering discerning audiophiles high-technology network audio components in the spirit of those much-revered early Melco products, while incorporating the very latest research into reliable, high-performance networked devices and storage. Melco-audio.com
Zesto Bia 200 Select power amplifier $15,900 Review
April 1, 2023 Comments Off on Zesto Bia 200 Select power amplifier $15,900 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/zesto-bia-200-select-power-amplifier
The Haut Brion—both versions—is a wonderful, expressive amplifier. But it has nowhere near the sparkle, precision, resolution, or extension of the Bia 200. It also lacks the Bia 200’s tight, well-controlled, tuneful low end. It compensates by seeming more immediate, organic, and natural than the Bia 200. Both exist to serve the music, but they do it in different ways. The Bia 200 is transparent, powerful, resolving, fun. Maybe it’s the top end that seems to go out for miles, or the sonorous bass, or how it steps out of the way of recordings and lets them shine on their own terms.
Different people expect to hear different things from their hi-fi—different versions of transparency, as Herb Reichert would say—even as they seek musical truth. We’re all wired for the particular sounds that make our particular hearts sing. The Bia 200 is wired in a way that, for the right person, can make that happen.
Stage III Concepts Ckahron Ultimate Statement XLR interconnects $16,500 Review
March 31, 2023 Comments Off on Stage III Concepts Ckahron Ultimate Statement XLR interconnects $16,500 Review
LSA VT-150 Integrated Review
March 31, 2023 Comments Off on LSA VT-150 Integrated Review
And, putting a $2,500-$3,000 amplifier in the context of the $7,500 to $15k system it is more than likely going to end up in will leave you thrilled with the purchase. If you’ve been dreaming of investigating a tube amplifier, I can think of no better place to start your journey. Perhaps at some point, we will commandeer a second one to investigate how these perform as monoblocks. For now, staffer Jerold O’Brien will be using this one on a daily. His daughter took the VT-70, so how can you argue with that?
Sony NW-WM1ZM2 $3699 Review
March 30, 2023 Comments Off on Sony NW-WM1ZM2 $3699 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sony-nw-wm1zm2
On the surface, all that versatility seems like a good thing, but we’re not convinced. Anyone willing to spend this amount of money on a portable music player values music replay above all else. They, in all likelihood, already have a smartphone, so all that other functionality is already taken care of, and the last thing anyone deeply engrossed in listening to music wants is a random notification or similar interrupting their enjoyment. Of course, notifications can be switched off, but we think this kind of unit makes the most sense when it concentrates on music replay and nothing else.
Our view is reinforced by the clunky way the NW-WM1ZM2 works when we swap between apps or use the touchscreen in general. Too often it’s the kind of slow and stuttering experience early Android phones used to suffer from, and is a world away in terms of slickness from current phone flagships, including those from Sony. There is no excuse for this given the unit’s price.
NAD Masters M23 Stereo/Mono Amplifier $3749 Review
March 29, 2023 Comments Off on NAD Masters M23 Stereo/Mono Amplifier $3749 Review
I’ve had the privilege of hearing a lot of truly excellent amplifiers in my system over the past few years, and the NAD Masters M23 is one of the very best. In fact, it compares very well to my Anthem M1 monoblocks and the Bryston 4B3—my two favorite amps in the upper four-figure price range. While I still prefer the sound of my Anthems, I don’t consider the Bryston or the M1s to be substantially better in any area of performance. And since the M23 is roughly half the cost of those two other amps, it is a screaming bargain, and a great-looking one at that.
IsoAcoustics zaZen II Isolation Platform $229 Review
March 29, 2023 Comments Off on IsoAcoustics zaZen II Isolation Platform $229 Review
How does the zaZen II stack up to state-of-art-isolation like my Critical Mass Systems four-tier Sotto Voce equipment rack? Keeping in mind that zaZen II is limited to relatively small, lightweight components, it nonetheless fared remarkably well. In comparison to the CMS, it couldn’t quite confer the weight or elicit the deepest background silences that underpin large-scale orchestral recordings or big bands, but on key issues like image stability and low-level resolving power the zaZen II gave this listener more than a glimpse of the transparency that intelligent isolation can impart.
On shelf or sideboard, the IsoAcoustics zaZen II will integrate almost invisibly with the décor of an existingden or living room. Visually low-impact, but sonically high-achieving, it provided an excellent foundation for smaller budget systems. The primary takeaway: zaZen’s steadying influence allowed more of the fruits of a musical recording to be revealed and enjoyed.
Audiophilepure 
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