IsoTek V5 Aquarius power conditioner Review
June 13, 2022 Comments Off on IsoTek V5 Aquarius power conditioner Review
Oh, hell yes! It’s little wonder the EVO3 Aquarius proves popular with the Naim fraternity, because it has really good musical timing (more accurately, it gets out of the way enough to let the system play good timing), but the V5 Aquarius makes the EVO3 sound like it’s on strong antipsychotics. OK, so there’s no drooling or slurred speech involved, but where the EVO3 delivers good rhythm, the V5 is peppy, immediate and upbeat. It simply leaves the EVO3 behind. Given the EVO3 is already considered one of the most fast reacting power conditioners, and that the V5 leaves it almost for dead, this new chassis (and what it contains inside) is something of a revelation.
And the V5 reveals itself when playing some swampy country rock, such as Larry Jon Wilson’s ‘Ohoopie River Bottomland’ [Heartworn Highways, Light In The Attic]. This is a great and mostly unsullied recording, with an infectious beat but one that’s prone to getting lost in the ensemble. Any sense of reticence on the part of the power conditioner makes this track sound almost tired in the middle eight (the key change is so relaxed, you barely notice it until after it happens). Here, everything is just perfectly balanced and pitched. The EVO3 reacts fast to this kind of music, faster than many in fact, but the V5 just reacts faster.
YG Acoustics DC2 Crossover Update in Sonja 2.2i Loudspeaker $88,300 Review
June 12, 2022 Comments Off on YG Acoustics DC2 Crossover Update in Sonja 2.2i Loudspeaker $88,300 Review
Soundstage depth became more layered, and the interstitial haziness that sometimes clouds the spaces between images was cleared up. The soundstage seemed to open up a bit more across the board. How could improving phase in the lower overlap help imaging and the rendering of “space” around instruments to the extent I was hearing? I would expect this sort of soundstaging improvement if the upper overlap, closer to the frequency range where imaging information exists, had been improved. I cannot explain it, but it’s there. Whatever technical reasons are involved, the DC2 crossover brought about the same kinds of improvements in resolution, soundstaging, and dynamic agility that I heard when the ground-breaking YG BilletDome hybrid tweeter was introduced in early 2018 (see my Sonja 2.2 review)—which is to say, very rewarding performance increases, indeed. Is the pre-DC2 Sonja 2.2 still a great speaker? Yes, but better is better, and DC2 advances the Sonja further.
YG’s DC2 crossover improves the Sonja 2.2i’s overall sound quality more than I imagined was possible, and I presume similar or greater improvements are conferred on the upper Sonja models, as well. It is as if a key piece of a building were put in place, and the integrity of the entire structure became more robust. The DC2 crossover “unifies” more of the listening experience. YG has pursued both flat frequency response and a low relative phase angle with excellent results. The DC2 update further validates its approach. The time domain matters a lot in this game. I continue to be impressed with YG speakers, and the DC2-equipped Sonja 2.2i is another resounding success.
Audio Analogue AAdac $4600 Review
June 12, 2022 Comments Off on Audio Analogue AAdac $4600 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/audio-analogue-aadac
Our next step is to use the Audio Analogue as a preamp, and it does its job superbly. Usually, when we do this with products the result is a bit of a disappointment. While the removal of a dedicated preamp such as our Burmester 088 should on paper result in a better sound due to the simpler signal path it rarely works that way. We normally get a small increase in detail but also significant losses in drive, dynamics and overall authority. That doesn’t happen here, with the AAdac delivering a lovely, rounded and entertaining sound. While a preamp of the quality of the Burmester – almost five times the price of the AAdac – still produces a better overall sound when included in our system, we think the Audio Analogue’s preamp section will more than hold its own in more price compatible set-ups.
Have you noticed that we haven’t mentioned the difference in performance between the various digital inputs or the way the various sampling rates and formats sound? We haven’t had to, as the AAdac is reassuringly consistent regardless of how it is connected. This speaks to careful and consistent engineering on Audio Analogue’s part.
HIFIMAN ARYA STEALTH MAGNET PLANAR HEADPHONE $1,599 REVIEW
June 11, 2022 Comments Off on HIFIMAN ARYA STEALTH MAGNET PLANAR HEADPHONE $1,599 REVIEW
With the right source and headphone amplifier, the HIFIMAN Aryas can deliver an engrossing musical performance with power, subtlety, and nuance. You will hear quite a lot of microdetail and spatial cues as you find yourself lost in an expansive soundstage of musical experience. This is what I experienced with I paired the Aryas with the $3,799USD Naim Uniti HE, but the seventeen-year-old Benchmark DAC1 got me pretty close to that experience as well. And on top of all of that, they are comfortable. I wore them for hours on end with no discomfort.
If you are looking for a buy-it-for-life headphone purchase and a solid investment, then the HIFIMAN Arya Stealth Magnet planar headphones should definitely be on your short list. Just be prepared to realize you may want to upgrade other components in your system.
PrimaLuna Evo 400 integrated amplifier £4,598 review
June 11, 2022 Comments Off on PrimaLuna Evo 400 integrated amplifier £4,598 review
Also of interest is the headphone socket, which I believe utilises the output section of the power amplifier. So with my Sennheiser HD 800’s in hand, and listening to the same tracks as before, I notice a very high quality headphone amplifier, with the all the liquidity of the best tube headphone amplifiers, spacial control and sweetness, almost as a throw-in. I’ve heard headphone amplifiers selling for the price of this integrated fail to reach this quality of sound. Very impressive for someone who takes headphone listening seriously.
Like other PrimaLuna models, the Evo 400 integrated amplifier is an extraordinary mixture of being low maintenance, and a great first valve amplifier, combined with a spot of tube-rolling audio nervosa paradise. The ability to change between ultralinear and triode at the flick of a remote control button, combined with the ability to use different valve types means that this amplifier can indeed be all things to all people, or ‘cakeism’ as the modern turn of phrase goes. But not only is this the ultimate ‘cakeist’ amplifier, it actually does the various options extremely well. It is not only an educational experience, it is also extremely satisfying to listen to. Well thought out, well executed, and creates a high bar for those few competitors at this price.
Wilson Audio Alexx V Loudspeaker $135,000 Review
June 10, 2022 Comments Off on Wilson Audio Alexx V Loudspeaker $135,000 Review
Staging and imaging flat out blew me away. There is no other way to say it except to say I heard things behind me. I invited audiophiles and novices alike over, and many novices asked me where the rear-surround speakers were. The stage extended from three feet in front of the drivers to well beyond the wall behind the speakers. Left-to-right staging was whatever the venue was. I must attribute this to the near simultaneous arrival of wavefronts as a result of the adjustable driver enclosures. I have heard tracks I know well project laterally on many systems, but the degree of projection, accuracy of placement within a 360-degree space (simultaneously in front and around me), and the capacity to impart a sense of visceral palpability were uncanny, almost unnerving, with the Alexx V.
Music Hall • Stealth Turntable $1649 Review
June 10, 2022 Comments Off on Music Hall • Stealth Turntable $1649 Review
https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/music_hall_stealth.htm
Have I heard better-sounding turntables? Yes, starting at four to five times the cost, without a cartridge or in many cases even a tonearm. For its modest asking price, the Stealth performed well above what’s expected in terms of sound, convenience and build. With it, you get a well-made, plug‘n’play turntable complete with an above-average moving-magnet cartridge, the choice of three speeds and several convenience features. In the final analysis, what counts for me is the degree of satisfaction one gets from hi-fi — the satisfaction that comes from the emotional relationship the listener has to the music. Also, the satisfaction that comes from knowing you’ve made a good investment and spent wisely, without suffering buyer’s remorse. Music Hall’s Stealth turntable has fulfilled all of those requirements.
Most of all, though, the Stealth gave me confidence that whatever LP I put on the platter would sound as good as it was going to at the sub-$2000 price point. A cartridge upgrade, perhaps to a high-output moving coil, raises that performance to a higher level still. Both value hunters and music lovers will be impressed with the Stealth turntable because it offers performance well beyond the threshold for high-end audio. For those who get their music from the grooves of vinyl records, the purchase of a Stealth turntable could be an endpoint. It will open the door to the high-end without breaking the bank. In the right system, it can deliver 85% of the magic found in systems costing much, much more. I view it as the foundation upon which a fine system is built. Music Hall Audio and Roy Hall have hit it out of the park with this one
Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo Loudspeaker $20,998 Review
June 9, 2022 Comments Off on Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo Loudspeaker $20,998 Review
HIFIMAN EDITION XS REVIEW
June 9, 2022 Comments Off on HIFIMAN EDITION XS REVIEW
The Edition XS sounds very clear, focused, fast, detailed and natural with a good sense of warmth and body. The headphone ticks a lot of boxes, especially for its price, and I personally couldn’t find an obvious weakness in its overall presentation.
It has good tonality, resolution, imaging, and proper texture and transparency. For 500 bucks, this is basically a flawless headphone by my experience. It present a pretty neutral sound overall with slightly energetic mids and bright treble.
Audiophilepure 
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