New Pre- and Power Amps from McIntosh
February 11, 2022 Comments Off on New Pre- and Power Amps from McIntosh
https://stereo-magazine.com/article/new-pre-and-power-amp-from-mcintosh
With the also new C12000, the developers from Binghamton realized tube and transistor preamplification with complete separation of the control and power sections. In each of the two chassis – the C12000C controller and C12000ST preamplifier – the left and right channels are electrically and mechanically separated to allow true dual-mono operation. The C12000 preamplifier offers 12 analog inputs: six balanced, four unbalanced, and two unbalanced phono inputs, which can now be freely configured as either moving coil or moving magnet inputs with adjustable capacitance, resistance, and gain.
The two-part high-tech preamp offers both a tube and a transistor output. A total of six tubes power the high-level preamp section, with two 12AT7 and one 12AX7A tubes assigned to the left and right channels respectively. The transistor output worka via a discrete, balanced operational amplifier. The phono stage uses four 12AX7A tubes, with two per channel in a fully balanced configuration with RIAA equalization. The new preamp flagship is equipped with four outputs: 1x tube (balanced), 1x transistor (balanced), 1x fixed (unbalanced) and 1x programmable (unbalanced, tube or transistor selectable). For headphones, a high drive amplifier is available, which aims to harmonize with a wide range of models. Finally, the power control functionality allows other connected McIntosh components to be switched on and off automatically.
Stenheim Alumine Two Loudspeakers $13,079 Review
February 10, 2022 Comments Off on Stenheim Alumine Two Loudspeakers $13,079 Review
https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1652-stenheim-alumine-two-loudspeakers
Below about 100Hz or so, I found the Alumine Twos’ bass output to be seriously lacking in my room—especially given the speakers’ high asking price. So, if you expect and demand that your two-way standmount speakers have good bass output and extension, then, unless you have a very small room and are willing to place the Twos quite close to the wall to leverage some bass boost from the room, I must urge you to look elsewhere—either that or consider matching these speakers with one or two subs.
That recommendation for the sub(s) is something I hope you might take seriously, because the Alumine Twos’ midrange and treble reproduction was, without question, the finest I’ve ever heard in my room, providing spot-on tonal accuracy combined with transparency that was second to none—I could hear the recordings so clearly it was uncanny. Song after song, the solidity of the aural images and their 3D precision placements as they emerged from an empty space in my room consistently left me mesmerized. Those sounds, so sharply and expertly carved into tall, wide, deep soundstages, were so utterly devoid of even the subtlest cues that they were emanating from the utilitarian-looking square-ish boxes I knew were reproducing them, I found the sound of the Twos difficult if not impossible to find fault with. Except for the bass, that is.
Rotel A14 MKII $1599 Review
February 10, 2022 Comments Off on Rotel A14 MKII $1599 Review
The Rotel A14 MKII is a clean sounding amplifier that leans to the cooler side of neutral with a slight thinness from the upper midrange to the top end. It has very solid yet well balanced dynamics with an open and clean soundstage. The overall tone is neutral and accurate, and for the most part doesn’t lean in the extremes in any area. It easily reflects changes in sound quality when changing gear and sources. The more I listened to this amplifier the more I got accustomed to its sound, and the more I appreciated its convenience. I realize there are many integrated amplifiers in this category that compete with the A14 MKII in sound quality and ergonomics all with different sound signatures and build. Rotel even manufactures the Michi line, which is an upscale line of amplifiers. The Rotel A14 MKII is on the top of that list with its solid build, clean sound, versatility and built-in fun. I was glad to have a Rotel amp back in my system even if it was just for a while.
Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Standmounted Monitor Speaker Review
February 8, 2022 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Standmounted Monitor Speaker Review
This speaker is more than another helping of ‘worthiness from Worthing’: it’s still supremely accomplished, and if I were to be remunerated for the number of times ‘unflappable’ made it into my listening notes, this would have been a very lucrative listening session indeed. You can buy the 805 D4 secure in the knowledge that every aspect of its engineering is ‘just so’ and that the measured performance is likely to be exceptional: there’s not a single regressive aspect of the design from their predecessors and – in pure engineering terms at least – not a great deal of competition at the price.
More than this, though, it delivers levels of emotional engagement and enjoyment that have never featured in my past experiences of the 800 Series. It’s forgiving, both of less than pristine recordings and the equipment with which it’s partnered, and commendably unfussy about placement, too. The latest 800 Series seems to set to do all the things we expect better than ever before, but do them with a level of unbridled fun, too – and that makes this the most appealing iteration yet.
Wilson Benesch Full Circle Turntable $4,750 Review
February 8, 2022 Comments Off on Wilson Benesch Full Circle Turntable $4,750 Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2016/5/25/the-wilson-benesch-full-circle-turntable
The first thing that hits you about the Circle is its pinpoint imaging: side to side, front to back and in height as well. Take, for example, the numerous percussion flourishes in the score of Debussy’s Iberia [Classics LSC-2222]. The castanets and tambourines are suddenly located freely in space, quite high above the loudspeakers. Solo instruments are portrayed with rock-solid positioning and plenty of air.
The noise floor, even with a low output cartridge like the Lydian, is exceptionally deep and black. The 1980 RCA Red Seal pressing of Takemitsu’s Waves [ARL1-3483] is hardly state-of-the-art, and yet the expanse of RCA Studio A spread before me, populated with living, breathing musicians.
Absolare Hybrid Stereo Power Amplifier: Signature Edition $52,000 Review
February 7, 2022 Comments Off on Absolare Hybrid Stereo Power Amplifier: Signature Edition $52,000 Review
The Absolare Hybrid Stereo amplifier successfully achieves its design goal of bringing the many virtues of single-ended triode amplification to a product that can easily drive a wide variety of loudspeakers. Indeed, it drove the demanding Wilson Chronosonic XVX with aplomb. Amazingly, there was no hint of transistors in the Hybrid’s sound; it has astonishing liquidity of timbre, is utterly grain-free, and projects a sense of presence that sounds very much like the best SET amplifiers. The Hybrid creates a directness of musical expression—of hearing nothing between you and the music—that is unique among solid-state amps, in my experience. That directness of expression fosters an intimacy with the music and performers that is seductive. The Hybrid goes beyond “hi-fi” to mediate a deep connection with musical meaning in a way that defies sonic analysis. Can you buy a more “resolving” amplifier for the money? Or one with deeper bass extension and “slam.” Yes, but no other amplifier short of an SET delivers the emotion of music like the Absolare Hybrid Stereo.
EJ Jordan Marlow speakers Review
February 7, 2022 Comments Off on EJ Jordan Marlow speakers Review
The EJ Jordan Marlow Speakers
If you aren’t paying careful attention, the BBC inspired styling cues of the EJ Jordan Marlow speakers might fool you into thinking you were looking at another LS3/5A. Yet these small British speakers couldn’t be more different. Because they are not under license from the BBC, the Marlows are not held to the same design constraints.
They are meticulously made, yet these compact speakers utilize a single 3.93 inch (100mm) full range Eikona driver. If you click here to go to the EJ Jordan site and poke around a bit, you’ll find out that their designer, Ted Jordan is a powerhouse of speaker engineering. The Eikona driver is assembled at Scan Speak with critical parts originating in the UK.
Cayin RU-6
February 6, 2022 Comments Off on Cayin RU-6
https://stereo-magazine.com/article/audiophile-mobile-usb-dac-by-cayin
The best solution for the R-2R circuitry is to obtain the highest possible incoming bit-stream level and then apply a high-quality analog volume control after the signal is converted by the R-2R DAC. Therefore, Cayin recommends using a music player app for the smart device that supports Bit Perfect USB, bypassing the volume control of the source device.
An optional adapter cable is also available for devices with a Lightning connector. Two headphone outputs with 3.5 mm and 4.4 mm jacks are placed on the connection panel. The user can also choose between oversampling (with upsampling to 384kHz) or non-oversampling.
Hegel H390 Integrated Amplifier Review
February 6, 2022 Comments Off on Hegel H390 Integrated Amplifier Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2021/10/26/xq15djapfx4nkpjazcyz48xz0d9lc9
Break in on the H390 was not particularly drastic or jarring, but the amplifier did like about 100 hours to loosen up after sounding a bit tight and thin out of the box. I first listened to the Hegel as a pure analog integrated, forgoing the streamer and DAC for the moment. Let’s be frank, the streamer and DAC portions are important features and may help seal the deal for many buyers, but the sound quality of the pre and power should always be paramount when considering a unit at this price.
Very quickly I discovered the strengths of this amplifier design and why they seem to be flying off the proverbial shelves. This amplifier is powerful, and I don’t just mean in watts per channel (of which it has plenty), rather, I am referring to its muscle and grip when applied to any speaker you throw at it. With the Alyssa, the Hegel tamed the larger than life bass of the transmission line design (something the McIntosh could not do) and allowed deep instruments and notes to come through with punch and clarity. With the Harbeths, the Hegel breathed fire to wake up these studio monitors and make me wonder if I was listening to much larger speakers.
NXEars Opera Earphones Review
February 4, 2022 Comments Off on NXEars Opera Earphones Review
Many travel cases that come with in-ears are virtually useless, except for providing a place to put your earphones when they’re not in your ears. The NXEars case is much better, being a hardshell, so it provides some protection. Inside the case is a foam block into which you can place each earpiece, so it doesn’t roll around inside the case. This is important because the primary reason that balanced armatures eventually fail is trauma that knocks the internal elements out of alignment. This foam block is a design detail that should heighten Opera’s longevity and that all BA in-ear cases should employ, though few do.
The Opera has a sensitivity rating of 100dB with 18-ohm average impedance, which places it among the easy-to-drive but not most-sensitive category of in-ears. In comparison, the most-sensitive CIEMs in my collection, the Empire Ears Zeus, have a 115dB sensitivity. While custom in-ears, such as the Zeus, offer multiple colors and finishes, currently the Opera comes in only one color, an attractive “Stardust” blue, which is translucent enough to let you see inside, but dark enough so that the Opera doesn’t resemble a 3-D schematic. The dark blue is punctuated by metallic sparkles, so it brings to mind Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”
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