Thales TTT-Slim II, Simplicity II, X-quisite CA turntable Review
July 5, 2022 Comments Off on Thales TTT-Slim II, Simplicity II, X-quisite CA turntable Review
Live recordings are delivered with a strong sense of scale and image depth and the better studio productions can sound superb. Joni Mitchell’s Mingus [Asylum] being one clear example where everything sounded spot on, the voice stood out with beautiful tone and nuance and it felt as if you could hear right into the studio. Making it particularly easy to appreciate the efforts of the various top-notch musicians Mitchell gathered for this project; Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Peter Erskine being the best known but even the percussion playing is in the top flight. All of this is revealed by the way that this Thales record player shows you not only what and how each note is created but, equally important, ensures that those notes stop and start precisely and allow what artists call the negative space, the quiet between notes to be clarified as well. I forgot to put the clamp on initially with this album so got to hear the way it solidifies the bass and adds definition to leading edges when it’s added. On some turntables clamps are not always beneficial but here it brings obvious increases in resolution.
Bass is a strong point on the Thales. The low-end is both solid and particularly articulate. I often play a hi-res digital version of ‘The Drycleaner from Des Moines’ on a streamer and digital usually has advantage in the bass but this record player made it clear that vinyl can compete in this arena where there is fine detail to be extracted from an analogue recording. Tonal character is usually an area where good turntables excel and that’s certainly the case here, on Conjure’s ‘Skydiving’ [Music For The Texts Of Ishmael Reed, American Clavé] instruments like congas really pop out of the speakers and there is strong contrast between the various horns, guitars and sounds in this rich mix with all elements getting to occupy a space in the soundstage. This is relatively easy with smaller ensembles but the Thales can do it with larger bands too.
Zu Audio Soul VI Loudspeakers $5995 Review
July 5, 2022 Comments Off on Zu Audio Soul VI Loudspeakers $5995 Review
I am left truly speechless when I think of how to describe the Soul VI to friends and audiophile colleagues. I want to tell people it is the perfect speaker; I also want to be transparent and say that I have not heard every speaker in the world so my ability to say it’s the “best” or “perfect” is nonexistent. However, they are easily the best speakers I have ever heard in my home, and they give me the same warm and fuzzies when I listen to them as I get when I listen to speakers like the Wilson Audio Sasha and the B&W 800 Diamonds in an acoustically treated dealer listening room. I did not have either of these speakers in my house so I can’t provide a direct comparison, but the fact that I get the same feeling, the same level of satisfaction, when literally nothing has done that before tells me how good these speakers sound.
The Soul VI has my highest recommendation. If you have a formal living room that you want to add a high end two channel system to, the Soul VI should be on your list. If you have a listening room that is on the smaller side, and you want a set of speakers that will show you everything and still be fun, the Soul VI should be on your list. If you want excellent sound, at a comparatively affordable price, that will scale with your stereo system into the $60k – $80k range then the Soul VI should be on be on your list. Thank you Sean, Phil, and the Zu Audio team. I liked the Soul VI so much that I bought it. I can’t provide a better recommendation than that.
KEF LSX II review
July 3, 2022 Comments Off on KEF LSX II review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/kef-lsx-ii
We’re used to KEF’s UniQ driver producing a stereo image that’s like a bubble of sound and this quality is apparent with the new LSX. Play Tina Turner’s Proud Mary and the system gets the layering of all the different elements of the track spot on. As different elements introduce themselves such as the guitar, drums, Turner’s voice and the accompanying male voice hanging in the background, the music becomes more interesting to listen to – and that’s before she launches into the more frantic section of the track. Tonally, the whole presentation is extremely inviting and shows a lot of natural warmth. And this rings true whether you’re listening to the speakers in a more conventional set-up on the stands or you’re sitting more up close and personal using them on a desktop. The closer you get, the more precise and focused they sound – so from this point of view, they’re extremely flexible too.
NEXTLEVEL ACOUSTICS REFERENCE CINEMA IN-WALL SPEAKER AND CI-HV18 SUBWOOFER REVIEW $4,999 Review
July 3, 2022 Comments Off on NEXTLEVEL ACOUSTICS REFERENCE CINEMA IN-WALL SPEAKER AND CI-HV18 SUBWOOFER REVIEW $4,999 Review
There is nothing negative I can say about the NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema In-Wall Speakers and CI-HV18 Subwoofer. The in-walls perform better than most cabinet speakers I’ve heard, and the sub delivers the extension and volume of a ported cabinet with the precision of a sealed one. NextLevel Acoustics has bent the laws of physics here, most definitely in a good way.
If you want a discrete speaker system that sounds better than any commercial cinema, the In-Walls can literally disappear behind an acoustically transparent screen or behind color-matched grills. They are a zero-footprint solution. The CI-HV18 sub is easy to hide too thanks to its bandpass design. Put it up front behind a partition or along a side wall and prepare to have your room shaken.
The NextLevel Acoustics Reference Cinema In-Wall Speakers and HV18 Subwoofer are a premium and convenient audio solution that doesn’t compromise sound quality in any way, shape, or form. They receive my highest recommendation.
Mola Mola’s Grooving Tambaqui DAC $13,500 Review
July 2, 2022 Comments Off on Mola Mola’s Grooving Tambaqui DAC $13,500 Review
As I opined at the end of my Mola Mola Kula review (HERE), the Tambaqui is to DACs what the Kula is to toney integrated amps: a downsized mini-me solution to your 21st century digital component woes that sounds stellar. Like the Kula, the Tambaqui ain’t cheap. But the musical performance and setup flexibility that it delivers makes its just south of $14K price seem sensibly fair (at least in high-end terms). This is, in no uncertain term, a state-of-the-art digital design for which no apologies need be made. I’m thinking that maybe I ought to get one for my system.
FOCAL ARIA 906 BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS REVIEW
July 2, 2022 Comments Off on FOCAL ARIA 906 BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS REVIEW
I was surprised overall at how well these babies performed, but I feel that the mid-bass driver is being asked to do too much. Perhaps a small cap to roll off the bass sharply below 70 Hz. I know that would induce some phase shift, but that is not quite so noticeable in the very low frequencies. However, if you have room correction, this can easily be accomplished in the preamp or processor. If your preamp or processor has tone controls, then simply roll off the bass below 70 Hz.
Music Hall • Stealth Turntable $1649 Review
July 1, 2022 Comments Off on Music Hall • Stealth Turntable $1649 Review
https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/music_hall_stealth.htm
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.
KEF KC62 SUBWOOFER REVIEW
July 1, 2022 Comments Off on KEF KC62 SUBWOOFER REVIEW
The KEF KC62 is a first-rate subwoofer for either a straight stereo system or a multi-channel home theater system. It’s specified to get up to 105 dB which is quite loud. Both my rooms are medium to small, so it’s possible in a larger room cranked up really loud it might falter, but when I drove it hard, I would have had to leave the room to tolerate the volume it could cleanly reproduce.
I haven’t heard any of the other well-regarded small subwoofers, and I have no doubt they are excellent. I can say that while expensive, the KEF KC62 certainly punches above its weight, and provided clean, distortion-free deep bass from every subwoofer killer demo I could throw at it. You could spend less on other subs, of course, but I doubt they would equal the breakthrough design and capabilities of something that is so diminutive. Listening to a 15” subwoofer I have in my living room audio system, the KC62 seems to go deeper, but of course, it’s in a smaller, more easily driven room. Still, with the right room and the right high-quality equipment feeding the content, the KEF KC62 is a winner and worthy of your consideration.
FIR AUDIO XENON 6 REVIEW $3900 Review
June 30, 2022 Comments Off on FIR AUDIO XENON 6 REVIEW $3900 Review
Bass has good impact, texture and speed. The most special thing about the bass, is the feeling you get, when the kinetic driver really comes to show. When it does, you get this extra sensation of vibrations coming from the outside of the canals, where you can really feel the bass. I have tried many different songs to push this experience to its boundaries. One song that really shows the qualities here, is DJ Shadow’s Three Ralphs. However, this feeling is best noticeable when you’re sitting in a quiet environment, or at least not in commute. When I am out and about, I don’t notice the vibrations as much as when I am in the office for example.
The Xe6 reaches very deep into the sub-bass segment, and does so with a lot of authority and force. If you are after a detailed and thunderous low-end, you might find pleasure in the Xe6 as it does exactly that to my ears. To me, the bass is undeniably in a front seat compared to mids and treble. Of course you can tone it down by swapping the gray module for the black one. Then the Xe6 becomes more balanced overall.
Audiophilepure 
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