Pro-Ject Debut PRO Turntable PackageReview
November 11, 2021 Comments Off on Pro-Ject Debut PRO Turntable PackageReview
https://www.hifinews.com/content/pro-ject-debut-pro-turntable-package
Whatever bizarre sounds Brian Wilson chose to employ, the Debut PRO handled with aplomb. And that includes the Theremin, the signature sound of ‘Good Vibrations’ and a rare example of electronic sound that doesn’t immediately suggest artifice. Throughout the album, though, were the harmonies of a group that ranks in the permanent Top 10, along with The Mills Brothers, The Ink Spots, The Hollies, The Everlys and the rest. As with The Lettermen (Capitol Records must have had a thing about harmony), the sound was ethereal yet palpable. How’s that for a juggling act?
Having spun over 30 LPs on the Debut PRO, I leave it convinced that it begs to be heard by the sort of audiophile-in-waiting Lichtenegger designed it for, just as it begs the use of a puck or clamp. I would love to have one just to see how far the various upgrades can take it, the easy swaps like trick cables, outré mats, and whatever MC cartridge one cares to fit. But even in stock form, it joins the best of sub-£1000 front-end combinations. ‘Entry level’ has a new champion.
PureAudioProject Duet 15 Prelude Loudspeakers $5990 Review
November 11, 2021 Comments Off on PureAudioProject Duet 15 Prelude Loudspeakers $5990 Review
The PureAudioProject Duet 15 Prelude Loudspeakers
Toward the end of my audition time, I spent a spellbound evening glued to my seat listening to the Yes compilation, The Steven Wilson Remixes. Streaming beautifully from Qobuz via Roon Labs, every song had effortless dynamic impact and glorious 3D staging. The opus “Close to the Edge: The Solid Time of Change/Total Mass Retain/I Get Up I Get Down/Seasons of Man” was 18 minutes and 47 seconds of Prog Rock Heaven.
Yeah. Very good!
OB Wrap
Although Ze’ev Schlik says the Duet 15 Prelude could be a stepping stone, its performance in the Tune Saloon clearly demonstrated the Voxativ equipped Duet is anything but entry-level. It could certainly be an end-game for many. I’ll say this without hesitation: The Duet 15 Prelude is a first-rate loudspeaker that tickled every single personal sonic-fancy. I cannot imagine anyone with suitable equipment, and a properly sized listening space not enjoying it. As for me, I could live with this speaker, and be very happy.
Wells Audio Innamorata II Amplifier and Commander Line Stage Preamplifier $7000 Review
November 10, 2021 Comments Off on Wells Audio Innamorata II Amplifier and Commander Line Stage Preamplifier $7000 Review
My listening room was designed from the start to provide a fairly close approximation of the Cardas Golden ratio, and was wired with dedicated outlets for the audio stack. I’ve since upgraded the setup with AudioQuest Edison NRG power outlets, and with the other AudioQuest Niagara equipment that I’ve been able to add, I’ve achieved an incredible level of quietness within my room and system. So I can easily discern any electronic hum or buzz coming from any particular piece of equipment within the room. A very slight hum emanated from each piece of the Wells Audio equipment that was clearly audible when standing near them, but was much less obvious from my listening position, which is about 18 feet from the equipment stack. During operation, no noticeable noise was present in the audio spectrum with either analog or digital sources.
I run the LRS loudspeakers full range with a pair of subwoofers, a REL T1 and a Definitive Technologies Powerfield 1500, with no crossover employed between the loudspeakers and subs. Over the two years the LRS has been in my system, I’ve gotten the sub placement and levels dialed in to the point that playback is absolutely seamless with any musical genre. The LRS has the uncanny ability to produce shockingly loud SPLs with music that pushes levels that approach total realism for orchestral and even rock music. Which is completely surprising, especially for such a seemingly fragile technology that employs aluminum foil that’s glued to a mylar substrate. I’m pretty convinced that providing a great, high current amplified signal to the LRS is the key to getting perfect musical performance.
BAT VK-3500 Integrated Amplifier Review
November 9, 2021 Comments Off on BAT VK-3500 Integrated Amplifier Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/bat-vk-3500-integrated-amplifier
The more time I spent with the VK-3500, the more strings I found to its bow. When fed some modern, techy electronica (and even with a regular-sized standmount), the impression is that it wouldn’t be out of place doing front-end duty in a nightclub. Paul Oakenfold’s ‘Save The Last Trance For Me’ [A Lively Mind; Perfecto PERCD003] came straight out the gate at full-throttle, a pounding drum track underneath waves of reverberant synths. Yet this slab of euphoria was peppered with surprisingly delicate touches, such as an isolated high-pitch woodblock that echoed serenely right
And with a track where bass is less prominent, the VK-3500 is able to shift gear easily. Through the big Paradigm Founder 100F loudspeakers, the sustained organ notes, soft strings and falsetto vocals of ‘Pause’, by multi-instrumental outfit Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo [Almanac; Everyone Sang; 88.2kHz/24-bit], were painted in varying subtle shades. The recording was utterly spine-tingling.
Estelon Forza loudspeaker $163,000 Review
November 7, 2021 Comments Off on Estelon Forza loudspeaker $163,000 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/estelon-forza-loudspeaker
The 8″ aluminum sandwich midwoofer (also from Accuton’s “CELL” line) employs neodymium magnets, as does the 7″ CELL ceramic-membrane midrange driver. The tweeter is Accuton’s 1″, chemical-vapor–deposited inverted-diamond membrane tweeter. These three drivers are placed in a tight, vertical array with the lowest frequency driver near the baffle top and the tweeter in the lowest position, at ear height. The three upper drivers are positioned on the slightly concave baffle surface to produce distances from the listening position that are nearly identical. (One characteristic of the CELL series of drivers is that they all have the same acoustical center.)
Audiophiles critical of companies that don’t manufacture their own drivers might as well disparage automobile companies that don’t produce their own tires, which is all of them. It’s a silly distinction. You can argue for or against a company producing its own drivers or having a specialist like Accuton (parent company: Thiel & Partner) or Scan-Speak, for instance, manufacture them to its specifications, but overall, I think it’s a fatuous distinction (footnote 3).
Estelon does not provide the four-way design’s crossover frequencies, nor does it divulge the components used; what they do say is that the woofer networks are third-order while second-order networks are used for the midwoofer, midrange, and tweeter.
RX Studio carbon fibre 10.5-inch tape reel $198
November 7, 2021 Comments Off on RX Studio carbon fibre 10.5-inch tape reel $198
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2021/10/new-rx-reels-carbon-fibre-studio-reel.html
Each 10.5-inch, ¼-inch reel is handmade in the Pacific Northwest, USA and is laser-etched with an individual serial number. A laser-etched RX Reels logo on one side can easily be replaced on request with a studio, band or client logo. Delivery includes a durable custom-made storage box with foam insert to protect the reel for years.
Has Root been surprised by how well his reels have taken off? “A little,” he admits. “The reel-to-reel revival, while very real, is never going see demand as great as that for vinyl, so we always knew it would be a niche market,” he says. “But reviews and sales of our reels have been very strong, and of course it’s terrific to hear industry experts saying that we’re creating the world’s best tape reels! Then again, that’s exactly what we set out to do, and we’ve invested a lot in getting it right.”
Audeze CRBN Electrostatic Headphones $4500 Review
November 6, 2021 Comments Off on Audeze CRBN Electrostatic Headphones $4500 Review
The Audeze CRBN Electrostatic Headphones are not only groundbreaking technology, an understatement for sure, but mightily push the envelope for reproducing recorded music in the home. Eclipsing all other electrostatics I have ever heard, the CRBN made my 009 headphones sound grainy and not particularly musical. With unprecedented elegance in construction, 21st-century carbon drivers, and weighing only 300 grams, the CRBN are the equivalent of $35,000 loudspeakers for your ears. The CRBN sounds like they are plugged into the studio as the performance is recorded. The experience of listening with these truly innovative electrostatics is immersive and magical. In my opinion, the CRBN from Audeze are the best electrostatics ever produced on our planet, and rival any other luxury, state-of-the-art headphone design, dynamic or planar, that I have auditioned in my half-century as an audiophile.
MBL Radialstrahler 120 loudspeaker $21,400 Review
November 5, 2021 Comments Off on MBL Radialstrahler 120 loudspeaker $21,400 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/mbl-radialstrahler-120-loudspeaker
The MBL 120s sound big and full—voluptuous at times, especially when you turn up the volume, which I did often, though not to excess. Because the Radialstrahler drivers radiate sound in all directions, they avoid the hazards of beamy tweeters and shout-at-you midrange drivers. I love how the sound seems to float in the air rather than be fired at you. Many instruments and voices sound natural. The 120s elevate musical material—they maximize but don’t exaggerate what’s there, like dressing to highlight your best features.
Unlike some speakers, the MBL 120s don’t favor one genre of music over another—which is essential for my eclectic tastes. Wallflowers they ain’t: Immersive and involving, these speakers are built for fun. Their sound, though always substantial, tends to stay detailed without getting thick or muddy.
The MBL 120s can be addictive. I’m not here to be a bad influence, but if you’re not careful, you might need to call your nearest dealer
CLASSÉ DELTA PRE STEREO PREAMPLIFIER AND DELTA STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER $12,999 REVIEW
November 5, 2021 Comments Off on CLASSÉ DELTA PRE STEREO PREAMPLIFIER AND DELTA STEREO POWER AMPLIFIER $12,999 REVIEW
This RTR tape has piano and violin. Violin is particularly edgy when there is harmonic distortion in the amplification signal path. The Deltas have very low distortion, so the violin sounded fabulous here, i.e., smooth but detailed. This smoothness can result from having low distortion but also from a rolled off high frequency response. The bench test results in this review show the reason.
The five tracks on this tape are “Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saens, “Zigeunerweisen” by Pablo de Sarasate, “Bloch Nigun” by Bloch, “Introduction & Tarantella” by Pablo de Sarasate, and “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, all composed in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Again, the tape was recorded by UltraAnalogue Recordings, and it is a modern recording, not an old tape from the 1950s or 1960s. It is a copy of a copy of the original master tape. The owner of the recording company builds violins as his main business and records various classical musicians himself. He made the bow for the violinist in this recording.
I am more of a fan of the piano than the violin, but this paring is certainly wonderful. However, the violin “Meditation” track by Massenet is one of my favorite compositions.
Low-level detail is present in this tape as in the IPI tape reviewed above. This detail includes the rustling of clothing. It really adds ambiance that is just not there in digital recordings. This is what I wanted to hear with the Deltas, and it was there.
Clarus Crimson Loudspeaker and Interconnect Cables Review
November 4, 2021 Comments Off on Clarus Crimson Loudspeaker and Interconnect Cables Review
Considerable thought and care has gone into the design of these cables. On its website, Clarus, or, to put it more precisely, Jay Victor, the chief engineer of the company, explains in detail the methodology that he has employed to construct them, including the use of three different oxygen-free copper conductors for the bass, midrange, and treble frequencies, all manufactured with Ohno Continuous Casting. While a white paper on the company’s website discusses in detail different approaches to constructing cables, it is (understandably) coy about the geometry it employs, other than to remark, “These are not simple cables, and many years of experiments and research went into their development. The conductor geometry itself is quite unique and complex, and there is nothing similar on the market.”
Audiophilepure 
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