Acoustic Signature Tornado Neo Turntable with TA-2000 Neo Tonearm Review
May 31, 2022 Comments Off on Acoustic Signature Tornado Neo Turntable with TA-2000 Neo Tonearm Review
Both album versions of this overture (different orchestras, conductors, locations, and recording equipment) had nearly identical overall timing, yet provided appropriately unique sound signatures when played back with the Tornado Neo and TA-2000 Neo. The Witches’ Brew LP had a more forward presentation with additional upper-midrange emphasis (think strings, woodwind, brass, and non-bass percussion), while maintaining excellent clarity and dynamic agility. Timing and pacing, as presented by the combo, were as good as expected and proved to be a conduit for a bundle of energy when called upon. The Mephisto & Co. version of “Tam o’ Shanter” presented additional fullness and power in the lower registers of all instruments (especially in the bass region), while maintaining the rhythmic pacing of the performance. Energy was excellent, tilting a good bit towards the lower register of any instrument used during reproduction. This contrast is normal for these recordings and consistent on any of the playback systems I have in-house. The Tornado Neo and TA-2000 Neo combo reproduced the expected differences in these performances with relative ease.
With an already solid construction supported by the Neo advancements that Acoustic Signature has implemented across the board on all products, the Tornado Neo and TA-2000 Neo provided near-exceptional performance in its price class along with countless hours of musical enjoyment.
ROTEL RA-1572MKII AND RCD-1572MKII MUSIC SYSTEM $2,100 REVIEW
May 31, 2022 Comments Off on ROTEL RA-1572MKII AND RCD-1572MKII MUSIC SYSTEM $2,100 REVIEW
In tribute to the Foo Fighters (RIP Taylor Hawkins), I had to listen to their acoustic performance from Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in 2006. Cold Day In The Sun is Hawkins’ chance to shine on lead vocals and his punk/grunge style shone right through a busy drum accompaniment. Dave Grohl’s backing vocals appeared at the right moments in perfect balance. Other songs like Everlong and Skin and Bones brought their acoustic guitar lines to the fore. It was easy to hear the fingerboard shifts and the difference between strings plucked by a pick or with a finger.
Compared to other high-end components I’ve heard like NAD, Hi-Fi Rose, and Anthem, the Rotel RA-1572MKII, and RCD-1572MKII combination delivers a warmer sound. That’s not to say there is a lack of detail, far from it in fact. You can hear every nuance and the dynamic range is tremendous. I was encouraged to listen to soft passages as they were presented with a fragile transparency that I found addictive. Loud sections were clean and expansive with a sound stage that was neither too broad nor too narrow. It didn’t quite go beyond the walls of my room, but it filled the space around and over my head.
Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor SE Floorstanding Loudspeaker $25,000 Review
May 30, 2022 Comments Off on Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor SE Floorstanding Loudspeaker $25,000 Review
This would result in several patented innovative technological applications that continue to evolve and be employed in practically every Von Schweikert Audio speaker design, among them the Global Axis Integration Network (G.A.I.N.) and Acoustic Inverse Replication (A.I.R.) or “Inverse Microphone” concepts, all furthering the sonic objective of realism. Secondly, and in a word, I say again – Space. Beyond their truthfulness to pitch, intensity, duration, and timbre, the ESE authentically recreates the performance space in a manner and scale I’ve never before experienced from a full-range speaker of this footprint or price point. A presentation that envelopes the listener with all the excitement and visceral energy of the performance venue, off- and on-axis. It is indeed, “The Sound of Reality” — That sonic hologram we all strive to create.
SENDY AUDIO PEACOCK PLANAR MAGNETIC HEADPHONE REVIEW
May 29, 2022 Comments Off on SENDY AUDIO PEACOCK PLANAR MAGNETIC HEADPHONE REVIEW
The driver housing is made of aviation aluminum material with precise CNC machining with the precise placement of the holes determined by hours of testing and experimentation to maximize linearity and uniformity of production.
Gold color embroidery thread and soft goatskin are combined together to create an ergonomic and comfortable headband with a unique and exquisite design. The detachable earpads are also made from goatskin incorporating a memory-foam interior to produce an ergonomic and special-shaped earpad that matches the ears perfectly and prevents sound leakage.
The headband brackets and gimbals are made of aviation aluminum for high strength, durability, and low weight.
Lumin P1 Streaming DAC Preamplifier Review
May 29, 2022 Comments Off on Lumin P1 Streaming DAC Preamplifier Review
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2022/05/lumin-p1-streaming-dac-preamplifier.html
To objectively reconcile with “Bridge of Sighs”, to evoke lyrical reflection and not sound like a detached experience and a sum of isolated sonic attributes a higher level of digital handling is needed.
This recording shows the true nature of P1 when it comes to cementing a multitude of sonic attributes, which could easily sound contradictory if the resolution is not there.
KEF LS60 Wireless $7000 review
May 28, 2022 Comments Off on KEF LS60 Wireless $7000 review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/kef-ls60-wireless
We’re keen to hear just how the KEF LS60’s Uni-Core drivers handle low frequencies so we switch to the Jauz Remix of Shaed’s Trampoline. Before the dubstep element has a chance to muscle in, we’re drawn to the detail in the midrange. There’s an impressive level of detail in and space around the lead vocal. It’s surrounded by an echo that floats effortlessly in the ether.
The vocal then rises and tees up a brief but perfectly executed moment of silence before the KEFs plummet to follow the track’s deep, dirty bassline. It’s dispatched with intent and force – edges are sharply drawn and there’s so much texture to the notes the speakers almost fool you into thinking you can reach out and feel them. There’s so much weight and power on display, you wouldn’t believe a cabinet that slim could produce such an impactful sound.
Schiit Freya+ Preamplifier $949 Review
May 28, 2022 Comments Off on Schiit Freya+ Preamplifier $949 Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2022/3/1/pf7d9nzv57kqcwifuwb5504y7ck100
Pros: 3 different modes at your leisure—all respectable, very quiet, many inputs/outputs, light in weight and small in size, unusually high performance/price ratio.
Cons: No volume scale numerical or otherwise, mode and input choices are by cycling thru instead of particular choices, gets hot in active tube mode, labeling for control (both manual and on the very small remote) is hard to see due to its tiny size and obscure symbols.
Final thoughts: The Freya+ is a surprisingly inexpensive and quality-in-sound preamplifier that I would highly recommend as a serious start for those who have now decided that a preamplifier is for their system. With 3 separate modes, you can’t go wrong. I would also recommend it as a useful experimental tool for reviewers because of its versatility, quality of sound and low price.
HIFIMAN HE-R9 REVIEW
May 27, 2022 Comments Off on HIFIMAN HE-R9 REVIEW
Hifiman used leather and a nicely padded memory foam headband on the R9 and I must say that it is very comfortable. Additionally, the skeleton of the R9’s headband is steel and features a good bending capability. Overall, I found it very comfortable and there were occasions when I used it for over 12 hours in a single day. Furthermore, the earcups of the R9 remind me of Fostex’s TH-900. The TH-900 had these wonderful dark pearly red cups made of Japanese Cherry Birch. The Hifiman HE-R9’s ear cups also feature a similar red to the TH-900 but are slightly lighter in color.
The shapes of the earcups are unique and Hifiman states that this shape was specially designed for the driver, taking the acoustic properties into account. Moving on to the ear pads, well, these are one of the most comfortable pads that I used in my plus 10-year audiophile journey. The padding is thick, the memory foam is comfy and the clamping force is perfect. It is not too strong, not too light, just right. The pads cover my ears completely and provide very good isolation during listening sessions.
Burmester BC150 floorstanding loudspeaker €98,000 Review
May 26, 2022 Comments Off on Burmester BC150 floorstanding loudspeaker €98,000 Review
The vanishingly low cabinet coloration not only acts to keep the BC150 fast, it keeps it extremely detailed too. This is a loudspeaker that throws the window wide open on your music. Pick an instrument, preferably a solo instrument on a well-recorded album; that instrument sounds detailed, articulate, and physically ‘there’ in the room, solidly placed within a wide soundstage that projects slightly into the room, but not so much as to be intrusive. It’s detailed and precise enough that colorations are more likely to be to do with the room than the speaker, and many of those are ‘nailed’ thanks to the rear-firing tweeter. The BC150 loudspeaker is an audio reproduction instrument of high-precision, and as such if your room has a bit of a mid-range hump, you’ll notice it more immediately here. Given the BC150 and the company it keeps, that’s no bad thing, as room acoustics should be a strong consideration at this level. But, regardless, listening to something like ‘Love in Vain’, by the Rolling Stones [Stripped, Polydor] and you get to hear Jagger’s voice unsullied by the speaker itself; other speakers seem to play something more like an impression of Mick Jagger by way of comparison.
Aurender N20 Music Server Review
May 26, 2022 Comments Off on Aurender N20 Music Server Review
Kenny Dorham’s legendary 1956 hard-bop album, ’Round Midnight at the Café Bohemia [Blue Note BLP 1524] was presented through the N20 with the wonderful intimacy and nuance that only come from live recordings made late at night in a jazz club, when the band is fully warmed up and really swinging. The stick and brushwork of Arthur Edgehill on cymbals was rendered with a fine, delicate, brassy sheen; Dorham’s trumpet was warm, sweet, and inviting, never biting. The Aurender N20’s fine rendering of space, atmosphere, and instrumental subtleties put me in the club with the audience. What a wonderful recording.
Summing up, I loved the musical experiences conjured up the by the Aurender N20. It presented the music with very high accuracy and precision, complete with the requisite muscle and horsepower to provide superb rendition of dynamic contrasts and shadings, but could temper and punctuate those dynamics with the delicate articulation of instruments and voices. The overall presentation was exceptionally uncolored and tonally accurate, yet rich with natural timbral warmth, three-dimensional weight and body, and fine gradations of instrumental or vocal textures. All this goodness was presented with clean, quiet, and very black backgrounds, refined, stable, and precise imaging, expansive soundstaging, and most importantly, nuanced, refined, and relaxed naturalness.
Audiophilepure 
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