IBASSO IT00 REVIEW
October 5, 2020 Comments Off on IBASSO IT00 REVIEW
“Generous amounts of bass would normally go hand in hand with some bass bleed into the midrange, but the IT00 was able to avoid this. I think this was accomplished by having a clear and articulate driver.
The male vocal range is more neutral with the dipped lower-mids (from around 500Hz to 1k) but posts 1k female or higher pitching vocals have a much stronger presence with a solid 1-3k rise.Percussion in the upper mids also has some nice presence and bite with some quality contrast pulling from the upper treble sparkle and low-end power.”
AGD ANDANTE PREAMPLIFIER AND VIVACE MONOBLOCKS $18,000 REVIEW
October 5, 2020 Comments Off on AGD ANDANTE PREAMPLIFIER AND VIVACE MONOBLOCKS $18,000 REVIEW
“If you prefer to relax and read while you listen to music, you will have to de-tune and romanticize your source components. If you’d rather attend the performance and engage with the music and the performers who are creating it, AGD will take you to the venue. And if you’ve developed a personal taste for design as sophisticated as your ear is for music, and the design of these components resonates with your style, you will experience a pride of ownership that is typically reserved for only the most expensive brands.
If you prefer being unique and to follow your own path, AGD’s Andante stereo preamplifier and Vivace monoblocks amplifiers have my highest recommendation! The accolades continue to mount for this fine American manufacturer whose future looks very promising.”
Technics SL-1500C Turntable $1199 Review
October 4, 2020 Comments Off on Technics SL-1500C Turntable $1199 Review
“That’s the real strength of the SL-1500C: precise timing and dynamics. Throughout my listening, those were the things I kept coming back to. It’s a feature of direct drives in general, but the 1500C in particular just felt alive and expressive. Everything was sharp, in focus, tight, energetic. The soundstage was wide and impressive, but the dynamics really won the day. Everything was lively, fleshed out, and vigorous. I felt myself wanting to put on up-tempo music with lots of physical drumming and bass playing.
At the end of my listening session, one thing became clear: This is an awesome turntable. If I were looking for something in this price range, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy the SL-1500C. The only downsides are the odd built-in phonostage, which can be bypassed, and the tonearm lifting/lowering mechanism, which could be sturdier. However, the tonearm itself is very solid and can accommodate a wide variety of cartridges and headshells. Pacing and dynamics are spot on, tight, focused, laser-sharp, and just overall in that sweet spot. The SL-1500C is no fuss, no hassle, easy to use, easy to set up—a no-brainer recommendation.”
NHT C-4 LOUDSPEAKER AND CS-12 SUBWOOFER REVIEW
October 4, 2020 Comments Off on NHT C-4 LOUDSPEAKER AND CS-12 SUBWOOFER REVIEW
“One reason I chose to use the Marantz NR1200 for the review is because it has a good FM tuner that I could leave on all the time. I would listen critically at the end of the day and I could hear the speaker slowly improve day by day, week by week. Eventually, I just let the CD player go all day while at work and left the door open so I could listen. I love my job!
Matt and I listened to a few tracks to make sure everything was playing correctly. He thought they sounded promising. Fortunately, my other friend, John who is a co-founder of the River City Audio Society here in San Antonio was able to stop by after a couple of weeks. John mentioned that over the years he had owned 3 different pairs of NHT speakers. He loved the bass and midrange, but his ears are sensitive to bright or hard high frequencies. So, after a while, he would move on from each of the NHT speakers because he would be bothered by the highs. John and I listened for a couple of hours and he liked the sound but felt there was still a hint of hardness in the highs. I took note and hoped he would come back again after a few more weeks to see if things had changed for the better.”
Yamaha A-S3200 integrated amplifier $7499 Review
October 3, 2020 Comments Off on Yamaha A-S3200 integrated amplifier $7499 Review
“As I pondered these questions, my sorely missed colleague, Art Dudley, came to mind. Art and I shared similar taste in and love for music—classical and beyond—and waxed equally rapturous about some of the same recordings. Yet, his sonic preferences were so different than my own that I doubt we would have liked each other’s systems. That doesn’t make one system “right” and the other system “wrong.” Diversity is a big part of what makes the world so wonderful. But how does one adequately take fundamental differences into account in a review and say something meaningful, while simultaneously acknowledging the humbling fact that experience itself is subjective?
What matters most, to many of us, is that our sound systems bring us joy. Do I believe that many card-carrying audiophiles will love the sound of the A-S3200? Absolutely.”
System Audio Legend 40 Loudspeaker Review
October 3, 2020 Comments Off on System Audio Legend 40 Loudspeaker Review
“That said, this System Audio pairing has the knack of sounding bigger than you might imagine, and can image precise details as well as creating a fluid, forward-feeling wall of sound. AC/DC’s ‘Hell’s Bells’ [Back In Black; Columbia 510765 2] sits in the former camp, with a relatively sparse mix that places its twin guitars left and right, cymbal crashes mid-right and a kick-drum emanating dead centre. Brian Johnson’s tobacco-torn vocal then pushes through from behind. However, with the double whammy of Pink Floyd’s ‘Breathe (In The Air)’ and ‘On The Run’ [Dark Side Of The Moon; Tidal Master], the Legend 40s have to become more involved to capture the dreamy nature of the first recording, sending flange guitars soaring and giving body to organ notes, and then integrate seamlessly to hold ‘On The Run’s signature stereo pans in check. It’s a thrillingly evocative performance.”
Constellation Audio Inspiration Integrated 1.0 Integrated Amplifier Review
September 30, 2020 Comments Off on Constellation Audio Inspiration Integrated 1.0 Integrated Amplifier Review
“With “Mad Rush,” from Philip Glass’s Solo Piano (16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC, CBS/Tidal), it was remarkable how I was able to check every audiophile box. Glass’s repetitive, minimalist theme danced in front of me with an intoxicating blend of accuracy and smoothness, and nary a hint of harshness or bite in the sound of his piano. The depth of the soundstage extended well past my room’s front wall, and its width past the outer side panels of my KEF floorstanders. Glass’s nimbleness on the ivories was on full display in my room, and in no way was the weight or distinction of individual keystrokes abbreviated. The imaging was superb — I could easily track his fortissimo runs up and down the keyboard — yet the Integrated 1.0’s articulation and spaciousness never called attention to themselves. The elusiveness of any sound of the Constellation’s own meant that, whether I played this 1989 recording or a far more recent selection by Jóhann Jóhannsson, I got the same result: everything sounded accurate, linear, fundamentally right — dare I say, perfect? Those who, like me, love dynamics and top-end sparkle will be plenty satisfied — as will those whose tastes veer toward a fuller, more analog sound, which the Integrated 1.0 also delivered in spades.”
Sennheiser Momentum Wireless Review
September 30, 2020 Comments Off on Sennheiser Momentum Wireless Review
“Connected via Bluetooth, it is silent at idle, with no obvious clues that it isn’t conventionally wired up. The connection is entirely stable up to a few metres from the transmitting device. This ensures that music isn’t affected by unwanted background noise and the sparse Shadow Queen by the Alba Griot Ensemble sounds immediate and believable as a result. The interplay between the guitar and harp as well as the vocal harmonies is easy to follow. For a closed-back design, there is very little feeling of constraint to the soundstage.
If you select something a bit more ballistic like Resonant Body by Octo Octa, the Sennheiser responds effortlessly. The driving rhythm of Can You See Me? is deep – effortlessly subsonic, even – and detailed without losing the energy and speed that’s needed to sound convincing.”
ABYSS HEADPHONES DIANA V2 $2995 REVIEW
September 29, 2020 Comments Off on ABYSS HEADPHONES DIANA V2 $2995 REVIEW
“The timbre is wonderfully natural sounding on the Diana V2. The overall timbre is richer and relatively forgiving compared to the crisp and peppy treble tour de force of the Phi. Studied matching with sources will pose less of a challenge with the Diana V2.
To achieve this Abyss has attenuated the V2 treble just a little and pulled back its upper mids to match to dull down any potential odd-harmonic nasties. At the same time, the midbass and sub-bass FR has a bit of a bump throwing in some additional body and warmth into the mids to up the even-harmonic bias.”
Copland CSA100 USB DAC/Integrated Amp £3498 Review
September 29, 2020 Comments Off on Copland CSA100 USB DAC/Integrated Amp £3498 Review
“Disco was always characterised by a tech-y feel, maybe even exaggerated sonic properties, but the CSA100 delivered the shake-your-booty excitement without ever resorting to aggression. It’s an area where Copland has always excelled and which it hasn’t abandoned, its hybrid sounding as ear-friendly as its all-valve designs. I hope I am getting across to you all that this amp seems incapable of causing listener fatigue.
As a farewell to the CSA100, I put on Howard Tate [Analogue Productions APO 009], a live mini-LP that Chad Kassem’s crew produced a decade ago, featuring my all-time favourite R&B singer. With a crack band and a guitarist whose notes soared, the ageing singer brushed away the years to deliver heartfelt renditions of a couple of his classics and gems like B B King’s ‘Sweet Sixteen’. The intimacy was tangible, the space enveloping. The CSA100 did all of which it was asked.”
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