ACCUPHASE E-370 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER REVIEW
June 6, 2020 Comments Off on ACCUPHASE E-370 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER REVIEW
“So what we have here is an amplifier which uses considerable technical skill to interfere with the music signal as little as possible. Protection of phase relationships and almost obsessive preservation of fine detail pays enormous dividends when it comes to the rendering of the musical experience. Large-scale is more than adequately catered for: the LSO/Alwyn Tchaikovsky ‘Capriccio Italien’ [Decca] has some phenomenal dynamic swings and leans towards bombast in places, and there was no question the E-370 was up to the task at hand. My listening notes just read: ‘Bloody hell!’, which is shorthand for ‘a rollicking ride, which nevertheless preserved an excellent sense of the passing of thematic material around the orchestra – something often lost in translation’. It’s no one-trick pony, either. I’ve already praised the amp’s felicity with contemplative Scandy jazz, and now ‘When I am laid in earth’ from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas [Apex] was almost unbearably poignant. The phrasing, the way the searing melodic line plays against the implacable ground bass, and the precise spatial placement of solo, choir, and orchestra, all contributed to a deeply affecting performance.”
Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC Headphones £4950 Review
June 5, 2020 Comments Off on Abyss AB-1266 Phi TC Headphones £4950 Review
“However, listening to the cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras in his new Harmonia Mundi collection Complices [HMM902274] I didn’t quite get all the magic of the Saint-Saens ‘Le Cygne’. In the John Coltrane ‘Improvisation on Bach: Alabama’ Queyras is partnered by tenor saxophonist Raphaël Imbert and you hear occasional sharp spitty noises, but these became merely buzzy ‘noises off’ with the AB-1266.
The upper strings from Vladimir Jurowski’s live Moscow recording of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet [Pentatone PTC5186761; 96kHz/24-bit] aren’t that well reproduced – or not that good in reality – so track 2, more low register and winds, was more enjoyable than the Overture with these ‘phones. Overall their clarity within the soundstage kept my attention over a longer tract, and they do capture subsidiary details well – as with the Johann Strauss II. And the flow of the music is engaging – toe-tapping or head-nodding, if you like.”
Sonus Faber Olympica Nova II $10000 review
June 5, 2020 Comments Off on Sonus Faber Olympica Nova II $10000 review
“I’d actually asked a friend over to help with some fine-tuning and tweaking, but it turned out it wasn’t necessary because the minute the music started playing, it was obvious that the positioning was perfect, not least because the soundfield I experienced was virtually holographic from the outset, so that there was no way I could localise the sound as issuing from the speakers. It was as if the speakers didn’t exist, just the musicians.
I have experienced this before, of course, but rarely so perfectly from such large multi-driver loudspeakers, because a prerequisite for this level of performance is that the left and right speakers are perfectly matched, so this must certainly have been the case with my review pair. And by holographic soundfield, I am referencing not just the stereo imaging, but also the height and depth of the soundstage. It was the sonic equivalent of a hologram.”
TECHNICS SL1500C TURNTABLE $1199 REVIEW
June 5, 2020 Comments Off on TECHNICS SL1500C TURNTABLE $1199 REVIEW
“The Technics SL1500C turntable is an outstanding performer for its price class, and then some. It distills and refines all the elements that made the original SL1200 turntables such a favorite with Hi-Fi enthusiasts and does away with the more DJ-centric features that are now available in the purpose-built SL1200 Mk 7. At $1199.99, with a modern direct-drive system, a fine-sounding Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, and a more than capable built-in MM phono preamp, the SL1500C is almost a “no-brainer” purchase for someone who is looking for a turntable at this price point. Yes, the auto-lift tonearm feature is a little indecisive and the action of the cueing arm annoys me. All the turntables I’ve seen at this price point have cueing arms that unfortunately act and feel the same way, so I do wish the SL1500C stood out better in this regard. Still, If your heart is set on a nice quality belt drive table (and there are some nice ones at this level to be had out there) then this whole discussion is moot. But if you want your records to be spun by something a little more advanced than a rubber band, or you always liked the idea of owning an old SL1200, the SL1500C has you covered every which way from Sunday. Don’t bother with the knock offs or the SL1200 wannabe tables out there, you know you’ll only use the pitch control and strobe light to show off to your friends. Go for the legit “Son of Kon”
Focal Kanta No.3 $11999 review
June 4, 2020 Comments Off on Focal Kanta No.3 $11999 review
“The science of loudspeaker design is like any science: it obeys the law of diminishing returns. For anyone buying loudspeakers, this means that the more you pay, the better the sound will be, but there will eventually come a point at which the increased costs are not matched by similarly satisfying increases in sound quality.
The ideal is to find a speaker at the ‘sweet spot’ where the balance is just right for both your ears and your own budget. For me, the Focal Kanta No.3s represent that ‘sweet spot’. For you? You’ll obviously have to make that judgement for yourself – but I do sincerely recommend that you at least listen to a pair of Kanta No.3s… no matter what price you might originally have had in mind.”
SHANLING M6 PRO $500 REVIEW
June 4, 2020 Comments Off on SHANLING M6 PRO $500 REVIEW
“The M6 Pro runs on Bluetooth 4.2 and supports all of the popular Bluetooth codecs, allowing you to connect to all the latest Hi-Res receivers or earphones.
Connecting to TWS or Bluetooth headphones is smooth and the M6 Pro can work two-way as a remitter or receiver for LDAC and SBC codecs when you select “Bluetooth Amp mode” in the Bluetooth settings. For aptX HD and HWA, it can transmit the signal outwards only.
I am getting a stable signal out of the M6 Pro to other receivers with no glitches in connection even when placing the player in my pocket/ bag. There is an LED indicator above the volume wheel that shows the BT connection status. The color codes are green is for LDAC, SBC Blue, aptX purple and aptX HD will get you yellow. The M6 Pro is certified for Hi-Res wireless standard.”
Naim NAIT 5si Integrated Amplifier Review
June 3, 2020 Comments Off on Naim NAIT 5si Integrated Amplifier Review
“When you get right down to it, in so many different ways, the Naim NAIT 5si just isn’t the sort of integrated amp I would have gone out of my way to audition for my own two-channel listening room for so many of the reasons listed above, if not for the fact that I was tasked with reviewing it. Generally speaking, I wouldn’t put any integrated amp that lacks a USB input into my “to audition for personal purposes” pile.
But the NAIT 5si simply won me over with its price-to-performance ratio and its distinctive character. So if you’re looking for an all-analog integrated amp — whether you plan to use it with an all-analog hi-fi system or simply look elsewhere for D-to-A conversion — the NAIT 5si is absolutely a component that I think you should check out, assuming you can schedule an audition anytime soon.”
Magnepan LRS Loudspeaker $650 Review
June 2, 2020 Comments Off on Magnepan LRS Loudspeaker $650 Review
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/magnepan-lrs-loudspeaker/
“At $650 the LRS is an easy top recommendation. It will need considerable power and careful placement to perform at its best—and frankly it will also need a decent subwoofer if you want full-spectrum fidelity. But if you’re listening in a smallish room and are a fan of folk-rock or acoustic music, it will outdo anything else at or near its price. No matter how much you spend on your stereo, getting it to sound like the real thing isn’t a given, folks. In the midrange, the LRS sounds like the real thing.”
64 AUDIO TIA FOURTÉ NOIR UNIVERSAL-FIT $3,799 REVIEW
June 1, 2020 Comments Off on 64 AUDIO TIA FOURTÉ NOIR UNIVERSAL-FIT $3,799 REVIEW
“As IEMs, the 64 Audio tia Fourté Noir are sensitive enough to be driven by almost anything, but they work best being fed quality, not quantity. That being said, they sounded outstanding running off the end of a Chord Mojo DAC; the warmth of the Mojo rather than the detail-frenzy of the Hugo II and beyond makes for a combination that is both informative enough to unlock your music and not so hyper-analytical as to lay that music bare and exposed. Of course, better is its own reward, and more digital detail does really work here too, so be prepared to spend big on the front end.
There is an obvious downside for me. They are a strictly limited and expensive edition, and that means my pair of 64 Audio tia Fourté Noir are already sold to some lucky bugger and ‘my’ set have to go back sooner or later. I’ve tried everything from avoiding phone calls to secreting my own distinct and charmless musk over the product, but sooner or later they have to go back in the box…”
Ampsandaound Bigger Ben Amplifier Review
June 1, 2020 Comments Off on Ampsandaound Bigger Ben Amplifier Review
“So the question becomes, do output transformers have a sound? I believe they do, and that bigger tends to be better and more transparent. This makes logical sense, bigger means more bandwidth before saturation, and the farther you are from saturation the more linear the output should be. Justin proved this to me with the Suolo Monos, which are mono block version of his famous Kenzie amplifier. The Suolo Monos use 10-watt output transformers where the Kenzie uses 5-watt output transformers. The result was that the Suolo Monos put out noticeably better bass, both in weight, quantity, and clarity when compared to the Kenzie. It is also important to note that the 5-watt transformer for the Kenzie was already significantly oversized (the Kenzie only outputs around 250 mWatts). By comparison, the Mogwai SE’s output transformers were only over spec’d by 25%, therefore, doubling the output transformers size for the Bigger Ben was much a larger update and easily explains the performance gains.”
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