Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III Loudspeakers $13,500 Review
February 16, 2020 Comments Off on Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III Loudspeakers $13,500 Review
“That lack of hardness in the treble was what I wanted to explore next. I’ve long gravitated toward hard tweeter domes, but not so exclusively that I can’t appreciate a great soft dome for what it does right. Still, I’ve often been bored to tears by a soft dome’s lack of sparkle and treble extension. So to evaluate the purity of a tweeter’s treble reproduction, I love to listen to Jerry Junkin and the Dallas Wind Symphony’s Crown Imperial: Festive Music for Organ, Winds, Brass & Percussion (24/176.4 WAV, Reference HR-112). This recording, engineered by Keith O. Johnson, sounds amazing. I chose William Walton’s Coronation March: “Crown Imperial”, and cranked up the volume with the Hegel DAC’s volume control — this recording’s wide dynamic range requires a higher volume so that I can hear far into the highs. At 45 seconds in, the orchestral bells were sparkling and easily audible, just as they should be. I was impressed that the Olympica Nova IIIs’ DAD tweeters weren’t limiting the treble extension in any way I could hear. Listening to the highs, I wouldn’t have been able to confidently declare, “Ah yes, a soft dome.” This was a very good result for a silk dome.
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Liquid Spark $99 Review
February 16, 2020 Comments Off on Liquid Spark $99 Review
The Liquid Spark uses a DC-coupled topology from the input to the output stage and is a fully discrete design. This approach eliminates the need for capacitors and op-amps in the signal path that might colour the overall sound. At the differential input stage the Liquid Spark uses laser-matched, low-noise audio JFETs instead of traditional bipolar transistors. JFETs are known to perform well in low-level applications, producing little noise while at the same time providing high input impedance. The output power stage employs high performance MOSFETs, which are ideal for designers looking to provide high power and very clean amplification within tight space constraints. The net result is a compact headphone amplifier that employs dual 18V filtered power supply rails that produces a convincing 1300mW RMS per channel into 50 ohms with very low distortion. With adjustable gain on the front panel, the Liquid Sparks exhibits a remarkable ability to produce a full sound that is crisp, quick, and sits quite comfortably in comparison with headphone amplifiers double or even triple its cost, as we will discuss shortly. “
UNIQUE MELODY MENTOR V3+ $2599 REVIEW
February 15, 2020 Comments Off on UNIQUE MELODY MENTOR V3+ $2599 REVIEW
https://headfonics.com/2020/02/unique-melody-mentor-v3-review/
“If you noticed the insertion of “BA” in the low-end summary description that’s not a random statement. This is a low-end with BA timbre so it is not subterranean deep or with a typical dynamic driver long decay.
However, it is one of the better BA tunings for bass and it can sound visceral when called upon. It is relatively quick-paced also which heightens the perception of a good fundamental underlying most thick synthy type bass mixes.
Sub-bass has a decent weight but its mid-bass punchiness around 100-150Hz that is the main calling card for me. That’s what drives the Mentor V3+ overall presentation. The layering is also very impressive on the low-end with some really good definition.”
Parasound Halo JC3 Jr. 32 Review
February 15, 2020 Comments Off on Parasound Halo JC3 Jr. 32 Review
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/parasound-halo-jc3-jr
Parasound’s Halo JC3 Jr. is an unquestionably talented phono stage. Its ability to take a very wide spread of genres and levels of mastering and deliver them all with a consistent and engaging balance of refinement, spaciousness and overall musicality is a welcome one. There are subjective areas where some rival designs can offer a presentation you might prefer, but equally there will be times where the Parasound wins out. There is no getting around the issue that it costs a fair bit more than some similar designs that perform just as well, but judged on its considerable merits it’s a seriously engaging phono preamp that deserves some careful consideration and an audition.”
Master and Dynamic MW07+ True Wireless Earphone – REVIEW
February 14, 2020 Comments Off on Master and Dynamic MW07+ True Wireless Earphone – REVIEW
Aurender A30 Music Server | Review
February 14, 2020 Comments Off on Aurender A30 Music Server | Review
https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/12/15/aurender-a30-music-server-review/
t is hard to not love the A30. The sound is reference-quality. The build is reference-quality. In fact, the A30 invites you to spend more on the rest of your system just to keep up with it. Given that you’ll be able to consolidate a preamp, a DAC, and a computer server all at one fell swoop, you might find that the A30 actually saves you money even as it ups your game. Now there’s a weird thought.
The A30 can centralize and orchestrate your disparate musical world – from local files to NAS files, to streaming services. And this one-box solution from Aurender will not only seriously improve your audio system’s performance, it will also do that one thing that technology is supposed to do – it will simplify your life.
Denon DP-450USB Turntable Review
February 14, 2020 Comments Off on Denon DP-450USB Turntable Review
https://hometheaterreview.com/denon-dp-450usb-turntable-reviewed/
“The Denon DP-450USB is a curious turntable, all things considered. It’s gorgeous to look at, easy to use, and has enough of the right features, making it a legit contender at its price point. But, the DP-400 at $499 is likely the better value among the two, since the DP-450USB’s distinguishing feature–USB audio recording–is a non-starter for me due in large part to its poor quality and limited utility.
Moreover, the dust cover is more of a nuisance than an asset, making an otherwise well-thought-out design suddenly clunky The DP-450USB is still worthy of consideration, though, but it’s not without a great deal of competition, which is why I would urge anyone reading this to listen to one for themselves if possible before making any final purchasing decisions.”
Schiit Audio Ragnarok 2 integrated amplifier $1799 Review
February 13, 2020 Comments Off on Schiit Audio Ragnarok 2 integrated amplifier $1799 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/schiit-audio-ragnarok-2-integrated-amplifier
“I compared Ragnarok 2 to the Ragnarok using these XRCDs and the Tascam CD-200iL CD player connected with Triode Wire Labs Spirit II RCA interconnects. Only after switching out the amps four times did I start to understand what I was hearing. Instrument tone and impact were superior through the new amplifier. The orchestra’s soundstage was slightly wider. Brass and reeds, placed hard left and right, sounded farther back on the soundstage. On the piano/ acoustic bass introduction of the Montgomery Brothers’ “Bock to Bock (Back to Back),” there was more air around the higher piano notes. These were small differences, but the Rag 2 definitively improves on its sibling’s performance.”
McIntosh MCD600 SACD/CD Player Review
February 13, 2020 Comments Off on McIntosh MCD600 SACD/CD Player Review
“As I mentioned, I’ve been using the same CD player as a reference for the last nine or ten years. It has dual DACs, and a quartet of 12AU7s in the output stage. It sounds really good, and that was all I needed back in 2010. It cost about $4500, and I always thought it was a good value and a strong performer, which is why I still use it.
The MCD600 is $7000, and in 2020 that sounds like a lot of money for a CD player. For that extra $2500 over my existing deck, you do a get a lot—especially when you consider the cost of an outboard headphone amp that sounds this good, or four separate high-resolution DACs, or the choice of fixed and variable outputs, or the ability to play USB thumb drives or DVD data discs.”
STAX SR-009S ELECTROSTATIC EARSPEAKERS $4,325 Review
February 12, 2020 Comments Off on STAX SR-009S ELECTROSTATIC EARSPEAKERS $4,325 Review
http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/stax-sr-009s-electrostatic-earspeakers/
Next, the SR-009S proved to have greater transient agility and increased levels of dynamic expression relative to the SR-009. A track that showcases these qualities is ‘Stank” from Jamey Haddad, Mark Sherman, and Lenny White’s Explorations in Space and Time [Chesky, 24/96]. ‘Stank’ is a percussion extravaganza—at times delicate, but at other moments explosive, employing everything from high-pitched chimes and cymbals to low-pitched bass drums. The SR-009S navigated the track’s complex instrumentation and multi-layered dynamic challenges with effortless clarity and a sense of dynamic brio—as if relishing the chance to strut its stuff.
Finally, the SR-009S offers superior bass performance to the SR-009, both in terms of resolution and dynamic wallop. The ‘Lopsy Lu/Silly Putty’ medley from S.M.V.’s Thunder [Heads Up, 16/44.1] made this abundantly clear, as master bassists Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten took turns showing off their chops and the distinctive voices of their basses. Thunder is a serious low-frequency challenge, but the SR-009S tackled the track with an exuberant quality of dynamic swagger and punch the SR-009 could not have matched.”
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