Bluesound Node 2i Wireless Multi-Room High-Res Music Streamer $549 Review
October 8, 2020 Comments Off on Bluesound Node 2i Wireless Multi-Room High-Res Music Streamer $549 Review
“As I was nearing the end of the review period, a TAS colleague asked me if I could recommend a music server for a friend of his who wanted to dip his toes into the waters of streaming. The friend didn’t want anything fancy or complicated, nor did he want to spend a lot of money, but he did want something good and representative of both the quality and quantity of music available through streaming sources. Without hesitation I recommended the Node 2i. Truth in reporting requires me to point out that I’ve by no means even begun to audition everything that’s out there in sub-grand streamer/DACs. However, I have used the Node 2i daily for nearly half a year in superior sound systems where I was able to compare it directly to similar components costing over ten times its $549 asking price. So I am pretty confident saying you would be hard-pressed to find a package that dovetails convenience, selection of music, trouble-free streaming, build-quality, flexibility, and true high-end performance as impressively as the Node 2i. Add to this the fact that its provenance is NAD, a manufacturer with over four decades of making value-driven components that are synonymous with reliability and longevity. If all that isn’t persuasive enough, it costs less than most high-end cable manufacturers’ so-called “affordable” interconnects, and if you purchase it through the Bluesound website, you get thirty days to return it if you don’t like it. Meanwhile, if the streaming bug really bites you, the music server part of the 2i can be used in the clear with a more upscale DAC should you desire to go that route. (I used it into a Benchmark DAC3 and the DACs built into a McIntosh C52 preamplifier and a Marantz SA-KI Ruby SA-CD player, all with great results.)”
Sonnet Loudspeakers $8200 Review
October 8, 2020 Comments Off on Sonnet Loudspeakers $8200 Review
“From the jump, the Sonnets presented an engaging, inviting, detailed yet utterly natural timbre, and a sound stage that bloomed in all directions. With some added care, the frequency range was very smooth and linear with an overall warm balance. No, they will not replace my 500 lb Sunny Cable Majestic15, or my 50K Lansche 4.1 with 4 powered 10 inch bass drivers and Plasma tweeters. I can say that the $8K Sonnets possesses wholly unique qualities that even some of the big dollar designs don’t possess in the same way. Ultimately what you get with the Sonnets add up to intense musicality, outstanding reproduction of timbre, great dynamic output, and effortless detail retrieval.”
DCS BARTOK $17,250 REVIEW
October 7, 2020 § 1 Comment
“The dCS Bartok is probably the best sounding integrated DAC and headphone amplifier I have reviewed to date in the 10 years we have been operating this website. That is some statement but I will not future proof it because, well, the Bartok is modular, it is firmware upgradeable, and has plenty of legs in it to go on for a few years more and still stay relevant.
The Ring DAC may well be the star of the show but the Class A amp is no slouch either. Right now, the Bartok delivers a rich and powerful sounding component with a smooth delivery and tons of dynamic range with just about every headphone I tested it with.
Where other systems refine and distill to give you that perfect sound, the Bartok opts to give the rawest most realistic sound possible. Throw in all the mod cons of networked streaming, save for BT and built-in WiFi, and a very useable free app, and it is perfectly poised to cope with the digital streaming era.
Yes, the Bartok is huge, weighty, and oh so very expensive. However, it is likely all you could ever need for a high-end headphone setup and honestly, it could well be all downhill from here unless there is a Bartok 2 in the pipeline. Please do not do that dCS, stick to the firmware upgrades and people will appreciate this beautiful example of engineering a lot more in the long run. ”
B&W 705 SIGNATURE STAND-MOUNTED SPEAKERS REVIEW
October 7, 2020 Comments Off on B&W 705 SIGNATURE STAND-MOUNTED SPEAKERS REVIEW
“With the full-port plug, the response drops off even less steep. D4 distortion is back up where it was with no port plug, but the D2 (2nd ordered harmonics) are lower. Overall, the harmonic distortion appears to be less, but the bass output is also a bit less (I left the volume control unchanged for all three bass response tests).”
Focal Shape 65 Analog Active Loudspeakers Review
October 6, 2020 Comments Off on Focal Shape 65 Analog Active Loudspeakers Review
“Gordon concluded his review by saying that he “Enthusiastically recommended” the Shape 65. But that’s not where our experiences with this speaker ended — Jay Lee, our YouTube reviewer, performed a follow-up review for a SoundStage! Take 2 episode. He briefly used the Shape 65s on a desktop, as Gordon had, but did most of his listening with a two-channel system with the Focals perched on 24”H stands and driven by the single-ended (RCA) preamplifier outputs of his Hegel H190 integrated amplifier-DAC. In Jay’s small listening room, the Shape 65 sounded so much “like a floorstanding speaker . . . a properly full-sized one” that he had to reduce the speakers’ bass output by 2dB. He didn’t need a subwoofer — unlike with the other small speakers he has.
Playing all his favorite demo tracks, Jay was impressed by everything he heard through the Shape 65s. And when he played Sara K.’s “All Your Love (Turned to Passion),” he was “left in disbelief that this type of sound was coming out from two active monitors that were meant for nearfield [listening].” In fact, Jay was so taken by the Shape 65s’ sound that he wanted to extend the listening period of his review to “play around with the speakers even longer.” He concluded his video by saying that the Focal Shape 65 isn’t great only for studio professionals — it’s also great for audiophiles who “want a kick-ass speaker in their living room, listening room, or for a small, simple system.”
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.”
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