Astell & Kern A&futura SE200 review
August 24, 2020 Comments Off on Astell & Kern A&futura SE200 review
‘It even sounds better than the SP1000M. Comparing the two, we find the SE200 prevails over the decent SP1000M in almost all sonic aspects – clarity, dynamics, rhythmic fluidity and insight. It’s bolder-sounding and more tonally neutral than some of its siblings, with Astell & Kern trading some of its typical richness for a faster, more articulate listen.
Whether we play Elvis Costello or Ludovico Einaudi, Mac Miller or Andrew Bird, the SE200 delivers the music faithfully. It captures its fine details and dynamic fluctuations and conveys it all on a crystal clear canvas that is as engaging as it is informative.
The ESS DAC-fed output offers a fuller, warmer listen – preferable for lush, orchestral music perhaps – but it sacrifices the spaciousness, clarity and those last couple of layers of subtlety in comparison. In fact, it’s closer to the SP1000M in character and calibre – it’s good, but just not as good as the AKM.”
Hegel Music Systems H95 Integrated Amplifier-DAC $2000 Review
August 24, 2020 Comments Off on Hegel Music Systems H95 Integrated Amplifier-DAC $2000 Review
“So far, I’d streamed everything. To hear if the H95’s sound remained constant regardless of storage format, I played a track I’d ripped from CD to my solid-state drive of music files: “Where Are You Tonight?,” from the Cowboy Junkies’ The Caution Horses (16/44.1 FLAC, RCA). It did — the clarity, high resolution, and prominent-but-not-too-bright highs I’d heard before I now heard again. Margo Timmins’s voice was so immediate I could’ve sworn she was in the room, singing to me. Immediately after, I put on “New Rules,” from Dua Lipa’s Live Acoustic EP (16/44.1 FLAC, Warner Bros.). The highs were similarly prominent; Lipa’s voice had tremendous presence, which viscerally punched to the fore just as Knopfler’s had; and each note of the piano accompaniment had startling clarity.”
Vertere DG-1 Dynamic Groove Review
August 23, 2020 Comments Off on Vertere DG-1 Dynamic Groove Review
“Next up is a rather different test in the form of Orff’s Carmina Burana. Here the Vertere shows-off its insightful midrange performance, fine stereo imaging and impressive dynamic expression. Voices come through with clarity and are solidly planted in an expansive and nicely layered soundstage.
The presentation stays composed and stable, even when the piece becomes frantic, the deck refuses to sound stressed. Yet, given the music’s dramatic nature, we’re pleased to report that the DG-1 sounds admirably explosive when required. It’s a complete performance that’s all the more impressive when considering the relatively modest cartridge.”
Auralic Altair G1 £1,900 Review
August 23, 2020 Comments Off on Auralic Altair G1 £1,900 Review
“This is helped along by the extra features adding to the cohesiveness of the offering as a whole. The inclusion of AirPlay means sending extra streaming services to the Altair is completely straightforward and sounds entirely in keeping with the performance via network. In a perfect world, it would be partnered with Chromecast, but given that the Altair G1 supports lossless services via both Lightning and Roon, there is less pressure for it to be present than there might otherwise be. The inclusion of a headphone amp does go a fair way towards making up for the absence of Chromecast, though. Listening via Audio-Technica’s ATH-A2000Z headphone (HFC 412), the Altair G1 reveals the same compelling balance via the headphone output as it does the rear panel connections. It is easily the equal of many standalone models in the £250-£300 range and is another decidedly useful element built in.”
Constellation Audio Inspiration Integrated 1.0 Integrated Amplifier$16,500 Review
August 22, 2020 Comments Off on Constellation Audio Inspiration Integrated 1.0 Integrated Amplifier$16,500 Review
“Constellation Audio’s Inspiration Integrated 1.0 is everything you’d want in a fashion-forward, nearly state-of-the-art integrated amplifier. Its inspired industrial design will be appealing to many, as will its remote control, one of the very best I’ve used. But it’s the Integrated 1.0’s sound that places it in the upper echelon of integrated amplifiers I’ve spent time with. It serves up equal and healthy helpings of clarity, smoothness, linearity, and dynamics without sacrificing anything along the way. For that reason, it proved one of the more difficult products to review of my experience: it gave me effectively nothing to glom on to — to my thinking, an emphatically good thing.”
Apple Music vs Spotify: which is better?
August 22, 2020 § 1 Comment
“Apple has cut exclusive deals, including Dr Dre’s Compton album, Drake’s Views From The 6 and Britney Spears’ Glory, all of which initially appeared on Apple Music only – although they are now available on Spotify. Still, the lure of a paid-for service clearly works when it comes to securing artists, at least for a period of time.
Time will tell whether Apple Music’s artist-exclusives will hurt Spotify in the long run, but Spotify is rumoured to be considering keeping some music off its free tier to get more artists on board.”
McIntosh Labs C2700 Preamplifier $8,000 Review
August 21, 2020 Comments Off on McIntosh Labs C2700 Preamplifier $8,000 Review
“And I’ve saved the best for last. The price of this preamp is $8000. To say the C2700 is far greater in value than the sum of its parts is a vast understatement. The C2700 is a bargain in a world full of over priced, under performing audio products. To replicate or best its performance through separates would easily reach well into the five figures, plus the cost of interconnects and power chords.
McIntosh could have never imagined a product like the C2700 way back when it was amplifying Muzak to listen to while waiting for the Zenith customer service agent to pick up the line. Despite all McIntosh has had to weather through the years, it is no accident they are here and now offering the C2700 preamp. Staying true to the initial mission, McIntosh knows good sound, knows its customers and has delivered on that promise made long ago spectacularly with the C2700.”
SONUS FABER SONETTO V SPEAKER $4,999 REVIEW
August 21, 2020 Comments Off on SONUS FABER SONETTO V SPEAKER $4,999 REVIEW
“I realize that aesthetics is not needed to showcase a sound system, but having beautifully designed speakers will not hurt with the wife acceptance factor. The Sonetto Vs look and sound expensive, yet they are more affordable for music lovers looking to up their game. They display an ideal combination of design and function that helps make the music more emotionally engaging. You may find other speakers in the $5,000 range, but not many have the design details and sound qualities of the Sonetto Vs. As I get older, my desire to reach the summit in this hobby becomes more important to me. The Sonus faber Sonetto V Speakers remind me that I still have time to reach for something a bit higher without mortgaging my future to obtain it. Bravo Sonus faber!”
Icon Audio Stereo 40 MkIV ‘Plus’ Integrated Amplifier $4350 Review
August 20, 2020 Comments Off on Icon Audio Stereo 40 MkIV ‘Plus’ Integrated Amplifier $4350 Review
“Well recorded piano music had a crystalline quality. Some of the felts’ softness was hardened somewhat, but returned when playing in Triode. Interestingly, the crystalline quality remained in Triode in addition to the tactile sensitivities. For example, my old mate John Bingham (a long time, beloved piano Prof at London’s Trinity College of Music) sounded as beautiful as ever via the Icon on his ‘70’s benchmark Schubert Songs, arr. Liszt on a Meridian LP (audiophiles, you should search for this record). His delicate touch sounded as effective as ever in Ultralinear. You’ll be one happy, tube-loving audiophile. But, in Triode, the sweetness on the trailing edge of notes was beguiling. ”
SME Model 12A: Model 12 Turntable and 309 Tonearm $11,900Review
August 20, 2020 Comments Off on SME Model 12A: Model 12 Turntable and 309 Tonearm $11,900Review
“Now, obviously, short of mastertapes, there is no way one can with absolute certainty pronounce one component truer to the source than another. But thanks to DSD technology, not to mention carefully implemented PCM, you can come pretty close. Take Robert Silverman’s beautiful recital Chopin’s Last Waltz, produced by Ray Kimber for his IsoMike label. The original recording was made with DSD sampled at the quad specification of 11.2MHz. Commercially it is available only as a DSD download from Native DSD Music in 64, 128, or 256, or else on vinyl. According to Kimber, the transfer to vinyl is as accurate as is technologically possible and completely free from any processing of any kind except conformation to the standard RIAA curve. This, then, makes it possible in effect directly to compare the source in native DSD—in my setup at 128fs via an Aurender A20—to the vinyl. Such a comparison isn’t necessarily perfect, but it’s pretty damn close, especially as no decent or better music server or DAC that I’ve ever used has frequency-response aberrations that result in much other than tiny tonal anomalies (certainly not the Aurender), and nothing anywhere remotely as gross as most vinyl setups. The SME/Shure acquitted itself astonishingly well in the comparison. Was there a tad more warmth with the vinyl? Maybe. There was certainly a smidgeon less top-end extension, but that has always been the case with this Shure pickup (I should add that it was properly loaded as regards capacitance). Of course, the 12A can’t do anything about the slightly off-center pressing, so beautiful as the analog transfer is, I prefer the DSD file.”
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