Astell & Kern A&ultima SP1000M review
February 20, 2020 Comments Off on Astell & Kern A&ultima SP1000M review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/astell-and-kern-sp1000m
“The screen looks great. Sharp, colourful and clear, and a long way removed from the old digital player experience of years past. It’s still not a flagship smartphone experience, though, so if you’re used to expansive screens where you can swipe to your heart’s content, this is not that. The keyboard is a little fiddly for our fingers and it’s not always instantaneous in its response.
Inside, the CPU and DAC are the same as the previous model. So that means two AK4497EQ DACs, one for each stereo channel, and an Exynos 7420 octa-core CPU. What is new is an upgraded audio block layout, which aims to shorten the signal path and deliver better sound thanks to reduced noise and improved output level.”
CHORD HUGO VS HUGO 2 REVIEW
February 19, 2020 Comments Off on CHORD HUGO VS HUGO 2 REVIEW
https://www.headfonia.com/chord-hugo-vs-hugo-2-review/
“Yes, the Hugo 2 presents an analytical sound especially against its predecessor. But I don’t find it too analytical, at least not that much like the people say. To me it has great dynamism, very sharp separation and sublime transparency. But there’s a sense of musicality in it, and if you pair it with a warmer headphone/IEM, it is simply wonderful to listen to.
Overall, the Hugo 2 makes you think about the “taps” that Rob talks about. The more taps you have, the better sound you will hear. It has better bass decay, a blacker background, better imaging and better micro detail reproduction. The timbre is more realistic as well, which I put a lot of emphasis on because it’s one of the most important aspects.
But among all of those improvements, the most striking difference when I switch to Hugo 2 is the air. The original can’t give you that, as it’s made of romanticism and intimacy. It has that organic gene, which you can’t change or alter in any way. And that’s totally fine. You win some you lose some, it’s normal.”
HiFiMAN Ananda headphones Review
February 19, 2020 Comments Off on HiFiMAN Ananda headphones Review
https://audiofi.net/2020/01/hifiman-ananda-headphones-planar-magnetic-magic/
Play some solo violin like Jascha Heifetz on RCA Living Stereo SACDs (his famed Brahms/Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos and Double Concertos albums, for example) and his bowing can be heard distinctly, even in front of a mass of instruments. In quieter passages, the emotion he coaxed out of his instrument was so palpable, you could close your eyes and almost believe you were listening to a live feed of the recording.
Transient speed from drums and percussive instruments was another plus. The snares from songs like The Raconteurs’ Steady As She Goes, Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love and Toto’s Rosanna really came alive with the Ananda.
THX AAA 789 – headphone amp Review
February 19, 2020 Comments Off on THX AAA 789 – headphone amp Review
Mytek Brooklyn Bridge Network-Attached DAC £2500 Review
February 18, 2020 Comments Off on Mytek Brooklyn Bridge Network-Attached DAC £2500 Review
“Now, while I am well aware that precious few enthusiasts will be looking at the Brooklyn Bridge as a phono stage, the feature is there so I felt duty-bound to give it a spin. With my Michell Gyro SE turntable cued up with both Ortofon Rondo Red MC and 2M Black MM cartridges ready to mount in turn, I took a pristine copy of Chris Rea’s One Fine Day LP [Magnet 0 190295 498856] from its sleeve. Despite expecting the unit to struggle with a low-output MC, the sound emanating from the speakers was sumptuous. Even better, switching to MM was a revelation, the album being delivered with all of its top-end sweetness intact. What’s more, bass lines were again punchy and taut.
Returning to my digital music files, and with the emphasis on more hi-res content delivered via USB and LAN, I pulled up tracks from Enya’s album Dark Sky Island (Deluxe) [Warner Music Group 2553131; 96kHz/24-bit, FLAC]. The Brooklyn Bridge served up the lush sounds in a manner that was rich and unrestrained yet neither gloopy nor gushing. It was the perfect chill-out experience. Next up was the Danish String Quartet’s self-produced Last Leaf [ECM Records 581 5746; 96kHz/24-bit, FLAC]. Here the sounds of the harmonium, piano, glockenspiel and cello on these traditional pieces came across with real fire and finesse.”
Wireworld Silver Eclipse Series 8 Speaker Wire and Interconnect Speaker $3100/2m Review
February 18, 2020 Comments Off on Wireworld Silver Eclipse Series 8 Speaker Wire and Interconnect Speaker $3100/2m Review
In the final analysis, when we upgrade audio cable we demand that it not only extends current system performance but also supports the next stage of component upgrades. Silver Eclipse certainly allows for a lot of growth. That said, you don’t need to read between the lines to gather my fondness for Silver Eclipse Series 8. Even with the weighty track record that Wireworld brings to the table, SE8’s performance elicited musicality of an order that exceeded my expectations and at a price that might strike terror into fancier offerings from outside the Wireworld ecosystem. This was true excellence and musicality in every regard.”
Pass Labs INT-25 Stereo Integrated Amplifier Review
February 17, 2020 Comments Off on Pass Labs INT-25 Stereo Integrated Amplifier Review
“We started the listening test with a usual setup, minus the Exposure 3010s2 monos xm HP preamplifier. The system included the MG12 Magneplanars, the Chord 2Qute DAC, the Wireworld interconnects and the Xindak FS1 speaker cables, which left the scene immediately as the right channel of the INT-25 did not work with this cable. Replacing it with the VdH CS122 was a disappointment, just like every time when we connected any of the Pass’ amplifier with any of the speaker cables from VdH. Wireworld and Pass distributor came to the rescue by offering Wireworld Eclipse 7 speaker cables. Although it is almost impossible to reasonably handle these cables due to their stiffness, the sound combined with this amplifier proved to balance on the edge of magical, so we can easily overcome this shortcoming.”
WAVAYA PENTA REVIEW
February 17, 2020 Comments Off on WAVAYA PENTA REVIEW
https://www.headfonia.com/wavaya-penta-review/
“Until now, we have seen many Custom IEM manufacturers and products in the market. We have seen many special designs, different materials and authentic solutions as well. But a newly emerging company stands out amongst the others with their material of choice; porcelain.
So what is the deal here? Why porcelain? I will provide you the details about this topic as Wavaya also does in its website. I don’t usually praise companies before the conclusion of my reviews, but let me just congratulate Wavaya from the get-go; just for daring to go with this route, and actually pulling this huge task off, is something to be praised.”
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. “
Audiophilepure 
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