Degritter • Record-Cleaning Machine $3000 Review
May 1, 2020 Comments Off on Degritter • Record-Cleaning Machine $3000 Review
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The tradeoff for those with sensitive ears is that the Nitty Gritty can clean a record in about two minutes and only one minute of that involves noise. By contrast, the shortest duration for a quick Degritter drying cycle is just under two minutes and, in my case, because of the longer drying time I selected, it took three minutes. For fairly filthy discs, Degritter recommends the medium or heavy setting, which can last anywhere from seven to eleven minutes from start to finish, depending upon user preferences. It’s comforting to know that, during lengthier cleaning sessions, the Degritter automatically stops the ultrasonic generator to remove excess heat that might otherwise damage records or the unit itself during cleaning.
To keep all of the various processes functioning at peak performance, Degritter pushes out firmware updates periodically. After download to a laptop of any provenance and transfer to a FAT32 SD card, the update is completed in less than five seconds. The last firmware I downloaded altered the rotation schedule during the cleaning cycle to reduce wear and tear on the internal components, all without reducing the unit’s cleaning effectiveness. The sense I got from day-to-day use of the Degritter was that virtually no aspect of record cleaning and operation had been overlooked. It worked flawlessly.”
FIIO FH1S REVIEW
April 30, 2020 Comments Off on FIIO FH1S REVIEW
“The entire top end is very tame, but with a slight sparkle factor that is just inching toward bright. I found this a stark contrast to the upper midrange, a sudden bump of treble that makes the top feel just a little more lively. But, at the same time, still not what I would consider plentiful or bright overall up top.
What does that mean? Well, to use fusion guitar as a reference point, harmonics and piano key strikes (sudden treble out of nowhere) have a great sense of dynamic flair and enjoyable flavor. That brightness and engaging factor are there, but the top end is not omnipresent with this tonality. It comes only when called for and for the rest of the experience, it is laid back in regard to physicality.”
Clearaudio Smart Matrix Silent Review
April 30, 2020 Comments Off on Clearaudio Smart Matrix Silent Review
“To try out the Clearaudio’s effectiveness, I place a brand-new LP on to the cleaning machine platter that’s been exhibiting some annoying surface noise crackle. After swinging the arm over the record and allowing the machine to apply the fluid, I rotate the record in both directions for a few revolutions as recommended. I then press the Vacuum button to remove the dirty liquid from the surface of the vinyl and then repeat the process with the second side. Once dry, I play the record on my turntable and am delighted to find that the crackle has disappeared, and I am able to appreciate the full dynamic range of the LP so much more and suggests to me that the surface noise was caused by the pressing plant’s mould-release agent.”
Wadax • Atlantis Digital-to-Analog Converter and Universal Transport $69,000 Review
April 28, 2020 Comments Off on Wadax • Atlantis Digital-to-Analog Converter and Universal Transport $69,000 Review
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That ability to allow the performance its separate voice is both rare and important, suggesting the Atlantis DAC possesses that most valuable of all talents when it comes to transducers: sonic invisibility — the power to step behind the music and out of the aural sightline. With almost no thumbprint imposed on the signal, the Atlantis can pull the same trick whether it’s a classical recording or The Cure. The recording and developmental contrasts between Three Imaginary Boys [Fiction 827 686-2], Seventeen Seconds [Fiction 25 354-2} and Faith [Fiction 827 687-2] underline the band’s steep learning curve and growing sophistication in those pre-sequencer days. Likewise, the lyrical and musical development of artists as varied as Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello, Steve Earle and Nanci Griffith, is just as clear and equally individual. If the perfect system should play all types of music, then the Wadax gets extremely close to that ideal.”
FIIO UTWS1 TRUE WIRELESS BLUETOOTH MODULE REVIEW
April 28, 2020 Comments Off on FIIO UTWS1 TRUE WIRELESS BLUETOOTH MODULE REVIEW
“The FiiO UTWS1 True Wireless Bluetooth Module is everything I want in a True Wireless headset. It is comfortable, convenient, versatile, has enough power to drive any IEM (there is some mention in their Amazon ad of noise floor issues with extremely efficient IEMs, but I did not experience this with the FH7s), has a good microphone and active noise cancelling for phone use, allows you to use them with or without a seal (though you would obviously want a seal for music as there is no bass without it), and the sound quality is about as good as you can expect from a Bluetooth amplifier of their size. The range was excellent requiring me to leave my house to lose signal even with several walls in the way.”
ASTELL & KERN SA700 REVIEW
April 27, 2020 Comments Off on ASTELL & KERN SA700 REVIEW
“And lastly, it’s gotta look good. If you’re going to have your DAP on the surface in front of you at all times, a good piece of industrial design will make that a far easier pill to swallow and make you want to regard it from arm’s length. The overall shape of the SA700 might seem a little familiar to the keen-eyed DAP-aficionados among you. That volume wheel which dominates the otherwise monolithic, rectangular profile evokes the lines of the AK120 – the original Astell&Kern DAP – from which they drew inspiration in terms of the SA700’s design. Astell&Kern set-out to combine analogue-design values of yesteryear with cutting-edge future technology in this latest chapter. Or, as they describe: ‘Past Meets Present’. The ‘party trick’ of the SA700 in the beauty pageant is the back-lit LED behind the volume wheel. depending on what sample rate or file type you’re listening to, it will glow in a nice red, green, blue or purple. It’s a nice, subtle effect and provides a comforting reminder of the device’s power and smarts while it’s sitting nearby. ”
Parasound Halo A 21+ Stereo Amplifier Review
April 27, 2020 Comments Off on Parasound Halo A 21+ Stereo Amplifier Review
https://hometheaterreview.com/parasound-halo-a-21-stereo-amplifier-reviewed/
“I’m sure a lot of people reading this review are wondering if the A 21+ sounds a lot like the original A 21. These thoughts are perfectly appropriate when nothing but a plus sign has been added to the model name. As a previous long-time owner of the original A 21, I feel confident in saying the A 21+ does in fact sound similar. However, I also feel confident in saying the sound is not a carbon copy.
In a sense, you’re getting an A 21, but with moreof everything. Specifically, the A 21+ offers more impressive dynamics, a more accurate stereo image, wider stereo separation, and I heard more impressive control over my speakers’ drivers on a regular basis. Like its predecessor, the A 21+ still punches well above its price point in overall performance and is still an amplifier that does most things right.”
VAC Statement 452 iQ Musicbloc mono/stereo power amplifier $150,000/pair Review
April 25, 2020 § 1 Comment
“Well, yes, to a small degree. For instance, take Charles Mingus’s almost violent The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (LP, Impulse A-35). Here, the trombone had better growl like a wild boar, the sax had better taunt and make an ugly sound, and the drums should pile up and knock you over. The 452 iQ didn’t quite kick it like my solid-state reference amp, but it came close enough that the music didn’t suffer. A well-regarded music writer visited recently to do some comparisons on a big rig for a feature he’s writing. After we’d finished his work, we had some fun. I played him the 45rpm lacquer of Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers’ “A Night in Tunisia” that I’ve been taking around to shows. That knocked him back! Then I hit him with the original Bob Ludwig–mastered (“RL”) version of Led Zeppelin II (LP, Atlantic SD 8236), and of course he was blown away by that, and so was I. Though the solid-state reference amp has greater “grunt” on bottom, never did the 452 iQ make me feel like I needed to switch amps so my guest could better appreciate the Led Zep tracks. The 452 iQ was an addictive-sounding amp, suitable for all kinds of music.”
SONUS FABER LILIUM FLOOR-STANDING SPEAKERS $75,000 REVIEW
April 24, 2020 Comments Off on SONUS FABER LILIUM FLOOR-STANDING SPEAKERS $75,000 REVIEW
“The impulse response also can be used to plot the step response, which shows when each driver becomes active in relation to the other driver(s) when the signal voltage is initially applied. Below is the step response of the Sonus faber Lilium. The first peak on the left side is the tweeter, followed 0.23 ms later by the midrange and woofers (the midrange and woofers are the same size – 7”, and their summed output is larger than the single tweeter peak). 2.3 ms after the midrange driver is the subwoofer driver, followed by 1.7 ms later by the passive radiator. So, between the tweeter and passive radiator, there is a 4.23 ms delay. This shows you cannot fight the laws of physics. The reason there is delay is that the cones for the larger drivers have more mass, and therefore, it takes more time to “get them moving” when the signal voltage is applied. However, even though the passive radiator cone is the same diameter (10″) as the subwoofer cone at 10”, the passive radiator has to respond to the subwoofer movement rather than the directly applied voltage. So, the voltage is applied to the subwoofer, it moves, causing air pressure to change in the enclosure, and that change in air pressure then causes the passive radiator cone to move. Frankly, I am surprised there is only 4.23 ms in between the tweeter and passive radiator. That is just 4.23 thousandths of a second.”
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