LSA HP-1 PLANAR HEADPHONE REVIEW
May 5, 2020 Comments Off on LSA HP-1 PLANAR HEADPHONE REVIEW
“Soundstage lovers will love the wide and deep stage the HP-1 projects. Musicians appear in their own space and the imaging is rock solid and three dimensional and suitable for any type of music. A classical music lover will love the layering of the orchestra with the 3D imaging and you will be able to hear the remarkable inner detail in the recordings. Little details become noticeable that many lesser designs are unable to reproduce.”
Rega Aethos Review
May 5, 2020 Comments Off on Rega Aethos Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/rega-aethos
“Our initial impressions of the Aethos’s sound were disappointing. Despite being given days to stabilise, it wasn’t as dynamically expressive as we expected and didn’t convey rhythms with enough verve. We asked for another sample and we’re glad we did.
The second Aethos sample proves a notable improvement in both respects. It turns out that the cables for one of the channels had been disturbed (possibly during transit) with the result that distortion had increased on that channel. The second sample has no such issue and is very much Rega on top form. Given Rega’s track record, we would hope and expect any issues to be sorted quickly. “
Laufer Teknik The Note Speaker System Review
May 4, 2020 Comments Off on Laufer Teknik The Note Speaker System Review
“The Notes excel in making a superior recording sound magnificent. They also will completely eviscerate a poorly recorded song and leave it bleeding on the sidewalk. With neutral electronics and sources, this is a speaker system that will exactly portray the recording as it is on the system. Some songs have so little bass I wonder what’s wrong. Other have so much I want to get the remote and turn down the gain on the subs. This is a byproduct of accuracy to the recording. When you have this level of clarity, accuracy, dynamics and imaging, being true to the recording isn’t always a blessing.
The Notes are effectively a one-way, omnidirectional line array speaker with dynamic linearity, huge dynamics, amazing clarity and accuracy. This, however, comes at a cost: efficiency. They like power. Porzilli recommends a minimum of 100 WPC. To get the full, oftentimes shocking dynamics, a minimum of 200 WPC is suggested. My Esoteric A02 outputs a continuous 400 WPC into 4 ohms with a ceiling of 500 WPC so I had no issues at all. Because of the load sharing over so many drivers, these speakers are rated at a maximum of 2000 WPC.
It is assumed that most homes have eight-foot ceilings. However, it may be a problem accommodating one speaker just over seven feet tall, or a second version just over eight. For my listening room, with nine-foot ceilings, this was no problem at all.”
Sonos Amp $599 Review
May 4, 2020 Comments Off on Sonos Amp $599 Review
“Back to music and we play Alt-J’s Every Other Freckle, yet again enjoying the spaciousness on offer and revelling in the expertly painted tonal picture, which balances substantial bass with textured mids and glistening treble that refuses to brighten.
It’s an immediate, upfront delivery that’s instantly engaging and exciting. There’s oodles of punch here, but the Amp skilfully avoids ever veering into jarring hardness or irritating harshness, and there’s decent detail behind the initial hit of each note.
But the Amp does, when compared to streaming components of a similar price (and non-streaming amps at lower prices), lack the real hi-fi-like subtlety that comes from low-level dynamic delicacy. It’s a bold, attention-grabbing delivery, but one that struggles a little to peel back the layers towards the centre of a track and get to its emotional core.”
PMC fact.8 signature loudspeaker $12,000 Review
May 3, 2020 Comments Off on PMC fact.8 signature loudspeaker $12,000 Review
“Over a span of several weeks, the fact.8s were my primary sound source, including for casual listening. I adapted to their sound, except when I sat still and focused on a piece of music, at which time I was quickly reminded that I needed more richness in the upper and midbass. That prevented me from spending much time with orchestral recordings—my usual meat and potatoes—and it tilted my selections to small ensembles, solo voices, and simple, open instrumentation.
I revisited some old favorites, like the classic recording of Handel’s Concerto for Harp and Lute with Osian Ellis, Desmond Dupré, Granville Jones, and the Philomusica of London, on a Boston Skyline reissue (BSD 119). The delicate scoring, the definition of the solo instruments, and the strings and winds of the ensemble were clear and delectable here. And I should note that my Monitor Audio Silver 8 loudspeakers lacked the PMC’s upper-midrange and treble transparency, and its high-definition soundstage. But the Silver 8s provided more energy in the lower frequencies, achieving what seemed to me a more natural balance.”
Clarus Duet Power Conditioner Review
May 3, 2020 Comments Off on Clarus Duet Power Conditioner Review
“It’s always hard to make a value judgement for you. However, in the context of a $10k – $30k system, a pair of Duets moves the scale more than far enough to feel like a great value. The Duet probably offers 75% of the improvement, with the cords adding the rest. Considering how much power these are capable of passing through, it’s not the worst idea to install a couple of premium power outlets to go with your Duets, just so you are getting everything they are capable of delivering.
The Clarus Duet power conditioner(s) are one of the best performing I’ve heard at any price, doing no harm to the musical content and revealing more music than your system is capable of without them in place. Deceptively simple, this is no easy feat. That they do this for $1,250 each, makes them highly worthy of one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2020. I’m keeping this pair, so you’ll be seeing them as associated components going forward, permanently attached to our PrimaLuna EVO400 monoblocks.”
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.”
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