GoldenEar Triton Reference Loudspeaker Review
October 5, 2019 Comments Off on GoldenEar Triton Reference Loudspeaker Review
“What these speakers do so well is deliver massive weight, while being both nimble on their feet and creating a wide-open soundstage populated with tactile images. All this was clear with the DSD64 release of Yes’s ‘Roundabout’ [Fragile; Atlantic WPCR-15904], where the clean, crystalline acoustic guitar of the opening gives way to the thundering bass of Chris Squire, Bill Bruford’s powerhouse drumming and of course Rick Wakeman’s tireless noodling and crashing Hammond organ. On too many loudspeakers this track can quickly thicken up and become a mess – not so here!”
DROP LIQUID CARBON X + SDAC DAC/AMP $380 REVIEW
October 3, 2019 Comments Off on DROP LIQUID CARBON X + SDAC DAC/AMP $380 REVIEW
“The quality factor is pure enough for me to consider the bass tonality and texture as rock-solid in terms of physicality. It never feels loose, lacking or irregular. I’ve a few other amps in this price tier that do feel “watery” by comparison. Right now, the only dedicated amplifier that can match and exceed it that I’ve on hand is my personally owned Heron 5 by Airist Audio, which retailed for $1000 or so when I purchased it years ago.
That is really saying something in the way of physicality and tactility of the bass experience as a whole. Our ears can pick up on the subtle varying inabilities of amps and headphones to cope with more or less bass in our tracks than what is offered on a neutral setting. By that, I mean responsiveness to EQ. I can add more in and rock all the way up to an insane +7dB before I noticed anything problematic. That is a hell of a feat for an amp of this price.”
Krell Chorus 5200 XD Five Channel Amplifier Review
October 3, 2019 Comments Off on Krell Chorus 5200 XD Five Channel Amplifier Review
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The Chorus 5200 XD amplifier was able to drive my speakers effortlessly, like I rarely hear with any multichannel amplifier, delivering a level of control that matched that of my massively overpowered Crown I-Tech 8000 amplifier Simultaneously, it delivered reference quality sound that was well refined, balanced, and utterly articulate. While $9,500 is quite a substantial amount to spend on a home theater amplifier, the Krell Chorus 5200 XD is unsurpassed by competition in or near its price range, at least in my experience. If you are looking for a top-shelf home theater amplifier under $10,000, the Krell Chorus 5200 XD amplifier should be the first place you stop to listen.
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AudioSolutions Figaro L speakers $10,000 Review
October 3, 2019 Comments Off on AudioSolutions Figaro L speakers $10,000 Review
‘ The Quicksilver tube amplifiers created a magical experience with a more focused placement of all of the musicians. Although this was a large pair of speakers, they created a distinct image and, combined with a credible soundstage, they were just like a pair of small mini monitors except with great bass. I could picture the musicians right in front of me. There was really good spacing between the instruments as well as front to back layering of them. I did not crank up my Quicksilvers because the amplifier seemed to struggle a little and I did not want to risk damaging either the speakers or the amplifiers by clipping the amplifiers. This was my favorite combination despite being slightly under powered. It is interesting that the Quicksilvers drove my 87 dB Alons with ease, however, they seemed to struggle when driving the 92 dB Figaro Ls. Maybe the deep bass took a lot of extra power. Careful matching of components is a must if you use lower powered amplifiers.”
D’Agostino Progression Preamplifier Review
October 2, 2019 Comments Off on D’Agostino Progression Preamplifier Review
“The Progression Preamplifier by D’Agostino is simply an excellent stereo preamp. While I was expecting a pretty strong performance, the Progression went above and beyond my sonic expectations. Expect the warmth of tubes without the headaches associated with tubes. Expect detail at a level that, frankly, I have never heard in 20 plus years of reviewing some of the world’s finest audiophile electronics.
In terms of fit and finish, the D’Agostino Progression Preamp is simply in a class of its own. This is a product for a very small group of people with the means to appreciate the best, and to those people I say that I am jealous. It is going to be hard to find a stereo preamp that outperforms this one.”
MoFi UltraDeck+M Turntable Review
October 2, 2019 Comments Off on MoFi UltraDeck+M Turntable Review
“With the cartridge pre-mounted in the review deck, all I had to do was ease the platter over the vertical bearing, balance the arm, apply tracking force and fit the hanging-weight-on-a-thread for anti-skating. While this may seem daunting to novices, the instructions are thorough. For you lot, it will be instinctive. The belt is fitted around the pulley and platter, with speed change from 33.33rpm to 45rpm accomplished by moving the belt to the larger, lower section of the pulley.
On/off is a square press-button on the top of the plinth, lower right, and it lights up yellow/orange – to match the belt. The overall look is sleek, with the contrasting finishes on the deck’s upper surface, and those hints of citrous breaking up the Spinal Tappishness of it. And when I fitted the lime-green Jo No5 MC cartridge [HFN Dec ’18]… wow! What a look!”
Allnic Audio L-7000 Preamplifier $16,500 Review
September 30, 2019 Comments Off on Allnic Audio L-7000 Preamplifier $16,500 Review
“The transparency the L-7000 creates is beguiling and projects the most wonderful, tactile feeling—from the ‘reach out and touch it’ variety. Many friends who heard my system just before this review’s publication said they have never heard it sound so good, so musical, and, especially, so transparent”
ABYSS AB-1266 PHI TC HEADPHONES UPDATED $7,955
September 29, 2019 Comments Off on ABYSS AB-1266 PHI TC HEADPHONES UPDATED $7,955
“The life-like bass has translated over very strongly to the Phi TC versions, but what I hear is even more definition and clarity, but I think the biggest area of improvement is the increased transparency in the mids and treble regions. I had to remind myself that these were a pair of orthodynamics and not a pair of electrostatic headphones. The sound staging was truly epic. The whirl of the vending machines around my head from “Money” placed me in a large room well beyond my personal head-space and very much mimicked a 5.1 speaker presentation. Again, this was something that no other pair of headphones could reproduce with such transparency and openness.”
Klipsch Reference R-820F Loudspeakers $898 Review
September 29, 2019 Comments Off on Klipsch Reference R-820F Loudspeakers $898 Review
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I enjoyed my time with the Klipsch Reference R-820Fs, and think their sound quality is competitive with anything in their price range. And if you like to play your music loud, and/or pressurize a home-theater room with maximum SPLs, the R-820F might be your best bet in a pair of budget floorstanders. I like the unique styling of Klipsch’s Reference models — their copper-colored woofers and horn-loaded tweeters set them apart from a crowded field of competitors. Kudos to Klipsch for remaining true to their heritage while providing excellent value in a reasonably priced floorstanding speaker.”
Olympica Nova from Sonus Faber | Review
September 26, 2019 Comments Off on Olympica Nova from Sonus Faber | Review
“My first impression revolves around the huge and particularly well-defined soundstage the Olympica Novas offered. We’re not just talking about wide and deep. The Novas did a wonderful thing—they replicated the size of my own listening room on the other side of the wall. The illusion was clear. I could easily imagine a stage of equal size beyond the speakers where the performers stood and played. The wall boundaries were clearly fixed in space on both sides of the mirror.
That sounds strange, right? But that’s what I found most intriguing about that sound, the projection of a known finite space that was perfectly natural. Do we really expect a lone note played in the middle of the Mojave? Those boundaries I sensed replicated the feeling of being in a room where music is played. It was a distinctive sound, one that seemed perfectly logical and natural.”
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