Stromtank S2500 Battery Power Supply Review
March 5, 2020 Comments Off on Stromtank S2500 Battery Power Supply Review
“There are a few words when describing the sonic results of using the Stromtank to power my system: astounding, awe-inspiring, awesome, amazing, astonishing, excellent, fantastic, glorious, magnificent, sensational, spectacular, splendid, terrific, and wonderful. As I said earlier, before the Stromtank arrived, only at nighttime could my system reach its potential. But with the Stromtank my system reached its full potential regardless of the time of day. Even though Stromtank’s literature promised it would make this improvement, it took me by surprise. Having my system sound the same both during the day and at night took some getting used to. In a good way.
The only “problem” I ran into was that I couldn’t connect my 350 Watt per channel Pass Laboratories X350.5 power amplifier to the Stromtank S2500 and play it at excessive volumes. If I did, the Stromtank would shut down because it would become over-heated. This only happened once during my time during the Stromtank’s audition period. After it shut down I had to wait a while so the Stromtank could cool down. After that the Stromtank operated perfectly, and I could listen to music again, being fully aware that if I was to connect my power amp to the Stromtank, I should be very careful about how high I turn the volume of my system, and for how long I listen to a louder than absolutely necessary. Otherwise, the Stromtank performed as advertised, and without any problems whatsoever.”
Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo Review
March 4, 2020 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo Review
https://audiofi.net/2020/01/bowers-wilkins-formation-duo-supreme-streaming-speakers/
“First impressions were positive – a big and expansive sound stage was painted, and even with compressed material from Apple Music, a very enjoyable sound was presented, with fine rhythmic “foot-tapping” quality to the bass line on Dave Brubeck’s Time In (Apple Music Adaptive AAC streaming). Browsing through my Apple Music library was an enjoyable spree, the speakers taking on all genres and presenting a very detailed, rhythmic and enjoyable rendition.
Especially of note was the anchoring of female vocals in the centre of the soundfield and the texture of the plucked double bass (Ilona Knopfler, Live the Life, Adaptive AAC streaming). Vocals had fine projection, with exquisite handing of sibilants and the “air” surrounding the singer. The double bass showed lovely texture, with the leading edge of the plucked sound having fine articulation – one can almost visualise the singer and the bassist”
NAD C 658 Network Audio Player/Preamplifier $1,649 Review
March 4, 2020 Comments Off on NAD C 658 Network Audio Player/Preamplifier $1,649 Review
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/nad-c-658-network-audio-playerpreamplifier-review
“I hooked the C 658 up in a system consisting of a NAD C 268 stereo amplifier that the company sent along for use during testing and Polk Audio L800 tower speakers. While the C 268 is conservatively rated for 80 watts continuous output into 8 and 4 ohms (20 Hz-20 kHz at 0.03 percent THD, both channels driven), it easily drove the full-range Polk Audio towers to a satisfactory listening level. Sources included a Panasonic DMP-UB900 Ultra HD Blu-ray player for CD playback and a Pro-Ject Debut turntable with Clearaudio Aurum Beta/S moving magnet cartridge for vinyl. The music streaming services I used for my testing were Tidal Hi-Fi, Qobuz Studio, and Amazon Music HD.”
Gryphon Audio Designs Zena Preamplifier Review
March 4, 2020 Comments Off on Gryphon Audio Designs Zena Preamplifier Review
https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/937-gryphon-audio-designs-zena-preamplifier
The Zena’s visual design and build quality, the beauty of its display, the attractive owner’s manual, the inclusion of gloves and polishing cloth, and the quality of its packaging all indicate that Gryphon Audio Designs is more concerned with delivering a premium customer experience than with wringing the last dollar of profit from its products.
Per Gryphon, each sample of the Zena is burned in at the factory for 48 hours; they say that the sound quality further improves after 40-50 more hours of use. The Zena comes with a three-year, nontransferrable warranty on parts and labor. That’s common for high-end audio components, but in my opinion, anything less than five years is too short.
oBravo Cupid Hybrid Planar-Magnetic/Dynamic Earphone $269 Review
March 3, 2020 Comments Off on oBravo Cupid Hybrid Planar-Magnetic/Dynamic Earphone $269 Review
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/obravo-cupid-hybrid-planar-magneticdynamic-earphone/
Frankly, $269 earphones aren’t normally expected to do such things so well, but somehow the Cupids pulled them off. If you want a substantial taste of what serious high-end earphones are all about, without putting your budget in distress, look no further than oBravo’s Cupids. At their asking price they are not just a bargain, but a musical gift. “
Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Momentum HD line preamplifier $40,000 Review
March 3, 2020 Comments Off on Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Momentum HD line preamplifier $40,000 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/dan-dagostino-master-audio-systems-momentum-hd-line-preamplifier
“I briefly switched DACs and used a single S/PDIF cable from the dCS Network Bridge to convey signals from the Roon Nucleus+ to the EMM Labs DV2. With the Momentum HD preamp controlling volume, I heard more air around Cassandra Wilson and Rickie Lee Jones’s voices and accompaniment, but a bit less midrange profundity. After realizing that the comparison was flawed due to setup constraints—I’ve since moved equipment around on my eight-shelf double rack so I don’t run into this problem in the future and sent the DV2 back for a major upgrade—I acknowledged that a valid comparison between the two DACs would have to wait.
When I returned to the Rossini DAC/Momentum HD preamp combo, revisiting Cassandra Wilson’s performance revealed a complexity of string tone, deep bass grind, and increased color contrast and depth that, compared to what I heard from either DAC alone, left me in awe. Adding the preamp delivered Rickie Lee’s creepy vocals with much more subtlety and intimacy, and markedly greater dynamics, even at low volume. I didn’t want the music to end.”
REL S/812 subwoofer Review
March 2, 2020 Comments Off on REL S/812 subwoofer Review
“A downward-firing 12in carbon ‘SuperProgressive’ passive radiator again uses a new design intended to produce extremely long travel while retaining the variable stiffness of its suspension. The thinking here is that it enables the S/812 to act like a sealed-box compact 12in design at low volume, but still deliver bass down to 19Hz when pushed. At the rear are the inputs, including high-level Neutrik Speakon, low-level stereo phono, and LFE (phono and balanced XLR) connections. There are also high-level Neutrik Speakon and LFE (phono and XLR) outputs.
Otherwise the back plate is surprisingly sparse, with just two switches (On/Standby, and 180-degree phase), and knobs for high/low/LFE levels and crossover. The Serie S subs are also compatible with REL’s new wireless transmission system (AirShip).
These are the first mid-sized RELs designed to be stackable, thanks to special fixtures and included metal plates. You can safely stack and lock S/812s up to three units high. That sounds bonkers but there is logic in REL’s madness. In the real world, bass has width, depth and height; by stacking these subs you can create bigger bass presence from a smaller footprint.”
TOPPING D10 USB DAC AND USB SPDIF CONVERTER REVIEW
March 2, 2020 Comments Off on TOPPING D10 USB DAC AND USB SPDIF CONVERTER REVIEW
https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/dac/topping-d10-usb-dac-and-usb-spdif-converter-review/
“There is no funny reconstruction filter that is said to sound better. The Topping has a high-performance FIR that is flat to 20kHz and has a sharp stopband down 90dB. The output at 0 dBFS comes in at 2VRMS, the industry standard. Channels were remarkably well matched in all tests. It is 0.5dB down at 80kHz!!
I have a complete set of measurements below but nothing on the market at $90 will produce numbers within an order of magnitude of what I measured above. You could stop here and run out and purchase one but I’d advise you to please read my next section on shopping advice when purchasing small brands from the Far East first.”
Music Hall mmf-9.3 Walnut Turntable with Goldring Eroica LX MC Cartridge $2,695 Review
March 1, 2020 Comments Off on Music Hall mmf-9.3 Walnut Turntable with Goldring Eroica LX MC Cartridge $2,695 Review
https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/music-hall-mmf-9-3-turntable-2/
“The synergy of the mmf-9.3 Walnut’s remarkable quietness, balanced and natural tonality, superb resolution, expressive drive and pacing, make it an overachieving entrant in this price range. Though I’ve yet to hear their flagship offering, the mmf-11, this penultimate offering from Music Hall, especially in this beautiful walnut finish, offers an incredible combination of exhilarating performance, strikingly good classic aesthetics, and most importantly, exceptional value. While there is quite a bit of competition in this class, the Music Hall mmf-9.3 distinguishes itself as a top performer, one that most LP lovers will find remarkable enough to be their “forever” turntable! Most highly recommended.”
Gato Audio DIA-250S NPM Amplifier/Network DAC Review
March 1, 2020 Comments Off on Gato Audio DIA-250S NPM Amplifier/Network DAC Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/gato-audio-dia-250s-npm-amplifiernetwork-dac
“The basic specification of 250W/8ohm and 500W/4ohm, and RCA/XLR line pre-outs to feed external power amps, active speakers and subwoofers, has not changed from the original DIA-250S amplifier. Similarly, the controls are minimal, with nothing more than that large central volume control, input selector, plus a standby button, on the front panel. The display shows volume and input as standard, but when playing digital sources the right-hand panel can be set to show input sampling rate, either for a few seconds via remote control, or by default using the display dimmer button on the rear panel.
Crucially, Gato has now added its NPM (network player module) to the DIA-250S, opening up a whole new world of digital streaming to the user. Inserted into the upper part of the rear panel, where once was just a screw terminal to connect a Bluetooth stub antenna, this adds an Ethernet port and a USB-A socket into which can be inserted a supplied Wi-Fi dongle, and upgrades the Bluetooth provision to aptX HD.”
Audiophilepure 
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