TAD Evolution One TX Loudspeakers $27,995 Review
September 16, 2019 Comments Off on TAD Evolution One TX Loudspeakers $27,995 Review
“If you’ve heard Technical Audio Devices’ Micro Evolution One and want that same basic sound with just a bit more bass, I suggest you listen to their Evolution One TX. In the E1TX, TAD has produced a loudspeaker that stands on its own, with its own unique sound signature. Like every TAD speaker I’ve heard, it sounds bigger than it looks, and a pair of them produced soundstages that enveloped me, totally immersing me in the music — when a recording contained such information in the first place. I got all the detail I wanted, but never an incisive, overtly treble-centric sound. I found this a good thing — the E1TX was very easy to listen to, regardless of what music I played, or the volume level, or how long I listened. Add to all that a cabinet small enough to fit into most rooms, and build quality that’s sure to please even the most demanding buyer, and you have a complete package. I saw and heard lots to like in the TAD E1TX, and nothing that disappointed. It’s easy to recommend, even to the most discriminating audiophile.”
Custom Art FIBAE 7 Review
September 16, 2019 Comments Off on Custom Art FIBAE 7 Review
“Implementation is key here and this could well be Custom Art’s best-performing monitor to date. I am happy to see we are not pushing the $1.5 – 2k marker for the FIBAE 7, something which Custom Art has never done with their products before. When you consider that the original Harmony 8 was launched 5 years ago, (2014), at €925, then the FIBAE 7 price in 2019 seems more than reasonable.
The excellent tuning is what makes the FIBAE 7 stand out and that is something we will go into a lot more detail in the coming weeks so stay tuned for that!”
SVS SB-3000 powered subwoofer $999 Review
September 16, 2019 Comments Off on SVS SB-3000 powered subwoofer $999 Review
“Lengthy listening sessions suggested that the SB-3000s, placed in diagonal corners, were quicker to set up and sounded better with the Quad ESL-989s than with the MartinLogans. Because I was not able to try the 800Xes in the diagonal corners, or try to blend them with the KEF LS50s, I am hesitant to draw any final conclusions about which pair of subs might be better for other rooms or other satellite speakers. Within those limitations, the SB-3000s showed better pitch definition, greater dynamic range, and did a better job of covering the audio spectrum below 80Hz evenly in my room. Be aware, however, that each SB-3000 is larger, 25lb heavier, and costs $200 more per subwoofer than the MartinLogan Dynamo 800X.”
Usher TD-10 Loudspeakers $22,000 Review
September 15, 2019 Comments Off on Usher TD-10 Loudspeakers $22,000 Review
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Overall, the Usher TD-10s deliver a full, detailed, and lush presentation that carries well as the volume goes up. You like listening at 90dB plus? Not a problem! Unlike some bodybuilders, the TD-10s aren’t poseurs—they really deliver!
If you’re looking for exceptional performance from a loudspeaker in the $20,000 plus range—one that employs a diamond midrange speaker for under $50K—and if you desire a work of fine craftsmanship that looks and plays big, the Usher TD-10 is very worthy of your consideration. ”
Chord Electronics Hugo TT 2 DAC/Preamp/Headphone Amp Review
September 15, 2019 Comments Off on Chord Electronics Hugo TT 2 DAC/Preamp/Headphone Amp Review
“The M Scaler provides two BNC digital inputs, two optical digital inputs, and one galvanically isolated USB Type-B input. Digital outputs include one optical output, one coaxial SPDIF via a single BNC connector, and one dual BNC, which is the output of choice for best performance. While the Hugo M Scaler can conceivably be used with any DAC, the manufacturer makes it clear it is really optimized for use with Chord Electronics DACs that provide high-bandwidth dual-BNC inputs able to take full advantage of the Scaler’s capabilities. Once I heard the M Scaler in action I thought that its sonic benefits were both transformative and profound.
Using a group of very high-performance reference headphones from Final, HiFiMan, Meze, and MrSpeakers, I listened to the Hugo TT 2 both with and without the M Scaler and here is what I learned. Heard in isolation, the Hugo TT 2 sounds exactly like what it is: one of the finest headphone amp/DACs available today. While it is not quite on a par with the more than twice as expensive DAVE, the Hugo TT 2 takes worthwhile steps forward relative to its predecessor in resolution, clarity, focus, and coherency, while also offering quieter backgrounds and more dynamic muscle. In short, the Hugo TT 2 can more than hold its own in comparison to like-priced competition. However, fold the M Scaler into the equation, and the picture changes dramatically for the better.
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Totem Acoustic KIN Play Review
September 15, 2019 Comments Off on Totem Acoustic KIN Play Review
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Totem recommends 50 to 100 hours playing in before the KIN Plays will begin sounding their best. That’s nothing unusual, of course, but our particular unit has a piercing hardness to the treble that takes longer to calm down than many other speakers we’ve tested. That’s not a criticism, more a warning not to judge these speakers straight from the box.
Because, eventually, they really do sound quite good. There is still a slight grittiness to the treble, but it is by no means harsh. We tamper with the bass and treble controls a little, but if you can place these speakers a decent way into the room and on dedicated speaker stands, the balance is pleasingly even.”
Klipsch Klipschorn AK6 loudspeaker Review
September 14, 2019 Comments Off on Klipsch Klipschorn AK6 loudspeaker Review
“And what a bass cabinet it is! For the most part, the listener sees only a large, unblemished expanse of wood, beautifully veneered, but behind it is a front-firing 15″ woofer loaded by an 8′-long exponential horn. The horn’s throat begins with a comparatively narrow slot—to increase pressure as well as to conform to the mathematical requirements of the horn’s predetermined rate of expansion—before directing the woofer’s front wave both straight up and straight down, prior to traveling through the remainder of the horn, which is constructed with dozens of precisely cut plywood and MDF pieces. Portions of the cabinet interior are accessible via side-mounted grillework—as with the grille for the midrange/treble cabinet, these are held in place with magnets—behind which one sees conduits for the internal wiring, as well as the crossover’s output and input connectors, respectively, for the midrange and treble driver cables and the cables from the user’s amplifier.”
Krell K-300i Integrated Amp/DAC Review
September 13, 2019 Comments Off on Krell K-300i Integrated Amp/DAC Review
“Go a bit more audiophile fare with the Rhiannon Giddens/Francesco Turrisi collaboration There Is No Other [Nonesuch 591336-2], which combines close-recorded female vocals with lovingly-captured instruments without going all John Lewis ad on you – I told you I’d just come back from a hi-fi show – and the K-300i’s combination of focus and generosity of sound is much appreciated. Giddens’ plaintive vocals bounce off the Mediterranean/North African instrumentation on ‘Gonna Write Me A Letter’ to winning effect, the amp punching along the percussion while allowing the other instruments to soar out of the mix.
With the infectious piano jazz of Ai Kuwabara, Live At The Blue Note Tokyo [Verve UCCJ-2164; 48kHz/24-bit], the K-300i is able to demonstrate further its combination of low-end extension and speed as a platform on which music is based. It renders Kuwabara’s piano with a delightful lightness of touch, while Steve Gadd’s drums have slam and crispness and Will Lee’s grumbling bass is tight and precise. Add in a fine sense of live atmosphere – got to love that oh so polite Japanese jazz audience applause – and you have a compelling set that’s clearly right up the K-300i’s alley, so well does it deliver it.”
Read more at https://www.hifinews.com/content/krell-k-300i-integrated-ampdac-page-2#QhGkHHsgsgw1p74D.99
XDUOO TA-20 REVIEW
September 13, 2019 Comments Off on XDUOO TA-20 REVIEW
“The xDuoo TA-20 is as powerful as its younger siblings : you can drive almost any modern headphone at ease. Be it the Meze Empyrean, the Sennheiser HD800S or the Audeze LCD-X, none of those headphones trouble the amp.
The small box is capable of handling those cans like a champ, even when the song requires maximum dynamic range. The trade-off is still the level of noise, don’t expect to get rid of it unless you add something like the iFi IEMatch or stick to high-impedance headphones.”
Raidho Acoustics • XT5 Loudspeakers $41,000 Review
September 12, 2019 Comments Off on Raidho Acoustics • XT5 Loudspeakers $41,000 Review
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This is a superbly balanced and mightily enjoyable performer in its own right. Some will inevitably see it as just a steppingstone to greater things, but those who treat it with the respect it deserves will discover a remarkably entertaining, communicative and intelligently voiced musical component, capable of extracting the musical kernel from even the densest mix, the potential lynchpin for an elegant modern, compact, high-performance and highly entertaining audio system. If ever a speaker had va-va-voom, this is it”
Audiophilepure 
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