WESTONE B30 & B50

December 6, 2019 Comments Off on WESTONE B30 & B50

https://www.headfonia.com/westone-b30-b50-review/

“Treble-wise it’s the same story. The B50 has more detail, extension and air in treble with better articulation. You have more transparency and resolution in highs, resulting in a more open presentation. The distance is the same however; cymbals sounding from behind so they’re not the focal point.

Sound-stage is also better with the B50, thanks to its capabilities in the mid & treble sections. The sound has more room and width, and that creates more space between the elements of a song. This provides a better imaging with a more 3D staging performance. The overall transparency is quite good, despite the sound signature which is darker than many IEMs.”

TECHDAS AIRFORCE V TURNTABLE £12,500 Review

December 6, 2019 Comments Off on TECHDAS AIRFORCE V TURNTABLE £12,500 Review

http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/techdas-airforce-v-turntable/

“There is no such thing as the One Deck at this or any price. Turntables introduce a degree of observational and subjective nuance that is only matched by the loudspeaker in a system. Different turntables will work best in different systems, but in the case of the Air Force V, it is versatile enough to work its way into several very good systems and sound good. Unless you have rigged the sound of the system to make it work in a very narrow set of conditions – making it ideal for one kind of turntable and few others – the TechDAS AirForce concept and the AirForce V, will always come close to or top of the list. There are very few turntables that could lay claim to the same universality, and all those that do are generally more expensive than the V and receive near universal praise.”

AudioSolutions Figaro M Loudspeakers $7500 Review

December 5, 2019 Comments Off on AudioSolutions Figaro M Loudspeakers $7500 Review

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1360-audiosolutions-figaro-m-loudspeakers

“Starting at the low end — my primary complaint about the Figaro B’s sound — I cued up some hip-hop: “Practice,” from Drake’s Take Care (16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC, Cash Money). The bass drops at 0:54 in, deep synth tones pulsing and pounding through the woofers. The Figaro Ms handled the onslaught of low frequencies and maintained their composure even at high volume, providing me with deep, taut, detailed bass. I could easily distinguish the bass notes’ various pitches. The Figaros’ overall bass output didn’t overwhelm my room; in fact, for cabinets of this size, I was somewhat underwhelmed. The overall experience was satisfying, but bass-heads should know that the Figaro M is not the last word in bass slam and extension.”

Deep Core 1800 Power Conditioner

December 5, 2019 Comments Off on Deep Core 1800 Power Conditioner

https://www.tonepublications.com/review/the-deep-core-1800-power-conditioner/

I’ve always experienced power line conditioning products to have a more noticeable effect on vacuum tube gear than solid-state, and the Deep Core offers the same result. Interestingly enough, regardless of circuit topology in the source component, the Deep Core had a more profound effect on lower priced gear, no doubt because these components do not have as sophisticated power supplies as those further up the range.

Proof for the snubbing effect took no more than powering up my vintage Dynaco Stereo 70, which always makes a nasty click through the speakers. Via the Deep Core, tweeter destroying clicks are a thing of the past. My mid 80s vintage Linn LP-12 is guilty of the same offense. Again, its crimes pardoned with the Deep Core in place. If you happen to be riddled with noise in your environment from an older furnace or appliance somewhere, the Deep Core may be the only thing that cleanses the artifacts these things produce from your listening environment.

Power products are basic – you either hear the difference they make in your audio system or you don’t. Some change the sound without necessarily improving the presentation or revealing more musical detail.”

Warwick Acoustics Sonoma Model One review

December 3, 2019 Comments Off on Warwick Acoustics Sonoma Model One review

https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/warwick-acoustics-sonoma-model-one

You’ll need to be a little careful if you’re using the analogue inputs. Both have specified upper signal limits – the RCA will take 2.1v while the 3.5mm jack is limited to 0.85v – and if you go beyond these it’s possible to overload the circuit, though the only consequence is likely to be distorted sound rather than any real damage. If you need to use analogue it’s probably best to use a source that has a volume control built-in so you can turn down the signal level if the energizer has any issues.

All input signals are handled in the digital domain, so any analogue input is converted before any other processing is done. This conversion is done by a 32-bit/384kHz AKM Premium ADC, which is claimed to have a signal to noise ratio in excess of 120dB. There’s a good deal of signal processing done in the box with the aim of accounting for the headphones electrical characteristics and so getting the optimum sound possible”

ASTELL&KERN AK T9IE REVIEW

December 3, 2019 Comments Off on ASTELL&KERN AK T9IE REVIEW

https://www.headfonia.com/astell-kern-ak-t9ie-review/

“From a build quality perspective these are very nice. They consist of three separate parts. The bottom shell, the top shell and the face plate. Top and bottom shell are in the same gunmetal colour, but the face plate is slightly lighter. The entire body is pretty shiny and if you are worried about getting your smudgy fingerprints on there, you should be. Because the AK T9iE shows you every little bit of dirt and leaving prints on it is very easy. If you’re like me and you hate that, you’ll clean them every day.

The T9iE comes with an MMCX connection, so you can cable roll if you have a suitable cable on hand. The original AK T8iE had massive problems with its MMCX sockets. Back in 2016 I owned a pair of them as well. After two months they died on me because of a failing socket. Of course the warranty covered that, but still a bummer. With the T9iE it seems A&K/Beyerdynamic is now using a more robust socket. I haven’t had any issues in the months that I used them.”

Nagra Classic Integrated amplifier Review

December 2, 2019 Comments Off on Nagra Classic Integrated amplifier Review

https://audiofi.net/2019/11/nagra-classic-integrated-amplifier-precise-and-engaging/

“The Classic was not overtly powerful or explicit in presentation but one does get a level of panoramic soundstage with believable depth and presence when they were in the recordings – the Damien Rice O and live Chick Corea Akoustik Band albums were just exquisite.

Treble purity was excellent, sounding free of grain and any artefacts like hiss or sibilance, again save where one perceived them to be part of the recording (or generated by the other components used!). The midrange sounded unadulterated, the Classic just seeming to be less in the way in recreating the sounds of individual instruments which, in a string quartet recording, could be picked out of the precisely defined soundstage as though it was physicality present with the music.”

dCS Bartok DAC/headphone amp

December 2, 2019 Comments Off on dCS Bartok DAC/headphone amp

HEADAMP GS-X MINI BALANCED HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER REVIEW

December 1, 2019 Comments Off on HEADAMP GS-X MINI BALANCED HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER REVIEW

https://www.headphone.guru/the-headamp-gs-x-mini-balanced-headphone-amplifier-incredible-transparency-and-drive/

.” The stringed instruments sounded incredibly detailed and particularly quick, but with a richness that I wasn’t familiar with from these headphones. The ability to approach the speed and transparency of the flagship GS-X Mk2 amplifier, but offer a warmer and slightly more musical presentation was quite the experience. While the GS-X Mk2 offered slightly better clarity and sound staging, I think I might prefer the GS-X mini’s overall presentation with these headphones. There certainly is no wrong answer here, but I was certainly surprised just how well the GS-X mini excelled with these rather picky headphones.”

Audio Art SC-5 ePlus Cryo Treated Speaker Cable

November 30, 2019 Comments Off on Audio Art SC-5 ePlus Cryo Treated Speaker Cable

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/audio-art-sc-5-eplus-speaker-cable/

“The Audio Art SC-5 ePlus Cryo Treated speaker cables deliver a very transparent, neutral, uncolored and non-fatiguing presentation of whatever is served up. Employed with good electronics, speakers, and source material, it provides a rich and detailed experience for the listener. Teamed up with reference level equipment and media, at once, it paints a vivid, robust and sensitive aural masterpiece. 

And although traditionally, I have used a bi-wiring configuration with my speakers, I found that with the SC-5 ePlus Jumpers in play, I didn’t miss the double runs of cabling which can be costly; one run is perfect. 

Summed up, the Audio Art SC-5 ePlus Speaker Cables and jumpers enhance the audio experience, delighting and warming one’s senses as the music plays on. And on a cold, wintry days like today, that’s a good thing; it just might mirror the sensory pleasures of that sunny, open aired drive down the coast on Pacific Coast Highway.”

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