Gold Note IS-1000 Integrated Amplifier and Streamer $5500 Review
June 16, 2019 Comments Off on Gold Note IS-1000 Integrated Amplifier and Streamer $5500 Review
“Up to this point, I’ve been deliberately holding off on the contentious, “Well, is the IS-1000 better than buying each function as a standalone product?” conversation. Product comparisons are fun, but there are endless product combinations, and achieving system synergy is always a challenge. The IS-1000 is designed for each function to align for the best possible sound. The IS-1000 is a true high end product in build and sonic quality. It’s convenient, yes, but it also certainly on par with separates or an integrated amp near or even substantially above its price point. For those who can relate to those sentiments, the IS-1000 is a beautifully styled, intelligently designed product that can satisfy the needs of all but the most critical listener. Gold Note continues to offer products that I have no problem recommending.”
CLEAR TUNE MONITORS DA VINCI X $2400 REVIEW
June 16, 2019 Comments Off on CLEAR TUNE MONITORS DA VINCI X $2400 REVIEW
“The decay on the X drivers has a very nice balance with just a hint more length to the low-end drivers moving to something much quicker and slightly drier by the time you get to those two top-end smaller BA drivers. It prevents the X from sounding sterile even though I still would class the timbre as quite neutral.
It gets that neutral quality through a midrange and treble driver combo that primarily focuses on clarity and speed rather than trying to outdo the low-end in richness and warmth. As a result, instrumental separation is excellent and imaging cues are dead easy to pick up and seem very accurate to my ear.”
Planar 8 turntable £2,450 Review
June 15, 2019 Comments Off on Planar 8 turntable £2,450 Review
“It was obvious to me that as the listening sessions wore on, the 8 with Apheta 2 in tow was a step or two ahead of the Regas I had hosted before. The ability to keep the beat is present and well, and probably superior to its predecessors. Of all the turntable combinations I have in my collection, the 8 seemed to pull closest in the same direction as the Roksan Xerxes, sounding similar overall in presentation.
While I didn’t feel there was anything to severely criticise with the 8’s performance, no (affordable) turntable I know of yet has been all things to all men. The 8, as with the Xerxes and some other more detail and warts-and-all oriented designs won’t be the best thing for you if you’d rather have a more velvety or laid back (relatively) performance. Several screechier solo violin LPs just sounded less aggressive on an LP12, and if voices could be compared for sexiness over vinyl replay, I would prefer the TD124 with Apheta 2 for playing Shelby Lynne’s Just a Little Lovin.”
DALI Callisto 2C Active Digital Speaker System $4750 Review
June 15, 2019 Comments Off on DALI Callisto 2C Active Digital Speaker System $4750 Review
“Later my mind was blown, again. I did some close-in-time comparisons between the Callistos running off their included (generic, 2-conductor 18AWG) power cords, and a pair of AudioQuest NRG-Z3 (3-conductor, thick) cords. I had no idea AC cables could make such a large difference in the sound. It wasn’t just emerging from a blacker background; everything was more crisp and exciting. The soundstage was better defined, and the music seemed louder. Instruments had more separation, and their individual characters stood out more. And voices seemed to be “flesh-and-blood present” in the room with me. The incredible realism, accuracy, and liveliness that I had been enjoying for one month with the Callistos went one step further in the right direction.
Do not even consider running your Callistos with the included power cords. Since you are running D/A processor, preamp, power amp, and speaker off a single cord, it needs to be a premium one. Is it crazy to spend $500 on a pair of AC cords for a sub-$5000 system? Not after hearing the sonic improvements they bring. You may be able to find less expensive AC cords that also work well, so experiment. I was a doubter before; I thought at most AC cords could filter some noise, but no more. With a complex unit like the Callisto, they can actually render across-the-board improvements that add up to a serious upgrade. On both solo and choral vocals, a real acid test for any system, the realism was uncanny. Every emotion and delicate touch the singers were putting in there came across clear as a bell. On Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Scarecrow” from the album Peepshow, the sound was so intimate I felt Siouxsie was trying to seduce me (though it’s not a love song). I never even realized how much she hams it up before; it’s on the border of overdone.”
AUDIOVECTOR QR5 FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS REVIEW
June 14, 2019 Comments Off on AUDIOVECTOR QR5 FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS REVIEW
“It’s one of those speakers that lets you relax with the music and that’s clearly not a bad thing, I like the way that it is pretty well unflappable even at higher levels and that the bass is so fulsome. This could overawe smaller rooms but with only about 40cm behind them the balance was very even in my medium sized space. I tried a track that is notorious for its sibilants, another Patricia Barber number called ‘A Touch of Trash’ [Modern Cool, Premonition]. On this the vocals did seem a little cleaner than usual, the emphasis on S sounds didn’t disappear, but they were reduced enough to stop it being a distraction. Lou Reed’s classic ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ [Transformer, RCA Victor] sounded appealingly open and his voice projected well over the fabulous tone of the double bass. It lacked a little of its edge perhaps, but none of its innate charm. Another bass heavy track, Hadouk Trio’s ‘Vol De Nuit’ [Live à FIP, Mélodie], showed how well the Audiovector can produce deep clean lows while giving the ‘voice’ in the piece, an oud, the space to express itself in a clear fashion.”
WOO AUDIO WA33 HEADPHONE AMP/PREAMPLIFIER REVIEW
June 13, 2019 Comments Off on WOO AUDIO WA33 HEADPHONE AMP/PREAMPLIFIER REVIEW
”
The Woo Audio WA33 is a terrific headphone amplifier, as well as a balanced linestage preamplifier suitable for use in the finest audio systems. It should drive any dynamic or planar magnetic headphone without a problem and the overall sound is glorious with a rich, but naturally detailed, tonal balance, explosive dynamics, and powerful and extended bass. Better still, its superb performance will keep you listening late into the night.”
AURALIC VEGA G1 NETWORK STREAMING DAC £3,299 REVIEW
June 12, 2019 Comments Off on AURALIC VEGA G1 NETWORK STREAMING DAC £3,299 REVIEW
“The G1 not being a G2 only manifests in comparison. In day-to-day use, the VEGA G1 is an ideal network streaming device that puts many really good rival products to shame. It’s extremely well built, sounds exceptionally good, and plays nice with most products it’s likely to be hooked to. I started this investigation to see what all the fuss was about, and now I’m reading from the AURALiC Fanatic’s Handbook. The company really does live up to the hype, as anyone who gives the VEGA (G2 or G1) a serious listen will attest. In fact, they might well say one of the notes I made while listening to the AURALiC VEGA G1 – Bloody hell… this thing’s good!”
LIQUID SPARK BY MONOPRICE REVIEW
June 12, 2019 Comments Off on LIQUID SPARK BY MONOPRICE REVIEW
“The Spark has power to spare on even planar magnetic headphones. On High gain, I rarely would push it past halfway on the knob. On the other end of the spectrum, with low impedance less than 16 Ohm CIEMs and Low gain, I experienced no audible buzzing or hissing with the Liquid Spark; everything was dead quiet. Since this is an analog design, there is a channel mismatch at the lowest end of the volume spectrum which is detectable on my CIEMs; this is to be expected and not something to ding the Liquid Spark points on. The volume level discrepancy is only noticeable at volumes too low for anyone to ever listen to music at. The Spark has proven itself to be very adaptable and shocked even me at how wide a range of headphones it could take. The other two amps on my desk, that were much more expensive, were geared towards high impedance headphones and had obvious background hissing with the CIEMs.”
Vinnie Rossi L2 Signature Preamplifier Review
June 12, 2019 Comments Off on Vinnie Rossi L2 Signature Preamplifier Review
“The L2 enhanced my very fine digital setup, and considering the preamplifier section of the Continuum S2 (basically, a Jeff Rowland Capri II preamplifier) is outstanding and an obvious match for its connected amplifier section, it couldn’t better the gorgeous sounds the 300Bs were portraying. For sure, a completely different topology, but the way Rossi has his tubes singing is very persuasive.
It’s been my experience that some tube preamps let the side down during thunderous piano performances. No fears, here. Martha Argerich’s famous Berlin/Abbado/DG (vinyl reissue) of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 was overwhelming at times. She’s a powerhouse; a force of nature. And all her power was unsullied and heard to astounding effect. Piano fans will love this preamplifier. Yet, at the other end of the dynamic spectrum, the Rossi retrieved even more subtlety from John Bingham’s playing of Schubert Songs arr. Liszt on Meridian vinyl than I’m used to. I use my late friend’s playing as a test for quiet pianism; pedal, bell tones, touch, ppp voicing, etc. This was pretty miraculous as a musical experience. The LP is available on Discogs. ”
ABYSS HEADPHONES DIANA PHI $2,000 REVIEW
June 11, 2019 Comments Off on ABYSS HEADPHONES DIANA PHI $2,000 REVIEW
“The Diana Phi, to my ears, is probably one of the truest sounds signatures I have ever heard from a planar magnetic headphone. What I mean by that is both the tuning in terms of its neutral timbre as well as its insane levels of clarity and detail retrieval. Together, they combine to make the Diana Phi sound incredibly revealing, coherent, and very reference-like in its overall presentation.
The quality is very unique in some ways to the competition. The Diana Phi has neither the aplomb or power of the D8000 low-end nor the warmth and intimacy of the MrSpeakers Ether 2. This is an altogether different sound to these competing flagships and one which I find to be an almost perfect complement to the Meze Empyrean’s rich and refined but more languid signature.
The Diana Phi is supremely fast and accurate for a planar magnetic headphone. It has a pace akin to the more expansive, (and expensive), Hifiman Susvara but possessing a neutral timbre and note control closer to electrostatic quality save for that very pure and well extended distortion-free planar low-end. A low-end, I might add, which copes remarkably well with just about any amp you can throw at it, even 100W power amps.”
Audiophilepure 
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