Channel Islands Audio C-100S Power Amplifier $1500 Review
October 8, 2019 Comments Off on Channel Islands Audio C-100S Power Amplifier $1500 Review
“For some audiophiles the highest praise that can be heaped upon a discrete solid-state or Class D amplifier is that is sounds “tube-like.” My position is different. I prefer a power amplifier that attempts to sound as invisible as possible—a straight wire with gain, to repeat that old audio cliché. The C-100S stereo amp provided more than enough power to drive all the loudspeakers I threw at it and did so in a way that allowed each loudspeaker’s unique personality to come to the fore. I suppose if you want an amplifier that has “personality” you should look elsewhere. But if you need a harmonically neutral power amplifier that you can attach to a wide variety of loudspeakers, the C-100S would be an excellent choice. And priced at $1500, the C-100S stereo power amplifier ranks as a “best buy” in my world.”
Paradigm Premier 800F LoudspeakersParadigm’s Premier 800F $1998 Review
October 7, 2019 Comments Off on Paradigm Premier 800F LoudspeakersParadigm’s Premier 800F $1998 Review
“Paradigm’s Premier 800F offers incredible sound quality, with a superclear midrange that made voices sound stunning, and enough well-integrated low frequencies to satisfy bass lovers — nor does driving it require a ton of power. For the price, it’s about as perfect as a speaker can be. It benefited from being driven by a high-quality amplifier, but as I found out, it also sounds superb with more modest amplification. It combines excellent dynamics and transparency, while its natural, pleasing sound quality throughout the audioband will suit all types of music without a misstep. Best of all, it’s a slim, relatively compact speaker that plays surprisingly loudly when required — and again, it does all this for only $1998/pair. The Premier 800F is the loudspeaker I’d buy today if I had $2000 to spend — and I’d even consider it at twice that price.”
Legacy Audio Powerbloc2 Stereo Power Amplifier $1800 Review
October 6, 2019 Comments Off on Legacy Audio Powerbloc2 Stereo Power Amplifier $1800 Review
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Inviting the Legacy Powerbloc2 into my home was an educational and rewarding experience for this lover of tube gear. It is light weight, solid, well-built and very powerful. Frequency response is flat and tight across the entire audible spectrum. It is also very revealing of interconnects and power cords coming into it as well as speaker cables going out. It responded favorably to aftermarket footers and fuses. Its reasonable price will attract many who are looking for something above entry level to the high end and it will grow with you as you invest in better cables and a few tweaks.”
HIFIMAN ANANDA BLUETOOTH REVIEW
October 6, 2019 Comments Off on HIFIMAN ANANDA BLUETOOTH REVIEW
“To be honest with you, I was never a fan of Bluetooth earphones/headphones. This Hifiman Ananda BT however, changed my perception about wireless sound. This easily is the best wireless headphone I’ve ever listened to and it’s not even close. Together with the sound, the general user experience is very pleasing and simple.”
MCINTOSH C49 STEREO PREAMPLIFIER $5,000 REVIEW
October 5, 2019 Comments Off on MCINTOSH C49 STEREO PREAMPLIFIER $5,000 REVIEW
“I would have been happy to purchase the McIntosh C49. Even my wife commented that she loved the way it sounded, and we spent many an evening exploring music together on the couch. I had time to contemplate what made my music sound this much better. Was it the DA1 DAC module? How much better was the DA2? Was it just the quality of the parts inside and the incredible attention to design and detail? Likely, it was all of the above. The McIntosh C49 is built to last a lifetime and is now more future-proof with its new modular design. Like Harley-Davidson, there is a mystique to owning McIntosh. They may not be for the beginner audiophile, but they are worth climbing the mountain for. Me? I’m back to my climbing, thanks in no small part to my time with the McIntosh C49 Stereo Preamplifier. Thank you for that, gentlemen.”
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.”
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