NAD M10 BLUOS STREAMING AMPLIFIER $2,500 REVIEW
April 7, 2019 Comments Off on NAD M10 BLUOS STREAMING AMPLIFIER $2,500 REVIEW
“Interestingly, there is no physical headphone connector, as the provision for Bluetooth wireless headphones is there. There is also wireless internet connectivity to the M10, but without an ugly external antenna, although I strongly prefer a wired LAN connection for speed, reliability and sound quality. At least you have choice and flexibility.
Internally the M10 is operated by a powerful NXP 1GHz ARM® Cortex A9 Processor, and the digital to analog is handled by a high-end 32-BIT/384kHz ESS Sabre ES9028 DAC.
A feature that you don’t see every day on a product like the M10 is Dirac Live integration. Dirac Live is a patented room correction technology that is capable of correcting the frequency response and the impulse response of your loudspeakers within the listening room and is a very welcome addition at this price point. Unfortunately, our review unit has not had this function activated yet and is expected to be enabled within weeks.”
CUSTOM ART FIBAE 4 REVIEW
April 6, 2019 Comments Off on CUSTOM ART FIBAE 4 REVIEW
“Not that is a slouch with vocals. With acoustical sparser tracks and artists like Allman Brown’s ‘honey’ed’ vocal pitching the FIBAE 4 does a fine job of creating a very euphonic and soothing delivery. Rather the FIBAE 4’s calling card is that superb low-end response. That is the star of the show and you will find yourself gravitating to that power it delivers on it is called upon.
Interestingly, Custom Art have refrained from throwing in lots of upper treble energy with the FIBAE 4. It is more on the relaxed and slightly darker side of things. I often find budget V-Shaped tuning to produce heavy treble responses in an attempt to deliver heavy levels of contrast to the elevated bass. This can often leave it too sharp sounding. FiiO’s F9 is a classic example.”
Pangea Vulcan Turntable Stand Review
April 6, 2019 Comments Off on Pangea Vulcan Turntable Stand Review
“When it comes to a turntable rack, function is as important as form, and the Vulcan has both of them going for it. It feels and sits rock solid, its aesthetics easily pass the spouse acceptance factor and it’s bargain priced to boot. In less than half an hour my living room was transformed, and the storage shelves give me plenty of space for future LP purchases.
Turntables are back. So are spin-cleaners, stylus gauges and carbon fiber brushes, among other doodads and tweaks. Consider the turntable stand as one of the most important among these. And consider the Vulcan TT as an easy, attractive, effective and economical option that delivers everything you’d hope for from it. Enthusiastically recommended and HRAC-approved.”
Revel Concerta 2 F35 Review
April 5, 2019 Comments Off on Revel Concerta 2 F35 Review
“Once we’re happy with their positioning, we shake off any dust particles with a quick blast of Faithless’s dance classic Insomnia. And the Revels transport you back to the dancefloors of the 1990s in no time.
The track’s blipping bassline can be lost with poorer-sounding speakers. With the Revels, you’re left in no doubt of its presence. The F35s give those bass notes a satisfying texture and match the pace of the track beat for beat.”
Living Voice • Vox Palladian/Palladian Basso Loudspeaker System Review
April 4, 2019 Comments Off on Living Voice • Vox Palladian/Palladian Basso Loudspeaker System Review
“Despite the price, despite the sheer quality of the finish and the scale of the finished system, don’t confuse these speakers with some luxury exercise in cost-no-object consumption. These speakers are all — and only — about performance. In a market where an increasing number of products appear more concerned with their role as male jewelry than they do with their achievements in musical communication (the audio equivalents of tote bags with logos from the likes of Chanel or Dolce & Gabbana that are so big that they overlap the available surface), the Living Voice Vox-series speakers are a singular — and singularly successful — exception to that trend. If the general public struggles with brand recognition much beyond Bang & Olufsen or its spiritual descendent Devialet, if the likes of Wilson Audio are flying well below the popular radar, then where does that place the Vox Palladians? The simple fact is that nobody will buy them to impress their non-audio friends. You don’t buy them to impress your fashion-conscious audio buddies either. You don’t buy them to convince yourself that you are younger than you feel, and you certainly don’t buy them to impress your interior designer/decorator, who really isn’t going to understand the positional demands they dictate. You buy the Vox Palladians (assuming you can afford to) for one reason and one reason only — to be transported by music. Arguably more than any other speaker system I’ve tested, they stand or fall by that measure alone — and stand they most definitely do.”
EarSonics EM64 Review
April 4, 2019 Comments Off on EarSonics EM64 Review
“Visual customisation is limited because of 3D-printing. Clear is the only shell colour available. But, you do get to choose between 17 faceplate colours and all sorts of graphical engravings. I opted for Translucent Black with the S-EM9’s ES logo engraved on the left, and Trans Military Green with EM64 engraved on the right. I think those designs were realised very well. Unfortunately, like most 3D-printed monitors, the shells are riddled by patches of cloudiness and print lines. It is a consequence of the tech, but there is definitely room for improvement. Regardless, fit is outstanding with an even seal throughout, long-lasting comfort and excellent isolation. Lacquerwork is brilliant too, as the IEMs feel flawlessly smooth.”
Audiophile IKEA Hack, Sound Diffuser Under $20
April 4, 2019 Comments Off on Audiophile IKEA Hack, Sound Diffuser Under $20
Revel PerformaBe Series F228Be Floorstanding Speaker Review
April 2, 2019 Comments Off on Revel PerformaBe Series F228Be Floorstanding Speaker Review
“Revel describes DCC as “a plasma electrolytic oxidation process that uses a plasma discharge to create a coarse ceramic coating on both sides of the aluminum core. The deep ceramic layers sandwiching the aluminum core provide constrained layer damping that push cone breakup modes outside of the passband allowing the driver to maintain ideal pistonic motion throughout its range.” The DCC cones are coupled with an improved motor structure for greater efficiency, dynamic range, and power handling, with reduced distortion and compression. Last but not least, the crossovers in the PerformaBe series are high-order crossovers that utilize all film capacitors and air core inductors in the midrange and tweeter circuits.”
EFFECT AUDIO LEONIDAS II OCTA REVIEW
April 2, 2019 Comments Off on EFFECT AUDIO LEONIDAS II OCTA REVIEW
“Mids are more transparent and open. Vocals seem to have a touch more air in them, making them slightly more emotionally grabbing. Instruments stand out from a darker background, but are highlighted precisely to stand out clear.
The biggest changes have been made to technical parameters. The sound stage stretches wider and deeper and puts the scene more in front of you. Imaging has stepped up noticeably and the resolution is incredible. Layering and instrumental separation are superb.”
BOULDER AMPLIFIERS 1110 PRE-AMPLIFIER AND 1160 AMPLIFIER REVIEW
April 1, 2019 Comments Off on BOULDER AMPLIFIERS 1110 PRE-AMPLIFIER AND 1160 AMPLIFIER REVIEW
“Thirty-four years of engineering focus has given Boulder time to learn more efficient and effective ways to construct its gear, with build quality that routinely functions for a decade plus of set-it-and-forget-it life spans, better heat dissipation, plus ARM Chip inclusion for web capabilities as well as advanced power management and circuit protection. I have not found any area that has not been considered for improvement. And, the music! Absolutely musical! I could not detect any colour being inserted by the Boulder siblings. They did not offer a warm, cool, or shaded tonal signature. Everything was by the book, whatever was the disc, LP, or streaming bits. That is what I want from a solid state, state of the art system. ”
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