EMM Labs PRE i stereo preamplifier Review with update on the latest MTRX monoblocks
June 22, 2025 Comments Off on EMM Labs PRE i stereo preamplifier Review with update on the latest MTRX monoblocks
While I had initially intended to follow the format above, I quickly decided that would be a waste of your time as the PRE, if anything, performed even better with the newest version of the MTRX amps. For this reason, I would like to instead talk about the latest version of the MTRX amps and by this I also mean the MTRX2 amps which employ basically identical circuitry.
Keep in mind that I have lived with these amps for eight years and over that period have heard five distinct versions of the input boards, each an improvement over the last. I agreed to update my amps mainly to keep them current as numerous other changes had been made in the interim. In all honesty, I was not expecting a significant improvement (just as I had not expected the PRE to be so much better than previous versions). In that I was once again mistaken. Ed Meitner is approaching his eightieth birthday, a time when most men would have turned over the business to their children. Instead, he has entered what I would consider the most creative period of his design career. In a two-year period, he has overhauled his entire product line.
Martin Logan Motion XT F100 Speaker Review
June 22, 2025 Comments Off on Martin Logan Motion XT F100 Speaker Review
Dynaudio Contour 20 BE Review
June 21, 2025 Comments Off on Dynaudio Contour 20 BE Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/dynaudio-contour-20-be-standmount-speaker
With spring in the air, it was strange to hear the Christmas vibes of ‘Goose Snow Cone’, but Mann’s voice was portrayed so beautifully by the Contour 20 BEs it was worth a bit of cognitive dissonance. As a whole this song came together very organically, without a trace of stress. Moreover, the intimate nature of the album, which despite the title doesn’t feel depressing at all, was successfully conveyed.
English-born but residing in Gambia, Sona Jobarteh is not (yet) as well-known as her cousin, the late Toumani Diabaté. But as the first female kora player from a griot or djali family (the clans of West African musicians and storytellers which play an important social role), she’s been turning heads during a recent European tour. Her 2022 release Badinyaa Kumoo [AGBK22-2] sounded atmospheric and lively through the Contour 20 Black Editions, which not only evoked the richness of the five-stringed kora, but also Jobarteh’s breathtakingly dexterous playing on tracks like ‘Musolou’ or ‘Ballaké’.
Shunyata Research Gamma Cable Line Review
June 20, 2025 Comments Off on Shunyata Research Gamma Cable Line Review
The new Gamma line of cables from Shunyata Research is an exceedingly impressive new line of cables that breaks new ground with respect to their design, materials science, engineering, performance, and most importantly, audio quality. While the Gamma cable line of products represents Shunyata Research’s entry-level cable line, the performance and audio qualities of the Gamma cable line are way, way above entry-level, and as such, represent a massive value proposition. In conclusion, the Shunyata Research Gamma cable line has my highest recommendation.
Perpetuum Ebner PE 6060 Turntable
June 20, 2025 Comments Off on Perpetuum Ebner PE 6060 Turntable
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2025/3/3/perpetuum-ebner-pe-6060-turntable
To get a sense of speed stability, I broke out an old TAS Superdisc, Ikuyo Kamiya performing Beethoven’s Appassionata (RCA Japan RDC-4). I hadn’t heard this in years, and not only was there rock-solid speed stability with no wow or flutter detectable, but the powerful performance had shocking dynamic shifts that made your hair stand on end. Rich, warm, and resonant with gorgeous sparkle and clarity on top. Not a hint of distortion, and Kamiya is punishing this Bosendorfer! While there are better performances, this record is a sonic masterpiece. It shows that vinyl is capable of much more than we imagine.
Breaking out the MOFI One Step pressing of Donald Fagen’s Nightfly, the track “The Goodbye Look” had a huge, expansive sound with excellent layering and space. The tonality was spot on, and the groove intoxicating. The bell trees used at the conclusion were distinct, with no smearing, and Fagan’s voice came through without a hint of glare. I was able to turn this up to the maximum my amp will allow and had no acoustic feedback due to the excellent isolation built into the Perpetuum Ebner PE 6060.
You might be wondering how the PE 6060 deals with rock music. To test this out, I chose Jimi Hendrix’s Band of Gypsys [sic] (Classic Records ST 472.) Even though this is not an audiophile recording, the Perpetuum / Ortofon combo made it sound like one! It locked right into the soulful groove of “Who Knows” and gave a great showing of the brilliant “Machine Gun.” I’ve been a little hesitant about tracing back to the rock records of my youth, fearing that they just won’t sound that great, but the performance of the PE-6060 has me rethinking that. The table can rock in a way that’s addictive.
Dan Clark Audio NOIRE XO Open Back Planar Magnetic Headphone $1,299 Review
June 19, 2025 Comments Off on Dan Clark Audio NOIRE XO Open Back Planar Magnetic Headphone $1,299 Review
For openers, the Dan Clark Audio NOIRE XO Open Back Planar Magnetic Headphone is an apt and epic replacement for the ETHER2. It provides that same fun, popish warm sound, while adding a whole layer of detail and clarity, and reaching down into sub-bass territory usually allocated to closed-back headphones. Dan Clark Audio has done it again, the NOIRE XO definitely qualifies as a must-hear mid-priced reference headphone. It always astonishes me that every time they set a new bar in headphone performance, they are later able to shatter that bar with something new that makes you wonder how you were satisfied with the old sound for so long, though admittedly, for Dan Clark Audio, it’s not all that long between revelations.
Back when I first reviewed the original AEON Open, when the ETHER C Flow and ETHER Flow were the pinnacle of headphone performance, I said that if I was just entering the market and didn’t already have the ETHER C Flow, I would buy the AEON Open and AEON Closed rather than the ETHER C Flow, because they gave 90% of the performance and offered both sonic profiles. And today I am happy to say that the same applies to the NOIRE XO and NOIRE X, if you only have a budget for one $4,000 headphone, you would be better served to buy the pair of Dan Clark Audio headphones. Of course, if you have the $8,000 budget, go for the EXPANSE and the STEALTH, they remain my top reference headphones, though I only own the EXPANSE.
Audiovector Trapeze Reimagined Loudspeaker $19,950 Reviews
June 19, 2025 Comments Off on Audiovector Trapeze Reimagined Loudspeaker $19,950 Reviews
Should you buy this speaker? At nearly $20K, the Trapeze Ri is positioned in a crowded segment of the loudspeaker market and faces fierce competition, but it holds its own with confidence. This is a speaker for those who appreciate bold aesthetics, deep bass, and a rich, non-fatiguing presentation. It may not provide the same level of detail in a complex mix that some other speakers do, nor the same sharpness of imaging, but it offers an engaging musical experience nonetheless.
Whether you love the Trapeze Ri or hate it depends on your musical taste, the quality of your system’s components, and the nature of your listening room. My advice is to take a good hard listen. Try it first at your dealer. If you like what you hear, try it in your own listening room if you can. You may just fall under its spell.
World Premiere Review Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer $10,082 Review
June 18, 2025 Comments Off on World Premiere Review Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer $10,082 Review
The Colibri system gave me a front-row seat to the recording session. All of the playing had more urgency than I had noticed before. I could tell every member of the L’Orchestre De La Suisse Romande was sitting on the edge of their seats, focused on Ernest Ansermet at the podium. These pieces, like many of Stravinsky’s, can fall apart if the musicians aren’t in lockstep.
With the Colibri system, I gained new appreciation for Ansermet’s direction as the L’Orchestre De La Suisse Romande meshed like a fine Swiss watch. I also had a pleasant surprise during my listening session with this wonderful disc. When I was absorbing the opening movement of the “Symphony in Three Movements”, I was treated to several bass drum smacks that shook my living room. I had no idea that my 65-year-old piece of vinyl had that hidden in the grooves.
Audiophilepure 
You must be logged in to post a comment.