Grado GS2000e Headphone Review
October 7, 2018 Comments Off on Grado GS2000e Headphone Review
“Both the Chord and the PMC are extremely accurate devices which effectively get out if the way and let the transducer do the talking. They reveal the Grado to be an almost sublimely balanced device. Absolutely nothing at any point of the frequency response feels overemphasised or pushed back and this makes for a listening experience that is exceptionally enjoyable regardless of what you choose to listen to on them. I started one listening session with the considered and lovely Kidal by Tamikrest with its effortless combination of North African instrumentation with rock sensibilities and finished with Polygon by Battle Tapes which is to delicacy what John Candy was to hang gliding. At no stage did the Grados feel like anything other than the perfect tool for the job.”
REL Acoustics 212/SE Sub-Bass System $4200 Review
October 6, 2018 Comments Off on REL Acoustics 212/SE Sub-Bass System $4200 Review
“In enthusiastically recommending the 212/SEs, nevertheless a final word of caution. To extract the great performance of which they are capable, one must be careful and judicious in room placement, as well as crossover and level settings. If you are looking primarily for “big bang” performance on movie blockbusters, it is doubtful the 212s will sound right on music. But if you move toward a subtler blend of the subwoofers with your main speakers, so that the subs never call attention to themselves, you will be rewarded with superior music reproduction and awesome movie nights. In short, I think you will be very impressed if you make the opportunity to audition the 212/SEs”
ZANDEN AUDIO SYSTEMS MODEL 9600MK2 MONO POWER AMPLIFIER REVIEW
October 6, 2018 Comments Off on ZANDEN AUDIO SYSTEMS MODEL 9600MK2 MONO POWER AMPLIFIER REVIEW
“The Zanden’s limitations are few. Yes, this will not find favour among those wanting to cram as much top end energy as possible into every musical experience. And if you play this into difficult loudspeakers in a huge room, and then deluge it with heavy opera, the Zanden will eventually run out of puff. The valve regulation, however, seems engineered well enough to withstand complex themes without folding up and compressing the midrange.
You know you are onto a winner when a brand is spoken of in hushed tones. Zanden Audio Systems is one such brand, and the 9600Mk2 is part of the reason why those hushed tones are uttered. Of course this amplifier deserves world-class partners and that makes it extremely expensive in context, but it defines a musical performance the likes of which you simply don’t get from other components. That doesn’t just put the Zanden in the audio A-List, it turns out to be Audio Royalty, and you want that music in your life more and more.”
Pro-Ject Audio Systems Classic SB Turntable Review
October 5, 2018 Comments Off on Pro-Ject Audio Systems Classic SB Turntable Review
“The sound from the Classic SB and Sumiko Blue Point No.2 was never less than rich and natural, if occasionally restrained through the MM input. The pairing revealed a luminous midrange in the voices of Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle, with all their respective gruffness and gorgeousness intact, in their duets on Waits’s score for the film One from the Heart (LP, Columbia PC 37703). “Picking Up After You” was detailed and continuously musical, with the correct amount of smoothness, and flawless integration that an MC cartridge can deliver. “Broken Bicycles” sounded even more resolved, but the lower end of Waits’s voice was a bit thin. In “Take Me Home,” Gayle’s voice sounded natural and potently transparent, with nothing obscuring her midrange. The Classic SB could dig deeply into vocal recordings.
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Audio Research Reference 160M monoblock power amplifier $30,000 Review
October 3, 2018 Comments Off on Audio Research Reference 160M monoblock power amplifier $30,000 Review
“Of all the power amplifiers, integrated amplifiers, and pre-power combinations to have spent time in my reference system, the pairing of Audio Research’s tubed Reference 160M monoblocks and REF 6 preamplifier stands out as having sounded the most musically neutral and natural. Other components may offer more warmth and glow, or wider soundstages, or greater dynamic contrast, or more bass slam, transparency, and detail—but there was an inherent rightness to the sound of this supremely musical ARC pairing that puts it in a class by itself.
Since hearing the Reference 160Ms and REF 6 together, all of my preconceptions about the sound of tubed equipment have gone out the window. While choosing an amplifier will always be based upon many factors—economic means, personal taste, and the willingness to monitor and occasionally replace tubes among them—I’m convinced that the Reference 160M will find a home on many a solar- or wind-powered desert island. It’s that good.”
Paradigm Persona 5F loudspeaker $17,000 Review
October 2, 2018 Comments Off on Paradigm Persona 5F loudspeaker $17,000 Review
“Overall, Paradigm’s Persona 5F is a truly excellent speaker in a stylish and easily accommodated package. It need not be favored with any particular type of music or listening level, and aside from requiring some attention paid to toe-in, it was very easy to set up. Throughout my time with the Persona 5Fs, their sound quality repeatedly sidetracked me from my job of critical analysis. Often, I planned to only sample an album or work but found I couldn’t resist the temptation to enjoy the whole thing. I believe that the Persona 5F is a more-than-worthy competitor for any similarly priced speaker, and deserves to be considered when shopping in this market. For Paradigm, it’s an auspicious entry into the thinner air of high-end audio. ”
BEYERDYNAMIC AMIRON WIRELESS REVIEW
October 1, 2018 Comments Off on BEYERDYNAMIC AMIRON WIRELESS REVIEW
” That is no small feat as I’ve always considered the T1’s midrange one of the very best in personal audio. And you definitely get a familial resemblance with the Amiron Wireless headphones. Keith’s guitar work came to life with these headphones and the smallest details and nuances were all laid bare. Charlie’s drum beats came to life and the bass drum thumps were both quite satisfying, but also well textured and in perfect proportion to Mick’s vocals. Again, the incredibly wide sound staging shone through and these closed-back headphones are testament that you don’t need open-backed headphones to achieve this.”
McIntosh MC611 Quad Balanced Power Amplifier $15,000 Review
September 30, 2018 Comments Off on McIntosh MC611 Quad Balanced Power Amplifier $15,000 Review
“The bass in particular exhibiting a muscular sinew to every thrum as Cole’s voice floats ethereally above and at the fore, running point-source on the track for every other instrument to track from, again clustering around his voice in a way that mimics a deep, V-shaped sound stage, but that also completely envelopes and stretches beyond the room. Here, near the end of the review I’m circling back to some of my opening impressions of the 611s: they have an uncanny ability to paint a sonic picture much larger than the four walls you find yourself listening to them in. And that, is one of the deepest points these amps impressed upon me, they can make small, intimate acoustic recordings of a guitar sound like it is being played directly in front of you or recreate the spatial cues of a massive recording studio filled with dozens of artists. The choice is yours, as the 611s will simply and transparently project whatever program you choose to play through them.”
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Sonus Faber Aida loudspeaker $130,000/Pair Review
September 29, 2018 Comments Off on Sonus Faber Aida loudspeaker $130,000/Pair Review
“Here, in the same room, Sonus Faber’s new Aida produced some of the best low-frequency response I’ve heard—much like that of Marten’s Coltrane III, which made me realize how much better my room’s bass could be than what I’d been getting from the Wilson Alexandria XLF. The Wilson Alexx fixed that. And now the Aida II—which costs 6.5 times the price of the Amati Homage in 1999—fixes it even better.
The rest of what the Aida does—especially its ability to perfectly hang together without ever revealing a sonic seam (an amazing design feat, considering its considerable complexity), and how well it performed with every type of music I played, or against any checklist of sonic parameters you might come up with—produced the kind of sonic thrills and solid, believable musical performance to which $130,000 entitles you. And my experience tells me that you needn’t fear putting a pair of them in a room of relatively modest size.
Acoustic Signature Double X Turntable $5495 World Premiere Review
September 29, 2018 Comments Off on Acoustic Signature Double X Turntable $5495 World Premiere Review
“Enter the Acoustic Signature Double X. Its faults are few and minor. Play a recording and you will only hear the information contained in the recording as interpreted by the cartridge. I hate to tell you, but there is indeed a correlation between price and performance. Can you spend a lot less and still hear music? You already know the answer. As for me, could I settle for less musical verity? The answer is hell no! I would never stop wondering. Like the Peggy Lee song, “Is that all there is”. The Double X is the vehicle to bring all the escapist enjoyment your musical heart desires. It is made with all the Teutonic precision that allows Mega Cartridges of any price to perform for you.”
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