McIntosh Labs MA5300 Integrated Amplifier $5000 Review
March 10, 2018 Comments Off on McIntosh Labs MA5300 Integrated Amplifier $5000 Review
“Nothing is lost and nothing is added passing through this MA5300 amplifier. In actuality it functions like a central switch board becoming a faithful conduit of the music from the source. If I were to begin building (once again) a highly accurate laboratory reference audio system. I would base everything on the corner stone that is the McIntosh 5300 Integrated amplifier. It is the McIntosh Labs reputation carried forward, the build quality and performance is exemplary! Considering the range of prices of modern high-end audio amplifiers, it is not expensive at $5000. Almost a bargain, actually, all things are considered. I know the phrase highly recommended has been totally worn out to death, but it still is true, go and listen to the McIntosh MA5300 integrated amplifier with phono stage, and you’ll probably find yourself extremely happy.”
Rhapsodio Saturn Review
March 10, 2018 Comments Off on Rhapsodio Saturn Review
“Whilst far from being my cup of tea, I can see why the Saturn could be popular with some. The build quality is excellent; they look fantastic and offer a really fun sound. The bass is full and somewhat over-the-top during certain tracks, but this is without completely ruining the midrange. Only a small band in the lower midrange is really affected, the rest is well detailed and not overly recessed. The highs are energetic but never harsh; these are just a fun and enjoyable listen.”
Aurender N100H Caching Network Streamer Plus X725 USB DAC / Amplifier Review
March 9, 2018 Comments Off on Aurender N100H Caching Network Streamer Plus X725 USB DAC / Amplifier Review
“I’m a sucker for the French Impressionists. No, not the painters, the composers – Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Sometimes Eric Satie is lumped into this category, but he doesn’t have enough recorded works to really be part of this group. If I would have to pick only one piece of music to represent this subgenre, though, it would be Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe. I have many recordings of this work in my collection, my favorite digital version, which also happens to be my favorite analog version, is the Living Stereo issue conducted by Charles Munch. His Boston Symphony Orchestra recorded this for RCA that was originally released in 1960. I have a Red Book CD versions ripped from the two-layer SACD and an older CD, and a DSD file of this on my hard-drives, and all of them sound incredible. I’ve read that some aren’t as enamored as I am of this recording, mostly because of the tape hiss that’s been faithfully reproduced. I suppose I’m used to it. It doesn’t bother me at all. I played both the 16-bit and DSD version through the N100H, sometimes connected to the X725 and sometimes not, and I had the same impression of their sound quality as I did when listening to the Peter Gabriel, but on this album it was amazing to hear how well the N100H was able to handle these real instruments recorded in a real space.”
McIntosh Laboratory MA9000 Integrated Amplifier-DAC $10,000 Review
March 9, 2018 Comments Off on McIntosh Laboratory MA9000 Integrated Amplifier-DAC $10,000 Review
“Overall, the Devialet D-Premier’s primary traits of transparency, resolution, and a slight coolness were fully revealed in comparison to the McIntosh MA9000’s closer, more intimate sound, the latter displaying denser, more tangible images. Which will you prefer? As obvious as were the differences between these sounds, the differences in how these two integrateds are styled and built are even greater. The Devialet is sleek, compact, and European; the McIntosh is substantial, bold, unabashedly American. I can appreciate either look, my preference depending on the day and my mood. Devialet’s amps have received many awards from the SoundStage! publications over the years — and the McIntosh equaled them. High praise indeed.”
INEARZ NIRVANA REVIEW
March 9, 2018 Comments Off on INEARZ NIRVANA REVIEW
“The separation and stereo imaging is very strong but the parts of the spectrum are not extremely separated from each other. And that, I think, is the very thing that generates an integrated, cohesive sound. Sound stage on the other hand is also very good in terms of depth. It’s not very wide but since the mids are not much in your face, it doesn’t give you a congested staging. Actually the staging also feels like the Spiral SE-5 Ref.
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SONY ZX300 REVIEW
March 8, 2018 Comments Off on SONY ZX300 REVIEW
“At the ear, the ZX300 is a meaty sounding DAP. In particular, it floats across every earphone I’ve heard an incredibly wide and deep stereo scape across the entire low frequency range. Perhaps because of this, texture detail, let alone yawning, powerful bass, are at the top of what I’ve heard at length from any manufacturer, at any price. It’s the sort of texture that brings digital music a good, and grippy analogue feel. I have no idea what that means except that it pricks right near my heart. It’s not liquid-sounding like the AK240, or as precisely detailed as the AK380, but it’s got this stage that wraps you deep within, and most of that on the deep end. If you’re all about highs, I think you’ll get along with the ZX300, but its high-frequency stage isn’t as shockingly detailed as either the DP-S1’s or the AK380’s. Its mids are as good as either one, but its detailed lows are really what this player is all about. And, the longer I own the ZX300, the more I’m about. Wow.”
PIONEER PD-70AE SUPER AUDIO CD PLAYER REVIEW
March 7, 2018 Comments Off on PIONEER PD-70AE SUPER AUDIO CD PLAYER REVIEW
“But the design feature that is a standout for me has to do with the PD70-AE’s capacitors. These are no ordinary off-the-shelf caps. Instead, they were custom made for Pioneer and one huge reason why this player sounds so good and so different, from any of Pioneer’s previous flagship machines.
Connections are laid on and include one pair of gold-plated RCA outputs, one pair of gold-plated XLR outputs, one coaxial output, one optical output, one coaxial input and one optical input.”
Thales • TTT-Compact II Turntable and Simplicity II Tonearm $23,500 Review
March 6, 2018 Comments Off on Thales • TTT-Compact II Turntable and Simplicity II Tonearm $23,500 Review
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But as clever and precise as the simplicity II is, the one thing it lacks is incremental adjustment of VTA on the fly. A steady hand will allow you to adjust VTA while a record plays, but it’s not the sort of repeatable adjustment with manual lock and release featured by ‘arms like VPI’s JMW or the various Kuzmas. Given the remarkable precision engineering of the rest of the ‘arm, this is both one mechanism that I would have thought is well within the company’s compass to execute and one I’d love to see them turn their attention to.”
Franco Serblin Accordo – Review
March 6, 2018 Comments Off on Franco Serblin Accordo – Review
“Older Sonus Faber favourites can sound great but usually, I find them to sound a little too coarse, too rough, especially in the treble. Current Sonus Fabers are much more refined but somehow I also find that some of the purity and midrange magic of the classic models has gone. The Franco Serblin Accordos manage to strike a perfect balance between these two extremes. They sound fluid and refined but are also hugely communicative and immediately emotionally engaging. They demand a serious investment but reward with a sensuous luxury as well as an incredibly natural sound that I have not heard from any dynamic speakers costing less. By always allowing the listener to focus on the emotional message, not the technical details, they encourage to stop the upgrade process and just enjoy the music.”
EarSonics S-EM9 In-Ear Monitors $1799 Review
March 5, 2018 Comments Off on EarSonics S-EM9 In-Ear Monitors $1799 Review
“When compared with the similarly-priced Jerry Harvey Roxanne CIEM ($1795) the S-EM9 delivered more extended, detailed bass and sub-bass. After adjusting the Roxanne’s bass controls for a richer mix, the Roxanne did generate more midbass than the S-EM9 but not more low bass. The Roxannes were slightly more comfortable (they are a custom fit, after all), but both IEMs were comfy enough for multi-hour listening sessions. While both in-ears imaged quite well, the S-EM9 had slightly more specific image placement with greater sense of three-dimensionality.”
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