Pass Laboratories XA60.8 monoblock power amplifier $13,500 Review
December 8, 2017 Comments Off on Pass Laboratories XA60.8 monoblock power amplifier $13,500 Review
“During his auditioning of the XA60.5s, JA listened to a high-resolution recording of Mahler’s Symphony 2, “Resurrection,” with Benjamin Zander conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus (24-bit/192kHz ALAC files, Linn CKD 452). It was, he noted, “recorded by the team responsible for some of Telarc’s great-sounding orchestral recordings, including Elaine Martone as co-producer and Robert Friedrich of Five/Four Productions.” He went on, “The ‘Resurrection’ is an enormous, episodic work with huge orchestral climaxes contrasted against chamber-scaled sections in which a single solo instrument, a violin or a woodwind, takes the lead. Despite their modest power rating, the XA60.5s had no problem coping with the work’s huge dynamic range.” In my room, with this system and the XA60.8 monoblocks, the orchestra was huge, even as voices and solo instruments were reproduced with impact, sweetness, body, and texture. There was no hint of hardness.”
GoldenEar SuperSub X subwoofer Review
December 6, 2017 Comments Off on GoldenEar SuperSub X subwoofer Review
“So with this woofer it pays to play to its strengths. The SuperSub X is a thrillingly ballistic performer that hits far harder than a box with these compact dimensions has any right to. It can create bone-jarring impacts, and goes deep enough to find soundtrack secrets that can be overlooked. It’s clear that GoldenEar has worked extremely hard to ensure that its vast power output is contained and used to good advantage, and it’s easy to live with day-to-day. ”
JH AUDIO LOLA HYBRID CUSTOM-FIT IN-EAR MONITOR $1,750 REVIEW
December 5, 2017 Comments Off on JH AUDIO LOLA HYBRID CUSTOM-FIT IN-EAR MONITOR $1,750 REVIEW
“First and foremost, the Lola’s sound is defined by its wonderfully nuanced, well-balanced, and smooth yet highly articulate midrange response—response that I attribute to the Lola’s new dual dynamic midrange driver array. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi about these midrange drivers that allows them to sound vibrant, alive, engaging, and highly expressive, yet at the same time to sound neutrally balanced with almost complete freedom from overt colourations.
Sanders Model 10e Hybrid Electrostatic Loudspeaker $17,000 Review
December 5, 2017 Comments Off on Sanders Model 10e Hybrid Electrostatic Loudspeaker $17,000 Review
“The fact that the Sanders, because of the vertical size of the panel, presents a sonic image that is not fettered at a particular height while not theoretically predicated one way or the other (stereo does not have theoretical height impression) will add for some listeners an additional dimension of realism. Certainly those speakers that make one feel one is looking down at the music diminish the naturalness of the spatial impression. Point source speakers that present the height at ear level can be very natural, however. But there is a special impression generated by speakers that are enough like a line source to float the images vertically (so that the image moves up or down if the listener does), which to me seems natural as well, in a different way.”
Acoustic Research AR-H1 $599 Review
December 5, 2017 Comments Off on Acoustic Research AR-H1 $599 Review
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Listening to music through the AR-H1 is a pure joy, which is why they easily win our Editors’ Choice award. If you’re interested in an open-back style planar magnetic headphone pair, the AR-H1 won’t likely disappoint. Some listeners might prefer a smidge more bass depth, but that is where some stereo receivers might come in handy, and I personally didn’t feel the sound signature lacks in that department. This is a wonderfully accurate audio experience, ideal for music lovers or sound professionals wanting to check their mixes. The aforementioned Audeze and Blue planar magnetic headphones are also solid options.”
Grado Labs PS-2000e Headphones $2695 Review
December 4, 2017 Comments Off on Grado Labs PS-2000e Headphones $2695 Review
“There is no question that the Grado PS-2000e is one of the best headphones on the market. It sounds fantastic, and I found the new wider leather head-strap to support these rather heavy ear-goggles in a very comfortable manner. Its sound quality is practically faultless, and possesses a certain aural magic that one finds only in an ultra-premium audiophile product. One might notice that I spent as much time writing about the music I was playing through these Grados as the sound of the headphones. This is because the headphones have a sound that is at the service of the music, period. And so, the PS-2000e is definitely worth its asking price.”
Unique Melody Merlin V2 Hybrid Universal IEM Review
December 4, 2017 Comments Off on Unique Melody Merlin V2 Hybrid Universal IEM Review
“A lot of CIEM designers tend to emphasize detail, particularly a bump in the treble region. Although it does provide more realism and spaciousness, I find that overall timbre deteriorates. It just doesn’t sound natural or coherent. UM didn’t take this approach with the Merlin V2. While comparing the Merlin V2 to the sound of my reference 2-channel near-field system (Omega Compact Alnicos), the Merlin V2 gets close in tone and timbre but is a little mellow in the resolution and air department. As far as imaging and soundstage depth, it’s difficult for any IEM to reproduce these as accurately as speakers. The point of this comparison is to see how far a $1,049 IEM could get to something I would consider to be of reference sound. That said, the Merlin V2 does a fine job of conveying musicality and rhymic tactility without any artificial energy or harshness.”
GoldenEar Technology Triton Reference Loudspeakers $8499 Review
December 3, 2017 Comments Off on GoldenEar Technology Triton Reference Loudspeakers $8499 Review
“At more typical listening levels, the improvements in the mids and the highs revealed themselves readily when I played any good recording of acoustic piano. Hammer strokes sounded purer and more deliberate than I recall from the One — I was consistently drawn to the clarity and consistency of the References’ reproduction of pianos. In “Spanish Steps,” for example, it was always Morrison’s sax that drew most of my attention, but through the References, Neil Drinkwater’s piano held my focus just as much. The sound of cymbal crashes was also improved, in terms not only of cleanness but of liveliness — through the References, the highs were just a little more immediate, precise, and unrestrained.”
ONKYO DP-S1 DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER REVIEW
December 3, 2017 Comments Off on ONKYO DP-S1 DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER REVIEW
“The DAP market is an odd one. Its heyday was in the time before iPhones, but then it was all about the iPod. It’s an inherently audiophile device now, as everyone else uses their phone. This probably limits the pool and the number of sales, but this is a shame because what they do is make music sound very, very good, indeed. Couple the Onkyo DP-S1 with a good pair of Custom fit In-Ear Monitors (especially if you swap the cable for a balanced one) and you are in for a musical treat. Beg, borrow, or Rubato one today!”
PATHOS INPOL EAR HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER REVIEW
December 2, 2017 Comments Off on PATHOS INPOL EAR HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER REVIEW
” the DAC section. I’d suggest the DAC in the InPol Ear should be a mandatory recommendation as it works exceptionally well, and matches the performance of the rest of the amplifier. It’s aimed more at sheer detail retrieval, and that works well with the overall InPol Ear performance. If I am being picky, I’d prefer more of an on-board streaming solution, so that aspects like Internet radio, TIDAL, and maybe even Roon were functions of the InPol Ear with the built in DAC, but for the most part, I suspect the InPol Ear will sit next to a laptop, and both the Ethernet streaming option and app control are more of a nice add-on than a useful function of the device. Judging by my own use, I used the Ethernet connection to evaluate the Ethernet connection, and listened through USB.”
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