PIONEER XDP-300R DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER REVIEW
November 7, 2017 Comments Off on PIONEER XDP-300R DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER REVIEW
“Bass still retained its signature tight rumble, whilst midrange was effortlessly and accurately reproduced.
It seems that doubling down on the specs has turned the Pioneer portable into a capable powerhouse. This is a welcome change, as this was an issue with previous releases from Pioneer.”
Gold Note DS-1000 Streamer DAC Review
November 6, 2017 Comments Off on Gold Note DS-1000 Streamer DAC Review
“I hope everyone who had read this review notices that I’ve written as much about the music I played through the Gold Note DS-100 as the component’s features and sound quality. That’s because the DS-1000, besides being an extremely modern piece of high-end audio kit, is a very musical product. Its reason for being seems to be the enjoyment of music, and the fact that it can stream music and decode files either when connected wired and wirelessly is the icing on the cake. To me, this musicality is the highest compliment I can give an audio component.”
Naim Audio Uniti Atom All-In-One System Review
November 5, 2017 Comments Off on Naim Audio Uniti Atom All-In-One System Review
“Did it better my 25K amplification/digital setup? Nope. Attached to the truly special 10K Raidho Acoustic XT-1 Loudspeakers, my Jeff Rowland/Bel Canto/Antipodes Audio setup has killer synergy, definition, and superlative inner detail with accurate bass. And at 35K compared to a 5K setup, it damn well should be better. But I was so impressed with the Atom, I’m going to request the top of the line Naim Uniti Nova ($6,995) doubling the power and upping the internal component quality. That should be a hell of a shootout, and I will be happy to report back to you. ”
WARBLER PRELUDE REVIEW
November 4, 2017 Comments Off on WARBLER PRELUDE REVIEW
‘The performance Warbler brought to the market is incredible. You may or not like its typical signature with more forward voices but it’s tonality, detail, speed and precision are exemplary and Warbler certainly sets the bar very high for the competition and who knows for their own multiple driver customs down the line if they do decide to go there.”
Optoma/NuForce BE Free8 Wireless Earphones Review
November 4, 2017 Comments Off on Optoma/NuForce BE Free8 Wireless Earphones Review
“Dynamics through the BE Free8 were better than I expected, given that all the power for the built-in power amplifier came from the batteries inside the earpiece capsules. To my surprise, though, the BE Free8 had some serious jump factor with dynamic selections. Jade Bird’s “Cathedral” from her album Something American has some big drum sounds that gave the BE Free8 a workout. Up to about 65 percent on my iPhone SE’s volume slider, these earphones did a great job, but above that the sound gradually came unglued.”
TAD Evolution Series D1000MK2 DISC PLAYER BLACK EDITION
November 3, 2017 Comments Off on TAD Evolution Series D1000MK2 DISC PLAYER BLACK EDITION
“This model embodies the philosophy and technical standards behind TAD’s dedication to conveying all the passion contained within music. Testifying to this is the latest development derived from our top-end, highly praised TAD-D600 disc player: the Ultra-High C/N*1 Master Clock UPCG*2. To ensure precise reproduction with no tonal changes, TAD focused on minimizing low frequency distortion caused by noise from the clock itself occupying the same spectral region. Designed to achieve a pure low-noise signal approaching the upper limits of audibility, our highly innovative master clock is featured in this model.
Gold Note DS-1000 Streamer DAC With USB, S/PDIF & Optical Inputs
November 3, 2017 Comments Off on Gold Note DS-1000 Streamer DAC With USB, S/PDIF & Optical Inputs
”
‘ve had DACs of various quality and price range pass through my system throughout the years, and there is no doubt in my mind that when the DS-1000 is used as a DAC, the sound quality that this Gold Note component delivers is at a level way above its asking price. The kicker is that the DS-1000 is much more than simply a DAC, and I suppose if I was forced to rate it this way, it performs as if the DAC in the DS-1000 at the level of a $10,000 DAC or more. But the DS-1000 is not only a DAC, but also a streamer. And all things being equal, it’s as if Gold Note throws in the streamer for free. Or perhaps the other way around. Regardless, the DS-1000, although not cheap, is practically a bargain when one considers the quality of its internal DAC combined with its fine streamer.”
MCINTOSH MA8900 STEREO INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $7,500 REVIEW
November 2, 2017 Comments Off on MCINTOSH MA8900 STEREO INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $7,500 REVIEW
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Audio purists will immediately blanch at the idea of modifying the source signal in any way. But if a recording is substandard, sometimes a touch of equalization (“five-band tone control” in McIntosh-speak) can improve it significantly, allowing you to listen to a favorite performance despite its poor recording quality. If your room is asymmetrical, sometimes a touch on the balance control can restore the desired imaging. And if your speakers happen to be less than totally linear (this applies to almost EVERY speaker on the market, including YOURS), then you can flatten the response, again with a minor touch-up from the equalizer.”
SPL Phonitor X Headphone Amplifier $2799 Review
November 1, 2017 Comments Off on SPL Phonitor X Headphone Amplifier $2799 Review
“With a $2800 budget you have a plethora of headphone amplifier/preamplifier options. Of course, I have not heard them all, but among those I have heard the Phonitor X offers a unique set of features coupled with outstanding performance. I still consider the Audeze Deckard headphone/preamplifier ($699) a superb value, but if you need a balanced line and headphone connection it isn’t going to work for you. When I compared the Deckard’s single-ended headphone output with the Phonitor X’s using the Focal Utopia headphones with their stock, single-ended cable, I was impressed by how similar the two headphone amps sounded, both in tonal balance and in soundstaging. But when I compared the Deckard’s single-ended output with the Phonitor X’s balanced output (using a balanced Moon Audio Silver Dragon cable), the balanced connection bettered the single-ended one with a slightly larger soundstage and better micro-dynamics.”
FIIO X5 3RD GEN DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER REVIEW
November 1, 2017 Comments Off on FIIO X5 3RD GEN DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER REVIEW
“FiiO has well and truly achieved their goal of providing a full featured, high performance DAP at a very affordable price. While it does not have the detail, bass extension & control nor the articulate and musical midrange or highs of my reference unit, it does compete favorably with many thousand dollar plus units I have heard, and I believe represents the performance limits of the components used. It is less fatiguing than most mass market units (regardless of price) and enjoys a probable compatibility with most IEMs and Headphones, so I can heartily recommend it to those trying to maximize their audio experience without an open ended budget.”
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