HiFiMAN Edition X V2 – Review
July 28, 2017 Comments Off on HiFiMAN Edition X V2 – Review
” The price shelf of the Edition X V2 is really a “new” $1k benchmark. The headphone is very much HiFi at its core, with even more entertainment flushed out on both ends. Designer Fang Bian has constantly pushed for better and better sound from his products, and this new middle ground here is no exception. ”
Audio Research GSi75 Integrated Amplifier $16,000 Review
July 27, 2017 Comments Off on Audio Research GSi75 Integrated Amplifier $16,000 Review
“The $16,000 price tag may stun a few at first, but when you realize what the team at ARC has packed inside the GSi75, and the fact that you don’t have to buy three sets of interconnects and power cords, it’s an amazing bargain – for the right customer. Because everything is inside and there is no preamp out, this is either a piece you will live with forever, or the upgrade bug will sour you. A cursory survey of a few friends with mega ARC systems reveals more than one have bought a GSi75 as the core of their second system, or vacation home system and are thrilled.”
Crystal Cable Arabesque Minissimo Diamond Edition with Subissimo Subwoofer $19,999 Review
July 27, 2017 Comments Off on Crystal Cable Arabesque Minissimo Diamond Edition with Subissimo Subwoofer $19,999 Review
“All told, the Minissimo and Subissimo proved to be a winning combo—and a highly addictive one. The pair strikes all the right chords among beautiful aesthetics, top-tier construction, and truly sound engineering driven by Crystal Cable’s ongoing desire for innovation. The Minissimo Diamond/Subissimo offer a wholly pleasing balance of structure, substance, and detail retrieval (without skewing analytical), alongside a generous dose of openness. The combo finds and delivers unflagging musicality in whatever material you throw at it. Call it a speaker and sub for all occasions, and a system I am loathe to let go of. Be warned: If you audition these—as with anything else involving the word “diamond”—be prepared to part with a rather princely sum of cash; the Minissimo and Subissimo are easy to love and rather habit-forming.”
OPPO UDP-205 Hi-Res Music & 4k Ultra HD Audiophile Blu-ray Disc Player $1299 Review
July 26, 2017 Comments Off on OPPO UDP-205 Hi-Res Music & 4k Ultra HD Audiophile Blu-ray Disc Player $1299 Review
” The term “audio” comprises both the technology involved and the resultant sound. Insofar far as music reproduction is concerned, what’s the point of digital audio if the end result is audio shite? Measurements can provide engineers data about certain parameters of performance and suggest changes that should improve the outcome but, in the final analysis, it is our ear that determines the truth of the thing.”
LEGACY AUDIO SIGNATURE SE TOWER SPEAKERS $6,995 REVIEW
July 25, 2017 Comments Off on LEGACY AUDIO SIGNATURE SE TOWER SPEAKERS $6,995 REVIEW
“In case you didn’t notice, I really enjoyed my time with the Legacy Audio Signature SE Tower Speakers. They certainly lived up to the “big speaker, big sound” mantra but they could do so much more than that. Not only did they fill my room with big, booming sound but they also delivered more quiet passages with incredible nuance and delicacy. Their very neutral overall character was incredibly flattering to good recordings while still remaining tolerant of poor sources.”
Accuphase DP-560 REVIEW
July 25, 2017 Comments Off on Accuphase DP-560 REVIEW
“The full name of the DP-560 player is the MDS SA-CD Player. MDS refers to a technology that Accuphase has been developing for years – the Multiple Delta-Sigma – and means that a few DACS are connected in parallel. Thanks to this, their quantization errors are minimized and dynamics is improved. At the time when the ESS Technology ES9018S reigns, it is really simple – there are eight DACs in each circuit and they can be used to decode multi-channel signal or be connected in parallel for stereophonic signal; the latter option is used by many manufacturers.”
Ampsandsound Agartha Vacuum Tube Stereo Amplifier And Headamp $3600 Review
July 24, 2017 Comments Off on Ampsandsound Agartha Vacuum Tube Stereo Amplifier And Headamp $3600 Review
“The only real knock on the headphone output is the relatively high amount of background noise. There was a distinct transformer buzz that was quite audible when music wasn’t playing. It was easily drowned out by music, but still faintly noticeable if you were really, really zoned-in on it. If you don’t need the world’s blackest background this should be just fine, and I think the amplifier’s many positive traits definitely outweigh this negative, but some people demand absolute silence from their amplifier, and those folks would likely be a bit annoyed by this hum,”
MCINTOSH LABS MB50 STREAMING AUDIO PLAYER £2,750 REVIEW
July 24, 2017 Comments Off on MCINTOSH LABS MB50 STREAMING AUDIO PLAYER £2,750 REVIEW
” The McIntosh MB50 is a remarkably versatile device. It’s a first toe in the streaming waters for many McIntosh users, it’s the obvious next step for MHA150 and MXA70 users, and for some it might be their first McIntosh product. It’s capable of standalone use, although I’d recommend using it in conjunction with an amp or headphone amp, and it communicates to the outside world effortlessly using the Play-Fi app. It’s not without idiosyncrasies – the lack of wired DLNA streaming seems a notable exclusion – but the potential for using this as the start of an ad hoc Play-Fi network does offer future promise. Recommended.”
JBL S9300 LOUDSPEAKERS £10,000 per pair REVIEW
July 23, 2017 Comments Off on JBL S9300 LOUDSPEAKERS £10,000 per pair REVIEW
” That bass is what makes this a JBL: not just how much there is, but its voicing. Those used to the anaemic low-frequency response that passes for “accuracy” in so many modern speakers – often those with a lot of small drivers – will find the S3900s’ lower register fulsome, even heavy. But what it isn’t is flabby. That’s where care in set-up and placement is so crucial. Get either wrong and you could be listening to a detached, overblown mess – which just means that you haven’t tried hard enough. Listen to the vigour and attack in Isserlis’s bowing and it’s pretty apparent that the bottom-end isn’t holding back – or holding back the rest of the range. ”
Nordost • Qkore Grounding System Review
July 23, 2017 Comments Off on Nordost • Qkore Grounding System Review
“Along with all of the obvious sonic benefits of the Qkore system, there are a couple of practical matters that are worth pondering. The first is specific to audiophiles living in apartments or in houses like mine, where adding a separate ground line connected to a ground rod sunk in the yard isn’t feasible. (In my case, it would be impossible to add the wiring to the outlets in my listening room, or add new dedicated lines.) Qkore settles the issue, providing a clean separate ground when no other option exists”
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