Core Power Technologies Equi=Core 1800 Power Conditioner $1999 Review
July 18, 2017 Comments Off on Core Power Technologies Equi=Core 1800 Power Conditioner $1999 Review
“I was bowled over by the positive effects the Equi=Core 1800 had on my gear. Both vinyl and digital were improved. Noted improvements — the usual suspects with quality conditioning — blacker backgrounds with concomitant drop in noise floor, zero hum, with that ever so slight white noise our ears recognize as distortion, all gone. The proverbial veils were lifted. Like diving into a crystal clear glacial lake untouched by humanity. ”
LAMM M1.2 REFERENCE HYBRID POWER AMPLIFIERS $27,590/pair REVIEW
July 18, 2017 Comments Off on LAMM M1.2 REFERENCE HYBRID POWER AMPLIFIERS $27,590/pair REVIEW
“The utmost challenge for any high end audio product is to convey transparency and act as via medium of the purest and unaltered music delivery. This might sounds simple, but in reality such a pursuit is a highly complex one. Especially when it comes to power amplifiers where one cannot avoid some of the structural modules and electronic parts.”
NSMT M100 Loudspeakers $8995 Review
July 17, 2017 Comments Off on NSMT M100 Loudspeakers $8995 Review
“I couldn’t resist slipping my Tonian TL-D1 and Fritz Morels in the system for a bit of comparison. Not surprisingly the Tonian’s are quite resolving speakers in their own right. They sound a bit more relaxed and they are definitely more efficient. But as I have felt for a while they sounded just a tad thin and have a very slight bit of coloration compared to the M-100. For instance, the trumpet on the Blanchard CD just sounded more realistic through the M-100’s. ”
Wyred 4 Sound DAC 2v2 SE $3,799 REVIEW
July 17, 2017 Comments Off on Wyred 4 Sound DAC 2v2 SE $3,799 REVIEW
“Extensive soundstage portrayal is DAC 2v2SEs top strengths. Musical cues extended to the far left, right and rear of the speakers’ imaging limits give a convincing and layered presentation. Listening to albums like Silent Letters from Bliss, the rich soundstage created by the engineers demonstrates the DAC 2v2SE’s ability to ingest, process and share out the digital bits with aplomb, re-creating the subtle details contained within. Cymbal crashes generate a complexity of audio frequency ”
Devialet Phantom Gold Loudspeaker Review
July 16, 2017 Comments Off on Devialet Phantom Gold Loudspeaker Review
“I must say I am really impressed with the Phantom Golds. No subwoofer required to get some real low end frequency response reproduction at reference level, and beyond. The spherical shape does wonders for a linearly dispersed sound, no matter where one listens in the room. This has all sorts of practical applications where one is not forced to sit in “the listening window” to get the best sound quality.”
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Starke Sound IC-H3 Halo Elite Loudspeaker $6495 Review
July 16, 2017 Comments Off on Starke Sound IC-H3 Halo Elite Loudspeaker $6495 Review
What about movies? It’s a dirty little secret but there are more than a few audiophiles who, on occasion, are also looking to satisfy that home-theater sweet tooth—and I admit to being one of them. In my modest listening room, a pair of H3s all by its lonesome (no sub or center channel) was in its element. Soundtracks heavy with dialogue, like the film Fences, were articulate but not overly assertive. Movies that featured pyrotechnics and assorted special effects, such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, were a showcase for the Starkes. During battle sequences, and even in lieu of surround channels, they twisted the air in the listening room with an authority and fury that created an atmosphere of intergalactic immersion. Their wide dynamic range unleashed the energy of the John Williams-conducted, ninety-piece symphony orchestra with almost casual ease.”
Quad ESL-2912 loudspeaker $13,999 Review
July 15, 2017 Comments Off on Quad ESL-2912 loudspeaker $13,999 Review
“The ESL-2912 has an obvious inherent advantage over box speakers in having no box at all. However, with some music, mostly orchestral, I was at times aware of a kind of drumming sound that wasn’t part of the music. I assumed that this was a characteristic of the stretched polyolefin dustcovers. You’ll recall that removing their dustcovers is one of the ways Quad ESLs have been modified to improve their sound—but this is an extreme step, and unless your listening room is 100% dust free, it will lead to the speaker being damaged in fairly short order. Not recommended!”
Audioengine HD3 Loudspeaker Review
July 15, 2017 Comments Off on Audioengine HD3 Loudspeaker Review
“The DAC uses 24-bit upsampling for internal processing at both the USB and Bluetooth inputs for improved signal-to-noise ratio and a lower noise floor. Hi-res audio purists should note that the DAC operates at 44.1 kilohertz (CD quality) or 48 kHz (slightly better), so the system isn’t necessarily hi-res throughout the signal chain. However, it had no trouble accepting files stored at up to 192 kHz and 24 bits and via my PC running foobar2000 music software, seamlessly converting these in the process.
Fluxion AV-7 Single-Ended 6C33C Amplifier Review
July 13, 2017 Comments Off on Fluxion AV-7 Single-Ended 6C33C Amplifier Review
” Mr. Ahn also thoroughly stress tests each of his amps when he completes them. And with respect to testing, it should be noted: Mr. Ahn is a firm believer in measurements. His lab is full of test equipment, and he places a higher emphasis on getting solid measurable results, and prefers to leave the listening comments to the end user. This is part and parcel of his EE background”
KORG DS-DAC-10R Phono Pre, A/D-D/A Combo $600 Review
July 13, 2017 Comments Off on KORG DS-DAC-10R Phono Pre, A/D-D/A Combo $600 Review
” Preferences vary from one listener to the next, but I enjoyed the DSD record dubs more than those tracks recorded with 192 kHz PCM. The only problem with DSD is that it doesn’t lend itself to easy editing or processing like PCM. For example, when dealing with problem vinyl (vinyl with excessive scratches and/or wear and tear), the AudioGate4 does not offer extensive de-noising. So I used a separate de-noise program. I recorded problem vinly in PCM via the KORG, then used iZotope’s De-click plug-in from their RX 6 Audio Repair plug-in suite.”
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