DYNAUDIO XEO 2 WIRELESS LOUDSPEAKER $1,500 REVIEW
January 21, 2017 Comments Off on DYNAUDIO XEO 2 WIRELESS LOUDSPEAKER $1,500 REVIEW
“The common wisdom in the audiophile world is “wired good, wireless bad.” Well, Dynaudio and its Xeo 2 really upset these assumptions. Not only did its combination of packaging, performance, and convenience find a receptive audience with yours truly, but the Xeo 2 was also a hit among my tech-savvy millennial nieces and nephews.”
Dynaudio Contour $5,000 Review
January 19, 2017 Comments Off on Dynaudio Contour $5,000 Review
“. The 805 D3 is the clearest of them all, but lacks the brawny bass I get from the Reference 1. All three speakers have lifelike midrange tonality, but the Reference 1 (a review will post soon) is the best in that area. The Contour 20 is the most nimble performer of the three, letting me hear into dense mixes and complex rhythms with unrivaled ease. All three speakers are superb.”
QUAD TO DEBUT NEW INTEGRATED AMP AT CES
January 19, 2017 Comments Off on QUAD TO DEBUT NEW INTEGRATED AMP AT CES
“It looks like United Kingdom hi-fi stalwart, speaker, and amplifier designer/manufacturer legend Quad has been busy indeed. Jonathan Derda of MoFi Distribution gave me a heads-up this morning that Quad will be making their North American debut of the VA-One EL-84-based integrated amplifier at CES in Las Vegas next week. What made this valve amp catch my eye immediately was it’s modern design, and small footprint.?”
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2017 BUYER’S GUIDE: SUBWOOFERS
January 17, 2017 Comments Off on 2017 BUYER’S GUIDE: SUBWOOFERS
A special round of applause is due this mini-sub for music lovers. The new T/7i is even faster and tighter than its forbear, yet remains tonally supple, with well-defined timbres. It’s also remarkably potent for a single, forward-firing 8″ driver augmented by a quick-reacting, downward-firing 10″ passive radiator (and a smooth 200W Class AB amp). The sumptuous high-gloss lacquered enclosure with aluminum accents has inputs for high-level Neutrik Speakon (cable included), plus low-level RCA and LFE. A little classic”
Questyle CMA600i Headphone Amp/DAC $1,299 Review
January 16, 2017 Comments Off on Questyle CMA600i Headphone Amp/DAC $1,299 Review
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The Questyle CMA600i succeeds brilliantly on every level. It sounds great, is incredibly versatile and is visually elegant to boot. This is as good as it gets, and should you build a system around it; I suspect you will pass this one down to a family member. Well done Mr. Ball!”
REL S/3 SHO subwoofer review
January 16, 2017 Comments Off on REL S/3 SHO subwoofer review
“The fire-fight shots around the night-club swimming pool in John Wick proved this point, and the S/3 SHO was equally good romping through some older favourites, like the Atmos-remastered The Fifth Element and space drama Gravity. While the latter film lacks a constant soundtrack of bass, the sound designers use LFE to subtly underpin effects and atmosphere. The REL’s superior tautness and articulation is in evidence here, adding that extra dimension to the aural mix without sounding disconnected. And if you regularly listen to music on your system with a subwoofer in play, those attributes translate into beautifully poised and eloquent bass augmentation.”
JWM ACOUSTICS KAREN 6 TURNTABLE REVIEW
January 15, 2017 Comments Off on JWM ACOUSTICS KAREN 6 TURNTABLE REVIEW
” Joshua had told me that the turntable was new and had not been broken in. He recommended that I run the turntable for 24 hours straight to help break it in. The Ortofon Black was new as well and from experience I knew I had at least a few weeks of break in on it before I was to begin critical listening. So I plugged in the Karen 6 to my new find (a Threshold FET 10 phono stage) and began to play records on this amazing machine.”
Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems $50,000 Momentum Lifestyle Integrated Amplifier w/DAC & Audio Streaming – Review
January 14, 2017 Comments Off on Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems $50,000 Momentum Lifestyle Integrated Amplifier w/DAC & Audio Streaming – Review
” My concentration changes focus throughout the piece, in sort of a meditative way as it ebbs and flows throughout the piece. I found this happening when listening to the MLife play my favorite power orchestral pieces. Regardless of how boisterous the music might become, my focus changes throughout the piece, focusing on different instruments, different sections of the orchestra, and to its soloists. As it does in real life. The dynamic distance the MLife can create with this large group of instrument is second to none in my experience, regardless of whether I’m listening to the internal DAC fed by the Ethernet connection or a source connected through an interconnect, digital or analog”
Marantz HD-AMP1 Integrated Amplifier & DSD DAC Review
January 13, 2017 Comments Off on Marantz HD-AMP1 Integrated Amplifier & DSD DAC Review
I listened to the HD-AMP1’s analog inputs by connecting the Simaudio 280D DAC, with built in MiND ethernet streamer. The results were the same, mirroring my impressions of the overall character of the USB input. This speaks very well of the analog output stage. (Oh, and the Simaudio DAC costs two and a half times more than the HD-AMP1, so color me impressed.) I am quite pleased that Marantz chose to include analog inputs, as this allows for use of an SACD player, tape deck, or vinyl/outboard phono stage setup.”
Fluance Signature Series 3-Way Floorstanding Speakers $699 Review
January 13, 2017 Comments Off on Fluance Signature Series 3-Way Floorstanding Speakers $699 Review
“The cabinet build quality is not bad considering the price. The enclosure is MDF, of course, and Fluance calls it “audio grade MDF” (first time I have heard of that grade of MDF). The side and rear panels are 0.7” thick, and the front baffle is a more impressive 1.4” thick. Window bracing is used in the cabinet, and one nice touch is that the drivers have separate internal enclosures. The mid-woofer and tweeter occupy their own sealed compartments in an effort to keep other driver’s back waves from interfering with their smooth operation. The speaker is bi-ampable for those who want to amplify the bass section separately from the midrange and tweeter section. This may help to reduce distortion slightly. The cabinet is chock full of polyfill for damping internal waves”
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