WESTONE ES60 CUSTOM-FIT IN EAR MONITOR $1,299 Review
December 7, 2016 Comments Off on WESTONE ES60 CUSTOM-FIT IN EAR MONITOR $1,299 Review
” The only small reservation I might express is that the ES‑60’s typically do not seem to convey quite as much upper midrange/treble ‘air’ and transient information as some other accuracy minded CIEMs I have heard (for example, the Noble Audio Savant or the Ultimate Ears Pro Reference Remastered models). This characteristic is minor enough that it certainly doesn’t rise to the level of perceived high-frequency roll off, but it does mean that, through the Westones, some recordings can sound slightly less transparent, airy, and spacious than one might expect”
Sennheiser HD 800 S Review
December 5, 2016 Comments Off on Sennheiser HD 800 S Review
“If there’s a system that could truly extract the limitations of a headphone, this Chord DAVE setup would be it. So what do you get more from a higher-end headphone such as the Hifiman HE-1000 and Abyss? Depth. The HD800S sounds quite flat in comparison to the other two headphones. The improved layering and deeper soundstage of the other two is undeniably apparent.”
QUESTYLE GOLDEN REFERENCE DAC/PREAMP/HEADPHONE AMP SYSTEM – REVIEW
December 5, 2016 Comments Off on QUESTYLE GOLDEN REFERENCE DAC/PREAMP/HEADPHONE AMP SYSTEM – REVIEW
“The best thing about this Questyle quartet is they all go after the same goal of neutrality and accuracy; the performance of one goes with and builds upon the performance of the others, and there’s a sense that is you start with any one device, the others will logically follow. If you have a pair of headphones good enough to warrant a CMA800R, they are good enough to benefit from balanced drive, in which case two CMA800Rs are the logical choice, and that means a CMA800P is the logical choice in driving them, and the DAC is the obvious model to deliver the best signal to that trio. Or, you start with the DAC for its sheer fidelity, then add a CMA800R and go down that route.”
FLC 8S REVIEW
December 5, 2016 Comments Off on FLC 8S REVIEW
“My bass was set up to go well with a wide range of genres and it did so with real speed, texture and some level of appreciated sub bass when it was required. I could easily turn these into a dedicated set of basshead IEM’s if I wanted and they would handle all my EDM and Dubstep needs as good as any other on our list of the 12 best bass earbuds”
Audio Research Reference 6 line preamplifier $14,000 Review
December 4, 2016 Comments Off on Audio Research Reference 6 line preamplifier $14,000 Review
” The Reference 6 managed an exceptional combination of overall perfection of timing, in which everything arrived at the right time, and lingered just long enough before gracefully evaporating. It also managed to reproduce unerringly convincing harmonic structures that produced lush, true colors and solid, three-dimensional images. If you like a meaty sound, the Reference 6 is perfect for carnivores. Its sound was decidedly lush in the mids, but without smothering the upper mids and lower trebles. Instead, the latter pushed their way forward just far enough to produce sweet, clean, believable, exciting sound.”
Auris Audio Forte 150 mono power amplifiers review preview
December 4, 2016 Comments Off on Auris Audio Forte 150 mono power amplifiers review preview
“It’s evident that Auris Audio wanted to push the envelope with the Forte 150. Attention to detail and the ability to make all the important steps in-house gave them a controlled process in which they have refined each and every step.”
RAIDHO D-5.1 $225,000 REVIEW
December 3, 2016 Comments Off on RAIDHO D-5.1 $225,000 REVIEW
” Of course, using those port plugs does cut down on midbass slam, which is one of the things that the unplugged D-5.1, like the D-5, has galore. OTOH, it removes the vestiges of darkness that otherwise cling to the speaker, giving the D-5.1 a very neutral overall balance and markedly improving low-end coherence and definition. Obviously, to plug or unplug will be a matter of taste (and room size and acoustics). But, to my ear, in my room, the plugged version of the D-5.1 completes the renovation of the D-5, making it a wholly new and truly improved transducer suitable for every kind of listener—accuracy, absolute sound, and musicality. If that isn’t a leap forward, I’d like to know what is”
dCS Rossini Player & Rossini Clock
December 3, 2016 Comments Off on dCS Rossini Player & Rossini Clock
” The combination of the dCS Rossini Player and Clock produced what was, overall, the best sound from digital I have experienced in my system. While not as laid-back as the sound of my long-term reference PS Audio DAC, it didn’t suffer from the glare that often accompanies digital components that concentrate on resolution at the expense of listenability. With the Rossini I got both, whether from CDs or files played via Ethernet or USB.”
Moon by Simaudio Neo ACE Integrated Amplifier-DAC-Streamer Review
December 3, 2016 Comments Off on Moon by Simaudio Neo ACE Integrated Amplifier-DAC-Streamer Review
” Evaluating DACs has become one of my toughest reviewing tasks. In my experience, the differences are on the margins. Overall, the two DACs offered similar sound quality. I felt that the HA-1 was just a bit more transparent, but with softer bass than the Neo ACE. Neither difference gave one model a significant advantage over the other, but if you listen more to amplified music, particularly rock, you’ll probably prefer the Simaudio.”
Sonic.build Sonic DAC Review
December 2, 2016 Comments Off on Sonic.build Sonic DAC Review
” Let’s not beat around the bush; the ELAC is a better-sounding player. Tone colors are more varied and vibrant, strings pluck more brightly, voices sound richer and fuller, and the space of the recording is much more believable, open, and tactile. By comparison, the Sonic DAC bunches things up, darkens things down, and subtle details are glossed over. The Discovery takes that sense of sameness I heard with the Sonic DAC and adds a rainbow (I know, but that’s the way I hear it). If build quality is important to you, the ELAC is about a hundred times nicer. More or less.”
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