Wadia a315 Stereo Amplifier REVIEW
October 26, 2016 Comments Off on Wadia a315 Stereo Amplifier REVIEW
“While not as frenetic as some of today’s electronica, “Ceremony,” from Belleville’s Sunsets & Nightfalls (16/44.1 FLAC, Belleville Beats/Tidal), balances the newish habit of marrying 1980s-style electronics and processed vocals with today’s familiar, heavy bass rhythms. It begins with a gracefully flowing melody in the midrange underlaid with snappy, deeper beats that channel a bass guitar. Nearly everything in this track is subjected to lengthy reverb, which creates a limited sense of depth. The female voice is sudden, immediate, and less processed-sounding among the long-decay electronics, while the sound of the male voice is somewhat more distant and lingers longer. ”
ASTELL&KERN AKT8IE MKII $1,000 Review
October 26, 2016 Comments Off on ASTELL&KERN AKT8IE MKII $1,000 Review
” I hope that the mkii holds up to the daily grind better than the mki appears to have. The latest TK8iE mkii is one of the best-sounding, most dynamic earphones I’ve ever had in my ears. And it is even more comfortable than it is good sounding. Its over-engineered accessories are completely forgivable in light of its incredible sound and fit. It’s a concession to which I give full, unbridled consent.”
ACOUSTIC RESEARCH M2 DAP REVIEW
October 24, 2016 Comments Off on ACOUSTIC RESEARCH M2 DAP REVIEW
“The M2 bass is well-represented by Marcus Schulz’s Mainstage. Very strong and very deep electronic bass. Massive Attack’s Angel is another goodie – a heavy background rumble with strong sharp foreground impacts. Medieval Babes’ Isabella has some heavy bass at the beginning that’s not very distinct and tends toward boomy on a lot of gear, but plays well on the M2. A really large-stage presentation is Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, from HDTracks – a pipe organ recording”
Pass Labs XA30.8 Stereo Amplifier Reviewed
October 24, 2016 Comments Off on Pass Labs XA30.8 Stereo Amplifier Reviewed
” After spending over six months with the Pass Labs XA30.8 Class A stereo amplifier, I wonder, “Will I ever again purchase another two-channel amplifier?” There is no doubt the XA30.8 comes with several notable drawbacks, but few are performance related–and to me, that is the most important criteria. The performance of the XA30.8 is so special that HTR publisher Jerry Del Colliano and I have joked at times that Nelson Pass should consider renaming this amplifier the XM30.8, with the “M” standing for “magical.” The Pass Labs XA30.8 is the best amplifier”
Violectric V281 Headphone $2299 – Review
October 23, 2016 Comments Off on Violectric V281 Headphone $2299 – Review
“Even though the Violectric V281 amp comes with 2 single-ended outputs, it performs best in its balanced mode configuration. The staging becomes wider and three-dimensional with better layering and separation. While the SE output is not average per se, it just lacks a bit of the technical proficiencies that the balanced output adopts. It would therefore be advised to use headphones with an XLR termination to fully capitalise on this amp’s potential. ”
CUSTOM ART HARMONY 8.2 REVIEW
October 23, 2016 Comments Off on CUSTOM ART HARMONY 8.2 REVIEW
” The key difference between the 8 and the 8.2 is impact and increased sub-bass presence in the performance of the 8.2; it is just so much better than previously. Bass on the 8 was actually pretty good, to be honest with a snappy and tactile response but it didn’t have a huge amount of emphasis”
Sennheiser HD800 S Review – Video
October 23, 2016 Comments Off on Sennheiser HD800 S Review – Video
GoldenEar Technology SuperSub XXL Subwoofer $1999 – Review
October 22, 2016 Comments Off on GoldenEar Technology SuperSub XXL Subwoofer $1999 – Review
“Why not just turn up the volume on my adjustable woofers in the Lansche 4.1 you ask? Because the SuperSub XXL subs keep the main drivers from having to work beyond their comfort zone, and the SuperSub XXL subs really own the low bass space. The drivers on the Lansche simply cannot move enough air to compete. The ability to simply overlap the low frequencies of my 4.1 without a great deal of fretting worked just fine.”
FINAL AUDIO F7200 REVIEW
October 22, 2016 Comments Off on FINAL AUDIO F7200 REVIEW
“The F7200 tends to oil coats tom tom drums and certain low-toned vocals a bit much. Rebound bite softens. But considering that the F7200 is pretty flat-field, this becomes its only real Achilles Heel for the trance head. Highs and high mids simply don’t jump out enough to simulate wide trance halls. Partially as a result, its soundstage is wide but not that deep. High range instrument separation is good, but because z-axis depth and bass resolution aren’t super fussy, high range stereo details soften here and there”
Questyle CMA 600i $1,299 Review
October 21, 2016 Comments Off on Questyle CMA 600i $1,299 Review
“Stacked into the Questyle product line, it is easy to see the direction that Bruce and the team are aiming for with the 600i. The sound is very well rounded, as is the bountiful number of connections the sturdy, yet space-sensitive chassis holds. It aims to please, and its tight and dynamic recreation of music should supply any full-sized headphone with exactly what it needs to get the job done right. The timbre and tone feel very balanced, as does its frequency response – no abnormalities crept up in any scenario with our time with the device. ”
You must be logged in to post a comment.