CAYIN I5 DAP $499 Review
October 21, 2016 Comments Off on CAYIN I5 DAP $499 Review
“The AM3 offers an unbalanced mode that sounds a touch more neutral and smoother, less dynamic than the i5. If you want to dial down the bass weight a little, then the AM3 unbalanced will do that for you and give you a little bit more space and separation in the midrange.”
B&W 800 D3 Speaker
October 21, 2016 Comments Off on B&W 800 D3 Speaker
” Finally the diamond tweeter design was also reconsidered. Our research clearly indicated that diamond was still the best choice for the tweeter dome. However we didn’t want to stop there so the rest of the assembly was reassessed, with a more linear motor and optimized suspension, leading to lower non-linear distortion and cleaner treble.”
Emotiva BasX A-300 Stereo Amplifier $399 Review
October 20, 2016 Comments Off on Emotiva BasX A-300 Stereo Amplifier $399 Review
“Interestingly a lot of companies will tell you to let a component break in for some hours before you listen to it. That’s not the case with the Emotiva BASX A300 power amplifier. So is it good to go right out of the box? The answer is no, not really. About an hour after turn on I could detect a very slight, and I do mean subtle, graininess pervading and overlaying the audio presentation. ”
Pass Laboratories HPA-1 Headphone Amplifier $3,500 Review
October 20, 2016 Comments Off on Pass Laboratories HPA-1 Headphone Amplifier $3,500 Review
“he reproduction of both the lowest and highest of the frequency extremes is the best I’ve heard from a headphone amp anywhere near the HPA-1’s price. The same can be said for its micro- and macro-dynamics, transient response, inner detail, midrange transparency, and background silence. Within and quite above its price, I can’t think of any anything negative to say about the HPA-1’s sound quality.”
CHORD HUGO TT TABLETOP DAC/HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER REVIEW
October 19, 2016 Comments Off on CHORD HUGO TT TABLETOP DAC/HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER REVIEW
” found the Hugo TT noticeably punchier and more dynamically authoritative than the Hugo, while rendering vigourous transient events with even greater ‘snap’ and impact. What’s odd about this is that on paper the Hugo TT is no more powerful than the Hugo, though in practice it gives the impression that it is; the TT, for example, offers that elusive quality of sonic ‘grunt’ in spades. Just for the fun of it, I fired up the track ‘Dogman’ from the King’s X album of the same name [Atlantic, CD] and gave the Hugo TT its head as it drove a pair of ENIGMAcoustics Dharma D1000 hybrid dynamic headphones. The result was a gloriously muscular, hard-driving sound that perfectly captured the boisterous exuberance of which this power rock trio is capable—especially so when it came time to reproduce the thunderously powerful low-frequency rumble of Dug Pinnick’s 12-string electric bass. I suspect the Hugo TT’s perceived punch, clout, and dynamic muscle are down to its beefier battery and bank of super capacitors serving up gobs of current on demand.”
Focal Utopia Over-the-Ear Headphones Reviewed
October 16, 2016 Comments Off on Focal Utopia Over-the-Ear Headphones Reviewed
” Comparing these $4,000 headphones to the $1,700 Sennheiser HD 800 S, I could not help but think this is truly a golden age for audiophiles. You can’t go wrong with the HD 800 S; but if you have the money, I would say the AB-1266, LCD-4, and the Utopia are worth it. They have another level of clarity. So aside from price, your choice between the Abyss AB-1266, Audeze LCD-4, and Focal Utopia will come down to personal preference. While they each handle all genres of music wonderfully, I would lean toward the AB-1266 and LCD-4 for rock-and-roll and the Utopia for classical (I call it a three-way tie for jazz). At the end of the day, when you tune out the rest of the world, any of these headphones will simply take you wherever you want to go.”
Bel Canto e.One Ref600M power amplifier Review
October 16, 2016 Comments Off on Bel Canto e.One Ref600M power amplifier Review
“hat the REF600M didn’t sound identical to some other amps was neither surprising nor a criticism of any of them. Of three recent amps of my experience, the REF600M was the warmest, the NAD Masters Series M22 the most detailed, and the Theta Dreadnaught D somewhere in between. Why should various amps based on circuit boards of the same technology (NCore) and made by the same company (Hypex) sound different? I don’t know, but the amplifier boards aside, I could see physical differences inside these three amps
Pass Labs XA60.8 60-Watt Class A monoblocks Review
October 15, 2016 Comments Off on Pass Labs XA60.8 60-Watt Class A monoblocks Review
” There were some areas where I expected the monos to be superior. The most obvious was in soundstaging, and they were. They produced a slightly wider and deeper soundstage. The soundstage was also portrayed from a slightly quieter and slightly darker background. Overall the monos are slightly quieter. This also produces slightly more sparkle in the top-end and overall a little more detailed and transparent sound.”
FIIL DIVA REVIEW
October 15, 2016 Comments Off on FIIL DIVA REVIEW
” have had many friends back the kickstarter because I just don’t think you will find a headphones that is more of a talking point than these. These are a headphone that will make people care moving forward and also set a benchmark of the sort of features that will likely become standard in years to come. FIIL will always be able to say they done it first!”
QUESTYLE CMA600I HEADPHONE DAC/AMP REVIEW
October 14, 2016 Comments Off on QUESTYLE CMA600I HEADPHONE DAC/AMP REVIEW
” High hat cymbals shimmered crisply and with just the right tonal sheen. Van’s weary vocals had that weight of the world feel conveying the relief at his journey turning homeward bound. The NightHawks paired with the Questyle conveyed the emotion of the track as needed. The NightHawk’s are a wonderful pairing with the Questyle rig.”
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