TRANSPARENT AUDIO XL GENERATION 5 INTERCONNECTS AND CABLES t $17,000 for an 8′ PAIR REVIEW
September 13, 2016 Comments Off on TRANSPARENT AUDIO XL GENERATION 5 INTERCONNECTS AND CABLES t $17,000 for an 8′ PAIR REVIEW
” If you do not own Transparent Audio cables, be aware that the Transparent Audio XL Generation 5 is not the most expensive set of cables that Transparent Audio sells—those would be the Magnum Opus models, and I did not audition any of those. One real problem with reviewing cables from even a single manufacturer is the sheer number of options, and about all I can say is that the various models I’ve tried over the years have been consistently good.”
FOCAL ELEAR $1,000 REVIEW
September 13, 2016 Comments Off on FOCAL ELEAR $1,000 REVIEW
“I had a listening session with a friend a few days ago, we compared the LCD-3 Fazor to the Elear and neither of us wanted to use the LCD-3. In fact, my friend listed his LCD-3 for sale with his phone during the meet. It could be new toy syndrome with regard to the Elear, but I doubt it. On the subject of bass, the answer is no to if the Elear has more clarity than the LCD-3. It does not feel as pure and clean as the Audeze, but it does have a better sense of broadness and depth.’
NOBLE SAVANNA REVIEW
September 12, 2016 Comments Off on NOBLE SAVANNA REVIEW
“It can give a fair amount of sub-bass but I can’t say the same for mid-bass. This lack of mid-bass gives the IEM a little colder sound than I would like to hear personally. So with that in mind, the lows don’t have the rumble and extension you need with some types of music. Bass lovers surely must look somewhere else. Jazz, Acoustic, Vocal and Classic types on the contrary is very nice and enjoyable. I also noticed movie soundtracks are also a good experience.”
AudioQuest DragonFly Red and DragonFly Black Review
September 12, 2016 Comments Off on AudioQuest DragonFly Red and DragonFly Black Review
“Narrowing things down to Red v. Black, the most notable sonic differences I heard were when the DragonFlys were compared using my main system (Ayre AX-5 Twenty/DeVore Fidelity gibbon X). In this system context, the Black sounds fatter and more akin to a big ball of sonic happiness as compared the Red’s more refined and better defined sound image. The Red also improves on the Black in terms of the subtleties that music contains: cymbal hits, piano trails, and a more dramatic dynamic range. To my ears, I’d bet on Red when coupling a DragonFly with a highly resolving system.”
DYNAUDIO EMIT M20 STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKER REVIEW
September 11, 2016 Comments Off on DYNAUDIO EMIT M20 STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKER REVIEW
” I don’t usually play this music on relatively affordable speakers for this reason so I was pleasantly surprised at how well the M20s coped. The icing on the cake was how good Astral Weeks sounded [Van Morrison, Warner Bros]; there is a lot going on in ‘The Way Young Lovers Do’ but it’s a brilliant piece of music if the system is up to the job. This proved to be the case so comprehensively that I had no choice but to listen to the rest of the album, and would happily have done so again.”
Moon by Simaudio Neo 230HAD D/A headphone amplifier $1499 Review
September 11, 2016 Comments Off on Moon by Simaudio Neo 230HAD D/A headphone amplifier $1499 Review
“The microZOTL’s transparency is a humid June-sun clarity that fully exposes recorded ambiences of churches, halls, and rooms. Even close-miked instruments are surrounded by a bit of moist air. The microZOTL’s transparency surrounds instrumental tones with a kind of vibrating aura. The image boundary of a cello, guitar, or violin appears to be electrostatically charged in a way that softens its edges and connects the instrument to its environment.”
Serene Audio’s Talisman Speakers Review
September 11, 2016 Comments Off on Serene Audio’s Talisman Speakers Review
” But the things that immediately captured my attention with these speakers and have been pushed into the forefront of my awareness whenever I’ve listened to them are: fantastic imaging (even off-axis), real bass extension (which is incredible given the size of the driver), resolution of instrumental space, clarity of tone, and a large soundstage (relative to the speaker size). These qualities emerge from the happy coincidence of the harmony between the driver, the enclosure, and the amplifier.”
ENIGMACOUSTICS DHARMA D1000 HYBRID DYNAMIC/ELECTROSTATIC HEADPHONE $1,190 REVIEW
September 10, 2016 Comments Off on ENIGMACOUSTICS DHARMA D1000 HYBRID DYNAMIC/ELECTROSTATIC HEADPHONE $1,190 REVIEW
“To give you a handful of musical examples that illustrate the Dharma’s ability to serve up ‘magic on demand’, let me begin with the track ‘Purple Haze’ from bassist Michael Manring’s Drastic Measures [Windham Hill, CD]. Manring performs his homage to Hendrix on a Zon fretless electric bass that, when slapped or tapped, can produce thunderclap-like low bass transients, but that also is—in Manring’s hands—capable of brilliant, shimmering high frequency overtones. The Dharma deftly tackles the track with an unexpected (and frankly, rarely heard) combination of dynamic gusto, wide-range frequency response, and a quality of almost ethereal delicacy.”
Rega RP10 Turntable Review
September 10, 2016 Comments Off on Rega RP10 Turntable Review
” My test LP for bass is the Classic Records reissue of Jean Martinon/LSO playing Shostakovich Symphony No. 1. Sure, the recorded bass and the orchestra’s bass section are superb on this LP, but it’s London Transport’s rolling stock under Kingsway Hall (between Aldwych and Holborn tube stations) that appears every couple of minutes that’s what so impressive. Only the best ‘tables/arms show the rumbling clearly. Clear, here. ”
Acoustic Research’s ARM20 portable player $800 – Review
September 10, 2016 Comments Off on Acoustic Research’s ARM20 portable player $800 – Review
“This year comes its a second model, the ARM20: Class A/B output stage, dual XO clocks and a digital volume control which sum to a doubling of the ARM2’s battery life to 16 hours but also a dialling down of output power to 2.1VRMS – ample for portable-friendly over/on-ears and sensitive IEMs. There’s also been some weight loss – the ARM20 tips the scales at 178g – and it says hello at US$800.
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