FiiO X7 AM5 Module $99 REVIEW
July 8, 2016 Comments Off on FiiO X7 AM5 Module $99 REVIEW
” So now we have three modules for the X7 all priced at $99 and all offering something different, be it efficiency or power, be it neutrality or musicality. I did say in the AM2 review that I wished you did not have to buy the AM1 with the X7 just to lower the overall cost of ownership of this developing ecosystem for the X7. Thankfully, FiiO has responded to this by releasing the X7 without any amp modules for a lower price. If you want an AM2 or an AM5 now you can have it without having to buy the AM1. Good news for those with a particular usage needs or those simply on a tighter budge”
Onkyo DP-X1 Portable Hi-Res Music Player $899 Reviewed
July 7, 2016 Comments Off on Onkyo DP-X1 Portable Hi-Res Music Player $899 Reviewed
” At its price of $899, the DP-X1 has few competitors in terms of features and sound. There are several excellent-performing, less-expensive players such as the $699 Sony NW-ZX100HN or the $499 Astell & Kern AK Jr. Both offer even better battery life than the DP-X1, but they have fewer features and drive capabilities, and neither supports streaming services. Priced above the DP-X1, the $1,199 Sony NW-ZX2 has the ability to stream and act as a USB DAC, but it doesn’t support MQA files or balanced headphone connections. The $999 Calyx M and Questyle QP-1R are both excellent-sounding players with DAC features, but neither supports streaming music sources or MQA.”
WESTONE ES60 $1,300 REVIEW
July 7, 2016 Comments Off on WESTONE ES60 $1,300 REVIEW
” Solar has slightly more bodied treble notes with similar amount of resolution, but ES60 sounds a bit cleaner and clearer in treble region. They both are fast and the resolution levels are close. On the other hand, Solar has more coloration, but both have natural presentation with similar transparency and cleanliness.”
Puro Sound Labs BT-5200 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones Review
July 6, 2016 § 1 Comment
“Try the beautiful flutes and bells at the opening of Reiner’s Mahler Symphony No. 4 on his famous RCA/Chicago Symphony. The playing is gorgeous but the orchestration and dynamic really highlights the coherence and timbral qualities the Puro brings. I’ve experienced this recording on what was probably the best sound I’ve heard from headphones — a MrSpeakers Alpha Prime headphone amplified by Cavalli. What a magical combination. The Puros can’t compete with that aural alchemy, but they did give musicality in spades. ”
HIFIMAN HE-400S PLANAR MAGNETIC HEADPHONES REVIEW
July 6, 2016 Comments Off on HIFIMAN HE-400S PLANAR MAGNETIC HEADPHONES REVIEW
” My final listening session came with with the most expected pairing, the HE400S and my iPhone 6S+. Leading the playlist was ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ from Seal’s album 7 [iTunes AIFF 16/44.1 Warner Bros. 2008]. Having just heard the HE400S paired with top level high-end gear, it was interesting to listen to this more utilitarian pairing. First, the quality of the HE400S revealed the shortcomings of the iPhone as a DAP. It was outclassed by the Questyle by a wide margin. The key is that the clarity and transparency of the HiFiMAN planar magnetic technology proved revealing to the lesser sonic quality of the Apple device as a source. Not that it was bad, but there were edges to the presentation that the other gear was able to remove or not introduce into the song. The soundstage in particular was more closed in and there was a brightness to the sonics that would indicate a lower quality DAC providing the conversion back to analogue.”
RSL Speakers Speedwoofer 10S Subwoofer Review
July 5, 2016 Comments Off on RSL Speakers Speedwoofer 10S Subwoofer Review
” In all my tests, as expected, placing the subs together produced the purest output. In fact, the pair of these damn near matched the audible and tactile impact of either the Hsu or the SVS when used alone. Were there limitations to what they could do? Sure—the Speedwoofer pair couldn’t go quite as deep as the big boys, especially when playing some organ samples that dip below 20 hertz. But, truthfully, it’s rare to find bass this deep, and given the difference in cost and size between the Speedwoofer and my reference subs, that’s a pretty reasonable trade-off.”
Magico S1 Mk.II Loudspeakers $7700 Review
July 4, 2016 Comments Off on Magico S1 Mk.II Loudspeakers $7700 Review
” Up to this point, Vivid Audio’s V1.5 floorstander ($7700/pair), with its 1” catenary aluminum tweeter and 6.2” aluminum midrange-woofer, had been the best two-way speaker I’d heard. Its avant-garde appearance leaves its visual attractiveness up for debate, but I thought it was a sonic masterpiece. I felt the Vivid’s defining characteristic was its speed. From the lower midrange up past 20kHz, the ported V1.5 sounded obscenely fast and light on its feet. As with Magico’s S1 Mk.II, high levels of transparency and resolution were present and accounted for, but the way the Vivid achieved them was a bit different from the Magico’s. Indeed, while neither speaker demonstrated even a hint of midrange coloration, I found the S1 to be the more honest speaker. The V1.5 sounded consistently fast, which I attribute to a dash of upper-midrange sparkle. While I don’t necessarily think that a bad thing, the S1 Mk.II just sounded “right.”
PS Audio BHK Signature Preamplifier Review
July 4, 2016 Comments Off on PS Audio BHK Signature Preamplifier Review
” No less for female voices. For example, I have never been a fan of blue grass music; but, my gosh, check out the 2000 album (CD rip) ‘Rising’ by Misty River, an all-female bluegrass quartet (including a mother and daughter) involving acoustic guitar, banjo, bass, fiddle, accordion, and more; but above all, absolutely lovely harmonizing vocals. And back to Vincent van Gogh, I suggest the track, ‘Paper Van Gogh’, from Shelby Lynne’s newest album, I Can’t Imagine (24/96). On the BHK, these voices (and all else) sounded heavenly.”
Nordost Valhalla 2 Reference cables
July 4, 2016 Comments Off on Nordost Valhalla 2 Reference cables
” My first impressions of the Valhalla 2 References, which remained unchanged throughout my listening, were of how smoothly the music flowed from note to note; of a very natural warmth and tonal richness of the sounds of instruments; and of how solid, dimensional, and tangible images and soundstages seemed. That’s where my analysis would begin.”
Audeze EL-8 Review
July 4, 2016 Comments Off on Audeze EL-8 Review
“So if you’ve been reading the Audiophiliac blog for a while, and waiting till something strikes your fancy, the latest EL-8 might be the one. After all, reading about great sound is all well and good, but in the end you have to hear it for yourself, with music you know on a deep level, and then digest what a great headphone like this can reveal. The music has been there all along, but you never heard it like this before”
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