Paradigm Prestige 2000SW Powered 15-Inch Subwoofer
July 3, 2016 Comments Off on Paradigm Prestige 2000SW Powered 15-Inch Subwoofer
” For those who like to maintain brand consistency, the Prestige 2000SW is a perfect, low-frequency mate to the various standalone speakers in the aforementioned Prestige line. The black piano lacquer finished version sent to me was gorgeous, and is sure to match whatever speakers you mate to it. Overall, Paradigm’s Prestige 2000SW is an awe-inducing, powered subwoofer that can handle the depths of most any movie sound effect, but it is also equally adept at transmitting the proper bass frequencies from your favorite hi-res music. From Rock to Classical to bombastic action flicks, I do not see how you could do any better in the bass department. An Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award for the Paradigm Prestige 2000SW.”
fo.Q Modrate HEM-25 Pure Note Insulators Review
July 3, 2016 Comments Off on fo.Q Modrate HEM-25 Pure Note Insulators Review
“The hi-rez files I have, such as Charles Mingus’s The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (24/96 FLAC, Impulse!), had a special kind of clarity that was tactile, organic, and startling, with more natural timing and a tonal richness without opacity. “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes,” from John Coltrane’s Coltrane’s Sound (24/96 FLAC, Atlantic/Rhino), was presented much more cleanly. Coltrane’s tenor sax was more penetrating; Elvin Jones’s drumming was snappier, his cymbal work more sparkling, his kick drum thunkier and deeper; and, with McCoy Tyner’s piano and Steve Davis’s bass, there were more textural contrasts among all four instruments. It all made for a far richer, more complex listening experience than I’d had before adding the fo.Q footers.”
DITA Review
July 3, 2016 Comments Off on DITA Review
“Operating under the philosophy that the cabinet has the greatest effect on overall sound quality, in order to control unwanted resonances (what they refer to as “box colorations”) the chassis is “meticulously milled and turned on modern multi-axis CNC machines from a solid block of 6061-T6 aluminum.” As to driver technology, they have chosen to use a single dynamic transducer, adopting the principle that the best way to maintain phase coherency and to eliminate crossover distortion is to use a single full range driver. Once again to quote DITA “To fully exploit our ultra rigid chassis, we needed to design a state-of-the-art driver that is ultra-lightweight, ultra-fast and rigid driver. The combination of both lightness and rigidity gives us a smooth and wide bandwidth response curve, along with stunningly quick impulse response.” But DITA doesn’t stop at the chassis and driver, they consider the cable to be a major factor in the sound and have taken great pains in the design and manufacture of their cables down to the use of Van den Hul silver solder and the non-magnetic carbon fiber TRS connector.”
Bowers & Wilkins 804 D3 Floorstanding Speakers Reviewed
July 2, 2016 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins 804 D3 Floorstanding Speakers Reviewed
” Comparisons with the Revel Performa3 F206 that I use as a reference speaker showed the few places where the 804 D3 might be faulted. It doesn’t sound quite as open as the F206; the dispersion doesn’t seem quite as broad; then again, few conventional cones’n’domes speakers can match the Performa3 tower speakers in this regard. Yet I heard no cupped-hands coloration with the 804 D3, and the sound was still plenty spacious.”
Playback Designs Sonoma Series: Syrah Server, Merlot DAC, and OpBox
July 2, 2016 Comments Off on Playback Designs Sonoma Series: Syrah Server, Merlot DAC, and OpBox
“The Merlot does not rely on standard chips for digital processing, but utilizes Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) programmed with proprietary algorithms developed by Andreas. “The use of the FPGA approach allows a higher precision arithmetic than feasible in standard off-the-shelf components, but also new and unique algorithms that no other manufacturer has.” Another technology used in the Merlot is PDFAS (Playback Designs Frequency Arrival System) a technology developed by Andreas Koch that eliminates the need for conventional PLLs, also known as “Phase Locked Loops” to reduce jitter. Playback Designs claims that their PDFAS, regardless of the source, reduces jitter to a level far lower than what can be achieved with conventional PLL designs.”
Baetis Audio Revolution III Media Server Review
July 1, 2016 Comments Off on Baetis Audio Revolution III Media Server Review
” Reviewing a music server is fairly straight-forward. I’ve found that most every server and streamer I’ve had here for review offered similar sonic benefits—to varying degrees. These benefits include a lower perceived noise floor which reveals more of music’s micro-detail, nuance, and color, while also improving the sense of the space in the recording and image/player stability. The Baetis Revolution III certainly delivered on all these counts to varying degrees depending on the DAC.”
Markaudio-Sota Viotti One Stand-Mounted Speaker Review
July 1, 2016 Comments Off on Markaudio-Sota Viotti One Stand-Mounted Speaker Review
” For most of us however the Viotti One are very easy to live with and when you sit down a really listen to what they can do you realize they are smooth but also incredibly atmospheric. Their abilities transcended my expectations. I like to listen via speakers which allow my music to wash over me and be heard in a way that tricks me into almost believing there is a band in my room. To achieve this, a loudspeaker needs to be very open sounding, detailed, throw a wonderful soundstage, and be very well balanced across the frequency range as well as go reasonably loud or what I’d call realistically loud. They must also not scream at you. Lightweight and electrically efficient drivers should also be able to play well quietly, not needing to be running hard before you get the impression of dynamics. The Viotti One do all of this.”
Bifrost Multibit digital converter
June 30, 2016 Comments Off on Bifrost Multibit digital converter
” Comparing the Bifrost Multibit to my older, identical-looking Schiit Bifrost Uber the first differences I noted were scale and resolution. The Bifrost Multibit’s sound was more dynamically alive, the sound had more palpable texture, and resolution of quiet details was much better. The Bifrost Multibit makes my system sound more powerful, the Bifrost Uber sounds “grayed out” by comparison. Bifrost Uber sounds great, until you hear what the Bifrost Multibit can do, then there’s no turning back!”
Audioengine HD6 powered speakers Review
June 30, 2016 Comments Off on Audioengine HD6 powered speakers Review
” Anyway, the bass sounded much deeper than the 50Hz quoted in the specifications. I think it’s because of the scale and power this little package delivered. Anyway, I found the bass very satisfying and involving without hooking up my subwoofer, even when watching movies.
McIntosh MC75 Monoblock Tube Amplifier Review
June 29, 2016 Comments Off on McIntosh MC75 Monoblock Tube Amplifier Review
“One thing that always concerns me with tube gear is noise but with these two units it never became an issue. This combination of C22 preamplifier and MC75 amplifiers was a joy to have in my home. Not only did they sound marvelous but their throw-back look took me back to a time of my youth that was wonderful to remember. While it is impossible to go back to those days it certainly is possible to purchase these units with which to enjoy music today. Buying older McIntosh gear is fun but here with this combination you need not worry about restoring the units physically or electronically and guess what? They come with a McIntosh factory warranty and to me that means a great deal. If pushed to sum up my experience with the C22 and MC75 in just one word it would have to be “amazing”. I loved them both and each one gets a big thumb up! Bravo to the people at McIntosh Labs.”
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