Lumïn M1 Streaming Amplifier/Player
February 3, 2016 Comments Off on Lumïn M1 Streaming Amplifier/Player
” Obviously it is relatively inexpensive system so one can’t really expect the same level of performance as from high end system consisting of separate components. But when I listened to it I never really thought about advantages of much more expensive systems. M1 delivers good enough performance to make it truly interesting. It is capable of differentiating different recordings and I think its owners won’t really have any reasons to complain about M1’s performance. Especially considering that in many respects what they will get will be so refined that many even more expensive systems won’t be able to match (in these respects) this level of performance.”
The Ruby Stoner Acoustics
February 3, 2016 Comments Off on The Ruby Stoner Acoustics
“The Ruby by Stoner Acoustics is one of the stranger yet undeniably cute audio offerings out there and though it is basically a portable analog amp it’s size and shape is very eye catching. Throw in a quality if rather large pot, superb low noise levels and excellent efficiency and you have a nice little budget IEM analog amp with good, if not ground breaking musical sound quality.”
Naim Audio Statement NAC S1 Preamplifier and NAP S1 Mono Amplifiers NAC S1 $88,000 NAP S1 $76,000 each Review
February 2, 2016 Comments Off on Naim Audio Statement NAC S1 Preamplifier and NAP S1 Mono Amplifiers NAC S1 $88,000 NAP S1 $76,000 each Review
” So, incredibly agile, responsive and rhythmically articulate, musically fluid and temporally explicit, what is it that the big Naims don’t do? Their solid-state nature is betrayed in the balance they strike between images and the acoustic as a whole, the dimensionality and the depth of the soundstage. Instrumental spread is excellent, as is layering and height, which creates exceptionally natural perspectives, but there are electronics (especially tube electronics) that deliver a greater sense of the overall acoustic space, more depth, more dimensionality and, partly as a result, more intimacy and immediacy. As remarkable as the bass generated from the Sasha 2s was,”
Amps & Sound Kenzie $1500 Review
February 2, 2016 Comments Off on Amps & Sound Kenzie $1500 Review
” This is a very hard line to straddle and some amplifiers are good at one or the other, but not both. The Woo Audio WA22 is a very euphonic amplifier and pairs quite nicely with the HD800s, but over time and with recordings, its euphonic nature really does creep into the experience and smooths instruments too close together and rounds off the edges to a point where some of the realism is sacrificed. The Kenzie however manages to straddle this line of being true to the recording and still offers a very musical and pleasing presentation with these finicky headphones.”
Pure Audio Project Trio10 MundorfAMT Loudspeakers Review
February 2, 2016 Comments Off on Pure Audio Project Trio10 MundorfAMT Loudspeakers Review
“One shortcoming of OB designs is poor low frequency response. In fairness, many box speakers also fail to deliver low bass response or do it so poorly it would be better left absent. This is especially true in the price range of (and considerably above) the Trio10s. I believe a well-executed OB can have superior definition in low bass for instruments like an upright bass, guitars, and piano. I found this to be true with the Trio10s. I frequently wished for more bass from the Trio10s at the same time I admired the detail. This was a situation of quality over quantity.”
Triangle Art Concerto Turntable Review
February 1, 2016 Comments Off on Triangle Art Concerto Turntable Review
” In the end we found much to appreciate musically with the Concerto system. Yeah, it is a $12,000 package and for sure one could save money by simply going for the basic set-up sans the platform, speed control, and record clamp. I would be surprised if one experienced much of a drop off in musical pleasure and performance by omitting these from the system—the basic Concerto and Zeus cartridge are the centerpieces and these ancillaries are simply upping the ante. And such a wonderful centerpiece the Concerto is within this analog system. Sure, a turntable is nothing more than just a motor spinning a platter riding on a bearing with an arm and cartridge traveling in the groove of a record—sounds simple enough- but Tom did his homework and has a winner here. Well done! Highly recommended.”
CYPHER LABSc SUSTAIN84 $1200 REVIEW
February 1, 2016 Comments Off on CYPHER LABSc SUSTAIN84 $1200 REVIEW
” Though full sounding and possessing great texture and detail the bass performance of the Sustain84 is more relaxed and polite than punchy or aggressive. I actually find this to be a plus point for my own personal tastes as the Sustain84 sounds much more coherent and balanced with this type of bass signature. The balance between attack and decay is above average for tube performance and in some ways reminds me of the stock response of the Studio 6 tubes in terms of tonality and tempo though the Studio 6 has the better sub-bass definition and weight compared to the Sustain84’s slightly heightened mid-bass”
Sigma Acoustics Orchestra 2.5 loudspeakers
February 1, 2016 Comments Off on Sigma Acoustics Orchestra 2.5 loudspeakers
“From the aesthetic point of view, the Orchestra 2.5 are beautiful and well-finished loudspeakers without trying to fascinate with an extreme look. The delicate balance between the wood and the shiny black lightens the line and creates a perfect compromise between the technical requirements and the need of style, grace and elegance. They appear to be real pieces of furniture with great sound performances.
What else? The only fault of the 2.5 is that they are very difficult to move. I will be satisfied with the test of the minor models that Aldo Zaninello has promised to me. Be sure that we will talk again of the Orchestra”
Thales TTT-Slim Turntable and Easy Tonearm Review
January 30, 2016 Comments Off on Thales TTT-Slim Turntable and Easy Tonearm Review
” A couple of things in the setup are different from other turntables. First, this is a battery-operated table and its charger is plugged into the wall and into the rear of the table. Thales suggests, and I agree, it sounds best when you unplug the charger from the back of the table when using the table. You get 20 hours of playing time before it needs to be charged so this is an easy recommendation to follow. The other thing is that the turntable itself comes with a grounding wire that plugs into the back of the table and is hooked up to the grounding lug on your phono preamp. This means you have both the turntable and tonearm grounded. I found if I did not do this I had a good bit of hum, but when I grounded the table it was dead quiet.”
JBL MODEL 4367 STUDIO MONITOR REVIEW
January 30, 2016 Comments Off on JBL MODEL 4367 STUDIO MONITOR REVIEW
“Such a large cabinet, especially as big as this one, creates expectation of an extremely huge bass. But you won’t get it. What you get is beautifully balanced with the other part of the range. It is nicely extended but not exaggerated. The much smaller Audiomachina Pure NSE loudspeakers I reviewed recently, with active bass section delivered even better bass extension and better differentiation of lowest notes, which was clear especially with lowest piano and double bass notes. The JBL speakers offered richer, „heavier”/more powerful bass. I was constantly under the impression that there was still some room for even deeper, more powerful sound, like there was no limitation to what these speakers could convey in terms of dynamics, extension and differentiation. Probably that is why this sound is so natural, so relaxing.”
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