Matrix Quattro II DAC Review
November 16, 2015 Comments Off on Matrix Quattro II DAC Review
” You can get incredibly flat and detailed DAC’s at lower prices, but this has a lot more in terms of format compatibility, and also inputs/outputs. The balanced outputs are great for higher end amps, along with 2 optical so you can hook this up to your TV and console in the living room and flick between sources with the included remote.
KENNERTON AUDIO JIMO – K10 REVIEW
November 16, 2015 Comments Off on KENNERTON AUDIO JIMO – K10 REVIEW
” f Kennerton were a truly world-class earphone maker with world-class cables and a penchant for proprietary prisons, I’d just give them the bird. But they’re not, and virtually all makers, from top to bottom, use cables that can easily be swapped between brands. I have this feeling that Kennerton’s factory changed halfway through”
HiFiMan HE1000 Headphones $3,000 Review
November 15, 2015 Comments Off on HiFiMan HE1000 Headphones $3,000 Review
” The heavily reverbed chords from Beck’s guitar that end the main riff floated above and to the sides of my head, as if I were hearing the performance in a small gymnasium. The LCD-Xes’ sound quality was very close to this, although, as I’d experienced with the Gene Ammons track, the sound was a bit darker and a little less ambient. Both headphones produced a coloration of a slight coarseness in Heap’s voice: the HE1000s in the lower treble, and the LCD-Xes in the upper midrange, 1000Hz or so lower. Through the HE560s, Heap’s voice sounded overall more coarse, less realistic, and less solidly imaged, and the HE560s couldn’t match the HE1000s’ huge ambience.”
CUSTOM ART EI.3 CIEM REVIEW |
November 15, 2015 Comments Off on CUSTOM ART EI.3 CIEM REVIEW |
” Treble – The highs on the Custom Art Ei.3 are refined never offensive and well matched with the other competing frequencies. Electronic music, especially the stuff i like to listen to can be interspersed with all manners of high notes that can really push the limits of listening fatigue. The Custom Art managed to push crisp levels of detail but i never felt like taking them out and taking a break instead I just wanted more and more. Even though the earphones are designed to be used with electronic music I found them to be a remarkable earphone for jazz. In my opinion Jazz is by far the most demanding of all the genres and one that will show up any flaws with glaring damnation but I just couldn’t take issue against the Ei.3. Cymbals, flutes and piano were tamed just before becoming too hot. ”
Sonus Faber Chameleon T Loudspeakers Review
November 15, 2015 Comments Off on Sonus Faber Chameleon T Loudspeakers Review
” Midsize floorstanders, the Chameleon Ts produced a fairly big sound, and listening to War Dance, from Respighi’s Belkis, Queen of Sheba: Suite, as performed by the Minnesota Orchestra under Eiji Oue, was a lot of fun (CD, Reference RR95CD). The orchestra had an expansive, powerful presence, and the Sonus Fabers easily traced the dynamic shifts of this pounding music without strain. They sounded clean and composed at volumes higher than I can actually tolerate, and while I’d love to hear War Dance in a grand concert hall, the combination of Sonus Fabers and Brystons made for a pretty good alternative.
Focal Sphear review
November 14, 2015 Comments Off on Focal Sphear review
” Our only criticism is that the Sphears – as refined and mature sounding as they are – can sound a little polite. That rawness to Alice in Chain’s Unplugged performance isn’t fully conveyed, although you do get a real sense of the live audience.”
CHORD & MAJOR 9’13 REVIEW
November 14, 2015 Comments Off on CHORD & MAJOR 9’13 REVIEW
” I feel that writing anything here at all is a complete injustice to the Chords. They are simply stunning looking earphones and ooze class. Wood is such an under-utilised item in small IEM’s because in general its done very poorly by other manufacturers. Chord on the other hand have beautiful grains matched with beautiful complimentary colours on the metallic parts. The classics deep red wood is matched with a brass finish on the metal parts of the housing, its stunning. Build quality is good on the main housings and the cable is inoffensive although not great it is in keeping with the style. Another stylistic touch is the inclusion of the same wood finish on the jack and brass on the Y-splitter.”
Benchmark Media Systems AHB2 power amplifier review
November 14, 2015 Comments Off on Benchmark Media Systems AHB2 power amplifier review
” Tonal balance is a curious audio parameter. Careful listeners often hear what sounds like an uneven or tilted frequency balance, even when measurements taken under lab conditions show it to be flat. Lots of real-world factors might account for this, including interaction of an amplifier’s output stage with the complex input impedance of a loudspeaker. At first, I thought the AHB2 sounded less bright, and less full in the bass, than the other amps I had on hand, but after only a few days of listening I began to accept that it sounded more “right” than any of them. Now the treble wasn’t so much un-bright as smoother and unaccented. The bass had all requisite extension and detail (see above), but seemed to be more naturally balanced with the rest of the audio band.”
NuPrime Audio IDA-8 Integrated Amplifier-DAC Review
November 12, 2015 Comments Off on NuPrime Audio IDA-8 Integrated Amplifier-DAC Review
” The orchestral strings of the Trondheim Soloists, in Marianne Thorsen’s recordings of Mozart’s Violin Concertos Nos 4-5 (24/352.8 FLAC, 2L), were smooth without sounding dull, with a wonderful sense of envelopment of Thorsen’s violin by the orchestra, even as soloist and ensemble remained clearly distinct from each other. At very high volume levels, the IDA-8 could make the violins sound a bit hard. But at levels that to me are adequate — but that some might consider quite loud — the NuPrime remained wholly composed. The same was true of pop recordings such as Carly Rae Jepsen’s surprisingly well-produced E·mo·tion (24/44.1 FLAC, Universal), which the IDA-8 had no problem reproducing at high levels. Jepsen’s voice is quite closely miked and exhibits moderate sibilance, but the IDA-8 reproduced it with neutral, easygoing sound, while having enough power to drive both the GoldenEar Triton Fives and KEF R900s to volumes high enough that I could immensely enjoy the high-energy pop sensibility of her performance.”
PSB Speakers M4U 4 In-ear Monitors review
November 12, 2015 Comments Off on PSB Speakers M4U 4 In-ear Monitors review
” Bass heads might want to look elsewhere, but if you’re looking for lower frequencies that are (like the treble range) in almost perfect proportion to the mid frequencies, the M4U 4s are about as good as it gets for any IEM I’ve heard in the sub $600 price range. To hear kd Lang’s version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” was as awe inspiring as I’ve heard this piece. I remember kd’s performance during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, I was hooked and I picked up Recollection they day it was released. The PSB M4U 4s do this song perfect justice. Again with this song, the M4U 4s just got out of the way and let the music flow effortlessly. – See more at: http://headphone.guru/the-psb-speakers-m4u-4-in-ear-monitors-big-sound-small-package/#sthash.hn6bVFR3.dpuf”
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