Audio Research REF 330M tube monoblock Review
June 14, 2025 Comments Off on Audio Research REF 330M tube monoblock Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/audio-research-ref-330m-tube-monoblock-0
‘Drama’ would be an apt term to describe the sound the REF 330Ms can deliver when partnered with a similarly accomplished system. Loading up the Bergen Philharmonic/Edward Gardner 2020 recording of Britten’s ‘Peter Grimes’ [Chandos CHSA 5250], in which the drama is very much to the fore, there was a warmth and generosity to the sound, but never at the expense of clarity. The sea interludes flowed into the action, with its humour and the sense of unfolding tragedy captured in Stuart Skelton’s impressive Grimes, his voice always seemingly on the point of cracking into despair.
The sound here is about scale and power, and knowing when to strike a balance between tenderness and storm violence, and with the Audio Research amps it’s all handled so deftly, taking the listener into the heart of an atmospheric recording.
Fosi Audio i5 $549 Review
June 14, 2025 Comments Off on Fosi Audio i5 $549 Review
The bass is punchy and warm, and when there is no vocal line covering the backing, you will hear the bass sounding layered, textured, and dense with speedy attack, which complements the ample treble power nicely, and sounds enjoyable with R&B and Jazzes that have an elaborate bass line.
The decay speed in the bass is moderately fast, which helps enhance the perceived resolution and clarity. Though extension may sound limiting when tested with synths that go lower down, there is room for EQ tweaks to tune up the rumbles.
When listening to big drums, it also feels cut off below 70- 80Hz, and such is limiting the perceived expansiveness and depth. I suspect the new sound-isolating ring will remedy this in the production run units.
LAiV Harmony uDAC Review
June 13, 2025 Comments Off on LAiV Harmony uDAC Review
The Discrete Class A Output Buffer provides consistent linearity and low distortion, and is designed to provide superior impedance matching, ensuring optimal signal transfer between the DAC and the connected amplifier or headphones. Maintaining a low output impedance minimizes signal degradation and allows longer cable runs without loss of fidelity. As with all Class A circuits, the buffer operates with continuous current draw, resulting in a higher operating temperature than more energy-efficient designs.
ATC SCM40 Loudspeaker $6999 Review
June 13, 2025 Comments Off on ATC SCM40 Loudspeaker $6999 Review
On the downside, at first, the bass drivers seemed a touch stiff and limited when playing bass-rich tracks like “Your Momma Don’t Dance” on Kenny Loggins’s Outside: From the Redwoods album. Also, the tweeter seemed a bit rolled-off at the top. These apparent weaknesses become more apparent when compared to my reference $16,000 Usher ML-802 loudspeakers. A foot taller, almost twice as heavy (at 128 pounds to the ATC’s 68.31 lbs.), and sporting two eight-inch bass drivers to the ATC’s single, 6 1/2″ woofer, the Ushers dug deeper in the lower frequencies, and using its magnesium alloy tweeter, it had more extended highs than the ATCs, with their handmade tweeters.
Within a week, the SCM40’s tweeters began opening up, and the low-frequency drivers began loosening up as well. They still couldn’t compete with the Ushers (that are rated to go down to 26Hz, versus the conservatively rated 48Hz for the ATCs) in the lower octaves. But, in all fairness, I knew that going in and had planned on auditioning the ATCs SCM40s with a pair of subwoofers to better pressurize the roughly 960 square feet area like the Ushers had been doing all along (I originally chose the Usher ML-802s, with their pair of eight-inch bass drivers, over their single bass driver Usher ML-801 that I had previously reviewed because of this large space).
Stax SR-X9000 electrostatic headphone Review
June 13, 2025 Comments Off on Stax SR-X9000 electrostatic headphone Review
Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor SE Floorstanding Loudspeaker $25,000 Review
June 12, 2025 Comments Off on Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor SE Floorstanding Loudspeaker $25,000 Review
However, this was not at all my experience with the ESE. Of course, amplitude naturally weakened outside of the listening room, however, I found the presentation remained otherwise intact and true to life. Within the listening room, the sweet spot was everywhere you were. Every sonic attribute – transient speed, timbre, frequency balance, imaging, etc. — remained present, enveloping, and otherwise perfectly balanced to the recorded venue. In many ways, the effect is similar to omni-directional designs. The biggest difference, in my opinion (having listened to omni-directional speakers in my room before), is that omni-directional seemed to lack a solid center image, whereas, the ESE retained vivid imagery, placement, and staging.
It should be noted that, with a frequency response extending down to 28Hz, and an efficiency of 89dB/W/m behind them, I found the two ESE 7″ woofers to be exceptionally fast and articulate with plenty of balanced reaches into the lowest frequencies during most listening sessions. Throughout the review, I did tease the presentation with my Velodyne DD10+, experimenting with various crossover and amplitude points. Ultimately, however, I found a preference for the Velodyne contributions was minimal, leaving the sub out of the picture for almost all listening
Bryston Bi-200 Integrated Amplifier Review
June 12, 2025 Comments Off on Bryston Bi-200 Integrated Amplifier Review
By joining two of Bryston’s most popular separate components into a single case and chassis, the Bi-200 offers exceptional sound at a reasonable price, especially given its outstanding build quality and extensive warranty. For being a high-value amplifier that’s easy to recommend, as Philip puts it, the Bi‑200 received a Reviewers’ Choice award when the review was published. It is solely for its performance that it has now earned a Recommended Reference Component award.
Wilson Benesch GMT® One System Turntable $270,000 Turntable
June 12, 2025 Comments Off on Wilson Benesch GMT® One System Turntable $270,000 Turntable
JDS Labs Element IVr $549 Review
June 10, 2025 Comments Off on JDS Labs Element IVr $549 Review
One of the most important updates with Element IV is full integration with JDS Labs Core™, their new web-based control platform. There’s no desktop software to install, no bloat or anything. You connect the device via USB, open a supported browser (Chrome, Edge, or Firefox), and voilà.
You now have access to the fully customizable 12-band EQ and the rest of the device settings. PMEQ’s each band is fully adjustable in frequency, gain, and Q factor, with all changes saved directly to the device’s hardware. The UI is responsive and easy to use. Once EQ is set, it persists across reboots, input changes, and even when switching from USB to optical.
Audiophilepure 
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