Audiophilepure

https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1309-devialet-astra-streaming-integrated-amplifier

My biggest gripe involved connecting the amp to the rest of my system. The problem was caused by the very low height and the chassis overhang at the rear, which hides the cables from view but impedes access. There was no room for balanced analog inputs, so to play music from my EMM Labs DV2i DAC, I had to use unbalanced cables. More importantly, there was insufficient room to use my Nordost Valhalla 2 speaker cables; they are spade-terminated, and the cables ended up pointing down and hitting the rack. A solution might be to use banana-terminated cables, but I do not have any of comparable quality. Devialet gave me an awkward workaround. Following their advice, I positioned the Astra so that it protruded beyond the rear of my rack. I then inserted the spade prongs through the narrow holes at the base of the (non-removable) protective covers, allowing the cables to hang down off the end of the rack. It worked, but it looked weird.

I believe the Audeze LCD-5s are the finest planar headphones I have ever heard. They are comfortable to wear for the long haul and efficient for any headphone source. The better the headphone amplifier the better they sound. I am mightily impressed. The award winning Dr. C has done it again. He has pushed the envelope and redefined the state of the art. I did try a couple of different cables from other manufacturers, but I could not match the clarity and sense of realism of the supplied Audeze cables. Whether you listen to them single-ended or balanced you will enjoy the headphone listening experience to the max.

Because of the new driver handling low and mid frequencies, the XD2 series speakers feature a new, improved crossover design, which—according to the manufacturer—”significantly improves the integration between bass, midrange, and treble.” It is mounted on a large printed circuit board and screwed directly to the terminals on the rear panel. It features a significant number of components, including film capacitors and air-core inductors. The crossover is connected to the drivers via OFC twisted-pair copper cables. They are manufactured for studio and stage use by Van Damme.

The new speakers are based on two drivers: a 25 mm tweeter with an aluminum diaphragm, custom-made by SEAS for Harbeth, and a 200 mm RADIAL4 mid-bass driver produced in-house by this British company. The system is complemented by a 20 mm “SuperTweeter” with a titanium diaphragm, covering only part of the high frequencies. This division is intended to provide a wider dispersion pattern for the upper end of the range.

The Friggs are great for classical music thanks to their detail and airiness. Soft passages can go right down to nothing with the sound hanging on by a fingernail on a cliff’s edge. Electronics with a low noise floor will get the most out of them. My Emotive/Anthem combo did that.

Where I enjoyed them most, though, was for rock and metal. They have insane bass that’s present, controlled, and balanced. They don’t need a subwoofer to shake the room and provide slam to drum kits. They separate distorted instruments and preserve tone and character at any volume level. And though it’s hard to imagine them as a party speaker, they most definitely are that. You can fill a room of any size with a detailed and present sound stage that works at all volumes from background level to eardrum-melting.

As of May 2026, Rick Schultz Audio’s Emersion power cord is the best sounding A/C cable that I’ve ever heard. No other power cord currently exists that cleanly beats the sound quality of RSA’s beast. Not surprisingly, the Emersion isn’t cheap. You want the best? Well… the best doesn’t come cheap.

And yet, if the Emersion PC was being sold through retail outlets, it would likely sport a price tag of $33,000 or $35,000 US dollars. Thankfully, it doesn’t. By selling direct to the audiophile public and eliminating all of the elements within the retail distribution chain, an Emersion power cord can be had for 1/3^rd of that cost. Priced at $11,000 USD, the Emersion is not only an end-game A/C cable, it’s also (by audiophile standards) a stone-cold bargain.

Stated succinctly, nothing cleanly beats the sound quality of the Emersion PC – nothing. In 15+ years of writing professional audio reviews, this is the only A/C power cord that I’ve ever accredited with offering a component level improvement in sound quality. And by “component level”, I mean Aeris Cerat or CH Precision level. Germane to this, I bought the review sample. And, as my budget permits further down the audiophile autobahn, I will be buying a few more of these breathtaking power cables. Highly recommended!