JBL screen array living room setup
October 30, 2024 Comments Off on JBL screen array living room setup
Avantgarde Duo SD iTRON G3 active loudspeaker $66,350 Review
October 28, 2024 Comments Off on Avantgarde Duo SD iTRON G3 active loudspeaker $66,350 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/avantgarde-duo-sd-itron-g3-active-loudspeaker
This review involved a certain amount of fighting with room acoustics, a battle that was mostly—intentionally—self-imposed, since I allowed speaker placement to be dictated by the availability of power cords and interconnects. In this contest between speakers and room, the speakers won. The Duo’s DSP didn’t allow me to neutralize all the things my room was doing wrong, but they did manage to fix most things, including the things that bothered me most. The result was superb. Small jazz combos, where the key elements are percussion, horns, piano, and bass, were spot-on. They were articulate, and their timbres were harmonically dense and complex. The small amount of extra bass I dialed in to achieve a pleasing balance in jazz turned out to be great with classic rock; I flipped when I heard the clarity, definition, and presence of Chris Squire’s distinctive bass guitar riffs in “Roundabout,” on Yessongs (Atlantic SD 3-100 LP). If those riffs weren’t burned into my memory before, they most definitely are now.
Defying even positive expectations—such as my expectation that the Duo SD would sound like a typical horn speaker—is usually a good thing, I’ve found. It means that something interesting is going on. Such was the case here. The Avantgarde Duo SD iTRON G3s are truly excellent speakers. I loved spending time with them and would be perfectly satisfied if they could have remained in my listening room long term. (Unfortunately, they departed months ago.) They did everything well and some things extraordinarily well. What shortcomings I heard are best attributed to the room and placement constraints and not to the Duos themselves.
EMM Labs PRE/MTRS Review
October 28, 2024 Comments Off on EMM Labs PRE/MTRS Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/emm-labs-premtrs
When there’s less of a need for the MTRS to dig deep, this system still lives up to its premium positioning thanks to that sense of transparency and balance across the frequency band. Given cellist Redi Hasa’s ‘Little Street Football Made Of Socks’ [The Stolen Cello; Decca 44.1kHz/24-bit], EMM Labs’ pairing sounded biting and sweet at the same time, highlighting the physicality of his playing alongside well-resolved treble. And as the piece builds, layer upon layer, it was hard not to be swept up by its lush detail and lilting rhythm.
With Johan Johansson’s brooding electro-orchestral ‘The Beast’, recorded for 2015 film Sicario [Cutting Edge 302 067 369 8], the PRE and MTRS sounded as confident as they did with Elton John’s more conventional ‘Rocket Man’ [Honky Chateau; Mercury 528 162-2] with its rich piano and crystalline percussion. As for the dance single ‘Ratchets’, from quality-conscious Danish producer Hedegaard [Spinnin Records, 44.1kHz/16-bit], this absolutely banged, as the younger generation might say. Impossibly heavy synth and bass, playing in unison, loaded the room, and ramping up the level rewarded me with simply more weight, more scale and more drama.
Electrocompaniet ECM 1 MKII Review
October 28, 2024 Comments Off on Electrocompaniet ECM 1 MKII Review
World Premier Review: Audeze CRBN2 Electrostatic Headphones Review
October 27, 2024 Comments Off on World Premier Review: Audeze CRBN2 Electrostatic Headphones Review
Mechanically, I found that when my big ears touched the inner driver cover of the original CRBN, it crackled. It apparently is an inherent problem with the original CRBN. This is completely fixed in the CRBN2. The CRBN2 is now as stable and solid as any non-electrostatic headphones. The wire supplied with the CRBN2 is 2.5 meters of OCC monocrystal copper and appears a bit thicker than the wire supplied with the CRBN. Both are terminated with a five-pin Pro Bias connector for 580 VDC and compatible with all electrostatic energizers.
HoloAudio Serene KTE Review
October 27, 2024 Comments Off on HoloAudio Serene KTE Review
The Serene KTE is a neutral sounding pre-amplifier that produces a rich, organic and full sound. It has superb low-end body and texture, a neutral but natural midrange and a delicate and extended top. It delivers heaps of resolution and an open vocal presence that fills the room. The Serene doesn’t color the music much but offers an enormously clear view of it without the added harshness.
The bass of the Serene KTE is well pronounced and offers high end levels of texture and resolution. It is precise and dynamic, with an excellent body and weight. Bass feels natural and organic throughout. The Serene KTE reaches deep with good authority and thunder. It has a life-like body and presentation, where low-ends come out with nice impact and heft.
PMG Audio Apx SE $6.000 Review
October 26, 2024 Comments Off on PMG Audio Apx SE $6.000 Review
The PMG Audio Apx SE immediately stands out with its thoughtfully crafted design, blending sleek lines and high-end materials to deliver both visual and tactile appeal. Its minimalist aesthetic, paired with premium finishing, results in a product that effortlessly complements any setting—whether it’s placed on a desk, displayed on a shelf, or used while travelling. The Apx SE radiates a sense of sophistication and luxury.
Simaudio Moon 891 Streaming Preamplifier Review
October 26, 2024 Comments Off on Simaudio Moon 891 Streaming Preamplifier Review
Cueing up the 24/96 FLAC version of “Love Letters” highlighted two key differences. First, when used just as an analog preamp, the Moon 891 is utterly transparent. Subsequently, I realized that the Moon’s and the T+A’s DACs sound very different. Through the 891’s streaming module and DAC, instruments and vocals exhibited body and dimension, but compared to the T+A, lacked a bit of sizzle. The T+A MP 3100 HV painted more holographic images within a larger soundstage, while placing those objects closer to me. Bass performance was nearly indistinguishable. I say “nearly” because the 891 sounded ever so slightly more controlled in the bottom end, with deep notes able to be felt in my chair just a wisp more than from the T+A. Focusing on the orchestra, the MP 3100 HV added a bit of scale but didn’t quite lock down instruments with the same precision I heard through the 891. The same observation rang true with Krall’s vocals. Through the 891, Krall sounded as if she was two to three rows further back on the stage, yet was drawn more sharply. Malone’s electric guitar lost a fraction of tonal color through the 891. Additionally, the T+A presented Erskine’s brushes of the cymbals and Krall’s piano through a clearer lens, perhaps because it positioned these elements closer to me, which I enjoyed.
Auralic Aries S1 streamer + PSU option REeivew
October 26, 2024 Comments Off on Auralic Aries S1 streamer + PSU option REeivew
Piega Coax 811 Gen2 loudspeaker $30,000 Review
October 24, 2024 Comments Off on Piega Coax 811 Gen2 loudspeaker $30,000 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/piega-coax-811-gen2-loudspeaker
The Piega Coax Gen2 811 loudspeakers are a solid deal, even at 30 big ones. A (let’s say) Focal Maestro–level presentation costs more than twice what these speakers do, and you’d achieve maybe a 10% improvement, if such things are even quantifiable.
The 811s are easy to drive, visually attractive, neutral yet sonically arresting, musical to a T, and built, simultaneously, like a fine watch and a brick outhouse. I felt happy, even spoiled, every day that they were in my system. They coddled my ears and ticked my boxes, and I’m pleased to roar my approval.
Audiophilepure 
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