KECES Audio S300+ Power Amplifier and S4 Stereo Preamplifier $3800 Review
October 3, 2024 Comments Off on KECES Audio S300+ Power Amplifier and S4 Stereo Preamplifier $3800 Review
The only disappointment that I had in auditioning the S4’s phono stage was not having a DS Audio optical cartridge to test out the S4’s EQ capability. Believe me, I tried to secure a DS Audio cartridge for review, but the queue is way out the door and down the street! Others will have to tell that part of the story. Long story short, the phono stage of the S4 sounds superb, and significantly adds to the S4’s appeal. In sum, the S4 preamp and S300+ amplifier faithfully and accurately deliver source material and ancillary system choices. They do better with a little warm up, however, and the the power supply for the S4 and the S300+ run warm, so keep a cool bevvy at the ready.
Whew! Okay, so maybe all of this is more than simply “Notes.” Like the Ebravo streamer, the KECES Audio S300+ Power Amplifier and S4 Stereo Preamplifier offer excellent value and highly accomplished sound. KECES Audio is a new discovery for me, (although there are reviews on PF dating back more than a few years). I have a feeling that, as word spreads about this company’s sound and apparent build quality, the prices will go up. As such, the S300+ Amplifier and S4 Stereo Preamplifier may be worth auditioning sooner, rather than later. I’m confident that you will find such an effort to be well worth your time.
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle Review
October 3, 2024 Comments Off on SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle Review
Turntable Buyer’s Guide
October 2, 2024 Comments Off on Turntable Buyer’s Guide
With the vinyl resurgence, we live in a golden age of well-made turntables, many of them at prices affordable to one and all. From Rega to Pro-Ject, Thorens to AMG, Acoustic Signature to VPI Industries, J. Sikora to Clearaudio, E.A.T. to Michell, and many, many others in between and beyond, modern turntables come at every price point, using materials as common as MDF and glass to brass, aluminum, carbon fiber, copper, glass, and even gold.
Telos Audio QRC Power Conditioner & GNR Grounding Device | REVIEW
October 2, 2024 Comments Off on Telos Audio QRC Power Conditioner & GNR Grounding Device | REVIEW
https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2024/09/13/telos-audio-review
The Telos Audio QRC and GNR, however, seem to have a more comprehensive approach to noise suppression and power management. Put these two devices into your system and boom! Noise floor eliminated. There was such a thorough feeling of quiet in my system that I started hearing more of what was happening outside–those friggin’ noisy hummingbirds and Stellar’s Jays and ospreys, the occasional lapping of water on the shore from a boat wake, Colleen in the middle of a Zoom call on the other end of the house. Is that a bad thing? Of course not! But it demonstrates the effects of the Telos Audio gear on my reference system in a fairly obvious way.
Do you need both the QRC and the GNR to achieve this level of quiet in your hi-fi? That’s an interesting question, because I did spend considerable time in determining which product contributed the most to the overall improvement–power conditioning and grounding may have a common goal, but they’re traveling from different directions to get to the crossroads. The Telos Audio QRC added consistency to the signal, a feeling that there was always a steady flow of juice coursing through the system to deliver the same results every time. The GNR, however, supplied the silence. That black and velvety silence, that space between the notes that’s just as important as the notes.
Fiio M23 $699 Review
October 1, 2024 Comments Off on Fiio M23 $699 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/fiio-m23
Despite the A&norma SR35 convincingly being the more engaging of the two, the Fiio isn’t exactly a bore – we still find ourselves nodding away to upbeat tracks in our library, such as Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop and Michael Jackson’s P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). And even if you aren’t made to feverishly foot-tap until you get cramp, there’s every chance you’ll be engrossed by the amount of detail the M23 can dig up. I
ndeed, we can’t help but admire not only the breadth of its presentation but how much information – both in the outlines and harmonics of notes – it conveys within it. In the Jackson track, stark clarity and texture are generously bestowed across the frequency spectrum, clinging to the cymbals, electric piano and bass, his youthful vocal suitably dripping with its intended playfulness.
Métronome AQWO 2 Hybrid DAC + SACD/CD + Streamer $22,000 Review
October 1, 2024 Comments Off on Métronome AQWO 2 Hybrid DAC + SACD/CD + Streamer $22,000 Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2024/7/3/mtronome-aqwo-2-hybrid-dac-sacdcd-streamer
I focused on one very special recording, the ESOTERIC SACD/CD of Mischa Maisky, cello and Martha Argerich, piano from an original Philips digital recording from 1985 of music by Schubert. I’ve been playing the Red Book layer for many years on the MBL and have yet to hear a cello sound (analog or digital) more beautiful than Maisky produces when playing Schubert’s famous “Sonata for Arpeggione and Piano in A minor, D. 821.” This late Schubert work is a masterpiece and the Maisky/Argerich duo play it better than most.
We began with the SACD layer played back on the Métronome. Just as I remembered it on the MBL, rich, harmonically sophisticated with a perfect chamber music soundstage and pinpoint imaging. Maisky and Argerich are sitting in front of me. Glorious.
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle loudspeaker $4999 Review
September 30, 2024 Comments Off on SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle loudspeaker $4999 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/svs-ultra-evolution-pinnacle-loudspeaker
Before I even listened to the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacles loudspeakers, it was clear that they offer a lot of high-quality hardware for the money. I asked company CEO Yacoubian how they could bring this design to market at the stated price. “Our mission has always been to surprise and delight people with the level of performance they get for what they pay,” he answered. “That’s a core value of SVS. We are a very lean machine. We don’t have the margins of some other speaker companies. Our dealers have lean margins as well.”
With fine execution of a complex design, high-quality components, and spectacular musical performance, the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle SVS has raised the bar on what’s possible at and near its price. For anyone aiming to assemble a first high-end music system with limited funds and a sufficiently large room, the Pinnacles are a game changer. The quality-to-cost ratio may be unprecedented. They are a true hi-fi bargain.
Audiophilepure 
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