Canor Asterion V2 £6000 Review
September 15, 2024 Comments Off on Canor Asterion V2 £6000 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/canor-asterion-v2
This turned out to be fortuitous, as the result was excellent as it stood, and PM’s Lab Report [opposite] indicated the single-ended/lower gain route would be the better choice with this cartridge anyway. And when a replacement Pro-Ject Connect it Phono DS cable was eventually delivered, I still preferred the single-ended connection for its more fluid sound and natural high-frequency detail.
Anyway, the tunes on …Cosmic Sofa were originally created for the milestone anime series Cowboy Bebop – not the derivative Netflix version – but Kanno re-recorded them last year for this vinyl release. ‘The Real Folk Blues’ made for especially satisfying listening, the Asterion V2 giving the carefully plucked guitar plenty of presence just as A-Sha Mai Yamane’s crooning was both gritty and packed with emotion. Yet what really stood out – and pardon the audiophile cliché – was the black background, testament to the vanishingly low noise of the Asterion V2 and to the Pick it MC9’s tracking prowess.

NEW HiFi Rose RS130 vs RS150B – a deep dive
September 15, 2024 Comments Off on NEW HiFi Rose RS130 vs RS150B – a deep dive
Cayin N3Ultra Review
September 13, 2024 Comments Off on Cayin N3Ultra Review
At the heart of it all is a locked-down, highly optimized operating system based on Android 8.1, which has been stripped of its usual functions, including networking, to focus solely on delivering the best possible sound quality. This means no third-party apps are supported, allowing the N3 Ultra to bypass Android’s Sample Rate Conversion (SRC) to ensure bit-perfect playback. Navigating through the N3 Ultra’s OS is smooth, despite the rather low-end Snapdragon 425 processor and 2GB of RAM. This is where the software comes in, and the more optimized it is, the better for both the sound and the UI experience. The N3Ultra’s UI snappiness far exceeded my expectations and I was amazed to see it outperform the unlocked Android 13 DAPs with better processors I have. The 4.1-inch TFT touchscreen is responsive and fairly bright, with a good ppi, and displays album art and UI elements sharply. The capacitive home button below the screen acts as an LED indicator, changing colour depending on the sample rate of the file being played.

Burmester B38 Review
September 13, 2024 Comments Off on Burmester B38 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/burmester-b38
Listening to the B38, I was reminded of that famous commercial from Heineken about refreshing the parts that other beers cannot reach. The impact of this speaker’s 32cm woofer – unusually large for even a floorstander at this price – is immediately noticeable, delivering a bass performance with real extension, plus grip and control. Coupled to succinct, clean highs from the AMT tweeter, the resulting sound has plenty of dynamism, and the voicing shows no desire to add extra warmth to what’s already on the track. There’s energy and liveliness; a direct feel to the sound that’s simpatico with the loudspeaker’s physical style.
It’s a performance that worked wonders with Daft Punk’s ‘Da Funk’ [Homework; Parlophone CDV 2821], which begins with a deep, propulsive electronic bassline and rat-a-tat percussion underpinned by a thudding kick drum. Each element landed with rapid attack and decay, the space between beats making it easy to latch on to its nightclub groove. Furthermore, even at a listening level that could be described as anti-social, the B38 didn’t lose its clean, composed nature.


SW1X Lady Pearl Horn Loudspeaker First Impressions
September 13, 2024 Comments Off on SW1X Lady Pearl Horn Loudspeaker First Impressions
Wilson Audio WAMM Master Chronosonic Review
September 12, 2024 Comments Off on Wilson Audio WAMM Master Chronosonic Review
WAMM is my Mount Everest of loudspeakers, capable of presenting an entire symphonic orchestra or an acoustic singer / songwriter on stage right in one’s listening room. I often couldn’t believe what I was hearing when listening to music I know very well. The separation of musicians and instruments was likely the most amazing aspect of what I heard. It was the exact opposite of an entire orchestra that emanates from two loudspeakers. The WAMM’s presentation made Stravinsky Conducts Le Sacre du Printemps (Columbia Symphony Orchestra) sound like there was a loudspeaker for each musician on stage. The separation was mind blowing, and the entire performance retained amazing delicacy, transients, and musical engagement like I’d never experience.
I didn’t set out to write about this listening experience, but the more I listened to the WAMM Master Chronosonic the more I thought I had to at least share a little bit of what I heard with everyone who may never get the opportunity. Only 70 pairs of WAMM Master Chronosonic loudspeakers will ever be built, and the cost is certainly prohibitive for most people, including myself. I have to thank The Audio Salon in Santa Monica, CA for enabling this bucket list audio experience. The WAMM Master Chronosonic checks an item off my bucket list, and checks absolutely every sonic box imaginable for those of us who love music.

SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V $35,619 Review
September 12, 2024 Comments Off on SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V $35,619 Review
The Model 20’s transparency is highlighted when we switch to Orff’s Carmina Burana. The soundstage grows massively, giving a firm sense of the recording venue’s scale. The stereo imaging is as stable as it gets with the orchestra and massed choir firmly planted in place. There is never a hint of stress or loss of focus even as the music becomes dense and demanding. Dynamics are explosive and delivered with breathtaking impact. There is a palpable feeling of power here, and the kind of authority that one rarely hears, even at this level.
A cartridge largely dictates the tonality of a record player. The Ortofon Windfeld Ti is about as even-handed as they come, delivering voices and instruments in a natural way. That said, if you partner this cartridge poorly it wouldn’t be hard to make it sound a little thin and lacking in body. We would expect the selling dealer to advise on the specifics. Make sure that the partnering phono stage has enough gain and quality to cope with the Ortofon’s relatively low output, too.

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