SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V $35,619 Review
September 4, 2024 Comments Off on SME Model 20 Mk 2/Series V $35,619 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/sme-model-20-mk-2series-v
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.
HIFIMAN MINI SHANGRI-LA ELECTROSTATIC HEADPHONE SYSTEM
September 4, 2024 Comments Off on HIFIMAN MINI SHANGRI-LA ELECTROSTATIC HEADPHONE SYSTEM
About two weeks after I received the HIFIMAN SUSVARA UNVEILED Planar Magnetic Headphone the HIFIMAN Mini Shangri-La Electrostatic Headphone System arrived in a large master carton which I opened immediately to find two smaller boxes, one for the HIFIMAN Mini Shangri-La Electrostatic Headphone, and the other housing the HIFIMAN Mini Shangri-La Electrostatic Amplifier. First order of business was to connect the amplifier to my Core Power Technologies A/V Equi=Core 1000 and HIFIMAN EF600 R2R DAC & Headphone Amplifier via the balanced DAC outputs using Black Dragon Cables and, after plugging in the headphone, I cued up my Qobuz “equipment break-in” playlist and set it to run my accustomed 100 hours while I worked on other reviews. The first thing I noticed before even opening the box was how lightweight the headphone was, by far the lightest over-ear headphone in my extensive collection. During my burn-in period, it became clear that the HIFIMAN Mini Shangri-La Electrostatic Amplifier runs a bit on the warm side, which is actually normal for MOSFET amplifiers, but you probably don’t want to set your DAC or Headphone Stand on top as this might cause premature aging.
Reference Audiophile HiFi Set-up Tour 2024
September 4, 2024 Comments Off on Reference Audiophile HiFi Set-up Tour 2024
JBL L42ms Integrated Music System $1,000 Review
September 3, 2024 Comments Off on JBL L42ms Integrated Music System $1,000 Review
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/jbl-l42ms
While I wouldn’t consider the L42ms to be a substitute for a full-sized stereo system, it comes close enough to that experience whereby in any situation that space is limited or where the convenience and aesthetics of an all-in-one system increase its appeal, this JBL fits the bill. Movies, Games and TV
I’ve already covered the caveats and qualifiers about how this JBL is not really a soundbar. But if you use it for AV, the truth is it is an excellent-sounding unit that offers exceptional dialogue clarity. You won’t get surround-sound or Atmos out of it, but with the subwoofer output you can easily hook up a monster sub—I tested it with an 18” Perlisten—and experience movies with impact that’s almost as if you were in a theater. This was certainly the case when I screened Bad Boys: Ride or Die. With the sub, the crazy action scenes had all the impact you expect from an explosion and gunshot-filled Jerry Bruckheimer production.
Grimm Audio MU2 streaming preamplifier Review
September 3, 2024 Comments Off on Grimm Audio MU2 streaming preamplifier Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/grimm-audio-mu2-streaming-preamplifier
The Grimm MU2 is a bang-up success. It combines cutting-edge digital processing and digital-to-analog conversion with a Roon Core and a remarkably transparent volume control and input/ output selector. It would be an ideal central element in a sophisticated stereo system in which streaming and file playback are the most important music sources but where other sources, analog or digital, are supported without compromise. The MU2 is not inexpensive, but it offers completely satisfying sound and flawless ergonomics. It is worthy of the very best amplifiers, speakers, and critical listeners.
The Manley Labs Absolute Headphone Amp $5,500 Review
September 3, 2024 Comments Off on The Manley Labs Absolute Headphone Amp $5,500 Review
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 Review
September 2, 2024 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins PI7 Review
https://www.hifichoice.com/content/bowers-wilkins-pi7
The PI7’s noise cancelling is effective in the reduction of external noise without any really perceivable effect on the tonal balance of the music itself and the app-controlled adjustment works like a charm too. Sending audio via the case has also worked well. The 3.5mm-to-USB connection is noisier than the standard Bluetooth hookup, but it works without dropouts and provides a genuinely interesting unique selling point. Some brief testing over AAC Bluetooth via an iPad Pro are listenable, but less capable than the higher bandwidth Bluetooth options but this isn’t really the PI7’s fault.
AURIS AUDIO HEADONIA 300B REVIEW
September 2, 2024 Comments Off on AURIS AUDIO HEADONIA 300B REVIEW
The Headonia 300b logically uses 300b power tubes, and it combines it with 6SN7 input tubes, delivering 7W of power, driving even the most power-hungry headphones. The Headonia 300b of course has a low and high gain setting, but I hardly ever needed that. More on that later.
Here are some of the Headonia 300b features:
The power supply inside the Headonia is designed to provide a staggering 1000 times less ripple than standard PSU units. Complemented by amorphous double C core output transformers, meticulously tuned input and output impedances ensure optimal performance
T+A R 2500 R multisource receiver $18,880 Review
September 1, 2024 Comments Off on T+A R 2500 R multisource receiver $18,880 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/ta-r-2500-r-multisource-receiver
The first thing I like to test with amplifiers new to my B&W 808 speakers is the low end. The Benchmark amp drives these speakers with remarkable control and precise bass extension. A bassline that is recorded distinctly should sound the same; the beat should be crisp and well-defined. I have created a Qobuz playlist, “Bass Test,” made of tracks I find useful in amplifier and speaker comparisons (footnote 9). Some of these tracks are far from the ultimate floor-shakers, but each tells me something about how an amp/speaker combo handles the lowest octaves. For instance, in Bob Marley’s “Concrete Jungle,” the tonality of the bass instrument is distinctive, and each note is clearly articulated. It’s the same with the Grateful Dead’s cover of “Mama Tried,” with the tonality of Phil Lesh’s bass amp also part of the sound. “Flea,” from St. Vincent’s recent All Born Screaming, features interestingly jagged bass-synth sounds. Meanwhile, Professor Longhair’s “Big Chief,” in the version by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, has a prominent bass part for sousaphone. And Charlie Watts’s booming kickdrum on “Honky Tonk Women” from the Stones’ Forty Licks anthology should pound like a gut punch when the volume is turned up to a level suitable for the raunchy romp the song calls for. In all cases, the T+A R 2500 R’s power amp comported itself well.
Audiophilepure 
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