Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated Amplifier $11,250 Review
August 7, 2024 Comments Off on Chord Electronics Ultima Integrated Amplifier $11,250 Review
It’s been some time since I’ve had a Diana Krall album on repeat play. But knowing how dependable her recordings are, I thought I’d give in to my hidden desires and listen to “Dancing in the Dark” from The Look of Love (24-bit/96kHz FLAC, Verve Records / Tidal). This choice was rewarded, as the Chord Ultima Integrated bathed me in a smooth, sweet, and detailed presentation that felt effortless. The rasp of the shaker positioned to the right sounded distinct and present, yet had a velvety texture. Krall’s unmistakable voice was ever so real, her expressive intonations and varied tone beautifully rendered by the Chord amplifier. Double-bass plucks were full and tuneful, well endowed with instrumental timbre. I was most impressed with the realism of the woody strikes on the slit drum. The Ultima Integrated laid out the images across a dark, elegantly lit soundstage. The images possessed soft contours—no cookie-cutter outlines here. These images appeared on a black backdrop, with nothing in between to detract attention from them. The soundstage width remained within the outer edges of my loudspeakers, though it stretched out more deeply than my front wall.
Format Changes Coming Soon to Tidal
August 7, 2024 Comments Off on Format Changes Coming Soon to Tidal
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/format-changes-coming-soon-tidal
MQA tracks in personal collections and playlists will be automatically replaced by the highest quality FLAC version available to the service, though the company admits that there “may not be a replacement for every single one.” For MQA tracks or albums that have been downloaded for offline access, subscribers will need to update to the latest version of the app on July 24 and re-download those tracks.
“We are working hard to ensure all existing MQA tracks will be replaced with a FLAC version in a timely manner,” Tidal says.
The move to drop Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format comes in the wake of the decision to embrace Dolby Atmos as its go-to format for immersive surround sound. Tidal said it chose Atmos as “the format we will support going forward due to the number of compatible
ESTELON AURA FLOOR-STANDING LOUDSPEAKER $19,900 REVIEW
August 6, 2024 Comments Off on ESTELON AURA FLOOR-STANDING LOUDSPEAKER $19,900 REVIEW
Though the AURA Loudspeakers are part of Estelon’s entry-level line, they still outperform many other excellent speakers I have reviewed over the years. They are not inexpensive, but their composite cabinetry, custom drivers, high-end internal wiring, generally excellent design, and form factor make them a “forever” speaker for many of us. As I mentioned before, the AURA whets my appetite to hear the bigger siblings in Estelon’s arsenal. Putting it into perspective, I can’t afford a Lamborghini either, but I’d still like to test-drive one.
It Isn’t Just the Music
August 6, 2024 Comments Off on It Isn’t Just the Music
https://www.stereophile.com/content/it-isnt-just-music
Until each track and album is tagged with reliable metadata—and your streaming appliance or app displays it—it’s impossible to know exactly what you’re hearing. Some listeners may not care, but we do, and we think others do.
Another form of control over music, and an important one, is search. Searching physical media may be laborious, but if your organization scheme is sound and you stick to it, you will find what you’re looking for, and you know when you’ve found it, since you’re holding it in your hands. Generally, streaming search engines are reliable and useful only for common, simple music. Search the same terms on Spotify and Qobuz, and you’ll likely get different results—maybe not for “Taylor Swift Red,” but try “Dorati Stravinsky” or “Copland Bernstein.” Many audiophiles have chosen Roon for this reason—because of its superior, cross-platform search capabilities. But from a search perspective, Roon is hardly ideal—and it doesn’t incorporate the two most popular streamers, Spotify and Apple Music. What’s more, though Roon adds data on many recordings versus what the streaming apps provide, that data is tied to titles and not to specific releases. For instance, multiple versions of Kind of Blue list all the engineers who ever remastered it instead of the correct person for that version
Warwick Bravura Electrostatic Headphones Review
August 6, 2024 Comments Off on Warwick Bravura Electrostatic Headphones Review
Triode Lab 2A3 EVO integrated amplifier Review
August 5, 2024 Comments Off on Triode Lab 2A3 EVO integrated amplifier Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/triode-lab-2a3-evo-integrated-amplifier
Triode Lab amplifiers employ negative feedback to reduce distortion, stabilize gain, extend frequency response, and perhaps also to lower output impedance—but not a lot. “All our amps have a minimal amount of negative feedback, which is needed for good sound quality, stable performance, refinement, noise control, etc.,” wrote Noam Bronstein. “It also increases reliability and the ability to drive more types of speakers.”
To better understand a designer’s sonic vision, I always ask about their reference systems. Frank Ng’s Triode Lab system is a study in contrasts: Esoteric SACD player/DAC and an Accuphase tuner serve up music on the digital side. A Linn LP12 turntable with a Nagaoka MP300 cartridge spins vinyl. Ng employs a variety of speakers, ranging from single-driver designs to two-way and three-way configurations, with a focus on high-sensitivity speakers including horns. Furutech, Cardas, and Finale cables complete the chain.
Diana Krall’s The Look Of Love – Acoustic Sounds Series
August 5, 2024 Comments Off on Diana Krall’s The Look Of Love – Acoustic Sounds Series
Verve Records writes: “Diana Krall’s The Look Of Love (Acoustic Sounds Series) is available now to pre-order! The Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging for the very best in audio and design. This revered recording from 2001 is a cinematic album of ballads and bossa nova tunes, coupled with the elegant piano playing and peerless vocals that are so, inimitably, Diana Krall. Pre-Order:
Astell&Kern + Empire Ears NOVUS Review
August 5, 2024 Comments Off on Astell&Kern + Empire Ears NOVUS Review
E.A.T. Fortissimo S Turntable
August 4, 2024 Comments Off on E.A.T. Fortissimo S Turntable
The Fortissimo S employs opposing magnets for platter support. This reduces the effective load on the bearing surface. The bearing has a unique inverted design topped with a ceramic ball and mounted in a steel alloy block. The shaft surface features a graphene-based low-friction coating that reduces friction to 1/6 of the EAT Forte S.
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