Hegel Music integrated amplifiers $12,500 Review
October 5, 2023 Comments Off on Hegel Music integrated amplifiers $12,500 Review
Concluding his review, Philip pronounced the H600 “an exceptional integrated amplifier” with “a topflight DAC that can easily rival external DACs costing thousands of dollars.” He also declared, “This is the finest integrated amplifier-DAC combination I’ve heard in my time as a reviewer.” Together with the fine set of measurements from our lab, Philip’s praise earned the H600 a Reviewers’ Choice designation at the time the review was published—and now a Recommended Reference Component award. But those aren’t the only accolades that the H600 has received. About two weeks after Philip’s review was published, the EISA organization, a global group of print and online publications covering several consumer-electronics market segments, presented the H600 with one of its Best Product awards. It is unquestionably one of the most critically acclaimed integrated amplifiers on the market right now.
Schiit Kickin’ Rekker $149 Review
October 5, 2023 Comments Off on Schiit Kickin’ Rekker $149 Review
The Saga+ did not sound exactly like my Pass XP12 ($6100) but it was far closer than I would have thought. Far closer. Grit, grain, attenuated frequency extremes? No. I was stunned at how good the Saga+ sounded. This is a really linear reproduction of music. My benchmark for good sound is not imaging or soundstaging or the visual elements of music, but tone and timbre, they’re absolutely essential to me. The Saga+ and the Pass XP12 were far more alike than I’d have thought. Far more.
Both are just a wee bit drier than a well balanced tube line stage, but, they’re both very good. Where the Pass stepped ahead was with nuance. Music was just more elegant, performances seemed just a bit better executed. I found myself holding my breath just a little more often with the Pass than the Saga+. If the cost of the Pass does not dent your pocket book, get it, it’s better. No question. If it’s a painful stretch, the Saga+ should be on your radar.
To contextualize, if a Saga+ system is not as rich as desired, I believe the listener should reach for a richer source or richer speakers first. This small, inexpensive preamp is a stunner. Of course, if you have thick or stiff cables… forget it, the Saga+ at six pounds is going to get pushed off your shelf.
Building a satisfying system is about knowing what you want and making complimentary choices to fill your bill. Were I starting as an audiophile today, I’d look at the Saga+ as maybe a starting and destination preamp for audiophiles that don’t want to spend decades and tons of money chasing their tails. Sure, better performance is available but that’s an endless and expensive climb, summiting with the Saga+ gets a great view of music at a silly good price. Overlook it at your wallet and time’s peril.
Crystal Cable Art Series Monet Speaker Cables $17,000 Review
October 4, 2023 Comments Off on Crystal Cable Art Series Monet Speaker Cables $17,000 Review
Circling back to Rich’s BIL, in this system the twenty large would definitely be better spent on speakers, amp, or source, but the reviewing lifestyle makes for strange bedfellows. That said, my basement is a dark dungeon compared to Rob’s living room, so it took until now, the last minute, to really get the full effect of just how elegant these cables are.
I guess at this point it goes without saying that there’s value here in the admittedly intimidating retail price of these cables, but it’s not just in sound quality. If you were to purchase the Monets for use in your system, you’d also be buying elegance and exclusivity. These cables aren’t for everyone, but man, oh man, do they stand out in a crowd.
IsoAcoustics Gaia I Footers $499 set of four Review
October 4, 2023 Comments Off on IsoAcoustics Gaia I Footers $499 set of four Review
This is a level one solution, and it does work to a degree. The IsoAcoustics footers alleviate the effects of these unwanted resonances by providing stability in the horizontal plane, and then fashioning a pathway to drain and dissipate vibrations from the speaker cabinet, or in case of the CLX ART, the speaker frame. This is more than a bit of smoke in mirrors, as these products have undergone both frequency response testing in anechoic chambers and laser scanning vibration measurements at the National Research Council of Canada facilities. There are measurable and repeatable effects in using the Gaia footers in our audio systems. These footers are engineered to work under a wide variety of speakers, which is to be expected since the design provides a pathway to sink and dissipate undesirable energy. If you use a speaker with traditional cabinets such as the Sonus faber Stradivarius that Robert Youman owns, or an electrostatic panel such as my Martin Logan CLX ART, you will find tangible benefits from this product.
VPI INDUSTRIES AVENGER DIRECT TURNTABLE $36,000 REVIEW
October 3, 2023 Comments Off on VPI INDUSTRIES AVENGER DIRECT TURNTABLE $36,000 REVIEW
The design and engineering involved in putting this thing together are beyond impressive. The direct drive system on this alien-looking device feels about as accurate as an atomic clock and seems strong enough to drive a mill wheel! The tonearm is a thing of engineering beauty and is a joy to dial in and use. The entire construct feels as solid and immobile as the rock of Gibraltar. The rock itself is actually less impressive as it doesn’t play music! I lucked out that both the Avenger Direct and Audio-Technica ART20 cartridge made for a superior-sounding pair. In hindsight, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise as that’s the company VPI works with to help design and produce its own Shyla and Goldy cartridges.
For most people, $36K is not a whim to go dropping on a turntable and VPI builds and sells several fine turntables at a variety of price points to satisfy many a vinyl buff. And while the (over) the top-of-the-line Vanquish turntable system is very much a statement piece, the Avenger Direct is more of a benchmark. It very much embodies everything you could possibly do to wring every last bit of analog goodness from the grooves of a record. And aesthetically, it’s a lust-worthy piece of gear to boot.
Ars-Sonum Armonía Stereo Amplifier $5250 Review
October 3, 2023 Comments Off on Ars-Sonum Armonía Stereo Amplifier $5250 Review
https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1827-ars-sonum-armonia-stereo-amplifier
Yes, some care needs to taken when choosing speakers to use with the amp—that’s true of almost all tube amps and other amps with similar or lower power outputs. That is where I (your friendly Ars-Sonum distributor) come in. I am more than happy to talk with anyone interested in a Ars-Sonum amplifier (new or used!) to answer any questions about compatibility with whatever gear and speakers the customer may have. As well, for those (tube-head) Ars-Sonum amplifier owners who wish to “roll” different EL34s (n.b., KT77s are not recommended), I am happy to test their set of EL34s in our Amplitrex tube tester and then try them in the Filarmonía or Armonía on my test bench to verify matching and that self-biasing measurements meet factory specs for the amp.
Audiophilepure 
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