Rega Naia Turntable Review
November 16, 2023 Comments Off on Rega Naia Turntable Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2023/10/13/rega-naia-turntable
As review time was limited (Audiophilia policy is three months with gear, but special dispensation was made for the circumstances), I chose each record very carefully to test specific attributes of the ‘table. One of my favourites is the 1972 Decca Varèse LP by Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Edgard Varèse; France, 1883 – 1965). Superb in any guise, including the London and Speakers Corner pressings, the Decca is spectacular in soundstage depth and tests the ability of the analogue front end to replicate the myriad of subtle percussive timbres and image placement (
Introducing the NEO iDSD 2 by iFi audio
November 16, 2023 Comments Off on Introducing the NEO iDSD 2 by iFi audio
Wilson LoKe subwoofer $8950 Review
November 14, 2023 Comments Off on Wilson LoKe subwoofer $8950 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/wilson-loke-subwoofer
I expected bass to be bigger, deeper, and more fleshed out with the LōKē. That it certainly was. What I did not expect was the ability of Wilson’s smallest subwoofer to enhance every aspect of the listening experience—especially the sense of space. As the soundstage grew deeper, wider, and more coherent, as soundstage boundaries became more evident, as air between and around instruments and voices increased and the quality of music reproduction rose to mesmerizing levels, my appreciation for the transformative potential of the LōKē grew exponentially.
Audition the LōKē. Throw all your favorite music at it, and give it a major bass workout. Turn it on and off and on again and discover for yourself what a difference it makes. If your room and speakers are appropriate for its size and power and your budget allows, it’s hard to imagine that you won’t be tempted to invite Thor’s little brother into your system for a long stay. My highest recommendation.
Electrocompaniet AW 800 M stereo/monoblock power amplifier $45,000 Review
November 14, 2023 Comments Off on Electrocompaniet AW 800 M stereo/monoblock power amplifier $45,000 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/electrocompaniet-aw-800-m-stereomonoblock-power-amplifier
The AW 800 M’s unique voice is perhaps best described by returning to where I started, with soup. In the most miraculous miso soup I ever tasted, meticulously cut, carefully proportioned, and impeccably arranged vegetables and herbs floated free from each other in a clear, savory broth. Each morsel had its own unique flavor, as did the broth itself. Because no taste overpowered any other, the entire bouquet of flavors was there to savor.
Many humans would gladly exchange that miso masterpiece for a bowl of the Atlantic Fish Company’s finest Boston Clam Chowder. Need I begin to recount how different they are in taste, consistency, subtlety of flavors (or lack thereof), and appearance?
Which is superior? Our frequent online critics will be all too eager to either supply a definitive answer or to state that only by measuring certain viscous parameters can you be sure which soup is best. I, in turn, would advise you, unless you have specific allergies or sensitivities, to stick with taste. As different as they are, you may find you crave both. And even if you prefer one over the other, you’ll be richer for the experience—as you will for tasting the Electrocompaniet AW 800 M Reference mono
STAX SR-009S Electrostatic Review
November 14, 2023 Comments Off on STAX SR-009S Electrostatic Review
Chord Electronics Ultima 6 Power Amplifier $9925 Review
November 13, 2023 Comments Off on Chord Electronics Ultima 6 Power Amplifier $9925 Review
In terms of detail retrieval, transparency, bandwidth, soundstage, and stability, the Ultima 6 is up there with power amplifiers at the top of its price class. I absolutely loved it, especially when driven by my Naim NAC 82 preamp, which added a little more exuberance to the sound. Partnered with the matching Ultima Pre 3, the combination was also deeply impressive, and offered a superb insight into the music. This combination was particularly notable for the way it handled low-level detail, such as ambient cues, the sound of fingers on guitar, or the subtle inflections in the vocal performance of an artist. The sound was never fatiguing, and always absolutely natural. It’s easy to see why the BBC uses Chord amplification.
McIntosh C12000 preamplifier $16,000 Review
November 13, 2023 Comments Off on McIntosh C12000 preamplifier $16,000 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/mcintosh-c12000-preamplifier
People who invent new roses utilize a process called hybridization. Thousands of new roses can be traced back to a few wild rose species. McIntosh has cross-pollinated tubed and solid state electronics, resulting in lovely sonic flavors and colors. The C12000 blends the best from both worlds while also offering a choice, honoring both innovation and tradition. My time auditioning the C12000 was memorable. Considering its flexibility, whatever your priorities, now and in the future, the McIntosh C12000 2-Channel Solid State and Vacuum Tube Preamplifier merits close consideration if you can swing the price. I bought the review sample. Definitively Class A
Audeze CRBN Flagship Electrostatic Headphones Review
November 13, 2023 Comments Off on Audeze CRBN Flagship Electrostatic Headphones Review
Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G loudspeaker$17,900 Review
November 12, 2023 § 1 Comment
https://www.stereophile.com/content/monitor-audio-platinum-300-3g-loudspeaker
I see I haven’t commented yet on the Platinum 300 3G’s degree of tonal neutrality. This speaker is commendably uncolored. Solo piano recordings are very revealing of problems in the upper midrange, but the piano on the Silverman concert recording sounded both natural and full range, with no notes emphasized. The only aspect of the Monitor Audio’s sonic signature that did occasionally concern me was a slight emphasis to recorded sibilance, more noticeable with the solid state Naim and Parasound amplifiers than with the tubed Audio Research I/50 or, paradoxically perhaps, the class-D NAD. The I/50’s top octave starts to roll off prematurely into low impedances (footnote 1), which could account somewhat for its mitigation of this slight sibilance, though the shape of the Platinum 300 3G’s impedance magnitude trace (fig.1 in the Measurements sidebar) suggests that this rolloff will be minimal.
I finished my critical listening sessions with Joni Mitchell at Newport (24/192 FLAC, Rhino/Qobuz), recorded live in 2022. What can I say? With its lack of coloration and neutral tonal balance, Monitor Audio’s Platinum 300 3G did justice not just to Mitchell’s age-deepened voice but to those of all the singers featured on this album.
Aavik I-880 Integrated Amplifier $70,000 Review
November 12, 2023 Comments Off on Aavik I-880 Integrated Amplifier $70,000 Review
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