Astell&Kern SP3000 DAP Music Player Review
May 14, 2023 Comments Off on Astell&Kern SP3000 DAP Music Player Review
RIAA Confirms LPs Outsold CDs in 2022
May 12, 2023 Comments Off on RIAA Confirms LPs Outsold CDs in 2022
https://www.analogplanet.com/content/riaa-confirms-lps-outsold-cds-2022
Looking at the bigger revenue picture overall, recorded music revenues in the U.S. in 2022 continued to grow for the seventh consecutive year. Total revenues grew 6% to a record high $15.9 billion at estimated retail value. In what comes as little-to-no surprise, streaming continued to be the biggest driver of growth, with record levels of engagement in paid subscriptions, continued growth in ad-supported format revenues, and growing contributions from new platforms and services. At wholesale value, those revenues grew 5% and exceeded $10 billion for the first time ever.
Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERa Mono power amplifier $106,000 Review – 2100W into 8 ohms
May 12, 2023 Comments Off on Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERa Mono power amplifier $106,000 Review – 2100W into 8 ohms
https://www.stereophile.com/content/karan-acoustics-master-collection-powera-mono-power-amplifier
As I got my power act together and fine-tuned the system (as I always do, as a matter of course), the POWERa monoblocks surpassed that initial assessment. By a lot. I queued up an old standby, Yello’s “Electrified II” from Toy (24/48 MQA, Polydor 0602547879851/Tidal). Whoa! Even more than the soundstage, which covered the width of the room and extended far up, what stood out was the strength and solidity of deep bass—and beyond. Everything from the pounding beat to Dieter Meier’s recitation and Malia’s vocals seemed to have greater presence. For visceral impact, swiftness of attack, and sheer, apparent accuracy, the POWERa monoblocks top every other monoblock, stereo amp, or integrated I’ve reviewed (footnote 7). Ditto for color saturation, shading, dynamics, and the ability to portray the most complex passages without a hint of compression.
Another, far more system-trying test of bass is the second movement explosion in Shostakovich’s Symphony No.11 as performed by Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra on their award-winning live recording, Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 11 “The Year 1905” (24/96 MQA, DG/Tidal). I’ve heard this recording on many systems, including those with speakers far bigger than the Wilson Alexia V‘s. But never have I heard a huge bass drum portrayed with such convincing realism: The virtually instantaneous transition from the initial sharp attack to the forceful resonance and decay; the size and weight of the sound; and the depth of emotional impact felt true to the source.
Chord Electronics ULTIMA PRE 3 6 POWER amp REVIEW
May 12, 2023 Comments Off on Chord Electronics ULTIMA PRE 3 6 POWER amp REVIEW
Hegel Music Systems H30A Stereo/Mono Amplifier $19,000 REVIEW
May 11, 2023 Comments Off on Hegel Music Systems H30A Stereo/Mono Amplifier $19,000 REVIEW
Over the last couple of years, I’ve had three amplifiers with similar power ratings in my system: the Bryston, the Simaudio, and this here Hegel. At 300, 225, and 300Wpc respectively, all three could be considered high-powered, but power doesn’t tell the whole story. The Simaudio and Hegel are both bruisers, weighing around 100 pounds each, and the $20,000 Simaudio clocks in very close in price to the Hegel. The Bryston is lighter; and unlike the Moon and Hegel, isn’t really billed as a drives-any-load amplifier. The Simaudio stands out due to its ambitious coachwork—all panels are made from thick, milled aluminum. But at the end of the day, none of those parameters would drive my buying decision. An amplifier has one real job: it has to sound good. All three of these amps do that, but the Hegel did it best.
JBL 4305P £1,999 Review
May 11, 2023 Comments Off on JBL 4305P £1,999 Review
The JBL 4305P audio streaming system is a classic ‘game of two halves’. The first half consists of perceived value, pride of ownership and all that stuff – and let’s not beat around the bush here, the 4305P come up short in this regard. That ‘1970s studio’ look might have some retro-appeal but it is not for everyone, and other, more modern-looking designs have greater tactility than this system. When the second half kicks off, though, and we start to consider the way the 4305P performs, well, it’s a different story.
In every meaningful respect, the JBL 4305P is an enjoyable and galvanising listen. It gets all the technical aspects right, and it manages to do so without being in any way dispassionate or analytical about it. ‘Meticulous’ is not the same as ‘emotionless’, after all, and the way the 4305P looks and feels is not the same as the way it sounds.
Spirit Torino Pulsar Open Back Dynamic Review
May 11, 2023 Comments Off on Spirit Torino Pulsar Open Back Dynamic Review
Stein Music Bobby S Ultimate Loudspeaker $18,750 Review
May 9, 2023 Comments Off on Stein Music Bobby S Ultimate Loudspeaker $18,750 Review
Not inexpensive, the Bobby S Ultimate seemed high value to me with two-way speakers selling for $30,000 and more but not outperforming these beauties. Holger Stein, CEO and chief designer of these speakers, recently won the Counnas Innovation Award from the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society, a first for a designer from Europe. I have never tried anything he has designed that did not perform to the max for dedicated audiophiles and music lovers. The Bobby S Ultimate fit the bill for audiophiles who want the best two-way stand-mounted speakers available today and are most highly recommended
Burmester 032 Integrated Amplifier Review
May 9, 2023 Comments Off on Burmester 032 Integrated Amplifier Review
Audiophilepure 
You must be logged in to post a comment.