DECWARE Sarah 300B Integrated Amp Review

April 21, 2023 Comments Off on DECWARE Sarah 300B Integrated Amp Review

TAD DA1000TX $15,900 Review

April 20, 2023 Comments Off on TAD DA1000TX $15,900 Review

https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/tad-da1000tx

Despite all these great things, there are still a few areas where we feel there is space for improvement. One of them concerns rhythmic drive. There is real momentum to Cave’s Babe, I’m On Fire but the DA1000TX doesn’t quite capture that energy. Our feet are still tapping but we know the similarly-priced Chord DAVE would capture more of the verve and drive of the track. It seems TAD’s search for refinement, analysis and control has sacrificed a little of the music’s fun in the process. That includes the way it pulls its punches when it comes to delivering the leading edge of transients and powerful large-scale dynamic shifts. This DAC prefers to err on the side of politeness, and on some more aggressive forms of music, we can feel the loss.

Klipsch La Scala AL5 loudspeaker $13,198 Review

April 20, 2023 Comments Off on Klipsch La Scala AL5 loudspeaker $13,198 Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/klipsch-la-scala-al5-loudspeaker

The Klipsch La Scalas have been in constant production for 59 years, longer than all but a tiny handful of audio products, and this is surely not an accident. (Happily, it also means that secondhand examples, available for a fraction of their current price, are relatively common.) They aren’t perfect, and they require a large room and a suitable amplifier, but they offer the closest thing I’ve heard to a musical performance taking place in my home. They do this as reliably with solo viola as they do with Minor Threat. Best of all, they provide as direct a route as I’ve found to hours of musical engagement—to embodying what Sakuma-san described as “endless energy with sorrow,” to which I would add love, rage, humor, and elation. $13,198 is an investment, but it will buy you some of the most sonically irrepressible and musically communicative speakers in the known cosmos. They just may sustain you for life.

Why Music Festivals Sound Better Than Ever 

April 20, 2023 Comments Off on Why Music Festivals Sound Better Than Ever 

FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Music Streamer, Preamplifier, and Headphone Amplifier $700 Review

April 19, 2023 Comments Off on FiiO R7 Desktop Digital Music Streamer, Preamplifier, and Headphone Amplifier $700 Review

After hundreds of listening hours with FiiO’s R7 musical masterpiece on a variety of sound systems/headphones/IEMs, it was always easy to use and sounded great. While no one has heard every piece of audio gear at the under $1000 price level, for $699 FiiO has a big hit on its hands yet again. There are reasons why you see FiiO reviewed very positively within many publications all around the world. Overall, FiiO produces audio gear whose sound quality seems to far exceed the asking price time and time again.

If you love bass-heavy modern music, the FiiO never seems to run out of go-go juice. For naturally recorded acoustic music midrange mavens, you’re in for a real treat! For those whose ears are very sensitive to upper midrange and highs, your ears will be greeted with a delightful sound. The sound of the FiiO R7 is recording studio clean. I can not think of another product within the market today for under $1000 that offers as much usability, flexibility, and sound quality as the FiiO R7. But don’t just take my word for it. I encourage you to read other magazine reviews too. Then give it a listen and decide for yourself.

Playback Designs MPS-X Review

April 19, 2023 Comments Off on Playback Designs MPS-X Review

The first version of the PLINK interface was launched more than 15 years ago and supported DSD up to 5.6MHz. This version is called “Classic” and is implemented in the Playback Designs 5-series products and IPS-3 (unless they have been upgraded). As technology never sits still, the DSD sample rate has been expanded to 11.2MHz several years ago. Accordingly, Playback Designs also expanded the PLINK format and called it “Sonoma” reminiscent of its Sonoma workstation origin.

Interestingly, PLINK is compatible with NAGRA LINK. This means that the MPS-X Network Transport is compatible with NAGRA DACs that have a NAGRA Link input. And the same logic applies to the MPT-8 Transport. This is worth noting as there are currently no CD/SACD or Streamer Transports in the NAGRA catalog.

Sony ZX707 Music Player Review 

April 19, 2023 Comments Off on Sony ZX707 Music Player Review 

Alta Audio Alec Loudspeaker £10,000 Review

April 18, 2023 Comments Off on Alta Audio Alec Loudspeaker £10,000 Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/alta-audio-alec-loudspeaker

As an example, the bass guitar on Simply Red’s ‘Sad Old Red’ [Picture Book; Elektra EKT27 960 452-1] was superb – each note lithe, clean and crisp, along with hand movements along the fretboard. In contrast, on the Cigarettes After Sex track, the bass strings sounded indistinct and somewhat bloated. Moreover, the bassline on Jenny Jones’ ‘Blessed Northern Daughter’ [Go! Discs GODX 103] was gently glossed over, although the weight and punch of the kick drum went some way to disguise it.

Conversely, the vocal ‘pop’ in the second verse of ‘Somewhere, Somebody’ from Jennifer Warnes’ The Hunter [Private Music 261974], which is usually firmly in subwoofer-only territory, was easy to hear. In addition, the rib-tickling bass underpinning ‘Turning Ground’ on Caroline Lavelle’s Spirit [N-GRAM Recordings 4509 98137 2] was present and correct, and didn’t modulate the vocals at all – an unwanted effect I have heard before through lesser designs. When the Alecs get it right, they get it very right indeed.

SHANLING M0 PRO REVIEW

April 18, 2023 Comments Off on SHANLING M0 PRO REVIEW

Black Ice F35 Review

April 18, 2023 Comments Off on Black Ice F35 Review