Technics SU-R1000 Integrated Amplifier $9,999 Review
March 30, 2023 Comments Off on Technics SU-R1000 Integrated Amplifier $9,999 Review
Where I do wish Technics would have followed NAD is in the use of the step-up AKM AK5578EN ADC chip and ganged together its 8 channels into two sets of 4 (one set for the left and one set for the right) allowing for a 3 dB increase in SNR. That’s where the largest positive gain could be made. Frankly, for the price point of the SU-R1000, two of those chips could have been used in full mono mode allowing for even more SNR headroom.
To be perfectly honest, there is a heavy dose of nostalgia being leveraged by Technics in the design and marketing of the SU-R1000. That no doubt is a large part of its appeal to someone like me. However, it doesn’t change the fact that, from a subjective standpoint, the Technics SU-R1000 was a pleasure to both look at and listen to while it was in my care. There is something to be said for that.
NAD Masters M23 Stereo/Mono Amplifier $3749 Review
March 29, 2023 Comments Off on NAD Masters M23 Stereo/Mono Amplifier $3749 Review
I’ve had the privilege of hearing a lot of truly excellent amplifiers in my system over the past few years, and the NAD Masters M23 is one of the very best. In fact, it compares very well to my Anthem M1 monoblocks and the Bryston 4B3—my two favorite amps in the upper four-figure price range. While I still prefer the sound of my Anthems, I don’t consider the Bryston or the M1s to be substantially better in any area of performance. And since the M23 is roughly half the cost of those two other amps, it is a screaming bargain, and a great-looking one at that.
IsoAcoustics zaZen II Isolation Platform $229 Review
March 29, 2023 Comments Off on IsoAcoustics zaZen II Isolation Platform $229 Review
How does the zaZen II stack up to state-of-art-isolation like my Critical Mass Systems four-tier Sotto Voce equipment rack? Keeping in mind that zaZen II is limited to relatively small, lightweight components, it nonetheless fared remarkably well. In comparison to the CMS, it couldn’t quite confer the weight or elicit the deepest background silences that underpin large-scale orchestral recordings or big bands, but on key issues like image stability and low-level resolving power the zaZen II gave this listener more than a glimpse of the transparency that intelligent isolation can impart.
On shelf or sideboard, the IsoAcoustics zaZen II will integrate almost invisibly with the décor of an existingden or living room. Visually low-impact, but sonically high-achieving, it provided an excellent foundation for smaller budget systems. The primary takeaway: zaZen’s steadying influence allowed more of the fruits of a musical recording to be revealed and enjoyed.
Esoteric Pro Audio Kora Speaker System.
March 28, 2023 Comments Off on Esoteric Pro Audio Kora Speaker System.
https://www.monoandstereo.com/2023/03/esoteric-pro-audio-kora-speaker-system.html
The project is a mixture of technologies that goes from the pneumatic suspension of the woofer, to the loaded dipole for the midrange, to the horn for the tweeter. Our horns follow a proprietary design that has as a principle the cancellation of distortion and any type of characterization with the advantage of reproducing a neutral and therefore natural sound. The absence of the passive crossover guarantees a level of detail and transparency that is difficult to obtain with other systems.
MOONDROP VOID REVIEW
March 28, 2023 Comments Off on MOONDROP VOID REVIEW
Moondrop Void Review
The Void actually has a pretty easygoing tonality, much like the 58X and 6XX. However, the main problem is the deficiency of its technical capability. PRaT-wise, it is not the fastest dynamic out there, and it has many rivals in this price bracket. There are the time-tested Sennheisers, the Hifiman’s HE400SE, Deva, etc. so the crowd is tough. Back to the sound, the midrange of the Void is clean enough with increased energy in the upper midrange.
The upper midrange has adequate extension and this particular section improves and introduces a bit of air to the overall presentation. The Void reproduces vocals adequately in Oi Va Voi’s “Refuge” track and I mostly enjoyed listening to female vocals with the Void. Unfortunately, it lacks finesse and agility and handles congestion rather ineffectually.
Listening to genres prone to congestion, such as metal, reveals a fundamental issue with Void, namely its lack of proper instrument separation. You feel the lack of transparency and resolution as the number of instruments on stage increases and that is, I believe, the one thing that I did not expect to hear from a Moondrop product. The Kato had a solid technical proficiency, but of course, I think it’s important to remember that the Void is the first full-size headphone Moondrop ever designed.
Audeze LCDi4 $2,500 Review
March 27, 2023 Comments Off on Audeze LCDi4 $2,500 Review
Audeze LCDi4 Review
With the help of the larger transducer, the LCDi4 capably outputs revered bass with both power and finesse. It is a bass which straddles along the lines of neutrality without borrowing warmth from elsewhere. Perhaps some may prefer more voluminous bass akin to the Campfire Audio Atlas or the 64 Audio Nio, however the LCDi4 yields a solid foundation which extends well into sub-bass territory.
Audiovector R 8 Arreté Loudspeaker £53,495 Review
March 27, 2023 Comments Off on Audiovector R 8 Arreté Loudspeaker £53,495 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/audiovector-r-8-arret%C3%A9-loudspeaker
The natural, open-voiced delivery of the R 8 Arreté also delivers wonderful string tones, so that Ensemble Allegria’s recording of Britten’s ‘Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge’ [Britten/Hagen/Strauss; Lawo Classics LWC 1241] offered crisp yet fluid performances enhanced by the striking sense of the musicians laid out before the listener. There was such speed and drive in the March of Variation 2, and Variation 5’s Bourée, while the final Fugue built superbly with attack in its growing scale.
The speakers are also completely at home with the BBC Symphony Orchestra/Martyn Brabbins recording of Vaughan William’s 6th Symphony [Hyperion CDA68396], with fabulous drama and superb brass timbres. The massive orchestral scale is delivered without any loss of definition and insight, turning to wonderful fluidity as the movement’s tone calms.
Audiophilepure 
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