Coherence Systems ADD-Powr Sorcer X4 $4,399 Review
March 18, 2023 Comments Off on Coherence Systems ADD-Powr Sorcer X4 $4,399 Review
The X4 made my stereo sound the way I wanted my stereo to sound: smooth, inviting, detailed, carefully organised and I’ll say it again, cohesive. The Sorcer X4 is not cheap, to bring it aboard you might have to make the un-sexy choice of sticking with your current equipment instead of a long anticipated upgrade. I’ll tell you the X4 gave me a fresh love for my current gear and made me feel grateful for what I have assembled in my reference system. My sound with the Sorcer X4 is just superb, I can’t imagine giving it back. I would rather wait on those new speakers or that new pre amp and keep enjoying what the X4 has done for my listening.
Marantz Model 40n streaming amplifier
March 18, 2023 Comments Off on Marantz Model 40n streaming amplifier
Dynaudio • Evoke 50 Loudspeakers $5499 Review
March 17, 2023 Comments Off on Dynaudio • Evoke 50 Loudspeakers $5499 Review
https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/dynaudio_evoke_50.htm
Are there any real downsides to the Evoke 50’s performance? For the price and my listening preferences, the answer is not really, but there are a few things to consider when you audition the speakers. They are not audio extroverts in their presentation. Primarily due to the smooth blending of the midrange and the Cerotar tweeter, the Evoke 50 is neutral and balanced, so initial reactions may favor a flashier-sounding speaker. I’d urge you to audition the Evoke 50 a bit longer than normal and try a wide range of music in order for their special qualities to grow on you. Also, as a midline speaker offering, the Evoke 50 may be paired with less-revealing electronics and many of their special qualities may be masked. I tried the Evoke 50 with some moderately priced solid-state amps and the results were good but not up to my best electronics. My BAT VK-60 tube amp driven directly by the preamp section of a dCS Bartók 2.0 sounded wonderful, with the best presentation of voice and soundstage depth, but the Evoke’s low impedance caused that amp run out of steam at moderately loud listening levels. For more spirited sessions, I got good results from the Bartók 2.0 paired with my 300-watt Innersound ESL or a 500-watt Peachtree amp500 on loan from a friend.
Accuphase E-280 – Mini Review
March 17, 2023 Comments Off on Accuphase E-280 – Mini Review
The E-280 possesses a sound that is fast, articulate, and toe-tappingly rhythmic at its core yet gently lush and timbrally natural, with a level of resolution and refinement that is rare in this price category. While the cost of ownership in the high-end world keeps rising, it’s comforting to find that Accuphase’s entry-level amplifier remains sensibly priced while offering an immaculate level of fit and finish.
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World | From Chuck D and Lorrie Boula
March 17, 2023 Comments Off on Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World | From Chuck D and Lorrie Boula
Scansonic MB5 B Floorstanding Speaker $7490 Review
March 16, 2023 Comments Off on Scansonic MB5 B Floorstanding Speaker $7490 Review
Conversely, $7490 might represent a considerable chunk of change for many. Calling these speakers “affordable” is relative. But the technology of these speakers has trickled down from a brand of speakers costing much, much more; they are a ridiculous bargain. They have inherited more than I expected, given the considerable price difference between the Raidho and Scansonic speakers.
I could easily fill Enjoy The Music.com‘s server with praise for the Scansonic MB5 B. Many times during the audition period, I would sit back and enjoy the music (pun unintended) because I would forget that I was reviewing these speakers while listening to both old favorites and enjoying new musical finds. That’s what it’s all about.
Musical Fidelity M6x 250.7 Multichannel Power Amp Review
March 16, 2023 Comments Off on Musical Fidelity M6x 250.7 Multichannel Power Amp Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/musical-fidelity-m6x-2507-multichannel-power-amp
The amp responded well to the shifting dynamics, showcasing a welcome nimbleness that belied its bulky appearance, something it did again with The Rolling Stones’ ‘Midnight Rambler’, recorded live in New York City in 2003 [Licked Live In NYC; Rolling Stones Records MSDD553838]. This gains an intro section that helps drag the tune out to around 13 minutes, the band members improvising bluesy licks, and it thrilled via the M6x 250.7, with rich piano playing off against honking harmonica and astonishingly weighty drum rolls.
When Keith laid down his riff and the song proper began, it was ramshackle and chaotic, but also joyous to listen to. This extended take on the Let It Bleed classic sounds little like the original, but the amp’s performance guaranteed I listened in rapt attention to the whole piece. Above all, it sounded live; detailed but gritty, with a sharp edge to Jagger’s screams and the gut-punching dynamics.
Vinyl Record Mass Production Process. Korea’s Only LP Records Manufacturing Factory
March 16, 2023 Comments Off on Vinyl Record Mass Production Process. Korea’s Only LP Records Manufacturing Factory
Clearaudio Innovation Professional Power Supply £10,300 Review
March 15, 2023 Comments Off on Clearaudio Innovation Professional Power Supply £10,300 Review
Even in original form with stock power supply and round-section drive belt, the Innovation clearly shows the benefit of its advanced engineering and materials. There’s an overarching sense of ease in its timing and pitch stability, playing acoustic piano for example with such authority that you know that any hint of waver in note modulation is a product of the very piano’s tuning, the master tape transcription or the tiniest of non-concentricities from the record.
While settling in with this arrangement, I came to realise that the SMPS has no place on the same mains as the rest of the system. Sharing the Nordost QBase distribution board with the power amp and phono stage always betrayed a mild HF haze and midband muddle that was easily diminished by running from a separate outlet; in this case an IsoTek Sigma on a different wall socket.
That cleaning-up operation was magnified again with the PP24V now powering the deck. Focusing on the frenetic drumming in ‘Slow Yourself Down’ from Camel’s first album, the new supply gave not just more body to the percussive onslaught, showing the shape as well as placement of tom‑toms, it tidied and made sense of the whole backing track. No wonder drummer Andy Ward got a co-writing credit for the number.
HiFi Rose RS520 Streaming Amplifier £3399 Review
March 15, 2023 Comments Off on HiFi Rose RS520 Streaming Amplifier £3399 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/hifi-rose-rs520-streaming-amplifier
I also tried the analogue and digital inputs of the RS520 using an iFi Audio ZEN Stream as a source, but could hear no real advantage over HiFi Rose’s own network platform. However, those inputs would be more than good enough should you want to use an external CD player, for example, but then there’s always the USB drive alternative. Henley Audio will sell you the HiFi Rose RSA780 USB-attached CD drive (£349), but with limited listening I have to say my inexpensive Samsung drive, which has served me well on my computer for the odd rip or burn, was sounding pretty good connected to the streaming amp.
It’s easy to get blinded by all the features on this ultra-flexible streaming amplifier, but really it’s at its best when you just kick back and let it do its stuff, as one might hope given its appeal to the ‘just add speakers’ buyer. Playing Tianxu An’s reading of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Scherzo-Fantaisie in E-flat Major’ [Alpha ALPHA855; 96kHz/24-bit], the RS520 displays a pleasing lightness of touch, making every note sound convincing, while also having all the dynamic power to bring out the scale and presence of the instrument. And it brings that same balance of qualities to the Dave Brubeck Trio’s charging version of ‘Take The ‘A’ Train’ on the remastered Live From Vienna 1967 [Brubeck Editions BELP20220301], with Joe Morello’s drums sounding especially tight and gutsy.
Audiophilepure 
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