Magico A5 £35,998 Review

February 15, 2023 Comments Off on Magico A5 £35,998 Review

The Magico A5 isn’t just another Magico loudspeaker and isn’t even just another high-end loudspeaker; it’s a point of inflexion. It’s the tipping point where real high-end happens, and its flexible enough to let high-end happen in a wider range of home than usual. The combination of being capable of being driven by a good integrated amplifier and the way it integrates into smaller rooms than you might expect all lend the A5 a gravitas that sets it apart from its peers. It’s the gateway to a higher-end world, but not simply a stepping-stone that leaves you wanting more. And for many this will be their first experience of what Magico can sound like and that’s a big step for many. For some, it will be the only step they ever need to make, for others, it will be the first step in a wholly new journey.

BOWERS & WILKINS NEW PI7 S2 Review

February 15, 2023 Comments Off on BOWERS & WILKINS NEW PI7 S2 Review

Bowers & Wilkins, founded in the U.K. in 1966, has been at the forefront of high-performance audio technology for more than 50 years. It designs and manufactures precision home speakers, headphones, custom installation and performance car audio products that set new standards for innovation and sound quality, earning countless awards and accolades from the world’s leading recording studios and musicians. Bowers & Wilkins’ reputation is based on the unwavering pursuit of the best possible sound and an unsurpassable music listening experience.

iFi Zen Stream streaming music player

February 15, 2023 Comments Off on iFi Zen Stream streaming music player

Halcro dm58 monoblock Review

February 14, 2023 Comments Off on Halcro dm58 monoblock Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/halcro-dm58-monoblock

But Halcro isn’t tunnel-visioned, so the company also recognises that there are other benefits, including the way that separated, screened boxes perfectly suit vertical stacking to create a small footprint. Well, ‘Aussie small’ at least, because however much Halcro wants to boast that each 56.75kg unit occupies less floor space than most conventional amplifiers, a 400x400mm footprint is hardly Cinderella-esque. Height, by the way, is an awe-inspiring 790mm, so a pair of dm58s monoblocks is a sight to behold.

Cleverly, the company also points out that this ‘aesthetically relates well to the typical vertical speaker formats’, and I have to admit that they looked right at home next to the Wilson WATT Puppy System 6 they were driving. Also mentioned on the unit’s behalf were the fact that freestanding amps don’t require support stands and that the sheer acreage provides maximum surface area for heat dissipation. No matter how hard these were driven, they never got more than lukewarm.

Limitless Musical Pleasures

February 14, 2023 Comments Off on Limitless Musical Pleasures

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/viewpoint/0223/Limitless_Musical_Pleasures.htm

One obvious way to do that is to increase the total power of the radio station’s transmitter, but that’s subject to FCC (Federal Communications Commission) rules. Another way is to increase the average power output of the transmitter so that it’s operating as close as possible to its maximum output level at all times. To do that, more signal processing was added, and not only were music’s loudest sounds compressed toward the average level but its quietest sounds were expanded so that the volume level transmitted could always be as near to the limit as possible, maximum broadcast coverage could be maintained, and the largest potential audience would be assured.

That satisfied nearly everybody – except for music lovers and audiophiles. A very important part of the vividness and realism of a recording lies in its dynamics. The crash of a cymbal and the “kick” of a kickdrum are thrilling parts of the musical experience and are major reasons why so many people love horn loudspeakers.

Now, though, combining digital recording, the computer, and the internet, more than 60,000 radio stations can present your favorite music on-line, around the world, so the old reasons for signal compression or expansion simply no longer apply, and artists, engineers, and producers can concentrate on their art and on making recordings that don’t have to compromise their dynamics in order to ensure the largest possible audience. Hopefully, a new kind of radio will result in new, un-limited, higher fidelity, more dynamic recordings, and even more opportunity for us to..

Vinyl Nation – Documentary (FULL MOVIE)

February 14, 2023 Comments Off on Vinyl Nation – Documentary (FULL MOVIE)

Børresen Acoustics Z1 and 01 Review

February 13, 2023 Comments Off on Børresen Acoustics Z1 and 01 Review

The cryogenic treatment of the metal parts is done by Børresen Acoustics in-house and in their own specific manner. The cryogenic treatment of the metal parts is a process that takes a total of 3 days. In the first 24 hours, the metal parts are cooled to cryogenic temperatures. During the next 24 hours, the temperature is kept constant at around -196° Celsius. During the following 24 hours, the temperature of the metal parts is gradually raised to room temperature. Gradual cooling and heating of the metal parts are critical to avoid thermal stress in the metal. The cryogenic treatment of the metal parts compresses and strengthens the structure of the metal and reduces the residual stress in the metal which normally occurs when metal changes from its liquid phase to a solid phase. The result of the cryogenic treatment of the metal parts is that the conductivity increases by about 6-8%, which in turn ensures faster and more transparent sound reproduction.

EMM Labs DS-EQ1 Optical Phono Preamplifier Review

February 13, 2023 Comments Off on EMM Labs DS-EQ1 Optical Phono Preamplifier Review

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/reference-components/1742-recommended-reference-component-emm-labs-ds-eq1-optical-phono-preamplifier

However, Jason offered sage advice about the price near the end of his review: “Within audio, more money doesn’t necessarily mean more better. More money can result in better sound quality, but there’s no guarantee.” He went on to say that “the nine large above the cost of the DS 003 phono stage is more than just justified,” citing its build quality, which in his view “surpasses the DS 003,” as well as “the improvement to the bass, the refinements up in the top end, and the holy-shit imaging.” Those accolades, among many others within Jason’s review, earned the DS-EQ1 a Reviewers’ Choice award when the review was published—and have also earned the DS-EQ1 a Recommended Reference Component award this month.

Ortofon Quintet Moving Coil Cartridge Series Review 

February 13, 2023 Comments Off on Ortofon Quintet Moving Coil Cartridge Series Review 

PS Audio BHK M600 Power Amplifier Review

February 12, 2023 Comments Off on PS Audio BHK M600 Power Amplifier Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/ps-audio-bhk-m600-power-amplifier

More controlled aggression was also in evidence with The Stone Roses’ cheekily titled sophomore album The Second Coming [Geffen 424 503-2], which might be blighted by vocalist Ian Brown’s slap-dash approach to singing in tune but has a thrilling ‘in-the-live-room’ production. The standout track ‘Daybreak’ benefited from the BHK M600’s out-of-the-blocks slam, giving the loose-limbed rhythm section an epic scale to match the spotlight shone on John Squire’s outro guitar solo.

From the same album, ‘Good Times’ ends in a glorious upbeat jam, drummer John ‘Reni’ Wren flitting between ride and crash cymbals, bassist Mani running up and down the fretboard and Squire again squealing away on his Les Paul. It was a performance of extravagant energy, detail and panache. These amps let the good times roll.