SPL Phonitor xe Review
December 22, 2022 Comments Off on SPL Phonitor xe Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/spl-phonitor-xe
This is a product that doesn’t go out of its way to hype up a recording to make it sound more exciting, but there is still enough in the way of rhythmic drive to get our feet tapping to tracks such as No Love. While Recovery is not the most bass-leaden album, there is still enough here to show that the amplifier is taut and tuneful at low frequencies. Subsequent listening to the bass-fest that is Massive Attack’s Heligoland reinforces the point.
We shift genres to Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring and the SPL responds with a controlled performance that brims with insight, punch and composure. The music’s demanding dynamic sweeps are delivered with power and there is a good impression of scale. By its very nature, listening to headphones usually comes second best to speakers when it comes to things such as scale or authority, so it’s fair to say that the SPL does a great job.


Audeze MM-500 $1,700 Review
December 22, 2022 Comments Off on Audeze MM-500 $1,700 Review
I have to say that the travel case is impressive, as usual with Audeze, but this one is extra special, and it has a different look. The cable that comes with the MM-500 is a single-ended 6.35mm one, I think it is their “Ultra High Purity Cable”. According to Audeze it is specially tuned with directional OCC high-purity copper strands that provide a low capacitance and low resistance path for the signal to travel from your amp to the drivers, maintaining unsurpassed clarity and precision. Like with the LCD-5, I immediately replaced it by my balanced Forza Audioworks Noir HPC mk2 cable, my favourite cable for Audeze headphones.

Weiss Engineering DAC50x (DAC501 and DAC502) Review
December 22, 2022 Comments Off on Weiss Engineering DAC50x (DAC501 and DAC502) Review
SVS Wireless Prime Pro System $899 Review
December 21, 2022 Comments Off on SVS Wireless Prime Pro System $899 Review
Aesthetically, the SVS Prime Wireless Pro Powered Speakers combine the classically handsome appeal of a traditional HiFi stereo system with modern digital flare from the front panel OLED display. Source, artist name, song title, input, volume settings and more can be displayed for an intuitive user experience.
Also on the front panel are six backlit preset buttons for instant, one-touch access to sources, favorite playlists, streaming services, podcasts, and more, just like a car radio preset.
Knobs on the front panel allow users to toggle between sources and adjust display brightness as well as pause playback and set volume. The IR remote controls all the most critical functions and provides direct input buttons for HDMI, Bluetooth, Optical and Line In for easy switching between sources.

Audio Analogue Bellini Anniversary and Donizetti £11,000 Review
December 21, 2022 Comments Off on Audio Analogue Bellini Anniversary and Donizetti £11,000 Review
The spectre of audio’s rose-tinted view of the past should be exorcised. We sometimes prize those classic big pre/power combinations from the 1980s, but if we listened to them today on a level playing field, I suspect a few of the Anointed Ones of audio wouldn’t hold a candle to this Audio Analogue pairing. It’s gentle, refined and sophisticated touch with music – that not only rolls with the punches but can also deliver a neat haymaker when required – is extremely alluring, especially for those who do not simply choose audiophile-approved recordings. The Audio Analogue Bellini Anniversary and Donizetti Anniversary is the pre/power combo that puts a smile on your face.


Grado Labs Opus3 moving-iron cartridge High Output version $275 Review
December 20, 2022 Comments Off on Grado Labs Opus3 moving-iron cartridge High Output version $275 Review
One drawback of the Grado Labs Timbre line is the stylus is not user replaceable, just like moving coil cartridges. Once the stylus is worn out you have to send it to one of the many phono cartridge re-tippers out there. Or, Grado Labs has a very generous trade-in program, so for about what you would pay for a new stylus for a moving magnet phono cartridge you can purchase a brand new Opus3. This would be the best alternative. It may take a couple of weeks to send your old Grado to the dealer and wait for the new one, especially if it is not in stock. For me, this is where the Audio Technica AT-3600L comes in handy as a temporary substitute.
There are reasons why Grado Labs phono cartridge have been around since 1953. The company may be better known these days for making some of the best headphones in the world at really good prices. The same can be said about their phono cartridges. I am purchasing this phono cartridge and keeping it installed in my newly acquired Music Hall mmf-1.3 turntable. The $275 price tag got me really close in performance to my Hana phono cartridge. I have to give props to the recommendations of both Music Hall and Grado Labs, because this is a great combination. I now have a third option along with my AR and Thorens turntables. The Grado Labs Opus3 phono cartridge, just like the Music Hall mmf-1.3 turntable, is highly recommended.

Vermouth Audio Studio Monitor Loudspeaker $20,000 Review
December 20, 2022 Comments Off on Vermouth Audio Studio Monitor Loudspeaker $20,000 Review
Suppose one decides to go with something that isn’t as large as a floor-standing speaker but will deliver more volume and frequency extension than a stand-mounted mini-monitor. In that case, the Vermouth Studio Monitor is what you’re looking for. In my listening room, it had enough internal volume to produce serious bass. The two 6.5 mid-woofers produced a transparent midrange that filled the room with sound with a prodigious soundstage. Its ribbon tweeter was remarkably extended and had a musical sound that, regardless of how loud I played the music, was never fatiguing.
I heartily recommend the Vermouth Studio Monitor. Its audition proved that it was a surprisingly good-looking and great-sounding speaker, which is well worth its asking price.

SVS Prime Wireless Pro Powered Speakers Review
December 18, 2022 Comments Off on SVS Prime Wireless Pro Powered Speakers Review
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/svs-prime-wireless-pro-powered-speakers-review
SVS’ omission of a USB input, I have already mentioned. It’s not a deal-breaker for me, and likely not for most others. Another absence I felt a bit more keenly is the lack of any global equalization options built into the speaker hardware, such as bass-shelving options to compensate for near-wall/free-space locations, midrange EQ to aid desktop placement, or treble-tilt to adjust for room character or listener taste. I understand why SVS might elect to leave this out for simplicity’s sake and to keep owners from doing more sonic harm than good. Anyway, the Prime Wireless Pros are frankly too large for typical desktop uses.
At day’s end, these are mostly quibbles, though quibbling’s what they pay me for. SVS’ Prime Wireless Pro is an outstanding solution for a one-box or rather a two-box sound system that more than scratches the surface of what audiophile listening is all about. They’re accurate and dynamic to a fault, ultra-compact, easy to set up and use, and more than able to fill even medium-sized rooms at serious-listening levels without stumbling. You’d be hard-pressed to duplicate this recipe with individual components and passive speakers of similar size at twice the price. Or more.

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