ATOLL ELECTRONIQUE IN300 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $4500 REVIEW
July 25, 2023 Comments Off on ATOLL ELECTRONIQUE IN300 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $4500 REVIEW
The Atoll IN300 integrated amplifier, like the Atohm GT2-HD loudspeakers that I reviewed previously, is a finely crafted French audio component that is likely not top of mind with most audio enthusiasts. Frankly, that’s a little bit of a shame because I’ve found it to be certainly worth considering. Its understated good looks hide what looks like a heavy and well-designed component. One that, while light on the bells and whistles, delivers an appealing sound and more than enough power to easily handle some good-sized tower speakers. With plenty of digital and analog inputs, the IN300 is a very flexible, classic integrated amplifier. And with a proper dual-mono balanced design, the IN300 is more than a few steps above mainstream integrated amps in the build and sophistication departments. If I could made one suggestion for improvement, I would like to see an HDMI ARC input. Still, with enough optical and coaxial digital connections, it’s not a complete loss to connect a TV to the Atoll.
Dan D’Agostino Momentum M400 MxV monoblock power amplifier $79,950 Review
July 24, 2023 Comments Off on Dan D’Agostino Momentum M400 MxV monoblock power amplifier $79,950 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/dan-dagostino-momentum-m400-mxv-monoblock-power-amplifier
D’Agostino’s Momentum M400 MxV mono amplifier exceeded my expectations. Its relatively compact size belies its stellar performance: massive bass, mellifluous midrange, and well-measured treble. The clarity and ease with which it handles even the most challenging recordings is remarkable. It is one of the most musical, truthful, satisfying amplifiers I’ve ever heard in my system and one of the most striking aesthetically.
Audiophiles wishing to experience the edge of the hi-fi envelope should visit a dealer or an audio show exhibiting the Momentum M400 MxV and listen to it. Those who audition a pair and are blessed with the wherewithal to seriously consider their acquisition will find it tempting, I suspect, to take them home.
HIFIMAN AUDIVINA CLOSED-BACK PLANAR REVIEW
July 24, 2023 Comments Off on HIFIMAN AUDIVINA CLOSED-BACK PLANAR REVIEW
The HIFIMAN AUDIVINA Closed-Back Planar Magnetic Studio Headphones and HIFIMAN EF600 R2R DAC & Headphone Amp are everything promised and more, the synergy between these two products is simply jaw-dropping and I can’t see myself listening to the AUDIVINA with anything other than the EF600. Likewise, I experimented with other headphones, specifically the HIFIMAN HE6se and the Dan Clark Audio ETHER C Flow, but neither performed as well with the EF600 as the AUDIVINA. That being said, the EF600 seems to be ideally tailored to HIFIMAN headphones and would be a good match with anything from the DEVA to the SUSVARA.
Marantz Model 40n $2499 Review
July 23, 2023 Comments Off on Marantz Model 40n $2499 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/marantz-model-40n-review
A fully-fledged modern streaming system such as the Model 40n isn’t short of ways of listening to music. Once connected to your home network (ethernet and wi-fi are both available), you have access to plenty of streaming options at your fingertips. Music streaming services such as Amazon Music, Deezer, Spotify Connect and Tidal, and TuneIn internet radio station are available thanks to the HEOS platform and app (more on that later), while AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth are on board for easy streaming from mobile devices. If you’ll be using wi-fi or Bluetooth regularly, we’d recommend installing both antennae provided in the box for maximum stability and strong connection.
For those with servers and NAS devices filled to the brim with hi-res digital music files, the 40n can stream files from those over the network thanks to DLNA compatibility. It can handle playback of up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD128 files. Hardcore DSD fans and those looking for the upper limits of bit resolution (over 32-bit, DSD256) might want to look elsewhere, but considering the majority of our digital music files are within the 40n’s limits, we don’t find this a problem. Interestingly, the Model 40n uses an ESS Sabre ES9016K2M DAC chip inside, the very same one also used in the Award-winning Cambridge Audio CXA81 amplifier and the Evo 75 system, the latter of which can handle up to 32-bit files.
DUNU SA6 MK2 REVIEW
July 23, 2023 Comments Off on DUNU SA6 MK2 REVIEW
The design does not have the standard metal nozzles that we usually see from Chi-Fi brands, resulting in a neat, coherent build. However, this design choice slightly limits tip-rolling with aftermarket tips that have wider stems. In my opinion, the aesthetic appeal of the SA6 MK2 more than compensates for this minor trade-off. The design of the SA6 MK2, with its elegant yet professional stabilized wood faceplates, truly illustrates the look and feel of a proper custom in-ear monitor. Kudos to the team behind it!
Tannoy Prestige Gold Reference GRF Loudspeaker Review
July 23, 2023 Comments Off on Tannoy Prestige Gold Reference GRF Loudspeaker Review
Hegel P30A/H30A Pre/Power Amplifier £7000/£17,000 Review
July 22, 2023 Comments Off on Hegel P30A/H30A Pre/Power Amplifier £7000/£17,000 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/hegel-p30ah30a-prepower-amplifier
Looking past the Sopra No2’s own sound signature, the P30A/H30A made a striking show of rendering these recordings as they are, with only a fleeting touch of added colour. This is what the H30A, in particular, excels at: not over-embellishing, but letting excitement come from the music at hand. This might strike some listeners, used to amps that tend to embroider, as a bit dull at first, but to my mind there’s more long-term joy in listening to music than to apparatus.
Folkesange [Relapse Records RR7426; 44.1kHz/16-bit], the last album from Danish performer Myrkur (née Amalie Bruun), combined traditional Scandinavian folk and instruments, such as the nyckelharpa, with more modern sounds. No challenge there for the P30A/H30A, with Bruun’s singing on ‘Ella’ airily arranged on top of powerfully driven percussion. The preamp, helped along by the capable Musical Fidelity DAC, showed off its chops on the ‘Leaves Of Yggdrasil’, dextrously weaving the background choral singing with the main vocals, and the sparse piano notes with the strings.
7HZ LEGATO REVIEW
July 22, 2023 Comments Off on 7HZ LEGATO REVIEW
The situation in the treble is even more extreme in that perspective. At least the mid-range still has some definition to an extent, but the treble is cut so much that you can’t quite hear any shimmer, sparkle, or detail. So, to me, this is the weakest area of the 7Hz Legato. If you seek a sparkling, highly detailed, and definitive treble, you should stay away from this one and look elsewhere.Perhaps this is a ood trait when playing games or watching movies, where you hear gunshots or explosions occasionally. But from purely a music perspective, this overly-tamed and extremely polite treble presentation carries a problem for clarity and presence.
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