Matrix Audio Element M2 Hi-Res Music Streamer | REVIEW
November 15, 2022 Comments Off on Matrix Audio Element M2 Hi-Res Music Streamer | REVIEW
you do need at least one radio station out there. I browsed a lot of tunes. After I had finished listening to Internet FM, I went Spotify on AppleTV, played Aja by Steely Dan, and had a similar ease-of-use/ease-of-sound experience as with the M2, but with lesser overall sound quality. The experience of the M2 objet d’audiophile being enjoyable, satisfying, and sonically rewarding made it hard not to both like and admire. I still have very fond, pre-pandemic memories of streaming jazz from my NAS, using an Ayre QX-5 Twenty with Roon, driving an Audio Note UK OTO Phono Signature with their AN-E / SEC Silver Signature loudspeakers with lots of upgrades and silver cables.
The closest I’ve come to that listening experience with my Brio and ELACs is using the Matrix Audio Element M2 with no Roon at all. It’s not quite as transparent, but it’s very satisfying and the sound is quite tasteful and discrete. I really have nothing bad to say except that I imagine M2s will be hard to get someday soon for very good reasons. I almost kept the review sample for myself but am moving, so.
LSA VT-70 integrated amplifier Review
November 15, 2022 Comments Off on LSA VT-70 integrated amplifier Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/lsa-vt-70-integrated-amplifier
V3 and V4 on the right. Pull the left switch toward you (position V1) to get a reading on the state of the first tube. The left needle should jump to the middle of the meter’s red zone and stay there. Now, push the switch to the rear, to the V2 position, and again watch the needle. Then do the same with the switch and the meter on the right. If necessary, insert a small slotted screwdriver in the corresponding hole marked “BIAS ADJ” and gently turn the trimpot until you’ve nudged the needle to the correct position. The process took about a minute for all four tubes. LSA recommends a monthly bias check, but during the three months I had the amplifier in my system, the VT-70 was completely stable, no adjustments needed.
How Long will a Record Stylus Last?
November 15, 2022 Comments Off on How Long will a Record Stylus Last?
Andrew Jones Proves Anything is Possible! New Speakers
November 14, 2022 Comments Off on Andrew Jones Proves Anything is Possible! New Speakers
Magnepan LRS+ $995 Review
November 13, 2022 Comments Off on Magnepan LRS+ $995 Review
Bottom line: The LRS+ is a big improvement over the original LRS. It adds enough color, power, detail, and extension in the midbass and smoothness and coherence in the upper mids and lower treble to make it far more of a true full-range contender than its predecessor. Though you can do better in the Maggie line for about three times the money (the MG1.7i), you’re not going to get the same condo-friendly form factor from the 1.7, which is a foot and a half taller and a half foot wider than the Plus. In cone speakers, you can find much smaller boxes at this price point and, for a bit more money, some self-powered models, but not a one of them that I’ve heard comes as close to sounding like the real thing as this baby Maggie. For folks who are new to the high end or have small listening spaces or are working with limited budgets or just want a second high-fidelity system in a different spot for music or TV, I can think of no better choice for the dollar, particularly if you treasure the sound of acoustic instruments. Its limitations notwithstanding, this is a great little loudspeaker and a sure-fire nominee for one of TAS’ 2022 Product of the Year Awards.
JBL HDI-3800 £3,999 REVIEW
November 13, 2022 Comments Off on JBL HDI-3800 £3,999 REVIEW
I suspect that these JBLs had not been given much of a run-in prior to delivery because the results they produced improved markedly over the weeks that they were in the system. I played a lot of music through a variety of sources and amplifiers and came to the conclusion that they are really rather good, their high sensitivity is a definite bonus but ultimately the HDI-3800s are a lot more sophisticated than they look. This combined with their competitive pricing makes them look like rather good value if you have the space.
Chord Company RumourX (2022) $21/m review
November 11, 2022 Comments Off on Chord Company RumourX (2022) $21/m review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/chord-company-rumourx-2022
We have a sample of the previous generation RumourX to hand, but it doesn’t take long to hear the improvements. Listening through either of our systems, it’s clear that the basic character of the cable hasn’t changed. This is still a detailed and dynamically expressive performer that’s unusually surefooted when communicating rhythmic drive. Yet, as we listen to the likes of Olafur Arnald’s Found Songs and Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar OST, it is clear that the latest version of the cable is more balanced with a tauter, more controlled bass performance. There is a greater sense of openness about the sound and a little more subtlety in the way it renders dynamic nuances. At the top end, our system sounds just that touch more refined whereas the last generation cable adds a small degree of previously easily-ignored hardness in this region.
We switch to Carnage by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis and enjoy the 2022 edition’s extra clarity and improved transparency. It feels like the inclusion of ChorAlloy has just increased the RumourX’s ability to pass the signal without messing with it too much. Anything that allows us to enjoy Cave’s heartfelt music even more is just fine with us.
Audiophilepure 
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