Vertere SG-1/SG-1 PTA HB Turntable Review
October 10, 2022 Comments Off on Vertere SG-1/SG-1 PTA HB Turntable Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/vertere-sg-1sg-1-pta-hb-turntable
With the SG-1 flaunting undeniable finesse above palpably powerful lower registers in recordings so endowed, it seemed to be in direct contradiction to my near-religious belief that an LP should be all-but-glued to the platter. Yes, the truly commanding TechDAS Air Force III Premium [HFN Jun ’19], at twice the price and with vacuum hold-down and air-bearing, can extract a trace more mass and solidity, but that’s not the point. The SG-1 satisfies nearly as much by going in a different direction. Like I said, Touraj is an iconoclast.
Even cacophony doesn’t faze the SG-1. Few saxophone solos are as madly screechy as that in ‘Astronaut Food’ from Sopwith Camel’s The Miraculous Hump Returns From The Moon [Reprise MS2108]. Think of the weirdest noises ever made by the astounding Sun Ra and you’re close: soaring treble, rapid attack, red hot transients. By the time I got to Carole King’s Tapestry [Ode Records SP-77009], chosen to relax me by wallowing in its deliciously convincing piano and yet more floor-filling bass, I was hooked

Nagra Classic Phono Phono Preamplifier Review
October 10, 2022 Comments Off on Nagra Classic Phono Phono Preamplifier Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/nagra-classic-phono-phono-preamplifier
Revisiting earlier tracks revealed them to be just as exhilarating, but now with the additional smoothness and revelation possible with a good MC cartridge. The Classic Phono really does ‘step aside’ to let your chosen pick-up do its stuff, and this combination of cartridge and phono stage gelled stunningly. It made the most out of anything I chose to play, finding the best in even the most underwhelming of recordings.
That said, there’s real magic when you give it something good to work with, such as Fearon & Galaxy’s ‘Dancing Tight’ [12in single, Ensign Records 12ENY 501]. Here, the delivery of the drum beats and bassline was masterful, and I revelled in the impact, scale and sheer joie de vivre of the performance. If machines have a soul I would swear that the Classic Phono was having a whale of a time, too.
The irony that the most listening fun I’ve had in weeks was thanks to a £17,000 phono stage playing a 1980s 12in single didn’t escape me, but it bothered me not one jot – I was too busy enjoying it.


Best portable DAC for you and my top picks
October 10, 2022 Comments Off on Best portable DAC for you and my top picks
Perlisten Audio R7t Loudspeaker Review
October 9, 2022 Comments Off on Perlisten Audio R7t Loudspeaker Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/perlisten-audio-r7t-loudspeaker
Perhaps, then, this isn’t quite the speaker for ultimate audiophile analysis. But it is one for eliciting an emotional response. Dire Straits’ ‘Tunnel Of Love’ [Making Movies; Vertigo 800 050-2] sounded sublime, with punchy drums, smooth keyboards, textured vocals and a fine rendition of one of the greatest guitar solos ever played. For those who like to close their eyes during listening, the R7ts are heaven sent. Put another way: as Knopfler’s Schecter Strat gave way to the piano toward the track’s end, I started to well up. It really was that good.
Hi-Fi News Verdict
A floorstander with the voluminous output you’d expect given the size, the R7t backs up this sense of scale with savvy soundstaging, a flair for transients and deep, tuneful bass. Yes, it’s overshadowed – also in price and size – by Perlisten’s own S7t model, but the value-for-money here is off the charts. If your listening room can accommodate it, this ‘second-best system’ would make a great first choice.

Focal Bathys Wireless Headphones | Closed-back Noise Canceling Headphones
October 9, 2022 Comments Off on Focal Bathys Wireless Headphones | Closed-back Noise Canceling Headphones
Focal Utopia $5,000 Review
October 8, 2022 Comments Off on Focal Utopia $5,000 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/reviews/focal-utopia-2022
We listen to a wide range of music over our time with these headphones. It’s easier than ever to appreciate the immaculate production on Quincy Jones’ Back On The Block. It is as slick as they come, and at times dynamically challenging and densely packed. The Focals take it all in hand, layering their presentation with a sea of fine detail that reveals instrumental textures and the passion in vocals superbly. All that information is presented in a composed and organised way, but importantly, these headphones don’t dilute the excitement in the music. They’re great at conveying the rhythmic drive of the title track and also the pulsating ebb and flow of tracks like The Places You Find Love.

KEF LS60 Wireless Speaker System $7000 Review
October 8, 2022 Comments Off on KEF LS60 Wireless Speaker System $7000 Review
As a comparison to the LS60 Wireless, Gordon used his current Simplifi reference system, comprising “an NAD C 658 streaming DAC-preamp ($1999.99) connected with Benchmark Media Systems Studio&Stage XLR interconnects to a pair of Elac Navis ARF-51 active floorstanding speakers ($5399.96/pair).” While his system had “more ringing clarity in the middle and upper octaves” when he played “Fool on the Hill,” Gordon described in his review how the KEF’s sound was superior with almost everything he heard. To Gordon’s ears, the KEF system emerged as the winner. In fact, just after the review was published, Gordon decided to purchase the LS60 Wireless system and make it his new reference.
Gordon’s high praise for the LS60 Wireless system is the reason why we recognized this KEF offering with a Reviewers’ Choice award when the review was published. And while it’s too early to know if the LS60 Wireless will receive a Product of the Year award (or if it’s a contender for Product of the Decade, as Gordon mused), the system is being recognized with a Recommended Reference Component award right now.

Best Music Players, Digital Audio Players (DAPs) of 2022
October 8, 2022 Comments Off on Best Music Players, Digital Audio Players (DAPs) of 2022
EgglestonWorks Nico Evo $6000 Review
October 7, 2022 Comments Off on EgglestonWorks Nico Evo $6000 Review
EgglestonWorks hasn’t gone for a niche in the market – a standmounter for places where their floorstanders won’t fit. It has instead taken the opportunity to deliver what a good standmounting loudspeaker does best, be that imaging, coherence, speed, or intimacy. And it can go loud and drive hard without obvious signs of strain, so it’s clearly not just a smaller speaker for smaller spaces. I could well imagine this as a winning solution for a larger, but acoustically ‘difficult’ room. Subject to my reservations about the supplied stands, I think EgglestonWorks have largely succeeded in their aim to let the Nico Evo be the best loudspeaker it can be for its price.

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