Parasound NewClassic 275 v.2 two channel power amplifier $899 Review
June 24, 2022 Comments Off on Parasound NewClassic 275 v.2 two channel power amplifier $899 Review
Turning to analog, I used the Goldring turntable with the Talisman low output moving coil cartridge in this system. I set the iFi ZEN phono stage to the high output moving coil setting due to the high gain of the Antique Sound Lab line stage. I started with my Los Angeles Orange County Audio Society 25th Anniversary album and the Shoji Yokouchi Trio. I also played some Steely Dan. Playing these records gave me a similar sound to my Quicksilvers. I have to admit I do enjoy “tube rolling” with the Quicksilvers, which allows me to alter the sound with a variety of different tubes.
The Parasound NewClassic 275 v.2 power amplifier with 90 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 150 watts per channel into 4 ohms should be enough to drive most speakers unless you have some really low-efficiency or otherwise difficult-to-drive speakers. This power amplifier is so well designed that it worked well with any speaker that I threw at it. You could also consider Parasound NewClassic’s other power amplifiers if you want more power. This includes both the 2125 v.2 (150 watts 8 ohms/ 225 watts 4 ohms, $1,099) and the really powerful 2250 v.2 (275 watts 8 ohm/ 400 watts ohms, $1,799) power amplifier.
KEF Blade One Meta Loudspeaker £33,000 Review
June 23, 2022 Comments Off on KEF Blade One Meta Loudspeaker £33,000 Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/kef-blade-one-meta-loudspeaker
At the heart of the Blade One Meta is the latest version of the Uni-Q, now in its 12th generation and complete with KEF’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology – also used in the company’s updated Meta versions of its Reference series. The driver combines a 25mm dome tweeter with a stiffened dome and a revised tweeter gap damper to accommodate the metamaterial absorber behind it. This circular device uses a complex maze-shaped structure of channels to absorb a claimed 99% of the sound from the rear of the tweeter – or, as KEF puts it, it acts as ‘an acoustic black hole’ – to give a purer, cleaner mid/treble output [for a deep dive into Meta, see HFN Jun ’21].
Finally, the company’s familiar ‘tangerine’ segmented waveguide is used to control, and widen, treble dispersion. The tweeter sits in the throat of a 125mm aluminium-cone midrange unit with a new motor designed for extremely low distortion. The surround is redesigned to allow longer excursion while the profiles have been reworked to smooth the transition from the face of the driver to the cabinet geometry.
Audio Research REF Phono 3SE Phono Preamplifier review
June 23, 2022 Comments Off on Audio Research REF Phono 3SE Phono Preamplifier review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/audio-research-ref-phono-3se-phono-preamplifier
I don’t play trumpet. I cannot tell you what Miles used, or which saxes Adderley and Coltrane were blowing, but the sense of realism, the presence was enhanced to a degree that can only be attributed to – as Dave Gordon surmised – ‘The extremely low-level nature of the signals … [accounting] for what we consider a startling improvement’. And ‘startling’ is the perfect adjective for what I was hearing.
What can be dismissed from the outset, especially for those who are not diehard MM or MC fans without considering the alternative, is that there was no discernible preference for one over the other. Moreover the gain was such that high output MCs could easily be used via the Low Gain/47kohm setting with little loss of dynamics. I played four or five tracks with a London Gold, followed by an Ortofon 2M Bronze, then a Kiseki Blue [HFN Jul ’18], and lastly the Sumiko 40th Anniversary MC, all as a test.
Rotel Diamond Series Overview | DT-6000 DAC/CD Transport & RA-6000 Integrated Amplifier
June 23, 2022 Comments Off on Rotel Diamond Series Overview | DT-6000 DAC/CD Transport & RA-6000 Integrated Amplifier
FIR AUDIO XENON 6 $3,899 REVIEW
June 22, 2022 Comments Off on FIR AUDIO XENON 6 $3,899 REVIEW
My Xe6 has translucent smoke shells combined with their Titanic faceplate. It features the FiR Audio company logo on the left, and the Xe6 product logo on the right side – both in silver. It’s a simple design, but I like it.
All in all I am very content with the build quality of my customs. They sit nicely tight in my ears and don’t cause any pressure. I have been wearing these for hours on end, and have not felt any discomfort.
FYNE 500SP $1,995 Review
June 22, 2022 Comments Off on FYNE 500SP $1,995 Review
The FYNE 500SP
One thing unique to the FYNE speakers is their fifth ground lug on the back of the speakers. FYNE claims it will “ground the driver chassis and eliminate amp or cable born RF interference.” While the TONE studio is a big, metal building (essentially a Faraday cage), we don’t usually have this problem. However, in the house’s unshielded environment, taking advantage of this did make a slightly noticeable – and positive effect. A nice touch, indeed.
While the review set arrived in gloss black, gloss white, and gloss walnut is also available. The finish quality is exquisite. The 500SPs are designed and built in the UK. It shows. If you’ve spent any time at all with modestly priced speakers that hail from China, you’ll notice that the fine details are not executed as well as they are here.
Should you put a pair of 500SPs in your system, the only thing you might consider after you’re used to the speakers is a pair of high-quality jumpers to connect the woofer and tweeter, if you aren’t using bi-wired speaker cables. Jumpers from Tellurium Q and Cardas both added another margin of HF smoothness that is worth exploring.
Mad Scientist Black Magic Speaker Cables Review
June 22, 2022 Comments Off on Mad Scientist Black Magic Speaker Cables Review
I am much impressed with these cables and if you ask me, the Mad Scientist has really outdone himself. Both the 2-Core and 4-Core versions provide a sound that seems to have been lost in so many other brands. These days, cables seem to be all about being more and more polished and refined, to the point that the musical message gets glossed over and the raw energy is lost. I am surprised and amazed to find what is in many ways the opposite of this trend with the Black Magic cables.
I have heard plenty of very accurate cables that managed to kill the soul of the music in the process. The Black Magic cables may be highly accurate and superbly neutral, but they do not sound damped or over-controlled in any way. Rather, they fully conduce the full extent of the lyrical and “singing” qualities of every recording and they have blown me away with the immensely solid, visceral, energetic, toe-tapping, dynamic, and joyful presentation that they elicit from both the NuPrime and the CH A1.5.
M&K Sound X15+ THX Dominus Certified Subwoofer $5,999 Review
June 21, 2022 Comments Off on M&K Sound X15+ THX Dominus Certified Subwoofer $5,999 Review
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/mk-sound-x15-thx-dominus-certified-subwoofer-review
To say I enjoyed my time with M&K Sound’s X15+ would be an understatement. In fact, I’ve enjoyed it so much it’s not leaving my home. This push-pull sub design plays deep and loud, and it passed the most strenuous tests I could throw at it with ease. Add in the impeccable build quality and peace of mind that THX Dominus Certification brings to the table, and acquiring it became an easy decision despite the lack of conveniences such as app control or a handy remote. In the end, everything comes down to performance and the quality of the bass, and by this measure it’s the best subwoofer I’ve encountered in two decades of audio product reviewing.
Kalista DreamPlay XC CD/SACD Network Player Review
June 21, 2022 Comments Off on Kalista DreamPlay XC CD/SACD Network Player Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/kalista-dreamplay-xc-cdsacd-network-player
As I mentioned earlier about these streaming services, they may not offer the sheer quality available elsewhere, but they’re a useful function to have – in the case of vTuner, it’s free music after all, and a lot of it from around the world – and the DreamPlay XC delivers it in a consistently enjoyable fashion. Radio 3’s stream may only be 320kbps AAC at best, but the music still communicates well via this player.
Push up into the DXD and DSD resolutions the DreamPlay XC supports via its network connection, and while that warmth and smoothness remains, the player is fully able to demonstrate the advantages of more data being moved to deliver the music. Play trumpeter Angelo Verploegen’s relaxed When Night Falls set, a typically intimate recording from the Just Listen label [JL028; DSD256], and the result is a remarkably effective evocation of the three musicians – Ed Verhoeff on guitar and Eric van Der Westen on bass – just sitting down and playing together, recorded straight to DSD256. Yes, there are other network players that might bring out more of the studio ambience but very few will match the wonderful late-night cosiness going on via the DreamPlay XC, entirely befitting the gentle theme of these sessions.
Audiophilepure 
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