Chord ClearwayX $19.70/m Review
June 3, 2022 Comments Off on Chord ClearwayX $19.70/m Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/chord-clearwayx
With the Chord speaker cable linking the amplifiers to the speakers, we get an organised and musically cohesive performance. Listening to Hans Zimmer’s Interstellar OST, we can’t help but be engaged by the vivid dynamics and punch on offer. There’s an excellent level of insight and a sense of spaciousness that’s impressive.
Tonally, things are nicely even-handed, with the crisp yet controlled higher frequencies being balanced by a taut and authoritative bass. That feeling of cohesion is helped by a surefooted handling of rhythms and a fine sense of drive.
These strengths are highlighted when we play Massive Attack’s Heligoland where our systems render the sound with punch and power. We love the way instrumental textures are reproduced and the expressive way vocals come across. There’s plenty of clarity here and enough insight to dig deep into the dense production should you wish. Most importantly of all, we’re having fun.
KEF LS60 Wireless HiFi System
June 2, 2022 Comments Off on KEF LS60 Wireless HiFi System
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/bits-and-bytes/kef-ls60-wireless-hifi-system-r1106/
The digital part of the LS60 Wireless is very close to the LS50. The same input platform is used (my guess is StreamUnlimited card) and the same reasonable restrictions are in place. A wired Ethernet connection between the speakers enables up through 24/192 playback, while a wireless connection is good up through 24/96. The speakers support receiving 24/384 and DSD, but this will be not be played natively.
Given that these speakers have internal digital signal processing (KEF calls its DSP suite the Music Integrity Engine), the input of anything above 24/96, or even DSD, is likely going to be downconverter anyway for processing. Not a big deal at all because the benefit of this DSP will greatly outweigh any real or perceived benefit of the higher resolution music.
Gryphon Audio Designs Apex Stereo Amplifier $99,000 Review
June 2, 2022 Comments Off on Gryphon Audio Designs Apex Stereo Amplifier $99,000 Review
Next, I moved on to something more delicate: Esther Abrami’s eponymous album (Esther Abrami, 24/48 MQA, Sony Classical/Tidal). The 25-year-old violinist has introduced classical music to thousands of new listeners through her TikTok and Instagram posts, and her first album on a major label, released in March of this year, is a wonderful listen. It was made even more so with the Gryphon Apex anchoring my system. The fourth track, “Tomorrow,” is one of my favorites, particularly for the interplay between violin and piano, which combined to pour rich sound into my room through the Apex. The piano that begins the track was weightier and more tonally saturated than I’ve heard it, and the French player’s violin was satisfyingly resonant—that word again—and textured, yet silky smooth and present in my room. I could not believe how much better this track sounded over my system with the Apex. It honestly made my old setup sound like the dreaded “hi-fi” by comparison: clean and precise, yet still lacking in realism.
Acoustic Signature Tornado Neo Turntable with TA-2000 Neo Tonearm Review
May 31, 2022 Comments Off on Acoustic Signature Tornado Neo Turntable with TA-2000 Neo Tonearm Review
Both album versions of this overture (different orchestras, conductors, locations, and recording equipment) had nearly identical overall timing, yet provided appropriately unique sound signatures when played back with the Tornado Neo and TA-2000 Neo. The Witches’ Brew LP had a more forward presentation with additional upper-midrange emphasis (think strings, woodwind, brass, and non-bass percussion), while maintaining excellent clarity and dynamic agility. Timing and pacing, as presented by the combo, were as good as expected and proved to be a conduit for a bundle of energy when called upon. The Mephisto & Co. version of “Tam o’ Shanter” presented additional fullness and power in the lower registers of all instruments (especially in the bass region), while maintaining the rhythmic pacing of the performance. Energy was excellent, tilting a good bit towards the lower register of any instrument used during reproduction. This contrast is normal for these recordings and consistent on any of the playback systems I have in-house. The Tornado Neo and TA-2000 Neo combo reproduced the expected differences in these performances with relative ease.
With an already solid construction supported by the Neo advancements that Acoustic Signature has implemented across the board on all products, the Tornado Neo and TA-2000 Neo provided near-exceptional performance in its price class along with countless hours of musical enjoyment.
ROTEL RA-1572MKII AND RCD-1572MKII MUSIC SYSTEM $2,100 REVIEW
May 31, 2022 Comments Off on ROTEL RA-1572MKII AND RCD-1572MKII MUSIC SYSTEM $2,100 REVIEW
In tribute to the Foo Fighters (RIP Taylor Hawkins), I had to listen to their acoustic performance from Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in 2006. Cold Day In The Sun is Hawkins’ chance to shine on lead vocals and his punk/grunge style shone right through a busy drum accompaniment. Dave Grohl’s backing vocals appeared at the right moments in perfect balance. Other songs like Everlong and Skin and Bones brought their acoustic guitar lines to the fore. It was easy to hear the fingerboard shifts and the difference between strings plucked by a pick or with a finger.
Compared to other high-end components I’ve heard like NAD, Hi-Fi Rose, and Anthem, the Rotel RA-1572MKII, and RCD-1572MKII combination delivers a warmer sound. That’s not to say there is a lack of detail, far from it in fact. You can hear every nuance and the dynamic range is tremendous. I was encouraged to listen to soft passages as they were presented with a fragile transparency that I found addictive. Loud sections were clean and expansive with a sound stage that was neither too broad nor too narrow. It didn’t quite go beyond the walls of my room, but it filled the space around and over my head.
Mark Levinson No. 5909 Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones Review
May 31, 2022 Comments Off on Mark Levinson No. 5909 Bluetooth noise-canceling headphones Review
Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor SE Floorstanding Loudspeaker $25,000 Review
May 30, 2022 Comments Off on Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor SE Floorstanding Loudspeaker $25,000 Review
This would result in several patented innovative technological applications that continue to evolve and be employed in practically every Von Schweikert Audio speaker design, among them the Global Axis Integration Network (G.A.I.N.) and Acoustic Inverse Replication (A.I.R.) or “Inverse Microphone” concepts, all furthering the sonic objective of realism. Secondly, and in a word, I say again – Space. Beyond their truthfulness to pitch, intensity, duration, and timbre, the ESE authentically recreates the performance space in a manner and scale I’ve never before experienced from a full-range speaker of this footprint or price point. A presentation that envelopes the listener with all the excitement and visceral energy of the performance venue, off- and on-axis. It is indeed, “The Sound of Reality” — That sonic hologram we all strive to create.
Audiophilepure 
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