Chord Mojo 2 Review
February 21, 2022 Comments Off on Chord Mojo 2 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/chord-mojo-2
These refinements help give the Mojo 2 a more neutral, crisper and livelier character than its predecessor, whose presentation ultimately feels comparatively confined and a little coloured. Music has the vividity of a stained glass window here – bright, intricate and demanding of your attention. Unsurprisingly, the updated Mojo/Poly pairing (possible when the Poly is firmware updated to 3.0) is even more of a delight in light of the new Mojo’s expanded talents.

PORTABLE AUDIO for BEGINNERS w/ Spotify, Plexamp, Tidal & Qobuz
February 21, 2022 Comments Off on PORTABLE AUDIO for BEGINNERS w/ Spotify, Plexamp, Tidal & Qobuz
VPI Prime 21+ turntable £6,500 Review
February 20, 2022 Comments Off on VPI Prime 21+ turntable £6,500 Review
Perhaps the most noticeable change is the move from the JMW 3D-10 Reference arm to a 3D Gimbal tonearm. This still retains the VTA adjustment tower but a conventional gimballed arm means no more jiggling tonearm when it comes to lifting the cartridge on and off the record. In truth, you get used to this very fast, but can be off-putting to those new to high-end decks. Once again, it’s something that is perfectly fitting in a Prime Signature and beyond, but those viewing the Prime as their first real high-end turntable might get the jitters when they see the arm moving so freely. VPI spent a lot of time developing a gimballed tonearm that didn’t undermine the performance as they heard it; the development that first went into the Mark Levinson turntable and then to the limited edition HW-40 turntable meant that VPI felt it was possible to make a high-end gimballed arm without throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and with its 3D-printed arm, it offers a ‘best of both worlds’ approach.

Riviera Levante integrated amplifier Review
February 20, 2022 Comments Off on Riviera Levante integrated amplifier Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/riviera-levante-integrated-amplifier
If I were to speculate, I would wager that the RAAL develops a third-harmonic–dominant distortion spectrum while the Levante reverses that equation. I say this because high third harmonic and low second harmonic produces a sense of clarity and beat-keeping, whereas the reverse emphasizes space and atmosphere.
Thinking about this reminded me of what Luca Chiomenti wrote in his email. “A great part of the distortion and ‘character’ of the (Levante’s) sound is due to this first stage circuit, which changes simply by changing the tube.” Because there is no feedback or degeneration on the 12AT7 totem pole, every tube change can, and likely will, make a noticeable, possibly measurable difference in the Levante’s sound character


iBasso DX240 Music Player DAP Review
February 20, 2022 Comments Off on iBasso DX240 Music Player DAP Review
HIFIMAN ELECTRONICS’ R9 CLOSED-BACK HEADPHONE REVIEW
February 19, 2022 Comments Off on HIFIMAN ELECTRONICS’ R9 CLOSED-BACK HEADPHONE REVIEW
HIFIMAN was founded by Dr. Fang Bian in 2007 and, two years later, introduced the acclaimed HM-801, the first digital audio player to feature true audiophile-grade performance from a pocket-size form factor. Since then, HIFIMAN, under Dr. Bian’s guidance, has developed an extensive selection of no-holds-barred headphones, digital audio players, and headphone amplifiers that are consistently recognized as the best in class, offering performance that belies their price point, no matter the cost.

Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G Loudspeakers Review
February 19, 2022 Comments Off on Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G Loudspeakers Review
I compared the 500 7G with another British speaker: KEF’s R11 tower ($5999.98 per pair). At just over 41″ tall, the Monitor Audio is of average height for the floorstanding models I’ve reviewed, but standing alongside the flagship tower from KEF’s venerable R series, it looked stout. At 49″ tall, the KEF is one of the tallest speakers I’ve ever had in my room, and its substantial height is needed to accommodate a total of four 6.5″ woofers. Furthermore, the R11 boasts the latest version of the company’s Uni-Q driver, a coaxial design that positions a 1″ tweeter at the center of a 5″ midrange driver. Additionally, the KEF weighs 83 pounds, or over 60% more than the Monitor Audio. While they might share basic DNA in that both are bass-reflex designs, there are more than a few factors that differentiate these speakers.

McIntosh MHA200 $2500 Review
February 18, 2022 Comments Off on McIntosh MHA200 $2500 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/mcintosh-mha200
There are valves at the heart of this unit – four in total – made up of a pair of 12AT7s in the driver stage and 12BH7As in the power stage. These run warm and are usually protected from prying fingers by a removable cage. Next to the valves is a trio of transformers: one for the mains and two that couple the amplifier’s output valves to the connected headphones. As with most valve products, a certain amount of care has to be taken over matching. Here, that takes the form of a front panel control that switches between four load options: 32, 100, 250 and 600 ohms. Simply switch to the one that’s closest to the nominal impedance of your chosen headphones for the best results. There’s no harm in trying an alternative setting, and it can be fun to try, but we would be surprised if doing so leads to a better sound.

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