PrimaLuna Evo 400 integrated amplifier £4,598 review
June 11, 2022 Comments Off on PrimaLuna Evo 400 integrated amplifier £4,598 review
Also of interest is the headphone socket, which I believe utilises the output section of the power amplifier. So with my Sennheiser HD 800’s in hand, and listening to the same tracks as before, I notice a very high quality headphone amplifier, with the all the liquidity of the best tube headphone amplifiers, spacial control and sweetness, almost as a throw-in. I’ve heard headphone amplifiers selling for the price of this integrated fail to reach this quality of sound. Very impressive for someone who takes headphone listening seriously.
Like other PrimaLuna models, the Evo 400 integrated amplifier is an extraordinary mixture of being low maintenance, and a great first valve amplifier, combined with a spot of tube-rolling audio nervosa paradise. The ability to change between ultralinear and triode at the flick of a remote control button, combined with the ability to use different valve types means that this amplifier can indeed be all things to all people, or ‘cakeism’ as the modern turn of phrase goes. But not only is this the ultimate ‘cakeist’ amplifier, it actually does the various options extremely well. It is not only an educational experience, it is also extremely satisfying to listen to. Well thought out, well executed, and creates a high bar for those few competitors at this price.
Clearaudio Innovation Turntable Setup and Issue Diagnosis Using Wally Tools
June 11, 2022 Comments Off on Clearaudio Innovation Turntable Setup and Issue Diagnosis Using Wally Tools
Wilson Audio Alexx V Loudspeaker $135,000 Review
June 10, 2022 Comments Off on Wilson Audio Alexx V Loudspeaker $135,000 Review
Staging and imaging flat out blew me away. There is no other way to say it except to say I heard things behind me. I invited audiophiles and novices alike over, and many novices asked me where the rear-surround speakers were. The stage extended from three feet in front of the drivers to well beyond the wall behind the speakers. Left-to-right staging was whatever the venue was. I must attribute this to the near simultaneous arrival of wavefronts as a result of the adjustable driver enclosures. I have heard tracks I know well project laterally on many systems, but the degree of projection, accuracy of placement within a 360-degree space (simultaneously in front and around me), and the capacity to impart a sense of visceral palpability were uncanny, almost unnerving, with the Alexx V.
Music Hall • Stealth Turntable $1649 Review
June 10, 2022 Comments Off on Music Hall • Stealth Turntable $1649 Review
https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/music_hall_stealth.htm
Have I heard better-sounding turntables? Yes, starting at four to five times the cost, without a cartridge or in many cases even a tonearm. For its modest asking price, the Stealth performed well above what’s expected in terms of sound, convenience and build. With it, you get a well-made, plug‘n’play turntable complete with an above-average moving-magnet cartridge, the choice of three speeds and several convenience features. In the final analysis, what counts for me is the degree of satisfaction one gets from hi-fi — the satisfaction that comes from the emotional relationship the listener has to the music. Also, the satisfaction that comes from knowing you’ve made a good investment and spent wisely, without suffering buyer’s remorse. Music Hall’s Stealth turntable has fulfilled all of those requirements.
Most of all, though, the Stealth gave me confidence that whatever LP I put on the platter would sound as good as it was going to at the sub-$2000 price point. A cartridge upgrade, perhaps to a high-output moving coil, raises that performance to a higher level still. Both value hunters and music lovers will be impressed with the Stealth turntable because it offers performance well beyond the threshold for high-end audio. For those who get their music from the grooves of vinyl records, the purchase of a Stealth turntable could be an endpoint. It will open the door to the high-end without breaking the bank. In the right system, it can deliver 85% of the magic found in systems costing much, much more. I view it as the foundation upon which a fine system is built. Music Hall Audio and Roy Hall have hit it out of the park with this one
Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo Loudspeaker $20,998 Review
June 9, 2022 Comments Off on Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo Loudspeaker $20,998 Review
HIFIMAN EDITION XS REVIEW
June 9, 2022 Comments Off on HIFIMAN EDITION XS REVIEW
The Edition XS sounds very clear, focused, fast, detailed and natural with a good sense of warmth and body. The headphone ticks a lot of boxes, especially for its price, and I personally couldn’t find an obvious weakness in its overall presentation.
It has good tonality, resolution, imaging, and proper texture and transparency. For 500 bucks, this is basically a flawless headphone by my experience. It present a pretty neutral sound overall with slightly energetic mids and bright treble.
Discover a new headfi experience from dCS
June 9, 2022 Comments Off on Discover a new headfi experience from dCS
Magico A1 $7400 Review
June 8, 2022 Comments Off on Magico A1 $7400 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/magico-a1
Despite their compact dimensions, these speakers are able to convey the scale of the event brilliantly. Within the limitations set by size and science, they deliver the piece with an astonishing amount of confidence. As the music builds, we’re aware of the A1’s unshakable sense of composure; such is their level of control that they never sound stressed even when pushed to high volumes. Dynamic shifts are delivered with verve, though when judged by price rather than size standards it’s not too hard to buy an alternative that has more in the way of absolute punch and attack.
Similarly, when we switch to Bruce Springsteen’s High Hopes set we’re aware that the Magicos are surefooted with rhythms rather than particularly enthusiastic about producing results that really charge along. Still, they sound musically cohesive and manage to capture enough of the energy in The Boss’s performance to keep us listening. The longer we listen, the more we’re impressed that these speakers aren’t about showboating. They don’t hype up the sound to be more exciting or entertaining than it is. If the original recording is good then that will shine through. And if it isn’t you’ll know all about it, despite the speakers having more than enough refinement to prevent things from sounding worse than they should.
PrimaLuna EVO400 integrated amplifier $5595 Review
June 8, 2022 Comments Off on PrimaLuna EVO400 integrated amplifier $5595 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/primaluna-evo400-integrated-amplifier
When I asked California tube guru and PrimaLuna importer Kevin Deal about the duo of uncooperative 12AU7s, he said it could simply have been a break-in issue: “Sometimes a new tube that gets a little noisy just needs to be reinserted or moved.” He added that his company, Upscale Audio, has retubed about 75,000 components and that many tubes that people send in as faulty test fine. “A tube that’s noisy in a gain stage may be perfectly quiet as a driver or phase splitter.”
Everything else about the EVO 400 was hunky dory. No hum emanated from the speakers or directly from the amplifier, not even when the room was dead quiet and I placed my ear practically against the drivers of my Tekton Moab speakers, which have a specified sensitivity of 98dB.
Audiophilepure 
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