Cambridge Audio CXA81 Review
September 26, 2021 Comments Off on Cambridge Audio CXA81 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/cambridge-audio-cxa81
The CXA81 perhaps sounds a little forward, but its level of expression is such that it is sympathetic to more minimal, sombre recordings as well. Feed it a solo piano work or chamber quartet and it is only too pleased to show you its more caring, gentle side.
What really shines through though is a level of clarity that not only pips its rivals, such as the Rega Elex-R, but also makes them appear a touch cloudy. It is one thing beating this talented Rega amp for timing and dynamics, but to offer a more polished, insightful, even more mature presentation is a real turn up for the books.
Furutech DPS-4.1 Power Cords $1680/2m Review
September 26, 2021 Comments Off on Furutech DPS-4.1 Power Cords $1680/2m Review
When I introduced the REL subs and the DPS-4.1, I felt the power cords tightened the low-end spine of the system—not by an order of magnitude, mind you, but in a musically noteworthy way. There was a newly exposed, seat-of-the-pants energy from the Hans Zimmer soundtrack to The Thin Red Line, specifically on the brain-rattling Kodo drumming of “Air,” which added greater harmonic complexity and texture than before.
I acknowledge that the home-assembly approach of the DPS-4.1 is not for everyone, but for those who possess some DIY chops, Furutech just might have the power cord for you. All it takes is a little elbow grease, and you’ll be rewarded with a cord that performs on a par with some of the top contenders, at a considerable cost savings. Unreservedly recommended.
VAC Sigma 170i Integrated Amplifier Review
September 25, 2021 Comments Off on VAC Sigma 170i Integrated Amplifier Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/vac-sigma-170i-integrated-amplifier
This prowess, however, wasn’t dependent on the superior pressing at higher speed. With the 2014 reissue of Etta James’ sublime Tell Mama on Bear Family [BAF108026], certainly not known as a label of the audiophile tendency, the otherwise average recording did not hold back one iota of James’ peerless, powerful vocals on this milestone LP.
You want emotion? Here Etta James rips out your heart, and the Sigma 170i ensured that every dynamic moment was treated with respect. Damn, this is a fine amp.
Boulder 866 integrated amplifier $14,950 Review
September 25, 2021 Comments Off on Boulder 866 integrated amplifier $14,950 Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/boulder-866-integrated-amplifi
I ate up the beautiful midrange on Rickie Lee Jones’s subversive take on “Sympathy for the Devil” from The Devil You Know (16/44.1 FLAC file, Concord); hers is a devil you want to pal around with, come what may. I was enamored of the natural sweetness, radiance, and warmth of soprano Elly Ameling singing about the stars of heaven in Schubert’s “Die Sterne,” with Dalton Baldwin on piano, on the indispensable four-CD anthology The Artistry of Elly Ameling (16/44.1 FLAC, Philips/Qobuz). Jones and Ameling’s very different voices sounded just as I expected them to sound. Next, lured back to the devil’s territory by the final “Sacrificial Dance” from Ludovic Morlot and the Seattle Symphony’s take on Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (24/96 WAV file, Seattle Symphony Media), I again found colors spot-on. I may not have heard shake-the-floorboards bass (footnote 4), but the piccolo had realistic bite, the rhythms were firm, and the music was thrilling.
MONITOR AUDIO BRONZE 200 FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS £570 REVIEW
September 24, 2021 Comments Off on MONITOR AUDIO BRONZE 200 FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKERS £570 REVIEW
Monitor Audio Bronze 200 Floorstanding Loudspeakers
They make up for it in other areas, though. Those alternative designs have to acknowledge Monitor Audio supremacy where control is concerned, and no rival describes a more coherent or better organised soundstage. But if the devil (or, more accurately in this instance, the last soupçon of sonic enjoyment) is in the details, it’s possible to be left a little frustrated by the Bronze 200 delivery.
But – at the risk of labouring the point – context is everything. Given that a floorstander at this sort of money is, by definition, compromised, Monitor Audio has minimised and disguised the compromises it’s made to an almost laughable degree. If your system justifies this sort of outlay, you need to hear the Bronze 200.
JDS LABS ATOM+ STACK REVIEW
September 24, 2021 Comments Off on JDS LABS ATOM+ STACK REVIEW
is small and light. For the form and factor, this may be the most powerful amplifier in sub 200, maybe 300 USD bracket. The amp can dish out 1w into a 32Ω load. This means that the amp is quite powerful and it can feed 90% of the headphones on the market. It also has two gain options, 1x and 4.5x. It also has preamp outputs. You can seamlessly plug your active speakers into the Atom+ and control their volume.
It is also as silent as it gets and has a very low output impedance of just 0.7 ohms. It matches with my multi-driver IEMs without any issues. The noise floor is ridiculously low and I can’t hear any hiss, even with highly sensitive IEMs in my possession. The custom-made potentiometer with hand-matched gangs offers a much better channel balance compared to the previous Atom Amp generation. The Atom line is focused on sheer performance and performance only. JDS aimed for a no-BS amplifier that is easy to operate, hella powerful, and compact. Under hundred dollars, it was crazy at the end of 2018, it is still crazy in 2021.
DCA Stealth Review – World’s best closed-back
September 24, 2021 Comments Off on DCA Stealth Review – World’s best closed-back
Dynaudio Confidence 20 $11,999 Review
September 21, 2021 Comments Off on Dynaudio Confidence 20 $11,999 Review
https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/dynaudio-confidence-20
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The downward-firing port makes the Confidence less fussy about placement relative to walls than a rear-firing port design would be, but these Dynaudios still sound more balanced when placed well away from all walls in our test room. We angle them slightly towards the listening position to firm up the stereo image but don’t feel the need to play around more than that, given the impressive focus of the nicely layered, expansive soundstage.
Audiophilepure 
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