Audeze LCD-5 Review

September 14, 2025 Comments Off on Audeze LCD-5 Review

https://www.hifichoice.com/content/audeze-lcd-5

We use the 6.35mm adapter to connect the LCD-5 to a HD83 valve headphone amp and start off spinning an LP of Prokofiev’s Romeo And Juliet played by the LSO and conducted by André Previn. Movement No.13 Dance Of The Knights with the stately entry of knights in armour to the ball at the Capulet’s home really grabs the attention. The soundstage is very real and surprisingly wide considering we’re listening on headphones. The powerful marching rhythm and trumpet blasts that accompany the strings playing the main theme are strident and powerful, but not at all harsh. The orchestra has great air and space around the instruments, resulting in an authoritative performance.

Next up Steve Davis’ recording of To Wisdom, The Prize from live LP We See. The trumpet, trombone and saxophone are really clean and bright but not at all edgy. The backing from piano, bass and drums is in perfect proportion to the brass instruments, while the bass is tight and punchy. The piano in particular sounds very natural and beautifully reproduced.

Turning to a classic recording of Barbra Streisand singing Tomorrow to see how it fares with vocals, the LCD-5 presents Streisand’s voice in front of the sparkling and clear orchestral backing, and there is a very natural depth to the recording. The performance is very real and the music exudes refinement throughout the entire track.

Technics 1300G Turntable Review

September 14, 2025 Comments Off on Technics 1300G Turntable Review

Eversolo DMP-A10 Review

September 14, 2025 Comments Off on Eversolo DMP-A10 Review

AirTight ATM-1e tube amplifier Review

September 13, 2025 Comments Off on AirTight ATM-1e tube amplifier Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/airtight-atm-1e

Ultimately, what convinced me that the AirTight ATM-1e is more than the sum of its parts was monumental bass from an all-but-forgotten demo-worthy CD, Clannad’s 1989 compilation Pastpresent [BMG PD74074]. Naturally, the gorgeous vocals showed off the ATM-1e’s super-sweet, sibilance-free top-end. But I was not prepared for the room-filling mass of the opening of ‘White Fool’, almost Kodō-like in its grandeur. Then I remembered: AirTight is Japanese. Who better to deal with the drums of giants?

Hi-Fi News Verdict

AirTight’s ATM-1e ticks every box defining a stereo tube power amplifier of true usability and practicality, with a price reflected in superb perceived value. If there truly is a category for ‘entry-level high-end’, this fits the bill. It’s an artisanal amp offering exceptional musicality, more than sufficient power and – if this matters to you as it does to me – shameless pride of ownership. Pride may be a sin, but if so, then sin on, sinners.

Evolution Acoustics Model One bookshelf speakers $3,950 Review

September 13, 2025 Comments Off on Evolution Acoustics Model One bookshelf speakers $3,950 Review

The EXACT constant voltage series crossover is a tour de force in engineering. Far from a conventional dividing network, the EXACT filter circuit elevates performance to the outer limits of sonic possibilities, delivering much higher emotional content, not by added tonal warmth or artifacts, but by allowing the signal to be fully rendered, keeping it pure and completely faithful to the artistry of the original event.  This dramatic improvement is accomplished by isolating all the mechanical distortion nodes of each of the drivers and suppressing their influence on the overall sound, generating ruler flat frequency response, with incredibly low distortion. The electrical performance of the system is made more linear, yielding much tighter impedance deviations, or smaller phase shifts. This combines to create a loudspeaker that is more accurate, both sonically and electrically, resulting in much greater realism in both tonal reproduction and sound stage presentation.

CanJam SoCal 2025 Preview and Sneak Peeks

September 13, 2025 Comments Off on CanJam SoCal 2025 Preview and Sneak Peeks

The Buchardt E50 Speaker HiFi Experience Review

September 13, 2025 Comments Off on The Buchardt E50 Speaker HiFi Experience Review

Alexandria Audio The Monitor, Revisited | REVIEW

September 12, 2025 Comments Off on Alexandria Audio The Monitor, Revisited | REVIEW

https://pt.audio/2025/08/10/alexandria-audio-the-monitor-revisited-review/

My second round with the Alexandria Audio The Monitor changed how I feel about these monitors. I liked them the first time, back in 2023, but this time I had a system that was more resolving and more ambitious, and The Monitor was completely happy to join the party and impress me anew. I suppose the lesson here is that follow-up reviews represent an absolute good in our hobby–I’ve changed my mind about many hi-fi components in the past, and I bet plenty of reviewers can say the same thing.

But the real lesson here is that Alexandria Audio, who has been expanding their product line to great fanfare in other parts of the world, should be offered in the United States. When I was younger, I found high-end audio magazines from Europe and Asia to be highly informative. Now, I find audio shows in places such as Munich to be invigorating to my enjoyment of this hobby. There’s so much good hi-fi gear coming from all over the world, and while that’s currently being threatened by tariffs and other nonsense, as a true audiophile you need to get out there and find your true sound. For me, the Alexandria Audio The Monitor should be a household name in North America. If you find a pair to listen to, I think you’ll agree.

Mofi Master Edition crossover upgrade 1 week after install!

September 12, 2025 Comments Off on Mofi Master Edition crossover upgrade 1 week after install!

Porsche GT3 Custom Stealth Upgraded Stereo System

September 12, 2025 Comments Off on Porsche GT3 Custom Stealth Upgraded Stereo System