Belden Speaker and Interconnect Cables and BAV Power Cords Review
April 28, 2021 Comments Off on Belden Speaker and Interconnect Cables and BAV Power Cords Review
A word to the smarmy, arrogant types who make ridiculous proclamations in regard to all cables sounding the same, and that there is no “science” behind aftermarket cables. I submit for your education Galen’s nearly three-hour YouTube video of his discussion with the San Francisco Audiophile Society in regard to the science behind cable design and manufacturing. It is an eminently in-depth discussion, and that alone should make skeptics think twice before demonstrating their ignorance. When you have one of the world’s foremost authorities going through the minutia involved, you do best to keep your mouth shut and listen!
Classé Audio Delta Pre Preamplifier-DAC $9999 Review
April 27, 2021 Comments Off on Classé Audio Delta Pre Preamplifier-DAC $9999 Review
I’m not a big fan of tone controls, but I appreciated how the Delta Pre allowed me to select an inflection point, then apply up to 6dB of boost or cut. In my setup, this helped restore a bit of weight around my room’s 31Hz suckout. I then applied the PEQ’s maximum boost of 3dB. Having exercised enough restraint to ensure that the result didn’t sound artificially boosted, the cumulative effect was a moderately more fulsome-sounding bottom end. What really filled in that suckout was to turn off the Tone controls and add both subs. Adding them with no adjustment of PEQ yielded bloated, uncontrolled bass, and worsened two of my room’s bass modes. But after taking a few measurements, making independent PEQ settings for each subwoofer (using the Aux output to enable stereo subs), and fine-tuning the crossover slope for each sub, I could barely tell that they were on. The only clue was the only one that matters: I heard a smoother, punchier, more linear bottom end, especially below 40Hz. Providing this way of fine-tuning the sound and integrating one or two subwoofers into a system makes the Classé Delta Pre a dream component for listeners who need these features and this kind of flexibility.
NAD C658 Streaming DAC and C298 Power Amplifier Review
April 27, 2021 Comments Off on NAD C658 Streaming DAC and C298 Power Amplifier Review
I connected the C658 to my network via an Ethernet cable. NAD also sent to me the Bluesound Pulse 2i, an all-in-one tabletop system ($699) that connects to the BluOS network wirelessly (as I used it) or via an Ethernet port. NAD wanted me to experience how products like the Pulse 2i allow BluOS to function as a whole-house wireless audio system. I wasn’t expecting to receive the Pulse 2i, but discovered that it was a great way to have music outside the listening room. There’s the joke that the audiophile’s way of realizing whole-house audio is to open the listening room door and turn up the volume. I must confess to taking that approach myself. But the ability to place the Pulse 2i in the kitchen, for example, and have full wireless access to high-resolution streaming music controlled by my iPad was compelling.
Belden Speaker and Interconnect Cables and BAV Power Cords Review
April 27, 2021 Comments Off on Belden Speaker and Interconnect Cables and BAV Power Cords Review
A word to the smarmy, arrogant types who make ridiculous proclamations in regard to all cables sounding the same, and that there is no “science” behind aftermarket cables. I submit for your education Galen’s nearly three-hour YouTube video of his discussion with the San Francisco Audiophile Society in regard to the science behind cable design and manufacturing. It is an eminently in-depth discussion, and that alone should make skeptics think twice before demonstrating their ignorance. When you have one of the world’s foremost authorities going through the minutia involved, you do best to keep your mouth shut and listen!
Marantz Project T-1 Amplifier Review £30,000
April 26, 2021 Comments Off on Marantz Project T-1 Amplifier Review £30,000
https://www.hifinews.com/content/marantz-project-t-1-amplifier
The amp’s way with textures carries over to each and every instrument, enough to allow you to use a compilation like the tribute, Rattlesnake Guitar: The Music Of Peter Green, as a guide to different guitar models. lt also means that incredibly fine details come through without a fight, with spatial clues so vivid that you can picture the walls of Abbey Road’s Studio 2 when you play the Fab Four. And you will hear vertical images just like the Cheskys said you would. It’s a near- magical experience, restricted only by speaker sensitivity rather than frequency response, driver type or impedance. Still, it has power to burn, compared to a SET.
Usher Audio SD-500 Loudspeaker Review
April 26, 2021 Comments Off on Usher Audio SD-500 Loudspeaker Review
https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2020/11/30/usher-sd-500-loudspeaker
It is a major accomplishment the resolution from Usher’s Diamond DMD tweeter doesn’t come with any fatiguing brightness. The tweeter is also well integrated with the woofer and the overall result is a sound that is highly detailed and spacious yet still laid back. This combination makes for an extremely satisfying speaker that is easy to live with for the long term. The stunning fit and finish only sweeten the deal. The Usher SD-500 is an excellent speaker for high performance systems installed in small to medium spaces. To be displayed with pride, listened to with rapture. Highly recommended for connoisseurs of 2-way monitors.
QUESTYLE CMA TWELVE FLAGSHIP DAC/HEADPHONE AMP $1499 REVIEW
April 25, 2021 Comments Off on QUESTYLE CMA TWELVE FLAGSHIP DAC/HEADPHONE AMP $1499 REVIEW
I threw a number of genres and headphones at the CMA Twelve and the results were all good. It is worthy of the flagship moniker. The option of single-ended and two balanced connection styles makes it accessible to a wide array of headphone choices. The switchable BIAS allows for an even wider choice of headphone or two-channel pre-amp options. The DAC is very clear without being overly bright and uses a favorite DAC of mine, the AKM 4490. I came to enjoy the front panel LED layout as it did not take long to be able to glance at it and know the type and bit rate of the file being played. A good thing for a Roon radio user. Given the build quality and track record of Questyle, I would expect the CMA Twelve to have pride of place in your headphone listening space for many years to come. Highly recommended.
Bowers & Wilkins 705 Signature Loudspeakers Review
April 25, 2021 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins 705 Signature Loudspeakers Review
Downie’s s sounds were accentuated by the B&Ws but not by the Revels. The 705 Signatures’ extra treble energy occasionally caused some distraction, so for this part of the audioband I pick the M126Be’s. It’s also important to note that I listen at fairly high volumes (90-95dB SPL, C-weighted). Turning down the volume by 10dB does tame excessive sibilance in speakers, such as the 705 Signature, that lean toward a bright sound—then again, the 705 Signatures brought out top-end details that a more neutral speaker might obscure a bit more. So consider your own listening preferences when narrowing down your speaker choices.
But when I played Vanessa Fernandez’s recording of “Here But I’m Gone,” which does not suffer from excessive treble and/or sibilance, I found myself choosing the B&Ws. In the opening kick-drum thumps, the B&Ws produced more output and extension while retaining all their solidity and punch, without bloat or overhang. Through the B&Ws Fernandez’s voice sounded light, surrounded by more air; through the Revels it was a bit more meaty and rich. When the recording played didn’t possess extra treble energy and/or sibilance, I preferred the extra bit of presence and delicacy I heard in the B&Ws’ midrange.
McIntosh MC1.25KW | FOCAL Scala UTOPIA Evo
April 25, 2021 Comments Off on McIntosh MC1.25KW | FOCAL Scala UTOPIA Evo
Schiit Audio Vali 2+ headphone amplifier Review
April 24, 2021 Comments Off on Schiit Audio Vali 2+ headphone amplifier Review
https://www.stereophile.com/content/schiit-audio-vali-2-headphone-amplifier
I do not report these tube-rolling observations to criticize the Vali 2+’s performance as delivered and tested, nor to second-guess Stoddard’s choice of tube. The new-old-stock GE/CGE 6BQ7A is a tube of the highest quality. The stock Vali 2+ is an excellent amp, which exceeded my highest expectations. I mention this little tube-rolling experiment to remind everybody that, just as Jason Stoddard suggested in this column’s opening quote, experimenting with tubes is the Vali 2+’s raison d’être.
Audiophilepure 
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