Emotiva XPA HC-1 Power Amplifier Review
October 18, 2020 Comments Off on Emotiva XPA HC-1 Power Amplifier Review
https://www.hifinews.com/content/emotiva-xpa-hc-1-power-amplifier
Still, it’s the ability to impart bass weight and slam that marks the XPA HC1 out from less powerful amplification, and this encouraged me to frequently step upwards on the XSP-1’s volume ladder. There’s tangible power here and you’ll want to use it, because at lower listening levels the XPA HC-1s’ star attractions – their dynamism and scale – are dimmed. ‘Too Young To Know’ by UFO [Phenomenon; Chrysalis 50999 5 04440 2 1] bounced along amiably enough at a family-friendly volume, but gained a fizzing energy and midrange crunch when the amps were given a push.
Happily, these amplifiers are just as adept with music that seeks to stir emotions through orchestral swells and charismatic crescendos. John Williams’ ‘Theme From Jurassic Park’ [Tidal Hi-Fi] may have no driving rhythm behind it, but its melody hit like a tidal wave made from string, brass and wind instruments, while the soaring violins and diving cello of Max Richter’s ‘On The Nature Of Daylight’ [The Blue Notebooks; 130701, CD13-04] had me breaking out in goosebumps. Value these amplifiers for their muscularity, but don’t discount their musicality too
Sonus faber Lumina III Loudspeakers Review
October 17, 2020 Comments Off on Sonus faber Lumina III Loudspeakers Review
The Sonus faber Lumina III is a fairly petite floorstanding speaker, not heavy at all at 35 pounds per, which suggests another reason why these speakers are so affordable (MInimalism!) The ply on the baffle can be covered with wenge or walnut, or in gloss black. I was immediately interested in the wenge from the press photos but I got walnut, which is still gorgeous. You can also get them in matte with maple inlays, which sounds like something I’d dig. And, of course, the rest of the enclosure is covered in that “iconic” leather. (LUxury!)
The Lumina line borrows plenty of technologies from the more expensive lines, another reason for the affordable MSRPs. The tweeters are the same DAD (damped apex dome) models used in the Sonetto series, as are the 5” midrange drivers. The 5” paper cone woofers are new, designed to match well with the mids. The Sonus faber Lumina III is a three-way, four-driver design with a sensitivity of 89 dB and a 4-ohm impedance and a frequency response that goes down to about 40 Hz.
NAD Masters M33 Integrated Amplifier-DAC $4999 Review
October 17, 2020 Comments Off on NAD Masters M33 Integrated Amplifier-DAC $4999 Review
“NAD’ s Masters M33 is an incredible achievement for a leading-edge integrated amplifier. As Doug Schneider predicted, NAD’s implementation of their Hybrid Digital version of Purifi Audio’s Eigentakt amplifier has resulted in excellent sound — and the M33 does so much more. It has nearly every option you could want in an integrated amp, including Dirac Live’s top-flight room correction and a highly capable streaming platform. Whether you prefer its neutral and confident sound over that of other integrateds of similar prices and features will be a matter of personal taste. I was never disappointed in the M33, even when I compared it to my far costlier separates, and I enjoyed the convenience of streaming and controlling it with its BluOS app. The Masters M33’s combination of sound quality and features makes it the current front-runner in the extremely competitive market of $5000 integrated amplifiers.”
SHOZY FORM 1.4 REVIEW
October 16, 2020 Comments Off on SHOZY FORM 1.4 REVIEW
“The sound of the Shozy Form 1.4 is on the warm side with an apparent and definitive midbass. The Form 1.1 was a bit v-shaped overall, but its bigger brother is more balanced although preserving some of its traits.
All in all the IEM sounds full-bodied, warm, organic, and musical. While doing that, it offers good technical qualities for its price range, once again proving Shozy’s abilities to put up an IEM that is certainly impressive for the money.”
QUESTYLE CMA TWELVE REVIEW
October 16, 2020 Comments Off on QUESTYLE CMA TWELVE REVIEW
“The CMA Twelve also operates as a preamplifier, with both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs. Unlike the CMA600i, the output from the DAC section can be switched to either line-level or variable output, a neat feature that I did find lacking in the earlier model. Another studio-friendly feature is the ability to switch the gain level of the preamp section from 14 dBu to 20 dBu. Questyle really has gone above and beyond with the included remote for the CMA Twelve, which I can honestly say is the best remote I’ve come across on a DAC/desktop device, at any price. Far from being simply a volume control, it allows for input switching as well as playback control when the CMA Twelve is paired with its companion QP2R+Super Hub SHB2 lossless audio player, which can be connected via the CMA Twelve’s inbuilt 5 GHz wifi functionality.
Straight out of the box, the CMA Twelve reeks of high-quality manufacturing, and (like its other family members) is probably the most solid-feeling piece of personal audio equipment I’ve encountered thus far. The black, sand-blasted aluminium casing is 10mm thick and constructed by Foxconn, the manufacturers of the iPhone. It’s a great-looking piece of gear, and the CMA Twelve straddles the line neatly between ‘hifi’ and ‘pro’ in terms of aesthetics.”
How Speakers Are Made Inside The Factory of Axiom Audio
October 16, 2020 Comments Off on How Speakers Are Made Inside The Factory of Axiom Audio
Shunyata Research • Everest 8000 Power Conditioner $8000 Review
October 15, 2020 Comments Off on Shunyata Research • Everest 8000 Power Conditioner $8000 Review
“The Everest 8000’s impact on the sound of my audio system reminds me of the kick I get out of listening to well-executed remasters — analog or digital. It provides the clearest view into recordings I’ve been able to attain. Because the Everest 8000 banishes so much extraneous, distracting noise from playback, I find myself appreciating changes in the sonic character of vocals from track to track on a single album or being in awe of the height and depth of some recording venues as well as the warmth and intimacy of another studio. My brain is not fighting to process the audible noise pollution from the electrical grid or the noise generated by my components. The Wilson Sasha 2’s in my system still sound like the balanced, neutral speakers they are, but the Everest 8000 has enabled my front-end components to feed them more of the bass energy, instrumental bloom, timbral fidelity and lifelike transients that were always present on even modest recordings.”
Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition Review
October 15, 2020 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition Review
“Listen to the self-titled track from The Scotts and the improvements are obvious, with the new version delivering harder hitting, more layered lows. The previous model sounds bloated and blurred in comparison. The extra control at low frequencies helps rhythmic drive and agility.
Move up the frequency range and the steps up in articulation and clarity are striking. Voices come through with greater subtlety, and it’s easier to hear changes in intonation and phrasing. The Series 2 offers a clearer view of the recording and sounds more balanced overall.
The differences between the speakers are just as stark when we play The Road OST from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. The title track has a sparse piano opening and we’re struck with just how much more defined and open the new speakers sound.
Their presentation is tauter, and a little more forward than the originals, but also sounds more natural and transparent. Tonally, there’s been a shift away from what now seems like a slightly over-blown bass and overly rich lower midrange to something more neutral.”
Audiophilepure 
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