ABYSS HEADPHONES DIANA V2 $2995 REVIEW
September 29, 2020 Comments Off on ABYSS HEADPHONES DIANA V2 $2995 REVIEW
“The timbre is wonderfully natural sounding on the Diana V2. The overall timbre is richer and relatively forgiving compared to the crisp and peppy treble tour de force of the Phi. Studied matching with sources will pose less of a challenge with the Diana V2.
To achieve this Abyss has attenuated the V2 treble just a little and pulled back its upper mids to match to dull down any potential odd-harmonic nasties. At the same time, the midbass and sub-bass FR has a bit of a bump throwing in some additional body and warmth into the mids to up the even-harmonic bias.”

Copland CSA100 USB DAC/Integrated Amp £3498 Review
September 29, 2020 Comments Off on Copland CSA100 USB DAC/Integrated Amp £3498 Review
“Disco was always characterised by a tech-y feel, maybe even exaggerated sonic properties, but the CSA100 delivered the shake-your-booty excitement without ever resorting to aggression. It’s an area where Copland has always excelled and which it hasn’t abandoned, its hybrid sounding as ear-friendly as its all-valve designs. I hope I am getting across to you all that this amp seems incapable of causing listener fatigue.
As a farewell to the CSA100, I put on Howard Tate [Analogue Productions APO 009], a live mini-LP that Chad Kassem’s crew produced a decade ago, featuring my all-time favourite R&B singer. With a crack band and a guitarist whose notes soared, the ageing singer brushed away the years to deliver heartfelt renditions of a couple of his classics and gems like B B King’s ‘Sweet Sixteen’. The intimacy was tangible, the space enveloping. The CSA100 did all of which it was asked.”



Fearless x Crinacle Dawn In-Ear Monitors – Review
September 29, 2020 Comments Off on Fearless x Crinacle Dawn In-Ear Monitors – Review
Goldmund Mimesis 15/Prana Active Loudspeaker £70,000 Review
September 28, 2020 Comments Off on Goldmund Mimesis 15/Prana Active Loudspeaker £70,000 Review
“What these speakers deliver is all the scale and power of the music – as much as that CD-quality limitation on the USB input will allow. Playing the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s recording of the overture to Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte [from Linn Records CKD 460], the Pranas’ rhythmic ability certainly sweeps the listener along with the music, while there’s entirely appropriate weight and scale to the sound.
Yet for the diehard audiophile, the Pranas may be found to lack that vital blend of musical force and window into the event that’s the hallmark of many a fine, if conventional and less convenient, set-up of amp and speakers.”

Sony NW-A55L $220 Review
September 28, 2020 Comments Off on Sony NW-A55L $220 Review

“If you’re looking for a sonic upgrade over your phone, the Sony will offer it across the board. It has a next-level maturity when it comes to delivering clarity, cleanliness and weight, and its well-timed sprightliness and more than a hint of dynamics save it from mimicking the often flat presentation you get from a phone’s output.
The NW-A55L confidently bops along to the grooves that underpin D’Angelo and The Vanguard’s Ain’t That Easy, driving the bassline with impetus while giving the rest of the track its fair share in the spotlight. We play Lubomyr Melnyk’s Pockets Of Light, and it diligently unravels the dynamics to ensure the long passage of piano playing sounds rightfully captivating rather than repetitive.”

Technics SL-G700 Network/SACD player REVIEW
September 28, 2020 Comments Off on Technics SL-G700 Network/SACD player REVIEW
iFi PowerStation AC Line Conditioner Review
September 26, 2020 Comments Off on iFi PowerStation AC Line Conditioner Review
“Interestingly, the PowerStation feeding the source components excelled at the very characteristics—high frequency resolution and dynamics—that I found problematic with it feeding the power amps. That is not a contradiction; it’s a reminder that a power amp places quite different demands on a conditioner than do source components. When audiophiles speak of “lowering the noise floor,” it’s often not about the no-music, barely audible hiss from the loudspeaker. The oxymoron here is that inaudible RFI can interact with electronics processing audible-range signals, and thus become audible as a blurring of subtle textural, spatial, and temporal information. Permit me to compa”

Verity Audio Otello Floorstanding Loudspeakers $19,795 Review
September 26, 2020 Comments Off on Verity Audio Otello Floorstanding Loudspeakers $19,795 Review
“Each instrument occupies a defined space with the front soundstage. As the piece continues, the music slowly fades until we only the organ playing pianissimo remains. Soprano Nancy Keith’s comes in, and her voice helps fill the space. Once the men’s and women’s choirs join her, we get an accurate picture of the size of the hall’s immersive sound. As the choruses and the organ swell, the music expands and gloriously fills the chamber. The Otello’s presented an immersive listening experience that wrapped around the speakers and broadened into my room, giving me the impression that I was seated orchestra center in Meyerson Hall.
While the upper frequencies were airy and extended, they were also sweet and delicate. On the Analog Productions 45rpm reissue of Bill Evans’ Sunday At The Village Vanguard [Analog Productions/Riverside Records, AJAZ 9376], Evans’ playing was quick and light but did not give up any body. I also loved how the Otello’s treated cymbals. The cymbals on Buddy Rich’s Buddy Rich And His Sextet – Blues Caravan [Verve, V6-8425] have the right amount of sheen and extension without sounding metallic, clangy or glassy. They got them just right.”


Yamaha A-S2200 Integrated Amplifier Review
September 26, 2020 Comments Off on Yamaha A-S2200 Integrated Amplifier Review
McIntosh MA9000 $11,000 Review
September 25, 2020 Comments Off on McIntosh MA9000 $11,000 Review
“We switch to records and are pleased by the quality of this amplifier’s phono section. Both the moving magnet and moving coil sections are decently quiet and have enough gain for the cartridges we’re using. The amp’s appealing character shines through, though there’s the expected subtle drop in outright clarity compared to the line stages. This performance will be good enough for all but the most committed of vinyl purists.
We play a range of music from Bob Marley’s Catch A Fire and Four Tet’s There Is Love In You to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, and the McIntosh sounds happy regardless. Despite all the power on tap, this brute also has a sensitive side. It has enough finesse not to bulldoze through tracks that require subtlety, coming across with a surprising lightness of touch when required.


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