iFi Audio Hip DAC Headphone Amplifier
October 13, 2020 Comments Off on iFi Audio Hip DAC Headphone Amplifier
Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo Loudspeakers $16,990 Review
October 12, 2020 Comments Off on Focal Diablo Utopia Colour Evo Loudspeakers $16,990 Review
“Sonus Faber’s Electa Amator III ($10,000/pair) is different. In many ways, lining up this two-way minimonitor next to Focal’s flagship stand-mount is a study in contrasts. From its solid-walnut (not MDF!) cabinet to its use of marble and brass, it looks far more artisanal than the average bookshelf model, and its price includes matching stands of very high quality. The EAIII has the same 1.1” fabric-dome tweeter used in Sonus Faber’s flagship model, the Aida ($130,000/pair), and a 7.1” paper-coned midrange-woofer based on drivers higher in the Italian brand’s line. The EAIII is voiced differently from most of today’s speakers, with a “smiling” frequency response: that is, it slightly boosts the bass and treble. I adored it when I reviewed it in 2019, having greatly admired its build quality and visual charm. It also sounded very good, with punchy output in the all-important midbass. This, allied to its detailed yet rich, almost golden midrange, made listening through the EAIIIs great fun with every type of music I played.”
MEZE AUDIO RAI SOLO REVIEW
October 12, 2020 Comments Off on MEZE AUDIO RAI SOLO REVIEW
“The general sound signature of the Rai Solo is bright, airy, and with an upward shift in frequency dominance towards the upper mid-range. I found it fairly cold and tending towards a balanced accuracy of reproduction than a smothered mid-range to help with being fun and multi-genre friendly. It’s an IEM with a purpose and it knows what it’s targeting. ”
Manley Labs Snapper Monoblock Amplifiers | REVIEW
October 10, 2020 Comments Off on Manley Labs Snapper Monoblock Amplifiers | REVIEW
“If the Manley Labs Snapper Monoblock Amplifiers were a city, they would be Toronto. They would be the straight A student who doesn’t need to show off, who throws birthday parties at comic book shops and goes to bed early enough to be mostly rested but still late enough to allow room for a little mischief. A night on the town means a concert in the park and a visit to the local Tea & Board Game Cafe, and so it is with the Snappers. They hit all three Rs that straight A student does—Rocking Out, Relaxing and Refinement. As the music flows, so do the Snappers portrayal of it. If you’re looking for a tube amp that can play with the high-powered solid state and the flea-watt SET amplifiers and yet bring home the transparency and leave any annoying coloration behind, the Snappers carry my highest recommendation.”
Göbel High End Divin Marquis loudspeaker $80,000 Review
October 10, 2020 Comments Off on Göbel High End Divin Marquis loudspeaker $80,000 Review
“Full range, low distortion, no coloration: The thoroughbred performance of the Divin Marquis confirms that Göbel High End presents serious competition to the Wilsons, Magicos, Rockports, Tidals, von Schweikerts, and YG Acousticses of the cost-no-object loudspeaker world. I am going to miss the Göbels when they go back to the distributor, and I am not looking forward to packing them into the flight cases and maneuvering them up the steps to my vestibule.”
Bluesound Node 2i Wireless Multi-Room High-Res Music Streamer $549 Review
October 8, 2020 Comments Off on Bluesound Node 2i Wireless Multi-Room High-Res Music Streamer $549 Review
“As I was nearing the end of the review period, a TAS colleague asked me if I could recommend a music server for a friend of his who wanted to dip his toes into the waters of streaming. The friend didn’t want anything fancy or complicated, nor did he want to spend a lot of money, but he did want something good and representative of both the quality and quantity of music available through streaming sources. Without hesitation I recommended the Node 2i. Truth in reporting requires me to point out that I’ve by no means even begun to audition everything that’s out there in sub-grand streamer/DACs. However, I have used the Node 2i daily for nearly half a year in superior sound systems where I was able to compare it directly to similar components costing over ten times its $549 asking price. So I am pretty confident saying you would be hard-pressed to find a package that dovetails convenience, selection of music, trouble-free streaming, build-quality, flexibility, and true high-end performance as impressively as the Node 2i. Add to this the fact that its provenance is NAD, a manufacturer with over four decades of making value-driven components that are synonymous with reliability and longevity. If all that isn’t persuasive enough, it costs less than most high-end cable manufacturers’ so-called “affordable” interconnects, and if you purchase it through the Bluesound website, you get thirty days to return it if you don’t like it. Meanwhile, if the streaming bug really bites you, the music server part of the 2i can be used in the clear with a more upscale DAC should you desire to go that route. (I used it into a Benchmark DAC3 and the DACs built into a McIntosh C52 preamplifier and a Marantz SA-KI Ruby SA-CD player, all with great results.)”
Sonnet Loudspeakers $8200 Review
October 8, 2020 Comments Off on Sonnet Loudspeakers $8200 Review
“From the jump, the Sonnets presented an engaging, inviting, detailed yet utterly natural timbre, and a sound stage that bloomed in all directions. With some added care, the frequency range was very smooth and linear with an overall warm balance. No, they will not replace my 500 lb Sunny Cable Majestic15, or my 50K Lansche 4.1 with 4 powered 10 inch bass drivers and Plasma tweeters. I can say that the $8K Sonnets possesses wholly unique qualities that even some of the big dollar designs don’t possess in the same way. Ultimately what you get with the Sonnets add up to intense musicality, outstanding reproduction of timbre, great dynamic output, and effortless detail retrieval.”
Audiophilepure 
You must be logged in to post a comment.