McIntosh Labs C53 Preamplifier $8,000 Review

March 22, 2020 Comments Off on McIntosh Labs C53 Preamplifier $8,000 Review

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/reviews/mcintosh-labs-c53-preamplifier-review-r878/


“While my digital sources in form of AURALiC’s Vega G2 or Playback Design’s MPS-8 generally held court during the review period of the C53, I did spend quite some time with the built in, rather high quality, DA2 digital board input. Here, my MacBook Pro delivered the C53s data in both Redbook, high-res PCM and DSD variants. Did the DA2 board hold its own against the pricier DAC alternatives I have on hand? Yes, but unlike the genuinely far higher than the suggested price class performing preamplifier, the differences to my two references were a bit more pronounced. On a recent discovery, Earthtones – Bahamas, the last cut, Any Place, is a perfect example of how a modern release can in fact be recorded well and mastered in such a way as to bring out the full excitement of the track, without the need for you to hit your head against a brick wall. Streamed via Tidal within Roon, the C53’s digital input was correctly identified and all settings automatically applied, giving you the experience of genuine plug-and-play. Here, the all new DA2 model was able to flex its muscle, offering up prodigious, if a bit less articulate bass than what my two reference DACs are capable of. Clearly audible is the overall Gestalt of the preamp section, which is extended, dynamic and clear of hash. Cueing up Steely Dan’s SACD rip of Gaucho, the DSD64 file yet again performed at levels above the all-inclusive asking price of $8000 McIntosh charges for the C53. A little less definition here, a little more warmth there, the DA2 module will undoubtedly delight you. If you are coming from an older DAC or even CD/SACD player, I would venture to guess that the DA2 module will in fact outperform even a top of the line DAC from just a decade ago. “

AAW HALCYON REVIEW

March 22, 2020 Comments Off on AAW HALCYON REVIEW

https://www.headfonia.com/aaw-halcyon-review/

The Valkyrie has a more energetic and brighter top end than the Halcyon. The AAW though has a cleaner treble response with higher levels of richness. It is safer from harshness and sibilance than then Valkyrie. The EE gives more presence to the highest of highs, which makes them sound a bit thinner and sharper to me.

In terms of technical performance it’s the Valkyrie that stretches a wider and deeper stage. It has a darker background and separates instruments cleaner with a sharper cut. Both monitors have equally good resolution, but the Valkyrie gives more attention to the texture, while the Halcyon goes for a smoother touch. It smudges over some blemishes and makes for a more forgiving sound. The Valkyrie on the other hand can sound brutally punchy. If that’s not what you like, then the Valkyrie won’t be for you.

Bel Canto e.One Stream review

March 21, 2020 Comments Off on Bel Canto e.One Stream review

https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/bel-canto-eone-stream

“In terms of features, then, Bel Canto has included everything you’d expect from a product such as the Stream, without promising the world. But the key to any audio product, though perhaps even more so for such a focused component around this price, is how it sounds. That is where we feel more than a tad underwhelmed.

There are certain aspects of the Stream’s performance that let you know it’s operating in this kind of ballpark, without absolutely sounding like you’re getting your money’s worth. There is space and detail you’d struggle to achieve with a three-figure budget, and the tonal balance is reassuringly even. 

ACOUSTIC SOLID WOOD ROUND MPX TURNTABLE £5,950 REVIEW

March 21, 2020 Comments Off on ACOUSTIC SOLID WOOD ROUND MPX TURNTABLE £5,950 REVIEW

http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/acoustic-solid-wood-round-mpx-turntable/

“With Rymden’s Reflections and Odysseys [Jazzland] spinning at 45rpm (it sounded a bit sluggish at 33.3!) the double bass took the soundstage by storm with lots of texture and some lovely vibrato playing from Dan Berglund and deep bass notes from Henrik Schwarz’s synth. There was still plenty of space for the piano to get lyrical in; this turntable gives good melody, that’s for sure. Playing the next track ‘Bergen’ where the piano is stronger in the mix, made me think that the sound had improved since the beginning of the side, possibly a setup thing or maybe a ‘stylus warm-up situation’ even though this wasn’t the first slab of vinyl to be played on the occasion. Perhaps I was just relaxing into the music itself!

The Acoustic Solid Wood Round MPX is a substantial and beautifully made German turntable at an attractive price. It is also the most straightforward to set up high-mass record player I’ve encountered, with no need to tweak and fettle, which is quite an achievement. It gives you the effortless warmth of vinyl with a good dose of bass to boot, which is hard to achieve with less substantial alternatives. It is also a statement turntable for less than bonkers money, and that I suspect will make it very popular. 

ramar vinyl record brush

March 21, 2020 Comments Off on ramar vinyl record brush

xDuoo TA-03S DAC/headamp Review

March 16, 2020 Comments Off on xDuoo TA-03S DAC/headamp Review

https://audiofi.net/2020/03/xduoo-ta-03s-dac-headamp-like-a-creamy-mid-afternoon-coffee/

“As a pure DAC, it is resolving enough without having excessive flavour. Upon switching its analogue output to my Lovely Cube Premium class A solid-state headphone amp, it’s immediately apparent how average the DAC section on this unit is. The TA-03S resolves macro details well but micro details such as the scratch from calloused fingers rubbing against guitar string gets lost in translation and blends into the background. To that I say, who cares? You’re listening to music, not trying to count the number of people clapping in the front seat at the end of Track 3 of Adele’s Live at the Royal Albert Hall album.

As a pure headphone amp, the TA-03S does so many things right. I would even go as far as to say the performance is bottlenecked by the mediocre DAC stage. Mids are smooth and intimate with no hint of sibilance or graininess. Through the Gen 1 Chord Hugo, switching from my solid state amp to this unit expanded the soundstage abruptly.”

Astell & Kern T9iE IEM Review

March 16, 2020 Comments Off on Astell & Kern T9iE IEM Review

https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/astell-kern-t9ie-iem-review

“The IEMs themselves have an attractive sort of fractal-type look to the back faceplate, otherwise they are quite smooth, sort of a metallic grey color and very small. One of the smaller high-end IEMs I’ve tried, and I ultimately found the form factor more comfortable over long-term listening than some of the moulded shapes of larger IEMs. Cabling on the T9iE is a very high purity Silver and OCC Copper hybrid 4-pole design carried over from last generation’s T8iE. The cable is quite thick compared to many IEM cables I’ve experienced and I personally would prefer something a little thinner for truly portable use, but for my purposes of airplane and seated listening, I had no issues at all with this cable. I will say that as thick as it is, this cable is remarkably flexible.”

Roon Labs Nucleus Plus Server $2499 Review

March 16, 2020 Comments Off on Roon Labs Nucleus Plus Server $2499 Review

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/roon-labs-nucleus-plus-server/

“In the following weeks, Kevro put me in touch with Roon’s VP of Marketing, Dipin Sehdev, who suggested that I try and resolve my issues using their forum, and he very kindly got Dylan Caudill, the Roon Manager of Technical Support, to focus on my issues to hopefully resolve them expeditiously. Dylan tried mightily to get my Nucleus Plus to see, read, and index the music files on all my hard drives, but we had limited success. 

Then Dylan suggested a maneuver on my iMac that I found quite complicated, and so I sought the help of Kevro to get it done. They introduced me to a more experienced Roon dealer in Alberta who is very knowledgeable and helpful. He proposed a real time TeamViewer session so that he could see and control my iMac to complete the maneuver that Roon required. During the TeamViewer session, in less than 30 minutes, the dealer also checked out my iMac and found solutions to every issue that Roon had been grappling with and he fixed every one of them. He also made a whole lot of setting adjustments within Roon so that the Nucleus Plus was not just up and running, but also firing on all cylinders. I could finally begin the review in earnest.

Ultimate Horn speakers

March 16, 2020 Comments Off on Ultimate Horn speakers

Aurender A30 Digital Music Player Review

March 15, 2020 Comments Off on Aurender A30 Digital Music Player Review

https://www.hifinews.com/content/aurender-a30-digital-music-player

“If all that sounds a bit ‘hi-fi’, it’s because that’s the way the A30 sounds – clear and to the point with everything under tight control. As a result it delivers a sound that’s packed with detail, more so even with CD rips that I suspected sounded a smidge better than the original in some cases, thanks to the multiple-reads and error-correction used in the ripping process.

Even with pretty raw-edged music, for example some of the bluesier tracks from ZZ Top’s Rio Grande Mud [from The Complete Studio Albums 1970-1990; Warner Bros, 192kHz/24-bit], the A30 kept its cool. Here, where the band winds up its sound into the form for which it would become famous, the A30 makes every nuance clear without the merest suggestion of harshness. Its sophistication never slips…”