tour of Mark’s extra cool system

February 24, 2020 Comments Off on tour of Mark’s extra cool system

Audiofly AF100 MK2 In-Ear Monitors Review

February 23, 2020 Comments Off on Audiofly AF100 MK2 In-Ear Monitors Review

https://www.stereo.net.au/reviews/audiofly-af100-mk2-in-ear-monitors-review

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the juggernaut industry-standard for professional IEMs, you may have just ended your search. The Audiofly AF100 MK2 comes in cheaper than the alternatives, yet delivers a more natural sound signature that’s hard not to like. For this reason, this pair of home-grown in-ears might prove hard to live without, for many head-fi fans. Factor in its really robust design and sensible, pro audio-friendly features, and here’s a design that’s at home both on and off the stage.”

Vivid Kaya 45 loudspeaker Review

February 23, 2020 Comments Off on Vivid Kaya 45 loudspeaker Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/vivid-kaya-45-loudspeaker-page-2

In general, the bass performance of the Kaya 45s was remarkable for their size. From a closely recorded Spanish guitar to pipe organ and large, dynamic ensembles, these relatively small floorstanders delivered respectable—and musical—bass. That’s not to say a pair of 5″ woofers per cabinet can push as much air as bigger or more drivers. What was wonderful about the Kaya 45s is that the quality and balance of the bass and upper bass in my altogether normal listening room was such that I lacked for nothing, except in direct comparison to bigger speakers (and Vivid makes those, too). With a classic recording of Mendelssohn’s Organ Sonata in F, performed by Thomas Murray on the E. & G.G. Hook organ at Jamaica Plain (CD, Raven 3901), the detail and fullness were immensely satisfying. As the tones descend in the fourth movement, there was a slight attenuation of the lowest tones, but that did not affect the progression or impact of the music.

Pathos InPol Ear stereo preamp/headphone amp review

February 23, 2020 § 1 Comment

Magico M2 loudspeaker $56,000/pair Review

February 22, 2020 Comments Off on Magico M2 loudspeaker $56,000/pair Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/magico-m2-loudspeaker

The dual-mono pink noise track on Editor’s Choice sounded hollow if I stood up but evenly balanced, uncolored, and smooth when I sat with my ears level with the M2s’ tweeters, which are 38.5″ from the floor. The pink noise sounded mellower than it had with the Q Acoustics Concept 300s that I reviewed in the January 2020 issue, but the central image of the noise signal was appropriately narrow and stable.

Stable, accurate stereo imaging was a consistent feature during my auditioning of the M2s. I have been a fan of pianist Mitsuko Uchida since Stereophile‘s then-publisher Larry Archibald and I saw her performing at London’s Royal Festival Hall the February 1986 night we sealed the deal on my replacing J. Gordon Holt as the magazine’s editor. A recent purchase was Ms. Uchida’s live 2010 Beethoven Piano Concerto cycle with Simon Rattle conducting the Berlin Philharmonic 

Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Momentum HD line preamplifier Jason Victor Serinus Review

February 22, 2020 Comments Off on Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Momentum HD line preamplifier Jason Victor Serinus Review

https://www.stereophile.com/content/dan-dagostino-master-audio-systems-momentum-hd-line-preamplifier

“Sticking with Shostakovich, Rickie Lee Jones, and Cassandra Wilson, we switched preamps and discovered that the contrast between the D’Agostino Momentum HD and the Audio Research Ref 6 was profound. While timbres were actually more neutral through the Ref 6 and air was quite fine, highs were noisier, midrange less full, and bass less astounding albeit excellent in its own right. On Yello’s “Electrified II” from Toy (24/48 WAV, Polydor 4782160/ HDtracks) and will.i.am’s “#thatPOWER” (featuring Justin Bieber) from #willpower (16/44.1 MQA.FLAC, Interscope Records UICS-9136/7), the Ref 6 preamp couldn’t deliver the same degree of bass impact, midrange fullness, extended evenness on top, and wall-to-wall sound as the Momentum HD. Which isn’t surprising, given the $25,000 price difference. With the Ref 6, my system still sounded like the system I knew inside out; with the Momentum HD, a new window opened, and every recording became a source of wonder.

Audio-GD – R7HE 2020 Magna R2R DAC

February 22, 2020 Comments Off on Audio-GD – R7HE 2020 Magna R2R DAC

DROP THX PANDA REVIEW

February 21, 2020 Comments Off on DROP THX PANDA REVIEW

https://www.headfonia.com/drop-thx-panda-review/

“I was relieved (and not really surprised) to find that the Panda impressed in the sound department straight out of the box. It has a rich, balanced sound that’s super-enjoyable with decent levels of detail. It’s not quite your classic ‘planar’ sound – if you’re expecting fast, lean and ruler-flat response, you’ll be surprised by how the Panda manages to somehow bottle the natural tonal warmth and decay more associated with dynamic drivers. 

The Panda’s bass is done tastefully, with satisfying but not overwhelming quantity and impact. Steely Dan’s ‘Peg’ shows the Panda to have taut, agile bass performance balanced with nice texture and speed. There’s a slight hint of ‘bloom’ in the mid-bass area moving toward the lower mid-range, but that’s nit-picking – for a $400 close-backs headphone (let alone a wireless one) it’s superb”

MartinLogan Dynamo 1100X Subwoofer Review

February 21, 2020 Comments Off on MartinLogan Dynamo 1100X Subwoofer Review

https://hometheaterreview.com/martinlogan-dynamo-1100x-subwoofer-reviewed/

‘As the astronauts blast off from earth, the amount of bass required to faithfully reproduce this scene is absurd. In fact, during the film’s theatrical run, it was reported that certain scenes of the film, including this one, had a habit of destroying bass drivers in commercial theaters. Luckily, this didn’t happen with the 1100Xs despite the sustained high-volume, low-frequency bass. The 1100Xs remained composed, delivering clean, deep, audibly distortion-free bass with satisfying room-shaking impact. This level of impressive performance carried over to the other bass heavy movies I tested, such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 and 2.”

Unboxing D’Agostino Momentum Preamp and Amp

February 21, 2020 Comments Off on Unboxing D’Agostino Momentum Preamp and Amp