Clearaudio Innovation Basic Turntable | Review
May 10, 2019 Comments Off on Clearaudio Innovation Basic Turntable | Review
“Earlier in the week, I had matched levels between The Clearaudio + TRACER + Hana ML + D’Agostino Momentum Phono vs. my dCS Vivaldi Digital stack. So I decided to have some fun and listen to Mercy Street on a Vinyl LP vs. Mercy Street in DSD.
I started the track on both devices simultaneously and switched back and forth. Sure there were differences (some LP noise for example), but in general I didn’t prefer one over the other. YES, I usually prefer the AMG Viella V12 over the dCS for a lot of content, but in this case the Clearaudio + D’Agostino Momentum was just as enjoyable as listening to that track on the gold standard dCS Vivaldi.”
Cube Nenuphar single driver speakers
May 10, 2019 Comments Off on Cube Nenuphar single driver speakers
Paradigm 200B Small Monitor Speaker $1000 Review
May 9, 2019 Comments Off on Paradigm 200B Small Monitor Speaker $1000 Review
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This seemed a little odd to me because, in my previous history with Paradigm monitors, they had an outstanding bottom end. Because I was somewhat perplexed, I moved to a different style of music, putting on Bob Marley’s Exodus, which is somewhat defined by the bass line. Once again, things just didn’t seem right.
After running through a variety of music I pushed the speaker back a little closer to the back wall in an attempt to boost up the bottom end. Although the bottom end was slightly better, the image stayed solid, so I kept them closer to the wall for the majority of my time with the Paradigms.”
Schiit Aegir amp Review
May 9, 2019 Comments Off on Schiit Aegir amp Review
“That depends on how loud you listen, the size of your room, the sensitivity of your speakers, and the music genres you enjoy. Big rooms soak up more power than small rooms, and high sensitivity speakers need less power to play at a given volume level than lower sensitivity speakers.
I split my Aegir listening sessions between two sets of speakers, the low sensitivity KEF LS50 and high sensitivity Klipsch Forte III speakers. Fueled by the Aegir, the LS50’s sound took on a burnished glow, with the tone richer and sweeter than I’m used to. Stereo imaging was superb, that’s what the LS50 is known for, but paired with the Aegir there’s more depth and body to the sound of vocalists and instruments on acoustic music.”
WOO AUDIO WA11 REVIEW
May 8, 2019 Comments Off on WOO AUDIO WA11 REVIEW
“The WA11 has absolutely no problem getting the 300 Ohm Sennheiser to blasting volumes. Loudness isn’t the problem of the Senn, as it’s an easier to drive headphone, but it can be very picky when it comes to sources. With the WA11 I feel it’s a good match. You will still get all the details from the Senn, but you will receive good amounts of body from the WA11, which makes a great blend of the two.
Don’t expect the bass of the HD800S to be elevated to levels of the Empyrean or even Diana Phi though, it’s still light on the lows, but mids are a notch denser with the Woo, which is also an area where the Senn could be improved on its own to me.”
Fluance RT85 Reference High Fidelity Turntable $499 Review
May 8, 2019 Comments Off on Fluance RT85 Reference High Fidelity Turntable $499 Review
“A few days later, I had my aha moment! I took delivery of a pair of Fluance’s new Ai60 Powered 6.5” Bookshelf Speakers (review coming soon). With powered speakers I was able to remove the amplifier from the equation and listen to a full Fluance system. This configuration was just great. Like all around great. Listening back to Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, the warmth all but disappeared and the overall sound was bright and crisp while retaining its low-end grunt. This proves that system matching is key. Potential buyers should look to audition Fluance RT85 with a few different systems first to achieve the sort of sound that they prefer.”
MARK LEVISON Nº585.5 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $33,995 REVIEW
May 7, 2019 Comments Off on MARK LEVISON Nº585.5 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER $33,995 REVIEW
“I am firmly in the camp that believes that every component in the reproduction chain, has a ‘sound’ or distortion that it adds to the music source. In the recording studio, it includes the microphones, cables, mixing desk, software, and any number of additional processes before we even consume or playback the original performance. We can only attempt to get as close as possible to the musical truth.
The combination of components we choose will ultimately have a bearing on the final result, and that is what will dictate ‘synergy’ in your audio system. Why do I bring this up? Because initially, I felt I wasn’t quite able to obtain a level of synergy with the Nº585.5 and various loudspeakers that I was happy with at this level. I came close a couple of times but felt that since the amplifier was very likely voiced with fellow-Harman brands JBL and Revel speakers, which of course I didn’t have on hand, that I didn’t quite achieve the audio nirvana that I am personally looking for. This is not a criticism of Mark Levinson or the amplifier, but we are talking about a pairing of two critical components that have much to do with the tonal balance and overall enjoyment.”
Avantgarde Acoustic UNO XD Loudspeaker £21,500 Review
May 7, 2019 Comments Off on Avantgarde Acoustic UNO XD Loudspeaker £21,500 Review
“Another striking quality of this speaker is its super-precise midband and treble. Whatever else it does well – and it does much with great distinction – you always keep coming back to the sheer focus that the UNO XD provides. For example, Ride’s ‘Leave Them All Behind’ [Going Blank Again; Reprise Records WPCP-4776] is a very dense bit of guitar-driven indie rock from the early ’90s. As a recording it’s very much of its time – super dry and crisp with lots of detail. It’s a great challenge for any hi-fi loudspeaker, because of the wall of distorted guitars that runs throughout the track, and the heavy compression.
Despite this, the speaker delivered a remarkably finely-etched sound, capturing every last strum of the backing guitar, and each rimshot and cymbal strike. Indeed instruments separated out from one another with great clarity, so one could hear a host of different things under that heavy, effects-laden backing guitar layer. This speaker practically unpacks the production before your very ears.”
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