dCS Bartók Network DAC/Headphone Amp Review
July 18, 2019 Comments Off on dCS Bartók Network DAC/Headphone Amp Review
“The track’s low-end enjoyed excellent control, with a bouncy and propulsive bass guitar sound that pushed the song along with heady abandon. Indeed, the normally quite matter-of-fact PM-1s actually appeared to be enjoying themselves, turning in a vibrant and tactile sound. The midband sound mimicked the line outputs, with a bright light pushing through the mix, illuminating everything without dazzling you back. The signature Rickenbacker guitar was instantly recognisable, and Mark Knopfler’s vocals had their correct ‘sawdusty’ texture, adding so much to the feel of the track.
The Bartók’s preamp also has serious reserves of grunt to convey musical crescendos. With a tenacious grip and no hint of breathlessness as the levels increased, Kraftwerk’s ‘Tour De France Étape 3’ [Tour De France Soundtracks; EMI 72435 91710 2 9] developed with shocking force as its closing dynamic peak was reached.”
audiophile heaven
July 18, 2019 Comments Off on audiophile heaven
“We all enjoy the upper echelon ultra high-end audio systems. So, here is another setup with Avantgarde Acoustic Trio Luxury Edition 26 (no5 of 26), Kronos Audio Pro turntable , Jadis power amplifiers, Trafomatic Audio Luna, dCS etc.”
HIFIMAN JADE II REVIEW
July 17, 2019 Comments Off on HIFIMAN JADE II REVIEW
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There is far less to go on regarding the amplifier and what is happening on the inside. What we do know is that it uses a cascode differential circuit of transistors and MOFSETs with an 80W transformer outputting around 1.2W at 1kHz. I would class this as a medium output level solid state amp on par with the 1W into 32Ω Auris HA-2SE for output but much lower than my own e-stats VE Enterprise E Lite at just over 3W per channel.
The amp is also set up with a Pro Bias 540V output so it is compatible not only with Hifiman’s Jade II headphones but also pretty much any electrostatic headphone with a 5-pin pro bias connector.
This is also a single-ended design rather than a balanced amp configuration despite it having a balanced XLR 3-pin input on the rear. It will allow two inputs (dual RCA/XLR) with a switch control and two e-stats headphones can connect to the front at the same time. As a reviewer, being able to compare to headphones from the same amp at the same time without disconnecting and switching is gold.”
Focal • Stellia $3,000 Review
July 17, 2019 Comments Off on Focal • Stellia $3,000 Review
“This kind of music has always been the stumbling block for closed-back designs, collapsing that beehive to a scaled-down image no wider than your eye sockets. The best mass-produced designs, familiar to a wide audience for air travel, don’t even come close to expanding this space limitation. The Sony WH-1000XM3, one of today’s most popular travel headphones (it includes active noise cancellation) is most non-audiophiles’ idea of a high-end headset, and at $350, it packs a lot performance into a very small, portable and lightweight package. But it highlights the limitations of closed-back headphones. A quick comparison of the Sony with Focal’s “budget” closed-back model highlights that the Elegias are serious headphones for music lovers who demand fine reproduction. The Sonys’ relatively thin and lightweight sound is exposed, making it easy to affirmatively answer the typical non-audiophile question — “But is it really three times as good?” The tradeoffs in added weight and size bring a dramatic increase in musical authenticity — depth of musical texture and dimension that make the listening experience more than shutting out the outside world.
The Elegia packs up in its handsome carrying case, and the short cable is perfect for portable listening. I plugged it into an AudioQuest DragonFly DAC and iPhone full of music copied from CDs. Alisa Wailerstein playing Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks [Decca 483 0835] transported me back to hearing her perform the piece live in the Concertgebouw a few years ago. Bass, high-frequency extension, gorgeous tonal accuracy and explosive dynamics were all in abundance, needing only about half of the iPhone’s volume range. The Elegia’s 105dB sensitivity makes it easy to run with an iPhone (the Stellia, at 106dB, is just as sensitive). The hard-shell case is the size of a small man-purse and is covered in the same fabric as my preferred carry-on luggage, a small backpack from Peak Design.”
SVS SB-3000 Subwoofer Review
July 17, 2019 Comments Off on SVS SB-3000 Subwoofer Review
“I like placing the sub right in the center if you are using one, or just inside or outside of the main speaker cabinets if you’re using two. This was my first time setting up two subs in my room, and I felt set up was no harder with the pair. After I adjusted for phase, I placed the subs about 6.5 inches inside the main cabinets, which are way out into the room. If you use this method you’ll likely not need to adjust phase. I didn’t. Once the subs were placed in this configuration, I started playing with the feature-rich SVS smartphone app. As it turns out I only used the volume (at -16dB), low pass filter (LFE disabled, 50Hz with a 12dB slope), and a preset I named LO VOL that boosted the gain 2dB for low volume listening. Phase was set at 0, and polarity stayed in the positive default. I used a couple of different frequency response phone apps to look at the room response. Since things were looking good, and sounding damn good, I didn’t feel I needed the parametric EQ or the room gain compensation. I used my favorite speaker accessory, the Gingko ARCHs under the Quads (see review HERE), and also under the rubber feet on the SB-3000s. When the set up was optimized, I started listening. ”
Klipsch RP-5000F Review
July 16, 2019 Comments Off on Klipsch RP-5000F Review
“Jazz alto saxophonist’s Lee Konitz’ Billie Holiday tribute album, Strings for Holiday, sounded lovely. Konitz’s breathy and soulful sax was accompanied by a small string chamber ensemble. Stereo imaging was big and spacious.
Compared with the JBL Stage A170 tower speaker I reviewed in late June the RP-5000F’s sounded more immediate and clearer. The A170 countered with a richer tonal balance, the RP-5000F’s midrange was more neutral, more accurate, and the treble had more sparkle and brilliance. The A170 was more laid back, it sounded hazier than the RP-5000F.”
Vivid Audio Kaya 90 Floorstanding Speaker Review
July 16, 2019 Comments Off on Vivid Audio Kaya 90 Floorstanding Speaker Review
“One other thing that may be worth considering for readers who employ their stereo systems as the foundation pf a multi-channel system: While the Kaya brochure lists center channel and surround models, they are not yet in production. I suspect the smaller, stand-mount models from Vivid may be a viable option, but it would be nice to have the full Kaya line available for those who want to build a multi-channel system.
Lastly, the aesthetics of the Vivid Audio Kaya line are appealing to my eye, but perhaps not for everyone, especially someone with more traditional design tastes. The Kaya line is understated for Vivid Audio, but these speakers are hardly ordinary looking, with their somewhat unusual, organic shapes.”
PrimaLuna EVO 400 preamplifier Review
July 15, 2019 Comments Off on PrimaLuna EVO 400 preamplifier Review
“We all know our father’s jazz records were about the sounds of acoustic bass, saxophone, and piano. In response to all that unamplified acousticness, Ventures’ records—especially those on the Dolton label—were all about the new, powerful, driving sound of electric guitars. (The Ventures, along with Chet Atkins and Link Wray, played a significant role in making electric guitars the most important instruments in 1960s popular music.) Therefore, any playback of their recordings that doesn’t convey the expressive reality of those guitars and their associated tubed amplifiers is a fail. The all-tube EVO 400 preamp and the ProLogue Premium amplifier triumphed: They brought the Ventures’ incomparable guitar sound to ravishing new life. The PrimaLuna tubes let the Ventures’ reverb-soaked essence fill my room; they made me feel like a “ho-dad” (a greaser/hot-rodder) and let me go “ten-over” until I wiped out.
BOWERS & WILKINS 603 FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKER £1,249 REVIEW
July 15, 2019 Comments Off on BOWERS & WILKINS 603 FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKER £1,249 REVIEW
“However, a favourite disc is the Lowell George solo album, Thanks I’ll Eat It Here[Friday Music], so I slipped it onto the turntable and was immediately impressed by the overall neutrality of the sound that was being delivered. Why pay more? I kept asking myself. I do have a pair of B&W’s 800 D3s tucked away in the speaker store, and they do have some advantages over this baby, no question. That they will deliver a (slightly) wider dynamic range, with rather better all-round distribution is impossible to deny, but I do find it difficult to justify a price differential of roughly 15×.
If there’s a better example of the loudspeaker being a slave to the rest of the system, I’ve yet to find it. Bowers & Wilkins’ 603 are entirely capable of reproducing just what they were being fed, no matter how high-end you go. However you look at it, the 603 is quite exceptional value for money.”
Audiophilepure 
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