Audioengine A2+ Wireless Powered Speakers $269 Review
May 30, 2019 Comments Off on Audioengine A2+ Wireless Powered Speakers $269 Review
“I’m totally sold on the A2+. At this ridiculously low price point, there’s absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t be sitting at every music lover’s desktop, or in a whole lotta dorm rooms across the country. They acquitted themselves so very nicely in a relatively large room—it only reasons to think that they’d really sing and provide a seriously satisfying listening experience in a much more typically sized environment. And even though they weren’t ideally placed in the room, they filled the room with remarkably good sound that defied localization—exactly what you’d expect from any pair of speakers with audiophile pretensions. For $269, you generally expect to get junk, not something that truly offers a generous taste of the audiophile experience. Very highly recommended!”
Meet Scott, he’s Into Maggies, Peachtree
May 30, 2019 Comments Off on Meet Scott, he’s Into Maggies, Peachtree
McIntosh XR50 speakers $4,000 Review
May 29, 2019 Comments Off on McIntosh XR50 speakers $4,000 Review
“Right from the first track, the XR50 showed why it often pays to use equipment from the same manufacturer. The result was balanced, very natural and quintessentially McIntosh. The McIntosh combination was one made in heaven or more correctly, in the McIntosh factory! The sound was warm and uncannily lifelike, displaying many characteristics that revealed the human factor in the music-making process. Intake breaths, which more often than not are distractions, became an integral part of the music.
In spite of the diminutive size relative to my reference speakers, the bass output was bigger and deeper and more akin to what I know of in live performances. For example, double bass bowing and plucking on Harry Allen’s New York State of Mind had tremendous presence and furniture-vibrating qualities. I must add, this was reproduced in a most natural manner.”
Mr. Speakers Ether 2 – $2,000 Review
May 28, 2019 Comments Off on Mr. Speakers Ether 2 – $2,000 Review
“To me, this is one kick-butt headphone. The frequency response is just about spot on perfect. Compared to the Aeon, the upper midrange is a bit cleaner and less shouty, the mids a bit more full, especially in the lower midrange, with a bit more bass presence and dynamics than the Aeon and a super smooth treble response that is neither bright nor warm, but exceptionally balanced. The mids are silky without being too forward or too warm. Some measurements and listening revealed to me a response which is much like a smoother, less aggressive version of the Harman Curve. This is just about right for my tastes, and everything the headphone does has an effortlessly resolving and transparent feel to it. I was most surprised by the sense of imaging however. This is one of the only headphones that feels like it has a real sense of soundstage and clarity to me without being harsh. The image it throws is distinctly in the forward-ish location in relationship to my eyeballs, and remarkably tangible. I could see some folks feeling the treble is ever so slightly dry, though I found this to be somewhat amp dependent and in general I didn’t hear the treble as being bright or overly damped or peaky. Certainly this headphone has a more natural sound to it than some of Mr. Speakers earlier headphones, such as the first generation of Ether headps which were a bit analytical for my tastes.
Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III Int. Amp World Premiere Review
May 28, 2019 Comments Off on Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III Int. Amp World Premiere Review
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I just received a test CD with my British Hi-Fi+ magazine subscription. The CD reads, ISOTEK: The Ultimate System set-up Disc. Even though it is primarily a system set up recording it does have music sound tracks. Reasoning that the Cronus amplifier is now the center of my music system listening to it could be very informative. Part of the test recording contains a series of sound and imaging tracks both left and right, including depth and even a 360 degree sound sweep, all perfectly done. Happy to announce that my music evaluation machine with the Cronus in the system is all neat and tidy and properly set up. Unfortunately, the music tracks on this test CD are just mediocre and do not really test the ability of the Cronus Magnum III. However, I do have a CD that will reveal this amplifiers detailing ability.
Chances are a committed audiophile would own a copy of Nils Lofgren’s SACD Acoustic Live, and so let’s spin it up. Immediately there is a dimensional expansion of the sound scape. The scale of stereo imaging within the performance space, including those in front of the stage, are clear to hear. There are great aural hints of 3D space. Space is what you should expect, and that’s what would be a wonderful characteristic of this vacuum tube powered soundscape. Razor edged transient attack is what you might hear with a solid-state setup, yet Rogue Audio’s Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amplifier with phono stage reveals something far more satisfying. The sound is full of natural resonant harmonic overtones both odd and even. More than that, those overtones decay into silence much more gradually. My favorite Harry Pearson phrase is “Continuousness”, and here it fits nicely.”
ABYSS DIANA PHI REVIEW
May 27, 2019 Comments Off on ABYSS DIANA PHI REVIEW
“We have seen many good headphones in the recent months and years, but it seems that the higher end segment is concentrating on planar magnetic drivers. The market is filled with cans from established orthodynamic headphone manufacturers like HiFiMAN, Audeze and Abyss themselves, but we have seen new introductions like the Empyrean by Meze, the MrSpeakers Ether headphones and the newly launched Rosson Audio Design RAD-0 from Alex Rosson (ex-CEO of Audeze).
I can only compare the Diana Phi with what I have in my inventory though, as I won’t make any judgements based on short term listenings or sessions from the past. Those aren’t credible in my books and I won’t add comparisons to something I haven’t heard at home. Let’s take a look how the Diana Phi compares to my other headphones.”
Mytek BROOKLYN BRIDGE REVIEW
May 27, 2019 Comments Off on Mytek BROOKLYN BRIDGE REVIEW
“The converter supports PCM signals up to 32 bits and 384 kHz via the USB input, and thus a DXD signal as well as a DSD signal up to DSD256 (11.2 MHz). RCA inputs are also extremely “capacious”, because we can send PCM signal up to 24 bits and 384 kHz, as well as DSD (!) up to DSD128 (DoP) using them. And even the Toslink input supports PCM up to 24 bits and 176.4 kHz and DSD (DoP). In turn, the streamer supports PCM signal up to 24 bits and 192 kHz, and DSD – the USB input is intended for connecting external media and it supports files with the same parameters.
For each signal type, one can choose a digital filter – the ESS Technology DAC chip used in this device, offers up to seven different filters for the PCM signal, the most interesting of which is the “apodizing filter” once introduced into the audio by Meridian. For the DSD signal one can use one of three filters, defining the frequency at which the frequency response begins to roll off. We can also use the MQA module’s digital filter.”
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