YG Acoustics Launches Hailey 2
February 27, 2019 Comments Off on YG Acoustics Launches Hailey 2
“Hailey 2 is distinguished first and foremost by the patent-pending BilletDome tweeter. BilletDome is YG Acoustics’ most complex mechanical invention to date: a resonance-free soft dome is supported by a stiff, light airframe machined from aluminum billet. The airframe weighs a mere 30 milligrams (a thousandth of an ounce), but its critical sections are up to 14 times thicker than a typical hard dome, so its structural strength is vastly superior even to domes made of the most exotic hard materials. This remarkable tweeter ends the age-old debate of hard dome versus soft dome, by combining the best of both.”
MOON 390 NETWORK PLAYER/PREAMPLIFIER REVIEW
February 27, 2019 Comments Off on MOON 390 NETWORK PLAYER/PREAMPLIFIER REVIEW
“It is worth noting that the 400M’s are no spring chickens; they have been around for at least the last seven years, they don’t seem to have been picked up by reviewers anywhere – they appear to occupy space below the radar. At £7,200 they are something of a bargain, and they seem to have a special affinity with the B&W802d2s. They have the power to grip the bass performance of the speakers and to drive them with aplomb. My turntable is an Inspire Monarch, with an SME V, and I’ve not heard such impressive bass performance as this on my system. Continuing with the vinyl odyssey, this time the Amadeus Quartet with Cecil Aronowitz playing Mozart’s early and utterly charming Bb Quintet op 174 on DG, the combination really captures the vitality of this world-class ensemble. The sound is packed with detail, lovely tonal nuance, and the colours of the players’ Strads (not all of them) finessed effortlessly. This is the opposite of many of the digital amps I’ve heard recently. The greyness and lack of tonal nuance kill them for me. None of that here! All this from the phono stage that comes from a preamp costing £4,750.”
iFi Pro iDSD Comprehensive Review
February 27, 2019 Comments Off on iFi Pro iDSD Comprehensive Review
AURALIC VEGA G2 DAC AND LEO GX MASTER CLOCK REVIEW
February 26, 2019 Comments Off on AURALIC VEGA G2 DAC AND LEO GX MASTER CLOCK REVIEW
“I could not hear any difference between the VEGA G2 alone or with the LEO GX only in 16/44 sampling. I could hear a difference with 24/96 and 24/192 when I streamed the music. This did not occur with all streaming. Just some of it. This was due to the LEO GX’ ability to suppress all the jitter that probably is present in some streamed music. The VEGA G2 alone could not suppress all the jitter. Most of it, but not all. The VEGA G2 is a very good DAC. The LEO GX is better at jitter suppression, but both products are excellent. I would recommend the two be purchased by consumers who are streaming all or much of their music rather than playing it from disc.”
ZMF Pendant Review
February 26, 2019 Comments Off on ZMF Pendant Review
“Compared to the solid state Questyle CMA 800R, there was some noticeable point of contrast from the audiophile standard Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits. The overall style seemed just a hair brighter with the CMA, and the well-tended to guitar tone from the Pendant had more girth but less aggressive edging. Your preference between the two could very well fall to either side depending on the mood or weather, or even track-by-track for different genres of music”
Schiit Vidar Review
February 26, 2019 Comments Off on Schiit Vidar Review
“Bass tests proved perhaps the most impressive of the spectrum, where control was exceptional, even at high volumes and heavy load. Listening to Marcus Miller’s Miller Time from Live In America reaction times and shove were outstanding. Firm control of the situation was everywhere, with no excess flab to be found. But mids and highs were not to be outdone. The experience of listening to the system is close if not on par with many of the other front ends I’ve heard the TAD MEs partnered against at audio shows. That’s something considering the least expensive comparison totaled $6k, with higher end offerings topping much more than even that. That smooth purity of energy and tone from the very high end is hinted at here and there along the way.”
Bandwidth Audio 288 Monaural Power Amplifier Review
February 26, 2019 Comments Off on Bandwidth Audio 288 Monaural Power Amplifier Review
“$10,000 for a pair of anything, let alone a pair of tube-based amplifiers possessing a mere 60 Watts of output, is a purchase not to be taken lightly. But I would argue that anyone with ten grand to spend on audio equipment is accustomed to a certain level of risk and is in search of a certain something, something that not everyone is going to have–nor even be privy to. If this is you, then I would urge you to take a good long look at Bandwidth Audio’s 288 monaural amplifier. Seek them out, audition them for yourself, for they are one of those products that possess that something special. The 288 is rarified air in that it has all of the traits a good, reference, cost-no-object amplifier must have, with virtually no discernable downside, sonically speaking, apart from either not having enough power for all speakers, or simply being too large or too expensive for some.”
VITUS RI-101 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER REVIEW
February 25, 2019 Comments Off on VITUS RI-101 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER REVIEW
“Many factors make just about any significant purchase a tricky decision and a serious audio amplifier is no different. Price is a prominant place to start. The reputation of the manufacturer is indeed another. The appearance and general presence of the product, its future compatibility with the rest of the system, perhaps the potential for an upgrade and the reality of how it compares with rivals. All these things are likely to play a part. But, maybe the most important thing for me is just whether I enjoy listening to it. A strange comment perhaps. I can’t remember the last time I heard an amplifier that was “bad”. By that, I mean an amplifier that left me emotionally cold and disinterested. Desirability though is a different matter and carries a lot of intangibles that are personal to each of us. This new integrated Vitus knocks it out of the park on so many levels, and the ability to supplement its capabilities with a genuinely excellent onboard retro-fittable DAC or streamer shouldn’t be underestimated, especially taking into consideration the extra costs concerning space and cabling that a separate DAC will incur. It also has that sense of drive-anything power and stability and a seriously engaging sense of very fine detail with something of an iron fist behind it. Musically it has all the Vitus hallmarks of really elastic rhythmic focus and precision coupled with excellent tonality and balance. I can see it being an excellent investment for the serious music lover for years and years. When an amplifier is this good, it has to get a recommendation from me. ”
SHANLING M5S REVIEW
February 25, 2019 Comments Off on SHANLING M5S REVIEW
“It took me no less than a full album to get my hearing accustomed, even more with classical music. A good track to test was “Aulos” from Vladimir Cauchemar – Orchestre lamoureux version, beginning pianissimo and rising steadily to a massive fortissimo.
And this is where the Shanling M5S outshines its direct competitors : dynamics. Soundstage isn’t especially larger than other players, but once you begin to upper the volume you can distinguish subtle nuances previously unheard. Separation is excellent and above all, the player never differs from its neutral path.
Compared to the FiiO X5iii, found at the same price, the FiiO seemed more engaging and less natural. The M5S offers more detail at the same volume, you can really feel it when the drummer hits his drum, as if you couldn’t hear the skin going back and forth before.”
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