Verity Audio Monsalvat Amp-60 power amplifier $58,000 Review
May 5, 2019 Comments Off on Verity Audio Monsalvat Amp-60 power amplifier $58,000 Review
“Steve and I were of one mind about the gorgeous midrange that enriches mezzo-soprano Marianne Crebassa and pianist Fazil Say’s award-winning recording of Debussy’s Trois Chansons de Bilitis (24/96 WAV, Erato 564483). Turning to very different music, a recording of Xenakis’s Psappha on percussionist Kjell Tore Innervik’s superbly recorded Utopias (MQA 24/352.8, 2L 2L-141), I was thrilled by how masterfully the Monsalvat Amp-60 conveyed the contrasting colors of Innervik’s various instruments, and how well it handled the sustains and natural decays of their sounds. The complex overtones, undertones, and sonorous core of a single bell resounding in space were conveyed to perfection. Lows sounded a bit boomy and lazy, but everything else was of demonstration class.
Using the dCS Rossini SACD/CD transport, we listened to “Duke’s in Bed,” from a reissue of tenor saxophonist Ben Webster’s 1965 recording My Romance (SACD/CD, Top Music International UD-SACD8934.2). Beyond the hard-left/-right nature of the recording, we both felt the sound was too romantically warm, and the bass was mush.”
The world’s finest 300B tubes $1,695 per matched pair
May 4, 2019 Comments Off on The world’s finest 300B tubes $1,695 per matched pair
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An equal level of excitement is had on the upper register as well. Stringed instruments take on a more three-dimensional quality, with more texture. Pick your favorite acoustic guitar piece that you know well, and you will be surprised at how much more real the strings sound while being played, as well as the overtones that hang in the air after the strings have been struck. This is the stuff we all love 300B amplifiers for in the first place and the EAT tubes give you more of it.”
Klipsch La Scala and McIntosh system
May 4, 2019 Comments Off on Klipsch La Scala and McIntosh system
Focal’s $3K Stellia headphones
May 4, 2019 Comments Off on Focal’s $3K Stellia headphones
“Trumpet player Erik Truffaz’s electronica-tinged jazz is highly textured, and the ultradeep bass beats coursing through his Bending New Corners album all but massaged my eardrums. The bass goes really low, but it never felt overdone — the control down there is exceptional. Reggae had plenty of drive over the Stellia.
Sadly, I didn’t have Focal’s Utopia headphones on hand for a direct comparison, so I popped on a set of Audeze LCD-MX4 headphones and the tonal balance cooled down, and I missed Stellia’s richer tone. Though the MX4 is an open-back design, the sound felt more canned than it did on the Stellias. The Focal is a very open sounding closed-back design.
Stellia is so easy to drive it sounded fine with my iPhone 8, played over the Apple Lightning-to-3.5mm dongle. It’s hardly an ideal setup, but for travel it’s perfectly serviceable. It is after all, a very large headphone, so transporting Stellia isn’t for the faint of heart. Home listening with a Mytek Brooklyn amp kicked Stellia’s sound quality up a few notches.”
MOON by Simaudio 390 $5,300 Review
May 3, 2019 Comments Off on MOON by Simaudio 390 $5,300 Review
“Easy as the 390 is to use, it never compromises sound quality for convenience. With TIDAL and Simaudio’s MiND app ready, a world of music is instantly available at your disposal. Through the 390 and MiND, even basic 16/44 CD quality provides a lush soundstage with a natural sound that checks off nearly box one would want from a great DAC. Dense, detailed, warm/musical, and enjoyable at every note. With sound this good in this price range, one might even feel guilty about somehow getting away with the steal of the century. Each successive track compels me to linger a little longer rather than skip around.
With the ease of the 390/MiND combo and TIDAL’s vast collection, there is much more music to be had. The MQA Master of “The Angel of Doubt” from the latest Punch Brothers album All Ashore starts rather subdued, but eventually builds into a bluegrass vocal rap that shows off both the diverse talent of Chris Thile & Co. and just how well the 390 can translate a more subtle track like this. The opening gentle mandolin plucking, whispered vocals, and silent spaces provide the perfect contrast to the more forceful vocal tongue twisting ending. On this track, the 390 provides plenty of low-end authority with the acoustic bass while allowing the vocals to remain clear and separate over the top.”
Chord Electronics Qutest DAC Z $1895 Review
May 3, 2019 Comments Off on Chord Electronics Qutest DAC Z $1895 Review
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The Qutest spent most of its time tethered to my near-field desktop rig, which uses the latest-generation MacPro “titanium trashcan” desktop computer for its front end. The Qutest includes options for four different filters. First there’s the “incisive neutral” filter that according to Chord “has an ultra linear frequency response…includes a 16FS to 256FS WTA2 filter.” Qutest’s second filter is “warm” which according to Chord, “is designed to introduce a little warmth to recordings…with a 16FS WTA1 filter only.” The third filter set, “incisive neutral HF roll-off,” is similar to the first one except that it includes a high-frequency filter past 20kHz. The last filter in Qutest’s stable is “warm HR roll-off,” which is similar to the second option but with the addition of a high-frequency filter above 20kHz.”
Tesla Model S P100D – Complete Stereo Overhaul
May 3, 2019 Comments Off on Tesla Model S P100D – Complete Stereo Overhaul
Legacy Audio Valor speaker system and Wavelet DAC/preamp/crossover $80,000 Review
May 2, 2019 Comments Off on Legacy Audio Valor speaker system and Wavelet DAC/preamp/crossover $80,000 Review
“However, that does not indicate less power is recommended! Consistently, and keeping the relative ratio of power to efficiency of speakers, I find that higher clean power means better sound quality. All other things equal, I will normally prefer a 60-watt amp to a 30-watt amp. I have found through the years that if I can pair equipment (i.e. source, cables) with the Legacy Audio products the results will be more impressive with higher power. This should not be surprising, as it held true not only with Legacy, but also with other dynamic speakers such as the Vapor Audio Joule White and panel speakers such as the Magnepan .7 and the Kingsound King III electrostatic speaker.
I didn’t immediately see any changes to the Legacy remote control software (in my room the software remote is loaded onto a Samsung Tablet S3 and runs in conjunction with ROON). This is an intuitive, extensive remote that offers enough control to the user without overwhelming the novice with background functions. It strikes me as the perfect tool to allow the owner precise setup without having to know technical aspects of the speaker’s performance. It is user-friendly and calibrated finely enough to finesse the performance of the speaker in real time.
Alexus Audio 845SE Single-Ended mono amplifiers $16,995 Review
May 2, 2019 Comments Off on Alexus Audio 845SE Single-Ended mono amplifiers $16,995 Review
“The highlight for me might be One For All’s rendition of “John Coltrane,” with its sweet ride cymbal ring, bass bloom, sonorous trumpet and brooding sax which really lit up the groove. The piano body was warm and well integrated with the other instruments. Taps on the center of a cymbal held a strong place in space.
Lastly, I spun the newly-pressed and recently received “No Filter” by Jerome Sabbagh and Greg Tuohey. This is the second of Jerome’s Kickstarters I’ve backed and I can say it’s always a thrill to spin a newly-minted pressing from a project one has so closely followed. The density of the music hits you first – it’s thick and meaty, like a nice sauce, with rich textures and overtones and replete with rewarding musicianship…. but all was not all roses – overall too dark and dense for my taste with this particular mix of components. The 845SE’s show warts and all, they give you what you give them.”
Audiophilepure 
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