Manger Audio C1 Review
March 2, 2019 Comments Off on Manger Audio C1 Review
“It doesn’t take long to realise that this valve-powered preamp and the Manger speakers isn’t a happy match. The turgid and restrained performance has us switching to our long-term reference Gamut D3i preamp, which gives more balanced results. The presentation is notably more dramatic with a better sense of timing than with the Signature. We stay with the D3i for the rest of the test.
In their areas of strength, the C1s are right up there with the best money can buy. The use of that single in-house drive unit to deliver everything from low midrange upwards clearly works. It means the C1s have a seamless sense of coherence traditional multi-driver alternatives just can’t match.”
Chord Qutest DAC Review
March 1, 2019 Comments Off on Chord Qutest DAC Review
“One of the things that hit me about the Qutest’s sound after I had run it in for a good, long while is the amount of resolution it is capable of digging out of even well-worn tracks in my library, surprising me more than a few times with its clarity and subtle spacing of players within the confines of recordings at this price point. After trying out the four filters on hand”
Avantgarde Acoustics Trio Luxury Edition 26 horns speakers
March 1, 2019 Comments Off on Avantgarde Acoustics Trio Luxury Edition 26 horns speakers
“Almost forgot, but here they are. Two more photos of the Avantgarde Acoustics Trio Luxury Edition 26 horns speakers
Focal Stellia Review, Measurements, Interview
March 1, 2019 Comments Off on Focal Stellia Review, Measurements, Interview
Grado GS3000 E $600 Review
February 28, 2019 Comments Off on Grado GS3000 E $600 Review
“Grado once again continues to move the needle forward and deliver exceptional products that not only compete but also set new benchmarks. If you looking for value in high-end design both of these products merit your consideration. Whether I was listening to vinyl or digital recordings, both the reference Sonata V2 and GS3000E always brought a smile to my face and delivered exceptional musical performance. If your looking for the ultimate musical experience you need to audition the Grado Reference products and you may find as I did that they will captivate and astonish you with their musicality. Highly Recommended.
VTL S-200 Signature Stereo Amplifier $12,500 Review
February 28, 2019 Comments Off on VTL S-200 Signature Stereo Amplifier $12,500 Review
“For example, on Gerhard’s exceptional-sounding Astrological Series: Libra, Gemini, Leo [Decca], the S-200 in triode operation caused the lightning-strike percussive acoustic guitar strums and violin trills to initially sound more expressive, but the remarkable staging effects of this recording weren’t anywhere near as precisely defined as they should have been, and the speed, dynamic snap, and high frequencies were noticeably shorn off, resulting in a relatively dull rendition of this otherwise edge-of-your-seat performance.
In tetrode mode, not only was the music a thrill from the get-go—that magical sense of instruments being played in real space (the absolute sound, after all)—surrounded by halos of air, with split-second interplay between the musicians, but the performance was now rendered as musically riveting throughout.”
New! Diana Phi + Superconductor Upgrade Cable
February 28, 2019 Comments Off on New! Diana Phi + Superconductor Upgrade Cable
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.”
Audiophilepure 
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