Who killed the headphone jack: 2018 Year in Review
December 30, 2018 Comments Off on Who killed the headphone jack: 2018 Year in Review
$250,000 Dan D’Agostino Relentless amplifier
December 29, 2018 Comments Off on $250,000 Dan D’Agostino Relentless amplifier
“The Relentless is rather large, it’s 22 by 11.5 by 32.5 inches (570 by 280 by 826mm), and it weighs a staggering 570 pounds (258kg). It’s big, and trust me on this there are a lot bigger but less powerful high-end amps on the market. D’Agostino’s old 1,000 watt per channel Krell Master Reference Amplifier amps were four times the size of the Relentless. Oh, and the Relentless is a mono amp, so you need two for stereo. His other D’Agostino amps are far more sensibly sized, and by ultra high-end standards affordably priced.”
CAYIN AUDIO – N8 REVIEW
December 29, 2018 Comments Off on CAYIN AUDIO – N8 REVIEW
“This is the real, typical solid state output. It delivers punch power and everything has impact and control. For a solid state output it is very musical but it isn’t as musical and smooth as the tube output is, logically. The SS headphone out at this level of course is clean and precise, if not it wouldn’t be a high end unit. At the same time it isn’t the neutral and analytic kind of sound you expect form a flagship. It’s more musical, full bodied and comes with a smooth delivery. Something that will strike you right from the start is the excellent stereo image and L/R balance.
Bass is somewhat elevated but not too much. The detail and layering is good, as well as the separation. The mids are detailed, well layered and have that smooth, musical delivery. It’s maybe my favorite part of the N8, though the bass section isn’t far behind. There are DAPS that present more air and spaciousness but the N8 is no slouch here either. The solid state treble section is energetic and lively, but like the bass and mids it has this musical twist and slight smoothness so it will never sound harsh or sibilant or aggressive.”
Martinlogan Dynamo 1100X Subwoofer $1,099 Review
December 29, 2018 Comments Off on Martinlogan Dynamo 1100X Subwoofer $1,099 Review
“One of my favorite music tracks for testing subs is “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo” by Béla Fleck and The Flecktones. Bassist Victor Wooten’s solo, played on a five-string fretless Fodera bass, has him moving up and down the scale and reaching incredibly deep notes. Any discontinuity between your main speakers and the subwoofer is instantly heard, and only a tight, fast sub can sound tuneful as Wooten plumbs the bottom end of his instrument. Streaming the track on Qobuz, the 1100X had plenty of power to shake the floor, yet there was no hint of a one-note quality or overhang. Even though I was using the Subwoofer Control app’s supposedly lower-impact but more tuneful Music setting, the 1100X was able to move plenty of air and cause my listening chair to thrum and vibrate along with the bass. There is one additional Subwoofer Control app adjustment I didn’t mention—a Deep Bass level setting that allows you to boost or cut the very bottom half-octave from 20Hz to 30Hz by up to 10 decibels. I found that by carefully tweaking this setting I was able to dial in a perfect amount of heft to the sound without introducing boominess or bloat.”
CROSSZONE CZ-1 $2500 REVIEW
December 28, 2018 Comments Off on CROSSZONE CZ-1 $2500 REVIEW
“The first are two little air vents at the top and bottom of each cup baffle. These vents act in the same manner as speaker ports (rear or front) with the vent on the base tuning the woofer and the top vent for the 40mm crossfeed driver. Put your finger over each and the level of bass and air will be affected changing the sound also. It also lowers the level of isolation from background noise.
The second are those silk/velour triangular pads used on the CZ-1. They are fairly porous in nature as are most velour pads in my experience. They do a good job with high-frequency background isolation but less so with mid to low frequency such as air con hum. Though not quite as open as proper open-back design the CZ-1 is still a headphone for indoors and quite listening sessions.”
B&W 606 Review
December 28, 2018 Comments Off on B&W 606 Review
“We waited a long time to hear the new B&W 600 Series in our test rooms, but after a few days in the company of the B&W 606 speakers, all is forgiven.
A great size and price for anyone with more than a passing interest in music, the 606s will breathe new life into your favourite tracks. They’re upbeat and energetic, deliver punchy, solid bass and offer class-leading levels of detail and dynamics. The new mid-priced speakers to beat? They might just be. We can’t wait to hear the rest of the range.”
CYRUS AUDIO ONE HD INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
December 27, 2018 Comments Off on CYRUS AUDIO ONE HD INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
” Overall, I like the sound of the Cyrus Audio One HD. It may not be the last word in pace and timing, but it more than makes up for that in precision, accuracy, and bass depth. The Speaker Impedance Detection circuit is a great move, too. Partnered properly (not too difficult, the amp can deliver up to 78A peak current into a loudspeaker, it makes a closer link between amp and speaker, and gets rid of many of those grumblings directed at Class D. At no time did I reach for the remote handset, either. In short, this might be the amp of tomorrow, today.”
Audiolab 8300CDQ DAC and CD-player
December 27, 2018 Comments Off on Audiolab 8300CDQ DAC and CD-player
Tube 3 Ways – MidRange Amp Comparison
December 27, 2018 Comments Off on Tube 3 Ways – MidRange Amp Comparison
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