Focal • Utopia and Elear Headphones Review
April 24, 2018 Comments Off on Focal • Utopia and Elear Headphones Review
“It’s the upper-frequency reproduction that separates merely excellent headphones from world-class performers, and at four times the price of the Elear, the Utopia proves that returns are not diminished as the cost escalates. The Utopia’s performance in this area was significantly better than that of the Elear, but it was also significantly better than the performance of high-priced headphones from other manufacturers.”

RHA MA750 WIRELESS $169 REVIEW
April 24, 2018 Comments Off on RHA MA750 WIRELESS $169 REVIEW
“First, the tips. Slip on the foam tips and you will get a better seal, a smoother treble response, and more low-end impact. Second, check your source. Those without aptX might find the sound a little lacking in dynamic range and impact whereas those with aptX signals will get a more dynamic performance. Finally, check your source. They do not all deliver the same level of performance or tonality.”

Einstein The Pure Loudspeaker $48,000 Review
April 23, 2018 Comments Off on Einstein The Pure Loudspeaker $48,000 Review
“Perhaps the defining, nay, dominant characteristic of The Pure surely has to be explosive dynamic expressionism first, coupled with nuanced yet lively resolution of the incoming musical signal next. To wit, these also happen to be the strongest defining character traits of the entire EINSTEIN ecosystem, thusly adding even more juice to the all-important decibel knob, otherwise known as volume. Frankly, The Pure’s concept isn’t really new. Crossoverless speakers surely have been around for some time, and I’ve been a fan of them ever since I first got sucked into the zoo, that is Zu Druids and Definition speakers. Undoubtedly, that dynamic expressionism, the tonal correctness, and the otherwise effortless sound simply speak to me and my listening style. It’s full range or bust. You certainly don’t walk up to your favorite performer and ask him to compress his guitar, drums, or piano just because your system isn’t capable of reproducing it ”

RME ADI-2 DAC$1,000 REVIEW
April 23, 2018 Comments Off on RME ADI-2 DAC$1,000 REVIEW
“In the introduction I mentioned that RME searched contact with the audiophile headphone scene and this is the outcome. The trend for many IEM designers seems to be to push their sensitivity higher and higher. It becomes very difficult to control the earphones’ performance and they also pick up hiss more easily. Campfire Andromeda and Vision Ears VE8 being two examples.”

Raidho Acoustics XT-5 Loudspeakers $41,600 Reviews
April 22, 2018 Comments Off on Raidho Acoustics XT-5 Loudspeakers $41,600 Reviews
“The XT-5 scored major points: It always sounded great, whether I was playing an “audiophile recording” of the highest pedigree, or a rap track designed to sound good over a car stereo system with a couple of twelves in the back. It wasn’t forgiving in the sense of glossing over details — rather, it had a lighter, airier, nonfatiguing treble mated to a fairly neutral midrange and a largish, round bass. All of that added up to a sound that was never offensive, and worked well with a wide array of musical genres, whether recorded well or rather poorl”

HIFIMAN RE2000 IN-EAR MONITOR REVIEW
April 22, 2018 Comments Off on HIFIMAN RE2000 IN-EAR MONITOR REVIEW
“The HiFiMAN RE2000 In-Ear Monitors are an impeccable sounding pair of earphones. To my mind they sound very much like HiFiMAN’s former flagship HE1000 cans in character, just applied to the in-ear format. They have an appealing “alive” sound quality that is exceedingly revealing but never ruthless with any material that I played with them. Sensitive enough to be driven by a smartphone, the RE2000s really come into their own when driven by a quality headphone amp or DAP. Played under those conditions, you get the best of everything. The bass is strong and tight, the vocals lush and the highs sound as sweet as can be. Plus, they are fairly comfortable to boot! The only reservations I have about the RE2000 have nothing to do with their sound quality at all, just with their accompanying accessories. They are sparse, and for the money, I simply would have expected more. Overall however, if you are a discerning listener and are looking for a top notch sounding pair of IEMs, you would do well to audition the HiFiMAN RE2000s. With a good amp, precious little sounds better.”

Naim Uniti Atom Amplifier Hands On Review – Video
April 22, 2018 Comments Off on Naim Uniti Atom Amplifier Hands On Review – Video
Parasound Halo A 52+ Amplifier $2,995 Review
April 21, 2018 Comments Off on Parasound Halo A 52+ Amplifier $2,995 Review
“The control and immediacy of the A 52+ made another track shine: “Good on the Ground” by the Vijay Iyer Sextet. In this freeform jazz cut, the saxophone and piano struggle for dominance over a driving layer of standup bass and drums. When I listened with the Parasound and MartinLogan combination, all instruments were distinctly conveyed, and the drums in particular had a muscular presentation. The standup bass seemed a bit softened in attack compared with the sound put out by my reference amp on this track, but overall I was impressed by the bass control I heard with most music.”
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