Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Absolute Sound (TAS) has published its December issue, complete with nearly a dozen high-end component reviews (plus 38 stocking stuffers!):
- PS Audio Soloist power conditioner outlet ($199)
- NuForce Reference 9 V2 SE monoblock power amps ($5,000/pair)
- Vienna Acoustics Mahler V1.5 floorstanding speakers ($12,800/pair)
- Vincent Audio SA-T8 tube preamp ($2,500) and SP-T800 hybrid monoblock power amps ($4,500/pair)
- Unison Research Unico 200 hybrid integrated amp ($7,850)
- Emerald Physics CS2 floorstanding speakers ($2,995/pair)
- Lamm Industries M1.2 Reference tube monoblock power amps ($22,290/pair)
- Air Tight ATM-3 tube monoblock power amps (17,000/pair)
- Shunyata Research Dark Field cable elevators ($295/dozen)
- Shatki Innovations Hallographs ($995/pair)
TAS usually sells a PDF version of its current issue for $10 via its web site (the printed version costs $7 at the newstand or $2 by subscription). As of this writing, however, the December issue is not yet available online. Check back later (or not).
In other news, it looks like we have a winner in our worst manufacturer web site contest! Vandersteen took another first place prize (that’s thirteen years in a row), but Lamm Industries came in a close second. Love the backgrounds and animated GIFs, guys!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
TNT-Audio has posted its review of the DIY Paradise Monica3 DAC ($400). This is a non-oversampling (NOS) design in a wooden box with “SPDIF in, and twin RCA sockets for analogue output. There is also a (switched) DC power input socket.”
Reviewer Nick Whetstone compared it to his tweaked version of the Monica2 and was quite impressed with what he heard:
Suffice to say that Monica3 is a very fine DAC, a big improvement on Monica2, and one of the better NOS DACs currently on the market. She is no longer one of the cheapest options although her performance is commensurate with her price!
Read the entire review, then check out Nick’s earlier review of the DIY Paradise Monica2 DAC.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
6moons has posted a whole bunch of new reviews, including the following:
- Emillé Labs KM-300SE tube integrated amp (GBP 5,990)
- Wadia Digital 170 iTransport digital iPod dock ($379)
- Triode Corporation (Tri) TRV-CD4SE cd player (EUR 2,195), TRV-A300SE integrated amp (EUR 2,199), and TRV-M300SE monoblocks (EUR 4,299/pair)
- ASI Tango floorstanding speakers (EUR 13,500-25,000/pair)
- LessLoss Dynamic Filtering Power Cable ($749)
- Musical Laboratory Paeonia preamp (EUR 1,895) and Bosanghwa monos (EUR 3,800/pair)
If you’re interested in the Wadia dock mentioned above, take a look at the review in Home Entertainment and the review in Stereophile. Take note, Stereophile mentions that:
The files were bit-for-bit identical, meaning that the 170 iTransport is indeed transparent via its digital output. However, the datastream appears to have fairly high jitter, which will make the Wadia’s sound quality dependent on the D/A processor used.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Affordable$$Audio, a magazine focused on the low-end (with some high-end thrown in too), has published its November issue. Included are reviews of the following:
- Acoustic Revive Acoustic Conditioner RWL-III panels ($995 each)
- Elemental Designs A6-6T6 monitor speakers ($365/pair)
- Audio Space Reference 3.1 tube integrated amp ($3,390)
- Manley Labs Stingray tube integrated amp ($2,250)
- Stager Silver Solids interconnect cables ($129/1 meter pair)
- Blue Circle power line products ($180-280)
- Yamamoto Sound Craft audio bases ($12-410)
Download the entire issue (12 MB PDF), and check out Brad Mitchell’s interesting article on the financial upside of equipment modifications. The article, entitled “Go Forth and Modify,” caught my interest with this sentence:
… if your preamp retails for $1,000, then there are about $85 of actual parts that make the music.
If you’re on the fence about modding your gear, this is a must-read.
Australian Hi-Fi, a 39-year-old magazine now part of the AVHub umbrella, has published its November/December issue. In addition to a wide variety of articles and stories, the new issue contains reviews of the following gear:
- Duntech DSM-15 loudspeakers
- Mordaunt Short Avant 916i floorstanding speakers
- Styleaudio Carat HD1V TCXO Hi-Fi USB DAC
- Yamaha A-S2000 integrated amplifier (AUD 2,999)
Too bad the magazine doesn’t post more content on its web site. You can, however, subscribe to the print bi-monthly edition for AUD 39.95 in Australia, or for AUD 99.00 anywhere else.
Oh, and if you’re interested in the Yamaha A-S2000 integrated mentioned above, check out the previous issue’s review of the matching Yamaha CD-S2000 SA-CD Player (AUD 2,599).
Stereophile has posted its review of the Cary Audio Design CD 306 SACD Professional Version SACD/CD player ($8,000). This unit (photo) has “wireless IR remote control, HDCD decoding, and switchable upsampling frequency.” Also included are three (!) digital inputs: AES/EBU via XLR, S/PDIF via RCA, and TosLink.
Despite an initial dud review sample and some operational issues on the replacement, Reviewer John Atkinson liked what he heard. Compared to his reference, the Ayre C-5xe, John states:
… the Cary just edges out the Ayre, I think, in terms of soundstage depth and the sheer silkiness of its high frequencies.
He concludes by saying:
It’s on the expensive side, but for your $8000 you get a well-engineered, solidly built, superb-sounding player with close to state-of-the-art measured performance. And it has that very useful digital input, for use with a network music player.
Read the entire review, then check out Wes Phillips’ review of John’s reference player, the Ayre C-5xe universal disc player (5,950).
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Positive Feedback Online has posted a review of the Zu Audio Presence loudspeaker ($8,000/pair). This is a full-range “direct radiating, controlled dispersion, infinite baffle (sealed) 60 degree triangular floor-standing loudspeaker with internally powered, forward firing, two 10″ low frequency drivers with simple user bypass ability.”
Reviewer John Zurek was struck by the fit and finish of these interesting looking floorstanders (photo), but he had trouble getting them to sound right in his room.
I struggled with set up, and tried several different tube and solid state amps. The problem was that the higher end of the mid-range spectrum was glaring and harsh.
Eventually, he got them to sound good, although not with an Argent room lens between them, and not without some Equarack multi-mount footers with the spike adapters underneath. OK…
Read the entire review.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity has posted a review of the JL Audio Fathom f212 Subwoofer ($6,000). This is a sealed enclosure design with two 12″ drivers and 3,000 watts of short-term power.
Reviewer John E. Johnson, Jr. had to hire two guys to carry his this 220 lb monster (photo) into his room. After listening, he said:
Now, I listened to a lot of SACDs and watched a bunch of movies using the f212s, and even without the bench tests (which I did last), I knew this product is STELLAR. At no time did they ever give even a hint of reaching their limits.
Read the entire review, then check out John’s review of the f212’s smaller sibling, the JL Audio Fathom f113 ($3,600).
Thursday, November 6, 2008
What Hi-Fi?, another of the British “hi-fi” glossies, has posted their review of the Chord Electronics QBD76 DAC (GBP 3,000), which they awarded a five star rating. This is a distinctively styled design (photo) that accepts both USB and Bluetooth, in addition to optical and coaxial.
The unnamed reviewers liked the naturalness and fluidity of the sound, as well as the excellent bass. They remarked:
Chord claims the resolution to be as good as CD can get, and connected to a high-quality transport – we used those from Cyrus and Classé – it’s hard to argue. This DAC produces some of the finest digital sounds we’ve ever heard.
Read the entire review, then check out the same crew’s review of the QBD76’s cheaper sibling, the Chordette Gem (GBP 400).
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Stereophile has posted its review of the Ayre KX-R line preamp ($18,500). This is a solid-state design with a variety of technical and design innovations, including a chassis milled from a single block of aluminum (photo).
Reviewer Wes Phillips liked the unit’s silent background and broad soundstage. He compared it to the solid-state Parasound Halo JC 2 ($4000) and the tubed Conrad-Johnson ACT2 Series 2 ($16,500), after which he concluded:
I could live with any of these preamplifiers. In my dreams, of course—the only one I could remotely afford is the Halo JC 2, which ought to say something convincing about what Parasound hath wrought. But I digress—we are gathered today to speak of the Ayre KX-R, and I can’t think of a preamplifier that has impressed me more with its fidelity to music as I hear it.
Read the entire review, then check out Charles Hansen’s manufacturer’s comment for a description of the firmware bug that caused “the strange results noted in some of JA’s measurements.”
