Tuesday, October 14, 2008
TNT-Audio has published a review of the Cadence Anina electrostatic/dynamic hybrid speakers ($5,495). Reviewer Alister Staniland described these unique, Indian-made speakers as follows:
The Aninas are a floor-standing speaker with an eight-inch reflex-loaded dynamic bass/mid driver in the bottom bit, which crosses over at 1.35khz (about the middle of the mid-range) to an electrostatic panel taking you seamlessly through the upper mid-range all the way up to ultrasonic treble (30khz).
After experimenting with placement, Alister concludes:
For me it’s the audio dream realised: the transparency, speed & resolution of electrostatics, married to great tonal beauty, excellent power-handling & bass-extension, plus good efficiency and amplifier-friendliness.
Read the entire review, then check out TNT-Audio’s latest attempt at humor: A Survivor’s Guide on Audiophile Behaviour in Society.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity has reviewed Stereo Dave’s Creation 650 Reference Speakers ($3,800/pair) and Genesis Subwoofer ($1,395). The speakers are single-driver designs with a sensitivity rating of 90dB. Reviewer Rick Schmidt put the combination through its paces with a variety of music, from electronic pop to indie rock. His conclusion?
In my opinion, these speakers bring musical involvement and what they don’t bring is fatigue. What you might get at higher price points is more separation between instruments and voices etc. You might also get a dose of fatigue or other artifacts from crossovers and peaky tweeters, that these speakers just don’t have, they can’t. No crossover, no artifacts.
Read the entire review, then check out the Sun Kil Moon record Rick used during the audition. The songs “Neverending Math Equation” and “Ocean Breathes Salty” are absolute gems.
This year’s Rocky Mountain Audio Fest took place during the past three days in Denver, Colorado. The show included over 300 exhibitors and 160 rooms of high-end gear. The following are reports from the publications that actually posted updates during the event:
Several other publications are promising reports of the show, so stay tuned for a second post with another set of links. Also check out some additional photos of the event on Flickr.
SonicFlare, self-described as “the web’s hippest hi-fi site,” has reviewed the diminutive Mark & Daniel Maximus-Mini bookshelf speakers ($1,260). These are American-made two-ways with a rather low sensitivity rating of 82.5dB.
Reviewer Sean Fowler contrasted them to the Mark & Daniel Maximus-Topaz model he reviewed last year. His conclusion? Despite the Mini’s lack of deep bass and abundance of upper treble, he said:
If you are the type of listener in search for an affordable compact monitor capable of throwing out a huge sound that can go loud, stay clean, sound good with any kind of music (from Miles Davis to Marilyn Manson), and enjoy more of a front-row type of presentation, the Mini should put at the top of your ‘to audition’ list.
Read the entire review, then check out Sean’s previous review (0.4MB PDF) of the Mark & Daniel Topaz from the October 2007 issue of Affordable$$Audio.
Stereophile published two new reviews yesterday (both by Wes Phillips):
The Wadia is special because it gets the bits before they are touched by the iPod’s DAC. If you’re interested in it, you may want to pay attention to the review’s second footnote. Specifically, this part:
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.
6moons has posted a quasi-review of the Clearaudio Nano phono preamp ($350). This is an entry-level phono preamp with MM/MC, cartridge loading, variable gain, and defeatable rumble filter. Owner/reviewer Frederic Beudot compared it to the phono stages in two integrated amps:
The Nano confirmed that it performs on par or even slightly ahead of the phono boards inside my McIntosh MA2275 and Musical Fidelity A5 integrateds.
On balance, Beudot concludes:
The Nano is warm and dynamic if not ultra detailed and will be a perfect match for many entry-level cartridges that usually shine more with their treble peakiness than tonal precision.
Read the entire review (or whatever it is!).
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Stereo Times has reviewed the XLH M-2000 600 watt monoblock power amps ($25,000/pair) and SL-11XS single-input preamp ($5,000). Reviewer Mike Wright compared the Chinese-made XLH pieces to units from Klyne, Conrad-Johnson, and GamuT.
On the ergonomics of the SL-11XS preamp, Mike notes:
The front panel of the preamp holds only a power on/off switch and two volume controls. … The problem I had with the controls was that there was no way of telling if you were matching the two channels, other than by ear, or counting the number of clicks for each control.
In conclusion, Mike states:
I can easily recommend the XLH XL-11XS preamplifier, especially if you don’t mind its minimalist approach in terms of inputs and lack of remote control. On sonic merits, it stands well on its own. The XLH M-200 mono-amps are a true revelation and get a “most highly recommended†rating from me.
Read the entire review, then check out Mike Girardi’s review of the Omega Mikro line of cables, which was also just published on Stereo Times.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
6moons has reviewed Vinnie Rossi’s newest creation; the Red Wine Audio Isabella battery-powered tube preamp ($4,000) with optional new-old-stock non-oversampling 16-bit DAC ($1,500) and headphone buffer ($500). Reviewer Srajan Ebaen compared the unit to the ModWright LS/PS 36.5 preamp. On the sound, he notes:
The Isabella is about relaxation and an organic as opposed to high-strung showy feeling. It’s not about deep voluptuousness. Nor is it about extreme micro dynamics.
In conclusion, Srajan sums it up as follows:
Brilliant implementation of batteries and tubes as well as USB-input digital conversion to transform humble lap tops into superlative CD transports.
Read the entire review–just be sure to settle in first. Coming in at over 7,600 words (plus 40 photos and 2 diagrams), this is not a quick read. Amazingly, Srajan keeps it interesting the whole way through.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Affordable$$Audio published a new issue today with a variety of new equipment reviews, including:
- GR Research NEO-1X bookshelf speakers ($329-572/pair)
- Xindak MT-3 tube integrated amp ($830)
- Placette Audio RVC passive preamp ($1,000)
- Emerald Physic CS2 floorstanding speakers ($3,495/pair)
- Manley Shrimp tube preamp ($1,880)
Download the entire issue (22 MB PDF), and check out part two of the power line noise series, as well as Brad Mitchell’s article on audiophile psychosis. It’s funny because it’s true.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Audioholics, an online A/V magazine, has reviewed the Salk SongTower QWT floorstanding speakers ($1,695). Reviewer Tom Andry compared them to his reference RBH TK-5CTs speakers. He concludes:
The imaging is very good, the bass very deep and linear, and the detail is amazing. Female vocals sometimes come off as too forward, the soundstage is not as wide as I’d have hoped, and the speakers themselves are pretty large. Overall, though, the Salks are a very, very good speaker in a very, very pretty package.
Intrigued? Read the entire review.