“Since the advent of the CD, listeners have been deprived of the full experience of listening.” - Neil Young PonoPlayers...
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Amplifiers
Vacuum Tube Logic IT-85 Integrated Amplifier
Alan Sircom, Editor of Hi-Fi+ has posted a review of the Vacuum Tube Logic IT-85 integrated amplifier (£4,650) at AVGuide. His conclusions: With a good front end and speakers appropriate to the price and appropriately partnered with the IT-85, one of the big pluses is the imagery. The soundstage is open, wide and deep,...
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Wyred4Sound DAC-2 and STI-500 Integrated Amplifier
Chris Heinonen has posted a review of, and complete suite of measurements for, the Wyred4Sound DAC-2 ($1499) and STI-500 integrated amplifier ($1999) at Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity. His conclusions: With the Wyred4Sound DAC-2 I no longer felt that I needed to have the CD in the player to get the best...
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Anedio D1 DAC and A1 Amplifier
Victor Chavira has posted a review of the Anedio D1 DAC ($1270) and A1 integrated amplifier ($1090). His conclusions: The Anedio combo gets these musical values right. Even if one were uninitiated in the audio arts, one would agree that the sound coming from the Anedio system was extraordinarily clear and present… Low left...
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Arte Forma I-150 Integrated Amplifier
Kent Johnson has posted a review of the Arte Forma I-150 integrated amplifier ($1399) at Positive Feedback Online. His conclusions: I listened to a lot of CDs with this amplifier… Love may be too mild a word for how it has affected me. I think the I-150 is an absolutely astonishing amplifier. It has...
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Review VAC Phi 200 Vacuum Tube Monoblock Power Amplifier
Doug Schroeder has posted a review of the VAC Phi 200 vacuum tube monoblock power amplifier ($19,800/pair) at Dagogo. His conclusions: The VAC sound is audio-writ large but properly proportioned; it is elegant, opulent and ebullient. The vastness and spatiality of the soundstage with the Phi 200 is quite surprising when heard for the...
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Schiit Vahalla Headphone Amplifier
Srajan Ebaen has posted a review of the Schiit Asgard headphone amplifier ($349) at 6moons. His conclusions: Those not reared on an instrument tend to hone in on the human voice as a familiar real-life reference. They should thus notice this presence effect—our short hand for 'layering', focus, image lock, crispness—particularly on vocals. It's...
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Atma-Sphere M-60 Mk. 3.1 OTL Monoblock Amplifiers
Jack Roberts has posted a review of the Atma-Sphere M-60 Mk. 3.1 OTL monoblock amplifiers ($7200/pair) at Dagogo. Some of his observations: I don’t think at this price you’ll find any other monoblocks with a top-end that's more open, alive, and detailed than these amps… I think when you consider their power and price...
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Esoteric RZ-1 Integrated Music System
Neil Gader has posted a review of the Esoteric RZ-1 Integrated Music System ($6000) at AVGuide. His conclusions: I listened to a variety of SACD and compact discs including the Brahms Symphony No. 4 and in every case came away impressed with the width, depth, and imaging precision of this combi-amp. The RZ-1 does...
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Lamm LL1 Preamplifier and ML3 Amplifier
Peter Breuninger has posted a review of the Lamm LL1 Signature preamplifier ($42,690) and ML3 Signature power amplifier ($139,290/pair) at AVGuide. His conclusions: Notwithstanding the reputation, and completely ignoring the price, we have here an extraordinary product. It does exactly what it is designed to do: realistically reproduce music. Mind you, the cost of...
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Lavardin Components and Lecontoure Loudspeakers
Wojciech Pacuła has posted an unusually comprehensive and weel thought out review of a system comprised of the French Lavardin Model C62 preamplifier and Model AP150 stereo power amplifier, and Lecontoure Stabile 210 loudspeakers at 6moons. Even if you have no particular interest in these components, the review is a pleasure to read. His...
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Mystère CA21 Preamplifier and PA21 Power Amplifier
Mystère CA21 Preamplifier Mystère PA21 Power Amplifier Dick Olsher has posted a review of the Mystère CA21 preamplifier ($2195) and PA21 power amplifier ($2995) at AVGuide. His conclusions: Even right out of the box my first impression was that the CA21 was no ordinary preamp. Of course, the 7AF7 substitution catapulted it to even...
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Peachtree iDecco D/A Integrated Amplifier
Art Dudley has posted a review of the Peachtree iDecco D/A integrated amplifier ($999) at Stereophile. His conclusions: In the August 2009 Stereophile, John Marks suggested that Peachtree Audio's Nova is "the Dynaco Stereo 70 for the 21st century." Well said—and if so, Peachtree's iDecco is surely the latest incarnation of the Advent 300...
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Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum Integrated Amplifier
Wayne Garcia has posted a review of the Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum integrated amplifier ($2195) at AVGuide. His conclusions: Along with lacking the ultimate bottom-end heft, the Cronus Magnum can also sound a tad grainy, as you’ll hear with something like Johnny Hartman’s I Just Dropped In To Say Hello . That...
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Valvet P2c Preamplifier and A3.5 Monoblocks
Jason Kennedy has posted a review of the Review: Valvet P2c preamplifier (£3790) and A3.5 monblocks (£3750/pair) at AVGuide. His conclusions: The Valvet is usefully quiet, presumably this is down to the separation of the power supply from the signal electronics in the preamp but it certainly makes it easier to hear into recordings....
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Schiit Asgard Headphone Amplifier
Srajan Ebaen has posted a review of the Schiit Asgard headphone amplifier ($249) at 6moons. His conclusions: The Asgard's general character recalls single-ended transistor efforts in the FirstWatt stable - highly resolved, grainless, fast, microdynamically responsive, well controlled in the bass but not fat or maximally profound, direct, well separated, capable of fine incision...
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Woo Audio WA22 Headphone Amplifier
Robert Youman has posted a review of the Woo Audio WA22 headphone amplifier ($2150) auditioned with the Sennheiser HD800 headphones ($1399) at 6moons. His conclusions: The Sennheiser HD800 headphones and the Woo Audio WA22 integrated headphone amp configured in fully balanced configuration is one of the best audio systems I have heard. Tremble and...
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Modwright KWA-100 Power Amplifier
Srajan Ebaen has posted a review of the Modwright KWA-100 power amplifier ($3295) at 6moons. His conclusions: Where I related to the standard version with due respect but not complete enthusiasm, the encounter with the SE became somewhat of an emotional high. Without a single tube from iMac to Weiss DAC2 to Esoteric C-03,...
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Gamut D3i Preamplifier and D200i Power Amplifier
Jörg Dames has posted areview of the Gamut D3i preamplifier (€5898) and D200i power amplifier (€9098) at 6moons. His conclusions: Some amplification components resolve higher and are rhythmically more pronounced. Others create more sparks and crispness in the treble. Whether such amplifiers will seem more involving or musically less cultivated and long-term happy is...
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Mark Levinson No 53 Monoblock Power Amplifier
John E. Johnson, Jr. has posted a review, including a full suite of test measurements, of the Mark Levinson No 53 monoblock power amplifier ($50,000/pair) at Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity. His conclusions: My general feelings about the No 53 is that it reminds me of Pure Class A sound, and that...
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Emillé Labs Cha'am Integrated Amplfier
Joël Chevassus has posted a review of the Emillé Labs Cha’am integrated amplifier (€10.490) at 6moons. His conclusions: For more than a month it was a great pleasure to play with the Cha’am in my system. This machine answered all demands I would have from a high-end amplifier particularly in terms of tone, dynamics,...
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Odyssey Audio Kismet Monoblock Amplifiers
Nicolas Bedworth has posted a review of the Odyssey Audio Kismet monoblock amplifiers ($4900/pair) at 6moons. His conclusions: For those wanting an initial tempting taste, the Kismets are a much more affordable way to cross that unmarked boundary in audio, the other side of which is realism. They will transport you to those lands...
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Pass Labs INT-30A Integrated Amplifier
Stephaen Harrell has posted a review of the Pass Labs INT-30A integrated amplifier ($7150) at 6moons. His conclusions: he Pass did remind me quite a bit of the Yamamoto A-08S as described by Srajan when he compared it to the Melody I2A3 back in 2006. Having acquired said I2A3 from him earlier this year,...
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Review ADCOM GFA-555se Stereo Power Amplifier
Rick Schmidt has posted a review of the ADCOM GFA-555se stereo power amplifier ($) at Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity. His conclusions: The mere fact that ADCOM has been making hifi for over 25 years and that the original GFA-555 was their flagship for so much of that time should be enough...
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Anthem Statement D2v Processor and P5 Amplifier
Chris Martens has posted a review of the Anthem Statement Statement D2v surround sound processor ($8499) and Statement P5 five-channel amplifier ($7499) at The Perfect Vision. His conclusions: Anthem’s Statement D2v A/V controller and Statement P5 multichannel amplifier are extraordinary components—partly because they have been so carefully thought out, partly because they are both...
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Micromega IA-180 Integrated Amplifier
Ron Doering has posted a review of the Micromega IA-180 integrated amplifier ($2495) at Soundstage! Hi-Fi. His conclusions: The Micromega was also all about slightly warm sound, and this was comforting warmth. While no detail maven, the IA-180 offered an excellent timbral balance regardless of volume level. I simply could not get this amp...
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