The Russell K Red 100 (£1950) were released back in 2014. Remember those simple happy days? We’ve all aged more than a little since then. I’ve been drawn to the Red 100 since they came out basically. First, I love how they look. Albeit not the weird red and grey version, but the one now […]
The Moonriver 404 (€3000) is an integrated amplifier. Made in Sweden. With a modular design structure that lets us upgrade the modules instead of the entire amp as technology progresses. Modules let us pick the functionality we want instead of cramming superfluous stuff down our throats: why pay for a phono stage if we don’t […]
No speaker is perfect, but I’ll tell you what I love about a speaker that can go up against the wall: placement versatility. We don’t all have the option of placing our speakers one or two meters into the room. Often the optimal placement for a speaker is suboptimal for how the rest of our […]
The Hugo 2 from Chord Electronics needs no introduction or another review. So briefly: it digs out detail with tonal density; it does separation, fluidity, dynamics, coherence. Greatness all around. But it’s not just a DAC. It is also a serious headphone amplifier; it’s battery-powered, so it’s portable; and it’s also a digital preamp that […]
There’s a longer review of the MOON 390 here. Below is a distilled version for those in a hurry: Functionality The MOON 390 by Simaudio is like a Mytek Brooklyn Bridge in steroids. It’s also double the money and eight times the size. What doesn’t this preamp do? Nothing, basically. But let’s start from the […]
When I fired up the MOON 390 (£4950) and 330A (£3700) by Simaudio nothing stood out or drew attention to itself. Except this: density. Sometimes that overt lack of identifying markers is the sign of a supremely controlled and composed component. Two, in this case. Not surprisingly, the MOON 390 preamplifier and the MOON 330A […]
I enjoy Schiit. The last couple of months I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing both the Asgard 3 and two versions of the Gungnir. The Gungnir is a fluid sounding DAC, organic and I hold it in very high regard. The Asgard 3 is a $200 miracle worker. To these ears it performs way beyond […]
I’ve been looking for a reference headphone to review other headphones, headphone amps, and source components. Well, with the LCD-X, I’ve found them… Memory Lane Aural memory is a fickle thing. For me at least. The LCD-2 Classic ($799) left the building a couple of weeks ago and I will risk a rudimentary comparison to the LCD-X […]
This is part 2 of my review/comparison of the two DAC modules in the Schiit Gungnir (you can find part 1 here). So which sounds better, the Delta Sigma or the Multibit? And is modular architecture a way to make hi-fi greener? What does modularity do for a product. This site views modularity as upgradability. […]
How many boxes do we need to get great sound? If you ask NAD, one. Here’s the NAD C368, a super integrated that does it all. I’m auditioning several integrated amplifiers at around €1000-1400 to find a reference point. That’s standard fare for any audiophile: to find the best piece of equipment for one’s system/room/valet/needs. […]