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Review: Fi X 2A3
| Permalink | Amplifiers $1k to 3k , Writer: Danny Kaey | Posted by Danny Kaey on Feb 28 '08
RMAF 07: Joseph & Manley $4550 and $11k Systems
Joseph of perennial favorite Joseph Audio is one guy who knows what's up. When talking about the SonicFlare hi-fi 2.0 mission, he was instantly hip to the idea of complete system packages. Since he's always showing with Manley Labs equipment, he said these Joseph + Manley rigs were no-brainer choices for anyone looking for instant system synergy.
Joseph's sensation were the Joseph $2300 RM7XL monitors with the Manley's $2250 Stingray. The RM7s are now in "XL" status which adds more of the good Joseph sound. At $4550, this is one wicked system for anyone new to super-fi -- synergy, warmth, power, bass, everything you could ask for. Quintessential Vivd-type sonics.
On display in the big room were the new RM25XL speakers running Manley monoblocks and a Bel Canto preamp. Roughly $11k for the system, this had all the same sonic flavor as the little rig but just more -- more bass, more warmth, more intensity. After running through my entire demo CD, we listened to vinyl on the world's only production strain gauge cartridge. Wild tech and amazing sound. $6k gets you the cartridge and custom phono preamp.
| Permalink | Amplifiers $1k to 3k , Amplifiers $3k to 6k , RMAF 07 , Speakers $2k-5k , Systems $1000-$5000 , Systems $10k-$20k | Posted by Josh Ray on Oct 29 '07
Digital, Exodus and Chilean Sea Bass
God-bless digital. When ICEpower came on the scene a few years ago, the entire audio world was, in a way, flipped upside down. For the first time ever, you saw companies like Jeff Rowland, PS Audio, Bel Canto, Rotel, Canton, Samsung, B&W and others dumping their own amp technologies for the likes of the cool running digital plug-and-play modules from Europe. Not only that, but new companies like Red Dragon Audio and many others were suddenly players because of ICEpower's drop-in simplicity.
But the big question was always this: why is one amp far more expensive than another when they both use identical ICEpower modules? Is there major frankensteining going on or is it simply expensive chassis, cabling and so-forth?
Whatever the case may be, the great hope was we'd see bare bones modules priced far lower than their fancy audiophile counterparts with something like 98% of the performance. As far as I know, ICEpower remains absent of a low-cost sleeper.
But Hypex is another story. Another digital amp company out of northern Europe, Hypex rocks modules for the DIY scene ala ICEpower with small kits, hyper efficiency and mondo wattages up to 700 (4ohms). The difference is that ICEpower uses switching power supplies while Hypex uses donut transformers (for mow).
And then there's the sound. Channel Island Audio is using Hypex modules (with modifications) for their $1599 D100 and $2299 D200 amps that have gotten everyone across the review scene all hot and bothered, saying (as they do) the Hypex juice is just as good, if not better, than the ICEpower, NuForce and other digital/switching offerings out there. Designer Bruno Putzeys is Hypex's heavy hitter, recently doing a custom job for mega-buck speaker company Kharma. Positive Feedback's Marshall Nack went gaga over the Kharma Matrix 150s, calling them absolute bargains. Priced at $6600 a pair, they're some of the most expensive digital amps around.
On the flip, we have DIYcable.com's new Exodus UCD-400 MCH line of amplifiers. Available with 2-5 channels in a single chassis, the amps all rock the UCD-400 module (the foundation of the CIA D200) for 200 watts into 8 ohms and 400 into 4 ohms. Price for the 2 channel kit unassembled is $795. Add $300 for Exodus to solder the sucker together for you.
So we're looking at $1095 for 200 watts of Hypex power. If power were Chilean Sea Bass, Exodus's market price is roughly $5.48 a watt. CIA starts at $11.50, NuForce at $15.63 and the cheapest ICEpower amp I can find (the PS Audio Trio A-100) at $6.63, most expensive (Jeff Rowland 201) at $19.60. The Kharma beasts are $66.00 a watt. Does this actually mean anything? Not really, considering the subjective differences in sound, different technologies and the voodoo territory of module tweaking.
What's interesting, however, is Exodus's new roadsters may be an indicator the digital revolution in hi-fi is finally moving the cost of entry into territory where mortals can participate. Hopefully this is the first of many companies making products with the latest digital technology at entry-level prices instead of replacing old school tech in much more expensive amps.
So check out the rest of the Exodus goods and if you're down with burning some lead, DIYCable stocks the raw parts for building your own Hypex amp. Hell, stick your home brew Hypex amp in a platinum and calf skin chassis and sell it for $100 a watt. As they say, what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
COMMENTS (19) | Permalink | Amplifiers $1k to 3k , Amplifiers $3k to 6k , Amplifiers $6k to 10k , Amplifiers Under $1k | Posted by Josh Ray on Sep 13 '06
The NuForce Upgrade Parade
Hot on the trail of the NuForce “gala” launch party @ the Holiday Inn last weekend, is Jim Grudzien’s review of the NuForce Reference 9.02 amplifiers over at PFO. Jim obviously liked what he heard, as he proclaimed:
"The neutrality of the NuForce 9.02s is excellent. They convey the message of the recording without adding any artificial artifacts. Their bass is exquisite—the stuff of legend. Their control and pitch definition are the best I've heard to date. My Dali Grands can do bass very well, but teamed up with the 9.02s, they reached new levels of satisfaction. The midband of the 9.02s, while not as warm and luscious as that of a tube amp, is as accurate as that of any amplifier I've heard for some time. That fact is, they faithfully replay the signal, for better or worse. One the many things I liked about the NuForce components is that they do not change the signal—it's all-natural here, no artificial ingredients."
I personally haven’t hear any of the NuForce amplifiers in my system, suffice is to say that they are obviously very popular. Yet, it also appears that people either love or hate them – my thoughts on this subject are that NuForce appears to be a company that continuously works mad overtime hours at updating their components on what appears to be almost daily basis. On one end that’s certainly a fantastic sign – “hey, look at us, we don’t sit on our laurels” – on the other hand the devil’s advocate in me says wait a second; if these amplifiers are indeed of “reference” quality then how is it possible that magically weeks / months later a sudden new version or “revision” with yet another moniker “special edition” appears?
If these guys were marketing wild and crazy computers, I’d fully understand. After all, new computer processors are launching typically within months of each other. But amplifier designs? Considering that designers such as Tim de Paravicini of E.A.R. fame keeps designs around for almost decades (with small updates every say 5 years or so, have a look at say the model 509 mono block’s which have now been in production close to 20+ years) without new or substantially changed models replacing existing ones, I have to wonder if some of the persistent updates at NuForce aren’t perhaps clever exercises in marketing. Don’t misunderstand, there is nothing wrong with this method, per say. I just wonder what the fuss is really all about.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k
HE2006: Usher Audio
It was 10 minutes to closing on the last day of the show and I found the Usher room completely empty. What better time to sneak in, throw on the Flaming Lips, crank the volume and see if these imports have any balls?
The track was Free Radicals off their new "At War with the Mystics" album. The speakers were the brand-spanking new V series (the reddish speakers). I demoed the pair second from the left. $1500 and, yeah, balls the size of cantaloupes. Free Radicals is a damn tough track to get right. Excellent mastering with dynamics that cause most "easy-listening" speakers to shrivel up and die. Not the Ushers. They sounded like orcs on wargs with big battle axes, which is a big compliment in my book.
And then someone showed up to shut the room down before I could get more music on. We will meet again, Usher. Oh yes, we will.
Usher also makes a preamp and amp which did duty for all their different speaks. Pics next page of the $2520 R-1.5 amp with 250 watts of power and the $2280 P-307 A preamp. With the top V-series speakers, you're looking at a total price of $6300 for one sick package.
The big speaker shown is the $14,400 BE-10, sporting a 1" tweeter and 5" midrange both made out of beryllium. Beryllium is incredibly difficult and toxic to work with. If I'm not mistaken, The Usher BE-10 is the least expensive speaker with a beryllium midrange. Someone suggested to me that in order to hit these prices Usher must have a very unique beryllium driver factory half-way across the globe. Kinda like the Willy Wonka chocolate factory but with beryllium instead of chocolate and, well, use your imagination for the rest...
Permalink | Comments (15) | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k | Pre-Amps $2k to 8k | Shows and Expos | Speakers $1k-2k
HE2006: Bel Canto
Bel Canto provided the components for the killer Pioneer room. Quickly becoming the frontrunner for reasonably-priced digital products, Bel Canto tamed the Pioneer 2-1EX speakers using the $1995 REF1000 monoblocks, $4995 CD-1 transport and $1995 DAC3. Amps, player, DAC. Amps, player, DAC. Seems like something is missing, no?
If you screamed out "preamplifier!" then you get a shiny gold star. That's right, there is no preamp in this rig. That DAC3 changes the volume in the digital domain, providing the perfect one-box solution in a slim package. Of course, if you're rocking a turntable, you'll need a standard analog preamp. But the DAC3 has a hot-rodded USB input so stack this guy up with their same-sized $1395 S300 amp and you have a killer desktop package under $4000. Someone is thinking about the future of audio. Check it out.
Also, hit up the Bel Canto site to register to win a PRe3/S300 package. One of you will be a happy boy!
Permalink | Comments (6) | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k | Disc players $5k to 10k | Shows and Expos | USB Audio
6Moons Esoteric Tube Avalanche
You know, 6Moons wouldn't be the same if it stopped reviewing exotic tube equipment from manufacturers with names you can never pronounce correctly. Is it Jas or J. A. S.? Is it Cay-in or Kai-een? Is it AudioTropic or...
As you guessed, the creatures on display are the JAS 2.1 (pictured), Cayin A-88t and the AudioTropic Music Machine. Prices are CDN$3599, US$1895 and $3000 respectively. JAS hails from Hong Kong, Cayin is a German brand made in the PRC and AudioTropic is all about Hawaiian hi-fi.
The bizarre banana of the bunch is not the Hawaiian piece, actually, but the Cayin. Cayin has a whole line of components is beautiful packages (pictured immediately below) but with sonics imitating classic amps. The A-88t is designed to mimmic the McIntosh MC-275 tube amps of yore. They can also impersonate classic Harmon/Kardon and Marantz amps if you're into that stuff. Not sure how I feel about all this "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" business. On the one hand, I feel defensive for the old school gramps. Then again, it's putting classic sound out there for the new gen. And yet, if I'm buying an amp, I don't want it to sound decades old. Then again, the gleaming chassis has a greater chance of impressing the chicks and, truthfully, that's the single most important factor whenever I consider a new piece of equipment...and you're a filthy liar if you're single and say you are any different.
Permalink | | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k | Amplifiers $3k to 6k
Bel Canto and the 6Moons Taste
It's no secret that the 6Moons crew loves the new Bel Canto slim line components. Before getting into the details, it's worth mentioning 6Moons Srajan's defense of the 6Moons reviewing practices. Any frequenter of these pages is aware that 6Moons has favorites, namely Bel Canto, Zu, Gallo, Eastern Electric and a handful of others. Should they cover other equipment or only the gear they like?
Srajan says they should only cover the gear that gets their blood pumping, and I agree. For those with similar tastes to the 6Moonies, they have a home. It's interesting how in the last five or so years the industry has really broken apart along certain lines, like tubes and high-eff versus multi-drivers and SS power. We know audiophiles have different tastes, so why not embrace them in different publications?
In any case, it should come as no surprise the new Bel Canto gear wins accolades left and right from the 6Moons guys. First up are the Reference 1000 monoblocks rocking, you guessed it, 1000 watts of power (4ohms) from ICEpower digital amps. $1990 each.
Then we have the PRe3 preamp and S-300 stereo amp at $1695 and $1395 respectively. The S-300 brings 300 stereo watts (4ohms) to the game and the PRe3 builds off Bel Canto's very popular previous generation preamps. Nice and svelte, it's nice to see a move away from big 17" black boxes.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k | Amplifiers $3k to 6k | Pre-Amps under $2k
Killer DIY Hypex Digital Amp
We don't normally cover a lot of DIY gear but, hey, when you're pinching pennies, why not consider a little quality time with the soldering iron? Here's underground site TNT-Audio with a review of the Hypex class D amplifier. Class D belongs in the new school of amp technologies, along with ICEpower, Tripath, NuForce and any of the other cool-running amps in tiny boxes with tubish sounds and growing respectability. CIAudio got some mad love by Positive Feedback and Stereophile last year and, guess what? The $1599 CIAudio D-100 uses the Hypex amp kit. Here's what TNT says of the UdD180-based amp:
If you still needed a further proof that amps based on new technologies (Class-D, or Class-T, or also Class-N, everyone seems to have his own private solution, or perhaps just name...) can sound better than traditional ones, here it is...
...we have a 180W amp, with that delicate touch of a triode butterfly and the power of a solid state bull, easy to build, very stable, accepting with equal ease both balanced and unbalanced inputs, at a cost that is far away from anything comparable...
...In any case, the bottom line is clear: it is really time to get acquainted with Class D.
180 watts with a touch of a triode butterfly? You don't say. Hypex amps go up to 700 watts. 700 watts of triode butterfly? Don't know but check out this monstrous, ongoing DIYaudio thread for more on Hypex (Jan-Peter of Hypex is a regular contributor, answering any and all questions). DIYCable also sells the Hypex UsD180 module for $85 a pop but make sure to read the TNT article for the other components you need if you're going to blaze this path yourself. Of course, if you're not down with DIY, check out the CIAudio goods. Everyone seems to agree that they're absolute killers for the price.
(CIAudio D-100 with the Hypex UcD180 below)
Permalink | Comments (6) | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k | Amplifiers Under $1k
6Moons Tube Torrent
Here's 6Moons blazing trails in the tiny-powered tube underground. Of course, being 6Moons, the reviews are encyclopedic in depth and length. So here's the Cliffs Notes. First up, the $800 Almarro A205A with all of 5 watts (but they're big watts!):
As others are finding out, the little EL84-equipped Almarro A205A MkII is one heck of a good little amplifier and one that I highly recommend to low-powered valve lovers everywhere.
Next up is the $1995 Music Reference RM-10 with 35 watts of EL84 tube goodness:
No flash, no glitz, no wonky liberties, no silly excess. This is an amp backed by a designer with a test bench who knows how to use it. He wouldn't spring something on an unsuspecting public whose every measurable performance aspect couldn't be justified.
Finally, the $4200 SilverTone Audio Model 3.2 rocking micro-powered 300B tubes:
Based on what I believe attracts most prospective 300B enthusiasts to this tube in the first place, the SilverTone Model 3.2 is a very welcome addition to the genre and one that doesn't suffer the usual excuses made for bass weight or extension.
Read the reviews for all the goods.
Almarro Audio
Music Reference
SilverTone Audio
Permalink | | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k | Amplifiers $3k to 6k | Amplifiers Under $1k
Manley Shrimp, Mahi Review
Paul Candy over at 6Moons gets hard core with Manley's Mahi Mahi monoblocks and the Shrimp preamp. Yeah, the Manley people have an affinity for delectable sea creatures. Manley is a big name in the tube world (I picked up a bumper sticker from their CES room reading: TUBES ROCK!) but Manley's angle is more Harley Davidson than Ducatti. Paul Candy says this:
If you are coming from bland-looking (and sounding) solid-state or even a decent tube integrated amp, this combo, like Dirty Harry's .44 magnum, will blow your head clean off, visually and sonically.
The Dirty Harry of tubes, that should really, really be Manley's slogan. Price is $2500 for a pair of the Mahis and $1880 for the Shrimp preamp. If a combined price of $4380 is too much, there's also the $2250 Stringray integrated essentially mating the Mahi Mahi and Shrimp in one big stingray-inspired package. Read the review for all the listening tests.
Oh, and no coverage of Manley can ever go without mentioning owner EveAnna Manley, one of the only women in this audio sausage fest. I don't know whether EveAnna's isolation in this biz is a testament to her coolness or a comment on the testosterone-laden, small nubbin complex that has thrown this industry into a virtual arms race. Who knows...
Oh, by the way, my tonearm is bigger than your tonearm.
Manley Shrimp, Mahi Review [6Moons]
Manley Labs
Permalink | Comments (4) | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k | Pre-Amps under $2k
Vegas - AAA Audio and Tetra
AAA Audio, importers of Chinese brands XLH, Original and Dussun, paired with Tetra for a killer demo. Above, Tetra's 306 loudspeaker garnered all kinds of strange looks and comments like: "the sound is coming from THAT?" And on and on. Yeah, it was really spooky how this little nubbin of a speaker produced so much music. Mated with a stable of reasonably priced Dussun equipment (pictures next page), this was definitely a fun room. No price on the Tetras or even if they'll see the light of day, for that matter, which would be a shame, considering how well they'd blend into my mid-century bach-pad.
On the next page is XLH's Hulkish Reference 1812 speakers at $50k next to smaller Tetras 405s. $25k XLH monoblocks provided 600 watts of juice while the $3k Original CD player did duty up top. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the Original remote. A silver hockey puck with a triangle of little buttons, it was definitely a remote for starting conversations (if there is such a thing).
I was told the giant XLH speakers as well as a number of other AAA products are in line for reviews. So keep an eye out for the goods from AAA Audio in the 'zines and, with the retail end tightening up, look for their gear in your local shop.
Permalink | | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k | Amplifiers $20k and up | Speakers $20k and up | Speakers $2k-5k
6Moons Srajan's Block Rockin' Beats
Our condolences to Srajan of e-pub 6Moons. It seems he has contracted a strange form of insomnia that forces him to trawl the seedy audio underground in search of esoteric tube tail.
Seriously, this dude peeps more unusual equipment in a month than most major print publications do all year. So much, in fact, that we can't even cover it all. So here we go with a bevy of "preview" articles on all sorts of strange components. And by "preview" we mean a normal article only to be followed up later by a 6 page dissertation on the internal workings, genealogy and metaphysical feng shui of said component.
And, like any trend-setter, Srajan is always controversial and opinionated which, of course, is what makes 6Moons exciting. So check out these upcoming articles for all the hyper-detailed goods:
Musical Reference RM-10 [$1995 stereo amp, 75 watts]
J.C. Verdier Triode Spirit 45 [$2500 stereo amp, 20 watts]
Genesis M60 [$3995 monoblock amps, 60 watts. Yes, that Genesis]
First Watt F3 [$2500 stereo solid state amp, 10 watts]
Melody SWH1688ii [Roughly $2500 preamplifier, pictured at top. Though I didn't mention it in my coverage, Zu Cable rocked one of these at the VTV EXPO and got lotsa love]
More pictures next page. Oh yeah, the J.C. Verdier website was recently voted the, ahem, worst audio site on the net by the knitting social over at Audio Asylum. I don't know, I think J.C. Verdier's site may be a work of genius - I'll never forget it for as long as I live.
Permalink | | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k | Amplifiers $3k to 6k | Pre-Amps $2k to 8k
47 Labs Gaincard Shows Age
The Gaincard from 47 Labs was the first chip amp to cause people to say: "holy F, chip amps can sound great!" Alas, like any great prize fighter, the 25 watt/channel Gaincard has shown its age and gone down to the new generation of chip kids. Starting at $3300, the Gaincard receives stiff competition from the likes of AudioZone, AudioSector and others with prices a third lower.
Srajan of 6Moons doesn't pull any punches and calls it like he sees it. A traditional big Srajan review, check it out for techie details, loads of pictures and the straight dirt on the world of chip amps.
47 Labs Gaincard Review [6Moons]
GainCard reviews from Positive Feedback, Stereo Times, Stereophile and Harvey Rosenberg.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k | Amplifiers $3k to 6k
NuForce Reference 9 Amplifier Reviews
NuForce has been blowing up the reviews with their "don't call it class-D" amps. Not digital? They sure act like one. Whatever the technology inside, the NuForce Reference 9 is the big brother of the wildly popular Reference 8 monoblocks. 160 watts per channel versus 100 and a price difference of $2500 versus $1600 per pair. And like the ICEpower options out there, the NuForce amps are monsters of bass:
"I must comment on the bass. It's nearly perfect. A bit more warmth and textural richness would be nice, but holy cow is it tummy-rattling! The 9s have very "smart" bass—matter-of-fact powerful, deep, detailed, and rocketship fast. It is very cool to hear the first wave, second wave, and back wave of a kettledrum. I didn't turn on my Rel subwoofer once during this evaluation."
And they do just about everything else well, too. However, NuForce has experienced a few growing pains as per 6Moon's article as well as other little quirks. But, overall, these guys are getting wild attention everywhere they go and quickly becoming a player in the faux-D category.
NuForce
NuForce Reference 9 Reviews [Positive Feedback]
NuForce Reference 9 Review [6Moons]
Permalink | | Posted to Amplifiers $1k to 3k
