RSS
Review: LessLoss DAC 2004
COMMENTS (5) | Permalink | DACs $1k to 5k , Disc players $800 to $2k , Writer: Danny Kaey | Posted by Danny Kaey on Feb 23 '08
47 Labs Shigaraki System Review by Sandy Greene
SONICFLARE REVIEW: 47 Labs Shigaraki System
4716 CD Transport ($1980), 4715 DAC ($1480), 4717 Integrated Amplifier ($1980)
Sakura Systems
by Sandy Greene
COMMENTS (1) | Permalink | DACs $1k to 5k , Disc players $800 to $2k , Integrated Amp $1k to 3k , Writer: Sandy Greene | Posted by Josh Ray on Dec 06 '07
HE2006: Neat Motive 2 and Exposure 2010 S Series Take the Cake
And now for my favorite room of the show: Neat Acoustic and Exposure hi-fi. The gear is not outrageous looking or wildly expensive. Nor is it going to pimp up your rap superstar wanna-be lifestyle. It's just killer non-audiophile sound in a package that, shockingly, will actually look good in your living room.
Shown were the British Neat Motive 2 speakers ($1995) and the Exposure 2010 S series CD player and 75 watt integrated amp ($1250 each). That's a complete package for $4500 sans cables. Heck, use your iPod, Squeezebox or computer and you're in the high-performance audio club for only $3250.
BlueBird importers also showed the Neat Ultimatum MF7 speakers and ultra-expensive Chord electronics in the same room. Check out our coverage. While the Chord/Neat powerhouse dominated, it was the little Neat/Exposure system camped out in the corner that was the most interesting and, really, got the most love from average show-goers. Probably because it was a system people could see putting in the back of their sedans and driving away with.
The camera distortion is deceiving because those Neat Motive 2 speakers are absolutely tiny. Only 28" high and just over 6" wide with a slightly swept back styling and sexy wood finishing, they are speakers that are clearly expensive without being in your face. As for sound, Neat uses a modified titanium Focal tweeter with a foam surround and a custom mid/bass driver. Bass is listed at 35Hz and I believe it. They put the speaker port on the bottom and vent it through the base plinth to really hit those low notes. It's kinda shocking, actually, how low and smooth these little speakers perform.
For me, the traditional American audiophile equipment lacks a lot of the qualities that make music killer. The demo music sounds great, but when I put on something other than easy listening jazz, I'm not impressed, nor are people new to this industry hearing the gear for the first time. As the good "journalist" I am, and purely for scientific purposes, I struck up conversations with the comely show staff and asked them what they thought of the equipment in various rooms. It was mostly "eh, it's okay." And they were right, so-and-so $100,000 American super system sounded just okay. Sure, it did a lot of classic audiophile things right, but it was boring with modern music. It's a taste issue, of course, but when the greatest of the great systems in our industry only elicit an "eh, it's okay" from the new (and attractive) generation, there's a serious problem.
One person hypothesized that traditional American companies voice their gear for the the easy-listening jazz and lite classical sound that is so ubiquitous in the American audiophile community while Brit and some Euro countries voice for a more contemporary sound. It's an interesting idea and could be true. I know I have a different taste in gear and the Neat/Exposure system was giving me the eye. It was a system that got people to coo like babies while the traditional audiophile goods got shrugged shoulders.
In fact, I believe the Neat/Exposure combo to be HE2006's most important system -- killer non-audiophile sound, suave styling and, at $4500, you get to keep both kidneys. This is what the future of hi-fi should look like.
COMMENTS (35) | Permalink | Disc players $800 to $2k , Integrated Amp $1k to 3k , Shows and Expos , Speakers $1k-2k | Posted by Josh Ray on Jun 23 '06
Denon S-101 DVD System Review
Hey, trash talk about Bose! Here's what Audioholics says of the Bose 3-2-1 system compared to the Denon S-101:
To put this into perspective, I spent some time at my local Best Buy A/B’ing the similarly priced Bose 321 system which incidentally offers less features and performance. The Bose system features full range paper wizzer cone satellite speakers and a so-called bass module that sounded like its usable bass extension didn’t extend much below 60Hz. The bass it did produce was rather boomy and sloppy in comparison. The Bose system sounded more like a boom and sizzle show while the Denon S-101 took on a more fluid sound just like a good subwoofer/satellite system should.
It's always fun throwing rocks at the giant. The Denon S-101 is a $999 2.1 channel DVD system that drums up some pretty high ratings from the 'Holics, though better sound could be had through shopping for separates, in my opinion.
Denon S-101 System Review [Audioholics]
Permalink | | Posted to Disc players $800 to $2k
NAD L73 DVD Receiver
The L73 DVD Receiver from NAD gets the big Reviewer's Choice Award from SoundStage!
The NAD L73 is a highly-recommendable component. Maybe it’s not an easy sell for the rabid SoundStage!-reading stereo enthusiast, but it is a sure-fire bet for average folks looking for a terrific product in one easy-to-manage, attractive package.
All about convergence, the NAD L73 packs in 45 watts into 5 channels, a DVD-audio player and a number of other features. Priced for average folks at $999.
NAD L73 DVD Receiver Review [SoundStage!]
NAD Electronics
Permalink | | Posted to Disc players $800 to $2k
C.E.C. TL-51XZ Belt Driven CD Player
Stereo Times gushes over the world's only belt driven CD player, the C.E.C. TL-51XZ. Belt drive is what high end analog turntables use in part to achieve that cherished vinyl sound. C.E.C., makers of turntable belt drives, has shrunk the whole mechanism and stuffed in into your standard disc player (check out the next page for a picture of the guts).
The TL-51XZ is $1590 and includes an integrated DAC. Read the article for full details and serious amounts of reviewer drool. Don't be surprised if this time next year belt driven DVD players are all the rage.
C.E.C. TL-51XZ Belt Driven CD Player [Stereo Times]
Permalink | Comments (3) | Posted to Disc players $800 to $2k
Complete Opera Consonance System
Now here's the kind of review we need to see more of! 6Moons reviews a complete system from Chinese audio giant Opera (we covered their excellent CDP 5.0 CD player earlier). The Consonance system is priced around $4200 (depending on options) and includes the A120 hybrid integrated amp, 120T tuner, CD-120 CD player and Eric 1 two-way bookshelf speakers as well as cabling and sundry accessories. I won't go into details (check out the review for more than enough) but I will give you one word: synergy.
While packaging a complete system is verboten in the high end community, it's really a practice we should see more of, in my opinion. It's worked for the main stream electronic giants for years -- Bose and B & O sure have capitalized off of it. Matching equipment is great and all, but the average consumer's head explodes when they have to pick the right power cord to go with their tube transport or whatever. They've got the cash to spend but they just don't have the time to tweak. But, hey, that's just my 2 cents.
Complete Opera Consonance System [6Moons]
Opera Home (US Distributor Quest for Soud)
Permalink | | Posted to Disc players $800 to $2k | Integrated Amp $1k to 3k | Speakers under $1k
Arcam Solo CD Receiver Review
I am a serious advocate of all-in-one "lifestyle" projects like Arcam's Solo CD player/tuner/integrated amp. Why? Because, simply, if high-end audio is to make inroads into normal homes with people looking to trade up from iPods and Bose systems, stacks of 17" separates isn't going to cut it. Wives and potential wives want fluffy pillows and window treatments, not 200 lbs of jagged steel and blinking lights. Why is that important, you ask? Because even if the woman in your life doesn't control the check book, she controls something much more important...
That said, it comes as no shock that the Arcam Solo doesn't sound as good as $1600 of separates. Stereophile likes the sound but doesn't get all gushing over it. Theoretically, an all-in-one could sound better than separates - built-in synergy without cable-matching. There are issues, of course, but here's to hoping the big-dog companies start making some wicked all-in-ones and snatch up a little of that market share Bang and Olufsen has owned for, oh, the last decade.
Arcam Solo CD Receiver Review [Stereophile]
Arcam Home
Permalink | | Posted to Disc players $800 to $2k | Integrated Amp $1k to 3k
Review: April Music's Stello CDT-200 and DP-200
Clement Perry of Stereo Times gives the April Music combo the Publisher's Choice Award for the most wanted component of 2005. Not too bad for the new kid on the block from Korea.
The CDT-200 is a CD-Player sans DAC while the DP-200 is a pre-amp with DAC. Prices are $1195 and $1995, respectively. If you haven't been reading the reports coming out of the last few electronics shows, then you've missed the glowing reviews of April Music's gear. All solid state and digitally based, April Music is gunning for serious market-share in the firry-hot $1k to 2k segment. Check out Clement's review for great comparisons to other top gear.
April Music Review [Stereo Times]
April Music [April Music Home]
Permalink | | Posted to DACs $1k to 5k | Disc players $800 to $2k | Pre-Amps under $2k
Review: Arcam DiVA DV79 DVD Player
Arcam's claim to fame with this player is in-house design of the entire DVD transport. They claim their competitors modify cheaper parts which, naturally, affects quality. While I personally have nothing wrong with modding equipment (some great pieces are to be had from modders), Roger Kanno of Home Theater and Sound likes what he sees and gives the DV79 top marks.
$1800 is not cheap for a DVD player but Arcam seems to have a winner (and, truth be told, there are many players more expensive). Arcam is a big company with a lot of experience and resources to invest in top-quality gear. It won't win any beauty contests, but who buys equipment based on looks anyway???
*ahem*
Arcam DiVA DV79 DVD Player [Home Theater & Sound]
Arcam Home [Arcam]
Permalink | | Posted to Disc players $800 to $2k
