Articles and Reviews – page 3

Testing upper echelon of High End equipment is not an easy task. Equipment of this level demands maximum opportunities from the entire audio system, can bring out the shortcomings of well-known music recordings and spoil further impressions of components of a more modest price range. However, it is equipment of this class that gives us starting points for evaluating the entire range of products presented on the market - it sets standards and establishes reference points for the entire industry. The CH Precision P10 phono preamplifier is one of them - and today we are testing this wonderful device.

The Audio Research I/50 integrated amplifier is the brand's least expensive, and the only integrated amplifier the company produces today. Weighing 18.1 kg, the construction is exceptionally high quality, and the time-tested push-pull tube circuitry is presented here.

The new integrated amplifier Audio Analogue AACento, as is typical for High End audio solutions, will not offer you a built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC) or streamer. But, the device has a high-quality phono preamplifier and headphone amplifier, and the commutation set will satisfy almost every audiophile. However, the main thing here is, of course, the sound – and we will focus on it.

Not long ago it seemed that the Technics brand had sunk into oblivion in the audiophile field - but it rose from the ashes and offered fans of High End not just a set of impressive equipment. But they also rethought modern approaches to the design of such electronics. The Technics Reference series of components today is an example of how many years of disassembly and traditional attention to every detail allow you to give the world genuine pearls of good sound. The Technics SU-R1000 integrated amplifier is just one of them, and we are testing it today.

The updated Chord Hugo TT2 digital-to-analog converter inherits the features of its predecessors but has received a noticeably more powerful decoding system (five times more than the original Hugo and twice as powerful as Hugo 2). Enclosed in a stylish compact case by John Franks made of milled aluminum, the device turned out to be very impressive on our test bench - throughout the review stage, we did not cease to be amazed by the capabilities of this little one.

Review: Michell Orbe SE – a turntable that takes us back to the golden era of sound

The first loudspeakers of the ProAc Response series made a splash in the Hi-Fi market at the end of the 20th century – compact speakers provided incredible panchy bass and mind-blowing dynamics. Today, the legendary series of the British company is still in service – we review the new ProAc Response DT8 speakers, which inherit all the family features of past generations of Response-series.

The Polish company LampizatOr and its head, Łukasz Fikus, are among those people who are changing the landscape of modern High End sound. The first digital-to-analog converter Atlantic 1 DAC was presented to the public five years ago, and today the company has significantly modernized the device – this is how LampizatOr Atlantic 3 TRP appeared.

When we talk about a High End R2R tape recorder, we remember the Studer A810. Although new machines from famous brands are gradually appearing on the market, no one can eclipse the glory of the hero. Today, a working device can be found on the second-hand market – and many private craftsmen and restoration companies guarantee decent service for the model.

The innovative integrated amplifier Devialet D-Premier was first presented at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, after the device earned a standing ovation from both the specialized press and audiophiles.

Gryphon Audio Designs is a company with an unquestionable reputation in the upper echelon audio market. The Danish company, which became a legend back in the 80s of the XX century, is still a trendsetter in the High End industry today - primarily in the field of amplification. Mephisto Stereo, one of the top models in the Gryphon's product line, reflects all the company's developments over its long history.

When it comes to High End acoustics, the first company that comes to mind is Wilson Audio, an American trendsetter in the field of high-quality sound reproduction that has repeatedly turned our ideas about how home speakers should sound upside down. Today, with the appearance of the Wilson Audio Sasha V model on the market, we can talk about it once again and can see a really gamechanger loudspeakers.

Extra-class floorstanding acoustic systems, Wilson Benesch Omnium – the culmination of 30 years of development experience from the famous British company. The model was created in collaboration after long and thorough research work of the SSUCHY project. The second from the top in the company's range, loudspeakers embodied the most advanced, bold and new sound solutions.

The culmination of decades of research by the renowned Acapella – the complete system (with electronics) Acapella HYPERSPHERE costs 5 million euros, and the speaker systems themselves can be purchased for “only” 3.2 million euros. Well, let’s study the true pinnacle of uncompromising Ultra High-End design.

Choosing new floorstanding loudspeakers is not an easy task, but our new guide will help you navigate the flurry of new products. Acoustic systems with high-class sound have become much more affordable – which makes market research even more interesting.

Our new buyer's guide and equipment rating is visited by full (with a digital-to-analog converter) streamers or network players. The number of these components is growing day by day, which is why the selection turned out to be interesting - from inexpensive models to High-End class mastodons.