High-End Audio / Audiophile Equipment
Reviews And Think Pieces
July 2019
Industry News: Essential High-End Audio Info
Enjoy the Music.com's audiophile news and information.
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HIGH END
2019 Show Report
High End Society Munich Germany
HIGH END 2019 show opened their doors and welcomed exhibitors and visitors from all over the
world from May 9th through 12th in Munich, Germany. As during the past 19 years, longer than any other North American magazine, Enjoy
the Music.com once again reports on HIGH END in Munich.
---> See our HIGH END 2019 show
report.
AXPONA
2019 Show Report
AXPONA 2019 show coverage by Enjoy
the Music.com Staff
With our final AXPONA report posted, Enjoy
the Music.com now has more than 600 photos spanning over 55 pages! AXPONA (Audio Expo North America)
2019 was held from April 12th through 14th at their permanent home at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center.
This year is AXPONA's tenth anniversary, marking its
largest show to date!
---> See our AXPONA 2019 show report.
Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2019 Report
Brilliant, Bustling
Bristol
Julian's upbeat view of the 2019 Bristol Show...
Bristol Show 2019 Report By Julian Musgrave Of HIFICRITIC Magazine
'Brilliant' sums up Bristol 2019 nicely. Last year's show was
a tad deja-vu, I felt: it's not that it wasn't still the best UK
trade-run show, but we were all treading water. This year there were new
exhibitors, a new energy and gems to be found, meaning I got more innocent,
giggling joy from the Bristol Show 2019 than from any other show in recent
memory.
---> See our Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2019 report.
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Hi-Res Audio: A Solution In Search Of A Problem
Article By Shelly Palmer
According
to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), about 75 percent of the
recorded music industry's revenue comes from streaming. Bandwidth keeps getting
cheaper and faster. Hardware and software continue to improve at an exponential
pace. Surely there is pent-up demand for high resolution audio (Hi-Res Audio).
After all, doesn't everyone want the "best sounding" audio? The world of recorded music was irrevocably changed in October
2001 when Apple introduced the iPod. While it is well remembered as a stepping
stone to the greatest comeback in American corporate history, the iPod is less
well remembered for dealing the final, almost fatal, blow to sonic quality.
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A Tour Of The Famous Capitol Records Studios
Article By Bobby Owsinski
Los Angeles is lucky in that
there's a number of iconic recording studios that were built decades ago that still exist and thrive today. United Recording
(formerly Oceanway), East West (formerly Cello), The Record Plant, and Henson Studios (formerly A&M) are
just a few that remain busy serving high-end music clients, movie soundtracks, and just about any other
type of recording you can think of. But the one studio that may be the most iconic of all is Capitol Studios,
built into the basement of the historic round Capitol Records building in the middle of
Hollywood.
---> Read
More
More Good Isn't Necessarily Better
Roger Skoff writes about a matter of proportion.
Article
By Roger Skoff
When
I was a kid in my 'teens, the JC Whitney catalog was the ultimate wishbook for
young men: Whether or not we owned a car (At sixteen, we could get a license,
but only a very few of us – usually just rich kids from Encino or thereabouts
– actually owned one) we would all pore over the JC Whitney catalog, dreaming
of all the things that we could do to our cars (when we actually got one) to
make it faster, "cooler", or cheaper to operate.
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HIFICRITIC Sound Stage: Ken Ishiwata
The term 'Hi-Fi' was first coined in 1947, the year I was born –
how's that for a coincidence? It all started with mono LPs, stereo following in 1958, and the technology was all valves until solid-state (or transistors) appeared. Initially, solid state
couldn't compare with well-designed tube amplifiers, but step by step improvements were made, and the new technology became popular; speaker engineers changed their way of designing, as you could get more power easily; and manufacturing became easier and
cheaper.
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Audiophile Honor
Roger Skoff writes about "doing it right".
Article
By Roger Skoff
I and my HiFi Crazy friends used to joke, years ago, about high-end audio that
seemed to involve paying more to get less: We noticed that an ordinary Mid-Fi
receiver had all kinds of features, toys, and goodies ("tone" controls, "scratch"
and "rumble" filters, a Fletcher-Munson "loudness" control, and seemingly
everything else that the designers or marketers could think of to throw in). We
also noticed that high-end products usually went off in the opposite direction,
offering fewer features as the price went up, with a high-end preamp, for
example, possibly having no features at all other than a volume control and a
selector switch.
---> Read More
EXOGAL Computational DAC
/ PowerDAC Technology
The Resounding Difference
Article By Jeff Haagenstad Of EXOGAL
Most people with an interest in audio have heard of
Digital to Analog Converters (DACs) and Amplifiers. They've heard of Ring DACs,
Ladder DACs, R2R DACs, and Delta/Sigma DACs. They've heard of Class A, Class AB
and Class D amplifiers. (Spoiler Alert: We don't use any of those!) They may not
know the exact technical differences between them, the relative advantages and
disadvantages of each of them, or the reason that manufacturers make the design
choices that they make. But there is a degree of common knowledge that creates a
fundamental basis for everyone who participates in audio as a business or a
hobby.
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A Trio Of Tunes From Impex Records
& Muxia Music
Sound quality that is second to
none.
Review By Tom Lyle
Over
the years this classic jazz album Legrand Jazz, arranged by Frenchman
Michael Legrand and recorded at Columbia Studios in New York in 1958 has been
cited as a classic. The album is a who's who of jazz at the time of the
recording, and although the musical arrangements aren't very forward thinking
– one might inadvertently toss this record into the Easy Listening section
– one close listen will convince any lover of jazz that this is the real deal.
There have been many pressings of this album over the years, with the three
sessions that are recorded on the original LP rearranged into a different order,
pressed with a variety of cover art, and issued on many different labels – 36
different versions of this album (!), not including this album I'm reviewing that's
pressed on Impex, are listed in Discogs, issued in every country one could
imagine.
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World Premiere Review!
Wells Audio Commander Level II Tube Line Stage
I found myself often thinking of Van
Morrison's "Cleaning Windows".
Review By
Dr. Jules L. Coleman
For much of
my life I tried my hand at playing guitar – with little, if any, success.
Truth be told, early and often friends and family – several of whom are
professional musicians – encouraged me to abandon my efforts. Ultimately, fear
of being friendless and homeless carried the day, and my nascent, if not
burgeoning, career came to a screeching halt. This tragedy, notwithstanding, my love of music has continued
to grow unabated. Like the majority of you, I love listening to music, engaging
it, getting to know and appreciate it for its artistry as well the narrative
content of the music and where present the lyrics.
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World Premiere Review!
Merrill Audio PURE Tape Head Preamp
Simple to use sweet sounding analog!
Review By
Richard Cohn
Have you ever
noticed how people's pets tend to look like them and reflect their
personalities? Well, I have noticed a similar congruency between audio
components and their designers – for good or bad (no names mentioned here are
the astringent amps/designers I have come across in my years as an audiophile).
Fortunately, the subject of this review, the Merrill Audio PURE Tape Head Preamp (the "Merrill Preamp" or "Pure")
for reel-to-reel decks and its creator Merrill Wettasinghe
are on the right side of that spectrum.
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World Premiere Review!
Wonderful Wireworld High-End Audio Cables
Featuring Wireworld Platinum Eclipse 8 Audio Interconnects, Silver Eclipse 8 Speaker Cable, Platinum Electra Power Cords, Silver Electra-7 Power Cords, Platinum Starlight 8 75-Ohm Digital Audio Cable, and Platinum Starlight 7 USB 2.0 Cable.
Review By Tom Lyle
It's no
secret that cables are an important part of a high-end system, and therefore
which cables one uses deserve serious consideration. As one's system improves,
it is very important to make sure that the cables one uses are not only as good
as the rest of one's system, but also match the components they are paired with.
Still, even though most recognize the importance of cables, many audiophiles
still feel as if good cables are "icing on the cake. Those who know me realize
that I feel that once a system gets to a certain level, everything makes
a difference. And so, cables may be as important as any other component one uses
in their system.
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World Premiere Review!
Merrill Audio Element 116 Vs. Veritas Mono
Amps
Comparative thoughts on two premium amplifiers from Merrill
Audio.
Review By
Dr. Michael Bump
Some of my
favorite, albeit rare, audiophile experiences have been what some might refer to
as "blind shootouts." Not just A/B sessions with similarly priced, similarly
designed audio components, but true variety pack shootouts between significantly
varied designs and price points. These experiences have been healthy cleansing
reminders for me to avoid listening with my eyes (or my wallet), and keep my
ears on the music. In the May issue of Enjoy the Music.com's Review
Magazine, Roger Skoff offers a candid explanation as to why each of us is
ultimately the "expert" when it comes to defining the two primary determinates
of audiophilia: "What's good?" and "How can you tell?"
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McIntosh Labs MC312 Power Amplifier
One of the best amplifiers of 2019!
Review By Andre Marc Of NOVO High-End Magazine
McIntosh Labs is a longstanding entity that defines the term 'legendary' when high-end audio
hobbyists discuss companies that helped create the market for top shelf home
playback equipment. In fact, McIntosh celebrated its 70th anniversary recently.
Clearly, they set standards, and continue to offer new and interesting products
to this day. The upstate New York based company has had its trials and
tribulations, but it has never been in better standing, and its products
continue to be desirable globally. McIntosh is currently owned by McIntosh
Group, a company that also own several other highly regarded brands including
Audio Research and Sonus Faber.
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Grado Gold2 Turntable Phono Cartridge
Old Grado favorite in improved edition!
Review By Danko Suvar, Technical Editor Of hifimedia
Magazine
Grado Gold2 is a cartridge with excellent timbral and
frequency balance, and well balanced overall, sounds calm and well controlled,
but at the same time it follows very well the dynamic and rhythm changes in
music material, and all that without adding any (unnecessary) emphasis of high
frequency content with the goal of creating more "openness" in sound.
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Cardas Audio Clear Beyond XL Phono Cable
Special order world premiere!
Review By Robert H. Levi Of Positive Feedback
The story begins with my
review of the House
of Cardas Clear Beyond Phono Cables back in PF Issue 102,
clearly then the best ever from the genius we fondly refer to as George Cardas.
They equaled or exceeded the overall performance of anything I have tried at any
price, ever. I was content. Next, George Counnas, chief designer of Zesto, takes the Zesto
Audio Line to AXPONA 2019 and wires up the works with Cardas, his new reference
cable of choice. George Counnas's reference, not George Cardas's reference...
follow so far?
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World Premiere Review!
Stack Audio Linn LP12 Turntable Tweaks
Making the Linn LP12 even more fantastic!
Review By Rick Becker
It's
no secret the Linn LP12 is one of the most iconic components in all of high-end
audio. It's reasonable to expect there are more than 100,000 sold since
introduced in 1972. With its backward compatible upgrade path there is good
reason to assume there are still plenty in active use, if not sitting idle in
attics all over Great Britain and the USA. While the backward compatibility has
led to its continued popularity, it has also left the design vulnerable to
aftermarket modifications since such mods would be applicable to virtually any
LP12, not just the ones between say 1979 and 1981. So, just as there are legions
of people who hot-rod old cars (which were made in even larger numbers), so
there is a cult following of the LP12. You're probably one of them if you're
reading this now... or about to become one once you've finished reading
here.
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Lindemann Audio Limetree Network
DAP / Headamp
Good things do come in small packages.
Review By Rufus Smith
Do good things really come in small packages and at ridiculously low price points?
I have always though diminutive audio products always had too many compromises
in their design to be used in anything but a portable playback system. I have
also found that when a product is designed to a low price point, the sound
usually suffers. When Enjoy the Music.com was offered the opportunity to
review the Limetree Digital Network player from German audio manufacturer, Lindemann
Audiotechnik GmbH I jumped at the opportunity to see if my prejudices held true.
In business since 1993, Lindemann has been a
leader in digital sound reproduction.
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Sanders Sound Systems Magtech Stereo Amplifier
Clear, clean presence that sounds alive and breathing.
Review By Ron Nagle
What
follows must be a story of evolution. And in a broad sense It will serve to
illustrate some of the technical advances that have been made to bring music
into our lives. Driven by our need to experience music we keep technology in a
constant state of flux. Ever reaching for an elusive totally immersive
experience. Back in May 2008 within the pages of Enjoy the Music.com I
wrote about the original Sanders ESL Audio
Amplifier. It was made to drive
impossible electrostatic speaker impedance variations. And more specifically it
was intended to power the designer Roger Sanders own Innersound Electrostatic
speakers. At that time, eleven years ago, I owned and enjoyed a pair of Quad 63
Electrostatic speakers mounted on eighteen inch high Gradient woofers. And
subsequently I purchased that Sanders ESL amplifier to power my Quad and
Gradient speakers.
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Pro Sound Labs' PuroQuiet
Active Noise Cancelling Headphones For Kids
One-in-five children have noise-induced hearing loss.
Review By Frank Iacone Of Headphone.Guru
Parents,
are you concerned with your children and hearing loss? As a parent who has one
special needs daughter and grandchildren, the concern for me is real and as a
parent, I was looking for ways to introduce my grandchildren into the world of
headphone listening without any danger of hearing loss. Statistically, one-in-five
children listening to headphones today are facing noise-induced hearing loss.
One option parents have is to work with companies who are inspired by more than
money and dedicated to finding a solution to eliminate the problem. Puro is one
such company who designs products to prevent hearing loss and offer studio grade
quality sound from products aimed at music, movies and playing video games.
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Luxman CL-38uC Preamp & MQ-88uC Amplifier
Review By Matthias Böde Of STEREO Magazine
For
many hi-fi fans, the new retro looking Luxman tube-duo is guaranteed to be love
at first sight. What about first listen? STEREO is testing whether the
CL-38uC preamplifier and the MQ-88uC power amplifier will please nostalgic types
in particular or whether they can satisfy modern demands just as well. No other Japanese large-scale producer has existed as long as
the Luxman Corporation whose origins date back to 1925 and to the launch of
broadcasting in the Land of the Rising Sun.
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ModWright Instruments PH 9.0 Phono Stage
A new paradigm in affordable excellence.
Review By Greg Weaver of Positive Feedback
I've had the privilege of knowing Dan Wright for the
past twenty years. Over that time, I've seen ModWright burgeon from its humble
beginnings as an upgrade or modification-only service provider, to becoming a
respected manufacturer of a full line of products. Over the past two decades,
ModWright has established an unwavering benchmark in providing both remarkable
sounding gear and exceptional value. In fact, I was so
impressed with ModWright's flagship phono preamplifier, the PH 150 Reference
introduced in 2015, that I purchased mine after reviewing for another
publication. As such, it was a no-brainer that I should audition their latest
and relatively affordable offering.
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World Premiere Review!
Vanatoo Transparent One Encore Satellite / Subwoofer System
Speakers for those who love music.
Review By Matthew Clott
I have become increasingly impressed with the quality of truly affordable audio
gear. The newly released Vanatoo Transparent One Encore qualifies under both the
impressed and affordable category. There is a lot of technology and features
crammed into a rather petite bookshelf speaker with a single cable running to
the passive speaker. Within the active speaker is an amplifier, preamplifier,
Bluetooth with AptX, active crossover for subwoofer output, DAC, remote receiver
and, I'm pretty sure, a blender to make margaritas to enjoy while playing your
tunes. Ok, maybe the blender was an exaggeration but these T1E's pack a lot of
features and performance for a $599 product.
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World Premiere Review!
Aric Audio Alpha 300B Push Pull Amplifier
One of the best sounding tube amplifiers you have (probably) never heard of.
Review By Dwayne Carter
Until
last week, I had in my possession one of the best sounding tube amplifiers in
the world (from my small world view). Even better, I was fortunate enough to
have this amplifier mated with a pair of the most recognizable speakers in the
world (Avantgarde Uno Fino). On top of that, my wife joined me in the Audio Room
for two(!) listening sessions with drinks in hand. It's true what they say: You
never know a good thing... until it's gone.
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Xavian Perla Esclusiva Compact Monitor
Accurately reproducing voice in an extremely lifelike manner.
Review By Brett Rudolph
Last
year I had the chance to correspond with Daniel at Xavian. The Czech Republic
based company founded by Roberto Barletta is known for their cabinetry and the
materials they use in their construction. So, it was with great excitement that
I accepted the responsibility to review their Perla speakers. It took a few months from the time of that
initial correspondence until the speakers arrived at my doorstep. This was
partially due to the time it took for them to travel from their origin in the
Czech Republic, but that was not the only reason. Sometime between the first
contact and when the speakers arrived, the design had been changed and the
speakers updated. So, what was supposedly a fairly impressive speaker, or so I
have been told, came to me with fairly big shoes to fill, so to speak.
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SVSound SVS SB16-Ultra Subwoofer Review
Purchasing this subwoofer is money well-spent.
Review By Tom Lyle
On
the SVS website there's a section titled "Why go dual subwoofers?". Their
reasons are simple: Two small subwoofers can fit were one large subwoofer can't,
more listening position options, greater headroom, stereo bass which will
improve soundstage, plus, the bass frequencies are more difficult to localize.
SVS even has a video explaining why two are better than one. For quite a while I
only used one subwoofer in my system. This was mostly because I didn't have
enough space for two, and please, I am not saying that two subwoofers are
mandatory, as I was very happy using only one subwoofer in the corner of my
listening room.
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More
HiFiMAN HE1000se Full Sized Over-Ear Headphone
One More Time, With Feeling: HiFiMAN creates the most powerful, dynamic version of the HE1000 technology yet.
Review By Dave Hanson
When
HiFiMAN first released the HE1000 in 2015, it was part of a watershed moment in
the headphone industry. The headphone, along with the MrSpeakers Ether, were
monster hits at the first CanJam SoCal. If one were to create a written history
of planar magnetic headphones, surely it would be divided into periods occurring
"Before the HE1000 and Ether" and after. They, along with their subsequent
iterations, have largely defined the ultra-high-end market for planar magnetic
headphones since. For HiFiMAN's part, the HE1000 represented a new
form factor and showcased HiFiMAN's new nanometer-thickness diaphragms.
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Erzetich Audio Phobos Orthodynamic Headphones
A serious new contender in town!
Review By Gary Peter Pialisu Of Headphone.Guru
Over
the past decade, orthodynamic (also called planar magnetic) headphones have made
quite the impression in the world of personal audio. I remember the old days
when it was primarily just dynamic headphones like the Sennheiser HD600, or the
AKG K701 and electro-static headphones by the folks at Stax. Then a few new
pioneers entered the scene with some of the first new planar magnetic headphones
to really push these other two driver categories for domination. Erzetich Audio,
a newer player in the orthodynamic market space is located in western Slovenia
and is solely focused on personal audio. With four headphone amplifiers and two
headphones; the Phobos (flagship model; planar magnetic drivers) and Mania (50mm
titanium dynamic drivers), Erzetich Audio has put forth quite a solid product
offering.
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Unique Melody Mirage In-Ear Monitor Review
The All-Rounder: Unique Melody
Mirage IEM delivers a dynamically explosive, musically intoxicating masterpiece.
Review By Dave Hanson
While
IEM makers like JH Audio, Campfire Audio and Ultimate Ears receive heaps of
(well-deserved) attention and praise, Chinese manufacturer Unique Melody is one
of those audio companies that seem to fly under the radar pretty easily. I'll
admit, my own experience with their in-ears was fairly limited, but their
stunning new designs, Maven ($1999) and Mirage ($1099) definitely caught my
attention. After reading some initial impressions on the prototypes and a
bit of discussion with Unique Melody rep, Lawrance Lee, Mirage seemed like the
model that would align more closely with my listening preferences.
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Audio Note Ongaku
Article by Hiroyasu Kondo-san, Audio Note
From Sound Practices
Issue 2, Fall 1992
The 211 creates a formidable impression because of its shape. But
the 211 may appear old-fashioned and unsophisticated to high-brow maniacs for audio equipment. Perhaps this is the reason why there
are only a few amplifiers that employ the 211 tube today. This type of amplifier is a challenge from the viewpoint of the
manufacturer. The power supply circuit cannot be normally designed, since the supply voltage required for the 211 tube must be approximately
1000V.
---> Read More
My Own Triode Input MK III
Dan remakes a Dyna MKIII to 'juice his lizard'.
By Dan Schmalle From VALVE Issue 9, September 1994
A remarkably bad graphic representation of a very pretty amp. Squint to see the Tung-Sol 6550's, new tube arrangement, Vitamin Q caps, new bias pot location, and cool paint job.
Some of you may remember that I was
so enamored of the Mklll's I modified
for Chris that I wangled a pair for myself.
As I recall I bought a Fisher 20A,
swapped that and some other stuff for a MkIV, and then swapped the MklV and
a pair of Ampex monoblocks for the Mklll's. Then I swapped a Philco Model
60 cathedral radio for a quad of Tung
Sol 6550 tubes.
---> Read More
McGary Audio SA 1 Stereo Vacuum Tube Amplifier
In pursuit of the music!
Review By Jeremy R. Kipnis At Kipnis Studios
(KSS)
So
often, newer components are created in a way that makes it hard to appreciate
their true lineage. I mean, when you can witness an entire rack full of
equipment shrunk down onto a single microchip, and/or often full sized
components reduced to fit inside a shirt pocket, one cannot actually see the
individual elements that make up the circuit, anymore; they are so small. And
for decades, this trend toward miniaturization has consumed technology efforts,
particularly consumer and professional audio and video. Thus, a traditional
analog amplifier (tube or solid-state), weighing in at tens of pounds and having
a huge physical size accompanying it, is often regarded as antiquated in the
presence of smaller, lighter, more modern and often digital-based alternatives.
Nothing could be farther from the truth, however.
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Siltech Classic Anniversary Cables
Neutrality is the hallmark of a well-designed product.
Review By Paul Schumann
One
of my favorite parts of "The Grinch" is when Mr. Grinch complains about
Christmas and all the "noise, noise, noise". We live in a noisy world. Even in
the middle of the night I can go out and hear the sound of distant highway
traffic. Have you ever tried to listen to music when someone is watching TV in
the next room or a noisy dishwasher is going? Impossible! Our audio systems are noisy
too. There are
always the obvious demons of 60 Hz hum and high frequency hiss.
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Abyss Diana Planar Magnetic Portable Headphones
Simply the best portable headphones around!
Review By Peter Pialis Of Headphone.Guru
When
I first heard a prototype of the Abyss Diana headphones last October, the final
voicing had not been finalized, but what I heard really impressed me! This
audition was immediately after hearing one of my very favorite flagship
headphones of all time (the Abyss AB1266 Phi) immediately prior to them and as a
result, these headphones really got my attention! What I noticed immediately was
the outstanding attention to detail in terms of the build quality and included
accessories, and as soon as I put them on my head, they seemed as light as a
feather and were very comfortable as well.
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Note: We have magazine issues dating back to 1999.
See our archives section for all reviews.
High-Performance Audio Reviews
