THE REVIEWS
ads
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Sign up with your email address to receive news, updates, and our free quarterly magazine—AudioKeyREVIEWS!
DVA DIGITAL PREAMPLIFIER - REVIEW
AVA’s DVA Digital Preamplifier is an excellent example of what current technology is capable of when applied to a thoughtful design. It combines some of the organic aspects of an R2R design with just a touch of the desirable detail that a ΔΣ (delta-sigma) oversampling architecture brings to the party.
BOENICKE W5 LOUDSPEAKER - REVIEW
There are some other great sounding speakers in this price range, but none I can think of that combine understated style and outsized sound in such a diminutive package. If you’re more interested in impressing your friends with higher fidelity rather than bling and bloat, the W5 may just be the ticket. Please give them a listen.
AUDIENCE FRONTROW RESERVE - REVIEW
The AFRR cables became exceptional arbiters in providing insight far beyond the much more expensive cables that had long been a part of my two-channel reference system. In this respect, they lifted the bar, with regard to overall performance, dismissed price as a consideration, and moved quite a bit beyond their siblings
PSVANE VACUUM TUBES - REVIEW
This was yet another review where I was not prepared for the outcome, which, in the end, was demonstratively better in every respect, when the PSVANE tubes had replaced the prior tubes. Suffice to say, there was no aspect technically or musically that was not improved by the various PSVANE Horizon tubes, as they proved, truly, superb.
TRANSROTOR BELLINI - REVIEW
The Transrotor Bellini is more than just a turntable, it is a statement piece, both in terms of design and performance. It offers an unparalleled level of precision, revealing every detail of a record with exceptional clarity and realism. The combination of innovative technology, high-quality materials, and meticulous craftsmanship makes it one of the finest turntables available today.
BLUESOUND NODE ICON - REVIEW
Bluesound’s fanciest offering adds Compact Disc ripping, internal storage, along with a beefier internal computer capable of smooth multitasking. At $1149, Bluesound’s NODE ICON is situated comfortably in that affordable second tier, providing convenient, high fidelity in a visually seamless, stylish package.
SHANLING ET3 DIGITAL TRANSPORT - REVIEW
The Shanling ET3 Digital Transport is surprisingly good and especially so for $895! And while it worked very well with the Border Patrol SE-i, it scaled beautifully with the best of the best DACs and did not, at all, embarrass itself. In fact, it shined with the Grimm Audio MU2 Streamer/DAC and the combo and put some very expensive streamer/DAC combos on notice of their, well, less than stellar performance. Or, in other words, the combo fired them!