Buyer's Guide to Affordable High-End Audio 2017

137 Pages·2017·14.39 MB·English

CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • HOW TO CHOOSE COMPONENTS • BOOK FEATURE • SNEAK PREVIEWS • ELECTRONICS • ANALOG • DACS & DISC PLAYERS • LOUDSPEAKERS • PERSONAL AUDIO & HEADPHONES •
CABLES AND POWER PRODUCTS
Buyer’s Guide to Affordable High-End Audio 2017
1 Buyer’s Guide to Digital Source Components the absolute sound
2 Buyer’s Guide to Affordable High-End Audio the absolute sound
Click here to go to
that section
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • HOW TO CHOOSE COMPONENTS • BOOK FEATURE • SNEAK PREVIEWS • ELECTRONICS • ANALOG • DACS & DISC PLAYERS • LOUDSPEAKERS • PERSONAL AUDIO & HEADPHONES •
CABLES AND POWER PRODUCTS
Contents
The concept of synergy—that the whole
is greater than the sum of the parts—
is very important in creating the best-
sounding system for the least money.
FROM THE EDITOR ON THE HORIZON HOW TO CHOOSE COMPONENTS
Julie Mullins welcomes you to our Neil Gader covers the hottest new Robert Harley gives advice on system matching, dealers, and other purchasing
Buyer’s Guide to Affordable affordable audio gear. considerations in this excerpt from The Complete Guide to High-End Audio.
High-End Audio.
SNEAK PREVIEWS ANALOG LOUDSPEAKERS PERSONAL AUDIO AND
HEADPHONES
NAD C 368 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Turntable KEF Muo
Etymotic ER4 SR and XR In-Ear Monitor Clearaudio Concept Turntable Elac Debut F5 Onkyo DP-X1 MQA Portable Player
Syzygy Acoustics SLF870 Subwoofer Hana E and S Phono Cartridges KEF LS50 Astell&Kern AK70 Portable Player
AudioQuest Conductive Fiber Record Brush GoldenEar Triton Five HiFiMan HE400S Headphones
Record Doctor V LP Cleaning Machine MartinLogan Motion 35XT Stax SR-L700 Headphones
Our Top Picks in Analog Audience ClairAudient 1+1 V2+ MrSpeakers Ether C Headphones
ELECTRONICS
JL Audio e110 Subwoofer Our Top Picks in Personal Audio and Headphones
Revel Concerta2 M16
NuPrime IDA-8 Integrated Amplifier Micromega MySpeaker
DACS AND DISC PLAYERS
Audio by Van Alstine Vision Phonostage Dynaudio Xeo 2
CABLES AND POWER PRODUCTS
Exposure 3010S2D Integrated Amp Elac Uni-Fi UB5
Rotel A14 Integrated and CD14 player Oppo Digital BDP-105D Multiformat Disc Player Our Top Picks in Loudspeakers
Hafler PH60 Phonostage Linkplay Muzo Cobblestone Internet Music Player Shunyata Research Venom PS8/Defender, HC Cord
Optoma NuForce STA200 Power Amp AudioQuest DragonFly Black and Red DAC Morrow Audio SP7, MA4, MA7 Reference
Our Top Picks in Electronics Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DAC Click here to read our Shunyata Venom Interconnect and Speaker Cable
Mytek Brooklyn DAC Top Picks in every category Morrow Audio 5 Series and Cardas Audio Iridium
Grace Design m9XX DAC Our Top Picks in Cables
Our Top Picks in DACs
3 Buyer’s Guide to Affordable High-End Audio the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • HOW TO CHOOSE COMPONENTS • BOOK FEATURE • SNEAK PREVIEWS • ELECTRONICS • ANALOG • DACS & DISC PLAYERS • LOUDSPEAKERS • PERSONAL AUDIO & HEADPHONES •
CABLES AND POWER PRODUCTS
Email the Editor: [email protected] or: TAS, 2601 McHale St. #100 Austin, Texas 78758 nextscreen, LLC
chairman and ceo ............Tom Martin
publisher ...................... Jim Hannon senior writers .................. Anthony H. Cordesman vp/group publisher ...........Jim Hannon
editor-in-chief ................. Robert Harley Wayne Garcia
executive editor ................Jonathan Valin Robert E. Greene advertising reps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cheryl Smith
acquisitions manager Jim Hannon [phone]
and associate editor ............Neil Gader Jacob Heilbrunn
managing editor and Ted Libbey Marvin Lewis
buyer’s guide editor ............Julie Mullins Arthur Lintgen MTM Sales
Dick Olsher [phone]
creative director ................Torquil Dewar Andrew Quint
art director .....................Shelley Lai Don Saltzman Scott Constantine
production .....................Rachel Holder Paul Seydor [phone]
Steven Stone
Alan Taffel
webmaster .....................Garrett Whitten Greg Weaver
reviewers & contributing writers Duck Baker
Soren Baker
Karen Bells
Greg Cahill
Stephen Estep
Vade Forrester
Andre Jennings
Mark Lehman
Sherri Lehman
David McGee
Buyer’s Guide to Kirk Midtskog
Mark Milano
Bill Milkowski
Affordable High-End Audio 2017 Derk Richardson
Karl Schuster
© 2017 Nextscreen LLC
4 Buyer’s Guide to Affordable High-End Audio the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • HOW TO CHOOSE COMPONENTS • BOOK FEATURE •
SNEAK PREVIEWS • ELECTRONICS • ANALOG • DACS & DISC PLAYERS • LOUDSPEAKERS •
PERSONAL AUDIO & HEADPHONES • CABLES AND POWER PRODUCTS
From the
Editor
Welcome to the 2017 Buyer’s Guide
to Affordable High-End Audio!
Perhaps now more than ever high-end audio is considered an expensive hobby. But
thanks to market demand and tech advances (and their “trickling down”) great sound
doesn’t necessarily have to cost a fortune.
That’s why we’re pleased to offer this guide to affordable hi-fi gear of all kinds. Herein
you’ll find not only 39 full-length reviews from TAS, but you’ll also get:
“On the Horizon,” featuring the scoop on 14 of the hottest upcoming products
across a variety of categories.
“How to Choose Components,” essential reading excerpted from the latest (fifth)
edition of Robert Harley’s classic Complete Guide to High-End Audio.
“Sneak Previews” of brand-new equipment reviews not yet published in TAS.
“Top Picks,” where we’ve selected the best affordable gear across six categories.
Whether you’re a longtime audiophile or a newbie, we hope you’ll find this guide an
invaluable resource to help you get the most bang for your buck on all your hi-fi buys.
Happy listening!
Julie Mullins, Editor
5 Buyer’s Guide to Affordable High-End Audio the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • HOW TO CHOOSE COMPONENTS • BOOK FEATURE • SNEAK PREVIEWS • ELECTRONICS • ANALOG • DACS & DISC PLAYERS • LOUDSPEAKERS • PERSONAL AUDIO & HEADPHONES •
CABLES AND POWER PRODUCTS
On the Horizon
Hegel H90 Integrated Amplifier
Hegel is introducing the H90, an all-new stereo integrated amplifier
that will be replacing the H80 in late August. It is built on the frame
Hot New Products Coming Your Way
of the Röst, but without IP-control, no balanced input, plastic front
panel, and slightly less output power (60Wpc into 8 ohms). Sound
Neil Gader quality compared to the H80 is dramatically improved—particularly
in the areas of soundstage, bass control, and current capability—
thanks to an updated version of Hegel’s well regarded SoundEngine
topology. The result is that the H90 sounds smoother, more dynamic
(despite its lower power output) and more fluid compared to the
H80. It’s equipped with two analog inputs, and four digital including
optical and SPDIF plus USB and Ethernet. It also includes a new and
more attractive remote control and a very good D/A-Converter with
AirPlay, UPnP, and a headphone output. Shipping begins in Septem-
ber 2017. In another development, the Röst will soon be available
in black and a trio of other colors, joining the standard white finish.
Price: Est. $2000. hegel.com
66 BBuuyyeerr’’ss GGuuiiddee ttoo AAffudoirod aEblelect Hroignhic-sE n2d0 1A7u d thioe a btshoel uatbes sooluutned sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • HOW TO CHOOSE COMPONENTS • BOOK FEATURE • SNEAK PREVIEWS • ELECTRONICS • ANALOG • DACS & DISC PLAYERS • LOUDSPEAKERS • PERSONAL AUDIO & HEADPHONES •
CABLES AND POWER PRODUCTS
On the Horizon
Clearaudio Charisma V2 Cartridge Oppo Digital UDP-205 4K Ultra-HD Audiophile EC Living Tana SL-2 and L-2 by Electrocompaniet
The Charisma V2 is Clearaudio founder Peter Suchy’s mov- Blu-ray Disc Player Blending Scandinavian design with heritage for high-perfor-
ing-magnet masterpiece, setting new performance standards Oppo Digital is proud to present its newest release, the UDP- mance sound and simple operation, the Tana SL-2 is an all-in-
for mm cartridge clarity, soundstaging, bass, and dynamics. 205 4K Ultra-HD Audiophile Blu-ray Disc Player, which combines one solution combining a wireless loudspeaker, a powerful
The Charisma V2 uses the same Boron cantilever and dou- high-performance audio with reference-quality video for a supe- amplifier, and a wireless audio streamer. The system can play
ble-polished Gyger S stylus found in their top-of-the-range  rior home theater experience. With HDR10 and Dolby Vision com- music from your collection, has built-in Internet radio, and is
Goldfinger Statement mc cartridge. Handmade in their patibility and a wide variety of supported 4K video disc and file compatible with all the most popular streaming formats and
German factory, the generator utilizes ultra-high-efficiency formats and codecs, 4K video comes to life with natural, true-to- services including Spotify, Tidal, Airplay, etc. Easy to set up
magnets that are precisely matched, ensuring flat frequency life colors. Dual ES9038PRO DACs, a built-in headphone amplifier, and use, it can be controlled from any tablet, smartphone, PC/
response and excellent channel separation. The Charisma V2 HDMI audio jitter reduction, and dedicated stereo RCA and XLR Mac, or directly from the system itself; it’s also compatible with
output is a real world 3.6 mV, allowing it to easily drive most outputs all receive clean, robust power from a massive toroidal third-party control systems. No additional software required. 
phonostages for maximum system compatibility. It is housed power transformer for top-notch crystal-clear audio. Priced at The aluminum body offers solid construction, while the variety
in a special ebony wood body with silver inlay for added mass $1299, the UDP-205 provides unparalleled value to audiophiles, of changeable color grilles and decorative band finishes in-
and resonance control. Weight is 9 grams, and recommended movie lovers, and savvy enthusiasts alike. Price: $1299. cluding classic matte black and copper, matte chrome or even
tracking force is 2.4 grams. Price: $2000. A special trade-up oppodigital.com handcrafted wood options perfectly complement any décor. To
price for Clearaudio Maestro mm cartridge owners is available ensure top quality, it’s designed and built in Norway and incor-
for $1500. musicalsurroundings.com porates analog Class AB amplifiers and sophisticated signal pro-
cessing from the Classic Line. EC Living also includes the Rena
line of components that enables amplification and streaming
capability to existing passive speaker systems. The amplifier
designs and streaming features are common throughout all EC
Living products. Price: Tana SL-2: $949; Tana L-2, $799 (speaker
only add one). electrocompaniet.com
7 Buyer’s Guide to Affordable High-End Audio the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • HOW TO CHOOSE COMPONENTS • BOOK FEATURE • SNEAK PREVIEWS • ELECTRONICS • ANALOG • DACS & DISC PLAYERS • LOUDSPEAKERS • PERSONAL AUDIO & HEADPHONES •
CABLES AND POWER PRODUCTS
On the Horizon
Periodic Audio Be In-ear Monitor AudioControl Rialto 600 Zone Amplifier/DAC Astell&Kern KANN Portable Player
In any in-ear monitor, the transducer is at the heart of what The AudioControl Rialto 600 is a high-performance zone amplifi- The Astell&Kern KANN features a dedicated 3.5mm unbal-
the user hears, and Periodic Audio has taken a no-com- er/DAC with an internal preamplifier engineered as a solution for anced/2.5mm balanced headphone out and 3.5mm unbal-
promise approach to its design, choosing superior metals adding audio zones, enhancing TV set-ups, or for improving multi- anced/2.5mm balanced dedicated line out jacks; 64GB of
including pure beryllium for its flagship model Be. Be, and room streaming systems. The Rialto 600 will power speakers of internal memory; support for full-size SD (up to 512GB) and
all Periodic Audio IEMs, use a single wideband dynamic trans- all types including those with low impedance, and can serve as a microSD (up to 256GB) cards for additional storage; USB-C
ducer design, which eliminates the crossover network—there favorable upgrade for computer audio and gaming. This compact connection for faster charging and transfer speeds; larger
are no electrical components between the amplifier and the amplifier features switchable digital and analog audio inputs battery and a built-in headphone amplifier. Featuring a single
transducer, which allows for smooth, clean sound throughout combined with volume control circuitry that can be controlled AKM AK4490 DAC chipset, KANN is the first sub-$1000 player
the audio band. The counter balance sets the center of gravity via IR or RS232 commands. The amp delivers 2 x 100 watts into 8 from Astell&Kern to support native playback of 32-bit/384kHz
perfectly to avoid pressure on the tragus, and/or anti-tragus, ohms, 200 watts into 4 ohms and 400 watts in mono, stable down high-resolution PCM audio and native playback of DSD audio,
while the lightweight polycarbonate body provides high to 3.6 ohms. The Rialto 600 features a Wolfson DAC, creating an up to quad (DSD256). Other features include Parametric EQ
strength and zero resonance. With a design focused squarely all-in-one solution that is equipped with AccuBASS equalization (PEQ), VCXO reference clock (Femto Clock) for minimal jitter, AK
on performance, safety, and comfort, the award-winning Be and selectable high/low-pass crossovers. Source selection, vol- Connect support, USB DAC function, Wi-Fi connectivity, DLNA
in-ear monitors offer an affordable yet high-quality solution ume, and AccuBASS are controllable via remote or home automa- networking support, OTA software updates, digital audio output
for music lovers on the go. Price: $299. periodicaudio.com tion commands. The Rialto 600 is available in white or black and via micro-USB, aptX HD, and support for high-resolution music
has a five-year warranty. Price: $849. audiocontrol.com streaming services including Tidal. Available in two colors: As-
tro Silver and Eos Blue. Price: $999. astellnkern.com
8 Buyer’s Guide to Affordable High-End Audio the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • HOW TO CHOOSE COMPONENTS • BOOK FEATURE • SNEAK PREVIEWS • ELECTRONICS • ANALOG • DACS & DISC PLAYERS • LOUDSPEAKERS • PERSONAL AUDIO & HEADPHONES •
CABLES AND POWER PRODUCTS
On the Horizon
Bryston BCD-3 CD Player/DAC NAD C 338 Integrated Amplifier Dynaudio Special Forty Loudspeaker
The BCD-3 has been engineered to play back Redbook CD and NAD Electronics’ new C 338 is the first hi-fi amplifier to feature The Dynaudio Special Forty 40th  anniversary loudspeaker in-
CDR discs using a premium transport/laser pickup assembly built-in Chromecast for a wide range of streaming options. It is corporates the all-new Esotar Forty 28mm soft-dome tweet-
mated to two AKM 4490 384/32-bit DACs. The BCD-3 utilizes a also a highly versatile Class D amplifier designed in NAD’s Classic er, a design exclusive to this model. Based on Dynaudio’s
single master clock that syncs the transport to the DAC, elim- Series tradition to deliver class-leading performance, connectiv- Esotar², it features a new, high-grade neodymium magnet for
inating one of the primary sources of the unwanted artifact ity, and flexibility at an affordable price. The C 338 allows users extended frequency bandwidth, significantly lower resonant
known as jitter. The DAC in the BCD-3 is based upon Bryston’s to seamlessly stream and listen to music, podcasts, and playlists frequency, and further minimized distortion. The Esotar Forty
acclaimed BDA-3 platform and includes a fully discrete Class from many popular apps. With Bluetooth also natively integrated, is mated to a newly designed 17cm mid/woofer utilizing a
A analog output stage and independent analog and digital the C 338 can wirelessly connect to any smartphone, tablet, or Nomex spider suspension and fiberglass voice-coil former to
power supplies. Users have their choice of balanced XLR or Bluetooth-enabled device within range so users can stream their offer optimized mechanical symmetry. A higher-grade neo-
unbalanced RCA stereo outputs as well as transformer-coupled favorite music apps or libraries in high fidelity. Using proprietary dymium magnet in a new hybrid magnet system is set inside
SPDIF/AES digital outputs. The BCD-3 is network connectable, Hybrid Digital technology, the C 338 amplifier delivers 50 Watts the large-diameter aluminum voice-coil. The woofer’s Airflow
enabling software upgrades via an Ethernet jack and there is a of continuous power per channel (into 8 and 4 ohms) and a re- Basket frame provides an anti-resonant foundation, reducing
remote 12-volt trigger input as well. The front panel, available markable 150 Watts of dynamic power at 4 ohms, all with virtual- reflections and improving air movement behind the geomet-
in black or silver aluminum, has been designed to aesthetically ly no noise or distortion. Joining its higher end siblings, the C 368 rically optimized MSP (magnesium silicate polymer) cone.
match Bryston’s Cubed Series amplifiers. All Bryston digital (see Sneak Preview) and C 388, these three new Hybrid Digital The result is improved performance with lower distortion and
products are covered by a five-year warranty. Price: $3495. DAC amplifiers cover a range of technologies, power, and price- higher power handling. The drivers are complemented by a
bryston.com points yet all are designed to provide remarkable performance phase-aligned, impedance-linearized, first-order crossover
and value. Price: $649. nadelectronics.com design featuring audiophile-grade components. The Special
Forty is available in a choice of two exclusive high-gloss
lacquer finishes: Grey Birch and Red Birch. Price: $2999/pr.
dynaudio.com
9 Buyer’s Guide to Affordable High-End Audio the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • HOW TO CHOOSE COMPONENTS • BOOK FEATURE • SNEAK PREVIEWS • ELECTRONICS • ANALOG • DACS & DISC PLAYERS • LOUDSPEAKERS • PERSONAL AUDIO & HEADPHONES •
CABLES AND POWER PRODUCTS
On the Horizon
Cardas Iridium Power Cable Purist Audio Design Impresa Silver Headphone Cable Audio by Van Alstine DAC MK 5
A good power cable can bring dramatic improvements to Purist Audio Design has just released a new revision of head- The AVA DAC MK 5 is a multi-format digital-to-analog converter
any high-fidelity audio component. Now, joining the Iridium phone cables, the Impresa Silver. Extensive hours of testing, lis- designed for superb accuracy and musicality. Based on the re-
Speaker, Interconnect, and Phono wires, the Iridium Power tening, and comparing various wire designs and connectors using nowned AKM AK4490EQ D/A converter device, AVA’s implemen-
brings high-performance power delivery to the affordable top headphones has resulted in the creation of a very musical, tation uses optimized, independent, active voltage references
end of the Cardas product line. Shielded with two Cardas 11.5 high-performance headphone cable. Purist Audio engineers have for the highest conversion accuracy. Analog processing is han-
AWG crossfield conductors, PFA tape dielectric, and a toroidal designed a twin proprietary silver-alloy two-conductor wire with dled by discrete solid-state Class A circuits. These highly linear
filter, Iridium Power shares design features with the compa- Nano technology to improve wire conductivity and strengthen the and musical circuits present the kind of transparent highs and
ny’s higher-end power cables. Iridium Power is light and flex- conductors. The Impresa Silver achieves a mere 0.0213-ohm/m liquid mids one would expect from the best tube circuits com-
ible, and comes terminated with Cardas 3455R power con- resistance and a capacitance of 20 pF/FT for a quicker release bined with the solid bottom expected from the best solid state.
nectors. It has enough capacity to be used with almost any that’s said to produce a more transparent, true, and airy sound. With the DAC MK 5, there’s an absence of the clicks, pops, and
electronics from sensitive digital sources to power amplifiers. For the connectors Purist Audio sources from and works with other drama when switching between formats—even to and
Iridium Power rounds out the Iridium product line, which now companies such as Furutech and Neutrik to provide a sonically re- from DSD. The DAC MK 5 seamlessly supports PCM data streams
offers remarkable price-for-performance value in high-end vealing cable of high quality. The Impresa Silver offers increased up to and including 192kHz as well as DSD64 and DSD128
cabling. Price: $270/1m. cardas.com clarity with focus and transparency, a great match for today’s formats. Sample rate and format information are displayed via
high-end headphones. Price: $690/1m. puristaudiodesign.com front panel indicators. It has a total of five inputs: two coax SP-
DIF, two optical SPDIF, and one USB input. Price: $1899.
avahifi.com
10 Buyer’s Guide to Affordable High-End Audio the absolute sound