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Found 23 results

  1. Pro-Ject Audio has delivered a range of speakers that are colourful and pair perfectly with their Debut Carbon Evo range of turntables, they're called the Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 S2. But the question remains, is the speaker's performance as colourful as it's appearance makes it seem? FEATURED PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO: Pro-Ject Speaker Box 5 S2: www.lenc.com.au/products/pro-ject-speaker-box-5-s2-bookshelf-speakers Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo: www.lenc.com.au/products/pro-ject-debut-carbon-evo-turntable-with-ortofon-2m-red-cartridge Audiolab 6000a Play: www.lenc.com.au/products/audiolab-6000a-play-wireless-audio-streaming-player Chord Qutest: www.lenc.com.au/products/chord-qutest-dac Chord Anni: www.lenc.com.au/products/chord-anni-desktop-integrated-amplifier
  2. Well luck would have it with much thanks to matt at TCC I ended up with a JVC x35 to check out over the last queens birthday long weekend. As some would know to really appreciate something am a strong believer in checking out for myself and where possible demoing at home to experience in my own system to come to my own conclusions. Thought I'd post here as my impressions and experience with it might be of interest to some and also some comparisons I can make to my own epson 9000w the x35 is pretty much out of box and with 4 hours on the clock. when I picked up from the store the quick spin they gave it for me had good contrast, sharpness and brightness but the colour balance and skin tones to my eyes looked a bit over ripe ! not that bothered me too much as was sure at home could give it a bit of a tweak. Plus also keen to check out what might be like in my own setup with your typical lounge room with white walls and ceilings light carpet and furniture/furnishings vs say the blacked out surrounds of the TCC demo room screen size is a 92" 16:9 so not massive but and am viewing from 2.9m which is bang on thx recommendation for immersion and is well within the distance for visual acuity to resolve 1080p so should do justice in appreciating the detail and immersion with a projector. so without further ado lets get on with it... JVC in da house ofcourse wife noticed it straight away it is a big projector and BLACK unlike the lounge room friendly white epson. But yeah I reassured her it was just a loaner and just for the long weekend I use the peerless mount PRG-EXA wall mount and to mount the jvc you need to remove its feet meaning long screws m5x25mm are required to secure to the mount bracket. this is unlike with the epson where dont have to take off its feet and can use the surface mount screws the peerless comes with. but anyways a quick trip to buntings soon had that sorted. It is a narrower but deeper projector than the epson meaning I had to use full extension on the prg-exa to make sure it had clearance on the back. But yeah was soon easily mounted squared / leveled up with the peerless no probs. Hook up was pretty simple just the same as with the epson. I downloaded the jvc manual for a quick peak to familiarise myself, but the remote and everything appeared pretty intuitive so off I went with switch on. Easy enough in use, the menus on the jvc and remote pretty straight forward. In alignment with vertical/horizontal shift and zooming these beign motorised is pretty handy on the jvc vs the manual controls on the epson. the focus for instance can pretty much stand at the screen and get just right in adjusting vs with the manual control on the epson have to stand at the projector and try and do it manually. The controls for focus zoom and image shift are quite fine in resolution so easy to use, however strangely I did notice just in one direction ie in upwards vertical shift the jvc is a little coarse in movement ie jumps/steps upwards but coming downwards is quite smooth. odd just meant took a few goes to get just right OK on to watching something onscreen !
  3. Gday Anna&Flo, welcome aboard. Its great to see such enthusiastic people as yourselves involved with home cinema projection. I have seen references to your work on AVS forum but did not know the address of your blog site until now, I'll keep an I on it. I found your observations about on screen contrast particularly interesting as blacks level and contrast performance are paramount to me. I look forward to reading more of your stuff. Cheers, Owen
  4. Hello all, as promised, my girlfriend and I have just finished writing the review of the Epson EH-LS10000. Here it is on our blog Projectiondream.com Link: http://projectiondream.com/en/epson-eh-ls10000-projector-review/ We will be pleased to answer any questions! Enjoy! Anna&Flo ;-)
  5. Calling all would be movie critics... My name is Charlie and I work for Shock Entertainment. We have a range of Blu Ray titles that I would be happy to send review copies in return for an honest an impartial review on this forum. Upcoming blu ray titles for July include; Peter Gabriel; Secret World Duran Duran: A Diamond In The Mind Bachman & Turner: Live In The Roseland Ballroom We also have a number of upcoming titles for September, including natural history documentaries and entertainment shows. If you are interested please get in touch with your details and I will arrange to have a copy sent to you.
  6. I went into Myer Maroochydore today to see some of the current Panasonic HD TV sets in use. They had a L55ET50A which I persuaded a salesman to let me try out for a while. Unfortunately all these stores tend to daisy chain their sets to broadcast SD commercial TV through some antiquated and tortuous video plumbing with poor quality amplifiers and cables (probably hangovers from the analogue era), so any assessment of picture quality can only be comparative between the various brands and models so lumbered with such poor quality source imagery. To get around this I brought along a portable USB HDD with a range of different video files and still images to try out. My USB powered HDD required 2 USB ports to boot up (using supplemental power as I expected) but was then recognised by the TV. Both my FAT32 and NTFS partitions worked ok. As I use a Mac computer, I tried out a few MOV H264 files that I had made myself. A P&S 640x480 file was pretty well unwatchable scaled up to full screen (as expected but worth a try), although there is the option to view at original size - so best seen on a PC screen anyway. A bunch of 720p H264 MP4s played OK, but as these had been down sampled from 1080p to upload to YouTube, they did not look that great either. I had a 1080p MOV straight out of Final Cut Pro X, but the TV would not recognise this. A shame, as that was the equal of broadcast HD. I then tried out a variety of older AVI format DIVX and XVID type movie encodes from DVD. As long as the bit rate was up there (i.e. video file of at least 1.5Gb or bigger) they were acceptable to watch at armchair distance, although some macro blocking and artefacts were seen. Finally I tried out a few 720p MKV files at 4Gb or bigger encoded from blu ray. These all looked great on the screen and upscaled quite well. I imagine a good quality blue ray player with original disc would produce stunning results on this set but I was unable to try this out. I did not try out the 3D capability either. The menu file navigation system on the set was able to move about a bunch of folders within folders and then the files within those ok. I then tried out viewing photos on the TV. I was immediately disappointed to find that when viewing JPG images, the file structure is totally ignored. The display just dumped thumbs of every JPG image found on the HDD with no way to discriminate and only see a small collection in one folder. This is a severe limitation as I had hoped to be able to have my entire photo library available to selectively view, maybe there are options to deal with this, does anyone know? (The inelegant solution is to load up a thumb drive with those pics desired to be seen). When viewing the JPG files however, the results were exceptionally good. The source images were all well over the 1920x1080 size (many were 21MP from my Canon DSLR) and these downscaled for the screen and displayed extremely well. I am a photographer and being able to view my photos on such a large screen is actually quite important to me. So thumbs up for this, if only the folders containing the images were respected by the TV viewer firmware. I have been looking more into these sets and now will probably wait until June for the release here of another model, which has even better specs, although a slightly smaller screen size. The Panasonic TH-L47WT50A looks to be my choice. Anyone have comments on the above?
  7. watched this recently on blu-ray... The Railway man - AUS Release - 5.1 DTS Master Audio Movie - 4/5 - Not a movie I knew a huge amount about before watching, apart from knowing had something to do with japanese and an englishmen. Well turns out it is a real story of Eric Lomax. A tortured man literally living a tortured life..."still at war" as he says. Struggling to put the past behind him. Still re living his time as a prisoner of war under the japanese. An australian film co produced with the UK, filmed in Thailand, UK and Australia. A very human movie quite touched by it. The performances of all the actors is quite amazing. Especially Nicole kidman fantastic for her to take on a role she did. As with Colin Firth and Jeremy Irvine. PQ - 4/5 - Beautifully filmed as tends to be with many Australian films. AQ - 4/5 - Not a huge part of the film but supports well. Overall - 4/5 - I am really quite taken with this movie. I dont think its an easy story to tell. And am super impressed in the Australian film industry to take this on and the end product. No Hollywood mush here. Its real and really quite moved by it when finished up. Especially with the closing words of Eric Lomax in "Some time the hating has to stop" taken a few screen shots from the movie as an indication of the picture quality of this blu-ray release..
  8. Paris Texas - US Release - 5.1 DTS Master Audio Movie - 4.5/5 - A classic I know, but not a movie have somehow come around to watching over the years. When noticed it had been released on blu-ray thought should grab a copy to see what it was all about. Am pleasantly surprised ! A movie both wife and me enjoyed watching ... twice. Yes we ended up watching it twice ! The movie has this feel to it, capturing the isolation and desolate nature of Texas, plus the the captivating story of a man that walks out of a dessert after 4 years trying to unravel his past. Its just so human, naturally acted couldnt help being caught up in the story from start to finish. PQ - 3/5 - The transfer to blu-ray doesnt do this any favours. It is beautifully shot, and though with rich vibrant colours, still quite blurry and covered grain in most scenes. A real pity, am sure one day it will get restored as it is the only part that lets the movie down a little. AQ - 4.5/5 - All the way through the movie is the beautiful Ry Cooder guitar sound track. Its used to lovely effect eg in the narative sections, or support the mood of the movie. The movie is perhaps just as well known for its sound track as for any other reason and sounds absolutely splendid all the way to the finish with the titles rolling screen Overall - 4.5/5 - a true classic...I could see it again ! taken a few screen shots from the movie as an indication of the picture quality of this blu-ray release..
  9. An australian film released onto blu-ray. Which watched today with a short review below, The Turning - AUS Release - 5.1 DTS Master Audio Movie - 4/5 - Not a movie I knew much about, but it is a collection of short stories by the australian writer Tim Winton. Shot and filmed in WA it is a huge collaboration of something like 18 directors and quite a list of Australian actors across the films. Beautifully made, and each story is quite short or feels short. There is a common theme to the stories in that each have a turning or turn of events... PQ - 5/5 - Absolutely stunning ! very beautifully photographed, beautifully shot. AQ - 5/5 - audio is used to very good effect in these films. There is one point at around 45 mins that is quite an oh wow event hehe Overall - 4/5 - really just as you are tending to enjoy these films theyre over...amazing since the entire film goes for 3 hours. and yet like something you really enjoy you seem to be left wanting more...overall this isnt a fun filled movie, it is very real in its portrayal of stories and yet an enjoyable set of films. Its amazing the australian film industry can pull together something like this. Taken a few screen shots from the movie as an indication of the picture quality of this blu-ray release..and I have to say while have done my best to capture the beauty of this film I dont think my photo screen shots do it justice and capture the splendour and scale of this film
  10. Picked this up on blu-ray and watched over the last week, with a short review below, The Conjuring - AUS Release - 5.1 DTS Master Audio Movie - 4.5/5 - Somehow not a movie heard about until recently till watched the exorcist, and then noticed this got a mention. So thought best to check it out. This is based on a true story from the real life case files of the Warrens ("demonologists") ...set in the 70s in this case about an old farm house that the Perron family moves into and literally overnight discover there is more to this house than they bargained for ! The Warrens are soon called to help... on the spook and scariness factor this thing is a 10 ! magnificently done. Vera Farmiga does a particularly excellent job acting as Lorraine Warren, as is the acting of all the family members which is absolutely superb, very natural their reactions and you get so taken up in things...you forget they are acting. PQ - 4/5 - A lot of the movie is indoors and in low lighting which is a tough call for picture quality, but its done pretty well and there are many shots that are excellent AQ - 5/5 - my goodness. this movie has some punch. It sends shivers up the spine. hairs on the back of the neck are left standing. It makes you jump out your skin on multiple occasions. And a lot of this is purely down to how superbly done the audio is. Deep growling effects, surrounds and the full audio sound stage is used to excellent effect. You really feel you are in that creapy old spooky house ! not knowing what is going to happen next ! Overall - 4.5/5 - magnificent. A kind of movie I'd watch again as literally really grabs you ! some screen shots I've taken from the movie,
  11. Tracks - AUS Release - 5.1 DTS Master Audio Movie - 4/5 - A movie about a young girl with a dream of trekking across the Australian outback and desserts of western Australia with wild camels that she had trained. Based on the true story of Robyn Davidson (played here by Mia Wasikowska) that is pretty incredible. Told beautifully with wonderful imagery of the Australian outback with some very interesting characters she meets along the way in what is a pretty amazing journey. A movie both my wife and I were very touched by watching and gave to us a completely different view and feel of Australia that is almost foreign to the part of Australia we live in. A story that puts a lot of things in perspective and brings to appreciation a lot of the little joys of life. PQ - 5/5 - simply beautifully photographed. Stunning. AQ - 4/5 - Some nice music, and the sound track supports the film well for atmosphere Overall - 4/5 - A beautiful film. Reminds again of just how beautiful a film our local film industry is able to produce. taken a few screen shots from the movie as an indication of the picture quality of this blu-ray release..
  12. available now on blu-ray from amazon UK, this is a french language film with english subtitles. Have done a short review below, Populaire - UK Release - 5.1 DTS Master Audio French language with english subtitles Movie - 4/5 - Very much enjoyed this film with my wife, about a country girl, the very gorgeous Deborah Francois, that amazed by a typewriter gets a job as secretary. When her boss the suave Romain Duris realises this skill of hers he gets her training and into typing competitions. While the film background story itself is curious, its a gorgeous movie, with well crafted roles, beautiful attention to detail in the period piece it is. Set in the 50s it captures the era well. Some interesting extras material on the blu-ray to watch and its pretty amazing the effort gone into making this film. PQ - 5/5 - Stunningly capturing the 1950s and colours, clothes and style of the times. Very well photographed and very good transfer to blu-ray. AQ - 4/5 - Audio and dialogue is clear, and there is a lovely sound track with music from the 50s that supports this film very well. I've ordered the sound track on vinyl which should be interesting Overall - 4/5 - Sitting inbetween period drama, romance and a comedy its a very enjoyable film overall. Its beautifully made, excellent characters and roles and lovely acting. Plus a movie that looks stunning with some lovely music from the era. If you liked Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (the umbrellas of cherbourg, this is likely for you to be a similarly enjoyable film). One I can highly recommend to watch. I've taken a few quick screen shots of the main characters and to capture what its like onscreen
  13. We finished watching the 50th anniversary release of Breakfast at Tiffany's on blu-ray. Though I know its a classic, its a movie somehow had never watched before or knew anything about. Having finally seen it both wife and I were quite taken by it. Really like the feel of the movie, the characters, beautiful acting and really nicely made. They definitely don't make movies like this anymore... On blu-ray it looks particularly special. lovely release this one and with a lovely soundtrack with its signature song. I don't think its been restored or anything for this release but still looks pretty special. Took some screen shots will give some ideas how it looks
  14. caught this on blu-ray, The way we were - US Release - 5.1 DTS Master Audio Movie - 4/5 - Drama, romance at times reminiscent and historical this movie is quite an enjoyable watch. Made in 1973 looking back to the 1930-50s this movie is a time capsule of life from another time. Amazing this movie is 40 years old ! This being a special limited edition release for blu-ray. Barbara Streisand and Robert Redford are magnificent in their leading roles. PQ - 4/5 - Nicely filmed, am not sure if any restoration was done but it has come across pretty nicely on blu-ray. A touch grainy and soft at times but overall nicely photographed, with good detail & colour AQ - 3/5 - Not really a feature of a movie of this sort. The audio used well to place you there, features the sound track "memories" and vocals are clean and clear, can't really ask more audio wise from a movie of this genre Overall - 4/5 - A very interesting movie I found, the romance and relationship and events around being central. I understand only 3000 copies of this movie were released on blu-ray so if wanting to catch this classic at its best on disc probably want to grab a copy. ps I took a few quick screen shots to capture what its like onscreen
  15. another one picked up on blu-ray for $10 in the JB sale, $10 well spent ! we watched yesterday, and below is a short review, Shane - Aus Release - 2.0 DTS Master Audio Movie - 5/5 - Wow a movie from 1953 ! over 60 years old, not one have watched ever before but pretty amazing to be watching on blu-ray. And watching it absolutely loved it. A story of a gun fighter that stumbles upon some homesteads and gets caught up the conflict between the settlers and ranchers. For what is a simple story it soon draws you right in. PQ - 4/5 - For a movie thats 60+ years ago, it is plain astonishing this movie looks as it does. It was produced with a 3 negative process which makes easier the restoration it went through some 20 or so years ago. Colours are rich. theres some pretty reasonable detail, film grain is left untouched and the movie is presented in its original academy format. Perhaps another movie that can experience here as best ever seen. It is set in some lovely country side and not surprising it won an oscar for best cinematography and in colour too which would have been pretty special for its time. AQ - 3/5 -adequate, really not a feature of this film. Its mainly dialogue driven and that is clean and clearly audible. Overall - 4/5 - A classic for sure. and I know there are many fans of it going a long way back ps my dad popped by while our place while we were watching, I had it paused at a non descript scene, and one look he straight away identified it as Shane. He last saw it decades and decades ago in the cinema and was just in awe to see something like this on screen again.... some quick screen shots which show the kind of PQ on this release,
  16. picked this up on blu-ray from JB hifi for $10 ! Best $10 ever spent ! we watched last night, and below is a short review, To catch a thief - Aus Release - 2.0 DTS Master Audio Movie - 5/5 - We loved it, an amazing movie really, and has come up an absolute treat on blu-ray. Definitely an all time great for Alfred hitchcock I would say and both Cary Grant and Grace Kelly put in some wonderfull performances to make this the movie it is. Setting is the Cote d Azur. Which is a stunning backdrop for this movie. There is a Cat burglar at large and Cary Grant is prime suspect. PQ - 4.5/5 - This is truly astonishing, the studio has done such an amazing job with this movies restoration it really is like it was made yesterday. Especially given the gorgeous setting, lovely photography and the movie is delivered in just such splendour. The odd touch of grain or softness here and there, but overall a stunner ! AQ - 3/5 - Does the job, not a major factor for the film, but supports well with clear dialogue and the sound track plays well eg in the car scenes. Overall - 4.5/5 - Definitely an all time classic. One of the last films Grace Kelly featured in and has to be seen. some quick screen shots which show the kind of PQ on this release,
  17. Picked this up on blu-ray after watching a few minutes of it on netflix realising this was worth a decent viewing, did a short review below and also some screen shots to capture, Let the Right one in - Australian Release - 5.1 DTS Master Audio Movie - 4.5/5 - a swedish movie, swedish language with english subtitles and set in sweden. A tale of a little vampire, childhood...trying to find acceptance, school yard bullying...staying 12 forever. Captivating...leaves you really wondering from the start of the movie...into a discovery. Its a gentle childhood love story and a horror vampire flick in one - what a combination ! Beautifully told and with such amazing atmosphere that they create. Am not usually one for horror movies let alone vampire ones but movie of the year for me I think. PQ - 4/5 - Beautifully filmed, a lot of dark night scenes, intermingled with lovely scenes bathed in sunlight. Comes up a treat on blu-ray AQ - 4/5 - a 5.1 hd audio track that supports the movie very well, with creation of atmosphere, with just the right use of surrounds to create the ambience and use of LFE for the whole feel of the movie. Overall - 4.5/5 - lovely movie, one loved watching have taken a few screen shots from the movie to give some idea of the picture quality of this movie,
  18. The Australian Centre for the Moving Image is holding a retrospective of David Bowie's musical career as its centrepiece exhibition 16 July - 1 November 2015. It's based on the successful exhibition held at London's Victoria and Albert Museum and shares the same curators. This is a useful and interesting exhibition for any person interested in modern popular culture, fame and the courting of stardom, even though the curators failed the one test I asked of the exhibition. The easiest way to avoid the queues is to book on-line and print off your ticket or save it to your phone. The ticket gives you a time slot to arrive in. At the appointed half-hour you are granted entry to a crowded basement-level exhibition hall. You are given a set of headphones and a transponder. As you walk the exhibition floors you receive commentary, interview excerpts and of course you hear the music, all triggered by proximity sensors. The exhibition takes at most two hours to go through. It is expensive at $40 per person, however part of the ticket price is a free download of a David Bowie album. More on this below. The hall is partitioned into sections for each phase of Bowie's career: the start, the unsuccessful late '60's, the coming to public notice with Space Oddity, stardom with the Top of the Pops 1972, Mainman, Philly Soul, 1984 Floor Show, the Berlin trilogy, the 80's and then Tin Machine. Each section includes the influences on Bowie; what he was doing, seeing and appropriating; the costumes and video footage of the times; photographs, posters and handwritten song lyrics complete with crossouts. You learn for example that 'Fashion' originally was a longer, lyrically more violent song. There are gaps, significant ones. Those gaps serve to enhance the cult of Bowie, as there's no counterpoint to the exhibition's thesis that the man has genius: Neu! was not mentioned. Listening to Neu! reveals methods, approaches and music that are strikingly relevant to Bowie. The brilliance of Mick Ronson wasn't touched on, and yet the elephant in the room is, if Bowie's so brilliant, what happened over the last thirty years? The answer being Reeves Gabrels. (For the record, his name isn't seen either). The Laughing Gnome didn't appear, or was relegated to a footnote. Yet it was a vital stepping stone for Bowie. (In some alternate universe someone has smuggled a big banner into the crowd at a Bowie concert that says 'Play the Laughing Gnome'. Alas I don't think it'll ever appear on a Bowie setlist.) Also there was my failed test as already mentioned. On the other hand, a diligent and wide-reaching effort has resulted in many of Bowie's appropriations being laid bare. Christine Walton in Vogue 1971 was something of a revelation (her photo is copied here along with David Bowie's 1973 look). Also a revelation was the list of designers, theatre directors, artists and other creative people that Bowie networked with and called on. His strengths come through - in the 1960's and 1970's the judgement to stop doing things that weren't working and an omnivorous appetitie for popular culture that gave him a conveyor belt of new ideas and juxtapositions to try. Take Japanese kabuki costumes into rock concerts? Check. Marlene Dietrich styles into his shows? Check. Theatre set layouts into music performance spaces? Check. Hot new band needed to open the 1972 concerts? Roxy Music: check. One of the most egregious appropriations is mentioned: after seeing a dramatic stage entrance - the artist being lowered to the stage floor in a cage - the next night Bowie did the same in his own show. Particularly interesting for me were an original acetate of the Velvet Underground's first album, it's nice to see one at last! Likewise with an original pack of Eno and Schwalm's Oblique Strategies, albeit completely overshadowed by Bowie's taking of that concept and Eno's generative music to come up with a computer-based lyric slice-and-dice generator. The former took up a corner of a cabinet; the latter took up a TV screen and a full cabinet. The AKS synthesiser used in the recording of "Low" ""Heroes"" and "Lodger" is on display. The lighting coupled with glass reflections made it hard to read the curatorial notes, especially because the place was so crowded that people's shadows also interfered. A free download of a David Bowie album is included in the ticket price. Great! Well, not so great. It's done through Google Play, who require you to sign up. Then Google takes your credit card details before you can reach the download page. They say they don't take any money from you but why do they want your credit card details then? Reaching the download page you find seven albums as shown in the screen shots below. Note the star ratings from the punters on Google Play. Compare them with the ever-reliable allmusic.com, have a giggle, and realise you can't trust Google Play. Then choose an album and realise it's .mp3. Flac, .wav or other lossless formats are not available. At this point I gave up and abandoned the download. If musicians wanted to take sound out of their music then they would do their mastering in .mp3. Until that time comes I will seek to buy the same product that the musician delivered to the record company. (To my knowledge, record companies don't accept mp3s from their artists, so why should the punters accept a compromised product?) What at first glance looks like a benefit of the ticket is not. In fact it could be adverse to you. Best avoid it. Finally, what of my test? On arrival at the entrance I said to the concierge, "The only test I have of this exhibition is that it credits the song "Heroes" to both its writers, David Bowie and Brian Eno. Do that and I'll happily recommend it." Nope. Nada. Fail. acmi proudly tout that this exhibition has been seen by over a million people in London, Paris, Berlin, Chicago, and Sao Paulo, even before one hundred thousand or so Melbournians have visited it. That great song about two lovers separated by the Berlin Wall? Those visitors now understand that it's solely a Bowie thing. Expensive, interesting, lots of sound and vision, but a bit dodgy in the details, this David Bowie exhibition a mirror of its subject is.
  19. For those interested in over-achieving USB to Spdif converters, this review is for you. I actually wrote this review about two years ago, however I still feel its as relevant today as it was then. The post was originally hosted on my 2channelaudio.blogspot.com.au site. This blog is no more.... I have since moved my 'entire' blog to grizzlyaudio.blogspot.com.au ... The review can now be found at the following address: http://grizzlyaudio.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/yellowtec-puc2-lite-comparisons-made-to.html I have extracted the review and posted below... I hopes this helps HiFi lovers looking for an awesome usb device! ------- Yellowtec PUC2 Lite, Comparisons made to Audiophilleo AP1 INTRODUCTION Let me state this first..... I am in no way affiliated with Yellowtec! I hadn't heard of the 'Yellowtec' brand until I tried this converter. I simply enjoy HiFi and if a product is good I like to share my experience openly and honestly. In general I have no real emotional bond with what HiFi product I purchase, if I hear a better product I generally try to sell what I have and upgrade, 'if possible'. Forever on the quest for better music playback. Prior to 'hearing this converter' I was a dedicated supporter for the Audiophilleo 1, a fantastic USB to SPDIF converter... For some months I listened to music this way. This was until I heard the PUC2 from Yellowtec. I instantly wanted one! and so the story goes. Yes we have the same "audiophile" condition !! So as objectively minded as one can be, I have written the review you see below. I hope this blog post informs and entertains, and above all else helps other DIYers and music/HiFi lovers in their quest for better playback..... especially if the Audiophilleo 1 is on your short list. Lastly, I would like to point out this blog post is not for the purpose of post purchase behaviour reinforcement. As I could have easily kept either converter or both. I selected the 'subjectively' better one, which also happens to be older and cheaper unit, go figure....I will let you decide for yourself. REVIEW TIME..... SOME BACKGROUND PLEASE Here we have the Yellowtec PUC2 lite USB to AES converter. A USB to AES converter which is squarely aimed at the semi/pro recording market. The unit is capable of processing a 192k @ 24bit signal with a dynamic range capability of 105db. The PUC2 lite is a slightly scaled down version of the larger Yellowtec PUC2 USB to AES-3 converter, which has additional line in XLR inputs. For me and most USB to SPDIF shoppers these inputs will not be required, but they do have an up side for those with large vinyl collections, including real-time vinyl capture, or any analog inline in feed for that matter. Yellowtec is a German based, pro audio product engineering/manufacturing business. Its not what you would call a HiFi brand aimed at nonsensical and passionate audiophiles. The business is primarily focused on creating audio technology which is both simple to use and sounds great... work horse equipment for the recording industry. The type of gear used to record the music you listen too.. Now when it comes to HiFi, I am the first to admit the adoption of the latest "tech" does not always deliver "better music reproduction"..... In fact it can invariably lead you off the beaten path quite easily. For example, in an age where 32bit DAC chips are the norm, I still "choose" to use a DAC running a 16bit Phillips non over-sampling TDA 1541a DAC chip, made in the 80's!! Why? because it is highly musical, easy to live with and sounds better than any DAC I have heard in my system. Those who run TDA DAC's in modern circuit designs will appreciate this.... Why have I used this prologue? Well the Yellowtec PUC2 lite is definitely not the most recent converter. From what I can tell, my research suggests the Yellowtec PUC2 has been on the market since 2009, so we have had circa 4 years in modern circuit developments since this unit was released. Concerned? Well you shouldn't be, because this is a fact that in reality has no impact on how the unit sounds, and trust me when I say this unit is of "audiophile" quality and can mix it with top tier converters. So lets take a quick look at what the Yellowtec PUC2 lite offers on paper.... Driver-less OSX and Windows compatibility Option ASIO high performance windows based driver Low Latency performance 192k @ 24bit capability USB Powered / Plug and Play Operation For many a HiFi/Music lover shopping for a USB to SPDIF converter these specs are not invariably different from 100's of offerings on the market. But the PUC2 lite distinguishes itself from the pack, by the way it sounds or should I say doesn't colour the sound (more on that in a bit)... HOW DO I CONNECT THIS THING? What may initially concern some potential buyers of the Yellowtec PUC2 is the "pro" style connections employed by Yellowtec, raising obvious connection questions among consumers, like "how do I connect an AES-3 output device to my DAC which uses a RCA or BNC consumer SPDIF connection?"...... Well don't fear..... You can connect!! and its an easy cable mod for the DIYers.....but lets first finish our connection discussion. In my system I use my custom copper or silver core USB cable with a linear 5v power feed, this takes care of the data signal in from the PC to the Yellowtec PUC2 and 5vdv to power the unit. (Since I wrote this review I have actually partnered the PUC2 full-time with a DIY copper USB lead, which I have found is more synergistic than the silver version in my system. Linear 5vdc power is still supplied via the Teradak PS) The only remaining connection requirement is to get the AES-3 output into your SPDIF DAC. AES3 and SPDIF are well, more similar than not! In a nut shell AES is a professional balanced version of consumer SPDIF. AES operates at an impedance of 110ohm and SPDIF yes you guessed it a trusted 75ohm's. AES operates at a higher voltage than SPDIF, so plugging AES devices into SPDIF inputs requires some care. You can read more on the wiki link... In order to correctly convert AES to SPDIF you are "advised by those in the know" to use a digital format converter. But I am a big believer less in the chain is more, and its rare to have digital sub code incompatibilities between AES and SPDIF devices - so a direct passive conversion 9 times out of 10should be fine, provided your SPDIF receiver chip can handle higher voltage swings... .... AES3 voltage output ranges from 2 to 7 volts peak to peak. Caution is obviously advised here. Additionally, if your DIY AES to SPDIF cable is under circa 2 meters you should experience no issues using this simple DIY cable design. Alternatively, if you would prefer purchasing an off the shelf style cable/adapter, Neutrik sell some nice passive units which impedance match between the 110ohm AES to 75ohm SPDIF.. these units cost around $90 each AUD..... But for the trusty DIY'er, a custom AES > SPDIF cable is pretty simple to make, especially if impedance matching is not employed... My recommendation is to try connecting the unit both ways - Use what sounds better to your ears.... I know I did. MAKING A DIY AES to SPDIF ADAPTER I simply made my AES to SPDIF cable by cutting and terminating an XLR connector to the end of a premade RCA to RCA terminated to an existing 75ohm SPDIF flyead. Pin 2 being Hot Pin 1 being Ground/Cold STEP 1. Parts you will need 1 x XLR female 3 pin plug 1 x Either male RCA or BNC connection to enable connection to your choice of DAC. In my case I require a female BNC plug 1 x Spdif cable STEP 2. The DIY cable Process I simply used a 75ohm high quality SPDIF cable. I cut on end off and terminated a female XLR onto the end. Cable termination is as follows... Termination XLR PIN 2 is Hot, PIN 1 is COLD/SHIELD... Termination RCA/BNC PIN 2 XLR > RCA TIP/BNC TIP PIN 1 XLR > RCA SLEEVE/BNC GROUND Yes right...... the hard parts over..... Moving on. CONVERTER CONNECTIVITY Physically the PUC2 is quite large, measuring 180mm long x 126mm wide x 41mm tall. Its enclosure is simple and military in styling, its purposeful and not made to look pretty. Its a work horse, the Audiophilleo 1 easily wins out in the looks department if not on size alone. The PUC2 enclosure simply does what it should, enclose and protect the internal circuits. Saying this however I personally feel build quality is excellent, so I have no real complaints. What is nice is there's a level of reassurance, demonstrated by the units HiFi prowess that your hard earned money has been spent on components and engineering, not on fluffy little LCD screens, SPL level meters, pretty powder coated/silk screened boxes which add little to the sound of a unit. Personally I think its a nice change to refocus on sound & performance. The PUC2 Lite sports an AES input and output via two XLR connections, a single USB input and a monitor output via a 3.5mm connection which would primarily be used for recording and pro applications. For connection duties, the PUC2 accessories include a dual headed USB power lead, as the unit itself requires more current than one USB port can provide, my guess is circa 600-1000ma however I didn't have the testing equipment to measure power draw, and specifications on power draw don't seem to be available. At the very least current requirements exceed a standard 500ma USB port. This presented no problems in my setup as I powered the PUC2 via a linear 5vdc power supply capable of supplying up to 2amps @ 5vdc. Additional accessories included with the PUC2 include a driver disc/CD with Polytec ASIO drivers for Windows and a discrete OSX driver. A side note on sampling rates: For rates above 48k the PUC2 requires a driver loaded for either Mac or Windows. Yellowtec don't provide a driver for Linux, so this could be an issue for potential Linux users wishing to adopt the PUC2. During my testing the PUC2 displayed rendering issues in Vortexbox with direct hw routing selected. Clipping on bass and treble transients. Plughw works fine but resamples all output to 48k. One interesting item on the accessory CD is the firmware upgrade software. Yellowtec periodically provide free downloadable firmware upgrades to keep your unit current and trouble free. A nice touch! LETS START WITH A SYNOPSIS Let me start by saying and there's no surprises here, yes I like the Yellowtec PUC2 and for good reason. Why? Well its a relatively unknown converter 'the under dog' in a world of hyped and marketed USB to SPDIF converters which is a delight to listen to. When I started my DIY HiFi journey I quickly found you don't always get what you pay for. In most cases you are paying for brand and audiophile royalties These days I like to try products and judge them on their merit, I.e 'How they sound' shock horror!! not by marketing hype and/or spec sheets, or by how much they cost as cost is rarely a good indicator To lead with my synopsis first the PUC2 is highly musical and an extremely transparent performer. When directly compared to the Audiophilleo 1, the PUC2 is a noticeable step up in clarity, transparency, imaging and soundstage. The midrange is noticeably more revealing. Yes Really! The PUC2 paints only the truth, it hides nothing, which makes sense coming from a professional audio house. You hear everything in the mix, the great and well the not so great... At times I found the PUC2 more forward than I would like on poorer /favourite recordings. But higher degrees of transparency & truthful presentation always come at some cost. In saying this I still found the PUC2 highly musical on well recorded tracks, with an innate ability to present a magical soundstage with brilliant colour, depth and insight. The midrange is jaw dropping impressive offering superior levels of transparency & detail over and above the Audiophilleo1, to be honest the PUC2 is scaringly revealing. Choose your poison?! Its all subjective at the end of the day. One must consider that the Audiophileo AP1 is a very well respected converter costing circa $949 + shipping, so this places the PUC2 in very decent company. In fact I believe the Yellowtec PUC2 may even hold its on against substantially more expensive units such as the off ramp from Empirical Audio. Which I hope to try personally in my system soon! To provide a teaser the word from some of my HiFi/Music loving friends is the PUC2 is on par with fully loaded Empirical Audio 4 converter... But I can neither prove or disprove this comment at this time, although I am sure this statement will spark some aggressive posts/lash-back. Remember this unit can be purchased for circa $550 to $600... SO HOW DOES IT SOUND?! MIDRANGE FREQUENCY REPRODUCTION QUALITY The first sound characteristic that struct me immediately when I turned on the PUC2 was the midrange frequency reproduction quality. It is seriously good, outstanding even. It is slightly more forward than some converters (the Audiophilleo / Vlink would be two of these), but the sound mostly remains amazingly detailed, lush and well balanced. Vocal reproduction is flawless, and the PUC2 is equally at home with male or female presentations. Somehow the PUC2 has the ability to strip vocals and instrumentation bare & clean, providing an honest, insightful and musical presentation. I found the midrange reproduction always detailed and transparent and above all else highly insightful. "The PUC2 is like connecting up a pair of high end studio monitors to your system, providing wort's & all honesty." Listening to Jeff Buckley Grace, track 'Mojo Pin' Jeff's breathing & throat movements/swallows between vocal notes are haunting and clearly portrayed, his vocals are presented with beautiful tone and realism, while the soft picks of his guitar and a deep bass drum kick provide a beautiful balance to the track. Cymbal work is beautifully delicate and never harsh. Really nice. The vocal mid range is engaging, forward and musical. On 'Lilac wine' vocals are amazing. Jeff's s's and vocal notes carry a beautiful reverb tail, the PUC 2 places the vocals way out in front of the speakers, and his electric guitar is portrayed with solid thick reverb. The PUC2 really opens up the mix, and lays every instrument and vocal clearly in front of you. Studio monitor'ish' in its ability, the PUC2 has one of the best midrange reproductions I have personally heard from a converter....this is very decent kit. On George Bensons 'Songs & Stories' George's vocals are silky smooth. Midrange guitar frequencies and cymbal/snare work are detailed and penetrating through the mix. The PUC2 portrays a very detail soundscape without any harsh artifacts or glaring. On Diana Krall 'Best Of 2007' track East of the Sun (and west of the moon)" snare work is again beautiful, delicate and detailed. The piano solo, leaves goose bumps on my arms. The PUC2 sounds amazing on piano. beautiful natural tone pose and pace. Diana Kralls vocals at times can become a little harsh, but the PUC2 only produced smooth tones, via my TDA DAC. On the track 'S' Wonderful, Cymbal and shakers add beautiful soundstage, really I don't think I have heard this track sound better in my system. The PUC2 has a commanding capability to render an amazing and detailed soundstage without any overbearing harshness or glare.It successfully walks an innate & delicate line between detail, insight and musicality. I use Rufus Wainwrights track "Cigarettes and chocolate milk" for a decent mid range male vocal test. Rufus' vocals are always a pleasure, he posses amazing vocal power, stage presence and a magnificent vocal tone. Just as talented as his father! maybe not as quirky The PUC2 produces a very smooth vocal reproduction. No complaints, the PUC2 is really doing a great job on all music styles and variations. Smooth, detailed and musical, end of story. Its rare that a piece of HiFi equipment allows you to forget about the product and just sit and listen to the music, but the PUC2 managed this rare feat a few times during my listening tests. Very rare and special indeed. For me the PUC2 midrange quality is its #1 selling point and validation enough as to why I purchased the PUC2 and moved my AP1 on. I don't think this point could be argued on comparison. In the interest to remain objective I would like to point out on certain songs - I found the upper midrange and lower high frequency playback of the PUC2 lite to become a litle harder than I would like. However through extended listening I feel this is only really an issue on poorly recorded material and is a result of increased transparency through the applicable frequency spectrum's. HIGH FREQUENCY REPRODUCTION Well we have an extremely detailed performer here. The PUC2 has no objections showing you "everything" in the mix. Highs are quite extended, realistic and revealing. But they still remain musical, I will say however, if you like a more relaxed presentation 'in general' the Audiophilleo AP1 may be 'slightly' better suited to your listening choices, alternatively the PUC2 is openly honest, it says here "it is", but always with very decent spectrum balance and studio monitor honesty. For me the best analogy I can provide is, 'The PUC2 makes 16bit/44.1k redbook sound higher resolution!' Cymbals sound like cymbals using the PUC2, you laugh, but not all HiFi converters can provide this realism, as lesser units they retain too much grain and frequency distortion due to jitter/poorer circuit design. The PUC2 demonstrates obvious low levels of coloration and signal distortion. On high hats you can hear the high hat metal (Copper/Tin) making contact with its distinctive tone and resonance. It was truly an ear opening experience coming from the Audiophilleo AP1. High frequency details are never harsh unless the recording is, but a word of caution to those with bright HiFi systems the Yellowtec does present on the brighter side than neutral, simply due to its high levels of transparency, so it may challenge your system. Overall spectrum balance is very decent and jitter is not audible in my system, which in real terms equates to an enjoyable, realistic and transparent high frequency presentation. Neither converter really has the edge over the other here. Personally it would be a subjective preference selected through synergistic system matching. What I will say is the high frequency playback quality of the PUC2 is subjectively more truthful and realistic than the Audiophilleo AP1. Again on Diana Krall 'Best Of 2007' track East of the Sun (and west of the moon)" cymbal work is clear and detailed, but without any undue harshness. Cymbal edges are defined and clear, with no audible jitter artifacts. Radioheads album 'In Rainbows' track Reckoner is always a fantastic test for mid and high frequency quality. The PUC2 does an excellent job with this track. Tom Yokes vocals are as always haunting and beautiful. To be honest I can't think of a time this track sounded so good played on my system. Beautiful spectrum balance from the high frequencies down. Cymbal work is clear, atmospheric and cymbal tails have fantastic decay, even at decent SPL levels. The PUC2 impresses offering incredible decay on the high frequency tambourine While spinning, Radiohead tracks, 'Everything in its right place' gets a listen. The track kicks along with great weighted keyboard notes and kick bass drum. I notice the bottom end is particularly well weighted with a beautiful muted kick drum. High frequencies are very well balanced in line with the tracks overall presentation. As with the previous tracks I have played soundstage and imaging is extremely impressive, Tom Yoke delivers another great vocal performance and I just want to listen to the whole track it sounds so good. Ryan Adams track "Everybody Knows" which in all honestly is a great test attack across the whole frequency spectrum , is a difficult test for a detailed system. Some systems fall down becoming overbearing in the high and mid frequencies. Well the PUC2 did a fine job. Cymbal work remained composed and in control. leading edges were soft yet very well defined. Bass was very well balanced, offering great mid bass punch and weight. Such a great track. Next we have Crowded house's 'Best of' Album', track 'Weather with You'. A great test track, and one I know well. Cymbals are again detailed and display solid yet soft edges trails. Its clear to me at this point, the PUC2 renders a very well balanced sounstage and image. Noticeably more impressive than my Audiophilleo1. Moving on to Crowded House track 'Fall at your feet', WOW what a solid and hard hitting bassline. Seriously pleasing bass weight, with great tone and solid presence. I haven't heard this bass line so solidly presented in my HiFi system before, its a nice change. Neil Finn's vocals are also clear, well balanced & centered in the image - nicely positioned in a beautiful 3Dimensional soundstage. In direct comparison with the Audiophilleo 1, high frequencies are again noticeably more transparent, detailed and truthful. I believe both the AP1 and the PUC2 have something to offer with their different approaches to high frequency playback. However the PUC2's improvement in soundstage and holographic imaging is a BIGnoticeable plus in direct comparison with the Audiophilleo1. Just a note: In testing I have found the PUC2 'in my HiFi system' preferred a copper USB over a silver core USB variant. Spectrum balance was instantly better and bass weight improved. System synergy was noticeably better. BASS WEIGHT & TONE As I have already covered, the PUC2 has impressive bass weight and mid bass attack/dynamics. The units ability to present a truthful render of a tracks bass tone and timbre is second to none. Typically when testing bass tone I like to listen to older recordings, which are mixed in the 70's an era in which bass was not generally synthesised and it was rich with natural tones and weight. However this time, I decided to give my trusting test track Jeffs Buckley "Everyone here wants you' a spin, an amazing song which delivers insightful and haunting vocals and a bass and drum line that always impresses with its weight and authority. The PUC2 did not disappoint. Awesome bass drum attack, both ample in weight and strong in delivery and again nicely detailed bass guitar tone and definition. This recording really is a great music track and test track. Additionally the PUC2 delivers amazing decay on the snare drum, cymbal work is clean and presents with a dreaming delicate presence. Jeff's vocals sit ontop of the mix ever smooth with beautiful reverb and echo - sound stage is really impressive. Bjorks "debut album" track Venus as a boy, is another great bass test track, especially if you have large bass drivers or capable subwoofers in your system. It offers rolling frequency dips of bass delight, with great definition and weight. A favourite track to test bass with. The PUC2 shows great control. Bass is tight and delivered with good control. The rolling bass sweeps are presented with speed and balance. On Fleetwood mac "Dreams" I get goosebumps (cliche I know). Bass is driving, balanced in weight and full of tone. I love this recording and the PUC2 is up to the challenge. Stevie Nicks vocals are beautiful, sorry AP1 owners but the PUC2 wins here hands down, the mid range is really a step up in quality. The bass guitar delivers great bass depth, all bass note changes are clearly defined and bass and drum kick sequencing provides fantastic weight. Impressive, I listened to the whole track, love it. On Little Feat's 'Time loves a hero' track 'Rocket in my Pocket' the bass line is driving and has great mid bass attack from the kick drum. The bass guitar has lovely roundness and a vintage bass tone. Bass and kick drum sequencing provides nice weight and drive. "Red Streamliner" also presents the same awesome 70's bass tone and mid bass attack. The bass in these tracks remains well weighted and supports the spectrum balance on the tracks really well. The track 'New Dehli freight train', confirms the PUC2 does justice to textured & toneful bass. I love the intro on this track with just the bass, guitar and drums. The PUC2 really impresses with its ability to present each instrument with fantastic detail while retaining great spectrum balance, bass attack and overall musicality. If you haven't heard this album chase it down, its a classic. The keyboards on this album are also a great mid range test... In terms of bass weight, I find little separates the PUC2 and Audiophilleo. They are both very good performers. However the PUC2 wins when it comes to bass detail and tone and low bass delivery, the PUC2 digs that little deeper to provide that little bit extra, those special moments where you think, "WOW I didn't know that was on the mix." Without going overboard I truly think this product offers exceptional converter value. Along with the PUC2's great frequency reproduction capability, the units ability to reproduce a focused, wide, rich & holographic image is very good indeed. For those that appreciate a decent image & soundstage the PUC2 is noticeably more successful than the AP1, providing a more immediate/forward, deeper, wider and 3 dimensional image. The fact that this sort of HiFi equipment can be purchased for an asking price of $500-600 its a true HiFi bargain. A true indicator of the pro market pricing competitiveness. I have no doubt the Yellowtec PUC2 lite converter in an audiophile case would have an asking price of circa $1000 dollars.... So at the very least this converter deserves some respect and ultimately a listen. "If I have one criticism of the PUC2 its that it can expose to much of the truth, and at times runs the risk of being slightly analytical, presenting a less relaxed/more forward/detailed picture than the Audiophilleo AP1." "On some systems this will come across as a harder presentation" At the end of the day both the Audiophilleo 1 and the PUC2 are excellent performers. Personally, I could and have lived with either in my system. But for me the PUC2 will stay for the time being, 'until something better comes along'. The midrange reproduction quality of the PUC2 and its soundstage/imaging capability is exceptional and for me icing on the cake! However for those with more forward and revealing systems the Audiopilleo AP1 may actually be a better synergistic match, as the Yellowtec is substantially more revealing and slightly more forward in the midrange and high frequencies. For those with balanced source, amplifier and speaker setups the Yellowtec PUC2 will perform nicely, offering a playback quality step up across the board. I say give the unit a listen, it deserves at least that... SOUND Brilliant, An audiophile Secret BUILD QUALITY The quality is where it counts - On the inside. AESTHETICS Not for everyone, but very well finished PRICE V's RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) It doesn't get much better than this ROI offering SECONDHAND MARKET Not well known, may prove difficult to move on in Audiophile circles The snob factor will invariably reduce resale return, when I find something better *All listening was conducted utilising a DIY PC running 16bit/44.1k redbook FLAC rips. Playback software consisted of Vortexbox (Linux), (Windows 7) PlayPcmWin, Foobar2000, (Windows XP) cMP cPlay, MQN.
  20. Foreword: I'm a production manager, but focus mostly on backline, sound engineering and lighting design. I install and tune a lot of pro audio equipment, and also mix live acts in : - festivals, - live venues, - concert halls, - bars, - nightclubs. I've taken a huge liking to headphones, and IEM's in particular. I like the idea of having my own personal PA system, that I can take with me anywhere. Especially with Rockbox being in such advanced stages, and such great low-impedance portable amps coming out, you can really seem to get any sound signature you wish out of a portable rig. T-PEOS Altone350 review. Build quality and accessories: These in-ears are a premium product from T-PEOS, and as such, have a premium presentation, and a price tag to match. I won't cover each and every accessory, as other reviews have done a great job of that. But just know, that it's a very generous helping of accessories. A few things that jumped out at me whilst I was unboxing these: IEM Housing is created entirely from titanium Premium carry pouch, which I assume is genuine leather Two different cables to choose from. One had an inline remote. Great selection of tips, including Comply tips (not just generic foamies) Although stated as 8 grams, these felt a little heavier that normal bullet type IEMs. Wide-nozzle at the tip – this matters to some, but is irrelevant to most. The L and R markings on the IEMs seemed to be rubbing off a little. Both cables are twisted and insulated – and produce quite a lot of cable rubbing/tapping noise. Feel/comfort: They require only a fairly shallow insertion. The eight grams of weight are instantly not noticeable once these are worn. The isolation will change depending on the tips worn, but they will isolate as well as any other shallow-inserted IEM with olive tips. The cable noise was an issue for me. Anything tapping the cable above the Y-split would be clearly audible inside the ear-pieces. Rubbing the cable below the Y-split was also audible. My personal preference is for something similar to the Westone EPIC style cable. These IEMs feature a wide-bore design, similar to other products from this company. This was not an issue for me, and I found them quite comfortable – once I found the right tips. Specs: From the CTC Audio website: Type: In-Ear Monitor (IEM) Driver: Dual Balanced Armature Driver + Exclusive 10mm Dynamic Driver (HPS) SPL: 105dB / 1kHz Impedance: 22Ω Frequency Response: 20Hz~20KHz Max Power Input: 100mW Plug: 3.5mm 24k Gold-Plated, L-Type Cables: 2x detachable cables - 1 with microphone, 1 without. Weight: 8g (Without Cable) Warranty: 1-year Manufacturer; CTC Audio Exclusive 180-day Warranty Sound: Bass: The bass is dynamic, tight yet punchy. It's definitely not bloated. It has a good amount of “kick†and a bit less “rumbleâ€. Depending on your personal listening tastes, this may or may not be an issue. I found the bass responded very well to EQ. The 10mm driver delivers more than enough punch when you supply the juice to it. Other offerings I've tried from this company have also responded well to bass EQ – great job guys. For my personal (basshead) tastes, out of the box, the quality of both sub-bass and mid-bass was fantastic, but the quanitity was not enough to satisfy my personal needs. Mids: A clear, separated midrage. Accurate, with forward upper-mids. These will sit well with you, if you're into that spine-chilling vocalist moment. I didn't have any issues with congestion, and if I had to describe the mids in one word, I would say “accurateâ€. There were no detectable “problem areas†that stuck out to me, or were too offensive. High: there was a noticeable sizzle around the 9-10k mark. A lot of people enjoy this peak, as it can give a lot of detail. I personally listen at a decent volume, and this sizzle is a game-breaker for me. If you're going to be using this IEM, be warned – without EQ, you will want to listen to it at reasonable, normal levels. There was a satisfying amount of detail, and it didn't sound recessed or muddled at all. Value: At almost $400 US, this is quite a pricey offering from this company. They are entering a very well populated price-bracket. The included accessories and build quality definitely put them up a notch, but I personally wouldn't pay $400 US for them. Comparisons: I know it's “unfair†to compare these to my far more expensive musician monitors, but they are the only other IEMs I had sitting around. Please read into this for comparisons sake only, and not as a competition. Compared to the Unique Melody Merlin: 350 is brighter 350 is more detailed Merlin is more laid back Merlin is darker, thicker Merlin has far more bass 350 has clearer vocals Compared to the Westone ES3X: Es3x has slightly more bass 350 is brighter 350 more detailed Es3x can be comfortably listened to at louder volumes 350 has less midbass hump Better soundstage on 350 More realistic sound from 350 350 more sibilant on specific recordings. Overall conclusion: A great premium offering, with a price tag to match. A little too much sizzle for my tastes, and some very great accessories.
  21. watched this recently and wrote a short review on it below, Lone Survivor - AUS Release - 5.1 DTS Master Audio Movie - 4/5 - Based on a real story of Navy Seals sent deep into Afghanistan to kill a Taliban leader. What was to be a covert operation only relying on radio contact, goes all wrong requiring the group to get them selves out of the situation. The movie goes from the US base to the tranquility of the Afghan mountain terrain and forests to scenes that are just utter mayhem. As unbelievable as some of it seems you are reminded that it is real. PQ - 5/5 - Reference picture quality, this is stunningly well photographed and comes up just a treat onscreen. Excellent detail, and good camera work capturing the scenes that make this movie what it is. AQ - 5/5 - Reference audio quality and really puts you right in the action. Bullets wizzing all around the room. Rocket propelled grenades, shrapnel flying around. Excellent surround effects steering, clear dialog and mind blowing use of low freq effects. Overall - 4/5 - An amazing story and this rendition of it puts you right within the action. Stunningly photographed and with a knock out sound track. Well worth watching ! taken a few screen shots from the movie as an indication of the picture quality of this blu-ray release..
  22. CLONE NOTE KIT LDR PASSIVE PRE-AMP REVIEW Being curious and never completely happy with the SQ of my system I decided to upgrade my preamp from an active DIY Rod Elliott and try a DIY Passive LDR Preamp or three. Most online reviews raved about the LightSpeed. After visiting many forums I discovered some public domain information and circuit. The main snag was getting a matched set of four LDR’s which ended up costing around $60 plus power supply and pot. The simplicity was intriguing. How could it possibly sound better than an active preamp designed by a well respected audio engineer? I powered up and was glued to the spot by the extraordinary ‘silence’ and the open, pure sound coming from my LS50’s that I had only heard from some Apogee ribbons. This was the sound I had been seeking all my life. BUT, being like everyone else I know who dabbles in audio I still wondered if it could be improved. I searched for LDR kits and came across Chris Daly’s Stereo Coffee and Uriah Dailey’s newly released CloneNote but very little information was available. I built both kits and to my surprise they performed even better than the brilliant DIY LightSpeed, in my system. Building the 3 input Stereo Coffee is simply a matter of connecting some pre built boards together with screw terminals and soldering a 4 way switch, pot and 4 RCA sockets to tabs on the LDR board. Chris is always improving his boards and is on hand if you get stuck. The volume can be set to zero using a put on Stereo Coffee. The single input CloneNote requires over one hundred resistors and surface mount relays to be soldered to some beautifully designed and manufactured boards. Despite this, it only took me one Saturday afternoon to solder and I have an annoying action tremor that sometimes sends components and soldering irons flying around the bench. It took longer to sort out the 48 resistors into pairs. The 24 position level switch is pre soldered by Uriah. PRE PLANNING IS ESSENTIAL. To me, the CloneNote has the edge in micro detail on my system and 3D staging but I still use the Stereo Coffee when I want a ‘fatter’ sound. You can build both for a measly $400. Unlike the others, the CloneNote uses 48 fixed resistors for shunts instead of LDR’s to provide stability. The shunt resistors are selected by SMD relays that are switched on and off by the 24 position rotary switch so there is NO mechanical switching in the signal path. The volume can not be turned off but the lowest level is very low. The Stereo Coffee uses 8 matched LDR’s and the CloneNote uses 2 LDR’s that don’t require matching as their values can be accurately adjusted through a large range of values. To make adjustment painless I have replaced the trim pots with quality multi turn pots and connected the output legs of the LDR’s to miniature phone sockets and mounted them on the back of the case. I made a lead for my DMM which terminates into a miniature phone jack. It’s just a matter of disconnecting the signal to check and adjust the resistance across the LDR output legs. My LDR’s are both set to operate at 4.5k ohms and vary by less than +/- 5% over one month but I check them regularly because it is so easy. You can adjust the value to one that suits your system. The resistance selected increases or decreases the apparent distance between steps of the selector switch. The minimum level and maximum level available are fixed. When the time comes to replace your LDR’s you are looking at less than $10 and 30 minutes work. MY GEAR (Total COST $4550) CloneNote Passive and Stereo Coffee Preamp kits Auralic Mini music server running Spotify extreme setting Holton Precision dual mono power amp nxV200 R2 Signature Rev 3.0 kit 150w KEF LS50 on sand filled stands with bamboo top and base REL T-Zero 6 inch sub Speaker cables 40mm x .25mm insulated copper foil with 50mm spacing with bunched and flat looped silver/copper termination Interconnects 10mm x .25mm insulated copper foil and Aurealis 4 strand woven pure silver with STAR RCA plugs THE SOUND I don’t know how to explain the sound because it is more of a physical experience than a sound. It’s an experience that makes me smile inside and forget about how it is possible. The performance seems detached from anything electronic or mechanical. It is there floating on a silent background in front of me and I just can’t stop listening. OK, I’ll have a go. "Think of the blackest outback night sky. Nothing but absolute silence. Way, way in the distance you hear a tiny sound that gets louder until it explodes in front of you in 3 dimensions then vanishes into the distance again." If you think that’s good you should hear it with more than one sound! I really think the speed and transparency of the LS50’s and the effortless neutrality of the Holton amp are what make makes my CloneNote sound exceptional to me. As with most DIY projects, price doesn’t come into this equation. DON'T YOU LOVE DIY? (Below) This is the kit as supplied for about $200 (Below) Main LDR Board - Rectangular blocks between pairs of resistors are SMD relays. Resistors and relays are duplicated on other side of board. (Below) The 24 position switch is pre soldered and is used to switch relays on and off. Resistors are fixed value shunts (Below) Each LDR has a miniature phono socked connected to the output legs and blue trimmer pots have been replaced by 10 turn precision pots for adjustments (Below) Miniature phono jack attached to DMM leads for checking and adjusting LDR output resistance (Below) 40mm x .25mm copper foil speaker cables. The termination silver/copper wire is flat looped and soldered across the foil after burning off insulation. (Below) Insulated foils are suspended from brackets an looped approx. 50mm apart.
  23. I put forward this idea one or twice previously, both here and elsewhere, and it fell flat so here's to not learning from experience! I propose to send a selection of amps (most probably integrated amps) out to a selection of volunteers for the purpose of getting a wider variety of opinions on how amps sound in different systems to different ears. Anyone interested please feel free to PM me with a subject heading of "I Volunteer" but prior to that do read on. My proposal is this, I send out a selection of amps to other SNA-ers (in boxes specially prepared for multiple journeys), those volunteers place the amp in their system for a time (anywhere from a week to a month, I guess) and then they do a write up with their impressions of the amp and how it compares to the integrated they have been using. Then they box it back up, very carefully, and send it on to the next volunteer. So the volunteers will have a few small-ish responsibilities, these being: 1. Check over the amp and box when it arrives and give the courier company a hard time if it has been damaged in transit. 2. Handle the amp and box carefully and keep the packing in good nick (ie: repair it if it needs a touch up). 3. Always send the amp with postal/transit insurance of $500. This should only add 3 or 4 bucks to the postage cost and will avoid too much heartache if the worst should happen and a courier muppet drop kicks one of them down the street. 4. I'll emphasise the "Random" part here, this RRRR Thread is meant to be a bit of fun, there is no guarantee that you will get a particular amp, if you really, really want to hear a particular amp then you may just be out of luck (or be forced to bribe other volunteers!). 5. It's all in fun, no grumps allowed! 6. I had no idea there was such a thing as a deep sea Robin but now that I do I think I'll use one as a mascot for this thread, see below. Isn't he just the exact opposite of cute? So are there any interested SNA-ers out there?
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