You would possibly assume I’m saving one of the best for final after I discuss concerning the TIDAL Audio Contriva G3 and Piano G3 loudspeakers. Or possibly second greatest, since nothing might probably be higher than listening to […]
Tag Archives: the voice that is
I had just a few questions once I walked into the Artisan Fidelity room at AXPONA 2023 and got here head to head with a full TIDAL Audio system. Is TIDAL Audio going to sound okay in […]
Like my recent attendance at the Toronto audio show, I didn’t go to the 2022 Capitol Audiofest on an official show report mission for Part-Time Audiophile. I went to have some fun and laughs with […]
Doug White of The Voice That Is! was exhibiting entirely with products that are new for 2022. Firstly, the new TIDAL Audio Contros Digital Controller ($60,000 USD) and Piano G3 ($64,000 USD as shown) loudspeakers, […]
Editor’s Note: The genesis of this review began with our audio show coverage of the Ictra Design brand through the exhibits of Doug White and The Voice That Is! We petitioned Doug to help us […]
Just a few days ago we received an email from a grateful reader that brought up an important subject: the high-end audio dealer. I’ve seen these emails dozens of times before, where the reader tells […]
In my earlier review, I wrote about the Vertere MG-1/SG-1 turntable/tonearm combination. Here I’m going to pen about a few other offerings from Vetere (website), companion pieces I received with the ‘table and arm–the Vertere Acoustics Mystic moving-coil cartridge ($2,699) and Phono-1 MK II phono preamplifier ($1,395). First off, let me say that both these pieces were excellent performers. I was particularly impressed with the Phono-1, which I consider one of the best deals in high-end audio. The Vertere Acoustics Mystic cartridge was undoubtedly NOT an also-ran. Still, there are some excellent offerings around that price, so while exceptional, I think of cartridges as more system dependent. In other words, a Mystic could easily be the missing link in YOUR search for vinyl Nirvana. Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy That phrase may be true unless you’re an audiophile, and then it’s called The Hobby. I find comparing components is a lot of fun when I don’t have skin in the game. But if you’re a Libra with ADHD (raises hand), making comparisons to decide on a purchase can be a self-imposed torture chamber. Somebody, please tell me what to get! That’s where us reviewers come in – we’ll drive […]
The Vimberg Amea (website) loudspeaker is a two-way, stand-mounted loudspeaker. I’m bringing this up first for a very good reason. When I first arrived at the front door of the Part-Time Audiophile headquarters more than two years ago, Scot Hull asked me what I wanted to review. The first thing out of my mouth was “world-class two-way monitors,” or something like that. If you know me, you know I love the little two-ways, especially when they don’t sound like two-way stand-mounted monitors because someone put some serious effort into the design. As a result, I’ve reviewed all sorts of wonderful two-way monitors that strive for state-of-the-art performance. They don’t reach down to 20 Hz (or even 45 or 50 sometimes), but they do such a great job at everything else, and I can think of about four or five of these li’l loudspeakers that I could buy and enjoy for the rest of my life without clamoring for something that goes a little deeper in the bass. I’ve even said as much in a couple of recent reviews. I did not expect the Vimberg Amea. (No one does, I’ve heard.) I knew it was going to be special—I’ve heard Tidal […]
Reminiscing about the audio show circuit is something I do more often than I expected. Of course it’s the people of the industry I miss most, but there’s also a big soft spot in my heart for the gear. Many times I’ve fallen in love with a product line or brand entirely from my interactions with their leadership and demonstrations at audio events. One of these memorable instances was with Weiss Engineering Ltd. products, at Axpona 2019, where I had the pleasure to sit with Doug White of TVTi, and Daniel Weiss himself, founder of Weiss Engineering, to give the DAC501 a proper listen. Read more about that special moment HERE. Press Release Below Buffalo, NY, November 17, 2020—- Bluebird Music, distributor of high-performance audio products since 2000, is pleased to announce the immediate availability of the Weiss DAC501. Weiss products are precision-built in Switzerland to the most rigorous professional standards, The DAC501 is a compact, half-width unit, allowing placement flexibility in desktop and studio applications, as well as in home systems of any size. Its circuitry and componentry are identical to those of the full-sized Weiss DAC502, which was recently the subject of a rave Stereophile review by John […]
Is the absence of any coloration its own signature coloration? During my time with the TIDAL Audio Prisma preamplifier, I found myself asking that very question. People like me who listen to music for a living (including lots of audiophiles I know) have developed a familiarity with the various sonic signatures that any piece of audio electronics contributes to the music passing through it. Whether I’m using certain pieces of gear to master music in my studio or swapping out stuff in my home system for a review, I’m highly aware of whatever sonic stamp, however slight, is being placed on the music. In the case of the TIDAL Audio Prisma, that sonic stamp is very audible. But it’s in a class that is reserved for the best of the best, audio electronics that are so low in any added texture or distortions that the sound seems magically transformed by what’s NOT there. Where’s The Flava? Since digital recording became essentially omnipotent as the pro recording medium of choice, it’s become standard practice by many engineers to use whatever tools available to impart a sonically pleasing amount of harmonics to the recording process in search of more apparent texture and […]