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Astell & Kern KANN Music Player Review

Mark Fleischmann | Feb 22, 2018

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $999 AT A GLANCE Plus Normal or high-gain output Full and microSD card slots Native 384/32 PCM and DSD support Minus Bulky Not as pretty as some other A&K players USB charger not included THE VERDICT Astell & Kern’s KANN is not only a subtly gorgeous-sounding performer loaded with features. It’s also a great value. Astell & Kern’s KANN (along with the recently announced AK70 MK II) makes its debut at a time when the dedicated music player is looking more and more like the passenger pigeon. Apple has just killed the innovative, shape-shifting iPod nano and the puny iPod shuffle, leaving only the now unprecedentedly cheap iPod touch, basically an iPhone without the phone, at $199. With Apple uncharacteristically catering to the middle of the market (let’s not even contemplate the $20 nano knockoffs on Amazon), that leaves the high-resolution musicplayer carriage trade to companies like Astell & Kern, FiiO, and HiFiMan, as well as newly hi-res-conscious big brands like Sony, Onkyo, and Pioneer.

Technics SL-1200GR Turntable Review

Michael Trei | Jan 25, 2018

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $1,699 AT A GLANCE Plus Newly engineered from the ground up Exceptional pitch stability Includes 78 rpm speed Minus DJ features are irrelevant for most users Detachable headshell may limit tonearm performance No factory-installed cartridge option THE VERDICT Technics’s reborn legendary DJ turntable is now a better bet than ever for home audiophile use, but no longer quite the bargain it once was. Way back in the May 2010 issue of Sound & Vision, I compared three sub-$1,000 turntables, including one that I felt was a bit of a rebellious choice for the audiophile listener. Over its nearly 40 years of production, the Technics SL-1200 series had morphed from one of the top models in the company’s industry-leading range of audiophile direct-drive turntables into a deck that was aimed squarely at the club and DJ market.

Samsung UBD-M9500 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Review

David Vaughn | Nov 13, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $400 AT A GLANCE Plus Plethora of streaming options Outstanding picture quality Dual HDMI outputs Minus No 3D support Flimsy disc tray No Dolby Vision support THE VERDICT This second-generation Ultra HD Blu-ray player delivers exceptional performance and value, especially for heavy Netflix or Amazon users. I’m in my 13th year of reviewing consumer electronics, and I’m continually amazed at the industry’s pace of innovation. In the span of about 20 years, we’ve gone from bulky, backbreaking CRT displays to flat-panel TVs that hang on the wall, as well as projectors that are smaller than the base of a vacuum cleaner—all at prices that the middle class can easily afford.

Retro Elegance: Klipsch Three Wireless Music System

Bob Ankosko | May 25, 2017

Performance Features Build Quality Value PRICE $400 AT A GLANCE Plus Impeccable fit and finish Streaming via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Excellent sound Solid bass Remote control Minus App could be more intuitive Wish there was a display window THE VERDICT The Three melds retro style with modern sound in a beautifully crafted tabletop stereo. I’m not gonna lie. When I first saw a press photo of the Three, I was immediately taken with its elegant retro styling—the wraparound grille, the walnut top…those copper control knobs. I wanted one. Evoking what Klipsch calls the “mid-century” design legacy of its late founder Paul W. Klipsch, the Three boasts impeccably finished walnut panels, a knit grille, and a copper strip with two knobs—one for volume, the other for source selection—plus something you don’t expect to see on modern gear: a toggle switch. Positively retro. Behind the classic façade is a stereo pair of 2.25-inch drivers that flank a 5.25-inch woofer. Klipsch has also incorporated two 5.25-inch passive radiators—one on each end of the enclosure—to boost bass output.

Sony UBP-X800 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Review

Al Griffin | May 24, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $300 AT A GLANCE Plus High-quality video upconversion of standard Blu-rays Plays SACDs, DVD-Audio discs, and native DSD files Inexpensive Minus No announced Dolby Vision support No analog audio outputs THE VERDICT Sony’s ultra-affordable Ultra HD Blu-ray player offers solid video performance, and it also plays SACDs and DVD-Audio discs. Call it nostalgia, but the launch of an audio or video format strikes me as an opportunity to reflect on what came before it—especially now, with the sun threatening to set on physical media. When the Blu-ray Disc first appeared a little more than a decade ago, Sony was among its main flagwavers. Not only that, but the company’s PlayStation 3 console was considered by many to be the top-performing player in the Blu-ray format’s primitive days. Samsung and Panasonic were quick to push out standalone Blu-ray players, but the folks at Sony took their sweet time bringing their own model to market. When the BDP-S1 did arrive, it was well received for its picture quality—though it had design quirks, including an inability to play CDs.

Oppo UDP-203 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player Review

Thomas J. Norton | Apr 14, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $549 AT A GLANCE Plus Outstanding overall performance Detailed info screen Plays virtually everything Minus No headphone output No support for HDCD THE VERDICT Oppo’s first Ultra HD Blu-ray player has been eagerly anticipated by UHD enthusiasts everywhere. The wait was worth it. We’re now into the second year of the Ultra HD Blu-ray era, but up to this past January, Samsung, Philips, and Panasonic pretty much had the UHD player market all to themselves. That month’s Consumer Electronics Show, however, saw the introduction of models from LG and Sony, together with new ones from Samsung and Panasonic.

Sony TA-ZH1ES Headphone Amp/DAC

Steve Guttenberg | Mar 7, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $2,200 AT A GLANCE Plus Solid as a brick build quality Handles ultra-high resolution 768-kHz/32-bit PCM, and DSD native (up to 22.4 MHz) files Variety of single-ended and balanced headphone outputs Minus Not the most transparent sounding headphone amp THE VERDICT The Sony TA-ZH1ES is beautifully designed and built, though it doesn’t quite bring the MDR-Z1R headphone to its full potential. Not content with just launching a new flagship headphone in the MDR-Z1R, Sony simultaneously launched the TA-ZH1ES headphone amplifier/DAC; like the MDR-Z1R, it’s intended to be a statement of Sony’s best technology.

Russound MCA-88X Whole-House Audio Streamer Review

John Sciacca | Mar 1, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $3,499 ($4,477 as reviewed) AT A GLANCE Plus Fast setup/programming Supports modern and legacy sources Integrates with many third-party systems AirPlay gives virtually unlimited access Minus NAS streaming has quirks Native app support is fairly limited THE VERDICT Russound delivers whole-home audio entertainment in a single, massively expandable chassis, allowing you to enjoy legacy analog/digital sources or modern streaming. Streaming and app-based control may be all the rage for music listening, but they ignore the fact that many people still have older, legacy gear they want to enjoy around their homes. Sometimes, whether it’s a CD player, turntable, or cable/satellite set-top box, “stream it from the cloud” isn’t a workable solution. Also, most modern wireless streaming music systems, such as Sonos and Play-Fi, eschew any type of wall-based control, relying solely on a smartphone or tablet interface.

Going Wireless with Google's Chromecast Audio

Al Griffin | Feb 17, 2017

Google’s Chromecast Audio media streamer represents perhaps the least expensive way to add wireless streaming to legacy speakers and audio systems. But is it the best option for everyone?

HiFiMan SuperMini Music Player Review

Mark Fleischmann | Feb 8, 2017

Performance Features Ergonomics Value PRICE $399 AT A GLANCE Plus Balanced and unbalanced output Drives moderately demanding headphones Hi-res capable, including DSD Minus No album art No fancy DAC chip No user-accessible internal RAM THE VERDICT The HiFiMan SuperMini combines the sonics of a gentle top end and luscious mids with light weight, long battery life, and enough power to drive slightly less efficient headphones. HiFiMan was founded in New York by Dr. Fang Bian. The company now operates from China but does not outsource either manufacturing or design. Headphones come from a factory in Dongguan. Music players come from another factory in Kunshan. R&D runs in Shanghai, software is developed in Shenzhen, and headquarters are in Tianjin. Unlike so many storied audio brands that have cut loose from their original motivation, 11-year-old HiFiMan continues to reflect the vision of Dr. Fang.

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