Audiophilepure

https://www.headfonia.com/hiby-rs8-ii-review/#google_vignette

The RS8 II delivers a balanced, natural, and subtly musical sound signature without drifting into warmth or colouration. Compared to the original RS8, the tuning is more controlled and closer to neutral, with greater emphasis on clarity, spatial precision, and dynamic contrast.

What stands out immediately is the sense of effortlessness. The RS8 II never sounds strained, regardless of load or listening level. Whether paired with sensitive IEMs or demanding headphones, it maintains composure and authority at all times.

https://www.headfonia.com/topping-dx9-discrete-review/2/

There are a few technical limitations worth keeping in mind regarding the processing window. Over USB and IIS, PEQ is supported from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz at 16-bit to 24-bit. Coaxial, optical, and AES share this same range, while Bluetooth supports PEQ up to 96 kHz and 24-bit.

I also appreciate the memory logic Topping implemented. By default, the unit remembers the last-used PEQ configuration for each individual output. It then automatically recalls that profile the next time you switch back to that output, which is useful if you frequently alternate between headphone jacks and preamp outs. For those who want fast access, you can assign the PEQ toggle and preset selection to the knob press or to remote buttons to avoid menu-diving. Topping also included a crossfeed function with multiple modes, which is a welcome addition for headphone listeners. 

https://www.headfonia.com/audioquest-lone-ranger-review/

Now, a year or two ago I was in need for an additional XLR cable and wanted to get a Yukon – the same as I was already using – but my retailer didn’t have any on stock and suggested I’d try the Black Beauty. The step up from the Yukon reminded me of my first time with AudioQuest. The jump in quality was just absurd. Details, definition, precision, depth and layering were all enhanced. Music sounded more graspable to me.

Why am I telling you this? Because AudioQuest did it to me again. The step up from the Robin Hood to Lone Ranger again is more than remarkable.

The VE PRO is not quite as wide as the VE PURE or as immersive as the VE ZEN. The 3 BA drivers do a good job in arrangements, but it’s not quite as deep and enveloping as the flagship ZEN.

However, if you find the chilled positioning of the VE PURE mids, then the VE PRO might be the better choice as it pushes them front and center with the additional upper-treble contrast producing some welcome bloom and sparkle in the process. 

To that end, the VE PRO can sound like it has a more attention-grabbing presentation with the controlled BA drivers etching out some welcome space and air for each note to be clearly heard and clearly underpinned by the low-end power. 

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/2023-audiolab-9000q-preamplifier-dac

Peter Gabriel’s recently released Live at WOMAD 1982 (24/96 FLAC, Real World / Tidal) is an excellent live recording just bristling with energy. “Shock the Monkey” begins with what sounds like a drum machine combined with Jerry Marotta’s live drumming in a tight, funky, infectious beat; in my opinion, this arrangement is superior to the studio version of the song. Gabriel’s vocals are presented with a lucidity conveying the urgency in his delivery of the lyrics. I was impressed by how well the 9000Q unraveled the complexities of this live production, keeping the varying primal beats separated from the energetic vocals.

This clarity was even more evident on “Mercy Street,” from a 2000s-era live Gabriel album, In the Big Room (24/96 FLAC, Real World / Tidal). The closely miked a cappella harmonies in the opening had a palpable sweetness, and the gently undulating electric bass of Tony Levin sounded inspired. Even though his notes were incredibly slow to develop, each flowed smoothly into the next, with prominent weight and differentiation between successive notes. Levin’s ability to mirror the sombre vocals with his intensely expressive but subdued bass is brilliantly captured in this recording and was magnificently recreated by the 9000Q.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/pathos-acoustics-inpol-legacy-integrated-amplifier

This was one of many ear/eye-opening performances I enjoyed with the InPoL Legacy, and I would have no trouble recommending it to anyone with the necessary budget and listening room space. Its sound might be better suited to some musical flavours than others – I had more fun listening to Marika Hackman’s ‘Claude’s Girl’ [We Slept At Last; Dirty Hit DH00063], with its dulcet vocal and light, sparkly acoustic guitar accompaniment, than I did the punkish rock of Velvet Revolver’s ‘She Builds Quick Machines’ [Libertad; Sony/BMG 82876888592] – but that’s not a criticism. Every audiophile, excluding perhaps those with a penchant for heavy metal, must hear this amp in action.