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Silver Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 813 Registered: Jun-07 | http://www.stereophile.com/features/1207poty/ Thought it's worth checking out. PSB Alpha won budget product of the year. The Apollo won Top 10 cd player of the year, as well as Budget cd player of the year. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9325 Registered: Dec-04 | I told y'all those little Alphas are good. Miles away from the ones I have, but those won as well, I believe, 10 years ago. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 1564 Registered: Oct-04 | I need to hear them again, I didn't think too highly of them first time around. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9326 Registered: Dec-04 | Sweet on a weighted stand, CM. Well coupled. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 1566 Registered: Oct-04 | The listening room where I heard them absolutely sucked. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9328 Registered: Dec-04 | Smaller space, well damped. Higher power than expected(as usual). Toe 1/2 to listening position, ear height. Joe Cocker at higher levels. |
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Gold Member Username: ExerciseguyFort Hamilton, NY United States Post Number: 1568 Registered: Oct-04 | Small room, Glass windows, tile floor. Plenty of power. On shelf, no breathing room, about ear height (perhaps a bit too high). Obligatory depressing Nora Jones, ran out of room screaming. Been in counseling ever since. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckPost Number: 9331 Registered: Dec-04 | Perhaps a couch... @80$ per hour |
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Silver Member Username: KevincorrFairbanks, Alaska Usa Post Number: 338 Registered: Jul-07 | Speaking of Stereophile. How do you guys like the various HiFi press. I have only picked up occasionally. Read the most recent 3 Absolute Sound which seems to more closely agree with much of the taste here. As opposed to the What HiFi Sound and Vision, who are not that fond of various Rega gear. Both A.S. and What... like Naim though. Have read Sensible Sound. Jazz Times also has hifi reviews which seems to concur with much of this forum. |
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Silver Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 840 Registered: Jun-07 | yeah, it seems certain magazines favour certain brands more than others. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 2339 Registered: May-05 | Is it just where I am or are What Hifi? (Not What Hifi Sound & Vision) and Hifi Choice no longer around? They weren't available at a smaller Barnes & Noble the last few months, and now a large one doesn't have them either. What Hifi always rubbed me the wrong way. They have little if any love for gear I like. They seem anti Rega and Naim. My favorite was/is Hifi Choice. Their tastes ran pretty close to mine. They also do group blind tests with designers and other writers. They've had a designer of a product or two prefer a different machine in a blind test. How's that for honesty? I'm not talking about double blind A/B tests, just evaluating a piece sonically without knowing which is playing. And they've had a respectable number of unfavorable reviews. But, most mags nowadays are reviewing stuff that's way too expensive for me. Its fun reading about a $30k pair of speakers or CD player every now and again, but they should come back to Earth for at least one or two pieces in every issue. |
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Silver Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 848 Registered: Jun-07 | Stu- What HiFi and Hifi Choice I still see on the shelf at the local Chapters I get my magazines from. I agree with you. What HiFi it seems always have these brands nobody has ever heard of that cost 10's of thousands of dollars. HiFi choice do everything. |
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Silver Member Username: KevincorrFairbanks, Alaska Usa Post Number: 351 Registered: Jul-07 | I just went and bought HiFi Choice from Barnes and Noble today. It is the HiFi Awards 2007 issue. They have awarded best in price range. For example, CD Player: Under 500 pounds = 1- Cambridge Azure 749C 2- Marantz 3- Denon 500 to 1000 pound 1- CA Azure 840C 2- Apollo 3- Quad99 CD S 1000 TO 2000 1- Saturn 2- Unison 3- Cyrus 2000 to 5000 1- Marantz etc On their Buyers Bible, Apollo is still the best cheapes cdp. There is so much gear on the market that I never heard of, or if I heard of it I don't know anything about it. Some of the winning turntables are Funk Firm. ??? It knocks me out to browse the photo galleries at AudiogoN! There is a LOT of expensive stuff out there. I don't know any of those people. I do know a lot of musicians, non who have any decent hifi gear. I have a few friends and relatives with expensive home theater, bought for movies and sports, not geared for music. Really, I don't know anyone with a great hifi, and I know a lot of people. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 2340 Registered: May-05 | Kevin, I just saw it today at a different B&N. Funk Firm are huge right now in the UK and Europe. I think they're a new company started by a few guys from Rega. If I'm not mistaken, Roy Gandy (the "ga" in Rega) stated in an interview that he was very happy that the guys left and started their own business, and he hopes they succeed. Kind of like a few apprentices who move on. I too have no audiophile friends. I've tried to get friends and family into it, but to no avail. |