Jerry's review of he Waterfall Victoria Evo loudspeakers is now live. These are the french loudspeakers that are made from glass - I'm sure many of you will have seen them at the various shows. http://hifipig.com/waterfall-audio-victoria-evo-loudspeakers/
Also wanted to let you guys know that we launched our new look monthly PDF Magazine yesterday. It's a digest of the previous months reviews but we have also added exclusive content including a reader's system article, a dealers system article and some other bits and bobs too. In the launch edition you can win a Tellurium Q atom amp and one of four Akiko tuning sticks. We hope to launch a letters page in future editions so if you want to get something off your chest just contact us! http://hifipig.com/free-magazine-2/ Cheers, Stu
Good to see Richard's prose on 'Pig - I always enjoyed his views and the way he articulated them. Seriously great music selection for the review as well!
I tried those same cubes at about the same time as Richard, and broadly agreed with his assessment of them (which was more comprehensive & thoughtful than mine), so these Pluto's look interesting - even if the name caused me to think they were by RFC to begin with!
I haven't seen much of Richard on the forums of late - Come back, Gromit!
Good to see Richard's prose on 'Pig - I always enjoyed his views and the way he articulated them. Seriously great music selection for the review as well!
Yes, I suspect Richard's taste in music is a tad more varied than mine :-)
Last time I came home from his place (this was when he still in Uxbridge), I had to email him for a list of what we had played - he certainly broadened my musical horizons that day!
We were having a discussion about classical music last night with some friends who're visiting and I had to admit that despite trying I just cannot get into the whole classical music thing at all. There's a couple of odd tunes I quite enjoy but they're few and far between. I really ought to try again!
:-) We had a friend who lived up the road to us here who had a great hifi and she was a previous directrice of the European Chamber Orchestra...she tried to educate me but it was wasted i'm afraid. She did get me quite into the Queen of the Night aria from Magic Flute though
I just had a shufti at this, it is a challenging read, if you catch my drift! No offense intended to Danny, I take his point that he found them beneficial, and I have not tried them. I agree it would be arrogant of me to be dogmatic.
It isn't so much that I can't see how they could possibly work. I don't actually understand how an amplifier or a DAC works, yet I wouldn't question that they do.
It's more a case of feeling that perhaps these are HiFi jewellery, designed as a tweak for the proud owner who wishes to lavish attention on his pride & joy, and providing a revenue stream for a company in the process. There's nothing wrong or unusual about this - just take a trip down to Halfords and see an entire industry built on this.
I just don't see (and I'm not sure the review clearly explained) what problem these tweaks are aimed at solving; I don't see which part of the audio chain they seek to enhance, beyond a vague reference to grounding - are these grounded? The comparison with a linear vs switched mode power supply isn't really comparing apples with apples - one can easily understand where such a like for like upgrade could be beneficial.
Is it possibly the case that the attraction of such accessories is psycho-acoustic in nature, fed by a desire to personalise and improve one's relationship with his system & music? ( - please be assured that even if this is the case, I am not decrying it). It could be likened to the feeling that your car is faster once it has had a decent clean, a wax & a polish. And it's tyres shined. And some dashboard shine applied. And...
Without meaning to psychoanalyze overmuch, the first sentence or two of Danny's conclusion could be read this way.
Does any of this matter? Probably not. But, if the psychoacoustic effect is at play here then it is a uniquely personal response, very much between an individual and his system; it's hard to see where published reviews of such accessories leave a mag/webzine in it's relationship with a wider readership, TBH. (One effect I could easily imagine is a lot of bashing from the more rabidly militant.)
:-) We had a friend who lived up the road to us here who had a great hifi and she was a previous directrice of the European Chamber Orchestra...she tried to educate me but it was wasted i'm afraid. She did get me quite into the Queen of the Night aria from Magic Flute though
I thought you'd realise I'm largely another heathen ;-)
Akiko - I've seen them and they company blurb mentions grounding but the mains doodads aren't grounded - not on the Schuko versions anyway. I have no idea of what they do or are supposed to do.
The psychoacoustic thing is interesting and I'm certain that it plays a part in some things when listening. I had an interesting thing with the TQ ultra Blacks - as a devout non-believer I was expecting to plug them in, have a quick listen, have nothing change and send them back as something we couldn't review (we only review stuff that reaches the reviewers own benchmark of what's "hot"). However, the effect was immediate and exactly the opposite of what I was expecting.
I did have an interesting experience at Munich in a room playing Pioneer (IIRC) kit. It sounded very good indeed and I was a bit gobsmacked so went to chat with the people running the room. Apparently the kit had been messed about with crystals and all manner of new age hocum - - but it did sound great...go figure.
The Sticks from Akiko are certainly gonna divide opinion and I thought long and hard about publishing at all, but then they clearly made a difference to Danny and in Danny's system and he was reviewing them so so be it :-) - Enter the HP competition and if you win you can let us know what you heard or didn't :-)
OK - you're on! Good point re cables, been there too.
Thanks for taking my observations in the spirit they were intended. I guess they were questioning the editorial policy more than the veracity of the review (which I accept, of course).
Interesting experience with Pioneer also. Food for thought!
There was a glitch on the first nights PDF edition which i updated the next day...download again and it works fine. ... or did you mean this link ? http://hifipig.com/free-magazine-2/
Editorial policy on the Pig is that kit gets sent to a reviewer, they review it, send me the review and I publish it :-) Not really a policy as such....
The New Age Hocum room was a bit mental...I think Lin comments on it in her Munich coverage somewhere.
I did get it to download, it was just the link above (I'm sure you could edit it)
I enjoyed reading it mate, well done. Where do I sign up for future issues/comp?
They'll be posted up on the first of every month....sign up for the newsletter and you'll be notified.. January 1st may be a tad late due to fully foreseen hangover issues :-).
It looks like around 80% of the products that come in for review are "HiFi Pig Recommended". Is this because you're cherry-picking good gear in the first place?
It's difficult to see what's hot & what's not when there's such a bias towards positive & recommended reviews. Some more negative reviews & stuff without the "recommended" badge would help to balance out the publication IMO & make it more trusted and reputable.
Having said this, you have mentioned above that "(we only review stuff that reaches the reviewers own benchmark of what's "hot")"... but it'd be great to read about the stuff that didn't make it as such.
We are having a discussion about this very topic at the moment, Neil....changes may be afoot :-) I'm still of the mind that folk like to read positive reviews and I'd rather not give column inches to poor kit. I'm pretty certain we will still return kit that doesn't reach the individual reviewers benchmark without review. Everything is up for discussion and comments like yours will help us to formulate a strategy that gives readers what they want. Yes, we are trying to get interesting and quality kit we think folk will want to read about in the first place.,...sorry didn't answer that in my initial response. We're in a much more powerful position than we were even 6 months ago and we are listening and acting on our readers comments. We're also releasing new products like the free monthly PDF mag - some great exclusive content in that next month by the way!!! Thing is when I started off Hifi Pig it was as something to keep me busy whilst not doing anything. Within a few months it was clear it was gonna be much bigger than just a pass-time for me and I took the plunge and quit all my part time sales work to concentrate on Hifi Pig around 6 months ago.
When I heard it, I affectionately referred to it as a "thug", because of the way it grips speakers and just throws music out of them with complete authority. Not quite as refined as a SECA maybe, but just as compelling to listen to (and probably more practical day-to-day).
Although you don't call it a thug, the sledgehammer comment is close enough, and your observations about becoming a bass loon while you acclimatise rings true as well. I completely concur with your review Stu (not that it matters a jot, but it is a novelty for me to have direct experience of a product under review).
It's easily the last amplifier one would ever need, although there are more esoteric (: extreme) tangents for the dedicated enthusiast (: lunatic).
Apparently the wagon is drawing nearer for Stu Al, he may be a veggie but it's cold turkey after Xmas for him me thinks!
A listen to the Claymore is on my checklist of New Year tasks. A harassing phone call is inbound to The Wonfor. So Colin when u popping down to Plymouth again??
This one is staying here for a few weeks whilst we review some speakers that are 82db sensitive :-) don't think the Iridium will quite drive them to the levels we like and I don't have anything else in at the moment with enough grunt! Yep, no booze for a few months in Hifi Pig towers ! Alan, glad we concur :-)
The January 2014 edition of the Hifi Pig Magazine is now available for FREE download.
Reviews: Pluto Ultimate Loudspeakers, Monster iSport Freedom Headphones, Van de Leur 002/402 pre and power amps, Isotek EVO3 Mains cables, Resonessence Herus headphone amp/DAC, Wireworld Starlight 7 USB cable, Tellurium Q Claymore integrated amplifier.
Plus: Editorial comment, Reader System, Dealer System, Interview with Holger Fromme MD at Avantgarde Acoustics, a factory visit to Cabasse, music reviews and the pick of 2013's albums. Win: Chord Company's Epic Reference Loudspeaker cable worth £750 plus Akiko Tuning Sticks. http://hifipig.com/free-magazine-2/
Thoughts and comments more than welcome....no nasty name calling though as that really upsets me and sometimes makes me weep. Should add I've added a nifty little reader to the page so you can read it without downloading the PDF. It's a nice interface I think.
A couple of recent reviews for Chewists at very different ends of the price spectrum. First up is the Coffman Labs' G-1A valve preamp that comes in at $5500 in the US. It comes with a MC and MM phonostage plus a headphone amp. http://hifipig.com/coffman-labs-g-1a...-preamplifier/
Secondly we have the Isolator from The Cartridge Man which is a little £85 bit of "foam" and metal that you stick your cartridge to before bolting the whole lot to your arm. http://hifipig.com/the-cartridge-man-isolator/ Bang for buck this is, in the system I used it with, a great tweak to my mind!
Lots more reviews coming from some well known names and some less well known. Have fun,
Atoll is a little known brand outside of their home country France but every time I've heard them at shows I've been really impressed. When Jerry said he'd bought an older model Atoll amp second hand and was enjoying it we thought it time to give them a call and get some of their kit in for review . Here Jerry looks at the IN 200 Integrated amp and the CD200 SE-2 CD Player
Another brand big in france but relatively unknown outside. Now these are certainly gonna divide opinion based on looks but don't let that put you off listening to them if you are lucky enough to get the chance in the UK. I'd heard them at shows here in france a few times and was a bit intrigued by the sound coming out of these weird looking speakers with tiny drivers (they're not drivers in the conventional sense).
Finally another option to a Furutech, I took a look at the MS HD Power Large Gauge Audiophile UK Plug. The plugs meet every British Standard and are fully compliant with all the necessary regulations. http://hifipig.com/ms-hd-power-large...phile-uk-plug/
Finally another option to a Furutech, I took a look at the MS HD Power Large Gauge Audiophile UK Plug. The plugs meet every British Standard and are fully compliant with all the necessary regulations. http://hifipig.com/ms-hd-power-large...phile-uk-plug/
Comments
Tuning sticks from Akiko.
http://hifipig.com/akiko-audio-tuning-sticks/
http://hifipig.com/waterfall-audio-victoria-evo-loudspeakers/
Also wanted to let you guys know that we launched our new look monthly PDF Magazine yesterday. It's a digest of the previous months reviews but we have also added exclusive content including a reader's system article, a dealers system article and some other bits and bobs too.
In the launch edition you can win a Tellurium Q atom amp and one of four Akiko tuning sticks. We hope to launch a letters page in future editions so if you want to get something off your chest just contact us!
http://hifipig.com/free-magazine-2/
Cheers,
Stu
I tried those same cubes at about the same time as Richard, and broadly agreed with his assessment of them (which was more comprehensive & thoughtful than mine), so these Pluto's look interesting - even if the name caused me to think they were by RFC to begin with!
I haven't seen much of Richard on the forums of late - Come back, Gromit!
I really ought to try again!
It isn't so much that I can't see how they could possibly work. I don't actually understand how an amplifier or a DAC works, yet I wouldn't question that they do.
It's more a case of feeling that perhaps these are HiFi jewellery, designed as a tweak for the proud owner who wishes to lavish attention on his pride & joy, and providing a revenue stream for a company in the process. There's nothing wrong or unusual about this - just take a trip down to Halfords and see an entire industry built on this.
I just don't see (and I'm not sure the review clearly explained) what problem these tweaks are aimed at solving; I don't see which part of the audio chain they seek to enhance, beyond a vague reference to grounding - are these grounded? The comparison with a linear vs switched mode power supply isn't really comparing apples with apples - one can easily understand where such a like for like upgrade could be beneficial.
Is it possibly the case that the attraction of such accessories is psycho-acoustic in nature, fed by a desire to personalise and improve one's relationship with his system & music? ( - please be assured that even if this is the case, I am not decrying it). It could be likened to the feeling that your car is faster once it has had a decent clean, a wax & a polish. And it's tyres shined. And some dashboard shine applied. And...
Without meaning to psychoanalyze overmuch, the first sentence or two of Danny's conclusion could be read this way.
Does any of this matter? Probably not. But, if the psychoacoustic effect is at play here then it is a uniquely personal response, very much between an individual and his system; it's hard to see where published reviews of such accessories leave a mag/webzine in it's relationship with a wider readership, TBH. (One effect I could easily imagine is a lot of bashing from the more rabidly militant.)
Akiko - I've seen them and they company blurb mentions grounding but the mains doodads aren't grounded - not on the Schuko versions anyway. I have no idea of what they do or are supposed to do.
The psychoacoustic thing is interesting and I'm certain that it plays a part in some things when listening. I had an interesting thing with the TQ ultra Blacks - as a devout non-believer I was expecting to plug them in, have a quick listen, have nothing change and send them back as something we couldn't review (we only review stuff that reaches the reviewers own benchmark of what's "hot"). However, the effect was immediate and exactly the opposite of what I was expecting.
I did have an interesting experience at Munich in a room playing Pioneer (IIRC) kit. It sounded very good indeed and I was a bit gobsmacked so went to chat with the people running the room. Apparently the kit had been messed about with crystals and all manner of new age hocum - - but it did sound great...go figure.
The Sticks from Akiko are certainly gonna divide opinion and I thought long and hard about publishing at all, but then they clearly made a difference to Danny and in Danny's system and he was reviewing them so so be it :-) - Enter the HP competition and if you win you can let us know what you heard or didn't :-)
Stu
Thanks for taking my observations in the spirit they were intended. I guess they were questioning the editorial policy more than the veracity of the review (which I accept, of course).
Interesting experience with Pioneer also. Food for thought!
...
or did you mean this link ? http://hifipig.com/free-magazine-2/
Editorial policy on the Pig is that kit gets sent to a reviewer, they review it, send me the review and I publish it :-) Not really a policy as such....
The New Age Hocum room was a bit mental...I think Lin comments on it in her Munich coverage somewhere.
I enjoyed reading it mate, well done. Where do I sign up for future issues/comp?
http://hifipig.com/van-de-leur-402-power-amplifier-and-002-preamplifier/
The Resonessence Herus headphone and DAC should appeal to a few on herehttp://hifipig.com/resonessence-labs-herus-headphone-amplifier-with-integrated-dac/ and here's Jerry's review of Isotek's EVO 3 mains cables. http://hifipig.com/isotek-evo3-premier-mains-cable/
My review of the TQ Claymore http://hifipig.com/tellurium-q-claymore-integrated-amplifier/
Hifi Pig: We don't revolve, we evolve.
I wish u all a happy new year and there's only 3 months to go until the F1 is back on our screens!
Although you don't call it a thug, the sledgehammer comment is close enough, and your observations about becoming a bass loon while you acclimatise rings true as well. I completely concur with your review Stu (not that it matters a jot, but it is a novelty for me to have direct experience of a product under review).
It's easily the last amplifier one would ever need, although there are more esoteric (: extreme) tangents for the dedicated enthusiast (: lunatic).
Bravo Colin (again!)
"This claymores ish brilliant an' itsh my best most wonderful friend ever..."
A listen to the Claymore is on my checklist of New Year tasks.
A harassing phone call is inbound to The Wonfor. So Colin when u popping down to Plymouth again??
Yep, no booze for a few months in Hifi Pig towers !
Alan, glad we concur :-)
Nice review by the way
Reviews: Pluto Ultimate Loudspeakers, Monster iSport Freedom
Headphones, Van de Leur 002/402 pre and power amps, Isotek EVO3 Mains
cables, Resonessence Herus headphone amp/DAC, Wireworld Starlight 7 USB cable, Tellurium Q Claymore integrated amplifier.
Plus: Editorial comment, Reader System, Dealer System, Interview with
Holger Fromme MD at Avantgarde Acoustics, a factory visit to Cabasse,
music reviews and the pick of 2013's albums.
Win: Chord Company's Epic Reference Loudspeaker cable worth £750 plus Akiko Tuning Sticks.
http://hifipig.com/free-magazine-2/
Should add I've added a nifty little reader to the page so you can read it without downloading the PDF. It's a nice interface I think.
This is 'chews my dear fellow.
price spectrum. First up is the Coffman Labs' G-1A valve preamp that
comes in at $5500 in the US. It comes with a MC and MM phonostage plus a
headphone amp. http://hifipig.com/coffman-labs-g-1a...-preamplifier/
Secondly we have the Isolator from The Cartridge Man which is a little
£85 bit of "foam" and metal that you stick your cartridge to before
bolting the whole lot to your arm. http://hifipig.com/the-cartridge-man-isolator/ Bang for buck this is, in the system I used it with, a great tweak to my mind!
Lots more reviews coming from some well known names and some less well known. Have fun,
Stu
My comments on the Oriton Audio R33 support system....rack. http://hifipig.com/oriton-r33-support-system/
http://hifipig.com/atoll-electronique-in200-se-integrated-amplifier-cd200-se-2-cd-player/
Also quite a few music reviews have been added recently http://hifipig.com/category/album-reviews-2/
let that put you off listening to them if you are lucky enough to get
the chance in the UK. I'd heard them at shows here in france a few times
and was a bit intrigued by the sound coming out of these weird looking
speakers with tiny drivers (they're not drivers in the conventional
sense).
http://hifipig.com/leedh-e2-loudspeakers/