Does the iFi NEO iDSD 2 Dominate the Desktop? ListenUp 2026-09-20 | Does the iFi NEO iDSD 2 Dominate the Desktop?
Review | Meze Liric II Closed Back Headphones ListenUp 2024-03-27 | Shop Meze Liric II: listenup.com/products/meze-audio-liric-ii-closed-back-headphonesHey, this is Matt from ListenUp. And today we're reviewing the new Meze Liric II over-the-ear closed back headphone.I volunteered to do this review because I have been a Liric I owner for a couple of years now. Initially, this headphone got some mixed reviews across the industry. But I chose it because I really wanted a closed back headphone that had all day comfort and these felt great. And of course the build quality was excellent. However, when it comes to sound, as with most closed back headphones, you've got good imaging, but you don't have a super wide sense of space—the way you might in an open back. But, it's personal preference. For me it created kind of this real inward listening experience that was very private, and intimate—not the last word in detail, but I could still hear some separation from the instruments. So now let’s see how the new Meze Liric II compares. Just looking at the packaging and the spec sheet, I think it's amazing that Meze has been able to deliver these for the exact same price. So at $2,000, the Liric II holds the price of the Liric I. And this is in a time when it seems like everything in Hi-Fi has gotten 20, 30, 40% more expensive. And not only did they hold the price, but Meze now includes their upgraded cable as well as a 3 meter version of the cable that came with the original pair. So you're actually getting slightly better value across the board. So we haven't had a lot of time to dig in and do a deep dive on the sound comparison. But what I will say is right away, the things I liked about the Liric I are present in the Liric II and more—they are even smoother sounding. I know when I have days where I'm just clacking away at my computer, building spreadsheets, writing emails, whatever it is, I’ll be able to wear these headphones for multiple hours without fatigue, either physically or sonically. The sound is kind of the highlight of the build change outside of the external appearance. It’s what Meze calls QWRM technology and it brings down the treble a little bit. it's a wave forming mechanism and it's actually a physical thing that you can see on the device. And it really does smooth out the bright spots present in the Liric I sound signature. Also, I think Meze continues to have one of the highest standards in the industry for build quality. Everything about the Liric II feels luxurious and they've really hit on a lot of the points that reviewers and people in the industry didn't appreciate with the first version. I think it's a really powerful thing when companies find their biggest critics and they send them an update to this product. And if you look across YouTube, you'll find several deep dive reviews where the first people they sent the Liric II out to were people that were very critical of the Liric I. To me that shows incredible confidence. Like most high end Meze headphones, the Liric IIs are using the Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array MZ4 driver technology. So this is one of the most sophisticated and advanced planar magnetic technologies in the world, and it's been scaled down to headphone size. It uses a wave configuration combined with a coil configuration to give you different sound signatures throughout the frequency range.These headphones are also ultra low distortion with a total harmonic distortion that measures under 0.15% across the entire frequency range. They're incredibly lightweight at 71 grams. Maybe it's not fair to say featherweight, but certainly not the type of thing that's going to make you uncomfortable, whether you're listening at your desk or on the go.And these are pretty easy headphones to drive. They'll do 100 db @ 1kHz, 1 mW, which means they can be driven by almost any portable source—no need for massive amplification.Specs aside, what are the big things here that you're going to hear different in the Liric II versus the Liric I? Again, they've tuned the whole sound signature to kind of roll off those high frequency peaks that are above 7000. So you're going to get a smoothness in the upper part of the range that was really missing in the Liric I. They use something they call a Phase X system—the idea is to create more spatial imaging, which is tough in a closed back headphone. I certainly don't think it reaches the level of a open headphone, but I can hear some improvements in the spatial presentationOverall, an already great headphone that has been improved upon—ultra comfortable and pleasing to wear, and, most importantly, to listen to. I’m excited to spend more time with the new Meze Liric IIs!#MezeHeadphones #MezeAudio #MezeLiricII #ClosedBackHeadphones #AudiophileHeadphones#HeadphoneFanatic0:00 Intro0:30 Liric II vs. Liric I1:50 Price & Improvements2:50 Listening Impressions4:13 Build Quality & Design6:02 Main Take Away
Rega NAIA Low Mass Turntable Rises to a New Height ListenUp 2024-03-20 | Shop Rega Naia: listenup.com/products/rega-naia-turntable-with-aphelion-2-cartridgeThe New Rega Naia Reference Turntable represents the pinnacle of Rega’s new approach to turntable design—years in the making. A flagship by all means, but more so the final chapter in their exploration to find a design that breaks the mold of reference turntables as we know it, maximizing performance and value. The Naia introduces a new concept, going in the opposite direction of standard heavy, high mass tables that use their heft to create a solid, damp foundation for vinyl playback. Instead, the Rega Naia utilizes a light, low mass plinth, designed to be so forgiving that it almost elevates above room vibrations—a turntable that floats on air. Rega Naia Plinth and Platter DesignThe Naia achieves its levitation-like performance by using a Graphene impregnated carbon fiber skeletal plinth with a Tancas 8 foam core. This ultra rigid structure is then made even stiffer using two ceramic aluminum oxide braces. The same material is used to create the redesigned, resonance controlled ceramic platter with an improved flywheel effect. Tonearm Complementing the space-age plinth and platter design is a RB Titanium Tonearm. It is designed to have the minimum of mechanical joints. The RB Titanium offers near frictionless movement horizontally and vertically with no free play in the bearing assemblies. The RB Titanium uses a new one-piece titanium vertical bearing housing and titanium vertical spindle assembly. The cartridge (Rega recommends a Rega Aphelion 2 MC) is mounted on the polished aluminum single piece arm tube to keep mass as low as possible. The design is complete with a Tungsten balance weight shaft balance weight. Sub PlatterThe sub platter uses a spindle and central bearing, painstakingly manufactured from zirconium toughened alumina. The result from this complex engineering process is the hardest, most accurate and longest lasting bearing assembly Rega has ever produced. Power SupplyThe Rega Naia’s power supply offers optimal motor control stability, electronic speed change, anti-vibration control and adjustable, electronic speed adjustment to ensure control and tonal accuracy over the life of the motor. The reference PSU is dedicated to running the 24v, low noise motor quietly. The speed is controlled precisely by a generator built on a high stability crystal. This piece divides the accurate square wave from the crystal to the exact frequency required to turn the platter at the chosen speed. Belt Drive SystemFor the belt drive system, Rega introduces a breakthrough rubber compound for the drive belts. This new compound offers the most dimensional accurate belts ever used in a Rega table, resulting in perfect speed stability.ConclusionOverall, the Rega Naia represents a true milestone in turntable design, matching, and in some cases exceeding the performance of tables two and three times the price. The low mass design directly addresses the issue of mass absorption and unwanted energy, allowing your records to rise above the noise. #RegaNaia #ReferenceTurntables #BetlDriveTurntables #LowMassTurntables 0:00 Intro0:53 Sound Impressions3:21 Build5:15 Low Mass Concept
The Ultimate HiFi Hub | NAD Masters M66 Complete Analog/Digital Preamplifier ListenUp 2024-03-13 | Shop NAD Masters M66: listenup.com/products/nad-masters-m66-streaming-dac-preamplifierThe NAD Masters M66 is a highly advanced preamplifier, designed to be the literal “Brain” of a modern HiFi system. With seemingly endless capability on both the analog and digital fronts there isn’t much it can’t do—phono stage, streaming, built-in DAC, multi-room, and more Oh, and it does room correction as well—we weren’t kidding about endless capability. NAD M66 Design and ChassisThe M66 offers a sophisticated, well-built chassis with a singular control knob and “star of the show”—a 7” touchscreen to elegantly display all the functions and album artwork. It pairs perfectly with NAD’s Masters M23 power amplifier, but can be paired with other power amps if you choose. NAD M66 Streaming CapabilityAs with most things regarding the M66, streaming capability isn’t in short supply. It gives you access to more than 20 high-res (up to 24-bit/192kHz) streaming services via the BluOS app and has Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, and Apple Airplay 2. Furthermore, the M66 can control playback by voice using Alexa or Siri and it integrates with home automations systems from Control4, Crestron, and more. However, the real digital fireworks are with its BluOS multi-room capability. The M66 can integrate with a BlueSound ecosystem and play music in any room whether through a Bluesound wireless speaker or any other device with BlueOS on board. It can even transport analog from the phono stage to digital, so you can run a turntable through the M66 and play your records in multiple zones. No longer analog, but who won’t want the opportunity to play records anywhere in the house. NAD M66 Room Correction CapabilityFew rooms sound perfect. And if you can’t dive into acoustic treatment for various reasons—it might not jive with your decor for one—room corrections systems are a good way to go. The M66 has Dirac Live Room Correction built-in. Just connect with your smart device and the app walks you through the calibration, resulting in much better sound, even in the most acoustically challenged rooms. There is even Dirac Live Bass Control that is built-in to the M66. This allows you to get the most out of the four balanced and unbalanced subwoofer outputs—a first for a stereo component. That’s right you can hook up four subs, and using the Dirac Live Bass Control, place them strategically throughout the room to blend perfectly with your main speakers and achieve a full range of sound only possible by high-dollar mega systems. NAD M66 Digital SectionThe M66 features an ESS Sabre ES9038PRO DAC to convert digital to analog as well as a ES9822PRO ADC chip for when you want to use the Dirac Room Correction system on your records—converting analog to digital. Driving the conversions is NAD’s Dynamic Digital Headroom circuitry. This unique technology helps eliminate the sharp highs that are common with digital sources, resulting in a smoother sonic presentation. NAD M66 Analog SectionAs mentioned, the M66 will allow you to convert the built-in MM and MC phono stage to digital so you can use Dirac Room Correction or do multi-room. But for a pure analog experience, the M66 features Analog Direct mode, bypassing all digital processing, which means you can use the completely separate and shielded analog section with discrete power supply to its fullest. Any digital interference is removed, giving you the ideal analog sound—smooth, lush, and textured. NAD M66 Inputs & OutputsFrom analog to digital there are a complete suite of inputs on the M66. Starting with analog, in addition to both of the aforementioned MM and MC phono inputs, there are both line-level analog inputs and balanced inputs to handle external analog sources like a CD player or streaming DAC. On the digital front, there are two coaxial and two optical inputs, as well as AES/EBU balanced inputs. And for video, an HDMI eARC port to integrate seamlessly with your TV and remote. There is also an ethernet connection for direct streaming, WiFi to go wireless, and a USB input for stored digital files from a thumb drive, server, or computer. The M66 is also well appointed when it comes to outputs. You can connect to an external power amplifier via both unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR. And as mentioned previously, there are four subwoofer outputs–both balanced and unbalanced. #StreamingPreamplifier #DigitalPreAmplifier #NADM66 #AnalogPreamplifier #DiracRoomCorrection0:00 Intro0:48 Analog Section1:23 Digital Section2:02 Subwoofer Outputs2:48 DAC & ADC4:00 Analog Bypass5:10 Streaming Capability6:02 Dynamic Digital Headroom6:30 Multi-Room Capability7:20 Software Upgrades8:20 Sound Quality
Sony Bravia X93L mini LED with Leon Frame #ArtTV #FrameTV #homeentertainment ListenUp 2024-03-08 | ...
The Sony Bravia XR X93L w/ Leon Studio Frame Review ListenUp 2024-03-07 | Shop Now: listenup.com/products/leon-studio-frame-for-sony-bravia-x93lCaptivating even when it’s off. That’s the beauty, literally, of an Art TV. And the new Sony Bravia X93L & Leon Studio Frame combo is currently at the top of our list for TVs that can do double duty as decor. X93L w/ Leon Frame Art Capability Available for both 65” and 75” models, the Leon Studio Frame transforms a boring black box when the TV is off into a brilliant piece of art, giving you the chance to enjoy incredible Mini LED contrast and brightness and up the decor of your home all in one package. The Leon Frame works seamlessly with X93L. Just pick out the frame color that suits your taste—Studio Walnut, Studio Grain White, Studio Matte Black, or Studio Oak—and it integrates easily with the X93L—watch installation video. Included is a thumb drive that plugs into the TV, allowing you to load the Sony Art Frame Gallery app. The app includes 70 works of art from Sony’s Alpha photography collection, The National Gallery Collection of Paintings, and an exclusive piece by Detroit-based artist Mike Han. You can even upload your own images, including your digital photography collection. Additionally, with the app you can pick out matts to enhance the art. And there are a multitude of matt sizes and colors available. You can even adjust the brightness of the artwork displayed to be more vibrant or subtle. It allows you the opportunity to completely customize and update artwork whenever you like. For energy savings and convenient functionality, there is a builtin motion and light sensor that will turn the TV off when the room is vacant. And it can be programmed to turn off at night or different times of day. Sony X93L Picture PerformanceAside from its art capability, the Sony Bravia XR X93L offers incredible picture quality for movies and shows. Mini LED contrast and brightness, powered by Sony’s intelligent Cognitive Processor XR, incorporates thousands of Mini LEDs, controlled by an XR Backlight Master Drive, delivering a picture full of vibrant color and detail even in rooms get tons of sunlight. The X93L gives you a Home Theater level experience anywhere in the house. Sony & Leon Frame Art TV ConclusionTVs have long been the centerpiece of great rooms and living rooms. But as they’ve become larger (the average TV size is now 75 inches) the need for TVs to do more when they are not in use has increased along with their size—who wants a big black box hanging on their wall whenever you are not consuming content? That’s what makes the Sony X93L with Leon Studio Frame such a great choice. It gives you incredible Mini LED picture performance for movies and shows, and a huge collection of art to display otherwise. Plus, the ability to program the art, so switching back and forth is no trouble at all. #ArtTVs #DigitalDecor #SonyX93L #LeonStudioFrame0:00 Intro0:39 Art TV Concept1:31 X93L Art Capability5:41 X93L Picture Performance6:22 Matte Options/Customization 7:17 New Tech from Sony8:35 Where to Find
All Things Analog | Turntable Demos & How Records Are Made w/ Rega, ProJect, VMP, Denon, NAD ListenUp 2024-02-29 | ListenUp, joined by Rega, Pro-Ject, NAD, Technics, and Vinyl Me, Please, invite you to a night of celebrating all things analog with keynote speakers, in-store demonstrations and shopping rare and collectible vinyl records with our friends at the Rocky Mountain Record Show and Wax Trax Records.All Things Analog celebrates the launch of vinyl records in ListenUp’s showrooms with room by room presentations from 5:30PM - 7:30PM ranging from the record production process to the technologies powering today’s best analog equipment.All Things Analog is perfect for everyone, whether you’ve been crate digging for years or are looking to build your first turntable setup.Manufacturer representatives from Pro-Ject and Rega will be leading demonstrations and answering any questions.Beginning at 7PM MST: Gary Salstrom from Vinyl Me, Please will be the keynote speaker for the evening, discussing the vinyl record production process. Gary brings over 40 years of experience in making records and is a master in the art of vinyl production. You’ll then bounce from room to room to experience live system demonstrations and analog equipment discussions with Rega, Pro-Ject, NAD, and Technics. Seminars start at 5:30PM.
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How To Setup ProJect Debut Carbon EVO Turntable ListenUp 2024-02-20 | Chat for additional help: listenup.com/pages/contact-usOr call: 877-744-1179 Shop Project Debut Carbon: listenup.com/products/carbon-evo-turntable?variant=41921851654303In this video we will show you how to set up the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO belt-drive Turntable. We will cover installing the platter and putting on the belt, installing the counter weight, setting the tone arm, setting anti-skate and more. Plus, we’ll go over some simple ways to upgrade to get even better performance.Be sure to like, comment, or subscribe.And follow us on other mediums:Facebook: facebook.com/ListenUpInstagram: instagram.com/listenup_avTikTok: tiktok.com/@listenup_av#Pro-JectDebutCarbonEVOSetup #ProJectDebutCarbonEVO #ProJectDebutCarbonUpgrades0:00 Intro1:25 Basic Upgrades2:33 Installing Belts3:25 Setting the Platter & Matt4:12 Placing the Cartridge5:03 Setting the Counter Weight & Tone Arm7:30 Setting Anti-Skate9:12 Replacing the Cartridge9:45 Final Thoughts
How To Setup Rega Planar 1 Belt-Drive Turntable ListenUp 2024-02-20 | Chat for additional help: listenup.com/pages/contact-usOr call: 877-744-1179Shop Rega Planar 1: listenup.com/products/rega-planar-1-turntable-eco-green-deckIn this video we will show you how to set up the Rega Planar 1 Turntable. We will cover installing the platter and putting on the belt, installing the counter weight, setting the tone arm and more. It’s a pretty simple table to set up but this will help you to make sure everything is right, so you can enjoy your records. Be sure to like, comment, or subscribe.And follow us on other mediums:Facebook: facebook.com/ListenUpInstagram: instagram.com/listenup_avTikTok: tiktok.com/@listenup_av#RegaPlanar1SetUp #RegaPlanar1 #RegaPlanar1EcoGradeTurntable #UpCycledTurntables0:00 Intro0:38 Installing the Platter & Belt2:00 Installing the Counter Weight2:24 Setting the Tone Arm3:38 Final Thoughts
How To Setup Denon DP-3000NE Direct-Drive Turntable ListenUp 2024-02-20 | Chat for additional help: https://direct.lc.chat/11827467/Or call: 877-744-1179Shop DP-3000NE: listenup.com/products/denon-dp-3000ne-premium-direct-drive-turntableIn this video we will show you how to set up the Denon DP-3000NE Direct Drive Turntable. We will cover basic operation, installing the platter, mounting the cartridge, setting the tone arm and counter weight, setting up anti-skate, adjusting vertical tracking and more. Be sure to like, comment, or subscribe.And follow us on other mediums:Facebook: facebook.com/ListenUpInstagram: instagram.com/listenup_avTikTok: tiktok.com/@listenup_av#DenonDP-3000NESetup #DenonTurntables #DirectDriveTurntableSetup0:00 Getting Started00:58 Installing the Platter1:26 Mounting the Cartridge3:58 Setting Tone Arm & Counter Weight7:04 Setting up Anti-Skate8:23 Adjusting Vertical Tracking11:28 Outputs & Phono Stage11:47 Using a Moving Coil13:23 Final Thoughts
New from Focal, the Aria Evo X ListenUp 2024-02-15 | Focal's new Aria Evo X is a line of high-fidelity loudspeakers for the home to follow in the footsteps of the Aria 900 range, which has enjoyed a decade of success. With revamped technologies and a brand new finish, the Aria Evo X loudspeakers step it up another notch in terms of both sound and design. The French brand has developed this new range as a continuation of the Aria philosophy: to deliver a pure listening experience by providing the best loudspeakers in their category.Check out our full review video for more about the Aria Evo X series. Link in bio. #Focal #Loudspeaker #SpeakerReview #HifiAudio #AriaEvoX #audiophile
NEW Focal Aria Evo X N° 3 Impressions ListenUp 2024-02-14 | Shop Now: listenup.com/collections/focal-aria-evo-xNew Aria EVO X Lineup:No. 1: This is a two-way design, in a bookshelf/compact monitor cabinet, with ONE mid-bass driverNo. 2: A 3-way, floor standing design; TWO 6 1/2” bass driversNo. 3 THREE 6 1/2” bass drivers.No. 4: bending the rules a bit here - TWO 8” bass driversEach of these speakers is designed with the same materials. Deciding which one is right for you will depend on a number of things, including the size of your space, listening distance, and the other components in the system. The Arias series also features a center channel and bi-polar surrounds for a complete home theater system. BuildThe cabinets are made of ultra-rigid MDF, which is a very common material used for speakers for its rigidity and consistency. But you will notice that the sides of the speaker are NOT parallel. This is to avoid standing waves and unwanted resonance in the cabinet. The model we have here is an example of their Prime Walnut finish. There is also high-gloss black. And the newest finish is the high-gloss moss green. On the floor-standing speakers, the attachable bass is made of an aluminum alloy, to decouple the speaker from the floor. The floor spikes are adjustable and can be used to level and angle the speaker if needed. And it features a waveguide for the bottom port. The 3-way speakers are both front-ported and bottom-ported. This is going to give us more impact in the bass as well as even bass dispersion in the room. Drivers:They all feature the signature TAM tweeter. Made of an aluminum-magnesium alloy, these tweeters are very rigid and very light for excellent transients. The “inverted-M” shape is something you will see in every Focal speaker. This design helps the tweeter keep its shape at high volumes and frequencies and helps with widening the sweet spot. The waveguide used also opens up the horizontal listening plane. Again, proper positioning will give you the most out of these speakers, but the loss of detail is so much less when you do move from the best listening position. The midrange and bass drivers are using Focal’s well-known flax-sandwich cones. These drivers have very natural damping qualities. This is one of the biggest contributors to the near-warmth and fullness that these speakers are known for. The midrange drivers are also using Focal’s Tuned Mass Damper, keeping the midrange moving in a predictable, piston-like motion. This driver handles a lot of the frequencies with the most information for human ears, making the speakers very pronounced and intelligible. Lastly, the speaker is finished with a leather effect on the front and back. It looks great and it helps the baffle to be less reflective. SpecsThese are 8-ohm speakers. Specs for each speaker can be found on the Focal website, but they are all relatively efficient—92dB.Listening ImpressionsThese speakers are just too easy to listen to. If you’ve been experiencing harshness in the speakers you’ve listened to, this speaker addresses this. However, to call it “warm” would be too oversimplify. The “warmth” we experience in other speakers is often a result of resonance in the cabinet or a roll-off from the tweeter. This is not happening in the Aria Evo X.The tweeter more than exceeds the limit of human hearing. If there’s audio information up there, these speakers are playing it. But these speakers are very fast, which is why we hear so much detail that might have been hidden before, without the consequences of dominating high-frequencies OR bass notes masking the mid- and upper-ranges. In a word: dry. They do not embellish the upper frequencies and they do not over-push the lows.This adds up to an ease-of-listening, because the fatigue we can experience with bright speakers is simply not there. Vocals were so natural and so clear, the cymbals and transients were precise and easily placed in the recordings. Bass, ever-present and smooth. Without a subwoofer, these sound fantastic. But there’s not many speakers I wouldn’t recommend adding a subwoofer to. If you do add a subwoofer, you will need one that reaches very low with excellent power in order to keep up with the performance of these speakers. Amplifier PairingsWe also put these speakers on different amps to see what the best pairing would be. On a tube system, we doubled-down on the richness and immersiveness that these speakers offer. It was an incredibly musical sound. However, when placed on an excellent solid-state amp, there was so much precision and edge-detail. This was where we found just how transparent these speakers are. Traditionally, you will see these paired with 120W - 200W solid state amps. #FocalAriaEvoX #AriaEvoXNo3 #FocalLoudspeakers0:00 Intro1:15 Lineup2:22 Build/Design4:23 Drivers7:00 Impressions9:42 Amp Pairings10:44 Summary
Direct Drive Refined with Denon’s DP-3000NE #hifiaudio #vinyl #analog #turntable ListenUp 2024-02-09 | Denon has a huge history in analog playback and now they are saying the DP-3000NE direct drive turntable is their most refined turntable to date.Check out our full review video to find out what we have to say about it. listenup.com/products/denon-dp-3000ne-premium-direct-drive-turntable#lightbox-gallery-1#turntable #recordplayer #vinyl #AnalogMonth #audiophile #productreview
New Go-To Direct-Drive Turntable? How Denon DP-3000NE Compares to Technics SL-1200 ListenUp 2024-02-08 | If you are in the US, Denon might not be the first name you think of when you think about turntables. If you have been around hip hop or any DJ community you probably think of Technics and their legendary SL-1200. If you are deep in HiFi you might be thinking of dedicated Turntable brands like VPI or Rega, but Denon has a huge history in analog playback and now a modern turntable that competes with some of the best out there. So today we are going to set the record straight on legendary Japanese turntables.Denon grew out of a parent company called Nippon Columbia which was founded in 1910 and their very first product was a phonograph with a gramophone horn so if you want to stretch to Denon’s roots you could say that they have been in the analog business for nearly 115 years. This parent company also spent decades pressing records with the brand’s slogan being “Music for Japanese families.” So yeah Denon has some history with analog.In the 1970s they manufactured turntables primarily for broadcasting where direct drive was a key technology. Think about it if you are a radio DJ you need two things to be certain with your equipment. 1. The table needs to get to speed almost instantly and 2. You need rock solid reliability. Denon Direct Drive tables delivered both and soon became the gold standard in broadcast quality turntables. So fast forward another half century and we have Denon’s latest and according to the brand most refined turntable to date the DP-300NE.How does Denon honor their heritage and create a turntable worthy of their history? They started by rethinking the 3 phase AC drive motor they have used versions of for decades. Then they utilized a marriage of time tested components, paired with some modern rocket science. Finally, they applied something called Space Vector Pulse Wave Modulation to the power control of this older motor design. The results are a drive system with proven reliability and speed fluctuations that are so low it is nearly impossible to measure.To have a turntable give you perfectly accurate reproduction is ONLY one of the three key areas to address. Whats next? Well the tone arm and the ability to track the grooves accurately. Denon accomplishes this with an S shape tonearm extruded from aluminum. The materials were chosen for low vibration and the shape optimizes tracking angle at any point in the record. This tonearm has all the necessary adjustments including a full 9mm of vertical adjustment to accommodate a huge variety of MM and MC cartridges and your choice of slip mats. Speaking of cartridges, Denon also has an amazing legacy in cartridges with the DL103 being the single longest running sku’s in their catalog and likely one of the longest unchanged products in the HiFi industry. These cartridges are still handmade and perform exceptionally well for their price across a huge range of music. Want to test different carts? Well you are in luck with the bayonet style headshells you can change carts in seconds to suit your listening preferences. The last thing you address to get highly accurate reproduction from your turntable is probably the first thing you would notice with the DP-3000NE. It is all about minimizing vibration and this table is a beast. At 40+ lbs this thing is a tank with most of that weight being this dense MDF plinth combined with massive, some might say, over-engineered feet. These feet combine metal, ABS, rubber, and a spring to help you set a perfect level and keep unwanted vibration from affecting the playback. So in my journey to find my next turntable where did all this research leave me? I mean learning all of this about the DP-3000NE certainly put it on my shortlist, but what about the DJ proven HiFi praised units from Technics? I will say emotionally I was in conflict, stuck making this decision on where to invest in a turntable I will likely have for the next decade. That is until we were able to unbox a DP-3000NE here in our studio. The photos and even this 4k video doesn’t do it justice. This is a beautifully built table with every finish a marvel to look at and even better to touch. Since my HiFi set up is not a dedicated listening room or man cave I brought my wife into the decision and the decision was made. The Denon oozes sophisticated luxury where the Technics radiates with techy widgets and the bravado of a club DJ? Am I ever going to use pitch control or a light for queuing? It's not likely and at the end of the day I am taking home the DP-3000NE as my primary turntable for years to come. #ModernDirectDriveTurntables #DenonTurntables #HiFiTurntables #PerformanceTurntables0:00 Why Denon 2:25 Denon Turntable History3:34 DP-3000NE Build/Performance6:51 Best Choice In Direct-Drive?7:59 Conclusion
NEW Cambridge CXN100 unboxing ListenUp 2024-02-02 | Unboxing the new Cambridge CXN100 Music Streamer.Check out our reveal video to learn more about this product.listenup.com/products/cambridge-audio-cxn100-network-music-streamer-gray#lightbox-gallery-1#MusicStreamer #Unboxing #ASMR #HiFi #music #NewRelease #NewProduct
New Cambridge CXN100 Music Streamer ListenUp 2024-02-01 | The Cambridge CXN100 Music Streamer is here! 🎶Now it is widely believed that Cambridge nailed the first version of the CXN, which came out in 2015. And then nailed it again with the V2 which came out in 2018, making light but meaningful improvements to a streamer that was already really good.And that story continues with the new CXN100—nothing major, just slight but meaningful improvements on an already great go-to streamer.Watch our full video on the CXN100 #HiFiAudio #MusicStreamer #music #audiophile #NewRelease
Revealed! New Cambridge CXN100 Music Streamer ListenUp 2024-02-01 | Shop CXN100: listenup.com/pages/cambridgeIt’s a good time to be looking for a music streamer because there are a bunch of great options being released, including a new updated version of a streamer that has been very popular at the near $1000 price point—and that is the new Cambridge CXN100. Now on its third rendition, the CXN100 will be replacing the CXN V2.Now it is widely believed that Cambridge nailed the first Version of the CXN, which came out in 2015. And then nailed it again with the V2 which came out in 2018, making light but meaningful improvements to a streamer that was already really good. So the story with the CXN has been when you make something great, try to make the updates to keep things current, but avoid anything radical because why overhaul something that already checks all the boxes. And that story continues with the new CXN100—nothing major, just slight but meaningful improvements on an already great go-to streamer. Chassis DesignReturning is the incredibly well-built chassis. Instead of cramming the design into as small a unit as possible, Cambridge designed this streamer in a full size chassis, consistent with the simplistic but elegant design language of the CX series. Color DisplayThe new color display, which is now bigger and brighter (1280 x 569 TFT) than the CXN V2, provides all the desired metadata, including the track title, artist, album artwork, and playback resolution.PreAmp CapabilityAlso, the new CXN100 provides pre-amp capabilities, in the event that a preamp is not already present. It can handle volume control for any connected digital source, allowing you to simplify and reduce components if you so choose. Inputs & OutputsThe front USB on the original CXN is no longer present. There is now just one located on the back panel. Otherwise inputs are mostly the same: Optical, Coaxial, and USB with asynchronous feedback. Bluetooth is now built-in, which is a nice addition since the CXN V2 required an additional dongle attachment that was not included. Outputs include balanced and unbalanced analog, as well as digital outs if you have a DAC that may outperform this one. Upgraded DACThe CXN100 now uses an ESS ES9028Q2M, updated from the dual Wolfson WM8740. The new ESS DAC has increased the playback resolution from 24-bit/96kHz to 32-bit/768kHz—not much out there the CXN100 can’t support. And the ESS sounds better, and measures better, than any DAC Cambridge has used in previous devices. StreamMagic Gen 4The new CXN100 features StreamMagic Gen 4 with a host of streaming services, including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz & Deezer Built-in. Plus, full MQA decoding. The new CXN also features Chromecast and Airplay. Plus, it’s Roon Ready and will do multiroom utilizing these services.Sound QualityThe most notable improvement is the sound of the CXN. It is sonically much more revealing, offering more nuances and subtleties than previous models. Yet Cambridge has maintained the smooth, natural sounding characteristics that were so highly praised in the first iteration of the CXN. While it looks familiar the CXN has undergone big changes under the hood. Hundreds of hours were spent listening and swapping out the audio critical components such as capacitors to tune the entire post DAC analog stage, resulting in increased signal to noise ratio, reduced distortion and a pristine digital music experience. ConclusionTo put it all together, the CXN100 is the absolute best version of the CXNs to be created. Cambridge has continued to be consistent with the design and functionality of this streamer, while taking the opportunity to update and improve the most important aspects required of a network streamer, including the overall sonic performance, its integration with high-resolutions streaming services and digital sources, the overall experience with the user interface and app, and its versatility and ability to be a useful part of the system for a long time. #CambridgeAudio #CXN100 #MusicStreamers #NetworkPlayers #StreamerDACs #HiResMusicStreaming0:00 Intro1:37 Chassis & Display2:10 Inputs/Outputs3:04 New DAC3:48 StreamMagic Gen 44:15 Sound Quality5:05 Conclusion
Unboxing the Hegel Viking CD Player ListenUp 2024-01-30 | Unboxing the Hegel Viking CD Player. 💿The Viking CD Player exemplifies Hegel’s philosophy on sound and design. It’s all about being natural. Or in this case, all about what a CD player is naturally meant to do—take the music from a CD and transport it to your ears in the best way possible and nothing more.Learn more about Hegel’s philosophy on sound and design in our interview with their head of marketing and communications, Anders Ertzeid. bit.ly/42ju52e#CD #music #HiFiAudio #CDPlayer #sound #philosophy #asmr #unboxing
