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Eight weeks after I'd submitted my review of the 37Wpc Grandinote Shinai integrated amplifier ($15,000), whose return to Reinhard Goerner of importer/distributor Goerner Audio was delayed due to the pandemic lockdown, the Italian integrated amp blew open.

I don't mean that it exploded; I mean its sound exploded: It blew open musically. As good as it was already, the sound went from here up to there, overnight. In 16 hours, the amp underwent a transformation that caused it to sound expressively freer.…

Sound Quality
To my ears, the Ether C Flow is neutral to slightly "U" shape sounding. Measured frequency response shows a headphone that is quite close to the Harman target response. Bass is boosted about 5dB above flat below 150Hz; the boost does not intrude into the mids but is slightly excessive in the mid-bass. Though following the target response quite closely, by ear it sounds somewhat too emphatic in the mid-treble area.

Dynamics are quite good, but not great; imaging is fairly good, a little shallow, but not great; resolving power is fairly good, but not great.…

Raw frequency response plots show that the Ether C Flow matches the Harman Target Response quite well, and in listening I found this a remarkably neutral headphone. The sharp inflection in the raw response is an artifact of pad bounce—the natural resonance of the pad system elasticity—and is generally not heard in as stark a way as measurements might indicate. I heard the bass of the Ether C Flow as quite good, but not as dramatically impactive as the Audeze headphones.

While the curve closely…

Sound Quality
At first blush the MDR-Z1R sounds like a warm warm headphone with some treble emphasis—a bit smilie face, but not bad. May brain never did get around to accommodating though.

The bass is a bit too strong and remains emphasized too far into the midrange giving it a thick character. A moderately withdrawn presence region adds some veil to the thick bass. A lack of energy 4-6kHz leaves cymbals lacking body, and a big peak at 10kHz add too much zing to everything and, while not piercing as would a 5kHz be, becomes significantly fatiguing over time.

When…

Raw frequency response plots show the Z1R is very insensitive to movement on the head—possibly due to the nicely fitting pads.

Bass response is elevated about 6dB above baseline. While it starts to come down at about 150Hz, it doesn't fully return to level until about 500Hz; in listening the bass did bleed into the mids. While the peak at 3kHz is at about the right level it is extremely sharp; I've not ever seen anything quite like it. The run up to the peak is a little slow to rise; in listening I…

Over the years I've been engaged with file playback, I've come to prefer a distributed approach, with three elements. The first is a NAS (or other medium) that stores the music data and puts it out when requested. The second is a computer that runs the library-management and control software that (…

ExaSound offered the first multichannel DAC that was intended for serious audiophiles and music lovers. I bought the e28 and have continued to use exaSound multichannel DACs. I use them just as much for stereo as for multichannel; stereo recordings still constitute about half my library.

For stereo-only audiophiles, exaSound has…

I often begin my listening with something favored and familiar; in this case it was Arvo Pärt's Fratres. I have 10 recordings of it, ranging from the classic ECM recording with Keith Jarrett (piano) and Gidon Kremer (violin) to a percussion solo or a saxophone quartet plus violin. Of my two current favorites, the first is the one by violinist Victoria Mullova (Onyx 4201,…

Description: Network-connected 8-channel 32-bit DAC. Digital inputs: LAN (RJ-45 and Wi-Fi), USB 2.0 audio, S/PDIF coaxial, S/ PDIF TosLink, 2 × USB 2.0 (keyboard, mouse), 2 × USB 3.0 (external storage). Outputs: 8 channels unbalanced (RCA) and balanced (XLR), headphone (¼" TRS, SE), HDMI (video only). Supported services: UPnP, AirPlay, Roon RAAT, NAA (HQPlayer), OpenHome, Tidal, Qobuz. Supported formats: DSD, WAV, FLAC, AIFF. Supported sample rates: up to DSD256, up to 32/384 (8 channels), and up to DSD512 (stereo) via USB and LAN; up to 24/192 PCM via S/PDIF…

Digital sources: Oppo Digital UDP-105 universal disc player, customized Baetis Prodigy X4i PC-based music server running JRiver Media Center v26 and Roon, exaSound Delta Music Server running Roon, Mytek Brooklyn, exaSound e38 Mark II and Okto dac8 PRO D/A processors. QNAP TVS-873 NAS.
Preamplifiers: Parasound P7, Coleman 71.SW Switch, JL Audio CR-1.
Power amplifiers: Benchmark AHB2, Classé Sigma Mono.
Loudspeakers: Revel Ultima2 Studio (L/C/R), Revel Performa3 F206 (SL/SR), 2 JL Audio f110v2 and 1 JL Audio e110 subwoofers.
Cables: Digital…