I hoped to hear the Halo Integrated for myself. So when, for the March 2019 issue, I reviewed the Spendor Audio Systems A7 loudspeaker, which requires more power than my 20Wpc Shindo Laboratory Haut-Brion amp can muster, I requested a loaner.…
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In his review in the November 2015 issue, Herb Reichert wrote that Parasound's Halo Integrated amplifier "has a recognizable sonic personality: easy flowing, mostly smooth, and decidedly mellow. . . . But don't worry—it's not milquetoast mellow or unwashed-hippy-stoner mellow. It is, instead, an everything's-under-control, don't-worry-now mellow."
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: 2.1-channel, solid-state integrated amplifier. Analog inputs: RCA (5), XLR (1), minijack (3.5mm). Theater/Sub: RCA (2), XLR (1). Digital inputs: optical, coaxial, USB. Headphone output: 3.5mm. Power output: 160Wpc into 8 ohms (22dBW), 270Wpc into 4 ohms (21.2dBW). Frequency response: 10Hz–100kHz, +0/–3dB.
Dimensions: 17" (437mm) W by 5.9" (150mm) H by 16.1" (413mm) D. Weight: 33 lbs (15kg) net, 44.9 lbs (20.4kg) shipping.
Finishes: Black, Silver.
Price: $2995. Approximate number of dealers: 200+.
Manufacturer: Parasound Products, Inc…
For sheer scale, perhaps the most impressive system I heard at the Munich High End show was in the room shared by Von Schweikert and VAC. The star of the show was—perhaps—the Von Schweikert Ultra Reference 9 loudspeaker, which sells for an impressive $200,000/pair. The Ultra series is, Von Schweikert says, a cost-no-object line. So far there are three speakers in the line: The 9, the $300,000 11, and the $90,000 55. Von Schweikert, of course, also sells more modestly priced loudspeakers; their VR-22 is under $3000 / pair.
I wrote, “for sheer scale.” Very likely, this system is capable of…
I have on hand a number of pairs of headphones. And I admit that I've lusted after the heavenly sounding, medieval-looking Abyss AB-1266 Phi headphones, and considered the MrSpeakers Aeon closed-back headphones. (I prefer the isolation from outside sounds provided by closed-back 'phones.) But from the moments I saw—and then heard—Meze Audio's 99 Classics, with their graceful style, balanced sound, and natural wood-grained glory, they had me.
Generally, I'm not a headphone guy. I prefer to experience recorded music at full scale and full dynamic range, with lifelike aural images dancing…
The curious genre of hip-hop called trap combines scurrying grooves with surreal, queasy melodies that seem created with pedestrian sampling software. More humble and personal than typical chest-pounding hip-hop, trap is all about trials and troubles relayed over beats infused with ennui. The 99 Classics presented trap artist Offset's "Red Room" with a midrange-heavy sound and believable soundstaging. By contrast, Awefekt's organic techno bounced between my ears with gentle force. All in all, when playing files, the 99 Classics never sounded tonally dull or spatially one-dimensional. If…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Circumaural, closed-back headphones. Drive-units: 1.6" (40mm) Mylar cones. Frequency range: 15Hz–25kHz. Sensitivity: 103dB/1kHz/1mW. Impedance: 32 ohms. Rated input power: 30mW. Maximum input power: 50mW. Detachable Kevlar OFC cable. Plug: 3.5mm, gold-plated.
Weight: 9.2oz (260gm) without cables.
Finish: Walnut earcups.
Serial number: Not noted.
Price: $309. Approximate number of dealers: 33. Warranty: 1 year.
Manufacturer: Meze Audio, Romania. Web: mezeaudio.com
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Kuzma Stabi S & Stogi turntable & tonearm; Thorens TD 124 Mk.I turntable, Jelco 350S tonearm; Denon DL-103, Hana EL, Ortofon Quintet Bronze cartridges.
Digital Sources: Sony VAIA laptop computer running Qobuz, Tidal; Tascam CD-200iL CD player; BorderPatrol SE, AudioQuest DragonFly Red DACs; Western Digital T2 Mirror Drives (2).
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 A23 MC step-up transformer, Luxman EQ-500 phono preamplifier.
Integrated Amplifiers: Parasound Halo Hint 6, Schiit Audio Ragnarok.
Headphones: AudioQuest…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I didn't measure the Meze Audio 99 Classics' frequency response; I lack the necessary simulated head and torso, and estimating the optimal response of headphones is far from simple. However, I measured the 99 Classics' impedance and electrical phase with the headphones mounted on my head (fig.1. The electrical phase angle was close to 0° up to 6kHz, suggesting that the drive-unit behaves as a pure resistor up to that frequency; the slightly positive angle that increases above 6kHz is due to the driver's residual inductance. The impedance magnitude was a fairly…
I have reviewed several network-connected music servers in recent years, from Antipodes, Aurender, and NAD. All performed well but are relatively expensive, and their associated player apps didn't equal Roon's user friendliness in terms of interface, organization of the library, and inclusion and updating of metadata. So when Roon Labs introduced their own server, the Nucleus+, I first reviewed and then purchased it, along with a lifetime subscription to Roon. But at $2498 without an internal drive for storing music files, the Nucleus+ is still relatively expensive, and even Roon's less-…
Pro-Jecting
The Pro-Ject Play app's home screen offers buttons for selecting Music Library, Web Radio, Bluetooth, USB/PC (echoing the function of the Stream Box's front-panel button), and Shairport-Sync. Selecting Bluetooth and pairing with my iPhone 6S let me stream music without any problem. Selecting Music Library brings up the usual menu of Favorites, Playlists, Artists, Albums, and Genres, as well as buttons for Media Servers and Internal. Selecting a track to play and then pressing Playback at the bottom of the screen displays the total playing time and elapsed time, as well as…
The Pro-Ject Play app's home screen offers buttons for selecting Music Library, Web Radio, Bluetooth, USB/PC (echoing the function of the Stream Box's front-panel button), and Shairport-Sync. Selecting Bluetooth and pairing with my iPhone 6S let me stream music without any problem. Selecting Music Library brings up the usual menu of Favorites, Playlists, Artists, Albums, and Genres, as well as buttons for Media Servers and Internal. Selecting a track to play and then pressing Playback at the bottom of the screen displays the total playing time and elapsed time, as well as…