savoy014

Introduction The Taranis is Merrill Audio's most affordable amplifier. I seldom mention price at the very beginning of a review, but I'll make an exception for this one. The Taranis retails for USD 2,500. It is based on a Hypex Ncore NC500 module, and puts out 400 watts of power into 8 ohms, and 600 watts into 4 ohms. Oh, and it is built in a chassis that does not look flimsy, cheap nor home made. Taranis is the Celtic god of thunder. It didn't bring loud fearsome noises into my system, so the thunder is probably Merrill Audio striking fear into hearts of competitors. At this level of performance for the silly budget money that Merrill Audio is asking for, they had better be running scared. Description The Taranis is rather striking in appearance. The black steel chassis used contrasts nicely with the mirror polished silver front panel. No, it's not some laser cut or massive aluminum panel with decorative finish fit for a master craftsmen from horology's finest in S...

Introduction Couldn't get enough of Sablon Audio's products after reading my earlier review of the Corona Reserva power cord and Panatela Reserva speaker cable (click here for review) ? Here comes the interconnects ! To be continued ...

Introduction According to Sony, the SRS-HG1 is the world's smallest High-Resolution Audio portable wireless speaker. Available in 5 trendy colours, my review sample was finished in a very striking Lime Yellow colour. Description The SRS-HG1 measures 204x62x60 mm and weighs 790g. The driver complement consists of dual 35 mm full range drivers and a single passive radiator. Sony's S-Master HX Digital amp pumps out 12 watts of power. The DSEEHX Digital Sound Enhancement Engine processes lossy music files to address the quality lost during compression. The SRS-HG1 can be connected via Bluetooth (Version 4.2 is supported with compatibility with the following protocols, A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and SPP) or via USB. The onboard DAC supports bit depth of up to 24 bits and sampling rates up to 192 kHz. You can also stream music via wifi (this speaker is DLNA compliant), or hook up a legacy device via the stereo mini-jack on the rear panel. Delving deep into the manual shows that the SRS-HG1 has...

A new 2 channel centric forum has just been established for local audiophiles. Hopefully this site is able to gain some traction. Singapore has not seen an active audio forum since the days of Echoloft. Click on this link to visit.  

Introduction This is my first personal experience with SOtM products. Although I have heard them a number of times during our local AV show (ISSE), somehow they never made their way into my listening room. SOtM is a Korean audio company that has a line of interesting products, focussed in the area of digital audio. I first read about SOtM products quite a while ago when computer audio was in its infancy. They were one of the go-to companies for products such as filters (for computer fans, SATA interfaces and the like) and audiophile USB cards. Ray Ng from Raindrop Audio represents SOtM in Singapore and graciously supplied me with a number of products, including the sHP-100 which is the subject of this review. Description The sHP-100 is a diminutive USB DAC and headphone amplifier. Two additional digital inputs (coaxial and Toslink optical), and a single analog input (3.5 mm stereo mini-jack) are also offered. A variable line output (controlled by the volume knob in front) allows the sH...

Loved the Meze 99 Classics ? (Click here for my earlier review) Take a look at the Meze 11 Neo earphones.

Anyone notice Sony's PS-HX500 turntable launched at CES 2016 ? The good news is that the PS-HX500 is expected to hit our shores next month.  Pricing is to be confirmed. Here is Sony's official press release and pictures. It's really great that major companies are back into the vinyl market.  PRESS RELEASE (SINGAPORE,  6  June  2016)  As  the  global  resurgence  in  vinyl  continues,  Sony has announced a new premium turntable that enables vinyl owners to enjoy their favourite tracks in outstanding quality, even when on the move. In a world first, the Sony PS-HX500 allows you to convert  your  vinyl  collection  into  High-Resolution Audio  quality  digital  files  (equivalent  to  DSD quality) so that you can enjoy their unique sound wherever you may be.  High quality sound detail Made  for  music  lovers,  every  area  of  the ...