Darko.Audio
QUAD rebirths iconic 33 pre-amplifier & 303 power amplifier. Bowers & Wilkins upgrades Zeppelin to Pro Edition. No, vinyl sales are NOT 33% down in the USA. In Berlin for review: Moondrop’s DiscDream 2 Ultra. Buying direct vs. buying from a dealer. We need to talk…. Adam Audio’s D3V is a small room hi-fi system for €329.
The best way to stream hi-res audio from Apple Music
Jun 10, 2021 · The best way is the only way. In my previous post on hi-res audio on Apple Music, I detailed how Apple’s ‘hi-res lossless’ content – 24bit/96kHz or 24bit/192kHz streams – are often downsampled or resampled by the playback hardware, often unbeknownst to the end-user and thus negating the benefits of streaming a hi-res file. …
Schiit Modi 3 DAC review - Darko.Audio
Nov 29, 2018 · The Schiit is 100% a homeboy. Shanling’s M0 is another $100ish unit – a DAP that can also be run as a USB DAC. It etches player outlines more deeply than the Modi 3 to contrast the Schiit as a little less specific. The American bounces back from the ropes with marginally weightier dynamic punch and a wider range of tonal shading.
Second opinion: Eversolo DMP-A8 review - Darko.Audio
Aug 27, 2024 · The proper step-up comes vai the Eversolo DMP-A8 which builds on the success of the original but reworks many aspects to arrive at a higher tier of performance and functionality. Pricing gets a corresponding bump: the DMP-A8 sells for USD$1980 — more than double the DMP-A6’s asking. I still use the DMP-A6 regularly so I’ll first focus on ...
Second opinion: Cambridge DacMagic 200M - Darko.Audio
Jun 22, 2021 · The Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M is feature-rich, checking most boxes on today’s DAC to-do list: MQA, PCM resolutions up to 32-bit/768kHz (!), DSD256, Bluetooth (AptX), plus balanced and unbalanced outputs; a headphone output adds the final check. And the DacMagic 200M stuffs all of this stuff into a chassis measuring just 52 x 215 x 191mm ...
Rotel RA-1592MKII integrated amplifier review - Darko.Audio
Jun 30, 2021 · The Rotel RA-1592MKII ($3199.99) is what I like to call a full-function integrated amplifier as it adds MM Phono and a number of digital audio inputs to the standard line-level analog inputs found on pretty much every integrated amplifier. The RA-1592MKII is, as its name suggests, an updated and upgraded version of the company’s RA-1592 ...
10 'must-hear' active loudspeakers - Darko.Audio
Jun 19, 2018 · If the Grimm LS1 is the Grandaddy, then Kii Audio’s Three is the younger, cooler uncle. Also from the mind palace of Bruno Putzeys but with a Future-Fi twist, the Three is a large active standmount loudspeaker with optional custom stands (€more) and Kii Remote (€more) for volume attenuation, digital input extension and DSP-powered output customisation (which we’ll get to momentarily).
Schiit vs. Benchmark vs. Denafrips - Darko.Audio
Dec 1, 2022 · Either way, Denafrips offers a compelling value in the Pontus II. The Schiit. The Schiit Ygdrassil stands out in this crowd by offering a platform rather than a singular DAC product. Benchmark and Denafrips (and the majority of other DAC makers) offer firmware updates as necessary, and that’s about the extent of it.
Marantz’s Model 30 sounds like how a big warm hug feels
Oct 26, 2021 · And yet each of these rivals is more costly than the Marantz Model 30, and only the Technics includes a phono stage. By contrast, the Marantz Model 30 offers a very nice sense of detail, air, and flow, making music come on like a big warm hug. Further information: Marantz. Marantz Model 30. A 'Master-tuned' HDAM + Class D integrated amplifier ...
Raspberry Pi audio streaming 101 - Darko.Audio
Jan 30, 2020 · Raspberry Pi audio streaming 101. by John Darko January 30, 2020, 14:14. IT 101. An Apple Macbook or Windows-based PC is made up of two fundamentals: the hardware; and the software that runs on the hardware. We can see the hardware if we pop the lid and take a peek inside: the CPU, the RAM, the storage (SSD or HDD) and the inputs/outputs (I/O).