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What electronic audio products you want tested most

What electronics audio product you like to see tested more

  • Power and Integrated Amplifiers

    Votes: 672 54.9%
  • Headphone Amplifiers

    Votes: 196 16.0%
  • Home Theater AVRs

    Votes: 324 26.4%
  • Home Theater Processors

    Votes: 207 16.9%
  • DACs

    Votes: 371 30.3%
  • Streamers

    Votes: 282 23.0%
  • Combo DAC and Headphone Amplifiers

    Votes: 250 20.4%
  • Phono preamp

    Votes: 117 9.6%
  • DSP (digital signal processors)

    Votes: 406 33.1%
  • Vintage audio products

    Votes: 284 23.2%

  • Total voters
    1,225
I am very curious to try the new Sony WH-1000XM5.
• Type: Over-ear headphones (covers the ears completely)
• Noise reduction: Excellent active noise reduction (ANC)
• Battery life: Up to 30 hours of listening time with ANC on
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, support for high-resolution audio
• Comfort: Soft foam ear cushions for extended comfort
• Additional features: Ambient mode, touch controls, built-in voice assistant

 
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I'd like to see a Cayin N7 test. I enjoy using my n7. I hear clear differences between other systems when use Monarch mkiii (at least i think). It sounds very pleasant, very detailed. Hence I am wondering what would be the result with amirm's testing methods.
 
Turntable

The best specs turntable ever produced.

Kenwood KP-1100 or it's counterpart different year different nomenclature KP-9010
 
In order of priority:

Denon A1H

Denon A10H

Denon X6800H

Marantz Cinema 30

Marantz Amp 10
I agree with your list. I think there is many of us on this forum that want to see if there is an objective improvement from the likes of the Denon x4800H.

I also wonder whether there is an objective difference between the Marantz AV10/AMP10 and the Denon A1H.
 
would be interesting to break it down.
IE Phono stages.

Headroom .
The importance of headroom, and implementation by manufacturer to overcome this in their design.

Capacitive loading capabilities of the device, how important is this to performance.
MC resistive loading and quality of devices.
IE: devices should have Azimuth checking capabilities built in.
VTA stylus angle testing capabilities, and its importance to performance.

Basic what matters and what doesn't effect SQ as much.
But then SQ is subjective.

My preference would be fuller lusher with underlying speed and cleanliness.
 
Microphones. Please measure microphones, here’s why:

Microphones are still surrounded by the same myths that speakers once were:
- Measurements (FR’s) are given only by manufacturers, with unknown amounts of graph smoothing. There are (afaik) no independent reviewers that measure mics.
- Microphones can be extremely expensive, even though the basic materials don’t seem to warrant the prices.
- Microphone characteristics are surrounded with marketing language (“good for bringing out the timbre in tenor voices”, “smooths out harsh transients”), even though all of this behaviour could and should be explained by Frequency Responses and Distortion.
- Microphones are a fundamental part of the Circle of Confusion.

But how to measure mics?

The cool way is to invert the Klippel: mount a “perfect” white noise generator on the place where the mic is, and then spin around the mic to see what it pics up on every angle and distance. But I suppose you can’t mount Revel Salon 2’s to the Klippel and swing them around so it must be something else.

A static measurement straight from the main intended angle could work, although directivity (polar pattern) of a mic is a core feature.

I know it’s not for this forums users, but I do think it deserves attention.

Maybe it exists somewhere, but googling on Microphone Measurements only shows me Measurement Microphones…
 
On the Android side there is known variation in sensitivity and frequency response between phone models. SPL meters will suffer from this, so an app may perform well on one phone model and badly on another. It's the same root cause as Wiim's room correction performing well with some phones' internal mic and poorly on others, and why they added external USB mic support for things like the UMIK-1. Apple have put effort into making sure the mic performance is consistent on all iPhone models, so SPL apps should perform well there.
So you could use an iPhone to check the accuracy of your android phone.
 
This looks interesting. Powerline networking for IP audio, supporting Atmos.


Each AUDIO Cu receiver (RX) unit that works for both a speaker and subwoofer has a 100-watt at 2 Ohm, 60-watt at 4 Ohm, 34-watt at 8 Ohm Texas Instrument class D amplifier.
 
Microphones. Please measure microphones, here’s why:

Microphones are still surrounded by the same myths that speakers once were:
- Measurements (FR’s) are given only by manufacturers, with unknown amounts of graph smoothing. There are (afaik) no independent reviewers that measure mics.
- Microphones can be extremely expensive, even though the basic materials don’t seem to warrant the prices.
- Microphone characteristics are surrounded with marketing language (“good for bringing out the timbre in tenor voices”, “smooths out harsh transients”), even though all of this behaviour could and should be explained by Frequency Responses and Distortion.
- Microphones are a fundamental part of the Circle of Confusion.

But how to measure mics?

The cool way is to invert the Klippel: mount a “perfect” white noise generator on the place where the mic is, and then spin around the mic to see what it pics up on every angle and distance. But I suppose you can’t mount Revel Salon 2’s to the Klippel and swing them around so it must be something else.

A static measurement straight from the main intended angle could work, although directivity (polar pattern) of a mic is a core feature.

I know it’s not for this forums users, but I do think it deserves attention.

Maybe it exists somewhere, but googling on Microphone Measurements only shows me Measurement Microphones…
@amirm
Sorry to draw your attention to my post, but I’m really curious to your opinion on this. :)

In summary: If transducers (speakers and microphones) are the least accurate parts of the signal chain, then in order to break the cycle of confusion, shouldn’t be microphones the next big subject to be measured? Not saying ASR should do it, but talking in general.
 
RSL IA255 amp. Surprised it hasnt been tested already... a $110 amp with HPF and no load dependency? It's perfect
 
I'd love to see some Torus Power or Shunyata Research power conditioner/cleaners/etc reviewed to see what is actually coming out of them. I suspect more going on in the former than the later.
 
The Elekit TU-8400.
I just built one and for 1500$, it feels pretty good.
It can use just about any tube with self bias.
Pretty quite too.

I bought mine from Victor Kung/ VK Music.
Victor was very helpful all the way.
DSCN0099.JPG
 
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@amirm
Sorry to draw your attention to my post, but I’m really curious to your opinion on this. :)

In summary: If transducers (speakers and microphones) are the least accurate parts of the signal chain, then in order to break the cycle of confusion, shouldn’t be microphones the next big subject to be measured? Not saying ASR should do it, but talking in general.
+1.

All electronics in ASR are audio reproduction components. Almost all recordings we listen are produced with mics. The microphone must be a big part of audio reproduction.
Microphone and speaker are a almost same technology. If we care for speakers seriously, we should care for mics too.
I make and sell mics. I know how delicate and hard to make mics right. I'm curious if the measurement can show.
 
We do need a mic review website... since mic FR consistency is even worse than speakers, and have to deal with distance and polar response...
 
Sony WH-1000XM5...Excellent active noise reduction (ANC)
I tried on some version of that, maybe XM3. I could not hear the sales person talking-and he was standing right next to me!

So @amirm if you measure headphones with noise reduction please somehow measure the noise reduction...how I'm not sure, don't know if there is a standard. Besides decibels I'd like to see like a "frequency response" of the NR, maybe pump pink noise at the headphone on a dummy head and measure the frequency response of the pink noise at the dummy head ears?

In other news when stereo receivers are reviewed I would really like to know if there is any HIGHPASS FILTERING inside. A subwoofer output is no guarantee of that unfortunately.
 
I would love to see results on my Bryston 4b SST (home audio) Or one of my beloved Kicker ZR amplifiers (car audio) The problem is that I am scared to death to ship either one.

I really want to know if the almost 30 year old Kicker ZR360 is as amazing as I always believed. I covet my Kicker ZR amps even though I don't use them anymore.
 
SSL 18 and Audient iD48.
 
EQ technology.
Measurement microphones.
Manufactures implementation.

Seperate EQ devices electronic and analog.
Parametric and Graphic EQ devices.

Could fill this board with a whole new subsection of knowledge.

IE:

Past EQ was limited to around 800 hz

Now some say they limit to 500hz

Even full range EQ in the past limited to 5khz .
From my understanding limited by Microphone accuracy.

Very broad subject encompassing stereo and surround sound.

Expanding a knowledge base.
 
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