The 18 Greatest Bargains in High-End Audio (TAS 197)
November 11th, 2009 -- by default
Source: The Absolute Sound
Source: The Absolute Sound
17. Oppo DV-980H universal-disc player ($169)
Oppo’s DV-980H is, hands-down, the best universal player $169 can buy. It’s a more than respectable entry-level CD player, an even better DVD-Audio/SACD player, and a surprisingly good upscaling DVD player, too. Offering smoother, more detailed, and more focused sound than anything near its price, the DV-980H makes a perfect, multi-format, audiophile’s starter player. Tonal balance bends slightly toward the cool side of neutrality—a characteristic that underscores the player’s fundamental clarity. Those seeking an even stronger “entry-level” player should consider Oppo’s $499 BDP-83 Blu-ray/universal player, which raises the performance bar higher still. (Reviewed in TAS 183)
www.oppodigital.com
18. PSB Alpha B1 loudspeaker ($279)
One of the high end's most venerated featherweights, the recently redesigned and curvaceous Alpha B1 combines mind-bending dynamics and rich mids in a speaker barely a foot tall. The 1" dome tweeter has been refined for greater bandwidth and smoother dispersion, the all-new woofer redesigned to reduce breakup modes. Even the midbass has power and pitch definition rarely experience in this modest price range. Only the nebulous soundstaging is less than excellent. Ultimately, the B1 can't move the volume of air of a larger design like PSB's own T45/T55 or fully articulate the lowest octave, but it does a surprisingly respectable and musical job. (Reviewed in TAS 170)
www.psbspeakers.com
- « first
- ‹ previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1999 - 2011 NextScreen. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
Comments
Amazingly, these look like genuine bargains, not overpriced voodoo things that are cheaper than $5,000 amplifiers, but not much. Even the cables look reasonable.
Yes indeedy. Though more than happy with my current stuff - I want to run out and spend surprisingly little money on the very cheapest of this stuff. Just so that i can feel smug at the great sound per buck.
I feel the Moon i-1 is very good for the price. I considered it and purchased an i-3 because I wanted even more power. The unit sounds great and is very engaging. It is not dry sounding or cheap in any regard. Repspect.
Quad CDP-2 CD player and 6 input digital pre amp and DAC (3 TosLink + 3 coax S/PDIF inputs) + Quad 909 power amp is in my opinion the best bargain in high end audio today and will be for a long time to come ... pure genius!
I agree with you. I really like Quad CD Player. And some electronics has been amazing too.
Cambridge sounds like S...t for my opinion or you guys under heavy drugs or somethin'....
Most of your choices not really crear and look like oiled up.
The Berkely Alpha DAC sounds like a winner, now if they would just add the capabilty of USB to it and Room and Speaker Correction Software all in the same sized box, all updatable over the internet as firmware, they would have a monster value on their hands, can believe it would need to sell for a lot more than the current list either. C'mon Berkley make my last front end!
you must be one of those audiophiles difficult to satisfy. If an entire system was built in one box including speakers at a cheap cheap price that would be fantastic? The Berkeley doesn't sound like a winner it is a winner. If you have been following through...the USB technology is faaaaar far away from the current state of the art connections. Why would a company like Berkeley and former members of Pacific Microsonics model 2 bother including such a thing at this stage of audio technology. USB has long ways to go. USB, room and Speaker correction, preamp, poweramp, cd transport and speakers in the same price would be the last end for sure......... and with the purchase of my car: gasoline, car wash, life time repairs while calling someone over the internet to come to my house to do it would also be great. I wish Toyota would come out with the last car I ever buy.
...want to try again???
The Odyssey Khartago is NOT reviewed in issue 194. Have it in my hot little hands and wsa looking for the review.
The Berkely DAC would be a winner if it cost $500, not $5,000. It's cost of goods can't be more then a hundred dollars or so. It's most expensive single component is a DAC, you can't spend more the $15.00 for one of them if you tried. I am constatly amazed how the high end audio market as managed to isolate itself from the price decreases and performance increases of the computer and semiconductor industries.
I'm so glad to see the "Audio Space Ref 3.1" included in "The 18 Greatest Bargains in High End Audio". I have the Ref 3.1 KT-88 version ( which is the pentode version ) and looks the same except with KT-88's in place of the 300 B's. It produces 22 watts in triode mode or 44 watts in pentode and is selectable on the fly along with low or no feedback. Go with no feedback! An incredible sounding and extremely well built integrated with a built in phono section and more than enough power for my Maggie 1.7's. My listening room is not huge, 10'x12' with 9 1/2' ceilings. In triode mode with 22 watts the sound is smooth with a little greater depth - good for edgier CD's. In pentode mode (which I use 90% of the time) the sound is a bit more detailed, dynamic along with a bit tighter bass. It is a very musical match with the 1.7's with their incredible openess and speed. Having spent countless hours in recording studios as a professional muscian I greatly appreciate this. I'm also using a Shanling CD 300 ( CD 3000 in the US ) tubed cd player which has balanced outs along with RCA outs. Upsampling to 24/192 if desired. A very smooth and dynamic player well worth a listen (and built like a tank! ). As mentioned earlier the Audio Space has a very good built in mm phono section. I'm using a Klyne SK-1 mc step up device which is extremely quiet as is the tubed phono section and mates well with the Benz Ace low output cartridge and my Rega P5 with TT power supply. "Anti-Cables" speaker cable have replaced the very good Kimber 8 TC + 4 TC which I was using and is a definite improvement in openess and speed and are EXREMELY affordable around $80 for a bi-wired 6' pair! A glimpse of the "True High End" is attainable for a "reasonable" amount of money, the Audio Space Ref 3.1 with either 300 B's or Kt-88's is a definite "must audition" if you're looking in the $3500.00 and up catagory, highly recommended!
Greg B.
When I was looking for a new CD player a few years ago I had the Cambridge Azur 840 and the Shanling CD 300 (CD 3000 in the US) at home for a week to do an extensive A-B comparison. After letting both players "burn in" for a few days it became very obvious that the Shanling was the more natural and real sounding player of the duo. I suppose it's the tubes in the unit that make this possible. I was taken aback after reading all the hype about the 840 - "equals players 3 to 4 times it's price" and fully expected the 840 to easily trump the Shanling. Unfortunately it couldn't equal a player of the SAME price! The build quality also appears to be much more robust, the proverbial "brick out house". If you're in the market for a player in and around the $1500 range do yourself a favour and audition the Shanling you won't be dissapointed, I wasn't.
Greg B.
This shows me two equipment that if an singer really felt that his song would be injured commercially by it's broadminded use of vulgarity then he or she will tender a 'clean' version in organize to have his song played on more stations and sell to more viewers.
http://www.onthebroadway.com/cheap-broadway-tickets/Sister-Act.php