HiFi Connoisseur

25/06/2026

Great track to unwind to after work. Magnetic Lies by Malia

25/06/2026

The karan_acoustics Master PowerA monoblocks full balanced design requires two power cords and I was just using four of those bog standard power cords for these monoblocks. I knew it was a disservice to the Karans so I finally got a set of these chordcables Epic power cords to lift up their game. And it was not subtle.

25/06/2026

So some guys didn’t like that the Eversolo Audio T8 network streaming transport didn’t match the Z10 in size.

Guess EverSolo heard those complaints.

So the T10 fixed that. Along with some other improvements that I’ll explore over the next few days.

Now in stock in our store.

Oh - one more thing. Roon Certification is still a work in progress. So I’ll be sticking with Tidal and Qobuz Connect for now.

24/06/2026

Really love the way the karan_acoustics Master PowerA monoblocks exert control.

24/06/2026

I started off the day with Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s Thriller on SACD.

It got me hankering to hear how it compares on the One Step vinyl. I am aware of the use of a digital transfer in the mastering of this record but it still sounds so good. Especially when played through the Esoteric International Grandioso T1 magnetic drive turntable fitted with a Hana Umami Red cart.

Just sublime.

24/06/2026

“Wanna be startin’ somethin’…”

There is something satisfying about spinning physical media. And all the more satisfying when it is a great recording and mastering. Thanks to Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab for their release of Thriller.

And thanks to the EMM Labs Inc. DV2i and my trusty old XDS1, I can hear the album at its best.

19/06/2026

For the longest time, my favorite recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was by London Festival Orchestra. But a customer who was also a cellist told me that the version he always wanted to play was the reimagined one by Max Richter. I even got the old iPad app which broke down all the different parts to better appreciate that composition - complete with video recordings.

I couldn’t get this on a BluRay release but the DVD is still quite stunning. Played through a McIntosh Laboratory Inc. MX180 MC257 and Focal Audio 1000 series with Beryllium drivers, it’s just like being there.

06/06/2026

Kevin has updated his playlist again. And as usual there are some gems in that list. The EMM Labs Inc. DV2i is simply divine.

And I get to indulge at the best seat in the house.

03/06/2026

We have the Magnetar available in our store now.

With streaming platforms continuing to raise their prices with no e...

27/05/2026

I have been told hifi is a very selfish hobby. Most systems are really designed around a single sweet spot. And no one else in the room gets to hear that presentation that the person in the ideal listening position is hearing.

I am reminded of this statement again today.

The last few times I was in this room, I was with different clients and they all got the best seat in the house. I am just less than a metre away but even then the system lacked the wow factor I remembered.

Today, I am experimenting with JPlay as an alternative to Roon on the EMM Labs Inc. DV2i and of course I got to take the best seat. And I can’t help but be stunned by how everything just falls together in place.

Just bliss.