//www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiche1vRFiU

[From SonyAsianPacific's Youtube Channel]

The XBA-1iP and XBA-2iP earphones are the two base iDevice models from Sony’s newly developed Balanced Armature series. Given a chance to review any of the headphones in the range, we decided to find out exactly what the differences were between these two base models and report back to you.

Both earphones housings are colored chrome and black with a red ring around the right earpiece. The oval shaped and tangle-free cable feels thick and steady. It would probably take some real effort to damage the cable. The interior housing is made of a liquid crystal polymer that holds the Balanced Armature driver securely in place. I can attest to the strength of the design. These earphones have held up to my constant abuse. Over the several month review period, neither earphone has shown signs of wear, nor have any of the drivers loosened up and started to distort or rattled in the housing.

The XBA-1iP uses a single balanced armature driver, has a frequency response from 5 – 25,000Hz, has 108 dB/mW sensitivity, 24 Ohm impedance and is priced at $99.99. The XBA-2iP uses dual balanced armature drivers, has a 4 – 25,000Hz frequency response, again a 108 dB/mW sensitivity, and a 12 Ohm impedance, priced at $219.99. [If you don't know what a balanced armature driver is - see the video How Balanced Armature Driver Work from Earphone Solutions at the bottom of this review.]

The in-line mic is also robust. The same mic unit is used in both the XBA-1iP and XBA-2iP, and it has been through several rain storms and the same overall abuse as the earphone units themselves. Dropped, tossed on desktops, hours after hours in pockets, and nothing is worse for the wear.

The XBA-1iP and XBA-2iP have very similar voicing characteristics. Actually, these XBA earphones remind me of Sony’s SS-AR1 ($22,700) that I heard at the 2011 California Audio Show. Obviously there were some significant differences, but overall characteristics of sound were surprisingly similar. These characteristics are best described as; balanced, clear, detailed, and rich. The XBA-2iP, with an added balanced armature woofer, has significantly more bass than the single full range woofer of the XBA-1iP. But the XBA-1iP does have satisfactory bass strength and extension if one is in a quiet environment. While at my desk or library, I never had the feeling I was missing any of the low end. But while on the bus/BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit – our subway), the base of the XBA-1iP wasn’t enough against the low noise interference of the outside world. Since both earphones use the same full range driver for their mid and high frequencies, no matter which earphone we were using we are treated to the same smooth high end that is detailed but never fatiguing or over extended. The mid-range, while not as open as some other earphones we have heard, is detailed and perfect for studio-produced albums. Though classical and jazz fans might not find enough of the recording space is represented by either of these models. Overall though, no matter what we listened to, AC/DC streaming on the iPhone, or using the Trends Audio tube headphone amplifier and 24bit digital files of Mile Davis’s Kind of Blue, both the XBA earphones sounded good. Though, they showed their strengths most with modern recordings of pop, rock, hip hop and electronic music.

One interesting find was that we often had the iPhone or headphone amplifier turned up more than normal when using the XBA earphones. On the iPhone/iPad we normally found ourselves two or three clicks from the max volume. While with some other earphones we’d be four to five clicks. Though this volume seemed to be best suited for the XBA earphones. The XBA’s present lively music at a fun volume that wasn’t edgy or fatiguing. Another tip we found for getting better bass response from the single balanced armature driver of the XBA-1iP earphone was to wear a size down from what we used with the XBA-2iP and push the earphones slightly more into the ear canal. This wasn’t uncomfortable and it helped the bass tremendously.

The mic on the XBA earphones is also impressive. It did a great job of shielding wind noise and capturing my voice. Obviously, the louder I spoke the easer it was for the person on the other end to hear me. But compared to several other mic’s we have used of late, the mic on the XBA earphones did a great job of blocking background noise and picking up voice.

The mic also houses the iDevice controls. There is a pause, volume up, and volume down button. These are easy to use and if you hold down either the volume up or down, the tracks will skip forward or back.

If you have used Sony headphones before, then the XBA’s with Balanced Armature drivers will certainly continue to please you. The smooth sound, detail and non-fatiguing listening impresses. Though, if Sony were to take some suggestions for the next iteration of the Balanced Armature series, we’d like to suggest a bit more extension in the high end and a hair more openness with the mid-range.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uzFhlpKIvM

[From Earsolution's Youtube Channel - please note this is who balanced armature drivers generally work - Sony may have their own specific tweaks.]

With so many desktop speakers on the market, consumers have ample combinations of sonic performances, visual designs, and price points, to choose from. Usually there are trade offs. Sonic performance normally takes the biggest hit. Rarely does a small desktop speaker capture the trifecta of great looks, reasonable price, and great sonic performance. But the Serene Audio’s Talisman desktop speakers do.

Hand built in Canada, the speakers are the brain child of tinkerer and engineer Siavash Rezaei. Who, after buying, auditioning, testing, so on and so forth, speakers for his home recording studio, couldn’t find any that met his needs of tonal balance, dynamics, and hours of non fatiguing listening. Siavash decided that low non-linear distortion in speakers was the key to hours of listening. Not being able to find this in the speakers he bought and tested, he set out to build his own.

Serene Audio uses none toxic and environmentally friendly materials, when possible, to construct both powered and passive desktop speakers. The focus, or “mission”, of Serene Audio is to create speakers that are tonally balanced (no frequencies outliers), create a wide sonic dispersion (a big sweet spot), low non-linear distortion (clear sound), with the added bonus of aesthetically creative and pleasing looks. We here at AudioReview believe the Serene Audio Talisman live up to these standards.

The Talisman speakers arrived in a well-packed, none descript cardboard box. Taking them out of the box we were surprised by how good they looked. Even though they looked great in the online photos, they are even more stunning in person. Over the review period the Talisman speakers were driven by; the Glow One 5W EL84 tube amplifier, the Mystere ia11 35W EL34 tube amplifier, and the Peachtree Nova 80W hybrid tube amplifier. Each time we used WyWires speaker cables. Sources ranged from an iPhone to an Audio Note DAC One Sig with WyWires digital cable and Hagman USB/S/PDIF converter with a PC or Mac laptop playing everything from streaming Pandora to 24-bit 192Khz audio files.

The Talisman speakers have bamboo fronts and rear panels with MDF side panels that are wrapped in cow leather. This creates a very unique and good-looking speaker. The leather can be ordered in white or black while the bamboo comes in caramel or natural colors. Keeping in line with Serene Audio’s environmental conscience mind set, the leather also complies with new (and I’m assuming Canadian) standards for leather processing and the leather is not from cows raised in the Amazon rainforest. The unique and creative designs of the speakers are not just for visual effects. The asymmetrical and ‘none-square’ shape reduces the effects of standing waves and minimizes the effects of diffraction from the front panel. The 3-inch, long throw, full range driver offers 70 Hz – 20 kHz ±3 dB and harmonic distortion at 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th order (200Hz – 20kHz) < 0.5% and (100Hz – 20kHz) < 1%. The driver itself is a high quality off the shelf driver that is modified by Serene Audio to fit particular sonic needs. The driver uses and under-hung motor structure, which reduces the weight of the driver allowing the speaker to have a very fast transient response. The magnet used in this design has to be very strong to cover the longer magnetic gap. The driver uses a rare, and expensive, earth magnet to achieve this.

Our obvious fear, or assumption, was that the Talisman speakers would be great looking but sound under whelming. Thankfully we were totally wrong. In fact, we were flat out dumb founded by how good these little speakers sounded. The Talisman were beyond many of the other leading desktop speakers in terms of tonal balance, articulation, sound stage size, mid-range openness, over all sonic clarity, and offered hour after hour of none fatiguing listening.

Dick Hyman, Gershwin, classical piano sounded full bodied, detailed, and captivating. Notes were articulated well and held what sounded like a natural sustain and didn’t smear. On the initial rush to hear these beauties the Talisman speakers were not even carefully positioned, but it was impossible to not be in the sweet spot. The wide distribution of the driver is without question. Everyone in the office popped over and asked us to turn them up. Next we moved on to some BB King and Tom Waits. Without fail the Talisman presented clear, but not crystal edged clean distinction, between instruments and singer. Older Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf recordings stayed turn to their recorded sound. The typically slight tin, the lack of umph in the mid-range, and almost no bass, was an obvious sign that the Talisman weren’t imposing very much of their own interpretation on how the music should sound.

After this initial acoustic break-in we moved on to harder rock; Slayer, Metallica Tool, and electronica music from Aphex Twin and Autechre, with a splash of hip hop from The Coup. Here the Talisman continued to sound good, but they did seem a bit out of their comfort zone. Their smaller stature naturally limits their low-end performance, and since Serene Audio chooses not to fake the bass, these styles of music can end up lacking the oomph this music demands.

We hooked the Talisman speakers up to the Peachtree Nova to test out its chops in the A/V department. When streaming Netflix over a Mac laptop we were impressed with how clear and easy to understand the dialog was on episodes of The Guild and Bob’s Burgers. Yes we admit, not the most dynamic of TV audio recordings, but none the less in a 12x16x9ft room, the Talisman did a fantastic job of clearly presenting the dialog and background music/sounds, at hand.

Speaking of room size, the Talisman speakers do sound better in either a smaller room or a near field listening. Our office is huge, but right on my desk the Talisman sounded like headphones at lower to moderate volumes. But walk 10-15ft away, and even at a greater volume, the diminutive size of the Talisman means they just can’t offer the same sound stage and presence that bookshelf or floorstanding speakers do at that distance.

Overall we would absolutely recommend the Talisman to anyone looking for a unique desktop speaker that excels at natural and mid-range acoustics, has stunning good looks and a large sweet spot. Trust me, put these on your desk and people will take notice.

Click here to view the embedded video.

www.sereneaudio.com

More Speakers from Serene Audio

Price: $395.00

[photos credit to Serene Audio]

We have been running almost since the day we could walk. It has even been argued that endurance running has contributed to the evolution of the human body.  Likewise, music has also shaped the development of man. However, it has only been recently that both running and music could be experienced together, and today it seems we are at that nexus. Finally a true melding of technology and music intended to enhance the runner’s endeavors.  Bulky Walkmans are now nano-sized iPods, and heart rate monitors and pedometers are now smaller than our thumb. The new NB639 from New Balance/iHome is proof.

The NB639 combines a heart rate monitor, pedometer, earphones, and the free HeartPal software into one. The goal is to make your workouts enjoyable and worth while.  New Balance, an obvious leader in sport of running, and iHome, the makers of fantastic little audio gadgets for your iPod, iPhone, and iPad, have teamed up and brought to market the NB639 for $99.

The hardest part of setting up the NB639 was getting it out of the box.  It seems that the removal of packaging is more complicated than software is to install.  But once I got the unit out, the CD-ROM in the laptop and clicked the install button, the HeartPal software installed on my Vista Pro OS without issue. The NB639 uses a USB adapter that links both the heart rate/pedometer monitor unit to your computer and charges the unit at the same time. I let the NB639 charge over night and the next morning I was ready to run. A few brief comments on the software before we move on.  The HeartPal software allows for multiple accounts, so you and a partner could in theory share one unit, as long as you don’t work out at the same time.  The software profile/setup includes age, weight, height, distance of stride for walking and running.  And though software keeps tracks of, distance, time, and number of runs, it doesn’t easily display the number of calories burned.  But a lovely voice assistant in the unit will give you the results of your daily efforts.

As a child I almost never looked at the instructions that came with my Legos.  That habit, for better or worse, has followed me into my 30s. So after a brief glance at the instructions, noting the on/off button, I clipped the unit onto my shirt and was off.  Luckily, for me and the many others who also never read the Lego instructions, the NB639 isn’t that hard to figure out.  After clicking the start button a gentle female voice prompted me to place my thumb over the sensor so my heart rate could be read.  To my surprise the NB639 announced I had no heart beat. And unfortunately I almost started to believe it after trying two or three times to get my heart rate to register. But after finding the trick of very lightly placing the thumb over the sensor the unit, it easily registered my pulse and I no longer pondered the possibility that I may, in fact be a zombie.

The only thing I wish the NB639 did was give the voice instructions to go running. I kept fiddling around looking for the next step or start button after my heart rate was taken.  But the next step is to literally, just go running.

The earphones that come with the NB639 seem to be industrial tough, not that they are uncomfortable to wear, quite the opposite. But these definitely give the impression they can take a lot of abuse.  The earphones do detach from the heart rate/pedometer unit, in case something does happen to them, or you prefer to use another set. The earphones provide a secure in ear-fit, and they use an ear-shaped plastic piece that the cable inserts into, to stay in place.  The flexible shaped plastic goes up over the back of the ear holding the earphones in place while you run. Most importantly the cable, when rubbing against your shirt, doesn’t transmit interference noise to the earphones.

Sonically the NB639 gets the job done but offer little flare.  They have a clear mid-range with relaxed highs and a very present, but slow bass.  For techno, rock, and other work out music, they produce a strong beat that keeps your energy up and body moving.  For better or worse the relaxed highs offer a non-fatiguing sound and the clear mid-range does give both male and female vocals a solid and clear presentation. Soundstage is a bit cramped but dynamics are somewhat lively at a normal volume.  Overall the earphones are absolutely adequate for music while running or exercising.  Strangely, or maybe it does actually make sense, running with adequate earphones versus very high-end earphones, like the Shure S345, makes almost no difference, at least in my experience. With all the bouncing, body noise, concentration of running, one really only needs a clean mid-range, and driving bass, and present highs.  Anything above not being irritating is great, but it isn’t required.  And the NB639 offer just that.

We can absolutely recommend the NB639 to anyone looking for an easy, no none-sense training tool.  The NB639 cost $99, sounds good, keeps tracks of the essentials and is easy to use.

Creative Labs has expanded since their early days of manufacturing PC soundboards. Currently they make speakers, webcams, MP3 players, and of course some of the best soundboards in the consumer market. They have worked hard to offer excellent products, yet, until now, they have not been on my short list of manufacturers who produce audiophile grade earphones.

The Aurvana In-Ear 3 earphones landed on my desk a few weeks ago, and after about 20 hours of burn in, they have become my all day listening preference. There are three very good reasons for this choice. First, the A3 offers a coherent and tonally rich mid-range that has a slight boost to the upper mid-range emphasizing the recording space of acoustic instruments and vocals. Secondly, they offer an expansive and three-dimensional soundstage. And finally they are never fatiguing.

As a result of Creative Lab’s Dual Balanced Armature Tweeter and Woofer, and a patent pending acoustical partition which prevents the premature mixing of music, the Aurvana 3 headphone provides a harmonious blend of detailed highs and rich mid-range.  Whether it is Tom Waits’ craggy mumble, Lisa Gerrard’s pure and powerful voice, or the timbre of natural instrumentation, the A3 excel at reproducing the complexities of the human voice and natural sound. Even heavily produced studio sounds and electronic music, from a digital source, have a bit more of an analog mid-range smoothness that makes listening very enjoyable.

Sadly, many earphones tend to flatten out the center channel, not dynamically, but in terms of the space created by the sound. The music piles up and the sounds stack, becoming one-dimensional. However, the soundstage produced by the Aurvana 3 is very good. Not in terms of  left and right channel extension, which is fine, but the Aurvana 3  have an ability to create a full and developed center channel. This I find to be exceptional. The A3 gives center-channeled sounds a space to fill, while creating a real environment between the ears. It is this quality that places the Aurvana 3 ahead of most earphones in their price range, and into hi-end audio.

Listening fatigue is definitely not a complaint with the A3. Sound characteristics are not aggressive, overly bright, edgy or forward. The slightly relaxed dynamics, extended but soft bass, mixed with a detailed and tonally rich textures, allows for hours of pleasurable listening.

The Aurvana 3 In-Ear headphones are priced at a $150, which may seem a bit steep. But, the amount is mid-way into entry level high end, where prices can exceed $1500 and sound quality is beyond phenomenal. So at $150 trade-offs and flaws are expected, and the A3 is no exception. These are primarily found in the micro and macro dynamics, and the bass slam. If you crave hyper-articulation and powerful low notes, you won’t find them here. However, depending on the sound source and amplifier, these weaknesses may be mitigated. While under review, the Aurvana 3 was paired with a variety of components: iPods, HiFiMan, the HagUsb, Trends Audio PA-10 tube headphone amplifier backed by about six thousand dollars in gear. And though the sonic characteristic of the A3 are altered by various backing components, I found myself wanting a bit more bass slam and dynamics. At least at moderate and lower volumes.

The Aurvana 3s come with a large variety of tip options. Both the flexible silicone tips are provided, as well as some solid hard tips. I found the flexible tips created a better in-ear seal, which allowed for more bass and a better, if not more comfortable fit. Through hours of listening while on the hectic public transportation the Aurvana 3 stayed in place and even offered good isolation in the mid-range to highs, but didn’t block out the low rumble of the BART system. Most importantly they were never uncomfortable. The cable for the Aurvana 3 could use a bit of an upgrade. While other $150 earphones offer a non-tangle and more robust cable the Aurvana 3 falls short.

Overall I liked and would recommend the Aurvana 3 earphones. Their coherent sound with a slight bump in the upper mid-range should please jazz, vocal, and acoustic music fans, but they surely shouldn’t be pigeon holed into these musical genera. Plus the non-fatiguing sound offers hours of enjoyment. On a final note, if you plan to use these with your desktop computer you should absolutely consider an off board DAC or amplifier, or a soundcard from Creative.

www.trendsaudio.com

Summary

Overall we’d absolutely recommend the T-10.2 amplifier. Assuming you only needed a single input and could pair it with musical and smooth sounding gear.  One gets a stunning amount of performance from the $189 T-10.2. Detailed sound with touch of warmth, hints at a real body and musical presence, and pure enjoyment. Trends has a winner here. Though we’d love to see a version with a few more inputs, a higher quality volume control and a dimmer blue light. Though it sounds like that might be in the works…

Page 2 – The Sound

These are… bar none… the most beautiful speakers I’ve ever seen. While also available in a Gloss Piano Black, the samples we have here are the Piano Rosenut finish and, as you can tell, they are absolutely pristine in terms of the veneer and the gloss coat. Everything about these speakers screams high-end, yet they cost just $400 each. While that’s not exactly pocket change, it’s a far cry from what many people consider “high-end” and yet most of the audiophile speakers we’ve seen in our day don’t approach this type of build quality and styling.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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AV receivers are getting more and more powerful, and their feature sets are getting more and more expansive. For some, the critical price/performance breakpoint comes at around $5-$600. At that price you start to get advanced features like video upconversion to HDMI and amplifiers that can be re-routed to a second Zone. So what does Denon have to offer above and beyond that with its AVR 3312CI receiver, that’s priced at twice that. I mean what do you really get for $1100?

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Based on our exhaustive testing, it’s clear that Velodyne’s new Digital Drive Plus series of subs deliver as promised and even exceed some of their own output claims made to us. You stick a robust 15″ driver in an inert sealed enclosure with a hulking power amp and masterful servo and compressor, and you’ve got the receipt for good subwoofing which very few sealed competitors can compete with both in sheer output and pristine fidelity. The DD-15+ has proven to be a worthy successor to the venerable DD-15 that started the whole Digital Drive series nearly 8 years ago. The hefty price tag is about the only downside to this fabulous product which the end user must decide if it’s worth forking over the cash to don the Velodyne name in their theater room. If I were their competition, I’d be worried that Velodyne has just put most of them in checkmate with this very impressive line of well engineered Digital Drive Plus subwoofers. Highly recommended!

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Can you get a $2000 processor for just $700? Emotiva is betting you can. It’s new UMC-1 7.1 processor combines some of the more advanced A/V processing you’ll find into a package that is hard to beat. Let’s start with the hardware. The UMC-1 utilizes Emotiva’s signature aluminum faceplate design and LED backlit controls that give it a warm, minimalistic look. They’re going to audiophile appeal and I think they nailed it. The UMC-1 looks like the love child offspring of a McIntosh and Anthem processor. I’m just saying…

Click here to view the embedded video.

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ProLogue Premium Review

If you have watched Jeremy Clarkson rant about the roar and wild aggression of a Lamborghinis you’ll know that raw power can more than simulate this man. But he constantly speaks better of sports cars with more technology, smoother rides, stereos, and a sense of class. So obviously power isn’t everything.  The PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium would fall into Clarkson’s more recommend class. Read on to find out why.

Kevin Deal, the U.S. PrimaLuna importer, is quick to point out that when he was asked by Herman van der Dugen to be involved in the PrimaLuna project he was initially apprehensive. Point of fact, he even said a polite no to the first request. But, after a prototype landed on his doorstep he quickly changed his mind as clearly Herman was on to something. And Kevin was seeing the light.

Having sold tubes and hi-fi audio gear for longer than he would care to admit, Kevin has dealt with all kinds of issues. One of his better stories involves an elderly couple who nearly electrocuted themselves when sticking a screw driver into the circuit board area of an amplifier while it was on. Kevin realized that even though many tube amplifiers sound fantastic it wasn’t obvious to everyone that they lacked some basic design fail safes and consideration. Accordingly, when he came aboard the PrimaLuna project he wanted those issues addressed and his concerns were met with enthusiasm and action. So now, as Kevin is fond of saying, PrimaLuna is like a BMW which to me means it has the excitement of a sports car, the gadgets and feature set of a town car, and the computer controlled safety features that keep one from over steering off the street and into a tree. What, however, does that mean in terms of the amplifier?

Page 2 Features/Specs | Page 3 The Sound | Page 4 Final Thoughts – Notes