Articles / Tests (75)
In this department you can find equipment reviews, and larger articles about other subjects.
TEST: Vera Audio P400 / 1000 - A Norwegian Dark Horse gets on the track
Written by Arve Åheim
With extremely heavy-duty loudspeakers, I sometimes wonder if I have painted myself into a corner. When it takes around 70 watts to reach the 96 dB limit in listening position, it is not easy to obtain amplifiers that can be sent as normal surface mail. So my reference amplifier has not been challenged for some years. That has suddenly come to an end...
Linn launch a completely new app for their DS streamers. The new one takes over the baton from Kazoo.
HARMAN at HighEnd 2019 in Munich - News from Mark Levinson, Lexicon, Arcam and JBL
Written by Karl Erik SyltheHARMAN did not have a very magnificent stand at the main fair. But That means nothinng, when they really had something formidable in hand ...
After a period with one of the best noise-canceling earphones on the market, Quiet Comfort 35 II, an entirely new model arrives - the 700. Can this defend a pricetag that is more than a thousand NOK up?
TEST: TEAC TN-4D - Elegance with soft and pleasant sound
Written by Karl Erik Sylthe
TEAC launched a New turntable earlier this summer. It has so many interesting assets that I fell for the temptation to take a review.
AlsyVox BOTTICELLI - a brief and hectic meeting at PM Audio
Written by Karl Erik Sylthe 
AlsyVox is a new and exciting addition to the Scandinavian speaker flora. And it was this loudspeaker that urged me taking a break from family and zoo this summer day towards the end of the holiday.
REVIEW: Arendal Sound 1723 Bookshelf S THX Ultra - The Little Giant
Written by Karl Erik Sylthe
Two years ago I reviewed Arendal Sound's newcomer 1723 Monitor. These giants now have a smaller brother - 1723 Bookshelf S - and it became impossible to refuse the offer of a test of these as well.
REVIEW: Denon AH-GC30 - All-rounder with ambitions for overall victory
Written by Karl Erik Sylthe
In the spring, Denon launched a trio of new headphones, in a series they call the Global Cruiser. We have tested the top model among these.
Where do the music end and the listening begin?
Written by Miriam Hlavaty
Our perception of reality is a highly individual matter: every day our mind is occupied by trying to create coherence between an unimaginable number of fragments brought to us through our different senses. It is a bit like a game: you're given certain pieces but how you combine them is up to you.
The Hyperion is Soundsmith’s bid for a high end cartridge, and I did not have to think twice about wanting to reviewing it or not! Hyperion comes in a lovely wooden box which help build expectations.
Compact streaming speakers we fnd around any corner, these days. But some of them are in a totally different League. Say hello to the latest creation from Naim.
REVIEW: Onkyo CP-1050 - turntable with a personal style
Written by Karl Erik Sylthe
A year ago Onkyo launched a totally new turntable based on ancient traditions. I've tested it.
Rega Brio-R - second opinion from Karl Erik
Written by Karl Erik Sylthe
A few weeks ago we presented Ole - Petter`s thorough review of this amplifier. The messages he gave was so inspiring that I was tempted to take a round with the review sample.
Last Tuesday, the 5 of January the great composer, conductor and pianist Pierre Boulez passed into eternity. As a lifetime- explorer of new musical dimensions he has, for me, been a great source of inspiration. The following is an imagined meeting which I personally would have loved to witness and a small tribute to the great and timeless minds of three immaculate artists who, in my view, share the common feature of fearless exploration into Art: Pierre Boulez, Pablo Picasso and Johann Sebastian Bach.
REVIEW: Sonos Play: 5 - the kid that wanted to be one of the guys
Written by Karl Erik Sylthe
Sonos has updated their new flagship speaker Play:5. We have already tested it both as a solo and as a stereo-set, along with their new Sonos romkorreksjonssystem True Play.
Linn Klimax Exakt - a brief rendezvous in September
Written by Karl Erik SyltheLinn's new Exakt concept has received a lot of attention in HiFi circles. We had a short stop at Kontrapunkt a day early in September on our way to the IFA in Berlin, and got a rendezvous with the absolute top level of Exakt, Linn Klimax Exakt.
REVIEW: Apogee Groove - portable DAC / Headphone Amplifier
Written by Karl Erik and Ole-Petter
Apogee has launched a new USB DAC and headphone amplifier, and we've tested it. And this time we are two that have listened to the product. Both Ole - Petter and Karl Erik had this ultracompact and unconventional USB - DAC on the testbench, and below you may read our opionin.
TEST: Sonus Faber Chameleon B - a different speaker from Vicenza
Written by Karl Erik SyltheSome HiFi manufacturers have over many years been performing to such a high level that they almost by default are written into the HiFi elite. Sonus Faber is a such manufacturer. The disadvantage of this status is that the fall height becomes very big if they don`t perform in accordance with the expectations. Can the naughty innovation Chameleon B be such a case, or will Sonus Faber manage to land on their feet also this time?
REVIEW: Naim UnitiQute 2 - the little giant
Written by Karl Erik SyltheNaim was one of the first brands launching smart solutions for integrated streamers. UnitiQute 2 the smallest of them, and I've been fiddling around with it in a thorough test round.
This story started when I was given a CD-player for free. Actually, it was part of an entire stereo setup, but the CD-player was the only part that reaIly caught my interest. It was a Philips CD 615, a rather cheap “plasticy” thing, but much to my amazement, it proved to sound better than anything I`ve previously had, including big, heavy and expensive ones. It sports a TDA 1543 DAC, known as a minatyrization of the famous TDA 1541. Actually, I wasn`t all that amazed, because after reading lots of vintage columns in the hi-fi magazines, I learnt that the Philips`s were highly sought after for their almost indestructible transports, the CDM-series, and their TDA 1540-series DAC`s.
TEST: Sony BDP-S1500 - the Blu-ray player that is hooked on Netflix
Written by Karl Erik SyltheNot surprisingly, Sony introduced a new range of Blu-ray player also this year. I have tested the most affordable model, and it is not to e denied that it has its tags.