Comments for HifiZine

Comment on Plugins for Audiophile Music Players by Oliver Masciarotte

Oliver Masciarotte — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:26:12 +0000

Much has changed in my work life since 2013 with the most significant being I am now co–founder of MAAT, a manufacturer of very high quality tools for digital audio production. We are the keepers of the DRi flame, with a modernized version of the venerable but obsolete TT DR Meter that we call DRMeter. While not designed for computer audio enthusiasts, our second generation DRMeter MkII draws on the inspiration of the original TT version while also adding modern features necessary for today’s mastering community, including 1770 Loudness measurement and a round trip AAC codec. We also offer arguably the world’s highest fidelity equalizers… Enjoy!

P.S. — The “TT” in TT DR Meter refers to my MAAT co–founder, Friedemann Tischmeyer, who created the original DR Meter and DR Offline products.

Comment on Bits are bits… or are they? by Oliver Masciarotte

Oliver Masciarotte — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:05:02 +0000

April 2026 Update Hey there Montracon, Yup, we are all aware of these received bits of wisdom. Trouble is, your assertion that a… “DAC system with asynchronous transfer, electrical isolation between it and the source, and a cable capable of transferring bits without errors (no great feat) will then be independent of the cable quality, just as a word processing file transfer would be.” fails to be true in real life. First and foremost, under all digital circuits are analog circuits, which are susceptible to all the issue that “digital” is supposed to magically cure. Yes, for most applications, digital data storage and transmission does, in fact, eliminate errors. However, our ear/brain processor is far more sensitive to aberrations than our eye/brain processor. Digital audio storage is pretty much guaranteed to be deterministic but, in the real world, digital audio transmission is not. A degraded eye pattern results in subjectively audible changes in playback quality, while noise and modulations to the power rails also contribute to loss of fidelity. I am an EE by training and that’s why I opened this article by stating I was skeptical. Some twelve years later, I have done the double–blind BS, and I and others still come to the same conclusion: In a highly resolving audio playback system, “bits” are not bits. Every single component can and does contribute to the overall sound quality. instead of sitting comfortably on conventional orthodoxy, I suggest you try some simple experiments for yourself and friends. I will be writing a new review for AudioKeyReviews.com, my last for that publication. It will be discussing Silent Angel’s “audiophile” Ethernet switch, another product category that defies the popular view that “bits are bits.” Stay tuned for that, if only to provide something to disagree with!

Comment on Audioengine B2… Fun in a Box by Oliver Masciarotte

Oliver Masciarotte — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:30:57 +0000

The enclosure was, if I remember correctly, an oak–like exterior wrapped around an “engineered” wood carcass, a.k.a. plywood. Sorry that I can’t be more specific!

Comment on Geek Out 1000 by LH Labs by Oliver Masciarotte

Oliver Masciarotte — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:27:11 +0000

In another example of a too–short service life for a manufacturer’s product, LH Labs ceased operations not long after this post was published. I had ordered a >$1000 DAC from parent company Light Harmonic through a crowd–funded campaign, and the product was never delivered and the company never refunded even a portion of my purchase. I am not the only person to have been swindled by the company. Apparently, Light Harmonic is still scamming folks via another veiled scam; Tesla.
For all of you reading this, consider two aspects of my misfortune…

• Crowd–funded Purchases
Never invest more than you can afford to loose.

• Post–sale Service
Include your service options when weighing a purchase decision! Electronic products that are not realistically serviceable carry hidden costs; for the environment; for your long term enjoyment; and for your wallet.

Don’t buy solely on price, published performance, or kewlness factor! Consider how a product will perform long term and if it embodies repair-ability.

Comment on BenQ treVolo Portable Electrostatic Speaker by Oliver Masciarotte

Oliver Masciarotte — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:08:18 +0000

In another example of a too–short service life for a manufacturer’s product, the treVolo died a few years ago with no chance of repair. That’s not quite true in that yes; I could take the dead speaker to a service tech, but the cost would far exceed the cost of replacement.
For all of you reading this, consider service options when weighing a purchase decision! Electronic products that are not realistically serviceable carry hidden costs; for the environment; for your long term enjoyment; and for your wallet.
Don’t buy solely on price and performance! Consider how a product will perform long term and if it embodies repair-ability.

Comment on Audioengine A5+ Wireless Speakers by Oliver Masciarotte

Oliver Masciarotte — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 14:51:16 +0000

Hey Tanju,
My Audioengine died a while ago, with no possibility of repair from the company. That’s a strong negative for me that I didn’t know about at the time.
However, I’m glad to hear you are enjoying your pair. It is a good sounding product, and especially suited to environments like yours where you don’t have a lot of space…Enjoy!

Comment on Audioengine A5+ Wireless Speakers by Tanju

Tanju — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:55:24 +0000

Audioengine A5 plus ı 5 yıldır kullanıyorum , tüm tespitlerimi yakalamış bir yazı ,tebrik ederim .
Geçen yıl Fiio R7 satın alıp ,apple music üzerinden hi-res dinlemeye başladım ve Fiio R7 üzerinden, 10 bantlı PEQ yaptıktan sonra şu an muhteşem bir seviyeye ulaştım . Çok daha pahalı bir sisteme geçme imkanım olmasına rağmen ,bu hoparlörlerden vazgeçemiyorum.
Sebebini özet geçersem, uzun saatler rahatsız olmadan müzik dinlemek ,apartmanda oturduğum için düşük ses seviyelerinde bile doyurucu ses kalitesi, dac-amfi-pasif hoparlör kurulumunun daha fazla alana olan ihtiyacının, kablo karmaşasının olmaması ,en dikkat çeken boyutunun çok ötesinde dengeli basları olması ,bu üründen vazgeçmememi sağladı.

Comment on Triangle Genèse Trio by Antonio Cataldi

Antonio Cataldi — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:23:07 +0000

Grazie per la sua sensibilità e competenza. Sono molto attratto dai Triangle Genese Trio. Il mio ampli è un Roksan k3. Le chiedo forse troppo. Ci provo. Secondo lei può sposarsi bene con le Triangle. E se invece le dicessi Atoll in100 Signature? La ringrazio ancora e la saluto cordialmente

Comment on How to stream Qobuz to almost anything by Brian S

Brian S — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 18:33:48 +0000

Excuse my lack of knowledge in this area but I’m purchasing a WADAX Studio Player and plan to use Qobuz Connect to access and play songs from Qobuz/ I also have a NAS drive with hundreds of titles that I ripped. The NAS has Minim Server installed on it from my prior use of a dCS Rossini DAC / Streamer.

Question 1 – will I need to re-install Minim Server on my NAS?

Question 2 – will Qobuz Connect allow me to access and playttracks from my NAS or will I need to install a player such as JPlay?

Thanks,
Brian …

Comment on JWM Acoustics Alyson AML II by Andreas Bueschken

Andreas Bueschken — Mon, 12 May 2025 05:34:10 +0000

They also are very beautiful speakers . I would like to hear them , but I live in Germany .