News & Reviews
Jeff Dorgay reviews the D•500 MKII Monoblocks for Tone Audio
“…the D500 MKIIs could not only deliver a large soundfield, but they could deliver deep bass with power and control. …these amplifiers kept a lock on the pace, offering up wall shaking beats with no shrinkage of soundstage in either dimension.
Making the power hungry Magnepan 1.7’s part of the equation was equally splendid. The D500 MKIIs took control of the Magnepans as well as some of the world’s best amplifiers have – I can’t think of an amplifier I would suggest more highly for someone looking to build a high performance system around the 1.7’s (or the 3.7’s for that matter) at a reasonable cost.
The Channel Islands D500 MKII amplifiers sounded great and made no missteps while in our care. We will be adding them to our reference fleet of amplifiers, so you will be hearing more about them in the months to come. I feel compelled to give these amplifiers one of our Exceptional Value Awards for 2011 as well – they represent tremendous performance and build quality. A well thought out product in every way.”
Positive Feedback Online check out the VDC•SB
“The improved performance of the Squeezebox Touch™ over its predecessor is pretty clear to me, and it was elevated to even higher levels with the VDC-SB. Imaging was more precise, bass was tidier, and the high frequencies were more detailed, and yet smoother too.…
Regardless of musical genre, resolution, or whether streamed via ethernet, or via directly connected USB devices, the improvement was consistent. I can only surmise that the above described increase in refinement, high frequency performance, and imaging must be due to the elimination of switching noise.”
John Darko at Digital Audio Review checks out the VDC•SB
“gone was the stress and anxiety from both music and listener: background hash banished, acoustic mass emphasised.…Did music now sound massaged, looser, more supple? Or were my concerns about the switch-mode infection rubbed clean? A combination of the two.”
Andre Marc at Audio Video Revolution checks out the VDA•2
“I really enjoyed endless hours of fatigue free listening sessions, and differences between various recordings were very apparent.”
D•100B Monoblock Amplifiers Now Shipping
We are excited to announce that the new D•100B Monoblocks are now shipping. The new version brings a number of enhancements including:
- Newly designed power transformer
- Our new MKII input stage - the same as in the D•500 MKII
- XDC•2 AC Enhancing Circuit
Steve Stone checks out the VDC•9.0
“I ran several different tests to determine how much noise the stock Logitech power supply generates… In every case it was easy to see that the Logitech power supply was generating AC noise. Then I replaced the Logitech supply with the Channel Islands VDC 9.0. and all the noise vanished.”
Jeff Dorgay reviews the VDA•2 for Tone Audio
“I must say that in terms of sheer audio performance, the VDA•2 offers up some of the most musically revealing and tonally pleasing sound from a digital source I’ve heard at anywhere near this price… I defy you to find significantly better at 2-3 times the price. With the additional power supply, you are going to have to spend upward of 3-4000 dollars to get a significant jump in sound quality.”
Tone Audio reviews the VHP•2
“Side by side with the VHP-1, the new model is definitely a step up. The thing we both noticed right away was the improved soundstaging of the new unit. Steve said ‘What a difference! More dynamics, better sound- staging and an even quieter background make this one a real treat for serious headphone users…’”
Joint review of the D•200 and PLC•1 from Dagogo
“Sonically, the PLC-1 draws little attention to itself. It’s such a reserved-sounding piece, I did not find myself being drawn unduly to just one segment of the frequency spectrum… The PLC-1 retrieved the vocals in a most satisfactory fashion. If a person has quite a number of older discs where vocals are prominent, then I would suggest mating the PLC-1 and D-200’s with a warmer sounding CD player, since the Channel Islands gear will bring plenty of focusing power.”
D•100s change assumptions about Class D at UK Magazine Hi-Fi
“Kicking off with The Byrds’ ‘Draft Morning’ on vinyl, instead of getting the rather clinical, mechanical and analytical presentation I have come to fear from amplifiers such as these, I was greeted with a surprisingly warm and enveloping sound. Indeed, I would go as far as saying this is one of the most laid-back, organic and natural of the breed I have yet encountered.”