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Category: Miscellaneous
Title: Denon UD-M31 Mini-Component CD Receiver	views:1957
The Denon D-M31 system has been well-received by virtually everyone who has heard it. Even HiFi News' Ken Kessler raved in his review and then bought the review unit. The D-M31 comprises a CD-receiver and a pair of Mission-designed speakers. The CD-Receiver (UD-M31) can also be purchased on its own. There is also an optional matching companion unit (DRR-M31) which is a cassette recorder/deck. The UD-M31 is the successor to the UD-M30. I had a UD-M30 system in my study, when a nearby lightning strike resulted in a power surge that "killed" the UD-M30. I had been very happy with the UD-M30, so went out replace it, only to find that it had been superceded by the UD-M31. Undaunted, I bought the UD-M31... While I had been very happy with the UD-M30, I am ecstatic with the UD-M31. I have added the DRR-M31 cassette recorder. Let me decribe the unit: It is, in effect, a full-size component that has been cut in half from front to rear. Put the receiver and the matching tape deck together side-by-side, and the resulting combination is the same size as a normal width component. The unit consists of an RDS-equipped FM tuner, a CD player and a 22wpc (RMS) amplifier section. The rear panel is equipped with two full tape-loops (ie in & out) plus a sub-woofer line out linked to the volume control. A pair of spring-clip speaker terminals is provided, as is a pair of system remote connections for the optional modules. Connectors for both AM loop (provided) and an external FM antenna are also provided for on the rear panel. I have paired the UD-M31 with Tannoy speakers - a pair of Tannoy MX2 standmount units plus a Tannoy MX-SUB-10 powered (75w) sub-woofer, in a 2.1 configuration. The system is situated in my study (and is playing as I type this review) - sited on a shelf with the MX2's and the MX-SUB-10 is on the floor below the work-surface. For what it is, for what it cost, and for the purpose its used, this is one fine system. Diana Krall's "Live in Paris" sounds "real"; with Bruce Springsteen, it rocks; and it does a reasonaly creditable job on Beethoven's Violin Concerto. While it cannot compete with my primary system (it cost less than 5% of the main system's cost) - it does a very sterling job and I don't feel that the difference in quality is that crucial when I am working and not actively listening. I have not indulged in some of the off-the-wall pairing that Ken Kessler got up to in his review, but have driven a pair of Tannoy D700's off this little mite - and it did not disgrace itself in the least. Finally, I had a US houseguest a while back and he's an audiophile of note and passion. He was gobsmacked by this Denon and was most upset to find that Denon do not actively market it in the USA.

Review submitted: 2005/6/6

Category: Loudspeakers
Title: Dynaudio Audience 62's	views:2798
I took delivery of the Dynaudio Audience 62's last week and immediately set about turfing out the Epos 12.2's. No room for sentiment here and I was a child possessed. As one can imagine with new kit, I've been through my cd faves to look for the differences, the improvements over the Epos'. I love my Epos speakers and for good reason. Along with the NVA amp and Cyrus cd player and nva connecting stuff the sound is very very pleasing indeed. I would strongly recommend them anytime to anyone. They are good. Just one problem - they are standmounts (a perceived space-saver in my shoebox living room) which suffer from the usual problem of insufficient bass (for me at least but not my neighbour). Enter the Dyno's stage left. ooooooOOOOOOoooooo. It feels like my birthday. Whacking on my absolute favourite track 'Pampas Border' by the Angel Brothers with Satnam Singh (album 'From Punjab to Pit Top')..... it first opens up with organ, quickly followed by a thing or 2 being tapped in a percussive kind of way. Building with tom-toms and accordian the organ begins to swirl, in comes acoustic guitar and then finally, finally, we get gut-churning growling base. Bleedin' 'ell. Pump up the volume and see off the neighbours. I'm in heaven and my neighbour is having a chat with Satan. Ha I love these speakers. The trouble is I can't vocalise as well as some to describe their attributes as I simply don't know what some terms mean. For example fast, open, transparency - dunno. What I do know is that these produce a sound which sounds (er, sorry) like it costs more. There is definate imagery, definate sound stage, definate FULL SOUND. OK, OK I can imagine what some terms mean ) My wife nailed it with the comment "they have a much fuller sound, much bigger depth of field than your old speakers". Depth of field is good. I actually feel like the band is sitting in my living room ('cup of tea while your playing Mr Angel sir?') and can see the various instruments being fiddled about with. Bass - good - heading towards the earths mantle. Not quite there (need more money for that). Change of cd and the Dyno's have removed the lisp which Peter Gabriel suffered throughout 'Sledgehammer'. Change of cd to a raft of classical tracks. Piano, violin and choral all are reproduced so, so well. I love these speakers. I know, I've said that already. In a nutshell, there is a much greater frequency response, greater clarity, greater imaging. *When I say 'greater' this is compared to my standmounts. What they also produce with my kit is an uncoloured sound. Again, full marks to NVA amp and cabling and cyrus cd player. I can't enthuse anymore or I'll burst. ('wafer thin mint Mr Creosote?'). Stop press - I've just received Mozarts Complete Violin Concertos through the post - it sounds bloody gorgeous (seams are beginning to split). Now, do I keep my Epos or sell them. I really like the Epos. Oh god, I have a headache and still grinning like an idiot for a full week now. When the wife has made more money round the back of the Miners Welfare and Copacabana Club and the kids have cleaned a few more chimleys I'm upping to the 82's. They can only sound even better.

Review submitted: 2008/4/14

Category: Loudspeakers
Title: Dynaudio Audience 82s	views:351
In a nut shell, I am very pleased with my Dynaudio Audience 82s. In them are some of the best domes, cones and 3 way crossovers I've heard. My Audience 82s revolutionised the sound of my hifi when they replaced their smaller 2-way Audience 62 sibblings in my largely Musical Fidelity based hifi set up. The cabinets are large - impressively (/intimidatingly) so. They are well finished and, to my eyes, attractive, although relatively basic in design in the context of more recent releases of similiar price and 3 way design. On the face of each nessles 2 mid/bass cones 1 midrange and 1 soft dome tweeter. When the cones and domes start to move it is clear that these are breathtaking speakers. The Audience 82s have that rare balance of power and subtlety that is the neutral hifi experience. They reproduce 'unplugged' instruments e.g. Norah Jones' female vocal, acoustic guitar on Buena Vista Social Club, or Miles Davis' trumpet with outstanding uncoloured accuracy. And this is really the beginning and end of the story - the Audience 82s sound exactly like what they are supposed to sound like - the original studio or stage source of the music. They sound awesome with electronically produced music. Never have I heard the Propeller Heads 'Take California' sound so huge and persuasive ("OK, I'll take Navada as well!") as it does through the Audience 82s: I'm always fooled into thinking that I've left my AV sub woofer on. Similarly, more atmospheric ambient electra like Speedy J's 'G-Spot' album just flows out of the 82s with a duvet like comfort. Beautiful. From (very) extended listening to my Audience 82s I've come to the conclusion that for a speaker to be a great speaker, a 2 drivers are insufficient (I can feel the venomous replies coming already). I reckon you need a midrange cone and a 3 way cross over. Now, I've read that '3 way' speakers can sound 'coloured' and have a 'sonic signature that they impose on recorded music' played through them. If this is generally the case, then nothing could be further from the truth - the Dynaudio Audience 82s sound completely (and I mean COMPLETELY) UNcoloured to my ears. Indeed I would say that the Audience 82s are a great example of how 3 way speakers (with the additional cone bolstering the midrange frequencies) do a grand job of nulifying the problem inherent to 2 ways: That of the cross over frequency falling at exactly that midrange frequency at which our ears and brains are most discerning (for the purpose of hearing consonants in human speech). That was the one shortcoming I heard with my old 2 way Audience 62s - I always felt that vocals, guitars, saxes, percussion weren't quite on the money. No such concerns with their bigger 82 brothers! Finally the endless enjoyment I glean from my 82s is doubled by the fact that I picked them up second hand for £700. I understand that there original price tag was a grand more than that. Oh the joys of ebay....

Review submitted: 2005/9/22