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This site is made entirely without making any profit. In fact, it costs considerable money, not only for the domain and its aliases, but more so due to the larger and larger bandwidth required as the site grows in popularity. I like to use large and beautiful photo's and a clear, colourful interface but in combination with the many pagehits this causes enormous datatransfer rates which has forced me to upgrade my once affordable hosting subscription to ever higher and higher levels. For this, and also for the countless hours of work that go into making and maintaining the site, I'd be very thankful for any contribution you'd like to make!
Click the button at the top right of this site and feel free to donate any amount you like.
Think about it this way: have you ever read this many reviews, tips and articles in *any* 6 euro audio magazine? And any such magazine would probably consist of 50% advertising. All info on my site is always freely available. If enough people donate, even an amount of 1 euro (currently 1,44 US dollar) can make a worthwile contribution.
Many thanks in advance!
Christiaan Punter
29-6-2011
The 171i manages to extract ridiculous amounts of musical detail from an i-device, such as an iPhone in an utterly neutral manner. It has so much potential that when combined with a state of the art dac, the 171i simply produces state of the art sound.
29-6-2011
One of the most seamless all in one solutions that will surprise many people with its powerful and enthusiastic sound. What's more: take its digital output into an outboard highend DAC and it keeps getting better.
8-7-2011
Full-featured version of the UD10.1 Lite reviewed earlier that offers multiple outputs, better power regulation and a more precise clock.
27-6-2011
Part 3 of the review is here!
The PWD has long been on my list of things to do and is something of a benchmark, because after the Linn Klimax DS, the PWD is the first product that approached network audio streaming with high end audio playback in mind.
Last updated 28-7-2011
Added info to part 3 on bridge and dac firmware, cables used, placement and more
29-8-2011
At about a quarter of the Wadia 171i's entry price, but still offering digital audio extraction, does this neat little transport offer similar quality?
Older Next Gen Audio Reviews:
5-2011
13-3-2011
14-12-2010
7-12-2010
1-12-2010
30-10-2010
27-3-2010
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1-2010
1-2010
14-12-2009
16-6-2009
16-12-2008
Best liked feedback:
(selections from the guestbook)
I love your website! Surfing hifi-advice.com doesn't make me wanna sigh and shake my head as many other hifi-sites do. Browsing here gets me in a good mood! And that's rare for surfing hifi. Keep it up!
Best regards,
Carl
Hello Christiaan Punter
I am a Danish HiFI reviewer, working for the Scandinavian magazine Fidelity (www.audiofidelity.no), and I want to tell you what a wonderfull website you have made. It´s not often, that I see so much information, perfectly lay-out and easy to read and understand. Thanks! ;=)
KURT LASSEN
First I have to say I love your website and the honesty you put in your
tests. In a few words I can learn more stuff than in a french commercial
hifi magazine !! The way you compare items or regroup them in the same
sound style is really helpful. You must spend so much time in these tests,
right !
François-Xavier Gonnet
Hi Christiaan,
I stumbled on different articles mentioning sonic differences between wav and flac. Like always, you have very interesting points of view and I like the fact that you say what you think, no matter what others will say. Bravo !
Alain Gregoire
Canada.
Dear Sir,
Just wanted to tell you how wonderful your website is - please keep it up ! It is very refreshing to find a hi-fi site with such knowledgable reviews, no advertisement, and no preconceptions...
Thank you !
Stephane
Hello Christiaan,
now i have found your website.
You are totally crazy ! But respect, for your knowledge about high-end.
Why don't you work as a writer for a highend-magazin ?
hello,
I've been discovering your site with great interest. thank you very muh for all the work done. The point I like particulary, is that most of the time, pros and cons are highlights, wich help to get a clearer idea of a product, instead of incredibly detailing what is good....and not talking about the rest. next is that you don't fear comparing products, and finally, the fact that you seems to care about system synery ;-)
kindest regards.
respectfully.
Quentin
Dear Christiaan ,
I'm looking for some trustworthy advice that it's difficult to find in audigon, audiocircle, computeraudiophile, headfi, etc... because of all the noise and shills.
Thanks a lot. Santiago Madruga
Dear Christiaan,
by chance I found your excellent website while looking for information regarding the Ayre QB 9 DAC and I am glad that I found your website. It is an excellent source full of information and what I do like the most is that you actually compare components side by side.
Your review of the Ayre QB 9 is very helpful since you really "played around" with it trying different USB-cables, different power cords and last but not least different computers with different operating systems and different software players. This way you got probably 100% of what the DAC can do.
Best regards and greetings from Germany,
Johannes
Hi Christiaan,
Great reviews you have done on the various computer USB interfaces, and the software involved. As always, very thorough.
cheers
Andrew
Dear Christiaan,
I would like to congratulate you for your incredible site, it is amazing the amount of knoledge an non comercial information that you are sharing, it is so difficult in the high end world. Since I discovered your web some years ago I have not stop to read your great articles even the ones in holland languages (using a translator). In fact your web site is for me the mayor influence for High End.
thank you very much again for all your help with your website.
Best Regards,
Alex
Hi Christiaan,
I have just discovered your site thanks to a link in a ComputerAudiophile thread. Man, I like it :D
I have come to the same conclusions, on topics where I have enough knowledge to cross your own experience.
Anyway I am so glad I discovered your site.
Keep up posting your uncompromised experience !
Regards,
Guillaume Brocard (France)
Good morning
First of all i would like to thank you for the helpful review you have done, i just bought an arcam rdac.
Many thanks
Regards
lorenzo medici
Hoi Christiaan,
Je hebt niets te veel gezegd, die EVO is een topper.
Vooral het midden, stemmen ed. is superieur maar ook het laag is veel strakker. Beeld is ook meer 3d en breder.
Heb hem nu ruim een week in gebruik en had nooit verwacht dat het verschil zo enorm groot zou zijn.
Nogmaals bedankt, jou review was de aanzet tot aanschaf!
Wim Koolwijk
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2-1-2012
After the UC192, KingRex now introduced the UD384 which handles even higher sample rates and works in asynchronous mode.
7-1-2012
What others are saying:
I love your website! Surfing hifi-advice.com doesn't make me wanna sigh and shake my head as many other hifi-sites do. Browsing here gets me in a good mood! And that's rare for surfing hifi. Keep it up!
Best regards,
Carl
Hello Christiaan Punter
I am a Danish HiFI reviewer, working for the Scandinavian magazine Fidelity (www.audiofidelity.no), and I want to tell you what a wonderfull website you have made. It´s not often, that I see so much information, perfectly lay-out and easy to read and understand. Thanks! ;=)
KURT LASSEN
Older Next Gen Audio
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28-8-2011
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Older
Generic Additions:
30-11-2011
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26-8-2011
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13-3-2010
13-3-2010
10-3-2010
9-3-2010
8-3-2010
24-2-2010
23-2-2010
23-2-2010
compared to Levinson no.360S
23-2-2010
10-2-2010
31-1-2010
2-1-2010
28-12-2009
25-12-2009
24-12-2009
11-12-2009
11-12-2009
7-12-2009
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24-11-2009
Double Smart Matrix versus Matrix Silent
- Archive -
Some old links may no longer work:
20-11-2009
Currently updating the entire site. You may see old style and new style elements mixed up at places but we hope to have it all back up and running in a couple of hours.
17-11-2009
Info-Reviews
HT fuses now also tested in Magnepan speakers
17-11-2009
Info-Reviews
Many types were tested over an extended period.
17-11-2009
Info-Reviews
2mm versus 4mm version compared. They turn out to sound very different
17-11-2009
Hifi Tuning Gold versus Iego Gold
13-11-2009
All setups at a glance, with links to more info and reviews
12-11-2009
20-10-2009
What are the differences and why do they sound different?
20-10-2009
20-10-2009
9-10-2009
Original Dutch review translated into English
Starwired, standard, plastic or aluminium housing - what are the differences?
5-10-2009
All reviews in category cd/dac now translated in English
20-9-2009
New speaker reviewed:
12-9-2009
All reviews in category cables now translated in English
9-9-2009
New photo's of the current setup yet again - Video setup now in place
7-9-2009
New photo's of the current setup - the Magnepans have arrived
3-9-2009
New photo's of the current setup
2-9-2009
Review added: NBS Dragon Fly III power cable
18-8-2009
From now on, audioadvies.nl is called www.hifi-advice.com
The older name will be phased out, but will still point to the same site.
So by typing audioadvies.nl you'll still end up in the right place!
18-8-2009
The recent MM tecnology compared to the older XL and non-XL technology.
13-8-2009
New photos added
13-8-2009
Original Dutch review translated into English
The advantages and disadvantages of the various types available
13-8-2009
Original Dutch review translated into English
The advantages and disadvantages of each method
7-8-2009
By now the site is mostly translated into English, as it was time for a new international name. The new name has been registered as www.hifi-advice.com and will slowly be introduced over the next few weeks. For the forseeable future you will still be able to get here by typing www.audioadvies.nl though.
6-8-2009
A new system reviewed: Trigon amps, DCS SACD player, Revel speakers and very nice cabling
3-8-2009
This super player compared to Audiomeca Enkianthus X and CEC TL1x
30-7-2009
Now you can look for components alphabetically and from the summary click on to the extensive reviews
30-7-2009
This super player compared to Audiomeca Enkianthus X and CEC TL1x
30-7-2009
Everything regarding Computer Audio neatly in one place
26-7-2009
Cable reviews added:
FIM Gold interlink, FIM Gold powercable, NBS Dragon Fly powercable
26-7-2009
Article added to info:
8-7-2009
A report explaining the challenges of modifying this cable
7-7-2009
Review of a complete audio setup added:
Wadia, Spectral, Voce Divina, PS Audio and a perfect listening room
2-7-2009
According to sceptics the only valid method or comparing equipment
26-6-2009
The Mark Levinson 390s cd processor is now also compared to the group
22-6-2009
Cool Equipment added an extra page full of photos
A selection of what I feel is the most desirable/crazy/outrageous/beautiful equipment.
17-6-2009
Find out how much of the Coherence II sound has trickled down into the Synergy
17-6-2009
Is it worth investing in 10 year old electronics? I say yes. Read on!
15-6-2009
5-6-2009
Which is the way to go? Intergrated use has one big advantage...
30-5-2009
info reviews
Wadia 861, Krell KPS20i, Meridian 508.24, CEC TL1x/Audiomeca Enkianthus x
29-5-2009
Starting now, all new articles will be in English. Existing content will also gradually be translated.
29 mei 2009
vanaf nu zullen alle nieuwe artikelen in het Engels verschijnen.
de bestaande artikelen zullen tevens gaandweweg vertaald worden.
18 mei 2009
14 mei 2009
"model Oyaide" IEC connectoren van andere naam voorzien: AA-IEC-Gold
12 mei 2009
informatie toegevoegd aan componentenlijst
12 mei 2009
Toegevoegd aan componentenlijst
12 mei 2009
Naast de eerder geteste model Oyaide en Furutech Fl 11 G nu ook Furutech Fl 15 Rhodium en nieuwkomer IeGo.
5 mei 2009
Read all about wav, mp3 and flac, as well as the applications to make these files or to play them back with. Every application sounds different! (8-5-2009 updated)
21 april 2009
21 april 2009
Sterbedrading, standaard messing strippen, Plastic of Alu behuizing... wat zijn de verschillen?
14 april 2009
2 april 2009
De voor- en nadelen van elk systeem
2 april 2009
Nieuwe techniek eindelijk redelijk betaalbaar
2 april 2009
Belden RG59, Mogami AES, Transparent Premium Digital, Wireworld Gold Starlight 3+
26 maart 2009
5 maart 2009
De verschillen, de overeenkomsten en HDMI audio
23 februari 2009
14 januari 2009
2 januari 2009
info reviews
Stekkerblokken serieel of sterbedraad? maakt kabellengte uit? IEC connectoren en hun officiele benamingen
16 december 2008
Diverse nieuwe reviews: Rack of Silence vs Spider, Michell Gyro SE, high end zekeringen, Clearaudio platenwassers, lp recording analoog vs digitaal
14 september 2008
18 augustus 2008
7 juli 2008
28 juni 2008
lijst kabels aangevuld met Wireworld Gold Starlight III+ digital, KCI digital, Transparent Premium digital, Harmonic Tech Copper Digital
21 juni 2008
lijst cd/dac aangevuld met CEC TL1x belt-drive transport en
Audiomeca Mephisto II cd transport
19 juni 2008
lijst cd/dac aangevuld met Proceed PDT3, Meridian 602 en 606
Review toegevoegd: Schuko stekkers vergeleken
25 mei 2008
Artikel toegevoegd over Netfilters
15 mei 2008
Nieuw: Reviews, bijvoorbeeld:
Nu met DCS Delius/Purcell, Marantz CD94MKII, Pass X2
30 januari 2008
4 december 2007
Helaas kunnen we wegens de enorme drukte niet meer algemeen adviseren in de vorm van adviesabonnementen of eenmalig advies zoals dat voorheen nog kon. Uiteraard blijft het onze missie om u te voorzien van objectieve en duidelijke advies en info. Daarom wordt de info/reviews afdeling de komende tijd uitgebreid. Uiteraard kunt u nog steeds uitvoerig advies inwinnen over de audioadvies produkten en de inpassing daarvan in uw persoonlijke situatie.
22-1-2012
22-1-2012
23-1-2012
A small but sturdly built DAC that offers coaxial, optical and USB inputs. With the latter, it really shines.
24-1-2012
Heralded in each and every review as the world's best streamer. So, is it? To find out, I compared the DS to that other big name in streaming, the PS Audio PWD, as well as to my favorite CD player, the Levinson no.390S.