by David McCallum
Ernie and I have never collaborated on a review before. However, we both spent quite a bit of time with the T2000 and he asked me to add a few words to his recently posted review.

The demo T2000 arrived at my home in November of 2011. Out of the box I set it up as an integrated amp, connecting two sources: my Tom Evans Groove phono amp and my Bryston BDP1/BDA1 combination. With just the Allnic powering my two ATC SCM40 loudspeakers, I was actually caught off guard by how good the system sounded. It wasn’t that I had any doubts about Allnic or the amp – I just didn’t expect a 70 watt tube amp to mate very well with my inefficient ATCs. I perceived the sound as intimate, with a very sweet sounding mid-range and detailed, smooth highs. However, as I had expected the low-end was a tad meek. I used the amp in this configuration for about a week and my appreciation for the amp grew the more I listened.
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by Ernie Fisher
Ever since I took a look and listen to the entry-level Allnic preamplifier, my perspective changed from a casual to a formal interest. It wasn’t because of the unit’s retro look — which I like — it was because it sounded good and offered superb build and parts quality. Allnic Audio is likely named for its use of a pure nickel alloy core in its transformers. It is a family-owned business located in South Korea headed by Kang Su Park. I understand that the family’s participation in the manufacturing process is the basis to guarantee a product that goes beyond standard quality control procedures and include carefully chosen parts, testing these components within the sphere of circuitries and wiring and assembling them meticulously by hand.

My original intention was to review the T-2000 separately, but I changed my mind because the L-3000 preamplifier arrived shortly after the integrated amplifier and I used both for this evaluation as well as for the reviews of the Genesis power amp and the Focal loudspeakers.
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by Ernie Fisher
The Focal line from France has long been on my short list of favourite loudspeakers. I became well acquainted with their designs back in the late 1990s when I reviewed the model Mezzo Utopia in the print Version of The Inner Ear. While I was evaluating the Mezzo, it became clear to me that the company had a highly developed understanding of loudspeaker design and implemented innovative technology in all of their series. The Chorus series is JMLab Focal’s mid-price series below the famous Utopia line. The model under review is the top model of seven in the series, which also offers home theatre enclosures.

I had played the Chorus speakers for about one week, before I settled down to assess their performance with the various amps and my first impression was that there was a marked element of tonal balance, whereby the entire audible frequency scale came across homogeneously pleasing. This attribute remained unchanged with all amplifiers. << Read More >>