SOtM's SE streaming bundle wins over HiFi+

Jason Kennedy, writing in HiFi+ 196, spent some time with SOtM's Special Edition top end streaming bundle and found its sense of pace, energy and coherence enjoyable. The bundle comprises the sMS-200Ultra NEO SE network player; the tX-USBultra SE USB hub and regenerator; and the sPS-500 SE power supply.

See some highlights below—you'll need to buy issue 196 (Jul 21) issue to read the review in full for now—and you can check out more detail on our bundle product page here.

“What strikes you first and foremost about the sound this combo produces is a sense of speed. With their pared down feature sets, these devices are built a bit like track cars and the sound matches that notion. Actually that suggests that every tune races along, what really happens is that the sense of tempo has a spring in its step, if the music is upbeat, you know all about it”

“…there is no shortage of power in the bass which is often distinctly weighty”

“…opened up the soundstage without undermining the sense of pace it brings to the party”

“I contrasted the set up with and without the tX-USB Ultra SE and found that this element contributes significantly to the overall result. It has a a disentangling effect with dense passages, opening up the soundstage and making time and space for each performer to do their thing. It also adds body and depth to the picture”

“I also listened to the standalone power supply with the sMS-200 Ultra Neo SE, and here the upgrade was even greater with increased three-dimensionality of imaging, greater articulation and all round stronger coherence. It’s safe to say that this streamer likes clean power”

“…the energy of the performance is very much front and centre”

“This package from SOtM is a little bit different to the usual fare but offers an engagingly pacey and coherent sound sound for the money”

“…the combination of plushness and intensity made for a powerful listening experience”

“Well produced music works a treat with these components, a wide variety of tunes were sampled and the polished ones sounded great every time…”

“…I got the hang of the software quickly and enjoyed many hours of listening with the SOtm streaming system"