- A Brief History of the Lost3 February 2012, 10:09 pm
Children, for the most part, are normal human beings who like to make believe that they're extraordinary, just for fun.... - Recording of February 2012: Dusty in Memphis3 February 2012, 10:05 pm
Dusty Springfield: Dusty in Memphis Atlantic/Analogue Productions APP 8214-45 (two 45rpm LPs). 1969/2011. Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, prods.; Ed Kollis, eng.; Kevin Gray, 45rpm mastering. AAA. TT: 76:40 Performance ***** Sonics ***** Coaxing a singer to "stretch" always sounds like a good idea—that is, until the singer is standing in the same recording booth used by Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett, and suddenly her confidence, never brimming to start with, drops through the flo... - Pop Music.3 February 2012, 9:22 pm
Here at the Stereophile office, we listen to lots of different tunes ranging from Bach to Fucked Up to Sylvester, but in the Bitran/Mejias cubicle, t... - All Tape Guide2 February 2012, 11:49 pm
Photo: Teen River, a cassette-only label. I’ve discussed my (apparently controversial) attraction to cassettes.... - World's Largest Collection of Vintage Audio?2 February 2012, 3:37 pm
Wow, look at all the pretty boxes. Maybe I'll finally find that Nakamichi CD-1 cassette deck I've been waiting for. Note: As you'll see in the comments section, Stereophile's John Marks suspects something here is fishy.... - 2011 Records To Die For1 February 2012, 8:43 pm
Each year when I sit down to write this introduction, I get stuck on the whole dying-for-music thing. I get visions of the Lincoln assassination conspirators, swinging from ropes with sacks over their heads. Like '80s hair bands do ya? Pull the trap door! Or Mary Queen of Scots kneeling before the block: A fan of smooth jazz? Let the blade fall! Yes, it's silly on some level, but what exactly is the feeling that would make one martyr oneself for music? Actually, I think it's more about dying wi...
- Creative Announces New HN-900 and Aurvana X-Fi 2 Active Noise-Canceling Headphones1 February 2012, 8:57 pm
Channels: The Absolute Sound The Perfect Vision Hifi+ CyberListener Source: AVGuide Industry News: not Top pick: ... - Optoma announces the HD23 2500 ANSI Lumen 1080p Home Entertainment Projector1 February 2012, 3:35 pm
Channels: The Absolute Sound The Perfect Vision Hifi+ CyberListener Source: AVGuide Industry News: not London, 31st January 2012 – Optoma today announced the ... - NAD Delivers 3D Capable T 567 Network Blu-ray Player1 February 2012, 3:25 pm
Channels: The Absolute Sound The Perfect Vision Hifi+ CyberListener Source: AVGuide Industry News: not February 1, 2012, UK - NAD has launched its new 3D capable T ... - UK Distributor PMC Loudspeakers Introduces Bryston BHA-1 Headphone Amp1 February 2012, 3:13 pm
Channels: The Absolute Sound The Perfect Vision Hifi+ CyberListener Source: AVGuide Industry News: not Sound & Vision 2012, Bristol 24-26 February - The ne... - Woo Audio Releases WDS-1 DAC and WTP-1 CD Transport26 January 2012, 4:15 pm
Channels: The Absolute Sound The Perfect Vision Hifi+ CyberListener Source: AVGuide Industry News: not January 26, 2012, New York - WOO Audio is proud to introduce ... - Lycan Audio Announces Release of the Ulric Subwoofer23 January 2012, 7:31 pm
Channels: The Absolute Sound The Perfect Vision Hifi+ CyberListener Source: AVGuide Industry News: not January 23, 2012, La Quinta, California - Lycan Audio is...
- New York City Audio Video Event3 February 2012, 7:30 am
April 13 to 15 at the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Hotel... - HDtracks Features Marvin Gaye And Talking Heads3 February 2012, 7:30 am
Many new high rez music titles from HDtracks.... - AXPONA Florida High End Audio Event2 February 2012, 7:30 am
AXPONA is from March 9th to 11th.... - February Audio Review Magazine Is Now Online!1 February 2012, 7:30 am
Many new world premiere equipment reviews in this issue!... - finite elemente CERA Series Ceraone Footer31 January 2012, 7:30 am
Specialized high end audio footers for components.... - Pioneer N30 And N50 Elite Networked Audio Players30 January 2012, 7:30 am
Pioneer's new networked audio players for audiophiles....
- REVIEW: Bodnar Audio WOODLINE HORNTON speakers from Poland3 February 2012, 11:00 pm
Published in Polish: Jan 16th 2012, No. 93 I believe my memory is quite good. Even though I remember almost everything I sometimes have problems with placing some events in particular moment of the past. That's why I wasn't completely sure during which Audio Show a room that everybody called „Ukrainian” was so popular, and so well spoken off. In there mostly products of N-Audio were presented. Not to mix the facts I checked that – it was, as I thought, in 2010. After the Sho... - INTERVIEW: Srajan Ebaen, „6moons.com” magazine from Swiss3 February 2012, 11:00 pm
Report published: in Polish on Jan 1th 2012, No. 93 Where were you born? Flensburg, Germany. How was your childhood? Perfectly ordinary for our purposes here. You mentioned that you and your family are musicians – can you tell me more about it? I began getting clarinet lessons at around 6 years of age. I progressed from there to participating in a youth marching band with sit-down concerts in various tourist places across Schleswig Holstein. Next came studies with a clarinet te... - REVIEW: Divine Acoustics ELECTRA 2 speakers from Poland3 February 2012, 11:00 pm
The Polish company Divine Acoustics makes loudspeakers different than others around them. Instead of classic cuboid with narrow front and significant depth, we get flat, very shallow loudspeakers with a quite wide front baffle, similar to a construction with an open baffle. Some time ago it was a requirement, especially due to an open construction of most loudspeakers, today open baffle is used sporadically – it is worth to mention the model Reference R 909 from Jamo, the unusual Gradient ... - REVIEW: Skogrand Cables SC Air/SC Air Centaurus A/SC Air Markarian 421 loudspeaker cables from Norway3 February 2012, 11:00 pm
In the introduction to the description of his cables, the owner of the company Skogrand Cables SC, Mr. Knut P. Skogrand (at the same time we have resolved the mystery of the company name) writes: “We use the absolute purest Single Core Crystal (SCC) and Ultra Pure Ohno Continuous Cast (UP-OCC) Copper.” And then: “Our cable build is one of a kind. We have developed unique frameworks for our solid core speaker cable leads that lets them float almost completely in air - hen... - REVIEW: Castle HOWARD S3 speakers from UK3 February 2012, 11:00 pm
It is assumed, that history is seen in general in two ways – like a straight line, with a starting and ending point, where we talk about development, accumulation or like a circle, where we deal with a kind of fatalism, historical inevitability – here is no beginning, no ending, there is at most a “transitional period”, the true history, leading inescapably to “fulfillment” and “complementation”, returning to its beginning. When we assume, that tho... - REVIEW: KingRex UD384 + U POWER D/D converter USB-S/PDIF/DAC + battery power supply from Taiwan3 February 2012, 11:00 pm
The Taiwanese company KingRex is a manufacturer of small, sleek devices, designed mainly to work with computers or similar equipment. I do not know if you remember, but some time ago I tested two devices manufactured by that company – UD-1 Pro, a DAC with USB input, and the HQ-1, a line preamplifier with a headphone amplifier (test HERE). Both devices appealed to me, especially the DAC, which had an old D/D USB-S/PDIF converter and DAC, which I never expected to be so musical – the B...
- AURALiC ARK MX+ DAC Review3 February 2012, 6:06 am
The AURALiC ARK MX+ digital to analog converter is a well engineered, uniquely constructed, and very good sounding DAC. Right out of the box it's visually and physically evident the ARK MX+ was built to a very high standard. This 12 lbs. DAC made of iron, nickel, and silicon looks and feels like it was built to military specifications. Internally the AURALiC ARK MX+ houses some unique design elements including the main attraction AURALiC Sanctuary Audio Processor. This multi-core ARM9 processor ... - Sonata Music Server Review26 January 2012, 4:38 am
My first impression is that I could be convinced to listen to music with the Sonata Music Server software. Just imagine… A vast selection of music presented in the easiest to locate method. Your tastes catered to with a simple touch. In this case a Dell ST2220T Multi-touch monitor. It doesn't hurt to have the Arcam asynchronous USB rDAC, Stax SR-007 headphones and matching headphone amplifier which add that je ne sais quoi -- over the rainbow quality to the entire experience. Clearly, Digibit ... - Introducing New CA Contributor Kathy Geisler23 January 2012, 6:17 pm
After four years of writing every review and in-depth article on Computer Audiophile it’s time to add some diversity to these pages. I’m very happy to introduce new CA contributor Kathy Geisler. Kathy will bring a refreshing and creative perspective to Computer Audiophile. She has vast experience as a producer with a passion for classical music and an ear for good sound quality. read more... - CES 2012 Show Notes16 January 2012, 4:34 am
Wireless was everywhere. Music servers were everywhere. DACs were everywhere. CES 2012 was good for computer audiophiles and those looking to take the next step in high performance audio playback in the home. New Xeo wireless powered speakers from Dynaudio were among several wireless and/or powered speakers at the show. Audioengine showed its engineering prowess with its D2 wireless DAC at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Music servers from Weiss, Bladelius, and Merging Technologies showed much ... - CA Bits & Bytes Volume 3: 2012 CES, Upcoming Reviews9 January 2012, 2:51 am
The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show is finally here! I'm very excited about the show this year. Many manufacturers will announce computer audio and desktop audio components over the next few days. Every year more and more of the specialty and major audio manufacturers cater to the next phase of home audio reproduction, computer based audio. This year I also plan to spend more time at the main convention center in addition to the standard high end suites at the Venetian. I don't care how much the ... - Drobo FS Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review28 December 2011, 3:08 am
There's no need to beat around the bush. Drobo FS is the simplest network attached storage device I've used to date. Period. The FS doesn't have many bells and whistles but that's a good thing for audiophiles seeking a simple yet robust storage solution for their music. Computer Audiophile readers who don't know or don't want to know much about storage solutions should cut to the chase and check out a Drobo FS. read more...
- JE Audio VL 19 Balanced Line Stage
as reviewed by Mike Wechsberg28 January 2012, 3:21 pm
The VL19 is a fully balanced design that uses Sovtek 6H30Pi tubes made famous in this country by Balanced Audio Technology (BAT), which calls them "supertubes".... - Sonus Veritas Venice Phono Preamp
as reviewed by Marshall Nack28 January 2012, 3:21 pm
I can tell you, based on a lot of experience at $10K and under, you won't find anything approaching the Venice's level of performance there.... - CES 2012 Reports28 January 2012, 3:21 pm
Many pages of images and comments, scroll to the Show Reports section and have fun!... - DH Labs Silver Sonic USB Cable
as reviewed by Tom Gibbs28 January 2012, 3:21 pm
While it seems prudent to think that something as well constructed as the DH Labs Silver Sonic USB cable would perform admirably, it's been a truly remarkable trail of discovery to find that it indeed does make a huge difference.... - Diary of a Mad Exhibitor: CES 2012
by Marc Phillips28 January 2012, 3:21 pm
... - Sonic Satori: CES 2012, A High End Odyssey NEW
by Michael Mercer28 January 2012, 3:21 pm
...
- Van Halen1 February 2012, 11:25 pm
David Lee Roth might have a bright future as the replacement for William Shatner in Priceline commercials. The flamboyant vocalist and natural-born pitchman takes spoken-word turns on several occasions throughout A Different Kind of Truth, going into character with an exaggerated low-register timbre that harkens back to his narrative role on “Panama.” Yet whereas Roth [...]... - Leonard Cohen30 January 2012, 6:04 pm
The title of Leonard Cohen’s latest album—his first since 2004′s Dear Heather—applies not to his advanced age (the singer turned 77 in September) but to the musings on human frailty, religion, sexuality, and mortality that have defined his work since he gave up poetry for a music career when he was still in his 30s. [...]... - Issue 4324 January 2012, 7:37 pm
TONEAudio’s Music Annual By The TONE Staff New for 2012! A complete list of our record reviews for the past year along with a comprehensive overview of our concert coverage and artist interviews, with an issue by issue listing at the end. A perfect recap for your record purchases this year! Keep this one on [...]... - Mark Lanegan24 January 2012, 4:42 pm
“If tears were liquor/I would’ve drunk myself to death,” confesses a troubled Mark Lanegan on the allegorical “St. Louis Elegy,” a haunting organ-laced ballad that stands in as the second cousin to the Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun” and reinforces the afflicted moods coursing through Blues Funeral. Spectacularly diverse and consistently impressive, the vocalist’s [...]... - Funk Firm Has A Winner…22 January 2012, 4:05 am
Refinement constitutes the difference between P1 and P6 on the Formula One grid. The same can be said for analog reproduction. While there’s precious little genuinely new under the sun, careful refinement of existing technology continues to extract more information from the grooves of our vinyl collections. And it’s a huge bonus when performance increases [...]... - Editor Bob Gendron’s new blog…9 January 2012, 10:08 pm
It’s All One Song By Bob Gendron January is traditionally a slow time for live shows. Yet soon enough, announcements for spring dates, the excitement associated with South By Southwest, and the unveiling of lineups for destination festivals will put everyone back into a virtual club—or, in the case of Lollapalooza, a virtual lakefront park). [...]...
- TBi Majestic Diamond 1R loudspeaker review2 February 2012, 4:02 am
If an ultra portable, hyper compact, single driver desktop loudspeaker is exactly what you’re looking for then TBi might have that narrow niche cornered. “In the broadest terms, TBi Majestic Diamond 1Rs prove that small doesn’t have to equate to a HUGE list of sonic compromises but that such Tardis trickery comes at a price.” [...]... - Anedio prep D2 DAC and U2 USB-S/PDIF convertor2 February 2012, 3:59 am
It’s been a long while in development but Anedio will finally ship their D2 DAC in early February 2012. Improvements over the D1 DAC include an XMOS receiver chip to enable asynchronous 24/192 over USB, balanced outputs and a redesigned chassis (fewer blue lights!). The complete revision list can be read here. Those keen on [...]... - Epos ELS-8 standmount loudspeaker review16 January 2012, 8:01 am
A meta-review of a discontinued loudspeaker from Epos whose presentation isn’t as bold as the language used to cover it. “What separates these standmounts from the sub-$500 competition is they don’t try to sound exciting or showy. They don’t try at all. Instead, they walk in the opposite direction: easy to get on with, easy [...]... - REDGUM RGi120ENR integrated amplifier review16 January 2012, 7:57 am
Remarking that REDGUM amplifiers look unusual is akin to describing the Mona Lisa’s smile as enigmatic – it lacks imagination. Instead, let’s run with a Star Wars analogy from the off: REDGUM’s top integrated amplifier possesses extensive Midi-chlorian punch; The Force is strong within this one. She’s the Millennium Falcon of integrated amplifiers: as Han [...]... - QLS introduce QA-100 digital integrated amplifier27 December 2011, 11:22 pm
Here’s something interesting. Well, interesting because it’s super cheap. The QLS wizz-kids – them behind the QA-550 WAV player – now a have digital amplifier with in-built DAC ready to ship direct from Shen Zhen for US$320 (+ US$50 shipping). It probably won’t sound as good as your Krell, but it’s certainly a possibility for [...]... - Rega Brio-R integrated amplifier review27 December 2011, 9:06 am
This slower-moving moving UK manufacturer re-makes, remodels its long-standing Brio amplifier into a ‘R’ revision (remote control, half-width box) and catches the competition flat on its feet. “Rega just made it that bit harder to justify spending more than a grand on integrated amplifier. Twin the Brio-R with its Rega DAC brother and you’d struggle [...]...
- 2012 CES, Part VI: Accuphase, Vandersteen, Avantgarde, ESS, Genesis, Kingsound, Legacy, MartinLogan, Musical Surroundings, Qualia, Scientific Fidelity, Telwire, Triode, HiFiMan
... - WyWires interconnect and speaker cable
... - An Interview with Roger Sanders of Sanders Sound Systems
... - 2012 CES, Part V: Kondo Audio Note, Dionysus, Avantgarde, Pathos, Vienna Acoustics, Davone, NTT Audio Lab, Piega, Meridian
... - Shindo silver cables
... - 2012 CES, Part IV: Kingsound, Bob Carver LLC, GamuT, Pass Labs, TNT, McIntosh, Acapella Audio Arts, Enigma Acoustic, Esoteric, LAMM, Electrocompaniet
...
- Vivid Audio Giya G2 Loudspeakers1 February 2012, 5:00 am
Note: Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link. Few people will be able to afford the Vivid Audio Giya G2’s retail price of $50,000 USD per pair. Its appearance, which has been described as everything from unique to beautiful to bold to odd to downright ugly, means that it will greatly appeal to some people and never to others. In short, there’s a limited market for a speaker of this type. But whether or not you can aff... - PSB Imagine Mini Loudspeakers1 February 2012, 5:00 am
Note: While unavailable at the time of review, PSB now offers dedicated stands and wall brackets at an additional cost that allow for maximum placement flexibility. Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link. From PSB’s original budget Alpha and Stratus Gold models to their latest flagship, the Synchrony One, I’ve consistently been impressed by the high quality and value the company offers. The 2011 Consumer Electronics Sh... - Dynaudio Focus 260 Loudspeakers15 January 2012, 5:00 am
There are so many ways to design and build a high-quality loudspeaker that thinking outside the box has become a requisite simply to remain in the game. If, in 1977, you asked someone on the streets of Denmark what was required to build a decent-sounding speaker, he or she might have said “high-quality drivers” or “decent cabinet construction” -- or, if really clever, “flat frequency response.” Pose the same question to someone in the offices of Dynaudio and your question would most ... - Ayre Acoustics VX-R Stereo Amplifier1 January 2012, 5:00 am
Note: Measurements performed by BHK Labs can be found through this link. Solid-state amplifiers are often the least inspiring components to review. Not all solid-state amps sound the same, as some would have you believe, but many sound quite similar to each other, and few have a sound that really lights my fire. It’s probably because of this “sameness” that so many still swear by tube amplification, not to mention the fun that can be had by mixing and matching different models of the same... - Eximus DP1 Digital-to-Analog Converter/Preamplifier/Headphone Amplifier15 December 2011, 5:00 am
If, like me, you get a thrill from components with innovative styling, outstanding build quality, advanced features, and great sound, all for a price that an average-income audiophile can afford, then you’ll want to read this review. But before I get into the details of the new Eximus DP1 DAC/preamplifier/headphone amplifier ($2995 USD), I’ll explain how this product came to be. ... - Carnegie Acoustics Contemporary CST-1 Loudspeakers1 December 2011, 5:00 am
Note: Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link. There are times when a boss seeks a volunteer for an assignment because the job is dirty or thankless or boring. But when SoundStage! Network editor-in-chief Jeff Fritz asked me to review Carnegie Acoustics’ Contemporary CST-1 loudspeaker, I coveted the assignment -- Jeff had described the speaker as “interesting.” In Jeffspeak, interesting usually means based on solid en...
- Bel Canto Design e.One C5i Digital-to-Analog Converter/Integrated Amplifier1 February 2012, 5:00 am
Last June, when I reviewed Bel Canto’s e.One DAC2.5 DAC-preamplifier, I found it to be an excellent combo worthy of being used as the digital control center of a high-quality audio system, and it's relatively affordable at $1995 USD. But for those who prefer the convenience of an integrated amplifier, Bel Canto also then offered the e.One S300iU with built-in USB DAC, also an excellent value at $1995. Although the S300iU was very favorably reviewed by our own Randall Smith, its single USB inp... - Elemental Designs EL8.3t Loudspeakers15 January 2012, 5:00 am
For a short while I owned a Saab station wagon (too short for me; not short enough, saith my wife) that was, at the same time, the sweetest and the most frustrating ride I’ve ever had. Saab must have made a vow at some point in its history that its cars would never be propelled by any engine having more than four cylinders, no matter how large their cars became or how much power the car-buying public demanded. This was basically true even during GM’s ownership of Saab and its attempts to wor... - DH Labs Odyssey Speaker Cables, White Lightning Interconnects, Silversonic USB Digital Interconnect, Encore Power Cord1 January 2012, 5:00 am
Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity, which he explained in a 1905 paper, ushered in a paradigm shift in the study of physics. Two-century-old Newtonian mechanics, which viewed space and time as fundamentally independent of one another, were superseded by a framework of space-time in which space and time existed coextensively. One of the consequences of Einstein’s theory was that certain absolutes could no longer be counted on as empirical constants, and one of those was time. Spec... - Dynamique Audio Cyclone Speaker Cables, Tempest Interconnects, Firelight USB Cable, and Horizon Power Cords15 December 2011, 5:00 am
Evolution Darwinism is more than 150 years old, and while it serves as a cornerstone of modern biology, it has not found universal acceptance. Irrespective of its 19th-century origins, however, the notion of evolution manifests itself in today’s world with a rapidity that is difficult to keep up with. Divorced from its biological underpinnings, the evolution of modern technology is such that radical new hardware, software, and Internet services seem to appear every few months. Companies like ... - Paradigm Shift A2 Active Loudspeakers1 December 2011, 5:00 am
When I was asked to review Paradigm’s new A2 active monitor, I was more excited than I’ve been about a product in a long time. The A2 is the first product in Paradigm’s new Paradigm Shift line, which has been in development for some time. I’d been checking the Paradigm Shift website for months, seeing only a launch date that never seemed to arrive. When the review samples finally appeared, I opened their boxes with great anticipation. ... - Aperion Audio Verus Forte Tower Loudspeakers15 November 2011, 5:00 am
For many years, one of my obsessions has been to find really good, reasonably priced small speakers. I’ve reviewed a number and owned several: the KEF Coda 7, Britain’s best-selling speaker in the mid-1990s; and the Celestion 3, long a favorite of mine. Then there was the PSB Alpha A/V, an early model of that company’s high-value, low-price line. When I was asked to review the Aperion Audio Verus Forte Tower speaker ($1090 USD per pair), I jumped at the chance due to the very high perceive...
- NuForce DAC-9 Digital-to-Analog Converter15 January 2012, 12:00 am
Call me a dinosaur, anachronistic, or snatch a bon mot from one of the uncharitable cranks who sound off on some online forums, but listening to vinyl records on a decent-quality, properly set-up turntable still provides the best approximation of real music that I have heard. There’s just something intrinsically right or more real about it: LPs sound more open, fluid, textured, detailed, dimensional, and -- this is where the magic is -- effortless than their digital counterparts. Our number-c... - Audience adeptResponse aR6-TS Power Conditioner1 January 2012, 12:00 am
Many people, perhaps most, think of power conditioners as providing some degree of protection for their audio systems -- protection they’re happy to have, so long as it doesn’t interfere with the sound quality. The adeptResponse (aR) power conditioners made by Audience, based in San Marcos, California, turn that thinking on its head: Their raison d’être is to improve a system’s sound. In the mid-2000s, Audience added power conditioners to its line of accessories, tweaks, and cabl... - EAR MC 4 Step-Up Transformer15 December 2011, 12:00 am
As I write this, fall weather has come on just over a week ago here in Oregon. Two or three days of coolish, overcast days were followed by a day and a half of soft rain showers. Then, clean, crisp, coolish mornings gave way to a lovely slanting light of afternoon, warm and yellow, bathing the plum and Japanese maple trees, both on the verge of turning, subtle tonal colors of their varied green leaves shining in the rich luminescence of the new autumn. Things in the garden that had seemed blonde... - PBN Audio Montana InnerChoic Liberty Loudspeakers1 December 2011, 12:00 am
Buy an audio component and you buy its designer’s vision. Buy a loudspeaker, amplifier, or turntable from PBN Audio, and it’s Peter Noerbaek’s vision you’ve brought home. PBN’s success is a testament to the power of his vision, and proof that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in high-end audio. Founded by Noerbaek as a part-time business in 1992 and full-time since 1993, PBN Audio took a while to gestate. Although trained as an electrical engineer in his native Denmar... - Simple Design Sonore Music Server15 November 2011, 12:00 am
Only a few years ago, the conventional audiophile wisdom was that the best sound from computer audio could be had for the price of a Mac computer and downloaded aftermarket music-player software from the likes of Amarra or Decibel. There wasn’t much else you could do to improve that setup, except maybe a few tweaks to make the computer run its best: RAM upgrades, better USB cables, and so on. But computer audio continued to evolve: Enter the standalone music server, built not for the ma... - Herron Audio VTSP-3A Preamplifier1 November 2011, 12:00 am
Years ago, when I was first getting into high-end audio, I remember walking into a dealer’s showroom in Austin, Texas, interested in listening to some subwoofers for two-channel music. At the time I was using a simple two-way speaker that was restricted to about 40Hz, so I figured a good sub would help fill in what I’d been missing. The dealer had a stereo set of subs set up with a pair of speakers that were also restricted in the deep bass. When the subs were switched in and out, I heard a ...
- The Art of Vladimir Nielsen = SCHUMANN: Waldszenen; MENDELSSOHN: Four Songs; MEDTNER: Two Fairy Tales; RAVEL: Gaspard de la Nuit – Nielsen, p. – Northern Flowers4 February 2012, 8:01 am
The art of Vladimir Nielsen reveals itself to be a formidable purveyor of color and drama, despite limited acoustic resources, 1955-1960.... - ARTHUR HONEGGER: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 – Suisse Romande/ Ernest Ansermet – HDTT4 February 2012, 8:01 am
Two of the Swiss composer's greatest symphonies, in excellent hi-res reissue from the original 1968 LP.... - ‘Muses Nine’ = Works by nine female composers – Becky Billock, p. – Muses Nine4 February 2012, 8:01 am
“Women’s music is music.” Here are some very fine examples.... - Drive, Blu-ray (2012)3 February 2012, 8:01 am
An extremely violent noirish car-centered thriller from a Danish director.... - Frida, Blu-ray (2002/2012)3 February 2012, 8:01 am
A superb filmic portrait of the tumultuous life of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.... - EDUARD FRANCK: String Quintets Op. 15 & 51 – Audite3 February 2012, 8:01 am
No relation of Cesar Franck, but an important creator of excellent chamber works heard here in their premiere recordings....
- Watching A little TV: VIZIO VMB070 Portable 7″ LED/LCD NTSC/ATSC Widescreen Television
"And turning to that excellent tuner, it brought in more digital stations from my outdoor antenna (the switch to all digital had already happened here in Ontario, so no analog signals were available) than my Zenith off-air tuner, and the extra input also proved useful for monitoring off satellite when watching off air on the big screen, as well as for monitoring recordings to DVD or hard disc on my LG DVD video recorder. So checking out the VMB070 for analog reception will have to wait until nex... - Bain’s Blog - Snakes In The Brass
"Adolphe Sax, a second generation instrument maker in Brussels with a penchant for design, after developing his Saxhorn family of brass valved horns of various size and pitch, and having developed the first really workable bass clarinet, installed a bass clarinet mouthpiece on one of his firm's ophicleides. He was aware of the tonal disparity among strings, winds, and brass, families; in which the strings and winds were generally overpowered by the brass. What he produced was, in essence, a br... - Samson ZOOM H2n(ext) Handy Digital Recorder - ZOOM Forges Ahead of the Pack…
"I've admired and owned ZOOM products for a few years now, both H4 and H2 passing through my studio and out into the field. Those reviews have already been published, and this Japanese company has now taken over its own worldwide distribution of its newest products..." ... - A Trialogue on Historical Recording Restoration by AM, JEB, & BO
"Even the process of removing recording noise that often obscures the first and second overtones ensures that they cannot be synthesized out of thin air, again, literally. In a mono recording all the noise and distortion are part and parcel of the production, and cannot be removed except at a cost..." ... - Audio Ideas, December 2011 - Recent SACDs, CDs, Blu-rays, & Other Confections (Or Not)!
"These two titles couldn't be any different from each other, I'm sure, but they share an excellence of production and execution, and each focuses on a major musical talent whose careers started more than 40 years apart. Chasing Sound is a look at the career and guitar and recording innovations of Les Paul, not to forget his spectacular musical dexterity with the electric guitar he invented. Paired with the irrepressibly pitch-perfect Mary Ford, they became a hit machine in the early 50s, his dev... - Ox Box #10 - Music from Jimmy Cobb, Mozart, Martinu and Robert Plant
"Most collectors will be attracted to the Chesky discs because of great care the Chesky team takes to get the most “natural” sound they can obtain. On the end of a horizontal arm they attach a single microphone around which the musicians gather, except when Roy Hargrove is part of the group. Because of the sound stage is so clearly defined you know he likes to move around...." ...
- Review: Urbanista London Headphones23 January 2012, 4:01 pm
According to Urbanista's website, 3.5 billion people live in 'urban environments'. That's a pretty big potential market, and Urbanista is targeting city dwellers with fancily-designed gadgets to make inner-city living that bit more exciting and glamorous. Each gadget is named after a city. Copenhagen gets some over-ear headphones, Las Vegas gets iPod cases and London gets some in-ear headphones. It could be worse – New York gets a…uh…trolley for shopping and luggage.So what makes the Londo... - Review: Bayan Audio Bayan 719 January 2012, 9:30 am
The Bayan Audio Bayan 7 is a curious-looking speaker dock which looks more like an oven that slots into a wall than a high-end iOS speaker dock (a black version is also available). But on closer inspection, it soon reveals its true purpose. Set into its clear acrylic facia is a hefty bass subwoofer that also acts as its stand. The rest of the sound is supplied by twin 5cm full-range speakers and two 2.5cm tweeters. The Bayan 7 has two amplifiers, one for the bass and one for the middle and high-... - Review: Philips Fidelio SoundSphere27 December 2011, 9:30 am
The Philips Fidelio SoundSphere is one of the best-looking Airplay speaker systems we've ever seen – and, we're extremely happy to report, its beauty is far from skin-deep. Comprising two forward-leaning cylindrical speakers clad in a classy gloss black, it's accompanied by a simple iPod/iPhone/iPad charging dock, remote control and all the cables you need to get it up and running quickly and simply. Inside one of the speakers you'll find a 2x 50W RMS amplifier, while each speaker also include... - Review: Revo K222 December 2011, 9:30 am
Designing an audio product presents manufacturers with a dilemma. Do they forego convenience and build a great sounding but bulky system, or sacrifice audio quality in favour of a smaller footprint? Thankfully, Revo's new K2 iOS dock, radio and audio streamer makes no such compromises. The K2's square-shaped base with sides of just 10.6cm and two alarm settings make it ideal for your bedside table. But its brushed aluminium bodywork, black rubber details and invisible-until-lit OLED means it loo... - Review: Sony SRS-BTV2516 December 2011, 11:35 am
The peculiar Sony SRS-BTV25 Bluetooth wireless speaker is aimed at the smartphone, iPod, iPad and iPhone market.It will work with any device capable of connecting to a Bluetooth speaker, though, which includes most tablets and a fairly large wealth of MP3 players.Bluetooth speakers aren't exactly new, and even stylish ones are fairly commonplace. But even so, it takes Sony design to make us sit up and listen. The Sony SRS-BTV25 not only looks incredible, available in black or white, but the surp... - Review: Logitech Wireless Speaker Adaptor2 December 2011, 11:18 am
Streaming music wirelessly via Bluetooth is excellent. Pretty much all smartphones these days not only hold a hefty chunk of our music collection, they also have Bluetooth connectivity that enables music to be streamed to a compatible stereo. It's so much easier than plugging in the phone via a cable - especially if someone were to ring you mid-song and you have to dash to unhook the phone before you miss the call. Bluetooth's high bandwidth serves to stream music almost without any noticeable l...
- Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducted by Günther Herbig. Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto. Feb 2nd, 2012.3 February 2012, 2:49 pm
by Anthony Kershaw Program Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73, “Emperor” Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 I attended the Toronto Symphony Orchestra press event this week, a wonderful celebration of the new season announcement, complete with antiphonal brass fanfares, press scrum with music director Peter Oundjian, and a rehearsal with former TSO music director, Günther Herbig. The [...]... - Audiophilia Recommended New Releases 201230 January 2012, 4:08 pm
[The CD title is linked to our affiliate, Amazon.com - Ed] This post will updated regularly through the year. Please check back often, or, even better, subscribe. Link to 2011 recommendations. Audiophilia Recommended New Releases - Update 30/1/12 Dvorak etc. – “From the New World” [59:09] Youth Orchestra of the Americas / J-P Hamelin Fidelio FACD029 (2011) If the term “youth orchestra” [...]... - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko. Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. January 22nd, 2012.26 January 2012, 9:38 pm
By James Norris Program Adams: The Chairman Dances Hindemith: Nobilissima visione Shostakovich: Symphony No. 7 ‘Leningrad’ Shostakovich was on his way to a football game when it was announced that Russia had been invaded by the German army in 1941. Instead of attending the match, he went immediately to the nearest recruiting office to sign up to fight in the [...]... - Parrot Zik Bluetooth Headphones15 January 2012, 6:09 pm
‘The Headset for the Smart Generation’ Before Bluetooth-hating, headphone enthusiasts go running for the hills, take a look at these gorgeous headphones from Parrot. I was watching Leo Laporte’s CES coverage on his Twit Network and the Parrot rep was talking up the company’s new Philippe Starck designed Zik headphones. If they sound as good as they [...]... - Audiophilia Star Recordings of the Year 201111 January 2012, 11:14 am
When our writer Andy Fawcett suggested a Recommended New Releases (RNR) post nearly two years ago, little did I know it would morph into one of our most popular recurring posts. As such, we felt the natural progression was to institute the recording equivalent of our very popular Star Component moniker. Thus, the Audiophilia Star [...]... - French Impressions — Joshua Bell, violin. Sony Classical10 January 2012, 1:33 pm
by Anthony Kershaw This came in the post today. I put it on as accompaniment to the writing of an equipment review. I’d get to the CD review at a later date. No such luck. The musicality and sheer brilliance that came flooding out of the speakers was immediate in the form of the unknown to me, [...]...
- Soundfreaq Sound Stack3 February 2012, 10:40 am
Product category Dock systems Any iPod speaker dock worth its salt now offers wireless streaming, so you can keep your device in your pocket as you listen. The 100W Soundfreaq Sound Stack uses Bluetooth, which opens it up to non-Apple devices. Inside are twin mid/bass drivers and twin active subwoofers. On the front is an array of nice-to-use, touch-sensitive buttons. There's a dinky remote, attaching magnetically to a small recess in the back. Product Sound Stack ... - Elipson Planet L2 February 2012, 12:37 pm
Product category Hi-fi speakers Who says loudspeakers have to be plain old wooden cabinets? French company Elipson certainly wants you to think outside the box with its Planet L, one of the most striking designs we've tested in recent years. Roughly the size of a medicine ball and finished in a striking high-gloss red (black or white finishes are also available) these dramatic speakers are a break from the norm in every sense. Product Planet L Pros ... - Rega Apollo-R2 February 2012, 9:10 am
Product category CD players Rega's on something of a roll just now, after a spectacular 'one-make system' Supertest in our January 2012 issue. Product Apollo-R Pros Nicely built; interesting loading arrangement; detailed, open, weighty sound Cons Doesn’t arrange individual strands of a recording all that convincingly Abstract New Apollo shoots for the moon, but falls just shor... - iLuv iMM1901 February 2012, 3:05 pm
Product category Dock systems If you buy the iLuv iMM190, your first port of call should be Apple's App store. Here you'll find iLuv's dedicated app, designed with this dock in mind. It displays a large digital alarm clock as well as the weather. But the biggest draw for the app isn't the alarm clock functionality – after all, you've got this on your iPod Touch or iPhone as standard. This particular app comes equipped with SHOUTcast internet radio. Product iMM190 ... - Revo K21 February 2012, 2:56 pm
Product category Dock systems Revo considers its K2 desktop dock/radio/streamer a 'slick, contemporary' device. A vocal minority in the What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision testing rooms reckon it looks more like a high-end Thermos. Still, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, and, either way, there's no denying the visual statement the K2, a 33cm high tower of aluminium and rubber, makes. Product K2 Pros Diverting looks, robust build; ... - Focal XS Book1 February 2012, 2:46 pm
Product category Hi-fi speakers If you spend a lot of time in front of a laptop or desktop computer, chances are you'll want a little background music. But your average computer's built-in speakers sound about as endearing as a flu-ridden X-Factor reject. Your best bet to improve this is to invest in a pair of desktop speakers. Product XS Book Pros Sensational scale and presence for a desktop speaker; detailed, dynamic sound; good stereo ima...
- Jeff Rowland at CES
Jeff Rowland Aeris DAC a ‘first’ for CES but not its first public outing...... - Zero Day for REL T-Zero
Smallest REL sub first to use Class-D amplification... - Moon 180 MiND at CES
Moon Intelligent Network Drive links Moon to Earth... - Vitus Audio RI-100 at CES
First time RI-100 shown at CES, and also the amplifier’s second-ever public demonstration.... - Idiot Exhibitors at CES 2012…
…or, how to waste your time and your money exhibiting your products at CES... - NAD at CES
NAD had so many new products at CES that we would have had to spend at least a day in its room to do them all justice...
- Adjustments, abuse, and a few additions29 December 2011, 4:25 am
Well, that review of the Harbeth's I wrote for the Dec issue of HiFi'Zine seems to have generated more traffic than one might think such a niche product warrants. I've had several personal notes from people about the review, mostly positive (thank you) but have been called a 'retard' and a 'sycophant' on one forum so clearly there are strong feelings out there about small speakers. Regardless, I stand by my assessment, the P3ESRs are exceptional.It being the time for a few days off work I manage... - HiFi'Zine Dec 2011 issue released16 December 2011, 6:39 pm
In this one I present two reviews: the wonderful Harbeth P3ESR speakers, and the equally excellent Harmonic Technology HDMI 1.4a cable. Lots of other great stuff in the mag and again, let me remind folks, this is a totally volunteer effort at creating a truly independent audio publication (no advertising, no dealing in reviews for gear, no paid articles). If you want to be part of it, let me know, we welcome new writers.... - Wish you were here - experience anew11 November 2011, 4:21 am
I first heard this album as a 14 year old when my school friend bought it, unheard, and lent it to me to play while his record player was repaired. It's hard to explain the impact this LP had on my young ears but I memorized every lyric and was enraptured by Gilmour's guitar lines on Shine on You Crazy Diamond. Soon I bought my own copy (I ended up with a funny copy with the same label on both sides), then a regular CD, in turn replaced by a later remastered version. Something of my youth and ea... - New music continually surprises8 November 2011, 2:27 am
There are always new recordings coming into my home, by choice, and most of them are very good. But sometimes I hear something that truly stops me in my tracks. One such recording is "Guaillibh a cheile" by Doimnic Mac Giolla Bridhe and Griogair Labhruidh, a collaboration of two Celtic musicians, one Irish, the other Scottish, exploring the rich traditions and commonalities of both forms. I doubt that most of you can listen to this music and understand a word that is sung, literally, but I doubt... - Mikey visits Shunyata in the Audio Beat4 November 2011, 8:20 pm
I enjoyed this article from the excellent Audio Beat where Michael Fremer visited Shunyata Research to get an inside look at their new measurement process for determining power cord differences. You can read the arguments yourself but one practical piece of advice from Caelin Gabriel of Shunyata for those unwilling to spend much on cords is to replace the connectors on the stock wire that came with your component for a better one he assures you of a positive improvement. Got to say that at the c... - Box set mania: U2 can spend a fortune29 October 2011, 8:02 pm
I like U2's music as much as most casual fans so perhaps this not aimed too directly at me but, much as I enjoy Achtung Baby, I cannot fathom spending nearly $600 on the new boxed set anniversary edition. You can see the details on the Elusive Disc website but really, double 180g vinyl, multiple 7" singles, 6 cds and 4 DVDs spells overkill to this fan. I've nothing against collectible releases, after all, I was there when U2 released their first single in Ireland and I bought one of those number...
- Will Monster's new in-ear headphone dazzle audiophiles?5 February 2012, 3:45 pm
Monster may have gone too far with the bling factor, but its new Earth Wind & Fire Gratitude in-ear headphones sound sweet....
- RCA's 'video LP' format, doomed from the start?4 February 2012, 3:36 pm
From 1981 to 1984 RCA marketed the CED VideoDisc system. It never had a chance.... - It's a boom box. It's a vintage suitcase. No, it's a BoomCase1 February 2012, 3:36 pm
Sacramento, Calif.-based artist Dominic Odbert makes fabulous-looking portable speaker systems out of old suitcases. Each BoomCase is a one-of-a-kind creation.... - Emotiva's astonishing desktop speaker29 January 2012, 3:45 pm
The Emotiva Pro airmotiv 4 may be the 'baby' in the line, but it's the best sounding desktop in its price class.... - Can an MP3 sound better than a Blu-ray?28 January 2012, 3:35 pm
High-resolution formats define the upper limit of quality, but if the recording's mix was overcompressed and processed, a lossless file won't sound great.... - Audioengine's terrific, tiny USB DAC/headphone amp25 January 2012, 3:35 pm
Company has a knack for making great sounding desktop gear; the new D1 is the perfect music "interface" between your computer and speakers or headphones....
- Harbeth P3ESR14 December 2011, 12:00 am
After encountering the Harbeth P3ESRs at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, Patrick Dillon had to hear them again on his home turf. Here he takes a pair through their paces. "There is something ineffably right about these speakers... If someone told me now that I had $2k to spend on speakers and I would have to live with my choice for years without chance of exchange, I’d buy these Harbeths on the spot."... - Sonic Studio’s Amarra Computer Music Player13 December 2011, 10:00 pm
"In the world of high-end audio, ‘computer audio’ is now almost as common as a CD player. Software applications that bypass a computer’s native OS audio process and provide their own method of processing an audio file are referred to as music players." Sonic Studio's Amarra was one of the first such players on the market. Joe Quinn reviews Amarra 2.3.... - Listening-Room Reflections and the Energy-Time Curve13 December 2011, 10:00 pm
In our listening rooms reflected sounds – sounds that bounce off walls and other objects – are more often louder than the direct sound from our loudspeakers. Nyal Mellor and Jeff Hedback explain how reflections affect our perception of sound, and how the Energy-Time Curve (ETC) can be used to assess the nature of reflections in a given listening room.... - Sonist Concerto 313 December 2011, 9:00 pm
"This review has been a long, long, long time in the making," writes Thad Aerts of this review of the Sonist Concerto 3 loudspeaker. While designed for use with single-ended triode (SET) amplifiers, Thad exercises it with the AMC hybrid push-pull amplifier. "They have the ability to seduce you away from what you are doing and get you to sit down in front of them to listen to music."... - Grant Fidelity W-30GT Integrated amplifier13 December 2011, 8:00 pm
"I have also grown tired of many components being connected by many wires in a large jumble in my living room." Jake Montzingo explores joys of simplicity and high-fidelity with the Grant Fidelity W-30GT integrated amplifier... "an amplifier that I could enjoy listening to every day for the rest of my life; and that’s better than perfection."... - Harold Budd – In The Mist13 December 2011, 7:00 pm
"It was an early morning in the studio in late April, 1980. Black turned to indigo, then to purple, red-orange and finally a golden sun was in through the high studio windows. It was the first light of the morning, and “First Light” from Harold Budd & Brian Eno’s Ambient 2 - The Plateaux of Mirror was playing. This was my introduction to the first of many Harold Budd works," writes Walker Burns....
- NAD T757 7.1 A/V Receiver2 February 2012, 8:00 am
Like most people I have some pet peeves. When I shop for televisions, I am always hoping to find one without speakers. I have a dedicated theater with speakers and electronics that are leaps and bounds ahead of what I could possibly get in a TV. I don’t need speakers; I’ll never turn them on. I don’t want them! Simply having them adds cost, complexity, and size to my TV. I don’t want to pay for what I won’t use! So, instead of TV's built-in speakers, a receiver will deliver much better... - Home Theater Movie Renter's Guide - February, 20121 February 2012, 8:00 am
To Kill a Mockingbird (Blu-ray), Dream House (Blu-ray), Dead Poets Society (Blu-ray), Manhattan (Blu-ray), Good Morning Vietnam (Blu-ray), Shakespeare in Love (Blu-ray), The Double (Blu-ray), Drive (Blu-ray), Rebecca (Blu-ray), Spellbound (Blu-ray) Read more...... - Pioneer SC-57 9.1 A/V Receiver30 January 2012, 8:00 am
I’ve reviewed a fair number of receivers, and owned a fair number of them myself as well. The unit that I was the most sad to part with was the Pioneer SC-27 a couple years ago. With its Class D amps, it was fast and powerful, but not harsh. The new SC-57 is a 9.1 receiver, with Class D amplification, but Pioneer has built the amplifier modules themselves rather than using ICEPower modules. Was the sound different? Read on . . . Read more...... - Screen Innovations Black Diamond Zero Edge Projection Screen25 January 2012, 8:00 am
When designing a home theater, the screen is often the last consideration in the plan. After all, it’s much more interesting to research electronics and their associated specs than to look through screen material samples and frame designs. Other than size, few of us think much about our choice of screen. Screen Innovations markets projection screens in all sizes, aspect ratios, and gain (screen brightness). In this review, we take a look at their Black Diamond Zero Edge projection screen. ... - Energy Veritas V-6.3 Speakers (5.1 System)23 January 2012, 8:00 am
Energy speakers have been around since 1973. They came into prominence with the Pro 22 and later with the Veritas v2.8 speakers which were a big hit in the mid 90’s. At an MSRP of around $6,000, the Veritas v2.8’s were known for an excellent price/performance ratio. Here, I'll review their latest iteration of the Veritas line, the V-6.3's in an all-Veritas 5.1 system! Read more...... - A Collection of New Vinyl Releases for the Audiophile - January, 201218 January 2012, 8:00 am
Read more......
- LessLoss Firewall2 February 2012, 10:39 pm
Ultimate powerIn our continuing testing venture with LessLoss, there will soon be another review. The LessLoss Firewall. Filtering power without side effects? defects :)? "No caps, no coils"?In combination with a reasonably priced Furutech e-TP609E, as suggested by Louis Motek, this should raise the bar above what I experienced so far with the company's Signature cabling solution. We approached this unique so-called "audiophile experiment" as an in-depth ongoing project, to investigate the impor... - Franco Serblin Accordo loudspeaker review preview29 January 2012, 7:10 pm
Beauty reinventedFranco Serblin Accordo loudspeaker exclusive preview and upcoming review In few days I'll post a review of upcoming Franco Serblin Accordo two way loudspeakers.Yes, Franco real passion were always little monitor speakers. Just remember the heritage he left at Sonus Faber and what he was most known for.I'll elaborate on Franco Serblin Accordo vs Sonus Faber Evolution as many of you requested. For me this is one of the best looking small cabinet loudspeakers on earth. S... - Audionova interconnect, speaker cables and power chord28 January 2012, 8:51 am
Enjoy the musicWe came far with technology and advancement of science. What was unimaginable few years back makes a daily pace at present. It feels that occasionally that exact technology actually do some service for the men at large. There are many fields of science happily using advancements of technologies. We might hate the army complexes and corporate thinking, or disagree with NASA politics, but do we overlook how many little things actually came from their labs as a result of countless re... - DALBY AUDIO DESIGN D7 ULTIMATE PREAMPLIFIER25 January 2012, 3:58 pm
BEAUTY UNABRIDGED. ULTIMATE PREAMPLIFIERWhen it comes to high-end and ultra high-end we often feel, that aesthetic are on second plane (and plan) with designers. It's great to see someone going all the way to every small nuances in creating a truly ultra high-end music box.Enter the world of Dalby Audio Design.Everything feels premium with Dalby. From logos, design, materials etc. Dalby Audio Design holds the same aura as Patek Philippe do in high-end watch indu... - NAT Audio magnetic preamplifier18 January 2012, 9:48 pm
No coils just musicDesign Features- transformer coupled circuit (without any capacitor on direct or indirect signal path)- absolute zero feedback circuit- approx. 1.000.000uF of capacitance in analog power supply section- pure dual mono construction- custom designed ultimate wide-bandwidth output transformers (with perfect square wave response)- ten precise selected high performance j-fet device per channel- two additional separate transformers for digital control and analog supply- attenuation ... - Miro Krajnc SoulSonic Wave loudspeaker16 January 2012, 10:04 pm
Waves's of emotionsEncounter of a second kindYesterday I had a pleasure of visiting Miro Krajnc and finally hearing his SoulSonic speakers. They are a smaller version of the bigger brother Impulse, that caused quite a stir at THE SHOW and CES and set fire to the Slovenian audio scene and forums.My last visit to Miro was about ten years back. He was, and still is, a well known speaker enthusiast within the local scene and known among friends in the audio industry and socie...
- Review: The Sonos iPad APP23 August 2011, 6:26 pm
With a little practice, anyone can control all their music easily. Are you, like I am, tired of fighting with your sluggish and ill-behaved laptop computer? Are you fed up with juggling multiple remote controls when switching between Pandora, the radio, and your personal music library? When you get home from work and all you want to do is unwind to some relaxing tunes, the last thing you want to do is battle with temperamental technology. If you’re nodding your head in agreement, waiting for... - Review: Peerless HD Flow Wireless High Def.14 July 2011, 1:06 pm
Easy-to-use product lets you cut the HDMI cord. There’s a time and a place for everything, unfortunately you can’t always find the time or the place to run a new HDMI cable clear across your house or your ceiling to hook up a home theater projector or a flat panel TV. Wouldn’t it be nice to connect said gear wirelessly? Well, of course it would, but that’s like saying wouldn’t it be nice to get an actual photo of bigfoot. It doesn’t sound so hard, but then why don’t people do it e... - New Media Center Unveiled Today26 October 2010, 1:51 pm
Today, Western Digital (WD) announced the debut of its new Live Hub media center. Actually, it was unveiled at a press bash at Siren Studios in Hollywood, last night. Awesome party. Live Hub's 1 TB hard drive will store music, videos, vacation slideshows, photos and other personal entertainment. For you non-techies, a terabyte is in excess of over one thousand gigabytes. That's big. Sporting 2 USB ports, Live Hub is also expandable. Live Hub supports a wide variety of video formats. It is also a... - The Poetry of Motion17 August 2010, 9:01 pm
MartinLogan’s newest loudspeakers have us questioning the old adage about getting what you pay for The sad fact of the matter is that most readers of Home Entertainment will take one look at the prices of MartinLogan’s new Motion Series loudspeakers and never even consider auditioning them. That’s a curious thing to say, perhaps, in a publication that has reviewed and enthusiastically endorsed speaker systems with stickers comparable to a Porsche 911 Carrera 4, but without the installment ... - Linn Majik DS-I Review16 July 2010, 7:38 am
Brèagha ceòl: Linn's new Majik DS-I combines the best bits of their digital player, preamp and digital amplification, all squeezed into one package. To be honest, I think Linn is an odd company. Looking at their product lines, you have to wonder if they lack a decent spell-check or are just lifting names straight out of the Ikea catalog. read more... - iPad @ hOme9 July 2010, 8:55 am
Sure it's cool and trendy, but what can the iPad do for the A/V Enthusiast? Well, quite a lot it turns out.Somewhere after the time the fanboy lines abate and before it cures cancer or something, the iPad turns out to be a ridiculously useful device for the ePerson. read more...
- AVRev's CES 2012 Post-Show Wrap Up19 January 2012, 10:20 pm
Las Vegas was yet again host to CES, where hundreds of industry folks, journalists, and just plain revelers converged to see the latest trends in technology, communications, entertainment, and lifestyle products. Every major manufacturer and media company was exhibiting, and there were wonders to behold. Aside from the massive Las Vegas convention center, the show was spread across half Read more...... - Wireless HD and 3D Streaming Product Overview6 January 2012, 2:08 am
Being to able to access content anywhere in the household, in premium quality, without a tangle of wires and a stack of boxes is what many have come to see as the ideal home entertainment set up. A number of companies have been offering higher end solutions with built in flexibility and virtually unlimited bandwidth. The technology is changing so Read more...... - Marantz PM6004 Integrated Amplifier Review20 December 2011, 9:23 pm
Integrated amplifiers are probably more popular than ever before. Today, many companies offer a one box, convenient solution loaded with features and requiring fewer cables / less rack space, which allows for full system control with just one remote. That is not to mention that advances in design have made it possible for audio engineers to produce great sounding, Read more...... - Musical Fidelity V-DAC II Review9 December 2011, 3:26 am
Legendary British HiFi firm, Musical Fidelity, has been at it for about 25 years now. They have been widely praised for decades for their amplifiers, hybrid tube designs, and digital source components. Musical Fidelity’s head honcho, Antony Michaelson, is very well respected as a designer, engineer, and is even a professional musician. It's fair to say that many Read more...... - Bel Canto Design CD3t Disc Transport Review29 November 2011, 7:52 pm
... - Stager Silver Solids Interconnects REVIEW8 November 2011, 10:44 pm
Very few categories in high end, perfectionist audio are as controversial as cables. There are endless debates about silver or copper,shielded or not, soldered or crimped, cryo’d or not, and probably dozens more age old arguments. Only one aspect of the whole topic of cables is not up for debate, and that is you need them to connect your components Read more......
- Re: WTB: Omega Super 6 XRS5 February 2012, 4:22 pm
Thanks, JLM. For now, I'd still really like to find a used pair. Please let me know if you have these for sale!... - Re: Madonna Exposed...5 February 2012, 4:21 pm
What about "I see" don't you understand? I was just stating my opinion. If Madonna is your idea of a talented artist, more power to you. I think she is a disgusting dried up hag who either lip syncs or uses heavy electronic effects while doing aerobi...... - Re: Super-charged SongTowers in curly walnut5 February 2012, 4:18 pm
Quote from: jsalk on Yesterday at 02:21 PMStandard SongTowers are $1995. If you add RAAL ribbon tweeters, they are $2695. The "Supercharged" SongTowers are $3495 including upgraded W15midwoofers, hardwood trim (a $...... - Re: What LPs have you listened to recently?5 February 2012, 4:13 pm
Dusty Springfield "Dusty In Memphis" 2002 4 Men With Beards Records 180g Reissueoriginal release 1969 Atlantic Records... - Re: Help me choose a new CD Player5 February 2012, 4:11 pm
hi guys,appreciate all your replies...keep them coming ...
- ortofon vms suspension5 February 2012, 3:45 pm
Ok, I've set up my old 80s vintage VMS 30 cartridge, adjusted the VTA but the cartridge looks like its riding very low, close to the vinyl. I've heard that the suspension can go in these old cartridges. How do you know if the suspension is gone? Thanks for putting up with these newbee questions.... - Can you identify this hifi system from the 50's?5 February 2012, 7:40 am
I've been going through the second season DVDs of "Peter Gunn", and in one shot, his music system is shown fairly clearly . Can any of you identify what he's got? I looks to be quite cutting edge for 1958. (There is also a quick shot of his record pile, but the angle makes it tough to determine what he has.)... - Anyone know how to combine songs in iTunes?5 February 2012, 5:32 am
Hey iTunes experts. When I recently imported an album into iTunes, it imported each individual track as an album. Is there any way to combine these tracks so it just looks like one album? Thanks!... - Acoustic Signature turntables5 February 2012, 3:40 am
http://acoustic-signature.com/products/index.htm Anyone have one? If not, what do ya think?... - Why Buy A Stand-Alone DAC?5 February 2012, 2:53 am
Please help me understand why anyone would buy a stand-alone DAC. Or more specifically, why I would need one. I recently finished building my system. The design goal was to be able to listen to high resolution 6 channel audio. My source material is exclusively played through Foobar 2000. WASAPI output via HDMI to an Onkyo 807 AVR. The 807 uses "Burr-Brown 192 kHz/24-Bit DACs (PCM1690)". Sounds good to me, but I've never heard anything through a standalone DAC for comparison.... - I just bought the last table I'll probably ever own5 February 2012, 1:56 am
I just returned from In Living Stereo in NYC, the proud owner of a Well Tempered Amadeus GTA with an EMT TSD-15 cartridge. The sound of this combo was unreal. The dynamics were out of this world. It exhibited such a rich, liquid sound. There was no real weakness to it's presentation. Compared to my current Rega P5/Dynavector 20x2L, it has a much more full-bodied sound which I was after. This isn't a knock on the Rega/Dyna combo, it's just more of a compliment to the Amadeus/EMT combo. ...
- Marantz PI-KI Pearl Lite5 February 2012, 11:34 am
Looks interesting. Classic Hi Fi without bells and whistles. :D http://www.marantz.co.uk/uk/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=KIPearl&SubCatId=KIPearlAmplifier&ProductId=PMKIPealLite#innerdivSection2... - Shold Mana be Lamented5 February 2012, 11:14 am
Chaps Seeing the latest little squabble in the mains cable thread has now moved on to Mana, I think we should discuss it. Simple question do you use it and is it any good. I use it under my SBLs and also under my Briks. I only went to phase one for appearance reasons. Without doubt it has improved the sound so a vote of confidence from me. I did not use it under my amps ( I use Hutter) because it looked plain ugly and you were stuck with a fixed number of shelves. Regards Mick... - Snow small improvement5 February 2012, 10:46 am
Massively improved listening conditions due to snow! Cars slow , snow insulates sound. Good for an additional 6db of dynamic range!... - USB device for squeezebox touch5 February 2012, 10:44 am
Hello team Please could I have suggestions for suitable USB devices that I can copy my Itunes library into and then connect straight into a squeezebox touch without loss of sound quality. I would just like to access my music without having to turn the Mac on all the time. Thanks for any suggestions.... - A cartridge gain question5 February 2012, 9:59 am
I have just replaced a audio technica 33ptg with a denon dl 103, the gain of the audio technica is 0.5mv and the denon 0.3mv, my volume control setting is about the same, i have ordered a ortofon spu classic gm-e which has 0.2mv gain, i was concerned weather the volume control was going to have to be turned up to much, but since buying the denon all appears ok, does the output ohms of the cartridge play a part in this, cheers phil.... - What is the best material to build a turntable plinth from?5 February 2012, 8:44 am
The materials I have available here in Paris (well, BHV anyway) are MDF, plexiglass and plywood. With the exception of the plexiglass, I'd be using two sheets of the material with foam or other plastic insulation sandwiched in between. Plexiglass would be like the Clearaudio Emotion in theory, if not in finish. Non-suspended deck,by the way....
- Need advice on a 2 channel Analog Setup5 February 2012, 9:27 am
Hello everyone. I'm pretty much a noobie when it comes to analog and vinyl playback so I figured I would come here and ask for some advice. I'm currently in the process of getting my Sony PS-X5...... - DIY wedding DJ question4 February 2012, 6:21 pm
Hello! Haven't posted here before, but this forum was very helpful in selecting my receiver (Onkyo 608). So, I'm getting married in August, and I'm trying to cut costs wherever I can since I...... - Stereo Receiver Upgrade? Help me decide!2 February 2012, 6:28 am
Hey Everyone, I have lurked on this forum for a long time and have found a lot of help. This is the first time my question wasn't previously handled here, so I thought I'd seek everyone's advice....... - Any difference between using optical vs analog outputs for 2-channel use?2 February 2012, 5:16 am
Hello everyone, This is my first post. I recently purchased a new Onkyo TX-8050 stereo receiver & C-7030 CD player as the base of a 2-channel set up. I actually haven't received the units yet, but...... - Akai X-200D Reel to Reel Tape Recorder Help - Wobbly Reels and such31 January 2012, 5:55 am
Hey, hope I'm in the right place for this. I have an Akai X-200D which I use frequently for recording interviews for my radio show at college. It was a gift from a friend of mine a year ago and the...... - Just picked up a turntable...now what?31 January 2012, 4:48 am
Ive just started getting into listening to vinyl and have been using a cheap crosley turntable/speaker to play everything. Well I recently just picked up a vintage pioneer pl-41 turntable at a......
- Marantz SR5006 - issue5 February 2012, 1:02 pm
hey guys Just got a new Marantz SR5006 (had it for 2 weeks now) and have set-up the new Jamo speakers with it - but cant for the life of me...... - Oh crap!5 February 2012, 10:21 am
TV went bang!! Had the Tellie on (waiting for the cricket) while playing a few records. Loaded a record, pushed the cueing device and returned to my...... - naim amps.5 February 2012, 9:32 am
Hi guys Continuing from my previous post about amp choices, the naim supernait is now properly settled in with a Teddycap MK 1. Now I have ran...... - Air: Le Voyage Dans La Lune5 February 2012, 7:52 am
Hear Air's new album here: http://www.npr.org/2012/01/24/145761308/first-listen-air-le-voyage-dans-la-lune Rather short at 31 minutes... but...... - Chair for myself - IKEA POANG5 February 2012, 7:46 am
I am considering buying one of these IKEA POANG (http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/S49887502/) chair. When I sit on one of these my ear is...... - High res downloads and Squeezebox classic5 February 2012, 6:54 am
I've been using my Squeezebox classic (SB3) to stream high res flac files assuming that that my DEQX was receiving the full high res bit rate. Of......