- Alta Audio Alyssa loudspeaker20 October 2020, 7:20 pm
It was a "Wow!" audio moment I'll never forget. It happened just after Ladies Who Lunch, our regular Friday afternoon lunch-n-chat for audio poobahs at the Grand Sichuan restaurant in Chelsea. It was dark at 4 o'clock, and the first snow of winter looked enchanting under the 24th Street streetlamps. Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg and I were accompanying our turntable setter–upper friend Michael Trei to Bob Visintainer's Rhapsody Music and Cinema, where Trei was scheduled to install a Lyra Et...
- T+A Presents a Discussion of Their HA 200 Headphone Amp, HV Series Technology, and Solitaire P Headphones!20 October 2020, 12:23 am
LIVE: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 - 12:00PM ET Join us when T+A discusses their strategy, history and future, along with an in-depth look at their HA 200 headphone amp, HV Series technology, and Solitaire P headphones. UPDATE: This webinar is now available for replay!Mon, 10/19/2020... - Re-Tales #2: Dealerships forge ahead during the pandemic19 October 2020, 6:41 pm
The sense of hope I've been feeling may have started with those Sinatra swells, the on-hold music I heard when I called to interview the first audio dealer I talked to for this story. I wanted to know what's been happening with their businesses during the pandemic. Are there reasons for at least cautious optimism? Mon, 10/19/2020... - Grandinote Shinai integrated amplifier16 October 2020, 5:05 pm
I was doing my press beat for Stereophile in the hallway of Montreal's 2019 Audiofest when I glimpsed something that stopped me in my tracks. It was a marketing slogan, across the room on importer/exhibitor Goerner Audio's floorstanding banner: "Tubes or semiconductors? Magneto-solid technology amplifies emotions." Fri, 10/16/2020... - You, too, can listen like a pro!15 October 2020, 4:58 pm
I've written before in this space that to me the most wondrous aspect of our avocation (apart from the music) is the way it exists at the intersection of logic and emotion, of science and art. The equipment we use is made by engineers applying scientific principles, yet its goal is to deliver sensual pleasure. Both viewpoints are valid.Thu, 10/15/2020...
- Neil Young Archives Now Available Globally to BluOS Customers20 October 2020, 8:47 pm
PICKERING, CANADA, October 20, 2020 – Lenbrook International, developer of the BluOS premium hi-res wireless distributed audio and music management platform, today announced that the integration of Neil Young Archives (NYA), the high-resolution, studio-quality streaming online archive of famed Canadian-born rock icon, Neil Young, into the BluOS platform has been expanded to its entire global user base. Previously only available to North American customers of BluOS, the latest BluOS update ... - Ennio Morricone, 1928–202019 October 2020, 10:14 pm
Ennio Morricone recently passed away at the age of 91. Having worked until very near the end of his life, Morricone will be remembered primarily for his legendary career in film soundtracks and his pervasive influence on several generations of musicians across different genres. His career included lasting collaborations with a number of the most highly regarded directors in the world. Certainly his work for Sergio Leone and others in the Western genre, resulting in million-selling soundtracks, i... - Hank Williams: Pictures from Life's Other Side16 October 2020, 4:10 pm
In 1951 Hank Williams signed on to do a 15-minute radio show sponsored by Mother’s Best Flower. He and his combo sang gospel and country songs; other musicians would perform, too, and they’d all contribute some relaxed banter. Ultimately, 72 shows were pre-recorded, and those acetates miraculously survived. Time-Life issued every last second of them in 2011, but the sound lacked any bottom end and was about as pleasant as a dentist’s drill. Enter this new set with six CDs and a... - Bryston BDA-3.14 DAC/Preamp/Streamer16 October 2020, 2:24 am
For the vast majority of modern audiophiles streaming is an integral part of their audio system. Given its ubiquitous nature, it’s hard to find any forward-thinking audio manufacturer who does not offer at least one streaming source component. Bryston has been making streamers since 2010, and the BDA-3.14 reviewed here is the company’s sixth entry into the category, and one of three models currently in production. The BDA-3.14 mates the technology inside Bryston’s model BDA-3 D... - PSB Brings Decades of Speaker Expertise to Compact Powered Speakers15 October 2020, 6:28 pm
The following is a press release issued by PSB Speakers. PICKERING, ONTARIO, CANADA | OCTOBER 15, 2020 -– PSB Speakers, long renowned for excellence in loudspeaker design, announced the immediate availability of two new affordable compact, powered speakers, the Alpha AM3 and Alpha AM5. The new models are founded on PSB’s almost 50 years of critically acclaimed speaker design expertise and the award-winning Alpha P3 and P5 introduced last year. The Alpha AM3 ($399/pr U.S. MSRP) and Al...
- M2Tech Mitchell Analog Electronic Crossover20 October 2020, 11:35 am
M2Tech is proud to introduce their new Mitchell three-way stereo (six-way mono) analog electronic crossover. The Mitchell is said to apply the peak of analog technology to active frequency dividing networks for loudspeakers. Its versatility and complete filters provision offers a plethora of features approaching those of the digital crossovers, yet without the latters' drawbacks according to M2Tech. The Mitchell has no A-to-D or D-to-A conversions, which the company feels is very important when ... - Learn More About Ken Forsythe's Career In Audio And Music (And MQA)19 October 2020, 2:36 pm
During EnjoyTheMusic.com's very special 25th Anniversary we're asking various high-end audio manufacturers to give us a look into their life filled with music and delight. Now working to promote MQA, Ken is helping with this breakthrough audio technology that enables music fans to stream the original master recording into their home, car or on their mobile. Working together with the music industry and global hi-fi brands, MQA audio powers the world's best-sounding music services, videos and cons... - Digital Media Association's Streaming Forward Report19 October 2020, 12:22 pm
Digital Media Association (DiMA), an organization that represents the world’s leading streaming companies, says that "the music industry is at a critical inflection point. After years of declining sales and waning fan enthusiasm, the rise of streaming has ushered in a new golden era for an industry that has benefited artists, songwriters, copyright owners, and fans alike. In 2019, streaming was the engine driving revenue growth in the USA music industry for the fifth consecutive year.... - New Research Into Suppressing Tinnitus Symptoms17 October 2020, 12:22 pm
According to American Association for the Advancement of Science magazine, "Over the 12 weeks of treatment, the patients' tinnitus symptoms improved dramatically. More than 80% of those who complied with the prescribed regimen saw an improvement. And they saw an average drop of about 14 points on a tinnitus severity score of one to 100, the researchers report today in Science Translational Medicine. When the team followed up after 12 months, 80% of the participants still had lower tinnitus score... - Beastie Boys Music Album Features 20 Songs16 October 2020, 11:26 am
Next week UMe will release Beastie Boys Music, a 20-song collection covering the Grammy Award winning and multi-platinum selling Beastie Boys' recording career. The collection is a companion piece to the critically acclaimed documentary Beastie Boys Story, currently nominated for five Emmys, and the group's best seller Beastie Boys Book, which ascended to number 1 on The New York Times Best Sellers List — topping both the Nonfiction Print Hardcover and Nonfiction Combined Print & E-Boo...
- REVIEW: hORNS 5degrees No110 | loudspeakers / floor-standing | POLAND/Lublin30 September 2020, 10:00 pm
Review Text: Wojciech Pacuła Images: Wojciech Pacuła Translation: Marek Dyba No 197 October 1, 2020 PREMIERE ⌈ hORNS is a Polish, Lublin-based audio company specialized in horn loudspeakers. It was founded in 2000, but it took up speakers production only in 2008. The very first model – Mummy – was presented during Audio Show in 2010. It’s owner is Mr. ŁUKASZ LEWANDOWSKI. ⌋ ORNS is a company that is rightly associated with larger a... - INTERVIEW: ANDRZEJ ZAWADA / ESA | the owner, engineering | POLAND/Warsaw30 September 2020, 10:00 pm
INTERVIEW Written by: Wojciech Pacula Photo: Andrzej Zawada No 197 October 1, 2020 ⌈ ESA is one of the oldest, still functioning Polish audio companies. For many years it constituted a kind of Sèvres meter bar of highest sound quality on the Polish market.⌋ r. ANDRZEJ ZAWADA visiting, chief of the Warsaw company ESA, was one of the most fascinating experiences from the time of my work in “Sound & Vision” magazine (which was about 18 years ago). ... - REVIEW: Projekt NOSTROMO DAC NOSTROMO Wolf 2 / Extended edition & limited edition | Digital-to-Analog Converter | POLAND/Krosno Odrzańskie30 September 2020, 10:00 pm
Review Written by: Wojciech Pacuła Photo: Wojciech Pacuła Translation: Marek Dyba No 198 October 1, 2020 PREMIERE ⌈ Alien was for me the first one ever to cause my jaw to drop. This movie hit all my soft spots: SF + horror + technique. I simply had to call my new project NOSTROMO (by Marek Kowzan). ⌋ he quality of a circuit used in an audio product is quite easy to verify - the longer it is on the market, the better its initial assumptions were. No wonde... - REVIEW: Fezz Audio AURIGA | AC Power cable | POLAND/Księżyno30 September 2020, 10:00 pm
Review Text: Wojciech Pacuła Images: Wojciech Pacuła | Fezz Audio Translation: Ewa Hornicka No 197 October 1, 2020 ⌈ In Latin, 'AURIGA’ means a ‘carter’ and a good power cable acts as carter for the whole audio system | quoted from Fezz Audio ⌋ ife is easier for specialists” and – “Life is harder for specialists” – both of the statements are true and false at the same time. True, because when you are a speci... - REVIEW: Feliks-Audio EUFORIA 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION | headphone amplifier POLAND/Lubliniec30 September 2020, 10:00 pm
Review Text: Wojciech Pacuła Images: Jacek Grodecki | Wojciech Pacuła Translation: Marek Dyba No 197 October 1, 2020 PREMIERE ⌈ Feliks-Audio is a Polish family company from Lubliniec, specializing in the production of tube amplifiers. It is known primarily for its superb headphone amplifiers. For the review we received the latest version of their flagship model, Euforia 20th Anniversary Edition. As the name suggests, it is one of models developed to celebrate comp...
- An Interview with NativeDSD's Mastering Engineer Tom Caulfield19 October 2020, 7:56 pm
Tom Caulfield is NativeDSD's mastering engineer and an accomplished DSD multi-channel recording engineer. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Tom over the past several months via a series of email conversations as he's tried to help me understand the ins and outs of some of the digital technology with which he works every... Read More » The post An Interview with NativeDSD's Mastering Engineer Tom Caulfield appeared first on Positive Feedback.... - The Pass Labs XP-12 Line-Level Preamplifier: A Musical Masterpiece!16 October 2020, 4:35 pm
I have been looking forward to telling you about the Pass Labs XP-12 line-level preamplifier, as I've found the XP-12 to make for an excellent match to the Pass Labs XA25 Class A stereo amplifier (reviewed HERE), as well the First Watt SIT-3 single-ended stereo amplifier (reviewed HERE), which are my current benchmarks for relatively... Read More » The post The Pass Labs XP-12 Line-Level Preamplifier: A Musical Masterpiece! appeared first on Positive Feedback.... - Audience frontRow powerChords15 October 2020, 5:53 pm
One of the unsung perks of reviewing high-end gear is getting to travel without the discomfort of leaving home. When something new arrives, often even before the piece has settled in, I'll sit down for a taste and get the strong impression that the acoustic is unfamiliar, like maybe I've gone visiting another dude with... Read More » The post Audience frontRow powerChords appeared first on Positive Feedback.... - PSB Brings Decades of Speaker Expertise to Compact Powered Speakers14 October 2020, 7:49 pm
Two Affordable Active Monitors, Alpha AM3 and Alpha AM5, Built on Success of Highly Acclaimed Alpha Series PICKERING, ONTARIO, CANADA OCTOBER 14, 2020 -– PSB Speakers, long renowned for excellence in loudspeaker design, announced the immediate availability of two new affordable compact, powered speakers, the Alpha AM3 and Alpha AM5. The new models are founded... Read More » The post PSB Brings Decades of Speaker Expertise to Compact Powered Speakers appeared first on Positive F... - MQA’S FIRST BROADCAST PARTNER WOWOW DELIVERS HIGHEST QUALITY AUDIO IN VIDEO LIVESTREAM14 October 2020, 7:47 pm
London/Tokyo, 13 October 2020 – WOWOW, Japan’s leading premium pay TV broadcaster, livestreamed a musical performance in real time using MQA audio with HD video recently, firmly establishing WOWOW as the leader in sound quality for its live OTT (over the top) broadcasting. Virtuoso marimba player, Makoto Nakura, performed a selection of Bach repertoire in... Read More » The post MQA’S FIRST BROADCAST PARTNER WOWOW DELIVERS HIGHEST QUALITY AUDIO IN VIDEO LIVESTREAM appeare...
- Andover Audio Songbird Hi-Res Music Streamer – First Look16 October 2020, 6:35 pm
Life is good. I’ve got my head under the hood of my car, changing radiator hoses, and I’m streaming my favorite tunes (in this case about 4 hours of XTC, spanning the entire catalog) on my old Marantz 2220B receiver on top of my tool box. I’m in my happy place, thanks to the Andover [...]... - The PrimaLuna ProLogue One Integrated13 October 2020, 7:21 am
Who knew that almost 20 years ago that this cool little tube amplifier would change my life? My first assignment for The Absolute Sound was supposed to be a NAD integrated amplifier. But the day I got my copy of Stereophile in the mail with the ProLogue One you see here on the cover, I thought that might [...]... - DS Audio’s assault on high end analog12 October 2020, 4:55 pm
Japanese cartridge manufacturer DS Audio has just raised the bar significantly on their optical phono cartridge platform. We’ve reviewed a couple of their cartridges in the past, along with their own proprietary equalizer (necessary for use with an optical cartridge) to great result. Both Richard Mak, our resident analog master and our publisher found the [...]... - Monster integrated from McIntosh – the MA120009 October 2020, 5:36 pm
Today, McIntosh announces their mighty MA12000 integrated amplifier. The MSRP is $14,000, and if you’ve got a shelf capable of holding it, this looks to be a fantastic product. Blazing a trail started with the MA252, and MA352, the MA12000 offers a full set of the features you’ve come to enjoy from McIntosh. The giant, [...]... - Rotel’s A11 Tribute Integrated Amplifier8 October 2020, 5:50 pm
We’ve just received the new A11 Tribute from Rotel, aptly named as this project was initially designed with the late, legendary audio designer Ken Ishiwata. One of the most influential designers in audio’s history, Ishiwata was equally famous for taking components that he felt “had extra potential,” and reworking them to his liking. The results [...]...
- Raven Audio Avian Nighthawk MK3 Integrated Amplifier15 October 2020, 4:00 am
Raven Audio has been in business for some time, but had completely escaped my awareness until early 2019, when the SoundStage! editors hipped me to them. The Texas-based manufacturer (they have an office in Shreveport, Louisiana) sells all its products direct to the consumer with a one-year trade-up policy, a three-year warranty, and 45 days of free in-home trial. As a former engineer for a consumer-direct loudspeaker company, I’m familiar with both the value proposition and the challenges... - More Measurements? Here's Why . . .1 October 2020, 4:00 am
If, last year, someone predicted that millions of people around the world would be told to leave their offices and work from home for the foreseeable future, I suspect that most of those people would have found the prospect unbelievable. But the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent global lockdown have made the unbelievable a reality; in fact, it’s the biggest experiment in working from home the world has ever seen. When almost everything and everyone was locked down, many companies had to... - Recommended Reference Component: dCS Bartók Digital-to-Analog Converter1 October 2020, 4:00 am
It was in 1987, in Cambridge, England, that Mike Story founded Data Conversions Systems (dCS) as an engineering consulting firm doing work on the Blue Vixen radar system for the Royal Navy. In 1989, dCS launched itself on the waves of audio with the 900 analog-to-digital converter (ADC), followed in 1993 by the 950 digital-to-analog converter, which dCS claims was the world’s first 24-bit DAC. In 1995 came the 902 ADC and 952 DAC, which dCS says were the world’s first digital convert... - Don't Forget the CD1 October 2020, 4:00 am
Some years ago, in an interview I gave to a magazine in Hungary (I think), I said that the Vinyl Revolution would never grow beyond that of a cult, albeit a fair-sized one. I am pleased to stand corrected, as mid-September 2020 saw an announcement that must have had my colleague Michael Fremer punching the air and shouting, “I told you so!” Apparently, LPs outsold CDs in the USA for the first time in more than a quarter-century. ... - Monitor Audio Gold 200 Loudspeakers1 October 2020, 4:00 am
In my years as an audiophile, I’ve encountered a few products that have left indelible marks on my memory because they offered something I’d never heard before. One such experience that stands out is the night I unboxed a Bryston B100 SST integrated amplifier and played Tori Amos’s Boys for Pele through it. From the first notes of her concert grand piano, I realized that while my NAD C 372 integrated was pretty good, the Bryston sounded much better -- even before I’d...
- The Now Listen Here Micro-Show20 October 2020, 2:47 pm
Author’s note: What follows is a series of interviews with the coordinators and industry participants who collaborated to make the event possible. Others, inside and outside of the industry, should take in the content, using the knowledge gained to consider running micro-shows of their own across the country and around the world. The Now [...] The post The Now Listen Here Micro-Show appeared first on Dagogo.... - New Album Releases Project 2020-10-1919 October 2020, 4:26 pm
And then there were … Liner Notes: Artemis’ eponymous ARTEMIS is the power debut album from some extraordinary women, whose individual respective musicality boggles the mind and taken as an ensemble, be prepared to have that mind of yours blown. Who comprises Artemis? We’re talking about a jazz supergroup featuring pianist and musical director Renee Rosnes, [...] The post New Album Releases Project 2020-10-19 appeared first on Dagogo.... - BorderPatrol SE-i USB/SPDIF Digital to Analogue Converter Review16 October 2020, 3:11 pm
Note: Two years ago, my fellow Dagogo staff member, Doug Schroeder, reviewed an earlier model of the BorderPatrol DAC, the SE, which, unlike the SE-i, did not make use of Jupiter Beeswax film and foil output capacitors. Doug did manage to ask Gary Dews of BorderPatrol several questions relating to the philosophy and design of [...] The post BorderPatrol SE-i USB/SPDIF Digital to Analogue Converter Review appeared first on Dagogo.... - PSB introduces Alpha AM3 and Alpha AM5 powered Bluetooth bookshelf speakers14 October 2020, 7:28 pm
The following is a press release from PSB Speakers. PSB Brings Decades of Speaker Expertise to Compact Powered Speakers Two Affordable Active Monitors, Alpha AM3 and Alpha AM5, Built on Success of Highly Acclaimed Alpha Series PICKERING, ONTARIO, CANADA OCTOBER 14, 2020-– PSB Speakers, long renowned for excellence in loudspeaker design, announced the immediate [...] The post PSB introduces Alpha AM3 and Alpha AM5 powered Bluetooth bookshelf speakers appeared first on Dagogo.... - New Album Releases Project 2020-10-1212 October 2020, 5:41 pm
And then there were … Liner Notes: Penguin Café’s Handuls of Night (Explored). Simon Jeffe’s Penguin Café Orchestra’s albums changed my world. And now his son, Arthur, is not only playing his dad’s music as Penguin Café but also new compositions on this album commissioned by Greenpeace to herald the life and times of various [...] The post New Album Releases Project 2020-10-12 appeared first on Dagogo....
- Making Memories In Santa Monica20 October 2020, 6:42 pm
Last week I ventured out of Minneapolis for the first time in 2020. It felt strange to pack my bags, to jump on a plane, and to exit LAX into sunshine and palm trees, while snow was falling at home. Even more strange was seeing my good friends for the first time in nearly a year, but it felt wonderful. I spent three days at The Audio Salon in Santa Monica helping with a photo shoot, setting up a NAS, configuring a network, and listening to my favorite music on an amazing audio system. Given t... - Amazon Music HD Is Still Lossy12 October 2020, 5:34 pm
Just over one year ago Amazon launched its Amazon Music HD streaming service. Many people uninterested in the success of small businesses and good customer service cheered the new offering from the 1.7 Trillion dollar company. At the time Amazon's $14.99 per month plan was the lower than all the other lossless or above music services. Not long after Amazon launched, Qobuz matched its pricing and now offers a $14.99 /month plan and $24.99 /month family plan. Let's take a look at Amazon Music H... - McIntosh MA12000 Integrated Amp9 October 2020, 2:06 pm
The announcement of this amp couldn't have came at a better time. I'm right in the middle of reviewing three Integrated amps and completely in the integrated zone. The MA12000 is the most powerful integrated McIntosh has ever released, at 350 watts per channel, and it has the new DA2 digital module that includes an XMOS USB receiver chip (huge upgrade over the old Savitech chip). I'd love to use this with my Wilson Audio Alexia Series 2 speakers and my RAAL-requisite true ribbon headphones th... - Meet The Audiophile Style Community | Volume 118 October 2020, 4:21 pm
Welcome to the eleventh installment of our Meet the Audiophile Style Community series. All previous installments can be found here, in the series index. Please send me a message, email, or telegram if you'd like to participate. The response so far has been wonderful. It ranges from hardcore audiophiles to those who are more interested in numbers and graphs, and even people in the industry are eager to participate. This series is all about getting to know everyone and shari... - I Finally Got It!5 October 2020, 6:00 pm
As longtime Audiophile Style readers know, I'm a huge Pearl Jam fan. What many don't know is that I collect Pearl Jam vinyl releases. It's an obsession of mine that's had me searching not only the country, but the world for versions of albums I "need"in my collection. Before I discuss the album I finally got, as the title to this article indicates, let me take you through some high and low points on this fun journey. In August 1991, the summer before my sophomore year of ...
- Lang Lang—The Classical Music Superstar Critics Love to Hate Hate Delivers his "Goldberg Variations"20 October 2020, 8:04 pm
Lang Lang, a certified classical music "superstar" much loved by audiences for his performances of the romantic repertoire and detested by the cognoscenti and critics for being overly dramatic and self-indulgent, waited until age 38 to release a fully realized recording of Bach's mathematically certified "Goldberg Variations"—a piece definitely at odds with his romantic "sweet spot" and one he says he mastered—at least technically—20 years ago, though he performed it for a teac... - Audio-Technica Debuts AT-PEQ30 "High-Performance" MM/MC Phono Stage20 October 2020, 4:06 pm
STOW, OH, October 20, 2020 -- Audio-Technica today announced the introduction of its AT-PEQ30 MM/MC phono preamp. The new phono preamp provides either 35dB (MM) or 59dB (MC) fixed gain, and 47kOhm (MM) and 120 ohm (MC) loading.... - 7” Review Explosion: Blur, Spiritualized, and Billie Eilish (+ An Art Book Flexi)20 October 2020, 2:33 am
(Review Explosion is a recurring AnalogPlanet feature covering recent releases for which we either don’t have sufficient time to fully explore, or that are not worthy of it. Curated by AnalogPlanet contributing editor Malachi Lui, this particular Review Explosion focuses on new and old 7” releases.)... - Revox Re-Enters the Turntable Market With T70019 October 2020, 7:14 pm
Revox recently introduced the $4000 T700, its first new turntable in many years. The company's first platter spinner, the Revox 60 was originally introduced in 1956. A series of tangential trackers followed. The new T700, manufactured in Germany, features a built-in MC phono preamplifier and comes standard with an Ortofon Quintet Bronze moving coil cartridge.... - Preaching And The Blues: The Folk Blues Career of Son House12 October 2020, 6:58 pm
Yes, I’m gonna get me religion I’m gonna join the Baptist Church I wanna be a Baptist preacher so I won’t have to work In June 1964, Nick Perls, Dick Waterman, and Phil Spiro, three young white men from the North, traveled to Mississippi in search of Son House (1902-1988), a blues singer/guitarist whose career had been so abject a commercial failure that he was completely forgotten and unknown, except to a small group of perhaps two dozen country blues collectors who, based up...
- REVIEW: The delicious Italian made CanEVER ZeroUno DAC HPA20 October 2020, 12:00 pm
... - Audiophiles! How to improve your room's acoustics18 October 2020, 12:00 pm
... - The best speakers I ever heard!16 October 2020, 12:00 pm
... - What's better, analog or digital? It's all about the music, right?14 October 2020, 12:00 pm
... - Best affordable vintage and new audiophile speakers of all time!12 October 2020, 12:00 pm
...
- Zen Zadravec, Human Revolution | The Vinyl Anachronist20 October 2020, 9:00 am
My first impression of Zen Zadravec‘s piano, processed when I first received Human Revolution a few weeks ago, is nearly the same right now. Zadravec, born in Winnipeg, has assembled a bright and energetic quintet, heavy on horns, maybe with a vocalist on one or two cuts, and he still plays as their equal. That’s right, five on one. He’s not pounding the keys so loudly that no one else on stage can think. He’s the gas. He makes the whole thing go, and once they get going ... - Florian Arbenz and Greg Osby, Reflection of the Eternal Line | The Vinyl Anachronist19 October 2020, 7:00 pm
I’ve mentioned that I love getting review requests directly from performers, usually because I see the passion in their appeal. It’s direct and unfiltered. This isn’t a swipe at record label PR or publicists–those people work incessantly and hard to get their clients noticed, something that’s unusually tough in the world of contemporary jazz. But getting a personalized handwritten note in the shipping envelope? Of course I’ll take a listen. This was the case w... - RCM Sensor 2 MKII Phono Preamplifier | REVIEW18 October 2020, 9:00 am
RCM Sensor 2 MK II Phono Preamplifier Words and Photos by Dave McNair I’m one of those audiophiles that started my listening obsession with vinyl records. You know, those flat round black things that sound amazing unless they don’t. I love records. I hate records. It’s all so confusing. Listening to records using the RCM Sensor 2 MK II phono preamp takes all that confusion away. As a recording engineer (now mastering engineer) who started during the heyday of magnetic tape and ... - Hi-Fi: Why Do Records Sound Better? | The Ivory Tower17 October 2020, 9:00 am
Into The Groove Why do a lot of us audiophiles (and casual listener types) prefer the sound of records over the same music released digitally? Is it something about the inferiority of digital? Are vinyl records, without those sacrilegious anti-aliasing filters and stair-step samples, somehow higher in resolution? Or is it simply the much-heralded warmth of vinyl? Some would say digital is superior without the surface noise, side length limitations, and inner groove distortion. So what’s th... - Rosson Audio Design RAD-0 Headphone | REVIEW16 October 2020, 9:00 am
To some, describing a headphone as “fun” is akin to the kiss of death. The calling for linearity occasionally spurs dynamic swings in opinions, and even greater judgments in the comment sections and forums. Whatever your preconceived notions of the term are, the Rosson Audio Design RAD-0 is a fun headphone to behold, to hold… and to hear. If you take a look through the company website, the first thing you might notice is that there appears to be a wide array of customizations ...
- A short film comparing the Buchardt A500 to the KEF LS50 Wireless II20 October 2020, 4:12 pm
This video is the first of its kind but also the last of its kind. The first because it was birthed by my YouTube channel’s comments section and the last because it marks the end – for now – of my YouTube channel’s comments section. It’s not a decision I’ve […] More The post A short film comparing the Buchardt A500 to the KEF LS50 Wireless II first appeared on Darko.Audio.---------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-p... - Campfire return to ceramic for Dorado 2020, Vega 202020 October 2020, 12:01 pm
As we mourn the discontinuation of the Polaris II (US$499, the blue one), we greet news of two new models from Portland’s Campfire Audio’s with some expectation that they might fill the outgoing model’s shoes, albeit at higher price points. The first of the two newcomers gives us some hope. […] More The post Campfire return to ceramic for Dorado 2020, Vega 2020 first appeared on Darko.Audio.---------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-... - PSB announces Alpha AM3, AM5 powered loudspeakers19 October 2020, 6:30 am
Loudspeakers: active or passive? It’s not the physical location of the amplifier that matters but the position of the crossover: does it come before or after the amplification? Amplification before crossover = passive; amplification after crossover = active. In a two-way active, we’d expect to see two amplifiers per loudspeaker: […] More The post PSB announces Alpha AM3, AM5 powered loudspeakers first appeared on Darko.Audio.---------------------- No part of this RSS feed to b... - Podcast #21: Work Experience (w/ IsoAcoustics Gaia II)16 October 2020, 4:06 pm
Gaia. No, we’re not talking Greek mythology today but the loudspeaker isolation feet made by Canada’s IsoAcoustics. Contributor Phil Wright enjoyed extremely favourable results when testing the Gaia III (review here). I wanted in on the same. Not the same results necessarily but the same suck-it-and-see experimentation. If the Gaia […] More The post Podcast #21: Work Experience (w/ IsoAcoustics Gaia II) first appeared on Darko.Audio.---------------------- No part of this RSS f... - VitOS puts Roon Bridge on the Raspberry Pi 414 October 2020, 10:30 am
Juxtaposition — how does product A compare to product B? It’s the most commonly asked question by any hi-fi publication’s subscribers. That’s understandable when hundreds – sometimes thousands – of dollars are on the line. And whilst many readers mistake reviewers as having access to all gear all of the […] More The post VitOS puts Roon Bridge on the Raspberry Pi 4 first appeared on Darko.Audio.---------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be repro...
- Allnic Audio L-8000 DHT Preamplifier16 October 2020, 1:00 pm
This spectacular, $22,900 audiophile work of art came to me as a stop gap between distributor and dealer. Victoria is not exactly midpoint between Kelowna BC and Portland OR, but I was very grateful to distributor David Beetles of Hammertone Audio and US dealer John Ketchum of Kevalin Audio for their kind consideration. As such, the L-8000 DHT Preamplifier was here for a good time, not a long time. Beetles has been slowly tormenting me with better and better Allnic Audio products to revie... - Metronome Technologie Le Player 3 CD Transport16 October 2020, 12:30 pm
I will readily admit that in many ways I am a digiphobe. Sure, I have shelves of CDs, SACDs, and about two terabytes of lossless music on hard drives, but nothing drives my passion for audio like my rows and rows of vinyl records. So, when I was presented with the opportunity to review the latest CD transport from the boutique French manufacturer, Metronome Technologie, I was intrigued. I have heard very high end digital before, but was a CD transport really capable of producing drastic c... - Innuos ZENith Mk3 1TB Black Music Server25 September 2020, 1:00 pm
I first heard an Innuos product and the considerable buzz about this fairly new Portuguese company—formed in 2016 in the sunny Algarve—at the 2018 Rocky Mountain Audio Show. The Innuos unit I heard at length was the Statement Music Server, the top of the line unit (up to $15,000—review unit requested). In fact, numerous Innuos units were placed in several rooms—all rooms sounding uniformly collaborative. I heard Innuos models serving products from Spatial Audio, Ant... - Ortofon 2M Mono Cartridge25 September 2020, 12:59 pm
I’ve always had in mind a basic turntable setup for the beginner audiophile; the usual suspects: speakers, phono-stage and amplifier. They remain the building blocks for starting and developing better audio quality. To these components, I’ll add one more, and it’s the focus of this review: the cartridge/stylus. This needle is the connection to the grooves on the recording, the last external mechanism before it lowers and touches the LP of the music you love. But this revi... - IsoAcoustics zaZen Isolation Platform14 September 2020, 1:00 pm
I’ve had a lot of success using isolation devices under high end components (platforms, pucks, feet, etc). My early platform days were with a Townshend Seismic Sink (metal casing with air bladder) under a series of Rega turntables, a brief flirtation with the wondrous and very expensive Vibraplane, some home builts, including a tall ceramic planter filled with soil and a bog standard patio stone perched on top for my turntable (remarkably effective, if a little too ‘Flintstones...
- NEW ISLAND HOME ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE20 October 2020, 1:38 pm
Absolute Abode has opened its new home entertainment showcase on the Isle of Man. Its beautifully designed living room space features premium products from a carefully selected portfolio of award-winning performance audio manufacturers. With calming views across the Irish Sea, the friendly and knowledgeable team aims to relax and inspire its customers, allowing them to create their own zone in which they can escape to enjoy the emotions of music and movies. Having established its London store, O... - Naim Audio Nait XS 3 integrated amplifier13 October 2020, 1:39 pm
Note: This review was written in April during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK. Rather It’s 2020 and it’s a lockdown. That gives one time and impetus to ponder nonsense past, present and future. And when I think back to what I was doing 30 years ago, it seems to fall into several core things; binge-drinking, going to festivals, taking copious amounts of recreational pharmaceuticals, failing to get off with a whole town’s worth of women, and selling lots of Naim Audio Na... - Mark Lanegan: Straight Songs Of Sorrow13 October 2020, 1:37 pm
Straight Songs of Sorrow, the twelfth studio album by gravel-voiced grunge survivor Mark Lanegan was never going to be an easy listen. In fact, it’s one of the darkest records he’s ever made, which is saying something. It’s also one of his best: a sprawling 15-track masterpiece. The vinyl version is a double album – 180 gram, with a gatefold sleeve. Fittingly, for a collection of songs based on his life story, the album embraces the folk and blues sounds that crept into h... - Blue Horizon Professional Rack System13 October 2020, 1:33 pm
It is truly remarkable how segmented the practice of hi‑fi has become. From the obsession with individual product reviews to the narrow assumption of silver bullet solutions, from the digital arms race to the one size fits all search for the ‘ultimate’ product, the focus frequently narrows beyond individual boxes to specific aspects of their design – first order crossover, diamond tweeter, Class A operation or some supposedly magic output tube or other device. Is it any w... - STAY AT HOME SPECIAL: MOON ACE NOW AVAILABLE WITH FREE NORDOST CABLE13 October 2020, 1:00 pm
This autumn, to make the prospect of staying at home to enjoy the music an even more enticing proposition, MOON has partnered with Nordost to offer its UK customers a simple route to a stunning audio performance. Until Christmas, MOON ACE all-in-one music systems will be supplied with a free Nordost Blue Heaven cable to ensure that owners get even better sound. Each MOON ACE sold in the UK will be supplied with a free Nordost Blue Heaven Cable of the customer's choice. They can choose from inter...
- Eugene Ormandy: Conductor20 October 2020, 9:58 pm
A child prodigy from Budapest, lured to the States with a false promise, he took over a top orchestra and stayed with it for 44 years. Christopher Breunig gives an outline It's a nice story, but discredited, that the young Hungarian musician, Jenő Blau, changed his surname because he'd sailed to New York in 1921 on the SS Normandie. Ormandy himself told his Philadelphia lead violinist Anshel Brusilow that his French grandmother had changed her name from Goldberg to Or-mont, while other sou... - AVID Volvere SP Turntable20 October 2020, 2:37 am
Inspired by the flagship Acutus turntable, and bucking the trend for unsuspended decks with socially-distanced motors, the Volvere SP also comes with a familiar tonearm Given that pretty much every component AVID has ever offered is still in production, it's clear company owner Conrad Mas does not chop and change designs on a whim. So it's no surprise that when it comes to turntables AVID has largely stuck with the thinking behind its very first deck, the Acutus, which was launched in 1999. ... - Carver M-400 A Cube16 October 2020, 8:27 pm
Tiny amp, lashings of power... Martin Colloms lifts the lid on a box of tricks The long awaited Carver Cube power amplifier is at last available in the UK. Bob Carver, its designer, is not a particularly well known figure in the UK but most people have heard of Phase Linear, which was founded by him, and he also designed its range of products. His special interest has been in high-power amplifiers, with the 400 B and 700 B Phase Linear models now audio legends.... - Simaudio MOON 780D v2 Network Attached DAC15 October 2020, 8:01 pm
This flagship DAC from Canada, complete with a raft of in-house digital and power supply technologies, and very slick control app, is a complete network music solution When is a DAC not a DAC? When it turns into a multifunctional network-connected music player, that's when! Increasingly, the lines between products that exist to convert digital inputs into analogue audio and full-blown network players are becoming blurred. So, just as there are players provided only with digital outputs –... - Allman Bros: <I>Brothers And Sisters</I>13 October 2020, 5:55 pm
With its now famous front cover showing the son of drummer Butch Trucks, the band's fifth album was the sound of a group striving for renewal after the tragic deaths of two of its members. Yet the album's success would only sour the relationships between them In many ways it was remarkable that The Allman Brothers Band's Brothers And Sisters was made at all, arriving as it did after the deaths of two of the group's members within a year, and drug abuse by the musicians and their entourage havi...
- PSG vs Man United live stream: how to watch the Champions League20 October 2020, 6:43 pm
How to watch a PSG vs Man United live stream wherever you are in the world.... - Champions League live stream: how to watch every 2020-21 fixture in 4K20 October 2020, 6:01 pm
Get your free Champions League live stream here – from anywhere in the world!... - Best gaming TVs 2020: 4K gaming TVs for PS5, Xbox Series X and all current consoles20 October 2020, 5:53 pm
The best gaming TVs for current and next-gen consoles.... - Best Buy sale: save $100s on Amazon Echo, Fire TV and 4K TVs20 October 2020, 5:00 pm
Amazon Prime Day has been and gone, but no one told Best Buy – it's emulating some of Amazon's best deals right now!... - Best Panasonic TVs: OLED, HDR, 4K, budget, premium20 October 2020, 2:15 pm
Brand loyal to Panasonic? We can't blame you. You'll want to check out the company's best TVs, then......
- LG 65GX OLED Ultra HDTV Review19 October 2020, 1:00 pm
Today, I’ll be reviewing LG’s latest premium OLED panel, the 65GX Ultra HDTV, also known as the OLED65GXPUA. This 65-inch Ultra HD TV boasts amazing... The post LG 65GX OLED Ultra HDTV Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.... - DALI Rubicon 6C Smart Active Loudspeaker System Review14 October 2020, 1:00 pm
The next evolution in delivering “zero loss” hi-fidelity comes from merging new state-of-the-art technology with tried and true “conventional” speakers. The post DALI Rubicon 6C Smart Active Loudspeaker System Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.... - YAMAHA A-S3200 Integrated Amplifier Review12 October 2020, 1:00 pm
Combining retro looks with modern engineering, the YAMAHA A-S3200 Integrated Amplifier provides a very high level of musical playback in one convenient... The post YAMAHA A-S3200 Integrated Amplifier Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.... - Q Acoustics Q B12 Subwoofer Review7 October 2020, 1:00 pm
There's a new Bass Bin on the block! Q Acoustics has gone and released a brand-new subwoofer, the Q B12 which is the first in a new range of subwoofers. The post Q Acoustics Q B12 Subwoofer Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.... - FiiO M15 Digital Audio Player Review5 October 2020, 1:00 pm
FiiO has been making portable digital audio players since 2013, and they’ve gotten very good at it, serving up products in a variety of price ranges with... The post FiiO M15 Digital Audio Player Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com....
- Minus K Technology CT-2 Bench Top Vibration Isolation Platform12 October 2020, 10:41 pm
The Minus K Technology CT-2 Bench Top Vibration Isolation Platform was originally developed for scientific and research applications such as spacecraft design, nanotechnology, and medical research. The patented technology is called “Negative-stiffness”, where the isolating platform seems to float with no resistance. From the manufacturer’s Web site (link below): “Dr. David L. Platus is President and Founder and is the principal inventor of the technology. He earned a B.S.... - Origin Live Gravity One Record Clamp24 August 2020, 3:02 pm
Several readers let me know that they appreciate the short format of the reviews offered here on 10 Audio. The word “pithy” has been noticed a few times in the feedback. Pithy means “concise and forcefully expressive” and “having substance and point” and “short and sweet”. This review definitely supports those definitions. The new Origin Live Gravity One record clamp works differently than the usual “record clamp”. Almost every clamp av... - Magico S1 Mk II Loudspeakers31 July 2020, 10:13 pm
The floor standing, 2-way Magico S1 Mk II speakers are exceptional. Before we get into the specifics of this particular model, let’s take a minute or two and let me share with you why I am a fan of 2-way speakers. Crossovers. Almost every loudspeaker utilizing more than one driver has a crossover. These passive electronic devices split the incoming audio signal into frequency ranges which the various drivers – woofers, midranges, tweeters – can handle. Crossovers are not perfec... - Mivera 1200AS2 Stereo Power Amplifier21 June 2020, 7:50 pm
The Mivera 1200AS2 stereo power amplifier is a limited production offering. The amplifier uses the IcePower 1200AS2 dual-channel module with the IceEdge chipset. The $1000 Mivera amplifier was chosen for this review because, as you can see in the image below, the IcePower module is the sole occupant of the normal-size enclosure aside from connectors and wiring. Now we can hear the sound of the IcePower module itdelf, unaccompanied by added input electronics as we see in amplifiers from Wyred 4 S... - Dynaudio Evoke 30 & 25C Loudspeakers30 April 2020, 2:02 pm
“Born in Jupiter”. This is the headline on the Dynaudio Web site product page. I had no idea what that means. Further digging on the site revealed that “Jupiter” is the name of Dynaudio’s test and development center, a very large room reportedly measuring 13 meters (42.6 feet) in every dimension. In Jupiter, “(a) speaker can be measured individually or, given the room’s size, engineers can install several speakers at once to simulate the typical home aud...
- Raspberry Pi, Part 3: Sound Quality Evaluation27 September 2020, 6:15 pm
Digital Serving/Streaming on the Cheap using a Raspberry Pi Part 3: Sound Quality Evaluation By Steve Graham Miss K, Pi and Music Are you contemplating a plunge into file-based audio? Have parts 1 and 2 of this series tempted you to take the leap? Fear not. A Raspberry Pi-based system is not a big jump, technically or financially. Components like my NAD 50.2 are a well-thought-out solution that will rip CDs, store them on internal drives then serve and stream them to an ... - Digital DIY: Raspberry Pi, Part 2 – Setup and Programming10 September 2020, 7:23 pm
Digital Serving/Streaming on the Cheap with a Raspberry Pi Part 2: Setup and Programming By Steve Graham A complete digital music source, no kidding! Update as of October 12, 2020: While setting up a RPi player for a friend, I’ve discovered that the PiCorePlayer software doesn’t play nice with Western Digital USB drives, causing it (the software) to stall during setup. I don’t know a way around this and I’m loathe to even attempt a dive into coding. ... - Hifiman’s Ananda-BT Headphones2 September 2020, 9:08 pm
by Noam Bronstein This is another mini-review in my series on the ‘evolution’ of Bluetooth as an option for audiophiles. Hifiman is known for its big, planar magnetic headphones, and the Ananda-BT is a dedicated Bluetooth version which retails for $999 US. All the electronics are built in and hidden from view, this is a true wireless headphone – all you need is a Bluetooth music source, e.g. streaming from a phone. The Ananda-BT does offer the option of taking a wired digital (... - Digital DIY: Steve Bakes A Raspberry Pi – Part 129 August 2020, 7:16 pm
Digital Serving/Streaming on the Cheap with a Raspberry Pi (But is it any good?) By Steve Graham Part 1: Introduction and Shopping List Not really powerful, but powerful enough! The first thing you must know is that I blinked and missed the microchip revolution – it was a very long blink. To those already immersed in the Raspberry Pi-for-audio ecosystem, this article might be irrelevant. This is for those like me: newbies to DIY file-based playback. ... - Floorstanding Gold Star Bargain: The DALI Oberon 5 Speakers29 July 2020, 1:22 am
‘In The House’, with David Neice Review Article: DALI Oberon 5 Speakers MSRP: $1399 (Canadian) Verdict: Taking up much less floor space than a stand mount speaker (when on a stand), the diminutive DALI Oberon 5 floor-standing speakers deliver on so many sonic fronts that it is hard to know where to begin. Always terrific fun to listen to and highly balanced, these condo-friendly floorstanders break the mold for what can be achieved on a budget. DALI is to be commend...
- Hidizs S9 Review18 October 2020, 11:38 am
The Hidizs S9 is a dongle-type balanced and single-ended capable DAC and amplifier capable of up to DSD512 and PCM 32BIT/768kHz decoding. It is priced at $109. Disclaimer: The Hidizs S9 sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion. We thank the team at Hidizs for giving us this opportunity. To read more […]... - Audiofly AFT2 Review17 October 2020, 12:19 pm
The Audiofly AFT2 is a 6mm single dynamic driver TWS with Bluetooth 5.0, aptX, and up to 35 hours of total battery life. It is priced at $129.99 Disclaimer: The Audiofly AFT2 sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion in this review. We thank the team from Audiofly for giving us […]... - HiBy R2 Review16 October 2020, 11:05 am
The HiBy R2 is an entry-level DAP featuring a Linux OS, bitperfect decoding, MQA, and an ES9218 DAC capable of up to 32BIT/384kHz and DSD128 decoding. It is priced at $89.99 Disclaimer: The HiBy R2 was sent to us as a sample in exchange for our honest opinion in this review. We thank HiBy Music for […]... - NuPrime Alita Review14 October 2020, 11:06 am
The NuPrime Alita is a slimline high-end integrated solid-state headphone amplifier, pre-amp and AK4493EQ implemented DAC. It is priced at €1295. Disclaimer: The NuPrime Alita sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion in this review. We thank the team at NuPrime for giving us this opportunity. To read about other NuPrime […]... - Burson Conductor 3 Performance Review11 October 2020, 11:29 am
The Burson Conductor 3 Performance is an integrated DAC, pre-out, and headphone amplifier with up to 4W of output power. It is priced at $1044. Disclaimer: The Burson Conductor 3 Performance sent to us is a sample unit in exchange for our honest opinion. We thank the team at Burson for giving us this opportunity. You can […]...
- Tidal Connect Casting Technology Hits The Airwaves20 October 2020, 4:55 pm
Pulling down tunes from the cloud is perhaps one of the easiest ways to listen to music. But using the The post Tidal Connect Casting Technology Hits The Airwaves appeared first on AudioHead.... - The Best Deals In Audio For Amazon Prime Day 202013 October 2020, 9:42 pm
The second full week of October has seen a substantial sales push from major retailers along with long-delayed, big news The post The Best Deals In Audio For Amazon Prime Day 2020 appeared first on AudioHead.... - Grado Labs Announces The GT220 True Wireless Earbuds12 October 2020, 10:13 pm
The legendary New York headphone company Grado has recently announced the launch of a new wireless IEM to complement their The post Grado Labs Announces The GT220 True Wireless Earbuds appeared first on AudioHead.... - McIntosh Goes Big With The New MA12000 Hybrid Integrated9 October 2020, 4:36 pm
The amplifier company with the blue boppin’ meters just announced a new integrated that offers up a tube amplifier pre The post McIntosh Goes Big With The New MA12000 Hybrid Integrated appeared first on AudioHead.... - An Interview With Marantz5 October 2020, 6:21 pm
Interview With Marantz & The Creators Of Vinyl Nation Marantz as a brand has been around for quite a long The post An Interview With Marantz appeared first on AudioHead....
- AUDEZE Oktoberfest Barrel Aged Sale20 October 2020, 5:45 pm
AUDEZE HEADPHONES DISCOVER AUDEZE CUSTOMER CARE GET UP TO 50% OFF!In honor of Oktoberfest, we’ve raided our cellars to bring The post AUDEZE Oktoberfest Barrel Aged Sale appeared first on Headphone Guru.... - Noble Sultan Review!19 October 2020, 5:00 am
When Jim Moulton contacts me and asks me to personally review a Noble IEM I know I am in for The post Noble Sultan Review! appeared first on Headphone Guru.... - The Extraordinary Journey Of Jason Miles: Special Live Streaming Event16 October 2020, 6:09 pm
bit.ly/jason–miles https://www.musae.me/riverspiritmusic/experiences/816/the-extraordinary-journey-of-jason-miles The post The Extraordinary Journey Of Jason Miles: Special Live Streaming Event appeared first on Headphone Guru.... - PSB Brings Decades of Speaker Expertise to Compact Powered Speakers14 October 2020, 5:37 pm
Two Affordable Active Monitors, Alpha AM3 and Alpha AM5, Built on Success of Highly Acclaimed Alpha Series PICKERING, ONTARIO, CANADA The post PSB Brings Decades of Speaker Expertise to Compact Powered Speakers appeared first on Headphone Guru.... - Review of the NICEHCK NX7 Pro14 October 2020, 5:00 am
This month I have the luck to be reviewing the lauded NICEHCK NX7 Pro In-Ear Monitors. They were graciously provided The post Review of the NICEHCK NX7 Pro appeared first on Headphone Guru....
- REL introduces new subwoofers20 October 2020, 8:34 am
Meet the Carbon Special and Tzero MKIII... - Sonus faber launches Lumina range19 October 2020, 8:29 am
Three new speakers from the Vicenza factory... - Which audio format would you like to make a comeback?16 October 2020, 10:35 am
Which format would you like to enjoy success again? Which audio format would you like to make a comeback? Choices MiniDisc Compact Cassette Digital Compact Cassette Eight track Reel-to-reel tape Leave this field blank Show Promo ImageHi-Fi ChoiceCategory: TechnologyPrimary Category: Technology... - iFi Audio introduces Zen Can16 October 2020, 9:11 am
Meet the Zen master's latest headphone amplifier... - Marantz unveils 12 Series Special Editions15 October 2020, 10:40 am
Introducing the PM-12 Special Edition amp and SA-12 Special Edition SACD player...
- $62,000 Sonus Faber Il Cremonese ex3me – Absolute Neutrality22 September 2020, 8:16 am
22nd September 2020, Vicenza, Italy: Sonus faber has launched the Il Cremonese ex3me, a tech-rich £48,500 floorstander limited to just 50 pairs, which advances the original thanks to a range of innovative new speaker technologies. The original Il Cremonese was introduced in 2015 with the intention of completing the company’s Homage Collection and was named […] The post $62,000 Sonus Faber Il Cremonese ex3me – Absolute Neutrality appeared first on Audio Bacon.... - ASUS LAUNCHES MQA HEADPHONES18 September 2020, 1:19 am
New ROG Delta S headset adds MQA technology MQA’s award-winning technology has been adopted by global tech leader ASUS for its latest ROG (Republic of Gamers) headphones. The headset, designed to offer flawless audio quality for gaming enthusiasts, was revealed alongside the latest gaming gear during the ROG 2020 META BUFFS international online launch event on 1 September […] The post ASUS LAUNCHES MQA HEADPHONES appeared first on Audio Bacon.... - Introducing the New McIntosh C8 and MC83018 September 2020, 1:10 am
New open chassis McIntosh duo combines valve luxury, solid-state power and timeless industrial designC8 Vacuum Tube Preamplifier and MC830 Solid State Amplifier: stunning looks, legendary McIntosh sound quality September 17th, 2020, Binghamton, NY, USA: Following in the footsteps of McIntosh’s retro-styled MA252 and MA352 integrated amplifiers, (which themselves took design cues from the MC275 Vacuum […] The post Introducing the New McIntosh C8 and MC830 appeared first on Audio Baco... - Innuos Phoenix USB Reclocker Review8 September 2020, 6:21 pm
The Innuos Phoenix USB reclocker is here. Avid computer audiophiles are well aware of the sonic gains of having USB conditioning. If you’d like an introduction behind using USB reclockers in your digital playback system, check out my review of the SOtM tX-USBultra here. In short, the goal of a USB reclocker is to provide […] The post Innuos Phoenix USB Reclocker Review appeared first on Audio Bacon.... - Power Connectors: They Sound Different!22 August 2020, 10:34 pm
Here’s a quick post for the curious. As with many DIYers out there, I noticed differences when trying different power connectors on the same cables. My expectation was that the cable (metal, dielectric, etc) should have a more significant impact over the connectors. I didn’t really have time to investigate while I was finishing up […] The post Power Connectors: They Sound Different! appeared first on Audio Bacon....
- Accuphase E-380 integrated amp – singing with the right speakers20 October 2020, 1:45 am
REVIEW: Another winner from Japan's revered hi-fi brand... but make sure you match the Accuphase E-380 right.... - Devialet Gemini wireless NC earbuds on pre-order now16 October 2020, 1:52 am
NEWS: Devialet's Gemini earbuds aim to bring both high-quality sonics and comfort to your ears...... - Sony’s HT-G700 soundbar now in Sony stores15 October 2020, 1:47 am
NEWS: If you're in the market for a soundbar, Sony's latest promises you the complete immersive experience.... - McIntosh’s most powerful integrated amp… MA1200012 October 2020, 1:07 am
NEWS: Tubes and Autoformers are on the menu with the muscular MA12000 integrated from McIntosh.... - Sound United closes Bowers & Wilkins deal10 October 2020, 2:03 am
NEWS: Sound United adds another big-name hi-fi brand to its portfolio....
- Austrian Audio Hi-X55 Closed-Back Headphones Reviewed1 September 2020, 4:43 pm
a highly detailed and revealing performance perfect for digital mixing and analytical listening alike. The post Austrian Audio Hi-X55 Closed-Back Headphones Reviewed appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - The IPT RigB, Rigid Metal Body for AT91 Cartridge Reviewed18 August 2020, 7:42 pm
A significant upgrade for a tremendously competent generator held back by its flimsy plastic body. The post The IPT RigB, Rigid Metal Body for AT91 Cartridge Reviewed appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - Arylic Up2Stream A30 Miniature Streaming Amplifier Reviewed29 July 2020, 10:04 am
A tiny, generously specced miniature amplifier with integrated streaming, an excellent app and great sound. The post Arylic Up2Stream A30 Miniature Streaming Amplifier Reviewed appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - Arylic’s Up2Stream Streaming Platform & The 4Stream App16 June 2020, 9:31 am
A great alternative to the usual streaming suspects, equally suited to first-timers and those looking for a more modular, integrated streaming solution without the hassle of deploying custom software and hardware. The post Arylic’s Up2Stream Streaming Platform & The 4Stream App appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - Audio-Technica AT-LP5X Turntable Full Teardown3 June 2020, 12:11 pm
A simple yet effective turntable design of perfectly acceptable quality and very well executed given the asking price. The post Audio-Technica AT-LP5X Turntable Full Teardown appeared first on Audio Appraisal....
- Richter Audio Harlequin S6 Loudspeaker Review21 October 2020, 3:47 am
Matthew Jens auditions this powerful Australian designed floorstanding speaker…... - M8Audio Tiny Maxwell Loudspeaker Review21 October 2020, 1:36 am
Peter Familari spends time with a small but perfectly formed compact stand mounter…... - Line Magnetic LM-32DAC Review17 October 2020, 2:11 am
Mark Gusew auditions a nifty digital converter that offers a choice of either tube buffered or solid-state analogue outputs…... - Samsung 65-inch Q800T 8K QLED Smart TV Review14 October 2020, 12:46 am
John Archer tries out this great value for money, super high resolution TV…... - Hana ML Phono Cartridge Review14 October 2020, 12:27 am
Jay Garrett strikes analogue gold with this sub-$2,000 moving coil phono cartridge......
- #NewMusicFriday…New Record Releases You Need To Hear feat. Jazz Guitarist Lionel Loueke +11 Other Artists!16 October 2020, 11:36 pm
Every #NewMusicFriday, I pick a bunch of the best sounding new albums so you can get your audiophile music fix!… As usual, it’s a very eclectic mix (Albums are arranged with more traditional audiophile genres like Jazz and Blues at the top, and the non-traditional audiophile stuff towards the bottom). There’s a lot of good stuff continue reading... - Prime Day Deals You Can Still Grab! Best Buy Headphones, Best Buy Speakers, Best Buy Electronics15 October 2020, 2:48 pm
Amazon Prime Day is officially over, but there are still a lot of great audio deals to be had! Check out our list of great speakers, headphones, and electronics, all available at excellent prices! Some are at all-time low prices, like the Parasound NewClassic 200 Integrated Amplifier. which is selling today for $950, which is continue reading... - PSB’s Alluring New Powered Speakers Are Here To Take Your Money! 14 October 2020, 4:29 pm
PSB Speakers Alpha P3 and P5 bookshelf speakers (check out our reviews here and here) are definitely two of the best bookshelf speakers under $500, so we weren’t surprised when we heard they were coming out with affordable powered versions. Well, today, PSB revealed the new additions to their Alpha Series, the $399 Alpha AM3, continue reading... - Wintory Air 1 Alloy True Wireless Earphones Review: Astonishing Sound For The Money!14 October 2020, 5:06 am
The surprisingly refined sound makes them worth a look. At a list price of $59, the Wintory Air 1 Alloy True Wireless Earbuds are a decent set of earbuds priced right in the middle of the budget tier. You can usually expect to get enjoyable sound and some essential features at that price, and that’s continue reading... - The Best Amazon Prime Day Deals For Audiophiles (2020) (Updated)13 October 2020, 12:14 am
Amazon Prime Day (or Prime Days? Oct 13 & 14) is here! This annual sale for Amazon Prime members (get a trial membership) usually has a lot of junk for sale, but there are usually some gems too. Finding them is the fun part. If you’re looking for hi-fi or audio deals, speaker, headphones, or electronics continue reading...
- New vinyl catch up15 October 2020, 8:24 pm
... - The Genius of Jazz6 September 2020, 7:37 pm
... - That USBe Perfect from Core Power Technologies12 August 2020, 3:38 pm
... - SDSU receives great jazz collection as a donation23 July 2020, 9:49 pm
... - Underwood/CorePower release USBe Perfect19 June 2020, 6:25 pm
...
- Magna Riser Slim Line 24 October 2020, 10:00 pm
Less than a year ago I managed to find online a used pair of Magnepan .7's for $800 on the used market. A few days after the panels arrived I decided to experiment by placing blocks of wood under the back end of the angled L-bracket metal legs, thus tilting them to a true vertical position. The sonic differences I stored away in my memory until such time as I could consider potential stand replacements. Magnepan's own oval upgrade model held zero interest for a variety of reasons, so my options ... - Audioengine B-Fi Wireless Streamer22 September 2020, 3:14 pm
Link to specificationsOk, I admit it, the wife and I have been relying on Alexa to stream music in the kitchen and living room. I have my man cave in the basement, so the upstairs is her music domain and she wants it simple. But she loves the playlist I created for her on Tidal to use on her phone when she is walking or gardening. Over the months I endured many a complaint about finding a solution. Not for the first time, the gang at Audioengine have come to the rescue. This past late spri... - Totem Acoustics Signature ONE Speakers5 September 2020, 9:47 pm
Link to SpecificationsHow does one improve on a legend? That was the question facing Vince Bruzzese and the team at Totem Acoustics approximately 5 years ago. The Model 1, a diminutive stand mounted speaker had launched Totem as a major player in the industry 30+ years ago. In the decades that followed, the Model 1 would receive tweeks that owners could spot. However, that has all changed.The Signature One is all new, only the “spirit” as Totem refers to the legacy that the Model 1 p... - Cherry DAC DAC 2 HS11 August 2020, 1:16 am
Link to Specifications Fourteen years ago when I started reviewing gear the digital analog convertor (DAC) was a rare piece of gear. Few models existed and for most audiophiles, fanatics, and hobbyists it was technology to watch rather than pursue. Fourteen years later and DAC’s are an indispensable part of our hobby. The quality and capability have risen dramatically, while the price/performance has dropped even more so. The ability of DAC’s to pull out details i... - Core Power Technologies A/V USBe Perfect10 August 2020, 8:24 pm
Tweaks. It’s the bastion of audiophiles in the pursuit of wringing the last ounce of audio gold out of the music. It’s also the point where derision from those who don’t relate to our hobby like to inject verbal venom. Granted, over the years there’s been some rather “out there” tweaks, such as the infamous magic marker on cd’s. At the same time audiophiles were the first to hear a weird phenomena, later identified as jitter.Let’s be clear, a wonde...
- Vermouth Audio Reference USB11 October 2020, 8:47 am
Naturally, one cannot extrapolate the sound of analog cables onto a USB cable but given earlier experience with Vermouth's interlinks, I have high expectations for the company's new USB cable.... - Antipodes K50 Music Server28 September 2020, 10:52 am
Having reviewed several Antipodes Music Servers and having owned the CX and EX for close to two years as my references, I was excited to hear of the OLADRA project and even more so the arrival of an all-new range with the K50 as the King of the Hill.... - atm-audio EPM-700 class-D power amplifier with Korg Nutube triode input buffer23 September 2020, 7:43 am
Machined from solid aluminum, the EPM-700 Mono amplifiers employ hybrid amplification technology using a Class-D Hypex NC500 module with Ncore technology powered by a 1200W switched-mode power supply and a Korg NuTube Triode Valve-based atm-audio input stage.... - Xavian Premio Esclusivo11 September 2020, 11:03 am
The Premio Esclusivo is a superbly natural-sounding speaker that always brings the maximum in engagement.... - Mad Scientist Audio Nitro Nano power cable18 August 2020, 10:14 am
The Nitro power cable replaces the NEO and NEO-OCC models and although it looks very similar to the older NEO, the internal differences have resulted in a much-improved performance....
- Mytek Audio Empire DAC/Streamer/Preamplifier Unveiled19 October 2020, 7:07 pm
New York based high-end audio firm Mytek have proudly launched their new flagship Empire DAC/Streamer/Preamplifier… The post Mytek Audio Empire DAC/Streamer/Preamplifier Unveiled appeared first on Audiosolace.... - 64 Audio Nio Review16 October 2020, 6:44 pm
The 64 Audio Nio is the latest hybrid model from the Vancouver-based audio firm. The… The post 64 Audio Nio Review appeared first on Audiosolace.... - Shure KSE1200 Review13 October 2020, 10:34 pm
Since its conception 4 years ago, the Shure KSE1500 earphones were a breakthrough product featuring… The post Shure KSE1200 Review appeared first on Audiosolace.... - Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 Review5 October 2020, 2:16 am
The original Campfire Audio Andromeda inspired a consensual zeal amongst hi-fi aficionados across all four… The post Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 Review appeared first on Audiosolace.... - FiiO EM5 Review28 September 2020, 9:43 pm
It is a great wonder how FiiO manages to sleep at night with the quantity… The post FiiO EM5 Review appeared first on Audiosolace....
- Oda performance platform: Direct Home Transmission15 October 2020, 7:05 pm
It's a simple idea about fidelity. Oda wants to offer a high-quality, experience-driven and sustainable platform alternative to the typical YouTube live stream. The post Oda performance platform: Direct Home Transmission appeared first on Resistor Magazine |.... - The Vinyl Detective Part Two – Pulp Fiction, Pet Sounds and Scandi Noir9 October 2020, 3:46 am
In discussing hi-fi, murder and rare vinyl LPs, our previous conversation with writer, novelist and record collector Andrew Cartmel covered a lot of territory involving his Vinyl Detective book series. The post The Vinyl Detective Part Two – Pulp Fiction, Pet Sounds and Scandi Noir appeared first on Resistor Magazine |.... - Listening Alone: Untangling the Best Music of 2020 So Far6 October 2020, 3:49 am
The global pandemic has affected politics, economics, and human behavior in ways that will take years to fully realize, never mind the effect this paradigm shift will have on the world of music. The post Listening Alone: Untangling the Best Music of 2020 So Far appeared first on Resistor Magazine |.... - Tokyo Jazz Kissa: Vintage High Fidelity with #VINYL1 October 2020, 5:12 am
Whether it’s calligraphy, the serving and drinking of tea, or the uniquely Japanese experience of listening to jazz LPs playing through rare vintage sound systems at specialized cafés, these ceremonies are revered. The post Tokyo Jazz Kissa: Vintage High Fidelity with #VINYL appeared first on Resistor Magazine |.... - Linn Krane: New Majik Tonearm26 September 2020, 10:23 pm
Turntable design evolution is a measured approach for Linn when it comes to the LP12, now approaching a half-century of production. The post Linn Krane: New Majik Tonearm appeared first on Resistor Magazine |....
- KEF LS50 Wireless II Speakers Now Support TIDAL Connect!20 October 2020, 2:51 pm
Listening to music just got that much simpler. Plug, meet play. TIDAL Connect is a high-resolution, MQA-capable lossless audio quality casting technology that streams Tidal to any compatible HiFi device without the need for anything [...]... - PSB’s New Powered Alpha AM3 and Alpha AM5 Speakers20 October 2020, 11:00 am
I love me a good pair of powered speakers because it makes hifi life so simple. I like simple, too. The new powered PSB Alpha AM3 ($399/pair) and Alpha AM5 ($599/pair) speakers also include a [...]... - In Barn for Flashback-Fi: Ensemble Solo B-50 “Tiger” Hybrid Integrated Amplifier19 October 2020, 11:00 am
The Ensemble Solo B-50 Tiger Hybrid Integrated Amplifier comes to us from 1991, care of John DeVore of DeVore Fidelity. Old-time readers of my Road Tour Series for 6moons may remember a trip I took [...]... - In Barn for Flashback-Fi: California Audio Labs Alpha Tube Analog Processor (DAC)18 October 2020, 12:00 pm
Vintage digital! The California Audio Labs Alpha DAC was the third digital device I owned from CAL, preceded by the Icon and Tercet MKIII CD players. So this Flaskback-Fi hits home. The unit under Flashback-Fi [...]... - Darko.Audio Podcast #21: Work Experience with Twittering Machines’ Michael Lavorgna17 October 2020, 3:00 pm
Darko and I shoot the breeze about “Work Experience” in his recently posted podcast where we cover taste, selflessness, judgement, ego, reviewing, comparisons, and more. Spoiler alert: if you haven’t heard it, you haven’t heard [...]...
- Vinyl Review: John Coltrane – Coltrane’s Sound (ORG Music, 180g, 45RPM)11 June 2018, 1:25 am
Sound: 7.2 Pressing/packaging: 9.2 Value: 8.4 ORG Music reissue released in 2014. 180g vinyl, 45RPM, 2LP, limited edition, numbered. Catalog Number: ORGM-1091. Mastered by Bernie Grundman. Pressed by Pallas in Germany. UPC: 711574708413. MSRP: $49. Buy on Amazon.com Introduction This LP was originally released by Atlantic Records in 1964. It consists of tracks recorded in […]... - Vinyl Review: Chopin – Polonaises Nos. 1-7, Maurizio Pollini (Deutsche Grammophon 180g)3 June 2018, 7:08 pm
Sound: 7.6 Pressing: 7.4 Value: 5.0 Deutsche Grammophon reissue released in 2016. 180g vinyl. Catalog Number: 479 6653. UPC: 028947966531. MSRP: $23. Buy on Amazon.com Introduction I’ve been on a Chopin rampage lately (if such a thing could ever exist). As far as solo piano works go, I spin Chopin more than any other composer. […]... - Vinyl Review: Sibelius – Violin Concerto, Oistrakh, Ormandy, Philadelphia Orch (Speakers Corner 180g)2 April 2018, 2:35 am
Sound: 8.8 Pressing: 8.4 Value: 9.0 Speakers Corner reissue released in 2017. 180g vinyl. Catalog Number: Columbia MS 6157. UPC: 4260019715333. MSRP: $35. Buy on Amazon.com Introduction Speakers Corner is mining the Columbia vaults for early stereo gems, of which this title is one. There are some legendary titles and performances from that era, but […]... - Vinyl Review: Ornette Coleman – The Shape of Jazz to Come (ORG Music, 180g, 45RPM)15 March 2018, 2:45 am
Sound: 9.8 Pressing: 3.5 Value: 8.5 ORG Music reissue released in 2013. 180g vinyl, 45RPM, 2LP. Catalog Number: ORGM-1081. Mastered by Bernie Grundman. Pressed by Pallas in Germany. UPC: 711574707218. MSRP: $49. Buy on Amazon.com Introduction Much has been said about this, Ornette Coleman’s shot across the bow of jazz as it was known in […]... - Vinyl Review: Stravinsky – The Firebird, Dorati, LSO (Speakers Corner 180g)4 March 2018, 3:15 am
Sound: 9.2 Pressing/Packaging: 9.4 Value: 9.7 Speakers Corner reissue released in 2008. 180g vinyl. Catalog Number: Mercury SR90226. UPC: 4260019714978. MSRP: $35. Buy on Amazon.com Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird (Complete). London Symphony Orchestra. Antal Dorati, conductor. Introduction As per our review philosophy, we focus reviews here exclusively on sound quality. Lots of analysis out there […]...