- January Already?10 December 2018, 8:02 pm
Yes, the January 2019 issue of Stereophile is hitting newsstands, mailboxes, and tablets this week. And to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our going from a digest-sized publication to a full-sized one, we have recreated the cover of the January 1994 issue, the "musicality vs accuracy" debate as strong today as it was a quarter-century ago. The 25th anniversary edition of the same Cary tube amplifier is featured on the cover and in this issue's review section, but instead of the solid-state Kre...
- Aequa & H e (a) r9 December 2018, 1:51 pm
First came the press release, from San Francisco Symphony, announcing: • Esa-Pekka Salonen is the Music Director Designate of SFS, to replace Michael Tilson Thomas when he voluntarily steps down after the summer of 2020. • EPS will lead SFS in a program on January 18–20 that includes the SFS premiere of Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir's Metacosmos, Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra, and Sibelius's Four Legends from the Kalevala. These led me to explore Thorvald... - Listening #192: Koetsu, Ortofon, EMT6 December 2018, 10:00 pm
Although my house is now home to a borrowed pair of DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93 loudspeakers—a loan I gratefully accepted early this year, when my 1966 Altec Flamencos proved a bit too large for my new listening room—it's a matter of pride that I own almost everything else in my playback system, cables included. So it's with no small discomfort that I acknowledge having nearly $30,000 worth of borrowed phono cartridges scattered around my living and dining rooms. (The former is whe... - ATC CDA2 Mk2 CD player-preamplifier6 December 2018, 9:40 pm
In the early 1990s, the Compact Disc was all the rage, and vinyl records were being executed en masse. Thirty years later, and oh, how our tables have turned. Mint first pressings of tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley's 1957 album Hank Mobley (Blue Note BLP 1568), which once could be had for $40, now bring upward of $8000. Each. Vinyl continues to enjoy a global resurgence of popularity, while CD sales have plummeted to all-time lows. What happened? Apparently, yesterday's pops and ticks are today's... - Dealer Events in Virginia Thursday & Florida Saturday5 December 2018, 4:12 pm
Thursday, December 6, 4–8 pm, Command Performance (115 Park Avenue, Ste 2, Falls Church, VA 22046) will be hosting a Naim Audio "500 Event." Saturday, December 8, 12–5pmm, Audible Images (1610 Pineapple Avenue, Melbourne, FL 32935) are holding their annual "Music Appreciation Event."Wed, 12/05/2018...
- Objectivity and the Abstract Truth10 December 2018, 3:48 pm
Every hobby, by its very nature, runs the constant risk of losing contact with its own foundational intent or purpose. The closeness of specialization can, over time, turn into an abstraction where the tether to that hobby’s original essence is broken. Before the “phile” (lover) realizes it, the abstraction has become the essential. What’s true and valuable has shifted. Microsoft has an interesting TV ad campaign currently airing that features the American hip hop artist/... - Preview: The Zellaton Stage Loudspeakers7 December 2018, 6:28 pm
Like many long-time TAS readers, I have been on a multi-decade quest to achieve the absolute sound—the illusion of hearing actual acoustic instruments playing in a wonderful concert hall—through my stereo system. After years of trying, I recently made a giant step forward towards that goal with the addition of the remarkable Zellaton Stage loudspeakers to my reference system. The Stage is a revelation, and in a couple of important sonic dimensions better than any loudspeaker I have h... - Magico Announces M2 Loudspeaker7 December 2018, 4:38 pm
The following is a press release issued by Magico. HAYWARD, CA (USA) | December 7, 2018 – Magico, the Leader in High-Performance Loudspeaker Design and Manufacture, is pleased to announce the M2 which expands the M-Series product lineup and features many ground-breaking engineering designs distilled from the M6 and M3. Our materials science research in the properties and applications of carbon allows the M2 to feature a new monocoque enclosure. Similar in construction technique introduced ... - 2019 High-End Audio Buyer’s Guide: Power Amplifiers $5,000 - $20,0007 December 2018, 1:01 pm
McIntosh Labs MC275 VI $5500 The sixth version of this most classic of all McIntosh amplifiers is by far the best, boasting greater tonal neutrality yet without losing the beautifully solid, rounded, dimensional, and natural musicality of its tube origins. Thanks to improvements in the transformers, distortion and noise are far lower than ever, bandwidth higher, dynamic range wider, transparency greater, and transient response better than ever. At 75Wpc (though 90 is typical), the 275 has virtua... - 2018 New York Audio Show Report7 December 2018, 4:34 am
Overview The history of the New York Audio Show can best be described as rocky. Decades ago, the show was run by Stereophile magazine, and it was a juggernaut. I remember making an annual pilgrimage from Washington, D.C. to the New York Hilton to experience that show’s endless rooms, each packed with lust-worthy gear and ravenous audiophiles. But after Stereophile pulled out for lack of funding, New York languished for years without a major regional show—an unholy state of affairs fo...
- RMAF 2018 Show Report9 October 2018, 5:00 am
Featuring a glorious and tasteful renovated venue, our Rocky Mountain International Audio Fest (RMAF) 2018 show report celebrates 15 years of reporting on the highly popular event. With continued and steady growth, RMAF has become the leading high-end audio fall event in Western America. Once again we have the Rocky Mountain International Audio Fest teaming up with Head-Fi's CanJam event! Audio gear from large reference speakers to the smallest in-ear monitors could be experienced at the show. S... - Merrill Audio Element 118 Solid-State Monoblock Amplifiers9 October 2018, 4:59 am
Regarding the Element 118, the layout they employ with the internal printed circuit boards (PCBs) in this amplifier has reduced the parasitic capacitance and inductance to near zero, and allow close to zero overshoot and ring, and therefore zero deadtime. The term "deadtime" might be the most important consideration here, and so it is worth explaining a bit further. The transistors in even some recent designs of some otherwise quite decent sounding Class D amps could not switch fast enough, thus... - Audioengine A5+ Wireless Speakers9 October 2018, 4:57 am
Simply calling the Audioengine A5+ a "wireless speaker" is not nearly enough information to properly describe these speakers. Of course, the raison d'être of the A5+ wireless speaker is its "high-fidelity advanced Bluetooth with aptX HD with a 24-bit upsampling DAC (AKM AK4396)". This type happens to be the older generation of Bluetooth connectivity. Although, to be honest, when I heard the term "wireless" in the name of the speaker I assumed that the A5+ would either have no wires connect... - FiiO M3K Portable Hi-Res Audio Player And BTR3 Bluetooth Amplifier9 October 2018, 4:57 am
Being an old timer in battery powered portable audio, including everything from a brand new 1970 Panasonic transistor radio to the world's first portable CD player (Sony D5 in 1985) and toyed with Diamond Rio mp3 player (1999), I am truly impressed at these two under $100 offerings. While there's bragging rights with the latest and greatest (and overly heavy imho) 'reference devices' that are big, overly bulky, and frankly hard to justify at lofty $3000(!) pricing for some, FiiO's M3K portable H... - See More High-End Audio Reviews...30 August 2018, 11:30 am
EnjoyTheMusic.com has many more high-end audiophile articles and reviews available this month. Click here to see them all. ...
- Krakow Sonic Society | meeting #117: SHUNYATA RESEARCH Denali D6000S vs Denali D6000T vs Triton v3 | USA / POLAND-KRAKOW2 December 2018, 11:00 pm
⌈ Audio devices must be supplied with the purest possible power – that is obvious. The cleaner the power, the better the sound - it also does not require a comment. However, when we explore the topic further, things get complicated. ⌋ here are at least a few ways (in general terms) to deliver pure power. The most important dividing lines may be described as: "battery supply ↔ mains supply" and "passive filtration ↔ active filtration". Each of these ways to improve... - INTERVIEW | THE EDITORS: KARI NEVALAINEN of Inner magazine | Editor-in-Chief | FINNLAND2 December 2018, 11:00 pm
⌈ THE EDITORS is a series of interviews with audio magazine editors from all over the world – both printed and online magazines, and portals. It started on January 1st 2012 and 25 interviews have been published so far – the one below is our No. 26. Our aim is to make our readers more familiar with the people who usually hide behind the products that we review. It is the “WHO IS WHO?” of specialized audio press. ⌋ hen you look at the list of authors that I... - REVIEW: Muarah MT-2 + PSC | turntable + speed controller | POLAND | RED Fingerprint2 December 2018, 11:00 pm
⌈ We are reviewing the MT-2 turntable made by Polish company Muarah, adapted to work with 12'' tonearms. We will also show you how the sound changes after replacing a tonearm with more expensive model, a what can you expect after adding the PSC speed control to the system. ⌋ t all started with a quadraphonic sound, at least that's how I remember it. In 2015, MUARAH debuted during the Audio Video Show in Warsaw and presented a complete system for playing a quadraphonic signal fro... - BEST OF THE BEST: BEST SOUND 2018 – ACCORDING TO “HIGH FIDELITY”2 December 2018, 11:00 pm
he following list has been divided into four groups. First, you will find our Special Awards. This year we decided to give two of these to: Polish Audio Cluster and Shunyata Research. Another category is the Statement Award - prizes are awarded to best-of-the-best products. Usually, we give very few of them, so as much as seven, that we awarded this year, says a lot about the current, great state of the high-end world. The biggest group includes products awarded by us with the Best Sound awa... - REVIEW: Fezz Audio MIRA CETI | integrated amplifier | POLAND2 December 2018, 11:00 pm
hen Mr. Maciej Lachowski, the owner of the FEZZ AUDIO called me to remind me about the review we had agreed a long time but that somehow did not happen so far, the whole wave of memories came to my mind. The call was about the Mira Ceti model, i.e. a 300B SET. It was this triode that my unwavering passion for SET amplifiers really began with. | A trip down the memory lane I remember the first few meetings and auditions in home systems of other music lover in different parts of our countr...
- Impressions: The LAOC Audio Society 25th Anniversary Gala Weekend10 December 2018, 9:24 pm
Last weekend I traveled to Buena Park, CA, to attend the 25th Anniversary Gala Weekend for the Los Angeles and Orange County (LAOC) Audio Society. Some background: The LAOC was founded originally with the help of two of my partners at Positive Feedback, Carol and Dave Clark. They recently told the story of that development... Read More » The post Impressions: The LAOC Audio Society 25th Anniversary Gala Weekend appeared first on Positive Feedback.... - The Acoustic Revive Chronicles, Chapter 14: The Absolute Power Cables, The RCA Absolute FM Interconnects, and the PC-TripleC/EX Headshell Leads9 December 2018, 5:42 pm
I first became aware of Mr. Ken Ishiguro's Acoustic Revive products in 2007 when they were recommended to me by Mr. Yoshi Hontani (The MuSon Project, Osaka, Japan), who exports hifi exotica from the Leben Hi-Fi Stereo Company, the Spec Corporation, fo. Q, Audio Replas, KRYNA, SFORZAT, Murasakino Ltd, and of course, the subject of this article, Acoustic Revive. This is Chapter... Read More » The post The Acoustic Revive Chronicles, Chapter 14: The Ab... - Critical Mass Systems CenterStage2 Footer: Unparalleled Performers9 December 2018, 2:22 pm
The new 1.5-inch tall Critical Mass Systems CenterStage2 footer packaged with two different thickness of shims, provided to assure the best possible contact. I've honestly no idea why I was so surprised to hear from Critical Mass Systems' Joe Laverncik this past July asking if I'd like to audition the "new" CMS CenterStage2 footers. He... Read More » The post Critical Mass Systems CenterStage2 Footer: Unparalleled Performers appeared first on Positive Feedback.... - The Gingko ARCH Platform and Acoustic Resonance Clarifier™ (ARCH) Follow-up6 December 2018, 4:59 pm
After I had such a positive experience with the Gingko ARCHs vibration control devices, Vinh Vu of Gingko asked me if I'd like to listen to the latest addition to the ARCH line, the ARCH Platform. It took me about a millisecond to say "yes, please." The ARCH Platform is an attractive, low-maintenance vibration control... Read More » The post The Gingko ARCH Platform and Acoustic Resonance Clarifier™ (ARCH) Follow-up appeared first on Positive Feedback.... - Christmas Music (Part 4), ORA Singers: "The Mystery of Christmas"6 December 2018, 1:58 am
ORA Singers: The Mystery of Christmas. Music of Allain, Anonymous, Byrd, Hall, Hyde, Lauridsen, Macmillan, McDowall, Peacock, Rowarth, Rutter, Samitz, Sixten, Tallis, Williams, and Weir. CD Harmonia Mundi HMM 905303. Downloads (24-bit/96kHz stereo AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, and WAV) available from HDTracks. Streaming available from Tidal. Recorded at St. Augustine's Church, Kilburn, London, January 23-28 and August 7-12, 2017. Nicholas Parker (all... Read More » The po...
- Paradigm’s Persona B7 December 2018, 5:47 pm
Listening to the intricate fretboard work of Bill Frisell on his Good Dog, Happy Man album, I’m reminded of three things: Frisell’s remarkable performance at the Montreal Jazz Festival a few years ago, how much the Persona B captures the essence of their top Persona 9H, and how incredible these little speakers are. Every Paradigm [...]... - ARC’s top effort yet – The REF160M Monoblocks3 December 2018, 2:14 am
Some products you have a casual, cursory exposure with, and others you have a relationship with. Audio Research is a brand I’ve had a long relationship with. They are one of about six brands that I go back decades with, having owned nearly 20 of their products before I even started reviewing hifi gear. And like [...]... - Issue 9219 November 2018, 5:35 am
Features Old School: Jeff Dorgay revisits the KEF C60s 995: Kanto YU6 Powered Speakers By Jerold O’Brien Journeyman Audiophile: Totem’s Sky Towers By Rob Johnson Mine: It Should Be Yours Peanuts Watch Plaid Flannel Jammies Blue Wine Segway’s Go Kart and more…. Music Playlists: We share our readers choices from around the world Can’t Get [...]... - Paradigm’s Newest Atom…19 November 2018, 5:05 am
I often get criticized for only being interested in the mega gear, but nothing could be more wrong. As much fun as the big bucks stuff is, no one starts there, and for me, hifi is a journey. One of the most exciting parts of the journey is the beginning – what got you excited [...]... - Amphion Helium 510 Speakers19 November 2018, 3:22 am
Listening to Eric Clapton float between these quietly elegant, white speakers from Amphion, it’s easy to see why they named this speaker range “helium.” The slight waveguide machined into the front panel of the cabinet, adds dispersion to the dome tweeter, giving these small Finnish monitors an ease that is rarely included at their $1,130/pair [...]...
- NAD's D 3045: a D 3020 V2 on Steroids?1 December 2018, 5:00 am
My September 2018 editorial was titled “A Feature-Rich, Fully Modern Hi-Fi System You Can Begin, Live, and Grow With -- for $926.95.” Given the total system price mentioned in the title, I thought the piece might be popular. I had no idea. It was one of my most-read editorials in years, bettered only by some of my “Best Of” audio-show roundups. I got e-mails from around the world -- and requests from manufacturers who wanted to send me samples of their equipment, hoping t... - Bryston Middle T Active Loudspeaker System1 December 2018, 5:00 am
Around five years ago, established Canadian electronics manufacturer Bryston began making loudspeakers. This began as a pet project of James Tanner, VP of Sales and Marketing, who wanted a reference speaker for his own use. To achieve the level of performance he desired, the speaker developed was a fully active design. The performance of that speaker was so good that Bryston decided to bring it to market. However, because of the complexity and added cost of active speakers, they decided to first... - East vs. West1 December 2018, 5:00 am
It wasn’t my first time in what was once a country ruled by evil, soul-destroying Commies. It wasn’t even my first time in Poland. Long before I was lured to Warsaw, I had visited one country formerly behind the now-forgotten (by many) “Iron Curtain” on numerous occasions: Hungary. Of course, every trip to Budapest was about hi-fi; I went to visit the late, sorely missed Istvan Csontos, the most enthusiastic audiophile I ever knew. He ran amazing hi-fi shows in the late 1... - Recommended Reference Component: Fostex TH909 Headphones1 December 2018, 5:00 am
In his review of the Fostex TH909 headphones last month on SoundStage! Solo, Brent Butterworth remarked that “Fostex has one of the most unusual product lines in the headphone biz. They mostly split between pro ’phones priced under $200, and high-end consumer models priced at $599 or more.” Brent, who’s “been a Fostex fan since 1997,” wrote that “I had yet to hear a set of Fostex headphones I didn’t like” -- including the TH909s ($1799.99 USD... - The Best of Audio Video Show 20181 December 2018, 5:00 am
Since 2016, when I began covering Warsaw’s annual Audio Video Show (AVS), it’s presented one surprise after another. When first invited to attend, by the show’s organizer and owner, Adam Mokrzyck, I’d had no idea AVS even existed. When I arrived in Warsaw and found that AVS occupied 170 rooms spread across three venues -- the Radisson Blu Sobieski and Golden Tulip hotels, and the Warsaw National Stadium -- I was less surprised than shocked. How could a show this big have ...
- Bricasti Design M21 DAC6 December 2018, 4:55 am
Massachusetts-based Bricasti Design’s claim to fame is in the design and manufacturing of professional components for recording studios, its product line comprising the Model 7 Stereo Reverb Processor, the Model 7M Mainframe Stereo Reverb Processor, the Model 15 Stereo Power Amplifier and the Model 28 Monoblock Amplifier. In the consumer section, the company’s M1 dual-mono [...] The post Bricasti Design M21 DAC appeared first on Dagogo.... - Nothing but a …5 December 2018, 9:00 am
Streamer, you know you are a Streamer Well can you put your hands in your head, oh no! I said Streamer, you’re nothing but a Streamer Well can you put your hands in your head, oh no! I said, “far out, what a day, a year, a life it is!” You know, well you know, [...] The post Nothing but a … appeared first on Dagogo.... - Pro-Ject releases the Ortofon Century4 December 2018, 7:46 pm
Austria (December 8, 2018): Pro-Ject has launched the Ortofon Century Anniversary-Turntable in celebration of the 100 years jubilee of one of the company’s closest partners, Ortofon. Built on The Classic SB, the Ortofon Century incorporates ‘a few tweaks which result in even better performance. We took the already incredible Classic SB and exchanged the sub-platter for [...] The post Pro-Ject releases the Ortofon Century appeared first on Dagogo.... - Esoteric Sound Rek-O-Kut Trovatore six speed belt-drive transcription turntable3 December 2018, 7:41 pm
Introduction – A bridge between two worlds for the music enthusiast Rek-O-Kut enjoys a long and storied history in the evolution of turntables for studio, broadcast, and home use. Esoteric Sound are the owners and curators of the Rek-O-Kut brand since 2004 and have continued the tradition of serving varied industries, archivists, and hobbyists. Eight [...] The post Esoteric Sound Rek-O-Kut Trovatore six speed belt-drive transcription turntable appeared first on Dagogo.... - T+A multi source players with Roon30 November 2018, 7:10 pm
Germany (11/30/2018): T+A, a German audio system manufacturer has announced the addition of two more of its multi source players, the T+A Multi Source Players CALA CDR and CALA SR, joining the three other multi source player products that are already Roon Ready certified, the T+A MP 8, the MP 2000 R MK II, the MP [...] The post T+A multi source players with Roon appeared first on Dagogo....
- The Next Track Episode 13410 December 2018, 5:48 pm
It had been way too long since I appeared on Kirk's and Doug's The Next Track podcast, so I was excited when the guys reached out to me to participate in a show about a downsizing one's audio system. Heresy you say! Downsizing is antithetical to the audiophile ethos! As used car salesmen say, there's as ass for every seat. People need different things at different points in their lives and when designing systems for friends and loved ones. I'm keeping my dedicated listening room and big syst... - The Best Version Of… Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On7 December 2018, 4:15 pm
Nearly 50 years ago, Marvin Gaye released What’s Going On, an album that was not only an undeniable artistic leap forward for Gaye, but also a revolutionary statement of political agency and artistic freedom (especially for a Motown artist). Like Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks, Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew, or Joni Mitchell’s Hejira, What’s Going On is a singular, genre-defying expression of musical auteurship. For the first time in his career, G... - New Limited Edition McIntosh System6 December 2018, 3:09 pm
Today McIntosh announces a special limited edition commemorative system comprised of the MC2152 70th Anniversary Vacuum Tube Amplifier and C70 70th Anniversary Vacuum Tube Preamplifier. Only 70 of these systems will be sold to coincide with the company's 70 anniversary in 2019. For those who don't demand special markings and matching serial numbers, they'll be able to purchase these together or individually once the initial 70 are sold out. In addition to these new products, M... - Why Can't Music Artists Do This?5 December 2018, 2:43 pm
Yesterday one of the biggest actors of our time Tom Cruise and producer/director Chris Mcquarrie posted a video on Tom's Twitter feed that amazed me. Given all the crazy tweets we usually see, it takes something quite "special" to amaze me. In the embedded tweet below Tom and Chris spend 1 and a half minutes talking about how to disable interpolation on televisions in order to see movies how the filmmakers intended. This removed the soap opera effect. Wow! This is incredibly c... - New Storage Options From QNAP and Samsung3 December 2018, 6:36 pm
If you believe the pundits, nobody uses or needs local storage anymore because everyone streams everything. Don't believe them? Good, because they either have no clue or they are lying to grab the headlines. I stream music every day, but can't live without my most valuable albums (unavailable for streaming anywhere) stored on my local NAS. Enough commentary for today, here are two cool new products from QNAP and Samsung that many audiophiles can use. ...
- Furnace Record Pressing Fires Up!9 December 2018, 5:37 pm
Last year when AnalogPlanet visited Furnace Record Pressing in Alexandria Virginia last year it was an enormous, mostly empty building. The vinyl pressing plant infrastructure installation had just begun. ... - Analog Corner #1038 December 2018, 12:38 pm
"What's this? The new Thorens turntable? It doesn't look like a Thorens turntable." That's what I thought as I unboxed the new Thorens 850—part of the new 800 line from the rejuvenated company. Sure, I'd seen mockups at trade shows, but until I get the finished product in my hands, I really don't pay careful attention.... - "John Wesley Harding" 3-Way Reveal!6 December 2018, 7:05 pm
AnalogPlanet recently posted 3 96/24 "John Wesley Harding" files recorded from original, Sony Legacy and Mobile Fidelity mono records and asked readers to weigh in on what they heard and which they preferred (if any).... - AnalogPlanet Editor Receives Prestigious LA&OCAS Founder's Award6 December 2018, 2:06 am
At the L.A. and Orange County Audiophile Society's annual GALA last Sunday, AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer was given the society's prestigious Founder's Award. It was also the Society's 25th anniversary so many of the past Founders award winners were on hand including Tim DeParavicini, EveAnna Manley and Richard Vandersteen, among others along with more than 200 of the society's 2600 members.... - Nabisco's New Oreo Turntable Sounds Sweet! Or Tastes Sweet....4 December 2018, 8:58 pm
Nabisco recently announced a turntable that plays Oreo cookies. Pop any Oreo cookie onto the platter and it will play a tune. Take a bit out of it and it plays a different tune. Apparently it's been on the market for a few weeks and the company is sold out for now. It sells for $19.99. Sweet deal hopefully back in stock for Christmas. ...
- Unstoppable: JBL’s mighty 4429 and S3900 speakers - CNET8 December 2018, 11:09 pm
JBL's 4429 and S3900 challenge the norms of what we expect from high-end speakers.... - Headphones, speakers and converters: Audiophiliac’s 2018 holiday gift guide - CNET8 December 2018, 10:37 pm
This year’s holiday gift guide runs the gamut from speakers, headphones, digital converters, books and music.... - Klipsch Reference Premiere 600M, the Audiophiliac Speaker of the Year - CNET1 December 2018, 6:17 pm
The Reference Premiere 600M is full of surprises, at every turn it’ll make you reconsider what a mid-size bookshelf speaker can do.... - Lee's audacious high-end audio system blows the doors off - CNET1 December 2018, 5:17 pm
In this edition of Show Us Yours, we get a look at a crazy audio setup from a sound-obsessed audiophile who makes his own high-resolution recordings.... - Why do LPs sound so good? - CNET29 November 2018, 11:58 pm
The LP boom shows no signs of slowing, and no one really knows why....
- CAF 2018: Odyssey Audio; A punch in the face that feels great10 December 2018, 11:00 am
Part-Time Audiophile Klaus Bunge of Odyssey Audio is a one man circus of personality, high-end sound, and high-end value. Together with VPI Industries, and Symphonic Line we get a healthy dose of what might be Klaus’ highest-end speaker achievement yet. Don’t worry, the value aspect remains the same. The Story Entering the darkest room of the show, I “marco-polo” my way over to Klaus. We talk a bit and he offers to give me center seat, and fire up a few records that we&rs... - Acoustic Research AR-H1 Review | The Millennial Audiophile9 December 2018, 5:00 pm
Part-Time Audiophile Nothing holds you hostage with the music like a big set of cans. You are isolated, alone, just you and the music. The music gets inside your head in more ways than one. A lifelike sound-stage isn’t usually something I usually associated with headphones, that is until I got myself into a fancy set of Audeze LCD-X headphones. Planar drivers can hold and shape the sound-stage in unprecedented ways. When I first had a run in with Acoustic Research (website) at Rocky M... - Monthly Spins: December 20188 December 2018, 2:00 pm
Part-Time Audiophile Music The Glands: The Glands File Under: Athens Indie rock reissues Released a couple of weeks ago this self-titled album is originally from 2000 and finds a fully-formed Athens, Georgia band that should have had a wider following given the fact that they pretty much define everything that is good about indie rock. A little Modern Lovers, a little American Analog Set. The leader and singer for The Glands is one Ross Shapiro, who passed away in 2016 from lung cancer. The surv... - CAF 2018: ModWright Instruments, Fritz Speakers and Oh, It’s You Again8 December 2018, 11:00 am
Part-Time Audiophile It became a running joke after a while. I’d be walking the halls at the 2018 Capital Audiofest, I’d look up and Fritz would be standing there or walking by or coming out of a room. By Fritz, I mean John “Fritz” Heiler of Fritz Loudspeakers. I’d met him at a few times over the years, mostly at audio shows, but never in a room where his speakers were being shown. It was always in an elevator, or in someone else’s room. At CAF, we sat across ... - CAF 2018: Paradigm, Anthem and Staying the Heck Out of the Way7 December 2018, 11:00 am
Part-Time Audiophile At the 2018 Capital Audiofest, the gentleman in the Paradigm/Anthem room had it all figured out. He had the simplest of systems in his exhibit—the Anthem STR integrated amplifier ($4500) hooked up to a pair of Paradigm Persona 5F tower loudspeakers ($17,000/pair), streaming tunes via Qobuz. He could have packed it all in the smallest of cars—just move up the passenger seat for the 5F boxes, perhaps—and drove down to the Capital Audiofest without breaking a ...
- OnSight: a video view of the Linn Selekt DSM10 December 2018, 12:04 pm
Boxen Gross. Big speakers? Not for this commentator’s first visit to the Kreuzberg hi-fi store of the same name. Instead, I’m here to meet one Guido Schuetze – Brand Ambassador for Linn in Germany, Austria and Switzerland – for an extended introduction to the Scottish company’s first foray into a more […] More-------------------------------------------------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-purposed without permissio... - Letters to the editor: Putting on weight (& height)10 December 2018, 9:35 am
Response to a recent editorial and poll on hi-res audio and a show and tell on doorstops. Jim C: Hey John, I read your doorstop article, and on a total whim I ordered these: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MFEC211/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I put one on my Schiit Gungnir Multibit DAC and one on my First Watt […] More-------------------------------------------------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-purposed without permissio... - Burson announces opamp-rollable DAC, headphone amplifier7 December 2018, 10:20 am
Swing and Playmate. Channelling the ghost of Hugh Hefner, Melbourne’s Burson Audio’s have announced two new models: the respectively-named digital pre-amplifier (US$399) and 2-watt headphone amplifier w/DAC (US$399). The Swing sports a line-level output to run as a DAC and variable gain RCA outputs for pre-amplifier duties. Inside, a sextet of […] More-------------------------------------------------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-p... - I’m chairman of the board!6 December 2018, 1:42 pm
“I’m bored. I’m the chairman of the board. I’m a Lincoln monologue, I’m livin’ like a God, I’m bored.” — Iggy Pop Hi-fi racks – we audiophiles use them to organise our components, to more attractively display them and, sometimes, to minimise the negative influence of vibrations, which not applied […] More-------------------------------------------------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-purpos... - Doorstop me if you think you’ve heard this one before…5 December 2018, 12:40 pm
“Stop me, oh, stop me Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before Stop me, oh, stop me Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before Nothing’s changed I still love you, oh, I still love you …Only Slightly, only slightly less Than I […] More-------------------------------------------------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-purposed without permission. For private use only. Copyright 2010-2018 · ...
- Brahms: The Four Symphonies—DG Limited Edition 180g vinyl reissue4 December 2018, 6:39 pm
I usually write music reviews, especially classical, with my classically-trained hat on, commenting on performance, interpretation, comparables, etc. My audiophile nature kicks in at times and posts commentary in each review, for sure, but the main event is always the music. For this review, it’ll be primarily about the sound. What is the lover of classical music, Brahms, von Karajan, the Berliner Philharmoniker, and especially of reissue vinyl, getting from yet another version of ... - Our Favourite Christmas Albums3 December 2018, 7:04 pm
From all of us at Audiophilia, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Here are a few of our favourite Christmas albums, some you’ll know, some maybe new to you. All are spectacular, both in execution and musicianship. All recordings are on CD, with most on the streaming networks. Get them all in a queue for Christmas morning. Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018. And a very special thank you to all for your support in 2017.... - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20/Sonatas K281 & 382—Seong-Jin Cho, piano/DG28 November 2018, 7:39 pm
Seong-Jin Cho is the young Korean phenom who won the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, joining such winning luminaries as Martha Argerich, Maurizio Pollini and Krystian Zimerman. A healthy ratio of winners of this particular competition go on to renown and legendary status. Even though the 2015 competition was filled with very gifted pianists, Cho was the jury and audience favourite. He’s a very refined musician with a wonderful aesthetic and great technique. A wo... - Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker—DG/Dudamel conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic27 November 2018, 6:42 pm
Recordings of The Nutcracker usually come thick and fast around the holidays. Orchestras and ballet companies have made fortunes performing the perennially wonderful music and telling the story. If only Tchaikovsky knew? And, what about Disney? I usually bin the idea of listening to the ‘Suite’, be it Nutcracker or Firebird—both Russian fairy tales sound much better in their original, ‘full’ guise. As for ‘Suites’, composers and publishers like to ... - Audiophilia's Recordings of the Year 201822 November 2018, 6:31 pm
As chosen by Audiophilia's Publisher, Anthony Kershaw. Images link to Audiophilia review for your information. Available at most online sites. Reviews have to be published in Audiophilia during 2017 and the recording released internationally in 2017. Media and label noted under the image....
- Audioengine A5+ Wireless Speakers9 December 2018, 3:24 pm
Patrick Dillon enjoys a change of pace with the Audioengine A5+ wireless speakers, trying them out both with bluetooth and wired via computer and external DAC. His conclusion? "I could envisage a pair of these serving as an almost one-stop audiophile rig, paired with whatever digital device you have. Throw in some stands and you could be rockin’ the joint and having personal late night sounds for comparative chump change in the audiophile universe."... - RME ADI-2 Pro : a Technical Overview29 July 2018, 4:00 pm
"I recently found myself intrigued by an interface from the pro-sound world, the RME ADI-2 Pro," writes John Reekie. This line-level convertor and audio interface is billed as RME's "reference" A/D and D/A convertor, but also has a solid complement of onboard processing, two powerful headphone amps, and technical performance good enough for use as a measurement front end.... - Droidisk – Playing music28 July 2018, 1:01 pm
John Reekie wraps up his articles on inexpensive SBC-based music servers, with instructions on how to install music-related services on the ODroid HC1. This time, he's also using an Android tablet as the renderer.... - Music In The Mountains20 February 2018, 7:49 am
"In year’s past, the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) has been hampered by an aging, rather stale venue, and backward looking management. This year, things were looking up with the hosting hotel being newly refreshed and the exhibitors better able to cope with the remodeled rooms." Oliver Masciarotte provides his retrospective of the 2017 show.... - Droidisk – An inexpensive compact music server11 February 2018, 12:49 pm
John Reekie revisits his Raspberry Pi based music server with a new offering: the ODroid HC1 ("home compute server"). "The HC1 has the distinguishing feature of a SATA port, so that it connects to a hard drive without going through USB. It also has a Gigabit Ethernet port and a much faster processor than the Pi." Get ready to sharpen your command line skills!...
- VIZIO PQ65-F1 65” Ultra HD Television Review10 December 2018, 2:00 pm
Today, I’ll be checking out VIZIO’s 65” P-series Quantum display. The PQ-65F1 offers a 2000-nit backlight and full coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut... The post VIZIO PQ65-F1 65” Ultra HD Television Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.... - Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII Speaker Review4 December 2018, 2:00 pm
The Sonus faber Sonetto VIII floorstanding speakers not only look like a million bucks but sound that way too. And the Sonus faber Sonetto VIII speakers aren’t even Sonus faber’s top of the line! Everyone who walked into my living room during this review had the exact same reaction to them - “Oooooooh! – What are THOSE?” Although they are quite large, they have the highest visual acceptance factor of any speakers I’ve yet reviewed, and they sound every bit as ... - Fluance Signature Series HiFi Two-Way Bookshelf Surround Sound Speakers Review28 November 2018, 2:00 pm
Fluance’s Signature Series Bookshelf Speaker aims to take a sizeable chunk out of the budget speaker market with it’s latest offering. Does it live up to all of Fluance’s lofty claims? The post Fluance Signature Series HiFi Two-Way Bookshelf Surround Sound Speakers Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.... - ELAC Debut 2.0 Home Theater Speaker System Review26 November 2018, 2:00 pm
How do you make a good thing better? When it comes to audio, ELAC answers this age-old question by bringing to us their recently updated Debut line of loudspeakers, now known as the Debut 2.0. What was already a widely praised entry-level series of speakers has now been thoroughly re-engineered and expanded. The goal being better overall sound, and flexibility, in a variety of installations while still providing an excellent value to the consumer. The post ELAC Debut 2.0 Home Theater Speaker Sy... - MartinLogan Outdoor Living Series Review19 November 2018, 2:00 pm
MartinLogan is really stepping up their outdoor audio game with a new lineup of outdoor speakers they are calling the Outdoor Living Series. The post MartinLogan Outdoor Living Series Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com....
- Darwin Cable Company Truth II Interconnect and Power Cables22 March 2017, 8:45 pm
There is one thing that all high end audio components require to function as a system, and that is signal and power cables. No getting around it. Of course, there is no market segment more controversial than audiophile cabling. This is partially due to questionable scientific claims and pricing that would make even true believers raise an eyebrow. The great Read more...... - Audioengine HD3 Powered Speakers & DAC Review7 February 2017, 4:02 am
Multi-function powered speakers are all the rage in 2017, and no other company has been more at the forefront than Audioengine. They have been making affordable, great sounding, and versatile powered monitors since 2005, along with DACs, headphone amps, and accessories. There are a number of things I find refreshing about Audioengine. First, their pricing makes Read more...... - Burson Cable+ Active RCA Cable Review24 January 2017, 5:10 pm
A lot of excellent HiFi products are designed and produced in Australia, and none more than Burson Audio belong in the upper tier of offerings from Down Under. Not only do Burson’s products sound excellent, but they also do not make cookie cutter gear, and inject original thinking into the process. I reviewed and loved Burson’s superb Read more...... - Bryston BCD-3 CD Player Review10 January 2017, 9:17 pm
Canadian heavy hitters Bryston surprised everyone a few years ago with their introduction of a speaker line, which now, after wide acceptance and a slew of positive reviews, are considered class leaders in many circles. In fact, the Mini T three-way monitor is my current reference. Possibly more surprising is Bryston’s introduction of the BCD-3 CD Player, with Read more...... - Okki Nokki RCM-II Record Cleaning Machine5 December 2016, 6:37 pm
At the beginning of the year, a good friend called me over to his garage and surprised me with a gift of around 500 vintage vinyl records he had little patience to deal with. I gladly took them off his hands. When I got home and started sifting through the albums, I realized there were hundreds of original pressings of Read more......
- VPI HW-40 ANNIVERSARY EDITION10 December 2018, 2:13 pm
The HW-40 anniversary edition turntable has been lovingly engineered in New Jersey by the US masters of vinyl replay, VPI. Inspired by their rich history, the HW-40 pays tribute to forty years of audio development and engineering excellence. Forty years ago, VPI’s founder, Harry Weisfeld, started creating accessory components for his audiophile hobby. With a background in electrical engineering, he was always fascinated with direct drive turntables and how he could make accessories to impr... - WIN! An AURALiC ARIES G1 streamer worth £1,899!6 December 2018, 8:02 am
We have teamed up with the clever guys from AURALiC to bring an exciting competition to win an ARIES G1 streaming transport worth £1,899. Our most recent AURALiC review was on the VEGA G2 streaming DAC with LEO GX clock in issue 164. HiFi+ stalwart Jason Kennedy wrote, “Used alone as a streamer and a DAC the VEGA G2 is a very nice piece of kit that is extremely revealing of the incoming source thanks in part to the way that the Sabre DAC chip has been engineered to work without PLL (... - WIN! A pair of Neat Acoustics Momentum SX3i loudspeakers worth £2,6356 December 2018, 7:52 am
We have teamed up with our friends from Neat Acoustics to bring you an exciting competition with a chance to win a pair of Momentum SX3i loudspeakers worth £2,635. In our most recent Neat Acoustics review in Issue 165, HiFi+ editor Alan Sircom wrote of the Ultimatum XL6 loudspeaker, “Neat Acoustic’s Ultimatum range is a threestrong expression of Bob Surgeoner’s distinctive take on loudspeaker design. It comprises a stand-mount Ultimatum XLS, the flagship XL10 tower, and t... - THE GOLD NOTE IS-1000 IS GROWING!4 December 2018, 2:11 pm
FLORENCE, Italy: Gold Note - the Italian High-End Audio manufacturer based in Florence – is introducing a new powerful firmwarefor its Super integrated amplifier IS-1000 which allows higher audio performance and greater user experience. Gold Note’s IS-1000 super integrated amplifier is a complete High-End stereo system enclosed in a beautiful aluminum chassis carved in bold Italian style. A radical new audio amplifier concept, the first real All-In-One product designed to offer incom... - Cleer NEXT headphone4 December 2018, 12:49 pm
Cleer is an ambitious manufacturer of personal audio products that makes a point of keeping a finger on the pulse of contemporary mass-market trends. In practice, this means the firm presently offers two in-ear headphones (complete with various combinations of noise cancelling, wireless, and heart-rate monitoring features) and six full-size headphones (offering various combinations of wireless, noise cancelling, and DJ-orientated features). Cleer also has a new portable Bluetooth speaker called ...
- Twittering Machines 2018 Product of the Year6 December 2018, 8:21 pm
Bucking trends in and of itself can produce nonsensical results. On the other hand, there are times when it’s the perfect time to buck. With that being said, I am very pleased to announce the Twittering Machines 2018 Product of the Year: I’ve owned a lot of amplifiers. My amplifier ownership list includes the Nelson […]... - News: Qobuz Prepares for US Launch, Announces Pricing Plan28 November 2018, 7:27 pm
While there’s no set date for the US Qobuz launch, it “will be announced soon”. Soon is good! We do however, have the Pricing Plan! Hot off today’s Press Release: Sublime+: $299.99/year for full Hi-Res streaming and substantial (40-60%) discounts on purchases from the Qobuz Hi-Res (up to 24-bit / 192 khz) download store. Studio: […]... - Review: Micromega M-150 All-In-One Integrated Amplifier27 November 2018, 12:00 pm
My great-grandmother on my father’s mother’s side loved Chiclets, especially the red ones. She didn’t speak much English, dressed only in black after her husband passed, and perpetually rolled rosaries between her thumb and fingers, the speed of the passing beads based on what was on her mind or on the TV. A woman in […]... - In Barn: Vinnie Rossi L2 Signature Preamplifier & L2 Signature Monoblocks15 November 2018, 4:43 pm
Vinnie Rossi L2 Signature Preamplifier (starts at $14,995), L2 Signature Monoblocks ($14,995). The review unit L2 Signature Preamplier includes the optional DAC (+$3,495) and Phonostage (+$3,495). L2 Signature Preamplifier Specifications Frequency Response (with stock EH300B tubes): 2Hz – 500kHz (+/- 0.5dB) 0.5Hz – 950kHz (+/- 3dB) Output Impedance (SE and BAL): < 100 ohms Input […]... - Review: HoloAudio Azure Headphone Amplifier13 November 2018, 3:42 pm
What kind of idea are you? The Analyst? Are you the detail hound looking to plumb the depths of your favorite recordings? Or maybe the Sensualist? You’re looking for a dynamic, captivating and more physical listening experience? While no one is any one thing and we all likely look for a balance of talents, I […]...
- Xavian Perla Esclusiva Loudspeakers11 November 2018, 10:00 pm
Xavian, a loudspeaker manufacturer in Prague, Czech Republic, contacted 10 Audio in June of this year inquiring about a review of their very new Perla Esclusiva two-way speaker. The Perla, the smallest model in the Natura product line, had recently been upgraded to the new Perla Esclusiva version. So here we are today, taking the first look – and listen – to a speaker from a company that should be on everyone’s radar. The name of the company comes from the Greek mythology. &ldq... - Balanced Audio Technology VK-43SE Preamplifier16 October 2018, 2:46 pm
Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) is a decades old company specializing in, you guessed it, balanced audio components. They have produced a long line of vacuum tube and solid-state preamplifiers and amplifiers, phono preamplifiers and, more lately, digital converters. The BAT VK-300xSE integrated amplifier was reviewed here in 2004, and the VK-31SE tube preamp was reviewed here in 2005. BAT has received numerous “best of” awards over the years for their excellent sounding and innovativ... - Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2v2SE 10th Anniversary Limited Edition DAC16 September 2018, 1:45 am
State of the art precision. State of the art focus. State of the art harmony. The Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2v2SE 10th Anniversary Limited Edition digital-to-analog converter does not sound like a digital component. It much more closely performs as an excellent analog source. When you compare a good CD with this DAC in your system to the sound of your analog rig, you could very well have the same reaction that this listener experienced: a big smile! The musicality and level of enjoyment that Wyred 4 Sou... - B.M.C. MCCI Signature ULN Phono Preamplifier29 July 2018, 10:42 pm
The original B.M.C. Audio MCCI phono preamplifier earned very positive reviews when it was introduced in 2013. Carlos Candeias used his designs for the $1400 Aqvox Phono 2Ci, reviewed here on 10 Audio, and introduced a much-upgraded model as the MCCI under his own brand, B.M.C. Audio. The MCCI ($3890) was replaced with the MCCI Signature ($4298) in 2016. The model under review today is the MCCI Signature ULN ($4690) which hit the market in March, 2018. B.M.C. Audio builds large numbers of each m... - GoldenEar Triton Seven Loudspeakers24 June 2018, 9:01 pm
GoldenEar Technology was started in 2010 by Sandy Gross and Don Givogue. Mr. Gross might be familiar to audiophiles from his association with Polk and Definitive Technology, both of which he co-founded. Mr. Givogue also co-founded Definitive Technology and holds a patent for multi-driver bi-polar speaker arrays. The GoldenEar Triton Seven was born not from some tinkerer’s basement, but from people with extensive knowledge and experience in speaker design, manufacturing and marketing. There...
- Hi-fi Holiday Gift Guide 2018 Edition (Part 2)29 November 2018, 12:42 am
Noam’s Picks for the Season What follows is an eclectic mix of mostly unrelated stuff that either interests me, and/or that I think would interest WoS readers. Most of my suggestions this year fall well below the $200 mark. So break out your wallet, and make some audiophile loved one happy this holiday season. (I’m just kidding, audiophiles are never happy) Vincent Bélanger – Audio Note Music CD’s and LP’s. $20 – $60 CAD. By now the gifted cellis... - Hi-Fi Holiday Gift Guide 2018 Edition (Part 1)19 November 2018, 5:47 pm
Holiday Gift Guide, 2018 – Hi-Fi Stocking Stuffers and Gifts, Part 1: Steve’s Picks By Steve Graham Beteran KZ ATE Dynamic Balanced Armature IEM. $23 CDN Hey Miss K, put those cheap and cheerful IEM’s in the box. I already gave you a pair. Santa Steve knows who’s been naughty. These are super-fun earphones and so much better than anything that comes standard with most portable electronics. I’ve already given seven pairs to friends and family... - DIY Tube Phono Project Part 5: Circuit Board – Chassis Integration16 November 2018, 2:49 am
DIY All-Tube Phono Preamp Project Part 5, Circuit Board–Chassis Integration The Finish Line By Steve Graham This is it. We wrap it all up here. I hope I’ve enticed a few people to give this project a try. Yes, there have been many long attachments detailing the build procedure, but it’s the pictures that take up a lot of space. If you tackle this project, just take it step by step. Scrolling down to the attachment links below will get you to the finish line. Commonly available ... - There’s Something Special in The Beatles (White Album) 50th Anniversary Reissues12 November 2018, 11:26 pm
As the albums in The Beatles’ catalog reach their 50th anniversaries, we’re seeing some interesting ‘deluxe edition’ reissue packages rolling out from the vaults of EMI’s Abbey Road Studio. The latest is The Beatles (‘White Album’), which came out around this time in 1968. This double LP came barely a year after Sgt.Pepper, and the work on it started right on the heels of the lads’ trip to India to study meditation with their guru, the Maharishi Ma... - Review: Finale Audio F-7591 Power Amplifier11 November 2018, 2:52 am
Review: Finale Audio’s F-7591 Power Amplifier by Steve Graham I didn’t get to spend as much time with this amplifier as I’d have liked to. I simultaneously had in-house the Spendor D7’s, the Shindo Aurièges and the Finale F-7591 you see here. I was so entranced by the first two, that the poor Finale was somewhat neglected. I know, me of all people, neglecting a tube amp! In my defence, the kind person loaning this gear wanted a f...
- NextDrive Spectra X Review9 December 2018, 12:08 pm
8.3Score$189.99NextDriveDisclaimer: The NextDrive Spectra X sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion. We thank the team at NextDrive for giving us this opportunity. To read more about NextDrive Products Review on Headfonics click here. Earlier in the year, I reviewed the NextDrive Spectra DAC with good marks. Today, I will […] The post NextDrive Spectra X Review appeared first on Headfonics.... - MrSpeakers Ether C Flow V1.1 Upgrade Kit Review7 December 2018, 1:01 pm
$29.99MrSpeakersDisclaimer: The MrSpeakers Ether C Flow V1.1 Upgrade Kit was sent to us a sample in exchange for our honest opinion. We thank MrSpeakers for this opportunity. To learn more about MrSpeakers product reviews on Headfonics you can click here. The price of entry to flagship headphones of late is increasingly ‘taxing’ on the wallet. I […] The post MrSpeakers Ether C Flow V1.1 Upgrade Kit Review appeared first on Headfonics.... - Cayin N8 Review5 December 2018, 11:43 am
Tonality9.5Build Quality9.1Functionality9.5Software8.7Matchability9.5 9.3Score$3299CayinMusicTeckDisclaimer: The Cayin N8 was sent to on loan and will be returned to Cayin shortly after this review. We thank Cayin for this opportunity. To learn more about Cayin products on Headfonics you can click here. You can also read our initial preview feature on the N8 here. There was a joke running […] The post Cayin N8 Review appeared first on Headfonics.... - Final D8000 Review2 December 2018, 12:06 pm
Tonality9.5Build Quality9.4Comfort & Fit8.6Matchability9.4 9.2Score$3999FinalDisclaimer: The Final D8000 sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion. We thank the team at Final for giving us this opportunity. It is nice to see a new name on the planar market, in this case, Final from Japan (previously known as Final Audio). They […] The post Final D8000 Review appeared first on Headfonics.... - Brainwavz Alara – First Contact30 November 2018, 12:11 pm
$549.50BrainwavzDisclaimer: The Brainwavz Alara was sent to us a sample in exchange for our initial impressions and honest opinion. We thank Brainwavz for this opportunity. To learn more about Brainwavz product reviews on Headfonics you can click here. The Alara is currently on Pre-Order at a special discounted price of $499 – estimated date for […] The post Brainwavz Alara – First Contact appeared first on Headfonics....
- The Christmas Mix on InnerFidelity by Scott Eastlick9 December 2018, 7:37 pm
As far as religious holidays go, none have been as potently marketed as Christmas. Defined by an endless stream of catchy original songs, unabashed commercialism, and a magical mascot, Christmas often seems more like a Disney production than an especially holy endeavour. Irrespective of our individual beliefs, Christmas exists as an open-source holiday that everybody is able to celebrate in different ways and for different reasons. ... - InnerFidelity Holiday Gift Guide5 December 2018, 10:08 pm
I wandered the downtown Vancouver streets, slightly dazed as it was early, the coffee in my hand only half-finished and thus not fully waking my mind to operating temperature. It was, after all, the beginning of December and things like holiday gift shopping for our families and friends was starting to dawn more brightly every morning into the waking brains of the urban populace (who surround my small oasis of a home in the city) as the month creeps forward inexorably to it’s zenith on the... - InnerFidelity Podcast No.5 with Dan Clark of MrSpeakers2 December 2018, 5:33 pm
Dan Clark and his company MrSpeakers have risen to a position of significant standing within the high-end personal audio community. Birthed as one of their own, Dan started his headphone business modding Fostex T50RP headphones as a way to fund bespoke-driver aspirations of his own design. ... - Cambridge Audio Duo Phono Stage and Headphone Amp Preview1 December 2018, 1:36 am
Little box, big, ballsy sound. That’s the first thing you notice about the Cambridge Audio DUO Moving Coil/Moving Magnet Preamplifier with integrated Headphone Amplifier.... - Astell&Kern launch T5p 2nd Generation over-ear and Jerry Harvey-Designed Diana IEM Headphones28 November 2018, 6:21 pm
Companies releasing limited-edition headphones are seemingly starting to follow the idea of cachet that high-end sneaker manufacturers have been monopolizing for years when it comes to rarity and street cred....
- The Christmas Music Mix9 December 2018, 7:24 pm
As far as religious holidays go, none have been as potently marketed as Christmas. Defined by an endless stream of catchy original songs, unabashed commercialism, and a magical mascot, Christmas often seems more like a Disney production than an especially holy endeavour. Irrespective of our individual beliefs, Christmas exists as an open-source holiday that everybody is able to celebrate in different ways and for different reasons.... - Qobuz announces US pricing plan, will Tidal feel the heat?7 December 2018, 7:02 pm
Faith. There seems to be a sense of spiritual angst among the audiophile faithful who stream their digital audio via cloud-based music services and its cause seems to be the continuing delay of the French high-resolution music service Qobuz from entering the North American market.... - Tips for setting up an Audiophile NAS system with Aurender’s John-Paul Lizars6 December 2018, 10:22 pm
The crushing basslines and powerful vocal overdubs torturing eight-inch transducers stopped so suddenly that there wasn’t even an echo of a note left hanging in the air between my speakers. I hit play on the app interface residing on my iPad from the comfort of my sofa and it was back. The song pounding into the room as I controlled the ones and zeros and sat, scrolling through the thousands of album and song titles available to me from the touch screen cradled in my palm. Such is the expe... - The AudioStream Holiday Gift Guide4 December 2018, 8:57 pm
You look at the calendar on your iPhone and realize it’s December and a flush of panic turns your face red, which in turn is mistaken for rosy cheeks by your partner who squeals and exclaims “You’ve got the Holiday Spirit!” Unaware it’s fear that grips your heart in an icy embrace of commercialism, crowds, snow shovelling, Christmas trees, lights, ornaments and of course gifts.... - Paul McCartney to Frank Sinatra – Engineer and Producer Al Schmitt: AudioStream Podcast No.31 December 2018, 5:33 pm
Welcome to the third episode of the AudioStream Podcast and host Brian Hunter has managed to sequester an music-industry legend in producer and studio engineer Al Schmitt, whose deep connection with music spans almost the entire breadth of modern music as we know it. ...
- KEF, Parasound, Straight Wire, The Vinyl Revivers, The Audio Hunters – CAF 201810 December 2018, 8:14 pm
I’m a fan of the KEF Uni-Q driver. I own pair of KEF Q100’s that I keep on hand for The post KEF, Parasound, Straight Wire, The Vinyl Revivers, The Audio Hunters – CAF 2018 appeared first on AudioHead.... - McIntosh Announces A 70th Anniversary LE Commemorative System6 December 2018, 6:45 pm
Just in time for the holidays, McIntosh is releasing a 70th anniversary collectors edition of the MC2152 amplifier and C70 The post McIntosh Announces A 70th Anniversary LE Commemorative System appeared first on AudioHead.... - Review: Schiit Vidar4 December 2018, 2:10 pm
Schiit Audio Vidar Power Amplifier Review Schiit Audio has always toyed with the idea of separates as a natural progression The post Review: Schiit Vidar appeared first on AudioHead.... - MrSpeakers – Factory Tour30 November 2018, 3:25 am
Dan Clark of MrSpeakers is one of the hardest working guys in all of personal audio. When we first started The post MrSpeakers – Factory Tour appeared first on AudioHead.... - The Audio Company, VAC, Von Schweikert; Sounds Like A Million – CAF 201828 November 2018, 5:26 pm
All parties involved are known for bringing their A-game to every exhibit. Showing the ultra-high-end system that debuted here at The post The Audio Company, VAC, Von Schweikert; Sounds Like A Million – CAF 2018 appeared first on AudioHead....
- MrSpeakers VOCE and ETHER2 win 3 Awards each10 December 2018, 9:49 pm
The post MrSpeakers VOCE and ETHER2 win 3 Awards each appeared first on HeadPhone.guru.... - HIFIMAN Holiday Specials!6 December 2018, 2:02 am
The post HIFIMAN Holiday Specials! appeared first on HeadPhone.guru.... - Moon Audio’s TOP TEN AUDIO GIFTS CHRISTMAS 20184 December 2018, 6:12 pm
The post Moon Audio’s TOP TEN AUDIO GIFTS CHRISTMAS 2018 appeared first on HeadPhone.guru.... - HEADPHONE.GURU’S 2018 PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR AND WRITERS’ CHOICE AWARDS1 December 2018, 6:00 am
The post HEADPHONE.GURU’S 2018 PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR AND WRITERS’ CHOICE AWARDS appeared first on HeadPhone.guru.... - MrSpeakers Holiday Sale!1 December 2018, 1:40 am
The post MrSpeakers Holiday Sale! appeared first on HeadPhone.guru....
- A Survey – The Thing About Mechanical Vibration Isolation…10 December 2018, 9:08 pm
Many audiophiles throw their equipment and speakers on expensive racks, Swedish butcher blocks, and spikes assuming “it’s better than nothing.” But is it? You’ve probably seen this demo from IsoAcoustics: Having purchased the IsoAcoustics Aperta myself, I could vouch for its performance. Without the Aperta, the sound was muddied and flat. I also purchased one […] The post A Survey – The Thing About Mechanical Vibration Isolation… appeared first o... - McIntosh to Celebrate Its 70th Anniversary with a Special Limited Edition Commemorative System6 December 2018, 3:00 pm
Only 70 Commemorative Systems to be available with each to benefit Save the Children; just one coming to the UK! December 6th, 2018, Binghamton, NY – McIntosh, the global leader in prestigious home entertainment and ultimate-quality audio since its founding by Frank McIntosh – a.k.a. “Mr. Mac” – in 1949, will be celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2019. To […] The post McIntosh to Celebrate Its 70th Anniversary with a Special Limited ... - Unboxing the Chord Electronics Hugo M Scaler5 December 2018, 1:00 pm
Unboxing a Million Taps The post Unboxing the Chord Electronics Hugo M Scaler appeared first on Audio Bacon.... - In the Frying Pan: Iconoclast by Belden from Blue Jeans Cable4 December 2018, 12:03 am
If you’ve been following the Iconoclast by Belden thread on PS Audio, you’ll know there are a bunch of folks super excited about these interconnects and leads. Audio Bacon has secured a set of their cables. In the frying pan are two sets of the Gen 2 UPOCC XLR cables, a set of the Gen […] The post In the Frying Pan: Iconoclast by Belden from Blue Jeans Cable appeared first on Audio Bacon.... - KEF LSX vs. KEF LS50 Wireless Speakers – Hear the Difference1 December 2018, 2:49 am
While I was in Singapore, I bumped into KEF’s David Chan at The Adelphi – the mall to visit for all things HiFi. I was planning to do a comparison between the KEF LS50 Wireless and the new LSX in the upcoming weeks. Fortunately, David was able to help me out with a direct comparison right in the […] The post KEF LSX vs. KEF LS50 Wireless Speakers – Hear the Difference appeared first on Audio Bacon....
- McIntosh helps Save The Children with 70th anniversary special9 December 2018, 12:59 pm
NEWS: A McIntosh special has been made available for the hardcore fan/collector to commemorate the company's 70th anniversary in 2019... and there's a charitable angle, too.... - Magico expands M-Series with M2 floorstander7 December 2018, 11:21 pm
NEWS: Magico introduces another heavyweight in its M-Series line - the M2, which will be available in the first quarter of 2019.... - Audia Flight FLS10 integrated amp – elegant and well-poised3 December 2018, 2:56 am
REVIEW: It took a while, but when the Audia Flight FLS10 finally opened up, our reviewer was taken on the sort of magical and musical journey he wasn't expecting at first...... - Ayre Acoustics EX-8 ‘hub’ amp grows with your needs28 November 2018, 1:46 am
NEWS: If you're looking for an integrated amp that allows for expansion, the modular Ayre EX-8 is a good candidate for the role.... - On the quiet with Sony’s WI-C600N neckband wireless ‘phones27 November 2018, 2:30 am
NEWS: Few can do noise cancellation better than Sony, and the upcoming WI-C600N should attract those who want their 'phones light and quiet......
- Reloop HiFi Turn 5 Direct Drive Turntable Review13 November 2018, 10:27 am
The Reloop HiFi Turn 5 is a well built, well specified and keenly priced alternative to the norm. The post Reloop HiFi Turn 5 Direct Drive Turntable Review appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - Vinyl Styl Audio Cassette Head Cleaner And Demagnetiser24 October 2018, 1:37 pm
Cassettes may be making a comeback, but as yet the machines to play them aren’t. As such it is necessary to keep old machines in good health with regular maintenance and TLC. The Vinyl Styl cleaning and demagnetising tape does just that. The post Vinyl Styl Audio Cassette Head Cleaner And Demagnetiser appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - Edifier S350DB Review13 September 2018, 1:40 pm
If you’re after plenty of inputs, smart aesthetics and convenience features with better sonics than the average one box solution, these are worth a look. For no compromise audio performance, look elsewhere. The post Edifier S350DB Review appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - Clear Groove Vinyl Record Cleaner28 August 2018, 2:08 pm
Herein we feature the products of Clear Groove, a family run business specialising in the design and supply of products for vinyl and CD care and cleaning The post Clear Groove Vinyl Record Cleaner appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - SweetVinyl SugarCube SC-1 Vinyl Click & Pop Remover Review21 August 2018, 1:26 pm
The SugarCube enhances the listening experience with vinyl old and new, and for that it earns a thoroughly deserved recommendation. The post SweetVinyl SugarCube SC-1 Vinyl Click & Pop Remover Review appeared first on Audio Appraisal....
- Audiophile Review!Benchmark HPA4Headphone Amplifier/Line-Stage Preamplifier:"Precision Volume, Pure Transparency"31 July 2018, 5:28 pm
... - Audiophile Review!Essence HDACC II 4KHeadphone Amp/DAC/Preamp“Low Cost, Versatile HDACCGets Major Performance Boost”27 June 2018, 8:00 pm
... - Home Recording Studio Review!PreSonus Studio 192 Command Center24-Bit Audio Recording Interface17 May 2018, 5:16 pm
... - Digital Converter Review!Benchmark DAC3-DX Dual-Buss Output DAC:More Output Options,Incredible S/N Performance!23 January 2018, 6:54 pm
... - EAN Bench Test!Doing The Numbers OnThe Benchmark DAC3-DX DAC18 January 2018, 12:42 am
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- REVIEW: ANTHEM STR INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER5 December 2018, 12:23 am
Does Anthem's new STR Integrated Amplifier perform at a higher level that justifies the higher asking price than its previous integrated amplifiers on offer? Well, let’s find out.... - REVIEW: BLUESOUND NODE 2I WIRELESS HI-RES MUSIC STREAMER30 November 2018, 2:23 am
The latest update to Bluesound's Node Wireless High-Resolution Multi-Room Streamer comes in the form on "2i", and after the previous generation performed so admirably, we were keen to take a look at the latest revision.... - REVIEW: SERHAN+SWIFT BRIGADIER MU.2 STAND-MOUNT SPEAKERS29 November 2018, 5:04 am
Collectively known as Serhan+Swift, their Brigadier range of loudspeakers are now making waves around the globe having featured at Hi-Fi shows in both United Kingdom and United States in just the last few months. Let's take a closer look at the Mu.2... - REVIEW: LUXMAN L-505UXII INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER26 November 2018, 12:53 am
Luxman's L505uXII is the Mark II version of the L-505uX Integrated Amplifier first released in 2011. Having owned a Luxman turntable in my youth, I was keen to see where the company was at in 2018. We take a closer look at this latest offering from Luxman... - REVIEW: BOWERS & WILKINS 603 FLOOR STANDING LOUDSPEAKERS20 November 2018, 10:27 am
The largest speaker in Bowers & Wilkins' latest version of its 600 Series range, we take a closer look at the 603 Floor Standing Loudspeakers....
- I remember the day I heard a system that literally changed my life10 December 2018, 10:44 am
... - Cynthia talks about headphones and Wife Acceptance Factor9 December 2018, 10:41 am
... - Dan D’Agostino doesn’t care as much about measurements as he used to8 December 2018, 12:28 pm
... - What makes recorded music sound real to you?7 December 2018, 11:30 am
... - Can you imagine how a platterless turntable could work?6 December 2018, 10:49 am
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- 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 […]...