- Munich!16 July 2019, 6:01 pm
By the time you read this, Munich's High End 2019 will be a distant memory. Yet as I write this, having just returned from Munich, the experience is fresh in my mind. It's the most compelling audio topic I can think of, crying out for commentary. Munich is to audiophiles—to this one at least—what New York's 5th Avenue is to Black Friday shoppers. It's the audiophile version of flying through a canyon with a wing suit on. It's a giant rush, audio cocaine.Tue, 07/16/2019...
- Klipsch Forte III loudspeaker16 July 2019, 5:52 pm
In recent years not one but three different pairs of horn-loaded loudspeakers. My jaw dropped when I reviewed what would prove the finest loudspeaker to ever grace my home, the Volti Audio Rival. Second came a pricey but pleasing pair from handlebar-mustache king Gordon Burwell, the Burwell & Sons Homage. Then, at the urging of occasional Stereophile contributor Steve Guttenberg, I took on the fat-boy Klipsch Heresy III. As the Beatles used to say, I was dead-chuffed. Tue, 07/16/2019... - Keith Jarrett’s Live Well-Tempered Clavier Resurrected12 July 2019, 11:51 pm
Thirty-two years after it was recorded, pianist Keith Jarrett’s live reading of J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, has seen the light of day.Fri, 07/12/2019... - Thorens TD-150AB turntable and tonearm11 July 2019, 3:25 pm
This is an integrated arm-and-turntable unit using single-belt drive from a stepped motor pulley to an inside platter (under the main one), and having a three-point suspension similar to that in the AR turntable for isolation from acoustic feedback and floorborne vibrations. Speed change is accomplished by a two-pronged "fork" which, actuated by the speed selector knob, throws the belt from one step of the motor pulley to the other. The motor is a special synchronous type that is actually two mo... - Exposure XV integrated amplifier11 July 2019, 3:19 pm
American audiophiles have long had a love-hate relationship with British integrated amplifiers. On one hand, they often provide superb musicality, sell for a moderate price, and don't take up much room. On the other, these British alternatives to Adcom or B&K separates often have low power output, nonstandard connectors, idiosyncratic appearance (footnote 1), and dictate the kind of speaker cable and interconnects you can use. Mon, 02/01/1993...
- Harry Potter: The John Williams Soundtrack Collection16 July 2019, 6:49 pm
John Williams composed the music for the first three Harry Potter films (The Sorcerer’s Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, and The Prisoner of Azkaban), and now the complete scores have been released for the first time by La-La Land in Harry Potter: The John Williams Soundtrack Collection, a deluxe seven-CD box set containing nearly eight hours of original music. The scores are so good that they established the musical identity and overall style of the whole series, including the scores that W... - Alibaba Group's Xiami Music is the First Music Streaming Service in China to Add MQA Studio Quality Audio16 July 2019, 4:27 pm
LONDON/HANGZHOU | JULY 16th, 2019 - Xiami Music, a wholly-owned entity of the Alibaba Group, will be the first music streaming service in China to adopt MQA. With the implementation of MQA, Xiami Music will become the audio quality leader in China, sending a clear signal to artists and creators that Xiami’s service is the best way to connect with their fans. MQA, the pioneering technology delivering authenticated master-quality music in a file small enough to stream, will be introduced int... - Earsonics EM10 Custom-Fit In-Ear Monitor12 July 2019, 12:27 pm
EarsSonics’ EM10 is the French firm’s flagship custom-fit in-ear monitor. Unlike the EM9, the EM10 is offered only as a CIEM, but not as a universal-fit earphone. The EM10 and EM9 share many similarities but also two major differences. First, as a CIEM, the EM10 offers greater potential for a perfect fit, though owners-to-be will have to arrange to have custom ear-mold impressions taken in order to get that fit. Second, the ten-driver EM10 has a slightly different driver array than t... - Audio Research Corporation Reference 160M Monoblock Amplifier12 July 2019, 5:02 am
Since I first heard William Zane Johnson’s D76 stereo amplifier and SP3 full-function preamp back in the early 1970s, I’ve been a fan of Audio Research electronics. Indeed, I’ve owned and reviewed more gear from ARC than from any other marque. So, you may well ask, why haven’t I written about anything new from my all-time-favorite firm in the past several years? Well…I have my reasons. (And the folks at ARC doubtlessly have theirs.) Speaking for myself, my first co... - Rob Reich: Swings Left11 July 2019, 12:14 pm
Jazz as dance music? There was a time when that wasn’t even a question. Has the time come again for upbeat, swinging, danceable jazz? Rob Reich answers that question in the affirmative on this album of 14 original compositions evoking the late 1930s, when Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and others made dance-floor music. Reich, an accordion virtuoso who has worked with Tin Hat, Gaucho, and Circus Bella, put together a sextet that is comfortable both playing and messing with Swing Era vocabular...
- World Premiere Review! Merrill Audio PURE Tape Head Preamp16 July 2019, 11:57 am
Have you ever noticed how people's pets tend to look like them and reflect their personalities? Well, I have noticed a similar congruency between audio components and their designers – for good or bad (no names mentioned here are the astringent amps/designers I have come across in my years as an audiophile). Fortunately, the subject of this review, the Merrill Audio PURE Tape Head Preamp (the "Merrill Preamp" or "Pure") for reel-to-reel decks and its creator Merrill Wettasinghe are on the ... - New York Audio Show November 8th To 10th16 July 2019, 11:15 am
Held at the Park Lane Hotel in Manhattan from November 8th through 10th, the New York Audio Show 2019 features the latest in high-end audio technology. This ranges from loudspeakers created to perfection, headphones with excellent fit and sound for you, to Hi-Res Audio digital sound for your home or on the go. Also featured were many state-of-the-art turntables for your beloved vinyl LP collection. Attendees could easily compare hundreds of luxury audio products in one location – with the ... - Capital Audiofest 2019 DIY And High-End Audio Event15 July 2019, 11:41 am
Capital Audiofest (CAF), launched in 2010 as a very casual DIY show, has evolved into a well-organized and well-attended event. CAF is recognized as a fun, friendly and family-oriented show where you often see parents with children strolling from room to room listening to music, auditioning gear, and browsing the multiple bins of vinyl records, CDs and accessories. During the evenings they feature live music within the bar and special live performers in the Theater.---> Read More ... - REVIEW: Lindemann Audio Limetree Network DAP / Headamp12 July 2019, 1:37 pm
Lindemann's Limetree Network excels when faced with a recording that is extremely complex such as that of a symphony. For example, the 1954 Mercury recording of the Minneapolis Symphony's performance of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" remains the benchmark performance of this stirring classic some sixty five years later. The Limetree handles the complexity of this recording with total aplomb. It never gets congested as the music swells to its climax. It is almost as if the network is saying bring ... - CONTEST: Win The Cable Company Audience forte f3 powerChord Valued At $249!12 July 2019, 11:32 am
EnjoyTheMusic.com is honored to join with The Cable Company for our July 2019 contest. Audience's forte f3 powerChord is an entry-level priced high performance powerChord at $249 for 6-foot length. Over 20 years of Audience high performance powerChord DNA technology is embedded in the forte f3. The forte f3 powerChord is a high current 10 AWG design made with high purity stranded copper wire, as this keeps flexibility and user friendliness. It's geometry is a proprietary design that rejects nois...
- REVIEW: Denafrips ARES | digital-to-analogue converter | RED Fingerprint | SINGAPORE30 June 2019, 10:00 pm
⌈ Founded in 2012, the Singapore-based company DENAFRIPS is known primarily for their digital-to-analogue converters, featuring discrete D/A converters. It is a solution difficult to implement, but yielding great results. They are implemented even in the cheapest devices of this company, also in the ARES model we tested. ⌋ igital-to-analog converter (D/A converter, DAC) is a name referring to two different items. One of the meanings refers to a circuit, most often integrated, whi... - INTERVIEW: MARCIN HAMERLA & PAWEŁ GORGOŃ ⁜ HEM (Mytek) | POLAND30 June 2019, 10:00 pm
⌈ MYTEK DIGITAL is a firm that was set up in 1992, but I get the impression that we do not know most facts about it and we still underestimate its contribution to the success of the Polish HEM company. I hope that the interview below will change that, at least to some extent. The meeting took place on March 26th 2019 in Krakow. ⌋ YTEK DIGITAL is the brainchild of MICHAŁ JUREWICZ, a Polish engineer who used to work as a technician in New York recording studios. His devices ar... - COVERAGE | SHOW: HIGH END 2019 ⁜ Munich | GERMANY30 June 2019, 10:00 pm
⌈ The HIGH END SHOW's roots go back to the snowy end of 1981, when in Alzenau, in Spessart-Germany, thirteen small companies met to set up a road map discuss the way to best promote the audio industry. The impulse came from a journalist, Mr KLAUS RENNER. The first event took place on two floors of the Interconti hotel in Düsseldorf (today it is called Scandic Crown), it was attended by twenty exhibitors. A year later it was moved to Frankfurt, to the Kempinski hotel. Due to the unusua... - REVIEW: Trilogy Audio 915R + 995R | preamplifier + power amplifier | ENGLAND30 June 2019, 10:00 pm
WORLD PREMIERE ⌈ TRILOGY AUDIO is a British company founded in 1991 by Nic Poulson. From the beginning associated with tube amplifiers, in 2008 it presented their first hybrid amplifier, the 990 integrated. In 2010, the 907 phono preamplifier was introduced, and in 2012 the 933 headphone amplifier. 2014 was the year of the 925 hybrid amplifier, and in 2016 the top, separates system 903 + 993 went to market. Three years later an even more advanced set, consisting of the 915R preamplifier... - COVER REVIEW: Ayon Audio SPIRIT V | Integrated amplifier | RED Fingerprint | AUSTRIA30 June 2019, 10:00 pm
WORLD PREMIERE ⌈ GERHARD HIRT knows the audio world like the back of his own hand. He works with many well-known technology companies, is the owner of a part of the former TESLA factory, manufacturing electron tubes, and privately he is a great fan of vinyl records. And he loves tubes. He founded AYON AUDIO in 1999, but already since 1995 he worked with another well-known tube company - Vaic, which he bought in 2001. Today, Ayon Audio offers electronic tubes (triodes), tube amplifiers, ...
- My Journey Into Audio - Pandora Pang12 July 2019, 10:02 pm
Original version published Feb 20, 2015. Revised after stumbling onto Positive Feedback's Carol Clark's recent post, My Journey into Audio Pandora, Carol Clark (image by David Clark, Positive Feedback) It looked like Carol recently had a similar experience as I did in 2015 that "left [her] stewing." We have been friends with Dave and Carol... Read More » The post My Journey Into Audio - Pandora Pang appeared first on Positive Feedback.... - Aretha Franklin - Aretha's Gold 11 July 2019, 7:06 pm
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab reissue MFSL 2-479 (Sept. 2017). Originally released on Atlantic – SD-8227 (Aug. 1969). Category: soul, southern soul, R&B, blues, black gospel and spiritual roots, churchy. Format: Vinyl (2x180 gram LPs at 45 rpm). Rating Global Appreciation: 9.6 Music: A+ (9.5) Recording: 9.3 Remastering + Lacquer Cutting: 9.7 Pressing: 10 Packaging: above... Read More » The post Aretha Franklin - Aretha's Gold appeared first on Positive Feedback.... - Hee-Young Lim: French Cello Concertos11 July 2019, 6:38 pm
SAINT-SAËNS: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor; LALO: Cello Concerto in D minor; MILHAUD: Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 136; OFFENBACH: Les larmes de Jacqueline; MASSENET: Thaïs: Méditation. Hee-Young Lim, cello; London Symphony Orchestra/Scott Yoo. Sony Classical S80425C. TT: 75.40 The Korean cellist Hee-Young Lim has a lot to offer. Her tone is dark and full-bodied,... Read More » The post Hee-Young Lim: French Cello Concertos appeared first on Positive Feedbac... - Cary Audio VT-500 Phono Preamplifier - A World Premier 11 July 2019, 3:40 pm
The new Cary Audio VT-500 Phono Preamplifier, based on the venerable 6SL7 tube and the most expensive phono preamp Cary has ever manufactured here in America, takes its place as the most successful phono stage from this 30-year-old company. Cary Audio now sells direct to the consumer. Musical and melodious to the max, moving coil... Read More » The post Cary Audio VT-500 Phono Preamplifier - A World Premier appeared first on Positive Feedback.... - McIntosh Announces C53 Preamplifier10 July 2019, 8:18 pm
The first product to feature McIntosh’s new advanced DA2 Digital Audio Module Binghamton, NY – July 10, 2019 – McIntosh, the global leader in prestigious home entertainment and ultimate-quality audio for 70 years, is proud to announce the C53 Preamplifier. The C53 Preamplifier is ready to serve in a home audio system for many years... Read More » The post McIntosh Announces C53 Preamplifier appeared first on Positive Feedback....
- Issue 9627 June 2019, 3:09 am
Features Old School: Michael “Muppet” Laurance continues our love affair with vintage Pioneer gear, this time one of their disc players 1095: Jeff Dorgay spins a lot of CDs with the new Rega Apollo Journeyman Audiophile: The MoFi StudioDeck+U Turntable and cartridge The Audiophile Apartment: The Audiovector SR1 Avantgarde Arrete Speakers By Jeff Dorgay Shanon [...]... - The Vitus Audio RI-101 Integrated Amplifier25 June 2019, 6:14 am
Vitus Audio is well known around the world for fantastic sound and multiple box amplification chains that weight hundreds of pounds. Even their two-box reference phono stage weighs more than most power amplifiers! Underneath the massive metalwork lurks enormous power supplies and electronics that are more than overbuilt for the task at hand. Many people [...]... - The Audio by Van Alstine Vision SET 40022 June 2019, 8:33 am
Audio By Van Alstine produces line stage preamplifiers, phono stages, DACs, and more, the marvelous AVA Vision 400 SET amplifier we review here represents a culmination of Van Alstine’s knowledge applied to music reproduction. Frank Van Alstine brings over 50 years of experience to his component designs, developing modifications for classic Hafler and Dynaco gear, and [...]... - ROON Nucleus and Nucleus+19 June 2019, 4:50 pm
We’ve been using ROON at TONE since the final alpha release, and it’s a powerful solution. None of the other music delivery platforms come close – if you love music and the discovery of more music, it’s the only way to go. ROON allows you to combine music saved on your computer or NAS with [...]... - Sugden A21SE Signature Edition12 June 2019, 6:52 am
Listening to Dexter Gordon’s classic, “GO” through the Sugden A21 (actually the A21SE Signature, but I don’t want to keep writing that) and my Quad 2812s is positively heavenly, with all the tone, texture, and dynamics I’d ever need. There is something incredibly cool about listening to an amplifier that sounds this emotionally involving that [...]...
- Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ DAC-Preamplifier-Headphone Amplifier15 July 2019, 4:00 am
In the late 1980s and early ’90s, Michal Jurewicz worked as a technical engineer at the Hit Factory and at Skyline Recording Studios, which were then two of New York City’s major studios (Skyline closed in 2012). During his time there, Jurewicz, a native of Warsaw, Poland, saw a need for high-quality digital conversion in the recording of music, and in 1992 established Mytek to design and build the required hardware. Early designs of his were used to record albums by David Bowie, Mar... - Recommended Reference Component: SVS SB-3000 Subwoofer1 July 2019, 4:00 am
This month, we add to our list of Recommended Reference Components SVS’s sealed-box SB-3000, which Diego Estan reviewed for SoundStage! Access on June 1. Priced at $999.99 USD in a finish of Premium Black Ash (add $100 for Piano Gloss Black), the SB-3000 is one of two models in SVS’s 3000 series. (The other is the larger, ported PB-3000, a review sample of which Diego has just received: $1399.99, Premium Black Ash only.) The SB-3000 weighs 54.5 pounds and measures 15.6”H x 15.... - Blown Away: Three Demos at the 2019 EISA Global Press Convention1 July 2019, 4:00 am
The trade organization EISA is best known for its annual product awards, which span six product categories divided into Expert Groups: Hi-Fi, Home Theater Audio, Home Theater Display and Video, In-Car Electronics, Mobile Devices, and Photography. Originally called the European Imaging and Sound Association, the organization renamed itself, in September 2018, the Expert Imaging and Sound Association, to reflect its growth from an association of European online and print publications to one that w... - Paradigm Monitor SE 3000F Loudspeakers Conquer Systems One Old & New1 July 2019, 4:00 am
Paradigm’s Monitor SE 3000F loudspeaker isn’t new to SoundStage! Network readers. This three-way, 39.5”-tall floorstander has a 1” aluminum-dome tweeter and three drivers with mineral-filled polypropylene cones: a 5.5” midrange and two 5.5” woofers. In Diego Estan’s review on SoundStage! Access, published April 1, he called it “a solid, dependable speaker that, set up correctly, can give its owner a glimpse of true high-end sound for a mass-market ... - AudioSolutions Figaro B Loudspeakers1 July 2019, 4:00 am
Note: Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link. AudioSolutions, a small Lithuanian speaker maker I’d never heard of, was founded in 2011 by Gediminas Gaidelis, who still owns it. Other than that, their website is short on backstory, long on intrigue. On the homepage, the reader is greeted with this: “Development of these fine speakers is a true challenge. We combine laws of physics with design, manufacturing stab...
- Deutsche Grammophon releases series of 24bit/96kHz Blu-ray collections in commemorations of Herbert von Karajan and Carlos Kleiber12 July 2019, 9:01 pm
Celebrating the Legacy of Herbert von Karajan Thirty years ago next Tuesday (7/16/2019), the classical music world lost one of its foremost champions in the digital age, Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989). Deutsche Grammophon is commemorating the legacy of the maestro with the re-release of two of his renowned symphony cycles, of Tchaikovsky and Bruckner: “Remastered [...] The post Deutsche Grammophon releases series of 24bit/96kHz Blu-ray collections in commemorations of Herbert von Karajan ... - Focal announces 40th Anniversary Contest: Beyond The Game. May 9 – December 24, 2019.9 July 2019, 4:31 pm
In celebration of the company’s 40th anniversary, Focal is holding a contest for its existing customers to win a complete system between May 9 and December 24, 2019. The system will consist of: Focal Kanta No. 2 speaker system. RAL finishes available. Naim Audio Uniti Star premium music streamer/player/amplifier. Naim Audio Super Lumina cable system. [...] The post Focal announces 40th Anniversary Contest: Beyond The Game. May 9 – December 24, 2019. appeared first on Dagogo.... - CAS Exhibitor Profile: Aurender9 July 2019, 3:04 am
Respondent: John-Paul Lizars, Aurender America, Boardroom 2, Boardroom 1, Room 5109, 2019 California Audio Show. What’s the “elevator speech” description of your company? Aurender builds music servers of uncompromised sound quality with a superior user experience. By developing both the control application and the hardware, Aurender delivers exceptional stability, reliability and predictability of operation. [...] The post CAS Exhibitor Profile: Aurender appeared first o... - Merrill Audio releases PURE Tape Head Preamplifier for Reel to Reel Tape Decks7 July 2019, 9:57 pm
Merrill Audio is releasing a tape head preamplifier for reel to reel tape decks, dubbed PURE. On July 13, 2019, Xtreme Fidelity in River Vale, NJ will host a demonstration of the Merrill Audio PURE on an Ampex ATR tape deck that is fully restored by ATR Services. There will be a comparison of the [...] The post Merrill Audio releases PURE Tape Head Preamplifier for Reel to Reel Tape Decks appeared first on Dagogo.... - CAS Exhibitor Profile: Marchand Electronics3 July 2019, 5:17 pm
Respondent: Phil Marchand, Marchand Electronics, Room 5218, 2019 California Audio Show. What’s the “elevator speech” description of your company? Marchand Electronics is Phil’s hobby that got out of hand. His main interest is designing analog electronics for audio. What makes your company and products special – how do they stand out from the pack? [...] The post CAS Exhibitor Profile: Marchand Electronics appeared first on Dagogo....
- Audiophile 5: Elac DDP-2 DAC / Preamp / Streamer In 5 Minutes16 July 2019, 2:04 pm
Here's my five minute take on the Elac DDP-2 Alchemy Series DAC, streamer, preamp. Everything you need to know in five minutes, and nothing more. Look for the full written review here on Audiophile Style very soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, if you're so inclined, here. DDP-2 Product page - link ... - Playback Designs MPS-8 CD/SACD player, DAC and Streamer Full Review12 July 2019, 5:25 pm
“I know you will want to hear what will comes next from Playback Designs. Unlike your MPS-5, this new series will be made up of 3 different components; 2 complimentary double-box units “endgame” sort of stuff, a transport / streamer and a DAC; lastly, an all-new, all-in-one player, streamer and DAC, similar to your MPS-5. Needless to say, each is an all-out assault at state of the art in digital playback and each will si... - PS Audio DirectStream DAC (Snowmass) Full Review10 July 2019, 2:25 pm
Introduction Having recently completed the “My Quest for a New DAC” series of articles, my first response to @The Computer Audiophile when he asked me if I wanted to review another DAC was: “¡no más!” “Even Snowmass?” he asked. Well, now hold on a minute. While I have long been aware of the PS Audio DirectStream DAC (abbreviated from here onward in this article as DS DAC), my listening had been confined to short sessions at audio show... - My New Speakers Have Arrived!8 July 2019, 4:53 pm
After a year of research and getting great feedback from the members of this community, I've finally selected, paid for, and received my new speakers, the Wilson Audio Alexia Series 2! File this one under first world problems we all wish we had, but I must say that while the process of selecting new speakers was really fun it was also frustrating. There are so many choices and twice as many opinions from experts! A Little Background I decide to sell my TAD ... - New AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt8 July 2019, 2:21 pm
The official press embargo is over and we can release details of the new AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt. Mine arrives on Wednesday via FedEx. I can't wait to connect my cans and give it a workout. Until then, here is the official press release and accompanying information from AudioQuest. DF-Cobalt_PR-2019_070519.pdf DragonFly Cobalt_ComparisonChart_white_6.20.19.pdf AudioQuest Introduces High-Performance Portabl...
- The 9 Year old Marantz SR8001 7.1 A/V Receiver Gets Better Over Time16 July 2019, 7:49 pm
Meet our newest reviewer, 17 year old Caleb Attaway. Caleb lives northwest of Atlanta, Georgia and is going into his senior year of high school at Living Science Home Studies, Inc., which is half home school and half private school. In the future Caleb will review records and new audio gear.... - Vanatoo’s Transparent Zero Speakers Offer Great Convenience & Satisfying Desktop Sound10 July 2019, 2:32 pm
Today’s budding audiophiles have more introductory options than ever. Available and (fairly) affordable are introductory turntable systems, great headphones, headphone amps, DACs, and… desktop speakers? Enter the minds of Vanatoo, the company founded by experienced audio enthusiasts Gary Gesellchen and Rick Kernen. Gesellchen’s background includes decades of speaker designing and building, while Kernen has worked for over 35 years in micro-processing. Their speakers are aimed ... - Third Man To Release on 2, 2 LP Volumes First Ever Music From <i>Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969</i>9 July 2019, 6:49 pm
Third Man Records will release on Friday August 2nd, previously unheard live recordings from the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival. The 50th anniversary release includes live performances from Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Son House, B.B. King, Magic Sam, T-Bone Walker, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Big Mama Thornton, Otis Rush and many others.... - AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt Portable USB DAC Sweepstakes8 July 2019, 7:00 am
Register to win an AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt Portable USB DAC (Total value $299.95) we are giving away. According to the company: "Now comes DragonFly Cobalt—AudioQuest's new flagship DAC. Cobalt takes what music lovers around the world have come to expect from the multi-award-winning DragonFly family—naturally beautiful, seductive sound—and strips away fuzz and fog that weren't even noticeable until Cobalt removed them." All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on ... - After the Outrage: UMe's <i>Birth of the Cool</i> Reissue Reconsidered6 July 2019, 9:28 pm
After calming down following the original Birth of the Cool review I took a deep breath and listened again. What's more i realized I had two more versions of the record: a Dutch Odeon pressing (lime green Capitol label) from 1972 (5C052 80 798) with a different cover that you can pick up on Discogs for a few bucks, and a mysterious one from I believe a German label called Good Buy (Good Buy 2 F 671045) released around the same time as Classic's, which remains the best sounding available and so c...
- Vintage high-end audio looks cool and sounds great too - CNET13 July 2019, 7:20 pm
The Audiophiliac visits Sky-Fi Audio in Ridgewood, NJ and gets an ear full of vintage sounds!... - Keeping it simple with the Cambridge AXA35 integrated amplifier - CNET13 July 2019, 1:47 pm
If you think most components are too complicated and just want great sound, the no-frills Cambridge AXA35 integrated amplifier is exactly what you’re looking for.... - 40 years ago Sony's Walkman changed the way we listened to music - CNET6 July 2019, 6:26 pm
The Walkman was just as big a change in the way we listened to music as the iPod was in the early 2000s.... - Klipsch RP-5000F, a tower speaker to be reckoned with - CNET6 July 2019, 1:47 pm
The Audiophiliac kicks back with one of Klipsch’s more affordable tower speakers.... - The Massdrop X Fostex TR-X00 headphone scores big on luxury looks, feel and sound - CNET3 July 2019, 12:56 pm
The Purpleheart -- the perfect headphone for Prince fans?...
- LKV Research, Sonner Audio, Butcher Block Acoustics | T.H.E. SHOW 201916 July 2019, 5:00 pm
Part-Time Audiophile LOS ANGELES (PTA) — LKV Research announces a new power amplifier, Sonner Audio rides high on their superb bookshelf monitors, and Butcher Block Acoustics holds everything up in style. The Story LKV Research of North Conway, New Hampshire knows how to deliver great sound at a great value. So when I heard they were showing a new dual-mono stereo amplifier, I had to make my way by their exhibit room at THE SHOW 2019. Enter the LKV Research VEROS PWR stereo power amplifier... - Wavetouch Audio | T.H.E. SHOW 201916 July 2019, 2:00 pm
Part-Time Audiophile LOS ANGELES (PTA) — Wavetouch Audio was showing a small, and slightly underlit, stereo system that in many ways tugged at my heart strings. Also showing, electronic components from Bakoon Audio. The Story There is a special place in my heart for small monitor companies, even more so if they have a history of use in recording studios. The Wavetouch Audio Antero Speakers are a small two-way loudspeaker with a combination of rather unique waveguides and phase devices that... - David Hillyard and the Rocksteady Seven, Playtime | The Vinyl Anachronist16 July 2019, 11:00 am
Part-Time Audiophile Just last year I picked David Hillyard and the Rocksteady Seven‘s The Giver as my favorite album of 2018. This LP released by ORG Music introduced me to a completely new genre, rocksteady, which was the bridge between ska and reggae back in the mid 1960s. I responded to The Giver so favorably because it took the best of both worlds and congealed it into one accessible, exciting genre. As I wrote in my review for Positive Feedback, “I’m not sure why I was so... - Marc’s Wrap Up | T.H.E. Show 201914 July 2019, 9:00 am
Part-Time Audiophile After T.H.E. Show 2019, I did something that I should have done at High-End 2019 in Munich–I stayed a couple of extra days after the show ended. A good friend of mine called me just the other day and asked me how Munich was, mentioning how exciting it was that I finally made it to Europe after all these years. The truth is, I should have lingered for a few more days, maybe a week. Six weeks later, Munich was a blur in my mind like I never really went. I’m ready t... - The DCC Museum, Digital Compact Cassette, and Techmoan | T.H.E. SHOW 201913 July 2019, 6:00 pm
Part-Time Audiophile LOS ANGELES (PTA) — What’s old is new again. Cassette tapes and their players are finding a whole new audience with younger Millennials and the financially rising Generation Z’ers who are resurrecting the once deceased format. At THE SHOW 2019 it was Ralf Porankiewicz of the DCC Museum who was giving me my second tour through Digital Compact Cassette. The Story It starts with Ralf Porankeiwicz, originally from the Netherlands, who came to the United States ...
- Getting high on dynamic range with Jerry Harrison16 July 2019, 8:51 am
Jerry Harrison’s solo album Casual Gods landed in British record store racks in February 1998 – just a few weeks ahead of Talking Heads’ Naked, with whom Harrison had played keyboards and guitar since he left Jonathan Richman’s Modern Lovers twelve years earlier. In 2019, Talking Heads’ swansong and Harrison’s […] More-------------------------------------------------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-purposed without... - Letters to the editor: The KIA, Nova Fidelity, Denon13 July 2019, 8:48 am
We give and you take. That’s the deal of publishing. What the following respondents have in common is that they generously return the favour by offering up their own insight. It’s why their missives are run here (and not solicitations for buying advice). Got a question about what we do […] More-------------------------------------------------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-purposed without permission. For private use only. Copyright 201... - The tables turn on Naim’s NAIT XS 3 & SUPERNAIT 310 July 2019, 4:34 pm
NAIT. Naim Audio Integrated Amplifier. We must journey back to 1983 to locate the original model: a shoebox-sized chassis that could be fed via Naim’s own DIN-socketed line-level inputs or an RCA-socketed MM phono input. Loudspeaker output power was rated at a mere 13wpc but to this day it remains […] More-------------------------------------------------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-purposed without permission. For private use only. Copyrig... - 10 more thoughts on the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt9 July 2019, 2:16 pm
Relatability and inclusivity. The top two watchwords of the Darko.Audio YouTube channel that, as of this week, is now attracting as many unique visitors per month as the Darko.Audio website: 250,000 apiece. In scripting, shooting and cutting a short film about an audio product, our intent is for the bigger […] More-------------------------------------------------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-purposed without permission. For private use only. Copy... - A short film about the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt8 July 2019, 3:30 am
AudioQuest’s first DragonFly DAC was released in 2012. Its pocketable thumb-drive form factor brought better sound quality any computer user with a spare USB socket. The DragonFly extracts digital audio from a Mac or PC to execute its own D/A conversion. A conversion that sounds superior to the host computer’s […] More-------------------------------------------------------------- No part of this RSS feed to be reproduced, recycled or re-purposed without permission. For privat...
- Streaming the Classics—2/Beethoven: The 9 Symphonies—Box Sets12 July 2019, 5:21 pm
Do you ever type a streaming query in Roon for a classical work and are overwhelmed by the choices? Rather than clicking on any old recording or the first one you see, Audiophilia will make things a little easier for you and do the heavy listening. These choices are for streaming only. Is the best in streaming also the best vinyl recording and performance? That’s for another article. A few criteria: 1. Recording must be on both Qobuz and Tidal HiFi. 2. It does not have to be ... - Periodic Audio Carbon (C) In-Ear Monitor12 July 2019, 2:25 pm
Diamonds are formed of carbon (C) atoms that have been placed under extremely high temperatures and pressures that exist naturally very deep beneath the earth’s surface. This natural process from carbon to diamond takes an incredibly long time—about 2 billion years. Although widely prized for their beauty as jewelry and treasured since BC, they possess other qualities such as extraordinary hardness that are ideal for various industrial applications including audio, such as diam... - New series—Streaming the Classics—1/Holst: The Planets8 July 2019, 4:14 pm
Do you ever type a streaming query in Roon for a classical work and are overwhelmed by the choices? Rather than clicking on any old recording or the first one you see, Audiophilia will make things a little easier for you and do the heavy listening. These choices are for streaming only. Is the best in streaming also the best vinyl recording and performance? That’s for another article. A few criteria: 1. Recording must be on both Qobuz and Tidal HiFi. 2. It does not have to be ... - Mahler: Symphony No. 9–Herbert Blomstedt/Bamberger Symphoniker5 July 2019, 4:48 pm
How does a medieval Bavarian town of 70,000 have an orchestra this good? It doesn’t hurt that one of the great maestros, Herbert Blomstedt (92 this month), is on the podium. Blomstedt is the Honorary Conductor of the Bamberger Symphoniker. For the past few years, Blomstedt has been busy conducting in Berlin, Dresden, a few miles south of Bamberg in Munich, and other major musical centres. So, good for Bamberg that they keep enticing the great man back to what is a provincial German t... - Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique—Toronto Symphony/Sir Andrew Davis5 July 2019, 3:30 pm
The wonderful Toronto Symphony Orchestra is in another Golden Age, built from near bankruptcy 20 years ago by a talented backroom team, superb hires and a brilliant orchestral trainer in Peter Oundjian. Oundjian hired almost half the orchestra present on this recording. He was an inspired choice at the time when it was more of an Iron Age than Golden in The Big Smoke. Replacing Oundjian is the recently appointed Spaniard Gustavo Gimeno. He was a Concertgebouw section percussionist who jump...
- Roon Server on ODroid H210 July 2019, 10:22 am
John Reekie tests out the ODroid H2 SBC (single board computer) as a Roon Server. "Ever since I discovered how easy it is to set up a DLNA music server on a Raspberry Pi or an ODroid HC1, I’ve been reluctant to dedicate a 'proper' computer as a music server," he writes, to explain the appeal of this inexpensive x86 computer. After walking through the install, he runs some UI tests.... - How to stream Qobuz to almost anything4 July 2019, 2:55 pm
John Reekie decides it's time to branch out from the Raspberry Pi and start streaming to a greater variety of devices. He summarizes the architecture that enables Qobuz to stream to "almost anything" and how to set it up. As a bonus, he provides installation instructions to turn any Linux SBC into a compatible audio player.... - Spatial Audio M3 Triode Master + interview with designer Clayton Shaw15 March 2019, 4:01 am
Oliver Masciarotte spends time with the Spatial Audio M3 Triode Master open baffle speaker, and quizzes designer Clayton Shaw about his design choices. Oliver concludes: "The M3 Triode Master is a outstanding example of OB design; exacting imaging combined with broad uncolored off-axis coverage and an airy, expansive soundstage. It... lends itself nicely to rooms large and small."... - RME ADI-2 Pro : Modes and Audio Routing6 January 2019, 11:58 am
John Reekie takes a deep dive into the "modes" of the RME ADI-2 Pro. "The modes can be considered as a sort of shorthand that gets you close to a solution, which you can then tailor by adjusting parameters away from the default or automatic selections." He provides diagrams that illustrate the signal routing through the ADI-2 Pro in each mode, and also discusses clocking.... - Syncing a music library to a Droidisk (or PiDisk)14 December 2018, 6:26 pm
John Reekie goes all GUI to sync up his droidisk server with music files on a Mac or PC. Well, apart from installation on the ODroid or Raspberry Pi. Compared to his previous rsync-based method, this is "a better solution that is cross-platform, easier to set up, and more flexible."...
- BenQ CinePrime HT5550 Ultra HD DLP Projector Review3 June 2019, 2:00 pm
BenQ isn’t just about compact value-oriented DLPs; witness the CinePrime HT5550 Ultra HD DLP Projector. It offers premium clarity from a single-chip light engine, 1800 ANSI lumens, HDR, DCI-P3 color, and generous lens shift at the very reasonable price of $2499. I’m checking it out today. The post BenQ CinePrime HT5550 Ultra HD DLP Projector Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.... - Audio Research LS28 Triode Stereo Preamplifier Review29 May 2019, 2:00 pm
Audio Research as a company is half a century old, founded in 1970 by William Johnson. They are one of the pioneers in hi-fi equipment design. The post Audio Research LS28 Triode Stereo Preamplifier Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.... - Vanatoo Transparent One Encore Powered Speaker Review28 May 2019, 2:00 pm
Vanatoo engineers Gary Gesellchen and Rick Kernen have recently updated their award-winning desktop speakers with a new powered model, the Transparent One Encore. It aims to be an affordable, high quality audiophile system that meets the needs of music enthusiasts with portability, a small footprint, big sound, and deep bass; combined with the ability to stream music from a computer or phone. Six years after the original Transparent Ones, the powered Vanatoo Transparent One Encore improves upon ... - VAVA 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector Review22 May 2019, 2:00 pm
Today, I’ll be checking out VAVA’s 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector. It projects an image up to 150 inches diagonal while sitting only 16.7 inches from the wall. It sports Ultra HD resolution courtesy of a pixel-shifted DLP chip with support for HDR. The post VAVA 4K Ultra Short Throw Laser Projector Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com.... - Starke Sound Halo Elite 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System Review20 May 2019, 3:00 pm
Looking for a home theater speaker system that makes a statement in both the visual and aural sense? Then the fine folks at Starke Sound have an impressive looking system to tempt both your eyes and ears! The post Starke Sound Halo Elite 5.1 Home Theater Speaker System Review appeared first on HomeTheaterHifi.com....
- Valvet E2 SE Stereo Power Amplifier29 June 2019, 8:12 pm
The new Valvet E2 SE single-ended Class A solid-state amplifier is a revelation. Coming to market about a year after my review of the Valvet E2, the SE version exceeds the E2's audible performance in every parameter. Please see the older review for context. The special edition SE version takes all the E2's excellent performance and offers improvements in every area. The review system has changed since the E2 review, and provides the potential for higher resolution. The significant changes are a ... - Revel Performa M126Be Loudspeakers18 May 2019, 9:45 pm
The new Performa Be series of loudspeakers offers an upgrade from the well-received Performa3 series from Revel. The Be speakers feature the Revel’s latest beryllium tweeter that was first introduced more than a decade ago in the Ultima2 series. Revel is a member of the Harman International family of brands which includes Mark Levinson, JBL, Arcam, and Infinity. The Performa M126Be is a ported 2-way stand mount, AKA bookshelf speaker weighing a back-friendly 22 pounds, not including ... - Wyred 4 Sound ST-750LE Stereo Power Amplifier31 March 2019, 9:06 pm
The new Wyred 4 Sound ST-750LE stereo power amplifier sounds far above it's price class. The technology includes Wyred 4 Sound's proprietary input circuit that is similar to the one implemented in their '10 LP'-rated STP-SE Stage 2 preamplifier. This is followed by the latest IcePower amplifier module. The base price of the amplifier is $1599.00. The review sample is also equipped with the WBT speaker binding posts and Kimber TCX wire upgrade, a $250 option. From the Wyred 4 Sound Web site:"For ... - Ayre Acoustics VX-5 Twenty Stereo Power Amplifier17 February 2019, 9:00 pm
The Ayre VX-5 Twenty stereo power amplifier has been in production for about 5 years and followed the well-received V-5xe amplifier. The “Twenty” designation celebrates the Boulder, Colorado company’s 20 years in business. The excellent build quality and beautiful casework belies the amplifier’s recommended list price of $8950. The amplifier is fully-discrete, fully-balanced, and features a zero-feedback design. Other components on hand during the audition include a... - Monitor Audio Platinum PL100 II Loudspeaker27 January 2019, 9:13 pm
The Monitor Audio PL100 II is the smallest member of Monitor Audio’s top-level Platinum series. The PL100 was introduced in 2008 and the upgraded PL100 II model hit showrooms worldwide in 2016. The II version includes a single 6.5" RDT II mid-bass driver and MPD tweeter. “RDT II” is Monitor Audio’s second-generation midrange-woofer sporting a smooth concave cone. The ported Platinum PL100 II have beautiful, furniture-grade cabinets and have a list price of $5,795.00 per p...
- Win! MrSpeakers' ETHER 2 planar magnetic headphones worth £1,900!11 July 2019, 7:22 am
We have teamed up with the clever folks from MrSpeakers to bring you a fantastic competition for a chance to win a pair of the company’s excellent ETHER 2 planar magnetic headphones, worth £1,900! Our Editorial Director, Chris Martens reviewed the ETHER 2 in Hi-Fi+ issue #172 where he wrote, “Internally, the ETHER 2 receives a number of important changes, including a new driver. ETHER 2’s driver diaphragm is the same size (71x45mm) as the ETHER FLOW diaphragm, but enjoys ... - Monitor Audio Gold 200 floorstanding loudspeakers10 July 2019, 2:45 pm
In the same way that BMW will probably always have a big executive saloon car range called ‘5’, Monitor Audio will probably always have an aspirational loudspeaker range called ‘Gold’. The latest is the fifth incarnation of the series. Staying with the BMW analogy, the Gold 200 is the loudspeaker equivalent of a 520d with leather interior. In both cases, it’s the model that marks the owner out as both discerning and fiscally level-headed. The Gold 200 is a three-way... - Leema Sirius digital music streamer/server10 July 2019, 2:37 pm
Leema missed a trick when choosing the name for this their first digital streamer/server. It seems clear to some of us that it should have been called the Leema Prima Streamer. As it is the Sirius is in Leema’s Constellation range so probably needed to adopt an astronomical appendage, and they chose the brightest star in the night sky, but you probably knew that. So what is a Sirius? Well, on the one hand it’s a network audio server with inputs and outputs on RJ45 connectors for stre... - European Audio Team Prelude turntable10 July 2019, 2:35 pm
You have to imagine that dinner round the Lichtenegger table must be a fun experience. In the blue corner, you have Heinz, top dog at Pro-Ject, in the red corner, you have Josefina, the boss of European Audio Team. I’ve seen these two battle it out extensively over counterweights and bearing oils; it’s friendly banter between two engineers, but make no mistake – EAT turntables are not simply ‘blinged-up’ Pro-ject designs. They are cogent, sophisticated models in the... - PURE Tape Head Preamplifier for Reel to Reel Tape Decks from Merrill Audio.8 July 2019, 8:22 am
BERNARDSVILLE, New Jersey, USA – Finally there is a good alternative for the purist of Reel to Reel Tape playback. Merrill Audio PURE Tape Head Preamp provides a superior Tape Head Preamp that brings out the full dynamics of Reel to Reel Tape, with the details and immediacy of the live recording. Merrill Audio is very excited to present the PURE Tape Head Preamp for the highest fidelity from Reel to Reel Tape Decks. On the 13th of July, 2019, Xtreme Fidelity in River Vale, New Jersey, USA ...
- In Barn: Linear Tube Audio Z10 Integrated Amplifier15 July 2019, 12:00 pm
Linear Tube Audio Z10 Integrated Amplifier ($4900.00 + $500 for optional MM/MC Phono Preamp). A single component solution, the Z10 Integrated amplifier incorporates the acclaimed ZOTL10 power amplifier, a Berning designed preamplifier, LTA’s digital control [...]... - HiFi Bargains: ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2 Bookshelf Speakers14 July 2019, 11:15 am
I reviewed the ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 bookshelf speakers and said: If you’re shopping for small stand mount speakers and $250/pair sounds about right, I can say the ELAC Debut 2.0 B5.2 sound about right [...]... - In Barn: AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt11 July 2019, 9:00 pm
AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt USB DAC + Preamp + Headphone Amp ($299.95). Capabilities Plays all music files: MP3 to MQA and High-Res Compatible with Apple® and Windows® PCs Compatible with iOS devices (requires Apple Camera Adapter/Connection [...]... - Streaming DACs: A List11 July 2019, 12:00 pm
A streaming DAC is a device that connects to your network via Ethernet or WiFi while outputting an analog audio signal. It streams and it’s a DAC. I like the idea of a streaming DAC [...]... - Pet Peeves: Hi-Res Downloads10 July 2019, 11:30 am
In many cases, choice is a good thing. When it comes to hi-res downloads and sample rates, choice, especially when there’s a premium attached, just bugs me. I’m not picking on or singling out any [...]...
- NFP (Not-For-Profit) Tube MM/MC Phono Stage – Built, Tested, Reviewed. And It Can Be Yours14 July 2019, 11:29 pm
Not-For-Profit MM/MC Phono Stage The DIY bug has bitten Steve Graham, again. And he gets in a bit deeper than he bargained for, again. Warning: This will get a bit wordy. Vinylphiles and/or tubephiles probably won’t mind. Digiphiles won’t likely be reading this, but they are most welcome to. Have you ever noticed the almost carnal look on the face of a tube-loving audiophile when he, it’s always a he, first claps eyes on an attractive tube... - Review: Tortuga Audio’s LDR3.V25 Passive Preamp And TPB.V1 Tube Preamp Buffer7 June 2019, 10:51 pm
Review by Noam Bronstein Transparency – if there ever was an overused word in home hi-fi circles, this one might take top prize. But I’ve noticed a decline in its usage over the years, too. As electronics (and speakers) have improved over time, transparency has become a basic expectation: the days of euphonic and unresolving components is largely a thing of the past. In high-end circles, harmonic distortions today tend to be more a facet of room interactions, poor recordings, and oth... - Two Upcoming Tube Fest Articles4 May 2019, 7:31 pm
Two Upcoming Tube Fests by Steve Graham Tube Fest No. 1 A friend and I decided to sell off the majority of our collections of vintage and classic European tubes. Part of the process was educating our customers about the intertwined and labyrinthian nature of tube production in this golden age of tube making. It occurred to me that a primer on a pair of the most popular small-signal tubes would be of use. A soon to be posted article will be an introduction to the minutia of the ... - C.L.E.A.R. 834L: The Rejuvenation of an Esoteric Audio Research classic (Part 2)14 April 2019, 3:15 am
C.L.E.A.R. 834L: The Rejuvenation of an Esoteric Audio Research classic Part 2, by Steve Graham Modifying or rebuilding anything, be it a piece of classic stereo equipment or, perhaps, a classic car, will involve many value judgements and personal decisions. Some subtle, some not. No two audiophiles, or classic car buffs, departing from the same point, will finish in the same place. Be that as it may, this is my take on a cost-effective rejuvenation. I think I might have s... - Well-Rounded Sound’s MM2, MM6 Speakers, and MX BL Amp/DAC: An Education in Budget High Fidelity12 April 2019, 2:08 am
Review by Jon Eben Field I have to admit that I’m a sucker for low budget gear. Or perhaps I should add a caveat here and say, “I’m a sucker for low budget gear that sounds good.” Being an audiophile often entails spending a lot of time, energy, and, to be frank, money on high end electronics and speakers in pursuit of the ever elusive perfect sound. I should know. I have long since given up on the mental arithmetic required to evaluate the “value of my current syst...
- Roon Nucleus+ Arrives at AudioStream14 July 2019, 3:15 pm
Roon Labs is comprised of a dedicated crew of individuals who toil endlessly to hone their audio software-engineering chops so that their digital-audio player is always at the bleeding edge of development, delivering the best possible music-listening experience for end users.... - McIntosh C53 Preamplifier Announced: New DA2 Digital Module12 July 2019, 5:34 pm
TIDAL and Qobuz music streamers take note, a next generation Quad-Balanced eight-channel, 32-bit/384kHz DAC is at the heart of McIntosh’s new upgradeable DA2 digital-audio module in their just-announced $8,000 USD C53 preamplifier.... - Great Electronic Albums: Strange Cargo Hinterland10 July 2019, 4:56 pm
Shoreditch doesn’t exactly bring to mind transcendental synth-drenched sonic landscapes.Yet the working-class district in London’s east end which is its geographic namesake is where electronic music composer and producer William Orbit (née Wainwright) was born in 1956.... - AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt Portable USB DAC Sweepstakes8 July 2019, 7:00 am
Register to win an AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt Portable USB DAC (Total value $299.95) we are giving away. According to the company: "Now comes DragonFly Cobalt—AudioQuest's new flagship DAC. Cobalt takes what music lovers around the world have come to expect from the multi-award-winning DragonFly family—naturally beautiful, seductive sound—and strips away fuzz and fog that weren't even noticeable until Cobalt removed them." All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on ... - MSB Technology with Vince Galbo: AudioStream Podcast No.97 July 2019, 5:04 pm
This is the ninth episode of the AudioStream Podcast and host Brian Hunter has gone deep to bring you an important voice: Vince Galbo of MSB Technology....
- Oriveti OH500 & OH300 Review14 July 2019, 11:33 am
8.6Score$299 & $499OrivetiThe Oriveti OH500 & OH300 are the company’s brand new hybrid universal monitors with the OH300 a triple driver and the OH500 a 5-driver and their flagship. The Oh300 is priced at $299 and the OH500 is priced at $499. Disclaimer: The Oriveti OH500 & OH300 sent to us are samples in exchange […] The post Oriveti OH500 & OH300 Review appeared first on Headfonics.... - Alpha & Delta KS3 Review13 July 2019, 11:21 am
The Alpha & Delta KS3 is a 3D printed custom tuned 6mm micro dynamic driver universal IEM. Initially available on Indiegogo and now with a current retail price of $169 from Lend Me Ur Ears in Singapore. Disclaimer: The Alpha & Delta KS3 sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion. […] The post Alpha & Delta KS3 Review appeared first on Headfonics.... - Satin Audio Medusa Review12 July 2019, 11:45 am
The Satin Audio Medusa is a handmade detachable IEM cable and the flagship of their ‘Monster’ IEM cable series. The Medusa is constructed from a 26AWg OCC Pure Silver Type 4 Litz and retails for $209.90. Disclaimer: The Satin Audio Medusa sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion. We thank […] The post Satin Audio Medusa Review appeared first on Headfonics.... - Flare Audio Flares PRO 2 Review10 July 2019, 10:56 am
The Flare Audio Flares PRO 2 is the next generation successor to the original wired and wireless Flares PRO universal monitor. It is priced at £299.00 and available online at the Flare Audio store. Disclaimer: The Flare Audio Flares PRO 2 sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion. We thank […] The post Flare Audio Flares PRO 2 Review appeared first on Headfonics.... - FiiO FH7 Review7 July 2019, 11:11 am
Disclaimer: The FiiO FH7 sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion. We thank FiiO for this opportunity. To learn more about FiiO reviews on Headfonics you can click here. It is not that FiiO has never done an IEM before. Rather, the recent ones are getting to be really good, noteworthy and […] The post FiiO FH7 Review appeared first on Headfonics....
- Focal Stellia Review14 July 2019, 3:55 pm
I first encountered Focal headphones at the very first Head-Fi meet I went to. ... - Cambridge Audio introduces Melomania 1 True Wireless Headphones10 July 2019, 4:21 pm
True wireless seems to be the lifestyle catchphrase for 2019 with Brit hifi legend Cambridge Audio even coining it for their new IPX5-certified (sweat and water protection for the sport inclined or weather challenged) Melomania 1 IEMs.... - AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt Portable USB DAC Sweepstakes8 July 2019, 4:00 am
Register to win an AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt Portable USB DAC (Total value $299.95) we are giving away. According to the company: "Now comes DragonFly Cobalt—AudioQuest's new flagship DAC. Cobalt takes what music lovers around the world have come to expect from the multi-award-winning DragonFly family—naturally beautiful, seductive sound—and strips away fuzz and fog that weren't even noticeable until Cobalt removed them." All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on ... - CanJam Socal 2019: Final Thoughts and wrap-up7 July 2019, 4:49 pm
Are headphones - all grown up? My big takeaway from CanJam Socal 2019 was just how far headphones have come in the last few years. There’s a real sense that the industry has ‘grown up’ and come into its own. ... - CanJam SoCal 2019: Meze, Dunu and Beyerdynamic5 July 2019, 5:21 pm
Meze made quite a splash with their Empyrean headphone, a top-tier planar magnetic model from the company that put out the 99 Classics was certainly something I had never expected to see. ...
- RAAL Requisite – CanJam SoCal 201916 July 2019, 9:18 pm
The RAAL Requisite SR1a headphone is unlike any pair of headphones I’ve ever seen or heard. Well, maybe not heard, The post RAAL Requisite – CanJam SoCal 2019 appeared first on AudioHead.... - Audeze – CanJam SoCal 201915 July 2019, 12:26 pm
The recent Mobius headphone from Audeze is taking over the world it seems. It’s a gaming headphone that carries with The post Audeze – CanJam SoCal 2019 appeared first on AudioHead.... - Campfire Audio Shows Off Two New Earphones – CanJam SoCal 201913 July 2019, 1:08 pm
Two new IEM’s join the lineup from Campfire Audio. Showing for the first time at CanJam SoCal 2019, were the The post Campfire Audio Shows Off Two New Earphones – CanJam SoCal 2019 appeared first on AudioHead.... - Manley Labs – CanJam SoCal 201911 July 2019, 1:19 pm
The still NEW Manley Absolute Headphone Amplifier is finally free for me to listen at this show, and only so The post Manley Labs – CanJam SoCal 2019 appeared first on AudioHead.... - Cobalt Is The New Blue – AudioQuest Releases A New DragonFly DAC8 July 2019, 11:44 pm
It is hard to deny the wide appeal and success of AudioQuest’s original DragonFly Series. What may have started as The post Cobalt Is The New Blue – AudioQuest Releases A New DragonFly DAC appeared first on AudioHead....
- Prime Day Deals from Puro Sound Labs!15 July 2019, 10:02 pm
The post Prime Day Deals from Puro Sound Labs! appeared first on HeadPhone.guru.... - The Capital Audiofest is ready to go for November 1-3 so plan to be there!15 July 2019, 4:30 pm
The post The Capital Audiofest is ready to go for November 1-3 so plan to be there! appeared first on HeadPhone.guru.... - CanJam SoCal 2019 – Coverage Sponsored by Distinctive Stereo Part 415 July 2019, 5:00 am
The post CanJam SoCal 2019 – Coverage Sponsored by Distinctive Stereo Part 4 appeared first on HeadPhone.guru.... - CanJam SoCal 2019 Part 3 Sponsored by Distinctive Stereo10 July 2019, 5:00 am
The post CanJam SoCal 2019 Part 3 Sponsored by Distinctive Stereo appeared first on HeadPhone.guru.... - The Making Of the Grammy Winning Album A Love Affair The Music Of Ivan Lins Pt39 July 2019, 5:00 am
The post The Making Of the Grammy Winning Album A Love Affair The Music Of Ivan Lins Pt3 appeared first on HeadPhone.guru....
- China’s First Music Service with MQA16 July 2019, 7:41 am
LONDON / HANGZHOU, JULY 16th, 2019 – Xiami Music, a wholly-owned entity of the Alibaba Group, will be the first music streaming service in China to adopt MQA. With the implementation of MQA, Xiami Music will become the audio quality leader in China, sending a clear signal to artists and creators that Xiami’s service is […] The post China’s First Music Service with MQA appeared first on Audio Bacon.... - The Best of Audiophile Content Creators13 July 2019, 2:00 pm
A quick weekend post! It’s difficult to keep track of what’s trending, what’s new, and what’s being discussed in the audiophile world. Well, there’s this site called Daily.Audio that has consolidated all of these things quite neatly. I don’t know about you – but my YouTube subscriptions get mixed in with cute dog videos, photography […] The post The Best of Audiophile Content Creators appeared first on Audio Bacon.... - Periodic Audio Nickel Headphone Amplifier Review13 July 2019, 1:21 am
Many of us are spending more time listening to music on our cellphones. Thus, there has been a movement from some companies to improve sound quality. Consequently, the digital-to-analog converters (DAC) on modern cellphones and laptops are getting better and better. The LG V30, with an ESS SABRE DAC ES9218P, being the prime example. Heck, […] The post Periodic Audio Nickel Headphone Amplifier Review appeared first on Audio Bacon.... - Music in Movies: JUDY11 July 2019, 8:19 pm
Judy Garland. Best known for her portrayal of Dorothy Gale in Wizard of OZ (1939) and ballad of “Over the Rainbow.” Not too many people realize how versatile Garland really was. Aside from dozens of films, she created one the greatest live recordings: Judy at Carnegie Hall. It went down on April 23, 1961 in […] The post Music in Movies: JUDY appeared first on Audio Bacon.... - McIntosh C53 Preamplifier with Next-Gen DA2 DAC10 July 2019, 2:00 pm
New C53 preamp unites digital and analogue (incl. turntables) devices, offering 16 inputs, a headphone output, eight-band EQ, plus McIntosh’s all-new DA2 High-Res DAC with HDMI (ARC) Binghamton, New York, USA, July 10th 2019: McIntosh, the global leader in prestigious home entertainment and ultimate-quality audio for 70 years, is proud to announce the C53 Preamplifier […] The post McIntosh C53 Preamplifier with Next-Gen DA2 DAC appeared first on Audio Bacon....
- Audioengine A2+ speakers – dynamite desktop duo15 July 2019, 1:47 am
REVIEW: Tiny they may be, but these Audioengine speakers pack a mighty punch.... - McIntosh C53… all the solid-state preamp you’ll need11 July 2019, 12:49 am
NEWS: Yes, yet another McIntosh product, this time with something totally new... the C53 preamp has a new digital audio module.... - NuForce BE Free6 earbuds… split them, share them10 July 2019, 1:57 am
NEWS: It's all about wireless connectivity now, and the NuForce BE Free6 earbuds do it with flair.... - Naim’s newest amps… the Supernait 3 and Nait XS 39 July 2019, 2:32 pm
NEWS: Naim's Supernait and Nait XS are back in third generation guise, sporting more features and upgraded power sections.... - Sony WF-1000XM3 buds… the commuter’s delight8 July 2019, 2:38 am
NEWS: Sony latest Sony WF-1000XM3 buds claim to achieve new levels of silences and sonics....
- Will An Audio-Technica AT-LP60 Turntable Damage Your Records?1 July 2019, 11:00 am
The Audio-Technica AT-LP60 is without doubt one of the best-selling budget turntables to date. But will it cause undue damage to your records? The post Will An Audio-Technica AT-LP60 Turntable Damage Your Records? appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - Repairing an Audio-Technica AT-LP60 With a Failed Motor1 July 2019, 10:59 am
A couple of years ago I tested a GPO Stylo which was at the time one of the cheapest turntables available on the market. It was suggested that I repeat the test with an Audio-Technica AT-Lp60, arguably one of the best-selling budget turntables. The post Repairing an Audio-Technica AT-LP60 With a Failed Motor appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - Yamaha HS-8 8″ Active Studio Monitor Speakers Reviewed25 June 2019, 11:47 am
If you can accommodate them, you’ll achieve excellent mixes which translate well to consumer devices and pro audio alike. The post Yamaha HS-8 8″ Active Studio Monitor Speakers Reviewed appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - Yamaha DSR 112/115/215/118W Active PA Loudspeakers Reviewed18 June 2019, 2:54 pm
Public address loudspeakers have remained aesthetically similar for decades and truth be told they’ve never been especially lightweight or portable. technological advancements, primarily in class D amplification, have at least reduced the racks of auxiliary equipment needed to run a speaker set to virtually zero. The post Yamaha DSR 112/115/215/118W Active PA Loudspeakers Reviewed appeared first on Audio Appraisal.... - Thorens TD-150, Rebuild & Modification Part Four13 June 2019, 9:00 am
A tale of two turntables continues. In part 4 we’ll wrap up the series with some final observations, build notes and listening tests. The post Thorens TD-150, Rebuild & Modification Part Four appeared first on Audio Appraisal....
- Home Recording Studio Review!The Mojave Audio MA-50Transformerless Microphone:“Entry Level Condenser Is QuiteA Transparency Over Achiever!"14 June 2019, 9:28 pm
... - EAN Audiophile Review!The KLH Kendall Tower3-Way Loudspeaker“Making Mr. Kloss Proud"24 March 2019, 8:52 pm
... - Home Theater Review!Paradigm Defiance X12 Subwoofer“15-inch Driver PerformanceFrom A 12-inch Subwoofer”4 March 2019, 2:24 pm
... - Audiophile Review!McGary Audio SA 1Stereo Tube Amplifier"The Little Tube Amp That Can"14 December 2018, 11:52 pm
... - Audiophile Review!Benchmark HPA4Headphone Amplifier/Line-Stage Preamplifier:"Precision Volume, Pure Transparency"31 July 2018, 5:28 pm
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- Audiophiles who love gear more than music, do they have a problem?16 July 2019, 10:58 am
... - A day in the life of a big shot audiophile reviewer, like Steve Guttenberg15 July 2019, 10:41 am
... - The best $500 or a lot less complete budget audio systems #audiophile14 July 2019, 11:16 am
... - Can you handle the truth about dynamic range compression?13 July 2019, 10:54 am
... - Blissed out with a Magnepan, Marantz, Bryston, and Garrard system12 July 2019, 10:32 am
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- REVIEW: DENON AVC-X6500H 11.2 CHANNEL AV SURROUND AMPLIFIER12 July 2019, 4:07 am
We loved Denon's AVC-X8500H AV Amplifier so much when we reviewed it last year, so we just had to get the X6500H smaller sibling in to see just how it compared to the behemoth.... - REVIEW: RUIPRO TRUE 4K FIBRE HDMI CABLE9 July 2019, 5:24 am
The increased popularity of 4K content has presented problems for many with HDMI cables, particularly over extended runs between a source and display device. RuiPro delivers an affordable HDMI cable solution.... - REVIEW: MEDIALIGHT BIAS LIGHTING9 July 2019, 2:58 am
A bias light is simply a light placed behind your television to reduce eye-strain and improve your TV's perceived contrast ratio. From as little as $99 it could be the most affordable upgrade you can make to your TV.... - BLU-RAY REVIEW: BATMAN 4K ULTRA HD5 July 2019, 4:29 am
Football, politics, and who was the greatest Batman - all the stuff of many heated dinner table conversations. I side with Christian Bale and Nolan’s vision of Batman.... - BLU-RAY REVIEW: AQUAMAN 4K ULTRA HD5 July 2019, 4:06 am
I think it's far from speculation to say that the DC movies haven't lived up to the hopes of audiences, or for that matter Warner Brothers. Regardless, there's an undeniable charm to the characters of the DC Universe....
- #MusicMonday: New Music Playlist Feat. Khruangbin + 15 Other Artists You Need To Hear!16 July 2019, 2:16 am
Here’s a #MusicMonday audiophile playlist of great sounding music you need to hear, including new music from psych-funk band Khruangbin plus 15 other songs! (TIDAL Music Stream below) Amazon: Khruangbin- HASTA EL CIELO (CON TODO EL MUNDO IN DUB) (Vinyl)... - Brainwavz B400 Quad Balanced Armature Earphones-Prime Day Deal: $70 Off!15 July 2019, 7:00 am
I already have a catch-all post for Prime Day audio deals, but this was such a great find, I had to give it its own post. Basically, starting July 15th 12:01am and ending July 21st 11:59pm (PST) you can get $70 bucks off one of the best sounding earphones under $200, bringing the price down to continue reading... - ICYMI: AudioQuest Does It Again With New DragonFly Cobalt USB DAC13 July 2019, 1:33 pm
A while back, AudioQuest turned the Headphone Amp/DAC game on its head with the DragonFly, a USB device that made it easy to get top-level sound out of your smartphone or computer. Not only that, but it also gave you a more powerful headphone output than the built-in jack on your devices allowing you to continue reading... - #NewMusicFriday…New Record Releases You Need To Hear feat. Yuna + 17 Other Artists!12 July 2019, 2:03 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. I also have a few albums from last week mixed in since I took off for the holiday…so here are my picks, including a new project from Malaysian R&B continue reading... - NAD VISO HP70 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphone In The House-First Impressions And Unboxing Pics!11 July 2019, 2:17 pm
NAD is known more for excellent budget amps than headphones, but the few models they have put out so far get high marks amongst audiophiles. Their cans are known best for a spacious open sound along with deep bass, and I’m assuming this will carry over to their VISO HP70 Wireless, which is their first continue reading...
- Rory Gallagher lives on..29 June 2019, 9:28 pm
... - Been a while...27 June 2019, 6:40 pm
... - Core Power Tech under new ownership - Underwood HiFi purchases assets18 February 2019, 11:43 pm
... - Crutchfield offer remote listening test option17 February 2019, 3:07 am
... - McIntosh slimming down and looking good.15 February 2019, 1:45 pm
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- Audioengine 512 Portable Bluetooth Speaker10 July 2019, 4:36 pm
Link to SpecificationsLet's face it, there are times when one's big audio system just doesn't work for the situation at hand. The small barbecue gathering on the deck/patio, the picnic in the park, laundry day, the list is endless. Enter the value of bluetooth speakers and their easy portability and instant sound. But, being honest, most small bluetooth speakers sound little better than the transistor radios of the 1970's.While Audioengine has been making bluetooth speakers for several... - Klipsch Forte III Speakers22 May 2019, 4:23 am
Link to Specifications My first experience with attempting to fill a large space with sound from home speakers, was my neighbor’s rec room built in the mid-seventies. The room was approximately 30 x 30 with 18ft ceiling. The first time I entered the space Elton John’s anthem “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” was on the turntable. But no matter how far we pushed the volume, the room swallowed the sound. If only the Klipsch Forte III’s had been in t... - Pathos Classic One mk. III18 April 2019, 3:15 am
SpecificationsThe Pathos Classic One mk. III was one of those pieces that I always thought it would be amazing to have. I first heard Pathos audio at a friend’s house and it was honestly the first time I thought I could live without separates! The Pathos piece I heard was the Logos, it sounded amazing but I’m not crazy about that whole giant stereo amp thing. It is a very cool looking piece, as almost all of the Pathos gear is. About a year after that encounter I w... - Peachtree Audio nova15018 April 2019, 3:15 am
SpecificationsTypically, I firmly believe in the mantra "If it works great, don't screw with it". When I first heard that Peachtree Audio went all version 2.0 on the audio community I took pause. Their nova125 and 220SE integrated amplifiers impressed me to no end with a top notch pairing of build quality and musical performance. Other than at the end of the 220SE review that I wrote for TONEAudio wistfully asking for a phonostage , I thought Peachtree had created a holy grail. After spending so... - Cherry Amplifier Maraschino Desktop Mono Amplifiers18 April 2019, 2:22 am
SpecificationsIn the audio industry there are a handful hyper-driven designers/engineers that are truly advancing the industry. One of them is Tommy O'Brien, founder of Digital Amplifier Company. Along with Andrew Jones for speakers and Nelson Pass with solid-state amplification, O'Brien is the resident leader in class D amplification. Since 1996, he has been designing digital amplification topology from scratch. I first heard of the Cherry lineup of amplifiers a decade ago thru one of my ...
- 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 […]...