Today's Home Audio Headlines

Brentwood, TN – July 24, 2014 – THIEL Audio (www.thielaudio.com) has announced today that as part of a complete brand revitalization plan, the company’s headquarters has been relocated to the Nashville, TN area and new ownership has appointed J…
- 2 days ago, 24 Jul 14, 9:41am -

For some audio hobbyists, there’s only one true path to audio nirvana. That path is often exceedingly narrow—loudspeakers with first-order crossovers, or single-ended triode amplifiers, or DACs without an oversampling filter, for examples. These…
- 2 days ago, 24 Jul 14, 8:28am -

Though other folks (including some on this very magazine) seem to think that we’ve just been marking time in high-end audio lately, building and rebuilding the same old things only with better parts and calling them “breakthroughs,” color me an…
- 2 days ago, 23 Jul 14, 1:17pm -

It’s been quite a few years, more than I might care to remember in fact, since a Balanced Audio Technology piece of equipment landed in my listening room. But since I’ve been something on a tube amp tear recently—the powerhouse VTL Siegfried wa…
- 4 days ago, 22 Jul 14, 8:06am -

Kazutoshi Yamada Zanden Audio System Company, Limited I studied electrical and electronic engineering at Osaka Prefecture University to understand the finest nuances of amplifier operation. Since founding Zanden Audio in 1980, I have devoted more tha…
- 4 days ago, 21 Jul 14, 2:37pm -

A preamplifier is the port of entry through which you gain access to the sources you've so carefully assembled. It's also the gate through which all of your music passes. So while its sonic performance is obviously critical, you'd also better assess…
- 9 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 3:23pm -

They spoiled all my fun.When I receive a product sample for review, I look forward to taking photos while I unpack the thing, as a guide to repacking for later on. This company provided an illustrated packing list—it was the first thing I sa…
- 9 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 3:06pm -

It seems like the Red Hot discs have been around forever, dutifully, as their longtime motto proclaims, “Fighting AIDS Through Popular Culture.” The shtick has always been simple and appealing: choose a songwriter like Cole Porter, a genre like…
- 10 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 2:14pm -

It is really funny how a simple thing like what hat I am wearing can affect everything I see and hear. When I used to wear my audio show "visitor" hat—only a few rooms had good sound and the equipment all seemed overpriced. When I wore my "exhib…
- 10 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 1:41pm -

Inspired by Watch Mr. Wizard, a children's science show that aired on American TV 1951–1965, loudspeaker designer Albert Von Schweikert brought his updated, all-ages loudspeaker installment to Orinda, CA last weekend. Presenting to members of th…
- 13 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:28am -

The allstars in the band's name refers to the fact that the Kasia Allstars are comprised of players from 5 different bands. They also happen to be from different ethnic groups with different musical traditions all from within the Democratic Republic…
- 19 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 5:10am -

Alpha DogThe new entry level Alpha line from Focal is meant to bring Focal quality to the discerning listener on a budget. I very favorably reviewed the more upscale Focal CMS 40 (see review) and the top of the line Solo6 Be (see review) so I was m…
- 2 days ago, 24 Jul 14, 4:24am -

IntroductionThe 3 products under review all deal with common issues encountered in USB computer audio. Most USB DACs require a 5 volt line (VBUS) in the USB cable to supply power to the USB controller in one’s DAC. Unfortunately, this power line f…
- 4 days ago, 22 Jul 14, 6:35am -

Photo Credit: OmniphoneFrom the Pono Kickstarter page:Omnifone was selected to power the PonoMusic store because of its award-winning cloud music platform and its industry-leading audio expertise and commitment to audio quality. Standing at 35 mi…
- 5 days ago, 21 Jul 14, 6:50am -

What is deepblue2? deepblue2 is a wireless Bluetooth speaker that houses a custom developed 440-watt amplifier, a long excursion 6.5-inch woofer, two 3" mid-range drivers, and two 1" soft-dome tweeters all wrapped up in a portable 1/2 cubic foot box.…
- 5 days ago, 21 Jul 14, 6:20am -

Hi All, Upgraded my BDP-105D to the latest firmware (April 2014, from memory) and it will now play the .dsf file I downloaded from Blue Coast,...
- 1 hour ago, 25 Jul 14, 10:42pm -

I am looking for the highest resolution PCM dac available. The best measured I have seen is around 22 bit. The way I know is the old 1/3 octave...
- 11 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 12:41pm -

Western Digital now offers harddrives of their RED series with 6TB and 5TB. I am running on a 15% level of free disk space on my Synology NAS...
- 12 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 12:30pm -

I bought this little headphone from my usual dealer in the U.K. It's small and plastic and you wouldn't expect a lot for the price, but it sounds...
- 13 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:04am -

I wasn't sure what forum to post this in, I hope General is appropriate - So, I'm one of those odd balls not using a Mac Mini for my music server....
- 13 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 10:37am -

Hi everybody,I'm new to the forum and I just ordered a pair of VR-33 too  When I spoke to Albert over the phone he sounded more excited about the 33 than me, I'm sure we will not regret this purchase Leo
- 39 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:27pm -

Equating finding differences between the sound of different wires with believing in the superiority of Tuning Fuses is painting with too broad a brush, IMO. Professional recording engineers have no time to waste on imaginary differences, and some of…
- 39 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:27pm -

The lawyers.
- 43 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:23pm -

Quote from: Captainhemo on Today at 05:05 amSupertramp    -    Breakfast In America   '79SamplesNice string of da 'tramp...
- 58 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:08pm -

James,Dialog is good but a poll along with it could give a quick picture of consumer interest.1.  Transport only2.  CD Player3.  CDP/DAC4.  Fuggitaboudit
- 1 hour ago, 25 Jul 14, 10:48pm -

 " So I think I have just sold my venerable Yamaha NS1000M speakers that I bought in..."
- 9 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:57pm -

 "I am looking  to sell/trade my mint condition IEM Hifiman RE 272 & Etymotic..."
- 19 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:47pm -

 "Aight, didn't find a thread dedicated to the newest gaming addiction Blizzard..."
- 46 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:20pm -

 "Hey guys!   I have a Schiit Valhalla 2 and Beyerdynamic DT990 Premium 250ohm..."
- 51 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:15pm -

 "Selling a Shure 535 clear version together with a the detault cable   Physical..."
- 1 hour ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:05pm -

Many associate the Ortofon name with its legacy of phono cartridges, but the company’s product line includes a multiple of analog accessories, including headshells, tonearms, and high-end cables. The 6NX-TSW1010 tonearm cable, like Ortofon’s car…
- 3 days ago, 22 Jul 14, 3:22pm -

What started as a one-off unit intended as a family birthday gift has blossomed into a full-fledged audio equipment manufacturer. Hong Kong’s Clones Audio now counts monoblocks and a DAC among its product roster, but its 25i amplifier ($865/€629)…
- 3 days ago, 22 Jul 14, 2:58pm -

As the starship Enterprise explodes while I’m watching Star Trek: Inception, it’s clear that these miniscule satellite speakers from Dali deliver big sound. Working in concert with the tiny Fazon Sub 1, which utilizes a 6.5-inch long-throw driver…
- 3 days ago, 22 Jul 14, 2:54pm -

Since I’m not much of a headphone guy, it takes something special for me to leave the comfort of my listening room and put a pair of cans on my head. Few ‘phones have ever given me big enough goosebumps to do so, and those that did have all been…
- 3 days ago, 22 Jul 14, 2:41pm -

During my recent trip to the Sterling Sound mastering studio in New York City, where I visited with senior mastering engineer Greg Calbi, I had the rare privileged of listening to the new Beatles’ Yesterday and Today from Calbi’s chair. An unco…
- 3 days ago, 22 Jul 14, 2:30pm -

For Audio Research, this 75-watt stereo amplifier represents a return to sonic form and to the basic circuitry design pioneered by the late Wm. Z. Johnson, one of the true artists of the high end...
- 5 Dec 13, 5:29am -

When I listen to these speakers I hear the music, and only the music, and there is really nothing more to say than that.
- 2 Dec 13, 1:12am -

The Wyetech Ruby STD is a hidden treasure for the analog music lover. We say hidden because if people heard this preamp, it would be the talk of the town...
- 25 Nov 13, 5:23am -

These amplifiers could never be considered an ordinary, run-of-the-mill, fly-by-night product. This is no impulse purchase to be sold on AudiogoN months later. If you buy these amps, you will keep them because you will love them...
- 21 Nov 13, 5:12am -

  In the professional audio industry the name Nagra is synonymous with precision. For over 50 years, Nagra has been an industry leader in developing analogue and digital...
- 23 Oct 13, 7:10am -

I was visiting a friend who subscribes to several streaming services, including, Beats, Googleplay, Gruvshark, and Rdio, all of which have bit rates of 320. He played a CD he recently downloaded, titled ‘Sounds’, featuring Shelly Manne on percuss…
- 4 days ago, 22 Jul 14, 5:31am -

Much like our Audiophilia Star Components, we are instituting an Audiophilia Star for recordings. Once again, no hard and fast rules, just an love affair between music, recording and reviewer. The list will grow over the years and our readers will b…
- 5 days ago, 21 Jul 14, 6:14am -

Creating a one off, great speaker is difficult. Creating a range, a family of great speakers is harder still. The basics of fine speaker design has to be there, of course, but an eye and especially an ear to tune a ‘house’ sound within boxes vari…
- 10 days ago, 16 Jul 14, 4:00am -

In recent months I’ve had the pleasure of listening to several excellent pairs of speaker jumper cables and have concluded they can significantly affect the sonic presentation. Not exactly a glamorous product that every reviewer wants to address, b…
- 12 days ago, 14 Jul 14, 5:00am -

I was waiting at the 34th Street Penn Station subway platform in Manhattan to head Uptown the other day, and I heard and saw two young African Americans playing drums using only plastic paint canisters to pound with their sticks and hands. The Africa…
- 15 days ago, 11 Jul 14, 6:00am -

Enjoy the Music.com and Kimber Kable have teamed up to give away their special Select series KS2416 USB cable!
- 19 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 4:45am -

McIntosh's MHA100 delivers immense speed and precision to enjoy music through headphones or speakers.
- 19 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 4:45am -

Legacy Audio handcrafts their new Silhouette 4.5" deep on-wall and in-wall loudspeaker design.
- 2 days ago, 24 Jul 14, 4:45am -

Hi-Fi World's September 2014 edition includes review of the Beatles Sessions, Graham Audio LS5/9 monitor, Sony SRS-X9 hi-res wireless speaker, Arcam FMJ AVR 750 AV receiver, Parasound Halo CD1 and more!
- 3 days ago, 23 Jul 14, 5:20am -

The Oppo PM-1 planar magnetic headphones are not only a great planar magnetic headphone, but a great headphone, period.
- 3 days ago, 23 Jul 14, 5:20am -

This website and domain are for sale. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to maintain the site with new content as family priorities require that I devote my time elsewhere. 30-Day Google Analytics: Visits – 3,631 Unique Visitors – 3,228 Pageviews…
- 6 Mar 14, 8:21am -

The AudioQuest DragonFly and the CEntrance DACPort have gained some rave reviews due to their portability and sound quality.  But if you’re like me and been holding off on one of those little USB DAC “dongles” because of their 96kHz sample…
- 11 Feb 13, 2:34pm -

I try to focus our reviews and articles on more affordable high quality audio – and for that reason don’t often get to talk about McIntosh Labs.  They make some amazing equipment that sounds great and lasts for decades and makes for a strong sec…
- 20 Jan 13, 4:10pm -

If you’ve ever purchased high-resolution albums from David and Normal Chesky’s ever expanding HDtracks, but were put off by their strange and quirky Java download manager, rejoice!  Released today, their new download manager is an installed app…
- 2 Jan 13, 5:08pm -

Some of you may be aware of the Sicphones project on Kickstarter that ran successfully this fall.  It was able to gain enough funding to produce somewhere around 100 headphone amplifier kits.  My box of parts arrived last week and I was finally abl…
- 31 Dec 12, 10:31am -

Hi all you vinyl lovers in Melbourne. I am heading down to Melbourne for three days and I'm contemplating throwing some crates (up to five) of 'vinyl' in for the trip to sell. At this stage I am seeking anyone interested in checking out what I'…
- 30 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:36pm -

Feeling more than a little sheepish about the hifi at the moment.Chances are some of the bands you or I play on our stereos couldn't afford to buy the speaker cables.http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/40086/Violent-Sohos-guitarist-went-from-ARIA-no…
- 38 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:28pm -

Item: ETI Quiessence Q500 Speaker Cables (2.5m Banana)Location: Epping, VictoriaPrice: $250 (offers welcome, and go easy lowballers, I'm a little battered by your recent efforts) Item Condition: Used but in Very Good conditionReason for selling: Too…
- 40 mins ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:26pm -

Not sure where to post this - moderators please move if required. I'd like to get a radio that handles all the above formats.  Does anyone know if such a unit exists?  It's to go in my kitchen/family area to replace a Bose Wave AM/FM radio which…
- 1 hour ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:00pm -

Loving a bargain, fixing stuff and DIY are strong personality traits of mine. So I've taken to searching out old records and bringing them back to life like a duck to water. There are many methods to use and choose, depending on the condition of the…
- 1 hour ago, 25 Jul 14, 10:51pm -

DTS has announced a new partnership between Fine Sounds Group that will allow McIntosh, Sonus Faber, and Wadia audio brands to integrate DTS Play-Fi technology into their consumer electronics products. Play-Fi is an advanced cross-platform wireless a…
- 14 hours ago, 25 Jul 14, 9:45am -

Denon has now provided further details on their new X4100W and X5200W A/V receivers. Both models will offer support for Dolby's new Atmos technology.
- 2 days ago, 24 Jul 14, 8:04am -

Klipsch has detailed its latest audio device, the R-10B soundbar (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B00M0SQM2U/panandscathed-20). The speaker system is part of the company's Reference unit strategy, which aims to deliver superior audio quality t…
- 3 days ago, 23 Jul 14, 10:14am -

FX has announced plans to bring 'The Simpsons' online by launching "Simpsons World." The upcoming digital experience will offer streaming options for all 25 seasons and 552 episodes of the beloved show.
- 4 days ago, 22 Jul 14, 6:28am -

MartinLogan has announced the addition of three more speakers to its Motion line. The Motion series has been designed to offer a more affordable alternative to the company's ultra-high-end electrostatic loudspeakers.
- 5 days ago, 21 Jul 14, 6:08am -

So which record cleaning machine should you buy? That's not so easy to answer. I've been loyal to one particular brand for more than 30 years, but that's not necessarily because I think they're the finest RCMs on the market…or even the finest machi…
- 9 days ago, 17 Jul 14, 6:21am -

Long ago I spent considerable time with the Audience design team listening, on multiple occasions; to the development of a multi-driver speaker creation intended to take-no-prisoners and drops a proverbial wake-up bomb on the audiophile world. Those…
- 9 days ago, 17 Jul 14, 6:21am -

Over many years I've endured hope and disappointment in the service of auditioning and evaluating loud speakers of virtually every sort. At a certain point one becomes braced for the worst or, at least, for the next version of "no cigar" in the proce…
- 9 days ago, 17 Jul 14, 6:21am -

This is a ground breaking review in more ways than one. To start with, this is the first Magico S5 speaker review using only analog recorded material. More to the point, it's my first review using the extraordinary VPI Classic Direct turntable and 12…
- 9 days ago, 17 Jul 14, 6:21am -

The Duelund Coherent Audio/Tannoy Westminster Royal Special Edition Project article I wrote for Issue 70 of Positive Feedback Online was the most fun I've had writing about audio ever!In that amazing project we took a 'no holds barred' approach to…
- 9 days ago, 17 Jul 14, 6:21am -

‘Under promise, over deliver’. That’s always been REDGUM Audio’s primary motto – at least that’s the way I see it. On the wooden face of it, their key-locking entry-level RGi35 (AU$1100) is a no frills integrated amplifier, proudly made i…
- 1 hour ago, 25 Jul 14, 11:00pm -

High, in your face. When Qobuz Hi-Fi streaming is handled by a smartphone with in-app offline listening cache the need to own lossless content is eroded. Money previously spent on download purchases can be re-directed into the subscription service it…
- 3 days ago, 22 Jul 14, 2:37pm -

“Hi John, Guess who is jumping into the crowd-funding pool? Giving you and a few others a little extra heads up on this. I know, I usually suck at sending out press releases. Here’s a sneak peek. Campaign goes live noon EDT Monday. ATB, Jon” Th…
- 6 days ago, 19 Jul 14, 8:30pm -

Do it yerself. For my interview, let’s. Q: How did you become a reviewer? A: I’m home-made. Having lived in the US when I started out, I had read all the usual suspects in the American hifi press. Reading a lot, one naturally gets influenced or p…
- 8 days ago, 17 Jul 14, 10:59pm -

Up until fairly recently, headphone listening has by and large been a factor of necessary convenience for me: earbuds on the train, a pair of Grados for late night listening in a shared house, a pair of Sennheiser so I could watch TV whilst my husban…
- 10 days ago, 15 Jul 14, 6:21pm -