Today's Home Audio Headlines

Affordable Rotel RB-1552 Mk II Power Amplifier$999 The RB-1552 Mk II is a handsome, purposeful 120Wpc Class AB stereo power amplifier that bristles with the holistic design and careful parts selection that have distinguished Rotel’s best amps throu…
- 13 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 10:13am -

Although we’re accustomed to thinking of the science of electricity as having a long history, the fact of it is that what we now know as electronics didn’t really exist until 1877, when Alexander Graham Bell and his partners established the world…
- 1 day ago, 4 Mar 15, 2:19pm -

The EL34 power pentode is a rare bird in the single-ended amplifier domain, which has been traditionally dominated by directly heated triodes. Of course, the Western Electric 300B is the 800-pound gorilla in the room when it comes to single-ended-tri…
- 2 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 11:55am -

SALINA, Kan., March 2, 2015 -- The dusty discovery of 13 vintage record presses used to manufacture vinyl albums has Chad Kassem, the owner of Quality Record Presses (QRP), singing a new tune. He had been combing the country for months in search of t…
- 3 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 8:22am -

SAN FRANCISCO (3/2/15) — Parasound has begun dealer shipments of its new high-end 2.1-channel integrated amplifier and digital audio converter. The Parasound Halo Integrated Amplifier combines powerful John Curl designed amplifier topology with a s…
- 3 days ago, 2 Mar 15, 10:57pm -

I've seen how most manufacturers work. They start out by making products they believe in—products consumers are likely to love. But after a while they begin listening to their dealers and distributors and marketing consultants, most of whom are…
- 7 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 4:21pm -

Founded in 1984, Boulder Amplifiers is a conservative audio company that goes quietly about its business, choosing not to call attention to itself with marketing flash or acronym-laden features. Change comes slowly to such companies, which is why the…
- 7 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 4:17pm -

"Smash and grab thieves," as Bay Area media are wont to call them, have hit Music Lovers Audio in San Francisco for the second time in a month. This time, at 4am on Wednesday, March 4, three thieves wearing bandanas or ski masks over their faces and…
- 18 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 5:19am -

Hi-fi is serious business—at least, for the people whose business is hi-fi. For listeners, among whom I count myself at least some of the time, I'd say that the serious-business aspect of hi-fi is less so. Our sole job, after all, is to enjoy mu…
- 2 days ago, 4 Mar 15, 9:38am -

I'm old enough to remember Fizzies: tablets that were promised to transform mere water into an effervescent soft drink. They showed up on my radar when I was five, at a time when impatience stood between me and the full Fizzies experience: I couldn't…
- 2 days ago, 4 Mar 15, 9:36am -

Out Of This GalaxyExo (out of this) + gal (galaxy). Exogal came to Earth in 2013, formed by four audio industry veterans, Jim Kinne, Larry Jacoby, Jeff Haagenstad, and Jan Larsen, "who worked for the some of the biggest names in the industry." From…
- 18 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 5:43am -

My latest column for Stereophile, Audio Streams, has just been put online. If you have the time, please give it a read. I talk about listening for pleasure and the audiophile experience in some detail including the apparently contentious notion that,…
- 2 days ago, 4 Mar 15, 9:46am -

TheLocal.se has reported that Jay Z's 464 million kronor bid ($56m) for Tidal has been rebuffed by over 10 percent of the minority owners of Wimp's parent company Aspiro.
- 2 days ago, 4 Mar 15, 9:35am -

Chad Kassem and the entire cast and crew are to be commended for bringing us this lovely concert. An annual event produced by Acoustic Sounds, Blues At The Crossroads brings together great blues musicians with blues music lovers in Salina, Kansas for…
- 2 days ago, 4 Mar 15, 6:36am -

The Resonessence Labs INVICTA Mirus DAC represents the state-of-the-art offering from this Canadian company. The Mirus is closely related to the Invicta DAC that Michael Lavorgna reviewed in May 2013 (see review). Michael presented an excellent revi…
- 3 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 5:09am -

I'm currently am using a iFi iDSD mico, and is a great item for sure, especially for the $$. It has been rock solid but am looking at the following...
- 5 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 6:56pm -

New member here and wondering if anyone can help. I've been using a 2010 Mac Mini server for which I had Vinnie make me a dual battery Black...
- 12 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 11:54am -

Hi all, This has probably been covered but I can't find the answer... A while back I ripped my CD collection to my desktop hard drive in the...
- 12 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 11:05am -

I was surprised to read about the care that must be taken when installing cat6 ethernet cable and wondered if any of these issues might apply to usb...
- 13 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 10:03am -

Help! I have the King Crimson Box Road to Red and the last #24 Blu-ray disc has no metadata to download. I can't seem to figure out what is what...
- 14 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 8:59am -

- 23 mins ago, 5 Mar 15, 11:03pm -

- 32 mins ago, 5 Mar 15, 10:54pm -

Hi Brooklyn and all AC members.Quote:You don't stop laughing because you get old.You get old because you stop laughing.Unquote.That being said:For the past 20 years on planet Vietnam with everything that fell on my head, a lot that is,if I did ...
- 34 mins ago, 5 Mar 15, 10:52pm -

Quote from: jimdgoulding on Today at 04:15 amThat's right.  That's right.  I know you can truck!  Happy for your lady, too.
- 51 mins ago, 5 Mar 15, 10:35pm -

Right now I have a B, B+ and just got the 2(no case/power supply) as I have a full B and B+ .
- 2 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 9:41pm -

 "For years, I've struggled with crappy umbrellas. Commonly they would break on me on one..."
- 48 mins ago, 5 Mar 15, 10:38pm -

 "Hi,   I am new here. I am planning to get an entry-level hi-fidelity portable..."
- 49 mins ago, 5 Mar 15, 10:37pm -

 "For feedback purposes. "
- 1 hour ago, 5 Mar 15, 10:26pm -

 "Decided to sell my Vincent. Really nice sounding tube hybrid amp. Upgraded Telefunken..."
- 1 hour ago, 5 Mar 15, 10:11pm -

 "Hey guys,   I'm looking to replace some old icemat Siberias that I liked a lot...."
- 1 hour ago, 5 Mar 15, 10:07pm -

Even if you’ve hopped on the streaming bandwagon, chances are you still have a pretty major collection of CD’s, digital downloads and ripped files, and they need to be backed up somewhere. The Q-Nap comes highly recommended by all of our more ner…
- 3 days ago, 2 Mar 15, 11:44am -

Initially trumpeted by critics as an Oscar contender and a thematic relative of the Oscar-winning directors/screenwriters’ smash O Brother Where Art Thou?, the Coen brothers’ 2013 film Inside Llewyn Davis failed to win over public interest. The s…
- 7 days ago, 26 Feb 15, 10:01pm -

As a dyed in the wool group of Apple enthusiasts, it’s tough to ignore the new Surface 3 Pro from Microsoft.  We can argue the Windows vs. Mac interface until we become exhausted, so let’s leave that out of it, shall we – that’s a great way…
- 10 days ago, 23 Feb 15, 8:30pm -

Listening to Bryan Ferry’s recent release through the T7, it hits me.  Bowers and Wilkins has finally outdone Apple.  The fit, finish, quality and packaging exceed everything I’ve come to know and love from the Cupertino giant. Like Apple, B&W…
- 10 days ago, 23 Feb 15, 8:20pm -

Dynaudio made a big splash with their wireless XEO speakers two years ago, but their engineering staff has not been sitting on their laurels.  The new second generation speakers feature more wireless bandwidth, better drivers and more extensive tuni…
- 25 days ago, 9 Feb 15, 10:09am -

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 -

Lately, I have been reviewing audio equipment for which very high end speaker cables (expensive, thick and heavy) are not necessary or practical. I am talking about integrated amps that weigh as little as 2.9 pounds and speakers that weigh as little…
- 3 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 8:09am -

London — March 3, 2015. Today, the British classical press and classical music fans went apoplectic. Yes, after weeks of a building wave, Sir Simon Rattle has accepted the position of Music Director of the renowned London Symphony Orchestra from 20…
- 3 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 6:50am -

Recently, while reviewing the Sprout by PS Audio, I borrowed a pair of Alta Audio’s new small Solo speakers to match with it, and discovered that they were a remarkable fit. Since then, I continued to be very impressed with the Solos as entry-level…
- 10 days ago, 23 Feb 15, 7:50pm -

Designed by famed Dane Cecilie Manz, the BeoLit 15 by Bang & Olufsen is a compact wireless speaker system with Bluetooth connectivity and ‘AirPlay’ support. It has an aluminum body featuring 4 active drivers and 2 passive bass radiators, driven b…
- 12 days ago, 21 Feb 15, 2:53pm -

Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 (1878/80 version)Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra/Manfred HoneckReference Recordings FR-713SACD (66:05)This is the third offering from Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck, his Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Reference R…
- 16 days ago, 17 Feb 15, 12:19pm -

Acoustic Sounds' Chad Kassem has discovered 13 vintage record presses used to manufacture vinyl albums for his Quality Record Pressings (QRP) company. With the resurgence in popularity of vinyl LPs, it is getting hard to find enough machines to produ…
- 2 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 2:55pm -

Parasound Halo Integrated Amplifier ($2495), originally announced during CES 2015, is now shipping. Parasound's new high-end 2.1-channel Halo Integrated Amplifier includes a 384kHz/32-bit and native DSD256 DAC for digital input plus MM/MC phonostage.…
- 2 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 1:11pm -

OPPO has just released their PM-3 closed-back planar magnetic headphones ($399). The OPPO PM-3 combines audiophile performance, elegant styling, and noise isolation at a reasonable price. These portable lightweight planar magnetic headphones weigh a…
- 3 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 3:12am -

According to a recent survey by the World Health Organization (WHO), the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system, one billion people are at risk of hearing loss. Some 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are…
- 4 days ago, 2 Mar 15, 1:42am -

Editor and Creative Director of Enjoy the Music.com, Steven R. Rochlin, traveled to Singapore and was the first reviewer in the world to have the ability to provide an in-depth review of Sony's Android-based NW-ZX2 portable media player. The high fid…
- 5 days ago, 28 Feb 15, 8:18pm -

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 -

I am looking to purchase either one of the above (Plinius SA-201 or Plinius SA-102 or Plinius Hiato) Prefer in Melbourne, pay cash and pickup. Let me know if you have one. Thanks
- 2 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 9:40pm -

I am heading to this festival tomorrow morning, I went last year and it was absolutely amazing ...I will provide a report upon return!and here is a video of last year's festival with some good shots of the setting ...https://www.youtube.com/embed…
- 2 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 9:13pm -

Hi All, I currently have a Benchmark DAC1 which I've been very happy with but need to get a second DAC and I'm tossing up between Benchmark DAC2 or Grace m920, both about the same price $2500-$3000. Has anyone done an audio comparison between t…
- 3 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 7:57pm -

Hi all, As part of my home theater build, have decided to go for 3 way actives for front LCR… so, need to build 9 power amps for fronts and 8 amps for surrounds… to pair up with my Sherbourn PT-7020A pre/pro.I needed something as easy, but mo…
- 4 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 7:26pm -

These speakers are a pleasure to listen to, I've had them for around 2 years and they're just as shiny as they day they came out of the box. Unfortunately since then I have moved to a smaller room and thus require smaller speakers. Will trade f…
- 4 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 7:03pm -

Sony has detailed its latest Bluetooth audio product. The BSP60 Smart Bluetooth Speaker is a compact voice controlled audio device capable of carrying out scheduling tasks and playing music.
- 2 days ago, 4 Mar 15, 6:50am -

Lenovo has announced the addition of two new Android tablets to its product lineup at the Mobile World Congress. The TAB 2 A10 and the TAB 2 A8 both offer affordable prices and robust entertainment features.
- 2 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 12:12pm -

"Dolby and Jaunt Are Bringing Dolby Atmos to Cinematic VR via Google Play" - Now that's a buzzword filled title if there ever was one, but there's more to this than just buzzwords. Jaunt, one of the more established content developers in the VR space…
- 7 days ago, 27 Feb 15, 9:09am -

LG has detailed its latest plan for premium display sales. The company's dual strategy includes a new lineup of OLED and ColorPrime 4K TVs.
- 9 days ago, 25 Feb 15, 9:18am -

Bryston Ltd (http://www.bryston.com), the long-standing Canadian firm, is one of the audio companies I respect most. Their products are produced from a true engineering standpoint, with real world pricing, and backed with standard-setting service and…
- 10 days ago, 23 Feb 15, 2:23pm -

I've really had a lot of fun listening to vintage McIntosh vacuum tube audio electronics in my hi-fi system over the last year. The McIntosh MX110Z tuner/preamplifier, the MC30 monaural amplifiers, and the MC225 and MC240 stereo amplifiers were avail…
- 38 days ago, 26 Jan 15, 12:02pm -

I've only tried two DSD-compatible DACs, the Mytek and the Ayre, and in both cases found the DSD files to sound a little "glossy" or too smoothed-over in comparison to the high-resolution PCM files that I have. I wondered if what I was hearing was ac…
- 38 days ago, 26 Jan 15, 12:02pm -

What, if any, are the downsides to the Silencer? First, the unit now has a much larger footprint and takes up more acreage than the stock unit. Second, sometimes there's slightly more "buffeting" of the LP during the drying process but certainly noth…
- 38 days ago, 26 Jan 15, 12:02pm -

I stopped writing about equipment quite some time ago. I blamed it on a number of things that were absolutely true … old man, heavy boxes; crazy distributors, the clamor of other things in my life. While this was the truth, it wasn't the whole trut…
- 38 days ago, 26 Jan 15, 12:02pm -

The No32 was an exceptional piece of audio equipment (machine). A two-chassis preamplifier, it literally changed the rules of the game. Previous Levinson preamplifier, the No28, followed the division that had been commonly known and widely used in th…
- 38 days ago, 26 Jan 15, 12:02pm -

2007. That was the year I switched from a Windows laptop to a Macbook. Just as Windows users began wincing their way through Vista, I jumped from XP to OS X Tiger, foraging Finder for files, surfing Safari across the web (which would quickly be…
- 8 hours ago, 5 Mar 15, 3:27pm -

A merchant isn’t judged solely by the product that it sells or by the method with which it is sold. After-sales support and service also matter, particularly when things go wrong. With a high-street dealer there’s a store to revisit whilst cli…
- 2 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 4:00pm -

The sound of business. The David Byrne song of the same name made it to the first 6moonbeams playlist for a reason. Diana Krall, Patricia Barber, Jazz at the Pawnshop, “Keith Don’t Go” and Dark Side Of The Moon – they’re the sound of busi…
- 2 days ago, 3 Mar 15, 3:51pm -

Is PS Audio’s Paul McGowan the Steve Jobs of American hi-fi? Not only does he like to ‘think different’ but also he knows how to spin his products’ points of difference with marketing verbiage that’s more commonly found in the world of con…
- 3 days ago, 2 Mar 15, 3:51pm -

Do enjoy the music you hear at audio shows? In the main, I do not. My tastes are more closely aligned with FactMag and The Quietus than Just Jazz Guitar or Gramophone. Not every audiophile subsists on a diet of Jazz At The Pawnshop or Harry Belafon…
- 5 days ago, 28 Feb 15, 9:27pm -