“What does that speaker sound like?” It’s such a common question among audiophiles that we never stop to think about what it means. When asking that question, we expect a capsule description of the speaker’s strengths and weaknesses, accomp… - 9 hours ago, 25 Jun 19, 4:21am -
“Ker-chunk!” went the 132-pound package as it plummeted out of the FedEx truck and crashed onto the pavement in front of my house. “@#$%^&*!” went yours truly, contemplating the fate of the very expensive tubes within that package. That was… - 1 day ago, 24 Jun 19, 4:06am -
Going on a century ago, in the early 1920s, C. W. Rice and E.W. Kellogg began work at General Electric on how to use electricity to generate sound for reproduction of music. They considered seriously two possibilities, the electro-magnetically driv… - 4 days ago, 21 Jun 19, 8:40am -
There are people on this planet that, though they walk with one foot in front of the other just like the rest of us, are in important respects nothing like the rest of us—they are gifts. In early 2018, I was fortunate to finally see my favorite p… - 4 days ago, 21 Jun 19, 8:31am -
Southern California has an audio show problem. It’s not new, and it’s not clear why. Perhaps it’s the slow-burn of internecine rivalries, sketchy venue selection and promotion (remember LAX?), or just plain bad luck. In any case it shouldn’… - 5 days ago, 20 Jun 19, 11:03am -
Lithuanian conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla's (b. 1986) rendition of Polish-Jewish composer Mieczysław Weinberg's (1919–1996) final symphony, which is dedicated "to the memory of those who were murdered in the Warsaw Ghetto," has all the earmarks… - 3 days ago, 22 Jun 19, 8:13am -
Mark Levinson isn't known as a budget brand, and most people would not consider $8500 a budget price for anything short of a new car. One could argue, though, that Levinson's new No.5805 integrated amplifier ($8500 with DAC and phono stage) is a budg… - 5 days ago, 20 Jun 19, 10:38am -
Common Wave Hi-Fi is proud to host John Devore for the North American debut of his long awaited Orangutan Reference speaker system.Wed, 06/19/2019 - 6 days ago, 19 Jun 19, 7:45pm -
Stereophile's first change in editorial leadership in 33 years calls for a restatement of the magazine's core principles.Stereophile was founded in 1962 by J. Gordon Holt, on the premise that the best way to review an audio component is to listen t… - 7 days ago, 18 Jun 19, 10:43am -
This was another show that put the human back into high-fidelity for me. How? For starters it was the more approachable size of the venue and the fact that I connected with so many old friends and met so many new ones. This hobby is like that – whe… - 1 day ago, 24 Jun 19, 9:41am -
I’ve discovered over the years at hi-fi shows that there’s an inviolate gravitional pull into a room when you see the hosts are using gear you own. - 4 days ago, 21 Jun 19, 11:12am -
Some demonstrations at hi-fi shows are politely interesting, some are confusing and some are eye (ear) opening. It all depends on your particular bent to sound and whether you’re open to having an open mind – not something many audiophiles I’ve… - 6 days ago, 19 Jun 19, 9:55am -
Sometimes you walk into a room and you just know you’re going to be impressed by the sound of the high-fidelity equipment curated for listening. - 7 days ago, 18 Jun 19, 1:20pm -
While I have been an audiophile since the mid 1980’s, I did not make the leap to computer based audio until 2013. It was at that time that I purchased a Mac Book and a hard drive, downloaded Audirvana and began to rip my favorite CDs. I had ple… - 1 day ago, 24 Jun 19, 8:14am -
We’re spoiled rotten! Audiophiles have a wealth of riches at our beck and call, many of which deliver performance within a hard drive’s throw of the best you can get for far less than the cost of traditional top tier products. If you’re… - 5 days ago, 20 Jun 19, 9:36am -
Audiophile Style's Danny Kaey has a very busy day job with Apple and he actually has a life, unlike some of us who eat, sleep, and breathe HiFi. In other words, please excuse the late but much appreciated and unique video reports from Danny. En… - 8 days ago, 17 Jun 19, 10:53am -
My previous headphone reviews here at Audiophile Style looked at two upper-tier consumer closed-back cans, the Sennheiser HD820 (U.S. MSRP of $2,399) and the Focal Elegia (U.S. MSRP of $900). A common theme in those reviews was the difficulty of… - 13 days ago, 12 Jun 19, 8:18am -
In news only tangentially interesting to most people and very interesting to Radiohead fans, the band's singer Thom Yorke had his archive of MiniDiscs stolen. The criminal(s) demanded £150,000 for the return of the archive or said it would be re… - 14 days ago, 11 Jun 19, 9:43am -
Mood is key for good listening no argument there. However steady voltage and clean power is key to best performance. Started with one dedicated line which improved sound. Added a power conditioner and better yet. Then went to four 20A dedicated… - 11 mins ago, 25 Jun 19, 12:40pm -
I was thinking of something along the lines of mass loaded vinyl (MLV). It's used in underlayment and appliance panels, and is rigid enough to support a driver. It has one of the highest soundproofing coefficients so it would be effective in reason… - 31 mins ago, 25 Jun 19, 12:20pm -
I have a Parasound Zamp v3 for $120 for anyone interested in completing the set. https://www.parasound.com/zamp-v3.php - 32 mins ago, 25 Jun 19, 12:19pm -
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 lur… - 14 hours ago, 24 Jun 19, 11:14pm -
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 br… - 3 days ago, 22 Jun 19, 1:33am -
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… - 6 days ago, 19 Jun 19, 9:50am -
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… - 14 days ago, 11 Jun 19, 11:52pm -
The first time I drove an Aston Martin, it was an otherworldly experience. The sheer opulence of the car was equally matched by the performance, providing a feel in a sporting car like no other. Yes, a geeked out Subaru STi is just as fast, but the s… - 14 days ago, 11 Jun 19, 9:31pm -
Part-Time AudiophilePianist Joanna Duda’s Keen (CD on Amazon) is described as “an electro-acoustic collage composed of long-maturing layers of prepared acoustics,” and that might prepare you somewhat for the sounds you are about to hear. I we… - 11 hours ago, 25 Jun 19, 2:00am -
Part-Time AudiophileWalking into the mbl loudspeakers room at T.H.E. Show 2019 did bring back a lot of memories, back to the days when I first started exhibiting at high-end audio shows with Colleen Cardas for our erstwhile distribution company, CCI… - 1 day ago, 24 Jun 19, 8:00am -
Part-Time AudiophileI’ve known Peter Noerbaek of PBN Audio forever–he’s one of those guys I see at audio shows and I always find time to stop and talk to him because we’re both vinyl guys, and I love the approach he takes with his turntable… - 2 days ago, 23 Jun 19, 6:00am -
Part-Time AudiophileIf you’ve been reading my stuff for a while, especially the original Vinyl Anachronist column for Perfect Sound Forever, you probably know of my fondness for Gene Rubin of Gene Rubin Audio in Ventura, California. I’m generall… - 2 days ago, 23 Jun 19, 6:00am -
Situated next door to Toronto’s foremost high end store, American Sound of Canada, is the new boutique Audio Solutions by Design. The boutique is the brainchild of Angie Lisi, owner of both stores and purveyor of the best in high-end audio gear.… - 2 days ago, 23 Jun 19, 7:31am -
Recently, I was in the market for a pair of new mini-monitor loudspeakers. A power amplifier malfunction damaged my last pair—both woofers of my KEF Cresta 1 mini speakers. The speakers were used primarily for my office system, powered by a vint… - 7 days ago, 18 Jun 19, 9:32am -
It would be instructive before reading my thoughts about the L2 phono stage module to read the full line stage review of the Vinnie Rossi L2 Signature Preamplifier.Skinny audio seems to be all the rage these days. Fewer boxes, smaller boxes, few… - 11 days ago, 14 Jun 19, 5:09am -
Oh my, what do we have here? A full featured preamplifier from Holden, Massachusetts’ Vinnie Rossi, replete with live easy modules for digital and vinyl. And it’s not only a standard tube preamp, but one of the few starring the grail of sonic… - 18 days ago, 7 Jun 19, 5:49am -
I’d like to thank Hummingbird Media and Katie Kailus in particular for getting me a set of PXC 550s so quickly. This enabled me to do a shootout of sorts with Master & Dynamic’s new MW65 wireless set and to use the Sennheisers in the ultimate… - 26 days ago, 30 May 19, 10:11am -
This issue of STEREO magazine features audio news, HIGH END 2019 show report, and reviews of the Canton Smart Vento 9 power amplifiers that deliver a combined 600 Watts, Clearaudio Innovation Compact and radial (Tracer) versus tangential (TT5) tonear… - 5 hours ago, 25 Jun 19, 8:17am -
For many hi-fi fans, the new retro looking Luxman tube-duo is guaranteed to be love at first sight. What about first listen? STEREO is testing whether the CL-38uC preamplifier and the MQ-88uC power amplifier will please nostalgic types in particular… - 1 day ago, 24 Jun 19, 11:36am -
EnjoyTheMusic.com is honored to join with Vanatoo for our June 2019 contest. The Transparent One Encore (T1E, $599) series of wireless powered speakers from Vanatoo is your solution for high quality music, movie, and game playback without all of the… - 1 day ago, 24 Jun 19, 7:58am -
Pro-Ject Audio Systems' new X2 turntable ($1599) is their heavyweight, high-end vinyl record player system that replaces their 2Xperience SB. Pro-Ject's X2 takes the same enhancements as the latest generation X1 record player and improves on those te… - 1 day ago, 24 Jun 19, 7:53am -
The Aric Audio Alpha 300B Push Pull Amplifier is the creation of Aric Kimball, of Aric Audio. Aric Kimball builds this wonderful tube amplifier (as well as other high-end audio products) in rural New England. That's rural New England, as in America.… - 6 days ago, 19 Jun 19, 9:25am -
Item: Richter Wizard MK1s, original boxes and stands Location:Brisbane QLD Price: $350 Item Condition:Excellent. Rarely used. The only thing in less than perfect condition is one of the stands (pictured) Reason for selling:Just bought a house… - 11 hours ago, 25 Jun 19, 2:08am -
Item: Dali Opticon 8 Black Location: Canberra Price: $2500 Item Condition: 9.5/10 Reason for selling: Upgraded (Also Dali) Payment Method: Pickup - Cash Extra Info: I rate these as 9.5/10. Closest to an issue is dusty hand print on the to… - 15 hours ago, 24 Jun 19, 10:08pm -
There is one thing that all high end audio components require to function as a system, and that is signal and power cables. No getting around it. Of course, there is no market segment more controversial than audiophile cabling. This is partially due… - 22 Mar 17, 1:45pm -
Multi-function powered speakers are all the rage in 2017, and no other company has been more at the forefront than Read more... (http://www.avrev.com/home-theater-loudspeakers/bookshelf-monitor-loudspeakers/audioengine-hd3-powered-speakers-dac-review… - 6 Feb 17, 8:02pm -
A lot of excellent HiFi products are designed and produced in Australia, and none more than Conductor DAC/Preamp and Timekeeper power amp combo (home-theater-power-amplifiers/stereo-amplifiers/the-burson-conductor-timekeeper-review.html) sometime ago… - 24 Jan 17, 9:10am -
Sony has detailed the latest additions to its EXTRA BASS Wireless Speaker Series. The new models include the SRS-XB40, SRS-XB30, SRS-XB20, and SRS-XB10.Read more... (http://www.avrev.com/home-theater-news/speaker-systems-news/sony-details-new-extr… - 24 Jan 17, 9:02am -
Hulu and Magnolia Pictures have announced a new output licensing agreement. As part of the deal, Hulu will receive the pay one window streaming rights to films released by the distributor.Read more... (http://www.avrev.com/home-theater-news/indust… - 24 Jan 17, 8:58am -
Meze Audio first received its true breakthrough in 2015 with the release of the well-received 99 Classics, which had earned the company many awards and recognition. Part of their appeal stemmed from budget-friendly creations that married comfort, aes… - 23 hours ago, 24 Jun 19, 1:49pm -
Austin, Texas based Audioengine recently introduced the 512 Portable Wireless Speaker. My thanks to them for sending a sample to review. The 512 is a handsome product, with a high quality feel. And it is small; a mere 3" deep x 3" high x 7.75" wide,… - 4 days ago, 21 Jun 19, 1:33pm -
Continuing our coverage of T.H.E. Show, photos by Dave Clark, words by me, additional words by Dave as noted. Arion Audio, The Apollo System loudspeaker. Arion Audio LS-200 Line-stage, HS-500 amplifier. Chang Lightspeed powerline filters. Wilf Audio… - 5 days ago, 20 Jun 19, 12:20pm -
Continuing our coverage of T.H.E. Show, photos by Dave Clark, words by me, additional words by Dave as noted. Sanders Sound System. This room insisted, "No pictures!" Okay... Esoteric: Grandioso P1X transport, Grandioso D1X monoblock DAC, N-03T netwo… - 5 days ago, 20 Jun 19, 12:13pm -
Continuing our coverage of T.H.E. Show, photos by Dave Clark, words by me, additional words by Dave as noted. Klaus Bunge of Odyssey Audio with Magnan Cables, Symphonic Line, VPI. Klaus had a lot to say regarding the system. Blue Light Audio / The Au… - 6 days ago, 19 Jun 19, 5:19pm -
There is no shortage of music servers, streaming players, and other such devices on the market today. It’s a booming category which I’ve seen go from relative niche to mainstream in a rather short time – no surprise given that standard PC or Ma… - 9 hours ago, 25 Jun 19, 3:43am -
A new version of the Raspberry Pi small board computer (SBC), announced today, brings with it some hefty hardware changes whilst holding the asking price to US$35. Version 4 (Model B) of the world’s most well-known and widely adopted SBC kicks the… - 1 day ago, 24 Jun 19, 4:26am -
SBC. Small board computer. The most well-known is the Raspberry Pi, deployed in the audiophile world as a network bridge that, with the appropriate operating system loaded onto its microSD card, adds Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, UPnP, Squeezebox and… - 2 days ago, 23 Jun 19, 3:09am -
Audiophiles or hi-fi enthusiasts work a small societal niche where it is easy to forget that not all of us think or act the same way. We might assume that every audiophile worth his/her salt will have attended an audio show in the last ten years. Not… - 5 days ago, 20 Jun 19, 1:57am -
I woke from a nightmare. I was sat, alone in a room, a pair of 2m-tall floorstanding loudspeakers bearing down on me with all the force of “Tin Pan Alley”; snaking from the car engine-sized monoblock amplifiers that internally flanked each loudsp… - 6 days ago, 19 Jun 19, 1:41am -
