The Musings of one David Michael Blumenstein, audiophile, bon-vivant, world-traveler Some of my perspectives on the industry, any one or all of which I can expound upon in person: December 7th, 1941, a day that shall live in infamy, but not the only day that the Japanese hit our shores. July 1st, 1979, Sony introduced […]

When I worked as a Certified Public Accountant, I would return to my office tired and stressed after a long day spent at a client’s office. The best way for me to relax was to listen to my office stereo playing music. I installed a stereo system featuring a pair of Magnepan MMG (Mini Magnepans) […]

Introduction – Audio Note U.K. re-thinks the venerable Western Electric 300B Many of you will be familiar with Audio Note (U.K.) and their plethora of tubed products. While these products, at least for me, represent the pinnacle of what can be achieved through thoughtful design and scrupulous choice of parts for their sonics when cost […]

My first encounter with Paradigm was in 1992, about ten years after the company made its start just outside of Toronto, Canada. I wanted an inexpensive but decent sounding pair of bookshelf speakers for a second system that would go in a bonus room office above the garage. So I did what audiophiles usually did […]

Publisher’s note: The Reviewer used all listed equipment and is not affiliated with the manufacturing or retail segments of the industry.  

The opportunity to review Roger Sanders’ products practically came overnight when a local audiophile called and said his demo period was over and Roger had agreed the Magtech Mono Amplifiers could be hauled to my place. An extended listening proved them worthy of public comment. This is a somewhat abbreviated article in which I forego […]

I will start this review with a big dose of reality. The Audio Note AN-E/SPx AlNiCo speakers are clearly not for most readers reading this review. This is a two-way loudspeaker with an 1-inch silk dome tweeter and an 8-inch woofer. It isn’t ten feet tall, doesn’t have beryllium or diamond or electrostatic tweeters, nor […]

“It was a tight little band, just a family of bad little boys, with Bunny the worst of all . . . Oh it was a mad ball.”   — Trombonist Ray Conniff recalling the Berigan Orchestra Bunny Berigan (1908-1942) was best known for his hit recording of “I Can’t Get Started” on which he sang and […]

I have always enjoyed attending the California Audio Show and feel it is worth the drive to Northern California to attend as much as I can. This year I had the opportunity to listen to a number of products that are not sold by my local retailers or are available only direct from the manufacturer. […]

A Tasty Alternative The Orchard Audio PecanPi DAC/Streamer is, as one would surmise from the name, built and designed upon the Raspberry Pi architecture: A Raspberry Pi 3B and a Raspberry Pi DAC all in a neat and attractive chassis. Numerous readers and followers online have been asking me to explore such designs as this, […]

Also read 2019 CAS Report by Richard Austen, Part 1   Part 2 of my show report consists of normal sized hotel rooms.  I will not be mentioning the prices of the associated components or every piece of gear in the room.  For more details follow this link to each room with their price list  […]

Rewind a bit…if your reaction to the title of this article was, “English, please,” then I should take some time to explain. The rest of you can head on down to the section, “This thing is hot!” If you’re still with me, I’ll discuss the title from right to left, starting with “Transport.” For many […]

Years after selling them, I still wonder occasionally how could I have divested my pair of Wells Audio Innamorata amplifiers. At the time it seemed necessary, as I was making a purchase of some speakers. Over time, as I continue to review components, I recall how many gorgeous systems I made with those amps, and […]

Read Dynamic Women of Early Jazz and Classic Blues, Pt 1   Concealed in the shadows of early Jazz and Blues history are dynamic and accomplished women who nurtured, guided and developed the music.  In this column are profiles of Ethel Waters, who was the most popular female singer in America around 1930; accomplished jazz […]

Read Audiophile on the Generational Edge, Part 1: An Interview with Aaron Sherrick of “Now Listen Here” It was mentioned that the Sherricks were not to be split up, and, as such here is her interview providing personal and unique perspectives on the hobby and the industry that is Hi-Fi. DB: Jessica, what is it […]

I am a lifetime member of the Los Angeles Orange County Audio Society and their monthly meetings give the members opportunities to be introduced to some great sounding lesser known audio components. This was the case one Saturday afternoon in March, 2019, when our meeting was held at High End by Oz in Westwood, CA. […]

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Manfred Honeck, conductor I. Feierlich – misterioso 25:06 II. Scherzo – bewegt – lebhaft 10:20 III. Adagio – langsam – feierlich 27:46 Three Other Recordings I. Feierlich – misterioso II. Scherzo – bewegt – lebhaft III. Adagio – langsam – feierlich Abbado (Live at Lucern) 24 bits/48 KHz 26:47 11:03 25:09   […]

As Dagogo’s International Correspondent, I have made my way around the world of Hi-Fi figuratively and literally. Whenever I travel, I try my best to attend Hi-Fi shows, visit Hi-Fi and/or record shops to obtain a first-hand look and feel as to what’s going on out there in Hi-Fi world as both a hobbyist and […]

For Dagogo readers still spinning discs or streaming audio through a Mac Mini or similar, this article is for you. It is also for those who have tried various power conditioning devices and found them lacking. If you find it hard to believe that an Ethernet cable can confer a particular sound to an audio […]

Personal Bias I firmly believe everyone connected to the audio business or who is a HiFi hobbyist has personal biases as they relate to amps, speakers, DACs, turntables or cartridge design.  I most assuredly am not immune to these biases. Although my current primary amplifier is a 200W per channel Arcam Sliding Bias Class “A” […]

Concealed in the shadows of Jazz, Swing and Blues history are dynamic women who nurtured, guided and developed the music.  In this column, several of the most talented and accomplished are profiled: Blanche Calloway — who was the first woman to lead an all-male jazz band — “Empress of the Blues” Bessie Smith; and Ina […]

Grover Neville: Early 20’s, graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Professional Musician and Recording Engineer, and, most importantly, an aspiring audiophile. David Blumenstein, Dagogo’s International Correspondent, requested that I author a piece detailing, exploring and examining my experiences in the audio industry. I admit to being simultaneously excited and just a wee bit trepidatious. I […]

The appearance of the Valor Speaker System as a new flagship product for Legacy was especially exciting for me as it incorporated some new design elements that Bill Dudleston had been working on for some time. This was the first time a multi-driver concentric design had been released by Legacy Audio. As Bill is widely […]

I was pleased again to cover the California Audio Show for 2019. The last time I covered the show was 2017 and due to scheduling issues I missed the first day of the show and thus was unable to spend much time in each room. This year I had the opportunity to cover each room. […]

The 2019 California Audio Show, “CAS9” as it unfolded, as it was and is destined to be in its past, present and future incarnations. CAS shall always be an intimate affair, not by design, not as artifice, but by its very core principles. It truly is a family affair. All one need do is look […]

Zesto Audio shines again in every category.  The sinuous beauty of their industrial design consistently blends yin and yang with dazzling élan. Through Joseph Audio speakers with Tchaikovsky playing from vinyl, Zesto’s glorious electronics display exemplary dynamics.  The overall sound is engaging and enveloping with reliable placement cues and strong ambience retrieval.   Tiny size […]

It had been several years since I attended the California Audio Show, as a particular Midwest show has grown quite large and I can attend without having to fly and stay in a hotel. However, Constantine Soo, Publisher of Dagogo.com and the producer of the CAS, was keen on having many of his reviewers present […]

California Audio Show 2019 Oakland Hilton Airport July 26th through July 28th, 2019 Produced by Dagogo California Audio Show 2019 took place at the Hilton Oakland Airport July 26th through July 28th, 2019 and judging by the packed rooms and hallways it was an astounding success.  I have enjoyed attending many California Audio Shows as […]

I was honored by Constantine Soo, Publisher of Dagogo.com, to jointly moderate with him a Q&A seminar with Dr. Roger West of Sound Lab, which has produced distinctive electrostatic speakers since 1978. It was an honor, since the speakers are legendary, and I had the pleasure of reviewing for Dagogo the Ulitmate 545 last year. […]

IN MEMORIAM JEREMY KIPNIS 1965 – 2019 The audio industry mourns the passing of Jeremy Kipnis, member of the press for EnjoyTheMusic.com, The High Fidelity Report, Positive Feedback, Theo’s Roundtable and Widescreen Review. Jeremy was also the record producer at Epiphany Recordings Ltd. and CEO at Kipnis Studio Standard. Jeremy is survived by his wife, […]