My fourth RMAF was the first one where I did nothing else but attend the show. Usually, I combine the trip with some vacation time, but this year all my time was spent at the show or with friends. This one difference turned out to be quite a learning experience. I believe I enjoyed this […]

Laurence Borden: Joël, welcome to Dagogo. Please begin by telling us about your extensive musical background. Joël François Durand: Thank you for the invitation! I’ve been composing for more than 35 years. I studied piano as a child, then moved on to composition, which I studied first in Paris, France, then in Germany (Freiburg); finally, […]

After reviewing the TBI Audio Systems Magellan VIII xu subwoofer and MGD-200 subwoofer amplifier, I requested TBI’s powered subwoofer to review in my “Digital Music and Video System”. My sources in this system are a Marantz Blu-Ray player, a Direct TV high-definition satellite box, and a computer-based system, all of which are plugged into a […]

I met Dave Belles, owner and designer of Power Modules, at AXPONA earlier this year in Atlanta. Mr. Belles is not exactly an unknown in the audiophile world. He has been designing amplifiers for over 30 years, beginning with the Belles ‘A’ Class A power amplifier. Today’s extensive line-up of Power Modules consists both of […]

  You may have read my review of the very excellent Linn Akurate DS digital streamer/DAC, Akurate Kontrol preamp and 4200 amp in the June 2011 edition of Dagogo. I liked the components very much – especially the Akurate DS, which proved to be a fabulous digital front end. I had reluctantly removed the Linn […]

What’s Old is New Again The function of a turntable is conceptually simple to describe: Allow the cartridge and arm to accurately transduce the information contained within a record’s grooves. The means to accomplish this are similarly simple to describe; the turntable will: (1) spin the platter at a carefully regulated speed, (2) not inject […]

The Frustration of Power Cords and Power Conditioners Now come on and admit it : Expensive power cords and power conditioners are really aggravating. I mean who really wants to spend all that money on electrical cords, and outlets? Still, I have found that there are several power conditioners and power cord combinations that really […]

  Hyperventilation   I wasn’t sure how to begin when reviewing a cable which many knowledgeable reviewers have dubbed the best they’ve ever heard. It’s hard to be objective when your expectations are stratospherical, as they should be when you are talking about $17,900 for a 2-meter pair of analog interconnects. Let’s be honest – […]

  Introduction   I received an Odin tone arm cable and a pair of interconnects for review several months ago. Both had been thoroughly broken in at the factory. I was somewhat taken aback when the UPS driver showed up with a nondescript brown cardboard box no larger than a cigar box. One does not […]

Clearaudio’s new Master Innovation turntable with stand Clearaudio Master Innovation with the new Graham tonearm Clearaudio Innovation Wood Compact The new Luxman turntable and tonearm VPI Classic Bergmann Magne turntable Analogue Heaven? Hanns Acoustics T-60 turntable Kuzma Stabi S turntable with optional external power supply, new Kuzma Stogi S 12 VTA tonearm A VPI in […]

Oracle’s Delphi and Paris Oracle’s Delphi MkVI Oracle’s Paris Two more Paris turntables, but I’d go with the red Peter Ledermann of Soundsmith holding court after setting up some one else’s turntable with his new cartridge Isamu Ikeda San’s beautiful tonearm Vintage Luxman turntable, one of my all time favorites Kodo’s MagDrive turntable Nice to […]

Avatar Acoustics There are many speakers’ names bandied about at shows and yet I do not often hear that of Rosso Fiorentino. It’s a name that should be spoken more often. I will be reviewing this sweet transducer with a built-in supertweeter following CES 2012. I have heard this system fronted by AMR source and […]

Was it just me, or was the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest mood more subdued this year? Days prior I had received a diagnosis of tears in my medial and lateral meniscus in my knee and a narrowing of a spinal vertebrae, forcing “retirement” from basketball and racquetball, two sports I’ve loved and played for more […]

Sometimes good things come in small packages. Bob’s Divices Bob Sattin of North Carolina makes small but great sounding SUTs. He uses Altec, CineMag, and Sowter transformers to make these wonderful little SUTs for your moving coil cartridges. Lindemann’s BL 10 Speakers These little speakers are really little and it defies my understand how big […]

Pre-Show Setup Images

Audioscape Canada’s setup here consists of a Nottingham turntable (with a Soundsmith cartridge), JPS cables, PrimaLuna electronics and Usher speakers. A PrimaLuna integrated shows off its guts! Chez Audio Note U.K.: dark, and claustrophobic Robb Niemann of Burmester Canada has just picked up ELAC, hence the change of the comapny name to Rutherford Audio Inc. […]

Room 662: Plurison – Naim A very simple but nice sounding Naim system was on display in the Plurison (Canadian Distributor for Naim) room. I am accustomed to seeing Naim systems with multiple boxes, including a separate power supply for each individual unit. This system, however, was rather simple, consisting of a “UnitiServe” Hard Disk […]

The Aatma monitors from Reev Designs, against a backdrop of black. French chic: Atoll Electronique’s CD player and integrated from their Gamme 400 series. The Ayra C 1.0 speakers from Danish manufacturer Raidho, used by Nordost on this occasion to demo their power cords and other accessories. Blueberry Hill Audio has my vote for the […]

My first day at TAVES began with a rather interesting encounter with an attendee. He was giving me the evil eyes and asked me to refrain from taking pictures of gears. Given the number of audio knockoffs from the Far East, he probably thought that I was a spy trying to steal designs. Thankfully, he […]

TAVES is not just the first of its kind in Toronto; it’s also the world’s first ever show to require balletic skills from attendees for the lucky draw! Devialet and Focal: high-tech combo from France Keith Monks: Still by far the world’s most revered record cleaning machine Class A integrated amps from Italy’s Mastersound Gutwire […]

TAVES – Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show 2011 Towards the end of the 2010 Montreal Audio show, formally known as the “Salon Son et Image”, a bunch of us audiophiles from Toronto gathered at the “Hurley’s Irish Pub” on Crescent Street. It was over a couple of pints of beer which allowed Simon Au (appearing […]

Now they say that there is a subatomic particle which can travel faster than the speed of light. If confirmed the laws of Physics will have to be re-written. I find particular delight in such new scientific evidence, since humans have a tendency to pontificate when they think they know absolute truth. All it takes […]

Chad Kassem, founder of Acoustic Sound, has chosen Tea for the Tillerman as the very first title to be released from his new “Quality Record Pressings.” The ads for this new release got me to thinking about my love for Cat Steven’s music. I’ve been a Cat Steven’s fan for 40 of the 57 years […]

The prospect of reviewing something from a new company is exciting for most honest reviewers. We’d rather “discover” something new, than walk a path already cleared. It’s an ego trip, I suppose. Speaking for myself only, I’d rather collaborate with someone who could use a “leg up,” than with someone who is either jaded or […]

At $2000 there are a variety of entry level high end speakers that are acceptable. A quick tour of the last California Audio Show demonstrates this point. Though every speaker at that price presents some compromise, this may not be a bad thing. In fact, I’d argue it is easier to select preferred characteristics from […]

The iPad has made me green. It has almost replaced all of the print magazines and newspapers I used to subscribe to. It has, in a way, similarly reinvented the way I experience music, enhancing the experience with large beautiful graphics and liner notes from an album, bringing them to life with intelligence and interactivity. […]

The name “M’inenT” peaked my interest when a review of these speakers was first suggested by our publisher, Constantine Soo. I was hoping that by the time I finished this review I’d find out the origin and meaning of the name, but I was so enthralled by the sound of these great speakers that it […]

I’ve been holding this review now for several months, not because it was hard to write – in fact, it’s a short review – but because I’ve been unclear about what exactly to say. And I’m not unclear what to say because I didn’t like the X-Link – I liked it right off the bat […]

Publisher’s Note: This Commentary is first published in the Offiical Directory of the 2nd (July 15 – 17, 2011) California Audio show. Audiophiles in 2011 have it REALLY EASY. Back in the early days of what would now be considered “high-end” audio, choices in the world of high performance component audio were extremely limited. In […]

Publisher’s Note: This Commentary is first published in the Offiical Directory of the 2nd (July 15 – 17, 2011) California Audio show. When most people think of stereo systems they contemplate the music emerging from them. When I think of stereo systems, I consider the assemblage of gear and contemplate the effects of that arrangement […]