Initial Encounter   I must confess at the outset that my audio purchasing decisions are not always based upon elaborate research or listening tests. Aesthetics alone are often times enough to entice me to pull the trigger. The DaVinci Grandezza tonearm is a good example, the McIntosh C1000 Tube preamp is another. At audio […]

  42 drivers, 13 linear feet and 450 lbs. It should get your attention. The size and scope of the LS9 speaker are serious. It’s ambitious and implies a confident, experienced designer. Very few builder/designers would dive into something this big in scope without knowing that it would be a success. But, ambition doesn’t guarantee […]

  Introduction   Ortofon is no newcomer to the audio industry and certainly not to vinyl playback components. In fact, their history dates back as far as 1918 as a company concerned with the development of technology for the synchronization of film and sound. In 195l, they adopted the name Ortofon A/S, a name that […]

Read An Interview with Geroge Merrill of Merrill-Williams Audio, by Ray Seda.   Introduction   Back in 1973, my passion for turntables began with a modest purchase of an Acoustic Research AR XA. At something like $88 including a pre-installed Shure cartridge, it was a no-brainer even for a High School freshman on a paper […]

Rooms that Surprised Me Most The Silbatone Acoutics room had several big surprises. The first was Joe Roberts was there. Joe was the founder of Sound Practices Magazine that started in the Summer 1992. Sound Practices was the first mag I had run across that was dedicated to the sound of SET amps and the […]

Aaudio Imports was playing the Acapella Audio Arts’ High Violoncello II MKII speakers powered by the Einstein tube electronics. What else can be said they were simply amazing. Analysis Audio were playing their Omega planar and ribbon speakers. The Omega is the middle of their line, but these big planars were sounding so musical. I […]

Salk Signature Sound/Audio by Van Alstine The Audio by Van Alstine components have been getting a face lift of recent, as well as additional tweaking to their operation, all with good effect as I heard through Salk Signature Sound’s Soundscape 12 speakers. I am currently underway on a review of the Soundscape 10 and anticipate […]

Laurence Borden: Vinnie, welcome to Dagogo. You began Red Wine Audio by modifying audio equipment. One item that comes to mind is the iPod. Why did you choose this? Vinnie Rossi: Larry – thank you for this opportunity! In 2005, I received a 4th generation iPod as a birthday gift. After loading a few albums […]

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 […]