Just like all human endeavors, the audio hobby is a mental state and a psychological affair. I have always wondered if I would be a happier person were I to have remained single with a bare living room but a killer sound system and all the time in the world to listen to music through […]

Bowers & Wilkins, the British speaker company who audiophiles know as B&W, has been making speaker systems with unique, modern looking designs with prices ranging from the hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars since the 60s. That means that most iPod owners are not as old as B&W. So when I was setting up […]

Introduction Continuing in the series of articles pertaining to the “Super-review” system I established in the second half of 2008, this month the suite of Wireworld Silver Eclipse and Silver Electra cabling is examined. I consider the suite of cables utilized in any rig to be a component; hence, as integral to the success of […]

Are you a newbie to vinyl looking for expert advice in how to set up a turntable, clean and handle vinyl treasures, learn more about the art of collecting? Maybe, like me, you are a long time vinyl advocate ready to make a more serious investment in collectible grade LPs and want to know the […]

Do you want a hot, top loading, single chassis disc player which will give you close to the ultimate in digital performance, but you don’t want to spend $20,000? Then ogle the Ayon CD-2! I’ve been living with the CD-2 for about three months now, and it’s a Super Spinner. It does not do SACD, […]

The Classic Records’ latest re-release of three 1960 Everest recording are marvels to behold. The Everest label was founded in 1958 by missile electronics engineer Harry Belock (1908 – 1999), with the infamous ambition to surpass both the sound quality and scope of repertoire of the classical label of the day – Capitol. To accomplish […]

▼Esoteric Mozart Piano Concerto hybrid SACD Press Release (click images for full view) When Esoteric Company first released a re-mastered edition of the late Günther Wand’s RCA Beethoven Symphonies complete cycle in the 1st quarter of 2007, it was an unprecedented move by a high-end audio equipment manufacturer. In retrospect, what better marketing move for […]

I recently had the opportunity to attend a private show in Colorado Springs, Colorado put on by Audio Limits and distributor Koetsu USA. Audio Limits is a high end dealer run by the father and son team of Darrin and Gene O’Neil. Koetsu USA is run by Hiram Toro. Audio Limits uses a model that […]

Editor’s Note: In the mid-section of this Review, Fred devised a most analytical narrative in comparisons of several makes of power cables. While the information contained can be a little dry in readability, it is nevertheless an excellent resource to return to repeatedly later on. The last section titled, “Long Term Listening Impressions”, however, is […]

Because of scarcity of resources and prejudices in differences, the world we are living in is not a peaceful one. The modern day economic engine harbors the hopes of many for a more peaceful and tolerant global village, one that is blessed by equality in not only social and economic statuses, but also one that […]

Foreword The Grandezza tonearm’s packaging tells you right off that someone really cared about this tonearm. It comes in a big beautiful wooden box. The inside has dense foam with precisely fitting cutouts for every part and tool. This kind of attention to detail in the packaging should be expected at this price point, but […]

A Lucky Guy I must have been a good boy last year, because the audio Santa Claus has been very good to me, or could that be Constantine Soo, our editor, with that bag of goodies; either way I’ve been a lucky guy this winter. The good thing about my good luck is that you […]

I have a soft spot for tube integrated amps. Some of the smoothest, hassle-free setups I’ve had have been around a classic tube integrated. At their best, they can totally beat a system based around separates in terms of transparency and dimensionality. At their worst, they’re overly warm, rolled off at the extremes, lack grunt […]

Snell Acoustics hosted a Q&A seminar as chaired by Dr. Joseph D’Appolito, who is infamous for his “D’Appolito Configuration” that has been adopted by many loudspeaker companies. In 2003, the good doctor, having created highly visible products for Usher Audio, joined Snell Acoustics, and in 2007 the $60,000/pair Illusion Reference Tower loudspeaker system was born. […]

Brian Smith of AudioNoteKits has been offering affordable AN solutions to audiophiles for many years, and recently he relaunched his website with more new product information. Products at Audio Note Kit are fabricated in Canada where labor is relatively affordable, plus the fact that you do the final assembly yourself, hence the lower costs of […]

The May Audio room showcased the Harmonix Reimyo CDT-777CD transport ($11,000) and DAP-999EX DAC ($9,000), a Mastersound 300 BSE amplifier ($6,100, 12wpc), ASW Genius 400 ($5,400 pair, 93dB/8Ω) speaker system as anchored by GutWire MaxCon Extreme AC line conditioner. I should know the sound of 300B amplifications as put forth by the Mastersound 300 BSE […]

Another item that showed certain promise was the Emerald Physics CS2.3 and smaller C3 Controlled Directivity Loudspeakers, $3995 and $2995 respectively. Single point-source speakers utilizing an open baffle design and a two-way dynamic dipole arrangement. It was an interesting design and execution. Compact and easy to place and very coherent, it will be interesting to […]

Bob Neil, a lifelong educator now 70 years old, who used to be a hardware reviewer for Positive Feedback and continues to write software reviews, is now a dealer for Audio Note UK, Blue Circle and Jean Marie Reynauld loudspeakers. In the picture above, from right to left on the rack, the show system featured […]

I have to admit that for many years I have lusted over the Audio Note UK Gaku-On amplifiers. Always financially out of reach and forever one of the finest musical reproduction products I have ever heard. On the opposite end of that spectrum I have never been as enamored with the Audio Note speakers. At […]

Snell Acoustics dominated the AKFEST with a Dr. D’Appolitto seminar and multiple of rooms. One of the most exciting products I’ve come across was the unveiling of the new Phantom Tower prototype, which was “95% ready” for formal release. Though described as the first “derivative of the $60,000 Illusion, the $20,000-per-pair Phantom Tower sounded big […]

My first stop was Tyler Acoustics room. I have known Ty Lashbrook for a number of years now and always look forward to seeing him at shows. Ty builds speakers and sells them direct to the consumer. No middlemen, dealers, distributors just straight on through to the end user. Consequently, he sells his wares for […]

Wadia, Dynaudio and XLO continued their very successful cooperation from CES in putting together a system, and they hosted attendees to two rooms. This time at AKFEST09 in the first room, sitting on top of the Stillpoint shelf was the Wadia 781i SACD/CD player. The amplification consisted of a full Octave system from Germany, as […]

Being the writer who lives in Las Vegas I am intimately familiar with the CES show. CES is open only to industry people, which has puzzled me for years. I have been covering it since 1997 and have watched it grow into the juggernaut it has become, move venues to increasingly higher costing locales and […]

Hi-fi enthusiasts in the U.S. have been uniquely blessed with multiple audio shows year round, that we no longer have to count ourselves less fortunate were we living beyond driving distance of a CES venue. There are now no less than half a dozen hi-fi shows every year in the U.S. alone, most notably the […]

The Scramble to Get to Denver Brian Ackerman, my genial host in the mischief that follows, was kind enough to allow me to bring along a fellow audiophile from Houston (Paul) that had an interest in making the trip and participating in the listening. The intent had been that both of us take the same […]

I admit to being a digital hater. I’ve always felt that digital never sounded as authentic as analog. Interestingly, things are changing. Over the last few years, I’ve started hearing digital sources that sound dimensional, have good overtones and don’t cause listening fatigue. I’m not sure about the technical details behind the improvements. The CD […]

Many consider the prospect of paying thousands of dollars on cables as among the most abominable aspect of our hobby. The most prevalent rationale against investing in high-dollar cable products, is the belief that with all the money we’ve spent to get the supposedly best-sounding CD player, amplification and loudspeaker at our respective levels, our […]

The small details in the music are more obvious. The large movements are more impactful. The soundstage has opened up. The ambience reveals more of the recording venue. The rhythms are more alive. The background is quieter and I’m hearing parts of recordings I’ve not heard before. No, I’m not describing a new CD player […]

This is a review of the Audiotop “Digital” CD/DVD enhancer/mold release formula. I was introduced to this product by Brian Ackermann of Aaudio Imports when I attended a private show he sponsored with Ricardo Reyes of Musical Artisans. I was focusing on the interesting and excellent equipment they were demonstrating when Brian asked if I […]

This is the first time I have sat down to write a review and actually been agitated or angered by a product. Yep, I am definitely upset with these particular speakers and with Albert himself to a degree. Let me explain by way of discussing the speaker itself and then my conclusion about its performance. […]