Nagaoka phono cartridges have received some rave reviews on the internet. In one video, the Nagaoka MP-150 ($350) was favored over the Hana EL and Ortofon Quintet Blue low output moving coils. To check out the brand, I decided to try the entry-level Nagaoka MP-110 ($169.95), which is in the value sweet spot for cartridges […]

While there is any number of superb digital units in today’s market, I continue to use an EMM Labs TX2 transport in conjunction with the companion DA2 D/A converter, with which I have been extremely happy.  Other units may, in certain areas, have small advantages, but none when taken as a whole is better or […]

I can count on one hand the number of manufacturers who build solidly engineered products that are ahead of the curve and herd, whose products remain vastly competitive and superior to others, and price increase is as rare as hen’s teeth. I can also name companies pricing their products to the stratosphere and tout more […]

Audiophile-class turntables have always been fairly expensive propositions from their heydays of the eighties to present, a tide that was reversed seemingly in the deep digital age of the new millennium. Large scale turntable manufacturers began to introduce products retailing in the low thousands of dollars, some even with a perceived promise of more advanced […]

Introduction I have tried over the years to review products that interested me, which generally meant that they could be expected to sound good and interface well with my system. For the most part, that has worked well for me, even though some products were much better than others and some suited my system better […]

The year is 2021, which means that the first wave of millennials will enter their forties. This is the age where a confluence of high earning potential and enthusiasm for sound reproduction often produces audiophiles. But research tells us that millennials generally “derive more value from experiences than objects.” How should an industry that has […]

I first heard a pair of Salk Sound speakers at the California Audio Show a number of years ago and I was impressed with the presentation. The Salk Sound website indicates that several of their models utilize transmission line designs, an approach that can give extended bass of high quality. I have an old pair […]

After reviewing the $16,500 Top Wing Suzaku Red Sparrow coreless straight-flux cartridge, I auditioned several other high-end cartridges, including two $10,000+ designs that exhibited unremarkable characteristics even when compared to the $4,000 Soundsmith Paua II. All in all, all negated recommendation. The only exception thus far is the Dutch cartridge specialist Van den Hul’s The […]

A common comment in high-end audio is “I would like a high-end stereo system but it is just too expensive.”  While that may be true, I feel high-end audio is more about an attitude and your approach to buying audio components.  I have listened to a number of home theater setups that were very costly […]

What does an audiophile do with a speaker that tosses sound everywhere? How is the perfectionist to approach a soundstage that is bulbous, what I term the mushroom cloud soundstage? It is so obviously different that it raises many questions about its characteristics and operation in a HiFi system. A distinct subset of enthusiasts claim […]

I need some advice from the community.When I use my discrete opamps, they are generating heat and after an hour or two the room gets too warm. I have to put the AC on full, and my feet get cold. Does anyone know a solution? That, of course, is a fantasy post to a fictitious […]

I got my new Erector Set the other day! If you are old enough to remember Erector Set toys, which are still being produced by Meccano, then you are authentically heading over the hill. I played many hours with that plastic toolbox full of metal girders, bolts, nuts, a set of four wheels, and even […]

The LS3/5a is perhaps the most famous loudspeaker in the audio world with many versions made, past and present, by many companies. Various versions of the speakers have been reviewed at Dagogo, most recently a current Rogers offering, which was reviewed by Constantine Soo. Indeed, I had also requested a pair but when I saw […]

Hidden away in the folds of the Rocky Mountains is a tiny speaker company called Aspen Acoustics. It’s a one-garage affair with one person as three employees: Scott Kindt as owner and CEO, Scott Kindt as Head of Sales, and Scott Kindt in fabrication and assembly. It is a fledgling speaker company, as Scott has […]

I had the great pleasure of speaking with Carl Marchisotto of Nola recently. I have known Carl for longer than I would like to admit and was fortunate enough to represent his speakers at my store for many years. I respect him currently as one of the world’s top speaker designers and also as a […]

I honestly feel that your productivity can improve with a more positive work environment. Studies have shown certain classical music creates the “Mozart Effect” that can improve memory, awareness, and the integration of learning styles, which can help creativity. This all sounds good, but let’s be honest, I kept a turntable in my office because […]

Introduction Within the last year, I have auditioned three of the top Stage III power cords: the Kraken, the Proteus and the Poseidon. While they share many of the same sonic characteristics — precise imaging, good to excellent depth, wide soundstage, very low noise and distortion, ability to retrieve even very low-level detail — each […]

  When my sister and I were children, we had a self-propelled spinning ride in the backyard that I recall as the “Whirlybird,” and it still exists in the form of the Twirl-go-round. It was nearly as much fun as the barrel furniture chair in our family room that my sister and I would give […]

I have always been a huge fan of Roger West. owner and designer of Sound Lab electrostatic panel speakers. I make no apologies for my love of his giant Ultimate I full-range electrostatic speakers. I have listened to thousands of speakers over my 52 years in audio, from the very cheapest to systems costing over […]

The AN-K/SPe is a two-way rectangular box that is wider than it is deep. The speaker employs a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter and an 8-inch paper woofer with foam surrounds in a sealed cabinet design. If this speaker description reads as exciting as a puffed rice cake then I don’t blame you. When I first […]

Just over seven years ago I reviewed the Salk Sound Soundscape Speakers for Dagogo. I recall that they were built with what were generally considered to be some of the most accurate drivers available, chiefly the RAAL ribbon tweeter and Accuton ceramic midrange. A couple of months ago I sold the Vapor Audio Joule White […]

Too bad I wasn’t born into a rich family or became wealthy by age 35 like a young software entrepreneur. If that had been the case, I would probably have assembled a true high-end audio system before turning 60. Even then it took a few additional years to really get there. First came some pretty […]

Tracks: I Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso (14:32) II Molto vivace (13:12) III Adagio molto e cantabile (12:34) IV. Finale (22:30) Christina Landshamer, soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano Werner Güra, tenor Shenyang, bass-baritone Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Matthew Mehaffey, music director) Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Manfred Honeck (conductor)   The Beethoven Symphony No. 9 […]

 It is, we think, one of the hallmarks of cable voodoo that its methods and notions are always obscure —proprietary terms of uncertain meanings on the technical side, and vague promises framed in the most poetic and inspirational terms on the subjective side. We don’t aspire to rewrite the laws of physics, or to craft […]

Exogal was formed by several principals of the former Wadia who felt that the company’s PowerDAC idea still had potential. These seasoned audio and business veterans proceeded to make what has been a well-received DAC featuring its own algorithm that converts all incoming signals. I reviewed the Comet DAC in 2015, followed by another product […]

And then there were … Liner Notes Yes, it has been a while. I’ve had to take some time off to clear my head and my ears. It also has become apparent that in these special times of ours the volume of album releases has slowed down a bit, not yet to a trickle, and […]

It has been nearly a decade since I wrote the last, #6 Audiophile Law, “Thou Shalt Not Overemphasize Burn In.” At the time I thought it might create a firestorm of conversation and controversy. Instead, there was the distinct sound of the wind blowing; largely, no push back, no big discussion. What do I make […]

And then there were … Liner Notes As some of you may have realized by now, I’m dropping hints during the week both in the NARP feed and one of the albums that are queued up and to which I am listening. Some, not all of those, have made their way to the list. As […]

Most audiophiles would love to start the new year with a new audio system, but few have the means or time to build a new system from scratch. For the rest of us, myself included, let’s kick off the new year right by overhauling the space and gear that we already own. In this post, […]

Introduction At the beginning of July, 2020, I shipped my three-year-old Lyra Atlas SL to the US importer to take advantage of a program that allowed owners to have their existing Lyra cartridge upgraded to Lyra’s new lambda technology. At the time I was hoping that the rebuild of my cartridge would take 8-12 weeks. […]