Intro Though I have no formal degree in the matter, I fashion myself as an economist. Knowledge of trade, monetary / fiscal policy, productivity and employment all factor into my day job. While current events are of material and immediate concern, sometimes I like to ponder the big picture in the evolution of economies. My […]

This month marks the first of a series of monthly reviews by the Dagogo “Beatnik” Jack Roberts on high-end, minimonitors. The first to be featured is Teresonic’s latest Magus. This series is sure to make many readers’ heart pump faster, mine included, because we have sent Jack many of today’s best designs to listen to. By the time we […]

The Walker Audio Prelude Record Cleaning System is a multi-step record cleaning system for use with a record vacuum system. I used it with the wonderful Clearaudio Matrix record cleaning machine. I have used more record cleaning machines than I can remember. As of late, I have been using “First” from Nitty Gritty and then […]

Some of our readers may have noticed that I use several products sold by Walker Audio. In fact, I now use eight Walker Audio products in my system: the Velocitor, Prologue Amp Stands, Valid Points and discs, Silent Source cables (all but my digital cables), Reference High Definition Links, Extreme Super Silver Treatment, Talisman and […]

It was two years ago this month that I made a decision to submit a review to Dagogo and see if Constantine was interested in publishing it. I really didn’t have in mind becoming a reviewer, I just wanted more people to know about the incredible little preamplifier I had just discovered. I was already […]

From The Top Alex Peychev’s Esoteric retrofit work under the APL Hi-Fi banner was in such constant demand, that for the two visits I paid him in the space of three months in mid-2007, his backorder status did not slow down. In fact, there were eight Esoteric players waiting for him to work on, and […]

A Continuation I was sent the above items from Music Interface Technologies (hereafter MIT) with the request of our editor to evaluate their effectiveness in my system. No problem, as I love audio gear as much as the audio listening experience! I have already written a thorough review of the MIT cable technology, which can […]

Intro: Review a BMW? Sure! I thought I was branching out nicely when our editor called to inquire if I would like to undertake the review. However, it was my faulty hearing again, misinterpreting it as he said, “…review a B&W.” Ok, honestly, I knew immediately what he meant, but my mind fantasized for a […]

Description I know this amp has been out for a few years, but for a long time the EC-300B was the all-out statement amp for WAVAC. It’s one of the few amps still in the current lineup that was designed by Nobu Shishido. It is still their all-out work with 300B’s, and some say the […]

After reviewing the Gini iTube from Audio Space, a product I purchased for one of the upstairs bedrooms, I asked if I could review one of their integrated amps with a built in USB DAC. The answer came in the form of the Audio Space Mini Galaxy 1. From first glance, I knew there was […]

Introduction I’ve been in this hobby for some time, and I’m very familiar with lots of the marketing hoopla and ridiculous gadgets that various manufacturers use to try to reel in customers searching for the ultimate illusion of the live performance in the home; an MBA education and a critical mind makes me take everything […]

2007 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest October 12 ~ 14, 2007 Denver Marriot Tech Center Hotel Show Coverage Page 3 (Exhibit details supplemented by the Exhibitors and the companies they represent) Oracle is one of the more established name brands in this industry, demonstrating a level of technological insights that is worthy of their reputation. In […]

2007 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest October 12 ~ 14, 2007 Denver Marriot Tech Center Hotel Show Coverage Page 2 (Exhibit details supplemented by the Exhibitors and the companies they represent) German electronics brand AcousticPlan and U.K. loudspeaker company Acoustic Research Technology (A.R.T.) were represented by their common U.S. Importer, Tangram Audio. Using his own 47 […]

2007 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest October 12 ~ 14, 2007 Denver Marriot Tech Center Hotel Show Coverage Page 1 (Exhibit details supplemented by the Exhibitors and the companies they represent) Harmonix Reimyo of Combak Corporation unveiled the Dinosaur Tuning Speaker Stand for use with the Bravo! mini-monitor ($5,995/pair). Also new in 2007 was the CDT-777 […]

So long to my old friend. The old friend is the XLH REF-1812 horn loudspeaker system I reviewed last year. Its owner, Mr. Ping Gong, of www.aaa-audio.com/, American distributor of XLH and Dussun audio products, generously allowed me the loan of this system for an extended period. This one-of-a-kind speaker system has been my reference […]

Hello again. Another take and direction of involvement we have here. This being one that applies to one of the many out there in the arts, not solely in the capacity as a full-time career, but individuals whom nonetheless are endowed with various backgrounds in procedure, context of development, formal education & training, etc. and […]

To many music connoisseurs, the golden era of classical music ended when maestro Leopold Stokowski died in 1977. To some others, the consecutive deaths of conductor giants beginning as early as in the 50’s, such as that of Wilhelm Furtwängler and Arturo Toscanini, followed by Bruno Walter in the 60’s, Otto Klemperer in the 70’s […]

I welcomed the Phono 2 CI review sample shortly after my new KAB Technics SL-1210M5G turntable arrived. It’s not that I had fallen out of love with my long-time Ariston mate; I simply wanted to cheat on her. Or as the guy who’s caught with a hooker by his wife of many years said, “you […]

Introduction Would you pay good money for a speaker cable that imparts almost no sonic signature of its own? In other words, would you pay more to obtain seemingly less if it allowed you to enjoy the music more? You might answer, “That all depends…” Indeed, as I assessed the value and sound character of […]

“Power corrupts, absolute power is absolutely delightful” – with apologies to Lord Acton Once known as the McIntosh of Japan, Accuphase no longer needs bear such comparisons. Best known these days for their fine CD Players, Accuphase is also well-known for their amplifiers that are among the very best and most innovative of their type. […]

Quick, name a component which: – Was originally developed as an adjunct to the Sony Playstation One acting as cdp. -Is not a pre, nor an amp, but can function as a preamp. -Is an ancillary to your cdp, DAC, preamp, power amp(s) or subwoofer. -Can be used in pairs for greater effect. -Costs a […]

History If you’ve been out of the vinyl scene for several years or you’re a new convert from digital, you may not be familiar with Benz cartridges. In the ’80’s, Ernst Benz utilized his knowledge and specialized manufacturing skills in developing a series of extremely high quality moving-coil cartridges. They have become a staple among […]

If you’ve been around long enough, and you follow the various comings and goings in the cartridge universe, you’ve heard that the Decca cartridges are like nothing else. That’s a loaded statement. Yes, they’re like nothing else. You’ve probably heard that they have better dynamics, sound “more real” and are the fastest cartridges. That might […]

Thirty-five years of trying to find a satisfying speaker has been by far the objective with which I have made the most mistakes in my Audiophile life, although at the same time I have enjoyed most of them as well. The first speakers I owned after high school were small Advent’s. They went in the […]

The Redbook CD standard of 44.1kHz/16-bit is not a deficient scheme, although a much more robust standard would’ve transpired our audio experience much sooner. While the engineers in the 80’s determined a digital medium with 44.1kHz of sampling rate at 16-bit of resolution would be adequate to contain all audible information for even the most […]

Introduction In 1992, Brian Ackerman left Boston (MA) and came to California with $500 in his pocket; but he already had everything that he needed to pursue his dream: determination and experience. A 17-year-old Brian Ackerman studied at the Navy’s culinary school in San Diego, Ca, after which he enlisted in a 4-year active duty […]

Long before I had heard of Pierre Sprey and his Mapleshade Audio products, I built a TNT Flexy-rack for my components with Maple shelves. The TNT recipe calls for MDF shelves, and at first that was what I used. But upon setting my CD player on the rack for the first time, the sound went […]

“I was trying to set the carbon fiber cabinet on fire…” That was the excuse I handed the officer when I was arrested for playing my system in excess of the posted decibels. My fine was $375.00 and 21 days of silence. I chose to pay the fine rather than run the risk of having […]

Intro I have no problem telling my non-audiophile family & friends about how such things as AC outlets or room treatments have a clear effect on the output and the enjoyment of my stereo—it’s informational to them. But cables? I won’t go there; AC outlets and room treatments are affordable, and I don’t feel ashamed […]

Competent digital-to-analog converter designs of nowadays are far easier to accomplish than any point in the audio industry’s history, primarily because of the level of perfection that comes from decades of collective and progressive exercise in refinements. Furthermore, the modern world’s continuous drift toward higher levels of communications and information-sharing is taking us to the […]