Okay. If I were to write a two-sentence review of these speakers, I’d write the following: “I really, subjectively like these speakers; and their stellar measurements notwithstanding, wouldn’t be bothered in the least bit even if they measured horribly. Put them in your Final Four if you’re looking for excellent speakers in the $6,000 to […]

by: Peter Qvortrup of Audio Note UK Audio Note UK (Manufacturer) Main Room UPDATE January 25, 2008: 1. Details on AN-E SEC Signature internal cabling; 2. Details on Kegon Balanced in Peter Qvortrup’s own words; 3. Comment on DAC’s used; 4. PQ’s response to my final question. Peter Qvortrup of Audio Note UK and the […]

Wadia Digital (manufacturer) Wadia Digital garnered the partnership of Halcro and Verity Audio in the form of the $18,990 Halcro DM10 preamplifier, the $22,990, 180Wpc DM38 stereo amplifier and the $20,995 Verity Audio Parsifal loudspeakers in their Venetian Suite. Cabling was via the XLO Limited Series LE-1 Unbalanced Audio Interconnect, LE-2 Balanced Audio Interconnect, LE-4 […]

2008 marks the 4th Anniversary of MaxxHorn since its 2004 founding by Johan van Zyl, David Lee and Bob Spence. The original model, the Immersion, which I reviewed in June 2006, utilized a 6.5-inch French PHL 1240TWX driver and re-established the horn’s viability in today’s high-end audio arena. Bob Spence has been the face of […]

WADIA DIGITAL / XLO / DYNAUDIO It is official, my friends: The matching SACD transport for Wadia’s top-of-the-line Reference Series 9 Decoding Computer System is now in full development. Wadia showcased the prototype 971 Reference Transport in its Venetian Exhibit, a transport featuring the Esoteric VMK-5 Full Disc Clamping SACD/CD transport mechanism, 24-bit Resolution Enhancement […]

The Beatnik’s New Year’s Resolution I wish all of you a very happy and prosperous 2008. As I start this new year, I have had an interesting learning experience for me as a reviewer. No, it hasn’t come from going to CES, which I didn’t get to go to by the way. No, it hasn’t […]

It All Happened In A Day Three years ago I decided to go back to having a vinyl system and watched for a deal on a turntable. Found the Ariston that I have written about, bought a new Dynavector 10×5 and built, first a Hagerman Bugle, and then a Cornet 2 and happily collected albums. […]

“Picture if you will (voice of Rod Serling, roll Twilight Zone music theme) “ Bradley Smith Ph.D., lying on the floor of my apartment, flashlight in mouth, DVM probes in hand, poking around in the powered-up innards of the Kronzilla while listening to designer Marek Gencev, 6000 miles away, walking him through the power supply […]

Introduction to Classic One MKIII Review: Having been an owner of the bridged Pathos Classic One MkII tube hybrid integrateds, I felt compelled to write of their virtues. The segment of the review dealing with the MkII version of this amp was a labor of love written approximately one year ago. I enjoy the Classic […]

Let’s start by just saying these are really great amplifiers to have around. They sound great, they have gobs of power, and they are beautiful to look at. The combination of sounding great and the gobs of power can really come in handy for some speakers that come in. But, we should start with a […]

This is the second installment in my “Flight of Mini-monitors”. They range in price from $2,000 to $6,000 and beyond. Thus far, two of which are brand new designs, one is on the market but still in progress, and one is very tried and true. Last month we looked at the brand new Teresonic Magus […]

Constantine Soo experiences Furutech’s latest, top-of-the-line power filter: the $6,400 Pure Power 6 Power Distributor The State Of Affairs The modern day high-end audio industry continues to explore new performance frontiers by employment of integrated circuits with unprecedented levels of computational prowess, in tandem with progressively efficient transistors. The positive consequences of this trend have […]

Description The Masseto is the newest preamplifier from Ken Shindo, falls right in between the $7,900 Monbrison and the $16,000 Vosne-Romanee. It’s designed around a special Telefunken LCP86 triode/pentode vacuum tube, and it uses one such tube per channel in the line stage, and they are mounted in a quaint little arched window in the […]

Tara Labs makes some of the prettiest cables I’ve ever seen. They have an upscale appearance with a glittering gold sheen to them. They remind me of Tiger Eye, the semi-precious golden toned stone which shimmers as light strikes it at different angles. The RSC Air Series 1 cabling looks rich enough, but how rich […]

Reviewer’s Note: This review will not read like most because it will have large segments of parenthetical comments highlighted in bold print. As I was fairly finished with writing the review of the LFT-8A’s, Bruce Thigpen of E.T. shared with me that an upgraded tweeter was in the works, thus launching the “LFT-8B.” Having thoroughly […]

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 […]