As 2005 draws to a conclusion, Dagogo would like to thank you, the readers, for your support. Dagogo would also like to thank the manufacturers and distributors for responding to Dagogo’s review invitations. Because of all the support, Dagogo has, to date, amassed the talents of six reviewers to broaden its scope. Dagogo would like […]

In honor of Ken Shindo’s first visit to the United States, on November 15th, 2005, Jonathan Halpern, the Shindo importer (http://www.toneimports.com), hosted a get-together for owners and fans of Shindo gear. Accompanying Shindo-San were his wife Harumi, his sister Yumi and her husband, John. Yumi – now a resident of Boston – -served as translator. […]

What? I’m surprised and disappointed. No Lohengrins under the tree? Not even a pair of Sarastros? I was sure I’d wake today and find a couple of flight cases under the tree. I was a good boy in 2005. I wasn’t naughty… It’s Christmas morning 2005. Two days ago, I paid a visit to the […]

In the late 60’s, Arnie Nudell developed the servo-controlled bass system and founded Infinity to produce his first brainchild, the Servo Statik I. Ten years later, his creation of the 4-column Infinity Reference Standard set a standard so far ahead of its time that it created a new market for the high-end loudspeaker. Audiophiles near […]

The VRS Audio Systems-Music Studio will be at RMAF. The future of high fidelity recording and playback is here. Get ready for an extraordinary, new listening experience. VRS Audio Systems will present the VRS Revelation Music Studio at the RMAF room 518. The Music Studio can digitally archive entire music collections of virtually any size. […]

Rethm, 47 Lab, Art Audio Roan Audio, Marsh Sound Design, Monarchy Audio TAD Tannoy VAC, Scientific Fidelity to be continued… Rethm’s Arman, Jacob and Nina George with their revised 2nd Rethm ($7,500/pair) 47 Laboratory 4713 Flatfish CD transport $3,600 plus 4799 Power Dumpty power supply $1,800 Art Audio (top to bottom): VPS DM remote preamplifier […]

It was more than 40 years ago today, 16 years old and cruising in Mom’s ‘62 Biscayne. That 5 button radio would get quite a work-out. “I want to hold your hand”, “Please Please Me”, and the other 1963-65 Beatle’s songs were left on only after a search for the Stones, the Who or the […]

Having reviewed high-end audio equipment for four years and counting, with two of them as Dagogo’s publisher, I have come to appreciate the incredibly transitory nature of the high-end audio marketplace, and that the key to a manufacturer’s success lies much in the competency of its U.S. distributor. The amount of work a distributor has […]

I’ll take one… in black! Constantine warned me of this. Not this CD player, the Roksan Caspian M-Series 1. No, he warned me of the potential “irresistance” a great product under review could have. Take a look at my review of the Eastern Electric Minimax CD player and you’ll see that I have had quite […]

Madison and 75th Streets New York City Bang and Olufsen were introducing a few new products and having an event to coincide with their new catalog release. They brought in their CEO, Mr. Torben Ballegaard Sorensen, for a yummy cocktail reception. BeoSound 3 It was a wonderful New York evening and I had a great […]

          I once read an article in an audio magazine which described a debate between well-know audio reviewers and designers on the question of whether the front-end, the speakers or some other component was the most important factor in the music reproduction chain. I read it with great interest, wondering what […]

Foreword by Constantine Soo For the most part, advancements in the audio hobby are often brought about by revolutionary approaches developed by visionary engineers. Oftentimes, it takes new ideas and talents from the field of electrical and mechanical engineering to realize appreciable improvement in reproduced sound, and papers from these distinguished minds have been continuing […]

So Many DACS, So Little Time Over the years I have auditioned and owned a fair number of DACs and single-box CD players. Some upsampled, others did not; some had a tubed output, others solid state; some were moderately priced, others quite expensive, and still others were somewhere in between. While virtually all of them […]

This review addresses the Boelen-modified EAD Ovation Plus’ 2-channel audio performance. Boelen-Noble Electronics offered me the Ovation in its original form for a first audition, which was returned later to them for modification. This review addresses performances of the Ovation in these two periods. For background on Boelen Electronics, please see the Introduction section in […]

Prologue I had not reminisced over my earlier days in hi-fi since my encounter with Audio Note’s 300B designs. I used to subscribe to the high-power notion and disregarded tubes as maintenance-ridden and imprecise. To solid-state amplification designers, that remains a statement of absolute truth; but my priority developed since then to the point where […]

Tracks: 1. The Masquerade is Over 2. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) 3. Why Did I Choose You 4. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square 5. Everything Happens to Me 6. Imagination 7. Blame it on My Youth 8. You Don’t Know What Love is 9. How Insensitive (Insensatez) 10. […]

Foreword There are many forms and variations to being a music lover, and one of them certainly requires a good ear. Then, there are those orchestra conductors and players that, by the virtue of their career accomplishments, are the fiery declarations for being the purveyors of music. Of course, there are always other professions in […]

Listening to music is my therapy. At my home in Philly, with my wife and kids, sharing music is a joy. When I come home from work, the first thing I do is turn on the stereo and play an album (album not necessarily referring to vinyl). My wife is always interested in my choice […]

Rives Audio Equipment List: Rives Audio PARD (Parametric Adaptive Room Compensation) Classe amplification and B&W Nautilus 800 Song Audio From top to bottom: Song Audio SA-300MB power amp Song Audio SA-1 preamp & power supply Also: Song Audio Type II Silk DM speaker Zu cable Druid speaker (Alternative System) From top to bottom: Song Audio […]

Locus Design Group Locus Design * DampClamp * Nucleus and Polestar power cables * Polestar speaker cables (on the Eminent Technology speakers) * Polestar AC extension box CryoParts * Beast power cable * Ogre power cables Sonicweld * Pulserod loudspeaker system (Saturday and Sunday) Eminent Technology * LFT-16 loudspeakers (Friday and Saturday) Eastern Electric * […]

Gallery 3 Eminent, Empirical Audio, Encore Performance, & Excalante Eminent Technology – Eminent Technology TRW-17, Rotary Woofer Winston Wright standing by the manifold he constructed, The manifold for the rotary woofer was located in one room (7809) and the listening area was in the adjacent room (7811). The manifold connected through the door between the […]

AYDN – Galibier Design Gavier turntable, Schroder Reference tonearm, ZYX Airy-3 cartridge – Artemis Labs PH-1 phono – Artemis Labs LA-1 preamp – Artemis SP-1 monoblock power amps ClearSound Audio – Superphon Revelation III preamp $2,200 – Superphon 300S (prototype) – Reimer Speaker System 1. Teton GS: 185 lbs, 14Hz-30kHz +/- 2db, 95 db/w/m, MSRP […]

Audio Imports – Acapella Fidelio 2 speakers w/stands – Accoustic Arts Drive I – Accoustic Arts DAC 1 Mk3 – Einstein The Tube preamp – Einstein The Light In The Dark power amp – IsoClean PT3030G II Transformers (2) – IsoClean 80A3 Filtered Power Socket (6-position) – IsoClean ICP-002 Wall Socket – IsoClean RF Isolators […]

Equipment List RMAF 2005 – PranaWire, deHavilland, Nola Room Metronome Transport Metronome Dac deHavilland Mercury 2 Pre amplifire deHavilland 845 G Mono Block Amplifiers Nola Viper Reference Loudspeakers PranaWire – Cosmos Interconnects, Cosmos Digital and Cosmos Speaker Cables – Bi Wired PranaWire Samadhi and Maha Samadhi Power Cables Acrolink – P4030PC Power Cables Oyaide MTB-4 […]

Genesis at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. Seattle, WA – Genesis Advanced Technologies will give attendees a sneak peek at the latest addition to their line of monitor speakers, the Genesis 7 petite. Complementing the convertible G7c launched earlier this year at CES 2005, Genesis brings more absolute fidelity™ to lifestyles with space constraints. Genesis […]

Tracks: 1. Spring Rain 2. That Long Ago You 3. The Big-Eyed Bride 4. What to Do 5. Here Comes Mong Shing 6. Wanting to Ask 7. Reeling Careening 8. Sunrise Tribe 9. That Granny 10. Nothing Else I Can Do 11. Blue Truck 12. Come Home for New Year 13. Wind Calm Waves Smooth […]

Foreword It started when I was in high school, and continues to this day. When friends describe me as a bass-lover, I often felt misunderstood. They must have reached such impression because of my constant critique of loudspeakers’ bass performance. I would like to think of myself as an audiophile with balanced views of what […]