Previous setup: I had the speakers on Audio Note’s 4-legged, mass loaded steel stands. They were filled with a lead and sand mixture as described by Audio Note. The equipment had been sitting on DH Cones and Squares. Speaker Stand Description The Sistrum stands have three steel legs that are filled with “Micro-Bearing Steel” fill, […]

I wish tweaks didn’t matter. Think about how simple this hobby would be, if absolute performance was as simple as buying the best components you can afford, and having good recordings. That’d free up enough time for me to write that great American novel I’ve been mulling over. But alas, it is these “tweaks”, which […]

It is hardly a secret that the listening room makes a significant contribution to the sound of our systems, arguably as large as that of the gear itself. And yet, while audiophiles delight in trying new (and often expensive) equipment, the room often goes neglected. My first hands-on exposure to room treatments occurred a number […]

House of Music (Retailer) If you had asked me the reason McIntosh needed to create an 8,000 watt peak-power amplifier before I had attended their West Coast Premier of the Ultimate System on February 2, 2006, I would probably have not been able to tell you that McIntosh intended for their 3-chassis amplifier to have […]

If you had asked me the reason McIntosh needed to create an 8,000 watt peak-power amplifier before I had attended their West Coast Premier of the Ultimate System on February 2, 2006, I would probably have not been able to tell you that McIntosh intended for their 3-chassis amplifier to have the most accurate reproduction […]

Dagogo welcomes Gordon Pryor as its Commentator. (Pryor’s first Dagogo article marks the beginning of a series, which introduces the world of artistic creation to Dagogo and its readers. In the present article, Pryor shares his exploit with us , in the first part of “Art! The Perspective in the Creative Process”) And this, my […]

Besides distributing revered audio products from companies like Harmonix Reimyo by Combak, Roksan, Gradient, etc, May Audio Marketing also imports a sizeable amount of CDs. Among the labels MAM carries is Jazznote of Singapore. The label was formed in December 2004 by jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro, whose previous recording projects with JJ Jazz Records, the […]

I am listening to a sublime, natural, entertaining, minimal system in my Brooklyn apartment… and loving every minute of it. My room has come alive! The system consists of the German-designed Bastanis Prometheus Black loudspeakers, American-designed Red Wine Audio Clari-T amplifier and Chinese designed Original CD-A8T tube and solid-state CD player. There’s a lot here […]

In the past four years, I have reviewed Audio Note’s previous base “E” loudspeaker, the $2,750 AN-E/D, as well as a previous version of its former champion, the $19,500 AN-E SEC Silver, the latter of which I continue to regard as my personal preference. In late 2004, Peter Qvortrup of Audio Note and his gifted […]

Feature Exhibitors: GamuT Audio, Genesis Advanced Technologies GamuT Audio L5 loudspeaker speaker. MSRP = $12,000/pair GamuT Audio owner and president Lars Goller enjoyed at least relating one other thing more than his thoughts on all things GamuT, and that is his ideas on psychoacoustics. We spent two hours at the GamuT Audio House talking about […]

Feature Exhibitors: Bosendorfer, Harmonix Reimyo Bosendorfer New York demonstrated two systems and the Bosendorfer SWAROVSKI Crystal Piano. The main system utilized the $22k VC 7 full-range speaker system in piano lacquer, as driven by Einstein’s $7,500 The Last Record Player CD player, Gill Audio’s $4,500 Alana tube linestage and Art Audio’s $20k Adagio monoblock amplifiers. […]

The auspicious commencement of 2006 CES for me was the Jonathan Scull party at the Furutech Exhibit at Alexis Park. The party began at 5:15pm, and by the time my airline found me an alternative flight to replace my cancelled original flight, I didn’t get there until 6pm. John Atkinson was already talking about his […]

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 […]