Gregory Petan, Author at Positive Feedback

WAY Cables: From Serbia with Love

Gregory Petan — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 00:08:50 +0000

WAY Cables Poetry X Analogue XLR interconnects Despite having access to a pretty wide range of very enticing gear, I really try to avoid the marry go round of constantly swapping gear in and out of my reference system. I made big changes about 3 years ago and before that it had been over... Read More »

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Estelon Aura Loudspeakers

Gregory Petan — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 21:19:03 +0000

Having been in the audio world for going on 30 years, I've been keen to the rise and fall of many brands. Names like Classe, Apogee, Wadia, Thiel, and Sonic Frontiers, once ubiquitous mainstays, have long gone by the way of the Dodo. On the upswing, digital from DCS and electronics manufacturer Vitus' growth has... Read More »

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Krell K300p Phono Stage

Gregory Petan — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 21:24:47 +0000

One of the hooks that grabbed me when I first fell for high end audio was that it totally aligned with my need to obsess over whatever brand of gizmo or gadget that caught my eye. After all, my entire childhood was defined by a series of brands I'd obsess about from the likes of... Read More »

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PS Audio Aspen FR20 Loudspeakers

Gregory Petan — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 22:23:08 +0000

So, you've decided it's time to up your audiophile game with a new pair of speakers. It's a very exciting experience that requires one to ask a few key questions. What is the budget? What are your musical tastes? How big is your room? Is it dedicated to home entertainment or is the room multi-use?... Read More »

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Triangle Art M-100 Mono Amplifiers and L-200 Preamplifier

Gregory Petan — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 01:23:32 +0000

I first came across Triangle Art around 7 years ago while scrolling through a familiar webzine. It was fortuitous as I was getting back into vinyl after abandoning it decades ago, leaving behind my thoroughly thrashed Garrard that carried me valiantly through my childhood and teens. What caught my eye in that webzine's ad was... Read More »

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Siltech Legend 880 Cables - When the Classic Becomes a Legend

Gregory Petan — Mon, 10 May 2021 19:08:54 +0000

For those Audiophiles that have been around a while, the name Siltech conjures images of high-end esoterica and rarified audiophile air. Edwin van der Kley Rynveld, an electrical engineer with very high level experience at Exxon and Phillips, acquired the company in 1992. Since the acquisition, Edwin has propelled Siltech into the ranks of the... Read More »

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Karan Acoustics KAS 600 Stereo Amplifier and KAL Reference MK3 Preamplifier

Gregory Petan — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 17:41:52 +0000

A System For All Seasons It seems like a lifetime ago I reviewed the Karan Acoustics KAS 450 stereo amplifier. My conclusion was "This is an amplifier I could live with for the long haul," and was planning on adding it to my system. If not for a train wreck of an experience with a... Read More »

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Chario Sonnet Monitor Loudspeakers -

Gregory Petan — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 16:41:00 +0000

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Boudoir. Since I moved into a very large loft some 20 years ago, my only rule for reviewing was NO MONITOR SPEAKERS! My listening room is 36' x 60' x 14'. Even some larger floor standers have suffered the anguish of trying to move all that... Read More »

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A Sonic Landslide - The Boulder 866 Integrated Amplifier DAC/Streamer

Gregory Petan — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 19:46:21 +0000

I recently reviewed the entry level Boulder 508 phono stage, and it surprised the boots off me by its price / performance ratio. It's so good, in fact, that it ended up finding a permanent spot in my system. Since then I have been following the roll out of Boulder's latest product, the 866 integrated... Read More »

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Whats in a Name? The McIntosh Labs C2700 Preamplifier

Gregory Petan — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 19:50:39 +0000

How does one define the word-brand? It's a question I've been working on answering while helping to create a new sustainable women's clothing line with my wife. Is it a catchy name? A slick logo? The overall look and feel of the product(s)? The advertising / marketing message? Yes, in part all these elements bolster... Read More »

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Cardas Clear Beyond: What's In A Name?

Gregory Petan — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 21:55:51 +0000

When I first relocated to NYC from Chicago in 1994, I was deep in the boil of my audio obsession. The timing of my move couldn't have been better. I had exhausted nearly all the audio salon's salesmen in Chicago, and needed a fresh batch of victims to torment. One of my first visits was... Read More »

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The PBN MR! 777 - Of Men, Music, and Mountains

Gregory Petan — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 20:20:10 +0000

When it comes to projecting a sound-field that images well, especially in this day and age of speaker manufacturing, performance can work in the favor of the smallish speaker. Even very small designs can image like crazy, particularly listened too in the near field. But to truly reach the peak that is live music, a... Read More »

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PBN Olympia EB-SA3 Amplifiers and Lxi Preamplifier

Gregory Petan — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 22:43:16 +0000

Big Amps, Big Power Done Right. PBN is pretty well known for Peters Noerbek's wide range of speakers, a pair of M2!5s which I recently reviewed (HERE) took up floor space at my home for the majority of this review. So what better time to give his new Olympia mono amps and Olympia Lxi 2... Read More »

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Olympic Glory…Sonus faber’s Olympica Nova Loudspeakers

Gregory Petan — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 21:28:04 +0000

The last event I attended at the World of McIntosh (WOM) Townhouse in SOHO NYC featured the debut of Sonus faber's Reference Aida 2. After about 10 seconds with the Aida 2 I realized I was in the presence of greatness. The Aida 2 is one of the very few experiences in recent memory that... Read More »

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PBN Audio M2!5 Loudspeakers - What's Old, Is New Again

Gregory Petan — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 17:30:15 +0000

These days there are a lot of good speakers out there. More than ever, at every price point you can surely find something that fits your needs. As the price rises, the scrutiny and expectations grow, as well they should. At or around the $30K mark there have never been so many choices in all... Read More »

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Audio Research 160M Amplifiers - My White Whale

Gregory Petan — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 00:24:58 +0000

Even after two plus decades of reviewing, there are a few major brands that have largely eluded me. Whether it's been a timing issue, system need, personal bias, (I'll get into that more later), or I just haven't been in proximity of the brand. For me, up till a couple years ago, one of those... Read More »

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Experiences with Gryphon Audio

Gregory Petan — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 20:19:06 +0000

Mythical Sound from the Winged Lion. How many manufacturers offer fully designed turn-key systems? How many do it with the panache of Gryphon Audio of Denmark? The answer can fit on one hand if you were missing at least two fingers. My first encounter with Danish designer Fleming Rasmussen's Gryphon Audio came with the review... Read More »

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PS Audio P20 and P15 AC Regenerators - Keeping the System Clean

Gregory Petan — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 18:19:21 +0000

PS Audio has been steadily developing as a high-end manufacturer since 1974, despite the trading of leadership on various occasions. Paul McGowan, the "P," and Stan Warren, the "S," were the founding partners. Stan left in the early 80s to found Superfon. Paul would leave in the 90s to join Arnie Nudel, having a hand... Read More »

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The Boulder 508 Phono Stage - Like a Rolling Stone-Dig It

Gregory Petan — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 18:03:48 +0000

Boulder electronics, out of Louisville, Colorado, has been diligently creating some of the finest audio components in the world since 1983. Founded by Jeff Nelson, Boulder's vision has largely been aimed at the state of the art, and those with deep pockets. For instance, the 3050 monoblock amplifiers will rip $245,000 from your accountants bare... Read More »

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The Ortofon Windfeld Ti Cartridge - 100 Years in the Making, Well Worth the Wait

Gregory Petan — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 19:58:02 +0000

Ortofon is a Danish company celebrating 100 years of commitment to excellence in the manufacture of audio related products, best known for its Analog Cartridges. Included in the extensive cartridge line up are tone arms, step up transformers, DJ related gear, and a host of micro manufacturing capabilities spanning many different industries. In the beginning... Read More »

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The Alta Audio Hestia Titanium Loudspeaker - The Goddess With a Lovely Voice

Gregory Petan — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 18:06:53 +0000

Founded in 2013, Alta Audio is the creation of long-time industry presence Michael Levy. Alta's first speaker, the Celesta FRM-2, came about as a result of encouragement from his good friend and client, reviewer Martin Appel. With the support from those he respected, Michael was convinced he could develop a great line of speakers that... Read More »

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High Fidelity CT-1 Ultimate Reference Cable System

Gregory Petan — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 17:39:50 +0000

Few cable manufacturers had the kind of rookie effort Rick had with his first company, Virtual dynamic, in the early 2000s. Like his initial approach, Rick continues to have an unwavering commitment to the use of high powered magnets that surrounds the wire the signal passes through. Rick has several patents, and plenty of data... Read More »

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Music Interface Technologies ACC169 Speaker Interface and Oracle MA-X SHD XLR Interconnects

Gregory Petan — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 20:24:03 +0000

Music Interface Technologies (MIT) products have had a place in my system on and off over the last twenty years. From the MI-850 Tri-wire designed for my long lost and loved Avalon Radian speakers to the subject of this review, the ACC169 Speaker Interface and the Oracle MA-X SHD XLR Interconnects. In that time I... Read More »

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The GoldenEar Technology SuperSub XXL Subwoofer

Gregory Petan — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 06:54:05 +0000

Over the last twenty-five years of system building, external subwoofers have never been part of the equation for me. Despite my love of deep bass, my love for the seamless continuity between drivers has always won out over the prospect of deep but poorly integrated bass. Bolstering this attitude has been the several systems I... Read More »

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PS Audio PerfectWave Memory CD/DVD Player and DirectStream DAC

Gregory Petan — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 18:47:13 +0000

On a recent visit to Bleeker Records in NYC, I asked the Owner how LP sales were doing. "Fine, but it is CDs that are really hot". I did my best Labrador Retriever head tilt and quipped "Really?" That was the best I could come up with in the moment, as I was a really... Read More »

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