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If you believe in RFI—no, let me start over. If you believe in science (since RFI is a measurable phenomenon), most likely you are doing something to address RFI. We have all been advised to get those darn wires off the floor. A dozen companies will be happy to sell you specialized lifts at prices... Read More »

Fred Hersch's hands frozen in transmission What are the Options? On a late summer day in August, I reflect on how little has changed since last I wrote. Cultural institutions remain shuttered as mandated, while trying to stay relevant by improvising online teasers. They initially responded to the Covid-19 lockdown with live streams via the... Read More »

I am awaiting delivery in today's post of five AudioQuest Dragon power cords with mixed emotions. The unease is not about them; it is because I'm leery of rocking the boat presently anchored in the placid oasis of audio synergy, where all parts are working and everything important to me in playback is present. From... Read More »

We are now four months into New York State's pandemic lock-down. The days pass, every one feels like a Saturday. There's nothing on my calendar except a couple of repeating Zoom sessions—all our entertainments have been zapped. (I know: if that's the worst of it, I shouldn't complain.) The free time hangs heavy; you adjust... Read More »

By far, the cheapest items in Nordost's line of QRT Audio Enhancers are the QVIBE2 AC Line Harmonizer (MSRP $349.99) and QKOIL1 AC Enhancer (MSRP $249.99). While the cost may be modest, the performance gains claimed in the product descriptions are not. If they even came close, this pair of tweaks would be a godsend... Read More »

  Well, isn't that just what we need, another nice looking power strip boasting star grounding? Like, how many others are already on the market? A quick read of the QBASE Power Distributor description on the Nordost website left me unimpressed…but I kept coming back to it for two reasons. First, it was designed to... Read More »

I had not yet drunk the Kool-Aid—I was more of a doubting Thomas—when the package arrived. My West Coast editor advised me, "Just swap out the one you have, plug this one in, give it the requisite 50 hours, and then take a sip," or something to that effect.  In the box was a new... Read More »

The telltale sign that everything was right—better-than-right—appeared when I set my CH Precision M1.1 monoblocks to produce a flat response, meaning bass, mids, and treble were output in equal measure, just as they were designed to do at the factory. Previously, I had found it necessary to boost the mids (or lower the treble) to... Read More »

It's not news that streaming has gobbled up 75% of the USA consumer music market, as reported recently by the RIAA, simply how fast it happened. This is the most exciting development in the High-End right now. The urge to jump quickly to the new thing is very tempting. My prudent advice for anyone considering... Read More »

I do endless cable comparisons. Along the way, I learned it was not a good idea to leave unused cables dangling from the preamp. We all know the cable then acts like an antennae to attract air-borne electrical gremlins. So I developed a routine: before sitting down for serious note taking (although not always for... Read More »

The other day I had one of those funny moments when I did something out of character. These used to be infrequent, but now that I'm retired from the day job, there are more. Should I be worried? Or does life get more amusing when you exit the rat race and it slows down? This... Read More »

A Google search found the pugilists in their corners sparring over USB and Ethernet cables, just as they do over interconnects and speaker wires. Being very new to the music server scene, I somehow thought things would be different, that maybe we had gotten beyond that. It's irksome to me that so many in the... Read More »

It's winter time. Want to know the best tweak for the season? Humidity. Get a humidifier and maintain about 35% RH at the equipment rack. Not only does it make you feel better, it will make the equipment perform better. Sound travels through air: consider it the final wire in your system.   Ralph Pays... Read More »

Just looking at the SSCPS, you can tell Louis Desjardins knows a thing or two about materials design. But don't get him started—unless you've got a sizable chunk of time. We'll rev him up a bit later. First, let's give the floor to the Sparta Super Capacitor Power Supply and let it speak for itself.... Read More »

In the beginning I was the tweakaholic. I spent much time fooling around with and writing about all manner of audio accessories, searching for the sonic Band-Aid that would repair my sound. It wasn't what I wanted—actually, I wasn't sure what I wanted—and these devices always delivered something. I wore the moniker like a badge... Read More »

Gary L. Koh, Chief Designer and CEO of Genesis Advanced Technologies, was the principal speaker at an event held on Saturday, September 14, 2019, at Distinctive Stereo LLC, a specialty audio store in northern New Jersey. Also, on hand were Mat Weisfeld of VPI and Merrill Wettasinghe of Merrill Audio Technologies. Gary began his presentation... Read More »

I've bailed from the Hi-fi shows. The combination of expense plus the effort to produce a timely report (which could be intense) had become onerous. Of course, I miss the meet and greet, not to mention keeping up on trends and all the new gear. If my local New York show ever got out of... Read More »

 At 66 pounds, it took two of us to carefully hoist the new German Physiks Emperor Preamplifier onto my rack. This is the heaviest preamp I've had since the mbl 6010D a decade ago. That was so huge I needed to get height extenders for my TAOC rack. The Emperor is not that big, just... Read More »

One must be very comfortable perambulating interior space to be an audio wire designer. You spend your time juggling a limited number of variables in quest of the happy permutation that will result in a leg up over the competition. And contemplation only takes you so far. Prototypes must be built. Odds are high these... Read More »