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Just when you would figure John Grado would take some time off with his vivacious wife and spend time at their pied-à-terre in Paris, (if they have one, they should go there!), Grado's new and improved creations keep rolling in. With the improvements wrought by balanced armatures to IEM's and a few other engineering tweaks, the improved... Read More »

Every day I play the ML1 is an adventure. It has its glitches, but is musical and quiet. At the price, it is miraculous indeed. (You can read Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE.) Currently, I use the latest version of this unique magnetically powered and suspended turntable: the ML1. This version, with tweaked firmware,... Read More »

Not long ago, I was chatting with George—not George Cardas, but with George Counnas, genius creator of Zesto Audio's celebrated electronics. I asked him if he had read my review of the Cardas Clear Beyond XL power cords. I predict a synergy between the two, like the BIA 120 and the XL and more. To my surprise,... Read More »

Telarc Stereo TEL00005. 33.3 RPM, 180 gram vinyl. Retail $24.98. Robert Shaw conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus for this recording of Stravinsky's Firebird Suite paired with Borodin's Polovetsian Dances. Igor Stravinsky The Firebird:  Introduction The Firebird:  The Firebird and Her Dance The Firebird:  Round Dance of the Princesses The Firebird:  Infernal Dance of King Kastchei The Firebird:... Read More »

I know George Cardas through his charming daughter, Mary Cardas. Angela, his other daughter, skillfully grows the company while George continues to do what he loves best:  explore, invent, and improve the ways we audiophiles may more fully enjoy our grand hobby. Though I have never owned any products made by Cardas Audio, I have been... Read More »

I am hearing through the grapevine from high-end in-ear monitor users that finally, a manufacturer has produced a model so extremely detailed and comfortable, you are not still hungry for more after using them. That it has totally achieved the important criteria of true continuity of frequency response from 20-20,000Hz, definition at all frequencies equivalent to state... Read More »

Here are some LPs that I've gotten in recently and I want to bring to your attention. Espresso, Bob James Trio, EVLP023, from Tappan Zee Records. 2018, Featuring Bob James, Billy Kilson, and Michael Palazzolo. $32.99. Tracks Recorded by Ken Freeman, KFP Studios, Bethlehem, PA. Tracks Recorded at Stagg Studios, Van Nuys, CA.. Assisted by Josh Frank. Mastered by Steve Vavagiaskis for Bang... Read More »

I thought the GS 2000e was brilliant, being a mahogany/maple sandwich and built with large sophisticated point source driver. The Statement series is Grado Labs' top very approachable headphone series, primarily for the music lover, and secondarily for the music producer. Lighter in weight than the PS series, they are gently warmer and more fun to... Read More »

With six Zesto creations under my reviewing belt, I believe I have a good idea what each do well, and how each ranks in the high-end audiophile pantheon. I rarely keep gear, but the Zesto Allasso became a welcome addition to my vinyl playback earlier this year. That said, I was bowled over by the... Read More »

It's time for an update on the MAG-LEV ML1 levitating turntable. You'll find my world premiere review HERE. After four months in heavy use and with my modifications on board, I am pleased to report that the ML1, for all its novelty and glamour, is also a high performing, exceptionally musical turntable, even for the... Read More »

Yarlung Records, YAR77215, gold substrate CD pressed in Germany. Also available in Single, Double, and Quad DSD download formats, stereo/multichannel Organ Builder and Technician: Manuel Rosales  Recording Engineers: Bob Attiyeh & Arian Jansen  Microphone Technician: David Bock Vacuum Tube Microphones: Ancona Audio Microphone Preamplification: Elliot Midwood  Stereo Mastering Engineers: Steve Hoffman & Bob Attiyeh Surround Sound Mastering... Read More »

What a treat! To have A. J. van den Hul, the Maestro, personally build a cartridge for review... a cartridge with a treated lacquer finish done three times over many months for proper drying. The lacquer is the precise replica of the lacquer used on the historic Strads, as in violins not cartridges, and flavors the music just... Read More »

The three available finishes of the absolute:  copper, black, and silver (image courtesy of Manley) Let us just cut to the chase! I have reviewed countless headphone amplifiers and the Absolute is absolutely the most elegantly designed, intensely musical, and extremely flexible of them all! Add in the superb remote and it’s game over. Provided with... Read More »

Disruptor! The MAG-LEV Audio ML1 Levitating turntable is a disruptor! Are you surprised? I own one of six Paravicini magnetic drive turntables in America. It does not levitate, but it is quiet and astonishingly open and life-like. ML1 as delivered: Signal to noise ratio -73dB! Way better than your turntable? Why? It has no motor!... Read More »

The final Sonorous X Closed Back Dynamic Headphones are the unmatched audiophile enigma of the decade. This cost-no-object luxury model of S'Next Co. Ltd. of Japan is both: 1) The most scientifically advanced, meticulously-complex, exquisitely-designed, delivering superior imaging and soundstaging, with the ne plus ultra definition I have ever heard; and, 2) have received a Rodney-Dangerfield-styled series... Read More »

Ever since I discovered the ultra-high-value audiophile cables and now power cords from Unique Innovation Technology (UIT), my audiophile life has been altered forever. Two years ago I met the UIT folks, headed by the extraordinary Mitch Ko, at the LA Audio Show, and their suggestion that I try their interconnects with a pure silver module... Read More »

With Grado's new superstars of the cartridge world on the scene, I have updated my turntables, adding the EAT Csharp and Forte S models. Both had DIN connectors requiring me to search out top-notch phono cables with DIN plugs. I auditioned many wires, and finally settled on the WyWires Diamond Phono Cables. I also auditioned... Read More »

After many many years as an audiophile delving into all forms of music reproduction in the home, I am most aware of the direction of the many twists and turns of our limitless hobby. The infinite variability of our quest enhances the fun and fulfillment waiting just after the next acquisition. Recently, I described a dynamite phono... Read More »

No, I did not make up the name. Yes, Josefina Lichtenegger is CEO of EAT, European Audio Team, and is both chief audiophile extraordinaire and chief designer. Her beauty is only matched by her exquisite taste, and both seem employed in all EAT products. This is very refreshing as most of the audio industry appears stuck... Read More »