Sam Rosen, Author at Positive Feedback

The LTA MICROZOTL Preamplifier

Sam Rosen — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 17:27:38 +0000

I think everyone who reads my reviews has figured out that "this guys loves him some tubes." I want to confirm that this is a factually accurate statement. I would however clarify it to say "this guys loves well designed tube based products." But what does well designed mean in this context? A tube based... Read More »

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Zu Undertone MK II Subwoofer

Sam Rosen — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 22:45:52 +0000

I think those who have read my past reviews will see that there are some brands that I keep coming back to. The brands that I really like and come back to make great products that not only perform well, but are priced right for their performance and are differentiated from their competition. Zu Audio... Read More »

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Core Power EQUI=CORE 1800 MK3

Sam Rosen — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 20:19:07 +0000

Power conditioning is one of those topics that is considered a little divisive within the audiophile community. There are some who say power conditioning is not needed, there are some that say it makes sense, but it ultimately provides little value, and then there are some who say that it is incredibly important. Where I... Read More »

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The Analog Ethos Legendarium 2a3 Stereo Amplifier

Sam Rosen — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:49:53 +0000

Sometimes you listen to a piece of equipment, and its performance gives you pause. Sometimes that pause is a good thing because what you're listening to is performing better then you expect. Unfortunately, sometimes it's a bad thing, candidly most of the time it is a bad thing. However, this review is about one of... Read More »

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Focus Fidelity Filter Designer Room Correction Software

Sam Rosen — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 21:48:17 +0000

Room correction is catching on in the two channel world. Some will read this first sentence and think that I have lost my mind, some will say "of course," and others will say "really, I had no idea." Room correction is easily one of the most debated topics by audiophiles, and ranks up there with... Read More »

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Moon Audio Silver Dragon Headphone Cables

Sam Rosen — Sat, 26 Nov 2022 20:09:42 +0000

Do cables make a difference? It is a question I get asked quite often, and it is a question that Audiophiles have debated since the beginning of time. I am not going to directly address that question in this review because for me it does not matter. The way my headphone system is setup, I... Read More »

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Zu Union 6 Loudspeakers

Sam Rosen — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 23:09:14 +0000

Zu really impressed me this year. I have listened to their speakers in the past but, when I heard the Soul VI in my room I fell in love. So much so, that I bought them immediately after I completed my review. When I was working on that review, Phil, Zu's business advisor, told me... Read More »

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Wireworld Eclipse and Aurora Cables

Sam Rosen — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 15:57:09 +0000

If you look at my past reviews, you will notice certain names show up on a regular basis, Wirewold is one of those names and the subject of this review. Wireworld is one of the best manufacturers of high end cabling in the audio business. They are fairly priced and their lower to mid-tier lines... Read More »

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ampsandsound Red October Amplifier

Sam Rosen — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 23:35:20 +0000

Black on Black Red October with Western Electric 300Bs and U52s ampsandsound continues to surprise and delight me. Last year it was with the Rockwell, which showed me what a DHT amplifier built around a less well known tube could do. ampsandsound also rolled out the new Agartha and converted their entire lineup (with the... Read More »

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Zu Audio Soul VI Loudspeakers

Sam Rosen — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 16:41:55 +0000

There are few times in my life where I have been truly speechless when it came to audio equipment. I still remember the first time it happened. I searched high and low for a pair of Anthony Gallo Reference 3.1s. I had never heard the speaker, but I had read enough to know that if... Read More »

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ampsandsound Zion Amplifiers

Sam Rosen — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 16:23:59 +0000

Each Zion weighs nearly 75 pounds As I sat in my listening room with the lights dimmed, I began to take a journey. My journey started with the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Unlimited Love, and I then found myself listening to Mark Knopfler's Down the Road Wherever. After awhile I ventured onto St Vincent's MasSeduction, with a short... Read More »

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Wells Audio Commander Level II Preamplifier

Sam Rosen — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 17:50:54 +0000

A little while ago I reviewed the Wells Audio Cipher. I asked Jeff Wells, the owner of Wells Audio, to tell me more about the Cipher, and he more or less described it as his preamp circuit, with a single fixed input coming from the DAC. I was so impressed with the smooth analog nature... Read More »

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Mola Mola Makua Line Stage

Sam Rosen — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 21:44:55 +0000

On Mola Mola's website if you click on the Makua, the first thing you will notice is "Analog Design for a Digital Age" in bold under a picture of the Makua. It was this statement that first interested me in the Makua, and caused me to reach out to Mola Mola's US distributor for a... Read More »

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Wells Audio Cipher DAC

Sam Rosen — Sat, 06 Nov 2021 21:34:06 +0000

My journey in high end audio started with Digital to Analog converters (DACs). The first piece of audio gear I bought was a Yulong D100 DAC/Headphone amplifier. Since then I have listened to 30+ different high end DACs ranging from $100 to $25,000+. During this process, I discovered that my personal tastes lean towards DACs... Read More »

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The ampsandsound Bryce Monos

Sam Rosen — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 18:26:43 +0000

Justin Weber, the owner of ampsandsound, has been on a roll lately. 2021 has been a big year for him. He introduced two new headphone amplifiers (The Rockwell, and the Agartha), had two of his products put on the 2021 Stereophile recommended component list, and introduced a new set of mono block speaker amplifiers known... Read More »

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AURALiC Sirius G2.1 and Aries G2.1

Sam Rosen — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 17:49:41 +0000

These days it seems like many high end manufacturers are building all in one digital front ends. What I mean by that is one box that consists of both the DAC and Streamer. On paper this approach makes a lot of sense. With the rise of Roon and HD digital music services, many audiophiles are... Read More »

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WyWires Diamond and Platinum Cables

Sam Rosen — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 19:42:34 +0000

Before I start this review I want to make one thing clear, I love WyWires. To be clear the reason I love WyWires is because they have been the only cable brand that I have found that truly enhances my system without any drawbacks. They are not cheap, but the cables act more like components... Read More »

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Rockwell Amplifier by ampsandsound

Sam Rosen — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 22:18:06 +0000

For the last five weeks, I have had the opportunity to sit back and enjoy one of the best amplifiers I have heard in a long time. It all started when I got a phone call from the owner of ampsandsound, he said he had something new and special in the works. I was intrigued,... Read More »

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Simaudio MOON 740P Preamplifier

Sam Rosen — Wed, 19 May 2021 02:07:55 +0000

I tend to be a believer in a less is more approach when it comes to my audio system; find a high end DAC like the Chord DAVE, and use it's outputs to drive the amplifier directly. In my experience putting anything between the DAC and the amplifier adds noise, colors the sound, and removes... Read More »

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Mytek Audio's Brooklyn ADC

Sam Rosen — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 20:26:54 +0000

Most diehard audiophiles believe the best system you can build will have the following components: a turntable, phono stage/preamp, and an amplifier. Keep it simple, keep it analog, and with the right component selection, the result is a system that sounds effortless and realistic in a way that a digital based system can never sound.... Read More »

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ampsandsound Nautilus Amplifier

Sam Rosen — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 18:16:07 +0000

The ampsandsound Nautilus, 60+ pounds of single ended glory As both a reviewer and a consumer, I read a lot of reviews myself. I often see solid state amplifiers being commended for having tube amp like qualities in their mid-range presentation, or tube amplifiers being commended for having solid state bass or speed. I myself... Read More »

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Wave High Fidelity Storm Reference BNC Cables

Sam Rosen — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 18:35:32 +0000

Wave Storm Reference BNC Cables and the Chord Dave I have heard many cables I have liked over the years, and have endorsed several of them throughout my time writing for Positive Feedback. However, I would never have called any of them essential. My recommendations were always wrapped within circumstances; if you have a system... Read More »

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ZMF Vérité Closed Headphones

Sam Rosen — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 20:18:37 +0000

ZMF Vérité Closed, ZMF Wooden Case, Cable Bag, and Warrantee Card ZMF has become one of the most well-known names in the head-fi community, producing headphones that sound incredibly good, and perform well above their price tag. They have excellent design that relies on exotic wood finishes, and a passionate team led by Zach and... Read More »

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Core Power Technologies Equi=Core 1800 MK2

Sam Rosen — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 18:00:21 +0000

How to think about Power Conditioning Power conditioning is an incredibly touchy subject and seems to divide the audiophile community as a whole. There are some who say it is extremely important, subscribing to the classic garbage in, garbage out mentality. Then there are those that argue that if the equipment is designed properly and... Read More »

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AURALiC Aries G1 Streaming Transporter

Sam Rosen — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 18:13:58 +0000

When it comes to streamers, my point of view is simple: software is king. Good software can make a streamer, and bad software can break a streamer. For example, I have a streamer that sounds wonderful, however, it crashes at least once a listening session. For a time I tolerated these crashes, however, with no... Read More »

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