Steve Lefkowicz, Author at Positive Feedback

ampsandsound Kenzie Integrated Amplifier

Steve Lefkowicz — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 21:48:57 +0000

It's been a little over eight years since I last reviewed an amplifier by Southern California's ampsandsound (HERE). In the intervening years, Justin Weber has taken his little, almost hobbyist endeavor into the world of being a serious full-fledged business manufacturing extremely high quality boutique products. His lineup currently includes six amplifiers designed for driving... Read More »

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Tekton Lore Loudspeakers

Steve Lefkowicz — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 16:49:28 +0000

This article by Steve Lefkowicz originally ran in Positive Feedback's ISSUE 60 March/April 2012, so while we call this section "New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print" you are also going to see some articles from our early days of going online. This might be a little longer than normal introduction. Those... Read More »

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Tekton Design Perfect SET 15 Loudspeakers

Steve Lefkowicz — Thu, 09 May 2024 18:47:09 +0000

This review has had probably the longest gestation period of any review I've ever done. I've had the Tekton Perfect SET 15 loudspeakers in my possession for three years already. In fact, I already gave them a Writer's Choice award in 2021. Why the long wait? As explained in previous articles, much of the first... Read More »

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Khozmo Acoustic Passive Preamplifier

Steve Lefkowicz — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 17:10:26 +0000

Over the many years that I've been involved in high quality home audio, there's been no part of system that has given me more concern, and kept me from making a decision for what my system needs, than the preamp or linestage. Seems silly, as in theory at least, a preamp or linestage should be... Read More »

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THE Show Costa Mesa 2023 - Part 1

Steve Lefkowicz — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 19:29:32 +0000

I was certainly looking forward to attending THE Show. Their move to the Hilton Orange County in Costa Mesa, CA meant I'd only have a short twenty-minute drive each day. And though health reasons kept me from submitting my report from last year's show in Long Beach, I heard enough good things there that I... Read More »

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…and Steve says…On Excellence and Expectations – and Choosing Speakers

Steve Lefkowicz — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 17:15:41 +0000

Last year I had the opportunity to visit with a friend and listen to their system that included the $329,000 Wilson Chronosonic XVX Loudspeakers. Their system is certainly one version of "state-of-the-art" and one of the very best systems I've ever heard. Over the years I've heard many other very expensive, high quality systems that... Read More »

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and Steve says… Regarding Dropping of Jaws, Smacking of Gobs, and Whether Experience Matters

Steve Lefkowicz — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 21:49:07 +0000

This won't be about what you think it will be about. It won't be the typical audio rant about typical audio topics; no arguments about digital vs analog or tube vs solid-state or what music constitutes a worthy effort for a high end system. It will be something a little different. But first, I've noticed... Read More »

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Dynavector 10X5 MKII Low Output Moving Coil Cartridge

Steve Lefkowicz — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 16:30:14 +0000

There is something to be said for stability in an audio system. In this case I don't mean "stability" as in free of vibration or unwanted movement, though that is obviously essential in a quality audio setup. I mean stable as in it is good to have some pieces of equipment that don't get swapped... Read More »

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iFi NEO iDSD DAC

Steve Lefkowicz — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:39:21 +0000

Though I'm known among my audio friends as an analog and LP guy, I actually spend more time listening to digital music than my LP collection. Especially since I first signed up for Tidal in 2017, streaming has been my main source for listening to new music, and for hunting down all the old stuff... Read More »

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iFi iPhono 3 Black Label Phono Stage

Steve Lefkowicz — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 23:34:33 +0000

I've had the same Linn LP12 turntable in my system for thirty-six years. Regular maintenance has kept it in tip-top condition. Of course it has had a few different cartridges over that time, but with one exception it is the same now as when I bought it in 1984. That one exception being replacing the... Read More »

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PS Audio Sprout100

Steve Lefkowicz — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 16:11:21 +0000

A little over three years ago, I reviewed the original PS Audio Sprout integrated amplifier (HERE). That unit received widespread acclaim throughout the audio press for its feature set, performance and price. However, those who paid attention to my review would recognize that though I respected it for its effort and its potential significance in... Read More »

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First Systems, Part 1 - Julie's System

Steve Lefkowicz — Tue, 15 May 2018 21:34:55 +0000

This will be the first of another sporadically updated series I hope to do, maybe annually or maybe more often, about helping people set up their first real stereo system. I'll help them through the process of deciding what they hope to accomplish (hopefully wanting to listen to their favorite music at home and have... Read More »

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Tekton Double Impact Loudspeakers

Steve Lefkowicz — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 17:06:16 +0000

One of the things I have learned to expect and appreciate in my search for high-value, lower-cost equipment is that as the price goes down the differences between gear increase, and the need to understand your biases and preferences becomes more important as you will have to accept certain compromises. As I have listened to... Read More »

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Larsen Model 6.2 Loudspeakers

Steve Lefkowicz — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 20:18:33 +0000

I've been doing this for a long time, playing with audio gear since early 1970s. But it was heading to Rochester, NY for college in 1975 where I was finally in a city with several high quality audio shops and people I could hang out with who owned nice (dare I say high-end) audio systems.... Read More »

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and Steve Says… What About Affordable, Entry Level, and Budget Audio? ...and a Little Announcement About the LA Audio Show!

Steve Lefkowicz — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 18:48:59 +0000

As anyone who has followed my work for the past twenty years or so know, I am all about lower cost, high value audio. I love finding equipment that punches above is price class and attempts to give real, solid, quality sound with the potential for long term satisfaction. I feel I have been pretty... Read More »

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T.H.E Show Newport 2016 (Part 1)

Steve Lefkowicz — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 19:37:06 +0000

I know I always start my show report with some kind of a rant about the state of the high-end audio as both an industry and a hobby. Not this time. After spending four full days at T.H.E Show Newport 2016 (if you include the "press and VIP" day on Thursday), I can say this... Read More »

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Burson Conductor Virtuoso and Timekeeper Virtuoso

Steve Lefkowicz — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 23:59:41 +0000

There's been a long, and I think unfortunate trend in the upper reaches of high-end audio over the last fifteen years or so. It is the moving of high end audio from an endeavor based on making gear whose principle raison d'être is to sound really good and to honor the music we listen to,... Read More »

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ampsandsound Stereo 15 Special Edition Amplifier (and their unnamed chip amp!)

Steve Lefkowicz — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 08:17:08 +0000

I've been interested in high-end audio since the mid 1970s, maybe even before that, certainly before anyone used the term High End Audio. This was mostly due to my love for music, and happening to have a few school friends and acquaintances who parents had really good systems. It wasn't until I was in college... Read More »

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Computer Audio on the Cheap! (Part 3) – Another New Computer and Some USB Schiit…

Steve Lefkowicz — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 06:59:02 +0000

I have to confess. Since moving away from CDs and other physical digital media (at least from a playback standpoint) I actually listen to music digitally more than I ever imagined I would. Looking back over the last year or so, I probably have more actual listening time using my budget digital server system than... Read More »

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THE Show Newport 2015 - Part 1

Steve Lefkowicz — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 20:10:51 +0000

The past few years I've been pretty soured on the whole Audio Show routine. Too much excessively high priced equipment being demonstrated to appeal to a smaller and smaller market of ultra rich clients, left me feeling I'd be more welcome in a yacht club membership committee meeting than most of the rooms exhibiting at... Read More »

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PS Audio Sprout - A "Complete" Amplifier

Steve Lefkowicz — Mon, 25 May 2015 05:26:19 +0000

Over the past several years, one of the big topics in field of high end or perfectionist audio has been how to get new people, and especially younger people, to participate. That means not just getting a new generation to both appreciate better sound and gear, but more importantly, getting them to actually buy better... Read More »

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Vermouth Audio - Black Pearl Interconnects and Red Velvet Speaker Cables

Steve Lefkowicz — Sun, 24 May 2015 22:14:14 +0000

When talking about the controversial topic of audio cables, there are three specific areas that keep getting discussed: Do cables actually sound different? If they do sound different, are any actually better, or are they just different? Is whatever difference they may or may not create worth the price? My answer to Point 1 was... Read More »

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…and Steve says… Breathing Life into an Old Linn LP12 – The Hercules II and Mose + Hercules Power Supplies

Steve Lefkowicz — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 07:53:10 +0000

Yes, I've used the same Linn LP12 turntable since 1984. It was a big deal for me, buying it back then, for a few reasons: At $1370, including the Ittok arm and Valhalla power supply, it was fairly expensive at the time. It certainly was a lot of money for me, being just four years... Read More »

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T.H.E. Show Newport 2014

Steve Lefkowicz — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 22:06:53 +0000

I realize that for many years I've opened my various show reports with a little rant of sorts, carrying on about things that bother me about the high end audio industry, or about trade shows like CES. I was thinking about what to open with this time, when a brief conservation with an industry friend... Read More »

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