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While browsing the photo gallery on the Node Audio website, I came across a group shot of five finely crafted, elegantly designed objects. They appeared to be variations on a theme, but what was the theme—what were they used for? Sometimes you come upon objects that grab hold of your attention, yet their purpose remains... Read More »

It seems a lifetime ago. For my side hustle as a mobile DJ, I honed my beat-matching and mixing skills with a pair of Technics 1200 turntables at home to apply on the road with a Pioneer CMX-3000 Dual DJ CD player, but after I married Belle in 2011, I sold my gear, reinvested the... Read More »

The Maestro himself! (Portrait and image processing by David W. Robinson) My LP life When writing audio reviews, reviewers are often called on to describe things we readily hear that aren't always easily quantifiable. We use adjectives like 'open,' 'free,' 'effortless,' 'relaxed,' etc. The list goes on and on. Every once in a while, we... Read More »

Over the course of the last twenty-five-years, I've carved out a fairly satisfying niche in audio journalism. One that finds me most often focused on reasonably priced gear that frequently performs beyond its price point—while also playing nicely in more pedigreed audio systems. Many of the companies I deal with focus exclusively on that segment... Read More »

When Mark Schifter hooked me up with the first two devices from Vera-Fi Audio's new trio of power conditioning equipment, I simply wasn't prepared for the dramatic differences they made to my all-analog system. That system uses single-ended RCA connections throughout, and it had a couple of problem noise areas I couldn't seem to eliminate,... Read More »

Dean Waters:  a portrait at home  (Photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Not long ago, I penned an article reviewing the Dejitter It Switch X product (HERE) and how it can substantially enhance the audio experience when using networking for streaming as well as command and control functions. Now we'll spend a few... Read More »

ONO Tone Labs is a new loudspeaker manufacturer based in Kahului, Maui, in Hawaii, and is the brainchild of Dustin (or if you prefer, "Dusty") Vawter. Dustin has been involved in audio design and production for over 35 years, and was most recently the owner and principal designer of Channel Islands Audio (CIA). For a... Read More »

Hard to believe, but the first time I reviewed an Ortofon cartridge for PF was way back in the fall of 2008 (read it HERE). The company had just introduced their then-new 2M series of affordable moving magnets that were notably different looking and sounding than other price-competitive cartridges, the basic architectures and styling of... Read More »

The formula is simple. If you voice the component in a way that resonates with enthusiasts, odds are it's going to take off. What's left is securing media coverage to sustain consumer enthusiasm. I was not surprised to see the S1 Music Server from XACT take that route. Once you've heard its big tone—ample body,... Read More »

Mark Schifter and the geniuses at Vera-Fi Audio have done it again, and their new group of AC power optimization products may be the company's most important product launch to date. A little over a week ago, and following a series of somewhat cryptic direct messages, Mark confirmed he was sending a trio of new... Read More »

In my recent review of the Advance Paris A12 Classic integrated amplifier, I was smitten with its great looks and retro-cool vibe, but it also proved to be a superb all-around performer. And its impressive range of features ought to make it a top choice for anyone looking to build a system around a high-end... Read More »

What manner of arcane sorcery does David Salz of Wireworld Cable Technology practice behind closed doors in the depths of his cryptic labyrinth? Are mystic spells being chanted, obscure rituals observed, and talismans of power wielded in the creation of magical and wonderful wires? Or perhaps I've simply spent too many hours this weekend binge-watching... Read More »

Bob Levi (right) with Michael Fremer (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Brand new to the lineup of Grado Labs Signature Headphones is the extraordinary Signature S950 all wood headphones. Frankly, I did not see these coming! The aluminum used in the excellent HP100 SE Headphones is gone and hand-crafted Brazilian walnut shell... Read More »

Growing up in late-sixties north Georgia, music first really grabbed my attention around my tenth birthday. My family had an old tube Philco console stereo, and after school every day, I'd run home to spin a few records or listen to the radio. I had no concept of buying my own albums yet, and the... Read More »

I spend a fair amount of time on social media, especially Instagram; it's a great space to post meaningless snippets of existential nonsense, and is less overtly cluttered by the intense political rants that have bogged down Facebook. Not that I'm apolitical—you don't want to get me started about the current state of affairs here... Read More »

Preparing for this review I asked Ralph Karsten, principal at Atma-Sphere, if he planned to make a Class D preamplifier. He responded "There's not much point in a Class D preamp since you don't get the same advantages that you do in a power amp." The obvious question becomes: what are the advantages of a... Read More »

Image backdrop by Aubrey "Po" Powell, courtesy of Reddit.com In the 1970s, engineer and entrepreneur Billy Woodman ran a tidy business designing loudspeaker drivers and building them in his factory in England, supplying drivers OEM to audio manufacturers like Proac in the consumer market and clients like Yamaha in the pro audio realm. So says... Read More »

Mark Schifter is constantly teasing me with new product offerings that are either currently under development or on the verge of reaching the marketplace. And more often than not, when I get a notification that something has actually shipped to me for evaluation, I have no idea which exact device is on the way. That... Read More »

Stack Audio has been around for over a decade, founded by Theo Stack in Devonshire England. His first products were a network streamer, and enhancements to the Linn LP12 turntable platform. I doff my helmet to anyone that can make meaningful contributions to improving the venerable Linn LP12. In typical Theo fashion, these are impeccable... Read More »