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It was back in 2015 that I decided to get into a digital audio source that was not based on either a CD Player or a Transport/DAC combo. I'm really having a hard time wrapping my head around just how long ago this was. In the 2015 May/June issue of PF—now in the archives—I wrote... Read More »

Talk about poor timing. Just as I had this review sealed up, the tariff wars erupted. All politics may be local, but high-end audio sings to the tune of a global economy, in ways great and small. Headquartered in Germany, but manufactured in China, Vincent Audio has long offered excellent performance at an affordable price.... Read More »

As an owner of the Parasound JC5 stereo amplifier, I was intrigued to review the mighty JC1+ mono amplifiers in my system. As many of you know, the JC5 was John Curl's attempt to distill as much of the JC1 amplifiers into a single stereo chassis as he could. As good as the JC5 stereo... Read More »

Dean Waters enjoying a fine drink at Munich 2024 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) As lovers of clean, pure, wonderful audio, we spend much time and effort in regard to equipment, power, and cabling, among other things. When it comes to networking, we tend to not give it much thought other than... Read More »

The Karan Acoustics Master Collection POWERa Stereo amplifier is Milan Karan's new masterpiece stereo amplifier. The Master Collection is Karan's accumulation of over 30 years of audio engineering and design experience, replacing the entire previous product line. He began designing his Master Collection 10 years ago. Karan's goal was to make the best sounding amplifier... Read More »

I was passionate about music in my youth. I lived for Rock & Roll. I had a good voice and, like many young men in that era, I started learning guitar and piano. When it was time for me to head off to college I had some choices to make. Earn my living on music... Read More »

I first heard about their ceramic headshell last year when I was updating my turntable setup with a vintage Micro Seiki BL-91 turntable and a GrooveMaster 3 tonearm. "Ceramics? Isn't that what they use in pottery and fine china?" I thought. Nevertheless, Jam Somasundram, a friend and turntable specialist, insisted I try Korf Audio's HS-A02... Read More »

In the late 1980s, I was fortunate enough to obtain the dream job of many an audiophile. I worked part-time at an audio store while attending a local college. The Stereo Shoppe wasn't a high-end store, though we did carry several well-regarded lines. This was also an era when print magazines ruled; you could walk... Read More »

The last product I reviewed from iFi was their GoBlue. It is a wireless intermediary between your source and headphones. It works great. That one was a keeper. It gets its fair amount of use from my Android phone to my system when the mood for the sounds of Bluetooth rears its homely little head... Read More »

One hundred years ago Joseph Grado, founder of Grado Labs, was born. In 1953, he established the iconic Grado Labs producing extraordinary phono cartridges and dynamic headphones in Brooklyn, New York. The skilled manufacturing continues there today with even stronger creative energy from John Grado providing the leading Epoch 3 Phono Cartridge and the very... Read More »

The iFi Neo iDSD 2 occupies a most intriguing spot in the UK firm's extensive roster of DACs and DAC/Amps. At $899, it is the first step down from the much praised $3249 iDSD Pro Signature. In fact, the two are the only items the iFi website lists as "Home Audio" above the ZEN range... Read More »

Audiophiles spend thousands for a 39" (1 meter) power cord, only to follow it with an inch of conductor that costs around $3 at a local hardware store. That power cord may be highly rated, but current flow and sound quality will be constrained by the cheap fuse element at its tip. Surely, we can... Read More »

I recently became aware of HumminGuru, a Hong Kong based company with a quite forward-looking perspective on the viability of vinyl. While reviewing their affordable and very effective ultrasonic record cleaning machines (HERE), I also discovered a couple of accessories that break new ground for LP spinners. As with their record cleaners, HumminGuru's only outlet... Read More »

The Goldring Ethos SE Moving Coil Cartridge sports a capital G on its body's front like the "S" on Superman's chest—or the G on the University of Georgia football helmet of Herschel Walker—to which I see a passing similarity.  Going into his first game in 1980, he was a fourth-string running back—unexceptional, merely fitting in... Read More »

The dCS Varèse DAC For some time now, I have enjoyed visiting my friend Scott Carpenter who owns Evolution Hi-Fi in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, Georgia. As my friends will tell you, I am a frequent visitor of hi-fi shops, and I have a deep passion for the latest technology. Fortunately, Scott is not... Read More »

I love reviewing phono cartridges. In my incredibly neutral Helius Omega Tonearm, for example, they dramatically reveal either error or truth, thin or full textures, and the recording or the performance. Michael Fremer and Bob Levi at the LAOC Audio Society Board dinner, 2024  (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) The Acoustical Systems... Read More »

In the beginning of 2024, an old acquaintance came to visit. While we have known each other for quite a while, I am afraid I only know him by his nickname of "What If." Some days my friend What If drops by for an evening to chat, other times it becomes a weekend stay. Well,... Read More »

The Pass Labs X150.8 Stereo Amplifier, seen up front atop a 1/4" steel plate on A/V RoomService EVP Equipment Vibration Protectors. In the back to the left is one of my reference Usher Audio ML-802 Loudspeakers.  As a longtime Chicagoland resident and audio enthusiast, the Pass Labs X150.8 conjures Scottie Pippen's impact on the 1991-1998... Read More »

I threw everything but the kitchen sink at this relatively affordable Darth Vader-looking contraption in terms of upgrades. Not because it's bad, but rather, because it's very, very good. It sounds and feels more like a $2500 product than something priced at $1649, including cartridge. Could a few, well-chosen and easily installed swaps make it... Read More »