Hardware Reviews Archives - Positive Feedback

Arne Mk2 Integrated Amplifier

Key Kim — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 22:51:16 +0000

Engstrom is a small family-run company from Stockholm Sweden. The EE emblem represents the two founding partners, Lars & Timo Engstrom, who are a unique uncle and nephew duo. They embody a balanced and "less is more" approach to design and engineering that is central to the company's identity. Lars Engstrom was born in the... Read More »

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World Premier Review of Kubala•Sosna Research Celebration OptimiZ4 Series Interconnects

Robert H. Levi — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 22:27:11 +0000

I have enjoyed Kubala•Sosna interconnects, speaker cables, digital cables, and power cords for over 20 years, and value the advice of Joe Kubala greatly. My systems are tuned with Kubala•Sosna Emotion, Elation! and more, and have used these excellent cables to compare newcomers from all parts of the world. It is heartwarming to know the... Read More »

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Tiglon TPL-2000R RCA Interconnects

Douglas Seth Brown — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:46:35 +0000

A huge part of the audiophile addiction…er…hobby, (yeah… let's call all of this insanity a quote-unquote 'hobby'), is incessantly trying to improve the sound quality of the gear you own with better cabling. Why do this…? Why change any of your cables and risk the painful expense of time, energy, and money in the desperate... Read More »

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The Infinity Fuse from Vera-Fi Audio

John Zurek — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 18:18:05 +0000

The current phase of my audio journey found me more focused on room and AC power issues. I tackled the room first, and right now I'm very happy with the results, although this is still a work in progress. Now it's time to concentrate on AC power, starting with fuses. I've thought many times about... Read More »

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The Dynavector XX-2A Moving Coil Phono Cartridge Takes You There!

Juan C. Ayllon — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 17:22:46 +0000

I was recently discussing vinyl playback with a friend and audio equipment designer when he first suggested it. "You should really look at the Dynavector XX-2A," he effused, claiming that it had excellent detail retrieval, treble extension, bass, dynamics, and an overall balance and presentation that compared favorably with many moving coil cartridges that sold... Read More »

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BennyAudio Odyssey Turntable

Gary Lea — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 17:55:00 +0000

After a year of hiatus from reviewing, I'm thrilled to return with a series of three reviews that will highlight significant changes to my system. My system is now anchored by the finest Cary Audio amps and preamp, including the SLP-5 preamp and the 211 Founder's Edition Power amps. (I replaced my 805C amps and... Read More »

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The Sonore Signature Rendu SE Deluxe - a Minimalist Music Player for a Maximum Soundscape Experience

Juan C. Ayllon — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 20:36:42 +0000

Let's assume that, like many into hi-fi, you're extremely busy and prefer a minimalist aesthetic, reference-level sound, and low-fuss gear. In that case, the Sonore Signature Rendu SE Deluxe network music player may be the music player for you. When I first spotted the Sonore Signature Rendu SE Deluxe, it was featured in a high-end... Read More »

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Master Fidelity’s NADAC Digital Suite: A New Benchmark

Greg Weaver — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:23:40 +0000

When the opportunity to evaluate the singular performance of the comparatively affordable Master Fidelity digital suite, comprised of the $27,500 NADAC D DAC and its identically priced companion, the NADAC C Clock, in my own reference system, I was beside myself with anticipation. My enthusiasm for spending time with these components in my own reference... Read More »

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Gingko Audio MooVu Loudspeaker Kit

Michael Zisserson — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 17:15:53 +0000

Somewhere between the impassioned corporate overlords of large audio conglomerates and the overly passionate do-it-yourselfer lies a middle ground of small-to-medium audio companies. Many of these middle ground overachievers carve their niche by offering products that combine the value of the big brands with esoteric-like perfection in everything they build. Or in this case, you... Read More »

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Stereo Dave's Audio Alternative Custom Made Furutech Power Cord

Francisco Duran — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 21:46:07 +0000

Call it serendipity, a strange coincidence, or just plain chance, but when the power cords arrived from Stereo Dave's Audio Alternative for me to review, I was watching a video on YouTube from none other than Audioholics. Those familiar with that organization will know they are not supporters of high-end, high-priced audio cables whatsoever. One... Read More »

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Matrix Audio MP1 and MA1

John Hoffman — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 16:10:34 +0000

"Keep your voices down a little bit" is faintly heard in the background. This phrase is incredibly difficult to decipher in many systems, as it is located deeply in the background of the recording. "Then, a band member says"Oh I will tell you everything," and while it cannot be documented it is likely Christine McVie... Read More »

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Monitor Audio Bronze 300 7G Loudspeakers

Malcolm J. Gomes — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:18:21 +0000

When I started reviewing high-end audio in the early 1980s, I was young, naïve and easily fascinated with the fast-evolving technologies in the audiophile speaker sphere. I drooled at state-of-the-art designs and the exotic materials used in the top-of-the-line models from the leading brands. I admired the people designing these models, which were, more often... Read More »

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Aries Cerat Ithaka Minor DAC

Key Kim — Fri, 17 Oct 2025 16:40:23 +0000

My first encounter with the Aries Cerat was back in 2019 at the Munich High-End show. All I really remember was a truly magical experience—even under show conditions (noisy background, people coming in and out). The Aries Cerat system was very natural and analog sounding, surprisingly, I was listening to a digital set-up. Fast forward... Read More »

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KECES P14 Ultra Low Noise Linear Power Supply

Mark Pearson — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 18:36:48 +0000

The KECES P14 Ultra Low Linear Noise Power Supply is a relatively new addition to the KECES Pier product line and it replaces the P8. The P14 is a four-channel power supply and the channels are labeled as zones I - IV. Zones I – III gives you a selection of different voltages ranging from... Read More »

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SteinMusic Acoustic Disc - Correctly Tune an Entire Listening Room with just Six 2-inch Discs!

Robert H. Levi — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 23:23:08 +0000

Bob Levi: a moment. LAOC Gala Board Banquet, 2022 (Photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) One of my pet peeves in listening room acoustic treatments is devices that not only enhance the sound quality, but also cause an irregularity to the musical reproduction at certain frequencies. I run across these items almost weekly... Read More »

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Parasound's JCA100 Tribute Amplifiers

Greg Weaver — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 22:52:06 +0000

I first heard the now-acclaimed Parasound Halo JC1 amplifier during the January 2002 CES, though this soon-to-be-acclaimed amplifier was not officially available for purchase until March of 2003. But on that January day, the late Bob Crump had used four pre-production JC1s, a soon-to-be-acknowledged overachieving amplifier from renowned electronics designer John Curl, to drive a... Read More »

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HyperAnalogue Hyper Sonic X4 Moving Coil Cartridge: Cooking Up A Masterpiece

Myles B. Astor — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 23:37:15 +0000

My first encounter of the Hyper Sonic X4 cartridge kind occurred in the VPI room at Capital Audiofest 2023. The next year, Laurence Borden, proprietor of Distinctive Stereo in NJ, also turned to the Hyper Sonic X4 to anchor his vinyl playback setup at Capital AudioFest 2024. Both times I left the show incredibly impressed... Read More »

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The Gryphon Power Zone 3 and the Art of No Noise

Lee Scoggins — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 15:52:26 +0000

Michael Fremer and Lee Scoggins, a moment. Los Angeles, CA, 2017. (Photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) In my recent experience, I have discovered that lowering noise is one of the most beneficial things you can do for better music playback. It's a true three-for-one deal for audiophiles. Bass, midrange, and highs all... Read More »

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Pass Labs Lowers the Noise Floor with Its Newly Minted HPA-1c Headphone Amplifier

Juan C. Ayllon — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:43:45 +0000

The Pass Labs HPA-1c (photo by Juan C. Ayllon) If you don't already own one, you've probably seen them on the equipment racks of high profile audio reviewers: rugged and utilitarian, a milled metal block with an oversized volume knob that sounds sumptuous. For the past two years, I've been enjoying the lush delivery of... Read More »

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Thoughts on Cleaning, Freezing, Polishing, and De-Magnetizing used CDs and SACDs

Douglas Seth Brown — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 02:11:27 +0000

For many modern music lovers, listening to songs from FM-radio stations in the car or streamed over computers at home from websites like You Tube is how they (er… we) discover new music. If you're lucky enough to have a Sirius-XM radio subscription or can afford to stream high-resolution digital music from various online providers,... Read More »

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SVS SB17-Ultra R|Evolution Subwoofer

Pete Davey — Sat, 13 Sep 2025 16:41:58 +0000

Listening Impressions There's an elephant in the room, and I mean that almost literally. Certain frequencies, the lowest ones, simply aren't reproduced faithfully by most loudspeakers. They'll wobble along, giving the impression of bass, but when you sit in the chair you're left wondering: can you feel it? Subterranean frequencies are not just meant to... Read More »

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PS Audio PowerPlant 20

Pete Davey — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 18:15:11 +0000

Sliding the PS Audio PowerPlant 20 into my system wasn't like unboxing a new amplifier or speaker. It doesn't announce itself with power meters or driver cones. Instead, it quietly rebuilds the very electricity your system relies on. Yet, from the first few tracks, it was obvious this wasn't a subtle change. For my particular... Read More »

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Pass Labs X350.8 Amplifier

Pete Davey — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:55:28 +0000

After living with a handful of Class D amps over the past few years, it's been a real joy to get back into a serious Class AB amplifier. The Pass Labs X350.8 has reminded me why these big, heavy beasts are still so special. There's simply more weight, more authority, more current on tap, and... Read More »

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Node Audio SS-1 Cable Lifts

Marshall Nack — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:47:08 +0000

When the Support System One (SS-1) from Node Audio came to my attention, I was smitten by its elegant looks, intrigued by its intelligent design, and impressed by its very sensible list of materials. Welcome to SS-1, a modular component support eco-system that isolates equipment from its support, drains equipment vibrations, and focusses stray magnetic... Read More »

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Audio-Technica AT-LP8x Turntable

Ed Kobesky — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 15:34:03 +0000

What happened to all of the luxury Japanese turntables? You know the ones I mean: those tall, chunky, rosewood-veneered JVCs and Denons and even Hitachis, with their fully-automatic feature sets, dead-on direct drive propulsion and wildly over-engineered parts like servo-damped tonearms? While other companies like Rega were trying to simplify turntable design, these folks... Read More »

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