Hardware Reviews Archives - Positive Feedback

RAY Tubes Shootout: Reserve KT88's vs Reserve EL34's in the PrimaLuna EVO 300 Tube Integrated Amplifier

Tom Gibbs — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 16:45:53 +0000

When Nelson Wu, CEO of RAY Tubes offered earlier this year to send a full complement of RAY Select and Reserve tubes for evaluation in my PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube integrated amplifier, I jumped at the chance. I've never looked back; RAY Tubes have lifted my analog system performance and musicality to new heights, providing... Read More »

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The Power and Precision of ATC SCM40 Active Loudspeakers - Are They For You?

Juan C. Ayllon — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 18:57:44 +0000

Backdrop loudspeaker drivers image courtesy of ATC Like a surgeon's scalpel, the ATC SCM40A loudspeaker is a serious instrument, deftly cutting through sinew, fat, and bone to the heart of music with surgical precision and clarity. A three-way floor-standing model at just under 40 inches tall, it is unobtrusive and remains at the top of... Read More »

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Zu Audio Method Bookshelf Loudspeaker

Dean Seislove — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 17:51:36 +0000

A colleague once postulated that audio gear invariably sounds like the people who make it. The line of thinking goes that, if the person is big and bold, then their speakers look and sound the part. High-energy, constantly moving personalities turn out cables big on dynamics and tilted up tonal range. Quietly brilliant masterminds bring... Read More »

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Node Audio SS-1 Component Support

Marshall Nack — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 18:31:44 +0000

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 »

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A Clean Sweep? A Look at the iSonic P4875 II MVR5 and MVR 10 Ultrasonic Record Cleaners and their PSR01A Isonic Pump Station

Juan C. Ayllon — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 17:17:33 +0000

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 »

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Waters on the Hardware: The Gingko Audio Cloud System and Arch Loudspeaker Isolation Device

Dean Waters — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:40:13 +0000

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 »

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Aurender's A1000 Network Music Server/Streamer/DAC: Redefining Affordable World Class Performance

Tom Gibbs — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 16:30:18 +0000

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 »

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Follow-up: Vera-Fi Audio's Line Noise Black Hole and Snub Station Zero, with the Infinity Fuse, in My Digital Source System

Tom Gibbs — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 18:46:06 +0000

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 »

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Waters on the Hardware: The Dejitter It WiFi X

Dean Waters — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 03:39:13 +0000

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 »

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ONO Tone Labs a3 Standmount Loudspeakers: Stunning Performance, Sustainably Built

Tom Gibbs — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 18:41:49 +0000

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 »

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Ortofon MC X20 Moving Coil Phono Cartridge

Ed Kobesky — Sat, 21 Jun 2025 18:27:50 +0000

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 »

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XACT S1 EVO Music Server

Marshall Nack — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 16:19:02 +0000

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 »

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Vera-Fi Audio's Line Noise Black Hole and Snub Station Zero: Serious AC Power Optimization that has Rocked my World!

Tom Gibbs — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 17:05:13 +0000

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 »

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RAY Tubes Select 12AT7 Dual Triode Tubes: Rolling Next-level Performance into the Advance Paris A12 Classic Amplifier

Tom Gibbs — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:29:42 +0000

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 »

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Wireworld Silver Eclipse 10 Interconnects

John Hoffman — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:32:19 +0000

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 »

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Grado Labs Signature S950 Headphone: An Amazing Addition to the Signature Line!

Robert H. Levi — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:19:58 +0000

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 »

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RAY Tubes Reserve EL34 and Select 12AU7 Vacuum Tubes: Elevating My PrimaLuna EVO 300 Integrated Amplifier's Performance to Unforeseen Heights!

Tom Gibbs — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:10:09 +0000

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 »

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Advance Paris A12 Classic Integrated Amplifier: Retro Good Looks, Impressive Power, and Astonishing Flexibility!

Tom Gibbs — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 15:47:58 +0000

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 »

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Atma-Sphere Class D Amplifiers

Tim Aucremann — Wed, 21 May 2025 16:19:08 +0000

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 »

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The ATC SCM40 Loudspeaker - a Crazy Diamond Hidden in Plain Sight

Juan C. Ayllon — Tue, 20 May 2025 00:03:43 +0000

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 »

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FX-Audio L07 Integrated Amplifier and DS07 DAC/Preamplifier - Astonishing Performance at an Entry Level Price!

Tom Gibbs — Thu, 01 May 2025 18:28:21 +0000

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 »

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Stack Audio SmoothLAN Network Filter and SmoothLAN Regenerator: Shining Knights Rescuing my Audio System from Digital Dragons

John Hughes — Thu, 01 May 2025 16:59:38 +0000

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 »

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Small Green Computer sonicTransporter i7 CDR (Gen 3) and Sonore opticalRendu Deluxe

John Zurek — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 23:38:51 +0000

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 »

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Vincent Audio SV-500MK Integrated Amplifier

Dean Seislove — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 23:13:28 +0000

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 »

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Parasound Halo JC1+ Mono Amplifiers

Mark Pearson — Sat, 05 Apr 2025 18:07:19 +0000

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 »

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