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I-O DATA was founded in 1976 in the Japanese city of Kanazawa. I-O Data is one of the largest manufacturers of computer peripherals in this country. In 2016, an offspring brand called  Fidata was founded within company, whose audio files transports / music servers are intended for the "premium consumer market." In 2019, they decided... Read More »

During the initial days of my shelter in place, I stepped outside for a walk, only to find a short monolith in the middle of my driveway. It was a hulking, brown box, and obviously delivered by truck. No knock on the door, no ring of the bell... just something I discovered in my driveway—not... Read More »

I was once upon a time in a galaxy far, far way, an unabashed, dyed-in-the-wool tube lover. The mere mention of solid-state electronics sent my upper lip into involuntary quivering. Still, it was important to separate my job as an audio reviewer from my personal preferences. Over the years, products from Levinson, Rowland, Cello, PASS,... Read More »

For those who have read my other reviews on Positive Feedback, one thing that is probably apparent, is my love of tubes. I find that tubes bring a sense of space and realism that is rare in solid state amplifiers. Now tubes are not perfect, they have their drawbacks. For example, if you are using... Read More »

Background In this time of Covid 19 it was apt that I was given the opportunity to review a product from a small company headed by a dog named Lutz. Cottage industry is the name of the game, and Sparkos Labs is an outfit out of Westminster Colorado, United States that was born from a... Read More »

A system with wonderful synergy. Review By Frank Garofalo With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music. Frank Garofalo shares his thoughts on the KEF R5 Loudspeaker and KF92 Subwoofer. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief   KEF is a company cherished in the audiophile world for bringing great sound to many around the... Read More »

"If the power supply of an amplifier is designed correctly, there is no need for a power conditioner." The quote above is a paraphrase, of a paraphrase, of something that has been said since the first power conditioning devices for audio equipment crawled out of the ocean and began to breathe air. While the quote... Read More »

As we who love music continue to respect and cherish tradition when it comes to things like tubes and vinyl LPs, I think that it is also import for us to embrace those who challenge the audiophile norm, and are true innovators in the industry. We need a balance of both to move forward and... Read More »

(Tw)eek! It’s a Useful Product: The Block Audio C-Lock! Block audio is new to me, but if websites are worth a thousand words, then this audio manufacturer from the Czech Republic is well worth getting to know. Perhaps someday I'll be writing about one of Block's active components, but today, I'm writing about a new... Read More »

Static electricity, the dreaded bane of vinyl lovers the world over. It doesn't matter were you live or what climate you find yourself in, static electricity is an issue for anyone spinning records. There are essentially three culprits contributing to the progressive build up of static during vinyl playback: the first is the simple act... Read More »

A little over a year ago I was making my way through the headphone hall at AXPONA 2019, and spotted the Meze Audio booth. I wasn't familiar with Meze, but their offerings looked interesting and I enjoyed listening to their 99 Classics for a few minutes. In the past year or so I've been leaning... Read More »

I am sure I do not speak for everyone, but personally, I rarely find myself turning up the volume on any of my preamplifiers past 50%. I also find that most of the time I am trying to turn down the source before it gets to my power amp rather than add gain to it.... Read More »

When I first relocated to NYC from Chicago in 1994, I was deep in the boil of my audio obsession. The timing of my move couldn't have been better. I had exhausted nearly all the audio salon's salesmen in Chicago, and needed a fresh batch of victims to torment. One of my first visits was... Read More »

Garbage in, garbage out—health-conscious individuals focused on nutrition will nod their heads knowingly. This same aphorism applies to high-end audio, where electrically-powered components draw their sustenance from AC power. Audiophiles often go to great lengths to optimize the power flow to their systems, employing dedicated lines, power conditioners, upgraded power cords, and upgraded fuses. Aftermarket... Read More »

By far, the cheapest items in Nordost's line of QRT Audio Enhancers are the QVIBE2 AC Line Harmonizer (MSRP $349.99) and QKOIL1 AC Enhancer (MSRP $249.99). While the cost may be modest, the performance gains claimed in the product descriptions are not. If they even came close, this pair of tweaks would be a godsend... Read More »

As I sit back, listening to Melody Gardot on my Hifiman HE1000SE, things just sound right. While my system has always sounded great, and I have an excellent system consisting of a Chord Dave / M Scaler, custom built tube amplifiers from ampsandsound, and a plethora of excellent headphones to choose from, I always felt... Read More »

I have been a audiophile for some 50 years now. In that time I have seen a lot of changes. Tubes gave way to solid state, only to see tubes come back around with a vengeance. Vinyl was considered extinct in the eyes of many the moment CDs hit the market, only to see the... Read More »

After reviewing the RSX Beyond AC Power Cables and Phono Cables which are designed and priced for the audiophile purist, I was stunned by Roger Skoff's latest offering of an AC Power Box featuring elegant maximal design and minimal cost. With eight power outlets featuring Furutech transparent connectors, all spring-loaded for a powerful grip, and made of purest... Read More »

Schiit is a name that many in the audiophile community know and love. My first tube amp was actually the Schiit Vahalla, and I have owned the Asgard, Lyr, and Mjolnir in the past and currently have a Gungnir Multi-bit DAC that I use in my office. Needless to say, I have always liked Schiit;... Read More »