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All Creatures Great and Small As a mid-50s baby boomer, I face the daunting but simultaneously liberating task of deciding which of my possessions to keep and which to jettison. For most of my adult life, I have chosen smaller, carefully curated living spaces over "mcmansions," a preference more and more Americans have embraced, young and... Read More »

The first inkling something outrageous was approaching came abruptly with the email teasers. Soon a conversation ensued (or, more accurately, a monologue) with Brian Ackerman, the Stage III Concepts distributor and proprietor of Aaudio Imports, about a product so far beyond the pale—a power cord weighing 35 lbs, essentially equal to three individual Stage III... Read More »

This is too much streaming player and not enough at the same time. It feels like something only a forty-something could love, which I am, and I do. I love that it's a very good DAC, especially since my Rega Apollo will likely be my last CD player; when it dies, I'll just wade into... Read More »

A symbiotic sonic relationship... for your listening pleasures. Review By Tom Lyle With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music where Tom Lyle shares his thoughts on the Aavik Acoustics I-180 Integrated Amplifier, D-180 DAC, And S-180 Streamer / Network Player. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief The Danish high-end audio manufacturer Aavik was... Read More »

Stick around long enough and you get to witness the life cycle of a fad. Presently, the audiophile community has been riding herd on RFI, judging by the third-party Band-Aids proliferating on Audiogon and webzine talk. I believe the interest to be an offshoot from the prior focus on the electrical ground: after all, RFI... Read More »

I've long been a fan of those wizards at iFi, especially the wonky folks tasked with widget warfare on hi-fi noise pollution. Although perhaps best known for their cost-effective DAC/Headphone amps, iFi has also issued a stream of USB and AC power iPurifiers and iDefenders to address audio problems both common and not so. Of... Read More »

I love cables. I hate cables. There, I said it. Cables—from an audio perspective—are that step-brother no one really knows how to engage at the annual Thanksgiving bash. Everyone knows he's part of the family, everyone knows he generally has a nice guy image, but no one really knows how to properly befriend him. Let's... Read More »

For the last five weeks, I have had the opportunity to sit back and enjoy one of the best amplifiers I have heard in a long time. It all started when I got a phone call from the owner of ampsandsound, he said he had something new and special in the works. I was intrigued,... Read More »

Thick aluminum casing, a dark anodized finish, microprocessor-controlled functions, and mysterious red lights on the faceplate could describe the latest generation of Cylon Centurion from the Battlestar Galactica science fiction series, or the newly released Monoceros preamplifier from Musician Audio. While Cylons are a Hollywood creation, this preamplifier (linestage) is the real deal, and is... Read More »

A friend is a connoisseur of many things in life. At the intermission of a concert, he was puzzled that the audience was clapping as the pianist had made so many mistakes—he performed professionally. He pushed aside a meal at the first bite because it wasn't worth the calories. As a counterpoint, the first time... Read More »

I rarely revisit my complete reviews, but the RSX top-of-the-line Beyond phono cable with DIN connector has revealed state-of-the-art attributes that are stunning to this reviewer. In its RCA-terminated form, the cable from the legendary Roger Skoff was musically natural and neutral with a bullet. I was never able to truly discover what it did... Read More »

Back in October of 2020 I did a straw poll among readers of Jeff's Place and Positive Feedback to find out what audio products they would be most interested in having me write about. The most popular and intriguing request among readers was the artisanal and custom-made Triode Lab 2A3 EVO single-ended-triode integrated amplifier from... Read More »

North America Premiere Review! Small package – Big impression! Review By Clive Meakins With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music Rick Becker shares his thoughts on the Charisma Audio Musiko Tonearm, Soundeck, and Audio Machina Accessories. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief Lindemann is very well versed with digital technology and Class D amplifiers. For... Read More »

The last few years I've been pretty pleased with my system, so I've really not been considering any major changes. My current gaggle of components, cables, and room treatments works well in my somewhat difficult room, and delivers most of the passion of the music while usually keeping me happily engaged.  I even get to... Read More »

Back when I went to public school, everyone took band. If you had no preference, they gave you whatever instrument needed players to fill a section—that's how a dented, silver trumpet wound up in my lap. Most of us consumed the hour by chilling out, with the exception of a small coterie of trumpet players... Read More »

I tend to be a believer in a less is more approach when it comes to my audio system; find a high end DAC like the Chord DAVE, and use it's outputs to drive the amplifier directly. In my experience putting anything between the DAC and the amplifier adds noise, colors the sound, and removes... Read More »

Muarah Audio made its debut during the Audio Video Show 2015 with a complete system designed for playing music from vinyl records. Associated primarily with turntables, it also offers electronics. This time, however, we are testing its flagship MT-1 EVO turntable with a PSC precise speed controller. The title of one of the articles on... Read More »

We're all thinking about travel. Where can we go? How are we going to get there? And what will we listen to on our way? The Diablo (Spanish for devil) is a battery-powered DAC/headphone amp that you'll be packing with you whether your next journey is to heaven, hell, or a more lateral journey across... Read More »

George Counnas of Zesto Audio with his Andros Deluxe II Phono Stage in Bob Levi's listening room Before I start: the most-asked question answered first! Yes. Those of you who own the Zesto Audio Deluxe Phono Stage may receive a factory Deluxe II upgrade through any Zesto Audio dealer for $1200, including a new faceplate... Read More »