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I do endless cable comparisons. Along the way, I learned it was not a good idea to leave unused cables dangling from the preamp. We all know the cable then acts like an antennae to attract air-borne electrical gremlins. So I developed a routine: before sitting down for serious note taking (although not always for... Read More »

Removing the Wool A few months back, I received an out-of-the-blue text message from an old friend whom I've known for over 40 years. My friend messaged to express his dismay over what he saw as a serious lapse in judgement by his older brother, a life-long audiophile, accomplished amateur violinist, and highly successful business... Read More »

Do cables make a difference? That is a question I get asked quite often, and it is a question that Audiophiles have debated since the beginning of time. I am not going to directly answer that question in this review because it does not matter to me. The way my headphone system is set up,... Read More »

What the Hell is That It's no secret that I like to tweak. In fact, I made a name for myself and built a huge following in my early writing career writing about such minutiae. My third paid audio writing gig (after folding the audio analyst© that I had founded in 1988), saw me at... Read More »

New company, new product alert! Roger Skoff is back in the game, with a new company and new products. At 9AWG, the spellbinding Beyond Power Cord is the top of the RSX Technologies range, designed by the renowned Roger Skoff of XLO fame. Pricey, but a strong performer, it fits quite nicely in the audiophile... Read More »

Digital Streaming is a relatively new sound source for me. Call me old fashioned, curmudgeonly, resistant or even a snob, but I have been seriously engrossed in vinyl and transferring a bunch of it to reel to reel for over a year, so my streaming endeavors have been at a minimum comparatively speaking. I certainly... Read More »

Following the success of the impeccably designed and tonally agreeable Meze Empyrean headphones, the Meze Audio Rai Penta IEMs were established with the same decisive vision of a marriage of comfort, aesthetics, and sound. Culminating from three years of research and development, the Rai Pentas—as their name suggests—packs five drivers in a seamlessly hybrid topology.... Read More »

If you are (or, when you were…) new to the world of "stereo gear," you're likely familiar with a well-established two-channel specialty retailer based in Great Neck, New York, Music Hall. Founded in the spring of 1985 by audio devotee Roy Hall, Music Hall started out as importer and reseller of (mostly) British audio gear,... Read More »

Any analog lover will be the first to tell you, vinyl is a commitment. From record cleaning, to storage, to outer and inner sleeves, to dust removal methods and tools, the simple act of spinning records isn't so simple, but rather a very deliberate set of steps designed to optimize playback and extend the life... Read More »

Back when I moved last year into a home with a larger dedicated listening room, I wanted to spruce things up a bit and get some real cable elevators. I've had some in the past that were DIY style, and they worked, but weren't all that aesthetically pleasing. They did the job nonetheless, but it... Read More »

It is always great to see humble boutique companies produce high-quality artisan products that can compete with those from far larger firms. One such company—ZMF Headphones—have been producing premium wood-crafted heirlooms that have charmed the audiophile community for the best part of five years. Based in Chicago and headed by Zach Mehrbach, each headphone is... Read More »

Creating a killer pair of headphones which appeals to a broad spectrum of listeners, musical tastes, and listening preferences, is no mean feat. It requires a hard to achieve blend of sonics, aesthetics, build quality, convenience, comfort, and cost. Too much of one thing or too little of another and the experience can quickly begin... Read More »

When the opportunity came up to review the new Magneplanar LRS (Little Ribbon Speakers), even though I had thirty-plus years of experience with Maggies, I viewed the review possibility as something of a lark. Yes, there was a lot of buzz about the LRS, and yes, I was really pretty stoked to hear the latest... Read More »

I started several cable reviews towards the end of 2019. My lack of interest in cable reviews prior was due to disbelief that extremely high end cables, especially digital cables, would lead to improved sound quality. I also will be honest and say, even if these high end cables do provide a noticeable benefit, I... Read More »

The other day I had one of those funny moments when I did something out of character. These used to be infrequent, but now that I'm retired from the day job, there are more. Should I be worried? Or does life get more amusing when you exit the rat race and it slows down? This... Read More »

Apportioning budget to a high-end audio system represents a complex exercise, one inherently fraught with compromises, and one for which there is no hard-and-fast formula. Recognizing that loudspeakers generally have the greatest influence on the sound of a given system, does one allocate a more significant portion of his or her budget to speakers? Or,... Read More »

Are you in the market for a really nice entry level turntable for under $2000? You may have just landed at the right spot. I have been living with this little gem for about 2 months now, and it has found favor with me for the quality, the features, and the sound that this little... Read More »

Oracles house themselves within temples of the humble. Review By Rick Becker With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music. Rick Becker shares his thoughts about Synergistic Research's Foundation Cables. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief Like with climate change, it's hard to believe there are still cable deniers in this world, but they... Read More »

The last 2 years of computer audio (2017 – 2019) for listeners and musicians have been unlike anything I have seen or heard since the earliest exciting and revolutionary days of the introduction of DSD as SACDs into the market which I participated with as an album (SACD The Window released in 2003). After the... Read More »