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Exploring the possibilities over the last few years on the digital front has been both rewarding and frustrating. I have reviewed or auditioned several cutting edge components, including the Esoteric K-01X SACD Player/DAC ($20,000), PS Audio Direct Stream DAC ($6000), Berkeley Alpha Reference Series 2 DAC ($16,000), the Aurender N-10 Music Server ($8000), and I... Read More »

When it comes to projecting a sound-field that images well, especially in this day and age of speaker manufacturing, performance can work in the favor of the smallish speaker. Even very small designs can image like crazy, particularly listened too in the near field. But to truly reach the peak that is live music, a... Read More »

I am an imaging junkie. Musical images, properly recorded, must have realistic tonality, unwavering stability, a rounded aspect, and—whether vocal or instrumental—must be room-present. Dr. John Coolege, a writer for TAS once exclaimed, "The music has blood in it." Zesto Audio's new Leto Ultra preamplifier is bloody wonderful, and USA made! George Counnas, the award-winning... Read More »

The savvy audiophile is keenly aware of the weakest link of the chain theory when it comes to our hobby. The arena of vinyl playback is one place where this event is illuminated with the brightest of lights. Vinyl hobbyists will debate cartridge types, turntable drive formats, and the methodology for cleaning vinyl, however all... Read More »

We live in exciting times for phono reproduction, a new golden age for LPs from manufacture to playback. The key lesson learned since the production of full-range stereo LP recordings in 1958, some taped in stereo as early as 1954 and released in 1958, is this:  the weakest part of the chain is playback in... Read More »

AudioQuest's founder, William Low, and Senior Director of Engineering, Garth Powell, have once again co-developed the next generation of AudioQuest audiophile cost-is-no-object power cables and speaker cables. Interconnects are in development and will be available this fall. They are designed to be the best in the world of connectivity—full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes! I... Read More »

"Let's get small, real small!" - Steve Martin, 1977. KEF's new R3 stand mount speakers, the smallest of their recently introduced, redesigned mid-priced R series are a case study in good things coming in small packages. The new R series is comprised of the R11, 7, and 5 floor standers, R3 bookshelf, R2c center, and... Read More »

Easy to set up and very easy to use. You will not be disappointed. Review By Tom Lyle With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music. Tom Lyle shares his thoughts about Pro-Ject X2 Vinyl LP Turntable. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief As the technology advances, it's only natural for any decent audio... Read More »

With just a decade of experience, 64 Audio have quickly grown to become a tour de force in the world of portable audio. Part of their ascension has stemmed from their firm desire to challenge traditional audio standards with innovations and ground-breaking technologies. The pinnacle of their knowledge has culminated in the Tubeless In-Ear Audio... Read More »

Back in July 2019, after completing the original review of the SVS SB-3000 subwoofer (HERE), I took the subs out of my system. It took just minutes to determine there was no way I was going to send them back to the SVS folks in Ohio. They transformed my system into something special, and I... Read More »

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 »