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  WAY Cables Poetry X Analogue XLR interconnects   Despite having access to a pretty wide range of very enticing gear, I really try to avoid the marry go round of constantly swapping gear in and out of my reference system. I made big changes about 3 years ago and before that it had been over... Read More »

Playing vinyl is some of the most fun you can have in this hobby. Sliding a record out of its sleeve and setting it on the platter, throwing a switch and watching a turntable to come up to speed, cueing down a tonearm and hearing that satisfying sound of when the stylus contacts the record.... Read More »

To paraphrase Lawrence Welk: there are more new turntables than ever to choose from, good and bad, and this is certainly one of them. That's actually how a lot of reviews seem to go these days, and who can blame the poor writers? With seemingly every audio (and audio-adjacent) brand either getting into the turntable... Read More »

A Swiss Digital Fuse Box (SDFB for short) is a $395 device that replaces the generic $2 power fuse in high performance audio gear. Yes, you read that right. It is also potentially the most disruptive audiophile add-on since…what?…the subwoofer?… the power conditioner? Sorry, but your THC gummies don't qualify. So let us first consider... Read More »

Since my move to South Carolina, I've been in the process of slowly refining and (hopefully!) finalizing my seemingly ever-evolving audio systems. With regard to the analog system, the recent addition of the PS Audio Stellar phono preamp has gotten me very close to the end-game for the room. The Stellar has inputs to service... Read More »

For the last few years I've been audio lucky. Fat and happy while discovering new music on Qobuz augmented by the convenience of Roon, or listening to CDs and LPs. My system was delivering the goods and communicating the music. All my compatriots who came over to listen agreed. I was consistently contented and not... Read More »

Mid last year, I reviewed the Topping E70 Velvet DAC, which is a Delta-Sigma design that in my view offered astounding performance at a surprisingly low price point. Most of my love of the E70 Velvet revolved around its very cool implementation of the recent new production AKM chipsets, and its use of AKM's Velvet... Read More »

We've all heard horror stories of stereos destroyed by electrical storms and events. Towards that end, many of us use surge protectors or power conditioners, and if you're like me, you take it a step further and when lightning is present, you unplug your system. Unfortunately, you can't always be there when a major surge... Read More »

There are two recent observations I've made in high-end audio: 1) There are plenty of relatively inexpensive devices that can add significantly to your enjoyment of music and video playback, even if those devices might appear to be incapable of making a difference. Also, 2) The number of "audio enthusiasts" who dismiss the perceived benefits... Read More »

Phono cartridges, like musical instruments, use their body's resonance to influence the unique character of their sound. The cartridge body holds the cartridge's suspension and its electrical generating system—its stylus, cantilever, coils and magnet—while sitting between those and the tonearm. The body is a source of resonance that vibrates at its own frequency while it... Read More »

Back in 1984, before all the cool old independent hi-fi shops started vanishing into oblivion, there was a nice older dealer in northwest Atlanta called High Fidelity SSS. The shop had McIntosh amps, JBL Hartsfields, and all kinds of vintage gear scattered about, along with one room that was stocked with more modern gear. The... Read More »

Having been in the audio world for going on 30 years, I've been keen to the rise and fall of many brands. Names like Classe, Apogee, Wadia, Thiel, and Sonic Frontiers, once ubiquitous mainstays, have long gone by the way of the Dodo. On the upswing, digital from DCS and electronics manufacturer Vitus' growth has... Read More »

When I receive a review component, I start with no tweaks and plunk it beside the component it is replacing. Trying for a tabula rasa, I just plug it in and listen like a cello string, what resonates, what does the component bring, what insight does it provide? Does it excite me or am I... Read More »

One of the hooks that grabbed me when I first fell for high end audio was that it totally aligned with my need to obsess over whatever brand of gizmo or gadget that caught my eye. After all, my entire childhood was defined by a series of brands I'd obsess about from the likes of... Read More »

In the 36 years that I have been reviewing high end audio components, I have steadfastly held the notion that when it comes to cables, most mechanical filtering usually results in deteriorated sound quality. My rationale; it is very difficult to eliminate or reduce undesired artifacts in the sound signal passing through a cable without... Read More »

This third incarnation of the Trumpet MC Phono Stage is a musical blockbuster. With an amazing purity combined with near reference definition, the listener will be transported to the event as close as the vinyl allows. Very flexible and versatile, the Trumpet heralds a breakthrough performance similar to my reference stages at a quarter of the cost... Read More »

Ten-plus years have passed since I reviewed Audio-Technica's AT150MLx cartridge (HERE), a flagship moving magnet model without the flagship price: just $485 at the time. It featured a gold-plated boron cantilever tipped with a MicroLine stylus, a heavy metal body, MuMetal shielding between the channels and a ceramic mounting base to combat resonance. It was... Read More »

Digital playback technology is now commonly viewed as a mature field, where groundbreaking discoveries have already occurred, and the consumer can expect a higher level of performance, more features, and a lower price tag as the industry moves forward. After all, the first digital PCM recording was created in 1971 by NHK, and Sony and... Read More »

Photo courtesy of usheraudio.com.tw Suppose high-performance three-way monitors with a retro 80s vibe, a lush midrange, an updated curved chassis, and modern diamond tweeters pique your interest. In that case, the Usher Audio UA-50 Anniversary Loudspeakers should be on your radar. In celebration of its 50th anniversary as an audio company, Usher Audio produced 100... Read More »