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Audiophiles spend thousands for a 39" (1 meter) power cord, only to follow it with an inch of conductor that costs around $3 at a local hardware store. That power cord may be highly rated, but current flow and sound quality will be constrained by the cheap fuse element at its tip. Surely, we can... Read More »

I recently became aware of HumminGuru, a Hong Kong based company with a quite forward-looking perspective on the viability of vinyl. While reviewing their affordable and very effective ultrasonic record cleaning machines (HERE), I also discovered a couple of accessories that break new ground for LP spinners. As with their record cleaners, HumminGuru's only outlet... Read More »

The Goldring Ethos SE Moving Coil Cartridge sports a capital G on its body's front like the "S" on Superman's chest—or the G on the University of Georgia football helmet of Herschel Walker—to which I see a passing similarity.  Going into his first game in 1980, he was a fourth-string running back—unexceptional, merely fitting in... Read More »

The dCS Varèse DAC For some time now, I have enjoyed visiting my friend Scott Carpenter who owns Evolution Hi-Fi in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, Georgia. As my friends will tell you, I am a frequent visitor of hi-fi shops, and I have a deep passion for the latest technology. Fortunately, Scott is not... Read More »

I love reviewing phono cartridges. In my incredibly neutral Helius Omega Tonearm, for example, they dramatically reveal either error or truth, thin or full textures, and the recording or the performance. Michael Fremer and Bob Levi at the LAOC Audio Society Board dinner, 2024  (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) The Acoustical Systems... Read More »

In the beginning of 2024, an old acquaintance came to visit. While we have known each other for quite a while, I am afraid I only know him by his nickname of "What If." Some days my friend What If drops by for an evening to chat, other times it becomes a weekend stay. Well,... Read More »

The Pass Labs X150.8 Stereo Amplifier, seen up front atop a 1/4" steel plate on A/V RoomService EVP Equipment Vibration Protectors. In the back to the left is one of my reference Usher Audio ML-802 Loudspeakers.  As a longtime Chicagoland resident and audio enthusiast, the Pass Labs X150.8 conjures Scottie Pippen's impact on the 1991-1998... Read More »

I threw everything but the kitchen sink at this relatively affordable Darth Vader-looking contraption in terms of upgrades. Not because it's bad, but rather, because it's very, very good. It sounds and feels more like a $2500 product than something priced at $1649, including cartridge. Could a few, well-chosen and easily installed swaps make it... Read More »

Good headphones immerse you in an aural cocoon, delivering remarkable soundscapes that allow you to escape the noise and stress of daily life. Whether I was listening to Steely Dan tapes with their low-grade hiss on an AM/FM radio cassette player over Koss "Stereophones" back in 1979 at my college dorm room, or savoring a... Read More »

Before we explore the exceptional performance and remarkable value that the moderately priced Mobile Fidelity MasterPhono Phonostage represents, the historian in me wants to make sure you understand why it is so noteworthy. Since Mobile Fidelity's humble beginnings as an independently owned audiophile recording company by recording engineer Brad Miller in March of 1958, it... Read More »

Bob Katz at work wearing the Audeze CRBN 2 Headphones, a portrait. (Photograph by Mary Kent.) Introduction Today I'm reviewing two remarkable products, both of which represent a new audio paradigm and a veritable redefinition of the state of the art! I know, this is an old audio cliché, but in this case I think... Read More »

Over a decade ago, the late John Sunier of Audiophile Audition called me with a hardware review offer for the original AURALiC Aries streamer. I was clueless as to what a streamer was or what it was supposed to do, John was unable to offer any explanation of its function to me, and I only... Read More »

Over the years I've worked on refining the sound in my listening room by both upgrading/changing components and adding room treatments. Not sure why, but the whole room treatment project always seemed like a separate component of the system. Corner treatments, absorptive panels, diffusers, and Argent Room Lenses, in addition to the occasional component and... Read More »

I recently met a good friend for dinner and we got to talk about all things audio. It was there that he pondered an earth-shaking scenario to me. He told me that he was considering selling off his vinyl collection and rig to go all digital. It took me a moment to get my jaw off... Read More »

A portrait of EveAnna Manley of Manley Laboratories, Denver, CO, 2019 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Manley Labs is a phenomenon located in Chino, California and topped by the amazing award- winning EveAnna Manley. She operates a giant facility that produces from scratch high-end audio products and professional gear, even extraordinary microphones. John... Read More »

Backstory By accident, I recently blew a fuse in a Synergistic Research Galileo SX Ground Block. I won’t get into all the details, but let’s just say that my own human error was very much the problem. At that point in time, the original Synergistic Research Orange fuse was still being utilized in the Ground... Read More »

Early this year, I flim-flammed Vera-Fi Audio main man Mark Schifter into sending me one of his new Vanguard Caldera 10 subwoofers. I was desperately in need of ultra-low bass following the untimely demise of my beloved REL T9, which had been a true and faithful servant for a dozen years. I honestly had no... Read More »

It was at the 2023 Munich High End Show that I discovered some truly remarkable loudspeakers, the Lorenzo Audio LM1 from Spain. They were music to my ears; the speakers rendered music effortlessly with detail, transparency, nuance, and realism, making it seem like I was listening to live music.  I was surprised and very impressed... Read More »

By far, the most common blind spot that most audiophiles I have met and chatted with seem to have, is the lack of awareness of the importance of the quality of power that they feed into their audio system. I have encountered audiophiles that have spent high six figure amounts on their system but have... Read More »