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The Unison Research Unico DM amplifier (image courtesy of Unison Research) "There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life." - Federico Fellini You've got to hand it to the Italians: the paintings, the operas, the suits, the fast cars, the food, the wine. Theirs is a cultural aesthetic... Read More »

This is the third in my series of reviews on the Devialet product line. Please see my commentary on the Devialet Expert 400 and Devialet Expert 800 by just clicking on the model number. Devialet has now introduced their latest generation of product called the Devialet Expert Pro series that will replace the Expert series.... Read More »

The humble phono stage is the unsung hero in most analog systems, yet many hobbyists overlook its importance and often allow it to become a bottleneck. This is especially true for those folks who operate in the affordable realm of vinyl playback, and are concerned with getting the most from their audio dollars. This topic... Read More »

The Esoteric K-01X SACD/CD Player It has been an interesting couple of years while ramping up on my knowledge and experience with computer audio and the latest from all things digital. For those marketing folks out there, the traditional definitions for innovators (2.5%), early adopters (13.5%), early majority (34%), late majority (34%), and laggards (16%)... Read More »

Since the modification to my solid-state Reference Marantz integrated amplifier more than a few years ago, my tube amplifiers have been gathering dust. My modified PM15S1 has been getting the lion's share of the musical stage at my house. But a recent upgrade of my Margules U280SC to 25th Anniversary Edition has changed all that.... Read More »

van den Hul 3T Rock Interconnects I have been most curious about Van den Hul interconnects as they have a sterling reputation, but a lesser following in America compared to the rest of the world. Jay Rein, their distributor at Blue Bird Music graciously suggested I try their middle-level wire in the 3T series, The Rock, which... Read More »

For several months, the superb Silnote Audio Orion-M1 Master Reference XLR interconnects have anchored my reference system. The time spent testing their sonic mettle has proven an unmitigated delight, and a revelation. I first encountered Silnote's superb line of audio cables at the 2014 AXPONA audio show. I stumbled upon the Silnote Audio room purely by... Read More »

For the second time this year, I've had the good fortune to report on an exciting new digital product. This time it is Auralic's latest digital to analog star, the Auralic Altair Wireless Streaming DAC.   According to Auralic's president & CEO, Xuanqian Wang, "The new ALTAIR is both a high quality streamer and DAC, and was... Read More »

Tempus Fugit but Some Things Stay the Same Three nearly identical, "old school," black chassis took up position on my rack. It would be a stretch to call them eye candy—some visitors chided the pro audio cosmetics—yet the effect is nearly the same. The Lamm LP1 Signature Phono Preamplifier is an imposing sight that proclaims... Read More »

The world of high-end audio is wondrous, but can easily reach the realm of unrealistic indulgence for all but the very wealthy. I have been fortunate to hear two channel audio systems with price tags well into the six-figure range (plus custom or acoustically treated listening rooms) and have wonderful sonic imprints of the experiences.... Read More »

Sometimes bigger, I mean longer, is better! Straight out of the box, one can't help but notice that the Role Audio Starship SE speakers look a bit different than your typical compact two-way floor-standers. Oh, the cabinets appear traditional enough, albeit quite attractive and well-built; the speaker binding posts of high if not exceptional quality;... Read More »

[Note that this guest review is by Wolfgang Kemper of HiFi Statement, our affiliated journal in Germany, edited by good friend Dirk Sommer.] The famous New York Mercy Sound Studios has been working with Legacy Audio speakers for years. Now, thanks to the distributor Notabene-audio, Legacy Audio is also represented in Germany. The Signature SE Premium... Read More »

Sometimes we come to the reality that a certain product in our system is not the be all and end all we thought it was. Take for instance the "built-in DAC". It is a great idea till that fast paced technology renders that chip obsolete. I have often thought that what I have my system plugged into was... Read More »

Navigating the New Digital Highway with the Lumin D1 Audiophile Network Music Player For the past year or so, I have grown increasingly frustrated with the theoretical promise but pragmatic limitations of computer-based audio playback. When all the stars align, meaning a musical alignment of one's chosen computer and operating software, one's chosen hard drive(s), and... Read More »

One evening in the vacant space of my commute home, I contemplated phono cables. (Yes, too much free time on my hands.) Specifically, wouldn't the magnitude of difference in the output of a phono cartridge vs. that of an analog interconnect dictate a specialized design for the phono cable? (A medium output MC typically generates... Read More »

I have always been a fan of Ayon products. While many of their offerings are not for the faint of heart from a cost perspective you can generally count on the company to produce some of the finest gear around and you could spend a lifetime listening to an Ayon based system without complaint for... Read More »

As an engineer, I find it very gratifying when I review products that apply science to great success in delivering outstanding sound—a difference you can readily hear, provided the overall system can resolve high quality audio. Furutech has been in pursuit of such scientific application to sound reproduction. Their NanoFlux Speaker Cables, NanoFlux Power Cables,... Read More »

The Israel-based company Teddy Pardo, which shares its founder's name, has accomplished quite a feat. It has birthed the Teddy Pardo MB100, a 100-watt monoblock amplifier amid a sea of competition in the $2500USD price bracket, with very compelling reasons to be considered. The foremost being a proprietary power supply that helps the MB100 deliver... Read More »

"Be careful what you wish for" says the old proverb. Oh yeah. In this case, I am glad I did! When I reviewed the limited edition Grado Heritage Series Headphones in all maple last year, I commented on the lively sound of the maple wood and how cool it would be for Grado to experiment... Read More »