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Call me old-fashioned, but I have always preferred a good two-way. There is something comforting, but not necessarily boring or same-old-same-old as a solid pair of two-way loudspeakers. The promise of something "extra special" from a pair of three-way or even four-way (where would one even get the strength) loudspeakers, has often been a huge... Read More »

Mola-Mola Kaluga circuit board Some of you may recall when Class D amplification began to appear in high-end journals. There were birthing pangs, to put it mildly. Granted it was quiet, linear, and powerful; on the other hand, it was often dry and brittle. The treble, in particular, was nasty. At the time, around 2006,... Read More »

In 1995 the world of analog playback was a dark place, and hobbyists had very few places to find the parts and supplies needed to keep their turntables functioning properly. During this time Rome Castellanes made the decision to open LP Gear, and provide turntable owners with a high quality selection of belts in order... Read More »

This review brought back some wonderful memories. It has been quite some time since I have auditioned an Audio Research Corporation (ARC) product. Please be patient as a little backstory might explain. Audio was a hobby that began with my Father's love for building Heathkit amplifiers and various clones of Acoustic Research speakers. He, his... Read More »

Over the last twenty-five years of system building, external subwoofers have never been part of the equation for me. Despite my love of deep bass, my love for the seamless continuity between drivers has always won out over the prospect of deep but poorly integrated bass. Bolstering this attitude has been the several systems I... Read More »

Out of production for two years, the Statement Series top of the range of Grado Cartridges is back and remarkably improved. Sporting a newly designed shape of all imported Jarrah wood from Australia, the lowest mass coils ever used, more precise construction, and double the output, we have a stunning contender for ideal reference cartridge.  The... Read More »

I first seriously embraced the advantages inherent in computer audio when Linn released their first iterations of the DS range of ethernet based streamers and dropped CD players altogether. I felt instantly liberated with access to my entire digital library at the hands of my iPad. At first my brain went into complete overdrive as... Read More »

Defying Expectations   For some time now, I have hinted that the Bryston Limited 4B³ Stereo Power Amplifier (pronounced "Four Bee Cubed") is not your father's Bryston (to wit, neutral, quiet, and highly linear, but also somewhat lacking in air, instrumental body and overall transparency). In my 2016 AXPONA show report, I described the updated... Read More »

If anyone out there has been following my reviews, you may know that I like active powered loudspeakers (such as the ATC SCM19AT reviewed here). My leanings in this direction are mainly technical, but backed up by certain exemplary sonic characteristics. By technical I mean that active loudspeakers where amplifiers, cables, crossovers, and speakers are... Read More »

LP Gear is an online vendor of analogue products and accessories based in Nevada. After spending few moments browsing their vast array of offerings, I began to think of LP Gear as the Amazon of vinyl. Unlike other on-line analogue vendors, however, LP Gear has researched, developed, and marketed their own brand of products beginning... Read More »

No matter what type of hi-fi component currently makes a splash, whether it is headphones or network-based storage systems, shortly after they have popped up, the respective companies have added the required cables to their portfolio. No wonder that even Cardas Audio now is offering high-quality network cables. And they have, to my understanding, a... Read More »

Language is a very imprecise tool. But also thanks to it the evolution of apes resulted in an Aristotle, Michelangelo and Fangor. Still, however, we struggle with ambiguities, gaps, misunderstandings. Often, we ourselves are to blame, because the economics of language causes simplification of a lot of things, eliminating what is not commonly used, similar... Read More »

"When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours. That's relativity." - Albert Einstein I have auditioned, reviewed, and owned several products from Pass Labs over the years and this quote from Mr. Einstein... Read More »

With their headquarters based in sunny-side California, Ultimate Ears was initially founded in 1995 by Jerry and Mindy Harvey. The former of which has played such an influential role in the design of headphones that within just a few years of UE's induction, "The Rolling Stones", Enrique Iglesias, and Faith Hill were loyal customers. A... Read More »

Headed by Fried Reim, Violectric specialises in a wide number of reputable amplifiers which have caught the attention of many in the avid world of personal audio such as the Violectric V281 Amp under review here. Being the trademark and product line of German firm Lake People, the company develops and manufactures products for exhibition,... Read More »

Ivo Sparidaens, Concept Manager, and Paul Rassin, Marketing & Communications Manager, are members of a six person team of a Dutch company Aequo Audio that designed Ensis loudspeakers. It's the only product of this manufacturer (for now). Introduction of these loudspeakers to the market was preceded with five years of research, trials and errors and new... Read More »

The drivers on the new Fritz Carrera BE Loudspeakers have been used in one combination or another in more than a few speaker designs to varying degrees of success, and usually costing many times more than the new Fritz design. I say this because I have heard a number of these speakers. Most of these speakers... Read More »

Several years ago I had the pleasure of an extended visit of the Ortofon Cadenza Bronze in my system. The Bronze is a remarkable cartridge in every facet, and it was with no small regret when my acquaintance with it ended. Then Last year Ortofon USA was kind enough to send the Quintet Bronze my... Read More »

Linnenberg Elektronik offers thousands of products and most of them come from the Far East. China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan quickly conquered a market segment that seemed to be reserved for DIY products. DACs designed to work with computers as sources and matching headphone amplifiers seemed at first out of place on audio market. Why?... Read More »