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There are times when High End audio puts me in mind of the ancient Greek myth of Sisyphus. Condemned to an eternity of boulder rolling, he slowly pushed it uphill. Then, when the pinnacle was in sight, he watched helplessly, as it rolled back down and the cycle would begin anew. The ending is foretold:... Read More »

Common Beliefs  "GLASS Speakers? Oh, they MUST sound bright and edgy!" "Anyone using GLASS to make a speaker has to be using it only as a gimmick." "I can see right through the speaker. So it must not be properly engineered since it needs stuff inside." Introduction One of the difficulties with high-end audio is... Read More »

I reviewed the first product from Delaware-based Backert Labs, the Rhythm 1.1 Linestage, over a year ago in Issue 76 (HERE). I thought designer and preamp specialist Bob Backert hit a home run with this well-built and innovative design, especially if musical enjoyment is your main priority. The Rhythm 1.1 achieves its sterling sound by... Read More »

I haven't introduced new tonearms to you for many years, which was due to the fact that—among the rest—really new solutions are extremely rare. Mostly, new models are about variations in the materials mix, in combination with different, known bearing kinds. With Acoustical Systems, however, this is different: The Aquilar tonearm is based on an... Read More »

Earlier this year I reviewed Fidelizer, an optimization software package designed to reduce the number of active background processes in Windows computers being used for high-resolution music playback. When first approached by Keetakawee Punpeng, Fidelizer's developer, I must admit I was more than a bit hesitant; based on my internet exposure to the product, Fidelizer... Read More »

I'm not going to tell you what I did on my summer vacation. (Maui) I'm not going to tell you what I got for Christmas. (Schiit Audio Vali 2). I am going to get right to the crux of the matter and tell you about the Wells Audio Majestic integrated amplifier. A few audio shows back,... Read More »

My recent reviews for the Devialet 400 and 800 Integrated Amplifiers generated plenty of emails and comments. Thanks to all the readers who took notice and had an opinion to voice on these components—both yeah and nay. Just another example of different strokes for different folks. It was all respectfully done in good fun but... Read More »

It so happened that together with some friends we delivered the Audio Tekne system I reviewed before directly to the  Audio Video Show 2015. As soon as we finished carrying all those damn heavy devices to the exhibition room Hari (from Natural Sound) told us the good news—next we would get the top Audio System... Read More »

Dateline St. Paul, Minnesota: Today, audio engineers observed an invisible sonic wave emanating from Atma-Sphere in St. Paul. The engineer who first discovered this new UltraViolet wavelength—nicknamed Big Tone—has officially christened it UV-1… And that is a bald-faced lie. But Atma-Sphere has indeed, introduced a new preamp named the UV-1 that does, in fact, have... Read More »

HEADLINE: Rubinstein Bested by 24-Year-Old Russian Prodigy "Where are the great artists of contemporary classical music?" The question is not infrequently raised in the listening room, usually by the same dudes who don't go to many live performances. That's not a good basis for an opinion. I attend concerts often and, let me assure you,... Read More »

[Amended byline: Roland Dietl, by courtesy of Dirk Sommer] If you are into music streaming and especially into hires music there is one question you can't avoid:  Where to store all these files? Until now the way to go was either to keep the music on your PC or laptop computer, or to use a... Read More »

When you are looking for a way to comfortably manage your collection of digital music, enjoy it with the best sound quality possible and without the need to mess around with computers in your scarce spare time, the Melco N1A is just what you need Just nine years ago integrating a computer into my Hi-Fi... Read More »

Transformative Evolution I first heard about the Ref 6 line stage coming to market in late October 2015. Without any hesitation, I contacted ARC and placed my order. Why? Because ARC has rarely taken missteps in the evolution of their products since the inception of the company and I was confident that the Ref 6... Read More »

Audio Vault USA is a relative newcomer to the world of audio equipment racks designed for use in high end systems. Audio Vault USA was founded a year ago by Dave Vincent. Dave is the President of Audio Vault USA and Dave is a mechanical engineer.  Dave and James Wall who works for Audio Vault... Read More »

Usually, I come to a review with foreknowledge about a product and a set of basic expectations. In this case, I had no first hand prior exposure to Furutech or experience with high-end power receptacles. A very long time ago, before cell phones and audio websites, I replaced the original duplex of my typical post-war... Read More »

My recent review of the Devialet 400 Integrated Amplifier was quite an eye opener for me and apparently many of our readers. Please see the review HERE. Many folks agreed with my findings and others provided some very interesting (but respectful) feedback. You gotta love this hobby! The entire exercise reminded me again and again... Read More »

Fiio is beginning to gain a little steam in the personal portable world; their top-of the line player sells for about a third of what an Astell&Kern mid-line player costs, and offers a feature set that's easily the equal or better of the higher-priced machine. I first reached out to them last year, and the... Read More »

Jeez, this thing is heavy. Schlepping the box upstairs, I stopped to catch my breath and wondered what they're made from. Thus I embarked on my latest audio adventure. Medusa Speaker Cable from Stage III Concepts, along with a set of Medusa jumper cables, replaced a double run of Kubala•Sosna Elation! speaker wire. That pits... Read More »

A Serious Overachiever From the moment I opened the box containing Audioengine's new flagship HD6 powered loudspeaker system, I had a feeling something special was in my possession. The velvety drawstring bags containing cables and speakers made it seem almost like Christmas. And while it wasn't a winter holiday, it was very, very cold, so... Read More »