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An electric bass sets the rhythm and is instantly recognizable as the snap of a snare drum and the splash of a single cymbal resonates in the background. The lights are turned down in my listening room and Stevie Nicks voice is dark, haunting, and otherworldly. Though this is a classic song, the lyrics remain... Read More »

The SON also Rises The name Wolf von Langa (WVL) is known in Germany as a manufacturer of high-end audio speakers. Unless you are up on the European speaker scene, the brand may be new to you. Here's a little background about Herr von Langa, the man: After making his very first speaker at age... Read More »

The AT-ART20 lists for $2900 and resides as the second most expensive cartridge in the ART series cartridge line. The AT-ART20 is only topped by the $4999 AT-ART1000. The AT-ART20 magnetic circuit was based on the AT-ART9XI, but the AT-ART20 has a thicker front yoke, which improves the flux density and increases the output by... Read More »

Room correction is catching on in the two channel world. Some will read this first sentence and think that I have lost my mind, some will say "of course," and others will say "really, I had no idea." Room correction is easily one of the most debated topics by audiophiles, and ranks up there with... Read More »

A Breakthrough Amplifier Design A pair of the Zesto Audio Eros 500 Select Monoblock Amps (image courtesy of Zesto Audio) The more I immerse myself in this hobby since I retired from the entertainment industry in 2008, the more certain I have become that the amplifier is the most important and telling piece of equipment in... Read More »

It used to be that when traveling out of state, I would tell people I was from Chicago. But in reality, it couldn't be further from the truth. I live in a suburb more than an hour north of Chicago and largely avoid going into the city. Lately, I have begun to be more truthful,... Read More »

I'll share a snippet from an email exchange with Alan Kafton, proprietor of audiodharma, the company that makes the Cable Cooker. The subject is the long anticipated, but now available, Ground Breaker adaptor set for the conditioning of power cables. Good morning, Alan I just finished cooking a pair of power cords. One PC used... Read More »

With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music where Tom Lyle shares his thoughts on the Vermouth Audio Studio Monitor Loudspeakers. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief A good-looking and great-sounding loudspeaker. Review By Tom Lyle Vermouth Audio is located in the Indonesian province of Bali, which is located east of Java. Most know... Read More »

The journey continues. In pursuit of the finest in high end audio integrated amplifiers, last month I auditioned the Aavik I-580 from the Audio Group Denmark. You can check out the review HERE. The I-580 certainly deserved its position as the flagship integrated in the Aavik lineup, but it has just recently been upstaged by... Read More »

In Stanley Kubrick's 2001: a Space Odyssey, awestruck australopithecines (prehistoric ape-like primates with human traits) encounter an alien, 11' x 5' x 1.25' black monolith standing in the rocks and crags of an African desert and, shortly thereafter, have an epiphany and create crude weapons. Fast forward 4000 years: clothed and scented homo sapiens gawk... Read More »

Guys who own digital master clocks are very serious about extracting the most from digital sources. If a stock power cord came with the clock, very likely it's still unwrapped in the box, because that would be self-defeating. Audiophiles shooting for the max are OK with substantial outlays for after-market power cords—they've heard the solid... Read More »

The JansZen A8-SE Loudspeaker JansZen Laboratory was founded in the 1950s when Arthur Janszen developed the first practical electrostatic loudspeaker. The company, currently called JansZen Audio, is run by his son David, who has continued the research and development culminating in the Valentina A8. The Valentina A8 is a complete audio system containing DAC, ADC,... Read More »

Most times, equipment reviews begin smoothly, and progress from there. Occasionally, though, they start with a bit of thud. In this case, my review of the MayFly 201A loudspeakers began with a disheartening rattle. The shipper had apparently not been kind in their transit of the four boxes. Upon connecting the speakers, it was readily... Read More »

I was student-teaching at Whitney Young Magnet High School and waiting tables several nights a week at Reza's, an upscale Persian restaurant in Chicago's River North neighborhood. Now closed, in 1994 this posh eatery sat on the site of the former Berghoff's Brewery on Ontario Avenue just west of the Rte. 94 turnoff. Before the... Read More »

Do cables make a difference? It is a question I get asked quite often, and it is a question that Audiophiles have debated since the beginning of time. I am not going to directly address that question in this review because for me it does not matter. The way my headphone system is setup, I... Read More »

With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music where Greg Weaver shares his thoughts on the Dynamic Sounds Associates Phono III Preamplifier. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief Exceptional performance, and versatility to match. Review By Greg Weaver Illustrious Beginnings I first met Dr. Douglas Hurlburt, the incredible force behind Dynamic Sounds Associates, in... Read More »

In the brightly lit labs of the professional or the informal workshops of the DIYer, cable designers labor diligently, permuting materials, listening critically, then doing it again, ad infinitum. The process mandates a high degree of scientific rigor. With experience, the designer acquires an intimate understanding of their materials. They know when they tweak this... Read More »

As far back as I can remember, I have been wanting to listen to a Vincent Audio amp. My curiosity with tube Hybrid solid-state amps being the first reason. They say if you think about something long enough, you create what you are thinking about. The Vincent Audio SV-737 came to my door a few... Read More »

While I was supremely enjoying the Audeze LCD-5 Headphones on my E.A.R. HP4 Tube Headphone Amplifier and the Manley Absolute Tube Headphone Amplifier, Audeze came up with the new Audeze MM-500 Headphones to review. They have a similar ergonomic feel and look, but are smaller and purposed quite differently. The LCD-5 is an assault on... Read More »