High performance audio components have a variety of needs to reach their full potential, and one of the most critical requirements is being fed the cleanest AC current as possible. A typical audio system can sound quite respectable with a direct feed of AC current from the wall, however hobbyists that are striving to cross... Read More »
My power conditioner is an EQUI=CORE 300 by Core Power Technologies. Some time ago, the company's assets were acquired and renamed Core Power Technologies A/V by web-based audio retailer Underwood HiFi of Hawaii. Underwood HiFi also designs and performs upgrades to components. The device under evaluation is a USB jitter reducer / power conditioner called... Read More »
If you're a baby boomer (OK, Boomer!) or one of their children, you no doubt have a strong familiarity of the works of jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi. Or at least, you know him through osmosis, via his compositions for the many Charlie Brown and Peanuts television specials and movies that have aired almost incessantly since... Read More »
If you believe in RFI—no, let me start over. If you believe in science (since RFI is a measurable phenomenon), most likely you are doing something to address RFI. We have all been advised to get those darn wires off the floor. A dozen companies will be happy to sell you specialized lifts at prices... Read More »
A fairly common thread that runs through most audiophiles who are partial to vinyl rather than digital, is their penchant for tweaking. In contrast to digital domain, where there is a limited scope to tweak the sound, in the analog domain, a cornucopia of tweaking opportunities abound, and many analog buffs revel in them. ... Read More »
How to think about Power Conditioning Power conditioning is an incredibly touchy subject and seems to divide the audiophile community as a whole. There are some who say it is extremely important, subscribing to the classic garbage in, garbage out mentality. Then there are those that argue that if the equipment is designed properly and... Read More »
A loudspeaker for music lovers. Review By Rufus Smith With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music. Rufus Smith shares his thoughts on the Verity Audio Otello Floorstanding Loudspeakers. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief Founded in 1995, Verity Audio hit the ground running in 1996 with the debut of their first speaker, the... Read More »
Back in the early nineties, I worked at my day job with a guy, Tim, who was following his dream, trying to make it as a guitarist moonlighting in a local Atlanta rock band. He was a wickedly gifted guitar player, and his band had often gone head to head against another local band, Mr.... Read More »
Auditioning cartridges is a lot like wine tasting and shopping for televisions. You never know how good a glass of wine from a $100 bottle tastes compared to a $10 bottle until you've experience it for yourself. And you never truly appreciate the delta between TVs until you've seen them side by side at an... Read More »
Handel: Organ Transcriptions (arr. J. Walsh and J. Hook). Simone Vebber, organ (Serassi organ, Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Milan, 1835-7). Discantica 314. TT: 54.04 Saul: How excellent Thy name, O Lord; Preserve Him for the glory of Thy Name. Organ Concerti: Op. 4, No. 4; HWV 295 ("The Cuckoo and the Nightingale"). Coronation Anthem, HWV... Read More »
When it comes to streamers, my point of view is simple: software is king. Good software can make a streamer, and bad software can break a streamer. For example, I have a streamer that sounds wonderful, however, it crashes at least once a listening session. For a time I tolerated these crashes, however, with no... Read More »
Plussound is a boutique custom cable company with roots in Los Angeles, California. Headed by Christian Oliver, the American company has built a legion of followers and has recently occupied the high-end arena. Throughout the years, their approach has been simple yet effective—the provision of high-quality products with an excellent customer service. It is refreshing... Read More »
I have come across a few skeptics in the audiophile community who subscribe to the notion that footers do not make much of a difference to the performance of audio gear. To them, I love relating details of a historical sporting event where footers, or in this instance, shoes, made all the difference to the... Read More »
I think most of us are aware of E.A.T. and their turntables and cartridges. You may have read Robert Levi's review on the stunning Jo No. 5 cartridge back in our July 2018 issue (HERE). Robert had serious praise for the cartridge, ending the review with the following statement, "The E.A.T. Jo No. 5 MC... Read More »
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Boudoir. Since I moved into a very large loft some 20 years ago, my only rule for reviewing was NO MONITOR SPEAKERS! My listening room is 36' x 60' x 14'. Even some larger floor standers have suffered the anguish of trying to move all that... Read More »
Our good friend and fellow scrivener John Marks, he of The Tannhäuser Gate, has shared with us another of his musical reflections from that estimable blog site. Once again, he stirs the mind by telling us about music that we likely do not know...much to our benefit! I always learn when I read one John's... Read More »
Greetings faithful readers. It is time to bring you another installment on Sonus Faber Speakers. I initially reviewed the Olympica Nova I stand mounted monitor. I found this speaker to be very neutral and capable of a very consistent presentation throughout its frequency range, and highly recommended it. This was followed by the more upscale... Read More »
Comparing Native DSD64 and DSD256 Releases by Tom Jung of DMP I was graciously asked by Brian Moura at NativeDSD.com to listen to and critique some of their newest Native DSD releases which come from Tom Jung at DMP. The releases were provided as both DSD64 and DSD256 masters for download and comparison. I listened to the... Read More »
I recently reviewed the entry level Boulder 508 phono stage, and it surprised the boots off me by its price / performance ratio. It's so good, in fact, that it ended up finding a permanent spot in my system. Since then I have been following the roll out of Boulder's latest product, the 866 integrated... Read More »