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I am an imaging junkie. Musical images, properly recorded, must have realistic tonality, unwavering stability, a rounded aspect, and—whether vocal or instrumental—must be room-present. Dr. John Coolege, a writer for TAS once exclaimed, "The music has blood in it." Zesto Audio's new Leto Ultra preamplifier is bloody wonderful, and USA made! George Counnas, the award-winning... Read More »

The savvy audiophile is keenly aware of the weakest link of the chain theory when it comes to our hobby. The arena of vinyl playback is one place where this event is illuminated with the brightest of lights. Vinyl hobbyists will debate cartridge types, turntable drive formats, and the methodology for cleaning vinyl, however all... Read More »

It's not news that streaming has gobbled up 75% of the USA consumer music market, as reported recently by the RIAA, simply how fast it happened. This is the most exciting development in the High-End right now. The urge to jump quickly to the new thing is very tempting. My prudent advice for anyone considering... Read More »

"Hey Danny, are you familiar with Hemiolia Records?" asked Kerry St. James, YG's formidably friendly European sales director late last year. "No," I replied. "Well, you should and I'll put you in touch with them, I know you love tape and they have some really cool stuff out that I think you'll dig." Fast forward... Read More »

We live in exciting times for phono reproduction, a new golden age for LPs from manufacture to playback. The key lesson learned since the production of full-range stereo LP recordings in 1958, some taped in stereo as early as 1954 and released in 1958, is this:  the weakest part of the chain is playback in... Read More »

AudioQuest's founder, William Low, and Senior Director of Engineering, Garth Powell, have once again co-developed the next generation of AudioQuest audiophile cost-is-no-object power cables and speaker cables. Interconnects are in development and will be available this fall. They are designed to be the best in the world of connectivity—full speed ahead, damn the torpedoes! I... Read More »

"Let's get small, real small!" - Steve Martin, 1977. KEF's new R3 stand mount speakers, the smallest of their recently introduced, redesigned mid-priced R series are a case study in good things coming in small packages. The new R series is comprised of the R11, 7, and 5 floor standers, R3 bookshelf, R2c center, and... Read More »

Here's the last installment of my show coverage for the Florida Audio Expo. You can see Part 1 HERE, Part 2 HERE, and Part 3 HERE. An absolute semi-truckload of VAC, Esoteric, and Kronos equipment was on display in this monstrous room! The room was filled with people, who where absolutely digging the sound coming... Read More »

Here's the current installment of my ongoing show coverage for the Florida Audio Expo. You can see Part 1 HERE and Part 2 HERE. Jerry Stoeckigt elaborates on the Eikon Audio Image 1 System specifics. Eikon Audio/Aurrender The $25K Eikon Image 1 System is the brainchild of Gayle Sanders of Martin Logan fame. In no... Read More »

Easy to set up and very easy to use. You will not be disappointed. Review By Tom Lyle With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music. Tom Lyle shares his thoughts about Pro-Ject X2 Vinyl LP Turntable. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief As the technology advances, it's only natural for any decent audio... Read More »

I didn't attend the 2019 Florida Audio Expo, but was told many times over that there were nearly double the number of rooms this year over 2019. There were 65 manufacturer and dealer rooms displaying this year, along with one hallway display. And show organizer Sue Toscano corrected the overgenerous estimates I'd been given from... Read More »

The Florida Audio Expo is currently underway, February 7-9, 2020, at the Embassy Suites Hotel located near the airport in Tampa, Florida. Though the show didn't actually start until Friday morning, there was a meet and greet in the main lobby that took place on Thursday evening, February 6. My wife Beth and I arrived... Read More »

With just a decade of experience, 64 Audio have quickly grown to become a tour de force in the world of portable audio. Part of their ascension has stemmed from their firm desire to challenge traditional audio standards with innovations and ground-breaking technologies. The pinnacle of their knowledge has culminated in the Tubeless In-Ear Audio... Read More »

Back in July 2019, after completing the original review of the SVS SB-3000 subwoofer (HERE), I took the subs out of my system. It took just minutes to determine there was no way I was going to send them back to the SVS folks in Ohio. They transformed my system into something special, and I... Read More »

I do endless cable comparisons. Along the way, I learned it was not a good idea to leave unused cables dangling from the preamp. We all know the cable then acts like an antennae to attract air-borne electrical gremlins. So I developed a routine: before sitting down for serious note taking (although not always for... Read More »

Removing the Wool A few months back, I received an out-of-the-blue text message from an old friend whom I've known for over 40 years. My friend messaged to express his dismay over what he saw as a serious lapse in judgement by his older brother, a life-long audiophile, accomplished amateur violinist, and highly successful business... Read More »

The Thelonious Monk Quartet, Monk's Dream. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UD1S 2-011, Columbia 19075930421, Limited Edition, SuperVinyl, Box Set (2019, Sept.), # P001 of 6000. Originally released on Columbia – CS 8765 (1963, March). Ratings Global Appreciation: 9.9 Music: A+ (10) Recording: 9.6 Remastering + Lacquer Cutting: 10 Pressing: 9.8 Packaging: Deluxe Category: jazz, mostly cool with... Read More »

Do cables make a difference? That 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 answer that question in this review because it does not matter to me. The way my headphone system is set up,... Read More »

So this is the time of year for returning unwanted gifts, breaking resolutions, and picking up a few Steel Band CDs in the Caribbean. It's also a time to reflect on past accomplishments and give credit where credit is due. I'm a very part-time reviewer here, and didn't offer up any PF Writers Choice awards... Read More »