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  During my visit to AXPONA 2026, there were several outstanding new products that made my show highlight list. One of the most impressive was the new Synergistic Research Quark streaming server. Ted Denney’s demonstration at the show was quite intriguing and highly entertaining as always. Ted is Founder, Proprietor and Chief Designer at Synergistic... Read More »

Seriously, what has our audiophile’s world come to? Back in “normal” times, getting better sound was straightforward: spend some money, and expect a commensurate audible return on investment. Plump for a big ticket latest and greatest, or pay the mortgage and upgrade economically. Tweaks, tubes, footers, that sort of thing, under $100, maybe $200. A... Read More »

For those readers new to this column, please read the introductory comments in Part one here. I’ve known a lot of audiophiles and music lovers who are firmly into either analog or digital, and don’t fully embrace both. Obviously with this series, I’m putting myself in the “I love records” camp. That doesn’t mean I... Read More »

Once in a Tahitian blue moon, an A/C power cord is unleashed that’s so insanely over-engineered that it (almost) defies description. After looking at said cable for a few seconds, its muscular aesthetics trigger an audio-nutter response that forces audiophiles to drool, shiver excitedly, and then swear the sky… er… blue. Words like ‘bonkers’, ‘bespoke’,... Read More »

  It’s been quite some time since I have reviewed a Synergistic Research product. Over the last few years, I have experimented with several extraordinary new flagship offerings from some of the most respected industry leaders in several different categories. This includes cables, power cords, power conditioning, ground conditioning, and isolation platforms. Each brand and... Read More »

"Jimi was like aliens had landed. No kidding," said Toto guitarist, Steve Lukather, who recorded with a who's who of artists like  Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, and Eddie Van Halen. "I remember sitting in my bedroom listening to his Are You Experienced? album's 'Third Stone From The Sun.' My father walks in and sees the... Read More »

This article is drawn from an ongoing series of public discussions on electromagnetic field theory and audio cable design, conducted on my personal Facebook page over the past several weeks. The exchanges documented here are real – quoted directly from public comments – and represent a pattern I have observed consistently across hundreds of similar... Read More »

Today we’ll have a closer look at the new MoFi Electronics’ UltraPhono Pro phonostage, the latest entry in their phono preamplifier stable. This is the second model to be developed by MoFi’s Lead Audio Products Electronics Design Engineer, Peter Madnick. And much as his first effort, the MasterPhono, it represents yet another exceptional accomplishment. Take... Read More »

The Dutch Siltech company is one of the leading cable manufacturers. With its Triple Crown series, it has been setting high-end market standards for years, along with a handful of other manufacturers. In May 2024, however, it unveiled its new flagship Master Crown series – twice as expensive. The International Audio Holding Company, the owner... Read More »

Creating A New Contender While the obvious goal of attending a world-class Audio Show like this past April's AXPONA, or this June's inaugural High End Vienna, is to experience all the new and exciting toys, one of the more enjoyable aspects of such events, for me at least, is getting to spend time catching up... Read More »

I want to start out by stating I have never been disappointed by any of Dr. Drag Colich's creations. This award winning genius who invented the planar headphone has now brought it to celestial levels. The Audeze LCD-5s now replaces the LCD-5, is improved cosmetically, and includes the S.L.A.M. technology for extended bass. I tested... Read More »

This week, I share the more refined and revealing experience of listening to the premiere of the Børresen M8 Gold Signature loudspeakers, driven by four of the Aavik M-880 amplifiers, on Friday, February 13th, in the Supreme listening suite at the Audio Group Denmark factory in Aalborg, Denmark.

Every once in a while, one encounters a high-end audio product where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Performance that punches far above its pay grade. In the case of the Analog Relax EX500 moving coil cartridge, it's clear that cartridge designer Yashushi Yurugi used all the ingredients available to him... Read More »

Uncle Tupelo, Anodyne. Rhino High Fidelity (33 RPM LP) Anodyne was Uncle Tupelo's swansong album and was released in 1993 on the Reprise label. Originally only released on CD, it was not offered on vinyl until 2010 on the Rhino label. The two key musicians and songwriters for Uncle Tupelo were Jeff Tweedy and Jay... Read More »

For those readers new to this column, please read the introductory comments in Part one HERE. Since such a large part of my record collection was purchased used, I figured we should talk about buying used records a little more. Obviously different people have different ideas about what they're looking for when shopping used, but... Read More »

Harbeth Audio Ltd. is a British company founded in 1977 by the former head of the BBC's research department, Dudley Harwood. In the early 1970s, while Dudley was employed at the BBC, he designed a near-field monitor for use in mobile broadcast studios. In 1986, the company was acquired by Alan Shaw, who continues to... Read More »

Editorial, April 2026 from High Fidelity The audio industry is a battleground where views, opinions, and various solutions clash, all aiming to lead us toward the same goal—better sound. In the heat of the battle, we fail to notice that it is subject to the same laws as any other field related to manufacturing. In... Read More »

Today, we take a behind-the-scenes look at two loudspeaker launches, both held during AXPONA, but off-site. The Von Schweikert Audio Mercury launch at Perry’s Steakhouse on Thursday, the 9th, and the TIDAL Piano Classic launch at the Marriott on Friday, the 10th, and Saturday, the 11th.

Flashback to October 1982: the Compact Disc had just been unveiled in Japan to great fanfare, and the era of Perfect Sound Forever was suddenly upon audiophiles and music lovers worldwide. All the audio mags went totally gaga, and in six short months, CD made its way to North America with the first available consumer... Read More »