I'm constantly on social media, quite often for audio-related purposes. And I'd seen teasers for months highlighting the ongoing development of Vera-Fi Audio's SnubWay Noise Defender, or more simply, SnubWay. The posts seemed to mostly focus on different variations of the case design, with only snippets of information regarding the actual function of SnubWay. With... Read More »
We've all heard horror stories of stereos destroyed by electrical storms and events. Towards that end, many of us use surge protectors or power conditioners, and if you're like me, you take it a step further and when lightning is present, you unplug your system. Unfortunately, you can't always be there when a major surge... Read More »
There are two recent observations I've made in high-end audio: 1) There are a plethora of relatively inexpensive devices that can add significantly to your enjoyment of music and video playback, even if those devices may appear to be incapable of making a difference. Also, 2) The number of "audio enthusiasts" who dismiss the perceived... Read More »
David W. Robinson in Jerusalem, 2022 (portrait by John Robinson; image processing by Ye Olde Editor himself) The Furutech Lineflux XLR NCF The Furutech Lineflux NCF XLR interconnect (image courtesy of Furutech) Furutech. A front-rank, top o' the heap high-end audio headquartered in Japan. I've followed their products for many years now, and for very... Read More »
Dean Waters at the Pacific Audio Fest 2023 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) If you wanted to set out to build the most perfect power source solution for your system, you'd be hard pressed to do better than Paul & Scott McGowan and their team at PS Audio. They have created a... Read More »
Image courtesy of Audio Sensibility I've been writing professional (i.e., paid) audio reviews for 12+ years. I've auditioned hundreds of different wires from audiophile cable companies and written dozens of power cord articles. For me to keep any A/C cable longer than a year or two, said cord must deliver either: a), state-of-the-art sound; or... Read More »
The RSX Power8™ eight-outlet Power Box has one simple goal in life: Distribute power without getting in the way. In theory this would seem simple enough. In reality, this can be more complicated than one might imagine. As audio purists, we spend enormous resources sourcing just the right DACs, turntables, amps, interconnects—you name it. We... Read More »
PREMIERE Acoustic Revive is a Japanese company founded in 1997 and run by Mr. Ken Ishiguro. It specializes in audio cables, anti-vibration products, but also offers innovative products, the ideas of which are most often supported by the University of Tokyo. We are testing one of the products used to filter the AC supply voltage,... Read More »
Power conditioning is one of those topics that is considered a little divisive within the audiophile community. There are some who say power conditioning is not needed, there are some that say it makes sense, but it ultimately provides little value, and then there are some who say that it is incredibly important. Where I... Read More »
When is enough, enough? That's a rhetorical question when posed to an audiophile, because in matters of the hi-end, we never cross the finish line. Just ask Joe Cohen, the proprietor and lead designer of PranaWire, for his take on the subject: "Common wisdom holds that there is a point beyond which continued effort and... Read More »
Introduction This review is a follow up to my earlier posting on the Aavik I-580 Integrated Amplifier. If interested, please click on the link here as it provides some very useful background information. Like the Aavik I-580, the Ansuz products discussed in this review are all part of the Audio Group Denmark portfolio. Audio Group... Read More »
It was around the midpoint of my Hi-end audio journey when I heard my first passive power distributor and I can still recall the shock. At this time—I'm talking decades ago—the Hi-End embraced the philosophy less is more. Virtue lay in the fewest electronic devices and the shortest signal paths. Minimalism ruled. The goal of... Read More »
Dirk Sommer, Birgit Hammer (photography). This review is quite unusual: Audioquest's "LowZ/Noise-Dissipation" mains power technology, implemented in cables and power conditioners, which has recently received the Statement in High Fidelity award, has to show in the CSM mastering studio whether it has there just as positive an influence on the sound as in a HiFi... Read More »
There was hum in my system! It was the dreaded 60 cycle hum. So was it caused by a faulty power supply, or a power transformer too close to a high gain amplifier? No, more likely the progenitor of this problem was electromagnetic coupling somewhere in the cabling. Experimentation narrowed my search for the source... Read More »
With Audience's frontRow powerChord. Reacquaint yourself with the art of deep listening. Review By Dr. Michael Bump With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music Dr. Michael Bump shares his thoughts on the Audience adeptResponse aR6-T4 Passive Power Conditioner and the frontRow powerChord. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief I recently came across an article... Read More »
For many of us, it has been a process. Maybe a long and challenging process, but one with plenty of rewards and satisfaction. Can we call it a hobby, an infatuation, or is it something in between? Regardless, over time, we have learned that passion and new discovery can be a never ending joy. You... Read More »
I've talked here at intervals over the last couple of years about a variety of system enhancements I've employed at my home with the goal of improving system performance, reducing noise, and increasing my ability to see through more clearly to the music I enjoy. It's really shocking how seemingly simple fixes like vibration reduction... Read More »
The Torus Power AVR2 ELITE 20 Isolation Transformer is a powerful friend to discerning audiophiles, consumer and pro audio specialists alike. It serves as both a guardian and cleanser to high performance audio visual systems. Modern minimalist in design, it only flexes its muscle when needed, employing an impressive array of 21st Century features, a... Read More »
Power is king. Throughout my years in audio this one thing has become clear. Power supply quality shapes the sound of a component. In order to achieve that quality, a power supply must be fed well, hence the plethora of aftermarket power cables and conditioners. The subject of this review, the Clarus Duet purports to... Read More »