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Stein Music of Germany has been known in these pages as the source for unique and exciting accessories that advance room treatment, amplifier performance, power supply distribution, power cords, turntable performance and more. We knew they were big into loudspeakers and electronics, though few made it to these shores. Time all that changed! Now available... Read More »

'Twas the week before Christmas when Nick Doshi and Anthony Chiarella dropped by bringing seasonal cheer in the form of the Doshi Phono Stage V3.0. While it was warming up, I took the opportunity to bring them up to speed on my current configuration: all CH Precision components, including the CH P1 phono stage. Nick... Read More »

Though more and more phono stages contain moving coil facilities, many do not. From McIntosh to Sony, preamps are available with only moving magnet amplification. Most preamps that have MC on board, have only one input. If you own two tables with MC cartridges on board, you have to plug and unplug to enjoy the... Read More »

Hey, Positive People! When we last spoke on March 9 in Issue 102 (HERE), I ended the article saying that being so inspired by the sound of the Modwright P9.0 preamp, it led me to purchase quite a few fun vinyl items for discussion in this Part II of Mono-mania! I have a complete mono-ready... Read More »

Wayne Goins and Henri Musselwhite:  a portrait. Salina, KS, 2017. Photograph by David W. Robinson. A coupla months ago, I had a new experience when Dan Wright loaned me his ModWright PH 150 tube preamp for several months. Published in PF Issue 100 (HERE), I wrote about using the "mono" button on the front panel to... Read More »

I love the new world of digital file streaming; I love the convenience of accessing your entire music library at the touch of a few tablet buttons, and I love the fact that digital-to-analog conversion has reached a state of near perfection that early digital only hinted at. And with so many outstanding tools at... Read More »

"From my cold, dead hands!" - Charlton Heston, describing the only way anyone would be able  to take away his guns. I'll state right up front that after a month in my reference system that's exactly how I feel about the Zesto Andros Allasso step up transformer. In fact I was completely smitten with this little... Read More »

I came upon Paradox Pulse quite by accident while pursuing eBay looking at some used amplifiers. What first caught my attention, and the reason for my contacting them, was the rebodied and retipped Denon 103 R cartridges they were offering. Officially known as a the Paradox Pulse Guard3 R SMR. That will be the subject... Read More »

Mythical Sound from the Winged Lion. How many manufacturers offer fully designed turn-key systems? How many do it with the panache of Gryphon Audio of Denmark? The answer can fit on one hand if you were missing at least two fingers. My first encounter with Danish designer Fleming Rasmussen's Gryphon Audio came with the review... Read More »

Boulder electronics, out of Louisville, Colorado, has been diligently creating some of the finest audio components in the world since 1983. Founded by Jeff Nelson, Boulder's vision has largely been aimed at the state of the art, and those with deep pockets. For instance, the 3050 monoblock amplifiers will rip $245,000 from your accountants bare... Read More »

Hey Positive People! The last time we spoke, I was in the midst of bouncing between two rigs set up in my basement—one using several on-loan items:  the Modwright PH150 with the surrounding components that completed it (PS150 power supply; VPI Prime Scout; LTA Ultralinear amplifier and Microzotl amp; Daedalus Audio Athena v.2 loudspeakers; and... Read More »

Inauspicious Beginnings This review has seen all manner of fits and starts. It began, as do most such endeavors, nobly intended. There was, first and foremost, my heartfelt desire to learn more about a product line (JE Audio's) that I had only recently discovered, but about which others here at Positive Feedback had written extensively.... Read More »

If you're an avid reader of Positive Feedback, you may be thinking—Déjà vu? Yes, this phono stage has been reviewed not once, but twice by different staff of the magazine (HERE and HERE). Timing wasn't right for me to be the third (of the original reviews), but I had to see what this thing was... Read More »

With six Zesto creations under my reviewing belt, I believe I have a good idea what each do well, and how each ranks in the high-end audiophile pantheon. I rarely keep gear, but the Zesto Allasso became a welcome addition to my vinyl playback earlier this year. That said, I was bowled over by the... Read More »

When Less Offers More In Issue 96 (this review has taken far too long, about which more in Part 2), I previewed several knockout products that had taken up temporary residence here at the Lounge (HERE). One of the new arrivals, Ron Sutherland's knockout 20/20 phono preamp, a unit that has been available to music... Read More »

If you read Parts 1 and 2 of my Soundsmith review series in Positive Feedback Issue 98, where I wrote about the new Carmen Mk II (HERE) and new Zephyr Mk III (HERE) phonograph cartridges, you know that I found Peter Ledermann's designs to be among the most musically satisfying phonograph cartridges I have ever... Read More »

Gang tackling is not usually part of the gameplan around team Positive Feedback, but if you are a fan of phono stages, you will note that I am the fourth reviewer here to get a chance to audition the Gold Note PH-10 (see HERE, HERE, and HERE). As my colleagues have ably pointed out, it... Read More »

Image courtesy of Pear Audio Blue Damnation. Time is sand through the fingers, crap through the goose. Projects pile up, deadlines come and go, and the best intentions of rodents and humans crash and burn. Turntables. Tonearms. Cartridges. LPs. Reissues. New record companies. New pressing plants. A glory of riches, getting better and better over... Read More »

Quietly Musical That was my initial thought when I listened to the Pass Labs XP-17 Phonostage for the first time. Yes, quiet and musical, is an apt description. But there must be more. After all, this is not some run-of-the-mill update. This is a new product in the Pass line. That does not happen all... Read More »