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The Truth Serum We just arrived at Alice Tully Hall here in New York City on Saturday night, but I wasn't looking forward to the program. Yet another Dvořák's New World Symphony? C'mon, give it a rest, maybe trot it out every two years or so. Such was my gloomy mood as we settled into... Read More »

While getting ready to conduct another interview for "The Editors" series, I sent an appropriate enquiry to the largest printed German audio magazine—Audio (it is a coincidence, of course, but the latest interview from the series also involved another printed German magazine—"Stereo", read HERE ). Audio has been published for many years and it is... Read More »

I understand why there are so few surround sound gear reviews in high end audio. Two channel reviews occasionally dip into technology (not from moi) but (to paraphrase Bill Clinton), it's about the sound qualithy, stupid! Surround sound reviews end up being highly technical because so much is going on—straight wire with gain? Ha! In home theater and... Read More »

Change is good, particularly in high-end audio, as the Leto from Zesto Audio becomes the version 1.5 and positively improves its standing as a top notch and enviable offering. With a more dynamic presentation and even lower distortion, the gorgeously sophisticated 1.5 is now firing on even more musical cylinders. Zesto Audio just continues to... Read More »

I wrote a rather extensive review relating my experience with the DEQX Mate in Issue 67  where I quite succinctly reported how wonderful the unit was in making ALL things better with respect to my music. While you are certainly welcome to read the whole review, the key to what the DEQX does when properly... Read More »

I've really had a lot of fun listening to vintage McIntosh vacuum tube audio electronics in my hi-fi system over the last year. The McIntosh MX110Z tuner/preamplifier, the MC30 monaural amplifiers, and the MC225 & MC240 stereo amplifiers were available as new products during the time period between 1954 and 1969, depending on the model,... Read More »

It is a good time to seek out good gear these days. There's more functionality, interoperability and really, really good sound than ever. Yes, the pricing on some gear is incomprehensible, I cannot fathom or do not want to imagine that the price of an amp exceeds the price of nearly any car. Having said... Read More »

My memories from (I think) the first edition of High End Show in Munich (after it moved from Frankfurt's Kempinsky Hotel), survived in few "capsules". Each of them contains a part of me, but also – as I can see it now – sort of prelude to the future events. That's what happened in 2005... Read More »

Audio Skies, importer of the wonderful sounding Larsen Model 8 speakers, seems to have found another winner in Pear Audio Blue, a Slovenian firm which makes preamplifiers and turntables. On hand is their Reference Preamplifier. Michael Vamos of Audio Skies tells me that Pear Audio Blue's Peter Mezek was best friends with the late Tom... Read More »

I'm excited to tell you about this great new tube line stage from Backert Labs based in Hockessin, Delaware near Philadelphia. This is, I believe, the first product from this new company headed by Bob Backert, who has been working magic modifying tubed equipment, especially preamps, for decades. Backert has a separate company called RHB... Read More »

When I was in my early teens, one of my fondest memories was helping my Father while he was working on his various audio projects. This was in the early 1960s. He was a fairly successful businessman but I always thought that deep down his true passion was electrical engineering and the consumer electronics of... Read More »

The pictures that accompany High Fidelity's review of the ASX-1000  amplifier show that it is a fairly large, not to say massive, unit. Short of putting the amplifier directly on the floor, I seated it on the Acoustic Revive RST-38H isolation boards. I needed two of them for a firm seating of the amplifier's feet.... Read More »

Driving North The road from San Diego to Upland, east of Los Angeles, is both circuitous and a relief from decades of treks straight north up Route 5 or, northwest on the 405, to Santa Monica. Kevin Deal's Upscale Audio empire is defined by two locations in the bliss of semi-rural still rugged and hilly... Read More »

Before I slip on the green eyeshade, I want to compliment the Ypsilon PST 100 Preamp on the sheer creature comfort of its musical presentation. I had almost forgotten such a thing existed in the land of Hi-Fi.  Wow! This preamp is pushing a lot of buttons. But it didn't start out that way. Before... Read More »

Rumen Artarski is a hunk of a man. Tall, handsome and ramrod-straight. He could serve in Special Forces or join the Honor Guard. He could be a grenadier or serve in the praetorian guard of the Caesars. There is some inner strength in Rumen—he is big, but not bulky or sluggish. When he first wrote... Read More »