March - April 2015
Audio Discourse
Dynamic Design Heritage Challenger AE15 Digital Power Cord
Power cords are a specialty within the category of audiophile connectivity that is mighty important. Those supplied with the gear, regardless of price,...
AK500N The Ultimate MQS Network Audio Player
I would have called this a Quicky, but lets bump it up to a First Look in honor of Astell&Kern's top effort to date to create a network server,...
Mourning One of Our Industry's Founding Fathers, John Ulrick
John Ulrick on the cover of Positive Feedback, Vol. 6, No. 4, 1996 Today I mourn the passing of a good friend and one of the men who helped found the...
Musings on Building a Digital Music Server: Catching Up on...
"A smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth you said that irony was the shackles of youth you wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh I never...
The Early Annals of High-end Audio, Rediscovered
Everyone takes the limits of their own vision for the limits of the world. – Arthur Schopenhauer DEDICATION To J. Gordon Holt and Harry...
A Factory Tour In The Enchanting Foothills Of Arizona -...
Petra and Dan D'Agostino are two of the rare ones. Yes, Dan's legacy is firmly locked in place after Krell Industries and now his Dan...
ALO's Studio Six Amplifier: On the Road From Remarkable to...
ALO's Studio Six has been an integral part of the heart-and-soul of my beloved Sonic Satori Personal Audio Lab since its inception. What...
The SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier from Japan
Most regular readers of Positive Feedback know of my long-time passion for vacuum tube electronics. I've enjoyed the musical prowess and...
The Nativity of Native (DSD)
This article was published recently by our good friends at NativeDSD.com (see HERE). In it, Ted Brady makes some useful distinctions and clarifies...
The Neoteric Listener…The Triangle Antal Anniversary...
Clothes may make the man, but what do loudspeakers make you? Sure, we all wish the fashion police would drape a hazmat pancho over that...
Can We Trust Our Hearing?
We can't hear the absolute absolutely. Our ears are organic matter evolved over generations of overlapping genes. No two are exactly...
Impressions: The Walker Audio Proscenium Black Diamond, Level V,...
The Walker Audio Proscenium Black Diamond Level V Reference Turntable Slow train comin'… First things first. Those of you who haven't...
The Audio Circular - No. 14 in a Series of Parallel Narratives
A couple of years ago, I promised Positive Feedback readers that I'd tackle a few topics on which I was less than proficient. As an...
Why Are There No Blue Fairies?
Forget the obvious "fairies" wisecrack for a moment, and think about this: Although the internet is thick with guys out there playing the "Troll",...
The Audio Circular: No. 15 in a Series of Parallel Narratives
The Pass Labs XA30.5 vs. XA30.8: A Classic Matchup! [In my best Michael Buffer ring announcer voice] Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Pass Labs...
Hardware Reviews
cruzefirst Maestro M1 Power Cables
Aftermarket power cables are a variety of audio product that generally raises the eyebrows of many a hobbyist. I can't offer any technical...
Raven Audio Shadow Reference Stereo Amplifier
As I was contemplating where to start this review of the Raven Audio Shadow Reference Stereo amp, the words 'natural ease' popped into my head....
Accuphase DP-720 SACD Player
Music servers… audio streaming. Every club needs the next New Thing to survive and grow. At this juncture in the second decade of the new...
AudioEngine B2 Powered Bluetooth Speaker
My listening room is in my basement, and although you can easily open the door to the downstairs and hear the music from the big system in all its...
Magenta FZ47DB Phono Amplifier
I was shocked, yes shocked to see albums, yes genuine vinyl, being sold at Fry's Electronics, Urban Outfitters and shock of all shocks, Barnes...
Audionet MAX Amplifiers
(Including an interview with Thomas Gessler, CEO of Audionet) What's that? Things formerly unheard are stirring down below... Some time ago I...
Zesto Audio Andros 1.2 Phonostage Preamplifier
Zesto Audio is a nearly-new company based and built in Los Angeles, and run by George Counnas, a talented and seasoned designer and electrical engineer...
Hagerman Audio Labs Trumpet Reference Phono Stage Preamplifier
The Hagerman Audio Labs Trumpet Reference phono stage sits at the top of the mountain of the phono stages offered by Hagerman Audio Labs. I first laid...
Ortofon Quintet Bronze Cartridge
In the realm of human perception colors are strictly a visual phenomenon. While the cones and rods in our eyes are responsible for the hues and shades...
E.A.R. V12 Integrated Amplifier
If you are a devotee of EL84 Pentode Tubes, or you require an integrated amplifier that kisses the music with power and elegance, E.A.R. presents the...
Dirac Live Calibration and Audio Processor Software
By way of background I have been on the digital bandwagon for well over five years now and the first steps of "my" journey directly...
Nordost Valhalla 2 Cables
Being affable gets your foot in the door. Being affable and having the goods to back up your story, that's a prime recipe for success....
Blue Circle RPD-15 DC Offset Blocker
It's interesting, to wonder about the electricity that enters your home, and the overall effect it can have on your audio reproduction system. I...
Stage III Leviathan Power Cord
Somehow it doesn't seem reasonable, let alone rational, to harbor hopes of re-creating at home the powerful wave-fronts set in motion by a large...
TL3 Satellite Loudspeakers
The plan was to assemble an inexpensive, two-channel home theater for my rec room. Nothing fancy, just a cheap receiver and Blu-Ray player with some...
Blue Circle TPX-120 Power Line Conditioner
Several months ago I wrote about Blue Circle's FX-2 X0e PLC and was impressed enough to purchase my review loaner. When visiting Blue Circle's...
ModWright LS100 Preamplifier
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...
Interviews
Interview with Jim Hagerman
Q. What is your background in electronics and how long have you been designing audio circuits? A. I have been designing electronics for a solid 33...
Music Reviews
Belafonte at Carnegie Hall: The Complete Concert in 3 Channel...
Belafonte at Carnegie Hall: The Complete Concert Photo: Courtesy of Acoustic Sounds Sometimes, the best things are worth waiting for. That's...
Impressions: Dean Martin, Dream with Dean: The Intimate Dean...
Dean Martin, Dream with Dean: The Intimate Dean Martin Analogue Productions, QRP 200 gram LP, stereo, 45 RPM (2 LP set), USD $50 You know, it really...
Frank Bridge - Orchestral Works, Volume 1
BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Richard Hickox. Chandos CHAN 9959. TT: 75.48. Enter Spring. Isabella. Two Poems for Orchestra. Mid of the...
Pearson Sound Comes Knockin' with Self-Titled LP
OK, straight outta the gate: Pearson Sound is not for everyone. Especially not all PF readers! If you're a fan of hard-hitting,...
Notes of an Amateur: Schumann, Vivaldi, Silvestrov, and Bruckner
Robert Schumann, Violin Concerto; Piano Trio No. 3. Isabelle Faust, violin; Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello; Alexander Melnikov, piano. Harmonia Mundi. HMC...
Impressions: Analogue Productions re-issue of Duke Ellington,...
Duke Ellington, Masterpieces by Ellington 200 Gram LP, monophonic, $30. Years ago, a good friend sent me a vintage copy of Duke...
New Old Stock - Articles from Our Days in Print
Kora Titan Amplifiers
This article, by Carol Clark, Dave Clark, Larry Cox, and Francisco Duran, originally ran when audioMUSINGS was in print - Issue 3, 1998. Tubes, tubes,...
Our Friends at HIFI Statement
Soulines Dostoyevsky Record Player (in German)
Sah es eine Zeitlang so aus, als läge die Zukunft von Hifi in China, bekommt der Markt jetzt unerwartet Zuwachs aus europäischen Regionen, die bisher.... . . Read More »
Indiana Line Speaker (in German)
Eine bisher vollkommen unbekannte Lautsprechermarke aus Italien, die seit 30 Jahren produziert? Nobel verarbeitet und günstig und dabei klanglich.... . . Read More »
Kubala Sosna Digital Cable (in German)
Als amerikanischer Hersteller hochwertiger Audio Kabel hat Kubala-Sosna Research seit Jahren ein exzellentes Image. Ich habe mir die aktuellen.... . . Read More »
Thrax Phono Preamp (in German)
So ein Gehäuse strahlt schon eine Menge Selbstbewusstsein aus: Ein – wie ich finde – ebenso gelungenes wie eigenständiges Design garantiert nach.... . . Read More »
Rha t10 Earphone (in German)
Mir war diese Firma nicht bekannt, bevor ich auf den Norddeutschen HiFi-Tagen den Stand von Digital Highend besuchte, deren Portfolio audiophile.... . . Read More »
Aurender X-725 Amplifier (in German)
Das Design signalisiert Purismus pur. Nur ein Drehknopf ziert neben dem Infrarotempfänger die Front – und dieser Lautstärkeregler gibt auch einen.... . . Read More »
Xivero-Musicscope Software Part II (in German)
Bei der Vorstellung des kleinen, ebenso hilfreichen wie erschwinglichen und daher sehr empfehlenswerten Programms haben wir nur schlicht hochgerechnete.... . . Read More »
Our Friends at High Fidelity
iFi Audio STEREO 50 + LS3.5 - Integrated amplifier/DAC +...
It's hard to take eyes off new iFi products. This British company using logos, letters and design that all look like taken from Luxman, Leak, or...
Oyaide ACROSS 750 RR V2, TUNAMI II SP-B V2 and TUNAMI GPX-R V2 -...
It must be a real shock for a company that uses some particular material as a key element for its products when it learns that it won't be...
Lumïn S1 - Audiophile Network Music Player
The world today relies on charts and measurements and results. And while audiophilia tries hard not to follow the mainstream, pointing out its...
Thrax Audio - TERES + LYRA Power amplifier + loudspeakers
To be honest I can't remember how it started. In my own review of Dionysos preamplifier for January 2011 I wrote that I'd firstly...
Gigawatt PC-4 EVO + LS-2 - Power Conditioner + Power Cable
One can wonder why so many people at certain age start using expression "I remember that..." more and more often. I can not not remember that...
Trilogy 925 - Integrated Amplifier
As I already mentioned once (in the review of Wow Audio Lab L1/M1 amplifier), Audio Show in Warsaw is a place for me to collect information....
Ayon Audio SPHERIS III LINESTAGE
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...
Show Reports
2015 CES - A Yellow Brick Road Of Integrated Amplifiers
If you have been following my reviews over the last few years, I have taken a considerable interest in integrated amplifiers. This includes those from...
RMAF 2014 - An Emotional Respite From What Ails You
RMAF. One of the best times ever. Ever. Since it started and till now, an event we have always looked forward to attending—together. People....
