Loudspeakers
Magic is in the air
DB Schenker managed to route my new Merlin VSM-MXR speakers through an extra state or two, so that I finally received them at 8pm the night before Christmas Eve. Needless to say, all I was […]
Year: 2010
Audio-Life
They’ve shipped!
Got the good word from Bobby Palkovich yesterday — my Merlin VSM-MXMs are on the way! DB Schenker will be backing up a truck tomorrow. Whoo-wee! In case you’ve been following the Merlin updates, the […]
Audio-Life
Christmas Wish List
Twas 4 days before Christmas … and like usual, I’m scrambling. I am pretty sure I have the kids all covered and something fun for the wife. There’s gifts for the family all done — […]
Analog
VTF and a Cadenza Update
I got my Ortofon Cadenza Black a month or so back and, quite frankly, have not been terribly impressed. The sound quality I heard from this cartridge at RMAF was simply not apparent here at […]
Components
Santa Luxman Comes to DC
Philip O’Hanlon is the President/CEO of On a Higher Note, a high-end audio distributor, and this weekend, he came by to spend a day with the folks of Command Performance A/V of Falls Church, VA. […]
Tweaks
Player Wars: Pure Music v Amarra
The Case Against iTunes Life is different with an Apple. I suppose that I should know as I have three on my desk, another in the living room — and there’s an Apple TV in […]
Far Corners
AudioQuest K2 speaker cables
Every now and again something crosses my desk that reminds me of how clever and wonderful my fellow Man can be. Case in point, this eye-popping-ly expensive pair of speaker cables from AudioQuest that, for […]
Analog
New Cartridge!
The Ortofon Cadenza Black is now on the table and breaking in. So far, the sound is worthy of a lacquered string of superlatives hung around the neck of an exclamation point. More on that […]
Publishers Desk
An Aside About Pricing
I’m not sure who to blame here or who started the whole campaign against MSRP, but I put Amazon somewhere near the top of the heap. Used to be that the price was the price, […]
Publishers Desk
Audio Dollars and Sense
Here Be Dragons Last Christmas day, there was an interesting thread on Computer Audiophile that set me back a bit. In that thread, on LessLoss’ new Blackbody products, which I was thoroughly dissing, I brought […]
Tweaks
Myrtlefeet!
I have a soft spot in my heart for audio tweaks. It can’t be helped, it seems. Even though I’m a dyed-in-the-wool empiricist, a sort-of seeing-is-believing wannabe, I still can’t seem to resist trying out […]
Tweaks
Battle Rock Studios Myrtle Platforms
I received my amp stands today. I’m blown away. I think I’ve mentioned elsewhere that I invested many moons ago in a Mapleshade Samson rack. This imposing piece of furniture is, like just about everything […]
Digital
A New Server
Picked up the new MacBook Pro on Monday. It’s a 13″ model with all the base options and no frills whatever. After bringing it home, then running through System Update three times, I loaded up […]
Digital
End Of Line
Well, folks, the decision is made. I’m heading out on Monday to get a new MacBook Pro to use as a dedicated music server. It’ll be a 13″ model, which should get me all the […]
Components
Joule-Electra VZN-100 MkIII Marquis OTL Monoblock Amplifiers
Be Afraid I am afraid of my amplifiers. I got the Marquis amps last month as part of my bulk shipment from Joule-Electra. In a fit of annoyance at the whole “system synergy thing”, I […]
Digital
M2Tech EVO: It’s Alive!
Ok, so maybe I’m just brain damaged (more probably, I’m just a masochist), but I seem to have figured out my system incompatibility (crossing my fingers here): Dr Bott. I have an external, high-powered, USB […]
Digital
M2Tech Woes
Perhaps it was too good to be true. Perhaps it was never meant to be. Perhaps [insert tired cliche here]. What we know at this point: The EVO has hit some turbulence. I was doing […]
Publishers Desk
Did Apple Kill The Hi-Fi?
Saw this article today: The Atlantic, “Old School Hi-Fi in Search of the New New Thing.” The author, Hal Espen, apparently went to the RMAF show this year and got an earful from the seminars […]
Digital
M2Tech EVO Preliminary
Got my EVO over the weekend and promptly put my foot through the ceiling. No, the two events weren’t related, well, not exactly. I started my day out with some honey-do’s. Crept into the crawlspace […]
Analog
Dr. Feickert Blackbird Turntable
Project Blackbird I should mention somewhere here that the Dr Feickert Blackbird I’m about to drool on is part of “my” Reference Rig, generously hosted at Command Performance A/V in Falls Church, VA. Jeff Fox, […]