For reviews of gear including and related to the playback of digital audio, including transports, DACs, computers, streamers, and “silver disc spinners”.
The Grimm Audio MU1 (website) is an idiosyncratic product. This is not a term I typically associate with music servers or digital sources—the truth of the matter is that most of them are simple devices. […]
My review of the Merason Frerot DAC is the first time I’ve ever done a formal review of a stand-alone digital-to-analog converter. I do have plenty of experience with DACs over the last few years, […]
Do I really need a music server like the Innuos Zen Mini Mk. 3 at this point in my life? I’m still pretty old school when it comes to physical media. I have large CD […]
Like me, you probably recognize TotalDAC d1-tube-mk2 and the TotalDAC brand (website) in general, but you may know very little about them. This French company has a stellar reputation for making high-end converters, but I’ve […]
I’ve been on a hot streak lately with getting components to review that have sounded excellent despite the current difficulties in hearing something beforehand. For a reviewer, it’s one of the many great things about […]
The Best DACs, Servers, Streamers, and Disc Spinners [Editor’s note: Welcome to the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide for 2021! This year we decided to mix it up a little by breaking up the Buyers Guide […]
From The Outside, Everything Looks Right I was reminded of what I love about Teutonic design aesthetics when I first opened the box and removed the flagship Merason DAC-1. Have you ever gone to the […]
The Naim Audio Mu-so changed the way I listen to music. That’s not hyperbole, a ready-made pull quote that Naim can use in their print ads. A few years ago, I was lucky enough […]
Before I jump into the Mola Mola Tambaqui, I have to share a delightful tidbit of deadpan humor from my roommate. While amusing on its own, it ended up more prescient to the little DAC […]
Whenever the talk of my distaste for digital audio comes up among audiophile friends, there are usually two things mentioned. First, I’m asked “What DAC are you using?” The second thing commonly said is “You […]
The availability of streaming devices is endless, offering convenience and friction-free listening. We have become accustomed to a quick tap or voice command and the tunes start flowing. Although I am blessed with an incredible reference […]
When’s the last time you heard a new CD player and thought wow, this sounds terrific? I’m not talking about digital in general or a DAC, but a one-box CD transport/DAC playing just a redbook […]
Filed Under: Things that shouldn’t matter Staring at the Innuos Statement (website), a $13,750 dedicated computer audio server, I’m reminded of a long-ago period in the evolution of digital audio. If you’ll cast your thoughts […]
Last I checked, there were over 450 documents labeled “review” on my computer. Of those docs, many qualify as either digital components or straight up DACs by today’s standards. Of those DACs, many qualify as […]
Before I discuss the McIntosh MCD600 SACD/CD player, I have to tell a story. Just a couple of weeks ago I overhead a conversation between two audiophiles who were discussing the continued role of compact […]
It’s good to be king, or so they say. For me, that’s precisely the vibe that exudes from the Bricasti M12 Platinum Edition Source Controller. With a name like that, this august device seems more than […]
Adventures in … Consolidation? Simplicity. If I have to summarize what I believe we ought to be talking about with “lifestyle audio products”, that’s what I have in mind. Not all-in-one compromises, not tiny speakers […]
Every once and a while, a product will turn up at the house for review that is so special, it changes what I understand to be possible for an audio component. And let’s face it; […]
A Box of Sparklers My introduction to the wares of Sparkler Audio (website) was through the 2017 and 2018 Capital Audiofest shows. There, I’d made note of Sparker’s quirky Spiral compact disc player, which had […]
Digital is dicey Looking at the totalDAC USB Gigafilter, you ask questions. Digital is supposed to be straightforward: ones and zeroes coded as “Hi” and “Lo” voltage signals, all marching forward in a straight line […]
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