I am all too guilty of jumping right into the audio science portion of the meal to explain in very detailed ways what I’ve heard, mainly because it’s so ingrained in me from years at […]
The Naim SuperNAIT 3 integrated amplifier, above all, is about trying to reconnect with my past—at least a little bit. Back in December I traveled down to Los Angeles for the first time in at […]
The Koetsu Urushi Black phono cartridge reminds me that in my more pretentious moments as a journeyman audiophile, I referred to myself as a “Koetsu Guy.” This was after decades of less expensive and mostly […]
After reviewing the TIDAL Audio Prisma preamplifier in 2020 (linked here) and hearing Doug White (of The Voice That Is) do his jaw-dropping TIDAL Audio system demos at two Capital Audiofests, I jumped at the […]
We have a running joke in the PTA War Room about the “big” DAC from Ideon Audio, which is rumored to be going to Dave McNair for review. Apparently it weighs over 1600 pounds, more […]
I recently heard Sonus faber Olympica Nova V (website) floorstanding speakers at Brian Hunter’s house, as well as the affordable Lumina models that Marc Phillips reviewed earlier in 2021. I was taken aback to say […]
“I’m using some big ass mono amps, the Pass Labs XA-200.8. Ya know, the Class A ones.” Whenever I say that, in answer to a question from another audiophile, I get an interesting range of […]
Sometimes I think that our North Carolina crew has all the fun. They visit each other, hear all the cool gear that’s been coming in for review, swap back and forth, and I’m over here […]
The Margules I-240 integrated amplifier seems so familiar to me, and not just because I’ve known the Margules family for over a decade and I’ve heard this particular model play a number of times at […]
The Naim Uniti Nova all-in-one (website) throws down a gauntlet in the world of hi-fi. Eschewing the sacred cow standard of separates, it instead aims to do everything: stream, convert, control volume and amplify. While […]
The story of the McGary Audio SA-1E power amplifier starts with a somewhat chance meeting. Knowing of my obsession with all things vinyl, Mark Sossa of Well Pleased AV informed me that I should meet […]
Shortly after my review of the ModWright PH 9.0 phonostage (linked here), Dan Wright reached out to inform me of a new upgraded model (ModWright PH 9.0X) and asked if I’d like to listen to […]
Qln Prestige Five: They’ve Done It Again As I listened to the latest offering from the Swedish speaker manufacturer—the Qln Prestige Five, or P5 for short—I struggled a bit thinking about how to describe their […]
They’ve been here for a long time, this Pass Labs XP-22 preamplifier and matching XP-27 phono stage combo. Months, maybe even a year. They’ve watched other amps and preamps and integrated amps and phono stages […]
The Acora Acoustics SRS-G speaker stands, which are made from solid blocks of granite and retail for $5,000 per pair, are designed for two groups of people. The first group consists of owners of the […]
It’s been twelve or thirteen years since I’ve had Balanced Audio Technology in for review. That previous time, the only real seat time I’ve had with BAT, was with a pair of all-tube separates that […]
It’s been a while since my last installment of The Smoking Jacket, thanks in general to the pandemic, but I wanted to remind everyone that one of my favorite parts about smoking cigars is the […]
You know how I used to start off each of my integrated amplifier reviews with an opening paragraph on why I love integrated amplifiers? Yes, I made a promise not to do that ever again, […]
Does anyone really NEED a $34,000 turntable/arm/cartridge setup like the Acoustic Signature Typhoon NEO, TA-5000 and Acoustical Systems Palladium? Well, of course not! Okay, let me qualify and rephrase that. If someone is a serious […]
Gary Dews is one of those people who is welcome at my home any time. He’s a wonderful guest and great conversationalist, and he always shows up with an unexpected and welcome gift! I don’t […]
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