by Darryl Lindberg One thing’s certain: as tubes age, their performance declines. How do you know if your glassware is in decline? As far as I can tell there are two indications of this phenomenon: […]
Robert Lee tends to exhibit his well-regarded Acoustic Zen speakers at shows with an ever-changing list of electronics partners. Despite the diverse group of components — tubes, solid-state, Class A, Class D — he never […]
Sights of arrival, and what not to miss Photojournal by Eric Franklin Shook Everyday good day begins with a burger. It occurred to me while walking through Denver International Airport today that if your state […]
The audio-show year kicked off for me with an eardrum-flexing snare shot in Chicago at Audio Expo North America. If those three hectic days near the end of April are any indication, we’re in for […]
A photojournal by Eric Franklin Shook You can’t just say “It’s awesome, buy it.” Eliciting a gut reaction of confidence in consumers who speak your name in conversations of top tier service and products is […]
It’s almost taken for granted these days that most products in high-end audio are not going to produce significant distortion. One exception is tubed gear, but enthusiasts consider second-order harmonics to be pleasing — the […]
Acoustic Zen master Robert Lee, whose quiet, humble presence and terrific-sounding speakers are a mainstay of the major stereo shows, almost didn’t attend the 2016 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest Worn out from the exhibit circuit […]
I usually come away from every audio show with at least one piece of gear that I am seriously smitten with. Normally that feeling, after a closer look at my bank statement, quickly fades away. […]
I am entirely suspicious of Twin Audio‘s Santy Oropel and Acoustic Zen‘s Robert Lee. Neither gentleman is exactly sporting Incredible Hulk physiques, yet someone had to move those massive speakers and equally massive amplifiers both […]
There are a couple of rooms on the audio show circuit that are pretty much a guarantee of goodness. Acoustic Zen is one. Robert Lee was showing off one of my favorite finishes on the […]
I’ll confess: I’m not really a fan of single-driver loudspeakers. I’m not not a fan, either. I have no dogs in this particular race — to me, the ideal of simplicity is one that has to meet […]
Acoustic Zen Technologies president Robert Lee is a master at making things disappear. Stuff like distortion, frequency irregularities and resonances. But as I sat listening to his rarely exhibited flagship speaker, the Maestro ($43,000 a […]
In what seemed tantamount to a divorce, I found Robert Lee of Acoustic Zen demoing a system without tubes. I don’t think this has ever happened in my experience, and quite frankly, I was worried. […]
Part-Time Audiophile How hot was the gear at the 2014 Audio Expo of North America? So hot a fire alarm briefly cleared the four show floors of Chicago’s Westin O’Hare midway through day two [yes, […]
Robert Lee was not happy with the system’s sound on Friday. Everything just felt a little off. And by a “little off”, I mean you’d need an oscilloscope to have any idea what he was […]
Robert Lee of Acoustic Zen was all smiles on Saturday, and with good reason: things were sounding sweet! The combination of Acoustic Zen loudspeakers and Triode Corp amplification is always a treat, and it was sounding especially […]
Mal and I arranged to pop into the Zen/Triode room a little early on Saturday, in the hopes of getting some photos that weren’t full of people’s feet. This was particularly necessary as the room […]
Acoustic Zen‘s Robert Lee, shown here adjusting the volume after loading another CD, makes the most incredible sounding rooms at audio shows. For the last several shows, he’s been carting around the same kit, more […]
“Sure things” usually aren’t. Except when they are. Want in? Here you go: if you’re at an audio show, the Acoustic Zen room is going to sound really, really good. It’s a lock. Anyway, this […]
Big tubes. Bigger speakers. Sexy finishes. Sultry sound. Thundering bass. This look, this gear, this sound — this is why we’re audiophiles. This is the gear we take home to our long-suffering families and loved […]
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