I am not in the budget for an ultra-fi system — and probably never will be. That fact, sad though it is, is true for most of us. HOWEVER, the point of the ultra-fi is […]
The opening day (Friday) of the New York Audio Show 2019 looked to be a tough travel day with snow and unseasonably cold temperatures in the forecast. Thankfully, the snow never materialized, and my fellow […]
I think my listening notes speak to the quality of the MBL room in Tampa: “Speakers disappearing like Houdini.” “Vocals are realistic with a good amount of chestiness.” “Great illusion of real performers in a […]
by Carlos Guzman Technics RS M63. That was the first cassette deck recorder I bought with my own money. On monthly installments, I paid $21.50 for 24 months with my funeral home’s attendant part-time job. […]
by Carlos Guzman With the new tape revival around the world, more and more audiophiles are getting into the exclusive, and sometimes expensive, hobby of open reel playback. Many companies have resurrected the old “pre-recorded” […]
Carlitos Guzmán comes to us by way of Puerto Rico. An unabashed fan of analog tape, we hope he will be joining us more regularly once the US Government remembers that PR is actually a […]
It was early on day 1, we had planned our route and I was ready to experience the High End show. We entered the Vitus room on the 3rd floor, home to Vitus electronics, the […]
I first met Nick Doshi in 2013 at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest where he was showing a prototype of his v3.0 monoblocks, a push-pull design that used four KT-150 tubes to produce 160 watts […]
“The t-i-i-i-i-i-mes they are a ch-a-a-a-a-a-nging,” howled a high-pitched, impossibly nasal singer as I entered a room at AXPONA that highlighted equipment by Joseph Audio, Jeff Rowland Design Group and Cardas Audio. “Who’s this?” I […]
The problem with luxury has nothing to do with the expense. It’s us. Our dirty, sad, undeserving selves. Deep down, many of us just don’t believe we deserve nice things. To see them, to hear […]
I wasn’t expecting that unassuming wooden box sitting on Todd Garfinkle’s table at RMAF this year. MA-Recordings is a very well-known label (to me, at least); I’ve been quite taken with Garfinkle’s extraordinary recording work […]
Once upon a time, I was young and innocent, brash and bold. I believed in the superiority of digital playback. Cables could have no impact on the sound quality of my system. You could never […]
Nobody is arguing that most Wilson Audio speakers aren’t big. Some of their kit is downright huge. These are serious speakers for serious cats who want large-scale playback capabilities. The Alexx weighs in at 450 […]
I’ll confess — I’m a digital kind of guy. Perhaps it’s the ease, or the lingering aftereffects of my day-job, but digital wasn’t really a transition for me. Sure, I “came up” before Napster and […]
There’s a locomotive with massive drivers that’s rolling thunder down the tracks as it hurtles towards your listening chair: It’s the Magico S5 MK II. The S5 features inert, rigid, and non-resonant half-inch thick aluminum […]
It was like being behind the Iron Curtain somewhere in East Berlin, circa 1973. The lighting, the color palette of the hotel – mein Gott, the effing furniture – the sense of secrecy. The feeling […]
Greg Beron is a patient man. The proprietor of United Home Audio, Greg has been the rock to my railing storm of protest, indignation and outrage. Well, okay — I’ve been nothing like that in […]
Are you having fun being an audiophile? The question should have a straightforward “yes” answer. But it doesn’t, always, does it? Why would you not have a great time with this hobby? I’ll submit that — […]
In this month’s “Records To Die For” at Stereophile, I was struck by a few things. One, almost no new music pops up in there. Why is that? Two, sound quality rarely takes a back seat to […]
Getting a chance to write-up the MBL show presence is always a treat. Whether it’s completely superb, mind-blowingly good, or a hot mess of shrieking pain, MBL always, always, always leaves you with something to […]
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