AXPONA 2024
Treehaus AudioLab | AXPONA 2024
At AXPONA 2024, I heard Treehaus AudioLab for the very first time. I’ve been wanting to slip into this room and take a quick listen for the last three or four high end audio shows, […]
dcs
Digital
AURALiC Vega G2.2 Streaming DAC | REVIEW
Sometimes you get caught up in looking for the next big thing. You buy great equipment, enjoy it for a while, and then an itch comes along and the only way to scratch it is […]
Canjam Chicago 2023
dCS Lina Lounge, T10 Bespoke, and Show Highlights | Canjam Chicago 2023
Busy weekend here at PTA! Marc is up at the Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle, while I’m a bit closer to home. But today found a few extra hours — so off to Canjam I […]
Munich 2023
Nordost in Munich | Munich 2023
How good was Nordost in Munich? While I was in the middle of a listening session in the Nordost room, with Wilson Audio, Dan D’Agostino and dCS (which sounds like Mohammed Samji‘s system at home), […]
AXPONA 2023
Nordost, VTL, dCS and Stenheim | AXPONA 2023
It was in the Nordost room at AXPONA 2023 that I might have discovered the best low frequency performance of the show. All the essential ingredients were there–Stenheim‘s flagship Reference Ultimate Two speakers ($155,000), VTL […]
AXPONA 2023
Avantgarde Duo GT, Esoteric, Phasemation & dCS | AXPONA 2023
The Alexander Suite at this year’s AXPONA was a real treat. It featured one of the new offerings from Avantgarde, the Duo GT, a fully active horn speaker. In case there’s any ambiguity forthcoming, the […]
AXPONA 2023
Ear Gear Expo, Part 2 | AXPONA 2023
Just inside the door to this-year’s Ear Gear Expo (or, as I overheard one show-goer call it, the “Eargasm Explosion”), was fan-favorite Moon Audio. I have to admit, their tables are a kind of madness. […]
Announcements
Bartók APEX from dCS Introduced | Announcements
PTA has been a fan of the dCS Bartók since it came out–we’ve reviewed it more than once! Now dCS has announced the new Bartók APEX, with improved technologies derived from the top of the […]
Digital
Meitner MA3 DAC | REVIEW
Palm Trees and Perfect Sound DACs have been abounding at my residence in Santa Monica—the Holo Audio May most recently, and now the Meitner MA3 (website), which is the subject of today’s review. I’ve also […]
Buyers Guide
The Best Digital Players | Buyers Guide Summer 2022
Welcome to the Best Digital Players section of the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide for Summer 2022. The Guide is more than “We heartily endorse this [fill in the blank].” This collection represents our enthusiasm. Every […]
AXPONA 2022
Astonishing Avantgarde and dCS | AXPONA 2022
There is something undeniable about Avantgarde Acoustics horn loudspeakers. Something I find irresistible. They can be shoehorned into the most improbable spaces, and yet, I don’t care. I don’t see “cramped.” I don’t see “uncomfortable.” […]
AXPONA 2022
Quintessence Audio | AXPONA 2022
At the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, the Connection, Knowledge, Perfection, and Imagination rooms are all clustered under the escalator leading up to the main lobby. Quintessence Audio, a high-end audio dealer in the […]
Announcements
dCS Ring DAC APEX | NEWS
On March 4, 2022, dCS will release next generation APEX editions of the Rossini DAC, Vivaldi DAC, and Rossini Player. These will feature the new Ring DAC APEX hardware as standard. They’ll also be offering […]
Buyers Guide
The Best Digital Players | Buyers Guide 2022
Welcome to the Best Digital Players section of the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide for 2022. The Guide is more than “We heartily endorse this [fill in the blank ].” This collection represents our enthusiasm. Every […]
Buyers Guide
The Best DACs, Servers, Streamers and Disc Spinners | Buyers Guide Summer 2021
The Best DACs, Servers, Streamers, and Disc Spinners [Editor’s note: Welcome to the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide for Summer 2021! These are the best DACs, streamers, servers and disc-spinners that we, the PTA team, have […]
Audio Gear Reviews
Wilson Audio ActivXO & WATCH Dog Subwoofer | Review
Does a 260-pound loudspeaker that packs an 8- and 10-inch driver need any re-enforcement in the lower octaves? Add in a delicious amplifier that can generate 500 watts at 4 ohms with ease and you […]
Buyers Guide
The Best DACs, Servers, Streamers, and Disc Spinners | Buyers Guide 2021
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 […]
Headphones
Rosson Audio Design RAD-0 Headphone | REVIEW
To some, describing a headphone as “fun” is akin to the kiss of death. The calling for linearity occasionally spurs dynamic swings in opinions, and even greater judgments in the comment sections and forums. Whatever […]
The Vinyl Anachronist
Leslie Ann Jones, dCS Legends | The Vinyl Anachronist
With the first round of our coverage of the dCS Legends series, I did an interesting and possibly misguided thing. When I mentioned the recording engineers honored by dCS, I’d trot out their Grammy-winning LP […]
Review
Wilson Audio Pedestal | REVIEW
Over the years, we’ve tried endless numbers of tweaks to get the most out of our components. Some work, others don’t, and some behave as un-wanted tone controls. It’s a puzzle that every audiophile loves […]