Smooth as buttah. That’s what comes to mind while I’ve been reviewing the Musical Surroundings Phonomena phono stages. Stages? Plural? Yes. Garth Leerer of Musical Surroundings was nice enough to send me a Phonomena II+ […]
I don’t understand the sex appeal of audio gear, but the Parasound JC 3 Jr. phono preamplifier ticks my lustful audiophile itch. Perhaps it’s the John Curl circuit design, a pedigree harkening to the Vendetta […]
Sometimes big things come in small packages. I was on the hunt for modestly priced phono stages to sing with my new Rega P3 turntable. My current entry level separate phono stage is the Schiit […]
As a vinyl noob, I declare that vinyl is the perfect format forever. Whaaa??? How can such a cockamamie thing possibly be said? This is 2023, damn it! Digital has evolved into the de facto […]
The least expensive super car is still a super car. Those who follow many of my reviews know I’m a bit of a car guy and the super car analogy immediately popped into my noggin […]
It’s been four years since I was a distributor, so I think enough time has passed for me to wax rhapsodic about my dear friend Brad Serhan and his speaker designs. I still use his […]
Regular readers will know by now that Dave McNair, myself and the rest of the PTA Team have an enormous amount of respect and appreciation for Acora Acoustics and founder Valerio Cora, who is perhaps […]
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 SHOW 2021 was, by my estimation, a reason for cautious optimism. Everything appeared to go off without a hitch, attendees were well-behaved and plentiful enough, and exhibitors seemed pleased by the amount and depth […]
Cake Audio, another local Southern California dealer, was showing the perennially popular Alsyvox (website) Botticceli speakers in a room I’m convinced was designed to double as a sensory deprivation chamber. Besides bringing a very literally meaning […]
The Best Tonearms [Editor’s note: Welcome to the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide for Summer 2021! These are the best tonearms that we, the PTA team, have heard.] Tonearms Sorane TA-1L ($1,875 USD) From the Japanese […]
Before I even bring up Ana Mighty Sound (website), let me state that I abhor rebuilt cartridges. They are to me, unholy, defiled, inferior, and more often than not, a far cry from the real […]
The Best Tonearms [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 into sections, which makes it […]
When Mark Sossa of Well Pleased AV called about dropping off a pair of the excellent QLN Prestige Three speakers for me to review a few months back, he casually mentioned he might also bring […]
What the heck is in THAT thing? That was my first reaction to the huge road case I signed for from my delivery guy. My second reaction was “Dayum, I don’t remember there being an amplifier […]
There is something about a curry. Sorry, but for some reason when I started making serious notes about the sound of the ZYX Ultimate 100 moving coil phono cartridge, I thought of food. I love Indian […]
Last November at the 2019 Capital Audio Fest, I had a fantastic time hearing numerous amazing systems and meeting some great folks. One of the many rooms I enjoyed was hosted by Well Pleased AV […]
By means of introduction to the Rega P10 turntable, let me start by saying that I work as a mastering engineer. For some time, I’ve wanted to upgrade my current turntable, a Rega P3, to […]
Every time I visit a high-end audio show room with Stenheim loudspeakers, I mention how I’m trying to get a pair in for review–specifically, the Alumine 2 bookshelf speakers ($11,950). I’ve heard these Swiss speakers, […]
I was eager to hit this room at the 2019 Capital Audiofest for two reasons–first, I wanted to hear some of the Studio Electric loudspeakers after Eric Franklin Shook’s very positive review of the stand-mount […]
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