RMAF 2017
RMAF 2017: Must See Rooms
Friday, Day One by Eric Franklin Shook Considering my late head start, I want to point out a few brands, dealers, and vendors you might want to put on your short list of MUST […]
modwright
AXPONA 2017
AXPONA 2017: Music From Another Room, Part 2
A photojournal by Eric Franklin Shook Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, proving again that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Axpona is to me an ensemble interpretation of […]
AXPONA 2017
AXPONA 2017: Putting eyeballs and eardrums on the latest gear
If high-end audio manufacturers harbor many serious concerns about the state of the industry, you wouldn’t know it from the long list of new products that went on display Friday at AXPONA in Chicago. The […]
Announcements
Euro news: IBEX AUDIO acquires MasterBuilt Audio distribution for Austria, Germany and Switzerland
A little something from our email inbox this morning for you: Damon Von Schweikert of – you guessed it – Von Schweikert Audio passed along some information that their distributor IBEX AUDIO, who also represents Swiss manufacturer CH […]
TAVES 2016
TAVES 2016: Angel City Audio
By Richard H. Mak The Angel City Audio room was a pleasant surprise, and one of my favorite sounding rooms in all of TAVES. Angel City Audio is a distributor based in California, under their umbrella […]
Newport Beach 2016
Newport 2016: ModWright can do no wrong with Ryan, Daedalus
It’s notoriously difficult for audio manufacturers to present consistently outstanding sound from show to show, with the vagaries of hotel rooms, onsite power and a sometimes constantly shifting assortment of partners bringing other gear. […]
AXPONA 2016
AXPONA 2016: EgglestonWorks, Skogrand, ModWright, Triangle Art and Massif send up flare from uncharted territory
Part-Time Audiophile publisher Scot Hull already has noted that a few of the room locations at AXPONA 2016 left something to be desired (though he may have voiced that in a bit stronger terms), but it’s […]
CanJam SoCal 2016
CanJam SoCal 2016: ModWright and WyWires
It sounds a little dirty. Illicit, maybe. Sneaky, certainly. I suppose it makes sense — how do you characterize all those stolen moments, swooning in the arms of your secret passion? Say hello to Tryst, […]
Awards
Best of 2015 and Product of the Year
2015 is over, much to my shock and chagrin. Honestly, I’m not quite sure how it happened. No. Seriously. I kinda feel like I’m Rick Grimes; I just woke up, everyone is gone, and WTF […]
Analog
Review: Luminous Audio Arion and ModWright PH150 Phono Preamplifiers
By cheerfully weird happenstance, I received two world-class phono preamplifiers, pretty much right on top of each other. The first to arrive was the Arion phonostage ($6,395) from Tim Stinson of Luminous Audio. Tim Stinson was beside […]
RMAF 2015
RMAF 2015: Daedalus, ModWright go for the heart
Like Fitzgerald and Armstrong, Simon and Garfunkel or Jagger and Richards, some pairings were just made for each other. That’s the same feeling I got from auditioning the Daedalus speakers at RMAF 2015, combined with […]
RMAF 2015
RMAF 2015: ModWright debuts large tubes
“Come over here, John. There’s someone you need to meet. He’s got some awesome new tube amps….” I had barely draped my press badge around my neck after checking in Thursday evening at the Rocky […]
CAF 2015
CAF 2015: Daedalus, ModWright and VPI
Leveraging an unusual corner-of-the-room setup, Lou Hinkley of Daedalus Audio and Dan Wright of ModWright managed to wring some spell-binding sound out of the Capital Audiofest this year. None of this stuff is exactly cheap. It’s […]
CAF 2015
CAF 2015: Viva HiFi presents Daedalus, ModWright and VPI
ModWright was showing off a brand-new all-tube venture in concert with his partner-in-crime, the wood-working wizard behind Daedalus Audio. The new widget? The Ambrose, an EL-34-based single-ended pentode amplifier! Apparently, this is a test-shot — a whole […]
CAF 2015
CAF 2015: VPI has landed
In a surprise move, Mat Weisfeld (VPI‘s new President) brought the entire company to the Capital Audiofest this year. Yes, everyone. Well, everyone except Grammy, but everyone knows she’s the one that probably kicked them […]
High End 2015
High End 2015: Tune Audio, ModWright, VPI, Skogrand
Panagiotis covered a fascinating room featuring some wild speakers from Tune Audio at Munich last year and at some point along that trajectory, become pals with Manolis Proestakis. That’s probably why he took a bow and left […]
RMAF 2014
RMAF 2014: Daedalus, ModWright and WyWires convey raw emotion with polished products
By John Stancavage When packing to attend an audio show, the last thing I usually do is pick three or four CDs to take with me for demoing equipment. Two will be long-term references I’ve […]
RMAF 2014
RMAF 2014: Goodbye, Rocky Mountain High
Or, an Introvert Goes to Denver I’ve attended a few audio shows in the last 5 years. Okay, that’s not true. I’ve attended a lot of shows in the last 5 years. Every one of them is […]
RMAF 2014
RMAF 2014: Audiokinesis splashes ceiling, room, with colorful sound
The PTA team, such as it is, tends to bend each others ears as we nurse our morning hangovers. What’s good? What’s bad? Does anyone have any spare antacids? Is there more coffee? Please, God, […]
RMAF 2014
RMAF 2014: Daedalus, ModWright and Skogrand Cables step forward
Scott Dalzell of Viva Hifi was reprising his CAF setup here at RMAF, with the “little” Daedalus Audio loudspeakers, the Muse v2 ($7,850, now with Stillpoints footers). These speakers, set kitty-corner across part of the […]