Welcome to the Best Preamplifiers 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 product […]
The Mola Mola Makua (website), much like the Tambaqui (review) before it, was a device utterly unknown to me before this review. Naming gear after exotic fish isn’t a new concept–I own a pair of […]
Say hello to the McIntosh MA252: “Hello, stranger.” In the world of high-end audio, there are solid-state tribes and there are tube tribes. Usually, the two pretty much stick to their own camps, except for scattered […]
Picking the best audio component of the year is kind of like pondering your ultimate list of girls to ask to the high school prom. There are many very attractive choices, but probably a much […]
In business, it can be advantageous to cut out the middle man. In vinyl record production, too, less can be more. The latest mini-trend in the audiophile world is one-step recordings, which eliminate two parts […]
Time is running out to start 2018 with a brand-new DAC/headphone amp, courtesy of AudioQuest and Part-Time Audiophile. So, put down that eggnog and enter our Best of 2017 contest now, before the clock hits […]
This year dawned with plenty of questions facing the high-end audio industry. The most pressing were: Would the U.S. economy hold up, allowing manufacturers and retailers to stay afloat? Would vinyl continue its revival, possibly […]
I first auditioned a pair of Wilson Benesch speakers about a decade ago at a Dallas dealer. I had come in primarily to listen to a tube amp I fancied, but the sight of the […]
I found myself getting short of breath at RMAF not long after I entered room 1030 at the Marriott Denver Tech Center. I put most of the blame on my general middle-aged poor health, combined […]
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 […]
Veteran manufacturer Esoteric had not one, but two, major product introductions at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. Reflecting general trends in the industry, one new piece of gear is aimed at vinyl fans, while the […]
There were a lot of impressive-looking rooms at the 2017 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest – special mood lighting, huge product posters, rented greenery. There also were loud after-hours listening sessions, cocktail parties and even some swag. […]
OK, you’ve decided to upgrade your cables. What should you start with? Speaker cables, right? They usually are the longest wires in a system and the last to handle your delicate signal before it emerges […]
On the surface, the news sounds shocking: Zesto Audio has built its first component without a tube. But rest easy. President and designer George Counnas hasn’t forsaken his strategy of mixing 1930s valve concepts with […]
From the day it was introduced in 2012, there was something special about Wilson Audio’s Alexia. It had a significantly different high-frequency presentation than the company had favored for decades. It was small enough to […]
When does a box look like a subwoofer and woof like a subwoofer, but not really be a subwoofer? When it’s attached to Daedalus Audio’s new Zeus loudspeaker. The 74-inch-tall transducer, the flagship of the […]
It’s not intentional, but I’m afraid I am making a habit of keeping the Thrax Audio people from their dinner during major shows. I first heard the brand near the end of a day at […]
It’s not uncommon to hear an audio manufacturer boast that a less-expensive model benefits from “trickle-down technology” developed for a flagship, or that the humble product “shares the same DNA.” In reality, though, such claims […]
There are some things that are rarely seen in the wild, like the white lion or the snow leopard. High-end audio similarly has its own infrequently encountered species, but a major show is a good […]
Audio shows can be a strange experience. No, I’m not talking about catching a frightening glimpse of yours truly, shakily down on all fours, getting a close-up photo of an XLR jack. I’m referring to […]
Copyright PT Audio 2009-2021
