AXPONA 2022
Best of AXPONA 2022 | AXPONA 2022
It’s been a while since I’ve had to assemble a “Best of Show” list at the end of a high-end audio show, and I was starting to have reservations about the process long before I […]
Qln
AXPONA 2022
Fear and Loathing | AXPONA 2022
It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled It’s been a long time since I did the stroll Ooh let me get it back, let me get it back Let me get it […]
Awards
Product of the Year Award | 2021
Deciding the Product of the Year Award for 2021 Last year was the first year we awarded a PTA Product of the Year. Last year’s winner–the Vimberg Amea loudspeakers from Germany—was chosen by me, Marc […]
Announcements
The Best of Buyers Guide 2022
The Best of Buyers Guide [Editor’s Note: Welcome to the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide. This year we’ve added more entries to the Buyers Guide, which means we had to review more products than last year. […]
Buyers Guide
The Best Floorstanding Speakers | Buyers Guide 2022
Welcome to the Best Floorstanding Speakers 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 Bookshelf Speakers | Buyers Guide 2022
Welcome to the Best Bookshelf Speakers 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 […]
Capital Audiofest 2021
Dr. Vinyl, McGary Audio, Qln, Backert Labs, Reed, CEC, Kleinbeck, Puritan Audio Labs, MosArt | CAF 2021
Dr. Vinyl of Baltimore, Maryland was putting on a clinic at Capital Audio 2021. Displaying an active collection of components that he knows intimately, from brands like McGary Audio, Qln, Backert Labs, Reed, CEC, Kleinbeck, […]
Capital Audiofest 2021
Command Performance AV, Qln, The Gryphon, J. Sikora, Doshi, Innuos, GigaWatt, Swisscables, Well Pleased AV | CAF 2021
Command Performance AV put forth one of the better exhibits at Capital Audio Fest 2021, featuring products from Qln, The Gryphon, J. Sikora, Doshi, Innuos, GigaWatt, Swisscables, with a little help from their friends at […]
Loudspeakers
Qln Prestige Five Loudspeaker | REVIEW
Qln Prestige Five: They’ve Done It Again As I listened to the latest offering from the Swedish speaker manufacturer—the Qln Prestige Five, or P5 for short—I struggled a bit thinking about how to describe their […]
Analog
Pass Labs XP-22 Preamplifier and XP-27 Phono Preamplifier | REVIEW
They’ve been here for a long time, this Pass Labs XP-22 preamplifier and matching XP-27 phono stage combo. Months, maybe even a year. They’ve watched other amps and preamps and integrated amps and phono stages […]
Loudspeakers
Qln Prestige One Loudspeakers | REVIEW
At last, the new Qln Prestige One monitors have arrived. The last time I heard a pair of Qln speakers was probably at an audio show close to a couple of years ago, undoubtedly matched […]
Cables & Power
Atlas Cables Grun Coherent Earthing System | REVIEW
The Grun Earthing System from Atlas Cables is the third product I’ve reviewed in the last year that addresses grounding in your high-end audio system. The first two products, of course, were the Nordost QKORE […]
Loudspeakers
Sonus faber Lumina II Loudspeakers | REVIEW
The story of the Sonus faber Lumina II bookshelf speakers is also the story of “Yulunga,” perhaps my favorite reference track of all time. That old demo track from Dead Can Dance’s Into the Labyrinth […]
Analog
Luminous Audio Technology Arion Mk. II Phono Preamplifier | REVIEW
“Did you ever hear one back in the day?” Tim Stinson of Luminous Audio Technology (website) asked me. He was referring to his Arion phono preamplifier, the original version which created a lot of buzz […]
The Vinyl Anachronist
Christian Grovlen, Eventyr | The Vinyl Anachronist
My ever-evolving reference system has currently morphed into a piano-reproducing machine, so the timing of Eventyr, a solo piano recording from 2L Recordings, is fortuitous. “Eventyr” is a Norwegian word “that conjures up fairy tales, […]
Buyers Guide
The Best Floorstanding Speakers | Buyers Guide Summer 2021
The Best Floorstanding Speakers [Editor’s note: Welcome to the Part-Time Audiophile Buyers Guide for Summer 2021! These are the best floorstanding speakers that we, the PTA team, have personally heard.] Magnepan LRS ($650 pr USD) […]
Loudspeakers
Marten Oscar Trio Loudspeaker | REVIEW
At Casa de McAudiophile, the impressive hit parade of floor standing speakers continues. This latest installment of chart-topping performers is the seductive sounding and beautiful Marten Oscar Trio from the Sweden (website). The Oscar Trios […]
Digital
Denafrips Pontus II DAC | REVIEW
I’ve been on a hot streak lately with getting components to review that have sounded excellent despite the current difficulties in hearing something beforehand. For a reviewer, it’s one of the many great things about […]
Components
McIntosh Labs MC1502 Power Amplifier | REVIEW
For a lot of folks, McIntosh Labs gear (website) is the stuff that audiophile dreams are made of. The idea of actually owning and using this gear, especially something as impressive as their new McIntosh […]
Loudspeakers
Audiovector R 6 Arreté Loudspeaker | REVIEW
“We Come From The Land Of The Ice And Snow…” Denmark may not be Iceland (or wherever Mr. Plant was wailing about in that song) but latitude-wise, it’s good enough for my literary purposes. Seriously, […]
