tubes

LA Audio Show 2017: Wrap-Up and John Stancavage’s Best of Show

August 3, 2017

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 sound. For reasons that still are a mystery to [...]

Review: McIntosh MP1100 Phono Preamplifier, digging into your vinyl grooves

July 30, 2017

When the McIntosh MP1100 phono preamplifier arrived at my doorstep, I was as excited as when I saw the first McIntosh product at 12 years old. I admit, I am a McIntosh fan boy, perhaps not blindly starry -eyed enough to buy the $1,800 USD McIntosh [...]

LA Audio Show 2017: Rethm, Audio Hungary, Aqua create pleasing sound at attractive price

July 24, 2017

Looking at price tags at audio shows quickly can start your head spinning. Yes, this hobby is called the high-end, but really? That’s why I always enjoy finding rooms where the rig sounds great, but might not require a second mortgage. One of [...]

LA Audio Show 2017: Magico, VAC provide head-soothing sound

July 11, 2017

Toward the end of three hectic days covering the Los Angeles Audio Show, I was coming down with a nasty migraine as I entered the large Scott Walker Audio room at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel. Valve Amplification Co. CEO Kevin Hayes was standing just [...]

LA Audio Show 2017: Upscale Audio’s PrimaLuna Dialogue HP integrated much more than ‘good for the money’

July 6, 2017

If you run into a friendly, middle-aged man at an audio show calling himself “Uncle Kevvy,” you can be sure that nearby there will be two things: lots of tubes and good sound. He may not be your real uncle, but Kevin Deal will treat any tube [...]

LA Audio Show 2017: Zesto’s tubes shine in the spotlight

July 5, 2017

George and Carolyn Counnas, proprietors of Zesto Audio, probably are pinching themselves frequently these days. For a small maker of tube gear that’s not much more than six years old, Zesto seems to be turning a lot of heads and pleasing quite a [...]

LA Audio Show 2017: Spatial speakers and Vinnie Rossi LIO – literally made for each other

July 1, 2017

One of the often-elusive challenges in this hobby is finding components that work together so spectacularly that the aural result borders on magical. You’d think choosing products from the same company would increase your chances of pulling this [...]