Twenty years ago I owned Thiel speakers. Being a typical obsessive-compulsive audiophile, I thought I heard something wrong with one of the speakers. Thiel’s...
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Featured Articles
Halide Design DAC HD USB DAC
I recently reviewed the Halide Design Bridge USB to S/PDIF converter here. I think...
SOtM dx-USB HD USB to S/PDIF Converter
I have reviewed two asynchronous USB to S/PDIF converters – the Halide Design Bridge...
PrimaLuna Prologue Premium Integrated Amplifier
I got into this hobby in the late 1960s and bought my first “serious”...
Magnepan MMG Loudspeakers
Magnepan began business in 1969, which was about the time I got interested in...
Wadia 121 Decoding Computer
I have reviewed several USB DACS – the High Resolution Technologies MusicStreamer II+ ($349),...
Daily News and Reviews
Wyred4Sound mINT Integrated Amplifier
Andy Norman has posted a review of the Wyred4Sound mINT integrated amplifier (£1300) at TNT Audio. His conclusions: “The mINT seemed to me a really well-balanced combination. There was a synergy between the rich tonality of the DAC and the refined, detailed presentation of the amplification stages. When I listened to each stage separately...
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Aaron XX Twentieth Anniversary Integrated Amplifier
Greg Borrowman has posted a review of the Aaron XX Twentieth Anniversary integrated amplifier ($2499) at AVHub. His conclusions: “Interestingly enough, at the recent Melbourne Audio & AV show, a comment many of the visitors made to me was: ‘they sure don’t build them like they did in the old days’. If you were...
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NAD C 546BEE CD Player
Sujesh Pavithranhas posted a review of the NAD C 546BEE CD player (£499) at Audiofi.net. His conclusions: “Purely from the view of performance, and given the price, there’s really nothing to fault with the NAD C 546BEE …it’s great value for money, nudging ahead of the competition for the extra feature (USB). Whether you’re...
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Wilson Audio Alexia Loudspeaker - From Concept To Reality
Alexia began with a simple question: What would happen if we merged the time-domain accuracy and driver technology of the Alexandria XLF with a form factor similar to the Sasha? But as Wilson’s engineers began development of Alexia, they quickly realized that as seemingly simple as this idea was, its real-world implementation, if possible...
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Chord Electronics Introduces QuteHD USB DAC and Index Streamer
Chord Electronics, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-performance hi-fi products, has launched a new multi-function 192kHz-capable USB DAC, the QuteHD. This surprisingly affordable newcomer, which offers a range of bespoke DAC technologies taken from the acclaimed QBD76HD, is the latest edition to Chord Electronics’ beautiful high-performance boutique range, Chordette. With its incredible...
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Burson Introduces New Conductor USB DAC and Preamplifier
When we introduced the HA-160D in 2010, it was met with initial skepticism. Many questioned our approach of combining three main functions; DAC, Preamp and Headphone amp into a small and elegant enclosure. Many were certain that something had to give and one if not all of those functions must be secondary and hence...
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Parasound Halo A 31 Three-Channel Power Amplifier
Kal Rubinson has posted a review of the Parasound Halo A 31 three-channel power amplifier ($) in his Music in the Round column at Stereophile. His conclusions: “The clean, luminous sound of the Halo A 31 was distinguishable from the slightly opaque treble of the Bel Canto Ref1000 Mk.2 monoblocks, though the latters’ greater...
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Blue Circle Audio NSL Stereo Amplifier
Michael Wright has posted a review of the Blue Circle Audio NSL stereo amplifier ($19,500) at UltraAudio. His conclusions: “Is the Blue Circle Audio NSL a world beater? I don’t know how well it would work with 4-ohm speakers. Neither the Meadowlark Heron i nor the Dynaudio Sapphire, both 6-ohm models, presented a difficult...
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Calyx Audio Femto DAC
Doug Schneider has posted a review of the Calyx Audio Femto DAC ($6850) at SoundStage! Hi-Fi. His conclusions: “Whereas Calyx Audio’s DAC 24/192 was a fine product for its price, it had flaws that precluded me from giving it an unconditional recommendation. The Femto, on the other hand, bowled me over, despite its costing...
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Zesto Audio Leto Line Stage Preamplifier
Henry Wilkenson has posted a review of the Zesto Audio Leto line stage preamplifier ($7500) at Audiophilia. His conclusions: “I compared the Zesto Leto preamp to another line stage that cost six times asking price of the Leto. If you wanted an instrument to analyze music, then the higher priced unit would be for...
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Rega RP3 Turntable, Elys 2 Cartridge, TT PSU Power Supply
Wayne Garcia has posted a review of the Rega RP3 turntable, Elys 2 cartridge, and TT PSU power supply (together, $1490) at AVGuide. His conclusions: “This scenario continued to repeat itself with each new platter. Martha Argerich performing Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit showed just how quiet the RP3 can be during whisper-soft,...
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Nola Metro Grand Reference Loudspeaker
Jim Hannon has posted a review of the Nola Metro Grand Reference loudspeakers ($25,000/pair) at AVGuide. His conclusions: “With the Nola Metro Grand Reference, master loudspeaker designer Carl Marchisotto has successfully created a loudspeaker with much of the performance of his impressive Baby Grand Reference loudspeaker in a smaller package that should be at...
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Peachtree Audio Grand Integrated DAC and Integrated Amplifier
Srajan Ebaen has posted a review of the Peachtree Audio Grand Integrated DAC and integrated amplifier ($4449) at 6moons. His conclusions: “Needless to say, the warmish voicing of the Peachtree coupled to a buxom speaker set up to add rather than subtract pounds made for a very robust showing. It completely undermined the AMT’s...
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Aperion Audio Intimus 5T Loudspeakers
Hans Wetzel has posted a review of the Aperion Audio Intimus 5T loudspeakers ($790/pair) at GoodSound!. His conclusions: “I made a mistake with Aperion’s Intimus 5T loudspeaker that I won’t make again: I judged it, harshly, before giving it a chance. It’s an attractive and thoughtfully designed package that purports to be nothing other...
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Mitsubishi HC7800D 3D DLP Projector
Thomas J. Norton has posted a review of the Mitsubishi HC7800D 3D DLP Projector ($2995) at Home Theater. His conclusions: “Yes, the Mitsubishi has a few issues and omissions. There’s that magenta shift at the top of the brightness range when it’s pushed for a satisfying 2D brightness on a relatively large, low-gain screen....
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Zu Undertone Subwoofer
When you need quiet, agile, deep and powerful bass without all the awful subwoofer noises. Undertone is designed to compliment high-resolution loudspeakers and gives excellent integration of sub-contrabass content, be it music or film. Undertone is designed to compliment high-resolution loudspeakers and gives excellent integration of sub-contrabass content, be it film scores or harder...
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Panasonic PT-AE8000U Projector Touts Brighter, Smoother 3D
Panasonic, a manufacturer of consumer and professional projector solutions, today announced the new PT-AE8000U full-HD 3D home theater projector. With 2,400 lumens of brightness and an extremely high 500,000:1 contrast ratio, this 1080p (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) resolution projector embodies Panasonic’s 11 years of home theater projector engineering. The PT-AE8000U provides excellent picture quality...
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Audio Research Reference DAC Digital Media Bridge
A close-up tour of the Audio Research Reference DAC Digital Media Bridge.
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Minos K Vibration Platform
The impact of external vibrations plays a critical role in the sound quality produced by turntables and tube amps within high-end audio systems. Capacitors, resistors, transistors and other electronic components used in many audio systems are likewise sensitive to vibration. Vibration isolation in the playback process is crucial to experiencing a high-quality audio. Any...
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Apple Announces iTunes for Mac and PC (2012)
Apple announced the new iTunes for Mac and PC featuring a completely redesigned player, seamless integration with iCloud, and a stunning new look. It features a dramatically simpler and cleaner interface that keeps your favorite iTunes content at the forefront. With iCloud integration, your music, movie and TV purchases made on any of your...
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