“Since the advent of the CD, listeners have been deprived of the full experience of listening.” - Neil Young PonoPlayers...
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Web Reviews
Manley Stingray iTube Stereo Integrated Amplifier
John E. Johnson, Jr. has posted a review, with a complete suite of measurements, of the Manley Stingray iTube Stereo Integrated Amplifier at Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity. His conclusions: The Manley Stingray iTube is a product that I see in a consumer's den or, better yet, in a college student's dormatory...
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Logitech Squeezebox Touch
Steven Stone has posted a lengthy review of the Logitech Squeezebox Touch ($299) at The Absolute Sound. His conclusions: Economically speaking, a $300 device is not high end. But high-end audio isn’t only about economics. Performance matters. Judged strictly by that yardstick the Logitech Squeezebox Touch qualifies as a legitimate high-end component. Alone, the...
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Sumiko Audio Palo Santos Presentation Cartridge
Niel Gader has posted a review of the Sumiko Audio Palo Santos Presentation phono cartridge ($3,500) at The Absolute Sound. His conclusions: …The cartridge revels in small differences, like the grade of grit of the sand blocks throughout this track. Only in minor ways does it leave some performance on the table. It flags...
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NuForce’s Reference 18 Mono Power Amplifier
Mike Silverton has posted a review of the NuForce’s Reference 18 Mono power amplifier ($7,600/pair) at Stereo Times. His conclusions: Nothing about the Ref 18 took me by surprise or storm. What the amp does so well is consistent with what I’ve come to expect. I hear the Ref 18’s advances as both real...
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Audience ClairAudient 2 + 2 Loudspeakers
Andre Marc has posted a review of the Audience ClairAudient 2 + 2 loudspeakers at Audio Video Revolution. His conclusions: I believe after spending well over 500 hours listening to the Audience ClairAudient 2 + 2 monitors that its a breakthrough product. Using them with at least three amplifiers, tube and solid state, various...
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Esoteric D-07 DAC
Chris Connaker has posted a rather surprising review of the Esoteric D-07 DAC ($4,800) at his website - The Computer Audiophile. His conclusions: By now it should be crystal clear that I call things as I see them. I see the D-07 DAC as Esoteric's half-hearted attempt to enter the USB DAC market. Between...
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Peachtree Audio iDecco Stereo Integrated Amplifier
Mark Fleischmann as posted a review, including measurements, of the Peachtree Audio iDecco Stereo integrated amplifier ($999) at Home Theater. His conclusions: Peachtree Audio’s iDecco is a killer desktop amp, especially when fed through its jitter-controlled, enhanced-DAC-equipped digital inputs. Here’s a product that bridges the yawning gap between the hi-fi verities and the way...
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Bowers Wilkins CM5 Loudspeakers
Jeff Stockton has posted a review of the entry-level Bowers & Wilkins CM5 loudspeakers ($1,500) at Soundstage! Hi-Fi. Here is an excerpt: When I first hooked up the CM5s to my NAD C 325BEE, I was startled by the immediate difference in sound quality. The B&Ws were in the positions occupied by every other...
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Vincent CD-S8 Hybrid HDCD CD Player
has posted his review the tube/solid-state hybrid Vincent CD-S8 Hybrid HDCD CD player ($3,295) at Enjoy the Music. His conclusions: Well here we are at the end of the review and sadly the CD-S8 is soon to be returned leaving a hole in my system that will unfortunately be hard to replace. In today’s...
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Emotiva UPA-7 Multi-Channel Power Amplfier
Gene DellaSala has posted a comprehensive review, including a full suite of test measurements, of the budget-priced Emotiva UPA-7 multi-channel power amplfier ($699). His conclusions: I'm actually growing tired of reviewing Emotiva amplifiers. They are mostly uneventful both on my test bench and my listening tests. They don't falter, they deliver rated power (and...
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Classé Audio CT-SSP Surround-Sound Processor
Kal Rubinson has posted a review of the Classe Audio CT-SSP surround sound processor ($9,000). This unit is the equivalent of the SSP-800, but in a utilitarian case designed for rack mounting. Kal’s conclusions: The Classé CT-SSP is the first surround-sound processor I've used that I do not want to remove from this system,...
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Krell Evolution 707 Surround Sound Processor
Kal Rubinson has posted a review of the Krell Evolution 707 surround sound processor ($30,000) in his Music in the Round column at Stereophile. His conclusions: In transparency and impact, Krell's Evolution 707 Reference was at least the equal of any other processor I've used. Its sound was somewhat more forward and detailed, where...
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Abbingdon Music Research PH-77 Phono Preamplifier
Marshall Nack has posted a review of the Abbingdon Music Research PH-77 Phono Preamplifier ($11,995) at Positive Feedback Online. His conclusions: If music is your pleasure, you will find the new tube hybrid AMR PH-77 Reference Class Phono Equalizer an excellent communicator. Its strongest suit is clarity. Not the clarity of a component designed...
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Ypsilon DAC 100
Constantine Soo has posted a review of the Ypsilon DAC 100 ($29,000) at Dagogo. Here are his conclusions: In today’s digital converter marketplace, products costing from less than $1,000 to well over $20,000 are a dime a dozen. Even more exotic are those priced well above the $20,000 mark, such as the Ypsilon, although...
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Bryston BP26 DA Preamplifier and MPS2 Power Supply
Howard Kneller has posted a review of the Bryston BP26 DA preamplifier and MPS2 power supply at Soundtage! Hi-Fi. Here is a preview: The front panel of the BP26 DA has three rotary knobs (Source, Volume, Balance), four toggle switches (Polarity/Invert, Mute/Normal, Tape/Source, DAC 1/DAC 2), a headphone jack, an LED that glows green...
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Simaudio Moon Evolution 600i Integrated Amplifier
Philip Beaudette has posted a review of the Simaudio Moon 600 i 120 watts/channel integrated amplifier ($8,000) at Soundstage! Hi-Fi. His conclusions: If you’re looking for a full-featured, reference-quality, bulletproof integrated amplifier, you would be making a mistake if you didn’t check out Simaudio’s Moon Evolution 600i. It’s the best integrated amplifier I’ve ever...
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Hegel H100 Integrated Amplifier
Kirk Midtskog has posted a review of the 120 watts/channel Hegel H100 integrated amplifier ($3,000) from Norway. His conclusions: I can verify that the on-board USB DAC sounds quite good, comparable to that of the Stello Ai500 on 16-bit files. I suspect that most users will probably use an external DAC that will leverage...
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Oracle Delphi Mk VI Record Player
Jonathan Valin has posted his review of the Oracle Delphi Mk VI turntable ($8,500), Oracle/SME V tonearm ($5,950) and Oracle/Benz-Micro LP S-MR moving-coil cartridge, ($5,500) at The Absolute Sound. His conclusions: I could happily live with the Oracle Delphi Mk VI’s presentation. In fact, I think I did live with it—or at least a...
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Bergmann Sindre Turntable
Alan Sircom has posted a review of the Bergmann Sindren turntable and linear tracking tonearm ($21,000) at Hi-Fi+. His conclusions: My main concern with parallel trackers – aside from the whole falling-to-bits thing that modern designs like this, the Cartridgeman and the Kuzma designs have cracked – is the lack of boogie factor. It’s...
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Acapella High Violoncello II Loudspeaker
John Atkinson has posted his controversial review and test measurements of the Acapella High Violoncello II loudspeakers ($80,000) at Stereophile. His conclusions: The Acapella High Violoncello II is the most expensive loudspeaker I have had the pleasure of using in my listening room. With its ionic tweeter and the use of horn loading for...
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Cary Audio Design Classic CD 303T SACD Player
Michael Fremer has posted a review, together with John Atkinson’s test measurements, of the Cary Audio Design Classic CD 303T Professional SACD player ($6,500) at Stereophile. His conclusions: The CD 303T costs $1500 less than Cary's CD 306, and its sound is clearly different—but I can't say it's less accomplished. The CD 306 resolves...
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Wyred 4 Sound USB DAC-1
Kent Johnson has posted a review of the Wyred 4 Sound USB DAC1 ($999) at Positive Feedback Online. His conclusions: I spent a lot of time with the W4S DAC-1 and a lot of that time, I must admit, ended up being spent simply listening. I was enjoying what I was hearing too much...
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Bowers Wilkins 805 Diamond Speaker System
Mark Fleischmann has posted a review of the B&W 805 Diamond Series loudspeakers system (together, $14,500), including a full suite of measurements, at Home Theater. His conclusions: The Bowers & Wilkins 805 Diamond provides the high-end sophistication of the Diamond Series in a monitor package that’s especially well suited to home theater (and that...
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Gryphon Audio Diablo Integrated Amplifier
Frederic Beudot has posted his review of the Gryphon Audio Diablo integrated amplifier (Approximately $15,000) at 6moons.com. His conclusions: That said and money aside which will be the biggest hurdle for most—yours truly included— the Diablo is not for everybody. A component that is this transparent, linear and undistorted requires very careful matching both...
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Living Voice Vox Olympian Loudspeaker
Edward Barker has posted his review of the very unusual, and expensive, Living Voice Vox Olympian ($194,000) loudspeaker at 6moons.com. His conclusions: I’ve tried to keep this piece as close as possible to the original notes as I made them during the listening sessions. Even if my reactions may appear to be over the...
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