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On a recent, really late evening, my phone chimed nearly nonstop as good friend and fellow high-end audio enthusiast Finnbogi Sigurdur Marinosson urgently slid into my DMs. Finnbogi and I are fairly obsessive hardware geeks, and he’d just descended into an inexplicable, almost incomprehensible journey from which there was seemingly no possibility of return. And... Read More »

Seriously, what has our audiophile’s world come to? Back in “normal” times, getting better sound was straightforward: spend some money, and expect a commensurate audible return on investment. Plump for a big ticket latest and greatest, or pay the mortgage and upgrade economically. Tweaks, tubes, footers, that sort of thing, under $100, maybe $200. A... Read More »

Greetings friends, I hope you are well. I've always been impressed with Mr. Ken Ishiguro's approach to audio. Ken-san builds insightful audio products with innovative applications of technology that always make a positive contribution to the sound quality and musicality of my audio systems. I've been writing about Ken-san's audio creations for almost twenty years... Read More »

Ever the creative genius and music lover, award winning Holger Stein continues to develop new effective ways to improve listening in the home. SteinMusic has released four new devices of which I have received and evaluated three. They lower the noise floor and enhance the music overall. They are as follows: The Ground Cube Signature... Read More »

Back in 2023 I reviewed (HERE) the innovative Gravity One record weight from turntable/tonearm manufacturer Origin Live (along with their "Upgrade" platter mat and Cartridge Enabler head-shell isolator). All available to any vinyl fiend for use with any brand turntable, arm, or cartridge. Sure, they were prototyped and developed on Origin Live's own gear, but... Read More »

For over 30 years, I've enjoyed reviewing audio accessories—or "tweaks"—including power line conditioners, record cleaning machines and fluids, vinyl storage solutions, vibration isolation devices and cable burn-in devices. Even developing an inexpensive "tweak" for air bearing tonearms that significantly improved their sound. One thing, however, that differentiates today's from yesteryear's "tweaks" is cost. "Tweaks" were... Read More »

When I finalized my plans to attend last August's Audio Advice Live manufacturer showcase in Raleigh, North Carolina, publicist Jaclyn Inglis contacted me in advance to gauge my interest in a show demonstration of IsoAcoustics' new GAIA Neo loudspeaker isolators. Her excitement for the product line sold me, and I quickly agreed to stop by... Read More »

The KECES P14 Ultra Low Linear Noise Power Supply is a relatively new addition to the KECES Pier product line and it replaces the P8. The P14 is a four-channel power supply and the channels are labeled as zones I - IV.  Zones I – III gives you a selection of different voltages ranging from... Read More »

When the Support System One (SS-1) from Node Audio came to my attention, I was smitten by its elegant looks, intrigued by its intelligent design, and impressed by its very sensible list of materials. Welcome to SS-1, a modular component support eco-system that isolates equipment from its support, drains equipment vibrations, and focusses stray magnetic... Read More »

Bob Levi, a portrait. (Photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) I am delighted to have the first opportunity to experience the perfected Schumann Generator S1 and the Inline Speaker Signature Silver for the first time in America. They are both exquisitely finished products and enhance the listening experience in vastly different ways. From... Read More »

While browsing the photo gallery on the Node Audio website, I came across a group shot of five finely crafted, elegantly designed objects. They appeared to be variations on a theme, but what was the theme—what were they used for? Sometimes you come upon objects that grab hold of your attention, yet their purpose remains... Read More »

It seems a lifetime ago. For my side hustle as a mobile DJ, I honed my beat-matching and mixing skills with a pair of Technics 1200 turntables at home to apply on the road with a Pioneer CMX-3000 Dual DJ CD player, but after I married Belle in 2011, I sold my gear, reinvested the... Read More »

The Maestro himself! (Portrait and image processing by David W. Robinson) My LP life When writing audio reviews, reviewers are often called on to describe things we readily hear that aren't always easily quantifiable. We use adjectives like 'open,' 'free,' 'effortless,' 'relaxed,' etc. The list goes on and on. Every once in a while, we... Read More »

When Mark Schifter hooked me up with the first two devices from Vera-Fi Audio's new trio of power conditioning equipment, I simply wasn't prepared for the dramatic differences they made to my all-analog system. That system uses single-ended RCA connections throughout, and it had a couple of problem noise areas I couldn't seem to eliminate,... Read More »

In 2021, the Canadian company Reliable Corporation presented the Uberlight Flex lamp for audiophiles who use turntables. It had the shape of an elongated tube with LEDs attached to a flexible "neck." The company drew on its many years of experience in the production of lamps used to illuminate sewing machine workstations. On February 18th, the... Read More »

I was passionate about music in my youth. I lived for Rock & Roll. I had a good voice and, like many young men in that era, I started learning guitar and piano. When it was time for me to head off to college I had some choices to make. Earn my living on music... Read More »

I recently became aware of HumminGuru, a Hong Kong based company with a quite forward-looking perspective on the viability of vinyl. While reviewing their affordable and very effective ultrasonic record cleaning machines (HERE), I also discovered a couple of accessories that break new ground for LP spinners. As with their record cleaners, HumminGuru's only outlet... Read More »

Over the years I've worked on refining the sound in my listening room by both upgrading/changing components and adding room treatments. Not sure why, but the whole room treatment project always seemed like a separate component of the system. Corner treatments, absorptive panels, diffusers, and Argent Room Lenses, in addition to the occasional component and... Read More »

HumminGuru? Just another Tik-Tok #influencer, you'd think? No, it turns out HumminGuru is a Hong Kong-based firm focused on accessories for vinyl enthusiasts, from LP inner sleeves to ultrasonic record cleaning machines. Two actually, both functionally similar to the high-end audiophile approved $4-6K machines, but currently going for as little as $379 and $699. Not... Read More »