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Now, more than ever, the audiophile world is awash with digital to analogue converters. Not a day seems to pass by without entry to the market of yet another shiny box sporting the latest chipset and the ability to decipher the Enigma code. Sarcasm notwithstanding, the audiophile kingdom has a plethora of choice at its... Read More »

When you're basically just maintaining the middle-of-the-road audio status quo, it's really very easy to get caught up in allowing yourself to become relatively pacified by garden-variety, substandard fidelity that's essentially just masquerading as an acceptable version of the absolute sound. And regardless of how relatively refined your hearing is with regard to what is... Read More »

I was truly unsure that in 2015 any of us would be needing a two box, multi-function digital source for portable transportable media. I took a CD around with me at T.H.E. Show Newport and found few rooms that could play it or, at least, without first ripping it. That said, the course of true... Read More »

Product launches happen all the time in fine audio. We have well over 300 DSD DACs now, for example, new turntables and cartridges all the time, with amps, preamps, integrateds, headphones, wireless speakers, cables, accessories, music servers, NAS/hard-drive arrays, and speakers spilling forth continuously. It seems like nearly every day I get new press releases... Read More »

Cutting edge technologies are expensive. Whether they are used in medical, food, or military industry, or for sound recording and playback. Small companies deal with this issue using solutions developed by major players, multinational corporations that sell licenses for their products. What they have to do is to tweak such product/solution, customize it for their... Read More »

More and more interesting devices come to us from countries that, not that long ago, seemed to have nothing to offer for audiophiles, and today, to many people's of the West surprise, these countries deliver some widely appreciated products. Fortunately, as Heraklitus said, panta rhei. Many companies from behind Iron Curtain today are recognized an... Read More »

Audio consumers only want to know one thing: "Is it worth it?" You can write, speak, sing, or finger paint about audio products all you want, but nobody stops reading and starts buying until cash equals contentment. What's more, determining value is a tricky thing. The glamor goods have it easy. Speakers the size of... Read More »

Avec l'assistance de M. Bastille "We sang songs of childhood Hymns of faith that made us strong Ones that mother Maybelle taught us Hear the angels sing along" —"Will the Circle be Unbroken" by Johnny Cash OK, first I have to admit something. I'm about to receive an Ayre QB-9 DSD as my new reference... Read More »

The last page of a folder presenting the offer of the French Totaldac company reminded me of the way in which digital technology has developed in the last thirty-five years, in the context of the audio domain. It all started in the year 1980 when the fundamentals of the Red Book CD-CA standard were published.... Read More »

One of the most well-known Polish constructors specializing in digital systems asked me recently what we see in the "whole DSD thing". I frankly said that the answer is "nothing", because DSD files always come across better in comparison with PCM files. What I said was confirmed by a listening session in which I participated... Read More »

I wrote a rather extensive review relating my experience with the DEQX Mate in Issue 67  where I quite succinctly reported how wonderful the unit was in making ALL things better with respect to my music. While you are certainly welcome to read the whole review, the key to what the DEQX does when properly... Read More »

Based in France, Audiomat was started in 1986 by brothers Denis and Norbert Clarisse. Denis designs the equipment and Norbert manages the company. Their first product was a 50kg 20 watt OTL amp with 16 6AS7 triodes, two stages, no feedback, and run in pure class A. Several integrated amps and DACs followed which received... Read More »

Been awhile since I have had either the time or the desire to sit down and write about audio—let alone even spend much if any time listening to music. Too many personal and other things have happened this past year or so that have consumed all my time and energy. So most days my music... Read More »

It's hard to take eyes off new iFi products. This British company using logos, letters and design that all look like taken from Luxman, Leak, or Richard Allan products from 60ties or 70 ties, or from present production of Leben, entered a new (for them) niche part of a market usually called "vintage" (if you... Read More »

The New Lampizator Generation V DSD DAC (Photo: Brian Moura) In May I attended The Show in Newport Beach with a list of new products I wanted to hear. Near the top of that list were the widely applauded, tube-based Digital to Analog Converters from Lampizator in Europe. They had captured the attention—and dollars—of many... Read More »

Audioengine, based in the USA, is one of those companies that has worked to bring music into just about any environment, and at affordable prices. This is opposed to music lovers buying playback gear that they must somehow adapt their environment to. Speaking of affordable, most Audioengine gear is less expensive than just about any... Read More »

I admit it; I can be late to the party. The vast majority of gear I have written about is not new to serious audio buffs and some has had much previous press. There are two broad causes for this: One: I am not "initials" famous. You can't utter "gb" and watch as everyone turns... Read More »

When I think about Phasemation I see a picture in front of my eyes of an older gentleman, the CEO of this company, standing next to the TechDAS Air Force One turntable gently lowering stylus to the groove. That's a picture, to be exact, from a Stereo Sound magazine, and since the size of that... Read More »

"The muses dance and sing| They make the children really ring I spend the day your way Call it morning driving thru the sound and In and out the valley" - "Roundabout" by Yes   As you may remember from an earlier article, I recently moved to San Francisco and had to scale down my... Read More »