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Dean Waters:  a portrait at home  (Photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Not long ago, I penned an article reviewing the Dejitter It Switch X product (HERE) and how it can substantially enhance the audio experience when using networking for streaming as well as command and control functions. Now we'll spend a few... Read More »

The formula is simple. If you voice the component in a way that resonates with enthusiasts, odds are it's going to take off. What's left is securing media coverage to sustain consumer enthusiasm. I was not surprised to see the S1 Music Server from XACT take that route. Once you've heard its big tone—ample body,... Read More »

Stack Audio has been around for over a decade, founded by Theo Stack in Devonshire England. His first products were a network streamer, and enhancements to the Linn LP12 turntable platform. I doff my helmet to anyone that can make meaningful contributions to improving the venerable Linn LP12. In typical Theo fashion, these are impeccable... Read More »

It was back in 2015 that I decided to get into a digital audio source that was not based on either a CD Player or a Transport/DAC combo. I'm really having a hard time wrapping my head around just how long ago this was. In the 2015 May/June issue of PF—now in the archives—I wrote... Read More »

Acoustic Revive is a Japanese company founded in 1997 and led by Mr. Ken Ishiguro. It specializes in audio signal cables, anti-vibration products, but also has a range of innovative products, the ideas behind which usually come from the University of Tokyo. We are testing a system for data transmission and LAN conditioning. When, at... Read More »

ThunderData Co. LTD. is a company founded by Dr. Eric Jian Huang. It is engaged in the production of servers, network communication, data management, network storage software, hardware engineering, etc. The company operates in the hi-tech industry and focuses on 5G mobile networks and 8K video transmission. Its audio offer is concentrated in two series... Read More »

There are things one can do to their system that result in changes that are either subtle or dramatic. Little things like feet, tweaks, etc., might provide a nice subtle difference for the better (or worse) while cables and the like might result in greater improvements, while something like a component is rather dramatic. Though... Read More »

So, let me pick up where I left off in my last Audio Ramblings… As I had mentioned in the review of the Infigo cable, we have here the rather expensive switch and Ethernet cables from Ansuz, two items from Synergistic Research (the Black Box and the FEQ Carbon), and the Coherence Systems ADD-POWR Symphony... Read More »

The natural order of things is to start low and aim high. Buy a low-cost product; get acquainted with it, even as you scan the horizon checking out options; become dissatisfied; then pull the trigger. That's what we do: the avid audiophile never stays put very long. Sure, you can jump-start the journey by handing... Read More »

Ye Olde Editor with pipe:  a portrait by John Robinson Hold the phone! Every now and then I run across a new audio design whose virtues are so obvious that I need to make our readers aware of it as quickly as possible. In this case, the discovery came immediately after PAF 2022. Having been... Read More »

When something is not as advertised, I have no problem calling it out. So it was when music streaming came along. I read reviews, heard the demos, and my ears told me it was a step backwards, plus it was always crashing. I stayed on the sidelines until about four years ago when my DAC... Read More »

Ye Olde Editor in contemplation, pipe in hand, Happy Valley (portrait by John Robinson; image processing by David W. Robinson) Wolf Audio's Alpha 3SX with its iPhone-based control interface Time to say it again:  we are in the golden age of high-end audio. I cannot think of a single category of "performance audio" that isn't... Read More »

As mentioned in some of my recent reviews, I have really settled in on the basic building blocks in my current system. Click on my name above in red for a complete list and description. Even during the lockdown, I never thought twice about making any major changes. This despite plenty of time reading about... Read More »

Something strange happened recently that caused me to rethink the testing paradigm used by reviewers. I was multitasking, putting some low-priced music streaming gear through its paces, while checking out a sampling of AudioQuest Ethernet cables. I began with AQ's bottom-of-the-line Pearl ($49.95/1.5m), then swapped to the top-of-the-line Diamond ($1599.95/1.5m), when it struck me. For... Read More »

Photo courtesy New York School of T'ai Chi Chuan Sundays at noon I take Qigong class, a Chinese discipline of standing postures and slow movements. Translated, it means "energy work," and is related to T'ai Chi Chuan. The aim is to help you achieve relaxation. Sounds easy, right? That's what you think. By the time you... Read More »

For those of us who are pushing things in terms of what can we accomplish with playing our music back via files within some networked system, well… where does one stop? Or better yet, what else can one do to improve things? Obviously, it starts with files whether ripped from a CD or sourced from... Read More »

All right, so I am a digital file playback guy and I admit it. My confession. I apologize and please forgive me for my regressions in audio… digital as opposed to analog. Oh screw that... digital is right fine, just different. For sure we buy as many LPs as we can, but truth is we... Read More »

SOtM, a Korean company, had caught my attention at a number of shows with their way cool looking and affordably priced products that allow one to get their files from A to B. SOtM offers three lines of products: the Ultimate, the Advanced I, the Advanced II, along with a good number of accessories. You... Read More »