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I recently met a good friend for dinner and we got to talk about all things audio. It was there that he pondered an earth-shaking scenario to me. He told me that he was considering selling off his vinyl collection and rig to go all digital. It took me a moment to get my jaw off... Read More »

A portrait of EveAnna Manley of Manley Laboratories, Denver, CO, 2019 (photograph and image processing by David W. Robinson) Manley Labs is a phenomenon located in Chino, California and topped by the amazing award- winning EveAnna Manley. She operates a giant facility that produces from scratch high-end audio products and professional gear, even extraordinary microphones. John... Read More »

Greetings, friends, I hope you are doing well.  The M6 RIAA phono preamplifier is the latest in the Audio Note (UK) series of articles here at Positive Feedback, and like the title says, the M6 is "next level" in performance. "Next level" is a phrase that gets tossed about casually to describe impressive performance that... Read More »

Photo by Bryant Larsen The Quadratic Audio MC-1 was influenced by a triumphant tradition that rose from the Great War's ashes to avant-garde and worldwide influence that continues today.  It was 1919 in post-World War I Germany when, under Berlin architect Walter Gropius' leadership, the Weimar School of Applied Arts merged with the Academy of... Read More »

Over the last two years, I have been on a determined mission to find a standalone phono stage for my system. I have been experimenting with both solid state and tube phono stages at several different price points. I have posted a few reviews, but not for everything that has entered my listening room. The... Read More »

I've been pondering how best to write up this article about my listening experiences with the Audio Note (UK) Tomei 211 single-ended-triode (SET) integrated amplifier, and M3 RIAA phono preamplifier, for a while now. I'll start by saying the Tomei 211 integrated amplifier (left) and M3 RIAA phono preamplifier (right) are easily the highest performing... Read More »

The Zesto Audio Andros Spirit Phonostage (image courtesy of Zesto Audio) The new Zesto Audio Andros Spirit Phonostage is an inexpensive wonder. It is so precisely cut from the same cloth as the Andros II and Deluxe II, all tubes all the time, that the audiophile will forget the small differences and accept the Spirit... Read More »

The Dutch company Mola Mola was founded in 2012. Its founders were Bruno Putzeys and Jan-Peter van Amerongen; both knew each other from their work for Hypex. Their first products, a line preamplifier and a power amplifier with nCore modules operating in class D, were presented at the 2012 Munich High End Show. We test... Read More »

One of the hooks that grabbed me when I first fell for high end audio was that it totally aligned with my need to obsess over whatever brand of gizmo or gadget that caught my eye. After all, my entire childhood was defined by a series of brands I'd obsess about from the likes of... Read More »

This third incarnation of the Trumpet MC Phono Stage is a musical blockbuster. With an amazing purity combined with near reference definition, the listener will be transported to the event as close as the vinyl allows. Very flexible and versatile, the Trumpet heralds a breakthrough performance similar to my reference stages at a quarter of the cost... Read More »

As I continue to re-evaluate my system, I have been auditioning various standalone tube phono preamplifiers. I am a big fan of utilizing tubes in the front end of my system when paired with solid-state preamplifiers and/or amplifiers. The unwritten rule claimed by many audiophiles is that there must be tubes somewhere in the system... Read More »

Recently, I was reading about a leading industry engineer who strived for components that were "one-noters." What they meant by that phrase was simple: a piece of audio gear should create an impact in your listening environment from the first note you hear through it. Tall order. It certainly gave me pause for thought. How... Read More »

The Stellar Phono Preamplifier is now the third piece from PS Audio's Stellar line that has graced my listening room. Somehow, while it was exceptionally difficult, I mustered the gumption to return those first two amazing pieces back to PS Audio after the earlier reviews. However, this may be the phono stage that I cannot... Read More »

If you are a reader of this esteemed publication it is not a stretch to presume you are an audiophile and probably pretty deep into our wonderful hobby. Having said that, I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone amongst us who has not heard of, listened to, or even owned McIntosh components... Read More »

I was student-teaching at Whitney Young Magnet High School and waiting tables several nights a week at Reza's, an upscale Persian restaurant in Chicago's River North neighborhood. Now closed, in 1994 this posh eatery sat on the site of the former Berghoff's Brewery on Ontario Avenue just west of the Rte. 94 turnoff. Before the... Read More »

With this article, Positive Feedback continues its content-sharing relationship with Enjoy the Music where Greg Weaver shares his thoughts on the Dynamic Sounds Associates Phono III Preamplifier. Dr. David W. Robinson, Editor-in-Chief Exceptional performance, and versatility to match. Review By Greg Weaver Illustrious Beginnings I first met Dr. Douglas Hurlburt, the incredible force behind Dynamic Sounds Associates, in... Read More »

David W. Robinson in Jerusalem, Israel, 2022: a portrait by John Robinson The Dohmann Audio Helix Two Mk2 Turntable, Schröder CB-11 Tonearm, Phasemation PP-2000 MC cartridge, & the Gold Note PH-1000 Phono Stage with PSU-1250 Power Supply Part the First of my reflections on the superb synergy of the Gold Note PH-1000/PSU-1250 Phono Stage, the... Read More »

  Ye Olde Editor, 2022: a portrait in Ink Outline (photograph by John Robinson; image processing by Ye Olde himself). A Study in Synergy There's that word again. As defined online by Oxford Languages, synergy is "the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater... Read More »

Ye Olde Editor, a moment. Happy Valley, OR, 2018 (Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by YOE) Continuing my brief notes on Gold Note from last month, and progressing onwards in their designs, here's the June installment of what's up with this impressive audio company. Combining audio-technical achievements with a fine sense of design aesthetics,... Read More »