“While the selection and fine tuning of exhilarating-sounding vintage audio equipment is an exciting, often life-long search, let’s not forget it’s ultimately the music that matters—mankind’s mysterious mastery of making air move in esthetically & emotionally thrilling ways. Most importantly, remember to ask yourself the age-old question: Can I dance to it?”This has always been […]
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They say ….. The world’s finest dedicated USB digital-to-analogue convertor has been upgraded. Computer Audio Design has announced a refit to its unique CAD 1543 DAC, now using proprietary EMI/RFI reduction materials, improved DAC circuit boards, single-crystal UP-OCC internal wiring and refined power supply filtering, to create the CAD 1543 MKII DAC. It retains the […]
Paul McGowan writes: I am often asked what headphones I recommend and the answer for me is simple: I don’t. While I certainly recognize the popularity of headphones and appreciate what they can do, I am personally not a fan for several reasons: I miss the visceral feel of the music as well as the […]
Darren Myers and I were having one of those classic water cooler conversations (even though we don’t have a water cooler). We were speaking about the upcoming FR20 loudspeaker Chris and Darren are working on voicing. Darren said something to me that really rang true. “A half or even a 1dB change between the midrange […]
STEREOLIFE ….. Cabasse is recognized as one of the best known loudspeaker manufacturers, and one which gives us very interesting products, especially in the high end segment. Founded in 1950 by Georges Cabasse, the firm inherited not only its creator’s name, but also his genius as his special gift, a memory for sounds led him […]
For those that read my blog or watch the YouTube channel, it is well known I am not a fan of how pro audio studio monitors sound. Let’s just say that they are not my cup of tea. On the other hand, I am in love with a small number of other home audio designs […]
At some level, we’re all imposters. We fear our projected self-worth—the way we present ourselves or the way we believe others see us—doesn’t live up to expectations. In my 74 years, I haven’t met anyone that doesn’t to some extent suffer from what is commonly known as Imposter Syndrome. Maybe it’s a fear that our HiFi […]
Angry forums with millions of views. If you build a platform for angry voices they will rush to spew their ill temper. One such site, by a famous person in our industry, has millions of viewers and he’s happy about that—not so much about the hate, but the millions. He likes the millions. Is it […]
Martin Chilton writes … Eric Clapton talks about how guitar maestro JJ Cale was his musical ‘beacon’, as he releases a tribute album called The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/10990285/Eric-Clapton-JJ-Cale-got-me-through-my-darkest-days.html
These are notes I made for a letter to the editor of Hi-Fi World after a particularly interesting feature re Reel to Reel machines in the February 2008 issue. I didn’t get around to sending it. Dear David. The Neville Roberts feature “The Reel Thing” ( February 2008) was a joy to read. Not only […]
Paul McGowan: It’s tempting to make a snap judgment that a new change to your setup is wonderful – working miracles – but many times this “first blush” critique won’t stand the test of time. It turns out that it’s quite easy to get enamored with one area of improvement while not noticing a failure […]
First published in Stereophile in 1998 For the last few months, random postings kept appearing on internet newsgroups and in my e-mail box: “Anybody know what happened to Counterpoint?” At last count there were 10,000 Counterpoint preamps, power amps, and loudspeakers fanned out across the planet, some dating back to 1977, when the company launched […]
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FIRST PUBLISHED 2014 Steve Guttenberg writes … I’m a lucky guy; I regularly get to check out the world’s best-sounding headphones, but I was truly shaken and stirred by the KingSound KS-H3 electrostatic headphones. If you get to hear these headphones, start with well-recorded acoustic music and you’ll feel like you’ve been teleported back through […]
David Lander (Stereophile) writes: The Pennsylvania Gazette documented an early connection between music and an American named Winey when, in 1759, it listed for sale as part of an estate “a middle sized organ, having eight stops.” Interested parties were directed to one Jacob Winey, a Philadelphia merchant. It’s not known whether there’s a familial […]
By Mary Stone @ WhatHi-Fi? At more than 50 years old, this British audio powerhouse has built a rich history and more than a few amps Continues HERE
Interacting with a front panel has always been important, but rarely how we judge a piece of equipment. Even the klunkiest front panel layouts were tolerated if the unit’s sound quality was up to snuff. The user interface took a distant second to performance. As we rush headlong into the age of the user interface […]
Finding that perfect spot on the dial isn’t too hard, but getting there can be because much depends on the loudness levels of the source and the sensitivity of the speakers. Most sources don’t have level trim controls to help match their gains to the rest of the system. If you have a DAC, like […]
When we proffer an opinion we risk ridicule. It’s probably been that way from before we swung down from the trees to walk on the savannahs. The thought of offering an opinion open for public scrutiny can be immobilizing. Yet, without the brave few offering up their thoughts our levels of communication within the community […]