Michael Fremer

Sort By: Post Date | Title | Publish Date
Musical Fidelity V-LPS Phono Stage
Budget Component ReviewsPhono Preamp Reviews
Sam Tellig, Michael Fremer  |  Feb 02, 2010  |  First Published: May 02, 2009  |  1 comments
Not being fond of self-flagellation, I don't usually do analog. I am not a fuddy-dudley, nor am I especially fremerous.
Continue Reading >
Vincent TubeLine SV-236MK integrated amplifier
Integrated Amp Reviews
Michael Fremer  |  Apr 16, 2009  |  0 comments
If you ever find yourself in an audiophile-type argument and need proof that, in the 21st century, manufacturing high-performance audio gear to sell for a reasonable retail price is becoming an impossibility, point to Vincent T.A.C.'s TubeLine SV-236MK integrated amplifier, designed in Germany and built in China.
Continue Reading >
Chord SPM 650 power amplifier
Solid State Power Amp Reviews
Michael Fremer  |  Mar 20, 2009  |  0 comments
High-tech, compact, and lightweight, Chord's entry-level SPM 650 power amplifier ($4995) promises robust power output, low distortion and noise, flat and ultra-wideband frequency response, and bulletproof reliability—all in what seems an impossibly small package measuring 16.4" wide by 3.4" high by 13.8" deep and weighing only 22 lbs.
Continue Reading >
Marantz SA-11S2 Reference SACD/CD Player
Hi-Rez Disc Player/Transport Reviews
Michael Fremer  |  Feb 12, 2009  |  0 comments
Unless you've already acquired a large collection of SACDs, buying a player in 2009 necessitates an act of faith similar to the one turntable buyers faced back in 1992. As with the LP back then, the major labels today have all but abandoned the SACD to such niche players as Chesky, Proprius, Harmonia Mundi, Pentatone, Channel Classics, 2L, Telarc, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Groove Note, and Acoustic Sounds.
Continue Reading >
Chario Academy Sovran loudspeaker
Floor Loudspeaker Reviews
Michael Fremer  |  Dec 19, 2008  |  0 comments
Italian manufacturer Chario Loudspeakers has never had a strong presence in the US. No wonder, then, when confronted by these exquisitely finished beauties of solid hardwood, many American audiophiles think, "Sonus Faber rip-off." Without knowing the musical history of the 1960s, had you heard Badfinger first, you might have thought the same thing when you then heard the Beatles. Similarly, Chario, by far Italy's largest maker of high-performance speakers, was founded in 1975, eight years before Sonus Faber. While SF has its drive-units built to its own specifications by other firms, Chario designs and builds its own.
Continue Reading >
Luxman M-800A power amplifier
Solid State Power Amp Reviews
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 17, 2008  |  0 comments
Founded in 1925, Luxman has long been one of Japan's most highly regarded audio manufacturers. Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, Luxman's tube preamplifiers and power amplifiers occupied the top shelves of high-performance audio retailers, and to many older American audiophiles, the Luxman name is as familiar and esteemed as those of such storied American brands as McIntosh and Marantz. Luxman's combination of rich, warm sound, superb build quality, and indelible industrial design made its products fully competitive with other brands then considered among the world's best.
Continue Reading >
MBL 6010 D preamplifier
Solid State Preamp ReviewsAudacious Audio
Michael Fremer  |  Oct 17, 2008  |  0 comments
Don't be confused by the MBL 6010 D's oddly baroque, even retro looks. Behind all the glitz—the oversize, perfectly finished, black-lacquered faáade; the two big, solid brass knobs plated with 24-karat gold; the ornate lettering; and the incongruous digital volume display—resides a thoroughly modern, remote-controlled, unusually versatile, and well-thought-out solid-state preamplifier. Not that the 6010 is a new design. It's been around for a long time, and the current "D" iteration is at least five years old.
Continue Reading >
Nagra VPS phono preamplifier
Phono Preamp Reviews
Michael Fremer  |  Sep 17, 2008  |  0 comments
Not that many years ago, it seems, every sound crew in Hollywood and around the world recorded production sound using a compact, open-reel analog tape recorder made by Nagra. The first iteration of the Swiss-made machine appeared in the early 1950s. Shortly thereafter, with the addition of an inaudible recorded tone that allowed easy syncing to picture, the Nagra recorder became the industry standard, and remained so through the 1980s. To this day, Nagra's line of audio products retains the look of those early recorders.
Continue Reading >
ProAc Response D28 loudspeaker
Floor Loudspeaker Reviews
Michael Fremer  |  Aug 22, 2008  |  0 comments
Has any modern designer of high-performance speakers extracted more music from a two-way box than ProAc's Stewart Tyler? His early-1990s stand-mounted Response 2 (later upgraded to the Response 2S) was an instant classic, and while his tiny Tablette proved controversial for being bass-shy and relatively pricey, his track record of two-way speakers remains unassailable.
Continue Reading >
AQVOX Audio Devices Phono 2Ci phono preamplifier
Phono Preamp Reviews
Michael Fremer  |  Jul 29, 2008  |  First Published: Jul 30, 2008  |  0 comments
The German company AQVOX Audio Devices has produced an innovative moving-coil/moving-magnet solid-state phono preamplifier, the Phono 2Ci, that's as intriguing for its technology and performance as it is for its relatively low price: $1400. The zero-feedback, op-amp–free circuit uses a compact switch-mode power supply that's built into the chassis and features conventional voltage gain for moving-magnet cartridges via its RCA jacks, and current gain for moving-coil cartridges through the balanced XLR inputs. Rear-panel switches select between RCA or XLR inputs and offer a convenient ground lift. Either the single-ended or the balanced outputs can be used with either input. Unfortunately, the tight spacing of the RCA input and output jacks, which are mounted on the circuit board, will somewhat limit your choice of cables: Pairs of thick-barreled plugs will have difficulty fitting.
Continue Reading >

Pages

X