Jon Iverson

Antelope Audio Zodiac Platinum DAC & 10M Clock
CES 2015
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 08, 2015  |  9 comments
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Antelope DAC with its Acoustically Focused Clocking technology earlier this year, especially with headphones. And now the company has made good on its promise to release the companion 10M Clock which Antelope claims is 100,000 times more accurate then the Platinum's built-in ticker.
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Antelope Audio Rubicon DAC/Streamer Updated
CES 2015
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 08, 2015  |  6 comments
As we've noted in the past, the Rubicon has a rich feature set and price to match: $40k. And now the product has been updated to include support for DSD 128 and 24/384 streaming via USB.
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Prism USB Hi-Fi DAC
CES 2015
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2015  |  0 comments
Following in the footsteps of their pro-audio brethren such as Benchmark, Grace, Mytek and Antelope, Prism is "testing the waters" at this CES for their first consumer product. They've made their mark in the pro audio business creating converters for digital recording software.
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Dan D'Agostino MLife Integrated/Streamer
CES 2015
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2015  |  4 comments
The first in two planned streaming products from D'Agostino is the MLife shown at CES this year. The MLife is based on the company's Momentum 200/wpc integrated amp, and adds built-in UPnP streaming, AirPlay, Bluetooth and the hot new streaming service at the show, Tidal. There is also a 5-inch LCD screen on the front panel for displaying streaming metadata (where the tone controls on the Momentum used to sit)
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Bel Canto REF Stream Ethernet Renderer and DAC 2.7
CES 2015
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2015  |  1 comments
Bridging the gap between your network players or NAS drives and your DAC, the new Bel Canto REF Stream plugs into your ethernet network, appearing as a node with IP, and then outputs SPDIF, AES or Toslink. Company president Michael McCormick says it can accept both DSD or PCM streams and outputs the PCM at the native sample rate, but converts DSD to 24/176 PCM.
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The Bower’s and Wilkin’s C5 Series 2 in-ear Headphones Sweepstakes
Sweepstakes
Jon Iverson  |  Dec 29, 2014  |  145 comments
Register to win a set of Bower’s and Wilkin’s C5 Series 2 in-ear Headphones (MSRP $179.99) we are giving away.

According to the company:

"C5 Series 2 in-ear headphones bring you amazingly natural acoustics and fit so snugly you’ll hardly be aware you’re wearing them. These headphones use a new 9.2mm dynamic driver, and have been optimized to deliver bass that’s powerful yet precisely controlled, resulting in a more natural, open and detailed sound."

[This Sweepstakes is now closed.]

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Cambridge Audio Azur 851D D/A processor
Digital Processor Reviews
Jon Iverson  |  Dec 16, 2014  |  3 comments
I've enjoyed having one of Cambridge's integrated amps in my office system for years, and the company boasts that the 851 series, designed in the UK and manufactured in China (like the rest of their line), is the best they've produced so far. After spending the last year listening to domestically manufactured DAC-preamps costing $6000 and up, I was curious to hear how a product costing only a quarter of the bottom of that range might stack up.
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Needle Doctor AudioEngine 5+ Speakers Sweepstakes
Sweepstakes
Jon Iverson  |  Dec 01, 2014  |  304 comments
Register to win a pair of AudioEngine 5+ Speakers (MSRP $399.00) from Needle Doctor we are giving away.

According to the company:

"Audioengine continues to manufacture powered speakers that are among the best you’ll find for the money. They’re a very focused company, and for that, we’re lucky. With resources pouring into a relatively centralized field, Audioengine is able to dream of and produce poignant products that entirely meet the needs of many listeners."

[This Sweepstakes is now closed.]

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MartinLogan BalancedForce 212 subwoofer
Subwoofer Reviews
Jon Iverson  |  Oct 04, 2014  |  0 comments
I like big bass, but I cannot lie
Tubby thumpers need not apply
And when a speaker drops in with itty-bitty bass
It puts a frown upon my face
I get bummed . . .
—Sir BassaLot, first audiophile rapper, 1992

Some folks put a pair of bookshelf speakers on stands in their room and are happy as clams. I imagine that they imagine the missing bass and never give it another thought. Not me, and perhaps not you. Some of us want to hear it and feel it, just as we would real instruments. We want sex in the room.

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Antelope Audio Zodiac Platinum D/A processor–headphone amplifier & Voltikus power supply
Digital Processor Reviews
Jon Iverson  |  Aug 27, 2014  |  1 comments
Professional digital audio is like gravity to consumer audio's antigravity: pro gear draws music into digital files, and consumer audio releases those same notes back out again.

It's not surprising, then, that many audiophile digital-to-analog converters come to us from the pro-audio industry, which has a hierarchy similar to the consumer side: value-oriented products all the way up to ultimate-performance brands. Examples of pro-audio companies that also offer audiophile DACs for consumers abound: Benchmark, CEntrance, Grace Design, Korg, Mytek, and Nagra, to name a few.

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