Brian Damkroger

Burmester 011 preamplifier
Solid State Preamp Reviews
Brian Damkroger  |  Jul 24, 2005  |  0 comments
Back in 2003, while auditioning the Burmester 001 CD player ($14,000, reviewed in the December 2003 Stereophile, Vol.26 No.12), I discovered that my system sounded much better if I bypassed my preamplifier and ran the 001 directly into the power amps. I concluded by suggesting that potential customers consider building a system around the 001 itself and forgo a preamp altogether. The response from Burmester fans was immediate and unambiguous: As good as the 001 was on its own, it sounded even better run through its stablemate, Burmester's 011 preamplifier ($15,999). The pair had, they claimed, a significant synergy that I absolutely had to hear. It's hard to argue with determined German logic, and I'd begun shopping for a new preamp anyway. So here we are.
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Silversmith Audio Silver interconnect & speaker cables
Cable Reviews
Brian Damkroger  |  Jun 26, 2005  |  0 comments
The possible approaches to any technical problem range from trial and error to first-principles physics. Then there's the "purist" approach—the simplest, most direct way to meet the challenge. Often, the purist approach doesn't pan out because of such phrases as "we need 60 tons of molten gold" or "can we cool the entire building to absolute zero?" But in the world of high-end cables, the purist approach is viable, and is exactly where you find Jeffrey Smith.
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Sutherland PhD MC phono preamplifier
Phono Preamp Reviews
Michael Fremer, Brian Damkroger  |  May 15, 2005  |  First Published: Jan 15, 2004  |  1 comments
The $3000 moving-coil (MC) PhD, available from Chad Kassem's Acoustic Sounds operation, is a monumental achievement that, for me, sets new standards for the cleanness and transparency possible in a phono preamp—and I've had a lot of experience with phono preamps.
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Empirical Audio Holophonic-PC & Holophonic-XPC interconnects, Clarity-7 loudspeaker cable
Cable Reviews
Brian Damkroger  |  May 01, 2005  |  First Published: Apr 01, 2005  |  0 comments
It's not unusual for a high-end audio company to originate in another segment of the high-tech electronics world, but it is a bit unusual when the spin-off is a cable company. That's the case with Empirical Audio, whose founder, Steve Nugent, spent 25 years as a digital hardware designer for Unisys and Intel. The key is that, in addition to standard design work, he chased "the more esoteric sides of design, namely grounding, shielding, ESD (electrostatic discharge), EMI (electromagnetic interference), transmission-line effects, and power delivery." Voilà—cable design.
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Ensemble Dirondo CD player
CD Player/Transport Reviews
Brian Damkroger  |  Mar 20, 2005  |  0 comments
I've encountered a number of audio products over the years whose thoughtful design and intricate craftsmanship brought to mind the expression "built like a Swiss watch." As often as I'd thought or even written that phrase, however, I don't think I'd ever stopped to seriously consider what an audio component might be like if actually built by the nation that produces Rolex and Breitling wristwatches.
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NHT SuperTwo loudspeaker
Floor Loudspeaker Reviews
Brian Damkroger  |  Nov 05, 2004  |  First Published: Oct 01, 1999  |  0 comments
June is a always a perplexing time for me. The weather is lovely, the mountain wildflowers are blooming, things are pretty calm at work.....but it's Bonnie's birthday.
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Sonic Frontiers Power 3 monoblock power amplifier
Tube Power Amp Reviews
Brian Damkroger  |  Oct 10, 2004  |  First Published: Apr 01, 2000  |  0 comments
The internal battle between the head and the heart, between the analytical and romantic sides of our nature, is a difficult one. I'm an engineer, so it seems as if my cold, calculating side should have the upper hand. This is true in a lot of cases; most of my actions and decisions are based on straightforward, logical analyses. However, things like a house full of castaway dogs, or a garage full of quixotic British cars and Italian motorcycles, suggest that my heart holds sway reasonably—perhaps distressingly—often.
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Oracle CD player
CD Player/Transport Reviews
Brian Damkroger  |  Aug 08, 2004  |  First Published: Oct 01, 2000  |  0 comments
After two decades of motorcycling, I recently achieved a long-held goal by buying a bike built by Bimota, a tiny Italian manufacturer. Although Bimota engages in a wide range of activities, from two-stroke engine design to racing, they're best known for their exotic, hand-built street bikes. They always include the very best components and feature cutting-edge engineering and performance, but what they're truly revered for is their style. Bimotas unfailingly combine shapes, textures, and finishes into motorcycles that are most often referred to as "works of art."
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Bright Star Audio Rack of Gibraltar 2 equipment rack
Stand and Rack Reviews
Brian Damkroger  |  Aug 01, 2004  |  First Published: May 01, 2000  |  0 comments
When American architect Louis Henri Sullivan said "form ever follows function" (footnote 1), he was referring to the transition from the 19th-century view of architecture, driven by aesthetic concerns, to the bold new 20th-century approach of beginning with a building's functions, and letting the design flow from there.
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Placette Audio Remote Volume Control passive preamplifier
Solid State Preamp Reviews
Brian Damkroger  |  Jun 27, 2004  |  First Published: Jun 01, 2004  |  0 comments
The Placette Audio Remote Volume Control is simplicity itself: a paperback-sized black box with one set of unbalanced inputs and outputs, a toggle switch (and a remote) to change the level, and a row of LEDs that light up to indicate the relative volume level. The signal path, too, is simple, with only a stepped attenuator between input and output. But this is not just any attenuator—it's a 125-step model built entirely with super-premium Vishay S-102 foil resistors.
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