KEF Debuts New Finishes for Blade One Meta and Blade Two Meta

Sennheiser Drops HDB 630 Wireless Headphones

LATEST ADDITIONS

HoloAudio May (Level 3) D/A processor

John Atkinson Aug 28, 2020

The email from Herb Reichert was intriguing. "I am, with great difficulty writing about HoloAudio's new two-chassis May DAC," he wrote. "It is death quiet and very natural. It makes every recording sound non-digital."

Once Herb had finished writing his review of the HoloAudio for the August issue's Gramophone Dreams column, I sped to his Bed-Stuy bothy and grabbed the May DAC, both to get it on my test bench and to take a listen for myself.

Integrated Amp Reviews

Yamaha A-S3200 integrated amplifier

Jason Victor Serinus Aug 27, 2020

Yamaha: The name evokes memories of my youth when those much-coveted receivers were out of financial reach, leading me to rely upon entry-level Kenwoods and Pioneers and others that sounded worse. Everyone who ever had a cheap receiver blow upthat's what caused me to move from Kenwood to Pioneeror heard an old Akai that made LPs sound like 128kbps MP3s, please raise your hands.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

Manger s1 active loudspeaker

Jim Austin Aug 26, 2020

My first exposure to Manger Audio loudspeakers, which are based on the "bending-wave" technology invented years ago by the company, was to the Manger p2, their passive flagship speaker, at the 2019 AXPONA. I heard it again a month or so later at High End Munich. I was impressed both times, especially by its transient and spatial performance.

Digital Processor Reviews Gramophone Dreams

Gramophone Dreams #40: Denafrips Terminator & Ares II

Herb Reichert Aug 25, 2020

I am fascinated by DACs and the shifting sands of today's digital-audio marketplace. This month, I am reporting on two more DACs, both made by Denafrips: the $4498 Terminator, until recently their flagship DAC, and the $768 Ares II, the company's least expensive model. Like the HoloAudio May DAC I described last month, both Denafrips converters employ R-2R conversion schemes, and both render recordings into direct, unprocessed sound.

NAD Electronics Presents the NAD M33 BluOS Streaming DAC Amplifier

Stereophile Staff Aug 21, 2020

LIVE: Thursday, August 27, 2020 - 12:00PM ET

Join us when NAD Electronics presents a deep dive into the NAD M33 BluOS Streaming DAC Amplifier, with an overview of features and benefits, including an in-depth look at their novel Eigentakt amplification technology.

UPDATE: This webinar is now expired

Revinylization

Revinylization #9: Sonny Rollins's Way Out West on ERC

Jim Austin Aug 21, 2020

Used copies of Sonny Rollins's classic 1957 record Way Out West are easy enough to find. The album has been reissued some 30 times on vinyl, most recently in 2018 on Craft Recordings (but read Michael Fremer's take on that reissue before buying). You can still buy Original Jazz Classics reissues from 1988sealed for about $20.

If you want an early pressing, though, your opportunities are limited. If you want an early pressing in collectable condition, expect to pay real money. And if you want that early pressing in pristine condition, good luck with that.

Budget Component Reviews Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

GoldenEar BRX (Bookshelf Reference X) loudspeaker

John Atkinson Aug 20, 2020

Loudspeaker manufacturer GoldenEar Technology was founded in 2010 by a team led by Sandy Gross, who over the decades was responsible for a succession of affordable high-performance loudspeakers from Polk and Definitive Technology (footnote 1). Gross continued that tradition with GoldenEar: Even the company's flagship, the Triton Reference, which I favorably reviewed in January 2018, was priced a couple of dollars short of $8500/pair. (GoldenEar was acquired by The Quest Group, the parent company of cable company AudioQuest, in January 2020; Gross continued with the brand as president emeritus.)

Analog Corner Phono Accessory Reviews Phono Cartridge Reviews

Analog Corner #301: WallyTractor, StylusTimer, Fuuga, Tzar DST

Michael Fremer Aug 19, 2020

How goes your quarantining? Honestly, my life hasn't changed much here. I'm locked in the basement as usual, happy to have a good audio system and overwhelmed by my musical choices. Other than minimizing shopping expeditions and wearing a mask, the biggest change in my life is a spike in requests from readers for upgrade advice. I've never been so busy answering reader emails.

Sweepstakes

Summer Vinyl Sweeps which features prizes from VPI/SVS/Nordost and Disney Music Emporium!

Stereophile Staff Aug 18, 2020

Register to win a complete vinyl playback system and stack of records (Value $4,682.44 total) we are giving away!

Prizes include: 10 select vinyl LPs from Disney Music Emporium's collection (including the Star Wars: A New Hope Box Set!), The VPI Player Turntable, SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers and Prime Wireless Soundbase, and a complete set of Nordost cables to tie everything together!

[This Sweepstakes is now closed.]

Solid State Power Amp Reviews

LKV Veros PWR+ power amplifier

Herb Reichert Aug 18, 2020

As much as I admire Belgian amplifier designer Bruno Putzeys's accomplishments, I have harbored some misgivings about class-D amplifier sound. I do not believe it represents the future of perfectionist audio. Despite the fact that today's active loudspeakers depend entirely on class-D's free horsepower, light weight, and low-temperature operation, I think it sounds vacant compared to class-A.