AirHush Comes Out to T.H.E. Show
After Emiko Carlin of T.H.E. Show basically ordered me to check out AirHush’s display at T.H.E. Show, I spent a few minutes speaking with company CCO Michael Quinby.
Continue Reading »
LATEST ADDITIONS
Wilson TuneTot speakers, Luxman L-509X integrated amplifier, MSB Discrete DAC, Innuos Zen mini music server, Bergmann Magne turntable, Ortofon A95 cartridge, D’Agostino Momentum phono preamplifier, and Kubala-Sosna Elation cabling
Red was more than the color of my true love’s hair toward the end of T.H.E. Show Long Beach, as I moved from one winning red speaker to another.
Continue Reading »
EAR/Technics RS-1500 tape deck, EAR Acute Classic CD Player, Helius Designs Viridia turntable, Omega Standard tonearm, Denon DL-103R cartridge, PranaFidelity purna/ca preamplifier, purna/ma amplifier, and Vayu/fs loudspeakers;, Etc.
It took two tries over the course of two days to find a seat, but on Sunday afternoon, I finally squeezed into the room shared by EAR and PranaFidelity. The wait was worth it.
Continue Reading »
Stenheim Alumine 3 speakers, CH Precision C1 D.A Controller, D1 SACD / CD Drive, L1 preamp, P1 phono stage, X1 power supplies, and A1.5 2-channel amplifier; Technics SL1000R turntable, Lyra Etna SL cartridge, Harmonic Resolution stands, Etc.
There was a helluva lot of burnished silver jewelry in this room, and it sparkled like a sharply polished diamond.
Continue Reading »
Vandersteen Quatro loudspeakers and M5-HPA monoblocks, Jeff Rowland Corus Stereo preamplifier + PSU and Conductor phonostage, Brinkmann Nyquist Mark 2 DAC and Bardo turntable with 10.0 tonearm & Lyra Delos cartridge, Roon Nucleus, Etc.
To these ears, the pairing of Vandersteen Quatro loudspeakers ($15,499/pair) and the company’s smaller M5-HPA monoblocks ($15,800/pair) with the Jeff Rowland Corus Stereo preamplifier + PSU ($21,900) and Conductor phonostage ($8500) is a winner.
Continue Reading »
MartinLogan Masterpiece ESL13A speakers and Dynamo 800X subwoofer, Hegel H-590 integrated amplifier, Wolf Audio Streamer/Server, Audience and AudioQuest cabling and conditioning, and Quadraspire Stand Bamboo
Who would have expected to hear a theorbo reproduced in 24/192 at an audio demo?
Continue Reading »
Egglestonworks Nico speakers; Technics SL-1200G turntable; Bryston Amplifiers 7B3 amplifier, BP17-3 preamplifier, BP-2 MM/MC phonostage, MPS-2 power supply, and BDP-3 digital player; Audience cabling; Target stands
If Scott Walker Audio had staked out a mini-empire on floor 3, Sunny Components of Covina, California, did the same on floor 6. The first room I visited, of the four from Sunil Merchant, included Egglestonworks' 87dB-efficient Nico speakers ($4250/pair), ....
Continue Reading »
Tune Audio Anima Loudspeaker; Wavac EC-300B Amplifier, AC-2 Conditioner, and PRZ1 Linestage; Nagra CDC and Classic DAC, Crystal Ultimate Dream Cabling
Eye candy, eh? Tune Audio’s Anima 3-way fully horn-loaded loudspeakers ($58,000/pair) claim 109dB sensitive. THEY certainly were drawing in listeners, to the extent that I had to visit twice before I could get into the room then slowly inch my way closer to the sweet spot.
Continue Reading »
Legacy Calibre Monitor, Wavelet DAC/Preamp/Crossover/Correction, and Legacy Powerbloc2 Amplifier
On an electric guitar track, the name of which I failed to get, the Legacy Audio Calibre Monitor ($5500/pair) got down, dark, and dirty in a good way while fighting one of the most wicked upper bass room resonances known to humankind.
Continue Reading »
The Marketplace: Busy, Busy, Busy
From the metaphoric opening bell on, the Marketplace was filled with music lovers hunting for analog and digital media as well as audio products. This photo, taken at 10:30 AM on Saturday, attests to the draw. Note MA Recordings’ Todd Garfinkle on the left, hawking his superbly recorded wares, some of which are available on vinyl or for download in hi-rez.
Continue Reading »