LATEST ADDITIONS

Nick Doshi is cautiously reserved when he talks about his amplifiers, preferring to let the products speak for themselves. At every show I've heard them at, from Chicago to DC to Munich, they have done exactly that: Every system I've heard featuring a Doshi amp has delivered great sound. When I pressed him as to why, he just smiled.

Last night, I sat on a bright yellow velveteen sofa eating red beans and rice while listening for three hours to blues and jazz from rare 78rpm records. I walked out feeling gospel-level raised up, with a head full of dreams and cultural memories.

Opinions vary, but like everything connected to The Beatles, charged arguments over Giles Martin's ongoing remastering of, and sonic tinkering with, the band's hallowed recording catalog are unending.

In the April 2024 issue of this magazine, a piece by Editor Jim Austin appeared in the "As We See It" space. It was titled "On assessing sonic illusions," and it has haunted me for more than a year. Jim's thesis was that a music recording is a "synthetic, whole-cloth creation ... a complete fabrication."

One winner will take home two extraordinary Mobile Fidelity audiophile pressings that showcase analog recording at its finest: Rock a Little by Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac, each presented in strictly limited, reference-grade 45RPM editions. From the lavish, high-resolution textures of Rock a Little to the tape-like warmth, dynamics, and realism of Fleetwood Mac’s landmark 1975 release, this sweepstakes celebrates music made with ambition—and mastered for listeners who demand absolute fidelity. Enter for a chance to experience two iconic albums as they were always meant to be heard.

I reviewed the Kii THREE digital active loudspeaker in the September 2017 issue of Stereophile and was totally smitten. It was cutting edge in supporting analog and digital sources, direct-wired and network connections, and streaming.

Big loudspeakers are where diligent hi-fi reviewers really earn their pay. Not only are they heavy and difficult to move, but they also require attention and patience to set up so that they sound their best in our listening spaces. They take time to understand and study. And they all sound quite different from each other.