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

Sennheiser Drops HDB 630 Wireless Headphones

LATEST ADDITIONS

Balanced Audio Technology Rex II line preamplifier

Fred Kaplan Dec 30, 2015

A quarter-century ago, when we were just getting into wine, my wife and I took a trip to Napa Valley. At one premium vineyard, we took a taste from the $20 bottle, then, for the hell of it, a taste from the $50 bottle. The first taste was nice; the second was alarmingan explosion of flavors, a gateway to sensory delights that we hadn't known could be had from a barrel of crushed grapes. We wobbled away, concerned that high-end wine might be a dangerous hobby.

Computer Audio Reviews Music in the Round Subwoofer Reviews

Music in the Round #76

Kalman Rubinson Dec 30, 2015

In my last column, in the November 2015 issue, I talked about Marantz's AV8802A preamplifier-processor and two accessories: UpTone Audio's USB Regen, and a DIY battery supply for my DAC. This month's column is all about accessories, and for me that's unusual. Some items, like interconnects and speaker cables, are usually considered accessories because they're not fundamental components (eg, source, amplifier, speaker), even though they're essential to getting any sound at all.

Audacious Audio CD Player/Transport Reviews Digital Processor Reviews

Audio Note CDT One/II CD transport & DAC 2.1x Signature D/A processor

Art Dudley Dec 29, 2015

I don't know much about horses, but I've been given to understand that dead ones don't respond to even the severest beating. In light of that, I'll make only this brief statementEven with the best playback gear of my experience, I don't derive as much pleasure from CDs as I do from LPs.and move on to a simpler truth: Regardless of what I think, CD players are still a necessity for most music-loving audiophiles.

Audio Streams Digital Processor Reviews

AudioStreams #9

Michael Lavorgna Dec 29, 2015

I eat bits for breakfast. Lunch is a simple bit-sized snack. And dinner is the analog to real food. This has been my routine these past four years as editor of AudioStream.com, where we digest all things computer audio.

In that time I've reviewed over 100 digital-to-analog converters, ranging in price from $60 to over $12,000. This adds up to roughly 150,000 words spilled on DACs. You'd think my pen would be running dryespecially if you feel, as some do, that all DACs sound pretty much the same. If that were the case, I could have written just one review, for that very first DAC, then cut and pasted it for all the rest. What was I thinking?

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

Paradigm Prestige 95F loudspeaker

Thomas J. Norton Dec 22, 2015

Déjà vu all over again?

Apart from being reminded of this Yogi-ism by the death, in September 2015, of its originator, I was all set to begin by commenting that this would be my first review for Stereophile of a Paradigm loudspeaker. Butthe recent online posting of my June 1992 review of Paradigm's Studio Monitor took me back.

Budget Component Reviews Digital Processor Reviews Headphone Reviews

Apogee Electronics Groove D/A headphone amplifier

Jon Iverson Dec 22, 2015

Apogee Electronics Corp. has been in business for 30 years, and I've always thought of them as one of the pro-audio companies responsible for moving digital in the right direction. They've made their mark in recording studios around the planet with digital-audio interfaces and master clocks that have long been considered some of the most technically and sonically advanced, and that were probably used in a high percentage of the recordings in your collection. So when I saw Apogee pop up at the consumer end of the market with a technically unique product, budget-priced at $295, it got my attention.

Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

Technics Premium Class SB-C700 loudspeaker

Herb Reichert Dec 22, 2015

I listen carefully as Michiko Ogawaformer Technics engineer, renowned classical and jazz pianist, and current director of Panasonic's Technics divisionspeaks these words: "In honor of our 50th anniversary, we at Technics are determined to blaze a new audio path and deliver new and emotionally engaging musical experiences for another 50 years." (my emphasis)

Art Dudley Listening Phono Cartridge Reviews

Listening #157

Art Dudley Dec 22, 2015

In a typical phono cartridge, the stylus is at one end of an oversize cantilever (oversize in comparison with the cartridge's other moving parts), the fulcrum of which is nearer the cantilever's other end. That design makes possible a certain amount of mechanical compliance that, when the cartridge is lowered to the record surface, helps the stylus seat itself in the groove rather than bounce or skip all over the place. Without at least a modicum of springiness, cueing up a record would be more difficult, and jukeboxes and automatic record changers might never have been possible. Imagine!

Audacious Audio CD Player/Transport Reviews Digital Processor Reviews

Accuphase DP-90 CD transport & DC-91 D/A processor

Dick Olsher Dec 18, 2015

In 1995, as the compact disc enters its second decade of commercial reality, it's fair to say that the associated hardware has come of age, exorcising at last the digital gremlins of time-base jitter and quantization noise. Digital-processor maturation is particularly evident in the design of the all-critical D/A processor. The simplistic digital circuitry of yesterday has given way to considerable design sophistication that deals directly with jitter and low-level nonlinearities.

Budget Component Reviews Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

Tannoy E11 loudspeaker

Robert Harley Dec 18, 2015

The Tannoy E11 ($349/pair) is the company's least-expensive model in a wide range of consumer loudspeakers. Tannoy is most often known for its professional models, especially their nearfield, dual-concentric monitors that have become de rigueur on the top of recording consoles. The E11 is a two-way, ported design with a 6.5" woofer and 1" dome tweeter. Both drivers are manufactured by Tannoy, instead of being sourced from a driver manufacturer. The woofer is made from a polyolefin co-polymer, a plastic material with high rigidity and good self-damping properties. To improve power handling and increase sensitivity, the voice-coil is edge-wound on a Kapton former. The surround appears to be made of butyl rubber.