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

Sennheiser Drops HDB 630 Wireless Headphones

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AXPONA 2015

Unraveling the Mysteries of the Westin O'Hare's Floor 5

Jason Victor Serinus Apr 25, 2015

People were going gaga over the Gibson Les Paul Reference Monitors, which debuted in the Gibson tent at CES before debuting at NAM and Frankfurt. In their US Consumer audio show premier, which celebrates the Les Paul Centenary, the GSLP 4" ($1198/pair), GSLP 6" ($1598/pair), and equally poetically-titled GSLP 8" ($1998/pair) displayed their pedigree as reference monitors suited for both home and studio. I found the balance a bit bright and sharp for my taste, but there was much to admire in the sound...

AXPONA 2015

AXPONA Opens Strong

Jason Victor Serinus Apr 25, 2015

Yes, I too noticed the signs, liberally distributed around the baggage pick-up area at O'Hare, that welcomed visitors to four shows other than AXPONA. "AXPONA 2015 NOT WELCOME IN CHICAGO!" quipped Michael Fremer in his first show blog for AnalogPlanet.com. Judging from the comments so far, it's clear that some readers forget that behind Mikey's New York outrage lies a seasoned stand-up comedian...

AXPONA 2015

The 2015 AXPONA is Underway

Stereophile Staff Apr 25, 2015

Photo: Laura LoVecchio

The Chicago Show is happening this weekend at the Westin O'Hare. Showgoers are greeted by this display of Stereophile's May issue and Jason Victor Serinus's live reporting will start shortly.

Robert Baird

Love Wants To Dance

Robert Baird Apr 24, 2015

After Breezin’ Benson’s well-known fondness for James Brown funk broke out into the open

Tube Preamp Reviews

Luxman Classic CL-38u preamplifier

Art Dudley Apr 23, 2015

If you look at it from a distance and squint a little, Luxman's Classic CL-38u preamplifier ($4200) could almost be mistaken for that most classic of all classic hi-fi products, the Marantz Model 7C control center. The aluminum front panels of both models have, at their centers, a row of four distinctive toggle switches, flanked on each side by four control knobs. Even more noticeable are the stylish wood enclosuresstandard on the Luxman, optional on the Marantzwhich make both preamps appear ready for duty at the Playboy Mansion, ca 1963, or perhaps an appearance in a Life photo essay titled "At Home with Steve McQueen."

Budget Component Reviews Integrated Amp Reviews

PS Audio Sprout integrated amplifier

Herb Reichert Apr 23, 2015

I find small humans more beguiling than big people. My favorites are the two-footersthose little two-year-old boys with a kind of wobbly, bent-kneed stride that dips like a blues song every fourth step as they stagger ahead of their watchful parents. I like three-footers toosprightly three-year-old girls who dress better than their moms and never need a lifestyle consultation. Whenever we see one of these cheerful, bouncing young'uns coming toward us on the sidewalk, I smile and my dog's tail wags. Their bright faces and excited voices make me think, You go, little sprouts! These miniature humans' special beauty is that they still possess their full force de vie.

News

Westchester, NY Vinyl Session Saturday

Stereophile Staff Apr 23, 2015

New York dealer Accent on Music (175 E Main Street, Mount Kisco, NY 10549) is hosting a "Vinyl Adikt" event on Saturday April 25, starting at 11am. "Come along and celebrate the LP as we uncover the history behind the longest surviving music format and listen to great tracks on an iconic Sondek LP12 turntable," states the invitation and visitors are encouraged to bring along some of their favorite vinyl.

Katz's Corner InnerFidelity

Katz's Corner: The Great Headphone Shootout - Part 3

Bob Katz Apr 23, 2015

This story originally appeared at InnerFidelity.com

I've spent $4000 on the Stax 007 Mk2 and a custom-built KGSS amp, which can drive them as loudly and cleanly as you like. These are the most transparent reproducers I own, revealing details that are masked even on my fabulous loudspeaker system. That's what electrostatic transducers can do for you. I've always felt they have excellent and solid bass. So it was quite a shock to discover and admit that the cans which I have preferred for over forty years may have a victor: .......

Solid State Preamp Reviews

Simaudio Moon Evolution 740P line preamplifier

Fred Kaplan Apr 22, 2015

Transparency is a trait we all value in a hi-fi rig, and it's a concept I've long thought I understood. A system that tosses up the illusion of a clear, spacious soundstage, on which you can hearalmost seeall of the singers and/or instruments, from side to side and, especially, from front to way, way back: that's the ticket. Still, although such transparency is a sign that you've entered the realm of fine sound, it's not an absolute requirement. Tonal accuracy, dynamic range, a certain thereness that conveys the emotional heft or delicacy of musicthose things come first. Without them, the most precisely delineated soundstage is like an architect's sketch of an oil painting.

Art Dudley Listening

Listening #149

Art Dudley Apr 22, 2015

At home, I have two different ways of listening to musicjust as I have two different ways of cooking and washing the car and making coffee and getting dressed to go out.

My first approach to listening is the one that takes the most time: It requires forethought and effort and, consciously or not, a certain amount of ritualyet those things are enjoyable in and of themselves, and the end results are often more than merely satisfying.