Hegel H150 Integrated Amplifier Officially Announced

Sonus faber Announces Amati Supreme Speaker

FiiO M27 Headphone DAC Amplifier Released

Audio Advice Acquires The Sound Room

LATEST ADDITIONS

Sweepstakes

Sam Wins Big on Independence Day

Ariel Bitran Jul 07, 2013

Who is this mysterious Sam character? He won't submit a photo. He won't tell me anything but his name. Samuel Thomas. Hmmm. Sounds patriotic. But it's not quite the Sam of which I'm thinking. The real Uncle Sam was Samuel Wilson, a meatpacker from Troy, New York. Sam Thomas is in Pullman, Washington.

Interviews

Yves-Bernard André: Kind of Blue

Jonathan Scull Jul 07, 2013

Jonathan Scull: You say your YBA CD-1 Blue Laser CD player makes use of Stochastic Resonance, Yves-Bernard?

Yves-Bernard André: Yes...in adding some noise to the signal, we can actually get more information back.

Ariel Bitran

CE Week: Headphones Galore, A DAC, A Small Hi-Fi, and Avoiding Bluetooth

Ariel Bitran Jul 03, 2013

A billboard from a wireless speaker company that will not be covered.

Before leaving for CE Week, a trade event showcasing a general representation of the consumer electronics market, JA cautioned, “I’m worried you may not find many things applicable to our readers.” I love a challenge.

Within these table-lined alleys littered with business cards and quesadillas, I aimed to uncover as much two-channel audio as possible. This would include headphones. This would also include an attempt to avoid Bluetooth, as Bluetooth is lossy and has been an unreliable connection for long-term listening in my experiences so far. Would this general representation of the consumer electronics market have products an audiophile could enjoy?

Yes.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews Audacious Audio

TAD Evolution One loudspeaker

Kalman Rubinson Jul 03, 2013

I had been anticipating getting to audition a pair of TAD loudspeakers in my system since the introduction of the original TAD Model-1, in 2003. It was designed by Andrew Jones, who had recently assumed the mantle of chief designer at Technical Audio Devices Laboratories (TAD), at that time a subsidiary of Pioneer. Although TAD dates back to the mid-1970s, its research and development efforts had been focused on the professional sound market, something that continues. Jones came from a long line of speaker innovators at KEF and was assigned the goal of developing state-of-the-art speakers for the domestic market.

Stand Loudspeaker Reviews Budget Component Reviews

Pioneer SP-BS22-LR loudspeaker

Robert J. Reina Jul 02, 2013

I often receive letters from Stereophile readers. I've even gotten a few letters from female readers, one an attractive young lover of tube gear who sent me a picture of herself and [sigh] her boyfriend. But most are from people who are either thanking me for a specific review that resulted in a purchase and a satisfied buyer, or are suggesting products they'd like me to review. I frequently take the advice of writers of this second category; in fact, two of the inexpensive speakers I'll review in the next year were recommended by readers.

Stand Loudspeaker Reviews Budget Component Reviews

Music Hall Marimba loudspeaker

Stephen Mejias Jul 02, 2013

Late last year, when I first heard of the Music Hall Marimba, I was happily surprised: One of my favorite hi-fi manufacturers had finally introduced its first and (so far) only loudspeakerand it was seriously affordable at $349/pair. I wanted to review the Marimbas right away, but grumpy old Sam Tellig beat me to them.

Art Dudley Listening

Listening #127

Art Dudley Jul 01, 2013

The closest I've come to airing my thoughts about live vs recorded music was in the "As We See It" of the December 2005 Stereophile, "Resistance Is Futile," in which I put as many miles between the two as I could. I described live performances as works of art that exist only at the time and place of their making, variables from which their ultimate impact can never be separated; and music recordings as works of art in their own right, albeit ones that require a great deal more from the listener in order to succeed to their fullest. People respond more positively to live music not because it sounds more real, but because they understand, consciously or not, that any performance is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Sweepstakes

Focal Spirit One Mobile Headphones Sweepstakes

Jon Iverson Jul 01, 2013

Register to win a set of Focal Spirit One Mobile Headphones (MSRP $279.00) we are giving away.

According to the company:

The result of 33-years of creating exacting sound in the finest homes, the most demanding sound studios and the most luxurious automobiles, multi-patent recipient Focal offers you their Spirit One portable stereo headphone - your sonic sanctuary in todays hectic noisy environment. Whether you commute across country in a plane, or just across town a few train station stops away, our Spirit One will comfortably immerse you inside the very heart of your musical experience.

[This Sweepstakes is now closed.]

Stephen Mejias

Payday Albums: 6/28/13

Stephen Mejias Jun 28, 2013

It’s been just over a month since my last Payday Albums post, but it feels much longer than that. I had been trying to spend less money on records, so that I could actually spend more time listening to the records that stood quietly on my shelves. A valiant endeavor, if I do say so myself, but one that didn’t really work out as intended: Instead of spending money on records, I spent money on books. I almost posted a Payday Books list, but I figured the grumpy old audiophiles would stone me for reading.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews Audacious Audio

YG Acoustics Sonja 1.3 loudspeaker

John Atkinson Jun 25, 2013

The advertisements run by Colorado manufacturer YG Acoustics in 2008, when it launched its flagship loudspeaker model, the Anat Reference II Professional, unequivocally claimed it to be "The best loudspeaker on Earth. Period." They caused a stir. The YGA speaker cost $107,000/pair at the time of Wes Phillips's review in the March 2009 issue. Wes didn't disagree with the claim, concluding that, "Like my pappy used to say, it ain't braggin' if you can actually do it."