For people coming to SSI by train, a great advantage of the new Hilton Bonaventure show venue is that it's only about a five-minute walk underground from Montreal's Central Station. The hotel itself…
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Faithful readers of these show report blogs may recall that last year I missed the Toronto–Montreal train I was scheduled to take, and had to wait two hours for the next one. This year, I was determined that history was not going to repeat itself, and I ended up getting to the train station nearly an hour before the train's departure. Maybe next year I'll find a happy compromise. . .
Other Stereophile writers, most specifically Jason Victor Serinus, have mentioned how good the Immedia room sounded and they are absolutely right: It sounded wonderful. I heard it twice and both times I was tremendously impressed with how relaxed and natural it sounded at moderate loudness levels. Many demonstrations rely on loudness to generate excitement, but Immedia's Allen Perkins let his system just bloom naturally.
When I returned to hear the Allegria ($15,000/pair) loudspeaker from Sonics By Joachim Gerhard, Perkins had replaced the Ayre power amplifier with the more powerful…
From the December 2001 issue, Robert Deutsch tries something completely different when he fires up the 47 Laboratory 4706 Gaincard power amplifier. RD notes, "The pursuit of simplicity in the design of solid-state audio electronics is perhaps best exemplified by the products from 47 Laboratory." Less is often more, but with the 4706 Gaincard, is it better?
Next, Kalman Rubinson goes on a blind audio date with the Coincident Speaker Technology Super Conquest Series II loudspeaker. Contrary to standard procedure, KR says, "I had no knowledge of Coincident Speaker Technology until Wes Phillips…
Four Thursdays have powered up and cooled down since this year's Home Entertainment Show in Los Angeles, and I'm still reading the show reports. Beyond that, I'm enjoying them more and more. This is a good sign, I realize. I'm enjoying the reports more because they're making more sense to me. The language is becoming a part of me.
Jonathan Scull tells me, "Once bitten, quality becomes a lifelong pursuit." Sure: we were talking about something else — something more beautiful — but I think it applies to hi-fi, as well.
In our latest e-Newsletter, Jason Victor Serinus…
Like many Stereophile readers, I read with great interest, and a certain amount of incredulity, Jason Victor Serinus's rather gushing CES report on the Sennheiser HD800 headphones. Now, I have a lot of respect for JVS's opinions—we share an appreciation of opera and other vocal music, and we're both great fans of Fritz Wunderlich—but, reading his report, part of me was intrigued and another part was thinking "Come on, Jason, these are just headphones, what's the big deal?"
SSI 2009 provided the first opportunity for me to listen to the HD800's, and now I can appreciate more clearly…
Joint Digital Components of the Year
Benchmark DAC3 HGC D/A processor/headphone amplifier ($2195; reviewed by Jim Austin & Herb Reichert, November 2017, September & October 2018, Vol.40 No.11, Vol.41 Nos. 9 & 10 review)
dCS Vivaldi D/A processor ($35,999; reviewed by Michael Fremer, John Atkinson & Jason Victor Serinus, January 2014 & December 2017, Vol.37 No.1 & Vol.40 No.12 review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Aqua Acoustic Quality Formula xHD D/A processor ($17,000; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus, June 2018, Vol.41 No.6…
I would rather go to the dentist than go to the airport. I would rather go to the gym than go to the airport. I would rather go to church than go to the airport. The entire process—missing your train, waiting, waiting, getting there, finding your way around, checking in, going through security, getting undressed, removing your laptop, showing your identification to three different people, submitting to an additional random search, collecting your things, getting dressed again, sweating, crumpling your papers, making your way to the terminal, waiting, waiting, waiting, boarding the…
Digital Component of the Year
dCS Rossini Apex D/A processor ($32,800; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus in Vol.45 No.10 review)
Finalists (In alphabetical order)
Burmester MusicCenter 151 MK2 D/A processor ($27,500; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus in May 2022, Vol.45 No.5 review)
CH Precision D1.5 SACD/CD player/ transport ($41,000–$46,000; reviewed by Jim Austin in March & May 2022, Vol.45 Nos.3 & 5 review)
Meitner MA3 Integrated D/A processor ($10,500; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus in June 2022, Vol.45 No.6 review)
Mola Mola Tambaqui D/A…
Amplification in the Signature system in the Lamm room featured the ML3 Signature power amplifiers ($139,290/pair). Like the LL1 preamplifier, the ML3 isalso a four-chassis system. These 32W, single-ended, pure class-A amp is based on a direct-heated GM-70 triode.
The sound in the Lamm Industries system started with a digital front end from NeoDio, a full complement of Kubala-Sosna cables, and the Wilson MAXX 3. I totally blissed out listening to Arleen Auger singing works by Aaron Copland. The total cost of this system as I heard it was more than $335,000. This doesn’t include the…
Joint Amplification Components of the Year
Audio Research Reference 160M monoblock power amplifier ($30,000/pair; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus, October 2018, Vol.41 No.10 review)
Pass Laboratories XA60.8 mono power amplifier ($13,500/pair; reviewed by Jim Austin, December 2017, Vol.40 No.12 review)
Finalists (in alphabetical order)
ASR Emitter II Exclusive integrated amplifier ($30,000; reviewed by Art Dudley, August 2018, Vol.41 No.8 review)
Ayre Acoustics KX-5 Twenty preamplifier ($9950; reviewed by Art Dudley & Jim Austin, March & June…