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Digital sources: dCS Vivaldi APEX D/A processor, Vivaldi Upsampler Plus, Vivaldi Master Clock; EMM Labs DV2 Integrated DAC, Meitner MA3 Integrated DAC; Innuos Statement Next-Gen Music Server and PhoenixNET network switch; Small Green Computer Sonore optical Module Deluxe with Broadcom/Avago AFBR-5718PZ 1GB SX-SFP, Gen 5 Fiber Optic module (2); Nordost QNet switch and QSource linear power supply (2); Sonore Audiophile Linear Power Supply; Synology 5-bay 1019+ NAS with Ferrum Hypsos linear/switching hybrid power supply; Linksys MR9000 mesh router and Arris…

Digital sources: dCS Varèse five-piece music system, Vivaldi Apex three-piece music system, Rossini CD/SACD transport, EMM Labs DV2i DAC, Meitner MA3 Integrated DAC; Innuos Statement Next-Gen Music Server and PhoenixNET network switch; Small Green Computer Sonore opticalModule Deluxe (2); Broadcom/ Avago AFBR-5718PZ 1GB SX-SFP, Gen 5 fiberoptic modules (2); Nordost QNet switch and QSource linear power supply (2); Sonore Audiophile Linear Power Supply; Synology 5-bay 1019+ NAS with Ferrum Hypsos linear/switching hybrid power supply; Linksys MR9000 mesh…

KEF LS50 Meta loudspeaker ($1500/pair, reviewed by John Atkinson, November 2020, Vol.43 No.11 Review)

Finalists (in alphabetical order)
Elac Alchemy DPA-2 power amplifier ($1495; reviewed by Jason Victor Serinus, June 2021, Vol.44 No.6 Review)
Elekit TU-8600RS stereo power amplifier ($1785; reviewed by Herb Reichert, May & August 2021. Vol.44 Nos.5 & 8 Review)
NAD C 298 stereo power amplifier ($1999; reviewed by Kal Rubinson, Vol.44 No.6 Review).
Okto DAC8 stereo streaming D/A processor (€1203; reviewed by John…

Anthem STR integrated amplifier ($4499, reviewed by Thomas J. Norton, July 2018, Vol.41 No.7 review)
The Anthem STR offers superb basic performance. Its Anthem Room Correction can help clear up the room/speaker interactions that can compromise the bass performance of even the best loudspeakers, and do so without compromising the midrange and high-frequency balance that drew you to those speakers in the first place.—Thomas J. Norton

Benchmark AHB2 power amplifier ($2995; reviewed by Kalman Rubinson & Jim Austin, November 2015…

Happy New Year! The January 2012 issue of Stereophile is now on newsstands. In this issue, you’ll find in-depth reviews of loudspeakers from TAD, Sonus Faber, Nola, and Dynaudio; amplification components from Sutherland, Fi, and Anthem; D/A processors from Weiss, Bel Canto, dCS, and Musical Fidelity; power conditioning from Audience, AudioQuest, and Shunyata; and CD players from Emotiva and Sony.

In “As We See It,” Bob Deutsch offers five ways to determine whether a “tweak” is worth our time and money. In “Letters,” readers tell us why they listen, and offer memories of audio…

Isoacoustics Gaia and Orea Isolation Feet ($59 and up); reviewed by Robert Deutsch & Art Dudley, October 2017, February 2018, & June 2019, Vol.40 No.10, Vol.41 No.2. & Vol.42 No.6 Review and Review)

IsoAcoustics' Orea isolation feet combine rigid metal elements with pliable internal couplers and can be placed in sets of three or four, under a variety of products. Their Gaia footers work the same way, yet, instead of being designed to simply slide into place beneath the product to be isolated from vibrations, they're built to accept…

"Once I thought I had the best hi-fi system that I could get. But then I would listen to a new product andbe shocked to hear something that I hadn't heard before. It always gave me a thrill, and I was always sorry that my old system didn't sound as good." Lest anyone think Rondi D'Agostino is even a little bit new to hi-fi, she clarified in our chat how long she'd been pursuing audiophile bliss. "I got into audio through my love of music," she told me. "I grew up in the '50s and '60s just outside of San Francisco in Sausalito,…

December 8, 2006
• Chinese Whispers Are Now Shouts, by Ken Kessler
• Tower Records R.I.P., by Wes Phillips

November 7, 2006
• New from Nagra, by Ken Kessler
• You Shall Knows Us By Our Trail of Unfiled Discs, by Wes Phillips
• This Month's Audio URL, from Wes Phillips

October 10, 2006
• Compared to What? by Wes Phillips
• Acoustic Energy WiFi Internet Radio, by Wes Phillips
• Soundmatters FULLstage Hd, by Wes Phillips
• Audica MPS-1 Personal Audio System, by Wes Phillips…

A company better known for their pro and consumer audio amplification, Bryston takes an interesting step into the digital playback arena at a time when compact discs seem to be going out of fashion. Nevertheless, they did it with style and grace: Larry Greenhill was impressed by the BCD-1's ability to "reveal the most subtle sonic details," and John Atkinson noted measured performance that was "close to the state of the art for a…

Often nakedly personal and direct in their responses to life events, Shostakovich's 15 String Quartets can overwhelm with the enigmatic elements that make his music so compelling and unique. Shaped as much by intimate relationships as the repressive political realities that wore him down, they stand as one of the later 20th century's major musical achievements…