And for the 27th year in a row, the December Stereophile includes our choices for "Product of the Year," with some surprises, some bargains, and something for every…
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. . . is here, with Outlaw's $799 "retro receiver" on its cover. "A conspicuously good-sounding audiophile product at a ridiculously low price," declared Herb Reichert. At the other end of the price spectrum, Michael Fremer reviews the most-expensive Grado cartridge yet, John Atkinson and Herb Reichert audition cost-no-object headphones from Audeze and HiFiMan, and Jason Victor Serinus reviews the Network Bridge from dCS.
I was aware that Canadian company Verity Audio, founded in 1995, made loudspeakers, like the Sarastro II that Fred Kaplan reviewed in May 2009. But when Jason Victor Serinus and I attended the 2018 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, we were both impressed by the sound of an all-Verity system that featured Verity's Monsalvat AMP-60 power amplifier. Jason Victor Serinus favorably reviewed the AMP-60 in May 2019; I didn't have to be asked twice, therefore, if I wanted to review Verity's Montsalvat DAC/PRE (see later).
The DAC/PRE
The DAC/PRE, priced at $25,000, is an example of an increasingly…
Power Amplifiers:
A (SOLID STATE):
Accuphase A-300 monoblock: $49,950/pair
“The more I listened to the A-300 monoblocks, the more I wanted to listen,” wrote Jason Victor Serinus about his time with a pair of these powerful amplifiers. (It is specified as delivering 125W into 8 ohms, 250W into 4 ohms, 500W into 2 ohms, and 1000W into 1 ohm.) The MOSFET output operates in class-A up to 125W into 8 ohms, 62.5W into 4 ohms, and 31.25W into 2 ohms. The A-300 has both balanced and unbalanced inputs; the gain and XLR polarity can be adjusted; and an operation-mode switch facilitates…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Apple MacBook Pro laptop computer with Intel i7, SSD, 8GB RAM; Apple iMac desktop computer with 3.4GHz Intel Core i7, 12GB RAM; G Drive 4TB external hard drive; Oppo BDP-93 NuForce Edition universal BD player; Benchmark DAC-1 USB DAC. M2Tech HiFace 192kHz Digital Audio Interface.
Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Focus 110A.
Cables: Digital Interconnect: Nordost Odin 1 (BNC with RCA adapters). Analog Interconnect: Nordost Heimdall 2 (USB) & Odin 1 (RCA). AC: Nordost Odin 1 & Odin 2 & Valhalla.
Accessories: Nordost Thor power…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: dCS Paganini SACD/CD transport & Network Bridge & Scarlatti clock & Vivaldi DAC, Apple iPad Pro.
Power Amplifiers: Pass Laboratories XA200.8 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Diamond (FireWire, Ethernet), Nordost Odin 1 & Odin 2, Wireworld Platinum Starlight Cat8 (Ethernet). Interconnect, Speaker, AC: Nordost Odin 2.
Accessories: Grand Prix Monaco rack & amp stands, 1.5" Formula platforms, Apex feet; Nordost QB8, QX4, QK1, QV2 power accessories; Isotek…
Following this year's Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, I trekked northwest to Port Townsend, Washington to observe Stereophile's one-and-only Jason Victor Serinus in his natural habitat.
In this Reviewer Video Profile, Jason gives us a tour of his listening room, introduces us to his adorable dogs, and shares some thoughts on life. Oh—and, of course, this video would not be complete without a little whistling! (But I won't tell you where.)
Despite having spent a good bit of time with Jason in person at audio shows, I was surprised to learn that he really is just as quick, witty, and…
"Handcrafted In Germany" it proudly says above AVM's new Rotation R5.3 Cellini Edition belt-drive turntable, with its acrylic Illumine platter softly glowing blue. With its 10" AVM tonearm, the R 2.3 will cost in the region of $8900 and, fitted with an Ortofon Cadenza Black cartridge, did justice to Diana Krall singing "Indeed I Do." (For what it's worth, while many showgoers dismiss Krall as an over-exposed pop singer—I'm looking at you, Jason Victor Serinus— I respect both her musicianship and her piano playing.)
The rest of the system comprised Wilson Sabrina speakers driven by an AVM…
Multiple product premieres take place at Berkeley, CA store Music Lovers Audio (2116 Blake Street), Saturday December 5, from 1pm–6pm. Philip O’Hanlon of On A Higher Note is presenting the North American premiere of the Vivid B1 Decade, 10th Anniversary, limited-edition loudspeaker (above). John Quick of dCS will show the new dCS Rossini D/A processor, and Peter McGrath of Wilson Audio Specialties will present the Wilson Sabrina loudspeakers in a system featuring the Spectral DMC-30SV Super Veloce preamplifier.
Stereophile’s Jason Victor Serinus will there. More details can be found here…
"48 pages of Audio Component Reviews" proudly proclaims the skyline on the cover of the March Stereophile, hitting newsstands, mailboxes, and tablets this week. DeVore Fidelity's Gibbon X graces the cover and is reviewed in depth inside by Jim Austin. DeVore's flagship speaker heads an impressive list of gear evaluated inside, from Shure, Spendor, Q Acoustics, KEF, Musical Fidelity, Rogue, Chord, Hegel, EMM Labs, Grandinote, Grado, Ortofon, Miyajima, Mutech, and Roon.
To kick things off, Jason Victor Serinus examines the state of audio shows in North America and Ken Micallef wraps the…
On the final day of the show, our special guest, ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro and our very own Jason Victor Serinus came together to form the most unlikely of duos. We originally attempted to film this while in a moving gondola but were sternly prohibited from doing so by the gondola ride manager.
Though you may only know him as an invaluable member of Stereophile's writing staff, Jason also happens to be a whistler extraordinaire! He's "the Voice of Woodstock" in the Peanuts cartoon, She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown, was inducted into the Whistler's Hall of Fame, and has been…