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I want to neither overstate nor understate the effect power cords have on the sound of electronic components. Many manufacturers who've visited me have laughed at some of the boa constrictor–like power cords I have on hand—until they've heard them attached to their products. They do make a difference.

That said, how can one accurately assess the "sound" of a piece of electronics without assessing the "sound" of the power cord to which it attached? Good question! The Ayre sounded fine with the supplied cord, but substituting a Yamamura Quantum cord (over…

Description: Full-function, solid-state control preamplifier. Maximum voltage gain: 16dB to balanced outputs, 10dB to unbalanced outputs (line); 40dB, 50dB, 60dB (phono stage). Line input impedance: 10k ohms (each phase). Phono input impedance: adjustable—50k ohms (default); 100, 250, 500, 1000 ohms supplied; other values available. Output impedance: 300 ohms (each phase). Power consumption: 30W.
Dimensions: 18" W by 3.75" H by 11" D (main unit); 10" W by 3" H by 8" D (power supply). Weight: 25lb (11.5kg).
Serial number of unit reviewed: 3A 0126.
…

Phono Cartridges: Transfiguration Temper, Lyra Clavis DC, Parnassus DC.T, AudioQuest Fe-5, Grado Reference, Goldring Excel XV, van den Hul MC 10 Special.
Tonearms: Graham 2.0, Immedia RPM, Simon Yorke Series 7.
Turntables: Simon Yorke, VPI TNT Mk.IV.
Preamplifiers: Audible Illusions Modulus 3A, Sutherland PH-2000, FM Acoustics 122.
Power Amplifiers (tube): Conrad-Johnson Premier 12, VTL MB-450.
Loudspeakers: Sonus Faber Concerto Grand Piano, Aerial 8, Audio Physic Virgo, Audio Physic Rhea powered subwoofer.
Cables: Yamamura…

A full set of measurements for the Ayre K-3 were made in its balanced configuration, with selected measurements repeated for the unbalanced mode. Unless otherwise noted, the measurements presented are for balanced operation.

The Ayre's impedance at its line output measured 558 ohms at 1kHz in the left channel, 561 ohms in the right (279 ohms unbalanced, left channel), with insignificant variations with changes in the level control. The line-level input impedance measured 21k ohms (10k ohms unbalanced), again virtually independent of the level control.…

The Model-One features Qualcomm aptX Bluetooth, the low-latency version. Android users get high-quality Bluetooth, and AAC is the codec for Apple devices, so it's…

Description: Integrated music system with belt-drive turntable, phono preamp, amplification, DSP, DAC, headphone amp, and built-in speakers. 200W total amplification (2 × 70W to woofers; 2 × 30W to tweeters). Acoustic frequency range: 55Hz–30kHz ±3dB (under lab conditions). Turntable motor: 24-pole AC synchronous driven by digitally synthesized 2-speed electronic control. Platter: 12" acrylic with felt mat. Speeds: 33.3/45/78rpm, adjustable ±3%. Wow and flutter: <0.2%. Tonearm: 8.6" single piece, carbon fiber. Phono cartridge: Ortofon 2M Silver. Inputs:…

Digital source: MBL N31 CD player/DAC.
Integrated amplifier: MBL N51.
Loudspeakers: MBL 126 Radialstrahler.
Headphones: HiFiMan HE400S, Sonus Faber Pryma.
Cables: AudioQuest, Ansuz Acoustics, and Morrow Audio (interconnects and other cabling).
Accessories: AudioQuest Niagara 1000 Low-Z Power Noise-Dissipation System, Critical Mass Systems Maxxum equipment racks, Zanden Audio AT-1 proprietary foam bass traps/tubes (corners, 2×), AP-1 proprietary foam acoustic panels 4 × 35.5" H by 23.75" W by 1.5" D (removable and custom attached to PVC…

Evidently, I Need These Headphones
Life’s been interesting this past year. I left HeadRoom in April ’10; my daughter moved out and and I found myself in an empty nest; I rode thousands of miles on my motorcycle; met a lovely lady who rode her bike with me, and we married; constructed offices in my home to support my review work; and got my job here. Phew. In the process, I did a lot of organizing around the home, throwing out things I don’t need anymore, rearranging furniture, and ferreting bits and pieces into boxes. It felt good to…

Like almost all headphones of this type, variability in bass response due to variations in fit is observed in the raw data measurements of the headphones in five different positions. The performance of the PX 200-IIi is actually quite good in this regard; many small ear-pad headphones show significantly more variation.

The top graphs show the sum of the five positions for each channel, and is compensated for the acoustics of the head. Here we see an even, though somewhat bowed-up response, centered in the mid-range and falling to either side. The treble…