An international affair, room 419 held a Serbian made Soulines TT42 turntable ($14,500, tonearm and cart not included), Norwegian Electrocompaniet ECP 2 MkII phono stage ($2900), Electrocompaniet ECM 1 MKII High End DAC and streamer ($5700), Electrocompaniet EMC 1 MKV Reference CD player ($6800), Electrocompaniet EC 4.8…
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Hasn’t everyone owned a pair of Triangle speakers? Early in my audio journey, Triangle’s clean, precise, flowing sound won me over. Then the company seemingly disappeared. Well, they’re back, and FLAX 2025 showed them in prime stead, in yet another House of Stereo room.
Rhino Records started in 1978 as an eclectic indie label specializing in compilations and offbeat reissues. Its emblem was a scowling rhinoceros-human hybrid with a record spinning on the tip of its horn (footnote 1). Time Warner acquired the label during the 1990s, and today Warner Music uses it as its chief nonclassical reissue vehicle.
As a back-catalog label, Rhino was active early in the vinyl revival—and it continues to be. Rhino quickly learned that a popular older album, when released as a high-quality physical artifact—whether it's an LP, a CD box, a multichannel Blu-ray audio…
At an exclusive event hosted by Manhattan Motorcars in New York City, I had the chance to speak with Walter Schofield, a consultant representing Oneiros loudspeakers. Surrounded by luxury automobiles, our conversation explored why these ultra-high-end speakers fit perfectly into a dealership known for its selection of rare, exclusive, and exotic vehicles.
According to Schofield, Oneiros Loudspeakers aren't merely inspired by Formula 1 technology—they incorporate it. Manufactured in England's "Motorsport Valley," a region famous for producing winning F1 cars, every aspect of these…
Ron Buffington’s Liquid HiFi was a chance to hear excellent orchestral music and learn something in the process.
Ron’s rig included Wadax’s new Studio Player ($39,800), CH Precision M1.1 amplifier ($57,000), and Stenheim Alumine 2.5 loudspeakers ($23,500). Prices include personal delivery and setup.
Accessories, if indeed we can refer to these important component aids as “accessories,” comprised Arya Audio RevOPods ($1495/set of four), Nordost Valhalla 2 power, speaker cables, and interconnects (from $6599), Reiki Audio Super Switch Pro ($3495), Aardvark Ethernet isolators ($4999…
Victor Kung was my virtual mom in Tampa, feeding me Ritz crackers, bananas, Cheerios, Kind bars, and delicious instant coffee when my energy flagged. Victor’s generosity was also on display in the lovely, tubed components he brought to his small room, easily one of my favorites of the show.
Victor’s front end included a Hana Umami Blue MC cartridge mounted on a VPI Industries Forever One turntable ($5500, my next Stereophile review), a VK Music Step-Up Transformer, a Sparkler Audio Model S-1511u CD player, and Stenheim Alumine 2.5 loudspeakers.
Victor’s Japanese-made…
Gary Lea of Supreme Acoustic Systems graciously allowed me into his room pre-show, because he knows I am a horn-loaded loudspeaker fanatic. After one look at Odeon Audio’s German-made Semper loudspeakers ($49,900/pair), I had to contain myself.
Beautifully crafted in Haltern am See, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the three-way, 95dB Sempers are made of a mix of plywood and MDF, employing a 1" compression driver with ring radiator for the tweeter firing into a birch horn. A 13cm midrange driver uses a hyperbolic membrane, firing into a 50cm birch spherical wave horn. Finally, a 13" paper…
Valerio Cora, Scott Walker, and Kevin Hayes—Acora Acoustics, Scott Walker Audio, and VAC—consistently deliver high-quality audio. Their setup in the ballroom and adjacent rooms at the Sheraton’s entrance showcased this. Don’t want to tangle with four floors of audio gear? These rooms offered an exceptional listening experience—no stairs required.
Though someone told me they had planned on five rooms, only four systems were up and running, and what a show it was.
System 1: A VPI Avenger Direct Statement turntable ($36,000), which includes a VPI FatBoy Gimbal 12" 3D tonearm…
Every product listed here has been reviewed in Stereophile. Everything on the list, regardless of rating, is genuinely recommendable. Occasionally we get complaints from manufacturers who object to being included in, say, Class B. That's their error: Inclusion in Class B is something to be proud of.
Within each category, products are listed by class; within each class, they're in alphabetical order, followed by their price, a review synopsis, and a note indicating the issues in which the review, and any subsequent follow-up reports, appeared. "Vol.48 No.3" indicates our March 2025 issue,…
Turntables:
A+:
J.Sikora Reference: $48,000 w/o tonearm
This Polish company's top-of-the-line turntable is a nonsuspended, high-mass design, weighing 253lb. The dynamically and statically balanced platter alone weighs 40lb! Drive is with four square belts spun by four Papst DC motors. MF found that the plinth was immune to knuckle raps and motor start-up noises and wrote that the Reference was very quiet. He decided that this J.Sikora 'table had been superbly tuned to extract deep, well-controlled bass free of overhang or excess. The measured speed accuracy was impressive, as…
Tonearms:
A+:
Acoustic Signature TA-7000 NEO: $18,995 for 12" Silver, $16,995 for 9" Silver
The TA-7000 uses 4N silver internal wiring, a gimbaled ball/race bearing system, and a carbon-fiber armtube with an internal lattice structure that adds stiffness and damping. It is available with SME or Rega-type mounts and in 9" and 12" versions. The model reviewed was the 9", which conforms to the standard Rega geometry. It pays to be cautious when adjusting arm height, MF advised, as the pillar goes, in a hair-turn of the grub screw, "from rock-solid secure to dropping like…