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Analog sources: VPI Avenger Direct turntable, VPI Fatboy tonearm, Hana Umami Blue MC cartridge.
Digital sources: HoloAudio May DAC, Sonore opticalRendu, Roon Nucleus+, Small Green Computer power supply, TRENDnet switch, Apple iPad mini.
Integrated amplifier: Shindo Allegro, PrimaLuna EVO 400.
Preamplifier: Sugden LA-4 line preamplifier, Manley Chinook phono preamplifier.
Power amplifiers: Pass Labs XA-25, LKV Research PWR-3, Shindo Haut Brion.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity O/baby, GoldenEar BRX, Volti Audio Razz, Spendor BC-1.
Cables…

I performed a full set of measurements on the Luxman L-509Z using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. The amplifier is specified as having a maximum output power of 120Wpc into 8 ohms; I preconditioned the L-509Z before the measurements by following the CEA's recommendation, running it at one-eighth that power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. Following that period, the top panel was warm, at 92.6°F (33.7°C), and the grilles over the internal heatsinks were hotter, at 111.5°F (44.2°C). I performed a complete set of tests using the single-ended line inputs, as they had…

Social Distortion uniquely melded country, blues, rock, and of course hardcore punk into a sound that's a baseline for what's now known as "SoCal Punk." Acts like Bruce Springsteen, Green Day, Rancid, and Blink-182 joined the fan base that emerged when the band released 1983's Mommy's Little Monster on their own 13th Floor Records label.

Front man, lead…

In jazz, it is rare for a label to become a reason in itself to buy an album. At various points in history, there have been such imprints: Blue Note, Riverside, ECM. Giant Step Arts is much smaller but belongs in this distinguished company, artistically, sonically, and graphically.

Chien Chien Lu, originally from Taiwan, is an imaginative, complete, original vibraphonist. Her early…

The music of composer/conductor/pianist Reinbert de Leeuw (1938–2020) is as astounding as anything I've heard. His final two orchestral works, both recorded live, may have been composed 40 years apart, but both are complex, layered, and filled with dark, aggressive, and soul-…

LKV Veros One Sound: Depending on your system, you can run the Veros One all balanced, all single-ended, single-ended in and balanced out, or balanced in and single-ended out. Would balanced in and out have produced an audible difference in the level of noise? I don't know—I ran the Veros One single-ended in and out, and with the volume way up and nothing playing, it was essentially dead quiet. With music playing, backgrounds were inky-black.

One of the first records I played was the Syd Lawrence Orchestra's Big Band Spectacular!, a recent direct-to-disc recording by producer…

Over and over, we see mismatches between the size of the speakers and the size of the room. Consider the exhibit space before deciding which equipment to demo, especially speakers. You may have a big new…

Never Mind the Bollocks was out, on a major label. A few months before, the Ramones had released their third album, Rocket to Russia. Elvis Costello's My Aim Is True had been out for a while, but it was still a game changer. Soon, Darkness on the Edge of Town and Some Girls would all be vying for attention. That was college radio circa 1978. And amongst all this progressive talent was even a flash of…

A quick scan shows that Rogue Audio has been prominent in Stereophile. The magazine has reviewed quite a few Rogue Audio products, including the RP1 preamplifier, the several versions of the Sphinx integrated, the Pharaoh II integrated, and the Stereo 100 power amplifier. Indeed, Rogue has had a near-continuous presence over the past decade on Stereophile's coveted "Recommended Components" list. That's an impressive track record, and accessibly priced…