Demetris Baklavas, co-founder of Ypsilon Electronics, showcased the VPS-100 phono preamplifier ($25,000), the MC10-L step-up transformer ($6600), the DAC-1000 SE ($50,000), and the CD-100 transport/player ($25,000). A Ypsilon PST-100 Mk.2 SE line preamplifier ($68,000) was paired with…
Their setup began with a Technics SL-1200G turntable and Supatrac Nighthawk tonearm, fitted with an Ortofon MC Anna Diamond cartridge, feeding an HSE Swiss Masterline 7 phono stage (about $89,000, all prices approximate when converted from Euros). Digital came via the OePhi Streamer-DAC ($13,500), while the…
The system, presented by AMG USA’s Michael and Silvia Fajen alongside AMG Deutschland’s Julian Lorenzi, centered on the Viella Turbo turntable ($25,500) with its 12JT tonearm and cherry skirt. This analog front end included AMG’s new silver internal wire upgrade for the 12JT tonearm ($1600 for existing arms, or a $1000 upcharge for new ones), the debuting Silverclear XLR tonearm cable ($…
Designed by Sven Boenicke, who in addition to designing speakers has been a recording engineer for more than 20 years, the Boenicke speakers appear small in scale but contain unique,…
Despite the weather, which prevented audiophiles living on other islands of the archipelago from flying in for the event, at least 2000 managed to attend. These are passionate, enthusiastic audiophiles—and the high proportion of young people, particularly among the…
The position of the first null point depends on the curve used. With Löfgren A, it's about 119mm;, with Stevenson (not included in the SMARTractor) and Löfgren B, about 117mm; and with SMARTractor designer Dietrich Brakemeier's UNI-DIN curve, 113mm.
From the first null…
What began as a request from space-conscious Asian buyers now suits a wave of American downsizers. The Aurelia is a two‑way passive speaker with a sealed box. It has two 5" paper-cone midrange drivers from SB Acoustics and a 1" textile-dome tweeter from Scan‑Speak. The cabinet is a “thermoformed mineral-filled composite,” says Estelon. The speaker comes with feet that are designed to minimize…
Valerio Cora (Acora Acoustics/Audio Research), Kevin Hayes (VAC), and Mat Weisfeld (VPI) worked the halls in Munich with the confidence of seasoned entrepreneurs, showcasing their US-made gear at the world's biggest high-end audio show.
The system featured a VPI Avenger Direct turntable fitted with a FatBoy Gimbal 12-3D tonearm ($36,000 for the combo), which I reviewed for Stereophile. The tonearm carried a Hana Umami Red low-output moving-coil (MC) cartridge ($3950). Digital sources included an Esoteric N-01XD SE network streamer ($25,000) and an Esoteric Grandioso K1X SE SACD/CD…
After self-producing most of their nine previous albums, My Morning Jacket decided to shake things up and bring in producer Brendan O'Brien. Best known for his work with Pearl Jam, O'Brien has helmed acclaimed albums by the Black Crowes (Shake Your Money Maker) and Bruce Springsteen (The Rising) as well; music fans also encountered him as a keyboardist on Neil Young's 1995 Mirror Ball tour, and on the album of the same name.
With…
Equally defiant of the Nazis and the Stalinists, Ligeti was a twice-burned iconoclast whose life and music defied convention. Ligeti fused the wild edges of Hungarian folk tradition with influences from Romania, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, and his own unruly imagination. No other composer…