One of the great things about train travel is that it's conducive to writing: I spread all of my handwritten notes and the brochures and business cards I've collected on the seat next to me—this also serves to discourage potential seatmates, some of whom enjoy conversation—then power up my laptop and get to it. But: Often I rifle through that pile…
search
Because I'm ill-disposed to flying—when you get right down to it, I'm not wild about traveling in general—I usually go by train. That's where I'm working on this portion of my CAF 2017 coverage. (We're near Trenton, New Jersey as I write this.)
Throughout the 1990s, whilst I imported Audio Note products from the UK and Japan (now called Kondo), I longed to simplify my life and add more Zen to my lifestyle: I just wanted to import high quality tube-amp kits from Asia and Europe. But alas, the Great Force had other plans for me.
When I walked into the VK Music room, I was jealous and embarrassed. I was jealous, because obviously VK Music's Victor Kung was doing something I admire; I was simultaneously embarrassed that I had never heard of his British Columbia-based operation. Not only that, I was jealous because his TU-8600…
In this video, we visit Tyll Hertsens, Editor of Stereophile's sister site InnerFidelity.com, in Bozeman, Montana. Tyll is a connoisseur of headphones and portable audio products, and is somewhat of a YouTube sensation within the headphone community. (Truthfully: Having spent most of my "early audiophile" years experimenting on headphone mods and lurking on headphone forums, I'd been watching Tyll's headphone review videos long before I ever knew about Stereophile's existence.)
In this Reviewer Profile, Tyll shows us his Headphone Wall of Fame, where he does most of his reviews, and…
On Sunday morning, my Capital Audiofest 2017 experience began in the Hilton's Washington Auditorium, as my friend and colleague Herb Reichert (above) and I hosted a seminar titled "The Virtues of Vintage."
Actually, my day as a Stereophile employee started before that, when I went down to the lobby level for breakfast, and to greet our panelists. Blackie Pagano, perhaps the best-known, best-loved tube-amp technician in New York, was first to show up, and while Herb stepped away to deal with some luggage, Blackie and I went into the dining area for coffee and breakfast. A number of people…
What I love most about the CanJam-CanMania world of headphones is, when I enter these rooms full of tables stacked with gear and cans; all laid out into individual listening stations; each with its own folding chair, DAC, amp, and headphones—all with table cloths and tangled wires—I am reminded of those ham radio meets I used to attend. Those tribal rooms were always alive with a collective vibe of discovery—just like here and now. CAF 2017's CanMania was no exception, and, exactly like those old hamfests, there are tubes everywhere.
And of course, the most hamfest-tubealistic of all is (…
Dan Wright is most famous for his Oppo disc-player modifications that seem to cure the colorlessness and industrial ennui that contaminates the stock Oppo players. They look a bit weird sci-fi with the two tubes sticking out the top like alien antennae—but his BDP-105 and 205 mods sound rich fast and wonderful. Dan also makes beautifully crafted amps and preamps. And lately, he's been making glamorous-looking and -sounding headphone amplifiers like the shiny red $7900 300B tube-powered HA300 amplifier pictured above.
With quick auditions at shows, and especially in noisy CanMania…
After the Capital Audio fest vintage seminar and my visit to Vinyl Revivers, I looked at my phone and saw that time was running out: I had just over three hours left to cover seven or eight more rooms. Time to get cracking!
I remembered Charney Audio from a previous show: based in Somerset, New Jersey and run by designer Brian Charney, they specialize in horn-loaded, full-range speakers and low-power amplifiers—and the last time I heard their products, I thought the company had considerable promise. Based on what I heard at CAF 2017, Charney has upped his game even further: the sound from…
Today through Sunday, November 9–12, Ovation Audio+Video (6609 East 82 Street, Indianapolis, IN 46250) is holding a 50th Anniversary Celebration. "Four fun days to taste, toast, and savor music, movies and the very best in high-performance stereo and video—with wine & cheese" they say!
Special guest Thursday evening will be Stereophile's and AnalogPlanet.com's own Michael Fremer. Fresh from the "Making Vinyl" event In Detroit, Michael Fremer will talking vinyl and playing records. The event tonight starts at 6pm, and Michael will be appearing at 7pm, followed by live demos featuring…
Founded in the mid-1970s, Acoustat was the first manufacturer of full-range electrostatics literally forced to address what had long been a major weakness of such speakers: high-voltage breakdown, or "arcing." The original design was built and used in JP (Jeep) Harned's home, where the living-room french windows opened out onto a stream in the back yard. That, plus Florida's legendary humidity, conspired to produce summer days when moisture would trickle down every vertical surface in the house, including the speaker elements. With 8000 volts or so running around in the speakers, and the…
The panels are hinged, allowing them to be tilted forward or back to accommodate any likely listening height, as well as unlikely ones like LA standing up. (Yogis please note: the forward tilt range is not great enough to allow listening from the lotus position, unless you are able to levitate.) Two screws on each base can then be tightened to lock the panel in position. This tiltability is a dandy feature, and one I wish had been available on other large electrostatics I have tested in recent years. It must also be said that it is almost a liability on the Spectras, because they have such…