The A1 includes a full braced 6061 T6 grade aluminum enclosure, a 1.1" beryllium-dome tweeter and a 6.5" mid-bass driver with a nanographene cone. Frequency range is specified as 35Hz–50kHz, sensitivity 84dB, and impedance 4…
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If you wanted to hear an admirably smooth, solid, all-of-one-piece system with a huge soundstage and extremely fast and firm bass, Ed DeVito's Audio-Ultra exhibit was one of the best to visit. It was also the only room where you could hear CH Precision gear with the latest upgrades and the diminutive Magico A1 standmount loudspeakers ($9400/pair in silver finish).
In the Ocean Audio room in which Finley Audio, Les Davis Audio, Small Green Computer, Serhan Swift loudspeakers, and Boulder Audio joined forces, my attention was first drawn to Serhan Swift of Sydney, Australia. In 2013, after nearly four decades of producing loudspeakers, Brad Serhan teamed up with Morris Swift of Oneaudio. As a follow-up to their active DSP Active loudspeaker, the men have created the mu2 Mk II passive loudspeaker ($7950/pair). Serhan was responsible for the principal design, and Swift contributed some of the engineering.
The mu2 Mk II loudspeaker is a precision two-…
Last summer, when I went shopping for a pair of standmount speakers for a bedroom, I settled on Monitor Audio Bronze 100s. They ticked the boxes: musical to a T, natural-sounding, not too incisive or fatiguing, and a pretty damn good value at around $700/pair. I dug 'em, and still do.
At AXPONA, the British company demonstrated what happened when it gave its designers license to develop a top-of-the-line floorstander. Fifty years of both incremental improvements and great leaps forward have culminated in the $13,900/pair Monitor Audio 200 3G. I'd opt for the piano ebony finish: fetching.…
Halfway through Day 1 of AXPONA 2023, it became clear once again that JDEvents has the staff and expertise to mount a large show with ease. While I'm sure there were a few rough patches, none of which I encountered, Deanna Tursellino's smiling face at one of several "Help" tables scattered throughout the show reflected the seeming ease with which the Fairfield, CT-based company's team of 15 assisted exhibitors and visitors alike.
Several surprises awaited in the AXPONA room sponsored by Gary Leeds's Hear This, North American distributor of WestminsterLab, and Von Schweikert Audio in association with Lampizator, NA and Small Green Computer. (Bonus points if you can read that out loud on one breath.) First was the "hard launch" of equipment from WestminsterLab: the Rei monoblock ($32,900/pair), which despite the title is not recommended for summer hikes in Yosemite, and Quest balanced preamplifier with full carbon-fiber component shielding upgrade ($25,100, or $22,900 in basic configuration). Next were the speakers—not…
As I continue work on a follow-up review of the Next-Gen Power Supply Upgrade to the Innuos Statement music server and streamer ($21,700), Innuos has released its new Pulsar Network music player + USB reclocker ($6899). A stripped-down version of the flagship Statement, the Pulsar lacks both a ripper and internal storage. What it boasts instead is over 130,000µF of Mundorf capacitors, a large high-end inductor, and an audio-grade, 300VA toroidal transformer. The Pulsar favors its optimized USB output with reclocking over its non-dedicated USB, and lacks S/PDIF and AES/EBU outputs.
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Robert Schryer reviewed the KLH Model Three ($1799/pair) in December 2022; I reviewed the KLH Model Five ($1998/pair) in September 2021—we each loved our respective pairs.
There's something honest and immediate about the revived KLH lineup; it feels right, looks right—"mid-century modern!" says Don Draper—and most importantly, sounds right. These are no-nonsense transducers that make exceptional music with most upstream components.
The KLH Model Seven ($3999/pair) making its debut at AXPONA, hopefully continues the tradition. A three-way, acoustic-suspension speaker, the…
A classic American brand, as flag-waving as the Fourth of the July, with an impressive history as a US industrial giant, all ears perk up when new JBL product is announced. Today's declaration brought to you by AXPONA: the new JBL 4329P Studio Monitor ($4500/pair, below).
With Harman International's Cory Robertson and Eldon Henry manning the room (below), I learned this wireless powered speaker, with Bluetooth, Chromecast built-in, and Apple AirPlay 2, is a bi-amped design with separate woofer and tweeter amplifiers. A modern transducer meant for home or the home studio, it…
VANA CEO Roy Feldstein worked a room at AXPONA, no bells and whistles, no crazy demos or static displays. Roy simply plays the kind of solid gear that he excels in distributing, including European Audio Team (EAT), Kyomi Audio, Grimm Audio, Atlas Cables, Ferrum, Jorma and Marten loudspeakers, and Rekkord turntables.
The exquisite EAT Fortissimo S turntable and F Note Tonearm with EAT Jo No 8 MC Cartridge ($13,799 w/o cart) fed an EAT E-Glo phono stage ($8999). The brand spanking new Ferrum Wandla "The DAC" ($2795) and Ferrum Hypsos PS ($1195), plus a Grimm MU1 Streamer ($12,500,…
There were no surprises in the two adjacent MBL rooms jointly presented with Kyomi Audio. Sitting in the sweet spot before the big system, spaciousness and transparency were superb on an older modern instrument recording of Bach's Concerto for Oboe and other instruments. Ditto for Dolly Parton's adorable "Love is Like a Butterfly," which sounded simply and utterly beautiful.
The equipment has been the same that MBL has presented at numerous shows: the MBL 1621 A CD transport ($33,400), 1611 F D/A converter ($34,200), 6010 D preamplifier ($32,400), 9011 mono amplifiers ($128,200/pair), and…