Description; Stereo/bridged-mono class-AB power amplifier. Inputs (per channel): one XLR (balanced), 1 RCA (single-ended), switchable. Input impedance: 10k ohms (balanced and single-ended). Gain: switchable 29dB or 23dB (200W, 1kHz into 8 ohms). Input sensitivity for rated outputs, stereo and bridged: 5.2V and 2.4V (balanced inputs); 2.65V and 1.3V (single-ended inputs). Continuous output power, stereo: 200Wpc into 8 ohms (23dBW), 320Wpc into 4 ohms (22dBW), 450Wpc into 2 ohms (20.5dBW); bridged: 650W into 8 ohms (28dBW), 950W into 4 ohms (26.8dBW). Damping…

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Now step into the Southport, Connecticut, workshop of Treehaus Audiolab, where Rich Pinto crafts Treehaus Audiolab's products, loosely but richly inspired…
The quest for vinyl quiet seems, at best, quixotic. By "vinyl quiet" I don't mean "quiet vinyl," which we now reliably get from pressing plants like QRP, RTI, Pallas, and a few others. I'm referring to makes of phono preamplifiers who set as a primary design goal electronic "quiet," ie, an absence or minimum of electronic noise. A stylus coursing through the groove of even the quietest LP still produces a considerable amount of noise. If you've ever made a digital file from an LP using an analog-to-digital converter equipped with a level…
Cedille CR 90000 237. CD (reviewed as 24/96 FLAC). 2025. James Ginsburg, prod.; Bill Maylone, eng.
Performance ****
Sonics ****
Forgive the pun: Scores of women are active today as classical composers, but we pay attention to relatively few. To right that imbalance, check out the eight works by British women on Dance of the Night Sky, the Black Oak Ensemble's third release—all of them intriguing—from Chicago-based nonprofit label Cedille Records.
According to Elinor Olin's liner notes, these compositions offer "a sense of…
No Coincidence Records 0617308092165 (auditioned as LP). 2025.
D. James Goodwin, prod. and eng.
Performance *****
Sonics *****
Since late last year, Goose has emerged as one of the most talked-about bands in rock. Building on its jam-band roots, the group recently headlined Madison Square Garden, got booked for top slots at major summer festivals, and drew attention from national news outlets. Everything Must Go, Goose's fourth album, feels like both a culmination of that momentum and a bold new chapter. It's a 14-track, 91-minute journey through…
O'Farrill, trumpet, flugelhorn, compositions, arrangements; seven others
Out of Your Head OOYH034 (CD). 2025. Spencer Murphy, prod.; Chris Krasnow, Alex Conroy, Nicky Young, engs.
Performance ****½
Sonics ****
Adam O'Farrill has gained well-deserved recognition as a leading light among contemporary jazz trumpeters. But as far as I'm concerned, nothing in his discography foreshadows the scale or vision of his new octet project. For These Streets is a work of extreme ambition and originality.
It's a concept album, inspired by O'…
Rachel Yonan, viola; Kwan Yi, piano. Sono Luminus DSL-92283. CD (reviewed in 24/352.8). 2025. Ulrike Schwartz, prod.; Daniel Shores, eng.
Performance ****
Sonics *****
In an intriguing, surprisingly short program, violist Rachel Yonan and pianist Kwan Yi mix three intentionally sparse "modern" pieces by Arvo Pärt and Sir James MacMillan with Robert Schumann's four far more effusive Märchenbilder (fairy tales). The contrasts are many, and the rewards are considerable.
Those rewards are enhanced by Daniel Shores's commitment to recording in DXD…
An early memory of the Sears bike is me backpedaling furiously approaching a sturdy mailbox. Ten-speed bikes don't have coaster brakes. I've still got a scar to prove it.
That would have been around 1978. Taking inflation into account, that bike would cost about $400 today. Sure, it was possible then to pay much…
Valcour Records. VAL-LP 0058 (LP). 2025. Steve Berlin, Joel Savoy, prods.; Justin Tockett, Tony Daigle, Mike Napolitano, Matt Clifford, many others, engs.
Performance ****½
Sonics ****
Of all the genius-level musical talent to come from Louisiana, few have had more far-reaching influence outside their niche than the singer, songwriter, and marvelous chromatic piano key accordionist Clifton Chenier. A native of Leonville, Louisiana, and the son of a diatonic accordion player, Chenier, who died in 1987, has become a towering…
Pro-Ject, the renowned Austrian audio manufacturer, made a striking impact with its static display at High End Munich 2025. Its new products, though silently presented, conveyed a powerful message.
Jakob Dirnberger, representing Pro-Ject, showcased a vast array of turntables, a compact portable system, a record flattener, and legacy products—creating a compelling and sometimes humorous presentation.
The RPM 1 Pro turntable ($TBA) is an all-new design with a 9" tonearm, Central Mass Point with new adjustable platter bearing, balanced 5-pin outputs…