I performed a full set of measurements on the Bricasti M21 using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. The coaxial S/PDIF, optical TosLink, and AES3 inputs all accepted data sampled at rates up to 192kHz. Apple's AudioMIDI utility revealed that the USB port accepted 32-bit integer data sampled at all rates from 44.1kHz to 768kHz. The USB Prober app identified the M21 as "MDx" from "Bricasti" and indicated that the USB port operated in the optimal isochronous asynchronous mode. When I connected the Bricasti's Ethernet port to my network, Roon recognized the processor…
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BluOS, the multiroom platform from Lenbrook Media Group, announced upcoming support for Qobuz Connect. The integration will let listeners cast music directly from the Qobuz app to any compatible BluOS player.
For Stereophile readers, the advantage is simple: direct-from-app, high-resolution streaming to BluOS devices (up to 24-bit/192kHz) without workarounds. Users select and control music in the Qobuz app; speaker and volume remain in the BluOS app. The company says the feature will work across BluOS brands including Bluesound, NAD Electronics, PSB Speakers, Cyrus Audio, DALI, and…
Technical Audio Devices Laboratories, Inc. (TADL) has appointed Rutherford Audio Inc. as distributor for its hi-fi consumer products in Canada and the US.
TADL says the partnership is aimed at strengthening its presence in both countries by expanding dealer relationships and brand visibility.Shinji Tarutani, President and CEO of TADL, commented: "For decades, TAD has pursued the ideal of 'reproducing music exactly as it was created.' North America remains one of the most important regions for high-end audio, and we sought a partner who shares our passion for uncompromising quality…
Scott McGowan has left PS Audio to form Sprout HiFi, a new company built around a next-generation Sprout amplifier. The first Sprout HiFi product, a revamped version of the Sprout100, is projected for 2026, with email sign-ups open now.
Sprout is PS Audio’s compact integrated that built a following after its 2014 Kickstarter debut; McGowan says the new model will carry that idea forward for today’s listeners. The forthcoming Sprout is described as “smarter, more interactive and more versatile,” with the same small-footprint, living-room-friendly form factor. The company says the renewed…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-channel D/A processor. Digital inputs: AES3, S/PDIF (RCA), TosLink, USB, Ethernet. Analog outputs: One stereo pair balanced (XLR), one stereo pair single-ended (RCA). Sample rates supported: USB to 384kHz, DSD64, 128, 256, Native or DoP. Conversion method: For PCM, choice of sigma-delta with 8× oversampling or R2R ladder; for DSD, choice of native, pure 1-bit DSD, or conversion to PCM. Jitter: 8ps at 48k, 6ps at 96k. Frequency response at 44.1kHz: 10Hz–20kHz, +0dB, –0.2dB. Power consumption: 30W.
Dimensions: 17" W (431mm) × 4.5" (114mm) H ×…
When people ask me what I do for a living, I reply that I'm a turntable setter upper. That seems to me like it should be descriptive enough, but it typically results in follow-up questions that have me explaining a whole audiophile subculture that few nonaudiophiles even realize exists. Occasionally, however, I get a call from a newly minted audiophile, a younger person who is diving headfirst into the hobby for the first time and wants to have their new turntable rig set up properly.
This happened recently when a young father, Marius, asked me to set up his new Technics SL-1200G with a…
Audiophilia nervosa. It's a running gag with a mean streak. As audiophiles, we know its effects intimately. We know how it can turn what was once a source of pleasure and pride—listening to good music over a good sound system—into an irritating itch that can't be scratched.
The UrbanDictionary.com defines audiophilia nervosa (AN) as "the anxiety resulting from the never-ending quest to obtain the ultimate performance from one's stereo system by means of employing state-of-the-art components, cables, and the use of certain 'tweaks.' Although the goal is supposedly to achieve maximum…
This year, Canadian retailer/distributor Wynn Audio’s room at Montreal Audiofest 2026 served as the gathering spot for the show's Prohibition Night event, where several dozen participants partook in a collective whisky tasting accompanied by music hi-fi demos. Ken Micallef and I had hoped to savor whisky while gauging the sound of the demos, our seats were so far off-axis—and there were so many people between us and the music—that it was impossible to make any sonic judgments. So the next day I stopped by the Wynn Audio room alone. There were few visitors, and I had the choice of a sweet…
George Ligerakis (CEO) and Vasilis Tounas (Chief Designer) proudly flanking their latest creation: The Axiom DAC.
Miguel Barrio reports: On Thursday April 2nd at Park Avenue Audio in NYC, Ideon Audio introduced their latest and greatest creation, the Axiom DAC. Walter Schofield, Co-Managing Director of the 2WA Group with Walter Swanbon, did the introductions.
George Ligerakis, Ideon's CEO, explained (with a characteristic Greek passion) that the Axiom DAC is a no-holds-barred product, every aspect of which has been taken to the extreme. The new DAC takes up three-chassis…