The Steelhead is the most flexible, user-friendly phono section I've ever encountered. There are two moving-coil (MC) inputs on the rear panel, one with RCA jacks, the other a female DIN connector. There's a single set of RCAs for the moving-magnet (MM…
search
The Manley Steelhead tube MM/MC phono preamplifier was first demonstrated at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show. Nine months later, my long-promised review sample of Eveanna Manley's new baby was delivered. While Ms. Manley may have given birth to the audacious product, it was conceived by the company's chief hi-fi designer, Mitch Margolis.
Stands, Spikes, Feet & Racks:
Audio Elegance Furniture : $424-$6329
Audio Elegance's "aesthetically simple, sturdy designs" are available in three lines; in the upper two, Dakota and James River, only select hardwoods, softwoods, and multidirectional plywoods are used. Biscuit joinery is featured throughout, and finishes include catalyzed lacquers and hand-rubbed oils. Prices start at $319 for a Frontier Series amp stand and rise to $4759 for a Dakota Collection LP storage unit. Custom items are also available. (Vol.32 No.2 WWW)
Audio Points by Live-Vibe Audio: $129.99–$…
It takes audacity for a company that already builds one of the finest DACs on the planet, which is already expensive, to set out to build one that's so much better that it warrants an extra digit in the model number and a much higher price tag. But then CH Precision has never lacked audacity.
The Swiss company did exactly that not just with their DAC, but with almost their whole line. The newer, pricier 10 series currently includes an amplifier, preamplifier, a transport, an enhanced, redesigned power supply, and a new Master Clock, the T10. Like the 1-series components, the 10-series…
Signal Processors:
Accuphase DG-68 Digital Voicing Equalizer: $18,975
See Digital Processors.
AudioPraise VanityPRO HDMI audio extractor: $1699
The VanityPRO extracts a digital audio signal from the HDMI stream and offers several options for processing and outputting the extracted audio for playback on a high-quality audio system. KR appreciated the opportunity to apply DSP, channel-level adjustments, active crossovers, and room correction while playing discs, without redundant D/AA/D conversion. “It's a pleasure to run DiracLiveto balance channels and compensate for…
Room Acoustics Treatments:
Acoustic Geometry Small Curve: $399.99 ★
Medium Curve: $449.99 ★
Deluxe Curve, Walnut Frame: $549.99 ★
Deluxe Curve, Red Oak, Stained Black Frame: $549.99 ★
Acoustic Geometry's Curve System comprises Diffusors, Absorbers, and Corner Traps, each 42" high and available in a number of fabric choices. Each model is built on a wooden frame with a wedge-shaped cleat for hanging the product from a matching piece attached to the wall. Diffusors include a Mass-Loaded-Vinyl (MLV) membrane and are intended to control low- and midbass frequencies;…
Black Sabbath photo: courtesy Warner Bros
John Michael Osbourne was obsessed with the Beatles. Better known by the sobriquet "Ozzy," the cofounding lead singer of Black Sabbath who later turned uber-successful solo artist and still later became a reality TV star was deeply in love with the Fab Four. Osbourne passed away on July 22, 2025, at age 76.
A working-class lad from Birmingham, England, Osbourne saw music as his way out. Those Beatles records were the gateway. "I have such great respect for the Beatles," he told me when we sat down together for an interview at Sony's New…
This month's Re-Tales takes us to Toronto again—though it's quite a different story than the one we told last month, in a different part of Toronto.
As we've reported previously, several successful, longstanding brick-and-mortar hi-fi dealerships in major cities have shuttered in recent years. Others, including some with aging owners, don't have succession plans in place. New blood is essential, for these dealerships as for the industry as a whole. But how many young people are interested in running a hi-fi store? (footnote 1) One such young person is 22-year-old Blair Babineau, who,…
The UK Hi‑Fi Show Live is back at Ascot Racecourse’s Grandstand on September 27–28, 2025. Doors open 9:30am–5:30pm Saturday and 9:30am–5:00pm Sunday. Unlike hotel‑based shows, Ascot’s Grandstand gives exhibitors larger rooms and wide concourses, with more space between demo areas.
The Ascot Grandstand’s wide concourses are built to move people quickly, so you walk room‑to‑room instead of queuing for elevators. The show features audio demos, interactive workshops, a vinyl fair, and a Headphone Zone, along with free parking, and on‑site food and drink. The show has expanded the Headphone…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-chassis D/A processor. Conversion resolution: 24/2.8824MHz or 3.072MHz. Bandwidth: DC to 150kHz, –3dB. Analog outputs level: Balanced (XLR): 2V RMS low, 5V RMS mid, 10V RMS high; half those values via the single-ended outputs (RCA/BNC). S/N ratio: >121dB. THD+N: <0.003%, full scale with 22kHz measurement bandwidth. Power consumption: Standby, <0.5W; normal operation: 120W max.
Dimensions: Main unit: 17.3" (440mm) W × 5.23" (133mm) H × 17.3" (440mm) D. Weight: 44lb (20kg) (converter); 51lb (23kg) (power supply).
Finish: Silver…
Those of us who review audio equipment, and even audiophiles who don't, often talk about our reference systems. The term implies a certain level of consistency. If you are changing components every week, your system probably lacks the stability to be a true reference. In the case of reviewers, this presents an irony: Those most in need of a reference system are called on to change out components more frequently than other folks. Our reference systems are intrinsically unstable.
How do we deal with this? By maintaining as much stability as we can. When forced to change (as we are often),…