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Analog Corner #218: I've Been Everywhere, Man Page 2

Eddie Brigato and Gene Cornish performing "How Can I Be Sure?" during Showplace Music Productions' "Thank You Les," held Friday May 17, 2013 at The Cutting Room in Manhattan.

If It's Friday, It Must Be Constellation Time
When I'd planned Peter Madnick's visit, I'd thought I'd be flying home from Munich the previous Sunday. My listening room was still the previous month's deadline-inspired mess, and after more than a week on the road I was beat, but after arriving home late Thursday afternoon I stayed up after dinner, got to bed late, and awoke early Friday morning to go to my…

Analog Matters & the Modafferi Mod

For this issue, in addition to compiling Recommended Components, I finished my review of the CH Precision C10 D/A processor (see p.133). Yet for these last few weeks, my attention has been mainly focused on analog things.

Here's the first analog thing: After owning a McIntosh MR78 tuner for many years—I bought it on eBay sometime early in this millennium; it was fully functional and in superficially excellent condition—I finally did what I'd long intended to do: I sent it in to Audio Classics for inspection, refurbishment, and the famed Modafferi mod.

At the time of its…

Recording of October 2025: Shostakovich: <I>Complete String Quartets Vol. 2 | Nos. 6–12</I>

Shostakovich: Complete String Quartets Vol. 2 | Nos. 6–12
Cuarteto Casals
Harmonia Mundi HMU 902733.34. 2 CD (reviewed as 24/96). 2025. Alban Moraud, Alexandra Evrard, prod. and eng.
Performance *****
Sonics ****½

Often nakedly personal and direct in their responses to life events, Shostakovich's 15 String Quartets can overwhelm with the enigmatic elements that make his music so compelling and unique. Shaped as much by intimate relationships as the repressive political realities that wore him down, they stand as one of the later 20th century's major musical achievements…

A Poor Man's Audio Show Review

My local audio dealer told me that neither of the two stereo mags would be reporting from the Costa Mesa audio show, which I attended in June, which is formally called T.H.E. (Total HiFi Experience) Show SoCal, so I thought I would step in and give it a quick-and-dirty review from the perspective of regular Joe Audiophile rather than that of the polished, professional reporters Stereophile usually sends (footnote 1).

I attended T.H.E. Show because my wife asked me to get out of the house for three days. It's not what it sounds like. Her sister wanted to stay at our place so that she—the…

Devialet Launches Phantom Ultimate: 108dB Flagship, 98dB Compact, Opéra de Paris Editions

Devialet has launched Phantom Ultimate, a two-model update to its spherical wireless speaker line introduced in 2015. The collection comprises the flagship Phantom Ultimate 108dB at $3800 and the Phantom Ultimate 98dB at $1900, in Light Pearl and Deep Forest finishes, plus an Opéra de Paris edition with 22-karat gold detailing. Devialet says the 98dB is available now; the 108dB is open for preorders through Devialet stores, premium dealers, and online.

“We are reaffirming our status as a luxury pioneer in audio with this new launch. We invite listeners to experience sound with…

TEAC PD-507T Expands Reference 500 Series with Transport-Only CD Playback

TEAC announced the PD-507T, a next-generation CD transport for its Reference 500 Series, positioned as a digital-only companion for external DACs, including TEAC’s UD-507. The company says it employs an in-house, high-quality CD mechanism and focuses on “pristine digital output” rather than onboard D/A conversion. Availability is slated for Q4 2025. MSRP: $1699.99 (USA), €1299 (EU), £1299 (UK).

At the core is TEAC’s CD-5020A transport, long used in broadcast applications, combined with a semi-floating mounting structure and a dedicated drive circuit. TEAC states that this pairing yields…

Spotify Premium Finally Gets Lossless Audio

Spotify began rolling out lossless audio to Premium subscribers September 10, delivering streams up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC format. The feature arrives in select markets first, with broader availability expected through October. The streaming service will notify Premium subscribers when lossless becomes available in their region.

The initial rollout includes Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with expansion to more than 50 markets planned.

"We've taken time to build this…

Denon, Marantz, Classé Recast HEOS Platform as “Powered by HEOS”

HEOS, the multiroom audio platform used by Denon, Marantz, and Classé, is adopting a new identity: “Powered by HEOS.” The rebranding accompanies a redesigned app interface and expanded platform capabilities, marking a decade since the platform's 2014 launch.

The platform now powers more than 5 million products across more than 50 Denon, Marantz, and Classé models.

"HEOS isn't a closed ecosystem. It is the wireless engine inside products by brands people already know and trust," the companies stated in their announcement. The name change aims to clarify that HEOS functions as a…

B.audio Adds Optional MM/MC Phono Stage for Alpha One and B.dpr

Monarch Systems Ltd., B.audio’s distributor for the U.S. and Canada, announced an optional phono stage module from the French manufacturer. The add-in board adds a turntable input to select B.audio components.

B.audio says the module lets users connect a turntable directly to the Alpha One integrated amplifier or to the company’s DAC-preamplifiers, eliminating the need for a separate phono preamp.

According to B.audio, the design uses a low-noise input stage with matched transistors and two-stage passive RIAA equalization.

The module supports both moving-magnet (MM) and…