I performed a complete set of measurements on a Dynaudio Confidence 20 Active Space standmount loudspeaker, serial number 10177473, with the analog output of my DRA Labs' MLSSA system connected to the XLR jack on the back of the integral stand. (The speaker was set to Left/ Primary.) I then repeated some of the measurements with the MLSSA output digitized with my Ayre QA-9 A/D converter and fed to the loudspeaker's AES3 digital input. This input locked to data with a sample rate up to 192kHz. I used a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone with an Earthworks microphone…
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Rega’s Osiris integrated amplifier, in residence a row above a Naim Streamer setup.
Yzabel Audio, a new speaker manufacturer based in the Quebec City region, has been generating buzz with its standmount Classic 1 speaker. I got to check it out at Montreal Audiofest 2026.
This two-way design employs Scan-Speak drivers, a minimalist crossover with very few components, and is said by the manufacturer to achieve bass extension down to 30 Hz (±3 dB).
All I can do is describe what I heard—and that, summed up, was substantial. In a compact system including a…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Belt-drive, two-speed turntable built of aluminum, inox, cast iron, and Delrin with inverted ceramic ball bearing, EBM-Papst DC motor, and external power supply. Speeds: 33 1/3, 45rpm. Platter: 2"-thick Delrin, 8.82lb (4kg). Wow and flutter: ±0.07%. Speed accuracy: ±0.16%. Supplied with J.Sikora Aspire tonearm: Oil-damped, unipivot, 9" tonearm with carbon-fiber armwand with body of aluminum, brass, and stainless steel. Pure copper internal cabling. Weight: 160gm. Effective mass: 11.2gm. Mounting distance: 212mm. Effective length: 228.6mm. Offset…
In the above video interview on our YouTube channel, Robert Schryer speaks with John DeVore of DeVore Fidelity about the gear shown in the Phonographe room.
First a foreword: When Ken Micallef and I walked into the Phonographe room at Montreal Audiofest 2026, DeVore Fidelity's John DeVore was helming the room—Phonographe is a DeVore dealer—accompanied by Box Furniture's Anthony Abbate, a furniture maker who began as one of John's customers and now builds his company's speaker cabinets in the same building. I thought it was a beautiful story of destiny fulfilled, worth (…
In the above video interview, from our YouTube channel, Robert Schryer speaks with Madly Audio co-founder Armando about the gear shown in their room.
Well-designed box speakers don't strike me as sounding "boxy"—until I hear something like the Maco Macaria open-baffle speakers demoed here in Madly Audio's room at Montreal Audiofest 2026. The Maco Macaria distinguished itself from conventional enclosures by a complete absence of enclosure-related colorations—no muffled character, however slight.
Paired with a Burmester 232 integrated amplifier in a gleaming red…
Loudspeaker Systems:
A (FULL RANGE):
Audiovector R8 Arreté: $86,600/pair includes Freedom Grounding Cables ★
Optional grounding cable adds $3850. (Vol.44 No.9 WWW)
Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90: $211,800/pair ★
(Vol.40 No.1 WWW)
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature: $60,000/pair
(Vol.47 No.3 WWW)
Dutch & Dutch 8c: $16,500/pair (stands necessary) ★
(Vol.42 No.8, Vol.43 No.4 WWW)
Dynaudio Confidence 30: $24,000/pair $$$ ★
(Vol.44 No.8 WWW)
EgglestonWorks Viginti: $46,998/pair ★
(Vol.41 No.6 WWW)
…
Power Amplifiers:
A (SOLID STATE):
Accuphase A-300 monoblock: $49,950/pair
“The more I listened to the A-300 monoblocks, the more I wanted to listen,” wrote JVS about his time with a pair of these powerful amplifiers. (It is specified as delivering 125W into 8 ohms, 250W into 4 ohms, 500W into 2 ohms, and 1000W into 1 ohm.) The MOSFET output operates in class-A up to 125W into 8 ohms, 62.5W into 4 ohms, and 31.25W into 2 ohms. The A-300 has both balanced and unbalanced inputs; the gain and XLR polarity can be adjusted; and an operation-mode switch facilitates bridging and…
Digital Processors:
A+:
Bel Canto E1X-DC1: $6800 ★
The Roon Ready e1X DAC/Control Preamplifier offers AES3, coaxial and optical S/PDIF, digital inputs, and USB and UPnP/DLNA-compatible Ethernet ports. (The USB and Ethernet ports support MQA-encoded data and DSD data in the DoP format.) There are also line-level and MC/MM phono analog inputs, these converted to digital so that they can be adjusted with the DSP-domain Tilt, Bass EQ, and volume controls. The e1X features line outputs, a headphone output—the Tilt and BassEQ controls are not operative with this output—and a…
Preamplifiers:
A:
Audio-GD Vacuum HE1 XLR balanced: $3999
This large, heavy, Chinese-made, tubed, all-balanced preamplifier doesn’t have a phono input, but it offers three balanced (XLR) and two single-ended (RCA) line inputs, balanced and single-ended outputs, and comes with a remote control. Tube complement is six 6H2N-EB twin triodes and four 6U4N-EB rectifiers, all Russian-made. Compared with the Lab 12 HR, the Vacuum HE1 played slightly richer and thicker with more obvious three-dimensionality. Compared with the PrimaLuna EVO 400, the Vacuum HE1 XLR distinguished itself…
Headphones & Headphone Accessories:
A+:
ampsandsound Bigger Ben: $5600
See “Integrated Amplifiers.” (Vol.47 No.11 WWW)
Ampsandsound Mogwai SE: $3900
Class A+ is as a headphone amp. Rating is Class A as a power amplifier. See Power Amplifiers. (Vol.48 No.12 WWW)
ampsandsound Red October SE: $14,000
ampsandsound Red October XL SE: $18,000
The low-gain, zero-feedback, dual-mono, single-ended triode Red October headphone amplifier uses a 300B tube for each channel’s transformer-couple output, driven by a single 12AX7 double triode. The front…