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Bonus coverage continues into the home stretch! The Joseph Crowe system I experienced at Montreal Audiofest 2026 impressed, first by its looks—it was like staring at a forest of gorgeous wood—and then with the scale of the music, the dynamics, the transparency, and the soundstage layering.

In fact, this Joseph Crowe system…

Bonus coverage continues! The Grimm Audio system in this room at Montreal Audiofest 2026 was all about seamlessness, coherence, and balance—all that, and a big rich sound within a spacious, many-layered soundstage that was deep and stable with realistic tone and well-defined imaging throughout. There was also a virility to its presentation that made the music sound confident,…

At AXPONA 2026, Rogue Audio delivered all the warmth, color, and tone that tube aficionados have come to expect from this venerable brand. Coupled to digital sources and the big Maggies (a.k.a. Magnepan's 2.7x speakers), Norah Jones sounded effortless, intimate, and in the room.

Next, The Rolling Stones' “Tumblin’ Dice” shifted the focus to large-scale and loquacious, with…

Bonus coverage continues! This fairly simple system—mainly featuring gear from Rotel and Monitor Audio—that was put together by Kevro at Montreal Audiofest 2026 packed a punch, yet could also play sweetly when called for. It delivered detail, transparency, colorful tone, and rich reverberations, inside a big, well-constructed soundstage. Guitar strings and vocals sounded corporeal, stably…

Joe's apartment is small, like mine, with art,…

"Thank you very much indeed." That's David Gilmour offering his recurrent humble rejoinder to the fever-pitched audience response throughout the 2.5-hour performance that makes up the bulk of his latest solo release, Live at the Circus Maximus (Sony Music), which was recorded in Rome over the course of three shows held at the storied Italian venue October 1–3, 2024.

As is his wont, Gilmour tends to speak in the traditional, understated English way—and, mind you, he's very much not speaking with a tone of "quiet desperation," as an infamous lyric he sings…

Back in 1987, the AES published the anthology pictured above of historic papers on "Stereo." It includes a document (celebrating its 80th anniversary this year) that pretty much defined the whole field of stereo reproduction, including the 45°/45° stereo groove and the moving-magnet stereo cartridge. That document, a 1931 British Patent Application written by the English engineer Alan Dower Blumlein, is worth quoting at length:

"The fundamental object of the invention is to provide a sound recording, reproducing and/or transmission system whereby there…

I'll admit to a conflict of interest in choosing as Recording of the Month a work co-engineered by our very own John Atkinson. We—I, who nominated the piece, and Editor Jim Austin, who ultimately chose the winner—have both worked with John for years. And I'd never deny it was moving to sit next to him during his recent visit to Port Townsend following the…

On Wednesday, April 22, I attended the unveiling of Wilson Audio's Autobiography speaker near the company's hometown of Provo, Utah. The event took place at the Springville Museum of Art in Springville, which is just south of Provo. Daryl Wilson (seen above talking with his mother, Sheryl Lee Wilson) introduced the new flagship speaker, which Wilson calls Autobiography.

This writer's judgment: The speaker is a tour de force. It takes all the features and design concepts of both the WAMM and the Chronosonic XVX models to an entirely new level. The name of it—Autobiography—is meant…

Sound & Fury LLC announces the acquisition of AXPONA (Audio Expo North America), the largest high-end audio event in North America.

Since its inception, AXPONA has served audiophiles, manufacturers, and music enthusiasts as a premier destination to experience high-fidelity…