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Certain qualities hold true throughout the Ampsandsound line—supremely low noise floors, liquidity, tactile-ness of notes, utter naturalness, and a quality I would describe as presence with punch.

While playing Norman Greenbaum's early '70s spirit rock anthem "Spirit in the Sky," the Ampsandsound system at AXPONA 2026 conveyed all the low end of a satisfied lion, midrange…

I was a graduate student in physics at the University of Chicago in the late 1990s and a poor, inquisitive audiophile. I tried to improve my mid-fi…

Description: Three-chassis streamer-server. Server unit: Connections: Ethernet (default) or SFP (optical, optional), USB to connect external storage, galvanically isolated USB audio output. Contains two internal SSD storage bays (storage not supplied). 8.8" color display. Audio unit: Receives audio data from the server unit via a proprietary link and outputs S/PDIF (coax, TosLink), AES3 (both single and dual-wire connections), or a special-purpose audio output module: I2S (default), MSB ProISL (optional), or CH Link HD (optional; available soon). Includes a high-…

Here at AXPONA 2026—as with all High Water Sound systems—there was great depth of stage, holographic imaging, nearly subterranean bass, liquid treble, and searingly rich mids.

Jeffrey Catalano’s choice of music is as big a part of his sound as the rig, playing to the system’s strengths of tube physicality, vinyl realism, and horn speed. Show after show,…

Playing Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"—originally from his iconic 1975 solo LP, Still Crazy After All These Years, and home to one of drummer Steve Gadd's most iconic performances—on the Avantgarde Acoustic system in American Sound Distribution’s room at AXPONA…

Description: Four-way loudspeaker with two 10" passive radiators. Drive units: 1" diamond-membrane tweeter; 3" beryllium-membrane upper midrange; 7" ceramic-cone lower midrange; two 8" woofers with aluminum-sandwich diaphragms; two 10" aluminum-sandwich passive radiators. Crossover frequencies (all first-order filters, symmetrical): 200Hz, 800Hz, 6kHz. Frequency response: 23Hz–40kHz ±2dB. Power rating: 300W. Sensitivity: 88dB/2.83V/1m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (2.7 ohms minimum). Terminals: WBT Nextgen Biwire. Internal wiring: Jorma Statement. Cabinet: 25–40mm…

Analog sources: SME Model 35 turntable with Series Vi tonearm; Ortofon Verismo, Lyra Etna λ Lambda phono cartridges.
Digital sources: Innuos ZENith Next-Gen server-streamer; CH Precision C1.2, Imersiv D-1 D/A processors.
Preamplifiers: Pass Laboratories XP-32 (line); Pass Laboratories XP-27 (phono).
Power amplifiers: Goldmund Telos 2800; Gryphon Antileon Revelation; Pass Laboratories XA60.8 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx V.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Carbon, Cinnamon, & Coffee USB; CAD USB; Wireworld…

Digital sources: dCS Rossini APEX DAC with dCS Rossini Master Clock; NUC running Roon; Cambridge CXC CD transport.
Analog sources: SME 20/3 turntable with SME V arm and Tedeska Tielke cartridge; Dynavector XV-1s cartridge; Audio Note UK IO Gold cartridge; Kondo KSL-SFz step-up transformer; Audio Note Kits L3 Signature RIAA phono stage; van den Hul "The Grail" MC phono stage.
Integrated amplifier: Audio Note Kondo Ongaku.
Loudspeaker: Avantgarde Acoustic Duo Mezzo G2.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest WEL Signature (AES3); AudioQuest Carbon (AES3…