Analog sources: Dr. Feickert Woodpecker turntable with inertia platter, Jelco SA-750D tonearm, Stack Audio AUVA Equipment Isolators, Technics SL-1200GAE turntable, Dynavector XX-2 MkII cartridge, Ortofon 2M Black cartridge, Ortofon Concorde MKII Elite cartridge.
Digital sources: Grimm MU2 streamer-DAC; Shanling ET3 CD & SACD transport; Weiss DAC202; MacBook Air M2; Denon SC6000 Prime DJ controller.
Preamplification: Grimm MU2; Manley Steelhead, Lejonklou Slipsik 8 (phono).
Integrated amplifier: MBL C51.
Loudspeakers: Focal Scala Utopia (…
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
The Epiphany room at AXPONA 2026 was hosted by Audio Group Denmark's traditional setup of Børresen speakers, Aavik electronics, and Ansuz cables and power accessories. More specifically, the speakers were Børresen C3 floorstanders ($40,000/pair) and a pair of Børresen BM3 subwoofers ($21,000 each), in addition to an Aavik SD-588 streamer/DAC ($30,000), Aavik I-588 integrated amplifier ($30,000), and Aavik P-588 power amplifier ($30,000). A loom of Ansuz cables and power accessories was also included in this system ($54,000, all in).
This system had Audio Group Denmark's…
I find myself appreciating more and more the way perfectionist audio—a peculiar mix of art, craft, and engineering—tends to attract idealists. Temperamentally, hi-fi people tend to be unlike people involved in the manufacture of ring-joint gaskets or digital kitchen timers—activities that, without a doubt, have their own scales of excellence. But those who labor at hi-fi believe in the possibility of creating a musical experience that can change your life—or at least beautify it in matterful ways—and are willing to invest nontrivial amounts of time and money in this conviction. I confess I…
It's difficult to put a positive spin on moving. A recent survey ranked it as life's most stressful event, ahead of divorce, losing a job, or becoming a parent. Forty-two percent of respondents said it brought them to tears. Thirteen percent said it was worse than a week in jail.
There's no point in listing the well-documented hassles, humiliations, and expenses involved in changing homes, or point out the ample opportunities for things to go from predictably stressful to memorably horrific. It's the less obvious aspects that strike me as interesting. At the risk of sounding maudlin, I…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed a complete set of measurements on one of the Linn Klimax Solo 800s (serial number 1593390) with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. I preconditioned the Solo 800 by following the CEA's recommendation of running it at one-eighth the specified power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, the temperature of the top panel was just 81.6°F (27.6°C) and that of the side-mounted heatsinks only slightly higher, at 89.0°F (31.7°C). The Linn amplifier runs cool, especially considering its high rated power.
The Linn amplifier's balanced and…
Sound Attic founder and owner Charles Weiner with wife and strategic adviser Lauren Weiner (center) and student interns.
In some ways, the Sound Attic, a new dealership in Tampa, Florida, seems like a traditional brick-and-mortar hi-fi store. It does what such stores do: It sells a selection of hi-fi gear across a range of prices. But there's more to the story, according to Sound Attic founder/owner Charles Weiner, who Stereophile interviewed by phone and email.
"We represent a number of traditional hi-fi brands and operate as a showroom," Weiner said. "What's a bit different is…
Some exciting news.
Note: As we arrive onsite to prepare for our coverage of High End Vienna and its many satellite shows, we share more of Jason Victor Serinus and Rogier van Bakel's coverage of Europe's second most important audio show, Audio Video Warsaw. Audio Video Warsaw 2026 will take place this fall, October 23-25, 2026. For Jason and Rogier's previous Warsaw show coverage, go here.
The final day of Audio Video Warsaw 2025 ended with claims that it was the second or third largest audio show in the world. Unique visitors reached a record 14,881. (High End may not count unique visitors, but…
Note: As we prepare for our coverage of High End Vienna and its many satellite shows, we share more of Jason Victor Serinus and Rogier van Bakel's coverage of Europe's second most important audio show, Audio Video Warsaw. Audio Video Warsaw 2026 will take place this fall, October 23-25, 2026. For Jason and Rogier's previous Warsaw show coverage, go here.
Deciding whether to exhibit hop in the PGE Narodowy Stadium or, many miles away, the Radisson Blu Sobieski and nearby Golden Tulip is like choosing between strolling through midtown Manhattan, and/or walking through neighborhoods…
Now that the High End show has moved from Munich to Vienna, what will audiophiles encounter there this week? One thing they'll encounter is not one but a multiplicity of shows—the big, main show, and at least three much smaller shows. The first four-day High End Vienna, sponsored by the High End Society, opens at the Austria Center Vienna on June 4, and runs through June 7, 2026.
Like Munich before it, High End Vienna is the largest and most important audio show in the world. A representative of High End Vienna told Stereophile that this year's show will have "nearly" 500…