Added to the Archives This Week
Thousands upon thousands of new discs are released each year, yet only a select few made it to the top of the heap for Records">http://www.stereophile.com//records2die4/496/">Records to Die For, 2001, number 11 of the annual rite of passage for the Stereophile staff. Find out what music made the cut and why.
Added to the Archives This Week
As Robert J. Reina writes in his review of the JMlab">http://www.stereophile.com//loudspeakerreviews/500/">JMlab Chorus 706 loudspeaker, "The most exciting development in audio today isn't multichannel surround, single-ended triodes, or $10,000 phono cartridges. It's 'trickle down.'" Find out just what has trickled into the Chorus from the company's highly regarded Utopia line.
Added to the Archives this Week
Jonathan Scull found himself in awe of the beautiful and ingenious construction lavished on the Boulder">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/505/">Boulder 1012 D/A preamplifier. "Its design and build qualities are icons to elegant engineering know-how. No screws show on the rectangular box . . .", J-10 enthuses. And as Scull finds, this D/A preamp combines both beauty and brains to create sheer audio pleasure.
Added to the Archives This Week
Chip Stern writes in his review of the Blue">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/510/">Blue Circle BC3 Galatea line-level preamplifier, "From the moment I hooked these units up, the captivating turquoise glow of their matching front-panel lights (a glowing orb within a blue circle) held out the promise of something inviting and serene." Promise fulfilled? Stern spills the Blue Circle beans.
Added to the Archives This Week
Jonathan Scull tackles the Pioneer">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/515/">Pioneer DV-AX10 SACD/DVD-A/CD player, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of one of the first "universal" disc machines. Scull carefully compares the DV-AX10 to stand-alone SACD, DVD-A, and CD players to assess whether, in fact, you can have it all in one tidy package.
Added to the Archives This Week
Robert Harley analyzed the $1995 McCormack">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/520/">McCormack Power Drive DNA-1 power amplifier back in 1992. His goal? To determine if this product "would be a high-end amplifier for Everyman." Reprint includes Kal Rubinson's Y2K experience with the SMc mods for the DNA-1.
Added to the Archives This Week
Michael Fremer says he has heard many phono preamps in his career as vinyl's pre-eminent advocate, but a few do stand out. MF lived with the Conrad-Johnson">http://www.stereophile.com//analogsourcereviews/525/">Conrad-Johnson Premier 15 phono preamplifier for several months to see if it would be one of the medalists. Jonathan Scull also adds some thoughts on the Series 2 version.
Added to the Archives This Week
John Atkinson gets high with the HeadRoom">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/530/">HeadRoom Supreme headphone amplifier and reports on the results. "The quest to make the headphone listening experience more equivalent to normal speaker listening is not new," writes JA. Has the Supreme made the cut?
Added to the Archives This Week
Michael Fremer gets a chorus of oohs and ahhs as he sets up the Hovland">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/535/">Hovland Sapphire power amplifier in his listening lair. While the Hovland is certainly a sweet-looking amp, MF rightly points out that "looks alone don't sell hi-fi equipment in the specialty audio market—especially when you're asking $7800 for a 40Wpc two-channel amplifier."
Added to the Archives This Week
"Even right out of the box, it's obvious that the Wadia">http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/540/">Wadia Digital 861 CD player is something special," writes Brian Damkroger in this month's issue. "Its heft and finish are beyond the usual high-end standards." But how about the sound?