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From the March 2004 issue, John Atkinson finally gets to listen to the Sonus">http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/304sonus">Sonus Faber Cremona loudspeaker and explains, "it took rather longer than I had expected to set the Cremonas up in my listening room. But, like everything worth experiencing, the wait was worth it."
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From the March 2004 issue, Michael Fremer goes a couple rounds with the Theta">http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/304theta">Theta Digital Enterprise monoblock power amplifier, exclaiming, "Monoblock power amplifiers seem to be moving in and out of my listening room faster than green-onion salsa from Chi-Chi's." So how does the Theta stand up to the competition? MF lays it out.
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From the March 2004 issue, Kalman Rubinson files his report on the Adcom">http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/304adcom">Adcom GFA-7805 five-channel power amplifier. KR notes, "It was easy for me to decide on their top-of-the-line five-channel powerhouse, the GFA-7805, because it embodies the same spirit that the GFA-555 did in its time: lots of power, no frills, good value."
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From the January 1996 issue, Jonathan Scull listens closely to the Wavelength">http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/196wavelength">Waveleng… Audio Cardinal XS monoblock amplifier. Single-ended tube designs such as the Wavelength can inspire controversy within audiophile ranks, so Scull carefully sorts the plusses and minuses.
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From the December 2001 issue, Robert Deutsch tries something completely different when he fires up the 47">http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/120147">47 Laboratory 4706 Gaincard power amplifier. RD notes, "The pursuit of simplicity in the design of solid-state audio electronics is perhaps best exemplified by the products from 47 Laboratory." Less is often more, but with the 4706 Gaincard, is it better?
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Our first of three loudspeaker reviews from the April 2004 issue finds Michael Fremer listening to the Aerial">http://www.stereophile.com/loudspeakerreviews/404aerial">Aerial Model 20T loudspeaker. MF explains, "Loudspeaker design is an art and a science. Anyone who tells you it's only one or the other is probably building or listening to some awful-sounding speakers." Fremer ponders whether Aerial has managed to achieve that perfect balance.
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Paul Bolin revisits planet Halcro to review the company's dm10">http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/404halcro">dm10 preamplifier. As PB notes, "After designing an amplifier that turned much of the audio world on its head, Halcro's head honcho, Bruce Candy, turned his attention to developing a preamplifier to match what he'd already wrought."
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From the April 2004 issue, a must-read for all audiophiles: Keith Howard does the SACD and DVD-Audio math for "New">http://www.stereophile.com/features/404metrics">New Media Metrics." Using a vast collection of informative graphs, KH explores hi-rez attributes and puzzlers. "In the case of SACD, why provide a potential bandwidth in excess of 1.4MHz, only to fill more than 95% of it with quantization noise?"
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In a ground-breaking article from May 1990, Robert Harley uncovers the real digital story with "CD:">http://www.stereophile.com/reference/590jitter">CD: Jitter, Errors & Magic." Confusion about CD tweaks leads RH "to conduct a scientific examination of several CD 'sonic cure-all' devices and treatments. I wanted to find an objective, measurable phenomenon that explains the undeniable musical differences heard by many listeners where, at least according to established digital audio theory, no differences should exist."
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"Is there anything genuinely new under the audio sun?" asks Michael Fremer as he describes the technology behind the T+A">http://www.stereophile.com/amplificationreviews/504ta">T+A V10 integrated amplifier. "For the most part, industry cynics say 'No,'" MF remarks, "claiming that most new amplifier designs merely rehash well-worn circuits. [But] T+A developed a new circuit for the V10 that it calls the SPPP, for 'Single Primary Push-Pull.'"