Herb Reichert

Technics SLG700M2 network/SACD Player

Herb Reichert Aug 03, 2026

It only took 40 years, but I think digital can now compete one-on-one with analog for exciting, satisfying sonics and user satisfaction. It took a long time to happen, but I think it was worth the wait.

Gramophone Dreams

Gramophone Dreams #111: Trip Wild: Crossing the Dateline

Herb Reichert Jul 21, 2026

Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, "one of the most exquisitely grand clan houses in Southeast Asia."

I was walking with my neighbor, guide, old friend, and fabled "blue saloon" limo driver Beau Ranheim when I heard a shout from afar. It was Todd Garfinkle of M•A Recordings. "Hey Herb! Are you ready to go to Japan?"

Digital Processor Reviews Gramophone Dreams Phono Cartridge Reviews Phono Preamp Reviews

Gramophone Dreams #110: LAiV Harmony µDAC, Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue, Bob's Devices Sky 20-S

Herb Reichert Jul 01, 2026

In my studio, I have a hand-sized wood box. It is the soundbox of an African musical instrument with a small internal volume, a pencil-sized sound hole, a bent steel bridge, and an array of eight steel wires with flattened ends—a keyboard. It is called a mbira . . . you can buy a spiffy varnished mbira at Walmart, where it is called a "Kalimba."

Gramophone Dreams Headphone Reviews

Gramophone Dreams #109: Stax SR-009D, Grado Signature HP100 SE, HiFiMan Susvara Unveiled headphones

Herb Reichert Jun 10, 2026

Last year, I reported on Stax's glamorous new SR-007S electrostatic earspeakers ($2390) in conjunction with the Stax SRM-700S driver amplifier. This report was extra fun because I was just finishing up a long romantic affair with a loaner pair of vintage Stax SR-Omegas about which, in his 1995 Stereophile review, Tom Norton declared: "If you want the truth, however—at least as honestly as I've heard it in any headphones—you want the Stax SR-Omegas."

Audacious Audio Digital Processor Reviews Hi-Rez Disc Player/Transport Reviews

T+A MP 3100 HV G3 multisource player

Herb Reichert Jun 05, 2026

When auditioning a new audio component, I invariably start with some ideas about what I should listen for, based on my preconceptions about the pitfalls and propensities of products in its category. For example, with digital, I'm listening for sound that's awake and unprocessed. With every component, I start by hoping I can spot their colorations and assess their level of importance.

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews Gramophone Dreams Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

Gramophone Dreams #108: AER & Brian Charney Horns, the Voxativ Hagen2

Herb Reichert Apr 29, 2026

There was no limo, just a walk filled with Christmas-in-Chinatown sights from the F train east down East Broadway, past 169 Bar, under the Manhattan Bridge, to the Dim Sum Palace. I was having a dinner meetup with an artist-writer friend named Joe who invited me to hear the wide-range AER drivers that he has bolted onto clear acrylic AER baffles with big, round, clear horns on the front.

Digital Processor Reviews

HiFi Rose RD160 D/A processor

Herb Reichert Apr 09, 2026

Lord knows I try to keep an open mind, but those good-measuring delta-sigma chip DACs rub me the wrong way. Their processing complexity vexes my mind, and there's never been a reconstruction or upsampling filter that I've been a fan of. Nevertheless, I believe that every audio component must be judged by how it sounds and feels in use.

Gramophone Dreams Phono Accessory Reviews Solid State Power Amp Reviews

Gramophone Dreams #107: LAiV GaNM monoblock, Record Doctor VI (20th Anniversary Edition)

Herb Reichert Apr 01, 2026

The first thing I noticed about the LAiV Audio GaNM monoblock amplifier is its unusual shape and size; it occupies space differently than the other, more basic amplifiers on my rack. The GaNMs sat there giving off a megalithic vibe.

Gramophone Dreams Phono Cartridge Reviews Phono Preamp Reviews

Gramophone Dreams #106: Lab12 Melto2 Phono, Tzar DST V1 Black Knight Corian, Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250

Herb Reichert Feb 25, 2026

On the front page of its owner's manual, Greek amplifier manufacturer Lab12 describes the Melto2 ($4995) as a "Remote Controlled, Fully Adjustable Phono Preamplifier." I'd describe it as a clear-speaking, fun-to-use, cartridge- and record-collector's dream. Plus: It's got tubes.

Gramophone Dreams Phono Preamp Reviews

Gramophone Dreams #105: The Hot Club of New York and the Kitsuné KTE LCR-1 MK5 phono stage

Herb Reichert Feb 05, 2026

Last night, I sat on a bright yellow velveteen sofa eating red beans and rice while listening for three hours to blues and jazz from rare 78rpm records. I walked out feeling gospel-level raised up, with a head full of dreams and cultural memories.