How could the same company that makes the Maestro M9 even consider releasing an amplifier to go with it as noisy as the Director D2800? After installing the 8 channel Director D2800 in my rack to deliver the music signal from the Maestro M9 to
AXPONA continues to be the “go to” event for audiophiles. The largest high-end audio show in North America, was held April 13-15, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois. Every year, the show has expanded due to demand, and 2018 was the largest AXPONA
There is a difference between a power strip and a surge protector. A power strip operates like an extension cord, while a surge protector protects your equipment from sudden spikes in the power coming from the street. If all you need is an extension cord,
Anyone who likes Jethro Tull or follows the remastering genius of Steven Wilson must listen to Stand Up: The Elevated Edition. Wilson has done it again with his amazing 5.1 mix of a music classic. Stand Up, first released in 1969, was Jethro Tull’s second
No cell phone has a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) that is very good. To get any good sound out of a cell phone or an iPad you need a third-party DAC. The Chord Hugo 2, like the original Hugo and the Mojo is a
Portable high resolution audio (HRA) players range in price from the Pono or the Questyle at under $600 to the flagship Astell & Kern at just under $5,000. Selecting the right player at the right price has been confusing to the point of creating consumer
Audience recently announced three new AC power cords — the Au24 SX powerChord, Au24 SE-i power Chord, and powerChord SE-i. Incorporating its latest advancements in materials and engineering, Audience promises to again revolutionize high-performance audio systems. Audiophiles who understand the difference that power cords make in a high-end
After selecting the right speaker for your room and picking good components to deliver optimum sound quality there are still four often overlooked items—connecting cables–that can make a big improvement on the sound performance of a mid-level audio system. They are the power cords, analog
At some point they will run out of live King Crimson to remaster and re-issue, but for now there are still many performances to share and treasure. The newest deluxe box set, On (and off) the Road, features 19 discs and covers all of the
People have started to figure out that the reason digital music does not sound as good as vinyl has less to do with the studio mix burned digitally as 1’s and 0’s, and more to do with the “timing” of the playback of those 1’s
Anyone who has had to return to their CD collection and rip it for a second or third time knows that CD’s are not dead. Hard drives are not forever. When they age they will inevitably become corrupted and the information on them may be
AXPONA (Audio Expo North America), the high-end consumer audio show held last weekend at the Westin O’Hare in Rosemont, Il, is one of the best events of the year for audiophiles. While this is only one of about a dozen national high end audio shows,
Synergistic Research has become a market leader of innovative audiophile products. While teaks of all kinds find no shortage of skeptics, the Grounding Block from Synergistic Research is a tweak based on solid science and it works. It has always been known that a well-grounded
DJM electronics has made the first Ethernet noise filter that might be helpful for an audio signal. It is called the GigaFOILv3 Ethernet Filter and it is currently priced at $1,000. It is commonly accepted that EMI causes Noise in power cables. When that
One of the most popular vibration control tweaks, and probably the one that most audiophiles use in their systems is the Stillpoint Ultra SS. The Ultra’s are priced at about $300 each and you need at least three of them. Stillpoints have been around for
Vibration control is a good area for a tweak because not all components absorb vibration efficiently. Rather than add to the cost of the component, manufactures often ether ignore vibration or deal with it as cost effectively as they can to keep the component in
While an Apple product still does not exist, there are many excellent portable digital music players like the old Apple i-Pod that can deliver high resolution audio sound. So, yes, the digital music library of 24 bit music that you downloaded from HD Tracks and
When it comes to high-end power cables, Shunyata is the king. So every time Shunyata replaces their top of the line cable with a new model, “attention must be paid.” In 2009, the King Cobra CX by Shunyata was their flagship power cable. Priced at
It is difficult to believe that ten metal cylinders half the size of a fingernail tacked to the walls of a large listening space could have any effect on the acoustics. Synergistic Research calls them HFT-2—and they work. So it wasn’t much of a stretch
The Chord Hugo is simply the best portable amplifier/DAC on the market. Whether you use it with your computer or with a portable transport to carry when you are out and about, the Hugo has no equal. Perhaps the $2,500 retail price is steep for
The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing recently announced the creation of a series of Hi-Res Audio Production Guidelines. The new guidelines are a key step to ensuring that real high-resolution music is produced and sold to the public. While the Recording Academy Producers &
There are almost as many choices for connecting cables and power cables as there are for components and speakers. Here are some thoughts about picking the right ones for your system. Let’s assume that you are currently using the stock cables that came with your
The Koss 330 Headphones are the best small headphone available at any price. The Koss 330 Headphones are just under $100, these headphones are one of the best values in high end audio headphones. One listen will make you look in the mirror to verify
No review disputes that the PS Audio DirectStream DAC (DSD) is musical bliss. Some reviewers have called it the component of the year for 2014. Where reviewers get edgy on PS Audio is not about the fact that it so amazing but about the science
In order to make a noticeable improvement in sound quality with a power cord you should expect to pay not less than $500 for a 1 meter cord. Cords to consider at this price point are the Audioquest NRG 10, Audience PowerCord SE or a
New York Audio Show was held on September 27, 28 and 29 at the Marriott Hotel in Brooklyn offering 45 rooms of new audio gear to eager audiophiles, industry experts and enthusiasts. Maybe because of the suitability of “small” products for “small” New York City
Recent rumors about the new Apple operating system appear to be true. Apple’s iOS 8 will allow for high definition audio playback (HRA). This certainly explains why Apple has acquired Beats Electronics to upgrade their in-ear earphones. Apple has announced that they will offer high-fidelity
In his notes on the 2014 remix, Steve Wilson said, “I think that A Passion Play is a historically underrated work of art that deserves to be reevaluated.” Thanks to his remix in 5.1 Surround Sound to celebrate the album’s 40th anniversary, Jethro Tull’s masterpiece
In addition to a standard definition of high resolution audio (HRA), in June, 2014, the music industry also agreed on standard labels they will use so music lovers can identify the source of the high resolution digital recording they are buying. As previously reported in
From records and reel-to-reel tapes to cassettes to eight-track tapes to CD’s to SACD and DVD-audio, the next generation of music delivery is digital. The standard for High Resolution Audio, the best quality digital sound available, has finally been set. After a long period of
I realized in the taxi to JFK en route to a 7 AM flight to Chicago to attend the AXPONA audio show that I had left my Bose QC3 noise cancelling headphones at home. After only one cup of coffee I had to endure the
At a show dominated by the excitement of High Resolution (HR) audio and the delivery systems that are becoming available to play it, VPI introduced a high quality but affordable consumer turntable which might be considered the first of its kind in the post CD
iTunes was great for small portable digital audio device playback, but if you want to hear digital music that has an analog warmth and quality then you need to download third party software from companies like Amarra for Mac and J.River for Windows. iTunes just
Unless an alien spacecraft lands secretly somewhere near Cupertino, California between now and the end of the year to give new technology to the computer industry, the Meridian Explorer DAC is this year’s miracle audio product. After you replace your earbuds with good headphones, the
As the demand for portable digital music continues to outpace demand for other high fidelity options, many people are now looking to improve digital sound quality. There are twelve simple tweaks available to those who are tired of listening to poor quality iTunes downloads. It
While the death of the CD has been foretold for many years, the death of iTunes has not had as many predictions from the soothsayers. However, unless iTunes can add 24 bit/192kHz playback for high definition sound, offer a “lossless compressed” option in the iTunes
By Donald Scarinci: The second annual New York Audio show held at the NY Palace April 12-14 featured the biggest names in the audio and home theater market. New audiophile quality products were brought together for a hands on and ears on experience. Conference rooms