Audiophile News, Opinion and Insights

We post a weekly featured audiophile news story that dives into the often controversial topics surrounding stereos, audio systems and the audiophile hobby.

Getting a receipt from the actual shipper is key to "tendering" your shipment.

Featured Audiophile News, Opinion and Insights

What To Do With Your Audiophile Boxes (Revisited) 

In a perfect world, no right-minded audiophile would ever throw away his or her equipment boxes. None of us live in a perfect world and, for many of us, storage space comes at a tremendous premium. How to manage your… Read the Review »



Read More Audiophile News, Opinion and Insights

This is NOT The French Laundry... it is a laundromat in France but close enough to make our point.

How to Get the Most Out of an Audiophile Demo

Imagine you walk into your favorite local audiophile dealer to spend some time listening to the latest and greatest gear on display. Years ago, most professional stereo salespeople had a short stack of their best Compact Discs ready to play… Read the Review »


Orchard Audio's Gallium Nitride (GaN) power amp reviewed

Today’s Disruptive Class-D Amps Are Changing the Audiophile Hobby Very Much For The Better

There is a sea change going on in the audiophile hobby coming from the world of electronics – specifically via a whole crop of new-school, Class-D amplifiers (learn more here). These amps are designed around any number of somewhat modern… Read the Review »


STAX's new headphone amp

STAX To Introduce the SRM-D10 II Portable Headphone Amp for Just Under $1,000

STAX just introduced the SRM-D10 II portable headphone amplifier, available for sale from the first quarter of 2024. Featuring significant updates from the original SRM-D10, the SRM-D10 II continues to elevate listening experiences for STAX fans worldwide.  The SRM-D10 II… Read the Review »


They say if you want to be a millionaire in the wine business that you should start with 20m. The same is said about the speaker business!

Secret Designers Often Offer Great Audiophile Value Products

The audiophile hobby has always been a bit of a cult of personality, based around mostly male, Baby Boomer engineer types, whose main purpose in life is to find the highest possible quality music playback performance from any and all… Read the Review »


You just need one winning Powerball ticket to have anything you want from the audiophile world

What Would Your Audio System Look Like After You Won Powerball?

Accepting that you are repeated loser can be a tough pill to swallow when you have any modicum success in your professional life, but this is where I stand today. The reason for my malaise is that, no matter how… Read the Review »


A classic EMI Mixing console and Lockwood speakers up for auction at Bonhams

A Classic EMI Mixing Console and Lockwood Major Speakers For Auction

The long-awaited reunion of the renowned Abbey Road EMI TG12345 MKI recording console and Lockwood Major Loudspeakers has marked a significant milestone in music history. Lockwood proudly provided a pair of original Lockwood Major Loudspeakers to support the special Bonhams… Read the Review »


NAD M33 Master Series integrated amp is a good example of a modern, all-in-one solution.

What’s Better: Separate Audiophile Gear or All-in-One Integrated Components?

In the very early days of musical playback, as far back as the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, most music devotees bought a console audio system. These units were the ultimate all-in-one. A single, large cabinet housed the stereo power… Read the Review »


PS Audio Stellar Gold DAC and Preamp designed by Darren Meyers for PS Audio.

StellarGold From PS Audio Offers Up a New Preamplifier and DAC Design

In a significant expansion of its acclaimed Stellar Series lineup, PS Audio just announced the introduction of its PS Audio StellarGold preamplifier (read the review) and PS Audio StellarGold DAC (read the review). The two new high-end audio components incorporate a host of PS Audio’s… Read the Review »


Masimo has updated their HEOS App

New HEOS App Updates Ready To Download From Masimo

Masimo believes that music should be at the heart of your home, enhancing your daily life. Our commitment to creating a seamless experience has always driven us to continuously evolve our platform. We’re thrilled to announce a significant visual and… Read the Review »


Used vinyl is being sold at over $100 per LP at this L.A. food event that caters to young, tech savvy enthusiasts

L.A.’s Thriving Food Scene Brings Young People Together (and They Love Vinyl)

My wife and I recently realized that during our COVID-era lockdown, we inadvertently got away from many of the things that we really enjoyed doing. But for now, we are back out and enjoying life and trying to restore some… Read the Review »


Stenheim speakers installed at The Power Station Studio in New York City

Stenheim Launches the Alumine Two.Five at Power Station Recording Studio in New York City

Stenheim, the Switzerland-based speaker company that utilizes aluminum cabinets and high-efficiency drivers to create some of the hi-fi industry’s most renowned and musical loudspeakers, launched its new Alumine Two.Five, a passive two-way, floorstanding speaker, at an exclusive media event held at the… Read the Review »


My wife is becoming an unexpected audiophile so I feel compelled to get her a Dark Side of the Moon T-Shirt for Christmas

Why I’m Buying My Wife a Dark Side of the Moon T-Shirt for Christmas 

Sitting in our living room with the inward-facing French doors open to let the cool evening ocean breeze waft in, I cued up my audiophile system for some chill, trip-hop, loungy/electronic jams as my wife and I had a rare… Read the Review »


ATC's updated C4 MK2 subwoofer

ATC Announced the C4 Sub MK2 Active Subwoofer System

World renowned for its signature high output, low-distortion audio engineering and trusted by musicians, studios, live sound engineers and audiophiles over five decades, The Acoustic Transducer Company (ATC) is proud to announce the production of the C4 Sub Mk 2… Read the Review »


Magnepan Speakers are a bi-polar planar design

Audiophile Lingo You Need to Know Part 3: Different Types of Speakers

Loudspeakers are somewhat of a marvel. Where electronic components are designed to efficiently move electrical signals from one place to the next, speakers have the unique job of converting those signals to the mechanical vibrations we perceive as music. Without… Read the Review »


The Record Doctor X is a pretty serious audiophile record cleaner priced at $599

Record Doctor X Now Shipping at $599

Pangea Audio, a developer and manufacturer of high performance, high value audio accessories, announced today a new edition of its acclaimed Record Doctor vacuum record cleaning machines that simultaneously cleans both sides of a record, saving time and effort over… Read the Review »


Nothing says "expensive audio" like Mark Levinson's Cello gear from the 1990s

Why It’s Still Important to Review Really Expensive Audiophile Gear

Longtime audiophile reviewer Steven Stone was being shy in a recent phone conversation. As far as I can tell, he coined the phrase oligarch audio which describes audiophile components that are priced north of $100,000. By anyone’s measure, that is… Read the Review »


Where to get something like a vintage McIntosh amplifier repaired?

How To Get Out-of-Warranty Audiophile Electronics Repaired

After my article about three recent in-warranty repairs, my publisher, Jerry Del Colliano, asked me to write about out-of-warranty audiophile repairs. Those are the ones that you can expect to have to pay for. Basically, there are three out-of-warranty repair… Read the Review »


REL Tx9 Subwoofer in red, red, red!

REL ACOUSTICS Introduces the Bright Red T/9x Subwoofer

Noted subwoofer manufacturer, REL Acoustics, just unveiled the T/9x Red subwoofer to the audiophile market. Evolving from the foundational T/9x, this Special Edition subwoofer combines arresting aesthetics with improved driver performance, pushing the boundaries of both design and sound. The… Read the Review »


Wilson Audio WATT PUPPY speakers installed in Jerry Del Colliano's Brentwood, California screening room complete with RPG acoustical treatments and a neatly installed fabric wall

Reducing Background Noise Can Get You Big Audiophile Gains 

A few years before COVID, I walked into a listening room at a CEDIA show in Denver for an audition of Wisdom Audio’s latest powered and room-corrected speakers. Calling it a room is a stretch, mind you, as these demo spaces are easily assembled… Read the Review »


REKKORD F100 turntable brings audiophile performance with no installation woes to entry-level audiophiles

REKKORD F100 Turntable is a Turnkey $399 Solution For People Starting with Audiophile Vinyl

REKKORD Audio, the company whose extensive selection of high-end turntables is meticulously designed and handmade in one of Europe’s foremost audio manufacturing facilities, is bringing its high performance, intuitive F100 turntable to U.S.-based music lovers who are ready to partake in the… Read the Review »


Nagra is out with a reference level tube phono stage called the HD Phono for $87,500 USD

Nagra Fights All Swiss Audiophile Stereotypes By Introducing an $87,500 Tube Phono Stage

After years of intense research and development, the Nagra HD PHONO is finally available for discerning listeners of vinyl. It is the ideal complement to the HD range and the world-acclaimed HD PREAMP, HD DAC X and HD AMP monoblocks. Nagra’s… Read the Review »


How to prevent audiophile hearing loss from a professional's perspective

How Should Audiophiles Think About Hearing Loss as They Age?

The human ear is quite an amazing piece of audio gear. It’s an intricate yet vast system of tiny, superbly-tuned components working in sync to convert mechanical energy into what we interpret as sound. Most people, audiophiles included, will go… Read the Review »


New Record Doctor record clamp

Pangea Audio Debuts Black Chrome Record Doctor Low Profile Record Clamp

Pangea Audio, developer and manufacturer of high performance, high value audio accessories, just announced it now offers its low-profile Record Doctor Record Clamp with a black chrome knob, adding a new color option for listeners who prefer to use a dust cover… Read the Review »


PSB just launched a whole series of new Imagine Series speakers at the 2023 Toronto Audiophile Show

PSB Speakers Announces New Generation of Imagine Series at Toronto Audio Show 

PSB Speakers just announced the launch of a new generation of the highly acclaimed Imagine Series speaker line at Toronto Audio Fest. The latest edition of the Imagine Series consists of the B50 Bookshelf, T54 and T65 Tower speakers. The Imagine… Read the Review »


All about audiophile warranty repairs

Are Warranty Repairs Even Worth It Anymore?

One of the ugly truths of consumer electronics is that stuff breaks. When we’re lucky, a malfunction occurs while the product is still under warranty. But what do those warranties actually cover, practically speaking? The following stories draw from my… Read the Review »


Sorensen X2 is their most affordable speaker at $8,800 per pair USD

Børresen X2 to Ship New $8,800 Audiophile Speaker in U.S This November 

Børresen is thrilled to introduce the X2 speaker, a sleek and elegant, three-unit, floorstanding loudspeaker, that is the smallest model in the award-winning X series. This new loudspeaker reflects Børresen’s commitment to meeting diverse needs of listeners while maintaining the… Read the Review »


Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin McLaren edition will only have 60 units sold

Only 60 Units Will Be Made of the New $899 Bowers & Wilkins McLaren Edition Zeppelin Wireless Speaker

Audiophile loudspeaker company, Bowers & Wilkins, has launched a new version of its award-winning wireless speaker in collaboration with long-standing partner, McLaren Automotive. Introducing the new Zeppelin McLaren Edition. Read the Review »


Gryphon Diablo 333 Integrated amp now on display at two U.S. dealers

After Munich Launch, Gryphon Displaying Satanic $25,000 Integrated Amp at Two U.S. Dealers

Gryphon’s highly anticipated Diablo 333 Integrated Amplifier will make its North American Dealer Debut today, Thursday, 16 November at The Sound Environment, Omaha, NE. Anthony Chiarella, Gryphon’s North American Director of Sales and Marketing, will present the amplifier and be… Read the Review »


Bass traps from Paul Wilson's reference audiophile listening room

Want a Better Sounding Hi-Fi System? Fix Your Room First

For most audiophiles, the road to sonic nirvana often follows the path of increasingly better equipment. Many of us spend decades and untold thousands of dollars replacing an existing something for a something better – all in the hopes of… Read the Review »


Tube amps in an audiophile demo

How to Do a Killer Audiophile Demo 

We talk a lot about how the future of the audiophile hobby needs to be inclusive. We need to ditch some of the old-school standards and practices like only listening in a messy listening room by yourself versus having your… Read the Review »


Meze Audio Primal Headphones are now out and $999 per pair

Meze Audio’s New Primal Headphones Priced at $999

Meze Audio is happy to launch 109 Pro Primal: a very special edition of its award-winning 109 Pro headphones and the latest addition to the exclusive Meze Audio Art Gallery collection.  These headphones are handmade by Meze Audio’s skilled artisans,… Read the Review »


Monitor Audio Anathra Subwoofer line is just announced for October 2023 shipping

Monitor Audio releases Anthra Subwoofer Series, a standalone three-model range that majors on musicality and depth 

Monitor Audio just announced the launch of the new Anthra Subwoofer Series like the Monitor Audio Anthra W15 reviewed here. This highly anticipated range introduces a trio of high-performance powered subwoofers into the Monitor Audio portfolio. Each of the three… Read the Review »


The Apple iPod changed everything in the audio world in many ways for the better

What If Everything We Thought We Knew About Hi-Fi Was Wrong?

For the past few months, I have been somewhat obsessed with these new Gallium Nitride (GaN, for short) amplifiers. Long-time Stereophile writer and classical music recording engineer John Marks was the first to hip me to the concept via an … Read the Review »


Sound & Vision to represent AudioVector speakers in US

Specialty Sound & Vision Now To Represent Audiovector Speakers

Audiovector ApS, internationally-acclaimed producer of High-End loudspeakers, has chosen Specialty Sound and Vision, LLC (SSV) to represent their brand in the US. SSV is charged with growing Sales, Brand Awareness and Market Presence for the Danish icon and assumes these… Read the Review »


Victrola launches new turntable to work with Root and Sonos

Victrola Brings Roon and Sonos Integration its Latest Turntable

Victrola announced the upcoming integration of its Victrola Stream turntable line with Roon, a music management and listening solution offering Airplay, Chromecast, and high-performance Roon Ready connectivity, making the wireless vinyl listening experience even more immersive. Along with the new integration, the company… Read the Review »


Luxman is out with a nearly $13,000 reference Integrated amp

New $12,495 Integrated Amp From Luxman

Luxman continues to prepare for 2025, the company’s centennial, with a new top-of-the-line integrated amplifier. In addition to the company’s trademark sound quality, the L-509Z is the first component to incorporate the Luxman Integrated Feedback Engine System (LIFES1.0) in both… Read the Review »


All your need to be an audiophile is a set of earbuds

All You Need to Be an Audiophile is a Pair of Earbuds

At the AXPONA audiophile show in Chicago this past spring, I had a conversation with a well-respected member of the audiophile community, on the manufacturer side, who was talking about the future of the hobby. His premise was that for… Read the Review »


Few speakers image better than Bowers & Wilkins 801s which are used at Abbey Road Studios

Audiophile Lingo You Need to Know: Part 1, Speakers         

The audiophile hobby is guilty of a lot of things, perhaps the most painful of which is our overreliance on often-confusing terminology. This is the case for nearly every category of the hobby. On the pages of FutureAudiophile.com, we try… Read the Review »


Victrola offers cutting edge Bluetooth 5.4 wireless connectivity for an audiophile turntable at $599

Classic Victrola Brand Brings Wireless Bluetooth 5.4 Connectivity To $599 Audiophile Turntable

Victrola, a company known for home music playback for more than 115 years, is out with a new turntable that features support of the Qualcomm® aptX Adaptive Bluetooth connectivity or wired with switchable preamp. Victrola’s Hi-Res Carbon (read the full review here)… Read the Review »


Click to See All 289 Reviews
THE BEST Audiophile News, Opinion and Insights FROM THE GEAR WE LOVE AWARDS