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Audiophile speakers in an audiophile showroom

Exactly How Your Standard 20 Percent Discount Is Likely Putting Your Local Dealer Out of Business

By Jerry Del Colliano  Anybody who’s been in the audiophile hobby, even for a little while, knows that when they enter the realm of the audio salon or stereo store, they can pretty easily ask for (and get) a 20-percent-off… Read More »



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The Mobile Fidelity Master Phono is designed by industry legend, Peter Madnick.

MoFi Masterphono Phonostage Reviewed

Founded in 1977, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, better known today as MoFi, has been a leader in producing high quality, remastered, specially plated and pressed versions of previously released LPs. In the late 1980s, they added uniquely remastered Compact Discs… Read More »


RBH's 61-SF is their $1,600 per pair audiophile bookshelf speakers

RBH 61-SF Bookshelf Speakers Reviewed

RBH’s latest offering, the 61-SF from their Signature Series of audiophile products, sets a compelling standard in the realm of bookshelf speakers. At a glance, this smaller audiophile speaker boasts an unassuming yet sleek design, but it is what lies… Read More »


For many watch enthusiasts, a Patek Phillipe is the holy grail of timepieces

Limited Edition Gear Will Bring Urgency and Collectability to the Audiophile Hobby 

It is hard to feel bad for that guy who just spent $275,000 on that new V8 Ferrari, but how do you tell him that no matter how little he drives his Prancing Horse from Maranello, Italy, and no matter… Read More »


Totem's Bison Floorstanding speaker installed in an artful audiophile listening room.

Totem Bison Tower Floorstanding Speakers Reviewed

The market for floorstanding audiophile speakers in the $2,000 dollar range is incredibly diverse, and quite competitive. You can find a pair of speakers in nearly any color, as well as many different shapes and sizes, at this price range.… Read More »


Today's automotive and aviation SIMs are nothing short of amazing toys for big boys with a lot of money to spend

The Next Generation of Audiophiles Are Spending Big Bucks (and Time) Gaming

Have you ever eaten at Din Tai Fung? It is a Taiwanese soup dumpling restaurant that is the only “chain” to have earned a Michelin Star, which is about as lofty a culinary goal as there is in the world… Read More »


MartinLogan's Motion Foundation F2 Speakers in their three finish options.

MartinLogan Motion Foundation F2 Floorstanding Speakers Reviewed

$2,000 for a pair of speakers might be the most competitive price point in all of the audiophile market. $400 wireless Bluetooth headphones can give this two-grand speaker category a run for the money for a brutally competitive audiophile market,… Read More »


Adcom GFP-915 stereo preamp taking photos on Eric Forst's fireplace outside of Chicago

Adcom GFP-915 Stereo Preamplifier Reviewed

I recently had the opportunity to review Adcom’s latest update on the Nelson Pass-designed Class-AB $1,395 GFA-555ms power amplifier, and walked away quite impressed by its combination of ample and clean power, retro appeal and astonishing value. As is the story with… Read More »


ROBLOX is the right language to reach today's Gen Alpha kids.

NHL and Gibson Guitars Teach Audiophiles That Finding Younger Enthusiasts Is Possible Today

If you want to get the attention of my 11-year-old Vincenzo (Enzo, for short), you would be well-served hitting him up on ROBLOX. This seemingly low-resolution video game in the metaverse has him and every boy (and many a girl) every… Read More »


Jay's Audio CDT-3 MK3 CD Transport is a top-loading unit like the old Mark Levinson No. 31

Jay’s Audio CDT3 MK3 Compact Disc Transport Reviewed

Streaming music is all the rage for audiophile of all ages and at any level of progress in the hobby. Vinyl has had an unlikely comeback with today’s youth, perhaps as an anti-technology statement to their often-too-connected or too-much-blue-light world… Read More »


STAX Edifier Spirit S3 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones on a mixing console with the Edifier App in play

Edifier STAX Spirit S3 Wireless Headphones Reviewed

STAX is one of the longest-standing, most trusted headphone brands in the audiophile world. Their amazingly open-sounding, often tube-powered, electrostatic headphones are not just high-performance, but today are actually collectable. The highest end of the STAX lineup is the SR-009S, … Read More »


Every audiophile is looking for the Nth degree of performance but how much does one need to spend to get there?

Do You Have to Spend a Fortune in order to Own a Truly Serious Audiophile System?

There are those outside our beloved hobby who might claim audiophilia is little more than a collection of technological snobs. Others may feel audiophiles are certifiably crazy. They point to the lunacy of the cost of upper level audio systems… Read More »


The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 speakers are used at both Abbey Road Studios and Skywalker Ranch on the pro side of things.

Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Loudspeakers Reviewed

The Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 is the latest version of the British audiophile speaker company’s top-of-the-line stand mounted, two-way, front-ported loudspeaker, priced at $8,500 per pair. Two-way stand mount monitors have an audiophile fanbase since they benefit from diminutive and… Read More »


The Peachtree Audio GaN 1 is an amp designed for streamers who want that Class-A or "tube-like" sound without all of the grief/heat that comes with tubes and/or Class-A amps.

Peachtree Audio GaN 1 Gallium Nitride Power Amp Reviewed

I have been fortunate enough to experience GaN amplification since it first dropped into the audiophile world about five years ago. I have even replaced a trusty Parasound A21+ amplifier) that was  in my audiophile gear collection for over a… Read More »


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

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 More »


FIIO R7 stereo preamp for $699 has a very out-of-the-box, tall form factor unlike many other audiophile components

FIIO R7 Stereo Preamplifier Reviewed

Let’s start with the fact that FIIO is a Chinese company. I’m not sure I’m ready to call the R7 Chi-Fi,however. I’m not sure we have an Oxford definition of the term Chi-Fi, but to me that term is more… Read More »


The Edifier S1000W powered speakers can be used in a desktop OR audiophile configuration

Edifier S1000W Powered Speakers Reviewed

In a perfect world, we would all have a workspace that is perfectly positioned in front of our best small audiophile loudspeakers. In the real world, we tend to be tethered to our devices, our laptop or, in my case,… Read More »


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 More »


The Pass Labs XP-22 is the two-chassis stereo preamp priced at $9,999

Pass Labs XP-22 Stereo Preamp Reviewed

Nelson Pass’ name is on the front door of Pass Labs and for good reason. He is very possibly the most important amplifier designer to walk the Earth. Here’s something that not every audiophile knows but is true, though: Nelson… Read More »


PSB T800 reference audiophile loudspeakers matched with NAD Master Series electronics

PSB Speakers Synchrony T800 Loudspeakers Reviewed

Back in the early 1990s, the PSB Speakers Stratus Goldi earned its place as one of my favorite loudspeakers of all time. Even today, these legacy loudspeakers represent some strong, music-first engineering that sets a meaningful bar for what a… Read More »


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. These amps are designed around any number of somewhat modern semiconductors and offer… Read More »


The Tekton Design Lore Reference in a Bugatti-like blue finish

Tekton Design Lore Reference Speaker Reviewed

Tekton Design is no longer merely known as the other speaker company from Utah. Today, the company is its own unique phenomenon from the world of audiophile loudspeakers, as head speaker designer and company owner Eric Alexander  has found a… Read More »


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 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 is… Read More »


Buckeye Amps Hypex NCx500 Stereo Amplifier Reviewed

Buckeye Amps Hypex NCx500 Stereo Amplifier Reviewed

If you’re not a modern-day oligarch, times may seem uncertain, money a little tight. But if you’re also an audiophile, you still have your system hopes and aspirations. Your dream might be to own an audiophile power amp that will make your ears quite… Read More »