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You can make a statue out of a digital cable if you are creative enough...

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How To Pick the Right Digital Cable for Your Audiophile System

Putting aside the huge percentage (year to year) gains in sales that vinyl enjoyed during the pandemic, we really live a digital world when it comes to audio, and that world is almost all streaming as of 2024. Physical media… Read the Review »



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Audeze Maxwell headphones bring audiophile performance to people who make a lot of phone calls or play advanced video games

Audeze Maxwell Planar Magnetic Gaming Headphones Reviewed

The entire editorial mission of FutureAudiophile.com is to bring the audiophile hobby to a new generation of enthusiasts. Someone who is younger, more diverse and who loves music. They also should be interested in high-performance technology and understand that, to… Read the Review »


Audiophile-grade hearing protection from Eargasm.

Five Practical Ways Audiophiles Can Protect Their Hearing in the Real World

In a world where silence is golden but noise is embraced, protecting your hearing is truly a defensive art – especially for audiophiles. From the roar of traffic to the potentially harmful volume settings on the devices that live dangerously… Read the Review »


The QUAD Revela 1 bookshelf speaker installed nicely.

Quad Revela 1 Bookshelf Speakers Reviewed

Investing in a pair of excellent bookshelf speakers provides a cost-effective and space-efficient means of achieving a transcendent listening experience without physically dominating your living and listening areas. When combined with high-quality components (and arguably, a capable subwoofer in most… Read the Review »


Acoustique Quality Labrador 39 speakers as a pair

Acoustique Quality Labrador 39 Bookshelf Speakers Reviewed

Although I myself also have fairly extensive knowledge of HiFi manufacturers and brands, I sometimes encounter speakers and components from brands that are new or unfamiliar to me. Case in point – Acoustique Quality, hailing from the Czech Republic, recently sent me… Read the Review »


Stenheim Alumni Two.Five Speakers as a pair in dark grey.

Stenheim Alumine Two.Five Floorstanding Loudspeakers Reviewed

Swiss-made audiophile gear is all the rage these days, especially in the world of electronics. However, speakers from Switzerland are equally as sought after as amps, preamps and digital components. These days, Stenheim is at the top of the list… Read the Review »


The only audiophile store on Rodeo Drive was a B&O store but that moved after years on the price prominade.

What Is the “Pretty Woman Close” and the “Levinson-Sucks Close” and Why They Need to Die? 

For those of us who make our living selling things, in my case, advertising, there is a certain joy in working with a truly professional salesperson. Somebody who isn’t pushy. Somebody who knows their products as well as how they… Read the Review »


AtmaSphere's Class-D amp is one of the most high end examples of GaN technology in the audiophile space today.

Atma-Sphere Class-D GaN Mono Amplifiers Reviewed

It’s no secret that we at Future Audiophile are big fans of Class-D power amplifiers. We’ve reviewed many, and while not every Class-D amplifier is superb, some of the most neutral, smooth, and transparent amplifiers being made today are based… Read the Review »


HDMI cables are the choice of home theater enthusiasts but now audiophile companies are catching on to the sonic advantages.

Why HDMI is Important for Audiophiles

The worlds of high-performance audio and home theater should get along better than they do most of the time. Most good AV stores that sell audiophile components also sell home theater systems. In these magical systems, home theater things connect… Read the Review »


No brand since Halcro has come on to the very high end market like CH Precision has.

CH Precision M1.1 Amplifier Reviewed

Switzerland is a country known for many things, such as political neutrality, incredible chocolate, fantastic skiing and, most notably, the finest watches on the planet. We likely should add ultra-premium audio into the list of fantastic things that come from… Read the Review »


PSB Imagine T65 Speakers in black

PSB Speakers Imagine T65 Loudspeaker Reviewed

Back in January, I finally solved an ongoing audio conundrum I had: Finding an affordable, true reference-level set of loudspeakers. I solved this problem when I received in PSB Speakers’ flagship Synchrony T800 loudspeaker (read the review). The Synchrony T800… Read the Review »


The Topping D90 III Sabre is one of the best audiophile products Chi-Fi has given us to date.

Topping D90 III Sabre DAC Reviewed

One of the most exciting yet volatile categories in the audiophile hobby includes DACs and streamers. Without question, the Chi-Fi brands have disrupted this category in ways that can only be seen as good for mainstream consumers and value-seeking audiophiles alike. External DACs was… Read the Review »


Understanding the physics of an audiophile turntable is the first step in setup excellence.

The Basics of Setting Up an Audiophile Turntable

Vinyl’s unexpected comeback as a format for audiophiles was one of the many shockers of the pandemic. Audiophiles of all ages decided to get back into playing the 100-plus-year-old format for various reasons. Some people love listening to a musical… Read the Review »


The Bricasti M19 might just be the last silver disc spinner that an audiophile will ever need.

Bricasti M19 SACD and Compact Disc Transport Reviewed

I am quite invested in Bricasti, having put 15 years into adding and upgrading their products as the core of my ever-changing audiophile reference system. When the news came across my desk of the new Bricasti Design M19 (M19) transport, I had… Read the Review »


Colorful cover-flow images from Roon

An Audiophile’s Guide to Using Roon for Music Management

For audiophiles looking to take their streaming and local music management to the next level, Roon is a music management and organization system that works with both music from your library and some streaming systems. You may think that this… Read the Review »


Most uber-audiophile amps don't weight 22 pounds. This Boulder is lightweight in non-sonic terms. It is heavy duty once a song starts playing

Boulder 861 Power Amp Reviewed

There is a lot of exotica in the audiophile hobby and, when it comes to power amplifiers, Boulder is likely to land at the front of the pack. Jeff Nelson’s team in Boulder, Colorado designs and builds some of the… Read the Review »


The $21,995 Weiss Helios DAC is a slick looking and even better sounding audiophile DAC with deep pro audio roots.

Weiss Engineering Helios DAC Reviewed

With over four decades in the art and science of audio, Daniel Weiss started his audio tenure in 1979 with pioneering company Studer, then founded his own company making pro series equipment and moved into home audio in 2000. I… Read the Review »


These big Estelon speakers are not something that you can easily hear in every city in America.

Should You Travel to Attend an Audiophile Show?

Each month in 2024, it seems like I have been to another audiophile show. The Tampa show was in February. Dallas was in March. AXPONA was in early April, and soon, I will park my wide-load in a seat and… Read the Review »


The Boulder 812 DAC/Preamps is a major price breakthrough for the uber-high-end audio company.

Boulder 812 DAC/Preamp Reviewed

When I think of badass audiophile power amps, there are a few brands that pop into my head, but at the front of the list is Boulder. Before the CEDIA trade show (mostly for AV custom installers) this past fall… Read the Review »


PS Audio AirLens in silver

PS Audio AirLens Streamer Reviewed

The PS Audio AirLens retails for $1,999 and is a single-component audiophile streamer often referred to as a “network transport.” This is not to be mistaken for a streaming DAC, which is alternatively known as a “network player” that includes… Read the Review »


The Pass Labs XP-27 is not designed by Nelson but by his partner, Wayne Colburn.

Pass Labs XP-27 Phonostage Reviewed

Pass Labs has long been known for innovation, build quality, performance and perhaps, to many audiophiles, value. When I reviewed the highly capable Pass Labs XP-17 Phonostage (read the review), I quickly became convinced, enamored even, of the performance and… Read the Review »


Few audiophile publications talk about the importance of protecting your hearing. We do.

Can You Still Be a Real Audiophile If You Have Lost a Little of Your Hearing?

To be an audiophile is not just to love audio gear, but also the music that is played back on such a high-performance music playback system. Audiophiles live and breathe good sound, with a whole lot of emphasis on music,… Read the Review »


The Memory Player is one of the most sophisticated, tech-forward ways to listen to digital music be it streaming or from a silver disc.

Laufer Teknik Memory Player 64 Reviewed

Sometime in the late 1990s, audio designer, scientist and quantum physicist Mark Porzilli started thinking about digital music and why he felt it sounded so artificial, with hardly any tangible association to natural-sounding music. In fact, this line of thought occurred about… Read the Review »


The Rega P3 in red is a true audiophile looker.

Rega Planar 3 Turntable Reviewed

Rega is a blue-chip brand in the audiophile community, and there are many good reasons why. For starters, every product has been painstakingly built by hand in England since 1973. Engineering is one of Rega’s founding pillars. Rega has built… Read the Review »


The reference listening room at Masimo in Carlsbad, California

Bold Predictions on Who Will Buy Masimo’s Sound United Brands

Bowers & Wilkins is finding itself branded in more and more luxury cars. Why did a publicly-traded medical products company spend $1,000,000,000 to buy a bunch of audiophile and home theater brands? Many were left asking that question when the… Read the Review »


RBH 61 SF/R speakers with their AMT tweeter paired up at Eric Forst's house

RBH 61-SF/R Bookshelf Loudspeakers Reviewed

I was first introduced, in-person, to Utah-based RBH Sound in 2023, when I had the opportunity to review their excellent entry-level floorstanding speakers, the RBH 6500-SF (read my review here). During the course of my research for that particular review,… Read the Review »


The T+A DAC 200 in silver and reviewed by Brian Kahn

T+A DAC 200 DAC/Preamplifier Reviewed

In my last T+A review we discussed how the source component performs the critical job of injecting the audio you want to listen to into your system while keeping it pristine. I would argue that this next component has an… Read the Review »


Some turntables are as as sexy being sculpture as they are being functional

How Many Audiophile Whales Are There Really?

Is anybody else tired of the word “billionaire” being used so often in modern media and society? I am. There are reportedly 2,800 billionaires on the planet Earth that is host to roughly 8,200,000,000 human beings. Here in the richest… Read the Review »


Magnepan 2.7 floorstanding planar speakers.

Magnepan MG2.7i Planar Loudspeaker Reviewed

Founded in Minnesota in 1969, Magnepan is an iconic speaker manufacturer in the audiophile world, its speakers instantly recognizable both visually and sonically. Today, Magnepan’s speakers (which the firm calls Magneplanars) are still designed and built in White Bear Lake,… Read the Review »


Monitor Audio Anthra W15 is a deep-reaching, audiophile subwoofer capable of reproducing the lowest of low frequency notes

Monitor Audio Anthra W15 Subwoofer Reviewed

Founded in 1972 in Cambridge, England, Monitor Audio has consistently produced well-received loudspeakers, and today offers everything from basic bookshelf models to towers with multiple woofers. (With acquisitions of turntable and electronics maker Roksan and audio furniture maker Blok, Monitor… Read the Review »


The ISOTEK Elecktra V5 actually has six outlets...

IsoTek V5 Elektra Power Conditioner Reviewed

A power conditioner is an often overlooked, cherry-on-top component that helps to enhance a HiFi system’s performance. We have discussed system synergy here at Future Audiophile before, and how the journey to audio satisfaction is part of the fun. Having… Read the Review »


Dan Da'agostino's steampunk inspired amps are as good to look at as to listen to and they sound really, really good.

The Look of Your Audiophile Gear Is an Important Element to Its Overall Value

If we lived in a perfect world, we might seek audiophile components that do nothing other than sound great. There are examples of such products out there, such as ATI amplifiers, which up until recently used to be handmade right… Read the Review »


The iFi ZEN One Signature DAC is a small form factor audiophile DAC that works with today's modern audiophile streaming and CD-based systems.

iFi Zen One Signature Digital to Analog Converter Reviewed

In some ways, there are few things that will be as important to the modern audiophile as their DAC, as the vast majority of music today is being listened to through digital sources. Streaming continues to get more and more… Read the Review »


The PS Audio Stellar Gold comes in silver and black (with a gold accent, of course).

PS Audio Stellar Gold Preamp Reviewed

A few months ago, I wrote about secret designers quietly making very high-value audiophile components. Seeking these products out is often worth the effort, as they tend to punch above their weight class. Darren Meyers is quite not an audiophile… Read the Review »


HIFI Rose is makes some of the most stunning looking audiophile gear on the market today in terms of industrial design

HiFi Rose GaN Integrated Amplifier RA180 Reviewed

Let’s face it, not every audiophile has the room or desire for separate components for their electronics. The HiFi Rose RA180 integrated amplifier (buy at Crutchfield) was built specifically for this group of audiophiles who prefer a one-box approach, but… Read the Review »


Boulder is known for making possibly the most expensive electronics in the world but their new, younger executives have designed $8,000 amps, preamps and integrated amps.

The Radical Change in Brand Dynamics in Audiophile Electronics and What the Future Will Bring

One of the business books that I have always loved is Trout and Ries’ The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (buy at Amazon) which I believe was originally published back in the 1970s. One of the key elements of the… Read the Review »


The retro-looking yet affordable Outlaw Audio RR2166 integrated amp installed.

Outlaw Audio RR2160MkII Integrated Amplifier Reviewed

The RR2160MkII (yes, that is a mouthful) is an integrated amplifier from the direct-to-consumer brand Outlaw Audio. If you’re not familiar with Outlaw Audio, they are a Massachusetts-based company that was founded in 1999, and has been making fine audiophile-grade products ever… Read the Review »


The T+A MP200 is a truly unique audiophile component with its range of audiophile source options in once chassis

T+A MP200 Multi Source Player Reviewed

The first component in your audio system playback chain is your source component, and it’s arguably the most critical in your system. Your source component needs to be able to play your media and get it to the rest of… Read the Review »


Eversolo's DMP-A6 streaming DAC is one the more popular Chi-Fi audiophile performers in the market today.

The Audiophile Realities of Owning Chi-Fi Gear

Sometimes, in life, things seem too good to be true. In the audiophile world, nowhere is this more prevalent than when talking about Chi-Fi (Chinese-made and often sold direct) gear. If you still not hip to Chi-Fi check out my… Read the Review »


The Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3s installed in a slick, music-lovers room.

Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3 Bookshelf Speaker Reviewed

For years, the Bowers & Wilkins 600 series has been a favorite among audiophiles looking for a great, detailed bookshelf speaker. Their latest iteration of the series, the Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3 (buy at Crutchfield), promises to build on… Read the Review »


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