LATEST ADDITIONS

AXPONA 2024
Zesto, Tidal from The Voice That is, Dr. Feickert, Tri-Planar, Ortofon, Cardas, and Stillpoints
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Apr 30, 2024  |  0 comments
Oh, how I love the look of Zesto Audio equipment. Here it found its ideal visual complement in Tidal Piano speakers ($57,000/pair) from Philly-area dealer The Voice That Is and a catchily titled (not) Stillpoints ESS42-26-4 rack with acrylic shelves ($13,788).
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AXPONA 2024
Treehaus Audiolab
Ken Micallef  |  Apr 30, 2024  |  0 comments
Rich Pinto of Treehaus Audiolab, which is based in Southport, Connecticut, has been dedicated to developing SET amplifiers and high-efficiency speakers since 2017. Here at AXPONA, he introduces the A/Machines 300B monoblock amplifiers ($39,000/pair), which showcase his commitment to classic design, in the sound and the aesthetics.
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AXPONA 2024
Luxman and Magico
Rogier van Bakel  |  Apr 30, 2024  |  0 comments
To say that I had good memories of the Luxman-Magico room at an earlier AXPONA would be an understatement.
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AXPONA 2024
Vimberg, Kalista, Karan, Entrec, and Fono Acoustica
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Apr 30, 2024  |  0 comments
It was a mixed show for Wynn Wong, mastermind of Canadian-based Wynn Audio importers. Soundwise he did very well, with Ayama Witter-Johnson’s take on Hoagy Carmichael / Ned Washington’s “The Nearness of You” so satisfying on every level, from solidity of bass to clarity of voice.
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Phono Accessory ReviewsPhono Preamp ReviewsTurntable Reviews
Spin Doctor #12: EMM Labs DS-EQ1, The Wand 14-4 Turntable, M•A Inner Sleeves
Michael Trei  |  Apr 30, 2024  |  0 comments
"I think both moving coil and moving magnet cartridges are terrible." That's what legendary Canadian audio designer Ed Meitner told me when I asked about the pioneering transimpedance current drive phono stage he created for his Meitner PA6 preamp some 40 years ago.

Meitner has been designing innovative hi-fi gear for the pro and consumer audio markets for more than 50 years, but for most of the last 30, he has been best known for his work with high-resolution digital audio and DSD recording. Despite this focus on digital—and despite that comment about the two leading phono cartridge technologies—deep in his heart, Ed still loves analog and has fond memories of the Kenwood optical cartridges from the 1970s, which I discussed in last month's Spin Doctor column. So when Ed read that a company in Japan called DS Audio was bringing back an improved version of the optical cartridge using modern materials, he contacted designer Tetsuaki Aoyagi to learn more.

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AXPONA 2024
T+A
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Apr 30, 2024  |  0 comments
Brian Damkroger’s recent review of the T+A Solitaire S 530 was laudatory. I was eager to hear it.
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AXPONA 2024
Børresen / Audio Group Denmark from Next Level HiFi
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Apr 30, 2024  |  0 comments
It was hard to tell where distributor / dealer Next Level HiFi ended and Audio Group Denmark began. Or, vice-versa), it was equally hard to tell if more action was taking place in the room during the demo or in the hallway. Suffice to say, there was a lot of energy flowing, and all that talking made listening a challenge.
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AXPONA 2024
Dynaudio, Octave, Moon, Grimm, Brinkmann, and Torus
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Apr 30, 2024  |  0 comments
It was great to hear monoblocks I'd just reviewed—the new, German-made Octave MRE 220 SE mono amplifiers ($28,500/pair) with their Super Black Box PSU upgrade modules ($7000/pair)—in the context of a different system.
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AXPONA 2024
Artisan Fidelity’s TIDAL room with Garrard, Schroeder, VDH, and Signal Projects
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Apr 29, 2024  |  1 comments
TIDAL made a fine showing in the room sponsored by one of its three US dealers, Christopher Thornton’s Artisan Fidelity. Totally drug-free I swear, I melted into the exceptional smoothness and beauty of “The Girl from Ipanema” on vinyl.
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AXPONA 2024
Synergistic Research, Estelon, Ideon, and JMF
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Apr 29, 2024  |  1 comments
Off by itself near Expo Hall, the Journey/Creation rooms sponsored by Scott Walker Audio and Synergistic Research utilized so many Synergistic Research products—eight models of cables, seven for power conditioning (including fuses), six acoustic room treatment thingees, four racks, three grounding devices—that I was tempted to adapt the product list into lyrics for an audiophile Christmas carol.
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