In other news Benchmark (pictured above) introduced its first “analog” product in the guise of an amplifier, the AHB2. Power output is 100Wpc into 8 ohms (170Wpc into 4 ohms & 340 W bridged mono ...

Expensive high end is exciting and at times stirring but I have to admit that there are times when the stiff entry fee can be a little dispiriting. The antidote was only a few doors ...

The tenth installment of the Rocky Mountain Audio might have seen a dip in overall attendance–depending on who you ask–but there was no lack of enthusiasm. Bracketed by Cedia and CES, manufacturers typically don't choose ...

I’ll bet we all remember what our parents asked us before we went out to play on a Saturday afternoon. The fateful question was, “Did you finish your homework?” How this question applies to the ...

The original Nordost Blue Heaven cable was, for many years, one of my budget reference wires. It debuted in 1994 and featured Nordost’s now iconic Flatline cable design. I knew this cable backwards and forwards—its ...

True story. I got a call from a friend shortly after I’d hooked up the latest Bowers & Wilkins desktop system, the Z2. I told her that I was testing the new Z2 from B&W. ...

For well over a decade, Diana Krall, the leggy, blonde, telegenic singer/pianist, has effectively deployed her engaging pop-sweetened-jazz style and consistently hit the crossover sweet spot. And like Dusty Springfield decades before, Krall achieved audiophile ...

I’ve never forgotten the sonic appeal of the Clearaudio Maestro Wood cartridge, which I reviewed back in 2008 (Issue 185). It appeared at a moment when I was still mourning the collapse of my final ...

B.M.C. (Balanced Music Concept) is a relatively new company with an old soul. It was founded in 2009 by a team of accomplished designers and managers who have produced quality components for a variety of ...

The Performa series is the middle of the three lines from Revel, part of the high-end division of Harman known as the luxury Audio Group which also manufactures JBL synthesis, lexicon, and, of course, Mark ...

As I begin to wrap up my online coverage of the 2013 CAS I would be remiss in not mentioning my first listen to the Legacy Aeris with DSP room correction controller ($18,850), TAS’ current ...

A couple weeks ago, I received a red carpet tour of the facilities of Audioquest in Irvine, California. Joined by Joe Harley, Shane Buettner and later on AQ founder Bill Low I was left a ...

When I think of British digital electronics, the first name that comes to mind is Meridian. Designers of complete digital systems from transports to fully active DSP- controlled loudspeakers, it makes products that are exquisite, ...

On the 2nd Floor, I found a pair of exhibits that featured Wilson Audio speakers. Sponsored by Music Lovers a noted SF high end emporium, the largest of the two housed Wilson Alexia’s positioned against ...

CAS provided me with my first look and listen to Sonus faber’s latest Olympica Series loudspeakers. At least one model anyway. On hand was Olympica’s two-way compact the Model 1, a direct replacement for the ...