Understated elegance. Quality over quantity. Substance over style. If the underlying sentiments expressed in those phrases appeals to you, an integrated amplifier could be the solution to a straightforward yet beautiful system. The prospect of ...

Cambridge Audio has engineered some of the most consistently well-reviewed electronics this magazine has covered. Very recently I fell hard for the elite Cambridge Azur separates, the 840E preamp and 840W amplifier [Issue 186]. Editor-in-Chief ...

Boxing fans may remember that when former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson entered the ring, there was no satin robe. He wore only black trunks, and black high-tops, no socks. No frills. He was just sending ...

When it comes to tube electronics few high-end companies speak as authoritatively and have been as honored as the Audio Research Corporation. On a far more personal note is the memory of a system I ...

Cambridge Audio must employ mind readers. I know it’s got my number. I feel as if Cambridge made the new Azur 550A integrated amplifier and the 550C CD player especially for me—took into account my ...

At this year’s RMAF I blogged about the first US appearance of Audio Research’s DSi200, a high-power solid-state integrated amp equipped with remote control, three single-ended inputs and a pair of balanced inputs. To recap: ...

The Plinius Hiato is a beast of an integrated amplifier. I don’t know how else to put it. It’s big, heavy, and at an indomitable 300Wpc simply outguns most of the competition. Plus it loves ...

Cambridge Audio must employ mind readers. I know it’s got my number. I feel as if Cambridge made the new Azur 550A integrated amplifier and the 550C CD player especially for me—took into account my ...

The BEE of NAD’s BEE series of components pays homage to its designer Bjorn Erik Edvardsen, who also designed the storied 3020 integrated amplifier that put the company on the map three decades ago. Introduced ...

When you think about it, “elicit” is a pretty nifty name for an audio component. After all, the verb not only rolls nicely off the tongue, it describes what we’d like our playback systems to ...

“Wow, this baby’s loaded,” I muttered to myself as I scanned the back panel of the Simaudio Moon i3.3 and its sister, the CD3.3, which was idling nearby. I do my own fair share of ...

Affordable excellence. Funny how sensible, refreshing, and downright sane that phrase seems these days. Don’t get me wrong: For those who can afford it, which more or less excludes most of us, owning the finest ...

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show Rotel debuted the 15 Series, an impressive range of components encompassing most segments of the audio, A/V, and custom-installation markets. Beyond its eye-catching appearance and upgraded internals the 15 ...

I’m not an ideologue on the issue of solid-state versus vacuum tubes. No allegiances whatsoever. But I recognize that tube components possess a special appeal­—particularly to audiophiles who crave greater involvement in the sport. Charting ...

Having been exposed almost exclusively to KT88 and EL34 designs this past year, I jumped at the opportunity of reviewing something different—a 300B-based push-pull amplifier. With the Ref 3.1 you get the full enchilada—an integrated ...