Blogs
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Wilson's New XLF Flagship Loudspeaker: A World Exclusive Preview
|Wilson Audio invited me to Provo, Utah just a few days before Christmas for an early look and listen to its new top-of-the-line Alexandria XLF loudspeaker. TAS Contributing Writer Jacob Heilbrunn, who owns Wilson's X-2 ...read more -
Can High-Performance Audio Help the Performing Arts? (TAS 218)
|Have you ever attended an “amplified” live performance by a symphony orchestra, opera, or musical theater company, a dance troupe, choral group, or jazz band, and been completely underwhelmed by the overall sonics, even when ...read more -
Sony Alpha NEX-5N Camera
|I’ve never really considered Sony to be a “player” in high-end still photography (although it has long been one in professional videography). Its top-end SLRs—the A900 and (now discontinued) A850—received mixed reviews (great at base ...read more -
KEF and TAS---Players In The Early Days Of The High-End
|As KEF celebrates its 50th Anniversary, I thought it would be interesting to look at the early association between KEF and The Absolute Sound. As one of the first loudspeaker companies to offer high-performance loudspeakers, ...read more -
Magico Q1 Mini-Monitor Exclusive First Review!
|Last weekend I traveled to Berkeley, CA, and spent three solid days listening to Magico’s latest aluminum-enclosed speaker, the $25k stand-mounted Q1 mini-monitor. To be honest, though I’d been invited to audition the Q1s several ...read more -
Conrad-Johnson GAT Preamp and ART Monoblock Power Amp
|It’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed a conrad-johnson component, but back in the seventies and eighties I owned as much c-j gear as I did Audio Research. Indeed, there was a time when ...read more -
California Audio Show Updates: U.S. Product Premieres from Magico, MBL & Audio Research
|Several major new products had their U.S. premieres at the California Audio Show (CAS) this weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of these new entries were sonically stunning, despite the “challenging” room acoustics ...read more -
California Audio Show Updates: U.S. Product Premieres from Clearaudio, Graham, Luxman & Gallo
|Several major new products had their U.S. premieres at the California Audio Show (CAS) this weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area. Most of these new entries were sonically stunning, despite the “challenging” room acoustics ...read more -
Wilson Audio Factory Visit
|As far back as I can recall I’ve always enjoyed taking a look under the hood–from automobiles to audio. So when I was invited to have a peek at some of the technology that goes ...read more -
Technical Brainlessness
|Those of you who read my review of Naoto Kurosawa’s Technical Brain electronics in Issue 213 already know that I think these Japanese solid-state products are high among the most neutral, transparent, and detailed in ...read more -
Da Vinci Audio Labs' AAS Gabriel/Da Vinci MK II Turntable with Da Vinci Grand Reference Tonearm Grandezza
|Almost every time we do an Analog Buyer’s Guide we feature a picture of the AAS Gabriel/Da Vinci turntable on the “cover.” The reason should be obvious to anyone with eyes: It’s among the most ...read more -
Dan D'Agostino Premiers Amplifier from His New Company
|Dan D'Agostino, the legendary designer who founded Krell, debuted the first product from his new company. The company is simply called "Dan D'Agostino" and the product is the Momentum monoblock power amplifier. The Momentum incorporates ...read more -
The Best System I've Ever Heard in a Studio (or perhaps anywhere!)
|Much to my dismay, I have found that most systems in recording studios are sonically underwhelming and do not come close to satisfying demanding audiophiles. I had assumed that the sound in a mastering studio ...read more -
Your Stereo System in Robert Harley's House?
|Your Stereo System in Robert Harley’s Listening Room? Robert Harley My wife and I recently decided to move from New Mexico back to Southern California where I grew up and still have family. It was ...read more -
Nikon D7000 Mini-Review with Sample Shots
|The D7000 is Nikon’s new 16.2mps APS-C camera. Like the 18mps Canon EOS 7D, which impressed me a year or so ago, it has a fully sealed, weather-tight, magnesium body. Beyond its higher-resolution sensor and ...read more