One of the grand chapters in the history of audio was the BBC research program some decades ago into how to make speakers with a truthful sound. The BBC had the worthy idea that it ...

When the first DACs (digital-to-analog converters) appeared in 1985 they were big and expensive. Sony’s first DAC, the Sony DAS-702ES, weighed over 11kg and was built to last a lifetime. Too bad the technology inside ...

The term “USB DAC” is starting to become redundant the way “cell phone,” “digital camera,” and “flat-panel television” are anachronisms to one generation and “ink pen” is to those of us two (or more) generations ...

Here’s the thing about the ceramic-driver loudspeakers I’ve reviewed in the past. At low-to-moderate SPLs or on music performed pianissimo-to-mezzoforte, they have always been marvelous at reproducing the fine detail that tells you which instruments ...

Robert Harley recently sang the praises of the nifty AudioQuest DragonFly (Issue 226). He covered its performance when the device is used as a USB DAC fronting a reference audio system, and compared it to ...

Audez’e LCD-2 $945-$995 audeze.com The Audez’e LCD-2 is a planar-magnetic headphone that both looks and sounds gorgeous. The LCD-2 offers generally neutral tonal balance with a very slight hint of warmth, coupled with extremely high ...

ESI Juli@ Soundcard $199 esi-audio.com This modestly priced soundcard was the clear winner of our eight-way soundcard shootout in Issue 209. The oddly named Juli@ features a reversible plugin board that is fitted with RCA ...

REL T5/REL R-218 $599/$1399 sumikoaudio.net Fast and tight, yet tonally supple, with well-defined timbres, these mini-subs are also remarkably potent for a single 8" driver (the T5) or a single downward-firing 10” (the Class D ...

Cambridge Audio’s Azur 840C CD player made quite a splash back in 2007. In my review of that device (Issue 174, September, 2007) I was shocked not only by the advanced technologies and build-quality of ...

Sonus faber, I thought I knew you—that we had an understanding. What happened? You’ve seduced me for years with romantic, walnut-and-leather-accented, lute- shaped loudspeakers inspired by the 18th century craftsmanship of the Cremonese master luthiers. ...

William Zane Johnson, God bless him, may be gone and his pathbreaking company, the Audio Research Corporation, may now be owned by an Italian holding company, but in spite of the loss of its founder ...

GamuT Audio, a Danish company, has recently established a U.S. subsidiary for North American distribution, headquartered in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. After what seemed like some fits and starts with a North American presence a while back, ...

When A. R. Bailey unveiled his novel “non-resonant loudspeaker enclosure” in 1965, commonly referred to today as a classic transmission line (TL), he took direct aim at the popular bass-reflex speaker design. Bailey’s measurements and ...

The Boston Symphony Orchestra evokes warm memories for me. In high school I spent a summer at the Tanglewood music camp in the Berkshires, where I got to study with the Empire Brass Quintet. One ...

There’s an embarrassment of riches in the under-$2k loudspeaker category and, fortunately for me, I’ve been able to experience firsthand some of those bargains over the last few issues. For example, I recently wrote about ...