Audiophilia is a strange, often frustrating, yet occasionally euphoric state that, as was determined many years ago by an eminent Freudian (a fan, if I’m not mistaken, of 845-based vacuum tube amplifiers), almost always affects ...

This turned out to be a twofer review—two for the price of one—shortly after I accepted the Ultravalve assignment and considered compatible loudspeakers. Speakers are a critical decision that can make or break an amplifier ...

There are times when I think this strange hobby of ours borders on the insane. I feel this way every time I read an ad that promises miracles from an accessory that clearly defies the ...

As most of you know, I’m a tube guy at heart—particularly when it comes to preamps. But if I were in the market for the state of the art in analog, I’d make a big ...

Digital signal processing offers amazing possibilities for improving the sound of an audio system. And the Holm DSPre1 really delivers the goods. It offers the ease of an automatic system together with the superior results ...

The annual Buyer's Guide Issue is packed with our top recommendations in every product category and at every price. We’ve carefully selected the crème de la crème from the vast array of products on the ...

Robert Harley on Upper-End Electronics The mood at this year’s Audio Fest was markedly more upbeat and optimistic than that of a year ago, and particularly that of two years ago. The show saw a ...

DOWNLOAD NOW The Absolute Sound/Hi-Fi+ Guide to Integrated Amplifiers is a comprehensive online buyer’s guide that helps audiophiles and music lovers choose among the latest high-performance integrated amplifiers, from modestly priced to cost-no-object models. It ...

Some of you may have wondered why my TAS review of the ARC Reference 5 preamp was relatively succinct. There were two reasons actually. First, I knew that the Anniversary Edition Reference preamp was waiting ...

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 ...

I recently completed an article on the controversial “natural’ wine movement for Edible San Francisco magazine. For you non-oenophiles in our audience, this growing movement practices organic or biodynamic viticulture, a relatively non-interventionist style of ...

Meet the new boss in tube preamplifiers chez Valin. No, it’s not the same as the same as the old boss of the Valin household, the Audio Research Reference 3, my reference tube linestage for ...

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 ...

This is Part 2 of Anthony H. Cordesman's Review of the Quad system. You can read Part 1 here. Quad 99 Stereo Preamplifier If you are a true high-end puritan, you are going to be ...