The ARC Reference 2—William Zane Johnson’s statement phonostage and only the second ARC phono preamp to be designated a “Reference” product in this decade—arrived about three weeks ago, replete with new features never before seen ...

In my book, a new product introduction from the creative mind of David Berning is an event, a happening if you will. His designs are far from being yet another twist on a 1950s circuit, ...

I’ve long admired the approach Simaudio takes toward building integrated amplifiers. Rather than treat the integrated amplifier as a budget-oriented product unworthy of its best technology, the Canadian firm has instead strived to create truly ...

The D-Premier integrated amplifier from France's Devialet, which has caused quite a stir in Europe, made its US debut at CES. The reason everyone's talking about the D-Premier is that it operates like no previous ...

It is fair, I think, to say that there wouldn’t be a “high end” as we now know it if it weren’t for the Audio Research Corporation, whose founder and chief designer, William Zane Johnson, ...

Invoking yet again the mystery of Stonehenge and its ineffable inner circle, Mystère has recently launched a pair of flagship products aimed squarely at sharing tube magic with a wide audience. Both models use similar ...

While it continues to drag on in all but name only, our Great Recession has a good many of us either putting off new audio purchases altogether or setting our upgrade sights at significantly less ...

Normally, I try to avoid dragging readers through the problems I have in obtaining equipment and making it function. In this case, however, I would do a distinct disservice to any audiophile looking for a ...

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 ...