Equipment Reviews

When Robert Schumann wanted to tell the world how impressed he was by the young Johannes Brahms, Schumann published words to the effect of, “Hats off, ladies and gentlemen!” That’s exactly the way I feel about Solen Electronique’s fully assembled and tested (and slightly tweaked) version of SB Acoustics’ top-of-the-line floorstanding 3-way (but with twin woofers) loudspeaker kit, the Sasandu Tx (for TeXtreme). (The sasandu is a traditional Indonesian musical... Read More

I figured before boxing it up and returning the MoFi Electronics MasterPhono I'd remove the top cover and give you a short guided tour. Read More

Occasionally, more than one reviewer writing for the same publication is interested in the same gear. More rarely, two writers will intentionally receive the same component in order to involve more than one set of ears.This situation was similar, but slightly different—like the sound of different brands of audio cables. While reviewing Treehaus Audio speakers, Rich Pinto of Treehouse hipped me to a cable brand he likes and uses—Iconoclast Cables by Belden. I called... Read More

Put yourself in the shoes of an audio designer like industry veteran Peter Madnick. You are tasked with creating a phono preamplifier at a given price point. In the case of the MoFi MasterPhono phono preamplifer, around $6000. That puts it not at the “luxury” level, but well above “entry level.” Absent price constraints a designer can offer high sonic performance and a generous feature menu, but as the price drops, the higher becomes the tension between features and... Read More

In 2019, Acora Acoustics burst onto the audio landscape with a line of granite enclosure-based loudspeakers and quickly gained a reputation as a top-performing brand, receiving positive reviews and winning "Best of Show" at various audio events. The company seemed like an overnight success, but like so many "overnight success" stories the journey took years of hard work and dedication. Valerio Cora, the co-owner and designer of Acora Acoustics,... Read More

The last time I checked in on a Michell turntable was back in 2000 with a review of the GyroDec SE. It's time for another review don't you think? This time it's the Gyro SE. The basic design strategy remains the same (though the original's Pabst A.C. motor has been replaced with a D.C. motor), so the big questions are: has the company maintained the high quality of the one reviewed twenty three years ago? And does the performance still hold up when... Read More

A manufacturer arrived the other day to install a costly turntable that I won't identify here. We played some records and you can be sure it sounded really fine. I could probably write the review after that first listening session but of course I won't. Then I went into my utility room and played a record we'd just played, on the Michell Gyro SE (the review will shortly be published). He couldn't see the turntable nor did I identify it. But he... Read More

A $7900 turntable featuring an air bearing tangential tracking tonearm and an air bearing platter? Sounds too good to be true, and if it is true, what’s the catch? There must be a catch. I first spotted the manufactured in Slovenia Holbo at Munich High End 2022 and it sure caught my attention. It’s featured in a YouTube video I shot at that show, but with no American importer then, a review didn’t make sense. Now there is one: Metavoxaudio so now’s the time for a... Read More

You’ll have to decide for yourself whether DS Audio President Tetsuaki “Aki” Aoyagi’s smarter move was instigating a 21st century version of the ‘70’s era optical phono cartridge or creating an open playing field upon which other companies could develop their own versions of the particular equalizer/preamplifier required to make the cartridge work.Aoyagi, an accountant by training with a family background in high-tech laser optics could probably have fashioned a... Read More

Imagine the possibilities when a highly skilled cable engineer and designer, who just happens to be an audiophile, partners with one of the world's largest and most technologically advanced wire manufacturers to delve into the subtleties of audio cables. It's a unique combination of knowledge and resources not often seen in the high-end audio industry, resulting in an impressive range of products.The company is Belden Inc., founded in Chicago in 1902 and... Read More

The new $2,500 Hana Blue moving coil cartridge is the talk of the town and looks to fill the gap between the company's highly regarded Hana ML and flagship Hana Umami Red.

The Stillpoints Aperture Acoustic Panels, available for quite some time now in their original or Series II form, have been reviewed numerous times including by our own Michael Fremer. These reviews have consistently praised the panels' positive impact when placed at the first point of reflection, between or behind the speakers.Over the years, I have utilized them in my listening room in all these positions. However, during AXPONA 2022, when I entered the... Read More

Lehmannaudio's original Black Cube, introduced in the late 1990's and still in production, set a high bar for what a moderately priced phono preamp could accomplish. Since then the Cologne, Germany-based company has added a top of the line Silver Cube in 2002 (now costing $4699) and over time filled in the price points in-between with the Decade in 2005 (celebrating the company's 10th anniversary), the Black Cube Statement a year later (among other... Read More

This is a years-in-the-making saga, but it’s not as long as Design Build Listen has been manufacturing The Wand tonearm. Inventor Simon Brown introduced it in 2011. A sample arrived here more than a few years ago and a review commenced, but shortly thereafter, the New Zealand built arm’s American distributor exited, orphaning the review. Unbeknownst to me, a short time later a new distributor entered and delivered a The Wand arm to my dear, late friend Art Dudley, who... Read More