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These reviews are of equipment that I have either owned or had in the system for an extended period of time. Please feel free to quote all or part of the content, although this license requires that you include a link to the original review. I welcome your feedback on anything you see here.

Important Notes:
1. This page contains opinions, reactions, and feelings about equipment that may be valid only in the context of my system during the review period.
2. Some of the reviews are based on component comparisons that may or may not be relevant in a different environment.
3. Over the course of time and experience, most people's ability to evaluate audio components improves, and I reserve the right, but assume no obligation to update a component's rating based on new information. Call it my Continuous Improvement Program.
4. And most important:  YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY!!!

You'll notice that some of the ratings - 1 to 10 LPs - are pretty high. A 10 LP rating means it does not take any work on your part for the component to take you "there", musically. (See The Purpose of Home Audio for the definition of "there".) You should feel part of the music within 5 minutes of sitting down. Every time. A rating of 1 LP means sound comes out of something.

NEW FEATURE: MINI REVIEWS, starting with the Placette Active LineStage Preamplifier, are for those components that I have auditioned in my system but, due to limited time with a product time or other issues, do not warrant a full review. MINI REVIEWS are presented to give you pertinent information about a product that may help with your buying decision, but should not carry the same weight as a full review.

 

 

And now, on to the reviews. These are sorted chronologically.

 

Aerial 10T speakers

B&W 802 Series 2 speakers

Dunlavy SC-III speakers

Classe CA-150 amplifier

REL Stadium II subwoofer

Atmasphere M60 mk. II.2 amplifiers

Sony XA7ES CD player

Merlin VSM-SE speakers

JPS Superconductor speaker cables

Well-Tempered Reference turntable

EAR 834P phono preamplifier

REL Strata III Subwoofer (with follow-up to Stadium II review)

Harmonic Technology Truth Link interconnects

Van den Hul Black Beauty phono cartridge

Analysis Plus Oval 9 and Silver Oval speaker cables

Bel Canto Evo 200.2 amplifier

Shelter 901 MC Phono Cartridge

Harmonic Technology Pro-Silway mk. II interconnects

Shelter 501 mk. II Phono Cartridge

CAT Ultimate Preamplifier

Koetsu Black, Rosewood, Rosewood Signature, and Urushi Moving Coil Cartridges

Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval 8 Speaker Cables

VPI Aries turntable with SME V arm and SDS

Acoustic Zen Satori vs. Hologram II Speaker Cables

Window Cable Special Interconnect and Special Phono Cables

Atmasphere MP3 Preamplifier with Jensen MC Transformers

Bryston 3B SST Stereo Power Amplifier

Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum Moving Coil Cartridge

Audio Research LS16 mk. 2 and LS25 mk. 2 Line Stage Preamplifiers

Tom Evans Groove and Microgroove+ Phono Preamplifiers

Antique Sound Labs 1006-845(DT) Power Amplifier

Cary 300SEI Integrated Amplifier

PS Audio HCA-2 Power Amplifier

Cary PH-302 Phono Preamplifier

Aurum Cantus Leisure 2 SE Loudspeakers

Shelter 90x Moving Coil Cartridge

Conrad Johnson Premier 15 Series 2 Phono Preamplifier with Jensen MC Transformers

BAT VK-P5 and VK-P20 Phono Preamplifiers

Sonic Frontiers Phono 1SE Phono Preamplifier

Balanced Audio Technology VK-300xSE Integrated Amplifier

B&W Nautilus 804 Loudspeaker

Final Model 500 Electrostatic Loudspeakers

Nordost Valkyrja & Valhalla Interconnect Cables

Oritek X-1 Interconnect Cables

Audio Electronic Supply AE-3 DJH Preamplifier

Graham IC70 vs. Hovland MG2 Phono Cables

Zyx Airy 3x-SB Moving Coil Cartridge

Balanced Audio Technology VK-31SE Preamplifier

Quicksilver V4 Amplifiers

PS Audio xStream Resolution Reference Speaker Cables

Capacitors: Sonic Craft Gen 1 vs. VH Audio V-Cap OIMP vs. RELCAP Multicap vs. Munforf Silver/Oil

Placette Passive Line Stage Preamplifier

PS Audio Ultimate Outlet vs. Shunyata Hydra 2 Power Conditioners

Cary 500MB Power Amplifier

Audio Research PH5 Phono Preamplifier

Audioquest LeoPard Phono Cable

PS Audio Resolution Reference and Transcendent Interconnect Cables

Ortofon Jubilee, Kontrapunkt A & B Phono Cartridges

Audience Au24 Loudspeaker Cables

Art Audio Vinyl 1 Phono Preamplifier

PS Audio GCPH Phono Preamplifier: To Mod or Not

Origin Live Conqueror Tonearm and VTAF

Gallo Reference 3.1 Loudspeaker

Slinkylinks Interconnect & Speaker Cables

van den Hul Condor XCM and XGM MC Phono Cartridges

Roksan Radius V Turntable and Nima Tonearm

PS Audio GCC-500 & Underwood HiFi-modified GCC-250 Control Amplifiers

Grado Sonata and Benz-Micro Glider Phono Cartridges

Response Audio Bella EXtreme 100 Mono Bloc Amplifiers

Dodd Audio Battery-Powered Preamplifier

Placette Active Line Stage Preamplifier - MINI REVIEW

Rogue Audio Metis Preamplifier

Denon DL 103R Moving Coil Phono Cartridge

EAR 88PB Phono Preamplifier

Spendor S5e Loudspeakers

EVS 500M Power Amplifiers

VPI Scoutmaster Turntable with JMW-9 Signature Tonearm

Zyx UNIverse MC Phono Cartridge

ModWright SWLP 9.0SE Preamplifier

Benz Micro MC20 E2 Moving Coil Phono Cartridge

SOTA Cosmos Series IV Vacuum Turntable

Audio Horizons TP 8.0sMCpn Phono and TP 2.1RnB Line Preamplifiers

Koetsu Jade Moving Coil Phono Cartridge - MINI REVIEW

Benchmark DAC1 D/A Converter - Stock or Modified?

Harbeth Monitor 30 Loudspeakers

Five Balanced Cables

Audience Au24 "e" Loudspeaker Cables

Cary Audio Design SLI 80 and Bel Canto e.One S300i Integrated Amplifiers

Benz Ebony LP Phono Cartridge & Tri-Planar VII Tonearm

PS Audio Digital Link III D/A Converter with Cullen Circuits Stage 4 Modification

NAD C315BEE Integrated Amplifier

Halcro MC20 Power Amplifier


122 reviews and counting...

Stay tuned for more...