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
119 reviews and counting...
Stay tuned for more...