High-end audio
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The audio reviewers dilemma: Can they predict what you'd like?
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Aug 27, 2010
I worked in the high-end audio business for 16 years before I started writing about home theater and high-end audio. I've heard literally thousands of products, and while I've forgotten most of them, there were lots of standouts. I remember the first time I heard… Full Story »
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Manley Labs Snapper Mono Block Amplifiers Review
Audio Video Revolution News and Reviews &bull Aug 25, 2010
Manley Labs, out of Chino, CA, is one of my favorite high-end audio companies. I had the pleasure of reviewing the wonderful 300B Preamplifier, and the very cool MAHI mono block power amplifiers. To say I greatly enjoyed my time with both those products would be an understatement. Manley's world view is that hifi should be fun at all costs, not some super-serious hobby where hours can be spent debating the choice of AC power cords. The Manley world view… Full Story »
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Sony CDP-XA7ES CD player
Stereophile &bull Aug 25, 2010
It's conventional wisdom among audiophiles: Small, high-end audio companies build high-quality products in small numbers. Products which are often expensive. But not always. Big mass-market companies build cookie-cutter products in big numbers. They're usually cheap. But not always. The real world is never that simple. Big companies have the expertise, production facilities, and economies of scale to produce exceptional products if they put their minds to it. And sometimes they do put their minds to it. Sony has been making solid,… Full Story »
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Denver area HT meet - any interest?
Home Theater Forum &bull Aug 17, 2010
After 10 years away in Austin, I am back in the Denver area. Weather is nicer, but I unfortunately don't have as HT-friendly of digs. Goodbye dedicated 17x26 theater room, hello 15x18 family room with poor light control. Things seem… Full Story »
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Topics:
- High-end audio
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How do I Set Up Sansui Speakers?
Home Audio How-To's on eHow &bull Aug 13, 2010
Sansui manufactures high-end audio components for stereo and home theater enthusiasts. The company's speaker designs feature large, screw-off terminal knobs for connecting the positive and negative speaker wires. The knobs are also color-coded red for positive and black for negative… Full Story »
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High-end audio on the cheap from NuForce
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Aug 12, 2010
NuForce makes pricey preamplifiers and power amps that sell for thousands of dollars, but it's one of the few American high-end audio companies that also offers truly affordable gear. Most of the products NuForce sells are upgradable; it provides its… Full Story »
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Music to make your speakers sound better
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Jul 31, 2010
The goal here is to highlight new stuff--or at least music recorded mostly in our century--so there's no need to include Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" or Steely Dan's "Aja." I assume you already know the best music from decades past; I'm trying to spread the word about the best new music over a range of styles, with something for every taste. For more music that sounds great, check out my "How to make… Full Story »
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Clash of the Titans (2010) Blu-ray Review
Home Theater on BigPictureSound.com &bull Jul 27, 2010
Loosely based on classic Greek mythology (although not quite as loose as Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief), the recent remake of Clash of the Titans is a huge, loud, sprawling adventure that blurs the lines between man and god. In ancient Greece, the increasing defiance of humans against the gods who created them is not lost… Full Story »
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McIntosh MC-501 Mono Amplifier
Home Audio Reviews on eCoustics &bull Jul 26, 2010
McIntosh is one of the longest living legends in American high-end audio history. McIntosh's 'Unity Coupled Circuit' utilized in the 50W-1 tube amplifier introduced in 1949 was its first breakthrough design. The use of black glass panels that give McIntosh... Full Story »
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California Audio Show Next Weekend
Stereophile &bull Jul 22, 2010
Stereophile: After a gap of far too many years, Northern California again has a high-end audio show. Sponsored by Constantine Soo's DaGoGo.com, the fledgling California Audio Show will take place July 30 August 1 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Emeryville. July 22, 2010 After a gap of far too many years, Northern… Full Story »
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Who needs expensive audio cables?
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Jul 22, 2010
I get this question all the time, "Do I need to spend a lot of money on "wire?" The short answer is no. It's like asking if you need to drop $50 or $100 to buy a good bottle of wine. No, unless you're a wine connoisseur; most folks are perfectly happy with a nice $10 variety. True, you'll use a cable a lot longer than it takes to drink a bottle, but I wouldn't recommend spending more on a single set of wires than you'd spend on wine--unless you're an audiophile. Audiophiles obsess about the tiniest details of sound… Full Story »
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How to Use a Sound Mixing Board
Home Audio How-To's on eHow &bull Jul 21, 2010
A mixing board is an audio device that allows you to edit and adjust the features of different audio channels. Each audio channel represents a single connection, such as a musical instrument, microphone or other audio creation device. Mixing boards… Full Story »
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How to Hook Up Genesis Surround Sound Speakers
Home Audio How-To's on eHow &bull Jul 20, 2010
Genesis manufactures high-end audio loudspeakers for home theater and stereo use. Each speaker in a Genesis surround sound system is designed for a specific location in the room to create the multi-channel audio effects essential for an effective home theater… Full Story »
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'Confessions' of a hi-fi salesman
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Jul 18, 2010
Hi-fi salesmen are some of my favorite people. The job is nonstop audio, and they turn their customers onto the best stuff. I know from where I speak; I sold high-end audio for 16 years in New York City. I played more combinations of speakers, amplifiers, turntables, and CD players than any audio reviewer ever has. I knew the gear inside out. The best sales people are successful because they're all good listeners, and listening is important because you have to first understand what the customer is looking for before you can provide solutions. The best salesmen have lots of… Full Story »
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How to make good headphones sound great
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Jul 13, 2010
High-end audio can be a rather expensive hobby, but every now and then I stumble across something really amazing, that's priced for the real world. The Schiit Audio Asgard headphone amplifier looks and sounds like an overpriced high-end audio component, but it sells for $249! How good is it? Much better sounding than run-of-the-mill headphone amplifiers, the sort designed around inexpensive integrated circuits found in home theater and stereo receivers. The Asgard is a no-holds-barred Class A, single-ended, zero-feedback design. Pardon the audiophile jargon; let's just say the Asgard is built like a serious piece of high-end gear. Look inside… Full Story »
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Boulder Amplifiers 1008 phono preamplifier
Stereophile &bull Jul 6, 2010
Why bother with three phono preamps most of us can't afford? For the same reason the enthusiast automobile magazines cover the newest Ferraris and Lamborghinis: just reading about them is fun. All three of these expensive phono preamps I wrte about this month share certain sonic attributes not found in less costly, less ambitious units: all are free… Full Story »
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Black Gold, Brooklyn's newest record store
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Jul 3, 2010
Times are tough, and even tougher for the music business, but that didn't stop Jeff Ogiba and Sommer Foster-Santoro from opening a new record store, Black Gold. It's in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, and I dropped by on Thursday to see how they were doing. Black Gold also sells freshly brewed coffee from Rook Coffee Roasters and baked goods from Scratchbread,… Full Story »
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A speaker designer speaks out
The Audiophiliac on CNET &bull Jul 1, 2010
Speaker designers are fascinating people, and each one has his or her own unique perspective and priorities. Some are "pure" engineers, and spend most of their working life in front of a computer; others test and measure their designs, but invest countless hours listening to prototypes. I recently interviewed Dave Wilson, founder and chief engineer for Wilson Audio Specialties for The Absolute Audiophile magazine. Wilson Audio is the high-end audio equivalent of Ferrari; the Provo, Utah,-based company makes ultra-high-performance speakers… Full Story »
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Sony CD Player Troubleshooting
Home Audio How-To's on eHow &bull Jul 1, 2010
Sony manufactures varied CD (compact cisc) players and they range from the Walkman-style portable and personal models to high-end audio system components. Problems with the CD players can include audio issues, problems with remote controls and not starting. Causes can… Full Story »
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How Can I Plug My Laptop Into a Denon Receiver?
Home Audio How-To's on eHow &bull Jun 29, 2010
Denon manufactures high-end audio receivers for home stereo systems. The receivers are equipped with pairs of audio input jacks for connecting stereo components such as a CD player, turntable, tape decks and even a laptop, using the computer's audio output,… Full Story »
