The Latest Features
Lehmannaudio Decade Jubilee Phono Preamplifier
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- Written by Matt Bonaccio Matt Bonaccio
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 15 March 2023 15 March 2023
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.
It was very late on a cold, rainy January night in 1975 when The Köln Concert was recorded. Everything went wrong. Instead of the Bösendorfer 290 Imperial concert grand piano ordered by the show’s promoters, a mix-up led to the concert hall’s poorly maintained baby grand being brought out on the stage. Technicians slaved for hours tuning the instrument to get it into a playable condition; the sustain pedals were beyond repair and thus would be useless. The performer, Keith Jarrett, had spent five hours riding in a small, rickety French economy car from his previous concert in Switzerland. Dinner was served late, too late for a full meal before showtime. And Jarrett had been battling severe back pain and sleep deprivation for days leading up to the concert.
Recommended Reference Component: NAD Masters M23 Stereo/Mono Amplifier
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- Written by SoundStage! Hi-Fi Editors SoundStage! Hi-Fi Editors
- Category: Components Components
- Created: 15 March 2023 15 March 2023
In his March 1 review of the NAD Masters M23 power amplifier, Roger Kanno wrote: “Purifi’s Eigentakt class-D amplification technology first came to our attention when SoundStage! Network founder and publisher Doug Schneider raved about the performance of an engineering evaluation sample utilizing the company’s OEM modules. We subsequently reviewed several Eigentakt-based products from NAD, including the C 298 stereo amplifier, the M28 multichannel amplifier, and the M33 integrated amplifier-DAC.” The M23, which is priced at $3749 (in USD), is NAD’s latest amplifier to use the Eigentakt tech.
The Best of Florida International Audio Expo 2023
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Category: Monthly Column Monthly Column
- Created: 01 March 2023 01 March 2023
Florida International Audio Expo 2023 was held from February 17 to 19 in Tampa, at the Embassy Suites By Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore. That’s the same hotel it’s been held at since the first show, in 2019, when it was named Florida Audio Expo. Except for 2021, when it was canceled due to COVID-19, I’ve been to this event every year—and have been able to witness it improving with each successive year.
NAD Masters M23 Stereo/Mono Amplifier
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- Written by Roger Kanno Roger Kanno
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 March 2023 01 March 2023
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.
Purifi’s Eigentakt class-D amplification technology first came to our attention when SoundStage! Network founder and publisher Doug Schneider raved about the performance of an engineering evaluation sample utilizing the company’s OEM modules. We subsequently reviewed several Eigentakt-based products from NAD, including the C 298 stereo amplifier, the M28 multichannel amplifier, and the M33 integrated amplifier-DAC. I personally reviewed the latter two, and all three products received SoundStage! Network Reviewers’ Choice awards when they were published. The C 298 and M33 went on to win SoundStage! Network Product of the Year awards.
Thorens TD 1500 Turntable with Ortofon 2M Bronze Cartridge
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- Written by Philip Beaudette Philip Beaudette
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 15 February 2023 15 February 2023
The year 2022 marked significant anniversaries for several prominent loudspeaker manufacturers, all of which we’ve covered on the SoundStage Network. In England, Monitor Audio and KEF celebrated their 50th and 60th birthdays, respectively, while here in Canada PSB also turned 50. Each of these brands released one or more products to celebrate the milestones, and justifiably so. Surviving, let alone thriving for half a century or more in an industry that sometimes seems like a revolving door of companies is no mean feat, and deserves to be feted. In a marketplace that often feels crowded, these brands have succeeded where others have not, and they merit credit.
Recommended Reference Component: RME ADI-2 DAC FS Digital-to-Analog Converter
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- Written by SoundStage! Hi-Fi Editors SoundStage! Hi-Fi Editors
- Category: Components Components
- Created: 15 February 2023 15 February 2023
Matt Bonaccio’s review of the RME ADI-2 DAC FS digital-to-analog converter appeared on this site on January 15. Near the beginning of that review, Matt wrote: “Affordable, feature-laden DACs that measure well aren’t hard to come by these days, though the ADI-2 DAC FS manages to push the everyman’s standalone DAC paradigm to the extreme.” The word extreme applies both to its feature set and the way it performs objectively (i.e., on the test bench) and subjectively (i.e., listening), which might be a little surprising to some given that the ADI-2 measures only 8.5″W × 2.05″H × 5.9″D (without feet), weighs just 2.2 pounds, and is priced at a reasonable $1299 (in USD).
The RME ADI-2 DAC FS and NAD Masters M23—Transparent Sounding, State-of-the-Art Measurements, and Rich Feature Sets for Real-World Prices
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- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Category: Monthly Column Monthly Column
- Created: 01 February 2023 01 February 2023
It’s natural to assume that a more expensive product is better than a cheaper one, which is why many people use the price tag to determine quality. If it sells for more, it must cost more to make, right? And that alone should make it superior. But with many products—hi-fi and otherwise—that’s simply not the case. Price can be a ruse.
Rotel Diamond Series RA-6000 Integrated Amplifier-DAC
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- Written by Roger Kanno Roger Kanno
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 February 2023 01 February 2023
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.
Rotel has introduced a number of integrated amplifiers in the past couple of years, a few of which have been reviewed here on the SoundStage! Network; from the very high-end Michi X5 ($7499, all prices in USD) to the entry-level A11 Tribute ($799.99) and several in between. Aside from the Michi range, the company is known as a manufacturer of cost-effective, high-value products. However, to celebrate its 60th anniversary, Rotel has introduced two premium Diamond Series components: the RA-6000 integrated amplifier-DAC ($4499), the subject of this review, and the DT-6000 CD player–DAC ($2299, review forthcoming).
RME ADI-2 DAC FS Digital-to-Analog Converter
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- Written by Matt Bonaccio Matt Bonaccio
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 15 January 2023 15 January 2023
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.
Breaking into the audiophile sphere can be profoundly difficult for a professional audio company. Audio professionals and stereo enthusiasts tend to hold wildly divergent values regarding the gear they use, and at times, they seem to speak different languages altogether. So when a company introduces a product that crosses over from one of these worlds into the other, at best, it may be regarded as being a bit out of touch. At worst, it will garner little more than caustic derision. Hi-fi companies with pro audio roots tend to avoid revealing too much about their history for this reason. Given the circumstances, it’s a bit unusual that German audio company RME isn’t shy about disclosing its professional-grade background. In fact, they seem kind of proud of it.
Recommended Reference Component: SME Model 60 Turntable and Series VA Tonearm
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- Written by SoundStage! Hi-Fi Editors SoundStage! Hi-Fi Editors
- Category: Components Components
- Created: 15 January 2023 15 January 2023
In his December 2022 review of the SME Model 60 turntable and Series VA tonearm on SoundStage! Ultra, Jonathan Gorse declared that SME is “one of the crown jewels of the British audio industry, and is as quintessentially English as the BBC, Windsor Castle, or strawberries and cream at Wimbledon.” In his review, Jonathan described the firm’s new Model 60 turntable as “the culmination of over 60 years of audio development.” Jonathan commented: “SME released its last flagship turntable, the Model 30, in 1990—over 30 years ago—so it’s not a company that releases new products just to appease the whims of the marketing dept.”
