The Latest Features
Sonus Faber, Evolved—World-Class Loudspeaker Excellence in Italy
- Details
- Written by Douglas Schneider Douglas Schneider
- Category: Monthly Column Monthly Column
- Created: 01 November 2021 01 November 2021
Sonus Faber was founded in 1983 by Franco Serblin, in Vicenza, Italy, although Serblin, who left the company in 2008, had been making speakers prior to that. One of his most memorable creations, the Snail, debuted in 1980—an all-in-one satellite-subwoofer system named after the way it looked.
Arcam SA30 Integrated Amplifier-DAC
- Details
- Written by Roger Kanno Roger Kanno
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 15 October 2021 15 October 2021
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.
A&R Cambridge Ltd., or Arcam, as it is more commonly known, was originally founded in the United Kingdom in 1976, but since 2017 has been owned by Harman International Industries, which is in turn owned by Samsung. Nonetheless, Arcam continues to maintain its unique identity by producing new and relevant electronic products, as it has done since the 1970s. For instance, the company’s top-of-the-line SA30 integrated amplifier-DAC, introduced a couple of years ago, includes streaming capabilities and a plethora of features, including DSP room correction and a proprietary class-G amplifier topology. Priced at $3300 (all prices in USD), the SA30 bowled us over with its robust sound quality and reasonable price when we heard demonstrations at the audio shows.
Bryston: How a Devastating Death Led to a New Lease on Life
- Details
- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Category: Monthly Column Monthly Column
- Created: 01 October 2021 01 October 2021
On Saturday, September 26, 2020, Brian Russell, Bryston’s president, died in his sleep. He was 68 years old. For the hi-fi world, the news of his death came primarily from James Tanner, VP of marketing for Bryston at that time, through various online outlets. In a post on the Canuck Audio Mart forum on September 28, Tanner wrote: “I worked with Brian for over 45 years and he was the most kind and caring individual I have ever known. He came across as a rough gruff bear of a guy but deep down he had the emotions of a teddy bear.”
Pro-Ject Audio Systems Debut Pro Turntable with Pick it Pro Cartridge
- Details
- Written by Philip Beaudette Philip Beaudette
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 October 2021 01 October 2021
Launched in 1991, Pro-Ject Audio Systems has grown to become one of the biggest turntable manufacturers in the world. The Austrian company’s catalog of decks is extensive, running the gamut from affordable entry-level models priced in the hundreds of dollars up to flagship designs that sit comfortably in the five-figure range. Products aside, what makes Pro-Ject interesting is that the company started at a time when CD sales were increasing exponentially and the new format had already replaced both vinyl and cassette tape as the medium of choice for music playback. With hindsight, it’s clear the reports of vinyl’s death were grossly exaggerated. Not only did it survive, but today, once again, records outsell CDs.
Ken Kessler’s New Stereo System: Part Five
- Details
- Written by Ken Kessler Ken Kessler
- Category: SoundStage! UK SoundStage! UK
- Created: 01 October 2021 01 October 2021
With the final stretch in sight, it is time for a recap, as I am at a loss to explain my recent inability to communicate, but it seems that I have failed to convey what this project represents. Ostensibly, simplistically, it is my attempt—and nothing more—at putting together a single-source system in 2021 for the same money spent when I was 16, the current equivalent of $700 (prices in USD unless indicated otherwise).
Recommended Reference Component: Accuphase C-2850 Preamplifier
- Details
- Written by SoundStage! Hi-Fi Editors SoundStage! Hi-Fi Editors
- Category: Components Components
- Created: 01 October 2021 01 October 2021
In his July 2020 review of the Accuphase C-2850 preamplifier, Doug Schneider pointed out the “huge price discrepancy” between what the Japanese company’s component sells for in the United States, in US dollars, versus what it sells for in Canada in Canadian dollars—$35,500 in the US compared to $24,999 in Canada (at the time the review was written, the Canadian price converted to $20,568 in US currency). But Doug also stated in his review that while “the C-2850 is something of a steal among high-end preamps” for what it sells for in Canada, he couldn’t call the C-2850 “overpriced” in the United States, “because it is a great preamplifier.”
Triangle 40th Anniversary Comète Loudspeakers
- Details
- Written by Diego Estan Diego Estan
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 15 September 2021 15 September 2021
Note: measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link.
I’m pretty sure that 45, my current age, is too young to retire—at least for all but the luckiest among us. So 45 must also be too young to come out of retirement—yet, this is how I felt writing this review.
SoundStage ! Network Product Awards: Less Confusion at the Hi-Fi Store When You Know More about Our Tiers
- Details
- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Category: Monthly Column Monthly Column
- Created: 01 September 2021 01 September 2021
On August 15, we published a report that highlighted the EISA 2021–2022 award winners for that organization’s Hi-Fi and Home Theatre Audio subgroups. EISA stands for Expert Imaging and Sound Association, a group of 60 websites and print publications spanning 29 countries.
Denafrips Terminator-Plus Digital-to-Analog Converter
- Details
- Written by Evan McCosham Evan McCosham
- Category: Full-Length Equipment Reviews Full-Length Equipment Reviews
- Created: 01 September 2021 01 September 2021
Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.
Denafrips shipped their first products in 2012. However, my research indicates that the brand has already amassed a loyal following for its wide range of products: digital-to-analog converters (DACs), preamps, power amps, a headphone amp, and reclockers for syncing digital clocks across multiple components. All Denafrips products are made in Guangzhou, China, and are distributed and marketed worldwide by Vinshine Audio, which is based in Singapore. Worldwide shipping is included in the prices, listed in Singapore dollars (SGD).
Back to Inexpensive Basics—KLH Albany II Loudspeakers
- Details
- Written by Doug Schneider Doug Schneider
- Category: System One System One
- Created: 01 September 2021 01 September 2021
Note: measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link.
In my previous “System One” installment, in May, I wrote about Rotel’s RA-1572MKII integrated amplifier and Sonus Faber’s Lumina III loudspeaker. The Rotel sells for $2099.99 (all prices in USD), while the Sonus Fabers are $2199 for the pair. Their prices are a little more than twice what I thought to be an upper limit—around $1000—for each component when I launched this column.
