For those of you familiar with YG Acoustics and the exquisite aluminum shapes that make up their enclosures, perhaps you thought to yourself, “I’d buy a pair of those if they only came in a more traditional wood cabinet.”

Well, that thought has been answered with their Peaks series of loudspeakers.

Incorporating all of the same driver and crossover tech that their other speakers employ, the Peaks series, of which the Summit is the top of the line make use of a thick, machined aluminum front baffle (anodized in a black matte finish) that is bonded to an enclosure made of a special resin that has a wood veneer on the outside.

The result is a pair of speakers that blends a little better with a more traditional decor (or someone that is just metal adverse), and as a variation on the theme, the Summit sounds slightly warmer than the Carmel 3 that we reviewed last year. The Carmel is the entry level to YG’s Reference lineup, and the Summit is the top of the Peaks lineup. Both speakers have a retail price of about $30,000 per pair.

Both are excellent, both deliver great, full-range performance, with the level of clarity and dynamics that YG is known for delivering. We’ll have a full, in-depth, long-term review on the Summits dropping any day, but if you’ve wondered if the Peaks deliver a similar sonic footprint to the Reference speakers, the answer is yes.

With the Summit being a three way speaker, it extends deeper than the Carmel 3, and in most rooms won’t require a subwoofer. However, if you do need the extra push over the cliff, their Descent sub is made to mate perfectly with the Summits.

Overall, the Summits are dynamic, playing any kind of music you might enjoy with ease, and thanks to a sensitivity of 90dB/1-watt, anything from 30 watts per channel will drive them just fine. We used them with everything from our PrimaLuna EVO 100 integrated (40wpc/tubes) to the mighty Pass Labs XS 300 monos. (300wpc/class-a solid state) Currently, they have been the anchor for our publishers living room system with a multitude of integrated amplifiers. It’s an understatement to say he’s smitten.

So, if you’ve always been a fan of the YG sound, but longed for a pair with wood veneer, these are the ones you want.

https://www.yg-acoustics.com/products/summit/

$19k for a Rega? Don’t think about it that way. Think of it as a $50k table that you don’t need to fuss with – ever.

Well, it’s a damn good Rega, and unlike all the other tables in this price range, it has a fiddliness factor of zero. That’s right. You can unbox it, set the tracking force and roll. No other mega table offers this level of simplicity. Rega’s flagship Naia table, with their matching Aphelion 2 MC cartridge has been here for about two weeks now, and it’s been nothing but vinyl enjoyment. We’ve got a lot more listening and comparing to do, but this table is spectacular in every way. The new Aphelion 2 cartridge is a serious step up from the previous flagship, the Apheta 3. Rega continues to give their top MC cartridges more refinement, more tonal body, and more sheer dynamic range. You could get your Naia without cartridge and save $4,000 – ish, but resist the urge. This cartridge was made for this table and is absolutely lovely. Remember, no setup.

If you happen to be someone that appreciates true technical excellence and execution – this table will be like catnip. The unexperienced will go instantly to the form factor resembling the P8 and P10 – but every molecule of the Naia is refined beyond anything Rega has ever done.

However, if you have a P8 or a P10 and you’ve been itching for an upgrade, this might just be a way to slip it past whoever you live with, without them even knowing you’ve bought a new table. Fein ignorance.

We’ll have a full review shortly, but even at this point, you can expect this one to be a major award winner. Our publisher was at Roy Gandy’s house 20 years ago when the initial Naiad prototype was hanging on his listening room wall and still a twinkle in his eye, so it’s an incredible honor to finally have one here.

It’s bigger and better in every way than anything they’ve ever done (other than the limited edition Naiad) and one of the best values going in top turntables.

A big thanks to The Sound Organisation for sending it our way.

Initial photo courtesy of Rega. Fear not, we’ll have some sexy photos coming in the full review…

Having had excellent luck in the past with Aqua Audio products, we are thrilled to have their new LaScala mk.III DAC and LaDiva CD transport in for long term review.

The third version of the LaScala DAC, which is a pure R2R Ladder DAC, and features a tube stage along with a new module on the analog board – their Pilot Buffer. Everything else in the DAC circuit has had an upgrade, so this already highly musical DAC should be a major treat for the ears.

Aqua was kind enough to send their LaDiva transport along, so we could experience CD playback at its very finest.

You can get more information here in the meantime:

https://www.aquahifi.com/la_scala.html

The LaScala DAC has an MSRP of $9,850 and the LaDiva Transport $9,960.

Of all the rockstars you can think of to hang out with, the one person I’d have really liked to have met was Dolly Parton. Everyone I’ve met who has crossed paths with her has said she was one of the most genuine, sincere people they’ve ever encountered.

Our former Music Editor Jaan Uhelszki had the chance to sit down with Dolly in Nashville and get this interview back in 2014 – when we put Dolly on the cover. Why would we not?

Here’s another look at that epic interview:


Dolly Parton has a gift of intimacy, and makes every person she comes into contact with feel like they’re the only person in the world. It’s not something you’d expect from one of country music’s most recognizable icons—someone who has sold more than 100 million records and just released her 42nd album, Blue Smoke. So, how does she do it?  “I never think of myself as a star. I think of myself as a working girl, always have. That’s why I never had any ego problems. I’m thankful and grateful,” she says. And you know she means it.  In a sit-down interview, TONEAudio talked to the eight-time Grammy winner, theme park mogul, movie star, philanthropist,  and singer-songwriter about cooking, creativity, Bob Dylan, and what she really thinks about when she’s onstage.

JU: You’ve just released your 42nd studio album. How do you know when it’s time to make a new record? Does a buzzer go off in your head? DP: Something like that. I have to weigh everything and ask myself: Should I tour? Put together a band? Record an album? I’m 68 now and I have to be smart about time. JU: So you overthink it? Or do songs usually just demand to be written and you know it’s time.

DP: Yeah, most of them do. But in this particular case, I had a lot of songs in the can. “Blue Smoke” I wrote years ago, and I used to do it onstage because it was just a fun song to do. A lot of fans remembered it and they kept saying, “Why don’t you ever put that out?” So when I got ready to do this [album], not only did I include the song but I thought Blue Smoke was a great title because I was going to do a lot of bluegrass stuff.

JU: And you love the word blue. You’ve put the name in so many of your song titles.

DP: I guess a lot of it comes from growing up in the Smokey Mountains. The Cherokee had a word, “shaconage,” and it meant land of blue smoke. That’s what they called them the Great Smokey Mountains. When I did my bluegrass album, I named it The Grass Was Blue. I was going to travel around with a bluegrass band, and at one time I thought I was going to call my band Blue Smoke. That was before I wrote the song. I was going to call my label Blue Indigo. I never thought about that until you said that. I wrote a song called  “Blue Me.”

JU: I love how you referenced the Cherokee word.

DP: Well, thank you, because I am very spiritual. I’m not religious at all but I totally believe in that. I have to. I need to. I can’t imagine anybody not believing in something bigger than us because I’d choose to believe it even it wasn’t so.

JU: You are a known early bird, and you’ve said you commune with God, or you actually write songs with him in what you call the Wee Wisdom Hours.

DP: Wee-hour wisdom.

JU: Is there a time that you always wake up? [Self help guru] Wayne Dwyer has said if you are awakened early in the morning at the same hour, you should stay up, because someone/some universal force has a message for you.

DP: Years ago, I used to wake, it was almost like clockwork, it was just a thing. I would wake up at 3:00 a.m. every day. But now that I’m older, I’m waking up earlier and earlier. I go to bed early though, but I get up really early because I love the mornings. That’s my time. Nobody else around, everybody asleep, all the energies have died down and I really feel that God’s just waiting to come there. I think about God as like a farmer, and he’s always throwing stuff out. I want to be one of those early-rising people so I get some of that stuff before it gets picked through. I always feel the energies, other people’s energies, bad or good, that the world is kind of settled about that time. So I just feel like it’s quieter and I have a clearer direction.

We all have our own time. That’s my time, anywhere from like midnight to six a.m. I’ll get up, I’ll do my spiritual work, I’ll answer mail or I’ll call in messages to be typed up, and I definitely always do my affirmations, my reading, my Scriptures, and whatever I’m doing at the time. A lot of times I write songs, especially if I’m writing for something. I wrote a lot of the stuff for Blue Smoke in the wee hours.

JU: You have some interesting things on the album. The cover of Bon Jovi’s “Lay Your Hands on Me” that you turned from hot to holy, and back to hot. Can you tell me a little bit about working with Jon Bon Jovi?

DP: We didn’t get together to do it. When I first heard that song years ago I thought, wow, that is spectacular. What a great gospel song. I grew up Pentecostal church where laying on hands meant invoking the Spirit. Or to pray for the sick. Even now I’m always asking God to lay his hands on me. And so when I first heard that I thought it was a gospel song till I started listening to what it was really saying. I’m always loving to do covers, so I thought, well, I just can’t take the liberties to think that I’m just going to go ahead and record this song without knowing if they’ll let me do it. My manager worked as Jon Bon Jovi’s tour manager for a long time, so he put me in touch with him and I just asked him if it would be okay if we turned his song into a gospel thing. He said he thought it would be fantastic. I said, “Well, you throw in some stuff, too.” He said, “Okay. I’ll throw in some stuff.” Then I called [exBon Jovi guitarist] Richie Sambora, who wrote the music for it, and made sure he was okay with it. I didn’t want to just take the liberties. I wanted to make sure that we were all okay. We sent things back and forth. This line works. What about this line? So out of all that, we got this version. I was really inspired, so I wrote a whole bunch of lines.

JU: You also cover Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” Did you feel you needed to work with him on that?

DP: No, I did not. I met him years ago but he we really didn’t connect. Although, I’ve always loved his songs. I’d recorded “Blowin’ in the Wind” years ago on another album, and I’ve sung a lot of his songs through the years. But no. We just didn’t connect.

JU: You also sang a duet with Willie Nelson, “From Here To The Moon and Back.” You too seem to bring out the best in each other.

DP: I love Willie. I’ve worked with him through the years. He’s very hard to sing with because of his phrasing. I mean, just like you’d think, because we both are stylists, and you’d think we’d be able to do it easily. It was really fun singing with him, but it was like an exercise of some sort, trying to catch him with all his little phrases and all. He called up and said, “Let’s do that moon song you wrote because I can really play some hot guitar on that one.” I love that old funky sound he gets on that guitar. I love what he played on that, too. I’m glad we did that together.

JU: Do you have any rituals before you write?

DP: I cook. I love to get in the kitchen when I’m getting prepared to write because if I’m in a good creative mood, my food is spectacular. If my food is spectacular, my writing’s going to be spectacular.  It’s very creative for me, so I always cook and write, usually at the same time. When I prepare to write, what I love to do—my favorite thing to do in the world—is to have time set aside, like two or three weeks to say I’m just going to go write. I go up to my old mountain home. Sometimes I fast and pray for a few days to get myself kind of in a spiritual place—get through the headaches, and everything with comes with the fasting till I get kind of clear. I hate to fast but I try to do that and kind of humble myself a little bit. After that, I get into the writing, then it starts to be creative, and then I can cook. After I’ve got connected.

JU: You are in tremendous shape. You’re a flirt. You say you’ve never met a man you don’t like, yet you’re a role model for women. What do you attribute that to?

DP: Well, I think women see me more like a sister or a girlfriend, or like a special aunt. I think they sense that feeling I have for them because all of my sisters—I have five—and I were very close to my mother, my aunts, and my grandmas, so I just really connect with women. But I don’t think women are threatened by me. Because I’m overdone, I’m more like a cartoon character, so I don’t think they feel threatened in that way either. Like I’m going to steal their man.

JU: In your book My Life And Other Unfinished Beauty, there are a number of photographs of you. Despite what you say, you really were a natural beauty.

DP: I’m really not, trust me. You haven’t seen me without all my makeup. Even in those pictures, I was already made-up. I’m not a natural beauty so I’ve tried to make the most of everything I’ve got. I’ve tried to turn all my negatives into as many positives as I can. That makes me feel better.

JU: You were never afraid to show your brains or your tough side. Even in less-enlightened times. Where does that come from?

DP: I knew I was a woman but it didn’t dawn on me that could be a detriment until I came up against somebody who was trying to overrun me or come on too much, or trying to offer me this and that if I would do that. It was only then that I would [get tough] because I always believed in myself. I believed in my talent. I believed in my brains. I would always go into any place of business with any man, no matter how big or strong they were, and say:  “I’ve got something to offer here. I think I can make us both a lot of money if you’re interested in this.” But if it got out of line, I knew how to walk away and say, “I guess it wasn’t meant for us to do any business.” You always have to be willing to walk away from something that’s not right.

JU: You seem like you’ve always had that brutal confidence.

DP: Well, I always was confident in myself. But I think a lot of that comes from my faith in God, and depending on him and believing that through God all things are possible. I would gather strength from that. I’ve been stronger all my life because of that. I never turned [my belief] loose. Never stopped believing, never. Never will. Even if I die a horrible death, I can’t blame God for that because I’m sure I will have brought a lot of that on myself.

JU: What do you think your job is?  You have said you would have been a hairdresser if you hadn’t done this.

DP: Or a missionary. I woulda, too.

JU: But what do you think your job really is?

DP: I pray every day, and certainly every night before I go onstage, that God will let me shine and radiate with his light

And to let me be a blessing, and let me not have people idolize me because I do not like idolizing stuff. If they see a light in me, I want them to think that it’s the light of God. And even if I don’t get to heaven, if I can help somebody else head in a better direction, that makes me happy. I just want God to use me to uplift mankind, to let me do something to point people in his direction, not mine.

JU: They say that the people that you like are a mirror for you. You’re a mirror for so many people.

DP: Well, we’re all God’s children. We’re all pieces of God, we’re all pieces of one another. Everybody I see, I relate to. I see somebody in my family in that person, somebody I love. And I try to go right to that God light in everybody, to that God spark that we all have. I try to play to that even if I don’t, well, immediately like them. I know there’s that little spark in there.

JU: One of my favorite stories is when you went to see the Judds perform in Lake Tahoe and when they went offstage before their encore, you snuck out onstage and took their bows for them.

DP: I haven’t done anything like that in a while. I still am embarrassed about that. I had to do it, just like I had to take off all my clothes and run across Tom Jones’ lawn. But don’t put anything past me. I’m capable of doing anything.

JU: You mean if someone dares you to do something, you just have to follow through. I love that personality quirk of yours—if it’s a quirk.

DP: It is. I’m just like that. So if somebody dared me to do anything right now, I’m sure I would have to be held back from doing it. But I haven’t done anything like that lately. With the Judds, I was back there watching. But I don’t think they cared that I ran out there and took their bows, but I worried that they did. I’m sure they talked about it, talked about me bad. But I just couldn’t help it.

JU: Is there one thing you’d change about yourself?

DP: Well, to change one thing would change everything. It’s like of course we all wish to have great hair if we don’t. We all want to be tall if we’re short. But I think God gives us just what we need to have and he has to keep us humble some way, so I just accept that I am who I am and how God meant me to be, and it’s working so far. People always ask me, “Do you have any regrets?” I say, “Well, I don’t think so because I never did anything I might regret.” I might regret getting caught at a few things but I didn’t regret the doing it because I never did anything that didn’t feel like the thing I had to be doing at the time, or wanted to do. I mean so how can you go back and say, ooh, I regret that?

JU: I don’t know about you, but I just regret the things I didn’t do. The shoes I didn’t buy.

DP: Yeah, that would be me. I would regret more of what I don’t do than what I’ve done. Always.

JU: UK talk show host Graham Norton talked about how much he loved you, and thought you could be friends. He wanted to. But he realized that you really couldn’t, because you were busy being Dolly all the time. Is that accurate? Are you Dolly all the time?

DP: Did you think that was a negative statement?

JU: Maybe a little. I think he was just hurt. Or wanted you to let him into your life. Into your inner circle.

DP: Well, it’s not that you don’t let them in because every time I meet somebody, like I say, I play to that little spark that I find in them, and I loved him. I thought we worked so great together. But it’s true, sort of like me and Kenny’s [Rogers] song from this new album [“You Can’t Make Old Friends”]. It’s like there’s new people all around. But it’s just that you just don’t really have the time to even be with your family and your old friends, or do the things you need to do. But it doesn’t mean every now and then there’s a person that will worm their way. But I don’t even, like I say, have time for the things I need to do.

JU: Is it difficult to be such a big celebrity and have a private life?

DP: No, not for me. My life is good. I’ve managed to manage that really well. When I’m home, I’m really home. When I’m with my husband, I’m totally with him. I figured that out early. I had to because this is what I do. I’ve dreamed myself into a corner, so I have to be responsible for all of the things that I’ve dreamed and I’ve seen come true. I’ve been blessed that my dreams come true. But there’s a big responsibility. It’s wearing. Sometimes you just physically and emotionally can hardly keep up.

But, this is what I do. I never think of myself as a star. I think of myself as a working girl, always have. That’s why I never had any ego problems. I’m thankful and grateful. And I look at the body of work that I’ve done sometimes and I’m just shocked by it. I’m amazed by it and think, “How in hell did I get all that done? In this many years. How did I do all that?” But I did it.

JU: You have many gifts, but I think one of your greatest gifts is your ability to connect. To fully see someone when you’re with them, as if they’re the only person in the world.

DP: Well, thank you. That’s what I go back to that looking for God in everybody. Finding that spark. But I do feel that way, though. People also say, “Don’t you get so tired of singing the same songs, saying the same stuff?” I say no, because every one of those little faces is not a face I’d seen before, so that’s the first time they heard it from me. First time I’ve said it to them. And I know that it’s real coming from me, and I know that it’s like an energy there. Even though I do these interviews day in, day out, it’s like looking at you and the way you ask questions and the tone of voice makes me have a whole different delivery, makes me add more to something I’ve said before. But it takes on new meaning for me.

JU: What do you think about when you’re onstage? Did I unplug the iron?

DP: You know, that’s funny. Right in the middle of a song, especially songs when I’m talking to the audience, I’m really right there with them because you can’t lose your concentration. But I’ve sung these songs so many times, right in the middle of a song my mind will trail off, and I’ll think, “Did I leave the coffee pot on? Did I unplug the iron?” Like you said. And then I’ll think, “Ooh, you better get back or you’re going to miss your words.”

20 Things You Might Not Know About Dolly Parton

1. Dolly once lost a Dolly Parton look-alike contest.

2. While it’s reported she’s Miley Cyrus’ Godmother, Parton is Cyrus’ honorary Godmother. There was never a formal ceremony.

3. It’s often reported that her breasts, measuring a reported 40DD, are insured for $600,000. False.

4. While Parton turned down Jack White’s offer to produce her, she did let him buy her and her friends dinner at an expensive Nashville hotspot.

5. Parton and her husband Carl Dean often go food shopping in the middle of the night at 24-hour Walmart near their home outside of Nashville.

6. Parton has stopped trying to disguise herself in public because people always recognize her voice. Last time she tried, some kids said: “You’re Dolly Parton in a black wig!’”

7. Although she’s co-owned the Dollywood theme park since 1986, she claims she’s “too terrified” to ride any of the rides.

8. The world’s first cloned mammal—a sheep—was named Dolly after her in 1996.

9. Parton once had a line of wigs distributed through Revlon cosmetics.

10. Parton has never made a  big decision without fasting first. She usually fasts in multiples of seven. Either seven days, 14 days, or 21 days.

11. She was rejected from the high-school cheerleading squad at Sevier County High School.

12. The Ku Klux Klan once picketed Dollywood because of Parton’s annual Gay Day.

13. She once played herself in an episode of “Alvin & the Chipmunks.”

14. Kevin Costner was the one insisted Whitney Houston record Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” for The Bodyguard.

15. “I Will Always Love You” was Saddam Hussein’s reelection theme song.

16. A photograph of Parton’s little-seen husband Carl Dean is on the cover 1969’s My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy.

17. Parton received death threats after she wrote “Travelin’ Thru” for the film Transamerica, about a transgender woman.

18. She has three tattoos: An angel on her upper left arm, butterfly on her chest, and a red flower in between her cleavage. 1

9. Her production company, Sandollar, produced the hit show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

20. Parton hates to fly and suffers from motion sickness.

Does it all.

If you’ve been looking for a high performance component that can do everything – with a minimal (and very attractive) footprint, we highly suggest the T+A Symphonia. At $10,995, this is not a budget/entry-level piece, however the level of performance, refinement, versatility, and execution deliver tremendous value.

The Symphonia starts with the Eigentakt chipset, T+A engineers have built their own custom board, allowing them to utilize their well-proven high voltage power supply technology and wide bandwidth throughput, making it a truly unique T+A iteration of that very respected technology. to deliver 125 watts per channel into 8 ohms (double that into 4) and gives the user every audio option.

In addition to offering a built-in streaming, USB DAC that is ROON ready, there is an additional RCA/SPDIF input and an optical input too. You can also stream via Bluetooth, WiFi, or Ethernet (our preference). A single, RCA analog input is provided in case you need to connect a tape deck (yes, please) and an excellent MM phono stage.

It doesn’t stop there. For those of you that still have terrestrial radio stations that you love, there is an on-board FM and DAB tuner.

We’ll have a full review shortly, but suffice to say the audio performance is what we’ve come to expect from T+A. Dynamic, detailed, open, and musical. It drives our reference YG Acoustics Summit speakers flawlessly. And, there is even a subwoofer output should you need a line level output for that.

T+A has missed nothing here. While you might initially raise an eyebrow at the price tag, consider what you’d be spending on four sets of interconnect and mains cables, not to mention rack space. See what we mean? Furthermore, in a more design oriented environment where great sound is a plus with a minimal box count a priority, this elegant performer will blend right in. Turntable or not.

https://www.ta-hifi.de/en/audiosystems/symphonia

Hello and welcome to Distilled.

We are not abandoning our standard reviews, but for those of you that would like a little more than the canned press releases everyone else is posting, but not sure if you want to make the time investment in a full review, we present the distilled column.

A quick overview of components that will be 200-300 words. No space for blather, pontification, or a lot of “I, Me, Mine” stuff.

We’ll do our best to present a couple of good pics, a link to the full review (if it’s done and you’re so intrigued) and a link to the manufacturer. On occasion, we will even post a purchase link if it makes sense. Please NOTE: we are doing this for your convenience, and these are not sponsored or affiliate links.

Thank you for reading!

If you’ve ever been horn curious but budget conscious – consider a pair of Shatuto Audio A811b-12s.

While I heard some good sound at this year’s T.H.E. Show, I personally love high-sensitivity horn speakers, because a 97db/1-watt speaker makes it so easy to get into the audio game. You can build a decent 2A3 or 300B amp from scratch. Rebuild a Dynaco Stereo 70. It’s tough to find a bad sounding SET. Or, you can grab a low powered Japanese receiver, or maybe even a Naim Nait 50 if you can find one around anywhere. (We’ll be following up on all of that soon.)

The Shakuto A811b-12s really turned my head around, from the minute I walked in their room.

These compact, 12” 2-way speakers, featuring a port loaded 12” woofer and a compression tweeter mounted to a genuine vintage Altec Lansing 811B horn. Shakuto uses Danish Audience SB drivers here. Even out in my garage with a vintage Luxman integrated from the 90s, the sound is glorious. They clean up the vintage horns and have them powder coated to look better than new. Sexy.

Build quality is phenomenal – these speakers are beautiful to behold. Even out of the crate (very well packaged btw) the sound is room filling and luscious. Spoiler alert – I’m keeping the review pair, so that should tell you something. Moving into my studio with the Shakutos about 12 feet apart, slightly angled in, powered by the Canor Virtus I2 integrated is where serious listening begins. What makes this amplifier such a perfect match for the Shakutos is its ability to be used in triode mode, delivering 20 watts per channel through it’s KT88 tubes.

The sound is smooth, big, and glorious. Bass extension is excellent, and the compression driver Shakuto uses is silky smooth. Spinning a few jazz favorites, makes me feel like I’m in a listening bar in Tokyo!

We have a lot more to investigate. A wider range of musical styles, different amplifiers, and different cables. A full review is underway, but I’m so excited about these (and I’ve had a number of readers messaging me already) I wanted to put some initial thoughts out immediately.  At $7,900 a pair, they are an exceptional value, but at the introductory price of $5,900 a pair, they are the best high sensitivity speaker bargain going. If you’ve got a low powered tube amp, want to build one, or have a First Watt amp (yeah – they work GREAT with First Watt) but haven’t found the nirvana speaker, the Shakuto A811b-12 is my suggestion.

We’ll have a lot more info for you in a couple weeks, and you can expect to see these pop up in a number of low powered amplifier reviews going forward, as these are now my reference.

The A811-b12
Intro price: $5,900/pair
shakutoaudio.com  

If you need a super compact, super high-performance digital player/streamer/DAC, Nagra has the droid you need.

Only 7.2 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches in size, the Compact Player is the exact same size as the Compact Phono. Much like the Compact Phono, it has a small external power supply but can be upgraded with the Nagra Compact PSU power supply to get even more performance. Those owning an MPS or Classic PSU can also plug the Compact components in for better results.

For now, sticking to the stock setup, the sound is seriously incredible. While the Compact has full DSD capability, the majority of my listening was done via ROON with 16/44 to 24/192 resolution. The Compact is ROON ready and sets up in about 25 seconds.  Plug in the power supply, install an ethernet cable, click “enable” in ROON, and bam.

If you’re thinking “how can Nagra get so much performance out of such a small box?” The reason is simple. They have distilled (pun intended) the functionality down to the absolute minimum – there isn’t even a power switch! Plug it in and leave it on. One tiny LED lets you know it’s working. It will take a day or so to completely stabilize electronically and thermally, yet it sounds excellent out of the box, not to worry. It’s a Nagra, come on.

Keeping to the simple path, there is a USB input for an external hard drive or memory stick and an RJ-45 input. This is my only complaint – I wish it also had an SPDIF input, but that would add to the complexity and chipset. However, it would be incredibly cool to use this DAC with a transport.

And it’s built with every bit of care and precision that every Nagra is built with. The Compact series is not watered down in any way. Think of the Compact Player as the Tudor Black Bay of digital players.

The sound is pure Nagra, honed by decades of building some of the world’s finest gear including analog and digital recorders. Lightning fast, tonally correct, musical and involving – yet without embellishment or coloration. That is the Nagra way, and this DAC delivers performance rivaling much more expensive DACs we’ve used – but again, no functionality.

If you need a single purpose digital player, the Nagra Compact Player gets our highest recommendation. We’ll have a full, extended review shortly. This is one we wholeheartedly stand behind. – Jeff Dorgay

Photos courtesy of Nagra.

$7,495
www.nagraaudio.com

At a recent hifi event at Upscale Audio, I had the tremendous opportunity to spend an hour with the new Quad 2912X speakers after the show was over, before it was time to leave. Running through a quick list of reference favorites, it was easy to get a read on these amazing speakers. With a pair of original 57s and 63s here at TONE, the “Quad thing” is very much burned into memory over decades of listening.

The new speakers have 92% of the magic of the original 57, with much more extension at both frequency extremes, along with greater dynamic swing. If you’ve never heard the originals, you might just think these are one of the most incredible speakers ever made. Oddly enough, after experiencing the originals, chances are high you will still think the same thing, as here’s the Quad sound you know and love, but oh so much more of it, and the ability to play the Rolling Stones at a reasonable, maybe even a bit unreasonable level now.

Starting with Keith Richards’ “Wicked as it Seems” is a great place to dive in, especially with these speakers sitting between a large portrait of the Rolling Stones in Upscale’s room. Driven by the new Musical Fidelity M8XI integrated (about $7,999 courtesy of Harmonia Distribution) the big Quads deliver an incredibly large sound field in all dimensions, with a ton of bass grip.

Zipping through about a dozen well-known reference tracks, an hour goes by with the same speed as when you hit the snooze button on your alarm. Where did it go? These are speakers I could listen to all day and still want to listen to more music. The level of detail retrieval and lack of coloration is way beyond what you’ll ever get in a like-priced pair of box speakers. But now, they rock.

For those thinking that high power with Quads is counterintuitive, (and super easy to fry the early ones with) these speakers benefit from a lot of current and high damping factor. If you’ve always felt that the last (non-X) generation of these speakers was too polite, it’s worth reconsidering with an amplifier like this. My 2812s never sounded more glorious than they did, paired with the mighty Pass XS300 monoblocks. The M8XI is a much more reasonable solution.  Add your choice of analog front end for about $5k-10k and you’ve got an amazing hifi system for the price of a CPO 3-series.

We’ll be getting a pair soon enough, but if you’re on the fence on a pair of these, I can’t suggest them highly enough. As with all prior Quads, there’s a certain level of tonal purity you just won’t get from a pair of MartinLogans, and transparency that Magnepans don’t even begin to approach.

Are these your dream speakers come true? They might be. I know I want a pair. – Jeff Dorgay

The Quad ESL 2912X
$18,000/pair (approx.)
mofidistribution.com

Photo courtesy of Laura Berbaum

And we’ve got a pair!

Harmonia Distribution is pleased to announce the North American launch of the Fyne Audio Cubitt 5, a compact, fully active loudspeaker system designed to bring high-fidelity sound to televisions, turntables, desktop systems, and everyday music listening without the need for separate amplification.

Priced at $899, Cubitt 5 combines Fyne Audio’s 5” IsoFlare point-source driver with 240 W of DSP-controlled amplification, an active crossover, and 24-bit/96 kHz digital playback. Its high-density, internally braced cabinet and front-firing bass port allow the speaker to deliver substantial performance from an enclosure suited to bookshelves, desktops, and shared living spaces.

The IsoFlare driver places the high-frequency unit at the acoustic center of the bass/midrange driver, helping sound radiate from a single point. Fyne Audio’s FyneFlute surround is engineered to terminate unwanted energy at the edge of the driver cone, while the active crossover and dedicated class-D amplification allow the system’s electronics and drivers to be optimized together.

Cubitt 5 can serve as the center of a complete home audio system. Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD and AAC provides convenient wireless playback, while HDMI ARC/eARC allows the speakers to replace a conventional soundbar for television sound. Optical digital and analog RCA inputs accommodate additional sources, and a built-in phonostage supports moving-magnet and high-output moving-coil cartridges. A subwoofer output is also provided for listeners who want greater low-frequency extension.

“Cubitt 5 makes it possible to build a serious music system without filling the room with equipment,” says Jeff Coates, Director of Sales at Harmonia Distribution. “It retains the point-source driver technology and engineering focus for which Fyne Audio is known, while making that performance accessible to casual listeners. But we encourage audiophiles to listen to Cubitt 5 and prepare to be very pleasantly surprised.”

Designed for modern living spaces, Cubitt 5 offers the simplicity and ease of use expected from a powered wireless speaker without abandoning Fyne Audio’s high-fidelity heritage. Its compact dimensions, broad connectivity, and choice of finishes allow the system to move easily between traditional hi-fi, desktop, and television applications.

Cubitt 5 is available in five finishes: Midnight Black, Pearl Titanium, Olive Green, Pebble Grey, and Arctic White.

The Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 will make its North American public debut at Audio Advice Live, August 7–9 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

We are very excited to be at the front of the review schedule on these.

If you’ve been looking for a pair of speakers that look and sound incredibly neutral, delivering the sonic goods, yet not imposing on your personal space, consider the Frigg 02 from Ø Audio.

At $15,000/pair, they will probably not be your first pair of speakers, but they could be your last. Chances are if you’ve been on your audio journey for some time, you have a lot better handle on what you like and don’t like.

In addition to a neutral overall tonal balance, they sport a sensitivity rating of 90dB/1-watt. Remember not all sensitivity ratings are equal, because some speakers possess a wild impedance curve (not here) or a super complex crossover network that eats up the first few watts of amplifier power, making for a less than stellar matchup with lower powered tube amps. Again, not here.

Bias admitted, we love the simple, understated look of these speakers, but sound always wins the end of the day. Make no mistake, these are our Product of the Year award winner, because they embody everything we find true at TONEAudio: great sound, top quality craftsmanship, and aesthetic excellence as well. There’s nothing not to love.

You can read our full review here:

https://tonepublications2.com/project/the-o-audio-frigg-02-speakers/

The new 3000 Micro R I Evolution from SVS has taken the incredible performance of the prior model, made the cabinet a touch bigger (so little you can’t really tell the diff), and increased the driver size from 8 to 9 inches. They’ve had to up the price a little, now sitting at $999.99, but this miniature subwoofer marvel is worth every penny.

SVS calls it a “lifestyle-friendly” 11-inch cabinet that fits anywhere, which is a large part of this small but mighty subwoofer’s attraction. They are available in gloss black or gloss white. The white blends in so well you barely know it’s there. At the risk of starting a squabble, you can probably sneak one right into your listening room, and no one will even know! And…you can use a handy SVS adaptor to connect it wirelessly too. Awesome. Now you have no excuse to be deprived of the bass you deserve.

If you’ve got some small-ish speakers or a set of small- to medium-sized panels in your listening room, you might not have the floor space for a big subwoofer, but nearly everyone wants more low-frequency extension, right?

The 3000 Micro R I Evolution is the perfect solution. And thanks to their built-in DSP with Parametric EQ and room correction – all available from their app, it doesn’t get easier than this to make a major upgrade. We’ve got a full review coming down the road, but suffice it to say this one works well with everything from a pair of Magnepans to your favorite box speakers. It goes without saying that the match to my reference pair of SVS Ultra Evolution Towers is killer. At that point, $4k makes for an amazing, full-range system that is well within reach of most music lovers.

In case you don’t know about SVS’s legendary customer service and support, that’s a huge positive as well. They even offer a 45-day hassle-free return. Yep, they even pay the return freight if you don’t love it. No one else does that. So if you’re on the fence, take a test drive. I’m going to bet you don’t return it.

Please click here for more details and full tech specs.
https://www.svsound.com/products/3000-micro-revolution-subwoofer

You can also purchase here. We DO NOT receive commission for this link; it is merely for your convenience.

Photos courtesy of SVS…

By now it’s old news that Dynaudio is leaving North America. While nearly everyone else merely posted the press release, they are a company that is worth a lot more introspection.

First, Dynaudio is a company whose products I’ve always really enjoyed. TONE has had a partnership with Dynaudio for nearly 20 years, and I’ve had the privilege to go to their factory in Denmark a few times. Their commitment to engineering, execution, and above all great sound has always been exciting. Considering all the amateurs measuring speakers in their garages and back yards with all kinds of different setups, seeing their gigantic room, with multiple mics and tons of test equipment is amazing.

Bias admitted, I’ve always loved the sound of their speakers, and being a huge fan of Scandinavian design, the look and craftsmanship as well. Most of the folks I’ve met at the Skanderborg facility have a pretty decent sense of humor too.

Yeah, I’m losing some advertising bucks, but more importantly, some great people and an excellent relationship. Mike Manousselis, the President of Dynaudio North America has been there since before I started TONE, and his 2^nd in command, John Quick has also been in the industry forever. I’ve worked with him at dCS, and Nagra prior to his stint at Dynaudio. They have both always been very supportive of TONE, and I’ll always appreciate their support.

So, it was more than business. It’s hard not to become friends with people that you’ve spent hour upon hour at trade shows, on press trips, and over at your house setting gear up for years.

While I have no concrete reason why they are making this ultimate decision – it affects not only Mike and crew, but all of the people in North America that derive part of their living selling Dynaudio products. And I’m sure that secondary prices will plummet, even though Dynaudio is assuring us that they will continue to support everything. But if you’ve ever had an absentee landlord, it might all give you pause, especially if you have one of the higher priced Dynaudio speakers.

I’m going to miss them.

Cover Story:
The Ø Audio Frigg 02

Old School: ESS AMT1 Tower – by Jeff Dorgay
Audiophile Apartment: The Dynaudio Legend Speakers
Journeyman Audiophile: The conrad-johnson Classic SE Phono – by Darin Kong
Review: The LTA Century Monoblocks
Review: Rega Mercury and Solis – Amp and Pre
Short Take: New Grounding Device from Vera Fi!
Stereo Stories: Buying Tape Decks on Super Bowl Sunday

1095: S.M.S.L. CD player-$150 killer! – by Jerold O’Brien
Long Term: Back next issue!

TONE Visits:

Axpona – Chicago

MINE – It Should Be Yours:

Fun things that you know you want

Music

Playlists:  We share our readers choices from around the world
IN House:  The Soundtrack of the Issue
THE SACD Report:  Chatting about the other shiny discs

Future Tense

Gear in our immediate future

GOOD. BETTER. BEST.

Just slightly more than 44 years ago, Van Halen’s wackiest album hit the shelves. Mostly covers. Sure, part of their initial success was their cover of The Kinks “You Really Got Me,” but “Pretty Woman,” and “Happy Trails?” You had to be a true fan to sign off on this one. Yet, years later, this oddball VH record stands up, and in some cases, seems like an interesting exercise for this band on the run.

Comparing the original pressing that I bought the day this record came out, to the later Chris Bellman release, and the current MoFi ONE-Step is an easy task indeed. The original is, like all the original VH records, compressed, with a truncated bottom end. Was that passive aggressiveness towards the affable Michael Anthony, or just oversight for better radio play?

Conspiracy theories aside, the Bellman version definitely brings back a lot of what’s been lost, and is a major step in the right direction. But there’s more lurking in that master.

You need go no further than the “Big Bad Bill…” cut to see the genius in the execution of the MoFi version. Yes, it rocks harder in every way, and the lost bottom end is restored to perfection, but the smoothness of the tone in Van Halen senior’s clarinet is incredible. And good as the MoFi SACD is, this is one of those instances where the magic of vinyl rules the day.

So, considering that Google lists a search for the opening track as a “Song by Van Halen,” won’t you tell me, where have all the good times gone?

Record of the Day is brought to you by Bergmann Audio, dCS, and Supreme Acoustic Systems.
The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm.

CD’s and SACD’s are auditioned on the dCS Varese

Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound

Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs

Cables by Cardas Audio

All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution

Mini Music Powerhouse

$995.00
fiio.com/k17

Nestled in between my mighty Klipschorns, with ROON playing “Paranormial” by The Art of Noise, it amazes a few of my audiophile buddies that the source is the tiny FiiO K17 DAC. And it’s not just a DAC, it’s a full-blown streamer, preamplifier (though I am only using it as a DAC/Streamer here), and headphone amplifier. It even has a 31-band digital parametric EQ built in!

The bass is extended, defined, and full of texture. Mids are natural and clean. The treble range is well represented, perhaps a touch grainy when compared to much higher priced kit, but completely livable. And the Khorns are a bit extended on top as well, so it’s all good. Going from here to Tom Waits’ “What’s He Building?” reveals just how much midrange detail, texture, and depth this digital front end is capable of. Following it up with Lou Reed’s “Vanishing Act” and Allan Taylor’s rendition of “Tennessee Waltz” confirms it. This is an incredible product.

With so many people out on YouTube complaining about the cost of things hifi, I submit the FiiO K17. To put this in perspective, I own a dCS Vivaldi ONE that is currently being updated to APEX spec, so that’s about a $100k digital player. I’m not saying this to boast about my system; I want you to know that I have an incredible digital front end, and yet at $995, the K17 is not only a tremendous value, but it delivers tremendous performance and amazing flexibility.

Why is this so exciting? At $995, the K17 gives budding audio enthusiasts a great jumping-off point, and for those wanting to build a great system that won’t require refinancing the house, an incredible anchor. Or, if you are a deeply committed audio enthusiast, it is the perfect building block for a second or third system.

Using the K17 in concert with a vintage Proceed PDT CD transport and streaming via ROON, Qobuz, and Tidal makes for a digital music center that is out of this world good. Taking advantage of some pretty advanced tech, both in circuit design and sheer engineering might, assembling all of this in such a small (about 8” x 8” x 2”) package is a masterpiece of execution.

A quick look at the FiiO site shows everything they’ve packed into this small enclosure. The K17 is truly a masterpiece of miniaturization – there is no wasted space anywhere. Around front, there is a 3.93-inch high-resolution touch screen, making it easy to see what is going on and control everything from the front panel. It’s a smartly attractive piece with a slightly retro style, almost like early Mark Levinson gear, albeit a small one!

In addition to volume and menu controls, there are three headphone jacks and multiple selectors for power, function, and gain. Our review sample arrives in silver with black lettering but is slightly difficult to read because the type is so small. I’d buy mine in black, for the additional legibility, but that is truly the only complaint I have about the K17.

As a DAC/Streamer

You really need to head over to the FiiO site to see everything that the K17 is capable of. In the context of this review, it was primarily used as a DAC/streamer, as a ROON endpoint. The K17s analog stage has RCA and balanced XLR outputs. They say it is a fully balanced design, but since my ampsandsound preamplifier is RCA-only, most listening was done with the RCA outputs.

Thanks to multiple inputs around back, any source can be accommodated. There are digital inputs for coaxial SPDIF, optical, and USB sources.

Being able to stream anything from anywhere makes the K17 incredibly flexible. It even decodes MQA files if that is still a thing for anyone. Bluetooth playback with Spotify from my iPhone is exceptionally good, too.

As mentioned in the spec sheet, the K17 decodes everything. I was able to decode everything in my library with ease, and again. It works flawlessly, using it as a DAC with my vintage Proceed transport to play CDs via the coax SPDIF input. If you’ve got an older player that still functions fine, this is a great way to breathe new life and functionality into an old deck.

As a headphone/PRE

Not being a big headphone user these days, I still keep a couple of good phones around just in case, so putting the K17 to work strictly as a headphone amplifier proves this component is more than worth the asking price if that’s all you use it for.

FiiO claims 4 watts of power, with discrete output devices in the headphone amplifier section. Listening sessions with the Focal Clear MG, original Audeze 2s, and a pair of Grados all prove musical.

Back to that EQ for a minute. As you head-fi’ers know, there is so much variation in the way different phones mate with different amps, and having the ability to make minor adjustments over this wide of a frequency range is helpful. Best of all, this can be adjusted with your phone or tablet using their app. Everything else can be controlled here as well.

While my studio is a pretty good-sounding room without major issues, my living room is dreadful. Being able to surgically cut out a bit of boom here, and boost a bit of cloudiness in the upper mids goes a long way at making that room a lot more listenable. That may grate on your audiophile sensibilities, but it is great to have available. And we all know not all records are created equal.

Thanks to its fully balanced design, you can easily place the K17 where it’s convenient and run a long set of balanced interconnects to a power amplifier and speakers elsewhere in the room. I tried this in my living room, running a 6-meter pair of Ranger XLRs to a Pass Labs XA30.8 power amplifier. Back in the studio, the K17 is the anchor for System 3, but is only used as a DAC. You can choose fixed or variable outputs from the front panel. There’s even a handily placed USB-C port there, and around back, a ground lift switch. FiiO hasn’t missed a thing to make the K17 easy to integrate into your system.

However, using it as a line level preamplifier, direct to amplifier works well, making the K17 a fantastic building block to a modestly priced, yet high performance two-channel system. Thanks to the single analog input, it’s easy to add a turntable. Connecting the Hagerman Trumpet MC to a vintage Technics SL-1100 makes for an excellent combination, using the Vera-Fi A40 class–A power amplifier, driving vintage Acoustat 2+2 speakers. Because there is no loss of information at low volume, I am assuming that FiiO has implemented the volume control in the analog output stage.

The $100k question

So, is the K17 a dCS killer? Nope. But it’s core sonics are excellent, and the level of sonic refinement it does offer is way beyond what I suspect you’ll find at $995. Doing some side by side comparisons with players from Advance Paris, Naim, and Marantz with price tags nearly double – the K17 holds its own.

Beyond that, considering it’s unique set of features, it outperforms everything else I’ve encountered at over double the price. That’s great value. It may not be a dCS Vivaldi or an Esoteric Grandioso, but that’s not who this is intended for. I think putting the K17 in the context of a $3k – $10k+ system, you will be thrilled. I know I am.

I definitely want one

At $995, the FiiO K17 is one of the best values I’ve ever encountered in high-end audio in a long time. It’s more than worth the price asked, even if you were merely using it as a preamplifier, headphone amplifier, DAC, or streamer alone. That you get all four in one neatly executed box is incredible.

I’m happy to give this our first Exceptional Value Award of 2026. Regardless of where you are in your hifi journey, this is one to check out. I’m keeping the review sample. And we’ll have a little more up on YouTube in the weeks to come, too.


Peripherals

Digital source(transport)                     Madrigal Proceed PDT

Analog source                         Technics SL-1100/wSME 3009 and Denon DL-103r

Phono pre                                            Hagerman Trumpet MC

Amplifier                                            Pass XA30.8, VeraFi A40

Speakers                                              Klipsch AK7 Klipschorn, w/ SVS 5000 sub

Cable                                                   Ranger signal and power

The letters DD usually mean something else to me, but in this case, they mean direct drive. Not something you’d usually expect from Thorens, long time makers of idler wheel tables, that have become famous the world over. So this reimagined version, has a mega reputation to live up to.

Without having a well preserved (or restored) original to do a direct comparison, I can only go on my memories. Packaged with a 9-inch Thorens arm, and thanks to the folks at MoFi Distribution, Ortofon’s latest SPU cartridge, designated the TD124, how can I go wrong?

The table sets up quickly, and unlike its ancestor, does not have a cast iron platter (though the supplied one has plenty of mass) to destroy your favorite moving coil cartridge. #askmehowiknow.

All the styling cues are here, and the only thing that seems a little off is when you lift the platter it looks more like an SL-1200 than a Thorens. But that’s progress. Playing through the MoFi Master Phono phono stage in current mode is lovely. The sound is big, lush and dynamic.

We’ve got a lot more to unpack here, and we will be doing a proper comparison to a vintage 124 as well, because if nothing else – I want to know. Stay tuned.

www.mofidistribution.com

Announced the day of the opening of Axpona last week, Dynaudio’s new Legend speaker is “The Best ultra-compact speaker we’ve created so far,” according to Otto Jorgensen, the head of Dynaudio Academy.

Big words indeed, coming from the people who have given music lovers a long line of high performance, compact monitors. Many of these have been reviewed in our pages. It’s no secret that we’re big fans of the brand. The combination of understated aesthetic excellence, and the ability to pack so much performance in such a small cabinet is virtually unmatched in the industry.

And, at $7,000/pair, these mighty miniature monitors will bring great sound to small spaces everywhere.

Combining Dynaudio’s 28mm Esotar 3 tweeter, a new 14cm mid/bass driver, and crossover components all derived from their top speakers, these are a winner. Destined to live up to their name.

And the sound?

Awesome AF. That’s how they sound.

If this sounds like just what you’ve been looking for, head over to your Dynaudio dealer and listen. They were a major hit at the show. We can’t wait to get them in for review.

www.dynaudio.com

This picture was taken about 90 seconds after Axpona opened on Friday. 20 minutes later, the place was packed – wall to wall people.

That’s exciting for a lot of reasons. For the first time since we got stuck with Covid, it felt great to see the place packed. It’s a good sign for the hifi industry and the hobby in general. There were still people in rooms on Sunday night at 6pm (and the show officially closed at 4) listening to music.

If you’re new to TONE, and you’re looking for a bunch of “Best sound at the show” awards, don’t waste your time. We don’t give them out. I always look at a hifi show as a hostile environment for producing sound, because there are so many variables. That everyone’s stuff gets there unharmed and set up in itself is amazing. And I mean this in the most respectful way. Think about it, 200+ rooms got set up and rocking in a day or so. That takes hard work and dedication.

What does “best sound at the show” really mean? It means the sound you preferred. Considering there were systems from a couple thousand dollars to a couple million, any attempt to do this isn’t fair to the manufacturers, or you – the reader. And, there was such a wide range of different systems, it was exciting to see it all in one place.

But I’ll tell you this – I heard more rooms that had well executed setups, big and small, than I’ve ever heard at any hifi show. Ever. We’ve got a few pics over on our Instagram page, with a few more to post in the next couple of days.

https://www.instagram.com/toneaudiomagazine/

Again, this is great for the people that took time off from their jobs and families to come on down and hang out. I truly hope that if you were someone new to the world of hifi you got to hear enough great sound, that you’re motivated to go further and seek out a good dealer.

It was great to be part of it, and to see as much as I could pack in. I’m already looking forward to next year. If you’d like to experience a massive cross section of hifi, I can’t think of a better place to go. – Jeff Dorgay

Ed. Note:  While I was searching for something else on the site that was mis-labeled, I came across this. Considering we could all use a few more smooches, I’m still good with this list 12 years later! Do with it what you will.

Today, Spotify announced their list of “Top 10 Shagging songs” here:

http://www.theladbible.com/now/music-spotify-reveals-the-top-10-shagging-anthems-and-one-lasts-127-seconds-20160804

I agree that most music is subjective, and we all have our favorites to initiate or accompany the mating ritual. Here’s mine – in no particular order. If this is all TMI, sorry about that! I hope you’re open enough to either be inspired or amused. Keep in mind, these are not staff choices. Like Captain Kirk, I stand alone on this one. Let the comments begin.

1.  Prince – One Night Alone

2.  Mickey Hart – Eliminators

3.   Pat Metheny – Are You Going With Me?

4.  Anja Garbarek – Big Mouth

5.  Dylan – I Want You or Just Like a Woman

6.  Crash Test Dummies – I Want to Par-Tay!

7.  Crowded House – Whispers and Moans

8. Dusty Springfield – Breakfast in Bed

9. The Tubes – Let’s Make Some Noise

10. Art of Noise – Moments in Love

Extra Credit:

Stephen Pompougnac – Hotel Costes (the entire series)

The Pretenders – Bad Boys Get Spanked

Judas Priest – Turbo

Kiss – Deuce

Squeeze – Tempted

Betty Davis – Game is my Middle Name

Sly & The Family Stone – You Can Make it if You Try

Fun, But Obvious:

Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get it On

Beatles – Why Don’t We Do It In The Road

And of course:
Yello – Oh Yeah!

Never:

Anything by REO Speedwagon, Journey or Styx

Pub. Note: This was originally published about 11 years ago, but with our upcoming review of the replacement model, we thought it would make sense to make this easier to find, as we compare it to the new XS Pre 2.

Of the thousands of tracks auditioned during the Pass XS Preamplifier’s stay here, Lou Reed’s “Vanishing Act” sums it up perfectly. As he sings/speaks, “It must be nice to disappear…” the words to describe the XS Pre appear. It just disappears, calling no attention to itself, perhaps the toughest thing for an audio component to do.

Just like buying a car, test driving a premium audio component is usually a shorter first date than you’d like. In the end, it requires a certain leap of faith, and if you blow it, it’s going to cost you dearly. Much as I love Pass products, if you decide that the $38,000 XS Pre isn’t for you, there will be a stiff penalty, should you turn it over for something else. Like any other five figure hi-fi component, putting this two-chassis beauty back on the secondary market after a few months of use will be an expensive proposition unless you have an incredibly forgiving dealer, used to you doing this kind of thing on a regular.

The good news is that the above mentioned scenario probably won’t happen. I’d even go out on a limb to bet about 100 to 1 odds that it won’t. I’ve been using the XS Pre for over a year now, and I’ll do my best at describing it so that you won’t make a misstep.

First, and most importantly, where the Pass XS and XA series amplifiers have an ever so slight tip towards the warm side (which I happen to prefer) of what I’d call neutral tonality, the XS Pre is as close to having a straight up, 12 o’clock, right in the center neutral tonal rendition as I’ve ever experienced. The only other preamplifier I’d put in this category is the Boulder 3010, and to a slightly lesser extent my other reference, the Robert Koda K-10. Either of these preamplifiers cost as much as a gently owned BMW M3, and each is phenomenal performers.

Special and then some

Today there are a lot of incredibly competent preamplifiers, many costing less than the XS Pre and a few costing even more. Now and again, a component is so overwhelmingly good, that it’s an express elevator ride to audio heaven. My Conrad Johnson GAT2 is one of those preamplifiers too, but it’s got vacuum tubes, and only sports single ended RCA inputs and outputs so that it won’t be everyone’s idea of heaven.

The world’s finest preamplifiers that I enjoy impart little to no signature of their own to the music, yet they offer a bigger, broader, weightier presentation than a system is capable of without a preamplifier involved. This is a unique bit of magic that don’t completely understand because, in a perfect world, you would think that just going straight from your DAC or phonostage (provided it had a level control) would bring you closer to the music than running everything through another box and set of cables.

Good as the dCS Rossini DAC and Clock combination is on its own, running a pair of Cardas Clear interconnects directly from the dCS pair to the XS300 amplifiers sounds smaller, less focused and pale in comparison to putting the XS Pre in my reference system. How can this be? Especially considering Mr. Pass (the creator of the First Watt amplifiers – champions of the “less is more” approach to circuit design. Inserting the XS Pre in the signal path is not subtle. Again, this preamplifier does not change the tonal character or balance a molecule, yet everything enlarges. Dynamic range increases to the point where transients explode from the speakers where they merely had punch before, and the soundfield created by the system becomes much larger in all three dimensions. The sonic presentation goes from big and satisfying without the XS Pre to being engulfed in a tornado of sound. This effect was observed with every power amplifier connected, from a modest Conrad Johnson MV60SE up to the mighty XS300 monoblocks, so this can’t be a mere “impedance matching” kind of thing.

We’ve had the opportunity to use the XS Preamplifier together with the matching XS300 monoblock amplifiers to excellent result, paired with the XS Phono, making for an unbeatable combination of dynamics, tonality, and ease of use. There truly is nothing I can find fault with this trio. Ok, it’s all pretty heavy. That’s it. Fortunately, the XS Pre only weighs 80 pounds, and it is distributed between two chassis, the power supply, and the actual preamplifier circuitry. The two are connected by the same massive umbilical cords used in the XS Phono and the XS 150/300 power amplifiers. Terminated with Neutrik connectors, these are beefy cables indeed. 100,000µƒ of power supply capacitance per channel only hints at the power reserves available.

Nelson Pass and his crew have repeatedly said that they build components that they like, above all else. While many know the man with the name that adorns the faceplates as “the man” at Pass Labs, he is the power amp man. Wayne Colburn has designed all the Pass Labs preamplifiers and was given a clean slate (and pretty much a blank check) to design a companion preamplifier for the XS monoblock amplifiers. Rather than bore you with a long list of common audiophile clichés, he has succeeded on every level.

Incredibly versatile

Lovely as the XS Pre is with a full compliment of Pass components, it is equally engaging with every other power amplifier we’ve had here at TONE in the last year or so – single ended or balanced. The XS Pre circuitry is fully balanced, but it features balanced XLR and single ended RCA inputs and outputs.

As a review tool, the XS Pre is without peer. It is effortless in its delivery and consistent in sound quality, providing a similar sonic picture with balanced or single ended connections. Even if you don’t review hifi gear, this kind of flexibility offers a much wider range of options as your system and tastes change. With the XS Pre offering such a neutral rendition, it is a perfect system anchor, letting you mix, match and experiment elsewhere.

Because the XS Pre doesn’t manipulate or alter the tonal character of the music it delivers, the usual list of tracks to describe bass, treble, and imaging are almost irrelevant. Laurie Anderson once said, “Paradise is exactly like where you are right now, only much, much better.” That’s the XS Pre. It’s much, much better. Add the concept of never having to retube, along with the headache that a new set of tubes can cause, makes it a component you can just leave powered up and forget about it. Matter of fact, there is no power switch.

Setup is straightforward, provided you have two extra rack spaces and can separate the two boxes a bit, to keep every possible bit of noise at bay. Once powered up, the XS Pre took about four days to come all the way out of the fog from being fresh out of the box. As with any component, there is a slight bit of stiffness at initial turn on, but it dissipates quickly.

The front panel has a large volume control and a display friendly to read from across the room. Pass provides a simple, efficient aluminum remote that matches the casework of their other products, and this too is easy to use. The volume control has a wide range of operation, so even the most sensitive power amplifiers will have ample volume control range.

A keeper

Ultra high performance has a price, and there are a lot of great preamplifiers in the $10,000 – $20,000 range; even Pass makes one. (The XP-30) After living with a number of them, the XS Pre delivers an experience that you can’t get for $20k. That’s its justification. If you are looking for the last step up and a final justification, it’s worth every penny asked. This may be tough to swallow for some of you in the audience, but you can’t have a Ferrari 458 for $50k either. Like the Ferrari, the XS Pre will take your breath away if you have the room, system, and software to support it. And I’m guessing if you have 38 large, you do.

The Pass XS Pre does its job so effortlessly and so well if it doesn’t hit you on the head with the first track you play, just take it out of your system for about 90 sec. It’s like someone put the valet key in your Dodge Challenger Hellcat and the horsepower is gone. This is one of the purest hifi experiences I’ve had in over 15 years of reviewing components. Long term, I have even more enthusiasm for the XS Pre – every day it convinces me how special it is.

The Pass XS Pre Preamplifier

$38,000

www.passlabs.com

Peripherals

Analog Source            AVID Acutus Ref SP/SME V/Lyra Atlas, Grand Prix Audio Monaco 2.0/Tri-planar/Lyra Etna, Brinkmann Bardo/10.1arm/Koetsu Jade Platinum

Digital Source             dCS Rossini DAC and Clock, Gryphon Kalliope

Phonostage                  Pass XS Phono

Power Amplifier         Pass XS 300 monos, Pass XA200.8

Speakers                      GamuT RS5i, Focal Sopra no.3 w/2-REL 212, MartinLogan Neolith

Cable                           Tellurium Q Silver Diamond, Cardas Clear

The Pylon Jade 30s have raised the bar for what I thought a fun/chill out, non-audiophile speaker could be. In the past it was always the JBL L100 (the current, reimagined version, though clean NOS ones don’t suck either). The Jade 30s eclipse everything in the category.

But this 15-inch, 3 way really does it for me. Staffer Chris Harr was over for a late night listening session the other day, and while we both agreed how awesome the big system is, these speakers are cooler than cool to just hang out and spin anything you can think of.

Making use of Pylon’s own drivers, the Jade 30s are super easy to set up thanks to their built in stands, and 93dB/1-watt sensitivity. Our initial listening has been with the Pathos Inpol Heritage integrated (80wpc-hybrid design) and the Western Electric 91E. (12wpc, SET) The Quad 33 amplifier is next up.

Bass is plentiful, the highs are smooth yet extendend and the tonal balance is the perfect blend of correct and relaxed without being slow or syrupy. The finish is BEAUTIFUL, and you can have your pair up and rocking in 10 min if you have a friend to help unbox.

At $9,995/pair, this might just be the only speaker a lot of people will ever need to step up to. Curious? Call the folks at Suncoast Audio (Click here for their site) or stop by and see them at this year’s Axpona in Chicago. Tell em I sent you. If you don’t love these, your heart’s not beating.

These are one of our Products of the Year, fyi.

Please click here for the Pylon home page.

Vera Fi’s latest creation solves a common problem, and at a reasonable price.

If you’ve ever suffered the aggravation of a ground loop you can’t break, you know what we mean. But there are a few different ground issues that can add noise to your system and rob you of dynamic range. It’s not always about getting louder. And those of you with SET and super sensitive horn speakers also fall victim to that bit of noise that drives you nuts when you put your ear close to the tweeter…

Ditto, when incorporating multiple pieces of vintage gear in a system.

Some power conditioners will solve this problem, some will not. There are a whole new line of grounding solutions from premium cable manufacturers that work well, but some of them cost as much as a nice amp or DAC! Not always cost effective.

What we like most about the Ground Floor is that it is scalable. If you only have an issue with a turntable, or another single component, you only need a single unit to solve the problem. Intro price on these is $199 and if you’re struggling with noise, it’s priceless.

The Ground Floor can be configured with the supplied cables three different ways, from merely floating the ground on a device, to establish a system wide star ground, or telescoped grounds between outlets. A very versatile device indeed, and once that noise is gone, it’s a new world.

A full review will be forthcoming, but we have a number of different scenarios that both Chris Harr and I want to investigate, so we’d like to deliver a full report. No purchase link is available yet, but the folks at Vera-Fi should be able to give you more info.

Please click here to visit the Vera Fi site…

When you think of Canadian music artists, perhaps you think of Rush, Triumph, April Wine, Max Webster, or even William Shatner. hahah.

I’d say yes to all of these, but there’s one I found by accident while in a record store in Milwaukee, many years ago. And it was definitely one of those records you just buy because the art was wacky or the name of the band seemed cool. Doug and the Slugs? Why not? I didn’t even know they were from Canada till years later, but it’s a fun new wave-y, kinda power pop-y type of record.

Well produced, fairlly well recorded and well played. Plus you can stream the Slugs’ catalog on Qobuz and Tidal just in case this might not be for you.

FYI, you can usually find a great copy on Discogs or your favorite used record stores for about $5. Woo hoo.

Record of the Day is brought to you by Bergmann Audio, dCS, and Supreme Acoustic Systems.
The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm.

CD’s and SACD’s are auditioned on the dCS Varese

Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound

Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs

Cables by Cardas Audio

All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution

A great beginning to a system from Decibel+
www.decibel-plus.com

Neoson Genese Tube Integrated – $7,885
Atlantis AT 16 Pro speakers ($1,609/ea. as tested, in black leather – $1,729 ea. in white)

With such a wide range of hifi gear at your disposal, even someone who doesn’t suffer from severe FOMO can get overwhelmed in a hurry. We’ve recently run into Decibel-Plus in Las Vegas and they will be putting together some amazing system bundles that can get you rocking right away. For now, these are separate offerings, but we’ll treat the review as a “bundle,” ok?

Owner, Gabe Toro, shares space with his father, Hiram Toro, the proprietor of Supreme Acoustic Systems. While Supreme focuses more on mega gear, Gabe is carving his own niche, focusing on components and systems aimed at younger, perhaps more mid-market audio enthusiasts.

With more readers asking us for help mixing and matching components, we like the approach that Decibel+ is taking, making the process easier for music lovers who don’t necessarily want to become gear-loving (and trading) audiophiles. The Neoson amplifiers and the Atlantis speakers both hail from France. From the look and feel, they share enough design aesthetic that you might think they come from the same factory, especially with their emphasis on lighter woods and tones.

Speaking of tone

The Genese tube integrated is a 10-watt-per-channel amp that uses KT88 tubes in a single-ended class-A configuration. While this produces less power than a typical AB, push-pull amplifier, it delivers a much richer, tonally saturated presentation. A quick look under the bottom cover reveals all top-notch, premium parts as well. In addition to the ALPS potentiometer to control volume level, there’s a bevy of Mundorf MCap Evo Silver Gold caps, supported by premium PSVANE Art tubes.

Everything is beautifully finished, and the sonic signature of this amplifier reminds me of my ampsandsound Bryce monoblocks, utilizing a similar configuration. Overall, the sound is rich through the midband as you’d expect from an SET, but by using the much more robust (and affordable) KT-88 tubes, more user-friendly. And, way easier on your wallet when it comes time to re-tube.  With only a pair of KT-88s and a pair of 12AX7s, this should be easy.

Convenience abounds

With three RCA single-ended inputs, you’ve got room for a streamer, a phono preamplifier, and who knows? Maybe a tape deck?  The tubes are shrouded for those of you with pets and little ones around the house. A simple, yet functional remote is provided, but I really enjoyed walking up and interacting with the Genese; it has such a great feel, why not?

The materials used on both the amp and the speakers lend a relaxed vibe and will fit in any décor. Atlantis saves a few bucks by using an exceptional grade of synthetic leather that, even under close inspection, looks just like what you’ll see on a speaker from the folks at Sonus faber. Very nice!

Speaker setup

With a front-firing reflex port and an additional rear-firing woofer that is a match to the 7-inch front-firing woofer, this compact (about 32” tall x 9.5 wide) speaker will fit anywhere, and thanks to the variable port, can be user-voiced more for placement close to the wall if necessary.  This came in handy in my 13 x 18-foot living room, and was not an issue out in the 24 x 36-foot studio.  These speakers performed well in both environments, and can fill a big room btw.

They are easy to place, have great dispersion, and best of all, sport a 94.5 dB/1-watt sensitivity rating. A perfect match for the Neoson amp. Hence the bundle. And Gabe can hook you up with a few great streaming/DACs that fits right into the form factor (and, most importantly, your budget).

Atlantis claims +/-1dB down to 40Hz, and while we don’t carry out proper measurements, going from a 50Hz test tone to a 40Hz one feels equally powerful, though going down to 30Hz shows a significant roll-off at that point. Highly respectable for the form factor and price point. And you can always add a sub or two if the need arises and you have the space.

As with any other speaker, set them up in your room for the maximum amount of bass extension and lock on the room – that way you will get all the dynamics the system is capable of, then fine-tune for bass to midrange transition, with a little extra fine-tuning for image width and sparkle.

More Listening

The Atlantis/Neoson combo can play music as loud as most of you should need. I am always amazed at just how loud 86dB actually is. Should you need more, Decibel+ has other things in its stable, if you want one-stop shopping.

Of course, a few other things were tried, all with excellent results. The PrimaLuna ProLogue 1 ($2,595 – all tubes) and the Atoll INT-200 Evolution ($2,900 – solid state) are another great match-up. But this review is about the combo from Decibel +, so most of the review listening was done with the Neoson.

Bass is full-bodied, with definition and extension. Those 7-inch woofers deliver clean, articulate bass. Zooming through a few Jaco Pastorius tracks from the past, and some of Kim Gordon’s The Collective, from the present, shows these speakers can muster a lot of weight in the lower frequencies.

Listening to the entire 2 hours and 2 minutes of The Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness reveals these speakers to work with densely packed music. Should this be one of your faves, suffice to say all the sonic nuggets that make this record a masterpiece came through with ease. Bouncing back to that Kim Gordon record is another example of the same. The way these speakers keep the pounding bass line, the distorted instruments, and Gordon’s highly processed vocals all separate is spectacular. Ditto for some vintage Nine Inch Nails. These speakers will keep the music flowing at your next party with ease.

Atlantis does an excellent job mating the compression tweeter to the dynamic woofers, giving these small speakers a level of coherence beyond what is normally on tap for this price. Spinning the Black Crowes latest, A Pound of Feathers, which has the BC’s back to their hard rock roots, is a challenge for a speaker with limited dynamic range. Again, the AT16s impress, with a clarity that makes this music come alive.

Perfect synergy

What we really like about Decibel + is the way they are carefully curating components that work well in a small to medium-sized space, in a budget range of about $5,000-$30,000. The components chosen give you more than just a taste of what the crazy money gear costs, and look great doing it.

Where similarly priced ZU and Klipsch give you pretty basic boxes, the Atlantis speakers have a lot more style. (and I own a pair of each – so this is high praise)

Decibel + Principal Gabe Toro is 40 years old and is relatively new to the hifi retail scene. They are selling direct, but you can visit their experience center and do some in-person listening if you’d like. What he brings to the table is a fresh perspective that is much more in keeping with what his demographic might enjoy. And that’s a good thing for our industry. He’s off to a great start.

We’ll be featuring more systems from Decibel + and a few others in the future, in an attempt to draw you in. Enjoy.

NOTE: Decibel + will be offering an upcoming 10% discount on bundles on Audiogon and at this week’s THE Show in Las Vegas….



Manufacturer’s Information:

The Genese Amplifier
https://neoson8301.live-website.com/genese/

The Atlantis AT 16 Pro Speakers
https://atlantislab.eu/at-16/

This has to be today’s Record of the Day because I had the most bizarre dream last night. Aimee Mann knocked on our door and asked if she could hear a record, because she “heard I had a pretty good stereo, and she was in the neighborhood.” (Portlandia comeback, maybe? – and she was in town for shows on Thursday and Friday)

I invited her in, and she said she really wanted to hear Simon and Garfunkle’s Bridge Over Troubled Water.

“Do you have the MoFi version? They did a pretty nice job with two of my records,” she said in her signature deadpan, calm voice.

“Sure do, come on in.”

She sat down on the couch and listened to two sides of the 2-record, 45 r.p.m. set, and said, “That sounded really nice. Thank you very much.”

And as she got up from the couch to leave, I woke up.

Crazy.

Record of the Day is brought to you by Bergmann Audio, dCS, and Supreme Acoustic Systems.
The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm.

CD’s and SACD’s are auditioned on the dCS Varese

Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound

Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs

Cables by Cardas Audio

All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution

The reason today’s choice is not on vinyl (and I might still buy a vinyl copy just because I really love Squeeze) is that all the demo and bonus tracks are only available on the CD version.

Trixies is a concept album that dates way back to the beginning of Squeeze in the early 70s, that they wrote but never recorded. Now, they’ve revised it and launched a brilliant addition to your Squeeze collection.

But hey, enough of my yapping. Here’s a link to Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook talking about it on YouTube. Fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgKBww4sHaw

Record of the Day is brought to you by Bergmann Audio, dCS, and Supreme Acoustic Systems.

The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm.
CD’s and SACD’s are auditioned on the dCS Varese
Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound
Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs
Cables by Cardas Audio
All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution

Say that 10 times as fast as you can!

All kidding aside, we’re big fans of SVS. Their subs deliver the goods. Well made, easy to use, and easy to set up thanks to DSP processing and a killer app that lets you dial it all in from your phone.

With 2,000 watts on tap, (5,000 peak) a massive 15-inch driver and a LF point of 17Hz, you can feel every bit of oomph from the lowest bass notes to the most powerful cannon shots. The SB-5000 is equally at home with music or movies.

We’re almost done with the full review, but the SB-5000 has been used with great effect on a number of different systems, including one built around their latest Ultra Evolution Towers. You can even connect them wirelessly if you don’t want to deal with cables.

In our other reference system featuring a pair of the latest Klipschorn AK7s, the matchup is seamless and paired with these classic horns, we could play our favorite Massive Attack and Art of Noise tracks at club volume without strain. But fear not, they possess plenty of nuance for your favorite acoustic tracks.

At $1,999.99 each, SVS offers great sonics, execution and value. You might just want two!

Please click here to visit their site…

With all the crazy turntable collabs out there, here’s one we really approve of – the one between Mobile Fidelity Electronics and Fender. With a plinth that looks like a vintage Stratocaster, this combination of 21st century technology and classic 50s Fender style is limited to 1000 pieces. Fitted with a MoFi Master Tracker MC cartridge it comes ready to rock and roll for just under $4k.

We love the sound, but have to admit it’s the most beautiful solid plinth table we’ve seen.

Way cooler than that dopey Metallica table. hahahaha. But if that’s your bag, baby…

https://www.mofielectronics.com/collections/turntables

An intriguing combination…

The Western Electric 300B tubes are pretty much the gold standard for the version, and at $1,495 a pair somewhat spendy. The good news is they last forever compared to the Chinese knockoffs, so they are an excellent long-term purchase. Considering you can have an entire integrated, built from the folks at WE for $7,999 (the new price) this has to be one of the best deals going. It even has a built in MM/MC phono section, headphone amplifier, and a bluetooth DAC. Not to mention a pair of ECC83 tubes with WE branding. Fingers crossed here.

We’ve got an extended review, waiting for fact check from the WE people, and as soon as we get the all clear, it will go live.

But in the meantime, we’ve been enjoying the heck out of this one. If you have a pair of efficient speakers, it’s all you need. WE claims this amplifier puts out nearly twice as much power as most standard 300B amps that usually deliver 6-9wpc, due to their unique circuitry.

It’s smooth, smooth, smooth, as you’d expect a great 300B amplifier would be. Remember, Western Electric wrote the book and designed the tube.

No doubt to keep costs realistic, they are using a solid-state power supply, but everything is well implemented and the casework is an industro-cool design that you’ll probably love or hate. We’re in the love column, and in addition to the black you see here, Nickel and Champagne is also available.

The 91E comes stoutly packaged in a bespoke crate, with everything incredibly well organized. This is an amp you can be proud of owning to be sure.

https://www.westernelectric.com/91e

Amazingly good for the money!

$159 won’t even buy a tank of gas for a giant SUV these days, but it will buy you a pretty bitchin’ CD player. The PL100PRO used to be $99 before tariffs, but hey – this is still less than a month’s worth of latte’s at your favorite coffee shop.

With RCA and XLR outputs, you can run it into any system with ease. Just because they were here, we did try a 20 foot pair of balanced interconnects, and the PL100PRO drives them with ease. The slot-loading mechanism feels pretty robust, and if you like the sound, buy a 2nd one and put it on the shelf for the day something bad happens.

It may not be as awesome as the yelling, screamy guys on YouTube say it is, but compared to what that $1,000 Sony CDP-100 sounded like in 1983, this is an incredible deal and a major technological advance. What it lacks is the refinement of a much more expensive player, but in the context of a nice budget or vintage system, I think you’ll be pretty excited. It also features optical and coax SPDIF outputs, in case you’d like to use it as a transport. It’s even better as a transport.

Running the PL100PRO out in the garage system with the FiiO K17 DAC via the optical input, everything sonically is well balanced. And thanks to a 5v USB-C power input, it’s easy to connect. As we bought our review sample pre-tariff, it did not come with a power supply. That may be different now.

However, using it with a basic Apple Power Book charger than happened to be around yielded great results. Stepping it up to a better linear power supply (also on hand) from Wyred 4 Sound provided benefits in terms of better bass control and a more refined top end – though that starts to defeat the “budget” aspect of this player.

Totally an Exceptional Value Award winner…

https://smsl.shop/products/pl100-pro

Simple, basic, classic. Hence the name.

The new conrad-johnson Classic Phono Preamp is chock full of awesome CJD teflon caps and over 50 years of tube know-how.

At $9,000, it is $2k more than the standard non-se model. However, our experience with CJ over the years says you want to shell out for the bad boy caps and a few other improvements.

That gold front panel is the guarantee of the c-j motto: “It just sounds right.”

https://conradjohnson.com/classic-phono-preamplifier/

The Pass XS Pre has been a fixture here for nearly a decade. So, it’s not like Pass Labs just spits out new products to keep the shareholders and the suits happy. That’s the beauty of still being a privately owned company.

In case you didn’t know, Nelson Pass designs the power amplifiers and Wayne Colburn designs the preamps.

At first blush, right out of the box, Colburn’s claims that this one is quieter and more dynamic, certainly ring true. It’s like when the new Porsche 911 GT3 is 30 more horsepower and you think “well that’s not THAT big of a deal…” But it IS.

We’ll be doing a lot of side by side between XS and XS 2 for you in the months to come.

In the meantime, you can visit the Pass website.

https://www.passlabs.com/products/xs-pre-2/

Price for the three box preamplifier is $55,000

If you’ve ever had the chance to hear any of the LTA amplifiers at shows, you know how incredible their OTL (output transformerless) designs play music in such an effortless way. Eliminating those gigantic output transformers makes for a level of clarity that is impossible to unhear.

Fortunately these have arrived just in time for the big Sound Labs ESLs we have also just received for review – and we know this makes an incredibly synergistic pairing. With 110 watts per channel into 8 ohms, we suspect they will drive nearly anything.

Cost: $28,000/pair

For now, you can get more info on the Century Monos at the LTA site:

https://www.lineartubeaudio.com/century

Our publisher has been waiting decades to finally get his hands on a pair of Klipshorns. Now that they have arrived, what do you think is the first thing he’s going to play on them?

The big news is that the new AK7 Klipshorns have a sealed back, so they A: make more bass, and B: are not quite so dependant as being all the way back in the corner as they needed to be in the past.

Better yet, they are still made right here in America, and still are under 20k a pair. When you consider how much a lot smaller speakers will set you back, the AK7 gives real weight to the old saying, “There’s no replacement for displacement…”

Stay tuned.

Cover Story:

World’s first review of the new Klipschorn AK7 Speakers!

Old School: Janszen Z-500 – by Jeff Dorgay
Audiophile Apartment: The Arcam A25+ Integrated Amplifier
Journeyman Audiophile: The ampsandsound “Stereo Preamplifier”
Review: The Atoll IN-200 Integrated Amplifier – by Jerold O’Brien
Short Take: Farewell to the Technics SL-1210G
Stereo Stories: Ask and you Might Get

1095: The FiiO K17 DAC/Streamer/Pre
Long Term: The HiFi ROSE RS520 Streaming Integrated

TONE Visits:

Supreme Acoustic Systems – Las Vegas

MINE – It Should Be Yours:

Fun things that you know you want

Music

Playlists:  We share our readers choices from around the world
IN House:  The Soundtrack of the Issue
THE SACD Report:  Chatting about the other shiny discs

Future Tense

Gear in our immediate future

Cover Story:

Speakers – Mostly

Old School: Quad vs. Quad – by Ken Kessler
Audiophile Apartment: The Dynaudio Focus 50 – by Todd Cooperider
Journeyman Audiophile: The AVA C1A Control Amplifier – by Darin Kong
Review: The Wharfedale Dovedale Speakers
Review: The Castle Windsor Duke Speakers
Review: The Volti Audio Razz Speakers
Review: The Albeda Audio Adagia Speakers

1095: The Vera-Fi Ranger Speakers
Long Term: The REL T/9xSE subwoofers

Cover Review:

The Dali Epikore 11 Speaker system

MINE – It Should Be Yours:

Last minute holiday shopping

Music

Playlists:  We share our readers choices from around the world

Future Tense

Gear in our immediate future

Why is this so cool? Because none other than Joe Nino-Hernes has mastered the first four titles. That’s why. If you aren’t familiar, Joe is the newest mastering engineer that’s been the rising star of analog for some time now.

So we’re just gonna give you the whole press release. Coming November 14. I’ve got my order in!

Nearly everything The Bad Plus does is pretty trippy and off the map. And I say that in a really good way.

This double LP set of classic covers on For All I Care might just trigger your inner art school kid. Or you might run away screaming. One thing’s for sure… You won’t hear anything from this record at a hifi show anytime soon. (But I dare you to suggest it when the guy in the room says “Who wants to hear some female vocals?”

Bam.

But seriously, the recording quality is big, dynamic and breathy – thanks to guest vocalist Wendy Lewis. Taking on Yes, Nirvana, and Heart to name just a few, this record will engage. And Lewis’ cover of the Bee Gees’ classic “How Deep is Your Love?” is worth the entire price of this two-record set.

Leave a comment out on our Facebook page and let us know what you think!

Record of the Day is brought to you by Bergmann Audio, and Supreme Acoustic Systems.

The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm.
Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound
Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs
Cables by Cardas Audio
All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution

Do you remember when the video for “Ironic” broke on MTV?

With that clip, no one knew (then) that Morissette’s third record was headed for five Grammy’s and 17x Platinum status, but it was stunning then, as it is now.

30 years later, this record is still a masterpiece, combining sublime musicianship and 90s angst, and a fantastic recording all in one. And becoming a soundtrack of many women’s lives from that time. A recent performance on “Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs2Jfe2PtaE shows her in top form, voice stronger than ever. And everyone in the audience knows the words to “Ironic.”

There are a number of different anniversary editions of this record, some with a lot of bonus tracks, but the MoFi, dual-45rpm version unlocks the power behind this iconic record better than any other. The SACD version is equally impressive, should digital discs be your physical format of choice.

FYI: Chris and I will be doing a cursory sonic comparison between both versions very soon!

Leave a comment out on our Facebook page and let us know what you think!

Record of the Day is brought to you by Bergmann Audio, and Supreme Acoustic Systems.

The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm.
Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound
Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs
Cables by Cardas Audio
All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution

Im still in that 60s groove…

Somehow Moby Grape and Steppenwolf always make me dig out In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Yeah, I know the new kids don’t care for this, but it’s my party and I’ll play 60s music if I want to.

When I bought my original copy of this, I mostly just listened to the title track, sometimes really loud just to annoy my parents. Ha. But over the years, the rest of the album (and for that matter the rest of the IB catalog) has grown on me. I truly like this record. So you can guess who was pretty happy when this came out on MoFi as a vinyl remaster. They did produce it as a Gold CD years ago, and it is also available on SACD from MoFi.

Mastered by Krieg Wunderlich, this rocks much better than the original, albeit slightly worn original ATCO pressing in my collection. If you need to make this journey and can grab a MoFi copy, you will not regret it!

Leave a comment out on our Facebook page and let us know what you think!

Record of the Day is brought to you by Bergmann Audio, and Supreme Acoustic Systems.

The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm.
Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound
Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs
Cables by Cardas Audio
All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution

Sally’s Dream is the all-female punk band I wish I’d known about when I was hanging out at punk clubs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the 80s. I wish I would have seen them.

Unfortunately, it took till now to finally get the record out, but it’s just as awesome today as it was then.

Ironically, this foursome was made up of Cynthia Hammond (Bass, keyboards, guitar and vocals) Jenny Davis (Keyboards, bass, guitar, and vocals) Emily Jackson on drums, and Chrissie Dickinson on guitar and vocals.

If the name of the last band member sounds familiar – Chrissie Dickinson had written for the Chicago Tribune (as well as a number of other music outlets) for years, and was a member of the TONE staff for a few years, covering country and Americana. All the times we talked, she never mentioned the project.

Even more ironically, after a couple year hiatus, Chrissie and I had a lovely conversation one afternoon about her coming back to TONE. I made the joke that Tap’s “Sex Farm” was big in Japan and we needed to get the band back together again. She laughed and said she’d be more than interested. Two weeks later on May 19, 2022, the news of her sudden death was the first thing I saw on Facebook that morning. Later in the afternoon, I found out another friend passed the same day. Yikes.

But Chrissie’s good friend Cynthia Hammond kept the dream of this album alive with the rest of the bandmates and after all these years, have finally released it on Bandcamp as a CD or download.

The music stands up. It’s fast, thrashy, a bit irreverent and in your face – as a good punk record should be. Man, I wish I could have seen them back in the day. Photo courtesy of the band…

https://sallysdreamtheband.bandcamp.com/album/breaking-through

#askmehowiknow

TMR actually has a pair of my old speakers for sale. Not in “I had a pair of these,” but “these were actually my speakers.”

Back in 2010 these were $149,000 a pair. Only ten pair were made.

I’ll make this short and sweet. NOTHING out there for twice the price even comes close to the musicality that these speakers offer. Do not mistake this for the later Zodiac – which looks the same and while very good, does not offer the level of fidelity that the S9 does.

With three 13″ woofers and the midrange/tweeter from the S7, this is one speaker that doesn’t absolutely need a six pack of RELs to be awesome, yet it delivers imaging like a mini-monitor. If you have the room and the amplification they will put the music in your room like few others. I’m expressing a personal bias, but I would take the S9 over anything from the majors at $850k a pair – and I’ve heard all three.

This is one of the world’s finest speakers at any price and you can have em for under $20k. Whoever does get these will get a prize.

If you’d like a different take on things sonically and visually, how about giving Pathos a try?

The new Inpol Heritage Mk.II from Pathos is a monster, weighing 176 pounds! Don’t play catch with it.

This amplifier utilizes a hybrid design with a tube front end and power, class-A Mosfet output stage to deliver 80 watts per channel of power, that feels much beefier than the specs suggest.

At $21,995 it takes on all comers at nearly any price, delivering the goods sonically and visually. There are two different wood cap finishes, and the main casework can be ordered in matte black, as you see here or a lacquered white. Sexy.

www.harmoniadistribution.com

Time to head back to the 60s…

What a better way than some major psychedelic rock from Moby Grape? Their Wow/Grape Jam record was a two record set, released April 3, 1968. I was too young for this one on the first go, but in the early 70s when I started hanging out with a lot of the older dudes in high school that were really into Moby Grape, Iron Butterfly and Zappa, it made a big impression.

Yeah, it’s a little rambling, but that was the jam back then. Much as I love Moby Grape, I’d suggest streaming this one on your favorite streaming service to vet it first – if you aren’t familiar.

Leave a comment out on our Facebook page and let us know what you think!

Record of the Day is brought to you by Bergmann Audio, and Supreme Acoustic Systems.

The table featured here is the Modi, with their Thor linear tracking arm.
Cartridge is a modified LYRA Helikon SL, modified by Ana Mighty Sound
Phono Pre is the award winning XP-17 from Pass Labs
Cables by Cardas Audio
All on top of the Pagode Master Reference MKII, courtesy of MoFi Distribution

To those of you who knew who Virgil Abloh (the Creative Director at fashion house Louis Vuitton) was, he had a major effect on fashion, style, and the cross pollination of artistic disciplines. In that sense, he was a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately, he succumbed to cancer at the way too early age of 41, back in 2021.

McIntosh just announced their one of one collab honoring his personal style, an MA8950 integrated amplifier painted orange to honor Abloh, who used McIntosh gear in many of his fashion shows and creative studio.

In typical McIntosh fashion, this isn’t just an off the shelf amplifier painted orange (because that’s what it is) and according to them “They are the only amplifier brand that could make a bold orange amplifier feel intentional, not accidental.”

I don’t know what they are smoking at McIntosh, but Dartzeel, Vitus, and Sugden have all been making some pretty cool orange amplifiers for some time now. Not to mention the incredibly cool cats at Metaxas and Sins. Now that’s some disruptive shit.

Don’t forget, KEF and Focal have also made orange speakers (super awesome, owned em both) and REL makes a gorgeous line of subwoofers in bright orange (yellow, green, and blue as well) too. Come on.

Of course it’s a one of one, and of course, you can’t have it. So much for all that blending of art and culture and inviting you to be part of it. Just like the McIntosh town house used to be. Cool kids club and you can’t be part of it.

I miss the old Mac. But hey maybe it’s time for a collab of my own. I submit the MC Jeff D McIntosh amp. hahahah. Who’s with me?

Jeff once asked me why I leave music playing in a room when I’m not even there. My answer goes back to something I read years ago that stuck with me.

In the 1970s, Christopher Bird and Peter Tompkins published The Secret Life of Plants. The book described studies suggesting that plants respond to music. Even earlier, in 1962, Dr. T.C. Singh found that balsam plants exposed to classical music grew 20% faster and had a 72% increase in biomass. Later, Dorothy Retallack discovered that plants thrived on jazz and classical but wilted when exposed to rock.

Are plants really “music savvy”? Probably not in the way we think. More likely, they respond to vibrations that influence growth—especially when paired with sunlight streaming through a south-facing window.

That got me wondering: if plants react to music, how does classical music affect people? For us, it can calm the body, sharpen the mind, and help regulate emotions. The exact effect depends on the tempo, harmony, and our own personal taste.

When stress builds and the world feels overwhelming, I’ve found that Mozart or Vivaldi brings me back to center. Rock, on the other hand, amplifies emotions—it can fire you up, fuel your anger, or give you the motivation to push forward.

Both have their place. Rock energizes. Classical soothes. And maybe that’s the real reason I let classical music play in an empty room—it’s not just good for plants, it’s good for me too.

-Pamela Dorgay

Bet you didn’t know I was a total closet prog-head. It started with Yes, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer many years ago. Guilty as charged.

If you loved the auspicious debut (arguably their best and most pure effort) of this prog powerhouse consisting of John Wetton, Bill Bruford, Eddie Jobson, and Alan Holdsworth, try and find this disc. Those in the know will remember the FM radio nugget “Dead of Night,” and perhaps you even saw them perform this record back in the late 70s.

This example was produced a few years ago on SHM-SACD and the sound quality is epic, now doing full justice to Wetton’s killer bass lines.

This column is sponsored by dCS, who’s Vivaldi ONE DAC/Streamer/Disc Player is my reference, and Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, producer of exceptional audiophile vinyl and SACD releases.

Our reference system to evaluate discs features:

XS PRE, and XS 300 monoblocks from Pass Labs
The Auditorium Plus speakers from Clarisys Speakers
A Six Pack/Line array of Carbon Special Black Label subwoofer from REL Subwoofers
Cabling from Cardas Audio
and racks from Quadraspire Racks

If Class-A isn’t your bag, but you still want some massive monoblocks from Pass Labs, the X600.8s might just be what you are looking for. Considering how under-rated Pass amps are, we’ll hang our hat on these actually delivering way more than their rated 600 watts per channel, and considering they draw 600 watts (each) at idle, they probably produce a fair amount of power in pure class-A mode at lower levels.

How different are they sonically from the Class A monos we’ve been using forever? We’ll let you know.

https://www.passlabs.com/products/x600-8/

Im still on a Joni Mitchell kick, but now that MoFi’s SACD pressing plant is back open after summer maintenance, it’s just the way things are shaking out.

This album, harkening from 1975 and 76, is a continuation of the more dense, jazzy groove that Mitchell started with Hissing of Summer Lawns. Most of this material was written during her breakup with drummer John Guerin, and according to her “very difficult to write.” The songs are personal, the playing incredible, and it really shows off the fretless bass skills of the late Jaco Pastorius.

Definitely not a casual listening hour album. One for a quiet, and blustery day. But highly rewarding and brilliantly captured by the MoFi crew here.

And best of all to this cheesehead, the photos were shot on Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin by the legendary rock photographer Joel Bernstein – though the portrait superimposed on the cover is from Norman Seeff. (notice the stylistic similarities with Van Halen’s Women and Children First?)

This column is sponsored by dCS, who’s Vivaldi ONE DAC/Streamer/Disc Player is my reference, and Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs, producer of exceptional audiophile vinyl and SACD releases.