Reviews
The ZuAudio Omen Dirty Weekend You Really Need a Pair
So, it’s time to shop for new speakers. You set up your wish list of characteristics; Something that can sound great at both high and low volumes, Crystal clear high’s, solid low end, midrange with excellent clarity and accuracy, something that images like crazy, build quality that can last a lifetime, no sun fade, a speaker that can rock out for any party, a speaker that will let high rez files shine through for critical listening and, oh yes, your budget tops out at around $1,000, maybe a little more. Read More
The Stenheim Alumine 2 Speakers An Alternate Outlook
The guy that used to work on my Alfa Romeos in Scottsdale had a sign up behind his desk that said, “We appreciate perfection, as long as it’s real good. Read More
REVIEW: Canton Chrono SL586.2DC A Tough Name to Remember
Sometimes, I’m not sure what’s worse, products named after the designers child, or an obtuse numbering sequence? Oh well, look at what Elon Musk named his kid. Read More
REVIEW: The CAP An Analog Must Have
Listening to Jon Astley’s “Jane’s Getting Serious” (from his Everyone Likes the Pilot album) the Denon 103 fitted to a bone stock, vintage Technics SL-1200 sounds much better than this combination ever has. Read More
REVIEW: The LSA T-1 Turntable Ten Minutes From Box to Fun!
If you’re a beginning vinyl enthusiast, there are a lot of great turntables to choose from in the $500-$1,000 range. There really aren’t any bad choices, especially if you’re sticking with the majors. Read More
REVIEW: Harbeth C7ES-3 XD Further On Down The Road
Listening to the gentle interplay of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway on their classic track, “Where is the Love?” its panoramic presentation plays to the strength of Harbeth’s latest version of their ever popular Compact 7 monitor. Read More
The Focal Kanta no.1 speakers A Great Place to Start Your Focal Journey
The horns from the Afro-Peruvian Jazz Orchestra jumped right out of the Kanta no.1s into my modest listening 13 x 15 foot listening room, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear that a pair of Kanta no. Read More
Core Power Equi=Core 1000 A heck of a deal...
A few weeks ago, we did a very short, sweet “distilled” review of the Equi=Core 1000 power conditioner. If you look back at the reviews section of the site, we’ve reviewed the smaller Equi=Core 600 and the larger 1800. Read More
The Sonus faber Maxima Amator Love at First Listen
I’m somewhat of a Sonus faber fanboy for those of you who don’t know, but it’s complicated. My reference speakers are Stradivaris. Old School. I’m not quite as bad as the old guy at the cars and coffee get-together claiming that the last real Porsche was the 356, but I’m particular about what I like. Read More
The McIntosh XRT2.1 K Speakers Lighters in the air!
Note: this review started right before we were all stuck in the middle of the travel restrictions imposed by COVID. Cleaning up the desktop, I realized the copy hadn’t had its final round of editing! Yet, my impressions are as vivid as the day I was sitting on the couch. Read More
The McIntosh MC1502 Power Amplifier Big Mac
Much as I like to dismiss measurements when it comes to the subject of hifi, there’s one that I find intriguing – sound pressure level, which relates closely to dynamics. Read More
The Gershman Acoustics Studio Two Speakers Compact, yet compelling
Listening to the deep bass line in Jean-Michel Jarre’s Zoolook instantly reveals the sheer weight that these modest-sized monitor speakers deliver. Read More
Core Power Ground Zero It's a humdinger...
Got hum in your system that you just can’t get rid of? Is it driving you nuts? Have you tried power conditioners, cheater plugs, etc. Read More
The Aqua LaScala DAC: Take Two- Adding the New Aqua LinQ Network Interface to the Mix It Only Gets Better
Streaming Paul Weller’s self-titled album at 16/44.1 kHz resolution, is enough to demonstrate how musical the Aqua LaScala DAC is. And it only gets better… Our only point of contention, when we examined this product about a year ago, was its lack of streaming capability. Read More
Technics SU-G700 Integrated Amplifier Unifying Your Audio Needs
Watching the power meters bounce in the dark, listening to the title track in Brian Eno’s The Ship, the sheer dynamic power of this compact amplifier is completely revealed. Read More
REL’s new T/x subwoofers It's a family affair...
Listening to the speed, detail, and delicacy of the bass line in Sly and The Family Stone’s “It’s a Family Affair” proved the impetus for where this review is heading. Read More
The Acora Acoustics SRB Prepare to be fooled!
Listening to the Acora SRB monitors in a 16 x 25-foot handle the complex dynamics in Brand X’s Unorthodox Behaviour, you could easily be fooled into thinking you were listening to a floor standing speaker, even at a fairly high listening level. Read More
The Technics SL-G700 digital player With a Heavy Nod to Disc Playback
Tracking through the recent SACD remaster of Todd Rundgren’s Something/Anything, it’s easy to see the validity of the concept album – listening to a series of tracks precisely as the artist intended. Read More
The Luxman L-550AXII Integrated Amplifier Understated as it Gets...
Magic isn’t always where you expect it, and sometimes conventional wisdom suggests trying combinations that you might not think will impress. Read More
ROTEL RA1592 MKII A Major Update of a Classic
Rotel has been gaining a lot of attention, with their statement Michi products at the top of their range, and the Tribute products at the entry level. Read More
First look/listen: The new T/x Serie from REL
As with so many top audio manufacturers, it’s easy to get caught up in the products at the very top of their range, both in terms of performance and cost. Read More
Yamaha’s A-S3200 Integrated Amplifier Outstanding in its Field
Watching the delicate power level meters bounce to the rhythm of Led Zeppelin from across the room, Yamaha’s A-S3200 serves up an experience that is as visually engaging as it is sonically engaging. Read More
The dCS Bartok: Take Two… More perspective on the dCS Bartok
Editor’s Note: A short introduction is in order for readers who haven’t always followed our narrative. Bob Gendron has been a contributor to TONE for almost 12 years and was also the magazine’s editor in chief for a considerable period. Read More
REVIEW: The Sonus faber Sonetto V Speakers Compact Classics - True to the breed
Thomas Dolby’s “May the Cube be With You” turns out to be the track used to put about 100 hours on the Sonus faber Sonetto V speakers before serious listening begins. Read More
REVIEW: The Thrax Enyo Integrated Amplifier Single Box Perfection
Ironically, Anja Garbarek’s “Big Mouth” truly shows off what a big voice the Thrax Enyo integrated amplifier delivers. The Enyo shares the same aesthetic as the flagship models, with a familiar front panel look. Read More
REVIEW: The Riviera Labs APL-10 and AFM-25 Distilled Excellence
Have you ever interacted with something made in Italy that didn’t elicit a major emotional response? You never look at a Ferrari or Ducati and think “that’s ok. Read More
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