LATEST ADDITIONS

Munich 2024
Sonus faber’s many new Sonetto G2 loudspeakers
Jason Victor Serinus  |  May 29, 2024  |  0 comments
In a large Atrium showroom, Sonus Faber introduced their five new Second Generation (G2) Sonetto loudspeakers. Though I didn’t have an opportunity to audition any of the new models which comprise the company’s most affordable and popular series—speakers that are priced far, far lower than Sonus Faber’s Suprema flagship ($750,000/pair—I was privileged to end up face-to-face with Florian Marmisse, the acoustic engineer who designed the line’s drivers and crossovers.
Continue Reading »
Munich 2024
hARt Lab
Ken Micallef  |  May 28, 2024  |  1 comments
High End Munich continued to unveil new (at least to me) names in the world of hi-fi; amplifier manufacturer hARt Labs was another fascinating discovery.
Continue Reading »
Munich 2024
Luphonic Labs
Ken Micallef  |  May 28, 2024  |  0 comments
Manically energized after watching Dua Lipa’s “Illusion” video on repeat for all nine hours of my flight from Newark to Munich, I was ready for some calming turntable action. The off-white colors of Luphonic Labs’s turntable line caught my attention, their curvy design aesthetic and retro appeal comforting my jet-lagged brain.
Continue Reading »
Munich 2024
Ypsilon Electronics, TechDAS, Kaiser Acoustics Kawero!, Artesania, Vibex
Ken Micallef  |  May 28, 2024  |  1 comments
Ypsilon Electronics’ James Michalopoulos seemingly brought the entire Greek-made line of electronics to Munich, beginning with a product the company’s founders, Demetris Baklavas and Fanis Lagadinos, don’t make, from Japanese turntable manufacturer, TechDAS.
Continue Reading »
Munich 2024
Riviera Audio Laboratories
Ken Micallef  |  May 28, 2024  |  0 comments
Riviera Audio Labs’s founder Silvio Delfino and designer/engineer Luca Chiomenti introduced two world premiere components at their booth at High End Munich: the APL-1 Tube Line Preamplifier (€22,500) and the AFS-32 Hybrid Stereo Power Amplifier (€22,500).
Continue Reading »
Munich 2024
Gershman Acoustics, Kronos, MSB, Cardas, True Life, Antipodes Audio
Ken Micallef  |  May 28, 2024  |  0 comments
Ofra Gershman premiered Gershman Acoustics’s 30th Anniversary Black Swan speakers ($95,000/pair) at Munich, and a fine sight they were. The two-in-one speaker construction come with a specified frequency range of 18Hz–24kHz, 88dB/W/m sensitivity, and 6 ohms nominal impedance and stand 52" high by 15" wide and weigh 145lb each. Who says good things don’t come in large packages?
Continue Reading »
Gramophone DreamsPhono Preamp Reviews
Gramophone Dreams #85: Let the Right Brain In; the Hagerman Audio Labs Piccolo Zero head amp
Herb Reichert  |  May 28, 2024  |  4 comments
In the months since I told my Lenco story in Gramophone Dreams #79, two of my friends have bought L75s, and now they're enjoying them more than their shiny movie-star decks. One told me he has put more than $2000 into a Lenco L75 he bought online for $350. When I asked how his hot-rodded Lenco compared to his fancy belt drive, he replied, "You can feel it. The Lenco's motor pulls like a team of Clydesdales. It makes my belt drive feel like a pony pulling a child's cart."

When I asked him what he thought his rebuilt Clydesdale deck, with its new bearing, Jelco tonearm, and Grado Prestige Gold cartridge, was doing that his well-regarded belt drive was not, he replied, in a low, serious voice, "I think it gets more of the first part of a note."

Continue Reading »
Floor Loudspeaker Reviews
Audiovector R 3 Arreté loudspeaker
Jim Austin  |  May 24, 2024  |  10 comments
My first encounter with an Audiovector loudspeaker was at the 2019 Toronto Audiofest. Driven by colorful (both sonically and visually) Alluxity electronics, the R 3s sounded pure and very fine. As I sat listening to the R 3 Arretés, the R 8 Arreté, their big brother, sat quietly in the corner, seemingly pleased with the performance of its smaller sibling.

I ended up reviewing the R 8 instead of the R 3, which in retrospect hardly seems fair:It was the R3 I heard that day, the R 3 that attracted my attention and got me interested in the brand.

Continue Reading »
Munich 2024
Acoustic Signature
Ken Micallef  |  May 24, 2024  |  4 comments
German analog powerhouse Acoustic Signature roared into High End Munich with a trio of new products: two feature-packed phono stages and a cutting-edge tonearm. Their booth was a showcase of gleaming AS equipment, from precision tonearms and turntables, including the behemoth Invictus Neo, to meticulously crafted, matte-finish phono stages.
Continue Reading »
Munich 2024
Zavfino, b.audio, Intrada
Ken Micallef  |  May 24, 2024  |  0 comments
Just out the hotel door and fully caffeinated, I was blown away by the looks, construction, and performance of Zavfino turntables and tonearms. As 1877Phono Zavfino, the company has for years supplied internal wire to major manufacturers; the brand also offers interconnects, speakers, and power cords to the public.
Continue Reading »

Pages

X