If you start shopping for speakers at this price point, you’ll probably Google, “Best Speakers for $2k.” What comes up? In alphabetical order the most common brands are: B&W, Dali, Fluance, GoldenEar, JBL, Kef, Martin Logan, Monitor Audio, Wharfedale. What do all of these have in common? They’re all made in China and have big advertising budgets. Most of these are made…

It would be nice to get the top candidates lined up to do A/B comparisons, but it’s just not realistic. So how should you wisely shop for your new $2k ish integrated amp? Spend a few minutes learning what is under the hood. Performance doesn’t come down to magic and potions. You absolutely, positively CAN make sense out of how an amp…

Atoll 50 Series Package Atoll IN50 Integrated Amp, $1200 (50×2) Atoll’s great 50 Package starts with a price defying integrated amp. Literally everything else in this price strata is a Chinese bucket of chips and wire the size of dental floss. IN50 has a large toroidal transformer, generous power supply caps, MATCHED MOSFET output transistors- and is made in Atoll’s own house…

How much horse power do you need to drive your speakers well? Most of our customers read nonsense online that leads them to think they need X number of watts. Getting dynamic and exciting performance from your speakers boils down to control, not the wattage rating. Think of strong water pressure from a fire hose vs weaker water pressure from your garden…

Bryston at Montreal Audio Expo, 2025

Review of Bryston BP-19

Bryston Mini T-10 Speakers, $6000 Per Pair {22.5h, 10.5w, 10d, 42 lbs, 4 ohms, 86 dB SPL} Bryston has just updated its venerable stand mount Mini T loudspeaker. Mini T has been a classic KICK FANNY work horse monitor for over a decade. While there are a myriad of upgrades, the most noticeable is the custom tapered midrange/tweeter diffraction plate. The plate…

Atoll absolutely steps away from its similarly priced competition in construction quality. These improvements are choices Atoll makes to attain superior sound and reliability. Virtually all competitors in Atoll’s price range are pumped out of job houses in China. They don’t use the same level of parts or clean, efficient layout. These Chinese built products don’t sound as good or last as…

Bryston BP3, Phono Preamp

Cables matter in the sound of your system. You should get cables that are commensurate with your companion gear, or… perhaps go a step UP- knowing that your system will evolve as your wallet gets fatter. With this in mind let’s evaluate the three echelons of Kimber Kable that make sense, each hitting the law of diminishing returns for the price. Tier…

I have Sirius in the car and luv it for traveling to Barrington or Appleton most weekends to see grand kids. I mostly enjoy the wide variety of music that is available without commercials. Recently I was stuck on the 70s channel and heard several songs played back to back. “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) Edison Lighthouse “United We Stand” Brotherhood…

Bryston Trim T10 review

Darn that Jacques! He throws me off kilter almost every day. It’s been going on since 1996 and I still haven’t figured out how to “beat it.” I have cereal and a bagel almost every day. When I walk in the store I’m fortified to work through the full day. Or so I think. Then, invariably about noon, Jacques goes to Larry’s…

Let’s see what the boys are writing about this month! *Chesky Records has been sold to a Chinese company. Yuk. Oh well, Chesky has made excellent sounding recordings for years. One of the brothers retired and the other is still recording. We have to thank them for their work and can’t blame them for cashing out. *p17 returns to the Krell saga….

Back in 2009 James Tanner, Bryston’s CEO, had designed a speaker he dubbed The Model T, for Tanner. James needed a speaker capable of full range, big time power and better dynamics than other financially attainable towers at the time. James’ goal was to have some Model Ts built for Bryston’s R&D facilities to help them better design electronics. James reached out…