Getting great definition in the LOWER REGISTER of an audio system is tough to accomplish. How much bass is enough? How much is too much? The good news is, only one opinion counts- yours. The lower register can be important for many reasons. Bass drum thwacks/kicks and various kit fireworks. Stand up bass fiddle or electric bass licks. Synth earthquakes. But for…

Nobody says more, in less time, than Chopin. Nobody understood the piano better. Nobody is a better architect of music for this magnificent instrument, which provides a full orchestra of colors. Chopin has dozens of pieces that are short, yet they’re fully formed and mature. As I learned to play several of these through the tutelage of my eminently patient teacher, Marlene…

The smartest purchase in a streamer REMAINS the NAD Bluesound Node. The Bluesound has been the best streaming value for half a dozen years or more. It still is! NAD knows the young whippersnappers out there would like a cooler name than “The NAD Streamer.” Hence NAD has dubbed its streaming products Bluesound. Now, we old guys know all about NAD and…

Rogue RP-5 v2 Tube Preamp, $4000 (4.5h, 18.5w, 14.5d, 30 lbs.) Rogue has just enhanced its RP-5 preamp to RP-5v2. RP-5 was always smooth and warm- great characteristics, of course. RP-5v2 is, nonetheless, a dramatic upgrade! I’m happily shocked at the level of improvement. RP-5v2 transmutes a distinctly improved level of TRANSPARENCY to the party that its predecessor didn’t have! RP-5v2 will…

Let’s suppose for a moment that you’re very happy with your music system. You spent time and money selecting everything you have. You’re pleased with each piece and like it as a system. Are you DONE? Of course not! I’m only slightly being a wise guy. It is very rare that we encounter a customer that has a complete, modern system. There…

Klipsch Forte 4 $4500 Per Pair (35.75h, 16.63w, 13”d, 72 lbs, 8 ohms, 99dB SPL) Klipsch has just updated its already venerable Forte loudspeaker. The changes include: The Forte 4 is a nice tweak up from its predecessor. The Mylar midrange driver and crossover bring your seat closer to the stage. You hear greater dynamics and less of the cabinet in this…

Hot off the presses from Sweden are the gorgeous sounding Moon River Integrated amps.

Marantz 30 Series Package Oh boy, oh boy, oh BOY! Marantz created an iconic 30 Series of gear in the 1970s. With a tip of that hat to those products, HOT off the presses is a NEW 30 SERIES of gear that is so smartly designed that I know you’re going to be as impressed as I am. This gear comes from…

Bryston BHA-1 Headphone Amp $2695 (2.75h, 17w, 12.25d, black or silver) Bryston’s BHA-1 does for headphones, what huge, Bryston monoblock amps do for speakers. Not only is BHA-1 stone cold quiet, but it makes any headphones start and stop like lightning. The speed and control of BHA-1 is as good as it gets. What you’ll find is, even modest headphones benefit from…

McIntosh XR-100 Speakers, $10,000 Per Pair (Red Walnut Gloss, Piano Black Gloss, Pear Maple: 51h, 8w, 18.5d, 69 lbs, 87dB SPL) McIntosh is known first and foremost for its world class power amps. They make so many variations that even we dealers can’t keep them all straight! Next in line, Mac is known for magnificent matching preamps, integrated amps and CD players/transports….

Leak Audio Leak is an iconic British brand of audio gear, founded 1934. Leak has introduced a short line of modern gear, in vintage clothing. You can use Leak with its lovely real walnut cabinet. Or, remove the cabinet for a classic STEEL look. Either way, you’re back in the 70s with contemporary performance! We get calls every week looking for vintage…

Rogue DragoN Tube Power Amp $4000 (300×2, 5.5h, 18w, 15d, 40 lbs) Enter the DragoN! DragoN (upper case N) is Rogue’s new, 300×2 tube power amp. Owner/designer Mark O’Brien has created cutting edge, innovative wrinkles with his fire breathing, yet tender sounding, edge of the art power amp. The design is dubbed tubeD by Rogue. DragoN combines the best of both worlds-…

Vintage gear sure looks cool. Classic looks are fun. But good performance, ah, NO. The problem with vintage gear is, that it’s OLD! So am I. I started selling audio gear in 1971 in college. The electronics of that era ran hot and broke frequently, even when new. The truth is, cool as it was, the gear we sold back in the…

Marantz SACD-30n $3000 While every format has its strengths and weaknesses, I still have to have a silver disc player. Ideally, that silver disc player would play SACDs as well as Red Book CDs. There is plenty of music on disc that I need, that I can’t get any other way. Marantz introduced a stunningly amazing player during Covid 19 ravaged 2020…

NAD M-33 $5000: 200×2 Integrated Amp With Built In Streamer NAD has been touting its new M-33 Integrated Amp. It’s now here and I can tell you it DOES live up to NAD’s BODACIOUS claims! M-33 can be the heart of an elaborate system, it can also be a “just add speakers” system- because of its on board streamer. The streamer is…

Kimber Kable, Hero Interconnects, Ultraplate RCAs or XLRs .5m $231, 1m $296, 1.5m $361, 2m $426 Kimber makes cables from modest to esoteric. The sweet spot for most of our customers is the iconic Kimber Hero. It is used in some of the highest end systems going, yet is still reasonably priced. Hero consists of a four wire, Varistrand, braided geometry, interlink…