Mo-Fi Studio Deck + $1400 Mo-Fi’s Studio Deck+ is a built in Ann Arbor, TANK of a turntable. Turntables, like all audio components, make a difference in the sound of your system. The sound of StudioDeck+ is distinctly warmer and less bright, or brittle, than the popular brands we’ve all heard of. The background is quieter and there’s less rumble. StudioDeck+ starts…

Marantz has long made terrific sounding power amps. They aren’t always rated at the highest power due to their conservative nature, but you can count on smooth sounding, reliable power amps for stereo or home theater use. Most amps that are built for home theater are notoriously harsh sounding. They invariably cheat on their specs to try to look good on paper….

Only I can answer this question. Because the question is “How much sub do I need?” I’m a music lover. I listen to music in 2.1, stereo with a subwoofer. I don’t want the sub to intrude into the rest of the music and muddy it up. My system is in the second floor loft of my house, which is a wooden…

Amphion Argon 3LS Tower Speakers: $3500 (White or Black, $4300 Walnut) (38 1/8h, 7 5/8w, 12d, 8 ohms, 50 lbs, 85 dB SPL) Suppose you would like a beautiful sounding diminutive tower. That… would be the Amphion Argon 3LS. It is made in Finland in Amphion’s factory. It isn’t a generic badged effort from Asia. If you’re after a very serious loudspeaker…

What about bi-amping? When does it make sense to run two amps instead of one? Let’s massage the topic! The theory behind bi-amping is, it is better to run one amp for the mid & tweeter array and another for the woofers- as opposed to having one amp drive the whole tower and have to fight its way through a bigger crossover…

Bryston Mini A ($1665 per pair) vs Kef LS50 Meta ($1500 per pair) I hear you have roughly $2k to spend on some stand mount speakers. Of course they will sound better on stands than they will on a bookshelf. You want to hear the music the speaker is intended to deliver, not the extra ringing and rumble of your etergere. Let’s…

KLH Model 5 $2000 Per Pair: Price Includes Risers Walnut or Mahogany Finishes (34.25h on riser, 13.73w, 13d, 52 lbs, 6 ohms, 90.5 dB) A new KLH-5 has just been introduced to the market. What is different about KLH-5 vs a zillion other speakers? First of all, it uses a SEALED cabinet- there’s no port. This helps tighten the bass. It doesn’t…

Bryston Middle T: $6870 Per Pair (39.4h, 10.4w, 16.3d, 81 lbs, 88 dB SPL, 20 Year Warranty!) Who would be a candidate to buy the Bryston Middle T speakers? How about… someone who wants large and powerful sound without adding subs? How about … someone who wants reference level size and scale but doesn’t have room for a monster tower? There are…

Bryston BR-20 Preamp/DAC $6000 Bryston announced in the spring of 2020 that it would be coming out with a new, state of the art Preamp/DAC. Well… that was when C19 was ramping up and, to make a long story short, it has taken over a year, instead of a couple months, to deliver on the promise. But it’s been worth the wait!…

What exactly is an audiophile? When we read about this topic, the term is typically skewed negative. The implication is that audio hobbyists who spend foolishly- are audiophiles. Nope. That isn’t an accurate definition. Target missed. An audiophile is someone who loves music, first and foremost. When he listens to his system, he pays 100% of his attention to how it sounds….

Lyric Hi-Fi in NYC has closed. Perhaps you read the article written on p.122 of the May 2021 Stereophile? The writer was a former employee. He comments on the store selling MIT speaker cable for $12k in 1998. A month later they brought in NBS which sold for $22k. The writer says he learned to sell hi-fi by saying, “this is good,…

I just read a review in Stereophile. They highly recommend a new power cleaner upper for you. The Everest conditioner by Shunyata runs just $8000. The power cord that connects it to the wall is a paltry $3250. Power cords to connect your source, to your preamp and power amp are almost throw ins at $2000 each = $6k. All in with…

Klipsch Forte IV Speakers, $5500 Per Pair (35.75h, 16.63w, 13d, 72 lbs, 99 dB SPL) Talk about a GUILTY PLEASURE! Klipsch’s new Forte 4 is a rock lover’s delight. Line ‘em up and let ‘er rip. There’s nothing fussy about the new Forte 4, which is literally a blast to listen to. Klipsch’s new Forte 4 is an updated version of its…

JL Audio Subwoofers are built in Florida. They are absolutely, positively better than your average bear out of the far east. JL Audio performance and value are legendary in our audio world. The drivers are conservatively 2-3 times bigger and stronger than similarly priced competitors. Their mounting system creates unparalleled rigidity. Their amplifiers have substantial headroom to give you a swift, prodigious…

Klipsch Forte IV

There’s no shortage of opinions on the topic of how to put together a great sounding hi-fi system. Why should you listen to us? We Make It Work Our gear has to sound good and be reliable. We have to support the sales we make. This differentiates us from magazine guys or forum contributors. When you have to make something work right,…