We talk to people every day about building out a new hi-fi system. It’s a treat to share the enthusiasm of our great hobby with people who haven’t been following it for years- but they’re ready to dive back in. The good news is, our hobby is better than ever. It’s better than the “golden age” of the 1970s or whenever you…

Bryston BP-19 Stereo Preamp, $5195 ($6195 with MM, $6945 with MM & MC) Bryston has been talking about a new analog preamp for well over a year. Bryston is never fast, but when they ultimately deliver the goods, we’re never disappointed. BP-19 measures up as another superstar Bryston product- with a 20 year warranty. BP-19 is just now shipping to the USA….

Atoll CD100, $2200 (3.75h, 17.32w. 12D, 16lbs) Made In France! 3 Year Warranty Atoll’s CD-100 is a fabulous CD player that takes CDs closer to the “best possible” compared to just a “cut above” nice players- that virtually all hail from Asia. Musically CD-100 has a smooth, non grainy character to its sound. Vinyl fans who dis CDs have nothing to bark…

I’m tremendously excited to introduce you to Atoll’s fabulous line of CD players. Atoll is made in France with a 3 year warranty. While all of its gear is outstanding, I want to pay special attention to my favorite source, the compact disc. It’s my favorite way of listening to music. One of the main reasons I enjoy CDs is that they…

In 1975 I bought my first pair of Magnepans, the single panel MG2s for $700. They changed my relationship with the audio hobby. They are to blame for taking me from modest “using” into full blown addiction! My first speakers were Advents. They were good for the price because of respectable driver blending. With Sherwood 7100 receiver, B&O 3000 table and Teac…

Atoll PH100 Phono Preamp $700 (2 1/2h, 12 5/8w, 8d, MM & MC) Atoll of France (3 year warranty) is building an incredible reputation for edge of the art sound at prices we can afford. Atoll actually makes its products in its own house in France! They don’t design them in France and have them built by a job house in China….

There are many ways to source your music these days. My favorite source is still the silver disc. Yep, the CD. Pay no attention to nay sayers who say the format is dead. It not only isn’t dead, it sounds better than ever. I buy CDs regularly. Box sets are invariably TREASURES of music at fair prices. I play entire CDs to…

I love CDs and the players that play them. What a marvelous format for playing music! Artists typically have a program or musical message they want to deliver. Just hit play and you’re set for 40-80 minutes. You don’t incur any clicks/pops or bobsled noise. It couldn’t be easier. And, playing a CD sounds better than streaming. Yes, it does. As a…

Steve is about ready to retire and wanted to update his hi-fi system. He’ll finally have time to enjoy music in his dedicated man cave. A few years ago he bought a Cambridge streamer and integrated amp online. That was feeding his old bookshelf speakers. It was quick and easy. He was OK with it for the price and time. He visited…

Let’s compare an Atoll integrated amp vs a few well thought of competitors. What do you ACTUALLY GET for your money? For openers, Atoll is built in France with a 3 year warranty. Atoll was started by brothers Stephane & Emmanual Dubreuil in 1996. There’s a TLC you get from a small family owned company- that you can’t get from mass production…

We get the call every week. Or more! “I have a Hafler 200 power amp that’s failed. Can you fix it?” You can substitute almost any name in there for Hafler (but not BRYSTON!) If the amp is over about 7 years old, the answer is almost always NO. Why?! First of all, while we’ve all heard the case of the fellow…

I have a few observations about the audio hobby these days. Let’s see what’s going on. Press Every mag we read, features lots of play for pay. We see continual reviews of the same brands who advertise heavily in the rags. The magazine guys will claim they’re above such payola, but PLEASE! Today’s rags are filled with… the same brands getting reviewed….

Atoll IN50 Signature $1200 (50×2) You’re looking for a great integrated amp value. Where do you start? In a word, Atoll. Most people, start the process off on the wrong foot. Rather than thinking about how to get the best SOUND, they think they need to buy the most watts and the most features. If you do this, you’ll end up purchasing…

Atoll AM100 Power Amp $1500, 100×2 If you are looking for a butt kicking, smooth sounding power amp at reasonable money, look no further than the fabulous AM100 by Atoll. It’s made in France, not China (!) with a 3 year warranty. Atoll has a pair of muscular transformers and filter capacitance of almost 33,000uF. This generous linear power supply supports weighty…

Separates can offer a MIGHTY audio performance if the space and money are employed judiciously within the gear. Please consider a separate preamp and amp from Atoll of France- a company who puts the space to great use. Have a look inside Atoll. You’ll see chassis filled with great parts- laid out like meticulous art work. The lack of wires running all…

In our LATEST section near the top, I have an entry titled “A New Direction.” Here… is an example of what I’m referring to in that article. Samsung bought Harman in 2017 and now owns the rights to its plethora of brand names. There is a new series of integrated amps, a CD player, a network player and turntable just out, branded…