Hi-Fi+ is a fun English audio mag to read. They cover Euro gear much more closely than we do so there are many “cottage industry” companies to follow. In the Dec 2021 issue they handed out some awards. Let’s go! Disc Players They like the Gryphon Ethos for a mere $41k. They like the Accuphase for $14k. They’re both beautiful, and I’m…

Atoll SDA300 Streaming Integrated Amp $5500 (150×2) (3.75h, 17.32w, 12d, 42 lbs) Made in France! With 3 Year Warranty Our best selling integrated amp in 2024 is a no contest, slam dunk winner- Atoll IN300. It runs $4500, has an on board DAC and competes head to head with Macs, Brystons and other top brands for double the price. SDA300 is exactly…

There’s something missing… I received my Bryston BR20 preamp and have to inform you there’s something missing. The grunge in between notes (all I hear in between in silence). My Goodness! What a wonderful preamp. Kudos to you and the team…

A subwoofer can be a secret weapon. That’s IF you get one that’s NOT too big, fat and boomy. You want one that’s stealth. You don’t want to hear it all the time. It shouldn’t encroach on your R&L main speakers. It just needs to help down low. It needs to be ready to pounce when called upon, but otherwise not be…

The topic of DACs is always interesting. Whether stand alone, or built into an integrated amp or preamp, DACs have a lot of influence on the sound of your music and TV. To get cut above performance, you can’t beat beefy, linear power supplies. The DAC chip you use is just the start. It’s actually more important to make sure your DAC…

This fully balanced, Class AB amplifier packs 600 watts (8 ohms) into a normal-sized, 42-pound single chassis per hannel.
The previous generation “squared” series improved output-stage performance hereas the newer “cubed” series improves the input stage. The result represents a more refined sound for Bryston overall. The Bryston 7B³’s bass extension and stability during demanding musical passages, coupled with relatively low noise, impart an admirable sense of ease to the presentation. Soundstage depth is in keeping with other solid-state amps at its price level, but width and height are really exceptional…

Bryston’s BHA-1 has proved itself for over a decade and is one battle tested headphone amplifier I wish I had discovered sooner. For the better part of the past three years, almost every headphone that has passed through my hands for review has been tested with the Pass Labs HPA-1 Headphone Amplifier. DACs have come and gone, but this is one headphone amplifier that consistently tells me what every headphone is capable of…

I view running Audio Emporium like being the GM of a baseball team. We have categories to fill and I try very hard to “beat” other teams with our sage selection, or MIX. When evaluating speakers for about $8k per pair, we need an assortment of speakers that can appeal to virtually any buyer. It’s a fun challenge! And in fact, it…

I’ve written extensively for years about how silver discs are my favorite way to listen to music. They’ve had enormous potential from day one and reward you for putting effort into the format the same way you do for vinyl. It has always made sense to pursue higher achieving CD players rather than skewer the format while listening to a portable Radio…

I’d have to say that $4k per pair is probably our most active price point for cut above speakers. We have great candidates at $1k per pair, $2k per pair and $3k per pair. I’m not nay saying any of those lower price points. But what we are finding these days is that many customers who have had more than entry level…

The Munich Hi-Fi Show is considered the biggest and best on the planet. The Absolute Sound visits so we don’t have to make the trip. Let’s see what they have found for us. That’s why they attend, right? Don’t they want to point us in the right direction? Speakers The first pair they discuss are Martens for $190k. Wow. What a start….

Please take a moment to read through my Silver Discs entry. The topic discusses how a reviewer thinks CDs used to suck, but now they’re finally REALLY GOOD. He says it took 40 years to get good. Nope. He missed the boat. He was lost at sea for 40 years. He was evaluating the medium with poorly built, lousy sounding players. Would…

Suppose… you are a music guy first, and a TV or movie lover second. You want your system to serve music well FIRST. But you also need to run cable or satellite through your system. You only want to run two channels. You don’t really care about the tricks of surround sound. What’s the best way to approach this? Atoll IN50 Integrated…

I heard you’re willing to spend just over a grand to get a new integrated amp to run your nice speakers. What’s your smartest choice to make them sound their best? Here are two integrateds that run about the same money. Each has chosen a different target. In This Corner… We have the incredible Atoll IN50 Signature ($1200) built in France with…

Atohm GT-3 Tower Speakers $13,000 Per Pair (46.85h, 9.45w, 17.12d, 83 lbs, 92dB SPL, 6 ohms) Two 7” Woofers, 6” Midrange, Silk Dome tweeter Available in stunning Gloss Walnut, Gloss Piano Black, Gloss Piano White Made in France: 7 year warranty! Atohm speakers are indeed, actually MADE in France. Designer Thierry Comte has created a line of speakers that check some very…

A good percentage of our customers own separate preamps and amps that have been purchased in the last half century. I always have a soft spot in my heart for separates because they allow you to accomplish two things. The first advantage of running separates is that you can get a more gutsy, ferocious power amp – by not including a preamp…