Reviews – Page 2

Tom Evans Groove and Microgroove+ Phono Preamplifiers

Life is good. Thanks to the kind assistance of Jay Kaufman at Audio Revelation, I was able to enjoy a complete audition of the Tom Evans Microgroove+ phono preamplifier. Jay has some demo units that float among prospective customers and permit the kind

Two Power Cables – Element Stealth “es” & PS Audio PerfectWave AC-10

Writing about power cords is like drinking air when you are hungry. You can spend a lot of time doing it, but in the end, your efforts will have little effect on your appetite. The reason for my ambivalent outlook

Tzar DST Moving-Coil Phono Cartridge

The Tzar DST moving coil phono cartridge is manufactured in Russia in limited quantities and distributed in the US by Robyatt Audio. The $10,000 cartridge has some special features that make it unique in the marketplace of moving coil phono

Valvet E2 SE Stereo Power Amplifier

The new Valvet E2 SE single-ended Class A solid-state amplifier is a revelation. Coming to market about a year after my review of the Valvet E2, the SE version exceeds the E2's audible performance in every parameter. Please see the older

Valvet E2 Stereo Power Amplifier

Valvet High-End Audio, of Bargteheide, which is near Hamburg in northern Germany, has been making high quality audio components since 1982. Owner and designer Knut Cornils has a goal for all of his components: “(T)he transmission of music free from

Van den Hul Black Beauty phono cartridge

This review is of the medium output – 1 mv – version. This wonderful cartridge has been hanging at the end of a Well Tempered Reference Arm, on a Well Tempered Reference Table, for about 2 years. I think it

Van den Hul Condor XCM and XGM MC Phono Cartridges

I can’t tell you what to buy. Even if I found the perfect component…well, what is “perfect”, anyway? Take an amplifier, for example. Let’s say that I thought that the Cary 300SEI amplifier was the absolute best amplifier on the planet. In

Velodyne Optimum-12 Subwoofers

Adjusting the controls on a subwoofer for best performance takes time and patience. It is always interesting to see ads for used subwoofers appear on the Web stating “only a week old” or “barely broken in”. These almost always identify

VPI Aries Turntable with SME V arm and SDS

POSTED 12/31/2002 An unexpected thing happened as a result of this review. I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later, but I didn’t expect it would be a turntable that was the catalyst. I was finally convinced that satisfaction

VPI Classic Turntable

VPI introduced the Classic Turntable to mark the occasion of their 30th anniversary. Since this turntable was auditioned earlier this past summer, a Classic 2 and Classic 3 have been announced. At $2,750, the Classic Turntable includes a JMW 10.5i

VPI Prime Turntable and JMW 3D Tonearm

Making quick judgments about the sound of a new component is dangerous. Those snap judgments are usually just a comparison to another component and are subject to change as the listener gets to know the new component better over time.

VPI Scoutmaster Turntable with JMW-9 Signature Tonearm

Paul Basinski The VPI Scoutmaster Signature turntable is a veritable beast. Weighing in at 48 pounds without hernia-inducing options like the outer ring clamp, Gingko dustcover, Delrin clamp, or upgraded platter, this is one solid machine. That was the first impression that

Weiss DAC2 Digital-to-Analog Converter

The Weiss DAC2 benefits from the experience and technology of the well-received Minerva digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The DAC2 is distributed in the US by Vintage King Audio, a well know dealer of pro audio equipment. At a list price of

Well Tempered Reference Turntable

I owned a Well Tempered Classic before buying a Reference. The Classic bettered my previous SOTA Sapphire (early version). I didn't just replace the Classic with a new Reference. First, I upgraded the arm to the Reference arm. With the

Window Cable Special Interconnect & Special Phono Cables

The shortness of this review is not an indication that my reviews are regressing to their earlier style of “short and sweet”. It just happens to fit the product under review. Window Cable™ is a landmark product. It does the job

Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 DSDse Digital-to-Analog Converter and USB Cable

The Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2 DSDse is a new state of the art digital-to-analog converter from a company that has produced a number of high performance digital products over the years. The standard DAC-2 carries a list price of $1499

Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2v2SE 10th Anniversary Limited Edition DAC

State of the art precision. State of the art focus. State of the art harmony. The Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2v2SE 10th Anniversary Limited Edition digital-to-analog converter does not sound like a digital component. It much more closely performs as an

Wyred 4 Sound ST-1000 Stereo Power Amplifier

The high-end is dead! Long live the high-end! A paradigm shift is upon us now. In the Wyred 4 Sound ST-1000 stereo amplifier, we have a maturing technology that absolutely changes the performance-to-price expectation for solid-state amplifiers in the $2,000

Wyred 4 Sound ST-750LE Stereo Power Amplifier

The new Wyred 4 Sound ST-750LE stereo power amplifier sounds far above it's price class. The technology includes Wyred 4 Sound's proprietary input circuit that is similar to the one implemented in their '10 LP'-rated STP-SE Stage 2 preamplifier. This

Wyred 4 Sound STP-SE Stage 2 Preamplifier

The Wyred 4 Sound STP-SE line stage preamplifier was originally introduced in 2009 and has been gradually updated and improved over the years. This latest, top of the line model includes many parts and technology that we find in cost-no-object

Xavian Perla Esclusiva Loudspeakers

Xavian, a loudspeaker manufacturer in Prague, Czech Republic, contacted 10 Audio in June of this year inquiring about a review of their very new Perla Esclusiva two-way speaker. The Perla, the smallest model in the Natura product line, had recently

YG Acoustics Kipod II Signature Main Modules Speakers

A lot has changed with these high performance 2-way speakers since I reviewed the original version of the Kipod loudspeakers. The enclosure was undated with hidden corner bolts, cleaning up the front panel appearance. There is a single pair of

YG Acoustics Kipod Main Modules Speakers

The YG Acoustics Kipod Main Modules Speakers have been my reference speakers for over a year and I am just now writing about them. I have enjoyed music through the Kipod (pronounced KEY-pode) with a half dozen different amplifiers, both

Zyx Airy 3x-SB Moving Coil Cartridge

The timing of this review could not be more appropriate. It is spring, and the warm sunshine on my face makes me feel alive and renewed. It is a pleasure to be outside. The subtle oppression of being closed in

Zyx UNIverse MC Phono Cartridge

Reviews of phonograph cartridges can be pretty darn worthless. Irrelevant. Reviews can put a cartridge into some kind of comparative framework where you understand that Cartridge A does this or that, more or less, better or worse, than Cartridge B.

ZYX UNIverse Optimum Phono Cartridge

Another ceiling has been shattered, another mountain conquered, and another superlative surpassed. The new ZYX UNIverse Optimum moving coil phonograph cartridge has risen above the very high pinnacle of performance set by the ZYX UNIverse Premium, reviewed here on 10 Audio.

ZYX UNIverse Premium Phono Cartridge

The ZYX UNIverse Premium moving coil phono cartridge is the latest evolution in the long history of ZYX of Japan. High performance is always expensive, and in this case, sonic perfection carries a “premium” price tag. Based on other upper

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Category: Reviews