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Audiophile Archives

The Latest, Dave’s Faves, and the AE Newsletter all in one:



02-2025

Please Support N American & Euro Manufacturers In the Jan 2025 British hi-fi news, there is a review of a new Quad branded preamp and power amp. There are numerous references to Quad’s founder, Peter Walker, who founded his iconic English company in 1936. On the cover there’s even a reference to Quad’s “return.” The problem is, these “Quad” branded pieces have…

$2337 Killer Package

Start your new system with this tremendous bang for the buck package. Each product is outstanding in its own right and you save a few pennies in this package. Speakers Speakers have more to do with your system’s sound than any other product. We recognize that every part of the system is important, but speakers provide the window to your musical world….

Atoll Vs Musical Fidelity Integrated

Atoll IN100, $2100, 100×2, Built in France, 3 year warranty Musical Fidelity A1, $1779, 25×2, Built in China, 2 year warranty A customer just stopped in shopping for an integrated amp. He has been reading about a Musical Fidelity he said is getting good press. The mags thinks it’s good because it’s class A. The customer wondered if we have anything as…

Just Like PBJ

I want to point out a fabulous pairing of audio components- right there with peanut butter and jelly. This $6500 combo is an impeccable duo to get the most out of your speakers! A wonderful sounding music system needs a high performing amplifier at its heart. You want to drive your speakers with the equivalent of high water pressure to maintain taut…

The Absolute Sound, Issue Feb 2025

I always love getting new hi-fi mags. Can’t wait to open them. Let’s see what’s up. *On the cover is a Goldmund power amp. I go to read about it on p102 and see it’s $89k. Now I don’t need to read about it. It’s fine with me if companies make expensive gear. They can spend all they want advertising it. It’s…

QC

Quality Control. Everyone talks about it. Few companies pay real attention to it. Very few employ it to the Nth degree. Let’s take a look at how Bryston and Axiom are setting the bar high for speaker QC. Construction Advantages Bryston of Canada goes well beyond what its competitors do to assure that you’ll end up with highly resolving and durable speakers…

How Did This Happen?

As Covid was subsiding in 2022, it struck me that there was PRECIOUS LITTLE affordable audio gear that WAS NOT manufactured in China, or Malaysia. I didn’t, and DON’T like, that hundreds of brands of audio gear that you might suspect are N American or Euro built, AREN’T. In fact, these brand names, with the help of the audio press who turns…

Dave’s Faves – Isotek Elektra V5 Mains Conditioner

Isotek Elektra V5 Mains Conditioner $2000 (4.1h, 17.7w, 13.7d, Black or Silver) Isotek has taught us that Mains Conditioners absolutely, positively, need be an integral part of your system because they IMPROVE your sound! We can measure it with our meter. More importantly, we can hear the improvement through even a mid level audio system. We’re at the point in the hi-fi…

Dave’s Faves – Atoll CD50 CD Player

Atoll CD50 CD Player $1650 (3.75h, 17.32w, 12d, 14 lbs) Made in France With Three Year Warranty! As regular readers know, I’m a big fan of CDs and CD players. As a classical piano fan first and foremost, I don’t care to listen through mechanical noise and PRETEND is isn’t there. IT IS. Further, the speed and wow/flutter variations on LPs with…

Dave’s Faves – Atoll IN400 Integrated Amp

Atoll IN400 Integrated Amp, $7000 (160×2) {5.11h, 17.32w, 14.17d, 43 lbs} Atoll’s IN400 is a true contender for state of the art integrated amp! I say that without reservation. IN400 is right there with the best of the best, regardless of price. IN400 runs $7k in line stage configuration. Add $320 for the DA100 DAC board and $130 for the P50 MM…

Audio Fest In Milwaukee

The typical audio fest is something like Axpona in Chicago. You visit a monster hotel with a hundred plus rooms of music blasting all at once. Because they’re hotel rooms, nothing sounds especially GOOD. Everything sounds LOUD. There’s almost nothing affordable in the building. Virtually every room features speakers (cables too?) that nobody can afford. A system running a quarter mil is…

Pardon Our Dust

Hello 2025! As you may have noticed… we have welcomed our website into the future! Please allow 48-72 hours for all links / images to propagate – thank you for your patience. In the meantime… take a look around at all that we have available here for you to explore and enjoy!

Product Highlight – Axiom M50 Speakers

Axiom M50 Speakers, $1400 Per Pair {35.5h, 9.25w, 13d, 39 lbs, 94 dB SPL, 8 ohms, 10-200 w/ch} Two 6.5” Pure Aluminum Woofers, One 1” Titanium Tweeter Bryston contracted Axiom, a friendly Canadian company down the road a piece, to make its speakers under contract over a decade ago. The project was a home run and the companies merged. The resulting company…