THE REVIEWS
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AUDIO ART STATEMENT CABLES - REVIEW
“Wires” are an interesting aspect of most high end hi–fi systems. Some folks consider them interchangeable, with lowest cost being the most important factor. After all, how important can resistance and capacitance be when cable lengths are often a meter or less? Some budget–driven enthusiasts have compared a wire coat hanger with a dedicated “audio” cable and found no discernible difference. How can that be if cables are that important?
MCINTOSH C8 PREAMPLIFIER - REVIEW
Making a success of any consumer electronics venture is an exceedingly hard thing to do. The high-end audio industry roots out incompetence and mediocrity with a ruthless vengeance. Very few audiophile OEMs reach their tenth anniversary. Founded by Frank McIntosh in 1949, McIntosh Labs™ has now been in business for 75 years(!). No, that’s not a misprint.
SHANLING ONIX SACD/CD TRANSPORT - REVIEW
It’s a funny thing, that is, when we’ve immersed ourselves in the highly marketed source-of-the-day—streamers—and then return to its predecessor—CD players—and discover rather potent truths, re-found wonders. This would be the second time that such a truth was revealed to me in high-end audio.
GRIMM AUDIO SQM CABLES - REVIEW
I have gone on in some detail regarding those who assume an almost ideological belief in the fact that “there is no difference in the sound of cables, any cables.” And I have heard noted audio manufacturers echo or believe this very same statement. I must admit that the latter revelation was indeed both perplexing and shocking. How could someone in the audio industry, some one who sets about building components with their various microchips, resistors, capacitors, power sources, differing wires, etc., not know? I have pondered long and hard on this, and have arrived at two conclusions.
SOTA COMET VI TURNTABLE - REVIEW
SOTA Sound Inventions has been one of the most respected manufacturers in the hi-fi industry for over four decades. They have a devoted user base and are rightly known for their high value products and virtually unrivaled dedication to servicing and repairing legacy products. SOTA proudly makes their products in their manufacturing facility in Delavan, Wisconsin.
TRIANGLE SIGNATURE DELTA - REVIEW
I consider loudspeakers to be among the most difficult of hi–fi components to create. Not only is a speaker electromechanical, some can also be thought of as a piece of furniture, an object that sits on the floor and dares you to ignore it. Such is the TRIANGLE Signature Delta, a medium sized floor–standing tower that’s designed and built in France.
BOENICKE AUDIO COMDEV - REVIEW
We recently reviewed the wonderful Boenicke Audio W11SE speakers https://www.audiokeyreviews.com/the-reviews/boenicke-audio-w8, which proved to be one of the most transparent and distortion-free transducers we have auditioned. Chief alchemist Sven Boenicke sent us his mysterious ComDev accessory, a type of product we had not yet encountered. A pair of ComDevs cost $1,600.