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Written by Rick Schmidt
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Monday, 02 November 2009 00:00 |
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 In my recent review of the Primaluna Dialogue Two I complained that tubes require maintenance. I didn’t complain much as Primaluna does a great job of minimizing those requirements. I should have held my complaint for my solid state gear. That’s right, even power supplies require maintenance. That’s the message that Naim is sending out with their Recap Tour. That’s ‘Recap’ as in ‘Replace the Capacitors’.
Tags: DACs | Power Supply |
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Written by Jim Milton
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Monday, 26 October 2009 00:00 |
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 In 1997, McCormack Audio was purchased by Conrad-Johnson, known primarily for their fine tube amps and preamps. They have the same high quality and value that Steve McCormack put into his designs in California, but these current products are basically an entirely new line (and are built in Virginia). In this review, we take a look at one of their line-stage preamps, and a stereo (two-channel) power amplifier.
Tags: Amplifiers | Power Amplifiers | Preamplifiers | Two channel |
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Written by Chris Heinonen
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Monday, 19 October 2009 00:00 |
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 The first receiver that I remember having in the house was a classic Marantz model. Unfortunately I was too young back then to realize the quality of that component, or even recognize the name, and at some point that receiver was replaced with a much more generic, mass market model with newer features. I am old enough now to know the impact that the name Marantz has on the A/V community, and just about everyone realizes that it commands respect. Here, we review their new AV8003 A/V processor and MM8003 eight-channel power amplifier.
Tags: Processors | Receivers | SSPs |
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Written by John E. Johnson, Jr.
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Wednesday, 09 September 2009 00:00 |
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 Emotiva's new USP-1 stereo preamplifier, at $399, sets a new standard in performance in low priced components. Besides the standard full range outputs, this preamp offers a split output where you can adjust the low-pass frequency for one (which goes to your subwoofer) and the high-pass frequency for the other (which goes to your main power amplifier). This allows you to essentially bi-amplify, and with the low frequencies removed from the high-passed output, your power amplifier will run more efficiantly, not having to waste power on low frequencies that your speakers cannot reproduce. And, they toss in a phono stage that has both MC and MM settings. This may mark the beginning of phono stages being a standard part of stereo preamplifiers, rather than having to purchase an outboard phono stage. Long live LP's! Oh, there's a headphone jack too.
Tags: Amplifiers | Preamp | Stereo |
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Written by Greg Zakrzewski
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Monday, 21 September 2009 00:00 |
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 Ahh summer time. Time for pools, get togethers with friends and tearing apart walls in search of audio and aesthetic excellence for your flat screen TV. While this may not be the average summer activity for most I’ll wager more than a few Secrets readers are in the midst of their own audio-video inspired renovations. Here’s my story of an in wall audio adventure courtesy of the new Paradigm Millenia 20 Hybrids.
Tags: In Wall | Speakers |
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Written by Jason Crawford
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Monday, 12 October 2009 09:22 |
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 Warren Hellman is a man with deep pockets and a deep appreciation of traditional bluegrass music. The fact that he lives in San Francisco is just a matter of good luck for its citizens. This year marked the ninth consecutive year that he's gifted Shaky Town with his Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and it's an event that locals are loathe to miss and travelers are eager to see.
Tags: concert reviews |
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Written by Bill Blackwell
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Thursday, 08 October 2009 00:00 |
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 Audiolab is a brand that may be unfamiliar to many consumers in the United States, but in the UK, it has a decades-long reputation for putting out great-sounding, high-value electronics. While the brand (and company) has gone through a few changes over the years, including a flirtation with the ultra high-end, Audiolab has recently brought its mainstream offerings to the US market, including CD players, amplifiers and analog two-channel preamplifiers. While those will all be interesting for the dedicated audiophile, for home theater, the most intriguing piece in the line-up is the audio-only preamplifier/processor, the 8000AP.
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