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Reviews of Attainable Hi-Fi & Home-Theater Equipment

Most Popular Equipment

Details: Written by: Vince Hanada; Created: 01 June 2017

Reviewers' Choice Along with Denon, Marantz, Pioneer, and Yamaha, Onkyo has been one of the mainstay Japanese consumer-electronics companies building home-theater receivers. Integra is the more upscale sister company of Onkyo. Since 1999, it has been available mainly through specialty A/V integrators, rather than the typical retail channels that carry Onkyo products.

Details: Written by: Hans Wetzel; Created: 15 May 2017

Note: Measurements can be found through this link.

Reviewers' Choice The M32 DirectDigital DAC and integrated amplifier ($3999 USD) is the newest offering in the second generation of NAD’s Masters Series, following the M22 stereo amplifier ($2999), M27 seven-channel amplifier ($3999), M17 A/V processor ($5499), M12 DAC-preamplifier ($3499), M50.2 digital music player ($3999), and M51 DirectDigital DAC ($1999). The M32 is also NAD’s second-generation DirectDigital integrated amp.

Details: Written by: Brent Butterworth; Created: 01 May 2017

Outlaw Audio Ultra-X13 subwoofer measurements can be found by clicking this link.

The Outlaw Audio Ultra-X13 is more significant than its generic black enclosure might suggest. It’s the first subwoofer created under a new program in which original design manufacturer (ODM) Claridy Audio builds THX-certified speakers and subwoofers for brands that lack the resources to get a THX license and pay for the product testing. This could produce a mini-resurgence in new THX-certified speakers and subs, of which few have been introduced in the last decade or so. I think that’s great -- from what I know of the THX Ultra spec, it seems to force manufacturers into safe, sane designs that work well in all sorts of rooms.

Details: Written by: Jeff Stockton; Created: 15 April 2017

Pro-Ject Audio Systems knows its customers well -- the Debut Carbon turntable ($399 USD), while not quite plug-and-play, comes with everything the aspiring vinyl-loving audiophile needs. And while not quite an exit-level turntable, its build quality tells me that Pro-Ject cares about the entry level of the market.

Details: Written by: Al Griffin; Created: 01 April 2017

When I consider upgrade options for newbie audiophiles, a name that instantly comes to mind is Rotel. Like many, I bought my first hi-fi as a teen, at a store that, along with audio gear, sold major appliances: dishwashers, air conditioners, washing machines. Later, when I began browsing specialty audio shops, it was components from Rotel and NAD that caught my attention, mostly because they looked cool -- and I could afford them.

Details: Written by: Aron Garrecht; Created: 15 March 2017

Today, selecting the right universal player isn’t always as simple as driving down to your local Best Buy and opting for the disc spinner with the highest number of codec badges or the hottest video engine under its hood. For many, particularly those of us who have a single system comprising components for both high-end music listening and watching movies, this decision is often one of the most multifaceted, complicated decisions we are forced to contend with. Consider the requirements: universal players must not only perform such basic chores as playing the DVDs -V and -A, BDs, CDs, and SACDs -- they must also be able to process, or at least pass along, 3D and 4K signals; decode the latest object-based 3D audio formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and Auro-3D; offer myriad connectivity options enabling both computer- and network-based streaming; and possess circuitry sophisticated enough to minimize the inherent problems associated with each of these demands. Additionally, universal players are also expected to provide satisfying levels of sound, video, and build quality, while offering efficient ergonomics.

Details: Written by: Hans Wetzel; Created: 01 March 2017

Note: Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link.

Reviewers' Choice Dynaudio takes a lot of pride in the fact that it makes its own components, including its drivers, crossovers, and cabinets, and manufactures its loudspeakers in its various facilities in Denmark. But when I think of Dynaudio, cutting-edge industrial design is not the first thing that springs to mind. Their more affordable offerings of the past 15 years, such as their DM and Excite product lines, are unmistakable: simple, modest boxes with bolt-through drivers, including the company’s signature soft-dome tweeter. The drivers’ mounting bolts remain visible, despite most of Dynaudio’s competitors making efforts to shroud this unsightly and inelegant aspect of hand-built speakers.

Details: Written by: Colin Smith; Created: 15 February 2017

Mad Scientist Audio came to my attention when fellow SoundStage! Network reviewer Howard Kneller told me I had to request free samples of the company’s BlackDiscuses. Made from a formula described, tongue in cheek, as being part science and part voodoo, the BlackDiscus is a little thing in the shape of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup that, when placed on a connector, interconnect, or speaker cable, makes it sound better -- or so Mad Scientist claims. I’ve found that they so improve the sound of my system that I now don’t have a power cord, interconnect, or speaker cable that I haven’t equipped with one. What’s more, they not only work great but are silly inexpensive, their various sizes ranging in price from $10 USD per pair to $49.95 each. An audio tweak that doesn’t cost a lot and clearly and immediately benefits the sound is as rare as . . . well, an audio tweak that doesn’t cost a lot and clearly and immediately benefits the sound.

Details: Written by: Al Griffin; Created: 01 February 2017

Note: Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link.

Anyone with more than a passing interest in hi-fi should be familiar with Bowers & Wilkins, aka B&W. Founded in 1966, the British manufacturer has been making speakers for 50 years. Its flagship speaker models are staples of recording studios, where they are used as monitors. Its lifestyle products, including headphones and Zeppelin all-in-one wireless systems, are staples of electronics stores. Filling the gap between is a range of speaker lines, the venerable 600 Series representing the company’s entry-level offerings.

Details: Written by: Roger Kanno; Created: 01 January 2017

Recently, I reviewed Anthem’s new AVM 60 surround-sound processor, which replaced the AVM 50v 3D, the last version of the second generation of Anthem’s AVM surround-sound processors. And while Anthem had continually upgraded that generation during its long run of nearly 15 years, the accompanying MCA series of amplifiers, after a few iterations in its first few years of production, remained unchanged during that time -- until 2016, when Anthem unveiled, alongside the AVM 60, the new MCA ’25 amps.