15/12/2024

Germany's Sintron Distribution GmbH has a thirty-year track record of sourcing and co-developing affordable yet sophisticated Hi-Fi gear made in China. Among their products are tube amplifier classics, such as the well-reviewed VR70E-2. So how about their line of preamplifiers? Can the smallish TPR-2 hold its own in the company of some formidable rivals?

23/10/2024

The importance of room acoustics for HiFi audio only becomes aparent once you have consciously heard the difference in a direct comparison. We never listen to the loudspeaker alone, but rather a to chain of influences from the electric socket to the room.

06/10/2024

Life could have gone differently for German HiFi, if the industry had fully embraced the idea of creating iconic products. I love the look and feel of the early days when anything was still possible. I am thankful to my grandfather for affording me this opportunity long after his death. This one is for you, Rudi.

02/09/2024

Pioneer has built some revolutionary HiFi products in the course of the company's existence. Their patented platter drive mechanism is a case in point and makes for some excellent CD player classics that can still (or perhaps once again) hold their own in today's CD player market. Good drive units are generally hard to find these days.

08/08/2024

At first glance, nothing about the NAD 310 betrays its merits. Its size, weight, and unpretentious colour scheme suggest some sort of Mid-Fi contraption at best. But hook it up to some proper speakers, close your eyes, and expect to be surprised.

15/07/2024

The name Mark Levinson has become an icon in the world of HiFi and is known for the brand of High End audio products as well as the man himself, who designed some special audio gear, knew how to throw a party and to market himself. He was married to the American actress Kim Cattrall.

09/07/2024

Sean Keel is a singer/songwriter from Austin TX. Influenced by the local country/folk music scene and songwriters such as Dylan and Waits, Keel has developed a style that is quite unique.

03/07/2024

When the Uher UMA-1000 stereo power amplifier was launched on the German market in 1992, it was secretly promoted as a Harman Citation amplifier in disguise. And, really, much of the Uher design looked very promising. I bought my own UMA-1000 in Summer 1993.

01/07/2024

In spring 2024, my friend and fellow audiophile, Arndt Scheuren, brought by a CD that had the small round of listeners perplexed. Sean Keel's album was making all other vocal recordings seem pale in comparison.

09/06/2024

Symphonic Line's Harmonie HD cables have been around in various iterations for many years and are still a benchmark to be reckoned with. Here is a test of their agile 4m speaker cable.

06/06/2024

The MIT Terminator 5 speaker cables are a single-wire design that measures an impressive 12 mm in diameter. The network box must be placed closer to the speakers than the amplifier. The cables offer superb dynamics, a generous stage width, and a leaning towards pleasantly warm wooden tones.

01/06/2024

The High End Society e.V. was founded in 1981 as an interest and advocacy group for the promotion of high-quality music reproduction. The association has since grown into a global network of audio enthusiasts, manufacturers, and retailers. The annual High End Audio Fair in Munich is the world's largest trade show for high-end audio equipment.

27/05/2024

Stager Sound Systems' Silver Solids are a twisted pair of 99.9% pure soft-temper 24 AWG solid-core silver wires, terminated with Canare F10 Cinch/RCA connectors. They provide a tonally pleasant and engaging sound with low bass thundering right through without any unnatural restraint.

19/05/2024

The Symphonic Line RG2-MK3 is a preamplifier designed by Rolf Gemein and hand-crafted at Symphonic Line in Duisburg, Germany. It is housed in a 2mm-thick brass enclosure with a 10mm-strong face plate and turned full-metal knobs. The RG2 MK3 offers cinch/RCA input sockets for Auxiliary, Tuner, CD, and Tape, as well as MM/MC phono stage with adaptable capacitance. The unit is powered by a 300 VA toroidal transformer with mumetal enclosure.

12/05/2024

The Jupiter omnidirectional loudspeakers are built to handle up to 200 Watts of power and deliver a full and natural tonal balance, allowing for realistic-to-live listening volumes. They can play back frequencies down to 30 Hz, enhancing the realistic acoustic effect. In combination with the White Bird - Reference speaker cables, they provided a homogenous listening experience with a full bass and a slightly early treble drop-off.

16/04/2024

Rolf Gemein is the master mind behind the German Symphonic Line and helped introduce the concept of High End in Germany. To this day, his RG9 integrated amplifier ranks among the most musical designs ever made.

13/04/2024

Pioneer's patented platter drive mechanism allows for a near perfect reading of the source material. Legato Link adds some of the missing treble content beyond 20 kHz. In combination, this makes for an excellent player to this day.

11/04/2024

Acoustics is not as much about output power and woofer size as it is about the art of using physical dimensions and resonances to reach a desired effect. Here are some considerations.

06/02/2024

We do not learn about what is possible in terms of HiFi by sitting at home and listening to our system. However, if you thought you might learn about it by going to a HiFi fair, you are in for a surprise.

18/06/2023

I have a love-hate relationship with this particular Jazz album. I pull it out whenever I am tired of the ordinary, smooth, and predictable, and when I am in the mood for the unconventional and unexpected...

06/06/2023

Many of the characteristics we attribute to visual sensations can also be used to describe acoustic phenomena. When the musical image becomes warped or hazy, this can limit the joy of listening.

03/06/2023

Convergence is a testament to Boris Blank's boundless creativity and mastery of sound manipulation. The album's highlights, such as "Euphoria" and "Resonance," showcase his ability to create mesmerising sonic landscapes.

02/06/2023

Winfried Echle has built a number of fine HiFi devices in his time. His special inventions even made it into some prestigious German audio magazines.

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The Berlin-based company Teufel initially made a name for itself as a manufacturer of loudspeaker kits and offered its customers selected combinations of crossover components before launching its first finished loudspeaker, the M200, on the market in 1988.

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The CS 505-3 is a semi-automatic turntable with a sprung sub-chassis. In combination with Dual's ULM tonearm, it still performs well today and proves to be an enjoyable all-rounder.

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Many of today’s legends started out as unorthodox price breakers. If you think of David Hafler and his affordable Heathkit audio gems, it often is the outsider who manages to win over the heart of the consumer.

10/11/2021

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22/06/2021

Shielded cables do not sound as unrestricted and dynamic as unshielded cables. The Quasi-Balanced cable by Holger Becker uses a one-sided hose shield and an additional conductor to offer the best of both worlds.

12/06/2021

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25/05/2021

The HSB4 was added to the list at a later stage and therefore has a higher number, although it probably deserves a higher priority. The plugs are made by Elecaudio on a tellurium-copper basis and have been silver plated.

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12/04/2021

The Australian couple Keith and Patricia Eichmann made a name for themselves, when they premiered the famous ‘Bullet Plug’ connector to the world. Here is a Silver Solid-Core cable Holger Becker made for me that utilises this special plug design to its full advantage.

12/04/2021

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21/03/2021

Although the HBS2 was based on the same solid silver cable, it was terminated with silver-plated brass plugs from WM Audio instead of gold+copper. Brass certainly has its place in the context of plugs.

10/03/2021

28/02/2021

Silver is a completely different beast from copper, of course. And although I have experience in running in cables, and have read that silver solid-core conductors have a run-in time of approximately 2 months, I must say that the first three weeks made me doubt that this interconnect was ever going to sound good...

15/02/2021

Braided silver cables do have their merits. But what if the conductor material is made of silver-clad copper? Does this still make for a good cable? Surprisingly, the answer is "Yes.", especially if our system sounded a bit dull to begin with.

09/02/2021

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16/01/2021

The Belden 9497 might just be the cheapest High End speaker cable on the market. They are quite versatile and perform to the highest standard in single-wiring and bi-wiring applications.

15/01/2021

09/01/2021

While the tonic's strengths lay in maintaining tonal balance, the timbre was considerably more informative. Diana Krall's voice was given a stronger sense of huskiness and realism.

09/01/2021

07/01/2021

Kimber’s Tonik allows music to flow freely, with zest and harmonic richness. Piano notes and voices sound full and instantly endearing. It sets the stage well, but in comparison with the Timbre lacks some width and depth.

05/01/2021

04/01/2021

Voices were perhaps a bit on the light side and appeared to be slightly set back, but they were never unpleasant. Kari Bremnes’ song “A Lover in Berlin” is a good case in point, as the voice can all to easily sound too piercing.

03/01/2021

27/12/2020

The historic Western Electric cable featured here is made up of two solid strands of high quality copper. Each copper strand is wrapped in silk cloth and the strands are twisted against each other to form a single cable per channel.

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Thomas Fast opened his first HiFi studio in Stuttgart in 1998 and has since become a trusted focal point for audiophile music enthusiasts nationwide.

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08/06/2020

Electrostatic loudspeakers might just be the closest you can get to the actual music event, but only if they are properly positioned and connected. This can go wrong in so many ways that these might also be the most frustrating speakers you will ever own.

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