By Juan C. Ayllon
I first read about this little device back in August on the pages of Paul’s Posts, a blog penned by PS Audio CEO, Paul McGowan. By inserting it via USB cable between a music server and a digital to analog converter (DAC), he explained, the signal feeding into your stereo is enhanced. This raised the question, how could a $175 gizmo half the size of a deck of playing cards improve the performance of a DAC costing thousands of dollars? It piqued my interest so much that I emailed Mr. McGowan about it and, indeed, he confirmed that it notably improved the sound coming through his DACs. Read More...
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By Juan C. Ayllon
He’s renowned for his polish and nuance, as in his work with The Crusaders, Steely Dan’s best selling album, Aja, and a slew of smooth jazz CDs. A prodigious L.A. studio musician in the 1970s, Larry Carlton’s signature sound graced chart-toppers, including some by Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, John Lennon, and Jerry Garcia. But don’t let his G-rated demeanor fool you. He’s also been known to take a deep drag from a cigarette, place it on the end of his Gibson ES-335 and let it rip before a cheering throng in a packed bar. This is best exemplified in his album, Last Nite. Thus, it should come as little surprise that I would include a few songs from this album in my evaluation of the ULS-15 Mk2 subwoofer, which is Hsu Research’s most musical and “spouse-friendly” sub. It’s diminutive compared to their lauded VTF-15 H and VTF-3 Mk5 HP end table-sized behemoths. Yet, I had read that this sealed subwoofer could really dig deep and rattle the room with startling deft and impact, and I wanted to find out for myself. Read More... By Juan C. Ayllon
IT was circa 1983 when souped-up Volkswagen Beetles were eluding California Highway Patrol cars by simply out-speeding them in police chases. Something had to be done and, as a result, the CHP purchased a fleet of Ford Mustangs, that iconic American muscle car. Problem solved. Fast forward 31 years later: I am speaking with Lukasz Ficus, owner of the acclaimed Lampizator, a small manufacturer of hand-made audiophile components based out of Warsaw, Poland, about possible upgrades to their customizable Amber DAC (digital to analog converter, which processes and converts digital source material to analog for playback on audio systems). I ask him if he would make one with the big, coke bottle-sized vacuum tubes. Read More... By Juan C. Ayllon
By Juan C. Ayllon
CHICAGO, April 25, 2015 – Like swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano, they come. For three days, thousands of audio enthusiasts from near and afar flock to the Westin O’Hare, which is hosting Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) 2015. Aural passions, critical listeners and inquisitive attendees are abundant in the Lower Level State Room where Steven Hill of Straight Wire, Inc. displays his “nest” of premium cables. Sporting an “HD Tracks” baseball cap, a gray cashmere jacket and khakis, he assists in rocking and rotating a KEF Ref 5 speaker weighing — the emcee announces — 136 lbs. into optimum position, as demarcated by thin strips of black tape. Johan — The KEF demo guru with whom he shares the room — is captivating some 50 aficionados. Read More... By Juan C. Ayllon
ROSEMONT, IL, April 24, 2015 – After a hard work week in the City of Big Shoulders, some drink, others exercise, go out, or simply tranquilize with a blue screen in their living room. And tonight at the Westin O'Hare, roughly 300 patrons decompressed to the strains of Patricia Barber. Renowned for a couple CDs (Cafe Blue (2011) and Modern Cool (2013)) which are often used as sonic references for audiophile systems, Patricia Barber calls to mind a 1960s piano playing Beatnik singer-poet – miked a touch heavy on reverb with a solid jazz rhythm section backing her. As one of several live attractions at this year's Audio Expo North America (AXPONA), she delivered the goods. Read More... By Juan C. Ayllon
By Juan C. Ayllon I remember trying on a pair of reading glasses for the first time. We were on our fourth date, seated at a ringside reporters table at the Hammond Civic Center, where sweat flew, blood spattered and every thudding punch, every miss, cough or groan could be perceived. At 48, I couldn’t make out the tiny font on a bout sheet, when she reached into her purse and slipped me her spectacles. What was fuzzy and illegible moments ago read in startling clarity and my boxing report, as well as our relationship, went on to be a smashing success (she is now my wife). High end DACs can be equally revealing and exhilarating. They are to digital music what HDTV is to television, bringing heightened clarity, nuance and lush, lifelike detail to the experience. Read More... By Juan C. Ayllon
CHICAGO, April 26, 2014 – I was first smitten in 1994. Behind their ivy-covered brick entry in the well-heeled Lincoln Park neighborhood, Pro Musica played music so pure, so otherworldly that I spent hours in their listening rooms. Scrimping for months, I bought my first serious speakers there as a first year teacher – a pair of black, piano lacquered towers for $900. Twenty years later, I’ve bought and sold thousands of dollars’ worth of audiophile gear, and now I’m standing in their display room at the Westin O’Hare, where 4,372 people flock to attend Audio Expo North America 2014. Read more... |
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